A common question I see from prospective Handlers is how to run Delta Green's quick-start scenario, Last Things Last ("LTL"). And whilst LTL is mostly fine as-written, I do think there's some changes that could be made to enhance the scenario - especially in its role as an introduction to the world of Delta Green for new players.
So without further ado, here's some of the changes I've used:
Baughman's Apartment
1) Adding More To Find
For a deranged ex-Delta Green Agent, Baughman's apartment certainly seems a bit bare. This is fine if you're trying to squeeze in LTL as a 2-hour oneshot after character creation. But, if you've got more wiggle-room for session time, consider adding some of the following.
- A loaded .38 snubnose revolver in Baughman's office, secured to the underside of his desk with liberal amounts of peeling duct tape (10m range, 1D8 DMG). Noticed immediately by Agents with Alertness 60% or found with a basic search of the room.
- A metal fishing-tackle box hidden inside an air-vent in the spare bedroom. Inside of it is an Unusual Expense (approx. $2,000) in $50 bills. Some of the money has a white residue on it, recognisable as trace amounts powdered fentanyl for any Agents with Criminology 40% or Pharmacy 20%. This stash can be noticed by Agents with INT 13 or Search 60%, who realise the screws on the room's vent cover have been stripped - as if someone had been repeatedly unscrewing them.
- Battered orange pill-bottles for various cardiovascular medications inside the bathroom's medicine cabinet. Anyone with Pharmacy 20% or Medicine 20% notes discrepancies in the labels of the bottle. Any subsequent examination of pills finds a suspicious resemblance to synthetic opioids (see also, An Unexpected Visitor).
- A sawn-off 12-gauge shotgun stuffed under Baughman's filthy king-sized mattress (15m range, +20% to hit, 2D8 DMG, 1/2 AP). Agents with Search 40% who enter the room notice a bulge beneath the mattress, revealing the shotgun's presence. Agents with Military Science (Land) 20% note that Baughman could've grabbed the weapon whilst lying in bed - the man was evidently deathly paranoid.
Well, firstly it reinforces Baughman's nature as a paranoid and violent man, encouraging the Agents not to trust his deranged demands later in the scenario. Secondly, it gives players something else to actually do in the apartment - searching it for hidden illicit goodies.
Finally, it adds an extra complication for the Agents to deal with. What do they do with all this illegal stuff? Sure, maybe they just destroy it. Or maybe they keep the guns, drugs and cash as a little "bonus" for their work. After all, it isn't like Delta Green is paying them.
(Or maybe they continue a time-honoured tradition; renting a storage container nearby and starting their very own Green Box, stashing the contraband they can't take home with them.)
2) Shooting At Your Monks
An adage from DnD that's equally as applicable in Delta Green. Put simply, if your Agents have an ability, let them use it. Delta Green suffers from a degree of skill bloat, so be sure to make those niche skill choices feel like they actually have an impact on the game.
In the context of LTL, the specific clue that moves the game forward is discovering the Cabin's existence. As written, it's a few hours of sifting through a paperwork to move the game forward. That's fine as a fail safe, but it's also a brilliant excuse to let your Agents' skills shine.
Here's some suggestions for making certain skills feel useful. I'd err on the side of giving an Agent an auto success here - nothing feels worse for a player than getting to use your super niche skill once in a session, but flubbing the roll due to bad dice luck.
- Accounting or Law. Baughman was deliberately trying to disguise his ownership of several properties with fake identities and laundered cash flows. However, he's gotten sloppy and left a paper-trail leading to a rural Cabin he seemed particularly interested in keeping a secret. (Of note, the dead man's financials could also be used to seed other scenario hooks - maybe Baughman was the one who organised and owned the Green Box in Lover in the Ice?).
- Computer Science. Baughman had an old computer in his office. It's password protected, but the security isn't up to scratch against modern digital intrusion techniques. Before long, you crack it open. It turns out Baughman had most of his financials digitised; CTRL-F is a much more expedient way of sifting through them.
- Craft (Locksmith). A wall safe can be found behind a dusty portrait of Marlene in Baughman's bedroom. Cracking it open (also possible with a prybar, a STRx5 roll and a can-do attitude) finds a stack of yellowed documents. These include the property deed for the Cabin, mortuary records attesting to Marlene's remains being cremated and a silver urn labelled "MARLENE BAUGHMAN" (which is filled with sand).
- Craft (Microelectronics). Similar to the Computer Science clue, except it appears Baughman beat his computer to shit with a hammer in a drunken rage (shortly before dying of a heart attack). Thankfully, with a soldering iron and a steady hand, you can repair the computer's internals and boot it up with administrator privileges.
3) An Unexpected Visitor
For Handlers who want a more serious complication than old Mrs Janowitz, consider employing an old writing cliche - having a man with a gun come through the apartment door.
STR 11, CON 11, DEX 12, INT 10, POW 10, CHR 10
HP 11, WP 10, SAN 50
SKILLS: Alertness 30%, Athletics 40%, Criminology 40%, Dodge 40%, Firearms 25%, HUMINT 30%, Melee Combat 35%, Persuade 30%, Stealth 40%, Unarmed Combat 45%.
ATTACKS: Glock 17 w/ Extended Magazine 25%, 1D10 DMG, Junk
Myers would sell the depressed Baughman illegal painkillers poorly disguised as heart medication. But once he started feeling bad for the widower he began hanging out with him - bringing with him an old PS3 to pass the time. Handlers can foreshadow Myers' arrival by having a PS3 controller sitting on Baughman's coffee table - with no sign of an accompanying console.
If the Agents just locked the door, Myers just lets himself in with a spare key - carrying his PS3 with him. If they had the forethought to deadbolt the door, the dealer starts knocking on the door and calling out for Baughman (Myers genuinely has no idea that he died recently).
If he spots any Agents dressed obviously as federal agents, he drops his console on the ground and flees the way he came. Agents can catch up with an opposed Athletics roll, but Myers will panic if pursued - pulling out a handgun and waving it at the Agents. Obviously, a foot pursuit (and potential gunfight) will likely be noticed by several phone-wielding witnesses.
If the Agents are dressed more lowkey, the first Agent that Myers sees must make a CHRx5 roll (at a cumulative -10% for every other Agent visible). On a failure, he flees as above. On a success, he's still wary but doesn't run. He lies about his purpose at the apartment, saying he's a social worker here to keep Baughman company (he was here to sell him the drugs in his jacket pocket). Agents can learn the following with Persuade or suitable legal threats with Law:
- Baughman was losing it after his wife died, spiralling into depression and paranoia. That’s when Myers met him, sold him drugs and, feeling bad about the old guy, started hanging out with him.
- When high, Baughman talked about some weird stuff, referencing a strange mix of clandestine government work and criminal activity. He did seem to be kind of anti-government / Deep State, but Myers never really got a MAGA vibe off him.
- And when Baughman got really high he would mentioned that, although he was raised Baptist, he knew the Abrahamic God was bullshit. That there are other gods, countless of them, clawing at the fabric of reality. One time, Baughman mentioned a “safe house” that Myers was invited to take refuge in “if they ever do awaken”. Myers divulges the address if coerced, promising he’s never been there.
No comments:
Post a Comment