Operation TIN MANSION or Shrunken City 68

SUMMARY

Kowloon Walled City, 1968. A trio of immortal Kuen-Yuin sorcerers from the future lay low hiding from the purge of Mao’s Cultural Revolution.

The trio has been recruiting the 14K and Sun Yee On triads to establish the beginnings of the Tsan-Chan empire. Their influence (and the city) grows as they smuggle unnatural artefacts and drugs into the city.

PISCES operative codename DAIRY is laying low after the Shan invasion of ‘67. Having worked with Delta Green in World War II, DAIRY calls for aid from an old friend. He’s got enough pull with his informant Wenji Shen to get Agents into a recruitment meeting, under the guise of establishing further international operations, with the goal of infiltrating the unnatural smuggling ring.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is preparing a raid on triad strongholds in the city, against better political advice.

Agents march boldly into the heart of Kowloon Walled City, but can they make it out?

HISTORICAL BACKDROP

Ceded to Britain in 1860, the Chinese retained control of the fort/administration area that would become KWC.

Post-WWII, squatters took over and built a ramshackle city. British and Chinese authorities are at odds over police jurisdiction. It’s a hotbed of wanted people laying low.

Absolute anarchy in its layout, safety, and construction and home to ~10,000 population in 1968.

Unable to expand outwardly, it went vertically 10 stories, directly under the flight path of planes landing at Kai Tak Airport. The ground level never sees sunlight; its alleyways only 1-2m wide. Locals navigate the labyrinth’s series of secret staircases, passageways, and ladders among the 10m² single-room apartments.

Triads fight for control of the narcotics, prostitution, and gambling profits. In spite of the criminal activity, many of the city’s residents live peacefully and crime-free.

Foreigners in KWC are sure to turn heads: priests and charities running schools or offering aid may be the only exception. Locals may regard foreigners as cheap/easy income.

DEATHLESS KUEN-YUIN

Immortal sorcerers from the future Cruel Empire of the Tsan-Chan attempt to lay the groundwork for their coming empire and prevent the infectious dream of Cthulhu from spreading.

The ramshackle city springs up so quickly because of an unnatural artefact in their possession: a strange dodecahedron capable of manipulating space.

Currently being persecuted by the Communists while arming triad gangsters with unnatural ARTEFACTS, the trio is paranoid of their movement being hijacked by their Empire’s enemies: Deep Ones, Xothians, Tcho-Tcho.

The Kuen-Yuin of the future also enjoy the backing of Tsathoggua, Hastur, Serpent-Persons, Nyarlathotep, and Elder Things, and seek to create these alliances now.

For more, consider reading The Cruel Empire of the Tsan-Chan.

ARRIVAL

Agents on a plane watch as the plane banks sharply 45 degrees with KWC on their right, their first glimpse of the anarchy.

Briefed to meet with their contact at a noodle bar just inside of the city, using the sign/countersign CAMERA/LADDER, KWC is a taxi ride away.

RECRUITMENT MEETING

DAIRY tells Agents of the plan: infiltrate this criminal organization and learn their secrets to secure Unnatural ARTEFACTS.

DAIRY’s contact, Wenji Shen, will prepare the Agents, giving them a rundown on international criminal smuggling affairs. Wenji escorts them to the meeting on the 10th story.

Those not attending the meeting are guided to an overwatch position at a rooftop garden by DAIRY.

The DEATHLESS SORCERERS teleport in abruptly (0/1 SAN). They light DREAMCENSE to ensure their unnatural enemies are not among the new blood. Their paranoia ignores the more mundane: an undercover HKPF officer has infiltrated, nervously looking at his watch waiting for the raid to begin.

The Sorcerers ask the new recruits what they bring to the table. Unbeknownst, THE RAID has begun.

THE RAID

Gunshots, a shootout between the Sorcerer’s triad bodyguard and the HKPF.

As the raid begins, the sorcerers begin shrinking the city with the DODECAHEDRON and disappear just as abruptly as they came.

The Agents have an immediate goal: escape and evasion. They may also seek to save DAIRY and Wenji, and overall they’d do well to prevent an international incident in KWC.

LOCATION TABLE

Before the meeting, roll to find DAIRY’s safe space, covered and protected by an Elder Sign. He has a few weapons stashed: a Lee-Enfield, a Thompson SMG with a drum mag, and two 1911s.

Attempts to Navigate are made at a +20% if a local if guiding. Because the city is shrinking, it is difficult to go back to places. When Agents pass through a darkened alleyway, they may find themselves in an entirely different area when they emerge.

Roll d66 for an ENCOUNTER.
If Navigation succeeds, Agents are given a chance to plan or disengage with ENCOUNTER
If Navigation fails, the Agents are thrown into the encounter.

Reroll if the space has been encountered already.
In general, the Agents are navigating downward, whether they climb or are forced down as the shrinking occurs. Adequate progress is determined by Agent actions or Handler’s satisfaction.

Each location may also be a residence. Most locations are small, only 10m².

ENCOUNTER TABLE

Roll 3d6 and interpret the results from each column.

Chinese Random Name Generator
LANGUAGES:
Cantonese - residents’ primarily language
25% know Mandarin, 10% know English.

  • Triad: gangsters in street clothes
    • Locals with the goal of making money, however tend to care about civilians
    • 10% chance to be in possession of an ARTEFACT
  • HKPF could be:
    • undercover/uniformed
    • corrupt/righteous
    • brave/afraid
  • PISCES could be:
    • Shan-heads trying to locate and capture DAIRY.
    • DAIRY trying to stay safe and hidden
    • Wenji trying to keep her cover, contacts, and relationships intact
  • Civilians
    • common people living happy, mostly quiet lives in the city.
  • Monsters could be
    • Deep One Hybrids
    • Serpent-Persons
    • Tcho-Tcho,
    • any vaguely humanoid monster trying to lay low or make money in the city
    • Shoggoth grenade that’s gone off.
  • Sorcerers (Roll 1d4)
  1. Duan Weisheng - Tall, silent. Speaks telepathically only when he needs to. Mistrusting.
  2. Jia Mingxia - So beautiful that it hurts to look at her. Does all the talking.
  3. Kang Xiaowen - Short, too fat to walk, hovers just slightly off the floor. Unafraid to fight
  4. Triad Bodyguard - Triad entrusted with ARTEFACTs

HANDLER TIPS

There’s likely to be a lot of combat. Start the NPCs with less-than-lethal weapons and increase the lethality as the scenario continues.

If an Agent dies, allow them to play as Wenji, or DAIRY.

KWC was torn down in 1993. Adjust this scenario for other eras, if desired.

Ignore the results of a LOCATION/ENCOUNTER roll if you have a more exciting idea.

STAT BLOCKS

PREGENS

Excepting The Old Commando, these pregens can be any gender.

The Russian Journalist, age 43

Name:
You are an asset that the GRU/SV8 liberated from a Siberian Gulag. You were jailed for your radical journalism writings that made you an enemy of the USSR. You are torn between two masters: Delta Green that is promising citizenship for good work, and GRU/SV8 that threatens you if you don’t give them results.
Your primary language is Russian.

STR 15 CON 11 DEX 10 POW 7 INT 14 CHA 12 SAN 45 BP 40
DISORDERS: Adapted to Helplessness
Motivation: Cultivate a Spy Network
Motivation: Escape to America
Motivation: Hunt the Truth
SKILLS: Art (Journalism) 60%, Alertness 40%, Bureaucracy 50%, Criminology 70%, Dodge 50%, Drive 40%, History 40%, HUMINT 40%, Military Science (Land) 40% Occult 60%, Persuade 70%, Stealth 30%
Foreign Language (English) 40%
Foreign Language (Mandarin 40%)

BOND: Delta Green Case Officer 12
BOND: 12
BOND: 12
BOND: 12

The Indochina Shipping Magnate, age 29

Name:
You are of French-Vietnamese heritage, borne into a somewhat affluent family. Your father runs an international shipping company, TransPac, a French company with transport methods worldwide. You use your connections to help Delta Green, and make a nice profit for yourself; your father doesn’t know. You suspect your best friend, Wenji Shen, is involved in a similar outfit in China. She reached out to you with an offer that you couldn’t refuse.
Your primary language is French.

STR 9 CON 10 DEX 10 INT 17 POW 12 CHA 14 HP 10 WP 12 SAN 55 BP 48
MOTIVATIONS: Prove to Dad I Don’t Need Him

SKILLS: Accounting 60%, Alertness 40%, Bureaucracy 50%, Criminology 90%, Dodge 50%, Drive 40%, Firearms 40%, HUMINT 40%, Law 50%, Occult 30%, Persuade 80%, Stealth 40%, Unarmed Combat 50%
Foreign Language (English) 50%
Foreign Language (Vietnamese) 50%

BOND: Wenji Shen 14
BOND: Father, TransPac CEO 14
BOND: 14

The Old Commando, age 58

You are one of America’s first commandos. You know what color the boathouse is at Hereford. Codename DAIRY trained you and saved your life in WWII, running operations against Karotechia along the coastline of Europe, a frogman that fought frog-men. Now, you train commandos to fight in ‘Nam. This is the first you’ve heard from DAIRY in years, but some Bonds just never fade.

STR 13 CON 12 DEX 11 INT 11 POW 13 CHA 12 HP 13 WP 13 SAN 52 BP 39
DISORDERS: Intermittent Explosive Disorder
MOTIVATIONS: Everyone Goes Home
Keep Up With the Young Bucks
SKILLS: Alertness 80%, Athletics 60%, Criminology 30%, Demolitions 40%, Dodge 50%, Drive 40%, Firearms 60%, Heavy Weapons 50%, Melee Weapons 50%, Military Science (Land) 60%, Navigate 50%, Stealth 70%, Survival 50%, Swim 50%, Persuade 40%, Occult 40%, Unarmed Combat 60%, Unnatural 10%
Foreign Language (German 40%)

BOND: DAIRY 12
BOND: 12

The Irishman, age 35

You are an Irishman, and you’re proud of it. You are a member of an IRA-affiliated criminal network. You don’t remember how you got the scar in the back of your head, but your American Cousins in Delta Green tell you that you don’t want to know. Sometimes you have nightmares about something being in your head.
STR 11 CON 12 DEX 13 INT 12 POW 10 CHA 11 SAN 47 BP 39
DISORDERS: Adapted to Helplessness, Amnesia
MOTIVATIONS: Find Out What Happened to You
Free Ireland
SKILLS: Alertness 70%, Criminology 80%, Demolitions 60%, Disguise 50%, Drive 70%, Firearms 40%, Law 40%, Melee Weapons 40%, Occult 40%, Persuade 70%, Stealth 70%, Unarmed Combat 50%, Unnatural 10%
Foreign Language (French) 40%
Foreign Language (Gaelic) 40%

BOND: Delta Green Case Officer 11
BOND: 11
BOND: 11
BOND: 11

The Hotshot, age 28

You are Japanese-American. Your dad met your mom before WWII kicked off. While your dad was running bomber missions in the Pacific, your mom and you were stuffed in a concentration camp. After the war, your dad taught you everything he knew before he died. Now, you fly for Air America, moonlighting for Delta Green.

STR 11 CON 14 DEX 15 INT 12 POW 10 CHA 10 HP 13 WP 10 SAN 45 BP 40
Motivation: Spread Freedom Worldwide
Motivation: Death to All Commies
SKILLS: Alertness 80%, Bureaucracy 30%, Craft (Electrician) 40%, Craft (Mechanic) 40%, Criminology 40%, Firearms 50%, Drive 40%, Heavy Weapons 50%, Navigate 50%, Pilot (Plane) 70%, Science (Meteorology) 40%, Swim 40%, Occult 20% Persuade 30%, Stealth 40%
Foreign Language (Japanese) 50%
Foreign Language (Mandarin) 40%

BOND: Mom 10
BOND: 10

NPCS

FRIENDLY FORCES

“John Smith” Codename DAIRY, age 59

STR 10 CON 13 DEX 9 INT 13 POW 12 CHA 11 HP 12 WP 12 SAN 55 BP 48
DISORDERS: Adapted to Violence
MOTIVATIONS:
That Won’t Happen to Me
Live to Fight Another Day
Make It Home Someday
Queen and Country
SKILLS: Alertness 70%, Bureaucracy 40%, Criminology 50%, Disguise 50%, Dodge 50%, Drive 40%, Firearms 60%, First Aid 50%, HUMINT 60%, Melee Weapons 50%, Occult 20%, Persuade 60%, SIGINT 40%, Stealth 70%, Unarmed Combat 70%
Foreign Language (Mandarin) 50%
Foreign Language (Cantonese) 40%

BOND 11
BOND 11

Wenji Shen Codename SPECTACLE, age 33

STR 10 CON 10 DEX 11 INT 15 POW 14 CHA 12 HP 10 WP 14 SAN 70 BP 56
MOTIVATIONS:

SKILLS: Alertness 70%, Athletics 50%, Bureaucracy 40%, Criminology 70%, Disguise 50%, Drive 40%, Dodge 50%, Firearms 40%, First Aid 50%, HUMINT 60%, Navigate 50%, Persuade 60%, SIGINT 40%, Stealth 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%
Foreign Language (English) 50%,
Foreign Language (Cantonese) 40%

ENEMY FORCES

HKPF

HKPF's PTU - Police Tactical Unit -

STR 12 CON 13 DEX 13 INT 12 POW 12 CHA 11 HP 13 WP 12
ARMOR 1 point of metal helmet
SKILLS Alertness 60%, Bureaucracy 50%, Criminology 40%, Drive 50%, Firearms 50%, First Aid 30%, HUMINT 50%, Law 40%, Melee Weapons 50%, Navigate 40%, Persuade 60%, Search 60%, Unarmed Combat 60%

ATTACKS:
Revolver 40% 1d10 damage
or
Shotgun 60% 2d10 damage
or
Greener Riot Shotgun (Martini Action single shot with wooden rounds)
40% damage: victim is knocked prone and stunned 1d4 rounds (CON x 5 to recover)
or
Federal Riot Gun (single shot)
60% damage: 40% penalty to victim
or
Sterling SMG 40% damage 10% lethality
or
M14 Rifle 40% damage 1d12+2 w/ 5AP

HKPF Undercover

STR 12 CON 13 DEX 13 INT 12 POW 12 CHA 11 HP 13 WP 12
SKILLS Alertness 60%, Bureaucracy 50%, Criminology 40%, Disguise 40% Drive 50%, Firearms 50%, First Aid 30%, HUMINT 50%, Law 40%, Melee Weapons 50%, Navigate 40%, Persuade 60%, Search 60%, Unarmed Combat 60%
Foreign Languages: English (40%), Cantonese (40%)
ATTACKS:
Unarmed 50% damage 1d4-1
Revolver 40% damage 1d10

Triad

STR 13 CON 13 DEX 12 INT 11 POW 12 CHA 12 HP 13 WP 12
MOTIVATIONS: Get Rich or Die Trying
SKILLS Alertness 50%, Athletics 30% Criminology 60%, Dodge 40%, Drive 50%, Firearms 40%, Foreign Language (English) 40%, Law 40%, Melee Weapons 40%, Persuade 50%, Pharmacy 40%, Stealth 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%
ATTACKS:
Beer bottle/pocket-knife, 40%, 1D4
or
Batons/Nunchucks, 40%, 1D6
or
Choppers (aka Chinese meat-cleavers), 40, 1D8
or
Acid jar, 50%, 1D4 for 1D4 turns
or
Chinese Type-54 pistol, 40%, 1D12 (rare)
or
Revolver, 40%, 1D8
or
Stolen/Homemade shotgun*, 60%, 2D10
or
Sawn-down Hunting Rifle*, 40%, 1D12
or
Type-56 (AK47), 40%, 1D12 or 10% lethality (super rare)
or
Hand-grenade, 50%, lethality 15% (super rare)
*uses Junk rules

Triad Bodyguard

As above, but also may have an ARTEFACT
ATTACKS:
Force Push 60%, damage varies based on impact, minimum 1d6

DEATHLESS SORCERERS

Duan Weisheng

STR 10 CON 10 DEX 14 INT 14 POW 18 CHA 8 HP 10 WP 18
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Criminology 50%, Dodge 50%, Persuade 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%,
RITUALS:
Pays 1 WP to send a psychic message, can pass the cost off to the person receiving it with a successful opposed POW x 5 roll.
SAN LOSS: 0/1 for telepathic communications

Jia Mingxia

STR 10 CON 14 DEX 12 INT 14 POW 18 CHA 22 HP 12 WP 18 SAN 23 BP 18
DISORDERS: Obsession (Empire Building)
SKILLS: Accounting 70%, Bureaucracy 70%, Criminology 70%, HUMINT 40%, Persuade 99%, Unnatural 40%
RITUALS:

  • Infallible Suggestion
  • Fascination

STAFF OF IRRESISTIBILITY: (27 WP stored)
SAN LOSS: 0/1 if she removes her veil.

Kang Xiaowen

STR 14 CON 20 DEX 7 INT 13 POW 16 CHA 8 HP 17 WP 16
SKILLS: Firearms 40%, Levitate 50%, Navigate 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%
ATTACKS: Double Barrel Shotgun 60%, damage 2d10
RITUALS:

  • Withering
  • Force Push: pays 1d4 WP to send a subject flying back with an opposed POW x 5 check, damage varies minimum 1d6

SAN LOSS: 0/1 for force push

ARTEFACTS

DODECAHEDRON

Three nesting pieces that, when apart, cause space to shrink in on itself.
When the devices are united, the holder may expend a variable amount of WP to create or expand space. The device is not fully understood, and seems to create places and spaces based on some alien intellect.
WP costs

STAFF OF IRRESISTIBILITY

This staff drains and stores 1d8 WP from those that it touches.
Gripping or releasing this staff costs 1 SAN as a feeling of power overcomes all.
Also has INFALLIBLE SUGGESTION ritual, which may be cast by failing a SAN test even by someone that does not know the ritual.

Infallible Suggestion. Simple ritual. Activation: two turns; 8 WP, 1D4 SAN.
This ritual requires strange gestures and a quiet chant in some prehuman tongue. The chant is alien to any linguist. The operator must overcome the target in an opposed POW test. If that succeeds, the ritual costs 8 WP (or 1 POW) and 1D4 SAN. For one turn, the victim willingly obeys any command given by the operator. Commanding a victim to commit murder, suicide, or some other awful act costs the operator the same SAN as it costs the victim

DREAMCENSE

The smoke of these incense sticks function as an Elder Sign does, taking a few minutes for the smoke to fill the room. Lighting a stick costs 1 WP, and there are 1d8+2 sticks left.

PSYCHIC TRANSLATOR RING

The wearer loses 1d4 WP and 1 SAN when putting on the ring or removing it. While worn, it translates speech to a language the wearer understands, as if the speaker were in the wearer’s head.

HEX TARGETTER

A strange device shaped somewhat like a pistol, this device affects a person’s luck. A successful DEX x 5 and 1d8 WP spend places a 20% penalty on checks made by the target, and failures are treated as fumbles until the hex is placed on a different target or the target dies.

TEKILI GRENADE

This device that somewhat resembles a grenade (and is thrown using the same rules) unleashes a small Shoggoth upon impact. The Shoggoth, with stats below, starts small and grows for ~5 minutes before dissolving into an acidic vapor.
A shoggoth-grenade.
STR 30 CON 50 DEX 10 INT 4 POW 8 HP 40 WP 8
ARMOR: 5
SKILLS: Alertness 50%.
ATTACKS: Grab 30%, damage 1D6.
Crush 25%, damage 1D10+2.
CRUSH: The shoggoth-weapon can use its crush attack only on a target it has already grabbed. If the crush attack succeeds, it inflicts damage once and then spits the target back out. If the grush attack fails, the target remains grabbed.
GRAB: If the shoggoth-weapon successfully grabs a target, the victim takes 1D6 damage from being squeezed and burned by strange chemicals, and is pinned. The target must escape the pin to break free. In each subsequent turn, the shoggoth-weapon can attempt another grab attack to inflict 1D6 more damage. If it fails, the target suffers no harm but remains grabbed.
RESILIENT: A successful Lethality roll does not destroy the shoggoth-weapon, but inflicts HP damage equal to the Lethality rating.
SAN LOSS: 1/1D8

BYAKHEE CONTROL RING

Allow someone to automatically summon a Winged Servitor without the need for a Ritual Activation Roll at the cost of 5 WP and 1D4 SAN. Must succeed at a POW x 5 test or spend 1 POW to maintain control

HEALING BALM

1d6 +1 doses of this greenish-white goop is stored in repurposed shampoo bottles, tin cans, jam jars, and other containers. Once applied to the wounds, it begins to heal 1/1D4/1D6 HP per turn depending on how many doses are applied. Every point healed also costs a point of SAN.

The goop automatically resuscitates the dead but at a cost - the resurrected makes a 1d4/1d10 SAN loss.

Credits

This was an entry to the 2020 shotgun scenario contest. Written by Jake "ChiefMcClane" Cook

The intellectual property known as Delta Green is ™ and © the Delta Green Partnership. The contents of this document are © their respective authors, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.