I'm part of a joint GM Rogue trader group and I want to make sure I'm not bias with the situation. The situation being

a player has established a large assassin/intel organisation on a planet in the koronus hive world. The organisation is set in multiple cells so that the group can't be destroyed if one cell is uncovered. The group is hired through dead drops that constantly change. At each dead drop is a data terminal rigged to blow if tampered with and monitored 24/7 to ensure its not being corrupted. The group is a zealous to the organisation and warded against psychic interrogation. The leader is known to use doubles and has been established for over 20 years entrenching and developing contacts. everything the organisation owns is owned by shell companies and money is run through multiple accounts.

The question I have is how would another assassin/intle organisation destroy the established one when getting information about the first is dam hard?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Well this is 40k we're talking about here so... Exterminatus!

If you want something with a little less collateral damage then it would depend on your resources and time frame.

Psychic warding does not mean that they can't be scanned it just means it is more difficult.

Long range communication is done through Astropaths so Inquisitors or Rogue Traders could look into getting some resources to disrupt communications in the region and see what happens without long range communications. Listening in would obviously be better but much harder to achieve.

Moving people and objects is all but impossible without Navigators, while Navigators have a high degree of autonomy the houses can be motivated to assist with an investigation if the negotiator pulls the right strings.

Data terminals rigged to blow seem to be the weakest link in the chain. If they're monitored 24/7 then it should be possible to watch the watchers. If they're not then it should be possible for a skillful tech-priest to either extract the data or disarm the explosive.

The Seneschal class is just begging to be used to unpick the shell companies, dummy finances and the like. That again seems like a potential weak link as if you're moving massive volumes of money then someone knows something and unless you're a rogue Rogue Trader dynasty then you probably don't completely own everyone involved in the transactions.

A few seasons of Burn Notice or something like that should give you a few ideas.

If the data terminals are monitored then the drop is not as dead as it could be.

Monitored in person? Watchers are spottable; take one and interrogate.

Monitored by datalink? That's a trail to follow, back to a physical location or a person.

If it was me I'd just blow every terminal at once. Either this'll temporarily paralyze them or you just take their operatives one by one as they come to repair the terminals.

Yeah, while it's set up to be foolproof, nothing is, eh? Large organization? Large means lots of money changing hands and it isn't an entirely cash and carry business or it isn't as large as someone would like to think. Money leaves a trail.

Psychic warding? I don't even know what that means. They've been given training? That's like +10 to their WP check. Whoopdeedo. And who needs a psychic interrogator anyway? They'll spill the beans soon enough when the Explorator or Missionary get out their toys.

But, I agree with Weedy, the so-called "dead drops" seem to be a very weak link.

If anything though, the weakest angle is for the rival group to simply establish the same setup and charge lower prices. Competition is the best foil of monopolies. Trade war anyone?

If anything though, the weakest angle is for the rival group to simply establish the same setup and charge lower prices. Competition is the best foil of monopolies. Trade war anyone?

I thought something similar. Just by up all the hired muscle in the area and set them up doing tasks for you. Then when the agency needs to find groups to do their dirty work the lack of available labor means they'll have to look further afield and that is when mistakes get made.

Hey Guys

Thanks for the feedback!

I agree the dead drops are a potential weak link to explain further re dead drop a back room in a bar, hotel etc the terminal is hardwire. no open link (wifi) the watcher is watching through a hardwired camera in a near by building. tricky to track em down but not impossible I agree. the group that is entrenched are the good guys they are incredibly loyal to the emperor and work closely with the ecclesiarch and inquisition thus their difficulty to uproot having the best training and equipment money can buy. the group that is trying to destroy them is a chaos aligned assassin/intel group trying to destroy the group and sow the seeds of corruption.

So no castigation from the imperium and a main stream attack by chaos would be too public.

Both groups are incredibly skilled, the imerials have the upper hand with establishing their power base info networks safehouses etc...

the terminal is hardwired. no open link (wifi) the watcher is watching through a hardwired camera in a nearby building

...follow the wires?

EDIT: I just grasped what's going on here. If you're running a Chaos cult it's easy as pie - some innocuous person walks up to the leader (the real leader) and shoots him or her in the face. How they knew is a mystery for your players to solve. Perhaps the cult asked a daemon, or scryed him out through foul magicks; and maybe the assassin was a complete innocent - a waiter, say, - under psychic influence.

*waves fingers* chaaaoooooss

I agree the dead drops are a potential weak link to explain further re dead drop a back room in a bar, hotel etc the terminal is hardwire. no open link (wifi) the watcher is watching through a hardwired camera in a near by building. tricky to track em down but not impossible I agree.

I was thinking chaos sorcery as well but wanted to make sure it wasn't to harsh or Bias as the player put a lot of work, effort and time to establish the group. Over 2 years of actual play time to establish and I didn't want to cheat him.

the flip side to that is because the group is "holy" working so closely with the ecclesiarchy and inquisition would the light of the emperor protect the organisation (bases/personal) or let the light be snuffed out by the dark forces of Chaos.

Again thanks guys for all your input

my biggest concern of simply saying chaos used a spell/ritual got the info and poof your boned. I want to give the player a chance to defend his organization and make the other player work hard to destroy it. the problem I'm having is balancing fair play between the two players.

Life ain't fair. Trite but true; these organisations wouldn't play fair in 'real life'. If your Chaos player can satisfy you that they fulfil all the conditions for a bit of summoning or scrying then let 'em have it, but don't suggest it to them. It's the player's job to come up with ways and means to attack this group, not yours.

Such is the power of Chaos, though; even Man's mightiest technologies are as naught before the machinations of the Dark Gods. The best way to balance the power of magic is with the in-universe consequences of mutation, madness and damnation, and the sheer fickleness of Tzeentch - it might help the player this time but change its mind tomorrow and totally, as you say, 'bone' him.

Just fyi, you have bias; you are biased.