Dice Goblin

For my newest FIST thing, a framework on making exciting espionage missions, I wrote a definition on the idea of ‘Tactical Espionage Action’. As I was writing it, things started to ‘click’ more and more – and thus, I’d like to share it here as well, as a mini-essay on why (RPGs like) FIST rock, and the surprising things you find when you move beyond elfgames (for a change. I’ll be back to elfgames soon, probably).

Listen to this blogpost:

Defining Tactical Espionage Action

Tactical Espionage Action requires a different approach than traditional dungeon crawls or combat encounters. At its heart, it’s about the dynamic interplay between information and execution – a cycle of gathering intelligence, forming plans, and adapting those plans when circumstances inevitably change.

I define Tactical Espionage Action as:

A style of play where operatives must carefully manage two key resources: INTEL and ASSETS. Players gather intelligence and leverage it to turn unfavorable odds in their favor, using both careful preparation and quick improvisation. Through calculated risks, they work to achieve their objectives while preserving their limited assets – time, equipment, and ultimately their own lives. Success requires understanding not just the physical layout of a MISSION AREA, but its living ecosystem of security measures, personnel routines, and opportunities for exploitation.

In this way, it differs from a ‘standard’ elfgame dungeon crawl, which tends to focus more on ASSETS and LOOT – how much can you plunder before you die. Now, of course an elfgame does also involve gathering information, but it’s not about that, as much. You’re not going to distract an orc by cleverly weaving a narrative about something you pieced together from the notice board in the break room and the contents of his personal locker.

In a way, that’s what makes Tactical Espionage Action somewhat unique for the information age – it’s about weaponizing the foe’s size, bureaucracy and systems – its banality – against it.

Your targets aren’t just monsters in a maze, but complex organizations with procedures, hierarchies, and paper trails. Victory comes not from overwhelming force, but from understanding and exploiting these systems. You don’t just avoid the guard patrol – you learn the guard’s name from his locker, his medical condition from the infirmary records, and his gambling debts from the personnel file, then use all of that to talk your way past him entirely. And should that fail, there’s always space for ballistic negotiations.

Preparation & Improvisation

Every tactical espionage mission exists on a spectrum between two vital skills: preparation and improvisation. These represent different approaches to managing INTEL and ASSETS, and understanding where your mission falls on this spectrum helps both Referees and players set appropriate expectations and strategies.

Preparation

Preparation represents how much of the mission can be known and planned for in advance. A high-preparation mission might involve:

• A bank heist where the building’s layout, security systems, and staff routines can be studied
• An ambush of a convoy whose route and schedule are known
• Infiltrating a facility with predictable guard patterns and security protocols

In these missions, thorough gathering of Strategic INTEL before the operation begins can significantly tip the odds in the players’ favor. Players can develop detailed plans, contingencies, and specific approaches because the MISSION AREA is relatively stable and “knowable.”

Improvisation

Improvisation, on the other hand, represents how much the mission requires thinking on your feet and adapting to unexpected circumstances. A high-improvisation mission might involve:

• Responding to a surprise attack on the players’ position
• Infiltrating a fortress-like location with an unknown interior
• Exploring an anomalous zone with unpredictable properties
• Pursuing a target through unfamiliar territory
• Dealing with a complete intelligence failure where initial assumptions prove wrong

These missions test the players’ ability to gather and leverage Tactical INTEL in real-time, making quick decisions with limited information.

In practice, most missions blend both elements. Even the most meticulously planned operation can go sideways, requiring rapid adaptation. Conversely, even highly improvisational missions benefit from whatever preparation is possible. This creates a natural mission structure where initial preparation gives way to improvisation as plans inevitably contact reality.

Referees can adjust these “dials” to create different mission experiences:

• A high-preparation, low-improvisation mission emphasizes careful planning and execution
  • KUNDUZ GAMBIT revolves around carefully planning an ambush – picking the site and trying to align as many factors in your favor as possible.
• A low-preparation, high-improvisation mission tests players’ ability to think on their feet
  • KILL THE SHADOW POPE‘s flow is randomly generated by dice rolls, the subterranean tunnels of Rome revealing themselves as players progress.
• A balanced mission might start with preparation but include a mid-mission twist that forces improvisation
  • HOUSE of CARDS and NUMBERS starts with a plannable casino infiltration, but shifts into a train section and alpine chase.
  • PERFECT FORMS can be planned for, but revolves around uncovering a secret deep in the mines

Understanding where your mission falls on this spectrum helps players know how to invest their time and resources effectively – whether to focus on gathering intelligence and making detailed plans, or to maintain flexibility and preserve ASSETS for unexpected challenges.

Strategic INTEL

Strategic Intelligence (“Strategic INTEL”) represents concrete, actionable information that players can use to prepare and make informed decisions during mission planning and -execution. This is information that both players and characters know explicitly, like:

• Number and positions of guards
• Building layouts
• Security system details
• Key personnel schedules
• Where to go when to achieve the objective

“The blueprints show the general layout of the base, and the room with the safe is clearly marked”

“So, we know that this approach has 5 guards, and this approach only has 3, but they do have the high ground in this one. What do we do?”

Tactical INTEL

Tactical Intelligence (“Tactical INTEL”) represents the abstract knowledge that characters accumulate which can be used for improvisation and be leveraged during mission execution. Rather than explicit details, this represents general expertise and understanding that can be called upon opportunistically, such as:

• Security protocols and procedures
• Personnel dossiers and tendencies
• Facility operations and routines
• Communication codes and methods

Tactical INTEL can be considered a sort-of meta currency; Schrödinger’s Guard Roster. If a player has invested time and effort into reading the Guard Roster, it could allow them to (at least once) leverage that information in play. To take that one step further: If the Referee briefly mentions a guard roster hanging in a guard room, and the players decide to focus on that and put effort into distracting guards and retrieving it, it should give them the ‘reward’ of leveraging it into play.

REFEREE: “The guard at the checkpoint is giving your forged ID a suspicious look.” PLAYER: “Wait – since I studied the personnel files in the security office earlier, would I know anything about this guard’s background that could help?” REFEREE: “Actually yes – you remember his file mentioned he was recently transferred from the Jakarta office. You can strike up a conversation about Indonesia that helps sell your cover. Roll +CRE+2.”

REFEREE: “The electronic lock on the server room door has a blinking red light. It seems to need both a keycard and a code.” PLAYER: “Earlier when I was going through those maintenance logs in the basement – would they have mentioned anything about these security systems?” REFEREE: “Yes! You recall the logs mentioned these locks have a maintenance override that triggers if you swipe a card three times rapidly. No roll needed – the door clicks open.”

REFEREE: “You hear radio chatter – sounds like the guards are organizing a sweep of this floor.” PLAYER: “From studying their security protocols earlier, would I know their standard search pattern?” REFEREE: “Absolutely – you know they always clear rooms clockwise from the stairwell. That lets you stay one step ahead of them. Take +2 on your +RFX roll.”