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Born of the U.S. government’s 1928 raid on the degenerate coastal town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts, the covert agency known as Delta Green spent four decades opposing the forces of darkness with honor, but without glory. Stripped of sanction after a disastrous 1969 operation in Cambodia, Delta Green’s leaders made a secret pact: to continue their work without authority, without support, and without fear. Delta Green agents slip through the system, manipulating the federal bureaucracy while pushing the darkness back for another day—but often at a shattering personal cost.
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In Delta Green: The Role-Playing Game, you are one of those agents. You’re the one they call when unnatural horrors seep into the world. You fight to keep cosmic evil from claiming human lives and sanity. You conspire to cover it all up so no one else must see what you’ve seen—or learn the terrible truths you’ve discovered.
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The quickstart rulebook of DELTA GREEN: NEED TO KNOW includes everything you need to play Delta Green.
Complete rules for conducting investigations, overcoming crises, fighting for your life, and watching your sanity slip away.
Complete rules for character creation.
Six characters, ready to play.
A Delta Green operation, “Last Things Last,” ready for the Handler (the game moderator) to introduce your team to Delta Green tonight.
This is only the beginning. Deeper terrors can be found in Delta Green: The Role-Playing Game and its sourcebooks, available from Arc Dream Publishing.
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The Review Bit
As a primer for the popular Delta Green role-playing system, this book promises a streamlined experience for newcomers while retaining the essence of cosmic horror and government conspiracy that the franchise is known for.
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The Starter Rulebook is designed for those new to the Delta Green universe, but it also caters to experienced players looking for a fresh start. The book starts off strong by providing an engaging and concise introduction to the setting, allowing players to grasp the dark and eerie world of Delta Green without feeling overwhelmed by excessive lore. This helps to quickly immerse players in the role of covert agents working in the shadows to protect humanity from unspeakable horrors.
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The rules themselves are relatively straightforward, making it accessible for beginners. The book efficiently explains character creation, essential game mechanics, and the core rules needed to get started on your first adventure. The inclusion of pre-generated characters and a sample scenario helps new players hit the ground running, encouraging immediate gameplay without the burden of character creation.
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The Delta Green system employs a percentile-based resolution mechanism, which is familiar to players of other popular RPGs. The simplicity of the system allows for smooth gameplay, leaving more room for narrative storytelling and immersive role-playing. This aspect is particularly beneficial for those transitioning from more complex systems.
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The real strength of Delta Green: Need to Know lies in its emphasis on storytelling and atmosphere. It expertly captures the essence of Lovecraftian horror, building tension and dread throughout gameplay. The integration of government conspiracies and bureaucracy adds a unique layer to the narrative, heightening the sense of realism and providing intriguing plot hooks for future sessions.
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One minor downside is that the Starter Rulebook is not comprehensive. While it effectively introduces the world and rules, it only scratches the surface of the vast potential the Delta Green system has to offer. As players become more experienced, they may find themselves yearning for more content and options to expand their campaigns. In this regard, it’s essential to remember that this is a starter book and more material is available in additional supplements and sourcebooks.
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Despite this limitation, Delta Green: Need to Know – Starter Rulebook achieves its primary objective of providing a solid foundation for players new to the Delta Green universe. Its engaging narrative, user-friendly mechanics, and a well-designed starter scenario make it an excellent entry point into the horror-filled world of Delta Green. If you’re looking for a chilling RPG experience with a dash of government intrigue, this Starter Rulebook will not disappoint.
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Delta Green: Need to Know — Free Starter Rulebook is available now in print at DriveThruRPG
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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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You can visit the Arc Dream Publishing website RIGHT HERE
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