Top Secret / New World Order Core Rules for 1.99 in PDF

I nearly missed this! There is currently a Setting Sale over at DTRPG. One of the deeply discounted titles is Top Secret / New World Order Core Rules. Normally 9.99 in PDF, for a short time Top Secret / New World Order is on sale for 1.99!

I've played Top Secret / New World Order at NTRPG Con and Total Con, and it is a blast to play :)

The new espionage role-playing game from Merle M. Rasmussen, creator of the first espionage role-playing game.

The time: now. The place: everywhere.

Your mission: preserve peace and stability in a world rife with conflict, mistrust, duplicity, and shadowy organizations.

You are an agent of ICON: The International Covert Operatives Network. You have been recruited from your former life, trained in the ways of tradecraft, and sent into the field to handle the missions that other agencies cannot, or will not handle.

One player is the Administrator, describing and controlling the game world, while the other players take on the role of international spies, working behind the scenes where governments won’t go.

Tense negotiations, dangerous combat, thrilling car chases, tradecraft, surveillance, intrigue, and subterfuge are all at hand with the roll of the dice.

Top Secret: New World Order is a tabletop role-playing game recommended for 2–8 players. 

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News - Three Castles RPG Design Award - 2020 has been Announced

 

and the winner is:

"Operation: Deep Freeze & Thunderclap"

 by Ben Burns, Ellena Landara & Paul Riegel-Green

A Top Secret Soviet lab located just outside a small town in Latvia. Secrets put in Deep Freeze. Secrets that leaked out in the dead of winter. Secrets of things that should never have been.

Operation Deep Freeze is a Top Secret: New World Order mission.

This 80 page book is a double adventure that includes both Operation: Deep Freeze and Operation: Thunderclap. This adventure takes a set of ICON agents from London to Latvia, to the Baltic, Middle East and Africa.

Jump into this world-wind is this easy to use mission for the spies in all of us.

Note: Operation: Deep Freeze & Thunderclap is available for 5.99 in PDF at DTRPG. Its 14 bucks in Print from New Comet Games directly.

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or wherever you listen to your podcast collection.

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Free RPG - Top Secret / New World Order (TSR)

There have been a number of RPG releases that have been priced at free or PWYW this month. Added to the list is Top Secret / New World Order from the new TSR. It is free until the end of March.

The new espionage role-playing game from Merle M. Rasmussen, creator of the first espionage role-playing game. 

The time: now. The place: everywhere. 

Your mission: preserve peace and stability in a world rife with conflict, mistrust, duplicity, and shadowy organizations. 

You are an agent of ICON: The International Covert Operatives Network. You have been recruited from your former life, trained in the ways of tradecraft, and sent into the field to handle the missions that other agencies cannot, or will not handle. 

One player is the Administrator, describing and controlling the game world, while the other players take on the role of international spies, working behind the scenes where governments won’t go. 

Tense negotiations, dangerous combat, thrilling car chases, tradecraft, surveillance, intrigue, and subterfuge are all at hand with the roll of the dice. 

Top Secret: New World Order is a tabletop role-playing game recommended for 2–8 players. 

There is an affiliate link up above. Affiliate links keep the beer cold and the taps flowing here at The Tavern - Tenkar 

Deal of the Day - Top Secret / New World Order

Rach and I got to playtest Top Secret / New World Order a handful of times with Merle Rasmussen behind the screen at various NTRPG Cons over the years. Actually, I think a very early playtest was before the game was publicly announced. It was a no brainer for me to back it when it Kickstarted. sadly, like 98% of my gaming purchases these days, it's sitting on a shelf. I guess I'm more of a collector these days ;)

Today's Deal of the Day at DTRPG is the Top Secret / New World Order PDF. Normally 19.99, until tomorrow morning its on sale for 9.99

The new espionage role-playing game from Merle M. Rasmussen, creator of the first espionage role-playing game. 

The time: now. The place: everywhere. 

Your mission: preserve peace and stability in a world rife with conflict, mistrust, duplicity, and shadowy organizations. 

You are an agent of ICON: The International Covert Operatives Network. You have been recruited from your former life, trained in the ways of tradecraft, and sent into the field to handle the missions that other agencies cannot, or will not handle. 

One player is the Administrator, describing and controlling the game world, while the other players take on the role of international spies, working behind the scenes where governments won’t go. 

Tense negotiations, dangerous combat, thrilling car chases, tradecraft, surveillance, intrigue, and subterfuge are all at hand with the roll of the dice. 

Top Secret: New World Order is a tabletop role-playing game recommended for 2–8 players. 

New Release: Operation Deep Freeze (and Thunderclap) - Top Secret: New World Order

I've had so thoroughly amazing times playing the NEW Top Secret at NTRPG Con over the recent years. Its one of the few new systems I've encountered over the recent years that I've been able to "grok". Forgive me and my grognard ways ;)

In any case, Operation Deep Freeze is actually two adventures in one package, the second being Operation Thunderclap. I wonder if I could scare up someone to run this online...

From the blurb:

A Top Secret Soviet lab located just outside a small town in Latvia. Secrets put in Deep Freeze. Secrets that leaked out in the dead of winter. Secrets of things that should never have been. 

Operation Deep Freeze is a Top Secret: New World Order mission. 

This 80 page book is a double adventure that includes both Operation: Deep Freeze and Operation: Thunderclap. This adventure takes a set of ICON agents from London to Latvia, to the Baltic, Middle East and Africa. 

Jump into this world-wind is this easy to use mission for the spies in all of us.

Yep, there is an affiliate link above. Keep the lights on and the beer cold at The Tavern by using our affiliate links. 

Kickstarter - Operation: Deep Freeze - A Top Secret: NWO Adventure

I've been playtesting the rules that became Top Secret: New World at NTRPG Con for the past few years. I like the rules because they are light yet full, allowing the game to take place without constantly referring to the rules.

Operation: Deep Freeze - A Top Secret: NWO Adventure looks to be a nice fit for the game engine:

A Top Secret Soviet lab located just outside a small town in Latvia. Secrets put in Deep Freeze that should not have been. Secrets that leaked out in the dead of winter. Secrets of things that should never have been.

Perfect for episodic play, and isn't that why spy games are all about?

The sweet point seems to be 18 bucks for the Print plus PDF.

As for the publisher, New Comet Games, they've been good at getting projects delivered on time for various RPG systems: D&D, C&C as well as Paranoia. I look forward to reading and running their latest venture.

Kickstarter - Reminder - Top Secret: New World Order - the espionage roleplaying game - 3 Days Left in Funding Period

I am so excited to get my boxed set of Top Secret: New World Order before the end of the year. (I do have a PDF copy of the rules and the system is slick - then again, I've playtested it the last 2 years at NTRPG Con)

The plan was to post a transcript of the interview I conducted with Merle - isn't happening. While the app recorded my end of the conversation fine, Merle's side of the conversation is mostly inaudible through the fault of no one. Instead, I'm going to direct you to the Save for Half Podcast, where they have an excellent interview with Merle. Give it a listen. It is well worth your time.

Then there was the play test with my regular group. Hasn't happened. The curse of summer gaming as an adult. Next to impossible to gather all of the cats at one time. I'm as guilty as any if not more. Its simply been a busy summer.

Top Secret: NWO has already surpassed 100k in funding. Its a huge success and I'm looking forward to seeing future releases in the line. There are plans for Top Secret, even if some of those plans are by necessity, Top Secret.

1,580 backers can't be wrong :)

Kickstarter - Top Secret: New World Order

Top Secret is back in a new way. The Top Secret: New World Order Kickstarter has just launched.

Now, I has hoped to have the transcript of the interview I conducted with Merle Rasmussen on Sunday transcribed, but as I have found little in the way of helpful software I will need to do this by hand. It may take a few days and it might come out in pieces. Either way I'll put it in your hands, our readers as soon as it is done.

Back to the Kickstarter. Boxed set with all the extra goodness boxed sets are know for is just 50 bucks. Just want the rules and the module? 10 bucks in PDF. If you ask me, those are really strong buy in points for what you get in return.

I also plan to run the pre-release version of the rules through a play test this Saturday night. Yes, the fine folk at the New TSR were nice enough to send me along the PDF of the rules and some extras. I've not read through everything yet, but having played it at NTRPG Con earlier this month I'm confident enough I can run a fairly accurate to the rules session of Top Secret: NWO. That's a huge statement from a grognard like me.

Oh, this also means I can report that the rules are written, which is often not the case with Kickstarters (Far West, I AM talking about you!)

Alright, time for my legs to recover from yesterday's 4.8 mile walk. I see a few pints and 1# lifts in my immediate future ;)

edit - 30 minutes after launch and the funding goal of 12k has already been achieved and exceeded

The Door to The Tavern are Open Again - No Pushing, No Shoving, There's Seats for All - There Enough Top Secret: New World Order for Everyone!

The Tavern was pretty much closed yesterday, but the doors are now opened and we are back in business.

Last night Jayson Elliot, he of the new TSR, asked me if I wanted to look at a pre-release PDF of the soon to be Kickstarted Top Secret: New World Order. Not being a fool (and having played a session at NTRPG Con with none other than Merle Rasmussen as the Administrator, I nearly tripped over myself to say "Yes!" Actually, I found out as we were getting ready to start our weekly Roll20 / Hangouts session. We were already derailed and this didn't help. That being said, the plan is for me to run a session of Top Secret with the new rules next Saturday with my group. Huzzah!

Then to top it all off, Merle reached out to me about an interview we had discussed conducting at NTRPG Con a few weeks back. At noon eastern we were on the fun and the interview was on. Good news / bad news - the call did get recorded but Merle's end came in weak (sounded fine on the phone) and I need to find some transcription software to do the bulk of the transcribing.

Some highlights from the interview:

Top Secret: New World Order goes live on Kickstarter on Tuesday, June 27th at 1 PM Eastern. The Boxed Set with all the goodies will be $50 and PDF only for a 128 page (or more) rulebook will be 10 bucks. That's awesome!

I had no idea that Merle submitted his manuscript to TSR when he was a sophomore in college - not that is was returned with a note from Gary himself that said to the effect: "Accepted! Contract to be offered when typewritten manuscript submitted" as Merle had submitted a photocopy of his handwritten notes ;)

Its a great interview and I'll put the text of it in your hands once it gets transcribed :)

Games From the Basement - Top Secret

Apparently I have the 2nd edition of Top Secret.  I have never seen a 1st edition, and had assumed all these years that it was a 1st.  No big deal, I don't think i opened the box after 1985.

I remember reading this in my science lab classes in High School.  If you finished the lad in the first period, the second period was a free period of sorts (apparently you couldn't go to a friends house that lived nearby for lunch - found that out the hard way... heh).

I still remember the crappy as shit smaller than usual set of red and green d10's it game with.  I'm sure if I emptied out my dice collection, I'd find the pair, all chipped and pitted.  The dice were still better than those that were included in Gamma World (which literally disintegrated with use).

"Holy Shit!  Look at all of these charts!
I can kill your character and you'd never know what happened!"
Ashly, the Killer Feline GM

I ran a handful of sessions but the charts were killers.  They weren't even fun charts like in RoleMaster, but painful, complicated charts for the sake of having charts.  I had high hopes for it back in High School, but I quickly learned Top Secret wasn't for us.  It also soured me on the James Bond 007 RPG, which I refused to buy after this experience, which is a shame.  I've heard good things about 007 (at least compared to Top Secret).

Some of the guys from the Happy Jacks podcast recently ran Top Secret at a con, more as a goof than anything.  Strangely enough, the players for the game wanted to play it straight up ;)