Just The Caffeine Talking

Celebrating Independence Day

"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

— John Adams

(Pedant alert: at the time he thought this anniversary would be July 2, but came around to appreciating July 4 by the end of his life.) 

Happy Independence Day!

Random Encounters: Neutral Istanbul

Turkey remained neutral during World War II, but Istanbul's strategic location made it a hub of espionage and intrigue. American, British, Russian, German, and Italian agents all spied on each other with varying success, and the Turkish Security Service spied on them all. Exiles and displaced persons sought refuge there, and crooks flocked to take advantage of them. And in the background the ancient city's life went on.

ENCOUNTERS IN NEUTRAL ISTANBUL

Roll 1d20 when moving about the city, 1d10 when stationary.

1. Roll twice and combine
2. Plot advancing encounter: Someone or something connected with the reason the player-characters are in Istanbul.
3. Allied Spies: Roll 1d6. 1: American OSS (well-funded "cowboys"), 2-3: British MI-6 (professional but stodgy), 4: French DGSE (underfunded but very professional), 5-6: Russian GRU (dedicated and ruthless).
4. Axis Spies: Roll 1d6. 1-2: German Abwehr (professional military intelligence); 3: German RSHA (SS intelligence, amateurish but fanatical); 4-5: Italian SIM (military intelligence, professional but underfunded); 6: Pro-Fascist Turkish group (amateurish).
5. Con Man: A Turkish or neutral foreign citizen, working some grift on refugees or foreign spies. May be involved in a spy plot without realizing it.
6. Displaced Person: Civilians from southeastern Europe who have fled to Istanbul to keep out of Nazi or Soviet hands. Some are rich, most are penniless, all are desperate to avoid deportation.
7. Goons: A gang of 2d6 local tough guys with knives and clubs sent to beat up the player-characters. Roll 1d6 to see who sent them. 1: Allied intelligence (see above); 2: Axis intelligence (see above); 3: Local crime boss; 4: Mistaken identity (roll again to see who they think they're attacking); 5: Turkish intelligence or police; 6: Turkish nationalist group.
8. Imam: A Turkish Muslim religious scholar, with access to lots of old Arabic and Greek manuscripts.
9. Turkish National Police: Turkish police, trying to show they're as good at catching foreign spies as their National Security Service rivals. These are uniformed city cops, equipped like French gendarmes with billy clubs and weighted capes.
10. Turkish National Security Service: Turkish military intelligence agents, highly skilled and professional. They are desperately trying to keep Turkey neutral and avoid provoking military action by either side. They're plain-clothes agents armed with pistols.
11. Ambush: 2d6 Goons (see above) are waiting to jump the player-characters in a dark alley.
12. Baron Sebottendorff: The German occultist who founded the Thule Society — which in turn spun off a political group called the Nazis. He's either a fraud, a crackpot, or the secret magical mastermind behind the war. He lives at the Pera Palace Hotel and gets lots of visitors.
13. Coffeehouse: Coffeehouses are the center of social and political life in Istanbul. Characters can find out the latest news — and the gossip that the Turkish government won't let the papers print. With proper "social engineering" skills and a little hard currency, you can find out just about anything here.
14. Helpful Taxi Driver: His name's Ohannes, an Armenian whose family have been in Istanbul for generations. Ohannes knows the city better than anyone, can sell passengers a variety of useful items for a small fee, and is professionally discreet. He prefers to be paid in gold.
15. Pickpocket: A wiry street urchin or a bland-looking bystander, but he or she is after your wallet. May have a specific thing to steal, or may be simply looking for cash.
16. Pursuit! Someone's after you — Goons, enemy agents, crooks, or the police. Move!
17. Riot! The economic disruptions brought by the war have left a lot of Turks struggling to get by. Nazis and Communists have been funnelling money to political factions which support their ideologies. The result is a political tinder-box ready to flare up. There's an angry crowd in the street, and foreigners are always a good target.
18. Safe House: Your side maintains an apartment nearby, stocked with a first-aid kit, some Turkish cash, and a change of clothing. It's a place to regroup and recover.
19. Smuggler: Legitimate trade may have dried up due to the war, but smuggling is booming. Smugglers move contraband in and out of the occupied Greek islands, meet up with Russians on the Black Sea, and even range as far as Syria and Lebanon. They move cigarettes, liquor, opium, caviar, furs, guns, refugees — and spies. They're pretty ruthless people, loyal only to the rest of the gang.
20. Tracks: Roll again to see what you find traces of.

SITUATIONS IN NEUTRAL ISTANBUL

Roll 1d6 to see what's going on, and use the above table to see who's involved.

1. A desires B
2. A wants to capture B
3. A wants B dead
4. A wants to go somewhere
5. A wants to solve a mystery
6. A wants X