Spycraft Espionage Handbook for PCGen - PCGen Documentation

# Spycraft Espionage Handbook for PCGen

Game Mode: Spycraft

ALDERAC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP > SPYCRAFT > CORE RULES

Spycraft Espionage Handbook

## PCGen Dataset user guide

Updated 10/12/04

This read me file contains information on how to make the most of this dataset. Specifically it will alert you to work-around’s for Spycraft rules that PCGen does not currently support.

### Nationalities

When you select your department the first pop up chooser will let you select your characters nationality. This will apply a template which specifies your nationality and will grant you an additional bonus language if your native countries language is something other than English. The Nationality template can be removed and replaced with another as people in the modern age will occasionally immigrate though the bonus language granted with your original choice will not be removed. You can only apply one Nationality at a time. The list is by no means complete, if you wish to add additional nationalities edit the spycraft_templates.lst file to add the nationality template. Edit the spycraft_feats_hidden.lst file to add additional choices to the list that appears when you choose a department. The Language list is also incomplete, you can add them by editing the spycraft_languages.lst file.

### Skills

The skills ‘Hobby (Untrained)’ and ‘Sport (Untrained)’ are listed to keep the skill list uncluttered and cannot be selected. Although all sport and hobby skills are usable untrained only these two will show up when skills are exported with ‘show untrained skills’ selected.

### Backgrounds

Backgrounds appear in the skill list though they are not skills and are never used as such. They are in the skill list because they are purchased with skill points. The rules say you can have no more than 5 points in no more than 2 backgrounds at any one time. PCGen does not enforce this rule. Once the background is resolved or ‘cashed in’ it is suggested that you transfer the skill points into the skill named ‘Resolved Backgrounds’.

### Languages

Languages are treated a little differently in Spycraft and some work around’s are used to comply with the Spycraft rules. It is suggested that you create a new note in the description tab to keep a list of which languages your character speaks natively and another for those picked up by making a language check. Languages your character starts with are considered native. Any languages learned through the language skill can become native by spending an additional skill rank on it. To do this purchase one rank of the Native Language Skill corresponding to that language. The Native Language Skill will add one rank to the Languages Skill but no additional languages. The Native Language Skills is a work-around, you should always use your Languages score for skill checks. Adding more then one rank of any Native Language Skill will not add any additional ranks to Languages, so don’t do it.

### Feats

Training grants you 4 additional skill points, however PCGen cannot add these. You may add these points manually by changing the number in the “Skill Points left for Class” field on the Skills Tab.

Unlocked Potential raises your max ranks for a specific skill. PCGen does not have a way to raise the max ranks for a specific skill, the feat will allow you to choose the skill to apply it to but it will not raise the maximum ranks you can spend on it. To work around this limitation you can check the Bypass Max Skill Ranks option in Preferences/House Rules .

### Purchasing Equipment

PCGen cannot yet deal with multiple currency systems like that used in Spycraft. Items in Spycraft have a budget point value or a gadget point value as well as a monetary value if purchased on the street. This dataset lists items in either budget points or gadgets points. The first Type listed for every item is either Gear, Gadget or Vehicle. Gear type items are bought with Budget Points and Mission Budget points while Gadget and Vehicle type items are bought with Gadget Points. PCGen cannot tell the difference between the two and does not restrict your purchasing, it is up to the user to determine his or her budgets and stay within them. This is especially important if you customize a gear item with a gadget modification, the customizer will add the modification cost (in gadget points) to the cost of the gear item (in budget points) and the resulting cost will be incorrect. You can see your characters budgets in the lower right pane in the Class Tab. Street values are not listed.

### Modifying Equipment

Some gadgets and vehicles can be modified with additional capabilities. To do this right click on the item to bring up the customizer. The modifications will be listed and can be added to the item for an additional cost. Please note that Spycraft places some limits on the number of modifications that can be added to certain items. PCGen does not restrict the number of modifications you can add though the Spycraft rules do. Please read the rules to determine the limits.

### Equipment

To get the full benefits of Tiger claws you must equip your PC with a pair, one on each hand. Using one will only give you half of the bonuses.

### Vehicles

PCGen will output the correct stats for your chosen vehicle but you must set things up in a certain way for it to output correctly. Most importantly you must Equip the vehicle to the character in the equipping sub-tab, setting the vehicle to not carried or another setting will not activate the vehicle stats. Secondly you may only equip one vehicle at any one time, the reason for this is that PCGen cannot, at this time, assign variables to objects and so all variables are associated with your character. What this means is that if you equip you character with 2 or more vehicles that output sheet will still only have one vehicle block but the stats will equal the combined totals of all the vehicles you have. Equipping the vehicle to your character does not add any weight or take up any slots from your character not does any items you may put in the vehicle. Vehicles are containers that do not have any restrictions on what they may contain, I leave that to you, your Game master and common sense.

Customizing vehicles. You may add gadgets and other refinements to your vehicle by customizing it. Find the vehicle in the equipment list and right click it to choose create custom object. You will be presented with a list of refinements you can add to the vehicle. PCGen will not limit the number of these items you can add to the vehicle, again its up to you and your GM to follow the rules. When output the OS will display the number of gadgets as well as the maximum number of gadgets that can be added to that type of vehicle.

### Using the Output Sheet

At this time there is an html sheet and a pdf template. The text set in the tab name field of the summery tab will output as the characters code name. You can find the Spycraft html Output Sheet in the Modern/HTML folder, it is named csheet_spycraft_std.htm. The Spycraft pdf Output Sheet can be found in the Modern/PDF folder, it is named csheet_spycraft_std.fo.

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