The Chessmen Mission

The Chessmen were founded in 1980 by a group of secretive and wealthy individuals who saw the state of the world devolving into chaos. Crime and terrorism were on the upswing. Global tensions were shifting and the nations of the world were unable to cope with this change. Someone had to act to preserve peace and order when the usual governmental mechanisms broke down. These hidden financiers formed themselves into a secret circle called the Players. They chose two individuals to represent them and implement their plans.

Jeremiah Yeats and Rosa Esteban Perez were the first Chessmen. King and Queen of the organization, they selected the agents and developed the tactics and weaponry the group would need to accomplish its missions. By 1985 the organization was running strong, with over two dozen functioning bases across the globe and a field agent force of over five hundred knights.

For six years after that time, Chessmen was at war: their enemy, the super agency RAVEN. Backed by an Inner Circle not unlike the Players themselves, RAVEN was bent on world conquest through technological global blackmail. The casualties in the war were high. Perez died in 1988, and in the final confrontation with RAVEN forces over 40% of the Chessmen personnel and equipment were lost. The Chessmen were eventually victorious and the Supreme Raven was killed along with all of his highest officers and the bulk of the agent force.

The Chessmen have now redirected their efforts and chosen a new enemy: the organization known as VIPER. They have dedicated themselves to their destruction.

Purposes and Goals:

  1. Remain unidentified in public. Every agent of the Chessmen are totally anonymous. Police and Government cannot stand in their way. This is to be maintained even at the expense of the mission.
  2. Oppose VIPER whenever possible.
  3. Combat rampant terrorism, subversive organizations, and organized crime.

Chessmen Resources

Chessmen Roleplaying History

Gaming Background:

Chessmen is an Unofficial Hero System sourcebook based on the 1980s DC Comic Checkmate. Annoyingly frequently imitated online, but we were the first!

It was developed by: Dan Brofe, Brian Bunin, Marcus Hodges, Matthew Mactyre, Shelley Chrystal Mactyre, and Jason Vester/Tondro. Of whom there are a few who still hold the flame!

Note: A Chessmen campaign is best played with two to three PCs. Although this may seem small, since combat tends to be complex and since stealthy infiltration is the name of the game, the smaller the group, the better. Trust us -- we've tried more, but it's best to keep the group small.

I have been playing this game for so long, I am sure I have let out important information about how the game is played. If you have any questions, comments or suggestion please write me at mcm@mactyre.net or Marcus Hodges at mhodges@intercomm.com. We are always looking for more equipment ideas.

UNTIL, VIPER, and Raven are the registered trademarks of Hero Games. PRIMUS is copyrighted by Andrew Robinson. Champions is copyrighted by Hero Games and Iron Crown Enterprises. Checkmate is copyrighted by DC Comics. These pages are unofficial sites. The material contained herein is strictly the work of the authors. These pages were woven by Matthew Mactyre in April, 1996 and revised by Shelley Chrystal Mactyre in June, 2000. Please feel free to use any and all information contained herein for your entertainment. Please do not, however, claim it as your own.