[d20 Modern] "Alias" and the Field Agent advanced class

[takyris]

That's actually pretty much what I'd go for as well -- the Negotiator bit doesn't really make sense for Syd, except maybe the very early levels. I rarely see her turn people against each other or anything like that.

Only thing would be making sure that she gets a decent BAB -- while she isn't shooting at heavily armored people, she does need to be able to consistently hit an AC of 15 or so.

Cool idea, in any event. I'm actually playing with modifying Advanced Classes after years of "They're sacred, never touch them" mentality. I want to make classes that work for a paranormal but very low magic campaign, where I can have someone get a mystical power of near-invisibility that pretty much manifests as "You get a bonus on hide checks equal to your Invisidude Class Level, and you can hide in plain sight, even while being observed." Or a modern-day Earth Elemental (as an adjective, not a big rock monster) class that gives something like:

1st level: Bonus equal to class level when tracking across stone, climbing stone, answering questions involving stonework or geography, navigating in caves or earthwork areas, etc.
2nd level: Stability Bonus against Trips, Bull Rushes when standing on ground (ie, not on the second story of somewhere)
3rd level: Feat
4th level: Can spend an Action Point to gain Natural Armor, DR for short period of time when standing on natural ground
5th level: Can "Speak with the Stone" by spending AP to touch stone and make class-level + Wis check against DC15. On success, you effectively get to view what happened in that area, like Clairvoyance or ESP
6th level: Feat
7th Level: Natural Armor and DR improve when you spend the AP
8th level: Can Hide in Plain sight in rocky areas, can Track in rocky areas as if it were soft ground, can Climb sheer stone surfaces (treat as base DC 30)
9th level: Feat
10th level: Natural Armor and DR improve again, and Elemental gains a +4 bonus on Initiative, Spot, Listen, and Search when in rocky areas

Very little of that is flashy, and most of it just builds off of skill checks, but it gives about the right flavor for a light paranormal game.

Sorry for thread hijack. Got carried away...

 

[jaerdaph]

Thoughts?

Honestly? IMHO, I think combining all of that into a single AdC class is counter-intuitive to d20 Modern's central mantra for full cinematic effect: multiclass freely and multiclass often, and the implied degree of increased specialization from the general to the specific seen in the Basic class -> Advanced class -> Prestige class model.

I also want to suggest taking a look at FBI: d20 Modern from Holistic Games Real Life Roleplaying line. There's a 10-level FBI Special Agent AdC, a 10-level Profiler AdC, and a 5-level Forensic Scientist AdC.

 

[Christopher Lambert]

Seems to be Sense Motive is a "plot-breaker". Most mystery novels I read don't give the hero the Sense Motive skill - at least they don't get many ranks in it.

The hero sees through the lies because they find evidence (or a witness) which alerts them to the lie, or because they realize the liar said something that didn't make sense (I guess this is why Alternity made lies work against Intelligence instead of Wisdom). However, they're rarely good at reading facial expressions, and after talking to someone who lied through their teeth (and probably isn't that good at Bluffing) they don't feel that person was hiding anything.

 

[jaerdaph]

Seems to be Sense Motive is a "plot-breaker". Most mystery novels I read don't give the hero the Sense Motive skill - at least they don't get many ranks in it.

I agree. High Sense Motive skill modifiers is something you would more likely find in the pulps - like The Shadow.

 

[The Shaman]

Honestly? IMHO, I think combining all of that into a single AdC class is counter-intuitive to d20 Modern's central mantra for full cinematic effect: multiclass freely and multiclass often, and the implied degree of increased specialization from the general to the specific seen in the Basic class -> Advanced class -> Prestige class model.

"Quoted for truthery," as the kids like to say.

 

[JPL]

There was at least one occasion where Syd knew someone was lying based on the direction their eyes glanced as they spoke --- involuntary reflex, means someone is doing creative thinking rather than remembering something.

Again, I think that most of the time when we see people lying on Alias, we are to understand that these are professional liars, more or less.

I dunno, Jaerdaph...this particular variety of "field agent" or cinematic spy could be emulated with levels in Daredevil, Infiltrator, and Martial Artist [among other possible combinations], but it seems to be enough of an action genre archetype [like solider, daredevil, martial artist, gunslinger, etc.] to justify its own class.

As a guy with a raging character generation habit, I like the convenience of taking a diverse group of characters --- with military, academic, even criminal backgrounds --- and having them get "recruited and trained" via a few levels in a single class. Much less complicated than the alternative.

 

[tameszu]

Seems to be Sense Motive is a "plot-breaker". Most mystery novels I read don't give the hero the Sense Motive skill - at least they don't get many ranks in it.

I play Sense Motive so that it's not plot breaker. The information that a garden variety success gives you with a Sense Motive check gives you isn't "the person lied." It's more like, "I think they are hiding something."

But if you're in a spy context, you can be pretty sure that other people are hiding something all of the time, so the utility of a normal success with a Sense Motive check, even when directed at specific and crucial statements, is a bit limited.

Also, I totally agree that if you want to model classes off of what Syd can do, you should consider (i) she would be pretty high level; and (ii) she would have amazing stats because of Project Christmas. (Random interesting connection--her stats might arguably be amazing in the same way as Alias' from Curse of the Azure Bonds...all 17s )

I'd probably go with making her class a PrC--and I agree that the Base Class-->Advanced Class model might be a good one.

 

[PosterBoy]

Charles Rice did a Field Agent for the Modern Dispatch.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=3997&Src=EnWorld

We also put it in Modern System: advanced classes.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=3812&Src=EnWorld

I'll c/p it here, enjoy.
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Field Agent
The field agent is a member of an espionage agency such as the CIA or the KGB. While these agencies employ numerous analysts, informants, moles and so forth the field agent is the edge of the knife, the character sent in when things are expected to get rough.

Requirements
To qualify to become a field agent a character must meet the following criteria (the quickest path into this class is through the Charismatic Hero basic class).
Skills: Gather Information +6, Bluff +6, Disguise +6
Feats: Deceptive

Class Information
The following information pertains to the Field Agent advanced class.
Hit Die: 1d6
Action Points: 6+ one-half character level, rounded down, every time the character gains a new level in this class.
Class Skills: The field agent’s class skills (and the ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (chemical), Demolitions (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Investigate (Int), Knowledge (civics, current events, streetwise, tactics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex) Search and Sense Motive (Wis)
Skill points at each level: 7+Int. modifier

Class Features
All of the following are features of the Field Agent advanced class.

Wetwork: The field agent is an expert at eliminating targets quickly and quietly. He gains the listed bonus to attack rolls anytime he attacks a target deprived of his Dexterity bonus due to being surprised, flat-footed or flanked.

Silent Kill: The field agent gains the listed damage bonus against surprised, flat-footed, or flanked targets. If the victim of this attack is surprised and fails a Massive Damage Threshold Saving Throw, the character is eliminated in complete silence, requiring a Listen check (DC 30) for any nearby guard to notice something amiss. At the GM’s discretion, in Gritty or True Grit campaigns (see the new combat rules in Blood and Guts for definitions of these terms), Ordinaries may not receive a MDT save against this attack. See the d20 Modern Core Rulebook for the definition of an Ordinary.

Liquidator: At this level the field agent is one of the very best at what he does and adds his Wetwork bonus to all Initiative checks. This bonus stacks with any other initiative bonus the field agent might receive.

Bonus Feats: Alertness, Armor Proficiency (light), Attentive, Combat Expertise, Combat Martial Arts, Commando Training, Defensive Martial Arts, Drive By Attack, Frightful Presence, Improved Initiative, Low Profile, Meticulous, Personal Firearms, Stealthy and Trustworthy

Table X-X: The Field Agent
Level Base Attack
Bonus Fort
Save Ref
Save Will
Save Special Defense
Bonus Reputation
Bonus
1st +0 +0 +1 +1 Wetwork +1 +1 +0
2nd +1 +0 +2 +2 Silent Kill +1d6 +2 +0
3rd +1 +1 +2 +2 Bonus Feat +2 +0
4th +2 +1 +2 +2 Silent Kill +2d6 +3 +0
5th +2 +1 +3 +3 Wetwork +2 +4 +1
6th +3 +2 +3 +3 Silent Kill +3d6; Bonus Feat +4 +1
7th +3 +2 +4 +4 Liquidator +5 +1
8th +4 +2 +4 +4 Silent Kill +4d6 +6 +1
9th +4 +3 +4 +4 Bonus Feat +6 +2
10th +5 +3 +5 +5 Wetwork +3; Silent Kill +5d6 +7 +2
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[JPL]

Chuck Rice is my huckleberry, y'know that?

Chuck, when are you gonna write "Blood and Secrets"?