At Your Door discussion (archive)
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Archivist's note At Your Door is a supplement for Cthulhu Now. For some reason, this conversation does not seem to deal with it. It is in fact discussed in Call of Cthulhu scenarios.

Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 11:23:54 EDT
From: Dave K.

So you don't use it, but you do loot (re:use) it? POONK!* * "Poonk" is the sound of a brass "bec-de corbin" hammer wielded by a deranged cripple dressed in black impacting the skull of a total idiot over the internet.

As I rub the bruise on my head, allow me some further elaborations. To clarify, I don't use EH as outlined and follow the chapters/storyline/ect. I do "borrow" ideas that I can apply. I humbly submit to this SMACK DOWN.

Interesting, but shouldn't there be a few scenarios developing this theme through the sixties and seventies first. I always thought that it was the Fate that caused some ghouls to break away and be all sociopathic in the eighties. (When Detwiller was just an itty-bitty gamer in the larval stage of professional game designer :)

I like the idea of the flashback scenarios. That could give a good background element for my campaign. And the Fate could still be involved in the breakaway. They played up to the NYC ghouls (and possibly some others) as pawns in their game. I would just use it in my campaign as they exploited an already present schism.

<, You make them more powerful than they should be at this time. All of their power derives from the Grey's Mythos tainted gifts. Since many MJ-12 personnel retain their sanity, they cannot operate like the Black Brotherhood or other world-dominating Mythos cults; they don't even know anything about the Mythos. Instead, the organization is a battleground between the Sane and Insane, the Sane folk will shut down "failed" projects that the Insane ones would allow to continue "just to see what would happen." Currently, most of the folks at MJ-12 are still sane - for the time being.

The Secret Master identity of MJ-12 is premature and can be prevented if Gavin Ross and Delta Green can succeed in removing folks like Dr. Freidrich Lounds, LT GEN Thomas Deerhausen, Abner Ringwood and Justin Croft from the Steering Committee.

In my upcoming conversion of "Music of the Spheres" from "The Stars Are Right," Delta Green gets a chance to discredit Lounds (MJ-4) and remove him from the committee. Later on, during my Epic Mega-Campaign "The Grey War" Majestic's cover is blown, just in time for some ENDTIMES/CthulhuPunk fun.

In other words, MJ-12 is well on the way towards becoming the organization you use, but not if enough ruthless people prevent them first. »

The way they unfolded in my campaign was that they gained their power during the 1950s-70s, when they were just shooting in the dark at the tech they had their hands on and while largely unchecked intel ops were the norm. Through the fronts of the US military and Intel communities, they established their net. As Projects like Grudge were undertaken their power grew, they became emershed in the larger scene. GRUDGE merged with COINTELPRO and grew. MKULTRA and other programs ran under other fronts but were directed by MJ. The Cold war was largely a sham to enlarge America's power (and hence MJ's) and led to social engineering programs here and abroad and a general consolidation of power. Expanding both themselves and through the fronts they used, MJ took a greater and greater interest in making policy than in carrying out someone else's. After allowing the front intel organizations to grow and MJ to be in place throughout the American Intel-Military community, they engineered several "downfalls" to rein them in. The Church Committee, the military cutbacks of the 70s and so on cut the front organizations back to manageable levels, left MJ (and a few select fronts like NSA)intact, and allowed them to be the real power behind the throne. MJ could parcel out powers, intel, resources and allow selected individuals to rise or fall within their organization and the front groups were dependent upon them. Then contact and the trickle of tech erupted and the factions developed in earnest. Now the items you brought up about MJ's problems factor into my campaign also but as the cracks in a powerful organization and will lead to either the fall of MJ or its restructuring as something new. In my campaign, they are already the "Roman Empire" that is ready to fall instead of ready to rise to that level.

Me too, the outcastes would want to be close the the White Ziggurat. Their plan would be to revitalize the compound for their own use in worshipping Hastur, Nyarlathotep and (in a deal with evil natives) Shub-Niggurath.

I like that angle. another potential "borrowing" might be in the works :)

The way the Fate is handled in my campaign is with Stephen Alzis as a sort of cross between Kaiser S. (the Usual Suspects) and Vito & Michael Corleone (The Godfathers). Hos mystery comes not from being unseen, though, but from the way he is seen and the urban legends that surround him. Alzis is also you know who in my campaign. Their primary interest is in the occult side and generally are interested in just their percentage. But to further the aims of Alzis, the non-occult is undertaken as well. Certain operations are undertaken more for their end result than the money (though that doesn't hurt, either). Getting a shipment of parts for Pakistan's nuclear program furthers his contact net and hastens the Endtimes. The same holds true for getting Chinese assault rifles to a particular gang for a particular event. Some of his infamous trades also deal with mundane items/services instead of the occult. For these particular instances, the Fate gets its hands a little dirty. They aren't selling crack on a playground but might make sure that it gets done for some purpose. Also, I have some of the members of the Fate carrying on their own sideline businesses ventures. Alzis tolerates this as long as they never interfere with the larger Fate operations (already, 2 members of the Fate in our campaign stepped over this line. One was handed to DG agents as a favor from Alzis for some future trade. The other was never seen again.). A final way that has occurred is that the fate subtlely directs the organizations it gets tribute from. The fall of Gotti and various other setbacks suffered by the Mafia as of late were engineered by the Fate. They were culling out the old guard who were loyal but getting ineffective for the long range goals of the Fate. A new guard wil be rising up from these ashes that will carry out the will of the Fate better and without knowing the reason for their success.

They would have to be a minor player because they don't have the manpower to be everywhere at everytime. There has to be a limit on the operations of each and every conspiracy or the game degenerates into a "Conspiracy of the Week" mentality. Just because it's geographically close, doesn't mean the Special K knows about it, or even cares. They have minds to warp and inferior races to smack down. Rocket launching bugs plus the Karotechia could only lead to… SPACE NAZIS~! and no one wants that. I estimate that there are several hundred Bauer, A few dozen Ritter, a few dozen Lebenstentotenstentotententotesten, thirteen Bischofe and Three guys in a homosexual necrophiliac cannibalistic Menage a trois. This places actual Karotechia and not clueless racist idiots at less than 500-600 at the most. Now they might own a few of French Guyana's Officer Corps, bought off with drug money, but NWI, the Fate, and the CIA could also be paying these same corrupt officials. This makes the Karotechia's sources into quadruple agents, which the Shan might infest…

I agree that nobody wants SPACE NAZIS :). The Karotechia in my campaign is larger than yours and plays a larger role. Rather than repost it, somewhere a few months back in the archives is my campaign outline. Check it out if your interested on what they will do to my campaign's America in the "Endtimes Prelude" campaign section.

-Dave K


Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 11:58:11 EDT
From: ScottSaylo

I like the idea of the flashback scenarios. That could give a good background element for my campaign. And the Fate could still be involved in the breakaway. They played up to the NYC ghouls (and possibly some others) as pawns in their game. I would just use it in my campaign as they exploited an already present schism.

The ultimate way to introduce a campaign is, of course, to provide a short background scenario for each character in the group. You give them depth, a reason to dedicate themselves and a cohesion that few groups start out with. That is, of course, time consuming for the Keeper under any circumstances, but it can't help but pay off big time in peaking player interest and follow-through.

As to the "POOONK!" a crow's beak would make a much wetter splash-sucking sound. Not only does it have to do it's grisly work, but it has to be withdrawn from the punctured skull as well, drawing the beak out of the tiny hole creates the sucking sound and possibly a crackling little undertone if it has to break the bone again to withdraw the weapon - nasty thing! mib over simplifies these things.


Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 17:34:47 +0100
From: "Adam Landau"

Flashbacks are great ways of introducing a whole new team. I once ran a campaign that started with PC's all being Vietnam vets in a Medical Facility.

As characters were introduced, they would flash back to the event that put them in the institution, so they played the scenario in both 1971 Cambodia and 1977 Miami (the relative modern day). Players were issued character sheets for both periods - the young and sane selves and the position they were in now.

It was great fun and gave PCs an instant bond and reason to be together.

ADAM


Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 15:16:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: The Man in Black

I like the idea of the flashback scenarios. That could give a good background element for my campaign. And the Fate could still be involved in the breakaway. They played up to the NYC ghouls (and possibly some others) as pawns in their game. I would just use it in my campaign as they exploited an already present schism.

That's kinda what I said. Ghoul youth goes nuts in the sixties/seventies, Fate drives the final wedge in during the eighties, and now, open conflict in the One-Triple-Nine.

The Cold war was largely a sham to enlarge America's power (and hence MJ's) and led to social engineering programs here and abroad and a general consolidation of power.

That's where it all falls apart for me. Such a conspiracy is too big to succeed, sooner or later (within a few months or years) it becomes public knowledge. MJ has had fifty years to prepare to unveil the secret. The US Government can't even get my Disability check to me on time, let alone keep the world's greatest discoveries secret from the scientific community, <TROLL> which is mostly moderate and agnostic, which should be a big warning sign for you idiotic self-deluded liberals, conservatives and religious fanatics out there. </TROLL>

The way the Fate is handled in my campaign is with Alzis as a sort of cross between Kaiser S. (the Usual Suspects)

That is the perfect Hollywood Stephen Alzis.

I agree that nobody wants SPACE NAZIS :). The Karotechia in my campaign is larger than yours and plays a larger role.

How can you play a larger role than EMERALD HAMMER? I thought that was top billing. Does the Special K conquer the world?! Is there a Fourth Reich in the ENDTIMES?! Will the Man in Black ever find underwear that looks sexy, feels comfortable and is colored black?! Stay tuned DGML! Same DG email, same DG paranoia.

Rather than repost it, somewhere a few months back in the archives is my campaign outline. Check it out if your interested on what they will do to my campaign's America in the "Endtimes Prelude" campaign section.

You should get a website, mine is in the works now that 50% computer is in my hands. (It's only non-wonky 50% of the time)

My ENDTIMES prelude is called The Grey War and it is like number twelve or thirteen on the list of major DG stuff, and that's only DG stuff. Basically, like the Karotechia die in EMERALD HAMMER, Majestic-12 goes belly up in The Grey War.

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