Delta Green: Lovecraftian Horror and Conspiracy

So I've been running a Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition game on here for the past few months, which has been going swimmingly but is moving a lot slower than I anticipated it to (through no one in particular's fault - if any of my players are reading this, I'm not complaining! - it's just the nature of the medium.) I have also had a bunch of new players request to join the game, which is fantastic, but I'm running out of narrative plausibility with which I can continue to inject new PCs into such a limited investigation.

So, since there seems to be pretty solid interest in Cthulhoid horror here these days, I have been thinking for a while about what exactly I might like to try and run here next, and what would be interesting and work well for a remote, asynchronous, text based game. I've had a bunch of ideas, but I keep returning to my favorite tabletop RPG, Delta Green - which, as far as I can tell, has never been put on the boards here at GPN.

Not sure if anyone here has played DG before, but if I had to try and describe it, it's sort of like what you'd get if you got H.P. Lovecraft to write for the X-Files (the analogy doesn't quite carry, but it's about the closest I can get) with a dash of the SPC Foundation thrown in. Government conspiracy and criminal investigations meet alien entities, strange technology, and mind-bending horror. It's nominally set in the present day, and I generally like to stick to that (for my own ease as a GM), but it's flexible enough of a framework to set a game any year between 1928 and the now. It's a highly U.S.-centric setting - of course players of any nationality are welcome, but as a warning, it trades heavily in American culture.

This wouldn't be starting imminently - I don't even have specific campaign or operation ideas yet - but my schedule is going to be changing drastically in a week. I'm also wrapping up two CoC games I'm running IRL this week and rather than stare into the void (and have it stare back at me), I want to see if there's enough interest here to launch a game. If so, I'd like to put the gears into motion.

Not sure how many players I'm looking for. I'd probably be willing to take as many people as are interested and find a way to work around it, but I'm putting the cart before the horse here.

Leave a comment to come get eaten by a shoggoth!


Your boy,
Santouche

(Also, if there's no interest in this but there IS interest in Call of Cthulhu, I have stuff I want to run for that as well. For example, I just got my hands on the new edition of the Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign, and a campaign for the new "Pulp" Cthulhu setting.)

I'm interested in both Delta Green and CoC. I'm fairly new at roleplaying and I have yet to play a game with either system. I would like to join either game when you put it on.

Interesting. Not familiar with either of those systems though.

Never played (or heard of) DG, but sounds great--the description gives off a certain Lynchian vibe, which I'm all for. Would certainly be game for some Cthulhu as well (currently running Nyarlothep with a local group, which is a blast).

Cool cool cool. I have one more player who I think is down, so that would put us at 4 players. I'm going to wait a bit longer to see if any other interest trickles in, but as long as the three of you have interest, you'll all get spots.

No worries about a lack of experience - CoC experience might be useful, but there's no reason it's necessary. The systems are different, though both descendants of BRP.

Awsmack - it is vaguely Lynchian, though I would say it's a grittier world and has a bleaker outlook than something like Twin Peaks.

Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for invites to the game sometime within the next week or so.

I am EXTREMELY interested in DG, I have a lot of familiarity with the Gumshoe system via Trail of Cthulhu, and am an avid fan of SCP so DG is right up my alley. Please count me in!

You're accounted for, dominion, no worries!

Oh good, cuz did I mention that I'm EXTREMELY excited for this game? Hahaha! I would also like to say that I am all in favor of this run taking place in present day since the vast bulk of the gumshoe games I've played have been in the 30's and there's only so much excitement to be had with a Colt 1911.

If there are any DG PDFs you need let me know, I have most of them now. I can also make the Agent's Handbook available for any PCs that aren't able to download it for themselves... although all you need to do is Google Delta Green Agent Handbook PDF, lol

Don't worry, I have everything they've published lol. I'll make all relevant PDFs available.

I'm definitely inclined to do a modern day run, but I also have been toying with the idea of doing an OG "Outlaw 90s" game (as a throw back to how we used to play it). That being said, there is a TON of new stuff on the verge of being released for the modern day, and I also have several operas I want to playtest that I've written and never run, so I'm thinking that we'll do modern day, and hopefully be able to take advantage of the slew of new material when it comes out (I don't know the exact distribution date, but sometime within the next month I should get the PDFs I think).

Glad you're excited! As I said, it may take a little while to gear up. 4 players would be about the max for a real life game, but these games seem to run better with as many players as you can get, so I'm gonna let this sit for at least a bit longer.

One question I have is would we be starting as DG recruits or as Agents of our respective real-world agencies? Or have you not decided that yet?

That's need to know. You'll all be fully briefed once the operation is assembled.

(That is to say, I haven't decided yet :) )

Lol, copy that ;)

Alright, fuck it - I'm pulling the trigger. Just made the game, I know how we're gonna start, and I'll send you all invites once I get the threads set up probably next week.

Also, I think I'm going to make it a public game, if that's cool with everyone.

Oh crap, just when I get out. Someone pulls me back in. I just dropped a game I’m playing and as you know, running three CoC games, but I’ve always been interested in DG but never tried it. Should i?

Incidentally, I’m planning to run Masks, but it might be a way into the future, when one of the current games draws to a close.

I mean... I love Delta Green. I think you should try it.

I think my plan is to kind of open a DG game that exists indefinitely as long as there are players interested. The operational nature of the scenarios makes it easy for players to come and go relatively frequently without doing any damage to the narrative structure. If you want to jump in now, or wait til your schedule clears a little bit, I'd be happy to let you jump in and out - it wouldn't necessarily have to be a daunting, super long term commitment.

Also, character incapacitation seems to happen way more frequently than in CoC, so yanno, there might be a way out even before the end of an operation. Worst comes to worst, your Agent could always just take the .9mm retirement plan.

Tell you what, add me to the game and I'll lurk for a while and if you have access to a PDF I can browse, that would help.

I might also be interested, specially in Nyarlothep's campaign.