Iss intel types

[Easterner9504]

A question for SJG & COTI?

A new guy in my game is ISS Intel. He wants to know if they're would be a password system set up for Scouts to recognize each other. ISS the MASON's?????

I can see spy's and their "John wears blue suspenders" stuff. But would such nonsense have any reason to be in ISS field, just to Team Leaders?


Perhaps indeed secret signs or handshakes, might be useful on deep surveillance teams if another Scout is looking for an undercover observer.

 

[opensent]

A question for SJG & COTI?

A new guy in my game is ISS Intel. He wants to know if they're would be a password system set up for Scouts to recognize each other. ISS the MASON's?????

I can see spy's and their "John wears blue suspenders" stuff. But would such nonsense have any reason to be in ISS field, just to Team Leaders?


Perhaps indeed secret signs or handshakes, might be useful on deep surveillance teams if another Scout is looking for an undercover observer.

And what keeps one captured Intel Officer who has been administered 'Truth' drug from giving up the shibboleth and outing the entire IISS Intel division? Rolling up IISS agents would be as simple as putting a tail on any suspected operatives and waiting for the secret handshake.

There might be codewords, phrases and such, but they would be heavily compartmentalized. Nothing that spanned an entire organization, maybe 6-18 people max.

 

[opensent]

Oh, PS, if this is for the guy who applied to both of our games, make sure you double check him on everything. He sent me a list of equipment which included:

(TRADE)
Anagathics - 50 doses (dubious aquisition)
TL 12, Cr 30000 per dose. Slows aging, allowing the user to
avoid aging rolls.

Evidently, "You can purchase any equipment you need. I'll let you know if anything needs to be adjusted." means go hog wild and list 1.5 Million Cr worth of Anagathics on your sheet. lol

 

[Easterner9504]

Dope dealer

No he hasn't pulled any of that yet. Nor has he managed to be a pain yet. but if he keeps poking at my teami socio he might get a gauss needle in the forehead soon.

I hadn't thought of compromise of signs as you described but did see them as limited. As not for spy use, as that'd be per mission, but for TREK situations RETURN OF THE ARCHONS when Scouts are ID'ing each other on Red or uncontacted worlds.

 

[opensent]

Regular Scouts (observing social interactions, collecting atmo/geo data, samples, etc.) might wear a dino-rider lapel pins on a lot of worlds. Just explain it away when someone asks.

“Hey, what’s that. “
“Oh, my family is from another village and this is our symbol.“
“Oh cool.”

Actual Intelligence collection officers whose activities would be considered spying would operate under cover and would not/not carry anything other than cover docs. The agents they handle and the people they work would have various communications and authentication mechanisms that would be known to very few people. They would be painfully aware that they are operating in enemy territory, under constant surveilance, and would act accordingly.

 

[Gadrin]

A question for SJG & COTI?

A new guy in my game is ISS Intel. He wants to know if they're would be a password system set up for Scouts to recognize each other. ISS the MASON's?????

I can see spy's and their "John wears blue suspenders" stuff. But would such nonsense have any reason to be in ISS field, just to Team Leaders?


Perhaps indeed secret signs or handshakes, might be useful on deep surveillance teams if another Scout is looking for an undercover observer.

The Vulcans had their hand gang-signs o::rofl:

My guess is that if there was a password system it would change regularly.

A good spy meeting another reported spy would probably test them in some manner. "Hey you served in Ilesh right ? What was the password in 1106?" And see how fast the guy has to think.

Of course things like memory fade, and not everyone has a bear-trap for a mind, but I'd say most of them do. It's the nature of the beast.

>

 

[CosmicGamer]

A question for SJG & COTI?

A new guy in my game is ISS Intel. He wants to know if they're would be a password system set up for Scouts to recognize each other. ISS the MASON's?????

I can see spy's and their "John wears blue suspenders" stuff. But would such nonsense have any reason to be in ISS field, just to Team Leaders?


Perhaps indeed secret signs or handshakes, might be useful on deep surveillance teams if another Scout is looking for an undercover observer.

These are just some thoughts off the top of my head.

Folks working intel might know (be briefed on) their comrades working in the same area of operation. If it is an area that several Intel operatives may be working, they probably share a handler who will arrange meetings as needed. If you are sent in to give an operative in the field new instructions, you would be briefed on who they are (they wouldn't have to identify themself) and you will probably be given all the information needed to prove you are authorized to contact them. For starters, knowing a code word or phrase for the current mission.

If it is a planned encounter (like meeting your handler) there would be a prearranged way of identifying yourself - good for this one meeting.

Due to possible risks, if it is a totally random encounter, why would you give away who you are? This isn't a social organization where members hang out and party together. This isn't a secret organization trying to get noticed by the right people (underground railroad).

Undercover operative in a bar: 'I see you are wearing the secret decoder ring. I'm on a secret mission too! I'll buy you a drink and we can tell each other all about our 'for your eyes only' missions.'

As indicated by someone else, in certain dire circumstances they might know certain things (name of the hand to hand combat instructor, the location of secret weapon cache, ...) that others in their line of work might know.

In conclusion, as others indicated, due to the risks of information falling into the wrong hands, also due to the time frame it takes to update passwords (due to Jump travel times) IMO there would be no secret universal system of identification.

 

[far-trader]

I was going to type up a bunch of stuff coming to mind from reading lots of spy stories (fiction and non) over the years and then an odd thought hit me (to save me a bunch of typing) and sure enough there's a "How Stuff Works" article on Spies

How Spies Work

Might be a good primer and info source for you needs (I find howstuffworks full of good stuff on how things work ).

Also do a search for how terrorist cells work for an alternate on setting up clandestine groups.

 

[rancke]

Sound more like a drug dealer with that much drug carried on him.

50 doses is only four years' worth. It just gives him a little cushion in case he has trouble finding a supplier (and funds! ) during the campaign.

A nice GM (like me) would just tell him no. A not-so-nice GM might let him have them, then have the former owners show up looking for their property, leaving him with a 30,000 credit a month habit and no drugs to feed it.


Hans

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Nasty, Timmii likie!

50 doses is only four years' worth. It just gives him a little cushion in case he has trouble finding a supplier (and funds! ) during the campaign.

A nice GM (like me) would just tell him no. A not-so-nice GM might let him have them, then have the former owners show up looking for their property, leaving him with a habit and no drugs to feed it.


Hans

Plus don't forget the withdrawal symptoms, as I recall they are a cast iron bitch.

 

[rancke]

Plus don't forget the withdrawal symptoms, as I recall they are a cast iron bitch.

Exactly my point. If the consequences didn't affect PC characteristics, some players might not really feel the pain :devil:.


Hans

 

[Patron Zero]

Likely not considered a canonical source but I believe in Scouts & Assassins by Paranoia Press, there was a buckle that bore the Scout Service Insignia, said item was reputed to contain a 'suicide' feature involving a shaped charge.

 

[rancke]

Likely not considered a canonical source but I believe in Scouts & Assassins by Paranoia Press, there was a buckle that bore the Scout Service Insignia, said item was reputed to contain a 'suicide' feature involving a shaped charge.

Not only is Paranoia Press material not considered canonical, it has been officially declared non-canonical (Same as Judges Guild material).


Hans

 

[Gadrin]

Likely not considered a canonical source but I believe in Scouts & Assassins by Paranoia Press, there was a buckle that bore the Scout Service Insignia, said item was reputed to contain a 'suicide' feature involving a shaped charge.

Talk about hitting below the belt ! :nonono:

Scene cuts to the Robot Chicken Star Wars Special...it's the sweeper..."jeez...I gotta get that transfer to the IN."

>

 

[Easterner9504]

Paranoia Press

Huh, who'd guess TRAVELLER DOCTRINE would eventually need excommunication.

I always use SORAG as name of Zho Intel org.

Haven't looked inside either in years.

Always found JG TRAVELLER LOGBOOK useful.

 

[samuelvss]

Speaking of passwords between intel types, I agree generally with what has been said. I think it is perfectly valid, though, that a member of an organization who has no need-to-know might be valuable without spilling the beans.

There are varying levels of trust required for varying levels of access. The basic level of "he's one of us" can open a lot of doors, many of them unofficially. The "What color is the boathouse at Hereford?" vein, or something more subtle can get you this. After several iterations of verbal posterior sniffing, a certain level of trust can be obtained. There is a huge difference between "here, read my dossier" and "you can use my (unsecure) land line and I'll give you the number to the guy I know in logistics."

As to cover, if both are undercover, they either know of each other, are intended to not know of each other, or the operation is a soup sandwich; all are conceivable. There is also a huge difference between covert and undercover, and all different levels of covert. Some covert folks are just painfully bad about security or different types at different times.

 

[BlackBat242]

Not only is Paranoia Press material not considered canonical, it has been officially declared non-canonical (Same as Judges Guild material).


Hans

In the universes of the "Holy Cononistas" maybe.

Not in mine.


"When did Traveller stop being a game, and start being a religion?"

 

[aramis]

"When did Traveller stop being a game, and start being a religion?"

Right about the time the OTU became the only supported TU. 1987, with the release of MegaTraveller.

 

[rancke]

In the universes of the "Holy Cononistas" maybe.

Of course not. Just in the Official Traveller Universe. Talking about canon for any personal universe has always struck me as more than a bit silly. As has been pointed out numerous times, canon is for authors of official Traveller material, nothing else (Though I do usually add that people who want others to be able to use the fan material they produce as easily as possible and/or to be able to use official and fan material produced by others might want not to stray too far from canon. But that's entirely up to each individual referee. There is no canon police that'll shut down your campaign for being non-canonical).

Not in mine.

Of course not. Who would ever suggest such a thing?

"When did Traveller stop being a game, and start being a religion?"

It never did. The fiercest Traveler True Believer wouldn't go to to anywhere near the lengths people do when they disagree about actual religion. (OK, Loren has some stories that might make you wonder ).


Hans