Top Secret (role-playing game)
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Top Secret is an espionage role-playing game first published in 1980 by TSR, the company best known for making the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Top Secret (original edition)
Designed by Merle M. Rasmussen, the original Top Secret game aimed to capture the spirit of such fiction series as James Bond, Modesty Blaise, and The Avengers, while allowing players and gamemasters to build their own espionage story settings. The original boxed set of the game included a 64-page rule book and a sample adventure, "Operation: Sprechenhaltestelle."Following in the "character class" format of D&D, Top Secret characters came from specific bureaus -- Assassination, Confiscation, or Investigation -- all in the employ of a master spy organization simply referred to as The Agency. (An appendix in the rule book listed dozens of historical and fictional espionage organizations which could serve as employers or adversaries for missions.)
The greatest strength of original Top Secret is that many of the game's mechanics operated without dice rolls or complicated tables. Using skills was based on the player's score, and not on dice rolls. This did cause some problems for new gamers, but for those with some experience in the hobby it was handy. A second strength of this system was its ability to mimic "real world" intelligence operations. Its combat system and a lack of maneuver systems often needed to resolve more complex actions kept it from modeling the more action-based espionage films and novels, but for a flavor like the I Spy 1960s television show, original Top Secret was hard to beat.
An expansion to the game, "The Top Secret Companion" introduced enhancements to many game components. It included additional character classes and missions, as well as new Areas of Knowledge and abilities. A revised combat system was introduced that speeded up and provided more variety to combat results. New equipment and weapons were introduced as well.
Supplements
Information supplements
- TS007 - Top Secret Companion. Merle Rasmussen (1985). ISBN 0-88038-102-7
Mission modules
- TS001 - Operation: Sprechenhaltestelle. Merle Rasmussen (1980).
- TS002 - Operation: Rapidstrike!. Mike Carr (1982).
- TS003 - Lady In Distress. Mike Carr (1982).
- TS004 - Operation: Fastpass. Phil Taterczynski (1983). ISBN 0-88038-011-X
- TS005 - Operation: Orient Express. David Cook. ISBN 0-88038-041-1
- TS006 - Ace of Clubs. Merle Rasmussen (1984).
- TS008 - Operation: Seventh Seal. Merle Rasmussen (1985). ISBN 0-88038-134-5
Modules published in Dragon magazine
- "The Missile Mission", Dragon no. 39. Mike Carr.
- "The Floating Island Mission", Dragon no. 48. Merle Rasmussen, James Thompson.
- "Mad Merc: The Alulu Island Mission", Dragon no. 56. Merle Rasmussen, James Thompson (1981).
- "Chinatown: The Jaded Temple", Dragon no. 62. Jerry Epperson (1982).
- "Wacko World", Dragon no. 79. Al Taylor.
- "Whiteout", Dragon no. 87. Merle Rasmussen (1984).
Top Secret/S.I. edition
In 1987, TSR published Top Secret/S.I. ("Special Intelligence"), a revised edition designed by Douglas Niles. S.I. introduced a more structured gaming environment in which players worked as agents for secret intelligence agency ORION against its evil adversay, WEB. Later source books in the product line introduce both supernatural (Agent 13) and futuristic (F.R.E.E.Lancers) adventure settings.
Top Secret/S.I. is a relatively fast-paced, all-action, "Die Hard" and "James Bond" type of game. Some gamers feel that it was a perfect match for the '80s.
Combat system
Top Secret/S.I. uses a fast, simple combat system based on percentages. With as little as a single die roll, a player can know not only if a character was hit, but what part of the body was hit and the extent of damage.Based on a character's stats, skills, bonuses and penalties, the gamemaster gives that character a certain percentage chance of hitting a given target. The player then rolls a percentile die; a result that is equal to or lower than the to-hit percentage succeeds. The hit location is determined by the 'ones' digit of the same roll, and hand-to-hand combat damage is determined by the 'tens' digit. Weapon damage ignores the 'tens' of the first roll, and requires a second roll based on the weapon's characteristics.
Supplements
Box sets
- Top Secret/S.I.. Douglas Niles, Warren Spector (1987). ISBN 0-88038-407-7
- High Stakes Gamble. Douglas Niles, Bob Kern (1988). ISBN 0-88038-545-6
Accessory books
- TSAC1 - G4 File: Guns, Gadgets & Getaway Gear. Merle Rasmussen (1987). ISBN 0-88038-474-3
- TSAC2 - Agent 13 Source Book. Mark Acres (1988). ISBN 0-88038-478-6
- TSAC3 - Covert Operations Sourcebook. John Prados (1988). ISBN 0-88038-479-4
- TSAC4 - F.R.E.E. Lancers. Jeff Grubb (1988). ISBN 0-88038-565-0
- TSAC5 - Commando. David Cook (1988). ISBN 0-88038-594-4
- TSAC6 - Covert Operations Sourcebook Vol. 2. John Prados (1988). ISBN 0-88038-616-9
- TSAC7 - F.R.E.E. America. Scott Bowles (1989). ISBN 0-88038-725-4
Mission modules
- TS1 - Operation: Starfire. Tracy Hickman (1987). ISBN 0-88038-476-X
- TS2 - The Doomsday Drop. Douglas Niles, Tracy Hickman (1988). ISBN 0-88038-480-8
- TS3 - Orion Rising. (1988). ISBN 0-88038-575-8
- TS4 - Commando Brushfire Wars. ISBN 0-88038-708-4
- TSA1 - The Web. Caroline Spector (1990). ISBN 0-88038-820-X
- TSA2 - The Final Weapon. Ray Winninger (1990). ISBN 0-88038-855-2
- TSE1 - Web of Deceit. Bob Kern (1989). ISBN 0-88038-714-9
- TSE2 - Sting of the Spider. Bob Kern (1989). ISBN 0-88038-732-7
- TSE3 - Web Wars. Bob Kern (1989). ISBN 0-88038-765-3
Solo Operations Casebooks
- The Final Bug. Jean Blashfield (1988). ISBN 0-88038-553-7
- Foul Play at Fool's Summit. Troy Denning (1989). ISBN 0-88038-621-5
Character sheets
Character sheets in Top Secret/S.I. resemble agent dossiers, and are intended to provide quick and easy reference to all a player's stats and skills. They also provide a detailed map of the ten possible hit spots of a character´s body, and a blank portrait area for drawing or attaching a depiction of the character.
Current Status
The Top Secret brand ceased production in 1992. TSR was purchased by Wizards of the Coast in 1997, which in turn was purchased by Hasbro in 1999.
External links
- [Modus-Operandi - The espionage roleplaying resource]
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