D&D 5E Espionage & Spies in D&D

[overgeeked]

So first off, no, I'm not talking about The Spy Game (a modern action espionage game by Black Cats Gaming that uses the 5E engine). It's a good game, but what I'm talking about is full-on fantasy D&D that focuses on espionage and spies. If you're not familiar with the genre and the tropes, here's a few links. Spy fiction and espionage tropes over on TVTropes. And just because, here's an educational link to the International Spy Museum.

For there to be a need for espionage and spies, there must be factions. I've got all that covered. The stuff I'm poking at with this thread is the use of existing D&D stuff for espionage purposes. Some obvious stuff jumps out like multiclassing rogue, proficiency and/or expertise in stealth, disguise kits, certain subclasses, certain races/lineages, etc. But there's a fair amount of stuff out there and I haven't read it all. Obviously things like scrying and disguises are important, as are preventing scrying and seeing through disguises. Zone of Truth to prevent lies. True Seeing to see through illusion magic. Sending or Sending Stones for long distance communications. Bag of Holding to covertly keep random bits of kit. Bag of Devouring to get rid of incriminating evidence. Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location to avoid being scryed on. Changelings creating folds or flaps to covertly store items. Wildshape, polymorph, teleportation circles, and teleport for faster travel. Etc. Though I wouldn't want magic to the be end all be all of intrigue in a D&D game. Non-magical means of covert ops would be utilized as well.

To me, that's some of the obvious, low hanging fruit. So what are the harder to spot things that already exist in D&D 5E materials that could be repurposed for a D&D focused on espionage and spies? And if you were playing in an espionage and spies focused game of D&D what are the high points, tropes, and story elements you'd absolutely want to see?

 

[Zubatcarteira]

Philter of Love seems like something a spy could put to great use to get info out of people or enter a secured place by slipping it in the drink of someone who works there. There isn't even a save.

Probably on the meaner side of things.

 

[Fenris-77]

There was a supplement written for Dragon Heist call Here's To Crime that did some great work translating a couple of key BitD mechanics over to 5E. I found that very useful. Besides that, I have a bunch of hacks that add reputation with specific factions to the downtime system, along with an exchange rate for trading favours for services. The idea is to present the players with a choice that matters, which in this case is to keep the favours to buff influence, or trade them for immediate effect in the form of specific favours. That notion, that players should always have an important and meaningful choice to make, is what drives a lot of my design choices.

 

[Tonguez]

Pathfinder’s Council of Thieves Adventurepath comes go mind

Bard are the natural Spies of DnD - Knowledge, Charisma (15+) and Skills (Deception, Performance, Persuasion) are essential and you have the backup of Dex Stealth and Spells (tech).

Spells:
Message/Sending (the quintessental spy comms device)
Charm Person (Advantage in social situations)
Disguise Self (For impersonating targets, great with Actor)
Knock (for the Infiltration work)
Sleep (for knocking out the guards)
Feather Fall (For when you need to jump out the window)
Silent Image (For when you need a diversion)
Unseen Servant (Q couldnt do any better!)
Detect Magic (Because those sneaky traps and Illusions)
Non-Detection (to thwart getting caught out by Diviners)
Comprehend Language (cryptography 1)
Illusory Script (cryptography 2)

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Artificer to make some of the cool spy toys/tools?

 

[MattW]

"Good Evening, Magister Phelps. The paintings you are studying show a Monk named JOHN THE CLAWED. He has recently acquired a highly dangerous artifact. "

" In seven days, he will hold an auction where various evil entities will bid for this device. We believe it to be currently held at the VAANDAMNED monastery. "

" Your quest, should you choose to accept it, is to locate and replace the artifact with a duplicate... before the auction can take place."

"As always, if you (or any members of your IM Adventuring Party) are killed or captured, the ArchMage will disavow any knowledge of your actions. "

"These Magic Mouths will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck, Jim"

 

[Hussar]

I applaud your attempt at something that is going to be seriously challenging.

Stuff that has come up in my current Candlekeep game, which features a lot of mystery type stuff:

Any communication spell is a major PITA. Speak with Animals means that the caster has spies pretty much everywhere. You want to find someone? Speak with Animals (or at hight levels, Speak with Plants) is a huge advantage.

Familiars, particularly things like imps or pseudo dragons, are also basically invisible (and pretty easily made undetectable) UAV's with extremely long range and night vision.

Detect Thoughts is an obvious major one here. Read thoughts of targets you can't see up to 30 feet away? No saving throw so long as you don't probe deeper? Yes, please.

If you have Candlekeep Mysteries, a Gingawazim (sp) can be summoned that is a perfect copy of any tiny, non-magical object. Perfect for forgery. And, even better, can be commanded to return to you at a certain time, turning itself into a tiny animal to escape. Oh, the heists you could do with that.

Those are off the top of my head.

 

[toucanbuzz]

Non-magical spy stuff from real-world influences as, unless you're playing in a magic-rich world, that's just not an option to have all these magical items and spells at hand.

• Envelopes folded in such an intricate way that only those trained in that artform know how to undo them. Tampering easy to detect.
• Ciphers. Probably the best way to overcome magic. Only those with the code book on the other end can translate. Use a middleman courier who has no idea what they're carrying so they can't be interrogated successfully.
• Codes, riddles, rotating passwords.
• Invisible ink that can only be revealed by a particular chemical.
• Chemicals period. It's probably costly, but it's not magic and bypasses typical detection.
• Paid beggars, inn staff, brothels, etc., to pass on names and so forth of new magic users in town, whether at a dead drop, on the interior of a label attached to a bottle of wine, etc.

Basically, all the magic in the world won't do you any good unless you know what you're looking for. On the flipside, if you're a VIP and you want to counter magic espionage, you can bet you've sat down with the best minds in your kingdom and gone through the PHB list of spells to see what could breach your defenses and how, and how to counter them.

That in and of itself would create a market need, even if the PHB doesn't specifically list it as equipment. For example, in an AD&D castle supplement, one could pay for exotic ingredients to be mixed into the construction to block teleportation, scrying, etc. This explains why some high level enemy doesn't just pop in and assassinate every king beyond capacity to be raised.

 

[ThorinTeague]

So first off, no, I'm not talking about The Spy Game (a modern action espionage game by Black Cats Gaming that uses the 5E engine). It's a good game, but what I'm talking about is full-on fantasy D&D that focuses on espionage and spies. If you're not familiar with the genre and the tropes, here's a few links. Spy fiction and espionage tropes over on TVTropes. And just because, here's an educational link to the International Spy Museum.

For there to be a need for espionage and spies, there must be factions. I've got all that covered. The stuff I'm poking at with this thread is the use of existing D&D stuff for espionage purposes. Some obvious stuff jumps out like multiclassing rogue, proficiency and/or expertise in stealth, disguise kits, certain subclasses, certain races/lineages, etc. But there's a fair amount of stuff out there and I haven't read it all. Obviously things like scrying and disguises are important, as are preventing scrying and seeing through disguises. Zone of Truth to prevent lies. True Seeing to see through illusion magic. Sending or Sending Stones for long distance communications. Bag of Holding to covertly keep random bits of kit. Bag of Devouring to get rid of incriminating evidence. Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location to avoid being scryed on. Changelings creating folds or flaps to covertly store items. Wildshape, polymorph, teleportation circles, and teleport for faster travel. Etc. Though I wouldn't want magic to the be end all be all of intrigue in a D&D game. Non-magical means of covert ops would be utilized as well.

To me, that's some of the obvious, low hanging fruit. So what are the harder to spot things that already exist in D&D 5E materials that could be repurposed for a D&D focused on espionage and spies? And if you were playing in an espionage and spies focused game of D&D what are the high points, tropes, and story elements you'd absolutely want to see?

Spies cant. More or less like the same thing as thieves cant but obviously for spies. Would ennable covert agent to identify and communicate without arousing suspicion or anyone knowing what they were talking about. Use of common language, innuendo, and double-talk and double meanings to send a message that is in fact encoded.

Couple things that come to mind off the top of my head are like, there's a stranger in our house. It means that we have been infiltrated by a double agent. Some nondescript small talk to introduce oneself as a spy to another. For example, it will be a nice day if it doesn't rain. The other guy responds it's always a nice day if it doesn't rain. And then you respond back as long as the sun is warm. Now the 2 can speak to one another as covert allies. Or if you go into a tailor shop with a secret entrance to the spy's Guild, you get in by ordering a very particular suit. What time of soup would you like today? Worcester or Tweed? Tweed. Single or double breasted? Single. Two buttons are three? Three buttons please. And then the Taylor leads the would-be customer to the secret entrance to the guild. You get the idea.

 

[MGibster]

I'm playing in an Eberron game with all the players as part of the Dark Lanterns which is a spy organization in Breland. So far so good.