1.10. Covert Operations

If you want to succeed at heists, espionage, and other covert operations, you will need to learning to navigate the world unseen and undetected. No matter your stats or skills, you can contribute to covert operations.

The GM will assume, by default, that you want to be stealthy. You won't need to announce that you are using stealth or sleight of hand. Instead, if your GM asks for a Covert Skill Test and you want to be nonchalant or obvious about something, you should let your GM know that you willingly Fail the Covert Skill Test.

The way you will play covert operations will work differently in Freeplay than in Encounters. Freeplay Covert Operations will rely on storytelling over a strict set of rules while Encounter Covert Operations will be much more strict and involve a cat-and-mouse style gameplay. The GM will use a mix of stealth in Freeplay and Encounters, with Encounter-based stealth representing a more elevated hunt.

Regardless of which phase the covert operation takes place, you will need to be aware of your Evasive status and the Alert Status of NPCs.

Sneaky Status

The GM will generally start off most scenarios with all Players having the "Evasive" status. While you have the Evasive status, NPCs may have trouble predicting your movements. "Evasive" does not always mean that you are unseen, but rather that you are drawing less attention and approaching your actions in a cautions way.

While Evasive, you will have an Advantage when targeting NPCs with Abilities. You will also be able to use the Old Sneak Attack, Old Sneak Dash, and Old Sneak Evade Basic Abilities.

If you lose the Evasive status, its easy to regain by using the "Old Sneak" Basic Ability. As stated in the Sneak Ability, you can lose your Evasive status in the following ways:

If you deal damage to a creature without killing it.
As a result of certain Scores while using the Old Sneak Attack, Old Sneak Dash, or Old Sneak Evade Abilities.
If an NPC gains more than two stacks of the Alert Status Condition (most often from a poor Covert Skill Test Score.)
If an NPC takes a turn to act and catches you out in the open without any cover or camouflage. (Outside an Encounter, the GM will generally try to make it clear when this danger is approaching, like by informing you that the person appears to have finished writing their letter and is scooting out their chair to stand up.)

If you or one of your fellow party members loses their Evasive status, that can make all enemies fully Alert and start an Encounter. If it wasn't you that triggered that moment, you keep your Evasive status going into the Encounter.

Freeplay Covert Operations

Freeplay Covert Operations occur in the Freeplay phase of the game and relying more on storytelling and creativity. The GM will generally impose a loose turn order during Freeplay to give each Player and NPC their own turn to act.

Alert

The NPCs you come across will start with zero stacks of the Alert Status Condition. As they gain stacks of Alert, they may alter their behavior, becoming more likely to detect you. A creature's number of stacks of Alert is easily identifiable without a Tests. Below is a list of how an NPC's behavior may change for each stack of Alert:

Alert 0: Clueless. This NPC does not know of your presence.
- This NPC will go about their routines or patrols as usual.
- If an Encounter starts, this NPC will begin with two stacks of the Surprised Condition.
Alert 1: Bothered. This NPC is noticing out-of-place sights and sounds and is becoming more conscious of what's around them. They are more ready if something were to happen.
- This NPC will go about their routines or patrols with caution, stopping to look around or listen for noises.
- If an Encounter starts, this NPC will begin with one stack of Surprised.
Alert 2: Alarmed. This NPC knows sights and sounds around them are out of place.
- This NPC will leave their routines or patrols to actively search. While looking for the source of the disturbance, they will start with the location in which they last heard or saw something or the location in which you last failed a Covert Skill Test. If they find evidence of your presence, they may expand their search.
- This NPC may seek out help from allies within sight and sound range, provided they have concern enough to seek help. If the allies have no stacks of Alert, the allies gain one.
- While at 2 stacks of Alert, if this NPC would gain another stack of Alert due to a creature's actions, that creature will lose their Evasive status (often triggering an Encounter.)

As you may have noticed, having one or two stacks of Alert are not too different from one another beyond roleplaying frills. This initial stack of Alert gives Players a small buffer for mistakes.

An NPC will generally increase one stack of Alert if you fail a Covert Skill Test. If a creature is on guard duty, they may start with one stack of Alert for the first hour or two of their shift.

Most NPCs will lose a stack of Alert if they have searched all logical places for you and not found anything. They may also lose a level of Alert if it has been 5 to 15 minutes of in-game time and no one has failed a Covert Skill Test near them. If you were directly discovered by an NPC, it could take that NPC an hour or more to fully lose their Alert Status Condition. The GM may remove a stack of Alert from an NPC if you take clever steps to belay their suspicion (like by summoning a goat to be a noise-scapegoat.)

Covert Test

While you are Evasive and within Shooting Distance(16u) or True Spitting Distance(4u) of an NPC, you will need to perform a Covert Skill Test. The three Covert Skills each cover different cases for when you are in danger of drawing attention:

Sneaking Skill:
- When you may be heard or seen while using Movement.
- When performing feats requiring you to move more of your body, like crossing a patch of broken glass without making any noise.
Subtlety Skill:
- When you may be heard due to making Noise in ways other than Movement. This includes Abilities, which are Noisy unless otherwise stated.
- When performing feats of dexterity that mainly involve your hands, like pick-pocketing someone or performing a card trick.
Hiding Skill:
- When you may be detected while someone else is using Movement and taking a course of action could reveal your location.
- When you hold still and attempt to magically ward yourself from the awareness or notice of others.

The result of a Covert Skill Tests will determine if nearby creatures gain a stack of Alert. For each Covert Skill Test, the roll result is the same:

[..6] Low Score. NPCs within range gain two stacks of Alert.
[7..9] Mixed Score. NPCs within range gain one stack of Alert.
[10..] High Score. No effect.

If you roleplay a stealthy solution well, the GM may make the Test easier or waive it entirely.

Covert Bonuses

You will gain an Advantage on a Covert Skill Test for each of the following that is true:

The NPCs are distracted or preoccupied in some way.
The triggering activity was Quiet.
You are fully obscured or the area is particularly loud.

Covert Penalties

You will gain a Disadvantage on a Covert Skill Test for each of the following that is true:

You are in Spitting Distance(4u) of an NPC.
The triggering activity was Loud.
You are fully exposed or the area is particularly quiet.

Other Interactions

There're other ways to get an Advantage or a Disadvantage on Covert Skill Tests. For example a Dark Zone or a Fog Zone can help you avoid visual detection. Similarly, you can use a Loud Zone to cover up any noise-related actions that may trigger a Covert Skill Tests.

The GM may also waive a Covert Skill Test entirely if you are acting in a clever way to hide yourself or mitigate the circumstances that may get you caught.

Hiding

When not in an Encounter, you should try not to stay out in the open. The GM will often introduce a threat to your Evasive status by warning you that an NPC will soon take their turn. If you have failed a Covert Skill Test and an NPC now has 2 stacks of Alert, they will get a moment to search for you after you finish your loose, Freeplay turn. If they see you out in the open on their turn, you will lose your Evasive status. If they may not see you because you are hiding, but move within Shooting Distance(16u) or True Spitting Distance(4u) of you, then you will need to make a Covert Skill Tests to remain Evasive. If you have a good enough hiding place that is not an obvious place to search, you will be able to skip the Covert Skill Test and remain hidden.

You can generally Hide behind anything that would grant you at least 1/2 cover. You can also Hide in ways that may obscure or camouflage you in some way. Hiding can be as simple as going Prone in tall grass, jumping in a line of decorative suits of armor, crouching against a busy-looking pile of junk, or joining the crowd of goons with your cloak drawn. If you are not fully hidden, you will need to make Covert Skill Tests to help determine how long you can evade their attention. Most creatures that are in-tune with magic can use a bit of that magic to warp attention around them, making them slippery to the mind.

Encounter Covert Operations

Once an Encounter has started, Covert Operations shift to use a different set of rules. In an Encounter, your enemies can, without reservation, target and move toward you, even if you are Evasive. That said, your Evasive status gives you access to powerful covert Reactions that you can use to retcon stealthy activities into the Encounter. These Reactions take place before the opposing creature can finish their actions, giving you a strategic edge.

Covert Reactions

There're three covert Reactions on the Basic Ability List that every adventurer should know.

Each of the covert Reactions requires a different Covert Skill for its Test. If you fail the Test, you don't get to use the covert Reaction, but you do get your Beat back. If you get at least a Mixed Score on the Test, then the covert Reaction takes place.

Sneak Dash

Old Sneak Dash requires a Sneaking Skill Test. If you Pass the Test, you remain Evasive and gain Movement as from the Dash Ability that you can use immediately.

Most often, you will use your Movement to take you out range of an assailant. Those enemies will then have to use extra Movement, perhaps wasting an Beat of their own to Dash. They may give up the chase and attack you at range, or focus their attention elsewhere.

Sneak Attack

Old Sneak Attack requires a Subtlety Skill Test. If you Pass the Test, you can use an Ability to attack the creature that triggered it, dealing an extra bit of Old Sneak Attack bonus Damage.

Since you are Evasive for this Reaction, you can generally attack with an Advantage as well.

Sneak Evade

Old Sneak Evade requires a Hiding Skill Test. If you Pass the Test, you will remain Evasive and the creature that triggered the Reaction will unable to affect you in any way.

The Old Sneak Evade is a great way to lay low and avoid Damage while your allies draw attention away from you.

Escaping From An Encounter

While in an Encounter, you may want to try to end the Encounter by slipping away. To do so, all your party members need to become and remain Evasive for one full Round of play. Doing so will result in the Encounter entering a Pause Phase and returning to the Freeplay Covert Operation rules. Each creature that was in the Encounter will begin with two stacks of Alert in loosely the same turn order. At the end of each NPC's Freeplay turn, they will lose a stack of Alert, provided they did not find any evidence of you. It's up to the GM to determine when the Encounter End Phase is. Generally, the GM will wait until you have fully evaded everyone and moved out of the area.

Example Covert Operation

Examples: Sneaking through a goblin camp.

The party is sneaking through a goblin camp with 6 goblins in it. Below is an example of Freeplay stealth.

The party is sneaking and gets close to 3 of the goblins.
Most players get a High Score, but #Bob gets a Mixed Score, which gives a single stack of Alert to all three nearby goblins.
The GM announces that a goblin says "Huh?" then slowly turns back to what he was doing.
The players continue sneaking, taking a path past 1 goblin with a stack of Alert and 1 goblin without a stack of Alert. #Bob again rolls a Mixed Score. This gives a stack of Alert to both the goblins.
The goblin with two stacks of Alert says "What's that!?" The GM announces that each player has one more Turn before the goblins take a turn.
The players all choose to try to find hiding places. #Alice and #Carol go Prone in the tall grass while #Bob jumps behind a bush.
Because #Bob used Movement to find his hiding place, and he is still in Shooting Distance(16u), #Bob must make another Sneaking Skill Test. #Bob fails the Test. Since one of the goblins was already at two stack of Alert, #Bob loses his Evasive status.
The GM announces the start of an Encounter.

Now an encounter has started. Below is an example of encounter stealth.

The Turn Order is rolled to get: #Carol, #Alice, Guard Goblins, #Bob, then the other Goblins.
Since 2 goblins had no stacks of Alert, they start with two stacks of Slowed and Restrained. There are also 2 goblins with one stack of Alert. They begin with one stack of Slowed and Restrained.
#Carol decides to take advantage of the surprise, attacking a guard goblin with an Advantage. #Carol loses her Evasive status.
#Carol then jumps behind a bush and uses her second action to hide, regaining her Evasive status.
#Alice starts her turn.
#Alice casts a Spell Ability with Advantage. #Alice damages the three closer goblins and loses her Evasive status.
#Alice uses her second action to Old Sneak, regaining her Evasive status.
It is now the turn of the three Alert goblins.
One goblin attacks #Bob, dealing some damage.
A different Alert goblin walks up to #Carol to attack. #Carol uses a covert Reaction to try and attack the goblin first. #Carol rolls her Subtlety Skill for a Mixed Score. #Carol successfully attacks the goblin with an Advantage, then loses her Evasive status. The goblin then attacks #Carol back.
The final Goblin walks up to #Alice and attacks. #Alice uses a covert Reaction to remain hidden. She rolls her Hiding Skill and gets a High Score. No goblins will be able to attack #Alice until her next turn is over. The goblin decides to attack #Bob instead.
#Bob takes his turn. #Bob attacks a goblin twice.
The rest of the goblins take their turn, attacking various people.
After a round of combat and killing a few goblins, the heroes decide that the goblin chief is too difficult and that they should sneak away.
The heroes each use the Sneak Ability.
At one point the goblin chief performs a sweeping attack that would hit two of our Evasive heroes, #Alice and #Bob. #Alice gets a Mixed Score on her Hiding Skill Test, meaning she cannot be targeted and remains Evasive. #Bob gets a Mixed Score on his Sneaking Skill Test. #Bob evades the attack but is no longer Evasive.
Because #Bob lost his Evasive status, the players must spend a whole second round trying to remain Evasive. This time they succeed.
Gameplay transitions to a Encounter/paused_phase and a more loose style of Covert Operations.

Next Up: 1.9. Basic Abilities