Signal To Noise Notes
Signal To Noise Notes
INTRODUCTION
Ask each Agent what they are doing on the morning of Sunday, Oct 9, whether they be at work or at
home, having a moment with one of their bonds. Elaborate - which bonds are the agents with? What are
they doing? What does the average day look like for the Agent?
"Good morning, I'm just calling to confirm your booking for tonight. I have you down for the 7PM showing
at the Opera Philadelphia. You’ll find parking available at the garage on 1404 N 7th Street. We look
forward to seeing you soon. Enjoy the show!”
The line goes dead before the agent can respond. The agents know that this otherwise unassuming
phone call is from DELTA GREEN - “A Night at the Opera” is a euphemism for going out on an
Operation, a bit of slang used by DG Agents. The current time is just after 10am. Agents will need to
make arrangements with their home/work to cover their sudden absence. CHA/Persuade and/or
Bureaucracy checks can be used to convince family/employers. Failure means the request is granted
but parties grow suspicious. Agents might also bring their own supplies or purchase them before
leaving, depending on how much time they have.
Requisitions:
Official - CHA for same day official req
Favor - CHA, fail and lower Bond by one
Own Cash - INT/Accounting, fail and lower Bond by one
Calling the Philadelphia Opera reveals that the night’s performance is Madam Butterfly by Giacomo
Puccini, but the opera is scheduled for 8pm not 7pm, and they recommend the parking garage
across the street, not the address that was given. Researching that address reveals that it is
occupied by an “L & M Auto Repair Garage”.
L&M AUTO REPAIR GARAGE:
Once in Philadelphia, Agents can make their way to the site. Agents who
arrive ahead of time can scope out the site. The garage is a run down little
hole in the wall, it wraps around an apartment building with a little local
convenience store/grocery on the ground floor, plastered with ads for cheap
beers. Until five thirty the garage sees little business, and then the owner
closes up shop.
Roll ALERTNESS vs DRAKE’s STEALTH (66). On a success, Agents catch sight of a man dressed in a
sort of drab long coat with a plaid scarf bundled around his face and neck beneath his leather cap.
He enters the garage and has a brief conversation with the owner before slipping him some cash.
The owner closes the garage doors and exits through a barred gate in the alley. He doesn’t bother to
lock the gate behind him, and the mysterious man never leaves.
Agents can enter the garage through the unlocked gate. The only dim illumination inside comes from
a security light across the alley peeking through a pair of narrow windows. The agents can spy the
silhouettes of tools and equipment, a half-disassembled car left for tomorrow’s work, and doors
leading to a small waiting room, a room labeled employees-only, a cramped unisex bathroom, and a
fire exit.
Roll ALERTNESS vs DRAKE’s STEALTH (66). On a success, Agents spy DRAKE hidden in the corner of
the garage, his position in the room is tactical, with clear lines of sight to the fire exit and main
entrance. On a failure, DRAKE surprises the Agents with the quiet click of his firearm pointed in their
direction. Regardless, Drake asks the agents to identify themselves before introducing himself as
John Drake, and gently scolds the Agents for their lack of situational awareness if they failed to
notice him. DRAKE is a bit of a silver fox, perhaps in his late fifties or early sixties. A successful
HUMINT/Military Science roll gives the impression of a man with a lifetime of professional
experience in military or intelligence fields, or possibly both - though likely retired given his apparent
age. Once introductions are finished, Drake produces a manilla folder from his jacket and sets it on a
nearby table.
DRAKE explains the nature of this Operation. Delta Green has been tipped off to a potential incursion,
and the Agents have been summoned to investigate and deal with any potential threats. After
fielding questions from the Agents, DRAKE gives the Agents a number they can reach him at for
reports, intel, and requisitions, though he reminds them to practice good Opsec when
communicating. DRAKE can give exceptional advice on Tradecraft if asked. He informs the Agents
he will remain “in the area” until the operation is closed, but stresses that he is only involved in the
operation in a support and logistics role - his days as a field Agent are behind him. DRAKE informs
the Agents that any leftover requisitioned supplies and/or unnatural elements requiring quarantine
can be brought to the GREEN BOX in Philadelphia. DRAKE gives directions and set of (Office of Civil
Defense) cloned keys to the decommissioned SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation
Authority) Nuclear Bomb Shelter, located on a closed branch of the Broad St. Subway Concourse.
DRAKE does not know what is contained within the Green Box - he has not visited it personally. He
cautions the players to exercise caution when visiting the GREEN BOX - opening one is like Pandora’s
Box.
Following DRAKE’s instructions leads to a disused and sealed off tunnel corridor. A green metal
folding security gate has been erected to dissuade vagrants and teens from exploring the old
tunnels. A heavy duty set of metal chains and a bulky padlock hold the passage shut, while a faded
placard posted nearby warns the tunnels beyond have been closed until further notice due to
flooding. Beyond there are no lights, Agents will need to provide their own illumination. The air is
damp, as water leaks through the tunnels, pooling in shallow depressions around broken tiles.
Following the passage leads to a solid, sturdy metal security door. A yellow and black sign indicates
that the room is a sanctioned fallout shelter by the Office of Civil Defense. Inside is a large
rectangular bricked room. Countless barrels line one wall, and a tangled pile of surplus WWII military
cots are stacked up against one corner. Cardboard boxes are strewn about. Roll SEARCH to sort
through the supplies. On a fail, Agents only locate the following:
- "Enemies of THE STATE" Is written in big, bold white letters in the back of the Green Box.
- Expired Rations (potable water, survival crackers, canned food, MRE packages)
- Waterlogged Cardboard Boxes of Medical Equipment (surgical tools, bandages, expired
drugs, etc)
- A wadded up shirt, wrapped up in a tied off plastic shopping bag. Its blue and white
button-down, and heavily worn. Tiny thin fibers cover the shirt like dog hair. FORENSICS
and/or CRAFT (MECHANIC/ELECTRICAL) reveal the fibers to be severe asbestos
contamination. Hope you didn’t open the bag!
A successful SEARCH roll reveals a series of scratches on the floor near the stacks of supply barrels.
Moving the heavy barrels reveals another door leading to a small safe room. Inside is the following:
- There is a yellowed paperback book on top of a large faded black duffel bag: "Toxic People:
10 Ways Of Dealing With People Who Make Your Life Miserable". A post-it note has been
pasted to the front of the book. It says:"#11 - Fully Automatic Weapons". It contains an M16
rifle with two empty magazines. The gun is quite worn and the serial numbers have been
filed off. A Vietnam era zippo lighter engraved with the words "Killing for Peace was like
Fucking for Virginity" is situated beside it.
*Treat as Light Carbine (100m range, 1d12 Dmg, 10% Lethality, 20 Rounds, 3 AR) Make a
LUCK roll on a full auto burst, on a failure the gun jams and requires a FIREARMS roll to clear
(1/1d4 turns).
- A metal footlocker loosely plastered in duct tape, the words CAUTION repeated in permanent
marker repeat across it. Within are six crude-looking, obviously homemade directional
antipersonnel mines, using bank-style paper rolls of old pre-1965 silver dimes as preformed
shrapnel, embedded in blocks of plastique. The detonators and booster charges are also
homemade and the fourth one is faulty; make a DEMOLITIONS roll to notice it while handling
it or it won't go off; critical failure means it goes BOOM when disturbed. Despite their crude
nature, they do just as much damage as a professionally made one would.
*Treat as IED(15% Lethality, Kill Radius 10m)
- Child’s stuffed bear, brown-and-white fur. Approximately one-third of the animal has been
burned away, with the remaining portion of the toy covered in heavy smoke stains. The
button eyes have been removed. Examination of the remaining threads under magnification
will show a clean cut, indicating the eyes were deliberately removed from the bear, rather
than lost due to normal wear and tear.
- A roll of a converted black and white film, beneath a manilla folder full of heavily yellowed,
redacted documents. The film opens with a title card that displays "Project MIRAGE, Reel 4",
followed by a 1943 US NAVY test-card and serial-number. It cuts to a man in a lab coat
talking animatedly about the promised stealth applications of “the resonator”, the success of
smaller unmanned tests, and the upcoming full-scale test with a live crew. It cuts to footage
of a ship at sea, bearing the name USN ELDRIDGE. Seconds later, it vanishes, and then
reappears 22 minutes later. The film ends. Watching it in full costs 0/1D4 SAN but provides
+1 Unnatural. ( OCCULT 50% / HISTORY 50% / Both 30% ): Recalls the conspiracy theory
surrounding the Philadelphia Experiment, in which the US Navy conducted a test to render a
ship invisible. That ship was the Eldridge, and it took place at the Philadelphia Naval
Shipyard.
- A ziploc bag containing eight feet of rolled up 1/2" rope ending in a professionally tied
hangman's noose.
- A large, heavy antique leather luggage trunk that is propped off the floor on a stack of cots.
Chained and nailed shut, the brass latches and seams are slathered over and sealed with
waterproof silicone caulk. Inside is the charred, dried, barely-recognizable-as-once-human
corpse. SANITY (0/1). FORENSICS or MEDICINE identifies it as female. ANTHROPOLOGY or
HISTORY suggests the body is a witch, whose persecutors despaired of finding a means to
satisfactorily dispatch her. If her body is exposed to water, she reanimates. In this damp air, it
takes Constance [[1d4]] hours to rehydrate. She will retreat to the flooded tunnels to restore
her strength if the box is not resealed. She will press her face against the underside of the
surface like glass to peer at land dwellers - or to pull in tasty morsels.
SUMMIT HEIGHTS:
Agents will need to make their way to Summit Heights, PA. Agents will need a rental vehicle to
drive, and the trip takes about ~3 hours. The nearest airport is located at Penn State.
Summit Heights is a small city tucked away in the Nittany Valley of the Ridge and Valley
Appalachians of central Pennsylvania. It is a rural place, with most of its populace working
blue-collar jobs primarily in the manufacturing and labor industries. The town is known for the
many surviving examples of historic Victorian architecture. The last census puts the town at
around 6,000 residents.
Locations:
WSHP TV Channel 17 - Owned by Larry Rosenbaum 56, tall, clean shaven. Think of [Link] at
his best. Secretary is Sandy, 32, denim jacket, hair permed to hell and back with long acrylic
nails. Loves to flirt, nails clack on keyboard. Junior Station Engineer Connor Hart can answer
technical questions to the best of his ability.
Summit Living Apartments - Frank Miller’s apartment, Doris Fletcher is landlady. Wears a fuzzy
off green bathrobe, hair full of pink curlers.
Econo Lodge Summit Heights - the budget motel option, located about a mile out of town.
Summit Heights Bed and Breakfast - reasonable accommodations, semi-private, but more
expensive (standard purchase). Located in town.
Summit Heights Police Department - Police Chief Leo Anderson keeps a close eye on the city,
and isn’t fond of Federal Law Enforcement. The muscular yet heavyset man is in his 40’s with
graying hair. He is unpopular, but Larry Rosenbaum has promised to keep his position if he gets
elected. If Agents start bothering the local PD for information on the disappearances with FCC
credentials, Anderson makes it known that such matters are outside of their jurisdiction. If
Agents present as other Law Enforcement, he will make efforts to stall and/or harass the
Agents. Paperwork goes unfiled, local PD watches their movements. Anderson doesn’t want
news about a string of disappearances getting out and sabotaging his chances at keeping his
job. As far as he is concerned, people go missing in a small town all the time.
J&E Guns - If the players need firearms or ammunition, they can purchase them here. The
owner is Zeke Simms, an overweight man with an uncomfortable amount of WWII Axis
paraphernalia.
While slightly closer to Pittsburgh on the western side of the state (and most of its residents
rooting for Pittsburgh’s sports teams as opposed to Philadelphia’s) it is still remote enough that
TV broadcasts from any major city come in spotty at best. To that end, WSHP-TV Channel 17 is
a bright spot for local programming, including news, weather, traffic, coverage of municipal
meetings, as well as in-house produced shows for children and other locally made programs.
While one can usually get in a channel from Pittsburgh or Philadelphia somewhat clearly,
Channel 17 always comes in crisply, and the information on it pertains specifically to local
residents. Most people watch Channel 17, and they watch it often.
Good morning Pennsylvania, and thank you for joining us. I'm your anchor, Lindsey Graham, reporting the
news to you live from our studio here at WSHP-TV Channel 17. Today's top stories:
Jim Bakker, who built a multimillion-dollar religious empire on an image of wholesome values and
religious faith, was convicted yesterday on all 24 fraud and conspiracy counts he faced in Federal court
here. The 24 counts on which Mr. Bakker was convicted each carry a maximum penalty of five years. He
also faces $5 million in fines.
The tumultuous six-week trial hinged on the Government's contention that Mr. Bakker bilked followers of
his PTL Ministry out of $158 million by offering promises of lifetime vacations he could not provide and
that he diverted about $3.7 million to support an opulent lifestyle that ranged from oddities like an
air-conditioned dog house to luxuries like a fleet of Mercedes's and Rolls-Royces.
Mr. Bakker's lawyers said they would appeal the verdict.
Thanks Lindsey!
The people who weld, rivet and fasten together airplanes for the Boeing Company, the maker of nearly 60
percent of the world's commercial jets, went on strike today, virtually shutting down production of $80
billion worth of aircraft.
The strike by 57,000 machinists, most of whom work at plants in the Seattle area, comes as Boeing is
under pressure to turn out one new commercial jet every day, four times the pace of two years ago. Many
workers, who have complained of exhaustion from seven-day work weeks and up to 66 hours of
mandatory overtime every month, welcomed the strike as a needed rest.
In International news, the Soviet news agency Tass announced today that "humanlike" giants and a
midget robot landed in the Russian city of Voronezh, took a walk and left again for space in a "large
shining ball." Tass, perhaps the world's grimmest press organ and the official wire service of the Soviet
government, said that scientists "confirmed" residents' reports of the recent landing of the unidentified
flying object near Voronezh. The scientists "have also identified the landing site and found traces of aliens
who made a short promenade around the park," Tass said. Witnesses said they saw "one, two or three"
humanlike "creatures" -- "they were three or four meters high but had very small heads" -- come out of the
UFO followed by a short robot. "Onlookers were overwhelmed with a fear that lasted for several days,"
Tass reported.
A Moscow-based scientist named Vladimir Azhazhei told the paper that while in the past UFOs were
confined to study by "bourgeois" scientists, interest in the subject is booming here. He said that sightings
had been increasing recently as fast "as mushrooms," and that Soviet scientists had now set up research
centers in Moscow, Leningrad and Perm.
What a crazy story, Lindsey. Do you believe this news coming out of the Soviet Union? Aliens taking a
stroll in the park?
I don't know Chet, maybe they just needed to make a pit stop on their trip to Pluto to let their robot dog out
for a walk. [Laughs]
We'll be right back with more on these stories and others after a brief word from our sponsors.
The Agents discover themselves in an unknown home. Snooping around the home reveals key
information - in the adjacent kitchen is a cold, mostly empty cup of coffee. Next to it is a copy of
the Houston Chronicle, dated for Thursday, October 12th. Over 24 hours have passed. The
clock in the room reads 9:15 AM. There is a rotary phone hanging on the wall between the
kitchen and living room. The faint sound of a lawnmower is coming from the backyard, where a
middle aged white man is struggling to cut the grass. In the garage is a 1988 Chevy C/K pickup
truck, the keys sitting in a bowl in the entryway. Players will need to steal the truck, call a taxi, or
walk to their next destination (car rental, airport, payphone, etc). Agents receive an alert on their
DELTA GREEN pagers, and will continue to get an alert every hour until the Agents respond.
Players may want to check in with family, with WSHP-TV, with the family of Jason Stine (Laura -
Mother), or with their handler, Agent Drake.
REMIND THE PLAYERS - they are wounded, exhausted, hungry/thirsty, need to use the
restroom. Jason asks what’s going on and when he can see his mommy. Frank has an assault
rifle that might draw attention in the suburbs. Frank also has a shrink-wrapped pack of bills from
the Department of State worth $1,000. They may want to make phone calls.
Agent DRAKE - Straight to business. “I’ve been trying to reach you about your car’s extended
warranty. Is now a good time? Let’s talk about your car. What’s its current condition? I
understand you were having some mechanical troubles - have those issues been repaired? Etc”
His goal is to get a sitrep of the current situation, the agent’s condition, the status of the threat,
etc. He doesn’t want to discuss details over the phone. He won’t agree to meet the agents in
Houston - he has other responsibilities that prevent him from leaving town. He wants the agents
to meet for a debrief in Philadelphia once the situation in Summit Heights is dealt with. DRAKE
stresses that agents should ensure their operation is covered up, tie off any loose ends, and
craft a cover story for WSHP-TV to ensure they don’t follow up with the FCC. DRAKE also has
the intel the players asked for, and can fax the relevant docs to them. He managed to dig up two
relevant pieces of information. One is a screenshot of a BBS post mentioning AETHIR
INSTITUTE from seven years ago. The second is a newspaper clipping from Clear Springs, CA.
DRAKE will neither confirm nor deny the events at Clear Springs as a former DG Operation. He
will tell the Agents in no uncertain terms to forget about it, and that any details are NEED TO
KNOW, but hints that the article may give the Agents some ideas on how to deal with the
current threat.
If Agents inform DRAKE about Jason, he will suggest they dump him off outside the nearest
police station with relevant information - he is not the Agent’s problem.
If Agents inform DRAKE regarding their “transformation”, he will arrange to have them
meet with the same scientist that examined their sample. STRESS the PARANOIA that
revealing their “infected” status could backfire - DELTA GREEN might consider them another
possible vector for another incursion and eliminate them.
TRAVEL - By Car, the trip is over 23 hours straight. By plane, the trip is about 3 hours, but
requires a STANDARD purchase for same day tickets. The $1000 will be enough for 5 standard
purchases, but Agents may want to consider the logistics of transporting a missing child and
potential problems it might cause.
THE COVER UP - Loose Ends: Missing Persons (Jason Stine, Frank Mars), Relay Station 2,
The Farmhouse, WSHP-TV, Electri-Cal’s,
If Agents return to SUMMIT HEIGHTS, they discover the red vines have disappeared from
Relay Station #2, leaving only damaged equipment. The old farmhouse has collapsed. If Agents
concoct a convincing cover story (PERSUADE)
Missing Persons - If Jason Stine is returned directly to Laura, she thanks the Agents
profusely for returning her child to her. If Agents return the child to Houston PD, the child is
eventually returned to his mother. Jason does not remember much of the Agents, and unless
they make contact with the local PD they will not pursue them. If Agents make contact with
Summit Heights PD, they will have a bigger problem to deal with. Local PD is eager to return the
lost child and score points, but there are still so many more that will never return. They will also
notice that FOX matches the description from the landlady. They will question the Agents on
their federal cover, why they got in
PHILADELPHIA - Debrief - DRAKE wants the Agents to meet back at L&M AUTO REPAIR after
hours. He again drills the players on the parameters of operation:PHOSPHOR for a
post-mission report to his superiors at DELTA GREEN.
Supernatural Threat?
Source of Threat?
Threat Eliminated?
Evidence Obscured/Destroyed?
Maintained Secrecy of DG?
DRAKE suggests that Agents store any weapons or other resources in the local Green Box. As
for the tapes, DRAKE suggests either storing the tapes for future operations, transcribing their
contents into a report, or destroying them outright if they consider the Gray Woman to no longer
be a threat.
Medical Examination - Grant Emerson, Ph.D., Chair at the Institute of Tropical Medicine
at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 1.8m/6’0’’, 71kg/157lbs, blue eyes. Thick unruly
hair with a single gray streak. Age 37. Broken nose and scars on right arm from baboon attack.
English accent, mutters to himself.
Emerson provides the details of his research into the red vines - his microscopic analysis
reveals they are actually an organic coaxial cable that functions akin to nervous tissue. When
prompted with electrical shocks the tissue would retract in response. But as a sample, Emerson
lacks the greater context of how the red vines work. Agents could share the details of their
operation to help Emerson’s research.
Emerson can provide first aid/medical care. He can take bloodwork of the affected agents, run
tests, etc. He will attempt an MRI of the agents with disastrous results. Agents exposed to the
magnetic field will have the wires ripped out of their flesh, dealing 1d10 points of damage. If
players reveal the nature of their infection first, Emerson will avoid the MRI, and do more
indepth research, but this will take even more time. Emerson will keep them isolated for a week
while he runs tests. He will discover that the Agents have become “living receivers” via the
bundles of red vines interspersed in their flesh, and that they are likely still receiving signals
from somewhere. Emerson’s treatment involves surgical removal of the larger red vine clusters,
followed by chemo to attack the rapidly growing cells, and isolating within a faraday cage. All in
all the procedure takes 3-6 months to complete. DELTA GREEN will foot the bill, but extended
disappearances will take a toll on their bonds. Treat this as a HOME activity, treatment will
“cure” the Agents but cost a 1 point from every BOND.
SANITY REWARDS
3d4+3
+1 - Defeating Doctor-Thing
HOME SCENES/DOWNTIME:
WRAPPING UP:
- FRANK partially deafened after a failed CON roll. Permanent -20% penalty to all rolls requiring
good hearing. 0/1 from helplessness.
- IF FRANK/FOX seek medical treatment or take family photos, they discover that they are still
infected with RADIO SICKNESS, despite the destruction of the Gray Woman. Realizing that
they are forever marked is a Sanity roll against helplessness at 0/1d4.
Breaking Points:
Thematic Disorders:
Paranoia - A state of extreme suspicion, in which a fear of invisible enemies pervades one’s
world-view. Losing 2+ SAN in any single roll triggers an acute episode. Unless your Agent finds
a way to stifle his or her paranoia, he or she can’t trust or rely on anyone. Every event, every
disagreement or source of suspicion is a clue to a conspiracy against the Agent.
Conversion Disorder - Choose one form of this disorder: blindness, deafness, or paralysis.
Suffering temporary insanity or reaching the Breaking Point triggers an acute episode, which
leaves your Agent blind, deaf, or paralyzed with numbness and tremors until the stress
subsides.
Fugues - Suffering temporary insanity or reaching the Breaking Point causes your Agent to shut
down into catatonia or wander off in an unconnected daze.
Depersonalization Disorder - Losing 2+ SAN in any single roll triggers an acute episode in
which your Agent suffers detachment, feeling helplessly disconnected from his or her own body,
thoughts, and emotions. That numb detachment incurs a −20% penalty to every skill and stat
test.
Ligyrophobia - Fear of loud noises. In modern conflicts, the roar of artillery, the rumble of
armored vehicles, and the deafening din of explosions and gunshots are intense stimuli that
provoke a phobic reaction. But loud noises even in everyday life can trigger the panic and
overwhelming stress of an acute episode. In an acute episode, every SAN is at a a −20%
penalty. This used to be called shell shock.
Sleep Disorder Every time your Agent tries to sleep, make a SAN test. If it fails, your Agent
wakes repeatedly in terror and cannot rest or regain any Willpower Points for 24 hours. (See
EXHAUSTION on page 47 for the details.)
Activities:
Fulfill Responsibilities, Back to Nature, Establish a New Bond, Go to Therapy, Improve Skills or
Stats, Personal Motivation, Special Training, Stay on the Case, Study the Unnatural