Naval Intelligence

[alanb]

Of course there are "special activities" types in the CIA, as there would be in our hypothetical Imperial agencies. My point is that the bulk of the organisation aren't like that.

As far as character generation goes, most intelligence types would be generated through normal careers. The actual BAMFs would essentially be Marine Commandoes, S-3 Scouts, and so on.

Having a separate intelligence chargen method isn't strictly necessary, although it is nice for the sake of background colour. Having an intelligence chargen method that produces superspies is strictly munchkinism.

No, you may not have my copy of SORAG. It's mine! Mine!

Alan Bradley

 

[Tom Schoene]

Originally posted by alanb:
Having an intelligence chargen method that produces superspies is strictly munchkinism.

No, you may not have my copy of SORAG. It's mine! Mine!

S'OK. I've got Challenge #34, with IRIS extended chargen...

 

[Zutroi]

Originally posted by alanb:
[One of the sad things about roleplaying is that normal intelligence work isn't fun. As a result, our picture of intelligence services tend to feature commandoes and James Bond types, rather than the sad weird nerds sitting at computer screens or just talking to people.

Alan Bradley [/QB]

Sad, but true. Question for ref's: How many times have you tried to run an 'espionage' type adventure, filled with clever villains and intricate puzzles, only to have the PCs whip out gauss pistols and simply blow away the BGs minions?

 

[Zutroi]

Originally posted by Ranger:
Upon further reflection, I am starting to think that the idea behind NI is more on the pre WWII lines (before the creation of the CIA and the rest of the modern intel structure). My impression is that in those days the US had two primarry intel organizations, the State Department, which used local contacts and fact finding trips by its embasy staffs to collect information, and the Intel Branch of the Navy, who needed up to date information on what was going on around the world to plan deployments. It was the Navy itself that was sifting through all the indicators trying to figure out if/when the Japanese were going to attack in late November of 1941 just before Pearl Harbor.

Anyway, just my thoughts,

Rob

Don't forget the OSS, CIAs forebearer, came into being at this time. If you can believe half of what The Hitler (oops, History) Channel tells you these guys did their fair share of low-tech Clancying.

 

[abomination]

Don't forget the OSS, CIAs forebearer, came into being at this time. If you can believe half of what The Hitler (oops, History) Channel tells you these guys did their fair share of low-tech Clancying.

Indeed, OSS was set up largely with help from British Intelligence, most notably SOE, to the extent that for many years after the war the CIA referred to MI6 as "head office"

The Problem with having a "dirty tricks" agency such as SOE, is that it is very hard for inteligence gatherers such as MI6 to operate in a area where the security forces are actively seeking saboteurs. This was a source of constant conflict between MI6 & SOE during WW2, and why MI6 made sure SOE was closed down very soon after it ended.

Other agencies need to cover Counter espionage / terrorism (MI5) and Signal Intelligence (GCHQ). IMTU the latter is handled via a mixture of "civilian" spy ships, ordinary traders with souped up sensors, rather like the Soviet "trawlers" that used to operate in the North sea. And spy satalites which can remain in place for longer periods & then transmit the data they have collected to passing spy ships. Naturally Imperial, Hi pop, hi tech worlds would have their electronic and potentially other communications montored by this agency.

Another type of agency worth looking at is a civilian secret police force (Special Branch in the UK) Who work closely with the counter intelligence branch. Providing a public face, often indistinguishable from the regular police as far as the ordinary citizen is concerned.

It would seem natural to me that Naval Intelligence would cover the (MI5) spycatcher role. While the scouts would provide the foreign intelligence (MI6) & possibly the sig int (GCHQ). During a war the Navy might well wish to start a "dirty tricks" agency which would inevitably bring it into conflict with the scout service. Especially if they were competing for recources such as ships to land & recover agents from the field.