This started out as my ideas on how I would go about making a super-spy game to conjure up memories of the Bond films. Then it kind of expanded a bit, and, well... Here's what I've got. Like? Dislike? Interested? Boring?


Cold War is my idea for a super-spy modification to Shadowrun 3rd edition's rules. Instead of traditional Shadowrunners, it places the players in the familar role of a James Bond-esc superagent, a member of MI-6, with an "0x" or even a "00x" rating. The idea is designed to be portable across eras; an older spy from an earlier time might even make a comeback!

The Great War: (1935-1945)
In this era the players are set as members of the British SAS (Special Air Service) or the SOE (Special Operations Executive) in the middle of the greatest war to rock the planet. For the history buffs, this era is lacking in slick gadgets and styling, but it makes up for it with hearts of gold and rifles of wood; the players may find themselves performing the role of counterinteligence in Britain itself, infilitrating the Nazi regime, either as a commando group set out to achieve an objective, or in the guise of civilizans, sneaking their way into the heart of Nazi Germany.


The Cold War (1960s-1990)
If you're thinking of Sean Conneroy, Roger Moore, or Pierce Brosnan (as of Goldeneye) as James Bond 007, you're on the right track. Gadgets, girls and guns, this gameplay Era is all about the good stuff of the heydey of Bond films. Exchange witty reparte with Q, tease Moneypenny, infiltrate the heart of the Soviet Union, foil supervillians, that's what it's all about. This Era could find the players doing anything Bond ever did, or something else altogether; perhaps a less action-oriented adventure would find the players infiltrating Moscow itself on a deep-cover operation to provide support infrastructure for another raid. (Of course, when that raid goes awry... Well, that's why the back-up is there.)

The Rise of the Terrorist and the Corporation: (1990s-2011)
The power of the British flag is waning in the world abroad as a return to the days of gunship diplomacy is heralded from the wankers across the sea, terrorist orginzations and ruthless corporations come to power, holding entire populations hostage for their own aims. Do you have what it takes to be a true hearkening back to the glory days of MI-6 and the days when you were respected throughout the world, or are you a washed-up has-been, a parody of days gone by?

Post-Awakening: The Era of the Megacorporation: (2050-2070)
Welcome (back) to the Sixth World, chum. This is the age of Shadowrunners and Megacorporate Extraterritoriality. Cybersammies and mages have replaced the slick gadetry and suave coolness of the heydey of the 00-Agent. It's up to you and your kind alone to rekindle the power of the British Crown in this bleak day and age. Has MI-6 still got what it takes to show the corporations that Britain is not a power to be trifled with, or has your era come and past? You decide.

If you'r running them, I would like to start out in the WW2 era as a spike baby dwarf and I'll even pay the BP to be a full mage if he survives to 2012.

This has some interesting merit. By playing the 'same' agent through out history (not the actual character, but his decendant--son, grandson, nephew, cousin, then great-great-grandson, for an idea), you could link the eras.

A good inspiration for the WW2 stuff is the video game Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

You can also make the 'institution' of MI-6 the focus. What it's mandate was during the first World War doesn't necessarilly apply in the MegaCorps era, so the 'Cold War dinosaur' must adapt & change with the times. With governments not willing to fund the extravagence of a 'special branch' anymore, will a corporation? Especially when it's cheaper to just hire Shadowrunners?

sounds like a fun idea.
what we need, is some kind of equipment list for teh various eras. and of course Q can provide a few toys from the next era's equipment list now and then.

as far as gadgets go... its probably best to say that for a point of edge, you automaticaly have item X, which can solve your current problem. it just has to be something Q could have provided you with. so we have a number of fun toys for plot holes, with a self-limiting mechanic.

Me and my friends have made a lot of mods, both historical and silly. I once did a 1960s spy mod where all pistols where light pistols, physads were called "inscruitable" and were automatically asian, and Sexual Harrasment became a social skill.

Shadowrun works great for mods. The one thing that I'd say is that magic (meaning spellcasting, summoning, and astral projection) in a low magic mod setting can be too powerful since there can't plausibly be too many magical countermeasures. If you can do it without your players sniffling too much don't let anyone be a mage/shaman.

I was figuring on having no magic up to the awakening, to be honest. though Q branch being able to supply every(runner's)day things from the next era as a gadget for this one... Hmmmm.... They did have that Astin Martin with the "Active Camoflauge"... Ruthernium, anyone?

Speaking of that car, what's the Athletics TN/Threshhold to clear a shark?

Some friends and I were kicking around the idea of a campaign set in Steven Brust's Dragaera, using modified SR mechanics, but never got around to actually playing it. (I was going to be a Dzur.)

I know that Austere Emancipator has a mod worked out for Forgotten Realms setting using Shadowrun rules, which I think he's actually used (and I'm pretty sure he's posted, but I'm too lazy to search for it).

The second campaign using those rules is still running. Overall I'm pretty happy with them, although I really ought to update the bits concerning metamagics, summoning and huge critters. Unfortunately all the files are on my older computer and transferring them to this comp would be a pain in the ass, so I haven't bothered. I've just been scribbling in the margins of the original 15 printed pages for the past 2 years.

As Wounded Ronin said, the SR3 rules are quite easily portable to most kinds of settings as long as you pay close attention to magic. You should think about what the focus areas of the new setting are -- if there's something in the new setting that SR only very briefly deals with, you might have to come up with some more rules. Likewise if SR happens to have more complicated rules dealing with something that is of little importance in the new setting you can simplify or just get rid of those rules.

Another era to add:

Look into the "Great Game" era of espionage. The time between the end of Napoleon at La Belle Alliance and the start of WWI with it's multiple "middle powers" is a beautiful background. And british intelligence already existed.


And you can salvage Rudyard Kipling:



There are not leaders to lead us to honour, and yet without leaders we sally,
Each man reporting for duty alone, out of sight, out of reach, of his fellow.
There are no bugles to call the battalions, and yet without bugle we rally
From the ends of the earth to the ends of the earth, to follow the Standard of Yellow!
Fall in! O fall in! O fall in!

Not where the squadrons mass,
Not where the bayonets shine,
Not where the big shell shout as they pass
Over the firing-line;
Not where the wounded are,
Not where the nations die,
Killed in the cleanly game of war --
That is no place for a spy!
O Princes, Thrones and Powers, your work is less than ours --
Here is no place for a spy!

Trained to another use,
We march with colours furled,
Only concerned when Death breaks loose
On a front of half a world.
Only for General Death
The Yellow Flag may fly,
While we take post beneath --
That is the place for a spy.
Where Plague has spread his pinions
Over Nations and Dominions --
Then will be work for a spy!

The dropping shots begin,
The single funerals pass,
Our skirmishers run in,
The corpses dot the grass!
The howling towns stampede,
The tainted hamlets die.
Now it is war indeed --
Now there is room for a spy!
O Peoples, Kings and Lands,
We are waiting your commands --
What is the work for a spy?
(Drums) -- Fear is upon us, spy!

"Go where his pickets hide --
Unmask the shape they take,
Whether a gnat from the waterside,
Or a stinging fly in the brake,
Or filth of the crowded street,
Or a sick rat limping by,
Or a smear of spittle dried in the heat --
That is the work of a spy!
(Drums) -- Death is upon us, spy!

"What does he next prepare?
Whence will he move to attack? --
By water, earth or air? --
How can we head him back?
Shall we starve him out if we burn
Or bury his food-supply?
Slip through his lines and learn --
That is work for a spy!
(Drums) -- Get to your business, spy!

"Does he feint or strike in force?
Will he charge or ambuscade?
What is it checks his course?
Is he beaten or only delayed?
How long will the lull endure?
Is he retreating? Why?
Crawl to his camp and make sure --
That is the work for a spy!
(Drums) -- Fetch us our answer, spy!

"Ride with him girth to girth
Wherever the Pale Horse wheels
Wait on his councils, ear to earth,
And say what the dust reveals.
For the smoke of our torment rolls
Where the burning thousands lie;
What do we care for men's bodies or souls?
Bring us deliverance, spy!"

The Great Game seems to be... Mmm, less about the flash and the gadetry. I'm not sure many people would enjoy it.

I once toyed with the idea of an alternate history campaign in which the Awakening arrived during WWII due to a massive mana surge precipated by the premature opening of the Ark of the Covenant.

With dragons and magicians on both sides of the conflict and the the odd failures of atomic weapons the war ends in a salemate rather than an unconditional surrender. The NAN never comes to be but Native American's are held in high regard due to the role of Shaman in repelling invasions against the US and Canada and countering Axis magicians.

The USSR maintained close ties to the West and treaties that join the Soviet Union and the United States so closely that they are almost the same country. As a result, the International Communist Party has a large following in the Americas and Western Europe and several Communists have served as US Presidents. However, the West still maintains a capitolist economic system and the USSR has a relaxed attitude toward to capitolism due to various treaty obligations.

Megacorps rose to power no due to an insane Supreme Court decision but by virtue of the fact that they are able to operate on both sides of the Iron Curtain between the Axis and the Allies. The Megas are, infact, the onlything preventing the economies of both monolithic military machines from collapsing under their own weight due to the fact that they are the only avenue of trade between the two polarized giants.

Also, the First DNI cyberlimbs were devolped by the United States War Department for the purpose of extending the functional combat life of wounded soldiers. Since soldiers who lost their limbs were considered unfit for service and discharged the Allied forces were loosing men faster than new once could be trained. With the advent of these diesel powered cyberlimbs soldiers with previously debilitating wounds could return to battle in as little as a week if there are no othr complications.

I designed a super-hero mod awhile back. I've never posted it anywhere, but in character creation tests it worked well and was reasonably balanced. It's only problem was that it would require a good deal of creativity on the part of the players.

D6 System

Something akin to the Open Gaming License
Someone should get started on that...

I've started to make a new RPG system (which I may or may not finish) where the engine is entirely a hand to hand combat engine. However, I like the SR3 d6 system so I'm using that, and I'm also planning to use the following SR attributes: Body, Str, Qui, Will.

Since the whole entire thing is hand to hand combat I'm adding a lot of details, including hit locations, and I'm trying to categorize all the ways you're likely to be attacked. Sort of like Riddle of Steel but with less emphasis on long blades which I know very little about.

I plan to call it "Savage Beatdown: The RPG".