74XX GREY CHANNEL

THE PREMISE

You are intelligence operators working in the space between official records. The Five Galaxies runs on what its polities cannot acknowledge they need done — disputes that cannot be filed, assets that cannot be extracted through sanctioned channels, intelligence that cannot appear in WAN transit logs. GCP administrators route grey operations through cutouts. The Void Consortium moves information alongside cargo. Polities run proxy networks in each other’s territory while denying it in every formal session. That denial is where you work.

Your employers have names you may or may not know. Your objectives are stated in terms that omit the parts that matter. Your covers are only as solid as the last time someone checked. None of this is unusual. This is the job.

CHARACTERS

> Choose your character’s specialty.

Handler: Runs assets and coordinates operations from a position of distance. Skilled in Analysis (d8), Coordination (d8). Take encrypted communicator and secure relay node access.

Field Agent: Direct contact, movement through hostile territory, close-range persuasion. Skilled in Persuasion (d8), Combat (d8). Take concealed weapon and emergency extraction kit.

Tech: Electronic surveillance, WAN node exploitation, signals intercept and jamming. Skilled in Electronics (d8), Signals (d8). Take surveillance kit (bulky) and signal jammer.

Infiltrator: Physical intrusion, sustained cover maintenance, social engineering at depth. Skilled in Stealth (d8), Deception (d8). Take forgery tools and biometric spoof kit.

Analyst: Pattern recognition, multi-species language and protocol, cover identity construction. Skilled in Investigation (d8), Languages (d8). Take data core and analytical decryption suite.

Courier: Moving people, cargo, and intelligence without leaving records. Skilled in Piloting (d8), Navigation (d8). Take modified ship (no WAN transponder) and dead zone route charts.

> Choose your character’s background.

Former Service: You worked officially for a registered polity before going grey. Start with one Institutional Contact TIE (+1). Your original cover is strained from the transition — start at d8 rather than d10. Increase 1 skill.

Independent: No polity, no flag. Start with an extra Cover identity (d8). Increase 2 skills.

Burned Asset: Someone else’s operative, until they burned you. Start with one Opposition TIE (-1) — whoever burned you — and encrypted files worth one operation’s intelligence. Increase 1 skill.

GCP Adjacent: You know which filing queue leads nowhere and which reaches an actual decision-maker. Start with a Procedural Access TIE (+1) with GCP administrative infrastructure. Increase 1 skill.

Consortium Affiliated: The Void Consortium trained you and still calls. Start with a Corporate Handler TIE (+1) and luxury gear (₡2 value). Increase 1 skill, but owe favors.

Ghost: Your real identity is functionally nonexistent — no registered biometrics, no records on file, no verifiable history. Start with two Cover identities (d8 each) and no institutional TIEs. Increase 1 skill.

> Choose or invent skills (if prompted by background).

Analysis, Athletics, Combat, Coordination, Deception, Electronics, Engineering, Infiltration, Investigation, Languages, Medicine, Navigation, Persuasion, Piloting, Signals, Stealth, Survival

GEAR

> Take an encrypted communicator, false credentials (one Cover at d8), and ₡2. Most items cost ₡1 each. A fully documented Cover identity — biometrics, polity records, registered history — costs ₡2 and starts at d10.

Operative Loadout: Standard issue (pick 3): - Concealed Pulse Weapon - Counter-Surveillance Scanner - Biometric Spoof Kit - Forgery Tools (bulky) - Signal Jammer - Dead Drop Relay - Surveillance Drone (miniature, bulky) - Extraction Kit (emergency credits, escape route, single-use WAN transit pass)

Weapons: Concealed Pulse Weapon, Neural Disruptor (stun only), Micro-EMP (destroys nearby electronics, single use), Monofilament Wire.

Tools: Surveillance Kit (bulky, audio and visual at range), Code-Cracker (bypasses standard WAN encryption), Signal Interceptor (taps WAN node transmissions), Medical Stabilizer.

Cover Infrastructure: Additional Cover identities cost ₡1 each (d8). A fully documented Cover costs ₡2 and starts at d10. Cover can be purchased between operations.

Vehicles: Modified Courier Ship — no WAN transponder, hidden compartment, dead zone route charts (₡5).

DETAILS

> Invent or roll for personal details.

Operational Callsign 1. Ariel, 2. Bishop, 3. Cipher, 4. Dagger, 5. Eclipse, 6. Falcon, 7. Ghost, 8. Haze, 9. Iris, 10. Jackal, 11. Knell, 12. Liminal, 13. Moth, 14. Null, 15. Oracle, 16. Prism, 17. Quiet, 18. Raven, 19. Shade, 20. Veil

Cover Profession 1. Trade Broker, 2. GCP Administrative Clerk, 3. Survey Contractor, 4. Medical Technician, 5. Freight Courier, 6. Academic Researcher, 7. Station Maintenance Crew, 8. Diplomatic Attaché, 9. Corporate Auditor, 10. Independent Pilot, 11. Journalist, 12. Salvage Operator

Operative Trait 1. Methodical, 2. Instinctive, 3. Cold, 4. Paranoid, 5. Adaptable, 6. Loyal — to whom?, 7. Mercenary, 8. Principled, 9. Calculating, 10. Reckless, 11. Patient, 12. Haunted

True Allegiance 1. GCP grey operations division, 2. Void Consortium, 3. Technocratic Union of Skopalia, 4. United Federation of Avaros, 5. Dominion of Aquilaria, 6. Empire of Wrulis, 7. Ethereal Enclave, 8. Order of Ascendancy, 9. Terran Compact, 10. Confederacy of Enthor, 11. No one — strictly mercenary, 12. You don’t fully know

HOW TO PLAY

Play: Players describe what their characters do. The GM advises when their action is impossible, demands a cost or extra steps, or presents a risk. Players can revise plans before committing so as to change goal/stakes. Only roll to avoid risk.

Rolling: Roll a skill die — d6 by default, higher with a relevant skill, or d4 if hindered by injury or circumstances. If helped by circumstances, roll an extra d6; if helped by an ally, they roll their skill die and share the risk. Take the highest die.

Before rolling, check if any of your TIEs apply to the situation. Add the TIE value to your result if relevant.

1–2 Disaster. Suffer the full risk. GM decides if you succeed at all. If risking death, you die. 3–4 Setback. A lesser consequence or partial success. If risking death, you’re injured. 5+ Success. The higher the roll, the better.

If success can’t get you what you want, you’ll at least get useful info or set up an advantage.

Load: Carry as much as makes sense, but more than one bulky item may hinder you at times.

Advancement: After an operation, each character increases a skill (none⮕d8⮕d10⮕d12) and gains d6 credits (₡).

Defense: Say how one of your items breaks to turn a hit into a brief hindrance. Broken gear is useless until repaired.

Harm: Injuries take time and/or medical attention to heal. If killed, make a new character to introduce ASAP. Favor inclusion over realism.

GM: Describe characters in terms of behaviors, risks, and obstacles, not skill dice. Information in espionage is always incomplete — give players something real, never everything. NPCs have agendas they don’t announce; reveal them through behavior. Test for ambient surveillance, recognition, and bad luck (1–2 trouble, 3–4 signs of it). Lead the group in setting lines not to cross. Fast-forward, pause, or rewind/redo for pacing and safety. Present dilemmas you don’t know how to solve. Improvise rulings; revise unsatisfactory ones on a break.

Situation

When characters act without risk, the GM rolls a die sized to how settled things are: d4 (chaotic), d6 (precarious), d8 (manageable), d10 (predictable), d12 (stable), to find how the world moves.

• 1–2 Trouble. An adverse fact surfaces, something the characters can see and respond to.
• 3–4 Signs. Trouble shows at the edge; the situation grows less stable, the next die will likely be smaller.
• 5+ Calm. Nothing new; the action lands.

The surfaced fact must be proportionate to what is established, leave something to act on, and follow from prior events, not invented to fill the silence.

Opponents

Characters played by the GM have no skill dice. Define them by their behavior (what they want, including when they would rather flee or bargain than fight), the risks they present (the 1–2 result for players in conflict with them), and any obstacles (visible conditions, armor, numbers, cover, that must be cleared before they can be put down). Signal both before players roll.

Conflict

In a fight, the GM rolls the situation die: d4 if ambushed or scattered, d6 if evenly matched, d8 if holding an advantage, d10 if dominating, d12 if the opposition is broken, to find what the opposition does.

• 1–2 Press. A new risk or obstacle surfaces; the fight grows harder.
• 3–4 Shift. The opposition adapts, repositions, changes tactic; the situation tilts.
• 5+ Opening. An obstacle clears, a gap appears, or the opposition is ready to break.

Roll in lulls, at the start of a fight, or whenever no skill roll applies. For extended conflicts, use Steps: state actions and risks, roll as needed, describe how the situation has changed, repeat. On an Opening with the opposition cornered, they break per their behavior, fleeing, yielding, or bargaining.

TIES

Each operative tracks up to 3 TIEs — key relationships with a role label (Handler, Asset, Opposition), a numeric value (-2 to +2), and a trait tag (e.g., Reliable, Compromised, Volatile). TIE value adds to or subtracts from any roll where that relationship is directly in play. TIEs shift by ±1 after significant interactions.

When a TIE would go beyond ±2: a +3 Asset becomes someone you’d risk the operation to protect; a -3 Opposition becomes a personal hunt that overrides operational judgment.

COVER

Each operative maintains one or more Cover identities — fabricated names, manufactured histories, false credentials. A Cover has a die rating:

• d10: Solid. Background checks pass. Your story holds under direct questioning.
• d8: Strained. Minor inconsistencies exist. Someone is asking questions.
• d6: Fragile. Under active scrutiny. One contradiction ends it.
• d4: Blown. Your identity is compromised. Extract or face exposure.

Stepping Down: Step your Cover die down one step when you: - Fail a roll that puts your identity at risk - Use real credentials or skills that contradict your cover story - The GM tests for surveillance and finds trouble - Act against your stated purpose in front of a witness

Burning Cover: You may voluntarily step your Cover die down by 1 to gain an extra d6 on any roll where your real identity and skills give you an edge — when dropping the act is worth the exposure.

Blown: If Cover would step down from d4, it’s gone. You cannot use that identity again. Until you establish a new one, treat all social rolls in territory where you’re known as d4.

Rebuilding: Between operations, spend ₡1 and downtime to establish a new Cover at d8. A fully documented Cover (₡2, plus a TIE willing to vouch for you) starts at d10.

HEAT

Heat tracks how much attention the team’s operations have attracted. Heat is shared across the team.

Advance Heat by 1 when: - An operative’s Cover is blown during an operation - A target survives and can identify team members - Physical evidence links back to the team - A contact is compromised and interrogated

Heat Effects: - 1–2: Background noise. No mechanical effect. - 3–4: Someone is actively investigating. Complications arrive between operations. - 5: A named antagonist is hunting the team. The GM generates them now.

Clearing Heat: Between operations, clear 1 Heat by burning a TIE (that contact is gone permanently), spending ₡2 on deliberate misdirection, or going dark for a full operation cycle — no income, no advancement that cycle.

OPERATIONS

Roll d6 for operation assignment. Spend ₡1 to request a different type.

1–2 Surveillance or intelligence gathering 3–4 Extraction, insertion, or courier run 5–6 Choose between two operations, both with complications

Operation Structure:

1. Briefing: The client states the objective. Information is always incomplete.
2. Planning: The team establishes Cover, approach route, and gear allocation.
3. Execution: Scenes unfold. Roll only when risk is present.
4. Extraction: Get out. A clean extraction leaves no trace. A messy one advances Heat.

Operation Generator: Roll d20 for each:

Client/Employer

1. GCP grey operations division — must remain deniable
2. Void Consortium logistics arm
3. Terran Compact intelligence bureau
4. Dominion of Aquilaria noble house
5. Order of Ascendancy research cell
6. United Federation of Avaros council member (unofficial capacity)
7. Technocratic Union dissident researcher
8. Confederacy of Enthor clan representative
9. Commonwealth of Elyros colony council
10. Ethereal Enclave handler (contact made through implant network)
11. Independent corporate interest — identity withheld
12. Empire of Wrulis extraction facility commander

Objective

1. Extract an asset before they’re taken
2. Intercept a data package in transit
3. Plant evidence that alters a GCP registry filing
4. Recruit a contact inside a target organization
5. Surveil a meeting and document all participants
6. Retrieve physical materials from a secured facility
7. Eliminate a surveillance operation without attribution
8. Verify the true identity of an unknown operative
9. Deliver intelligence without appearing in any record
10. Prevent a diplomatic communication from being transmitted
11. Establish a safe house network in hostile territory
12. Identify the source of a compromise in an existing network

Target

1. GCP dispute registry administrator
2. Skopalian monitoring station crew
3. Void Consortium transit hub operation
4. Hetsusian Enclave access broker
5. Ethereal Enclave recruiter
6. Lynem noble house diplomatic staff
7. Order of Ascendancy field research team
8. Terran Compact frontier outpost command
9. Rift Reavers safe harbor operation
10. Avaros Federation council member’s senior staff
11. Imperial extraction facility management chain
12. Unknown operative — allegiance unconfirmed

Location

1. GCP neutral station (monitored, procedurally complex)
2. Avaros trade hub (crowded, multi-species, overlapping jurisdictions)
3. WAN corridor maintenance station (isolated, technical access required)
4. Hetsusian Enclave fringe station (clan-ruled, no standard protocols)
5. Aquilarian-controlled Andromeda outpost (hierarchical, under continuous surveillance)
6. Dead zone (no WAN, oddspace only, no external communication possible)
7. Skopalian research station (credential-controlled, meritocratic access)
8. Terran Compact orbital station (dual administrative authority, contested jurisdiction)
9. Void Consortium transit hub (grey-market infrastructure, eyes everywhere)
10. Commonwealth colony at polity border (autonomous, poorly documented)
11. Imperial extraction facility in LMC border territory (frontier discretion applies)
12. Derelict vessel or debris field (unmapped, physical hazard, no witnesses)

Complication

1. A second team is running a parallel operation against the same target
2. Your client contact has been replaced — or was never real
3. The target already knows someone is coming
4. An unexpected polity patrol has increased presence in the area
5. One operative’s Cover has a gap the target has already identified
6. The asset you’re extracting doesn’t want to leave
7. The operation’s true objective differs from what the client stated
8. A former TIE is now actively working for the opposition
9. There is no clean extraction route — improvise or go dark
10. The target has Ethereal Enclave implant coverage you didn’t account for
11. Physical evidence of a previous operation links back to this team
12. Two of your clients have contradictory interests in this operation

BETWEEN OPERATIONS

Each operative picks one downtime action:

• Rebuild Cover: Establish or repair a Cover identity (see Cover rules)
• Work the Network: Create a new TIE or shift an existing TIE by ±1
• Go Dark: Clear 1 Heat; gain no other benefit this cycle
• Study: Increase a skill
• Recover: Heal injuries or repair gear

SOLO PLAY

In a solo game, use these steps to guide your scenes:

1. Set Expectations: Consider your operative’s cover, objective, and what obstacles the target likely has in place.
2. Test Uncertainty: When the world’s response is genuinely unclear, ask the oracle a closed question.
3. Interpret the Outcome: If it matches expectations, proceed. If not, let the unexpected result shift the scene.

For closed questions, roll a die based on likelihood:

Likelihood	Die
Very Unlikely	1d4
Unlikely	1d6
Uncertain	1d8
Likely	1d10
Very Likely	1d12

• 1–2 No, and…: What you expected doesn’t happen, and things get worse.
• 3–4 Yes, but…: What you expected happens, but with a complication.
• 5+ Yes, and…: What you expected happens, plus something useful.

SPARKS

Use these tables to spark operation ideas. Combine an Action with a Theme.

ACTION

d20	Action
1	Intercept
2	Extract
3	Infiltrate
4	Surveil
5	Recruit
6	Deceive
7	Plant
8	Defect
9	Expose
10	Retrieve
11	Eliminate
12	Protect
13	Transmit
14	Fabricate
15	Impersonate
16	Follow
17	Disappear
18	Verify
19	Burn
20	Meet

THEME

d20	Theme
1	Archive
2	Allegiance
3	Signal
4	Memory
5	Border
6	Debt
7	Identity
8	Exposure
9	Trust
10	Silence
11	Transit
12	Legacy
13	Network
14	Contact
15	Record
16	Cover
17	Extraction
18	Surveillance
19	Protocol
20	Defection

NPC PROMPTS

d20	Prompt
1	A contact requests a meeting on a channel you didn’t give them.
2	Your handler goes silent mid-operation.
3	An asset claims they’ve been burned — but no burn order exists in any record.
4	Someone using your Cover identity checked into a station you’ve never visited.
5	A known opposition operative offers to share intelligence.
6	A client wants to meet in person. Clients never want to meet in person.
7	An NPC recognizes you — but uses a name from a Cover you’ve already retired.
8	A new operative turns up in your network with credentials you can’t verify.
9	Your asset has been feeding the same intelligence to two other teams.
10	Someone is clearing Heat on your behalf. You don’t know who or why.
11	A target offers to defect — to you, specifically, by your real name.
12	A dead contact’s encrypted files surface in a registry you monitor.
13	An opposition operative asks for extraction. Their information may be genuine.
14	Your client’s stated objective and their actual behavior don’t match.
15	A contact vouches for your Cover — then warns you the person who asked wasn’t GCP.
16	Someone is running the same operation you’re running, one step ahead.
17	An NPC you burned three operations ago appears, alive, with an offer.
18	A target doesn’t exist in any registry — but they appear on every surveillance feed.
19	Your handler asks you to surveil another member of your own team.
20	The operation’s true client reveals themselves. You’ve worked for them before.

OPERATIONAL COMPLICATIONS

Roll d12 mid-operation when things go sideways.

d12	Complication
1	Surveillance coverage is more extensive than the briefing indicated
2	Your contact is already being watched when you arrive
3	The physical layout doesn’t match the intelligence you were given
4	A routine check triggers an automated alert
5	Someone else is extracting the same asset
6	The asset’s information turns out to be the operation itself
7	The extraction window closes early
8	A team member’s Cover draws unexpected recognition
9	The client communicates a change of objective mid-operation
10	Physical evidence of a previous team’s failure is present at the site
11	An uninvolved civilian witnesses something they shouldn’t
12	The operation is exactly what it appears to be — which means something else is wrong

License

© 2026 Roberto Bisceglie

This work is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 International license

This work is based on 24XX rules CC BY Jason Tocci.