The material below is Open Game Content
The Operative
Hit Die: d6
Power Die: d6
Origins: Any
Governments across the world rely on secret agents to gather intelligence, protect their interests, and thwart the schemes of terrorists, supervillains, and other threats to civilization. Some operatives are paranormal, while others are ordinary humans with an extraordinary amount of training. Operatives are more discreet than most of their super-heroic peers, generally donning costumes only when proceeding directly into highly dangerous situations. For everyday adventuring, operatives dress as necessary.
Class Skills: The Operative's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Command (Cha), Computers (Int), Concealment (Wis), Craft/Repair (Int), Defeat Security (Dex), Demolitions (Int), Disguise (Cha), Drive/Pilot (Wis), First Aid (Int), Forgery (Int), Gambling (Wis), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Interrogation (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Int), Read Lips (Int), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Shadowing (Dex), Sportcraft (Dex), Spot (Wis), Streetwise (Wis), and Swim (Str)
Initial Skill Points: (8 + Int Modifier) x 4
Skill points Per Level: 8 + Int Modifier
Initial Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: 10
Cover Identity: A 1st level operative has a fully-prepared cover identity courtesy of his government, fully legal and detailed back to a fictional childhood. Includes driver's license, passport, work permits, bank accounts, rent and property records, criminal record, and school records. This is the equivalent of a 2 EP Alternate Identity Advantage (page 29)
Tacit Enforcement Power: A 1st level operative receives the tacit version of the 4 EP Legal Enforcement Power Advantage.
Bonus Language Points: At 2nd level and again at 6th level and 10th level, an operative receives two bonus language points to reflect his intense study of international affairs and global cultures.
Requisition Points: Requisition Points, abbreviated RP, represent an operative’s ability to call upon his agency for discretionary material resources and special support. Their use is described in detail at the bottom of this page.
Field Experience: At 3rd level, and again at 9th and 15th level, an operative may select any non-exclusive cross-class skill and make it a class skill. Alternately, he may gain two skill points.
Espionage Training: At 2nd level and again at 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th level, the operative will be recalled to a secret location for a brief but intense refresher course in the arts of espionage. The operative may select one of the following special abilities (each may be selected only once, though multiple bonus feats may be selected):
- Bonus Feat: The operative may select one of the following feats, provided he meets all prerequisites: Alertness, Astute, Combat Driving, Cross-Trained, Daredevil Driver, Daring Escape, Drug Resistance, Holdout, Iron Will, Larcenous, Quick-Change, Skill Aptitude, Skill Focus, Sly, Stealthy, Unshakable, Vehicle Focus.
- Crowd Awareness: The operative has become so proficient at watching his back and getting lost in crowds that the DC of any attempt to shadow him will be raised by 10.
- Disguise Training: The operative gains a +4 bonus to all Disguise checks.
- Encyclopedic Memory: The operative may, once per session, re-roll any failed Knowledge check once.
- Escape Training: The operative gains a +2 bonus to all Escape Artist and Defeat Security checks.
- Evasion: If an operative makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, the operative instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the adventurer is wearing light armor or no armor. It is an extraordinary ability.
- Field Survival Training: The operative gains a +2 bonus to all Swim and Wilderness Lore checks.
- Human Perception Training: The operative gains a +2 bonus to all Bluff and Sense Motive checks.
- Nimbleness: The operative may add five (5) feet to his base Speed score.
- Vehicle Training: The operative may apply a +2 bonus to each of any two Drive/Pilot skills.
Combat Training: At 10th level and again at 13th and 20th level, the operative will be recalled to a secret location for a brief but intense refresher course in the art of modern combat. The operative may select one of the following feats, provided he meets all prerequisites: Blind-Fight, Bushwhack, Combat Reflexes, Dirty Fighting, Improved Critical, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike (Deadly Unarmed Strike, Haymaker, Kneecapper, Submission Hold), Infighter, Quick Draw, Point Blank Shot (Deadeye, Far Shot, Hail of Bullets, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run, Swift Reload), Toughness (Improved Toughness, Go Down Fighting, Subdual Resistance, Improved Subdual Resistance), Wariness, Weapon Focus.
Skill Mastery: A 16th level and again at 19th level the operative may select a number of class skills equal to [2 + Int Bonus]. When using these skills, the operative may take ‘10’ even when under pressure.
Rank Exemption: At 18th level or higher, an operative is considered to be outside the conventional hierarchy of military and civil authority. In effect, the operative is a special agent answering directly to the executive branch of his country’s government (at least on paper). He becomes immune to arrest, detention, or interference by all law enforcement or military agencies save the one he actually works for.
Table: The Operative
| Level | Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | AC Bonus | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 1 RP, Cover Identity, Tacit Enforcement Power |
| 2 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 2 RP, Espionage Training, Bonus Language Pts. |
| 3 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | 3 RP, Field Experience |
| 4 | +4 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | 4 RP |
| 5 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | 6 RP, Espionage Training |
| 6 | +6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | 8 RP, Bonus Language Points |
| 7 | +7/+2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | 10 RP |
| 8 | +8/+3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | 12 RP, Espionage Training |
| 9 | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | 14 RP, Field Experience |
| 10 | +10/+5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | 16 RP, Combat Training, Bonus Language Pts. |
| 11 | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | 18 RP, Espionage Training |
| 12 | +12/+7/+2 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +6 | 20 RP |
| 13 | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +6 | 22 RP, Combat Training |
| 14 | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +6 | 24 RP, Espionage Training |
| 15 | +15/+10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +7 | +7 | 26 RP, Field Experience |
| 16 | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +7 | +7 | +7 | +7 | 28 RP, Skill Mastery |
| 17 | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +8 | +8 | +8 | +8 | 30 RP, Espionage Training |
| 18 | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +8 | +8 | +8 | +8 | 35 RP, Rank Exemption |
| 19 | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 | 40 RP, Skill Mastery |
| 20 | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 | 50 RP, Espionage and Combat Training |
Requisition Points: Sending Agents, Guns, and Money
Operatives receive a number of Requisition Points based on their level of experience. These allow the procurement of equipment, resources, or aid from the operative’s controlling agency. As operatives undertake more missions, they become more trusted by their superiors and as a result are allowed to make use of progressively more expensive requisitions.
Requisition Points are solely for “discretionary” use– there is no need for an operative to spend any when an emergency response from his controllers would be called for even if he wasn’t on the scene.
For example, if an operative calls his agency to report that a terrorist has planted a chemical weapon in a subway line, he needn’t spend any of his RPs in order to summon police and hazmat teams to the scene. Likewise, if ordered to travel in a certain fashion or use certain equipment, he need not pay for that transportation or equipment out of his own RP pool.
- An operative begins each adventure with his full pool of Requisition Points and may make use of them any time he can contact his agency. This contact usually takes place via secure phone lines, satellite messages, or coded phrases given to local NPC agents and contacts.
- Arranging certain goods and services may take a reasonable interval of time. Operatives may always arrange to have equipment, funds, vehicles, or back-up agents placed at a location before they actually arrive.
- Even if an operative exhausts his pool of Requisition Points for an adventure, he will always begin each new session with one (1) RP.
- An operative’s full RP pool will refresh before each new adventure. However, any equipment or funds specially requisitioned during the previous mission must be returned to the agency or otherwise accounted for (if lost or destroyed).
Even super-secret operatives are not immune to paperwork, or to the irate bureaucrats that have to keep track of all the equipment that cavalier field agents routinely lose or destroy in the pursuit of their objectives.
Leaving the Agency
An operative and his agency do not always see eye-to-eye, and the world is full of ex-operatives from a variety of backgrounds. However, disagreements aren’t the only reason an operative might leave his agency’s employ– he might retire with honors, or his agency might be shut down, or the country he serves might even be conquered by an enemy power. A government agent need not leave government service when he leaves the operative class. It’s perfectly acceptable for an agent to multi-class as a martial artist, for example, or as an adventurer, or as anything, really, provided his agency agrees that it will help him carry out his mission. In such an instance, he does not lose the use of his Requisition Points.
However, if an operative leaves his agency’s service (whether or not he actually leaves the operative class, though at his next level he’ll have to multi-class into something else), he may not call upon his Requisition Points again. This might leave you with a sinking sensation in your stomach if you’re thinking of playing an operative– but don’t despair! When an operative quits or loses his job, he has a chance to “cash in” his Requisition Points for a variety of permanent benefits that he can take with him into his new life. After all, he doesn’t forget where to find all of his contacts and associates, and if he’s been canny he hasn’t relied upon his agency to set up all of his emergency provisions.
Every 2 full Requisition Points in the operative’s RP pool may be permanently exchanged for 1 Compensated EP, which may then be spent on any of the following Advantages (see pages 29-32):
- Allies
- Alternate Identity
- Connections
- Safe House
- Secret Lair
- Wealth
- Vehicle
Note that when an operative leaves the service of his controlling agency, he loses the use of the Cover Identity prepared by that agency, and he loses his Tacit Enforcement Powers.
Reactivation
It is conceivable, however unlikely, that a former agent may be accepted back into the fold of an agency he left. When this happens, he will regain his Cover Identity and Tacit Enforcement Powers. He may begin taking levels in the operative class again, and will gain the full Requisition Point pool for his current class level. He does not lose any Advantages purchased with converted RPs when he left the agency the first time, though those Compensated EPs immediately become Uncompensated.
REQUISITION POINT EXPENDITURE TABLE
| Backup | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Level Operative NPC* | 1 | Will serve as courier, watcher, bodyguard, etc. |
| 3rd Level Operative NPC^* | 3 | Will serve as courier, watcher, bodyguard, etc. |
| Tactical Assault Team (6 members**) | 8 | Team answers to agency, not to local police. |
*This operative does not have any Requisition Points of his own for the character to spend as he wishes.
**Treat as police SWAT team members (see page 360).
| Transportation | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unmarked four-door agency sedan | 1 | Gray with tinted windows. |
| Zodiac raft with outboard motor | 1 | |
| Hang-glider or ultralight aircraft | 2 | Delivered to designated location |
| Armored four-door agency sedan | 2 | Bulletproof windows, tires, doors, and gas tank. |
| High-performance speedboat | 3 | |
| Modified agency two-door sports car | 3 | Armored, equipped with two-way radio |
| Armored agency limousine | 4 | Heavily armored and luxuriously appointed |
| Helicopter (With or without pilot) | 5 | Available with floats for water operations. |
| Learjet (With or without pilot) | 7 | Generally available for two days. |
| Military cargo flight (C-130 Hercules) | 8 | At operative’s disposal for a two-way flight. |
| 80-foot oceangoing cabin cruiser | 8 | Generally available for up to a week. |
| Special Equipment and Provisions | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SCUBA Equipment (1 person) | 1 | Wetsuit, flippers, mask, and air cylinders |
| Camping Gear (2 people) | 1 | Tent, sleeping bags, backpacks, compass, hatchet |
| Disguise Kit | 1 | +2 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks |
| Lockpick Kit | 1 | +2 circumstance bonus to Defeat Security checks |
| Night-Vision Goggles | 1 | Compact fourth-generation military model. |
| Four-Star Hotel Room (One night) | 1 | Arranged under assumed name if necessary. |
| Laptop Computer | 1 | Respectable commercial model. |
| Parachutes (2) | 1 | Comfortable, compact backpacks. |
| Silencer | 1 | |
| Short-range miniature homing device | 1 | Range of one mile. About the size of a gumdrop. |
| Professional lockpick Set | 1 | +2 to relevant Defeat Security checks |
| Domestic military/police uniform | 1 | |
| Foreign military/police uniform | 2 | |
| Grappling hook launcher | 2 | |
| Long-range miniature homing device | 2 | Range of 100 miles. About the size of a grape. |
| Access to Cray supercomputer (4 hours) | 2 | Only available in major cities. |
| Access to electron microscope (4 hours) | 2 | Only available in major cities. |
| Forged Passport | 2 | Will withstand any routine scrutiny. |
| C-4 plastic explosive (16 ounces) | 2 | Operative had better have a good reason. |
| Fake diplomatic license plates | 3 | Will withstand any routine scrutiny |
| Compact one-person jetpack | 3 | |
| Pistol (Beretta M92, Walther P99, or Glock 17) | 1 | |
| Submachine gun (H&K MP5 or UZI) | 2 | |
| Briefcase SMG (Modified H&K MP5) | 2 | |
| Automatic Rifle (M16A4) | 3 | |
| Light Antitank Weapon | 4 | A detailed explanation will be very necessary. |
| On-call airstrike (fighter jet with 4 500 lb. guided bombs) | 8 | The paperwork will keep you busy for weeks. |
| Funds | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 1 | Available in any currency in the world. |
| $10,000 | 5 | Available in any currency in the world. |
| $100,000 | 10 | Available in any currency in the world. |
| $1,000,000 | 15 | Available in any currency in the world. |
| $10,000,000 | 20 | Available in any currency in the world. |
