The 60's were over by the time I was born in rl. And they really weren't an interest of mine, so I don't know much about that era. Which means I'd prefer if we did the 80's era as I know the 80's a lot better. I was still a child at the time, but that's better than not even being alive, isn't it?

Looks like we'll have 5 players.

I hope to get some char gen details up tonight.

Actually, I'm not sure the era really makes that much difference. I was thinking this over since I read Aliyah's post.

For example, the technology that was used in the original Mission: Impossible TV series hasn't changed significantly in the most recent M:I movies--it's just gotten easier to use.

Having recently re-watched the John Wick movie, he pretty much pulls off the entire movie without much use of gadgets and technology at all. Meaning, guns still shoot bullets.

The only real differences will be in computers and cell phones. Computers might be tricky, but then only the 'evil geniuses' will have them. Cell phones, on the other hand, can fall back on the Man from U.N.C.L.E. communicator pens (Open Channel D) and Maxwell Smart's shoe phone and Dick Tracy's two-way wrist radio/TV (from the 50s and early 60s).

The other possible problem is the political playing field. We're talking Cold War, Hippies, and such. Keep in mind, however, that M:I (as well as most of the spy shows of the 60s) tended to make up new countries to suit that week's plot. Whoever heard of Marnsburg?

I think all the elements for the game can be found in any of the three eras. I don't actually have a preference--I don't remember much from any of them!


On a side note, are we going to have a nemesis organization like THRUSH or KAOS?

I tend to agree with Gideon on the era tech.  Sure, the era informs the tech of the game, but in my mind the era is more tightly tied with the political landscape of the game.

In the 60s, for example, the tone/missions will almost certainly swing hard toward the Cold War whether using fake eastern European countries like M:I did or real ones.

A contemporary game would likely swing hard toward NGOs and cyber shenanigans.  An 80s game would be a mishmash as the information age ramps up and the Cold War winds down.

Just spit balling there.  Nothing set in stone.

I like the Cold War Era kind of spy stuff. It always really fascinated me, but I am definitely okay with either era. I definitely like the idea of the fake eastern european countries. Also the whole thought of psychic spies and governments experimenting on their own people is always fascinating to me as well. Then again I have been reading Spy x Family and it has a lot of those kinds of things.

Hi guys, happy to join the team.

I have a very slight preference for the '60's but am very happy to do the '80's cold war era as well.  Big fan of original Mission Impossible, Modesty Blase, 007, Out Man Flint, and Emma Peele.

Oh, and, yes, there will be rival organizations.

Seems like there's a lean to the 60s but let's get player five's input as well.

Tone-wise I'm not big on going cartoonish by including ice castles and invisible cars as seen in Die Another Day.  That's not to say that fun gadgets won't exist but outlandish technology will not turn up.  Often.

I wasn't able to get any char gen stuff posted tonight due to having to play catch-up on some work projects.  So, tomorrow it is.

I am okay with a more grounded approach. That suits me just fine, I kind of already have an idea for an Agent in mind. But I will refrain until everyone can discuss what they want to do.

The early to mid-Eighties still had the Cold War going on, so that's in play for that era, as well as the 60s.

If you've seen Atomic Blonde, that gives a reasonable portrait of what was happening in the world of espionage in the 80s. The Hunt for Red October is another film set in the same time period.

So, the question, really, is: Aliyah, would setting the game in the Sixties bother you too much? Some of us old fogies apparently have a soft spot for all those 60s spy shows, so that's why we'd like it there.


Here's another topic for discussion: how many of you have played TSR's Top Secret or Top Secret S.I.? How about the James Bond RPG? Spycraft? Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes?

With a little help I'd be able to do the 60's era if that's what the other players want. Like I said, I wasn't alive at that time and so don't really have the experience of seeing those shows to fall back on.

If you've seen any of the recent James Bond movies or any of the Mission: Impossible movies, then you've pretty much got a handle on the 60s espionage.

On the other hand, you might be able to find them on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu or any other streaming service. We wound up recording all of The Saint episodes when they aired on FETV.

Atomic Blonde is another one of my inspirations, and in answer to this question:

Here's another topic for discussion: how many of you have played TSR's Top Secret or Top Secret S.I.? How about the James Bond RPG? Spycraft? Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes?

I have played them all, though mostly Top Secret and James Bond.  80's cold war isn't bad, I can do that as well.  Reminds me of high school...

Gin hasn't checked in yet but it sounds like 60s it is.  (Maybe if things go well eventually there could be a time skip to the 80s with the Cold War winding down?)

Basic char gen info tonight.

In reply to Virtue Valentine (msg # 14):

I love Spycraft.  Still waiting on 3.0.  Played Top Secret a little but no other spy games.

Didn't get as much posted as I would have liked but it's something.  I know I need to build characters with most of you so let's get that started tomorrow.  Might be a good idea to discuss your overall character concepts as a group.

I was considering allowing multiple characters per person (but only one per mission per player) but for now let's do one character per player and see how it goes.

The game's classes are: Face, Hacker, Infiltrator, Martial Artist, Medic, Ranger, Soldier, Technician.

I'm happy to give more details on the classes but it's after midnight and my oldest has an appointment with the doc first thing in the morning.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:12, Thu 22 Apr 2021.

Hi all, thrilled to be joining you!

I think I'd be equally happy with either a '60s setting or an early '80s, so I'll just vote with whatever the majority is.

As to character concepts, I was hoping the system could accommodate something like a lockpicking / safecracking / pickpocket specialist?  A reformed former thief, or at least one in the process of being reformed.  :)  I'm precisely zero % familiar with the system we're using, would something like that be an Infiltrator?

I’m looking The Face.  Since this is based on 5e are there backgrounds o choose from?

I only have the Quick Start rules, but the sample characters they give show all the features of the standard fantasy 5e game, including backgrounds, ideals, secrets, bonds, etc.

I think the safecracking and lockpicking comes from backgrounds rather than the class. And skills easily cover it.


The rules I have don't cover Classes, so I'm not sure how they delineate them. The Infiltrator seems to be the Assassin type, though. None of the Classes would seem to fit the Thief category (as in Alexander Mundy from It Takes a Thief; "we're not asking you to spy, Al--we're asking you to steal!"). Hacker or Technician would seem to fill the role, especially Hacker since there won't be much computer hacking in the 60s.

I didn't even know there was a quick start rule set!  But now I have it, thx much  :)

So it looks like the character I'm imagining would be specialized in the Sleight of Hand skill...

Welcome Gin, 5e isn't too hard to pick up, especially if you have some friendly players and GM to help you. It looks to be a friendly group here and it should be a fun game.

With that out of the way, I'd like to throw my hat in for either the Martial Artist or the Soldier class. I've got no problem with Virtue being the Face of the group. I know women weren't really soldiers back then except for in the nursing and medical field, but I can make that work just fine.

Hey there Aliyah!  :)

Women weren't soldiers in the US in the 60s!  Other places had different rules though, maybe Aliyah is Israeli or something?  They've had women in their military for a long time.

That is an excellent point, I hadn't thought of that. Being part of the Israeli army could be fun. I might have to check that out, thanks Gin.

"Aliyah" is even a conveniently Hebrew sort of name!  Though "Rourke," a bit less so...  :)

Name changed to protect the innocent? Or maybe to try and assimilate into the US with a more American sounding name. I'm sure I can come up with something.