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LEGAL NOTICE:
“Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. Illustrations by Dennis Detwiller are reproduced by permission. The contents of this review are © Stuart Anderson excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.”
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The folks at Arc Dream Publishing have been knocking it out of the park recently with their recent scenario releases of Delta Green: The Conspiracy; and Delta Green: Convergence. So we thought it timely to look again at hose two titles as well as a sneak peak at the scenario, Delta Green: From The Dust which was released just this week.
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For those not in the know…….
Delta Green is a tabletop roleplaying game that combines elements of cosmic horror, conspiracy, and espionage. It is set in a world where dark forces threaten to destroy humanity, and a secret government organization known as Delta Green fights to protect the world from these threats. The game was originally released in the late 1990s as a supplement for the Call of Cthulhu RPG, but it has since been developed into its own standalone game.
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The game is set in a contemporary or near-future world and features a gritty, realistic tone that emphasizes the psychological toll of fighting against powerful and malevolent entities. Players take on the roles of agents working for Delta Green, a highly covert agency that investigates and combats supernatural and extraterrestrial threats. The agency operates outside of normal government channels and often employs questionable methods to achieve its goals.
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You’ll get to create your own character and choose from a variety of professions, skills, and backgrounds to help you survive the various supernatural threats you’ll face. But let’s be real, you’re probably going to die horribly anyway, because this game is brutal.
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But don’t worry, the game isn’t all doom and gloom. There are plenty of opportunities for revelling in the weird and wonderful, especially when it comes to the absurdity of the situations you’ll find yourself in. Like, how do you explain to your boss that you were late to work because you had to fight off a shoggoth on the way in? Or how do you explain to your significant other that you can’t make it to dinner because you have to stop a cult from summoning an elder god? Believe me, i’ve tried the latter with my wife….and for some reason it didn’t stop my food from being left to get cold.
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Delta Green: From the Dust
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GORGO! MORMO! THOUSAND-FACED MOON!
The Gerritsen mansion, built in Red Hook in 1847, stands covered by scaffolding and plastic tarps in its slow metamorphosis into condominiums. A capable construction crew has the goodwill of neighbors. But when the day’s work ends, something stirs in the darkness. Soft voices whisper. Weird footprints linger. Children of Red Hook have begun to vanish. Delta Green takes an interest. The Gerritsen mansion did not always have that name.
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Your Agents must investigate the three most recent disappearances and strange reports from the Gerritsen mansion. If some unnatural horror is at work, they must find a way to stop it. The moon darkens. Fears gather. The infants of Red Hook are hardly the only ones at risk.
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From the Dust is a complete scenario for Delta Green, the role-playing game of Lovecraftian horror and conspiracy. It is playable with the full rules in the Agent’s Handbook, or the quickstart rules in Delta Green: Need to Know.
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Our Thoughts
Purely on an aesthetic level, it’s a visual tour-de-force throughout and set off initially by Dennis Detwiller‘s sumptuous cover then equally by his finely-tuned writing – just beautiful. The artwork is often used to enhance the game’s narrative and to inspire players’ imaginations. This time round we have full colour throughout the book, together with an imagery which nods knowingly to it’s origins while being deliciously vivid. The artwork for “Delta Green” is generally considered to be of high quality and is often praised for its ability to capture the mood and themes of the game’s universe. This product is no exception. The illustrations are typically dark and atmospheric, with a focus on horror and suspense. Many of the illustrations are highly detailed and realistic, with an emphasis on conveying the gritty and dangerous nature of the game’s world.
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In terms of the subject matter….satanic cults, demonic influences and a healthy or should that be un-healthy?) dose of unnatural horror, From the Dust is a story that for me resonates more closely than some others to Delta Green’s Call of Cthulhu origins – and believe me, that is a compliment. In fact I would go so far as to say that this scenario has become one of my all-time favourite Delta Green adventures and perhaps second only to the stunning Impossible Land Landscapes as the pinnacle to measure all Delta Green content by….. and yes, I’ll die on that Impossible Landscapes hill. And no, that isn’t hyperbole.
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From the Dust is a hugely enjoyable and challenging scenario that will test Agents’ abilities, but if they acquire too much information, it could harm their mental well-being. It is a well-crafted scenario that will keep Agents alert and engaged, providing distinctive chances for players to delve into Delta Green’s influence and incorporate new members. It could also serve as an a perfect introduction to acquaint new players with the Delta Green universe. It can be executed as a standalone session or as the initial chapter of a more extensive campaign, which involves the primary characters of this narrative joining Delta Green. The length of the scenario can be adjusted to fit the Handler’s pacing and the players’ choices, typically concluding in one or two evenings.
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If you want a lesson in updating a classic RPG – the look no further than this.
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Delta Green: From the Dust is available here at DriveThruRPG
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You can visit the Arc Dream Publishing website RIGHT HERE
You can visit the Delta Green website RIGHT HERE
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