Here is where you can communicate with players, the GM, and discuss RL matters outside the In Character posts.
I have posted a few things to the gameplay thread outlining the parameters of your current assignment and what tools were made available to your team. Before we begin posting in character on the gameplay thread I would like everyone to check in here to discuss anything before we are ready to officially start.
It will be up to the team to decide if you need to post prior to arriving at the airport. Please include on your characters which city is your home location. I will add a few NPC aliases to the Campaign tab as well as your characters once they are finalized.
Hope everyone is ready to have a little fun going mad and delaying the apocalypse.
I should mention the mission alert is received on July 14th at just past noon. You will have some time that afternoon and evening to prepare for the trip/research anything you might need before you depart.
You are booked on connecting flights such that the three of you arrive together, flying from Washington DC to maintain cover. You are booked on an American Airlines flight from Washington Reagan to Yeager arriving at 11:00 AM on the 15th. Your return flights leaves Yeager for DC at 6:30 AM on the 18th.
Hey guys, happy to start looking into the great scary unknown with you!
All looks good from here. I had a few issues getting past the recruitment only thread, but all is well now.
One question - in recruitment you had mentioned using different character sheets, and us not posting who we are (keeping SAN secret, skills and stats secret, etc).
How do we handle that?
Do you want us to put on our Alias what we don't mind people knowing?
If we do that - do you want us to PM you a "real" character sheet? How often do you want a sheet?
I am leaning toward keeping SAN secret and my backstory, but that is about it (everyone will know what kind of gear I have, and therefore know what my background is anyway).
Once I understand the mechanics you prefer of keeping the character sheets, I will fill out the info on Fendar Hig.
Yes you can post on your character page any particulars you don't care for your teammates to know, or even altar to play to any bravado or humility your character may possess. However please send me a correct character sheet updated with your background, Bonds, hometown and agency affiliation, and full equipment list.
I have posted four local/near to local assets which Delta Green has worked with previously. I will post additional support characters to the page as needed or time allows. I will try to keep around ten or so assets listed at any one time. Availability will be subject to their schedules but you may be able to work things out on a case by case basis.
You may contact them as needed to assist you during your mission, just remember this is a covert agency and it has eliminated threats to this country from Unnatural sources for nearly 100 years now. Try to avoid calling attention to your actions and using inappropriate tools for the job at hand, aka a hammer with a screw or a hand grenade while fishing...
PS - I also uploaded Alphonses Axioms for Agents on the Campaign Page, a handy list of do's and don'ts for field agents.
Ms Jones I take it will be in the adjoining room, bunking Michael and Fendar together. While the government has moved in a PC friendly climate, co-ed room assignments are still avoided whenever possible.
Was there anything special you folks needed or wanted to do before arriving in Charleston? Once the last of you has boarded the plane there is no turning back?
Fendar, you did have a bit of trouble at the airport with your gear. TSA informed you the security clearances for Agent Ormando's rifle and grenades were not transmitted with his other weapons permits by the FBI field office. The TSA will send a follow-up request to them and DC but for now have allowed you to remove them from baggage claims. You likely have the weekend before any red flags are triggered. It should be a small matter for Ms Jones or someone else with good computer skills to send a fake update to clear the matter.
Michael, Agent Oscar's personal weapons gear will arrive at the UPS main distribution center in South Charleston late afternoon on the 15th for personal pick-up. The office closes at 3 PM and will not be open on the 16th. It cost $100 to ship, I assume you placed the charge on Agent Oscar's prepaid.
Fendar didn't fly here; he drove. Deep blue Dodge Charger with IL plates.
He arrived in the Charleston WV area about 0100 hrs, catching a few hrs of shut eye at a truck stop before he drove to the hotel and checked in.
That will work, though I would recommend the Pilot Truck stop in Nitro over the TA truck stop in Teays Valley. Closer to Charleston and fewer nocturnal visitors to fend off, unless that's your thing, no judgment here. My last active DG character could not handle personal relationships due to things seen on the job so instead he had a pair of escorts he frequented on those nights he needed to work out things without actually thinking about them. You could also have theoretically driven into town and parked in the hotel's multilevel garage.
As I said I wrote this first scenario as part of a shotgun mission for a local group and am presenting it at the convention this year. I used a lot of local color to help immersion into the scenes, to make it more real should the shyte ever hit the fan.
Sorry, didn't see this kick off yesterday, catching up now.
A few questions
The Need to Know book has pretty much no info on gear, I assume I can bring along whatever's relevant? i.e. A laptop (presumably a 'clean' one without any personal files on it) either tethered to a burner phone with a data connection, or it's own 'burner' SIM. Some light, concealable sidearm (neither I nor my character are gun nerd enough to know what would be appropriate). Maybe a basic electronics toolkit, plus the contents of the 'other' go bag?
As for character updates, I will be keeping my google doc up to date as a character sheet. Will post known knowledge to my profile.
A clean laptop is reasonable and could be considered appropriate for your role. The burner phone is likewise available. A sidearm is likely a necessity as an "FBI" agent so you may look for something relatively standard. The other gear would be appropriate and acceptable.
GM rolls
As I have not played Delta Green before - are those rolls in opposition to the net search rolls?
Another question - are we playing this like a gritty realistic (horror) story, or are we playing a bit more loose with reality (like in the show Supernatural, where their IDs are generally believed, for example)?
Sorry no, the rolls were not in opposition but on a set of chances I had built about contacting Myers and such.
As for the level of realism, Delta Green leans more to the gritty realistic "drives you insane" horror, but in general I am fairly reasonable with your ID's and motivations, if they are not blatantly abused.
Walk up and say "Hi I'm Mulder, this is Scully" and you are going to get scrutinized worse than a bull in a china shop.
"We're Agents Hall and Oates" is going to get some attention but you can probably get through the door, but only while they call the local office for confirmation.
Tell them "we're following up on the Violet Glesson (the missing girl from Myers' notes) case, but can you use a hand?" will probably earn you a peek over their shoulders, but it will still be a local matter, so little real jurisdiction at this time.
* An ID packet identifying your Agent O persona as an FBI agent, on a special review assignment, investigating the case of a missing girl as part of a current international task force investigating human trafficking. The packet includes ID appropriate firearm permits, a driver’s license issued in Washington DC, and miscellaneous other non-valid identifiers and cards.
Are there things like standard "DANGER" codes for agents? What I am wondering is if it is worth taking a look at Myers window with some binoculars to see if there is a sign warning us off or anything.
I sort of assume there isn't but maybe I am not paranoid enough!
Actually in undercover or covert tradecraft there are such signs, used between agents, assets, and handlers. Those codes however are usually specific to the team, an upturned mailbox flag, the blinds pulled up vs. down, the ubiquitous white X on a park bench. Delta Green does have some standardized codes which are used universally between teams to mark safe houses, green boxes, and supply caches, but those signs are generally not something Myers would mark his apartment by.
There may however also be codes used by old timers like Myers from the days when Delta Green was a rogue cowboy group, hunted by Majestic 12, disavowed by the very country they died defending. Those agents needed a way to alert one another without giving too much away to a potential enemy. Unless you have a SIGINT skill of 40 give me either an INT or CHA roll to see if you have picked up any hints of those old codes since you recently joined the teams.
Sorry, read through yesterday and meant to come back to and update, and some time to think.
Should always just post, rather than overthink...
I am at the game convention this weekend, starting tonight. Running three games only so nothing hectic but I am not sure of the wifi connectivity there. I will make plans to check in as often as possible to keep things moving.
The con is over, sorry for the delays, back to business. Thanks for your patience.
I am heading off on a trip tomorrow early. My posting may be spotty until I return on Thursday, but I will try to get in at least one post at day (no guarantees!).
This will happen again for GenCon17 8/16 thru 8/20, but then I will be completely unhinged and out of touch.
Have we lost Agent Olive aka MsJones aka SpinningDice?
Not sure if we have lost Olive or not.
I have been holding back a bit so I don't dominate the conversation by simply posting a lot.
It would appear that we have lost both Agents Olive and Oscar at this point.
Well, that bodes poorly for continuing this game, I would say.
Bummer.
On the bright side, you have taught me the system and given me enough of a taste I want to try it face to face somewhere.
There is also an attempt at a Delta Green Living Campaign currently over on Reddit. The Link should take you to the main page.
My local pickings are scarce, everyone seems more inclined to use the Call of Cthulhu rules and pre-WW II settings, not enough interest in a more modern take on the game. Maybe you will have better luck there.
I will probably give them another couple of days before I officially call it and retire the threads. If you find yourself a game feel free to let me know how it goes. Sharing the madness is what the Mythos is all about.
SO so sorry. RL completely shafted me this week, and some of my games got backburnered.
That happens. Good to have you back.
It does appear that we have lost Ms Jones.
Sorry guys, had a small medical issue which had me AFK for a bit. I will post up something for Agent Olive's take on the room later this evening. If you wish I will continue to run Agent Olive in the interim.
Not sure what happened to SpinningDice, still posting in other forums just not responding in ours.
Just a word of warning - I am going to GenCon17 next week. I will go radio silent after Monday 8/14, and won't be back till Monday 8/21.
Sorry about that, but its the best 4 days in gaming plus 3!
Have fun at Gencon, check out the DG booth if you get the chance, they usually have a few nice giveaways planned.
Heading to work, my one Saturday a month day today. Be back on later today.
What skill should I roll to determine why the skull is damaged? Like are they chewed on by animals or humans or other damage?
Forensics if you have it, INT x 1 if you don't.
Have we lost another player?
No sorry. I'm having computer troubles. I'll post now.
Unexpected detour there to the vet, hope it was not too disruptive.
Allllmost enough to make you consider going crazy for the healing factor drugs.
Sorry for the delay guys, I had doctor's appointments yesterday to deal with my most recent bout of pneumonia. Changed up a couple of meds and I've been a bit nauseous getting used to them.
I need some help with Delta Green, as I have never played before.
We need to sanitize the old folks home. Does that mean burn it to the ground? Or something less aggressive?
The game seems very reality based (in some regards) so it isn't likely we can pose as doctors as we have already posed as FBI guys.
I think I am just having some issues with figuring out the borders of the game which is tougher in a pbp game vs. a face to face game.
By the way - I drop the bond to Dad by the amount instructed.
You guys are doing fine, you are grunt operators and just more used to having a chain of command and following standardized rules of engagement. Delta Green agents have to throw some of that out the window in order to protect the greater good, or at least stave off the mythos for one more day.
Sanitize in most ops recommends cleaning up the scene and disposing of any evidence which might point to an Unnatural event. Dump it at a prearranged Green Box or send it up the line to A CELL, depending on what it is. In this case it seems the Webley does a nice job of cleaning up the remains of infected creatures, so a muffled shot from it, through a pillow or some such item may work to clean up the biggest part of the mess which is him. After that you just need to go over the apartment, remove any bits that might say "monsters are among us," and leave the rest for the authorities and his next of kin to fret over later.
Cleaning and disinfecting your equipment is probably a safe bet, using bleach or similar hospital grade solutions should work fine. Agent Olive has been handling bone and blood samples taken from the scene, and from Oscar, without much concern beyond the normal safety protocols. Just watch over Oscar for any signs of changes, wriggling under his skin, occasionally give him a look-see through the night vision. Healthy paranoia should work just fine.
It can be a fine line to walk in how you approach a case, and how you bluff or intimidate your way past an observer. Credentials on the fly are more difficult to gather, create, or steal and seldom stand long to any scrutiny. Avoiding notice at all is the agent's best friend. When you can't, either confuse the situation as much as possible to discredit the witnesses, find appropriate evidence to hold over them, or in the worst case scenario, eliminate them. Sometimes the best option can still be a bad solution, you are weighing the cost of one life versus untold others if some secrets get out.
A CELL won't order you to kill innocents, but if the mission goes side ways they won't rat you out either. Just report the mission as accurately as you need to, as appropriately as you can, and you can deal with the fall out later. Many agents have been giving their walking papers from DG, not the best fit when the soup gets thick, some others who lost it reportedly got a .45 cal retirement plan, but a rare few others made it as far as Myers, retiring out, but in the end the mission is still the mission.
Here is a link to the shared Alphonses Axioms for Agents booklet, a handy little thing someone created for an older version of the game which points out the nature of how agents should handle the stresses of a mission, what they used to call a night at the opera.
In between missions players have the option to improve a skill, recover sanity, improve bonds, or as I think your character may want to do, research the occult and unnatural to try to get a basic understanding of what the mythos is, and what it is trying to do. Just remember there is a finer line between running a mission and becoming the mission.
Again, you guys are doing fine. The wild shots in the woods not withstanding I haven't seen anything to complain over.
And by wild shots I mean the randomizer sucking for donkey balls.
Got it. Good feedback. Thanks. Just wanting to make sure I am not thinking crazy / wild.
Busy week, and I could not get into the Paizo site last night either (although not their normal goblin message screen - so maybe on my end).
I will try to keep up!
Guys - I am going to have to drop out. The posting pace is just too slow for me; plus, I think we need at least 3 players to help figure out the clues.
Thanks for introducing me to Delta Green. I have been thinking about running a home game of it.
I am sorry the pace fell off this past week, I ended up sick and out of touch with the internet. My apologies and well wishes for you to have better luck with another game.