Tradecraft

During simulations, a number of questions come up regarding how real federal agents and experienced DG operatives would handle things in their trade, i.e. exercise tradecraft. According to the book Spycraft by Robert Wallace and Keith Melton, the five pillars of tradecraft are:

• Assessment (recruiting agents, turncoats, informants within hostile organizations etc.)
• Cover and disguise
• Concealment (hiding things)
• Covert surveillance
• Covert communication

This is still largely true when the Mythos is involved, but this page also collects speculation and research into what characters might have to do under less mundane circumstances. See Tradecraft Links and Keeper Lore as well.

DG security

• General Operational Security.
  • The probable consequences of a breach are examined in A Vicious Little Firefight.
  • A similar case study raised questions about Leaving an Agent to the Wolves.
  • Read the Joseph Camp Letter of 31 July 1998 for a fraction of the gospel.
• Fake Identities can protect DG agents.
• Good Explanations for Agent Absence from typical day jobs in federal agencies prevent suspicion.
• Agent Pay and other finance issues, including financial operational security, are vital.
• Media Disinformation.
• Trust and Paranoia.
• Handling Insane Agents.
• Stopping Leaks.

Other central issues

• Electronic Surveillance
• Government Agencies
  • Jurisdiction
• Green Boxes, code for secret DG stashes of anything.
• Large-Scale Operations and how to cover them up.
• Specific solutions to specific problems:
  • Rhino Teams get their hands dirty.
  • Used Bookstores for exchanging materials.

Peripheral issues

• Gun Digest.
• Martial Arts.
• Autopsies and non-human necropsies.
• DG Slang and other DGML jargon.
• Scenarios and Fan Fiction hold lessons.