Agents (Guide)
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Late PoSI Content and Onwards |
- Agents Summary
- Locked Limited-Length Activity
- Setup
- 0 A
- Progress
- 80-560+ A
- End
- 0 A
- Progress Details
- progresses through actions you spend in other activities
- Items Inputs/Outputs
- Outputs
-
Bazaar Permit
Blackmail Material
Book of Hidden Bodies
Bottle of Fourth City Airag: Year of the Tortoise
Cellar of Wine
Comprehensive Bribe
Consignment of Scintillack Snuff
Correspondence Plaque
Extraordinary Implication
Journal of Infamy- Legal Document
Much-Needed Gap
Ostentatious Diamond
Partial Map
Portfolio of Souls
Puzzling Map
Soothe & Cooper Long-Box
Strong-Backed Labour
Vital Intelligence
Volume of Collated Research
Whirring Contraption
- Raw EPA
- up to 0.4 EPA for Exceptional Friends / 0.28 otherwise
For the profession, see 
Agent (Profession).
Agents can be managed in their own game tab. You can loan your equipment to agents, and let them run Plots on your behalf.
Directing the agents and reaping the rewards does not cost actions; you advance the Plots by spending regular actions in-game, and an in-game pop-up notifies you when one is finished. The conclusion of a Plot is a Report, which is structured like a Storylet in the Agent tab parallel to regular gameplay. Reports may have multiple branches with different requirements, rewards, or challenges, and may involve a succession of branches, although they do not cost Actions. Challenges are made against your Agent's stats rather than your own, which is the reason to loan them equipment.
Once you have unlocked the feature, a new tab shows up (between "Possessions" and "Bazaar" on desktop, and as a new sub-entry next to "Possessions" on mobile).
Unlock[edit]
You need to be a tier 2 Person of Some Importance, that is, garnish your 
A Person of Some Importance quality with one of the specialisations available for having 200 in 
one 
of the 
base 
stats.
Agents and Plots are group together into three Concerns: Nautical, Intelligencier (spies), and Silvered. You can unlock them in any order.
To get your first nautical agent 
The Luckless Captain, play A Zailor Down on his Luck in 
The Blind Helmsman, and later 
Venturing into the Shipping Business in Wolfstack Docks.
Items required to unlock your first nautical agent:
5 x Rostygold
1 x Night on the Town- 1 x Blackmail Material
1 x Moves in the Great Game- 1 x Comprehensive Bribe
- 1 x Legal Document
- 1 x Bazaar Permit
- 1 x Puzzling Map
1 x Magnificent Diamond- 1 x Strong-Backed Labour
To get your first spy agent 
The Mild-Mannered Mondaine, play the branch For yourself with at least 
Dramatic Tension 1 in 
Playing the Game at Wilmot's End, go through the carousel, and play A Spy in Silks.
Items/qualities required to unlock your first spy agent:
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
2 x To get your first silvered agent 
The Nectared Proprietor, play A Golden Opportunity in 
The Singing Mandrake.
Items/qualities required to unlock your first silvered agent:
Access to a Parabolan Base-Camp- 2,500 x Rostygold
- 1 x Comprehensive Bribe
25 x Secluded Address
3 x Favours: Constables
3,000 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey
50 x Memory of Light- 6 x Strong-Backed Labour
Summary of the requirements for additional agents:
- Nautical:
The Clay Breaker can be hired via the Visit the Offices of (Company) storylet after three successful Nautical Ventures.
The Wily Bathyphile can be hired via the Visit the Offices of (Company) storylet after five successful Nautical Ventures.
- Spy:
The Unilluminated Mole can be obtained by completing the A Fresh-Faced New Employee plot after ten spy plots.
- Silvered:
The Silent Partner can be obtained by collecting 
3 x Parabolan Breadcrumb, completing An Expedition to the Shadow of a (Lodgings), then seeking them out in your 
Parabolan Base-Camp.- The
Numeric Nightmare (FATE) can be obtained by buying A Half-Dreamt Equation for 
12 x Memory of a Tale at 
Mr Chimes' Lost & Found and using the item in your inventory.
In addition to the above perennially available Agents, HALLOWMAS 2025 introduced two new Agents available only during the event. See Hallowmas (Guide) for detailed information.
- The
Perforated Zubmariner Nautical Agent could be obtained by upgrading the 
Perforated Diver companion, freely available during the event, using Confessions.
The Ragged Recusant Spy Agent could also be obtained by spending Confessions. Additional requirements include 
Associating with Radical Academics 75 and completion of the initial spy plot, Reawakening a Network, in addition to Confessions.
It is unknown whether these Agents will be available in the future after Hallowmas; if so, they will likely cost FATE.
Plotting[edit]
Plots progress based on your actions spent in other activities, but do not cost actions in and of themselves. These can be pursued by Agents supplied with Equipment to improve their own Qualities.
Plotting is independent of your in-game location.
Equipment[edit]
At the end of a plot, your agent has to pass challenges, for which they can use their own attributes, but also equipment you loan them. Loaned-out equipment is unavailable to you or other agents while the plot is in progress. However, actions that require owning an item rather than having it equipped (for example, Compel the Ghillie to extend your visit) are still available to you. Your agents can borrow any equipment they have slots for except the 
Weasel of Woe.
If your agent fails an action and the result gains Menaces(s), menace-reducing items only work if you, not your agent, have them equipped.
Equipping items to agents does not prevent you from losing the item, if a story would cost it.
Triggered Plots[edit]
There are enough standard Plots that are always available to keep your Agents busy, but several Plots or Reports are only available when certain conditions are met. Those conditions are varied, with some connecting to other Plots and others connecting to regular gameplay.
Plots with a Cooldown[edit]
Some Plots set a lock-out quality when completed, which is reduced by running any other Plot. This effectively sets a "cooldown" by preventing the Plot from being run repeatedly. All known Plots reduce all known cooldowns. Because the lock-out quality is set at the conclusion of the Plot, its cooldown is not affected by other Plots completing while it is running. If you ever happen to have multiple Plots conclude at exactly the same time, receive the Report for the cooldown Plot first so as not to waste a cooldown.
- Plot Breaking and Entering (
Intelligencier): Sets 
A Network Under Scrutiny to 3. - Plot An Escort Through the Sea of Voices (
Nautical): Sets 
Regrowing Clay to 4-6.
Rare Plots[edit]
All Plots have a small chance to add one or more bonus Qualities related to their Concern, which unlock Reports for a different standard Plot. These are all repeatable, and the Quality is reset by the Report that it unlocks. There is also one extra-special bonus that requires two qualities to unlock, and two Plots to redeem.
In case you blink and miss the Quality, Plots will have additional Game Instructions in the Plot selection interface when they have a special Report unlocked.
- Nautical
- All Plots may set
Reports of Promising Salvage, which unlocks a special Report on Found at Zee. 
Silvered- All Plots may set A Visitor to Your Honey-Den, which unlocks a special Report on The Dreams of London.
- All Plots may set
A Dream of Scheming, which see below. - Intelligencier
- All Plots may set An Inkling of Intrigue, which see below.
If you have acquired both A Dream of Scheming and An Inkling of Intrigue, that unlocks the special Plot Chess, from a Distance. Completing that Plot unlocks a special Report on A Disposable Network.
Regular Gameplay[edit]
Some Plots have conditions that interact to varying degrees with the systems of regular gameplay.
- Sinking a vessel as part of Piracy has a chance to set
A Sinking Wreck, which unlocks the special Plot Making Your Own Work. This Plot has a unique mechanic where starting other Plots will remove the Quality, so it must be pursued soon. - FATE Pursing the Pale Tabernacle requires playing a Card with reduced Frequency while Zailing.
- The Plot The Markets of the Rattus Faber may only be started when the Rat Market is open, although it can be concluded after the Market is closed.
- The two versions of Wading into the War are locked by
Ravages of Parabolan Warfare, which connects them to Parabolan Warfare and Time, the Healer.
Agents[edit]
20 x 
3 x 
3 x 
10,000 x 
Plots[edit]
1 x 
13 x 
2 x 
5 x 
4950 x 
3900 x 
5 x 
2 x 
1 x 
3 x 
3 x 
3 x 
3 x 
1 x 
15 
6 x 
100 x 
18 x 
2 x 
10 x 
5 x 
1 x 
2 x 
1 x 
14 x 
350 x - ↑ Set with unknown probability when you complete a Nautical Plot.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The challenge type ( Dangerous or Watchful) appears to be chosen randomly when you receive the agent's report.
- ↑ If both challenges are failed on the Watchful branch.
- ↑ If one or two challenges are failed.
- ↑ If the final Watchful challenge is failed.
- ↑ Assuming an extra action to cash out Scintillack Snuff at
17.5.
- ↑ Rare success chance appears to be roughly 5% based on community testing.
- ↑ If only the second
Exploration + Watchful challenge is failed.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Completing this plot sets Regrowing Clay to 3-6 (exact range unknown), then immediately lowers it by one. Completing any other plot also lowers it by one.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Set with unknown probability when you successfully
Strike them down and claim a pirate bounty. Starting any other plot lowers it by one.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 If only the initial Shadowy challenge is failed.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 If only the final
Salvaging + Watchful challenge is failed.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 If both challenges are failed.
- ↑ Completing this plot sets A Network Under Scrutiny to 4, and then immediately lowers it to 3. Completing any other plot lowers it by one.
- ↑ Persuasive difficulty starts at 45 and increases for subsequent cycles: 65, 72, 79, 86, 92, 99.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 When an agent completes this plot, you can choose either the Persuasive challenge to repeat the plot with greater rewards and increased difficulty, or the Shadowy challenge to recall the agent and collect all accumulated rewards. Note that the Shadowy check is only for avoiding
Suspicion gain upon ending the mission- the rewards remain the same regardless of pass or fail. Thus, for maximum profit, Persuasive should be optimized as much as possible.
- ↑ Min. Persuasive for 100% starts at 75 and increases for subsequent cycles: 109, 120, 132, 144, 154, 165.
- ↑ Not counting second chances.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 If selling Vital Intelligence at the Rat Market.
- ↑ Assuming five extra actions to cash out all second chances via
The end of battles and 
Trade your Collection of Curiosities for five Puzzling Maps.
- ↑ Assuming an extra action to
cash out Favourable Circumstances for a Favour worth 7.5.
- ↑ Set when you successfully complete the plot Chess, from a Distance.
- ↑ Sets A Dream of Scheming, An Inkling of Intrigue, and
A Scheme in Motion each to 0.
- ↑ If A Disposable Network is run in parallel with Chess, from a Distance, amortizing over 500 Actions.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 If selling
Mortification of a Great Power at the Rat Market.
- ↑ If A Disposable Network is run sequentially after completing Chess, from a Distance, amortizing over 800 Actions.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Assuming the item is cashed out via Crackling Trade.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Challenge is easier with a
Rat Agent.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 If only the
A Player of Chess challenge is failed.
- ↑ If selling
Uncanny Incunabulum at the Rat Market.
- ↑ If selling
Unlawful Device at the Rat Market.
- ↑ If selling
Storm-Threnody at the Rat Market.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 If the initial Persuasive challenge is failed.
- ↑ Note that all stat checks on this mission only affect whether
Nightmares are gained on completion (and in one case, whether you receive a single Glass Gazette). The impact on rewards is negligible. There is little risk in sending a very under-equipped Agent on this mission if you cannot spare the gear.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Assuming Preparations are sourced from The Operation of (a Veilgarden Honey-Den) -> '...by taking every pain...'.
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Valuing Glass Gazette at 2.5.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Only one preparation is required and consumed when beginning the mission; the remainder are required and consumed when completing it.
- ↑ If
Oneiromantic Revelations are upconverted to 
Parabolan Parables and sold at the Rat Market.
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Set with unknown probability when you complete a Silvered Plot.
- ↑ Gained with unknown probability when you complete a Silvered Plot.
- ↑ See Wading into the War (non-Feline) for non-feline version.
- ↑
Feline Agents can only fight on the side of cats.
- ↑ Set with unknown probability when you complete an Intelligencier Plot.
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 Each point of A Player of Chess adds 1 point of
Glasswork.
Multitasking[edit]
Initially, you can only run 1 plot at a time, or 2 concurrent plots if you are an Exceptional Friend.
To unlock an additional concurrent plot (the second one for free players or the third one for EFs), you first need to:
- Reach
An Accomplished Plotter 10, and - Hire at least three agents.
Once both conditions are met, you will see a purple storylet An Opportunity for Expansion, followed by the Expanding Your Operation storylet in the 
Bazaar Side-Streets. The latter lets you spend a lot of resources to unlock an extra plot.
There are 5 branches, each with their own shopping list of items worth a total of 100, but you only need 3 of them (and no, you can't do the same branch twice. For completionists, neither can you play more than 3 branches).
The branch costs are:
Equipping your agents[edit]
How best to equip agents for success? On one hand, perhaps it simply amuses you to send a minion out with a 
Pair of Lenguals, and that is a perfectly great way to approach the issue. For an enterprising sort, however, it is worth considering that the current maximum agent EPA achievable is only 0.28 EPA in general and 0.4 EPA for Exceptional Friends. The cost of acquiring equipment, therefore, can be rightfully thought of as an investment which will take a certain number of actions to pay itself off before accruing actual profit for you.
Dividing the cost of the acquisition by your agent EPA after updating your agent's equipment, it is quickly apparent that expensive pieces will take a long time to pay off. Purchasing a 
Smock of Four Thousand Three Hundred and Eight Pockets at its Bazaar price of 420 would require at best 1050 actions (420/0.4) to pay off. While the benefit to EPA that better equipment brings does last forever, considering the fact that current max EPA is low and top-of-the-line equipment typically has markedly worse stat boost per echo-cost when compared to mid-tier equipment, cheaper equipment should be favored by the budget-minded mastermind.
In other words, the same effect of Watchful +10 from the smock can also be achieved with a 
Pair of Luminous Neathglass Goggles and an 
Avid Glove, which combined only cost 25.3 and thus have a payback period only 6% as long as getting a smock.
At the extreme end, the payback period for an 
Übergoat is 58564 actions, meaning if you played every action available per day, it would take you nearly 581 days to start making a profit on your investment, 407 days if you are an EF -- and remember, all of these numbers assume that your success chance is otherwise 0%, which is not true in practice. The fact that you still get a reward upon failure and that you still have chances of success means that in practice the item will take significantly longer to pay itself off.
Other acronyms[edit]
Due to how the presence of agents changes how we must describe their EPA, introducing the idea of two independent uses of a single action, a variety of acronyms have been made to represent the concept of "Agent EPA", which may be seen in the comment sections or on other social areas. Listed below is a non-exhaustive list of some of them (feel free to add to this list)
- XPA - eXtra (echoes) Per Action
- XEPA - eXtra Echoes Per Action
- ExPA - Extra (Echoes) Per Action
- EEPA - Extra Echoes Per Action
- AEPA - Agent/Additional Echoes Per Action
- EPB - Echoes Per 🅱️ction/Bonus
- HMMOSEtAUStIAiaOFDbHLOMWBCSI - How Much Money One Should Expect to Accrue Upon Selling the Items Acquired in an Optimal Fashion Divided by How Long One Must Wait Before Collecting Said Items
- EPUOTCOTMWAAIOWBG - Echoes Per Unit Of Time Consisting Of Ten Minutes Wherein An Action Is Or Would Be Gained
- ÆA - Agent's Echoes (per Normally Used) Action(, With Which Rewards of Varying Value May Be Acquired After a Certain Amount of Time In Which Actions are Efficiently Expended, Ranging from One to Several Days)
- TTAQoCWaSPYDbtTNoBoTMIoTNtYtAAoCWROtRaWWAAFtUoAiEotNEoA - The Total Accumulated Quantity of Currency Which a Single Plot Yields, Divided by the Total Number of Blocks of Ten Minute Increments of Time Necessary to Yield the Aforementioned Amount of Currency, Which Represents Overall the Rate at Which Wealth Accrues From the Use of Agents in Excess of the Normal Expenditure of Actions
- PEA: Parallel Echoes per Action
- THIS TOAST BY AN ACTOR: The Helpful Incarnate Stuff, Totally Often Accumulated over Some Time, By Your Agents (Not Always Currency, Too: Often Resources)
- AGENT EPA: Agents Garrulously Extracting Notably Tangible Echoes Per Action
- EPAA - Echoes Per Agent Action
