Casting Shadows

If you enjoy learning new games like I do and also have a liking for licensed games, or at least games within a definable genre, then I am quite sure you and your group have also enjoyed (or will) evaluating scenes from relevant media in the terms of game mechanisms. In my travels, I have found people all over the place who use this method in one way or another. It is fun to do on one’s own, and in groups. Every once in a while, I like to set a series of scenes from various films and ask folks to describe those scenes in terms of a game they are currently playing. In my circles, we have used this to determine if a generic system would be a good fit for a property we want to play, to demonstrate what the rules of a given game model or are evocative of, and as a test of how fluent with a system we have become – or want to be.

This is the first in a series of posts related to that methodology, but in some ways reversed. In this series, I am setting myself a bit of a challenge to find something game relevant to two not-dissimilar RPGs in each episode of one of if not my all-time favorite series. We will see if this series actually has 20 installments to go with each of the episodes, or if sense and sanity prevail and that gets cut down – perhaps because of an ostensibly temporary staffing standard – to a much smaller number. Anyway, as you can glean from the title, that series is ITV’s “The Sandbaggers” (1978-1980) which showed the Cold War realities of a covert operations department within SIS struggling against their counterparts in the KGB on one hand and the ever-tightening noose of public suspicion, budget cuts, and the old boys’ network on the other. It is a grim and dramatic examination of the human cost of patriotic service at the height of nuclear tensions and the depth of public fatigue with those tensions.

It is also ideal, I find, for exploring the nuances of mechanisms within two RPGs I have a great fondness for. The first and most well-known of these is the excellent Delta Green from Arc Dream Publishing which is nothing if not a fruitful playground for exploring the human cost of secret service. The second, harder now to find, but worth the search, is World War Cthulhu from Cubicle 7, which is a more obvious match to the series – particularly in its Cold War title which has just as many trust issues as the main character from the show.

The Sandbaggers

It is possible to view the series on one or more streaming services around the world, it regularly pops up and goes into hiding on YouTube, and is available via the Internet Archive. Fortunately, it is also available on a set of discs. If this and the posts which follow are of interest to you, I hope that you will avail yourself of the opportunity to enjoy this very topically aware and accurate show, set in the years it was made, before the Wall fell and the Iron Curtain parted.

As noted above, the series ran for a total of 20 episodes across three seasons. Through the run, our focal characters are Neil Burnside, the Director of Operations for SIS and his top agent (Sandbagger 1) Willie Caine. Both are new to their current roles within the organization, having been promoted just under six months earlier. Burnside had previously been Sandbagger 1 to Caine’s Sandbagger 2 (limited to 3 by budget cuts). Around these two focal characters are a good cast of regulars and just enough foreign sites and operatives to sell the illusion of an understaffed and underfunded linchpin department running itself ragged to not lose the Cold War. Winning has, for Sandbaggers, become too aspirational a dream.

Among the most regular characters are the head of the CIA’s London station, Burnside’s immediate supervisor, the permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, Burnside’s PA, and the new head of SIS. Each is quite colorful, and there are more of equal or greater import – but we will come to them all in time. For now, let’s take stock of the first episode and see what it has to show us about Bonds in Delta Green and Trust in World War Cthulhu: Cold War.

Episode 1: First Principles

As this episode plays out we meet most of the significant characters and get a crash course on the mind and manners of Burnside. We see him as very competent in his role as D/Ops, but our first view of him is as an agent who has not yet lost the skills which served him for 7 years of active mission duty. Unlike his superiors, Burnside has worked his way up the ranks in the marines, into SIS operations, to the head of Special Operations, and now runs the operations directorate. He does so, however, under two more political animals who come from other areas of expertise. The deputy chief of SIS comes from the Intelligence collection side of SIS and has a career as the head of important stations like Hong Kong. The Chief of SIS is, of course, a diplomat appointed for political reasons rather than a career of service in SIS. Burnside is no stranger to navigating political waters, but they are not native to him, nor can he seem to tread them for long without losing his temper or resorting to clandestine methods. Perhaps a strong factor in his success had been his marriage with its subsequent friendship with his father-in-law, the Permanent Undersecretary of State at the Foreign Office, Sir Geoffrey Wellingham. Burnside is now, however, divorced, and not always on good terms with Wellingham. In many ways, we see Burnside harnessing his high degree of competence in covert operations in his new role, but also see him laying the groundwork to be his own worst enemy.

This episode is also quick to show us the competence of Willie Caine, and the trust he shares with Burnside who not so very long ago was a Sandbagger like him. Willie is unmarried, a former paratrooper, and is frequently referred to in the series as one of, if not the, top agent operating in the world. Willie is in many ways the opposite of Burnside, in terms of personality and has won his success as an agent without making the same sacrifices which Burnside has. Unlike Burnside, Caine has an uncomplicated idealism which expresses itself in service to the Crown. He is not wholly selfless and from this first episode and time to time throughout the series we see his fear and suffering. In contrast, Burnside’s own idealistic patriotism has room for both arrogance and ambition to play a role in his decisions – and a hardness utterly alien to Caine.

The challenge presented in this first episode is not from the KGB or other foreign threat, but rather from the actions of an ally. It quickly distinguishes itself (and thereby the series) as being more about the stark realities within the halls of power than vials of poison or back alley deals – without a loss of tension. In so doing, it reveals to us key relationships, what Delta Green calls Bonds, and highlights the nature of inter and intra departmental Trust, as explored by WWC: Cold War.

Our first look at a Bond: Burnside and the Sandbaggers

Rather than start with a more typical and personal Bond, let’s begin with a Bond comprised of a small group of people – Burnside’s Bond with his Sandbaggers. I find a lot of discussion of Bonds tends to be how the stresses of missions influences the erosion of the relationship(s) which the Bond describes. In this case, let’s look at the Bond’s effect on Burnside’s life and the things he does to maintain and improve the Bond.

When the series begins, there are three Sandbaggers. The department has had a mandate for 4, but the relative rarity of the type of person required for the role; drains on staffing such as promotion, retirement, transfer, and death; the speed at which training can be completed, and the all powerful force of public opinion on precious resources like budgets have meant that Neil begins his time as D/Ops understaffed. He can personally identify with the positions that puts his Sandbaggers in when sent on a mission, and he has the time in service plus experienced connections to recognize (but importantly, not accept) the harsh realities thrust upon the service.

Burnside’s identity is largely formed by his loyalties, his sacrifices, and his long stint of 7 years as a Sandbagger, his time as Sandbagger 1, and his frustrations with the diplomats and political appointees running foreign embassies and intelligence stations who often stand in the way of what – in his view – needs to be done. The obstacles those more political and career oriented officers put in the way, or the self-serving demands they make, often mean the lives of the Sandbaggers are needlessly put at risk – seemingly without concern.

The result of this is that he receives utter loyalty and trust from the Sandbaggers. They know he understands, perhaps better than they, the risks they take, the efforts they put in, and the demoralizing effect their low pay, dwindling resources, and lack of respect can cause in them. Willie Caine can be heard to remark in one episode, that he is expected to be James Bond, but that he is paid at civil service rates. We see the truth reflected in this comment over the course of the series as they end up staying in flea bag hotels, driving economy rental cars, flying coach, and having to defend their expenses. What does service to the Crown mean they must offer in return for this penny-pinching disregard? The unflinching willingness to go wherever they are sent, at a moment’s notice, and lay down their lives if necessary – without question or complaint.

“Neil, you have a Special Operations section for special operations. By definition those must occasionally embrace an element of danger.”

Sir Geoffrey Wellingham; making an unreasonable request and masking it with a sarcastic assault on Burnside’s ego and esprit de corps.

Episode 1 of the first season of the series puts Burnside’s sense of duty, his arrogance, and his feelings for his Sandbaggers all into stark focus. (And yes, by all that is holy British-English-raised readers I am well aware and informedly reject the use of series for season in cases like the Sandbaggers where there is an ongoing and uninterrupted presentation of situations across all units of a set number of episodes from start to finish of the show. Sandbaggers will herein be referred to as a series of television consisting of two seasons of seven episodes each and one of six. Be at peace.)

When asked personally and unofficially to help a NATO ally out of a fix they have gotten themselves into deep inside Soviet territory. Burnside refuses. Though he tries to be tactful, his disdain for the request and his concern for this Sandbaggers are obvious. Later, of course, this request makes its way through backchannels to those with something to gain from tempting lures offered by the ally for help in the matter. Forced into action over his objections, Burnside becomes a stickler for the rules he might normally break, exercises an excess of caution he would normally forgo if running an operation he or his close friend in the CIA wanted done, and is quite open about his concerns with the Sandbaggers. He is vocally, powerfully, and visibly on their side.

The question is, however, why? Is it camaraderie? Is it genuine concern for their well-being? Is it something else?

Burnside: You’re my lead sandbagger. I don’t expect you to behave at briefings like a spoiled child. (calmly)
Caine: All right, you jump out of a plane tomorrow morning.
Burnside: I did my time in the section, and as far as I can recall, I didn’t sulk about it.
Caine: How many times did you parachute into Russia?
Burnside: Look, if you’ve got mission twitch…
Caine: If I didn’t have mission twitch on this, I’d be a right idiot.
Burnside: Yes, yes, I know. (sympathetically)
Caine: Why should I spend the rest of my life in a Russian jail because of some missile?
Burnside: Because Wellingham says this country needs the Norwegian interest. Both Nemesis and War Bonnet are on the point of collapse.
Caine: Yeah, and the one that keeps going will get orders from every NATO country, make a lot of money…
Burnside: Right.
Caine: When I’m digging salt, I’ll remember that.

Burnside shifting gears to keep Caine focused and aware that he is on the agent’s side instead of chewing him out.

As we get to know Burnside we are invited to consider this point again and again.

Is he, the Director of Special Operations, worried about the health and safety of friends, or is he worried about the effect an injury, capture, or death might have on his operational capabilities? Always keeping in mind that he will put them in harm’s way in an instant should a threat to the West be real, this question has a haunting nature to it which grows in strength as the series progresses.

Burnside: The whole of Westminster is treating us like lepers.
‘C‘: Well you’re a lot worse off than lepers. They get some sympathy.

Burnside getting his first insight into the new Chief of SIS

Episode 1 is all risk for no benefit nor reward. One false move, one stroke of bad luck, one moment of influence from an incompetent ally, or one unreasonable order from a self-serving government officer could damage the directorate’s ability to respond to real threats, and in so doing damage Burnside’s effectiveness as D/Ops. It angers him how much he stands to lose due to the rashness and interference of others. The Sandbaggers are his friends, they are his loyal agents and he deeply respects their abilities, and they are his means of serving his own ambitions while protecting his one true love: SIS.

So it is then, that Burnside devotes so much time in this situation to working on and building up – in game terms – his Bond with the Sandbaggers. He knows rough times are ahead and there is much he will need to ask of them which might not be wholly on the level. They must be on solid terms before that happens.

Burnside: We have done exactly the right thing, at exactly the right time, at every stage.
‘C‘: Small consolation to the Prime Minister if he is faced with an international incident.
Burnside: Oh…So that’s it…
‘C’: Yes, Neil, that is always ‘it.’

Burnside briefing the Chief of SIS when politics endangered the mission

Our first look at Trust: The CIA and Burnside

The other main element of this first episode is the role played by the CIA – a different and much closer NATO ally than the one causing the trouble. The series refers to the tight integration and relatively open sharing of intelligence and personnel between the US and the UK as the ‘Special Relationship’ and that relationship is represented on screen mainly through the friendship of Jeff Ross, head of the CIA’s London office, and Burnside.

In World War Cthulhu: Cold War, Trust was introduced to reflect an Agency’s attitude toward their own agents and double-agents, as well as other operatives and the agencies they represent. It was a guide to what resources might be made available to them, what assignments they might be given, what sort of information (or version of information) they might be exposed to, and so on.

In this episode, Ross is introduced during a quick visit to request that Burnside consider sending one of the Sandbaggers to Malta to do a job for the CIA which said Sandbagger would be better qualified to do. The level of Trust between both agencies is high, and there is obviously a history between the two men of doing favors for each other. This friendly and very informal request is another one of these favors, and represents the sort of factors which Trust endeavors to represent. Ross trusts and is trusted by Burnside and each man is the respective operational head within their respective organizations who has to make those sorts of decisions about agents and agencies with whom they cooperate.

As the series goes on, will this Trust grow, or be eroded?

The way this particular exchange works out has the potential to erode some of that Trust and weaken that underlying friendship, but Ross remains loyal to both – despite more backroom deals which have gotten the CIA involved in the NATO ally’s desired operation. Putting his own standing at some risk, Ross rushes to inform Burnside of the situation hoping the Sandbaggers can be pulled from the operation before something untoward happens because of the mix-up…something explosive.

I won’t be spoiling this 50-year-old show, so please do go watch it to see what happens as the Sandbaggers, the CIA, and the Russians, get hot and bothered about a crashed Norwegian spy plane somewhere in the vicinity of the more militarized sectors of the Kola Peninsula. However, for those pondering the growth or decline of trust between Norway’s intelligence director, Lars Torvik and Burnside, which mirrors their agencies’ Trust for each other, I will close this long post with one last quotation: