FIS Academy

[RealPity]

Steve Kenson's Lost Episodes material includes some information on the Federation Intelligence Service, in addition to reprinting the FIS Agent Overlay from The Price Of Freedom there is also the Undercover Agent & Counter-terrorism Agent Overlays. The material also has two character archetypes which both show Academy training, one is Forensic Training & the other Counter-Intelligence training. They also have various tours of duty that are security/intelligence geared (the new tours are included in the character generation system)

http://members.aol.com/talonstudio/treks/branches.html

I was thinking about the academy they would have in an effort to complete details to generate such characters (wanted a change from Starfleet, Klingon, Romulan etc etc). I was interested in some scenarios where some FIS characters could infiltrate a pirate band, sniff out some enemy intelligence officers, gather information & infiltrate such organizations as the Orion Syndicate etc etc ... so, borrowing heavily from Way of D'era's Tal Shiar character generation, I thought this might be an example of their academy packages (8 DP):

Administration Training: Administration (FIS) 1 (2), Computer (choose specialization) 1 (2), Espionage (choose specialization) 1 (2), 1 point disadvantage
Counter-Intelligence Training: Espionage (Counterintelligence) 1 (2), Streetwise (choose Specialization) 1 (2), Surveillance (choose specialization) 1 (2), 1 point disadvantage
Counter-Terrorism Training: Streetwise (choose specialization) 1 (2), Espionage (choose Specialization) 1 (2), Computer (Research) 1 (2), 1 point disadvantage
Cryptoanalysis Training: Espionage (Cryptography) 1 (2) (Encoding) (2), Physcial Sciences (Mathematics) 1 (2), Perception +1
Forensic Training: Psychology (Forensic Psychology) 1 (2), Medical Sciences (Forensics Pathology) 1 (2), Search 1, Perception +1, 2 points worth of disadvantages
Interrogation Training: Behavior Modification (choose specialization) 1 (2), Intimidation (Interrogation) 2 (3), 1 point disadvantage
Undercover Operations Training: Artistic Expression (Acting) 1 (2), Culture (choose specialization) 0 (1), Espionage (Covert Communications) 1 (2), Language (choose) 1, 2 points worth of disadvantages

This is a rough beginning, any thoughts to flesh this out, changes, additions or deletions that come to mind ?

Thinking about perhaps an ultra-secret Tour for a special assassination section, unknown even to all but the upper echelon of the FIS. But not sure, may be a little too much for the utopian federation !
Also perhaps some manner of technical branch ....

A couple notes: the Psychology skill is borrowed from Owen Oulten. The Encoding specialization of Espionage is from Steve Kenson's work.

[redwood973]

ooooooh, me happy i stumbled across this!

[RealPity]

Feel free to expand on it, I was a bit vague with the disadvantages !

Then got side-tracked with things Romulan, Klingon and other ...

[redwood973]

Okay, these are civilians right? That's how I read it anyway. The Overlays though are 48 points--four short of the Starfleet Overlays and twelve more than the civilian overlays. I guess to represent more extensive training which falls just short of Starfleet Officers?

Not sure what to use: an 8 point package (a 'la Starfleet) or a 9 point package (a 'la civilian).

[RealPity]

Yep, non-Starfleet Federation Civilian. I know the civilian overlays in Price of Freedom are all more like 54 point range than the 36 introduced in DS9, go figure. Extra training required or such sums it up nicely. I went with 8 point rather than 9 as the tours introduced in the chracter creation section of his work for security/intelligence types seem to apply to the agents. So, if they're having tours like Starfleet I figured an academy that's similar.

[redwood973]

I never noticed that Price of Freedom had higher point counts. I have to admit I much rather like the way DS9 delt with civilian overlays. Hell, I never even realized the FIS Overlay appears in the Price of Freedom book! Guess it's been awhile since I've picked it up and had a read.

Going with a nine point package would make your work spot on. Do need a one point disadvantage for the Undercover package though, unless the Culture Skill was dropped; but that seems like a rather required skill.

Hrm, maybe I'll see about refining the Overlays to give everyone a 36-point option.

[mactavish]

I think that a 36-point FIS template is the way to go:

FIS Agent

The typical FIS Agent is trained in a variety of skills involving data-collection and analysis, as well as defensive skills and the ability to go wherever a case may lead, even into the darker corners of space.

Computer (Data Alteration) 1 (2)
Energy Weapon (Phaser) 1 (2)
Espionage (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Fast Talk 1
Language (Federation Standard) 1
Law (Federation Law) 1 (2)
Personal Equipment (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Search 1
Security (Security Systems) 1 (2)
Stealth (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Streetwise (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Unarmed Combat (choose Specialization) 1 (2)

The more specialized Skills and abilities should be handled as additional 9-point training packages. That way you can have those agents who specialize in undercover operations, counterterrorism, and so on without having to create completely separate templates from the get-go.

What do you think?

mactavish out.

[RealPity]

The way it seems to be written up, from what you can get from the archetypes is Academy plus Tours, and he's got all the security tours written up as 10 & 5 DP just like Starfleet (because, of course, they're meant for Starfleet charachters predominently). So, I don't have a problem with keeping it all like that & just accepting the Overlays as they are in this case.

[RealPity]

I think that a 36-point FIS template is the way to go:

FIS Agent

The typical FIS Agent is trained in a variety of skills involving data-collection and analysis, as well as defensive skills and the ability to go wherever a case may lead, even into the darker corners of space.

Computer (Data Alteration) 1 (2)
Energy Weapon (Phaser) 1 (2)
Espionage (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Fast Talk 1
Language (Federation Standard) 1
Law (Federation Law) 1 (2)
Personal Equipment (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Search 1
Security (Security Systems) 1 (2)
Stealth (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Streetwise (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Unarmed Combat (choose Specialization) 1 (2)

The more specialized Skills and abilities should be handled as additional 9-point training packages. That way you can have those agents who specialize in undercover operations, counterterrorism, and so on without having to create completely separate templates from the get-go.

What do you think?

mactavish out.

That'd work for a 36 civilian one, could even do up a variation or two like was done in the document.
Hey ! You don't still have chapter 7 of the voyager sourcebook you offered years ago by chance do you ?

[redwood973]

Just doing a quick glance between the "Untaken" and Price of Freedom I much prefer the Price of Freedom take. The "Untaken" seems to be more of a Federation FBI doing as much enforcement as investigation/intellignece while the Price of Freedom seems to go more Federation CIA being more concerned with intelligence.

I know the FBI has an academy in VA, does the CIA have an academy?

Nice start mactavish, I agree completly with having specialized characters being that way thru training packages/tours rather than each having its own Overlay. I wouldn't mind seeing a skill or two at 2 (3) and maybe make one or two of the skills made available thru training/tours (like the Streetwise skill for sure).

Realpity, are you looking at more of a military intelligence character serving Starfleet? I've never really understood the need for CIA and military intell, except that military intell would seem to be a faster source say in wartime.

[RealPity]

Nope, a "home security" agency. Basically doing much the same as Starfleet Intel would (counter-intelligence, undercover etc) but just on domestic soil ... planets ... systems ... sectors. Working on uncovering "enemy" agents who have infiltrated the Federation, going undercover in criminal or illegal organizations and such.
Just by virtue of what they're doing there's a lot of similarities.

[mactavish]

RealPity: At your request, here is the [admittedly-off-topic] Voyager Chapter 7 material.

mactavish out.

[RealPity]

RealPity: At your request, here is the [admittedly-off-topic] Voyager Chapter 7 material.

mactavish out.

Awesome, thanks. I'd mentioned it in another thread to see if anyone had it still & then lo and behold here you were posting, so I couldn't resist !

Back to topic, I'd already mentioned that I didn't mind carrying on with how Kenson's work suggested an academy package and then a 10DP first tour and 5DP subsequent ones like Starfleet.
What's your, and anyone else's, thoughts ? To overpowering ? Should stick to the civilian system as introduced in DS9 ? Or a combination thereof, maybe use a 36DP overlay such as you posted and go ahead and do the academy/tours thing ?

[redwood973]

RealPity, I think we could justify using a 36 point Overlay but allowing an Academy Life [8 pts], and Tours of Duty [10 pts first and 5 pts thereafter]. Using American examples, FBI or CIA agents are more skilled than a general civillian. And they probably have to take training/retraining sometime during their career (something us regular joe's don't get the time to do, or make the time to do). So being Civilian they have a 36 point Overlay, but their extensive training allows them points equal to a Starfleet career.

[redwood973]

Guys, been playing around with this. What if we went. . .

Energy Weapon (Phaser) 1 (2)
Espionage (choose) 2 (3)
Law (FIS Regulations) 2 (3)
Unarmed Combat (choose) 1 (2)

Athletics (choose) 1 (2)
Computer (choose) 1 (2)
Fast Talk OR Search 1
History (Federation) 1 (2)
Language: Federation Standard 1
Stealth (choose) 1 (2)

This is kind of what I was leaning towards, any ideas for changes or additions?

And for our FIS Agents to battle:

Zero-Point Pack Addable to Any Life History Package, Tour of Duty, Advanced Training or Professional Packages*
Demolitions (choose) 1 (2); Weaponry, Energy OR Primitive (choose) 1 (2); Dark Secret (Terrorist OR What-have-you) -3; Intolerance (Those Opposed to Your Ideals/Goals) -3.

*Not appropriate as an option for Early Life History.

So. . .what ya think?