zero wrote:

> How do you other DMs approach the following? El-Hadid decides to
> initiate
> an Espionage action against (player rengent's name here) with the
> express
> intent of creating an Assasination random event. How would you inform
> the
> PC that she can spend RPs to bid against this espionage, surely not
> "hey
> there's an assasination attempt coming, want to bid against it?" What
> do
> you tell the players, how much info do you give them?
>
> Thanks for input!
>
> Tim Nutting
>
> zero@wiredweb.com
>

That is a good question--and obviously pertains to any action that
the DM (or even a player) wishes to keep secret. I think that the RPs
that a player spends in such a case represents his/her general efforts
to deal with espionage. Essentially, security within the domain and
loyalty among his "officers". How exactly they are dealt with in a
particular incident, however, is more difficult to figure out. Perhaps
just telling the player that there is an action taking place that
concerns him/her. Explaining that there is no way that the action can
be known, he/she can still apply RPs to effect the outcome. That way
the player must weigh the amount of RPs to spend without knowing why.
Watching the player squirm can be fun!

Keep in mind, however, that an assassination attempt can also make for a
great adventure.

- -Brian