AsgardNorth #51: Top Secret

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:32):
About sid the room shadow steps that play that is
not the sweeper sail secret start.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
To play and I get shown to the ancles with
Chessie will some much. Shorty shows us where we see
to raise a glass to stow sat untold to a
man seems a hossbo way. Oh, I'll find up bat

(01:02):
battle spears. Let's don't occupy at the town.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Not break where legends first gobi.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
There's a wideo with is of steel.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Our phone but crown to age the spells and mysteries.
Shot is like your plow. Don't you lose in silence
within tang sad side and deal with the chancel up.
They're only unless sides raise a glass dunknown to the story.
She console to a band of the streamers the hospital. Wait,

(01:41):
don't find up bad in battle spears. Let's don't occupy
it at the time, not.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Fake where legends first lie. It will be the stipe
to take your plow.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
The f Sulzer head through curses, france and drugging flames
where others steersuit tread our found story, fire lights, a
quest of judge designing and savage faults.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
We spot the.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
First thing on fire, so shears the roads unshoted to

(02:35):
shadow sas to light to those who fall and those
who rise to meet the endless night.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
We leave the seven safety with courage.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
Faults dot you found by Fate. We March is one
of letters to.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Pursue raise a glass suit the unknown to the story
set untold to a to let streams with horsle flay Docuya, Well,
let's just starting.

Speaker 5 (03:23):
To the show.

Speaker 3 (03:35):
Well let me see you here a second. Here we go.

Speaker 6 (03:39):
Good Saturday night, everyone. I hope everyone is having a
fantastic start of the weekend.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Hopefully for most of you. It's a three day weekend.

Speaker 6 (03:49):
And I figured there's something big happening Monday, and a
lot that led up to this big event come Monday.
So I thought, you know, we're gonna take a detour
from the world of Dungeons and Dragons take a look

(04:09):
at an espionage role playing game. I am your host
of Bassgarden North. This is episode number fifty one. I
am je doublef also known as the Cosmic Bard over
at Twitter and tonight, I will just be simply referred
to as J. The game is from TSR called Top Secret,

(04:33):
developed by Merle Rasmussin and published by TSR in nineteen
eighty and it kind of stands as a similar work
in the realm of espionage roleplaying games. We're gonna find
out a little bit tonight maybe about its inception, some
of the mechanics, it's expansions, and we're going to expand
oning it a little bit more for maybe the modern age.

(04:54):
And as they don't really say it when they made
the game, but as a James bond Ish game, I
figured it was only proper. I have a cup of
tea at my ready and I have a beer slowly
warming to room temperature. So I am role playing hard

(05:16):
tonight here. So nineteen seventy in particularly the late nineteen
seventies and the early eighties marked a period of burgeoning
interest in role playing games, with TSR really the Dungeons
and Dragons leading the way. But amidst this backdrop, they

(05:37):
saw to a diversify their portfolio a little bit, leading
to the creation of the game Top Secret, an RPG
centered on espionage and clandestine operations. This game not only
introduced players to the thrilling world of spies and secret agents,
but also really it expanded the horizons of what RPGs

(05:58):
could encompass now. Rasmussen began developing Top Secret in the
late seventies, with the game undergoing a two year to
developmental phase. Collaborating with TSR editor Alan Hammock, Rasmussen crafted
a game that allowed players and game masters to build
their own spionage story settings. The original box set, released
in nineteen eighty, included a sixty four page rule bo

(06:21):
and a sample adventure. Notably, during the play testing phase,
a note about an imaginary assassination plot written on TSR
stationary led to an FBI investigation at the TSR offices,
really leading to kind of a great pr selling point
of just how the game's immersive play seemed real.

Speaker 3 (06:46):
Now.

Speaker 6 (06:48):
Unlike Dungeons and Dragons that use really a variety of dice,
mainly you know, six sided and twenty sided, but does
use the other ones as well, Top Secret employed a
percentile based system utilized in ten sided Dice, where various
in game determinations, character attributes, and statistics were expressed as percentages,

(07:08):
with some scores being rolled and others derived from combination
of existing attributes. The game introduced areas of knowledge, functioning
similar to skills you would find in D and D
allowing characters to really specialize in specific fields. Experience points
facilitated character progression, with levels influencing factors like mission pay

(07:32):
and experienced distribution with levels kind of more of a
suggestion at times. And additionally, the game featured fame and
fortune points, enabling player to alter game outcomes, a precursor
to mechanics scene later in RPGs. Now, what really stood

(07:56):
out to me in this game, And let's face it,
the D and D group could not always make it
every session every you know, if you played every other
Sunday or every Sunday like I did, when you had
three players on a regular basis, it was hard to
always have everyone.

Speaker 3 (08:11):
Show up at the table.

Speaker 6 (08:12):
So for me, this game was a golden opportunity to
have some one on one gameplay. We could build our
secret agent and just you'd go in the hiding or
she would go in the hiding until that next session
where players couldn't make it to the table. So as
a one on one game, this was really the moment

(08:35):
that I really started falling in just even single player games.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
Now, players could.

Speaker 6 (08:46):
Choose from basically three primary bureaus within the game's espionage framework.
You could go the assassination route. You could go the
confiscation route, or you could go into the investigation route.
Of course, you had the assassin who was specialized in
the elimination missions, which is what most people actually picked

(09:08):
in my experience, confiscation aka theft, which was acquiring valuable
information or items. And of course the investigation arm of
basically just research focused on gathering intelligence and conducting research.
Really really fantastic if your player was more into role playing.

(09:30):
And it's funny because I mentioned I had three players.
I had my first wife, my best friend, and my
friend I've known the longest, and each one fit separately,
Like my first wife was more into the investigation and research,
and the other two were split between the others. So
we could actually build characters at one time that they

(09:54):
would know each other, but not necessarily the others would
have to be around to play. So when you you know,
on say the elimination specialist was not able to make
the D and D session, we could do you know,
a two persons or you know, maybe even just say,
you know, hey, hey Dennis, I know you're not feeling well.

Speaker 3 (10:11):
Stay home.

Speaker 6 (10:12):
I'll just run a top secret mission with my wife
and maybe play some role playing games too. Now, along
the way to enhance gameplay, TSR released several supplements. You
had the Top Secret Administrator screen in mini modules. You

(10:34):
had Agent Dossier's character sheet packs provided for players. Then
you had ts double seven Top Secret Campaign expanded rules,
introduced new character classes, missions, area of knowledgeabilities, equipment, and
a revised combat system for even more dynamic encounters. These
expansions enriched the gaming experience, offering players an administration, yet

(10:59):
tools and scenarios to further explore the worlds you wanted
to explore.

Speaker 3 (11:07):
And that Lee had led me this.

Speaker 6 (11:09):
Like I said, this is a nineteen early nineteen eighties,
mid nineteen eighties game. And part of the reason I
wanted to look at it even a little bit more
is if you're watching live, you're gonna see on my
screen I have a webcam pulled up of a certain
place in Louisiana, and it looks like I'm monitoring the

(11:35):
city street. This game, or a game similar to it,
could probably see a good revitalization with the modern tools
that is easy to have at hand now that you
couldn't necessarily rely on back then. Now that said, there

(11:56):
are some modules that TSR put out You had ts.
Double O one, which was the original on in Double
oh two is Operation Rabbit Strike, centered on a commando
raid to recover a kidnapped scientist. Double O three Lady
in Distress involve agents parasailing to rescue a hijacked cruise ship.

(12:18):
Double O four Operation Fast Pass focused on a defection
at an international puzzle tournament behind the Iron Curtain. Double
O five The Orient Express contained six adventure set on
European trains, with rules for creating similar scenarios. Double O
six Ace of Clubs had agents investigate events at an

(12:40):
exclusive resort and casino operated as the front by the agency.
Double O eight Seventh Seal task agents with addressing a
nuclear threat from an organization using tarot cards as code names.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
Now Eventually You would.

Speaker 6 (12:58):
Have Top Secret sh edition released in nineteen eighty seven.
It was a revised edition designed by Douglas Niles. This
version introduced a more structured environment, with players working as
agents to the Secret Intelligency Agency Orion against the adversary
organization Web. The game also expanded in the supernatural and

(13:20):
futuristic settings through additional source books, introducing recurring characters like
Sebastian coord and Agent thirteen. The combat system was streamlined
into a unified percentage based mechanic, simplifying gameplay. I think,
in my opinion, that actually hurt it.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
A little bit.

Speaker 6 (13:38):
The combat system really was fun and robust and dynamic.
With some of the revisions, character sheets now resembled Agent Dossier's,
providing quick references to stats, skills, and detailed hit locations.
Along the way, you got introduced to expansions such as

(13:59):
CO which introduced military operations and special forces missions. You
had the Agent thirteen source book, integrated pulp fiction elements,
allowing players to engage in adventures set in the nineteen thirties.
You had Freelancers, a supplement shift of the game's focus

(14:21):
to a more cyberpunk inspired world, with futuristic technologies and
corporate espionage themes dominating the missions. You had the High
Stakes Gamble. The adventure placed players in a high state
casino setting, blending traditional espionage elements with a sense of
luxury and intrigue. You also had Operations Starfire, a futuristic

(14:45):
module that incorporated space based espionage missions, demonstrating the game's
flexibility and adapting to different genres.

Speaker 3 (14:51):
Now, I will say, was it the best for this
kind of environment.

Speaker 6 (14:59):
No, I'm sure already will mention probably gerps, and then
there are other ones that were around that it was
probably more suited to it. But if this is what
you started out with, this is one that you could
absolutely nudge along the way. And I'm going to talk
about two specific nudges that I would incorporate today.

Speaker 7 (15:22):
Now.

Speaker 6 (15:22):
Top Secret was widely praised for its innovative approach to
role playing games, didn't quite catch as much fire as
it probably should have, and it offered a stark contrast
to fantasy based RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, providing a grittier,
more grounded experience. And not everyone that you're friends with loves,

(15:44):
you know, fantasy or Tolkien. Why you're friends with someone
who doesn't like Tolkien, I don't know. But there are
those people out in the world that this game would
fit their criteria even more. And I have no idea
what my chat is not updating on the screen.

Speaker 3 (16:06):
I apologize for that. Now.

Speaker 6 (16:15):
Critics would laud the game or its percentile based mechanics,
which was seen as intuitive and adaptable. The introduction of
specialized skills, area of knowledge, and the character progression edit
layers of customization that set the game apart. However, some

(16:40):
reviewers noted that the combat system, while innovative, could feel
overly complex, particularly for new players. Wow, that's what you
have learning sessions for.

Speaker 3 (16:53):
Anyway.

Speaker 6 (16:53):
The game's expansions and mission modules also were relatively well received,
with particular praise the detailed and immersive storytelling and scenarios
like orient Express which oh that was my top top
set for anything they put out with this game, and
Operation as of Clubs. These modules showcased TSR's commitment to

(17:13):
creating engaging, high quality content that encouraged replayability and more specifically, creativity.
Now Top Secret would play a significant role in broadening
the scope of tabletop role playing games.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
It provided it proved that.

Speaker 6 (17:30):
RPGs could thrive outside the fantasy genre, paving the way
for other espionage and modern setting games such as James
Bond Double seven, role Playing in Her Majesty's Secret Service
from Victory Games in nineteen eighty three, and Spycraft from
Autoak Entertainment Group in two thousand and two. The game
also influenced the development of a narrative driven RPG, as

(17:52):
its mission based structured encouraged storytelling and role playing, sometimes
more often than pure combat. Many my and RPGs, particularly
focusing on realistic or contemporary settings. I think ohe a
bit of debt to Top Secret for its groundbreaking mechanics
and themes, And like I said, I really really cannot
stress enough just how amazing it was for one on

(18:18):
one missions.

Speaker 3 (18:24):
Now.

Speaker 6 (18:25):
While Top Secret did enjoy success in its time, it
faced challenges as the market evolved. By the late nineteen eighties,
competition from other systems in the rise of more cinematic
RPGs began to overshadow the game. Top Secret s I
did revitalize interest temporarily, but it really could not sustain
long term momentum. That said, the game's legacy really does

(18:50):
endure for those that played it. It remained a cherished
classic among enthusiasts and is often cited as the foundational
work in the espionage RPG genre. In recent years, nostalgia
for classic tabletop games has sparked some renewed interest in
Top Secret, with fans and collectors seeking out original copies

(19:11):
and supplements. And let me just say, as someone that
has been seeking out some of the copies, Holy hell,
the prices. You can tell supply is very low and
demand is very high. It is incredible. Now, in twenty seventeen,

(19:33):
Rasmussen did release a spiritual success or Top Secret New
World Order through his company then named TSR Games. This
new edition aimed to modernize the game while staying true
to us through introducing streamline mechanics and updated content for
a contemporary audience. I have not at this time been
able to view any of that yet, so I can't

(19:54):
go in the detail of whether that is good or not.
Maybe in a future episode, if you all like like
review RPGs that necessarily are not Dungeons and the Dragons,
I will seek that down and see what I can
find out about that. Now, Top Secret has an interesting timeline.
Now I couldn't completely verify some of the dates.

Speaker 3 (20:16):
I pulled a lot of this.

Speaker 6 (20:18):
Next information from wiki, so as always, you can't always
trust that. So Top Secret actually started appearing and the
game made its debut in Dragon magazine in seventy six,

(20:40):
technically four years before the box up was put out,
and over the year, over the next few episodes issues,
you would see more information about Top Secret being what
it's going to be, having some rules, some mini missions,
a whole bunch of little things to trolley to really

(21:00):
hype up the moment behind the dedicated articles. Tough Secret
is often mentioned in Dragon magazine its review section and
then articles related to role playing game trends at the time.
In total, Tough Secret had approximately fifteen to twenty appearances
in Dragon Magazine, mostly within the first decade of its release,

(21:25):
and you would often see it. If it wasn't a
Tough Secret, you would it would often be a Marvel
role playing game article. Sometimes the Dragon Magazine would have
both back when we had a plethora of choices. That said,
Top Secret is a testament to the creativity and innovation
of the early RPG industry. Its bold departure from fantasy settings,

(21:47):
focused on more realistic game style, and the emphasis on
a narrative really was innovative and amazing.

Speaker 3 (21:56):
At the time. The characters.

Speaker 6 (22:06):
How to roll up a character in Top Secret basically
you would use two ten sided dice to generate scores,
often called percentile dice. You had stats such as physical strength, charm,
will power, courage, knowledge, and coordination. Take for example, your

(22:28):
two hopefully different colored dice or your GM or game
master would not be pissed at you, you would indicate, okay,
the yellow is the tens and the white is the zeros.

Speaker 3 (22:39):
You would roll a three on.

Speaker 6 (22:41):
The tens dice and an H on the one die
for physical strength of your score would be a thirty eight.
Now you did have some derived stats based on the
six original physical primary attributes. You had speed, which was
physical strength plus coordination. Divide it by two. Hand to

(23:04):
hand combat physical strengths plus coordination divide it by two.
Yet carrying capacity about with your strength could carry and
excuse me and along that way. You also had skill
points and areas of knowledge, and that represents your character's expertise.

(23:27):
Common area of knowledge in the game was languages, which
I would absolutely love now, electronics, combat, medicine, and surveillance.
You would allocate points strategically to suit your bureau or
play style. For instance, an investigator might prioritize knowledge, medicine,
and surveillance, while an assassin will of course be more

(23:50):
focused on combat and coordination. You would then have to
choose a bureau before mentioned assassination, confiscation, and an investmenttigation.

Speaker 3 (24:02):
Depending on what you would.

Speaker 6 (24:03):
Do, You would earn extra experience points depending on the mission.
For assassins that would be completely annihilating your enemy. Confiscation
would before retrieving a higher priority item and an investigation.
You would get you additional points for surveillance or languages
and see that slowly increase with time. Then you would

(24:26):
get your matrix movement guns, all of them. You would
select equipment and weapons, and you would often see items
that are restricted by the Gay Masters, maybe not being
able to be purchased by your specific specific bureau. Some
may be assigned. If you're an FBI agent, you're going

(24:49):
to get a certain revolver or automatic semi right now,
depending on the game, gameplay and game era. But you
have weapons, you have gadget like listening devices, cameras or
wired tapping kids. You had armor at the time, mostly
light white body armor. You also had in the armor
category things such as disguises. Now, all characters start with

(25:13):
a small pool of fame and fortune points usually around
ten now. These to be spent during gameplay to modify
your die roll, influence outcomes, and critical situations. And then
the most important part in my world, you would have

(25:36):
to develop your agent's backstory, including such things as a
code name, choose a memorable spy, alias, And let's face it,
isn't that one of the greatest things about Bond. I
mean not just the female villain's names, which are absolutely
freaking glorious, but coming up with your own alias or alias's.

(25:57):
And in today's world, you could actually have real badges
made out real easily of your characters. So when you're
talking with someone, you just hand the game. You know,
you can hand your real badge to the game master.
Is that's who you are right now? I'm really not
gonna lie. I've been researching this over the last couple
of weeks. I've been and putting it together. I've been

(26:21):
kind of jazzed about playing this again. Then you also
have to choose your nationality, determine your origin, which might
influence choices such as languages or knowledge skills, and then
your agency role. You would have to flesh out your
role within the organization. Are you a field operative, are
you an analyst? Or are you an undercover agent. This

(26:43):
series of steps adds depth toier character and makes them
more engaging during gameplay. So I took the time to
roll up an example character. I got a sixty five
on physical strands, forty on charm, fifty five on willpower,
seventy on coordinate.

Speaker 3 (27:01):
Or crap.

Speaker 6 (27:05):
Yes, and then forty five and then fifty. Sorry I
actually deleted stuff out of my notes. So speed was
derived from sixty five plus fifty divided by two, which
equals fifty seven. Same with hand to hand combat. Now,
I know what you're saying right now, they're both based
on the same thing. Well, that's where you start using

(27:26):
steal points and things later that you could actually differentiate
and have more area.

Speaker 3 (27:32):
Then you could.

Speaker 6 (27:33):
I assigned some areas of knowledge. I took twenty points
in combat, ten points in surveillance, and ten points in electronics,
and I selected the Bureau of Assassination. My weapon was
a silent pistol and throwing knives. I took a mini
camera in lock picks and suit it up nicely, nice,

(27:53):
you know, three piece suit with late kevlar vest underneath,
and I started with ten fame and fortune points. My
code name was Shadow. I decided to go British because,
let's face it anyway, my role is fuel to operate
a operative specializing in infiltration and elimination. So I am

(28:19):
going to take a break here at the moment and
try to reset this screen. Figure out what's going on.
So let's take a look into the little three minute
plus break here with a little top secret mission music.

Speaker 4 (29:04):
In the shadows, moving fast.

Speaker 7 (29:11):
Omissions called the stakes are high. A secret agent built
to last.

Speaker 4 (29:26):
With a single glance.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
We never lie Top secrets. We're on the case.

Speaker 7 (29:36):
Had cold to telling you.

Speaker 2 (29:38):
Race through the night.

Speaker 7 (29:41):
We chase the light, no turning back, no.

Speaker 4 (29:45):
Time to wait, Coded messages, whispers deep to darken drooms
and silent doors.

Speaker 7 (30:09):
Danger is near, but we won't sleep. The world's in peril.

Speaker 4 (30:17):
It's us to save a course, so.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
Us top secret. We're on the case.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
En Coats and Deli race so the night. We chase
the light, no timing back, no time to rest.

Speaker 7 (30:45):
In the line of fire, we take the lead. The
enemy is close, but we don't concede. In shadows we
hide in truth.

Speaker 3 (30:55):
We bleed A game of.

Speaker 7 (30:57):
Spies where faith's are green. Top Secret, We're on the case,

(31:21):
Hidden coats, A deadly race through the night.

Speaker 3 (31:26):
We chased the light.

Speaker 5 (31:28):
Non turn him back, Loo, turn to wake on the
cover till the end. Mission's time.

Speaker 7 (31:37):
The welcome and secrets Captain to re called again to
secret lives. He will.

Speaker 6 (31:58):
Welcome back well of course, I get one fixed and
the other one goes heywire, I'm not having a good night,
so as is my want. I usually in my dn
D modules, I usually have it create a module or
adventure based on the theme of the week. So I thought, hey,

(32:23):
let's ask AI to come up with a mission that
would take place in modern day twenty twenty four DASH
twenty twenty five. But I gave it one one little twist,
and that is my top secret module, The SERN Conspiracy.

(32:51):
This module is set in the modern day, with players
investigating a high stakes conspiracy involving the CERN facility in Geneva, Switzerland.
The mission blends espionage, cutting edge science, and geo politics.
The backstory, CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, has

(33:13):
been at the forefront of scientific discovery. Recently, its researchers
announced the breakthrough in quantum tunneling I could revolutionize energy
production and transportation. However, in the weeks following the announcement,
one of their lead scientists, doctor Alana Varga, disappeared, and
a classified research file code named Project Helios, went missing.

(33:36):
Intelligence agencies worldwide are scrambling to understand the implications of
Project Helios. The Bureau has intercepted chatter indicating that a
rogue organization plans to use the technology to create a
catastrophic weapon. Mission brief title Operation Collider, And once again,
what I really would love to do in a modern setting,

(33:58):
modern time, real rate. Now you could print out actual
mission briefs for this and hand them out to your
play This would be freaking brilliant, especially on the day
and age where we could play this on line and
AI could almost create any image you need to do
it anyway. The objective investigate the disappearance of doctor Alana Varga,

(34:19):
retrieve Project Helius file before it falls in the enemy hands,
and neutralize any threats to CERN and the surrounding population.
And of course the primary location is CERN headquarters. The
player's roles agents can come from any of the three
top secret bureaus Assassination. Those individuals will be tasked with
eliminating the rogue offered of threatening the mission. The confiscation. Well,

(34:43):
their main goal would just be to retrieve the stolen
Project Helio's file, and then the investigative arm is uncovering
the truth behind the Project Helios and its actual implications.
So you have the key NPCs of doctor Alana Varga
lead the CERN scientists and quantum physicists allegedly abducted but
secretly aiding the Road Organization under duress.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
You have Victor Raddick.

Speaker 6 (35:09):
Let's be for sticking together, who is a former intelligence
officer turned mercenary, leading a team to seize Project Helios.
Then you have Director Alan Renault, head of Certain Security.
He is a very cooperative but under pressure from international
intelligence agencies. And then you have the Broker, a shadowy

(35:30):
figure selling information about Project Helios to the highest bidder.
So there are a few key locations for this game.
You have cern with the large hydron collider central to
the plot, as the stolen tech requires the collider to activate.
You have secure research labs, highly restricted areas where Project

(35:51):
Helios was actually developed, and the underground tunnels perfect for
stealth missions and infiltration. Also, you would be able to
game in Geneva. You have luxury hotels and secret meeting
spots by spies and mercenaries. You have the United Nations
office in alleged neutral ground where international players gather for negotiations.

(36:13):
Then you have some challenges. Rival spies from other nations
may recognize the player. Victor Raddock's mercenaries are guarding the
Brooker prepared to eliminate threats. Then you go to Act three,
which is race to the collider prevent the Road Group
from activating Project Helios. The final showdown occurs in the

(36:35):
Serns facility underground collider tunnels. Players must navigate the labyrinths
like corridors, disable maybe some traps, set up, and face
off against the mercenary team.

Speaker 3 (36:48):
And in the climactic scene, the.

Speaker 6 (36:49):
Road Group activates a prototype device that risks, creating a
catastrophic black hole. Players must disable advice through combat, hacking,
or engineering skills while under fire. Now, with a lot
of top secret missions, you would have potential outcomes. You
would have what happens in success. What happens is our
partial success and then abject failure. If the agents recover

(37:15):
Project Helios, rescue Doctor Varga, and prevent the rogue group
from weaponizing the technology, they have been rated a success
or partial success rating. Project Helios is recovered, but key
enemies escape, setting the stage for future missions and of
course abject failure. The Road Group escapes with Project Helios,

(37:36):
and an international crisis is now underway.

Speaker 3 (37:41):
Now as it does take place.

Speaker 6 (37:44):
In twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five, you might
want to introduce some technological updates, modern gadgets for the players.
You might have some hollow disguises for stealth. You might
have some quantum encryption tools for hacking EMPA grenades to
disable high tech defenses. You'll have new modern threats that

(38:05):
was not mentioned in the game originally. Drones now are
enemies and automated defenses replace traditional guards in certain areas.
You now have cyber attacks on certain system because you
know they don't patch their shit. Then you have more
of the limmas along the way. Should the players share

(38:27):
certains discovery with their agency, destroy the research or safeguarded
for human benefit.

Speaker 3 (38:33):
So I took the time to.

Speaker 6 (38:35):
Piece together Project Helios, or in this top secret module,
Project Helios is the key element of the entire conspiracy
and the driving force behind the mission. It's a highly
classified research initiative that began as part of Sern's quest
to understand and control quantum tunneling and its implication on energy, physics,

(38:57):
and transportation through experimentation withepatomic particles in quantum fields. The
scientists that cern accidentally discovered a way to manipulate the
fabric of space time. This technology now has the potential
to unlock unlimited clean energy by tapping into the quantum
vacuum energy, the project could create a virtually limitless source
of power or advanced teleportation. The ability to move matter

(39:22):
or information across vast dissistance in an instant by folding
space time. The introduction of dimensional riffs, the accidental ability
to create artificial riffs in space time wage could lead
to new dimensions of parallel universes, one of the more
dangerous aspects of this potential technology.

Speaker 3 (39:43):
Now.

Speaker 6 (39:44):
The three components of Project Helios are one the quantum
tunneling device, a compact device capable of manipulating quantum fields,
allowing for controlled of space time distortion. You can get
energy generation, teleportation, dimension exploration with that. Then you get
the heliosphere at number two description a rare synthetic material
developed by Seran researchers that serves as the energy core

(40:07):
for the QTD. Its unique properties make it capable of
stabilizing and amplifying quantum tunneling effects. And then you have
number three, the dimensional rifting protocol. This is an encrypted
protocol developed alongside the QTD. It outlines the calculations and
algorithms needed to stabilize and safely open a rift in
space time. And yes, already I will eventually get to

(40:29):
where you think I'm going. The DRP is a is
housed in a secured file known as the Project Heliostatifi,
which has been stolen. Now, as scary as all of
that would be, you have the implications of if you
fail this mission, I mean yes, it could put the

(40:51):
technology could potentially save and solve the world's energy crisis,
providing the unlimited clean energy, but the military power could
use it for more or devious means. It could also
change your scientific understanding of quantum tunneling. And now you
have new avenues and physics and space creation and maybe

(41:12):
even time travel, which would be a fun way to
introduce the nineteen thirties version of Top Secret with the
pault in the war into it. So you'd have to
take the mission, figure out how to solve it.

Speaker 3 (41:30):
And what to do with it.

Speaker 6 (41:32):
Really fun sounding adventure that I would absolutely kill the
play And oh I'm not play mein play, but actually run.

Speaker 3 (41:43):
So I know where you're.

Speaker 6 (41:44):
Thinking, where you're thinking maybe I mentioned one thing in particular,
but this game could be converted into two different avenues really,
really easily, especially with modern, more up to date rules
and gadgets and equipment and things of that nature. So

(42:05):
I decided to spend a couple of hours over the
last week piecing this bit together. What if you were
to convert top Secret to oh, I don't know, using
Project Helios into a Stargate universe, or what if you
wanted to join a certain firmly hot redhead and investigate

(42:28):
the weird and unusual. We'll start there with the X
Files first. How would you incorporate top Secret into the
world of X Files. Well, you already have a class
of investigation and research, so you already have one of
the three bureaus. X Files would absolutely fit into now

(42:52):
because the X Files is characterized by conspiracy theories. And
by the way, don't forget tonight, in about an hour
and fifteen minutes, we do have juxtaposition here on KLR
in radio with the one the Only Amish and of
course the boss man Rick and who knows what fun
investigative conspiracy entertainment thing they'll have tonight. I know, but

(43:15):
I'm not telling it. So anyway, if you were to
make a Top Secret X Files conversion, there'd be some
things that with the conspiracy theorist theories, the paranormal phenomena,
and the more investigative storytelling, you would have to adapt
it more for the genre. You'd probably have to introduce

(43:37):
new areas of knowledge, add or expand skills to reflect
paranormal investigations. Maybe occult knowledge, understanding supernatural entities, artifacts and rituals, parapsychology,
knowledge of psychic phenomena inabilities, forensic science, analyzing crime scenes
for evidence of extraterrestrial paranormal activity, and conspiracy theory analysis

(44:01):
recognizing patterns in government.

Speaker 3 (44:02):
Or alien cover ups.

Speaker 6 (44:06):
Maybe you could change the fame and fortune points to
credibility points, reflecting the agent's ability to convince skeptics or
navigate bureaure bureaucratic red tape your attributes. The shift may
focus more towards your knowledge, your charm, and your willpower.
For the more investigative and persuasive tax game structure, missions

(44:32):
would become cases instead of espionage missions. Players are assigned
cases that involved investigative investigating unexplained phenomena.

Speaker 3 (44:40):
Like I said, once.

Speaker 6 (44:41):
Again it's so easy to do in the modern age,
real time. To do this for your players, I really
want to play, I really want to run a game.
An example case could be the Midnight abduction, a series
of disappearances in a remote town that is linked to
a mysterious glowing light in the sky.

Speaker 3 (45:01):
The focus of the case.

Speaker 6 (45:02):
Investigate, gather evidence, interrogate witnesses, and decide whether the phenomenon
is extraterrestrial, supernatural, or just a simple folks. You might
have paranormal encounters. Introduce mechanics for handling encounters with aliens, cryptids,
or physical threats. These could include sanity checks, like say

(45:23):
Call of Cthulhu. You can also add resistance roles against
psychic attacks or mind control your bureau name. Replace espionage
agency with organizations like the FBI's X File Division, the
CIA's Project Majestic, or a secret of group called the Syndicate.

(45:44):
Add paranormal specific tools like EMF detectors, radiation scanners, and
alien detection devices. Emphasize secrecy, tension, and moral ambiguity. Player
characters often operate in the shadows and face distrust from
superiors or the public in general. This would be real
easy to do Now the next one get ready to

(46:06):
drink would be how do we convert top secret into
a realistic Stargate universe? Because Stargate is a universe that
features in a planetary travel, not something really mentioned the
Top Secret, much exploration of alien worlds and advanced technology,
but at the end of it, it really is a
special unit of the Air Force investigating and the killing

(46:27):
just tappening on other planets. You could introduce mechanical adjustments
like new areas of knowledge, basically introduce skills for interstellar exploration,
Stargate operations, knowledge just Stargate dialing, protocols, symbols and maintenance,
alien technology, understanding and using alien devices and weapons, linguistics,

(46:50):
deciphering alien languages like that of the Gold or the
ancient planetary survival, skills for surviving in a plethora of environments,
and military tactic specialized training for intergalactic combat scenarios. You
might have to expand the stats a little bit with
combat with advanced weapons proficiencies with the alien weapons like

(47:14):
the zach gun or staff weapons.

Speaker 3 (47:16):
You might have to do some.

Speaker 6 (47:18):
Tech mastery stats handling advanced or experimental Earth and Alien
technology and missions would become assignments. Players could be all
I don't know, part of an SG team like SG
seven tests with exploring new worlds, gathering intelligence, and defending

(47:39):
Earth from threats. An example mission could be the Lost World.
Dialing in ancient address leads to a planet with ruins
of an extinct advanced civilization, but gold forces arrived seeking
the same knowledge. You would have factions, the goal of
the toke ra, the asgard the ore. Although I would
probably leave the ori that was not necessarily the strong

(48:01):
point for Stargate. The setting in tone, you'd have a
bureau name, replace the espionage agencies with Stargate Command. Characters
are mostly military personnel, scientists or civil civilians recruited for
their unique skill or maybe aliens. I mean you gotta
have a Jonas Quinn in there at some point.

Speaker 3 (48:21):
Right. You'd have new equipment.

Speaker 6 (48:25):
You'd be able to have P nineties tactical gear, m alps,
the remote exploration robots, aliens. You'd have zat guns, healing devices,
gold hand weapons. You would have Stargate travel. Missions begin
with dialing the Stargate. Every time you sit down for
a mission, you'd play that little Stargate dialing, and then
you could really get the characters involved in the going

(48:45):
onto the mission. You would get to blend exploration, action,
and moral dilemmas, emphasizing teamwork in the thrill of discovering
alien worlds. And now this setting is ideal for if
you have multiple people who want to play. This would
switch top secret in my opinion, more from a one
or two person game into four, maybe even five. Now

(49:11):
that said, both universes xpiles in Stargate would actually have
some shared adaptations, and the expiles you'd have shape shifting aliens,
possibly shadowy government operatives that was in both of them, encryptids.

Speaker 3 (49:28):
Mission logs.

Speaker 6 (49:29):
You'd encourage players to maintain detailed mission logs to track clues,
alien encounters or discoveries, and both settings thrive on layers
of secrecy. Players will often face ethical dilemmas, such as
hiding alien technology from the public or deciding whether to
eliminate a potentially dangerous witness.

Speaker 3 (49:48):
Well, i'd said, I did.

Speaker 6 (49:51):
Come up with some very specific AI helped scenarios for
the xpile scenari We called it the Midnight Abduction. You're
in a small isolated town of Montana that has reported
a series of strange disappearances, locals claim to have seen

(50:11):
eerie lights in the sky, and livestock have been mutilated
in bizarre patterns. Your team has been dispatched under the
cover of investigating quote wild animal attacks unquote, but its
tasked with uncovering the truth because the truth is out
there now the setup, you'd have an objective determine the

(50:32):
calls of the disappearances and decide whether to contin contain
the information or.

Speaker 3 (50:36):
Expose the truth.

Speaker 6 (50:38):
If you had an FBI agents from the X Files
division or members of a secret government task force, that
could be a part of your team, and this would
be a great way if you only one person loves
playing the game on a regular but another friend or
another player from your D and D group wants to
occasionally step in. He could be an agent from a
different division or compile completely different government task force and

(51:00):
could sit in on a couple missions, and the players
would arrive at the town of Willow Creek and begin
their investigation at the local sheriff's office. You have witness accounts.
You have farmer Joe who claims to have seen beings
with glowing eyes near his barn at night, where his
cattle have been mutilated, and of course Sheriff Daniel, you're
skeptical Sheriff of town, but admits to seeing strange lights

(51:23):
over the nearby forest. You have circular patterns scorched and grass.
A piece of unknown metallic alloy has been found embedded
in a tree. If you happen to have a doctor
in your group or can recruit the town veterinarian, you
can find out livestock show precise surgical cuts with organs missing,

(51:45):
suggesting perhaps advanced technology or someone really really good and demented.
Missing person's blood samples contain traces of mysterious chemical compounds.
Along the way, you get government interference. A team of
armed operatives arrive, claiming jurisdiction and warning the agents to leave,

(52:07):
and then the team encounters a perhaps shape shifting alien
that attacks one cornered. Now you have to have a
couple of different outcomes in here. You could expose the truth,
leak findings to a journalist or a whistleblower. You could
assist the government in concealing up and covering up. Or
you could capture or eliminate the alien entity to prevent

(52:27):
further harm. And then for Stargate, we went with the
City of Shadows. SG seven has been dispatched to a
newly discovered planet where the stargate address was requirvered from
a long lost, die old temple. Preliminary scan show an
ancient city buried beneath the service, and reports suggests that
the city contains advanced technology. However, local tribes speak of

(52:52):
shadows that haunt the ruins, and strange energy readings are
emanating from deep within the city. SG seven must investigate
the origins of this technology, uncover the truth about the shadows,
and prevent any dangerous forces from escaping. So the setup
you're objective. Investigate the ancient city and uncoverage technology, unravel
the mystery of the shadows that are said to haunt

(53:13):
the ruins, maybe determine whether the ancient cities technology poses
a threat to Earth, and, if necessary, neutralize it. The
primary location is the planet Arethos, an arid world with
large desert, rocky plains, and ancient ruins. The mission brief.
SG seven arrives on Arathis through the stargate, discovering an
environment that is hostile to long term habitation. The ruins

(53:37):
of a once thriving city are now submerged beneath the sand,
with remnants of ancient technology scattered among the structures. The locals,
a nomadic tribe, speak of shadows that prey upon intruders
and the ruins. These shadows are said to be the
spirits of ancient people who perished in a terrible war. However,
SG seven soon realizes that these shadows may not be

(53:58):
supernatural at all.

Speaker 3 (54:01):
You have a few key in PCs.

Speaker 6 (54:02):
You have Elder Pasha, the spiritual leader, doctor Alona Venter,
a scientist from the Advanced Technology Division at Stargate Command. Kari,
a former mercenary turned treasure hunter. Cary seeks to uncover
the city's secrets for profit. He arrives on the planet
shortly after SG seven and may either become a valuable
ally or dangerous rival, depending on how the players.

Speaker 3 (54:23):
Decide to go the path. And then you have shadow entities.

Speaker 6 (54:28):
These are not ghosts, but highly advanced semi corporal artificial
intelligence created by the ancient civilization that once inhabited the city.
They were designed as protectors of the city and its technology,
capable of manipulating energy fields to create the illusion of shadows.
They can be both allies or enemies, depending once again
how the players decide to go. You have a few

(54:49):
locations of sand swept ruins, the Shadow Citadel, the Energy
Field Lab.

Speaker 3 (54:53):
And the Hidden Fault. Along the way.

Speaker 6 (54:59):
You will investigate the the ruins establish being a foothold
in the city as G seven will navigate and the
desolate landscape and gain access to the ruined city. Players
must decide along the way whether to trust the Arathens
or push forward despite their fears, and a preliminary scan
reveals strange energy reading from the Shadow Citadel, prompting the

(55:21):
team hopefully to investigate further.

Speaker 3 (55:24):
You may have hostile wildlife.

Speaker 6 (55:26):
For dangerous environmental hazards along the way, including from the
movie the standstorms, and maybe some unstable terrain. Encounters with
the nomad tribe who are unwilling to let trespassers onto
their sacred land might be a challenge.

Speaker 3 (55:43):
Along the way.

Speaker 6 (55:43):
You'll uncover the truth and then you have to decide
on what your next action action is, and of course
we go back to our three potential outcomes. The success
outcome the team deactivates or secure is the dangerous technology
of preventing its use for destructive purposes. They may also

(56:06):
establish a peaceful dialogue with the ancient AI, learning valuable
lessons from the past civilization. A partial success outcome the
players neutralize the immediate threat, but fail to fully understand
or secure all the technology. Some of the shadows may
end up remaining active or and or cary escapes planning

(56:26):
to return to Earth with stolen information. And of course
you have your absolutely devastating, abject failure. The players fail
to prevent the rogue treasure hunters or the ancient energy
weapon from activating, closing out devastating events such as opening
of a rift or an accidental manipulation of space time
that affects the planet or beyond. And as always within

(56:46):
the Top Secret game, you have the morality how much
should human humanity meddle with the ancient potential dangerous technology.
Can the team thrust the local tribe or their allies
and soar of this truth? And what are the long
term consequences of controlling such a powerful technology? And can
it even be used safely? So I played Top Secret

(57:15):
for many, many years.

Speaker 3 (57:18):
It was hard.

Speaker 6 (57:20):
To put together games that were not pre made as
a game master. In today's environment of computers and AI
and all this other information cameras around the world, so
we can see what's going on in real time until
a pop up ad cut goes on to the screen
and you can't delete it because they hate freaking pop ups.

(57:43):
You can see what's going on, what's happening news twenty
four to seven. Today is a tremendous time for a
Top Secret revitalization. This game could be so perfect in
today's environmental world of technology at your fingertips.

Speaker 3 (58:06):
And you could even have games.

Speaker 6 (58:09):
The players across the planet, two or three people acting
as solo agents competing against each other without them knowing it.
It would be an absolute blast to put together a
game session for this, and it might be a twenty

(58:30):
twenty five might be a twenty twenty five goal to
put the least together a game based on Top Secret,
maybe maybe in the X Files or Stargate or something.
And I say that I have the Stargate box set,
I haven't researched enough to do a show on it,

(58:50):
but I do actually have the Stargate role playing game,
so I may delve into that and figure out if
that would just be a better system than even the.

Speaker 3 (58:57):
Older Top Secret game?

Speaker 6 (58:58):
Is that said, the purpose up tonight and the reason
I stepped away from D and D a little bit.
There is games for everyone, whether it's board games or
role playing games or computer games. It's nice to step
away from reality for a few.

Speaker 3 (59:24):
In their style.

Speaker 6 (59:26):
Gameplay that your characters have can be stretched with genres
that maybe they're not overly familiar with, and games like
Top Secret is one that you could absolutely have have
a blast with, and I would dare say might even
be better for younger playing demographic than even D and D,

(59:51):
especially D and D in its current state.

Speaker 3 (59:58):
That said, I hope you enjoyed. Just look back at
Top Secret and.

Speaker 7 (01:00:03):
What it was like.

Speaker 6 (01:00:04):
You know why it was made, some of the features
of it, how you could utilize it in the modern world.
It really would be so much easier to put together
sessions for Top Secret now than it's ever been prior.
So don't be afraid to branch out in two new
games because you never know one you might find and
fall in love with, even forty five years later looking

(01:00:27):
back at it, going.

Speaker 3 (01:00:28):
God, what did I quit plan that?

Speaker 7 (01:00:32):
So?

Speaker 3 (01:00:32):
I do hope you enjoyed the show tonight.

Speaker 6 (01:00:34):
Like I said, in about an hour, you Rick and
already coming up with Juck's position, great topic tonight that
should be entertaining as hell, and I should be live
tomorrow night with a new end increase at eight o'clock
Eastern as well. But until then, remember, the greatest adventure
is out there waiting for you.

Speaker 5 (01:01:02):
The greatst advenger is what lies of it? Today and tomorrow?
Are you to be said? The chances, the changes are
all yours to me. The mold of your life is

(01:01:24):
in your hands to brave. The greatest adventure is there.
If your boot the gold the move that your life.

Speaker 7 (01:01:39):
Makes you boom.

Speaker 3 (01:01:46):
By the tavern? Who I get drunk?

Speaker 7 (01:01:49):
There? There are seven olgers surrounding you?

Speaker 3 (01:01:51):
How can they surround us? I had morment Titan's magical
watchdog Cat. No you didn't, I getty drunk?

Speaker 6 (01:01:57):
Are there any girls there?

Speaker 4 (01:01:58):
I totally did.

Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
You ask me if I wanted any equipment before this adventure,
and I said no, but I need material components for
all my spells, so I cast more than Kine's Faithful
Watchhof but you.

Speaker 7 (01:02:08):
Never actually cast it. Well, it's nice to see if
I'm getting drunk.

Speaker 3 (01:02:13):
Yeah, you are? Are there any girls there?

Speaker 7 (01:02:16):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:02:16):
I did though, I completely said when you asked me, No,
you didn't you didn't actually say that you were casting
the spell. So now there's ugers, okay, huggers. Man, I
got an Ugers playing night.

Speaker 4 (01:02:27):
It's got a plus nine against Huger.

Speaker 7 (01:02:30):
You're not there, you're getting drunk, okay, But if there's
any girls there, I want to do that.