Lagniappe

Summary

Agents in post-Katrina New Orleans head to a briefing only to find the bloody aftermath of a shootout. An alien parasite has commandeered an Agent’s body and fled towards a nearby cafe, taking over the body of a barista. Agents follow the trail to the cafe, where the Agents must discover and stop the hidden threat.

Briefing

November 2005, the waning days of Delta Green’s war with ghouls in a storm-ravaged New Orleans. The Agents are heading to a Green Box in the city’s Uptown neighborhood–a storage facility overlooking the Mississippi. There, they are to be informed of their next assignment by Agents Duke and Edwards.

Riverbend Storage

Once they arrive Agents can make an Alertness roll to determine that something is amiss–the air smells of gunpowder. Exploring further, Agents will find a dead body propped up next to a storage unit (0/1 SAN Violence).

Agent Edwards’ Body

Agents will recognize the body as Agent Edwards. Cause of death is blood loss from multiple gunshot wounds, and a Forensics/Medicine roll will reveal the body is still warm, time of death within an hour.

There’s a legal pad on Edward’s lap, stained with blood. Written on it in shaky block letter is:

FOLLOW TRAIL

INSIDE HIM

STO

A felt pen is still in Edwards’ hand. A pump-action shotgun is on the ground next to them, completely spent.

The “Trail”

A severed arm, holding a handgun, is only a few feet away in a large pool of blood. Agents with Medicine over 40% will recognize it as too much blood for any human to lose without going into shock, making the bloody footprints walking away all the more concerning (1/1d4 SAN Unnatural).

The trail is easily followed, and a Navigate/Search roll will reveal that they appear to be heading directly towards the only building on the horizon with any sign of life.

Green Box

Agents looking inside the Green Box will find it ransacked. A successful Search will turn up an opened box of shotgun shells and a shattered biohazard container, but anything more thorough will take time the Agents should know they don’t have. (If Agents persist, punish them later by accelerating the endgame.)

Surrounding Area

Sell how desolate post-Katrina New Orleans is. Street lights are off, refrigerators and septic tanks can still be found on street corners, and normally packed streets are empty.

Dot’z Cafe

Agents can follow the trail for just under a mile, with the blood getting fainter until fading out completely on the street outside the only lit up building within blocks–Dot’z Cafe. Agents familiar with the area will recognize the goth coffeeshop as one of the few businesses open late during this stage of recovery. Though technically in violation of curfew, authorities have turned a blind eye.

A humvee is parked out front, with a uniformed National Guard troop chatting with a couple at an outside table. Agents can see a few more people inside, and nearby is a fenced-off alleyway attached to the building, with a dumpster visible from the street.

Out Front

Agents overhear an exchange between the couple, Clay Garelick and D. Catherine “Decaf” Grey, and the guardsman, Corporal Rusty Honoré. Honoré complains that the coffee here tastes “off” and Garelick and Grey will confirm the latest batch isn’t great, suggesting it might be due to addition of chicory, which Honoré scoffs at. This is the first clue that the coffee has been poisoned (1d4 hours, 10% Lethality if Agents partake).

Garelick and Grey

Childhood friends, stereotypical oughts jock and nerd, respectively. They can give the Agents an important clue to check the alleyway/dumpster, but are uncooperative. While Garelick is rude and combative, Grey is evasive, even scared. Both will claim not to have seen or heard anything, but a HUMINT roll will determine they’re hiding something. Turns out Grey has weed in her purse and is terrified of going to jail. Once she’s been assuaged or threatened via Law/Persuade, both will share that they had heard some thumping noises coming out of the alleyway roughly 30 minutes ago, but figured it was just rats and didn’t investigate.      

Honoré

A paunchy middle-aged Cajun man. Honoré and his fellow guardsman, Private Ezekiel “Zeke” Miller, arrived only a bit earlier (they grew bored of patrol and decided to play hooky) and don’t know anything useful, but are armed and potentially dangerous. Honoré, seeing Miller hit it off with the barista, has gone outside to give them privacy. Honoré is polite and cooperative with authorities, though fiercely protective of Miller.

The Cafe

Inside, Agents find two employees behind the counter: Manager Stuart “Goth Stu” Carter and barista Savannah Hales. Miller is at the register, aggressively flirting with Hales, who is (surprisingly) flirting back.

Hales/Dischorder

An attractive goth woman in her late twenties who is currently host to the Dischorder parasite, having been attacked and infected on her smoke break by Agent Duke (overheard by an unwitting Garelick and Grey). As the Dischorder, it’s torn between its desire to survive/feed and the euphoric rush it gets from forcing its host to do reprehensible actions (like putting rat poison in everyone’s coffee). The Dischorder determines that having Miller’s body (and weaponry) is a good way to satisfy both those goals, and is attempting to seduce him into the bathroom to accomplish the swap.

Hales has a gaping, but oddly clean chest wound hidden by her apron, and will resist violently any attempts to investigate closer or remove the apron (0/1d4 SAN Unnatural if seen).

The Dischorder, as Hales, is focused on Miller but will feign politeness to the Agents, even offering them free coffee to “support the troops.” Notably, she’ll say this even if the Agents haven’t identified themselves as feds (offer this hint at a successful INTx5).

An Alertness/HUMINT roll can clue the Agents in that something’s off about both the coffee and Hales’ behavior, and Pharmacology/Survival can identify the cinnamon smell as rodenticide. When confronted, Hales/Dischorder will attempt to cast suspicion on Carter (“He made the coffee, I swear!”). If backed into a corner, Hales/Dischorder will attempt to take Miller’s M4 and gun down the Agents. (See The Dischorder Makes Its Move)

Carter

An avuncular man in his 30s wearing a top hat. Carter is normally amicable, but will be noticeably uncomfortable if the Agents present themselves as feds (understandable, as he’s running a semi-legal establishment). He is protective, even permissive, with Hales, and will allow her to use the bathroom with Miller “so long as it’s quick.” He’ll cover for her if he thinks she’s in trouble, but will answer truthfully so long as he thinks it’s not incriminating (confirming she made the coffee and recently took her break in the alley). He’ll be genuinely hurt and confused if she attempts to frame him.

Miller

A reedy man from rural Northern Louisiana. Miller is a horny moron. He thinks he’s hitting it off with a hot city girl and will be resistant to interruptions, but will back down quickly and will follow Honoré’s orders without hesitation.

If the Dischorder takes him over, he becomes Hayseed Terminator.

The Alley

The gate is unlocked. In the alley, there’s a back entrance, a chair and makeshift ashtray, and a locked dumpster. Aprons hang on a hook by the door.

The lock can be picked, broken with a STRx5 check, opened with a key from Carter, or shot open, though those latter two options will agitate Hales/Dischorder, who will accelerate their plan to take Miller’s body.

Agent Duke’s Body

Inside the dumpster the Agents will find a bloody apron covering the corpse of a one-armed man they will recognize as Agent Duke. The body is exsanguinated and the abdomen has been split open, and (other than the apron) the lack of blood in the dumpster is unnerving. (1/1d4 SAN Violence)

The Dischorder Makes Its Move

At the Handler’s discretion, the situation can deteriorate:

• Garelick and Grey succumb to the rat poison.
• Hales/Dischorder takes Miller to the bathroom and paralyzes him, then begins the process of “hijacking” him.
• (Interrupting the transfer process leaves the Dischorder vulnerable, but inflicts 1d4/1d10 SAN for all Agents witnessing it.)
• Hales/Dischoder attempts to take the Humvee keys from Honoré and flee.

If the Agents engage in combat with Hales/Dischorder or Miller/Dischorder, they’ll find them eerily unresponsive to damage. Once they hit 0HP, their corpse will re-animate and continue attacking for 0/1d6 Unnatural SAN damage.

The End

If the Agents delay/don’t even make it to Dot’z, the Dischorder/Miller kills and consumes everyone, and begins a violent crime spree.

If the Agents can’t stop Hales/Dischorder from fleeing, the same spree occurs, with an additional 1d6 SAN loss from Helplessness. Same outcome if the Agents “kill” the Dischorder’s host but don’t secure the body.

Destroying the Dischorder earns each Agent 1 SAN. Witnesses are dealt with as the Agents see fit.

Stat Blocks

Dischorder

STR 1 CON 26 DEX 18 INT 33 POW 22

HP 14 WP 22

ATTACK: Neurofilament whip 80%, paralysis for 1D100 minus CON minutes unless the victim succeeds at a CON×5 test at −40%.

REGENERATION: The Dischorder heals 1D8 HP at the end of every turn until dead.

INSULATION: The Dischorder is more difficult to kill while inside a host. It occupies an area near the host’s stomach. Hits to any other part of the host do not damage it. If the attacker knows the Dischorder is there and where, a called shot inflicts equal harm to host and Dischorder. Otherwise, a hit to the host has a 1 in 6 chance to also harm the Dischorder. Exposure to fire damages the Dischorder only after all the host’s hit points have been exhausted. Electricity does half the damage to the Dischorder that it inflicts on the host.

SAN LOSS: 0/1D6 from the unnatural.

(From page 24 of Puppet Show and Shadow Plays by Adam Scott Glancy)

Savannah Hales

Barista with a little something extra, age 29.STR 10 CON 12 DEX 14 INT 10 POW 12 CHA 15HP 11 WP 12 SAN 0Skills: Flirting 70%, Firearms 40%, Making Coffee 70%, Melee Weapons 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%.Attacks: Neurofilament whip 80%, paralysis for 1D100 minus CON minutes unless the victim succeeds at a CON×5 test at −40%.Kitchen knife 1d4, Armor Piercing 3.  Pepper Spray Keychain 70%, -20% Skill Penalty for 1 hr.SAN loss: 0/1d4 SAN Unnatural (If chest wound is revealed.)

Hales, Postmortem

So goth she’s literally a zombie.

STR 20 CON 24 DEX 7 HP 24

SKILLS: The Dischorder can continue manipulating all of Hales’ skills as if she were still alive (Flirting is at -60% penalty, however).

ATTACKS: Neurofilament whip 80%, paralysis for 1D100 minus CON minutes unless the victim succeeds at a CON×5 test at −40%.

Unarmed 50%, 1d4+1.

INHUMAN STATS: Hale’s postmortem STR×5 roll is a critical success on any roll up to 20 (as is his CON×5 roll up to 24) and any other matching dice except a roll of 100, which fails.

DEADENED FLESH: Bullets and Armor Piercing weapons inflict only 1 damage per attack on postmortem Hales. All other attacks inflict half damage. All Lethality rolls fail. When her hit points are reduced to zero again, the corpse is too badly damaged to move or fight.

SAN LOSS: 0/1D6 from the unnatural.

Ezekiel “Zeke” Miller

Louisiana Army National Guard Private (Second Class), Potential Dischorder host, age 22.

STR 15 CON 15 DEX 15 INT 8 POW 10 CHA 10

HP 15 WP 10 SAN 50 BP 40

SKILLS: Alertness 20%, Athletics 60%, Craft (Woodworking) 50%, Firearms 60%, Melee Weapons 70%, Navigate 50%, Overestimating His Charm 99%, Stealth 50%, Survival 50%,  80%, Unarmed Combat 60%

ARMOR: 5 (Interceptor body armor)

ATTACK: M4 Carbine single shot (60%, 1D12, 100m, 3AP), M4 Carbine burst (10% Lethality).

Ka-Bar Knife 70%, 1d6+1 Armor Piercing 3.

Unarmed 60%, damage 1D4.

Miller, Postmortem

The second scariest thing to come out of Winn Parish.

STR 24 CON 22 DEX 6 HP 23

SKILLS: The Dischorder can continue manipulating all of Miller’s skills as if he were still alive.

ATTACKS: Neurofilament whip 80%, paralysis for 1D100 minus CON minutes unless the victim succeeds at a CON×5 test at −40%.M4 Carbine single shot (60%, 1D12, 100m, 3AP), M4 Carbine burst (10% Lethality).

Ka-Bar Knife 70%, 1d6+1, Armor Piercing 3.

Unarmed 60%, damage 1D4+1.

INHUMAN STATS: Miller’s postmortem STR×5 roll is a critical success on any roll up to 24 (as is his CON×5 roll up to 22) and any other matching dice except a roll of 100, which fails. DEADENED FLESH: Bullets and Armor Piercing weapons inflict only 1 damage per attack on postmortem Miller. All other attacks inflict half damage. All Lethality rolls fail. When his hit points are reduced to zero again, the corpse is too badly damaged to move or fight.

SAN LOSS: 0/1D6 from the unnatural.

Rusty Honoré

Louisiana Army National Guard Corporal, age 43.

STR 14 CON 14 DEX 10 INT 12 POW 12 CHA 8

HP 14 WP 12 SAN 60 BP 48

Skills: Alertness 72%, Athletics 65%, Dodge 66%, Drive 43%, Firearms 68%, Language (Cajun French) 80%, Melee Weapons 67%, Military Science (Land) 70%, Navigate 59%, Persuade 48%, Survival 52%, Unarmed Combat 75%, Unnatural 11%.

Armor: 5 (Interceptor body armor)

Attack: M4 Carbine single shot (68%, 1D12, 100m, 3AP), M4 Carbine burst (10% Lethality).

Ka-Bar Knife 67%, 1d6+1, Armor Piercing 3.

Unarmed 75%, damage 1D4.

Stuart “Goth Stu” Carter

Dot’z manager, age 37

STR 10 CON 12 DEX 15 INT 12 POW 8 CHA 14

HP 11 WP 8 SAN 40 BP 32

Skills: Making Coffee 80%, Sweating Profusely 70%, Unarmed Combat 40%

Attack: Unarmed 40%, damage 1D4-1.

Clay Garelick, 22

Loyola Law School First Year, age 22

STR 14 CON 10 DEX 10 INT 10 POW 14 CHA 14

HP 12 WP 14 SAN 70 BP 56

Skills: Knowing His Goddamn Rights 60%, Law 60%, Unarmed Combat 40%Attack: Unarmed 40%, damage 1D4.

D. Catherine “DeeCath” Grey

Oberlin senior, age 21

STR 9 CON 10 DEX 10 INT 12 POW 9 CHA 10

HP 10 WP 9 SAN 45 BP 36

Skills: Art (The Modern American Novel) 40%, Freaking The Fuck Out 77%, Unarmed Combat 40%

Attack: Unarmed 40%, damage 1D4-1.

Credits

Lagniappe was written by Misery Stomp for the 2025 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lvsW5L3SV9TvEcoai9cITT7EBLBo88YpcFXETQWrtws/edit