A Guide to Covert Ops

A Guide to Covert Ops is a book that is designed to help Classic BattleTech RPG Gamemasters run a story that features characters who are special forces and/or intelligence operatives. It includes a plethora a rules for CBT RPG, including covert ops-oriented sub-affiliations, traits, skills, equipment, and life paths. It also includes a guide to help players and Gamemasters involved in a covert ops game, as well as an adventure that makes use of covert ops characters and their abilities. The source book also includes information on every government intelligence agency in 3067-era BattleTech, from the Inner Sphere powers to the Clan Watch, to the Periphery states, ROM, and even Wolfnet. It also offers synopses some independent organizations such as the Black Dragon Society and Free Capella.

From the back cover
"A space armada slowly takes shape a hundred million kilometers above the ecliptic plane of a star; the target planet does not have the military to stop the massive BattleMech invasion about to be unleashed on their world. Instead, a handful of men slowly maneuver in disguised, pressurized, polymer bags towards their targets. After attaching to the ships, they cut a hole in the bulkhead and sneak towards the fragile Kearny-Fuchida core that makes interstellar travel possible. Knowing death is the only outcome, they disable the fleet, aborting the invasion before it has begun, changing the course of history. They have no name, no history, no life beyond their service to the State. They are covert operatives.

A Guide to Covert Ops provides detailed information on every intelligence agency in the BattleTech universe. Additionally, extensive Life Paths covering everything from DEST to Lohengrin and Valkyrie to guerrilla insurgents are included. Finally, new specialized espionage gear, campaigning rules and a complete adventure provide all the information and tools players and Gamemasters alike will need to enter the covert world of special ops."

Contents

 * Professional Courtesy
 * Introduction
 * Character Creation
 * Traits
 * Bloodmark
 * Life Debt
 * Ki Focus
 * Unremarkable Appearance
 * Skills
 * Environmental Combat
 * Jack of All Trades
 * Affiliations
 * Black Dragons
 * Free Capella
 * Free Skye
 * Heimdall
 * Omniss: Dante's Inferno
 * Nekakami
 * Zhanzheng de guang
 * Double Agents
 * Defection
 * Turning "Mole"
 * Additional Paths
 * Events
 * Stage 1: Early Childhood
 * Nekakami Childhood
 * Stage 2 and 3
 * Nekakami Aspirant
 * Stage 3: Higher Education
 * Federated Suns DMI/MIIO Training
 * Intelligence Operative Training (Generic)
 * SAFE Training
 * Wolfnet Training

Stage 3 and 4
 * Order of the Five Pillars (05P) Initiate/Adept
 * Magistracy Intelligence
 * Ministry (MIM) Operative :Stage 4: Real Life
 * Clan Watch Operative
 * ComStar ROM Operative
 * Fanatic/Guerilla Operative
 * Free Rasalhague Field Operative
 * ISF Covert Operative
 * Lyran Intelligence Corps Operative
 * Maskirovka Covert Operative
 * DMI/MIIO Operative
 * Mimir Resistance Operative
 * Ordo Vigilis Operative (Generic)
 * Outworlds Alliance Infiltration
 * Division Operative
 * Outworlds Alliance Trader/Operative
 * Renegade Insurgent
 * Safe Operative
 * Star League Member State
 * Liaison Subcommand
 * Star League Special
 * Taurian Ministry of Intelligence Operative
 * Wolfnet Covert Tour
 * Word of В1аке ROM Covert Operative
 * New Fields


 * Overview of Intelligence Agencies
 * Internal Security Force
 * Brief History
 * Branches of the ISF
 * Order of Five Pillars (05P)
 * Brief History and Overview
 * Department of Military Intelligence
 * Overview
 * Inside the DMI
 * DMI Divisions
 * Ministry of Information, Intelligence, & Operations
 * Overview
 * Command
 * MIIO Divisions
 * Maskirovka
 * Evolution of the Maskirovka
 * The Burning Down
 * Xin Sheng
 * Branches of the Maskirovka
 * SAFE
 * History
 * Safe Branches
 * Analysis Branch
 * Covert Operations
 * Counterintelligence
 * Lyran Intelligence Corps (LIC)
 * Brief History and Overview
 * Branches of the LIC
 * Mimir
 * Birth and Death
 * Tyr
 * Republic
 * The Clans
 * Organization
 * Current Operations
 * ComStar ROM
 * Brief History and Overview
 * Divisions of ROM
 * Word of Blake ROM
 * Brief History and Overview
 * Organization and Operations of ROM
 * The Clan Watch
 * Overview
 * The Clan Watch Branches
 * Star League Intelligence Command
 * Smoking the Jaguars
 * Operation Star Fall
 * A New Age
 * Organization
 * Magistracy Intelligence Ministry (MIM)
 * Brief History and Overview
 * Branches of the MIM
 * Taurian Ministry of Intelligence
 * Brief History and Overview
 * Branches of the TMI
 * Outworlds Alliance Intelligence
 * Formation
 * Switch and Bait
 * Reunification War
 * The League Falls
 * The Long Road
 * Organization
 * Ordo Vigilis
 * Introduction
 * Ordo Vigilis Sections

Federal Intelligence Command (FIC)
 * Brief History and Overview
 * Branches of the FIC
 * Wolfnet
 * Origins
 * Growing Capabilities
 * Wolfnet Today
 * A Look at Wolfnet
 * Divisions
 * Independent Groups
 * Nekakami
 * Omniss
 * Free Capella
 * Free Skye Movement
 * Black Dragons
 * Heimdall
 * Zhanzheng de guang
 * Thuggees
 * Manei Domini


 * New Equipment
 * Forensic Analysis Kits
 * Microcommunicator, Subvocal
 * Electronic Codebreaker Advanced Electronic
 * Codebreaker
 * Elective Enhancements
 * Prosthetic Upgrades
 * Elective Implants


 * Covert Ops Campaigns
 * Running Adventures in Covert Operations
 * Clan vs. Inner Sphere Adventures
 * Nation States vs. Private Agencies
 * Professionals Vs. Playboys

Types of Games
 * Espionage and Intelligence
 * Gathering
 * Analysis
 * Sabotage, Kidnapping and
 * Assassination

Security/Spy-Hunters Covert Ops Characters
 * Covert Operations-Only Campaigns
 * Mixed Character Campaigns
 * Mainly Non-Covert Campaigns
 * Player Character Double- and Triple-Agents
 * Double-Blind Play
 * Moles and Turncoats
 * Covert Operations NPCS
 * Using NPC Templates
 * Spy (Secondary)
 * Special Forces Trooper (Primary)
 * Close-Protection Detail (Secondary)
 * Analyst (Everyday)
 * Scientist (Secondary)
 * "Cleaner" (Unique)
 * Covert Operations Encounters
 * Generating Encounters


 * Rations Backstab
 * Calculated Risk
 * Classic BattleTech RPG Rules
 * How to Run Operation
 * Backstab
 * The Adventure Sections
 * Overview
 * Getting Starting
 * Help Wanted
 * Warning Shots
 * Needle in the Haystack
 * Crossfire!
 * Bulls in the China Shop
 * Betrayal in the Void
 * The Scene of the Crime
 * Break-In
 * Warp-up
 * Research
 * Cast of Characters