Spies and Spy equipment

[Feugan]

Hey all,

I will soon be hosting a game with four players and I am putting them through a series of adventures that are basically Tom Clancy covert ops in a medieval setting.  I was wondering if anyone has any ideas for equipment that could be used in a medieval setting that would be adequit for spies and "covert ops" agents of those times.  Either real or not real gadgets are fine.  
       So far ive come up with using repeating crossbows and pistol repeating crossbows, crossbows with some sort of lens to make a sniper rifle, and all sorts of concealable weapons.  Any and all ideas are welcome.  

Sinc,
Feugan

[Ingenious]

Ask and thou shalt receive an opinion, all-be-it mine.
Afix a spyglass onto a crossbow as a 'scope'.
Repeating crossbows are actually historically correct, but given the era they were made in.
I'm quite sure that some quiet soled shoes would help, along with skills to sneak and hide and track and jump, use rope... etc.
Poison plays a factor. It doesn't have to look like someone's been shot, or murdered, or stabbed, or had their throat cut. Well, it does sometimes..
But use some imagination. Maybe someone spend some time in an Amazon-like jungle with some amazon-like natives.. and saw them use blowguns and fast acting poisons. Maybe this same person was also trained in the use of one during his visit there.
Sleeping powders, ninja equipment, etc etc etc.

I'm out of ideas for now.
-Ingenious

[Bob McNamee]

Camoflage clothing specifically for inhabited areas.(stoneblock, rooftiles,etc)

Small light heat sources/ completely coverable (coal burning?)

small hand held telescopes and periscopes
swordcanes (not really that  era, but fun)

[Caz]

Depending on your time and setting, gunpowder could be your secret weapon/tool.
   Switchblades (not only in knives, but staves, etc.)
Grappling hooks
Magnifying glass
Invisible ink
Special arrow heads (whistles, incendiary, rope arrows, poisons, etc.)
Irritant powders
They could invent the spring loaded parrying dagger
hang gliders?
caltrops
bucklers w/spring loaded spikes (either like switchblades or projectiles)
boot spikes
carrier pigeons, etc.
Sneaky shoes is a good idea, but I think that's the only kind they made back then, except for pattens ;)
signal mirrors
Hidden compartments in shoes, rings, pummels
concealed armour, like sneaky people would use in rapier duels

Plenty of possibilities, depending on how realistic/cinematic you want to be

[Feugan]

these are all great ideas, and im starting to piece together the details of these characters.  im also trying to think of some things more "cinematic" as Caz said.  hmm...well im exhausted and brain dead right now so tomorrow ill post some more ideas.

thanks again

[Salamander]

Gold.