In this method the pill is stuck to the center of one side of a coin. The coin is taken by the performer from his pocket along with two or three other coins. The 'loaded' coin, however, in being brought out from the pocket is held between the thumb and first finger and the other coins are gripped between the rest of the fingers and the palm. The loaded coin is so held that the pill is kept from sight of the spectators … the purpose of taking the coins from the pocket is, ostensibly, to make some minor purchase such as a packet of cigarettes. There should be enough coins left in the hand after making the purchase so that two or more may be put on the bar or table and yet have two of the same size left in the hand. One of these two coins is the one to which the pill is attached …
This Cold War era trick comes courtesy of the CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception, written originally by magician John Mulholland and resurrected from the CIA archives by H. Keith Melton and Robert Wallace. The intent is to slip a drug into a drink, unnoticed. You use a coin rather than palming because pills tend to stick to warm, damp flesh, whereas a pill on the reverse side of a coin can be flicked into a drink with a quick shake, or sweep of a finger.
It might be used by a Cold War era asset, or vampire-savvy outfits like Edom or China's Room 452. The trick, intended to deliver incapacitating or mind-altering substances like LSD, comes from the same line of thinking that gave us Project MKUltra. The idea is to deliver a payload that neutralizes an enemy asset, in a public place like a bar. This is especially relevant for Night's Black Agents characters, who know that certain substances, like garlic, holy water, or dead man's blood, can incapacitate or even kill an opposition target. All of these could be delivered in pill form, surreptitiously enough to evade detection. In theory the agent could hit the target, walk away, and watch the target fall to bits.
Of course, there is one obvious problem with this tactic. Coins are becoming obsolete, especially in sophisticated cities where smart cards and touch cards are more common. Particularly in high-end establishments, paying in coins makes you stand out - and standing out is the last thing a covert agent wants.
There are other issues. Prices have increased significantly since this trick was designed; even a packet of cigarettes will cost much more than a few coins. Also, in Mulholland's day security cameras were not anything like as common as they are now. These days even the dodgiest of pubs is likely to have CCTV, which means using this tactic increases Heat by 1. Moreover delivering a bane this way has its own risks; a vampire-friendly establishment might have countermeasures designed to detect, say, dead man's blood. This is more likely in Supernatural or Damned games, where science is less important than magic. If the pocket where you keep the loaded coins starts glowing red, or screaming, when you walk in the door, then you've got problems that not even Flirting can solve.
Making it Work: the agent needs to pass a minimum Difficulty 4 test, adjusted by Alertness modifier, spending either Preparedness or Filch, or a combination of the two. This may involve a Full Contest if the target is on the alert, for whatever reason, or is being watched over by a third party, like a bodyguard. Difficulty can be reduced if the agent can distract the target. In Mulholland's version this distraction came from natural patter, which in game would be Technothriller Monologue and can be prepared in advance. The remark is unimportant as to substance. It only has to express a reason, seemingly of interest or amusement to the performer, which makes it natural to show the coins. This can be achieved in other ways. At the end of the television show Mossad's season one, the distraction comes when an attractive member of the opposite sex walks past the target, which in game terms would be Cooperation. The exact reduction will depend on circumstances, but assume a minimum reduction of 2.
What happens next depends on the payload, and the target. Agents with a regard for their own health may want to scout out an exfil route before trying this tactic. An enraged vampire lashing out at anything and everything in sight is likely to do a lot of damage to its environment.
What's good for the goose is sauce for the gander. The opposition may try this tactic on the agents, perhaps delivering good old-fashioned LSD or some kind of knockout drug. A Sense Trouble Difficulty 4 minimum, increased by the opposition's Stealth modifier, detects this. Alternatively the agent may spend Tradecraft to notice this Cold War spy trick. The result depends on the substance used, but it's reasonable to assume the effect takes place within 2 to 4 rounds, requires a minimum Difficulty 5 Health check, its minor effect is to inflict Shaken for the remainder of the scene, its major effect is to incapacitate for the remainder of the scene. Basic first aid given immediately can negate the minor effect, or reduce a major effect to a minor effect.
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