Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Very LTTP (Late to the Party) Delta Green




I recently "discovered" Delta Green for Call of Cthulhu. This game originally came out sometime around 1997 (13 years ago!). I wasn't even playing rpgs when this game was first released and I long ignored the 90s era Cthulhu settings as I really felt the game lent itself very well to the 1920s era since that is when Lovecraft actually wrote. My first experience with the 90s was the At Your Door Chaosium book. I have not run that campaign, but it did spark my interest in a more modern Cthulhu setting. Keep reading to find out why.



Later, I picked up Realms of Cthulhu for the Savage Worlds rules and this book again reminded me of my interest in the 90s with their potential secret defense setting of monster slaying in the present day. Looking further into this idea I searched more modern settings and looked on Yogsothoth for ideas. I ran into Delta Green, and over a few months I looked into the setting and decided to give it a shot.

I couldn't find the core book at first, so I picked up a copy of Eyes Only and started reading. At times, I was able to completely lose myself in that book and decided the price of Eyes Only was worth the price even if I never used it to play a game. In the past, I have felt a little bad about acquiring rpg books or board games that I never used/played beyond my own collecting habit. Eyes Only was the first time I felt a game was worth buying just to read more about the setting.

I finally picked up the main Delta Green book and have read through the first 100 pages or so. The very interesting part is that actual US and world history is successfully mixed with the Cthulhu Mythos and the Delta Green setting. The example that immediately springs to mind is the Karotechia example of Nazi's fleeing to South America. The writers actually point out where the history ends and the fiction begins. Delta Green is a truly well researched book. The timeline and history of the US intelligence community is another example of a great combination of history spun into mythos fiction.

I really look forward to checking out the two scenarios and the mini campaign at the back of the book. I will probably use the Delta Green setting with the Realms of Cthulhu rules system as we are also playing an Age of Ragnarok game with the Savage Worlds rules. I also plan to start with a two player game to introduce a couple players into Delta Green and have them act as recruiters of the other players.

Additional ideas include sending pictures/files from contacts via the actual mail to the players that have developed those contacts. I already have some great Mythos pictures to use and some additional ideas for real world images/stories for the players to potentially pursue.

A new book for Delta Green will be out soon. If you want to get the limited edition hard cover with .pdf check it out - Targets of Opportunity.

2 comments:

  1. Hey, so, like I'm going to be one of the two right? Cause damn that sounds like fun. It also doesn't hurt that I'm excited to actually build my first real Savage Worlds character!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Delta Green is good stuff ... one of the most memorable games I've had in any RPG genre was a DG game. Good to hear a new book is coming out!! Awesome!!

    ReplyDelete

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