Spying¶
A spy may be a PC or another creature whose job is to perform a covert action against a target, such as surveillance or assassination.
Used by: Information Gathering; player-declared operations against a named target; DM judgment.
Uses: Dungeon Encounters when a failed operation results in an encounter with the target's forces.
Goes back to: the calling procedure, or the player's declared plans for the next attempt.
Records to update: the agent's sheet or notes; the target's disposition toward the party if the agent is exposed.
At the start of any spying, three things must be named:
- Target. A creature or a location.
- Agent. The creature who carries out the action.
- Action. An operation and the approach used.
Approaches¶
There are four approaches, which describe how the agent is positioned to carry out an operation:
- Deep cover. A sustained false identity inside a target location. Requires placement and a weekly check to maintain. Enables any operation.
- Shallow cover. A brief pretext for a single operation, such as a courier, a delivery, or a supplicant.
- Casing / Shadowing. External observation only, with no interaction. Casing applies to a fixed place such as a compound, house, or temple; shadowing applies to following a creature.
- Covert entry. Physical infiltration, such as for burglary.
The DM determines whether an approach is possible. For example, it may not be possible for a human to use cover against a hive of illithids, or for covert entry to be used against a ship that is underway.
Operations¶
The following operations may be possible:
- Surveillance. Learn what people are doing, saying, planning, or hiding.
- Acquisition. Take an object out, or plant one in. Includes theft, delivery, and evidence planting.
- Sabotage. Disable, damage, or compromise a facility or asset.
- Assassination. Eliminate a specific creature.
- Extraction. Remove a person from danger or captivity.
The DM determines whether an operation is possible. For example, it may not be possible to sabotage without special magic, or to surveil a creature that speaks an unknown language.
Actions & Skill pools¶
The action chosen by the agent is a combination of approach and operation. Each combination has four possible skills or tool proficiencies that may be used to determine success, called a skill pool.
| Surveillance | Acquisition | Sabotage | Assassination | Extraction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep cover | Deception, Insight, Perception, Persuasion | Deception, Investigation, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand | Deception, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Thieves' Tools* | Deception, Insight, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand | Deception, Insight, Perception, Persuasion |
| Shallow cover | Deception, Disguise Kit*, Investigation, Perception | Deception, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Stealth | Deception, Investigation, Stealth, Thieves' Tools* | Deception, Disguise Kit*, Insight, Stealth | Deception, Disguise Kit*, Persuasion, Stealth |
| Casing / Shadowing | Insight, Investigation, Perception, Stealth | — | — | — | — |
| Covert entry | Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth, Thieves' Tools* | Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Thieves' Tools* | Acrobatics, Investigation, Stealth, Thieves' Tools* | Acrobatics, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth | Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth, Thieves' Tools* |
*Disguise Kit uses Charisma, Forgery Kit uses Intelligence, and Thieves' Tools use Dexterity.
Operation skill¶
Before rolling to determine success, the skill or tool proficiency to use for the check is determined by rolling 1d12. Before the roll, the player assigns each skill in the pool to one of four slots on the die: 1-6, 7-9, 10-11, and 12. The slot that comes up on the d12 indicates which skill to use for the check. This skill is called the operation skill.
Success roll¶
To represent the week of work, the agent rolls a check of the operation skill against a DC equal to 12 plus the target's proficiency bonus. If the target is a creature, the roll may instead be made against an appropriate passive score, such as passive Wisdom (Perception).
- Success. The operation succeeds. The agent has done what he set out to do this attempt.
- Failure by 1-7. The attempt fails and the agent may be seen or draw suspicion. If the same action is attempted within a week, it is at disadvantage.
- Failure by 8+. The agent is captured. He may be killed, held, ransomed, or interrogated.
Deep cover¶
Deep cover requires a roll to place the agent and a separate weekly check to maintain cover.
Placement. To begin, the agent spends a week and 200 gp to establish a false identity and place himself at the target. The skill pool for placement is Deception, Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Persuasion. Determine the operation skill and success for embedding as normal. Once placed, the agent may attempt one operation per week. The operation's success is determined as normal.
Maintaining cover. Once the agent is placed, each week thereafter the DM makes a secret check to determine whether deep cover is maintained. The check follows the same steps as with placement, except the roll is made with advantage.
Exfiltration. A deep cover surveillance or acquisition action produces information or an item that must be delivered. If the agent will not be delivering it, then before the operation takes place the player must describe how it is handed off and delivered. The DM may grant a benefit depending on the methods.
Assassinations¶
If an assassination operation succeeds and the target's level is no more than half the agent's level, the target is eliminated. Otherwise, the target is surprised under conditions of the agent's choosing (e.g. close range, in an enclosed area, unarmed). Roll initiative and resolve. If a creature has no level, use CR instead.
Counter spying¶
A domain can spend gold each month to raise its proficiency bonus against spying actions made against it.
| New PB | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| 3 | 1,000 gp |
| 4 | 2,000 gp |
| 5 | 5,000 gp |
| 6 | 10,000 gp |
| 7 | 20,000 gp |
| 8 | 50,000 gp |
Other Modifiers¶
Features¶
- Ear for Deceit. When determining the operation skill if Insight is in the skill pool, roll the d12 twice and choose one result.
- Elegant Maneuver. Advantage on Acrobatics checks.
- Eye for Detail. When determining the operation skill if Perception or Investigation are in the skill pool, roll the d12 twice and choose one result.
- Fast Hands. May attempt one Acquisition action during any other action.
- Impostor. Any placement or maintenance check where Disguise Kit is the operation skill succeeds. When the agent's identity is that of a specific real creature, and a check for any other skill fails, any suspicion falls on the real creature rather than on the agent.
- Infiltration Expertise. Any placement or maintenance check where Forgery Kit is the operation skill succeeds.
- Insightful Manipulator. Advantage on Insight and Deception checks.
- Mage Hand Legerdemain. Advantage on Sleight of Hand checks.
- Master of Intrigue. Advantage on Disguise Kit and Forgery Kit.
- Steady Eye. Advantage on Perception and Investigation checks.
- Supreme Sneak. Advantage on Stealth checks.
Movement¶
- Climb or fly speed. Advantage on Acrobatics checks.
Feats¶
- Actor. Advantage when Deception is the operation skill in a Deep or Shallow Cover approach.
- Keen Mind. The agent does not carry or store written information.
- Linguist. If written information is captured, the target cannot read it without magic or a successful Intelligence check against a DC equal to the agent's Intelligence score plus proficiency bonus.
- Observant. When determining the operation skill during a surveillance action, roll the d12 twice and choose one result.
- Skulker. When determining the operation skill during a covert entry action, roll the d12 twice and choose one result.
Backgrounds¶
- Charlatan (False Identity). While the identity is not discovered, the Deep cover placement cost is 0 gp and any placement or maintenance check where Forgery Kit is the operation skill succeeds.
- Spy (Spy Contact). Any exfiltration succeeds.
Spells¶
- Alter Self. Acts as Disguise Kit proficiency for Shallow Cover actions and grants advantage on Disguise Kit checks.
- Etherealness. +10 on any check.
- Dimension Door/Teleport. Advantage on checks during an Acquisition action.
- Disguise Self. Acts as Disguise Kit proficiency for Shallow Cover actions.
- Find Familiar. The familiar may act as the agent for the action. Alternatively, the agent may make any check using the familiar's stat block, which grants advantage on Stealth checks. On a failure by 8 or more, roll 1d20: on a 1-10 the familiar is caught instead of the agent.
- Invisibility. Advantage on Stealth checks. A failure by 8 or more becomes a failure by 7.
- Misty Step. When determining the operation skill during an Acquisition action, roll the d12 twice and choose one result.
- Modify Memory. An operation skill check failure by 8 or more becomes a failure by 7.
- Pass Without Trace. Advantage on Stealth checks.
- Suggestion. When determining the operation skill, if Persuasion or Deception are in the skill pool, roll the d12 twice and choose one result.
Items¶
- Boots of Elvenkind. Advantage on Stealth checks.
- Cloak of Elvenkind. Advantage on Stealth checks.
- Cloak/Ring of Invisibility. +10 on Stealth checks. A failure by 8 or more becomes a failure by 7. When determining the operation skill, if Stealth is in the skill pool, roll the d12 twice and choose one result.
- Hat of Disguise. As Disguise Self and also works for Deep Cover.
- Poisoner's Kit. Adds 2 to an agent's effective level for purposes of assassinations.