Trator PCs

[firruna]

Hello Playgrounders

I am getting ready to run a D20 Modern game this weekend. The PCs are going to be trying to steal an item of value. Still not sure what, thinking a painting, might go with something heavy to make it more interesting.
How ever, unknown to them, one of them is a fed undercover (here on referred to as Jen)

I've never tried to run PCs against each other, so I'm really just looking for ideas on how to do this.

Little about the world/game. It will be set in modern earth, somewhere in North America, or the UK. As mentioned above, the PCs will be working to try to steal an item of value. Whether from a museum, or private collector, is at this time unknow. There will be five PCs and Jen.

This is a stand alone game, however I feel the need to add some background to the team to make it work. They, other than Jen, have worked some jobs together in the past. One of their guys died/got busted/retired, doesn't really matter at this point, so they replaced him. The replacement is Jen. They feds recently linked the cases together, and sent Jen undercover in the group.

I have run games in the past, so I have some general idea how, however I am not sure what all I need to do for Jen. I will list off everything I feel she needs, and my ideas, if I have them, of how to give it to her.

-Handler: Someone within the agency to help check in with. Should be easy enough to do this one. Just have someone they leave some sort of hidden recordings or something for. Will talk this one out with my player.

-An emergency flare type object: A way to say 'I've been made' Will likely use a tracker hidin in a phone/bag or the like that she can turn on.

-The in: Some reason that the criminals want her on the time. Skills of course, but something to give her an edge over anyone else they might look at.

-An edge: Not so sure about this one, but I feel that she should have some edge, so when they find out who she is really, she can have some chance of getting out of there, or at least making it a good fight. Not sure if I should do this with an extra level, slightly better gear, or what.

Thats the four things I can think of that I feel Jen will need to make this work.
I am sure I am missing some things, so I am hoping someone will have some experience in this field, or at least some ideas for me.
Any ideas on any part of everything here is greatly accepted, and I will take it all under consideration, and respond A.S.A.P.

Thanks in advance.

-Firruna

EDIT: I feel I should add, we the group, have been playing together for the last 4 or 5 years, so although this is a stand alone, it's not for a random group of people, or for a group of people with no idea what they are doing.

[HammeredWharf]

Don't make Jen obviously special. Giving her an extra level would do that. Avoid anything that would put her under scrunity if someone saw her character sheet. If you want to give her an edge, give her a hidden pack of spec-ops equipment or something similar.

Related to the emergency flare, but she should also have a pre-planned escape route and a goal. Why's she undercover? If it's just to expose the other PCs, she could just tape some conversations and call backup. Does she want to get to their boss or have some other goal?

Edit: This may be obvious, but I'd try to avoid PvP until the grand finale. Traitor PCs are more fun when they're scheming behind the others' backs, not in direct confrontation.

[firruna]

Don't make Jen obviously special. Giving her an extra level would do that. Avoid anything that would put her under scrunity if someone saw her character sheet. If you want to give her an edge, give her a hidden pack of spec-ops equipment or something similar.

Related to the emergency flare, but she should also have a pre-planned escape route and a goal. Why's she undercover? If it's just to expose the other PCs, she could just tape some conversations and call backup. Does she want to get to their boss or have some other goal?

Edit: This may be obvious, but I'd try to avoid PvP until the grand finale. Traitor PCs are more fun when they're scheming behind the others' backs, not in direct confrontation.

Alright.

I do want to try to avoid PvP until the end, and if Jen does her job right.

Good point about why Jen has to stay with them, not just record one conversation, so I will make her target their buyer, not them.

Your point about making nothing obviously special about Jen is a good one, however, I want them to know shes not been on the team forever. Any idea how to do that without making it blatantly obvious that she is a traitor? I don't want her shot in the back 30 seconds into the game, but do want there to be a chance she ****s up, and gets discovered.

[Malroth]

instead of just having one character be a mole gathering evidence give each of the characters a secret agenda

a second PC is approached by Russian Intelligence they're looking to steal something in the same location for themselves and are willing to slip this PC a couple million on the side and open up the possibility of further black ops work down the road if the PC moves the robbery back a couple days and hands over their notes on the security system.

PC 3 Is aproached by the owner of the Item. The owner claims he's interested in somebody destroying his exibit as part of an Insurance scam and wants the burgulary/arson to occur before a famous art inspector can detect the forgeries he has.

PC4 meets a crazy street prophet who warns him about undercover cops sleeping with the KGB arsonist in his team.

[firruna]

instead of just having one character be a mole gathering evidence give each of the characters a secret agenda

a second PC is approached by Russian Intelligence they're looking to steal something in the same location for themselves and are willing to slip this PC a couple million on the side and open up the possibility of further black ops work on the side if the PC moves the robbery back a couple days and hands over their notes on the security system.

PC 3 Is aproached by the owner of the Item. The owner claims he's interested in somebody destroying his exibit as part of an Insurance scam and wants the burgulary/arson to occur before a famous art inspector can detect the forgeries he has.

PC4 meets a crazy street prophet who warns him about undercover cops sleeping with the KGB arsonist in his team.


Dude, I love your idea. I think, if its cool with you, I will use that line for PC4 almost word for word. Not sure if all of them having a second agenda is a grate idea, any who do, other than 'Jen' as we have been talking about the idea of her being an undercover in a crime based game for a few weeks now, will think everyone else might have one two, so if I give 2 or 3 of the others second agendas, and leave a few just after the job they have been hired for, that might throw them off.

Thanks for the idea. More I have to work with, the better.

[HammeredWharf]

Your point about making nothing obviously special about Jen is a good one, however, I want them to know shes not been on the team forever. Any idea how to do that without making it blatantly obvious that she is a traitor? I don't want her shot in the back 30 seconds into the game, but do want there to be a chance she ****s up, and gets discovered.

Make getting her aid a miniquest by itself. Maybe her back story is that she's in trouble with a minor gang boss and they have to help her sort it out. The players can be fooled into thinking it's a prologue quest meant to test their abilities in combat, while it's really there to cover up her being the only new member of the team.

[firruna]

Make getting her aid a miniquest by itself. Maybe her back story is that she's in trouble with a minor gang boss and they have to help her sort it out. The players can be fooled into thinking it's a prologue quest meant to test their abilities in combat, while it's really there to cover up her being the only new member of the team.

Alright, thanks. I will play around with that idea, and work something like it in.