The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, better known by its acronym
S.H.I.E.L.D., was originally a United States extra-governmental military counter-terrorism and
intelligence agency. Founded in the wake of Allied victory over the Axis powers and HYDRA in World
War II, S.H.I.E.L.D. was organized to protect the United States, and later the entire world, from all
possible threats. With its advanced weapons and extraordinary agents, S.H.I.E.L.D. was maybe the
greatest military power on Earth. Run by Nick Fury and the World Security Council in the modern age,
S.H.I.E.L.D. had to deal with all kinds of superhumans, demigods, and extraterrestrials. But all the
problems S.H.I.E.L.D. had to solve eventually led to the formation of the Avengers, a group of
superheroes that saved the world during the alien invasion of Earth in 2012. The agency became publicly
known after the Battle of New York, partially because of the Rising Tide website.
In 2014, through the actions of Captain America, the world became aware of the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D.
was infiltrated and largely controlled by the terrorist organization HYDRA. After the battle in which
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s primary headquarters, the Triskelion, was destroyed, all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s classified files were
dumped on the Internet, and the agency was disavowed by its commanding governments and labeled a
terrorist organization. Many S.H.I.E.L.D. officials were taken into custody and subjected to rigorous
questioning. However, despite the massive manhunt on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents, a few operatives scattered
across the world in most secret bases remained loyal to their oath, saving the most necessary
paraphernalia for future use. But the team most responsible for the survival of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the team
of Agent Phil Coulson, who valiantly led his teammates against the forces of HYDRA led by the traitors
John Garrett and Grant Ward, winning the battle in which Garrett's plan ultimately failed.
After that battle, Nick Fury appointed Phil Coulson the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and tasked him with
rebuilding the agency from scratch. Now working from the shadows and hunted by almost every army in
the world, Coulson used his old team as the core of S.H.I.E.L.D. and recruited mercenaries, former
agents, and others to help fill the organization's ranks, while simultaneously continuing the fight against
HYDRA.
Character Creation
At least one player needs to play a SHIELD agent
Others can be Specialists that help SHIELD
Some players can even be recruited during game play
Stats:
Roll 4d6 drop the lowest
Re-roll 1's
Vitality & Wounds
Max out all your vitality points at each level.
Fixer / Snoop / Scientist = 1d8 + Con modifier per level
Pointman / Faceman / Martial Artist = 1d10 + Con modifier per level
Soldier / Wheelmen / Explorer / Triggerman = 1d12 + Con modifier per level
Level:
Starting level = 8
No players can have the same Prestige class as another.
Every player gets 4 extra feats. (You must meet requirements)
Backgrounds
All players must have at-least one background, even if it is at level 1.
Backgrounds are purchased when you create your agent, or any time your agent gains a level.
Purchasing one or two backgrounds at the start allows your spy to come into the game with a little
history, but you might also want to leave a little room to flag as a nemesis a villain you find intriguing or
to invest a little more heavily in a promise made to a romantic interest during one of your missions.
By now youre asking yourself what backgrounds do for you. The answer is simple: they build
character, literally. Whenever a background plays into a mission your agent is currently assigned to, he
gains experience points according to the Table. Simply look up the number of skill points you invested in
the background, check to see if it was a major or minor encounter, then multiply by your agents current
level and at the conclusion of the mission add the listed experience bonus to your mission reward.
See handouts for in-depth information on the types of backgrounds.
Background Investments/Returns
_Cost_ _Minor_ _Major_
1
25
50
50
100
75
150
100
200
150
300
Departments/Classes/Prestige Classes
Departments = This is just like picking a race in D&D; See handout for list
Classes = As the name suggests, see below
+ Faceman (Core Rules): As the teams confidence man and master of disguise, the
faceman is often sent in to gather intelligence before a mission.
+ Fixer (Core Rules): The team member who has what the team needs when the team
needs it, the fixer doubles as a burglar and early warning system.
+ Pointman (Core Rules): The pointman helps out the other members of the team by
enhancing their talents, but is also the most versatile team member in his own right.
+ Snoop (Core Rules): Armed only with a laptop and a few trusty tools, the snoop is half
hacker and half electronic bloodhound.
+ Soldier (Core Rules): The muscle of the team, the soldier is trained to do one thing
only: eliminate anything or anyone who gets in the teams way.
+ Wheelman (Core Rules): Aside from knowing how to drive anything with or without
wheels, the wheelman is good in a fight and serves as the team mechanic.
+ The Multiclass Agent (Core Rules): As your agent advances in level, he may add new
classes to his repertoire. This gives him a broader range of abilities at the expense of
progression in his first class. A snoop might add a level in soldier, for example, in order
to increase his fighting skills, but as a result his snoop class wouldnt be as powerful as it
otherwise could be. There are no experience point penalties for multi-classing..
+ Triggerman (Modern Arms Guide): The triggerman is a whirlwind of gunfire, most
easily recognized by his trademark fighting style a pistol in each hand and a non-stop
spray of lead hissing through the air.
+ Explorer (Hand of Glory): Whether in the steaming rainforests of Borneo or the
concrete jungle of downtown New York, some agents cannot resist the call of discovery.
+ Martial Artist (Pan-Asian Collective): Among the many practitioners of traditional
Oriental martial arts, only a special few devote themselves entirely to the Art.
+ Scientist (The Shop): The scientist brings all the advantages of modern technology
to the field. A team without a scientist may not be able to take full advantage of the
tools at their disposal.
Prestige Classes = As the name suggests; See handout for list