CC Skills Espionage

ESPIONAGE
Not a skill in itself, but a blanket term for the use of intelligence (obtaining military, political and technical information) and counterintelligence in the preservation of national security and the conduct of international affairs. Note that both sides of the coin share methodology, but end users for each product vary (from Presidents to prosecutors). For that, the critical terminology is listed here to avoid confusion. Following that, tasks are expressed in methodology, and each task will have its component skills necessary for completion. For other terms, check out the glossary, of which most terms are based on Joint Publication 1-02, "DoD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms," D Joint Doctrine Division, J-7, Joint Staff [PDF].

Each of the individual skills listed below is a separate and distinct skill.

From the individual skills groups, a person is likely to have some clue about skills within that group but not necessarily skills in other groups. An IMINT expert is unlikely to know much about lock picking unless they've specifically been in a situation where that would be relevant training.

Before we dive into the skills, though, some key terminology:

TERMINOLOGY

 * Open source collection: While not terribly glamorous (unless the librarian dresses like Elvis), open source gathers information from the public domain. This includes technical and scholarly journals, newspapers, magazines and television broadcasts. While not usually detailed, there is often enough information that a great deal can be learned. The methodology can be virtually anything and actually fits under "Administration" rather than the Espionage skill set.
 * Clandestine: Associated more with intelligence collection, whether by human eyes or other technical means. This term means those conducting the gathering want to keep the activity itself secret so the targets will never know they were observed. If a target does not realize he's been compromised, he's less likely to change his methodology (and your source remains viable). Known compromised sources are either abandoned, shot or become conduits for misinformation.
 * Covert: Associated more with actions ("special activities"), the idea is to keep the sponsor unknown, because the end result will be anything but secret. This is typical of propaganda, paramilitary or political actions.

Intelligence Analysis:

 * Collecting, processing, integrating, analyzing, evaluating and interpreting available information. Note that most intelligence folk are analysts, simply specialists in some low-drama skill, either in geography, political science, mathematics or linguistics. Some jobs require a technical specialty, usually engineering for SIGINT, IMINT or MASINT. Of course, there is the occasional operative, and there, all bets are off. This is the skill for generalists, and usually a supporting skills for those in leadership positions or a stepping stone to a more technical INT analysis speciality (below).

Imagery Intelligence (IMINT):

 * Active remote reconnaissance with the assistance of various devices, including special opticals, radar, and other equipment and the Analyzation of the collected information.
 * Choose: Analyst or Technician.

Measurement and Signature intelligence (MASINT):

 * Scientific and technical intelligence obtained by quantitative and qualitative analysis of data (metric, angle, spatial, wavelength, time dependence, modulation, plasma, and hydromagnetic) derived from specific technical sensors for the purpose of identifying any distinctive features associated with the target, source, emitter, or sender measurement of the same. The detected feature may be either reflected or emitted.
 * Choose: Analyst or Technician.

Signals intelligence (SIGINT):

 * Analyzing and interpreting the information derived from foreign (or unfriendly) signals.  This is to glean information that has technical, diplomatic, and Intelligence value. This is a mid-level analysis speciality, where high-level SIGINT is usually for administrators while life-long SIGINT experts go deeper into COMINT, ELINT, FISINT, or TELINT modes.
 * Choose: Analyst or Technician.
 * Technicians have a prerequisite of 30+ Engineering skill, a 20+ skill in SIGINT Technician, and for major operations, are further required to specialize in one of the SIGINT modes. Emplacement and operation requires an appropriate tech (equip op) skill of 10+ (and may require additional skills just to get to where the equipment needs to go). Actually building specialized modal devices requires the modal specialty skill to be 35+.

Communications intelligence (COMINT):

 * Intercepting communications that were intended for someone else, encrypted or not, whether phone, radio, facsimile, carrier pigeon, smoke signals or any other means.  One major catch here is that the analyst must either know the language or have it translated for him. Targets usually fall into the diplomatic, military or narco/terrorism category, although Bob Smith, head of United Paranoids in Idaho, is unquestionably the primary target.
 * Choose: Analyst or Technician.
 * Technicians are required to have at least 10 points in COMSEC. This will require an appropriate tech (equip op) skill of 10, and that's just to emplace and operate.  Actually building them requires a minimum engineering of 35.

Electronic intelligence (ELINT):

 * Specializes in the electromagnetic noncommunications signals that emanate from foreign sources.  In this game, for example, it may include analyzing distant radiation residuals to judge the power of a previous nuclear blast. There are two optional specializations:
 * Choose: Analyst or Technician.

Foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT):

 * A subdivision of ELINT, FISINT is specifically concerned with the emissions associated with the testing and operational deployment of foreign systems which may have either military or civilian applications.  It includes, but is not limited to, telemetry beaconry, electronic interrogators, tracking/ fusing/arming/command systems, and data links.
 * Choose: Analyst or Technician.

Telemetry intelligence (TELINT):

 * A subdivision of FISINT, it is technical intelligence derived from the intercept, processing, and analysis of foreign telemetry. Good thing there wasn't another subdivision, eh?
 * Choose: Analyst or Technician.

Communications Security (COMSEC):

 * The science and engineering of keeping communications secure. This is the art, science and field skill of detecting, isolating and tracing taps, bugs, and clandestine information gathering devices. COMSEC specialists may also conduct low-level COMINT – conducting espionage to intercept other's communications.


 * In this case, players are Technicians. Analysts for intercepted communications fall to the Intelligence Analyst generalists, but this may also require cryptography and language skills.


 * This skill has a prerequisite of at least 10+ points in SIGINT.

Counterintelligence (CI):

 * Gathering information and conducting activities to protect against espionage, other intelligence activities, sabotage, or assassinations conducted by or on behalf of foreign governments or elements thereof, foreign organizations, or foreign persons, or international terrorist activities. This is, of course, based on the DoD definition.

Human source Intelligence (HUMINT):

 * Information derived from human beings as both sources and collectors, and where the person is the primary collection instrument (usually an indication they're stealing something for their case officer, i.e., classified documents). Psych(Persn) is the primary skill for the HUMINT officer, and here are some things they do:

Interrogation (IT):

 * The art of asking questions. This includes gentle methods, often called debriefing, used on defectors, emigres, and returning travelers. It also includes harder versions, including torture.

Recruitment:

 * Recognizing the vulnerability of a target, and the best means for exploitation, whether bribery, sexual entrapment, extortion, or a combination thereof. In effective terms, the ROF is the Mental Strength of the target. There are modifiers, of course, and they're measured in a Relative Frame of Reference. Check the Recruitment Task Mods chart for a guide on the Degree of Difficulty in recruiting sources.

Destabilization:

 * Also a study of a target, but this is a sledgehammer against the kid gloves of recruitment. This is used in psychological operations (PSYOPS), psychological warfare (PSYWAR), and propaganda operations where the target audience only has to be influenced, not controlled.

Operational Skills
The necessary sub rosa skills for any illicit operator, whether he's an agent, a CT soldier, or a second-story man. Specify:

Alarm neutralization:

 * Higher the skill, the more advanced the alarm. Also for recognition and prediction of alarm placement.

Contacting:
A broad-based behavioral skill. The various facets include:
 * The art of street talk, including covert/clandestine meetings, casual information gathering, and asset/contact psychological analyzation (for informational/motivational veracity and total Intel value).
 * Construction and maintenance of a cover/legend and clandestine identity (alias).
 * Conducting brush contacts and dead drops without detection.
 * Bribery (the purchase of loyalty, information, or silence).  Defining reasonable rates of exchange.  This is for small-time affairs.  Larger, more delicate trades for money actually fall "conspiracy".

Disguise:

 * Altering of physical traits to hide identity.

Gambling:

 * The rules of games of chance, strategy, and the dynamics of cheating, both how to recognize it and utilize it.

Lock neutralization:

 * Higher the skill, the tougher the lock. Also to tell if the lock is trapped or set in alarm.

Pilfering:

 * Shoplifting, pick-pocketing, and petty thievery.

Seduction:

 * The applied psychology of luring a person into sexual relations.

Surveillance/countersurveillance:

 * Finding, observing, and tracking a person or facility, either openly or hidden, and setting up perimiter/picket/ trade-off methods for tailing the targets without them knowing or being able to lose the tags.  On the other side, it also includes noticing that you're being watched, by whom, how many, and losing them (also called dry cleaning).

Tending the sub-rosa garden
So where do people pick up skills like these? It might surprise you to know that people can learn these in everyday life, that is, if they live in the bad areas. Contacting becomes almost a necessity, and is the hands-down prerequisite for any profession that isn't talked about in Better Homes and Gardens. Lock neutralization is learned from a locksmith, or technical college, etc. Gambling has a plethora of books to prime the beginning shark, while disguise, pilfering, and seduction can picked up if anyone sets their mind to it. Surveillance is tough to learn if not trained, but not impossible for the intelligent and very observant person (high Conglomerate Perception). Similarly, forgery borders on technical art (very high techno aspect, especially if you are faking ID cards, keys, or anything that gets interfaced with a computer).