Player handout: Tail Evasion Procedures Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[Smokeskin]

I like to give players small handouts to individual players with info their character has, so they can do or say some cool stuff IC. Mostly it is just short notes or something like that.

I'm starting a new campaign with some guys who is new to SR, and I'm thinking of handing a larger set of tips and tricks to each player. Something to get them thinking and into character, teach them a few things, and let them act pro around the table.

I'm working on this one below, which will go a professionally trained covert ops specialist. I'm thinking of getting some hacker tricks (in the form of forum or chat messages), con tips (in the form of wire tap transcripts), some sort of magical guide, and maybe a small small-unit tactics primer also.

Any comments, ideas, additions or corrections are welcome (including spelling and grammar).

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TAIL EVASION PROCEDURES rev. 7.2.3a

1. AVOID CAPTURE
1.1 The only reliable counter-capture procedure is sufficient combat assets deployed to intercept enemy personnel.
1.2 Common low-profile capture scenarios are:
a. Agent is forced into enemy vehicle, typically enclosed van. Agent must avoid proximity to parked vehicles and areas where vehicles can park.
b. Agent is approached by enemy personnel and threatened to move to enemy vehicle. Agent must avoid approach by enemy personnel and locations from where the agent can easily be walked to enemy vehicle. Public transportation with seating makes both approach and coordinating extration difficult. Security checkpoints can ensure that enemy personnel cannot follow with weapons needed to intimidate agent into cooperation.
c. Agent is drugged or targetted by spells to cause intoxication symptoms or similar, and extracted by enemy personnel posing as friends helping the agent home. Along with avoidance procedures 1.2.b, certain locations can make the deception unbelievable or result in interference from outside parties.
1.2 High-profile capture scenarios, including false flag operations like enemy personnel posing as police officers making an arrest, can by a lone agent only be countered by making capture or extraction difficult, by seeking to locations where outside parties will interfere or where movement to enemy vehicles is difficult.

2. MAINTAIN OPERATIONS INTEGRITY
2.1 Avoid leading tails to secure locations.
2.2 Assume the enemy has compromised comms. Avoid disclosing mission critical information.

3. AVOID SIGNALLING AWARENESS OF TAIL
3.1 If the enemy suspects the tail has been spotted he can respond with capture or breaking contact.
3.2 Assume the enemy has compromised comms. The team should employ comms protocols where frequent messaging with code words are employed, to allow the agent to send distress signals to the team or vice versa without raising suspicion. Multiple distress signals are adviced, to allow at minimum signalling request for immediate extraction, continue as normal, abandon mission, and capture tail. Code word structure should allow for comms to mimic civilian chatter (work, trid shows, etc.). Refer to COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL (COVERT) for further reading.

4. (OPTION) EVADE COVERT TAIL/TEST FOR WILLINGNESS TO EXPOSURE
4.1 In order to employ the following procedures without signalling awareness of tail, they must be part of standard operation procedures. If such preparatory procedures have not been followed, be aware of the risk of signalling awareness. Be aware that such procedures can be misinterpreted by unrecognized tails as evasion or exposure attempts.
4.2 Agent can move through locations only frequented by a minority, like lingerie shops. Malls with shops that have entries to different avenues are particularly useful for this. Employee-only access, fire exits, and other off limits areas can also be used, at obvious but mostly low-consequence risk from outside parties. If the agent is operating a vehicle, similar effects can be achieved by driving down one-way streets, U-turns, and other illegal or unusual maneuvers.
4.3 Entering public transportation and stepping off just as the doors close can expose a tail, remove one (and possibly only) enemy agent from the tail duty, or achieve no result. The gambit is well known and experienced enemy personnel will interpret it as such and might not enter.
4.4 If the enemy prioritizes continued tracking over remaining covert, section 4 procedures, including 4.1, can trigger an exposure response from the enemy.

5. (OPTION) PUT A TAIL ON THE TAIL OR CAPTURE TAIL
5.1 Be aware that entering public transportation can be interpreted as a 4.3 maneuver and result in unwanted tail evasion or enemy response.
5.2 Refer to SURVEILLANCE PROCEDURES subsections TAILING, EXTRACTION, and COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE MARKS.

6. (OPTION) AGGRESSIVE TAIL EVASION
6.1 The agent must turn off all wifi equipment. Equipment without hard-off capability must have batteries removed or discarded (observe INFORMATION SECURITY procedures).
6.2 The agent must undergo full body tag erasing.
6.3 Standard evasion procedures apply, including but not limited to altering appearance, avoiding, jamming or disabling enemy and/or civilian surveillance equipment, rapid movement and frequent course changes, and creating diversions and hindrances for pursuers.

7. (OPTION) TAIL DECEPTION
7.1 Deceiving tails can take considerable time and require agents operating under enemy observation, resulting in increased risk of agent capture and/or breach of operations integrity.
7.2 A tailed agent is often unable to participate in primary operation and should be considered reassigned while working tail deception.
7.3 A tailed agent is often unable to respond to changing circumstances, representing an unquantifiable and potentially large opportunity cost.
7.4 Tail deception operations have a high probability of success as any information revealed to the tail will be thought of as the result of an intelligence effort.
7.5 Deceptions include but are not limitied to strategic, tactical and operational misinformation and information designed to trigger enemy responses that reveal identity or covert assets. See INFORMATION WARFARE procedures.

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