Tags
Epic Level, Espionage, High Level, Modern, OSR, RPG, Top Secret, TSR
In case you haven’t been following my blog since 2009, you might not be aware of my love for the classic TSR “Top Secret” RPG. To put it in a modern light, after reading through Gygax magazine issue 1, I decided I wouldn’t be buying it since it seemed to mostly be editorials about how I play games wrong. Then issue 4 came out with a Top Secret adventure. BAM. Sold.
Anyways.
When talking about Top Secret recently, I pulled out my boxed set that I had bought second-hand (and was boggled at the fact that I seem to be up to five copies of Operation: Sprechenhaltestelle) and grabbed the main book. While flipping through it I noticed that the character sheet in the back had been filled in by the previous owner. Definitely not one of my gamers, since we all use the sheets from the Agent Dossier pack (which has more stats).
So, I now have the big bad-guy for my next espionage campaign – Agent 006 – Miyokan Andropov. Dude’s only level 16.
Miyokan Andropov “006”
Now, there’s a few glitches on this character, like the fact that he only has enough XP to be level 14 instead of 16. On the up-side, his stats must have been painfully average when he started play (average stat of 53, where the average for a totally random character would normally be around 63.
But young Nicholas didn’t stop with awesomely advanced stats (Physical Strength of 218!), he went into awesome levels of detail on the back of the sheet (along with 985 Billion US Dollars).
Miyokan Andropov (back)
Dude is the head of the KGB, has 6 Faberge eggs, and has a small collection of vehicles scattered around the planet.
Miyokan Andropov, you are the new villain in my next espionage game. Thanks Nicholas Giannatasio – we’ve never met, but your character will forever shape my Top Secret games.
Dyson's Dodecahedron 
Awesome.
Well according to Google there are only six Nicholas Giannatasios in the US … assuming he is still alive, I guess, and not an ex-pat in Russia or something. I’m really hoping it’s professor, but not holding my breath. 🙂
What a cool thing to find, and I love that you’re making him a big deal in your game. That’s just too much fun.
I love that he has a minisubmarine in Sacramento, of all places.
I’m sure I know him !
u made my day man))) mikoyan and andropov are soviet surnames. mikoyan is armenian btw. KGB HQ is not in Kremlin)) it’s at Lubyanka Square not far from it in Mocow)) and i don’t think that CIA or FBI chiefs run around totting guns and troubleshooting. why should KGB chief do it))
I love this so much.
Nicolas has $318,00 in POCKET MONEY! He’d better have a 218 strength to lug around that wad all day.
I don’t know how I missed this when you first posted it – and I’m sorry I did, because it’s just plain awesome!
Not to mention informative: I thought I used to run a real Monty Haul TS campaign back in the day, with my agent having a house in Malibu, Zurich, and on a private island in the Caribbean – along with a few million dollars and innumerable sports cars, boats, helicopters, etc. But now I see that I was aiming far too low – clearly, Nicholas knew how to rock his TS game in ways I never even imagined. Good on him!