Argus Agent
An operative of Argus, the Nine's intelligence service.
An Argus Agent is a covert operative working for the Nine's joint intelligence service. They are recruited from Legion veterans, Operative-tier criminals, and corporate security specialists who showed the right combination of competence and moral flexibility. Argus agents infiltrate, surveil, assassinate, and destabilise -- whatever the Nine need done without a paper trail.
An Agent is an elite encounter: patient, skilled, and utterly without sentiment. They do not fight unless cornered; they eliminate the target before the target knows the Agent exists. The lever is exposure -- an Agent whose cover is blown is vulnerable, and Argus does not extract compromised assets.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abilities / Cha | 16 |
| Abilities / Con | 14 |
| Abilities / Dex | 18 |
| Abilities / Int | 16 |
| Abilities / Str | 12 |
| Abilities / Wis | 14 |
| Armor Class | 17 |
| Base Attack Bonus | 5 |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Flat Ac | 14 |
| Hd Count | 6 |
| Hd Sides | 8 |
| Hit Dice | 6d8+12 |
| Hit Points | 39 |
| Hp Bonus | 12 |
| Initiative | 5 |
| Psionics | None |
| Role Tags | Assassin, Infiltrator, Skirmisher |
| Saves / Fort | 7 |
| Saves / Ref | 9 |
| Saves / Will | 6 |
| Senses | Normal human vision; optic implants grant thermals, low-light, and +8 to Notice and Stealth; passive Perception 20 |
| Size | M |
| Skills / Athletics | 9 |
| Skills / Deception | 13 |
| Skills / Disguise | 12 |
| Skills / Intimidation | 10 |
| Skills / Notice | 12 |
| Skills / Persuasion | 11 |
| Skills / Pilot | 8 |
| Skills / Security | 11 |
| Skills / Stealth | 14 |
| Skills / Tracking | 10 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Threat Rating | 5 |
| Touch Ac | 15 |
| Xp | 1200 |
| Dialogue Path | game/dialogue/npc-argus-agent.yaml |
Notes
Full Attack: Suppressed Pistol ranged +8 (1d8+2 ballistic; range 60 ft; suppressed; +4 from stealth) or Monofilament Wire melee +7 (2d6+1 slashing; +4 vs flat-footed; crit x3) or Neurotoxin Dart ranged +8 (1d4 piercing; range 40 ft; DC 16 Fort or Paralysed 2d4 rounds; 2 doses)
Habitat: Core worlds, Rim stations, Confederation facilities, and anywhere the Nine have interests to protect or enemies to eliminate. Found in cover identity (a dockworker, a merchant, a Legion veteran), surveilling a target, or executing a mission. Roll 1d6: 1-2 = Agent in deep cover (invisible, patient), 3-4 = Agent executing a mission (focused, lethal), 5-6 = Agent compromised (desperate, burn protocol ready).
Languages: Trade Cant (native fluency); Core Standard; three cover-identity dialects; Argus cipher-cant; Confederation intelligence code
Morale: Elite (14); disengages when the mission fails or when capture is inevitable; will fight to the death only if cornered with no escape
Resistances: Armoured bodysuit (included in AC; light, flexible, passes as civilian), Optic implants (included in senses), Argus conditioning (+4 to Will saves against fear, torture, and mind-reading)
Tactics: The Agent eliminates the target before the encounter begins if possible. If forced into open combat, they open with Neurotoxin Dart on the most dangerous target, use Suppressed Pistol from cover, and save Elimination Protocol for the priority target. If the cover holds, the Agent fights as a social encounter first and a combat encounter second. If the cover breaks, the Agent uses Burn Notice and vanishes.
Treasure: Suppressed pistol (600 rek), monofilament wire (400 rek), neurotoxin darts (200 rek per dose), armoured bodysuit (500 rek), optic implants (1,500 rek), Argus cipher-pad (priceless to intelligence services; 5,000 rek to the right buyer), false identity kit (200-500 rek per identity), 3d10 rek in untraceable funds.
Vulnerabilities: Burned asset (Argus does not extract compromised agents; a burned Agent is on their own), Cover dependency (in the Rim, without Confederation infrastructure, Deep Cover is useless), One mission (the Agent has a specific objective; if the objective is irrelevant, the Agent disengages)
Attacks
Suppressed Pistol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 8 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d8+2 |
damageType | ballistic |
name | Suppressed Pistol |
notes | Integrally suppressed; no audible report beyond 30 ft; first shot from stealth gains +4 to hit |
rangeFt | 60 |
Monofilament Wire
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 7 |
category | melee |
damage | 2d6+1 |
damageType | slashing |
name | Monofilament Wire |
notes | Garrote; +4 to hit against flat-footed or grappled targets; critical hit x3 |
rangeFt | 5 |
Neurotoxin Dart
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 8 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d4 |
damageType | piercing |
name | Neurotoxin Dart |
notes | DC 16 Fort save or Paralysed for 2d4 rounds; onset 1 round; 2 doses per encounter |
rangeFt | 40 |
Special Abilities
Deep Cover
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive |
name | Deep Cover |
description: The Agent maintains a flawless false identity. They gain +8 to Disguise and Deception checks when in cover, and can pass any Confederation checkpoint or identity scan without suspicion. The Agent's true identity is protected by Argus encryption; breaking it requires a DC 20 Hacking or Bureaucracy check. Player-visible: the Agent is whoever they need to be. You have met them before, under a different name, and you did not know.
Elimination Protocol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Full-round (1/encounter) |
name | Elimination Protocol |
description: The Agent executes a planned assassination. If the Agent is within 30 ft of a target who is unaware of the Agent's true identity, the Agent makes a single attack at +8 to hit with +4d6 damage (the kill shot). If the attack drops the target to 0 HP, the death is silent (no alarm, no witnesses unless the party is watching). Player-visible: the Agent walks up, the target drops, and the Agent is gone before the body hits the floor.
Compromised
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive |
name | Compromised |
description: When the Agent's cover is blown (identity exposed, caught in the act, or cornered by someone who knows them), the Agent loses Deep Cover bonuses and becomes desperate. They gain +2 to attack rolls (fighting to survive) but lose all social skill bonuses. Player-visible: the mask comes off. The Agent stops being polite and starts being fast.
Burn Notice
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Immediate (1/encounter) |
name | Burn Notice |
description: When reduced below 15 HP or when capture is imminent, the Agent activates a burn protocol: all Argus equipment self-destructs (1d4 fire damage to adjacent creatures, DC 14 Reflex half), the Agent's false identity is wiped from all systems, and the Agent makes a Stealth check at +8 to vanish. Player-visible: the Agent presses something behind their ear, the gear sparks, and they are not there anymore.