It's worth making a slight correction here - part of the map DOES have a scale (the bottom bit) but the top bit doesn't. I never noticed initially as the scale is done in a draughtsman kind of way (along the walls rather than a seperate measure).
I’ve just started running Delta Green with some friends and these series of reviews have been some of the best content to both learn about new scenarios and gain insight on how to run them. Listening to your in depth descriptions has been well worth it, keep up the great work!
Timed adventures are always a tough sell, even for a game and setting built around investigation. A timer like that is often pretty arbitrary for the GM to run, and while having a burner under the players can be good to build tension and fear, it can get out of hand fast if the players are floundering. I do appreciate the presence of alien technology that isn't inherently hostile or harmful to humans. That's very, very rare in mythos settings! You'd think Delta Green, out of any organizations, would have a stockpile of what little Mythos tech and lore can be used with relative safety available to certain elite agents. At least some charms and weapons with the Elder Sign, you know? But all the missions I've seen for it assume you're just gonna go it with guns and fists if it comes to a fight, so against anything more than other people you're almost totally helpless. Good layout of NPC personalities, desires, and effects of certain actions. I've been reading through a bunch of old Dungeon magazine adventures, and other oldschool adventures, and it's a striking contrast ot how they presented things back then (big block read-aloud texts and keyed rooms with little to no explanation of how or why NPCs are doing what they are doing) to modern games that usually have NPCs put into one handy area for easy look up of attributes, a blurb on personality and motives, and any relevant places they'd be.
I know I'm super late to this, but yours is the top comment on the video so I wanted to add that Delta Green agents will often have access to 'Green Boxes,' where inert and helpful artefacts are stored (at least until March Technologies can get their hands on them). Agents who have already lived through a scenario or two might have these artefacts with them (or know where to get them) even though they aren't written into the module. I also agree that timers can set the players up for failure, but with Delta Green especially (because the unnatural is unpredictable and follows few rules), there are lots of opportunities for the handler to go slightly off script to deliver important information if the agents miss it. In the worst-case scenario for Observer Effect (your agents are really far away from solving the mystery after several iterations and having Azathoth wake would be deeply confusing and unsatisfying for your players), I would consider having Dr. Klinger reveal the information the agents need while methodically hunting and killing them (fun slasher horror vibes!), then adding on an extra iteration so the agents have a final chance to act on that information before the final, perfect communion. Another scenario that uses timers really well is Last Things Last. The agents have to make a really difficult moral decision in the span of a few hours, which gives them little chance of weaselling out of the dilemma by calling for backup or bringing in external resources. I totally agree with you that timed adventures are difficult and can go wrong very quickly, but I wanted to give at least one example where the timer isn't arbitrary on the handler's part and is actually a really useful narrative tool.
Very comprehensive! Thank you for taking the time. I've only run Reverberations so far, and have now been sidetracked by Future/Perfect. But very much looking forward to running the rest of the book. The Delta Green books are certainly among my very favourite games - elegant, clean ruleset, beautiful books, excellent adventures. Truly a top product. I wholeheartedly support your final conclusion!
Hi Bud, A few members of my group will be moving in a few months time so we may only have 10 sessions left. Would we be able to start and finish this book in 10 sessions or should I not risk it?
It's worth making a slight correction here - part of the map DOES have a scale (the bottom bit) but the top bit doesn't. I never noticed initially as the scale is done in a draughtsman kind of way (along the walls rather than a seperate measure).
You deserve way more exposure my friend. Very concise and entertaining whilst also being informative for Handlers and RPG fans alike!
Many thanks. Getting there slowly.
This story would make an awesome tv series
I’ve just started running Delta Green with some friends and these series of reviews have been some of the best content to both learn about new scenarios and gain insight on how to run them. Listening to your in depth descriptions has been well worth it, keep up the great work!
Glad you like them!
Timed adventures are always a tough sell, even for a game and setting built around investigation. A timer like that is often pretty arbitrary for the GM to run, and while having a burner under the players can be good to build tension and fear, it can get out of hand fast if the players are floundering.
I do appreciate the presence of alien technology that isn't inherently hostile or harmful to humans. That's very, very rare in mythos settings! You'd think Delta Green, out of any organizations, would have a stockpile of what little Mythos tech and lore can be used with relative safety available to certain elite agents. At least some charms and weapons with the Elder Sign, you know? But all the missions I've seen for it assume you're just gonna go it with guns and fists if it comes to a fight, so against anything more than other people you're almost totally helpless.
Good layout of NPC personalities, desires, and effects of certain actions. I've been reading through a bunch of old Dungeon magazine adventures, and other oldschool adventures, and it's a striking contrast ot how they presented things back then (big block read-aloud texts and keyed rooms with little to no explanation of how or why NPCs are doing what they are doing) to modern games that usually have NPCs put into one handy area for easy look up of attributes, a blurb on personality and motives, and any relevant places they'd be.
I know I'm super late to this, but yours is the top comment on the video so I wanted to add that Delta Green agents will often have access to 'Green Boxes,' where inert and helpful artefacts are stored (at least until March Technologies can get their hands on them). Agents who have already lived through a scenario or two might have these artefacts with them (or know where to get them) even though they aren't written into the module.
I also agree that timers can set the players up for failure, but with Delta Green especially (because the unnatural is unpredictable and follows few rules), there are lots of opportunities for the handler to go slightly off script to deliver important information if the agents miss it. In the worst-case scenario for Observer Effect (your agents are really far away from solving the mystery after several iterations and having Azathoth wake would be deeply confusing and unsatisfying for your players), I would consider having Dr. Klinger reveal the information the agents need while methodically hunting and killing them (fun slasher horror vibes!), then adding on an extra iteration so the agents have a final chance to act on that information before the final, perfect communion.
Another scenario that uses timers really well is Last Things Last. The agents have to make a really difficult moral decision in the span of a few hours, which gives them little chance of weaselling out of the dilemma by calling for backup or bringing in external resources. I totally agree with you that timed adventures are difficult and can go wrong very quickly, but I wanted to give at least one example where the timer isn't arbitrary on the handler's part and is actually a really useful narrative tool.
This is one of my favorite scenarios for Delta Green.
- Innkeeper Vase Odin
Very comprehensive! Thank you for taking the time. I've only run Reverberations so far, and have now been sidetracked by Future/Perfect. But very much looking forward to running the rest of the book. The Delta Green books are certainly among my very favourite games - elegant, clean ruleset, beautiful books, excellent adventures. Truly a top product. I wholeheartedly support your final conclusion!
Glad you enjoyed it.
@@BudsRPGreview Very much!
The final boss is a lady behind a counter going, "That's not my job."
Excellent. Thank you.
You are welcome!
Im new to rpgs and im looking into delta green as my small groups main game my question is can COC modules work for delta green with a bit of tweaking
andrew jones yes absolutely- they are both built on the BRP system.
@@BudsRPGreview thank you so much for the response ive asked many others with no response it means alot
No worries!
Hi Bud,
A few members of my group will be moving in a few months time so we may only have 10 sessions left. Would we be able to start and finish this book in 10 sessions or should I not risk it?
I reckon you could do 60-70% of it in 10 sessions, however, YDGMV.