I am currently starting a campaign using the BRCS d20 playtest rules. I have to say I dont fully understand the description. I have made some deductions, but I wonder whether they are that what was originally intended. I will be really grateful for any reasonable advice and comment.

Espionage [Standard; Gather Information; 1 GB]
This action includes any kind of spying or covert actions designed to gather information, hide information, or perform covert operations. Sending an obvious spy against an enemy regent is not a domain action; but attempting to do so in such a way that very few individuals are aware of the fact that the spy is in your employ requires significant expenditure of time and energy more difficult.
The primary use of this action is to gather information about a specific target province. The success level determines the completeness of the information revealed. Table 5-17 provides examples of potential information revealed. At the DMs option, all regency bidding in an Espionage action is done via silent auction.
Is this base use of the Espionage ruled by the standard guidelines for domain actions ?
Can it be conducted only in a province where the acting regent has a holding ?
Can any holding type (law, guild, temple, source) be used to conduct it and will it add its level as a bonus ?
Can the action be supported/opposed only by holdings of the same type as the one used to carry it ?
What if another holding is the target, does its level matter ?
Can no GBs be used to support/oppose this action ?
"Different degrees of success" is listed as a variant of the rules, does it always apply to the Espionage ?
Are the Espionage target regent and other concerned regents aware of the exact kind and aim of the running espionage and thus of its DC ?


This action can also be used to hide information that would normally be visible to other regents in the province (such as the existence of a holding). The base DC for hiding information is 20. Unlike standard domain actions, regency cannot be spent to increase or decrease the chance of success; the active regent can’t spend regency to hide information without guaranteeing failure and the other regents in the area are unaware of the action. Only guild holdings provide a bonus to the check; other types of holdings are not as well geared for clandestine operation. The check receives a penalty equal to the number of law holdings in the province, unless the active regent holds the law holdings. If successful, the hidden information can only be revealed through as the target of an Espionage action (or perhaps through an Adventure action). Canny regents should perform Espionage actions in their own provinces on an irregular basis as a form of active counter-espionage.
I would wish the other uses of the Espinage were described so clearly as the part above.

Special: You can take an espionage action to establish a spy network within a hostile or friendly province. This action has a base DC 20. A spy network has no initial cost (save for the action cost), but requires 1 GB in maintenance each domain turn. A domain with an established spy network in a province may perform Espionage actions in that province as a Court action. Furthermore, due to the established contacts, the network provides a +2 bonus to the domain success check for Espionage in that province.
Can this network be established and can it function even if the regent hasnt any holdings in the province ?
If so, what type of holdings can oppose espionage performed by this network ?
What exactly means the espionage can be performed as a Court action using the network ... normal court actions dont have DC ? Is it still considered to be a Standard action then ?