Getting people and goods past those who are looking for them is hard without specialized equipment. A cunning deception helps, too. When the U.S. embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979, six Americans managed to escape the initial onslaught and reach the Canadian embassy. Deteriorating conditions in Iran meant that the Canadians couldn’t guarantee the embassy staffers’ safety, so the U.S. government turned to the CIA to “exfiltrate” them. The CIA procured forged Canadian passports for the staff, opened a fictitious film company as cover, and whisked the six out of the country disguised as a flashy Hollywood production crew.

Disguise has a long and storied past in espionage. During the American Civil War, Allan Pinkerton’s Union agents disguised themselves as peddlers, trading buttons and thread among unsuspecting Confederate soldiers while collecting rumors and valuable intelligence. More recently, the CIA’s Office of Technical Services tapped John Chambers, the famed special-effects artist responsible for the costumes in the Planet of the Apes films. Chambers and his technicians taught the CIA how to prepare what agents call “advanced disguise”: silicone facemasks complete with hair.

A disguise may require the Disguise and/or Acting skills, depending on the user’s intentions. It might be as simple as a stolen uniform or as elaborate as full-body makeup. A few items easily concealed on the body, such as a wig and a fake heel that alters gait, allow a Disguise roll at -5 for improvised equipment. More advanced equipment is possible.

This attaché case contains makeup, false teeth, wigs and hairpieces, etc. $200, 10 lbs. LC4.

This gear allows elaborate disguises involving custom-made noses and ears, complete facemasks, etc. It gives +2 to Disguise, but the user needs at least a day to prepare a new disguise, which requires two to six hours for fitting each time it’s worn. $4,000, 250 lbs. LC4.

Smuggling is the art of sneaking objects or even people across borders and through checkpoints. There are many motivations for this, including profit, crime, and national interests. Luggage with a hidden compartment or a false bottom can help. The items below have a secret area that holds 1/10 the listed capacity, giving +2 (quality) to Smuggling.

Steamer Trunk (TL5). Holds 400 lbs. or 5 cubic feet. $4,000, 40 lbs. LC3.

Travel Bag (TL5). Holds 100 lbs. or 5 cubic feet. $1,200, 10 lbs. LC3.

Attaché Case (TL6). Holds 20 lbs. or 2 cubic feet. $400, 2 lbs. LC3.

At TL8, the preferred method for carrying drugs across heavily enforced borders is to have the courier – sometimes called a “mule” – swallow a “mule pill.” This is a packet constructed from the finger of a surgical glove sealed with paraffin. Each thumb-sized “pill” holds about half an ounce. Mules practice by swallowing grapes, eventually working up to 50, 100, or even 150 packets. After completing a run, the mule takes a laxative and passes the pellets over several hours. Nothing prevents smugglers from carrying cargoes other than drugs; indeed, counterterrorism experts fear that explosives could be carried onboard a plane this way.

A mule must make a HT roll at -1 per 50 pellets swallowed. Success means the ruse works and the mule survives the ordeal. Failure results in an incident, such as passing pills too quickly or throwing some of them up. On a critical failure, a packet bursts, exposing the mule to its contents – often a lethal dose of cocaine or heroin.

The pressure of the pills in the stomach causes cramps or more intense pain (see Afflictions, p. B428). The mule’s sweating and discomfort can tip off observers. To spot this, a screener must win a Quick Contest of Search or Observation against the mule’s Acting skill. An X-ray machine (pp. 217, 222-223) is more reliable: a successful Electronics Operation (Medical or Security) roll allows a Search attempt to detect the pellets in the mule’s digestive tract. A mule pill is $0.1, neg.