Top Secret (role-playing game)

Infobox RPG
title= Top Secret


caption= Cover of Top Secret's core rule book (first edition)
designer= Merle M. Rasmussen (original edition)
Douglas Niles ("Top Secret/S.I.")
publisher= TSR
date= 1980 "(1st ed)" February 1981 "(2nd ed)" 1987 "(Top Secret/S.I.)"
genre= Spy fiction
system= Custom
footnotes=

Top Secret is an espionage-themed role-playing game first published in 1980 by TSR, Inc.

Top Secret (original edition)

The original version of "Top Secret" was designed by Merle M. RasmussenRasmussen, M. W. (1981). "Top Secret Espionage Role Playing Game", second ed. Lake Geneva: TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-935696-16-4] , and allows 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." The game was developed over a period of two years by Rasmussen and TSR editor Allen Hammack.

The "Top Secret" game is based exclusively on 10-sided dice. All character attributes and other statistics are percentiles; some scores are rolled, and some are derived from combinations of two or more other scores. "Top Secret" also features "Areas of Knowledge", which function similarly to skills in more modern RPGs. Characters gain experience points and progress upward in level. Characters gained one attribute point for every hundred experience points in addition to going up in level. The levels had relatively limited in-game effects (most significantly, gained experience points were divided by the character's level).

"Top Secret" characters are employed in specific bureaus — Assassination (Killing), Confiscation (Theft), or Investigation (Research) — all in the structure of an unspecified espionage agency. Despite a character's primary vocation, he may be called on to perform any type of mission. The only in-game effect of a character's bureau is that he earns a 100-point experience bonus for mission objectives which fall within that bureau. An appendix in the rule book lists dozens of historical and fictional espionage organizations which could serve as employers or adversaries for missions.

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.fact|date=June 2007

Trivia

* At TSR, an internal spy campaign game based on "Top Secret" resulted in a brief investigation by the FBI when notes from players in charge of the KGB, Mossad, and others were found by "civilians" unaware that it was a game.fact|date=June 2007

* The cover of the original rule booklet was to feature American currency until it was discovered this would violate American law. Foreign currency was substituted.

upplements

Information supplements

* "Administrator's Screen and Mini-Module". Corey Koebernick (1982). (Includes "Operation: Executive One") ISBN 0-935696-79-2 (The agents must rescue the president, who is being held by a band of Canadian mercenaries in a haunted mansion).
* "TS007 - Top Secret Companion". Merle Rasmussen (1985). ISBN 0-88038-102-7 (Expanded rules and new equipment).

Mission modules

* "TS001 - Operation: Sprechenhaltestelle". Merle Rasmussen (1980). ISBN 0-935696-17-2 (German for "The place where speaking stops", this module details a town on the border between West Germany and East Germany where secrets and subterfuge are everywhere).
* "TS002 - Operation: Rapidstrike!". Mike Carr (1982). ISBN 0-935696-57-1 (This module details a commando raid on an enemy complex to recover a kidnapped scientist).
* "TS003 - Lady In Distress". Mike Carr (1982). (This module's plot involved agents parasailing to rescue a hijacked cruise ship. Eerily, the module's ship plans were based on the "Achille Lauro," which was seized by PLO terrorists in 1985 and resulted in the murder of one passenger.)
* "TS004 - Operation: Fastpass". Philip Taterczynski (1983). ISBN 0-88038-011-X (This module details a defection at an international puzzle tournament being held behind the Iron Curtain).
* "TS005 - Operation: Orient Express". David Cook. ISBN 0-88038-041-1 (This module details a series of 6 adventures set on the famous "Orient Express" train).
* "TS006 - Operation: Ace of Clubs". Merle Rasmussen (1984). ISBN 0-394-53464-6 (The agents investigate events at The Ace of Clubs, an exclusive resort and casino operated as a front by The Agency).
* "TS008 - Operation: Seventh Seal". Merle Rasmussen (1985). ISBN 0-88038-134-5 (The agents have to deal with a nuclear threat by an organization that uses Tarot Cards as code names).

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. (The agents must investigate a theme park).
* "Whiteout", "Dragon" no. 87. Merle Rasmussen (1984). (Suspicious incidents at an Antarctic research station require the agents to go undercover to investigate).

Modules published in Dungeon magazine

* "Operation: Fire Sale", "Dungeon" no. 26. John Terra.

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 adversary, "WEB". Later source books in the product line introduce both supernatural ("Agent 13") and futuristic ("F.R.E.E.Lancers") adventure settings. These settings introduced several recurring characters such as Sebastian Cord and .

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.

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.

upplements

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". 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

olo 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 (Note: though this module has an ISBN, it was never actually released, as the Catacombs gamebook line was cancelled before its release.)

Novels

Five novels were published by TSR from various campaign settings from Top Secret/S.I. game.
* " #1: " by Flint Dille and David Marconi. ISBN 0-88038-281-3
* " #2: " Flint Dille and David Marconi. ISBN 0-88038-282-1
* "Double Agent: Acolytes of Darkness/Web of Danger" by Flint Dille and David Marconi/Aaron Allston ISBN 0-88038-550-2
* "Double Agent: Royal Pain/The Hollow Earth Affair" by Richard Merwin/Warren Spector ISBN 0-88038-551-0
* "Double Agent: The Hard Sell/Glitch!" by Richard Merwin/David Cook ISBN 0-88038-589-8
* "F.R.E.E.Lancers" by Mel Odom ISBN 0-78690-113-6
* "F.R.E.E.Fall" by Mel Odom ISBN 0-78690-493-3

Comics

Two graphic novels based on the Pulp era setting were published.

* "" by Flint Dille, David Marconi, and Dan Spiegle ISBN 0-88038-581-2
* "Agent 13: Acolytes of Darkness" (loosely based on the novel)

TSR published eight issues of "13: Assassin" comic that featured stories set in the "" campaign setting bringing the story to a more modern era (1990's). The first six issues had a back-up story set in the Top Secret/S.I. setting ("ORION vs. WEB") which seemed to take place at the end of the agency's covert war. Each issue also contained a miniature game and some issues included character stats for the role-playing game.

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.

References

External links

* [http://www.modus-operandi.co.uk/ Modus-Operandi - The espionage role-playing game resource]
* [http://www.thespook.net/index.php The Spook - An Espionage role-playing game forum]
* [http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/tssi/ Top Secret/S.I. Yahoo Group]