Modern Espionage: The Simple Approach

Trust is fragile. Secrets are dangerous. In modern espionage, the truth can get you killed. Modern Espionage: The Simple Approach gives you the means to tell these stories at the table. It’s part of the series built for story-first play, easy to use alone or with the Principia core book.

Modern espionage, as used here, is post–Cold War. Power doesn’t rest only in governments. Corporations, intelligence agencies, organized crime, and independent actors shape the shadow world. Betrayal, shifting loyalties, and the cost of secrecy define the tone. These themes thrive in narrative roleplaying, where character choices and moral tension drive the action.

This book provides tools to build stories piece by piece. Select or roll for characters, factions, missions, and locations. Each element is crafted for narrative potential, not tactical simulation. Use them to spark intrigue, complicate relationships, and test loyalties. The focus is always on development, drama, and fun.

The Simple Approach framework uses narrative traits that describe people, places, and organizations in story terms. This makes ideas here simple to adapt to any system. The Principia book expands the framework, but it isn’t required to use this volume.

At the table, these prompts and traits turn preparation into play. A single entry can suggest a mission briefing, a tense interrogation, or a double-cross that changes the game. The tools are flexible enough to handle any style, from rules-light indie storytelling to detailed campaigns in traditional systems.

You don’t need a specific group size or style. Whether you’re running one-on-one spy tales, a team-based thriller, or a long-form investigation, the framework supports it.

Treat this book as an invitation to create. Use it to weave conspiracies, stage betrayals, and bring to life the world of modern espionage. The next secret is waiting.

This Book Contains

This book is designed to give you everything you need to bring modern espionage stories to life at the table. Each section provides practical tools and focused inspiration, all drawn from the narrative-first framework of The Simple Approach. You’ll find ready-to-use material alongside flexible guidance so you can adapt ideas to any play style or system.

The Modern Espionage Genre: An overview of the modern espionage genre and how it can be translated into roleplaying scenarios.

Characters: A look at the types of characters commonly found in the modern espionage genre, along with a sample of traits that can be used as inspiration for your own creations or as-is with characters in The Simple Approach.

Settings: What makes for a good modern espionage setting, along with setting traits that can be used to assemble or inspire your own original setting.

Factions: Common types of groups and organizations found in the modern espionage genre, along with a collection of ready-to-use faction traits to help define them and make them unique to your setting.

Stories: Plot hooks, obstacles, antagonists, and other traits that can be used to create or inspire your own original modern espionage roleplaying adventures.

Genre Tools: System-adaptable advice on using game mechanics to reflect the tropes and atmosphere of the modern espionage genre.

Techniques: Narrative tools that can be used with any system to emulate the modern espionage genre and enhance your game’s story.

Glossary: Essential modern espionage genre terms, and commonly used vocabulary for The Simple Approach.

Bibliography: A curated selection of reference materials and additional reading for a deeper understanding of the modern espionage genre.