Agents of S.W.I.N.G. — Print Edition

Save the world. Prevent catastrophe. Do it with STYLE.

The Cold War has divided the world between two nuclear superpowers, each watching the other for the first sign of betrayal.

That leaves plenty of room for everybody else to cause trouble.

Agents of S.W.I.N.G. is a complete, FATE-powered game of international Spy-Fi adventure, set throughout the 1960s and ’70s.

Players take the roles of secret agents working around the world to:

• Avert catastrophe.

• Punish evildoers.

• Defeat dangerous organisations.

• Prevent the superpowers from annihilating one another.

• Look stylish while doing it.

Welcome to S.W.I.N.G.

The Supreme World Intelligence Network Group stands against the organisations attempting to destabilise the world or provoke a Third World War.

S.W.I.N.G. draws together agents with different backgrounds, covers and specialist roles, deploying them wherever conventional intelligence services cannot—or will not—act.

The book explains the organisation’s different Sections, including what they do at headquarters and how they operate in the field. Reviewers have particularly praised this part of the game for making S.W.I.N.G. a usable campaign framework rather than merely a name on the agents’ paperwork.

An Affectionate Homage to Classic Spy-Fi

Agents of S.W.I.N.G. draws upon the adventure and Spy-Fi serials of the 1960s and ’70s: the world of secret organisations, eccentric adversaries, Cold War intrigue, strange science, supernatural threats and agents expected to confront all of them with absolute confidence.

Its inspirations include the broad tradition represented by programmes and films such as:

• The Avengers

• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

• The Persuaders!

• The Protectors

• Sapphire & Steel

• Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

• The James Bond films

The game concentrates on the heightened, stylish adventures of that era rather than attempting to simulate the paperwork and waiting involved in real intelligence work.

A Faster, Streamlined Version of FATE

The game uses a slimmed-down and accelerated version of FATE, derived from Cubicle 7’s Starblazer Adventures.

The rules retain FATE’s emphasis on character concepts, Aspects, dramatic choices and player involvement while adapting the system for fast-moving Spy-Fi action.

Characters are defined through elements including:

• Their S.W.I.N.G. Section.

• Their past.

• Their cover identity.

• Skills.

• Aspects.

• Stunts.

Reviewers have praised the game’s plentiful examples and focused treatment of the system. One reviewer who had previously struggled to engage with FATE said that Agents of S.W.I.N.G. helped him finally understand it.

Agents, Villains, Henchmen and Goons

The game provides separate rules and guidance for the different figures who populate Spy-Fi adventures:

• Player agents.

• Major villains.

• Trusted henchmen.

• Groups of expendable goons.

Control—the game’s name for the Games Master—also receives rules for creating nefarious organisations, allowing each campaign to develop its own enemies, ambitions, resources and worldwide schemes.

Sample villainous organisations are included, alongside numerous starting-level agents who can be used to begin playing without first constructing an entire team from scratch.

Plot Stress and Adventure Structure

Agents of S.W.I.N.G. includes advice for running the game and constructing the rising action of a Spy-Fi episode.

Its Plot Stress system gives Control a structure for pacing scenarios, tracking progress and introducing setbacks before the agents can move on to the next stage of an operation.

This provides a practical framework for adventures intended to feel like episodes of a classic action series rather than a disconnected succession of skill rolls and fights.

Equipment for the Mission

The book includes rules and information covering:

• Conventional weapons.

• Explosives.

• Espionage equipment.

• Vehicles.

• Equipment improvements and special features.

• Chases.

Agents work for a worldwide intelligence organisation, so mission equipment is handled in the context of what S.W.I.N.G. can issue or make available rather than requiring every operative to purchase their own professional toolkit.

Ready-Made Agents and Adversaries

A substantial selection of starting characters provides examples of how the system can reproduce the many different kinds of hero found across 1960s and ’70s adventure fiction.

These characters also demonstrate how Aspects, skills and stunts can be combined to create distinctive agents.

The book additionally supplies villains, henchmen, goons and organisations for Control to use directly or adapt for an original campaign.

Support for Play

Alongside the central rules and setting, the book contains:

• Advice for Control.

• Rules for constructing enemy organisations.

• Numerous starting-level player characters.

• Sample villains and villainous organisations.

• A timeline covering the 1960s and ’70s.

• Character sheets.

• Quick-reference material.

• Handouts covering areas such as chases, weapons and vehicles.

Everything required to create agents, establish S.W.I.N.G.’s opposition and begin an ongoing Spy-Fi campaign is contained within the core book.

Praised for Capturing Its Genre

Reviews have repeatedly highlighted the game’s strong commitment to its chosen style.

It has been praised for:

• Capturing the feel of classic Spy-Fi.

• Streamlining FATE for faster play.

• Providing plentiful examples.

• Clearly explaining S.W.I.N.G. and its Sections.

• Remaining focused on the adventure-series genre.

• Supporting agents who are capable from the beginning of play.

One reviewer called it the best spy roleplaying game they had read, particularly praising its emphasis on style rather than realism. Another described it as a game that successfully captures the feel it is aiming for, while a third called it a well-written and focused incarnation of FATE.

Your Mission Begins Here

Somebody is attempting to destabilise the world.

A criminal organisation is extending its influence.

A supposedly impossible threat has appeared.

The superpowers are blaming one another, and the situation is deteriorating rapidly.

Control has selected the team.

The equipment is ready.

The world requires saving.

Just do it with STYLE.

This listing is for the physical print edition of Agents of S.W.I.N.G., written by James Desborough. It is a complete roleplaying game presented as a 340-page, black-and-white, A5 perfect-bound paperback. Dice and other ordinary gaming materials are not included.