Savaged Top Secret

In its time in the early 1980s, Merle M. Rasmussen’s original Top Secret game was great in so many ways. Let’s keep playing in the world of Top Secret using Savage Worlds for the rule system.

My "Savaged Top Secret" home game setting leverages Thomas Clegg’s Tuxedos and Trenchcoats: A Spy Thriller Setting For Savage Worlds and Allan Wroe’s The Secret Files of Section D: Espionage Roleplaying In A World on the Brink of War (Imaginarium Games, 2022).

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The rules and text here are a work-in-progress effort.

  • I’ll add a gear list

  • I want to keep the setting rules lean and not add much more (but Secret Files of Section D has so many good ones!)

Setting Rules

  • Cliffhangers (Secret Files of Section D p12)

  • Conviction (SWADE p136)

  • Demolitions (Secret Files of Section D p15)

  • Gritty Damage (SWADE p139)

  • Multiple Languages (SWADE p149)

  • Skill Specializations (SWADE p141)

  • Training Packages (Tuxedos and Trenchcoats p32)

  • Up Close and Personal (Tuxedos and Trenchcoats p32)

  • Wound Cap (SWADE p141)

Character creation

Each player should have a character concept in mind before creating her character.

Tuxedos and Trenchcoats describes a number or character archetypes to help develop a character concept. Each archetype is described with a training package, which represents an aspect the agent’s previous training or background. Training packages are described in Tuxedos and Trenchcoats.

Sample archetypes from Tuxedos and Trenchcoats

  • Analyst (Training Package: Snoop)

  • Bulldog (Training Package: Investigator)

  • Debonair Spy (Training Package: Case Worker)

  • Digital Demon (Training Package: Boomer)

  • Grey Man (Training Package: Face)

  • Locksmith (Training Package: Burglar)

  • Looker (Training Package: Brute)

  • Masque (Training Package: Specialist)

  • Phantom (Training Package: Soldier)

  • Repo Man (Training Package: Driver)

  • Surgeon (Training Package: Assassin)

  • Tech Wiz (Training Package: Technical Specialist)

Training packages

  • Assassin (aka Hitter Or Wetwork Specialist)

  • Boomer (aka Eod Specialist Or Saboteur)

  • Brute (aka Brawler, Muscle, Or A Thug)

  • Burglar (aka Black Bagger Or Box Man)

  • Case Worker (aka Asset Handler)

  • Driver (aka Transporter Or Wheel Man)

  • Face (aka Con Man, Grifter Or Social Engineer)

  • Financier (aka Bag Man)

  • First Responder

  • Forensic Specialist (aka Cleaner)

  • Forger (aka Cobbler)

  • Hacker

  • Investigator (aka Detective Or Private Eye)

  • Overwatch (aka Eyeball Or A Watcher)

  • Soldier

  • Smuggler (aka Mule)

  • Snoop (aka Analyst Or Journalist)

  • Technical Specialist (aka Electronics Specialist Or A Wire Rat)

Characters begin at novice rank with no advances.

Race

Everyone is human.

Attributes

Agents begin with all primary attributes at a d4.

One attribute, based on the selected training package, starts at d6.

You have 5 points to spend to increase your agent’s attributes.

At character creation, you can raise no attribute above d12.

In addition to the standard core skills, characters have 12 skill points to spend at novice.

Skills

Core skills (start at d4)

  • Athletics

  • Common Knowledge,

  • Notice

  • Persuasion

  • Stealth

Based on the agent’s training package, she begins play with three additional skills at a d4 as well.

You then have 12 more points to spend to buy new skills and advance existing ones.

Skills applicable

The following skills are used. If the skill is mot listed (e.g., Faith), it is not applicable to this setting.

  • Academics

  • Athletics

  • Battle

  • Boating

  • Common Knowledge (related to tradecraft)

  • Deception (related to forgery)

  • Driving

  • Electronics

  • Fighting

  • Gambling

  • Hacking

  • Healing

  • Intimidation

  • Language

  • Notice

  • Performance

  • Persuasion

  • Piloting

  • Repair (related to demolitions)

  • Research

  • Riding

  • Science

  • Shooting

  • Stealth

  • Survival

  • Taunt

  • Thievery

New skill: Deception

If the agent is going to try to deceive, bluff, or disguise herself, they can use Deception instead of Persuasion or Performance (see Tuxedos and Trenchcoats p5).

Hindrances

All agents begin with the major hindrance Obligation. This does not count towards the character’s normal Hindrance total and does not provide any points for building the character.

Edges

Edges that are unsuited to the setting have been removed. Relevant new edges have been added.

Removed Edges

Background Edges

  • Arcane Background

  • Arcane Resistance and Improved Arcane Resistance

  • Linguist (as per the Multiple Languages setting rules in SWADE p 149)

Combat Edges

  • Giant Killer

Power Edges

  • None are available

Weird Edges

  • Beast Bond

  • Beast Master

  • Champion

  • Chi

New edges

Unless state otherwise, all edges are from Tuxedos and Trenchcoats. Out of respect to the authors of Tuxedos and Trenchcoats and Secret Files of Section D, I am not stating more about the edges here.
Edge Requirements Description

Background Edges

Acute Sense

Novice

Calm And Collected

Novice

Natural Actor

Seasoned, Shakespearean Spirit

Shakespearean Spirit

Novice

Leadership Edges

Voice From Beyond

Novice, Command

Professional Edges

Combat Medic

Novice, Smarts D6+, Healing D6+

Computer Jock

Novice, Smarts D6+, Hacking D8+

Deep Cover

Seasoned, Undercover Work, Performance D8+

Legendary Cover

Veteran, Deep Cover, Performance D10+

Demolitions (see Secret Files of Section D p25)

Seasoned, Repair d6

It’s The Little Things

Novice, Smarts D6+, Notice D6+

Ghost

Novice, Agility D6+, Stealth D6+

Tactical Driving

Novice, Agility D6+, Driving D6+

Improved Tactical Driving

Seasoned, Tactical Driving, Agility D8+, Boating Or Piloting D6+

Tradecraft

Novice, Smarts D6+

Improved Tradecraft

Seasoned, Level Headed, Tradecraft, Agility D6+, Smarts D8+

Undercover Work

Novice, Smarts D6+, Performance D6+

Up And At 'Em

Seasoned, Combat Medic

Gear

TODO

Table 1. Handguns
Type Range Damage Ap Rof Min Str. Shots Weight Cost Notes

Beretta 8357 Cougar (.357) [1]

12/24/48

2d6+1

1

1

d6

11

6

275

-

Beretta M1934 7.65mm / M1935 .32" ACP [1]

10/20/40

2d6-1

-

1

d4

8

2

£7/8/-

-

Walther PPK (.380 Acp) [1]

10/20/40

2d6

1

1

d4

6

2

150

-

Colt 1908 Vest Pocket Pistol (.25) [1]

10/20/40

2d4+1

-

1

d4

6

1

75

Concealable

Browning Hi-Power (.40) [1]

12/24/48

2d6+1

1

1

d4

13

2.5

225

-

Makarov PM (9mm) [1]

12/24/48

2d4+2

-

1

d4

8

2

175

Concealable

Beretta M93R (9mm) [1]

12/24/48

2d4+2

1

1

d4

15

2

300

Detachable Stock (15/30/60 range when in use), ; Three Round Burst

Manurhin Mr-73 Defense (.357) [1]

12/24/48

2d6+1

1

1

d6

6

2.5

300

Accurate

TEC-9 (9MM) [1]

12/24/48

2d4+2

1

1

d6

30

3

350

Three Round Burst

Scorpion VZ-61E (.32 ACP) [1]

10/20/40

2d4

-

3

d4

20

3

325

-
Table 2. Submachineguns
Type Range Damage Ap Rof Min Str. Shots Weight Cost Notes

H&K MP5A3 (9mm) [1]

12/24/48

2d6

1

3

d6

30

7

300

-

H&K MP5SD3 (9mm) [1]

10/20/40

2d6

1

3

d6

30

7

350

Close Combat, Suppressed
Table 3. Rifles
Type Range Damage Ap Rof Min Str. Shots Weight Cost Notes

Armalite AR-7 Survival Rifle [1]

12/24/48

2d4

-

1

d4

8

2.5

250

Modular 3

Parker Hale M85 Sniper Rifle (7.62MM) [1]

24/48/96

2d8+2

2

1

d4

10

12

400

-

SVD Dragunov (7.62MM) [1]

32/64/128

2d10

2

3

d6

10

15

550

-

M40A3 Sniper Rifle [1]

24/48/96

2d8

2

1

d6

5

16.5

500

Accurate
Table 4. Shotguns
Type Range Damage Ap Rof Min Str. Shots Weight Cost Notes

Benelli M4 Shotgun (12 GA.) [1]

12/24/48

1-3d6

-

1

d6

8

8

375

Close Quarters, Shotgun
1. From Tuxedos and Trenchcoats