Action heroes frequently work for intelligence, law-enforcement, military, or security services. Normally, either all or none of them will be active operators, although they might not all serve the same master; details depend on the campaign. Employees of such organizations can buy social advantages that entitle them to ask their employers for assistance.
To get help, the person asking must be in good standing with his organization – that is, he has to have and honor a Duty to his employer at the “9 or less” level or above, and hold Rank. Rank 0 counts! It costs 0 points, but it isn’t the same as no Rank. Somebody with no Rank has no Duty… and no chance of receiving aid.
The chance on 3d of getting assistance, the Assistance Roll (AR), depends on Rank; see the Assistance Table. If several PCs with the same boss need help, roll once for the person of highest Rank, adding 1/5 of the total Rank of the others (rounded down) to his Rank. For instance, a Rank 3 spy, two Rank 2 agents, and a Rank 1 operative would roll as if their Rank were 3 + (2 + 2 + 1)/5 = 4.
If an NPC pre-authorized aid for the mission, use his Rank (usually 5+) instead. In this case, the GM may fake the roll. It might be crucial to the plot that help arrives – or that a double-crossing NPC hangs the heroes out to dry!
| RANK | 0* | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5† | 6† | 7† | 8† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistance Roll | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
* Heroes with Intelligence or Military Rank must have a Duty to claim Rank 0+; those with Police or Security Rank require Duty and Legal Enforcement Powers.
† Starting PCs can’t buy Rank 5+ but can be promoted there in play (GM’s option).
Odds of assistance are low for junior operators – even in a sizeable team – but an AR is a success roll, subject to Luck and Buying Success. Several bonuses may apply, too. Of course, there may be penalties, and if modified AR falls below 3, there’s no chance of success!
* Administration works only in situations with paperwork; Smooth Operator, only in person. Neither applies when requesting help over the phone or radio!
† The GM judges what’s appropriate or inappropriate. A wounded Military Rank 0 soldier might get +5 when shouting for medevac, while even a Rank 8 general would have -10 to request a nuclear strike “just because.”
The players should limit their requests to things that suit action-movie realism – and the GM should occasionally reward cooperation by awarding +1 to +5 to the AR, or by fudging the roll and having help just show up, if that would be more fun. Beyond what’s reasonable, though, is what’s possible. This list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a good start:
Aerial Surveillance: Helicopter arrives in 1d+10 minutes, or 1d hours outside city. Crew report what they see in real time over the radio.
Backup: NPCs at most equal to the PCs in number arrive quietly in 1d+10 minutes, or in 1d hours outside the city. They have a few relevant skills – Driving, First Aid, Guns, etc. – at level 10-15 (1d+9), and carry handguns.
Bailout: Heroes arrested by police while following orders or who have 15-point Legal Enforcement Powers can “get out of jail free” with a successful AR. Results take 10 minutes in home jurisdiction but 3d hours in another (friendly) jurisdiction.
Base Access: Permission to enter a military base other than the soldiers’ post. Roll at the gate, at +5 unless it’s a secret base or one for a service different from the heroes’.
Cash: Collected in person or comes by courier in one day. Maximum $100 at Rank 0, $300 at Rank 1, $1,000 at Rank 2, $3,000 at Rank 3, $10,000 at Rank 4, $30,000 at Rank 5, $100,000 at Rank 6, $300,000 at Rank 7, or $1,000,000 at Rank 8. Multiply by 10 if it’s for show and will be returned.
Disappearance: “Authorization” to make an illegal arrest. The PCs must do the dirty work – this just guarantees that they’ll get a holding cell and no legal trouble. AR is at -5 if target isn’t a known terrorist. Takes at least 1d hours to set up.
Facilities: Access to the best-quality computer, lab, machine shop, etc., where the heroes can use appropriate skills at +4. This is only possible in person, in home territory, for facilities that make sense (e.g., cops can access an auto garage but not code-breaking supercomputers).
False ID: A temporary identity, ready in one day.
Files: Dossiers, manuals, maps, etc. Collect in person, take electronic delivery in 1d minutes, or wait a day for a courier.
Fire Support: Air or artillery strike, starting 1d minutes after the call unless pre-planned. AR is at -5 outside a combat zone or -10 in friendly territory!
Forensics: Autopsy, crime-scene analysis, DNA test, etc., conducted on request. Report comes in a day, electronically or by courier.
Insertion/Extraction: Clandestine drop or pickup via helicopter, sub, etc. Time varies from 1d+10 minutes for loitering support to a day or more if called in cold.
Medevac: Ambulance for urban operators or chopper for soldiers. Typically arrives in 1d+10 minutes, but may take 1d hours or worse in remote areas. AR is at +5 to +10 under legitimate circumstances.
Records Search: An appropriate database search – DMV for a city cop, Interpol for a federal agent, etc. Collect it in person, take electronic delivery in 1d minutes, or wait a day for a courier.
Replacement Gear: Anything standard-issue for organization and mission. Collect it in person or wait a day for a courier (or 1d days for a big item like a vehicle). Military personnel (only) can get an airdrop in the field in just 1d hours.
Safe House: A structure outside friendly territory, unknown to the opposition, checked for bugs, and stocked with food and medical supplies. It takes a phone call to get the address. The building might be 3d miles away in town, or in the nearest big city if the heroes are in the countryside.
SWAT: As backup (above), but with body armor and rifles, and not quiet. AR is at -5 if made “just because,” +5 if the brass sent the heroes into a dangerous situation.
Technical Means: Communications intercepts for a specific target, plaintext of a code broken on a supercomputer, satellite recon of a specific locale, etc. AR is often at -1 to -5. Success means the data arrive electronically or by courier in a day. Real-time drone surveillance takes only 1d hours to set up if available.
Transportation: Ordinary commercial transportation relevant to mission. Can usually be arranged almost in real time over the phone!
Warrant: A legal warrant to search premises, plant wiretaps (-5 to AR if the target isn’t a known criminal or terrorist), etc. Arrangements take 1d hours at day but 1d+8 hours at night (fewer judges!).
Intelligence: Cash (to buy information); facilities; false ID; files (dossiers on enemy spies, maps, etc.); insertion/extraction; replacement gear; safe house; technical means; transportation.
Law Enforcement: Aerial surveillance; backup; bailout; cash (for bribes); facilities; files (case report, criminal jacket, etc.); forensics; medevac; records search; replacement gear; SWAT; transportation; warrant.
Military: Base access; files (maps, technical manuals, etc.); facilities; fire support; insertion/extraction; medevac; replacement gear; technical means; transportation.
Security: Aerial surveillance; backup; bailout; disappearance (requires 15-point Legal Enforcement Powers); facilities; files (dossiers on terrorists); forensics; medevac; records search; replacement gear; SWAT; transportation; warrant.
If the heroes requested information (files, forensics, records search, etc.), treat their organization as though it were a Contact Group with effective skill 18, and make a skill roll. Success means the PCs get what they need. Reliability is “Somewhat Reliable” – if the skill roll fails, those at home base draw a blank. On a skill roll of 18, someone decides that the request was above the PCs’ clearance or pay grade! Instead of aid, their service’s equivalent of Internal Affairs or CID shows up to complicate the adventure.
If the heroes asked for anything more substantial (backup, cash, transportation, etc.), their employer serves as a Patron. Treat it as a “powerful organization” in all cases – the CIA or USMC might outclass the LAPD, but individuals and squads can at most reach one or two steps up the chain of command.
This advantage’s benefits apply when the user is in his jurisdiction (one city or county for 5 points, a nation for 10 or 15 points) and conducting himself properly (showing his badge, demanding surrender before shooting, etc.). In the movies, this lets heroes get away with many things that would land most people – even card-carrying spies and soldiers – in hot water. Simply flashing his badge and delivering a canned speech gives him +3 to all reaction or Influence rolls made to order ordinary citizens to step aside, hand over a vehicle, tell him which way the bad guy went, etc. Other authorities won’t hassle him when he pulls a concealed weapon or when the bad guy he’s fighting falls three stories onto a noodle cart; in fact, he gets the same +3 to convince them to help! None of this requires an Assistance Roll.
Benefits of the 15-point version over the 10-point one are that it lets the agent engineer a bailout regardless of what he was arrested for, arrange for people to disappear, and request access to sinister facilities like brainwashing chambers. These things do require an AR. He can conduct searches and plant bugs without making an AR for a warrant, however. Again, none of this has much to do with real life. It’s just how things work in the movies!