Changes are afoot for the site, but don’t worry, only for the best.

As you might have already seen, I’ve been working through the content on some of the pages (the About page, Game Index, Site Map and Links page) to improve its layout and readability. We also have a couple more interviews lined up, and this time with writers you’ll recognise from the GDW era of the game. Of course you’ll also see more Tabloid Adventure Seeds, Reviews and even a full Dark Conspiracy adventure or two (once I get to discussing art with another DC original!) on the site in the future.

Finally, I am currently in discussion with another author to provide a new series of articles for DCtRPG. I won’t go into detail just yet, but I hoping that these will blow open the way you play and think about live in Dark America!

Thanks as always, and I hope to see you here (or over in the Forums) soon.

Marcus

A Grisly Harvest (1991, Challenge Magazine Issue 53) by Eric W Haddock

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A Grisly Harvest is the first of many adventures to appear in GDW’s regular periodical Challenge Magazine. Written by Eric W Haddock (a stalwart of GDW at this time and author of the New Orleans supplement), it was the first real taste numerous gamers got of the Dark Conspiracy setting.

Clocking in at just under 7 pages this scenario focuses on the actions of the Missing Persons Location Agency (MPLA) which has developed an outstanding record in locating missing children. But not is all is as it seems, and when a concerned citizen approaches the group with evidence that the MPLA is the cover of other operations, the Minion Hunters soon find themselves facing more than they bargained for.

The scenario opens with the Hunters being approached by a man named Stan who claims that the MPLA are actually kidnapping the very children they then ‘rescue’ (usually for a large reward). More over the group is also abducting other, not so well off, children who aren’t being returned for purposes unknown. While leads into MPLA’s actions initially come up empty, Stan’s sudden death (which involves his internal organs being ripped out by some sort of animal), and a strange dream which seems to portent the attack, should keep the Minion Hunters on task. Investigating Stan’s murder reveals that he was one busy individual, who was also investigating other strange matters, including a supposed haunted house situated on the nearby White Chapel lane.

The story then takes a twist, with the Minion Hunters being approached to take on another task; the trapping and/or destruction of strange great cat-like beasts stalking the local county. Accepting this job will result in the cats being tracked to the farm of the Donner family, where, after setting up their own trap, the group will discover that they themselves have been lured into an ambush! Attacked by the beasts (which turn out to be genetically modified black panthers) and the Donners, the Minion Hunters will be overwhelmed and taken to the very same house Stan had investigated!

As the Minion Hunters break free of their bonds, they discover the grisly truth of MPLA and events going on in the house – the abducted children are being dissected for their parts! Obviously general violence and righting of wrongs should ensure.

——-

A Grisly Harvest is an interesting scenario which I believe would greatly benefit from a Referee willing to take the time to flesh out the individual plot elements. Well written and with the antagonists having a dark and yet iconic goal (for the Dark Conspiracy setting), it is a worthy choice for the first Dark Conspiracy adventure to grace Challenge Magazine’s pages.

Despite this, I do have a couple of concerns around the loose plotting of the story. This is no more evident than around the revelation of MPLA’s base of operations on While Chapel lane. With such evidence at hand, I’d be surprised if experienced  Minion Hunters would abandon their investigations into MPLA (especially given the lead to White Chapel lane) to go off after some wild beasts that seem unrelated to task at hand. Likewise the initial confrontation at the Donner’s farm may reek of a ‘deus ex machina’ to many gamers, and yet is the only scripted way of getting the characters to the story’s climax. That said, any good Referee should be able to work around these restrictions without too many hiccups, and a more open approach will likely make for a stronger story.

Unfortunately I can’t say the same in regards to the beasties encountered at the Donner Farm. The genetically altered cats, while deadly enough, seem out of place under the circumstances, and a more than a little cheesy when compared to other threats in Dark Conspiracy. Furthermore on the surface these creatures seem out of place, and little to do with the modus operandi of MPLA; I mean MPLA isn’t using giant cats to kidnaps kids are they?  Yes there is something to be said about the ‘weirdness’ of having big cats attacking people, and their ability – of lowering victims Initiatives – is  interesting, but they do seem out of place in the adventure. Suffice to say, if I was running A Grisly Harvest , I’d probably drop the cats and rely on human antagonists only (or perhaps a fey-like threat?).

It feels a shame to end this review with such negative comments, as taken as a whole A Grisly Harvest is definitely worth any effort one will take to bring it to the game table.

Your Own Worst Enemy (1991, Challenge Magazine Issue 54) by Lester Smith

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Let me start by saying that Your Own Worst Enemy has to have the most interesting premise of any official Dark Conspiracy scenario I’ve ever read. Written by Lester Smith, the author of Dark Conspiracy, it’s a shame then that it suffers from a case of what I’d call ‘a monster mash of darklings’; each of whom would be better served having their own scenario.

At only 5 pages in length, Your Own Worst Enemy covers three separate plots – a Miami black market mystery (run by Cobra People), a group of Dark Elves out for revenge, and the actions of another party of Minion Hunters. The scenario, as presented, requires the characters to be friends and allies with another Hunter, Abraham Sylvester, and already have a previous relationship with him having together previously disrupted the plans of the aforementioned Dark Elves. This might require a bit of work on the part of the Referee, but in general the payoff looks likely to be worth the effort.

The most interesting of the three plots is the one involving the Dark Elves. After meeting with Sylvester the characters awake the next morning to find him missing, and themselves the suspects in the murder of an elderly couple. This is the result of the Dark Elves, who, having kidnapped Sylvester, are setting the party up for a fall (in that mischievous way the fey like to ‘play’ before striking). As the scenario progresses the Dark Elves continue to frame the characters in various murders – acts that can only be achieved when the elves use a Darktek device that places its targets in a deep sleep.

The second plot involves the return of Sylvester, or in this case a changeling in his place. This creature convinces another group of Minion Hunters that the characters have actually turned on humanity, and need to be hunted down. The arrival of this group, as the party follows their leads into the black market plot (see below) is a nice twist, and can be used by the Referee to control the flow of the game.

This final narrative is the most mundane of the three, and involves the characters following various leads to track down those responsible for the black market (who as they will learn are the Cobra people), and stopping them. Of course, while on the surface this might seem simple enough, throw in the Dark Elves fooling with their minds, and other Minion Hunters tracking them down, and you are in for one interesting ride.

——-

Like many scenarios in Challenge Magazine, Your Own Worst Enemy, suffers from being overly compact (only a few thousand words at most), and providing little more than the core story line of each plot.  That said, Lester does the best of such a limited space, and presents a framework that could provide a couple of interesting sessions of play – if a Referee is willing to invest in the set-up.

I note that this scenario formed the basis of a Dark Conspiracy RPGA event held at Gencon in 1991. Reflecting on its content and style, one can see how this adventure was influenced by the type of convention play that was common at this time.

The Thing on the Bike Path (1991, Challenge Magazine Issue 55) by Dr Michael C LaBossiere

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In addition to likely being the first official Dark Conspiracy material to appear from the very prolific Dr Michael C LaBossiere, The Thing on the Bike Path (another 5 page long adventure) was also the first ever pre-written Dark Conspiracy scenario I ran way back when. That might make me bias, but as a result I have a special affinity for this adventure and the campaign it spawned…

When the Minion Hunters are hired to investigate the disappearance of Janet Cameron, the daughter of a Hollywood movie star, little do they know that they are embarking on a mystery that is centuries in the making. While Cameron might be the most high profile disappearance in the area – a section of bike track outside of The University of Maine’s Orono campus – it is by no means the first. As the Minion hunters delve into the mystery they discover that a number of young people have been attacked and killed along the track, and if they don’t do something to stop the perpetrator many more will follow.

During the investigations, the Minion Hunter’s will discover that this evil is known only as The Thing, and is an ageless creature that fell to earth many years ago. With the ability to assume the visage of its victims (by gruesomely wearing their face), it awakens once every century to feed. While experienced and well-equipped Minion Hunters might think little of such a challenge, The Thing cannot be killed by normal means (simply dissolving into a puddle of ooze to reform later), and must be defeated with weapons made from the same material as the vessel that brought The Thing to Earth.

——-

The Thing on the Bike Path is an excellent example of a sandbox adventure, where the mystery and threat are outline, and numerous interesting locations and encounters are detailed; the rest is left to the Referee to decide. This is definitely my sort of scenario structure, and I have to say that other authors could benefit from this tight and focused style.

That’s not to say that the adventure is prefect in very way, indeed there is a detailed section on a location that is nothing more than a red herring (that said, given the nature of the plot, it is one that experienced players are definitely going to fall for). One could also be critical of the nature of The Thing and it’s almost Lovecraftian style. Also, the age-old tropes of ‘finding the McGuffin to defeat the big bad’ are as old as literature, and here they give the whole scenario a feeling more akin to a Cthulhu Now story than one for Dark Conspiracy. Nevertheless this doesn’t distract too much from the story, and it’s not like good old firepower has no effect on The Thing.

These comments aside, The Thing on the Bike Path hits all the right notes for me, and I wish there were more like it!

Gnawlings (1991, Challenge Magazine Issue 56) by Charles E. Gannon

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Charles E Gannon (the author of Darktek) presents Gnawlings, a scenario set in New Orleans. While only 5 pages in length it is nevertheless an interesting little adventure that sees the characters drawn into a case of unexplained disappearances and the emergence of the Morlock threat to humanity.

The scenario opens with the Minion Hunters intercepting a message from a secure government source requesting assistance from higher ups in the investigation of numerous missing persons in New Orleans. Although this request is declined by the authorities, it should be a spur to the Minion Hunters to act (if this is not enough to lure them into the plot, a couple of other, more direct, options are listed).

The adventure proper opens in New Orleans where (to quote) “Reproduction Packards vie with horse-drawn carriages and Mazda Firefly Ragtops for dominance on the cobblestone streets”. Here the group have numerous options on trying to find out who the missing persons are and just why they might have vanished. While the Police aren’t forthcoming, a bit of insider knowledge (acquired through hacking or other means) leads the investigation to The Ole N’awlins Cookery, a modest restaurant with a reputation for good food.

Although the gumbo is good, the eatery, run by Roland Clersault, a friendly man who says he cannot place any of the missing people, seems to otherwise be a dead end. But ‘Rollie’ isn’t telling the truth and definitely isn’t about to reveal that he and other members of the staff are actually cannibalistic Morlocks. With the investigation stonewalled, but with Rollie an obvious suspect, it is likely the Minion Hunters will stakeout the site.

This snooping will not go unnoticed however, and soon Rollie’s ‘colleagues’ (all Morlocks) will attempt to ambush the group. This in turn will lead the Minion Hunters back to the Fey-creatures hide out under the aforementioned diner. The scenario’s climax comes with The Ole N’awlins Cookery’s gaslines cut and a firefight between the last remain darklings… and with it a fair likelihood of one impressive explosion!

——-

While Gnawlings is probably my least favourite adventure of the four I’ve reviewed here, it is the first to really embrace the unique Dark Conspiracy setting. The descriptions of New Orleans, and the depictions of the Morlocks, create an excellent canvas upon which the adventure plays out.

That aside, the actual scenario itself leaves much to be desired. As mentioned above, it is only 5 pages in length, and yet spends a good half of this on the plot set-up and initial investigations that, in the end, have little to do with the story as a whole. While these do add to the atmosphere and build the mystery, this space could have been better used in the sharp end.

But perhaps my biggest complaint is the seemingly scant motivation for the Morlocks to be doing anything other than killing victims and eating them (and nowhere does it say that the Cookery is serving up human flesh). As such there seems little reason for them to be forcing the confrontation with the Minion Hunters, especially one that sets them up for a fall. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never been a big fan of stupid monsters that are simply out to eat the first lonely victim they can find and go bumbling headlong into danger (that’s to the characters to do… the later anyway!).

Gnawlings deserves a lot of credit for style, but as with many of these Challenge Magazine scenarios could do with a lot of work from a dedicated Referee.

Featuring internal fiction by such names as Jason L. Blair and Matt Forbeck with new and original artwork by David Lee Ingersoll (who also did the cover), Bradley K. McDevitt, and Earl Geier who also worked on the first edition, this rules set contains a modified character generation system, updated management of Contacts and clarified rules for automatic gunfire and initiative, and several other minor changes.

CONSPIRACY RULES can be obtained as a PDF from the DriveThru RPG/RPG Now webstores. Look for the expanded background and setting book CONSPIRACY LIVES™, coming soon.

NOTE: 3Hombres Games is interested in anyone finding any errors or typos. Please contact the team at errata @ kinstaffmedia.com to notify them of anything you might find.

Facts – Drawn into this investigation either by curiosity, premonition or even Tashicorp itself, the Minion Hunters can discover the following:

• The bots and vehicles that have not been attacked by conventional weapons, rather they have sustained some sort of odd ripping and tearing damage. Suffice to say this is usual in the extreme.
• The families making up the enclave are survivalist types, who know that they only have themselves to rely on. This group is essentially trapped in their land, with the agricorp having erected massive security fences all around their property. They too make claims that their crops and buildings have been attacked and blame Tashicorp for these assaults.
• Investigating the locations of the attacks the Minion Hunters find evidence of a large lizard having been present at these sites. Tracking the creature back to its point of origin reveals a Dragon (the Dark Conspiracy version, not the fantasy winged beast). Quite obviously this Beastie doesn’t take to kindly to strangers.

Options – The Referee has a range of options in deciding what the truth behind Here Be Dragons might be

• A Biological Weapon by Any Other Name: Tashicorp created the Dragon using advanced genetics in an attempt to drive away the survivalists (knowing full well that too aggressively move on the group would be no good for the bottom line, i.e. bad press, effects on public relations, etc.). However, while this plan started well enough, the scientists at Tashicorp have recently lost control of the creature! With the costs of this operation now spiralling out of budget, they look to the Minion Hunters to rectify the situation; not only stopping the Dragon, but also remove the gun-totting survivalists from the equation. Of course, how much of this they tell their new employees is left to the Referee to decide…
• Corporate Rivals: The Dragon isn’t actually the perpetrator of the attacks. A rival agricorp, Des Sais, has instigated the attacks on the garden looking to lower the price of the property before placing an offer on it. In this scenario the Dragon, whose origin remains a mystery, is nothing more than an unfortunate bystander drawn into the conflict. That being said, this creature isn’t the sort to be reconciled with, and as such the story will quickly escalate into a four way battle between the interests of Tashicorp and the survivalists, and the threats presented by the Dragon and the Des Sais espionage team.
• Worshippers of the Almighty Dragon: A produce of the nearby Demonground, the Dragon has become an object of worship for the fanatical survivalists. With sacrifices and offerings (and maybe a bit of Empathic skill) the leaders of the group have been using the Dragon to attack Tashicorp. These tactics, however, not only threaten the lives of the innocent families in the enclave, but bring with a backlash that could destroy the group for good. Here the Minion Hunters will be drawn into a conflict between not only their employers and the insane survivalists, but also an enraged Dragon who has grown used to the offerings it has received.

Author’s Note – Here be Dragons has the dubious honour of being the first Dark Conspiracy adventure I ever ran (way back in 1991). Back then I mashed together a number of the elements I’ve laid out above, and suffice to say chaos ensured. At the time I thought little of the story and its plot, but as I’ve grown as a Game Master I now look back fondly on this scenario and the journey it led me on in the decades that followed. I hope you too enjoy this tabloid story line as much as I did both back then and as I wrote it up 2012.

[DCtRPG] – Hi Geoff, good to talk to you again! While you and I go way back, would you care to tell the readers a little about yourself?

[Geoff] – Right now, I’m 42, live in Canberra, Australia, am married with three kids. I work in IT during the day (and have a Masters degree in it). I’ve done some freelance game writing in my spare time, but not a whole lot of that in recent years. Other than that, more recent addictions are World of Warcraft, geocaching and munzees.

[DCtRPG] – You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked – how exactly did you get into roleplaying? And while you are at it, any favourite characters or stories you’d like to share?

[Geoff] – Some friends at high school got me into it. I first heard about D&D back in 1982 and wanted a set for Christmas, but my mother took one look at the box cover and flatly refused. It wasn’t until early 1984 that I got a chance to try it, when the same guys offered me a seat at an AD&D game. My first gaming experience was one session of “Tomb of Horrors”, before we switched to playing Traveller, and from there did gaming forever control my destiny (as Obi Wan was wont to say).

Lots of good memories of gaming, probably too many to name. I do think that perhaps one of my favourites was being roped into playing a cowardly Martian NPC in a Space: 1889 game at a con, and had a BLAST playing it. I even won an award for it, which made it even better.

[DCtRPG] – And what about Dark Conspiracy? What was its appeal?

[Geoff] – I bought the DC 1st ed book at the end of 1991, with the gift voucher I won from said 1889 game. I was a big fan of GDW’s games back then (we loved playing Twilight: 2000 and Space: 1889), so it wasn’t a big leap to DC. I loved the game background, with the collapse into the Greater Depression and how the horrors had snuck in the back door to control things behind the scenes.

[DCtRPG] – I suppose our friendship goes back to the creation of Demonground, in what? 1998? At the time, I know I had my own interests in getting involved in the zine, but what would you say was your goals in joining the project?

[Geoff] – I got into DG for two main reasons. The first was I loved DC and wanted to see it supported. The second, and perhaps far more mercenary reason, was that I saw it as a way to get noticed by the industry, so I could get a foot in the door, and move onto writing Shadowrun novels (something I still haven’t done, to tell the truth

[DCtRPG] – Well I always saw you as the soul of the zine, and it was your drive to create something meaningful and visually appealing that made me realise we were onto something good. Of course, working on Demonground opened other doors as well, such as the Sin City series of supplements. how did you get involved in those?

[Geoff] – I got involved in writing for it from issue one of DEMONGROUND, albeit in an unofficial capacity. I got into officially [writing for the line - ed.] after Ken Whitman asked you, Mike Marchi and I if we wanted to write the new adventure series.

As for what I wanted to achieve with it, that’s a good question. I guess I wanted to write something that had more emotional depth than the stuff that had been published before for DC. I’m still not a fan of most of the published DC adventures from 1st ed, I have to say, despite owning all of them. So, I wanted SC3 to be about more than just shooting up monsters – I wanted to show the more human side of minion hunting and how people took different approaches to it.

Whether I was successful at that or not I leave as an exercise for the reader

[DCtRPG] – Yes indeed, writing for the DC line was an interesting experience. Amongst all those memories, what do you think was stands out? What about any trials or tribulations?

[Geoff] – I think the highlight for me was meeting all the DC people at Gencon 99. You guys were so much fun to hang out with I still smirk when I think how drunk we got at the Safehouse.

The low point would have to be my disappointment with how Sin City 3 turned out in print. I’d busted a gut to write the best adventure I knew how. But there was a few screwups in production, the main one being things like the entire credits page being left blank, including the dedication. I was heartbroken to say the least. I remember picking it up with a great deal of excitement when I first saw it, then putting it down a minute later without saying a word and walking off in sheer disgust.

[DCtRPG] – I remember that vividly. Also, as I recall, the line shut down shortly afterwards, is that why you stopped contributing to DC?

[Geoff] – I burnt out on it, to be honest. I was deeply disheartened by the screwup with the publication of Sin City 3 and it took a lot of the wind out of my sails. After that, it wasn’t too long before I wanted to try other things, and other freelance opportunities started presenting themselves, which took my creative energies in different directions.
Looking back from a position over ten years later, it’s hard to actually remember WHY I found it so hard to deal with, but I needed a change of scenery.

[DCtRPG] – But you would go on to write for other games and companies?

[Geoff] – I’ve done quite a bit since the DC days in the late nineties. Shortly after my Sin City stuff was submitted, I got a chance to write a Crimson Skies novella for Microsoft. A few years later, I did some D20 Fantasy work for Fast Forward Entertainment, Gamma World D20 for Sword and Sorcery Studios (White Wolf’s D20 imprint), then some Exalted for White Wolf. I took a break for a few years for personal reasons, and tried again about five years ago. I managed to get material in books for White Wolf’s Changeling: the Lost and Mage: the Awakening. Most recently, I’ve written a PDF supplement for Cubicle 7′s Laundry RPG (which is still to be published).
I’m proudest of the community rules I wrote for Gamma World, even if they weren’t perfect. That concept still chews at my subconscious and I find myself poking with the idea for using communities and groups in games to this day.

I think the one I enjoyed the most was the Crimson Skies novella. I loved Crimson Skies since the moment I first saw the aircraft renderings. I was given a story to write about Loyle Crawford, a character that most people loved to hate (including me, initially). By the time I’d finished writing the story, I’d grown to really like him and, as it turns out, I found a lot of other people had the same reaction as well, which is neat

I had been approved to write a second Loyle Crawford novella (“The Black Zeppelin”), but the project never got funding and was ultimately cancelled

[DCtRPG] – Good to know that one bad experience didn’t see you leave the hobby entirely. Looking back on your time as a player, Referee and writer for Dark Conspiracy, what are your thoughts on the games, setting and system?

[Geoff] – DC’s background is great. I rediscovered it earlier this year when I wrote a Savage Worlds conversion of the DC background as a thought experiment (cornily dubbed “Savage Conspiracy”). I love the ideas of the Greater Depression, the megacorporations taking over and all that sort of thing. It’s scary how predictive the background has become some twenty years later.

For me though, the system and its emphasis on combat and tactics are a MAJOR turnoff. I know it grew out of the GDW house system, which in turn is a thin RPG veneer over wargaming rules, but it kinda ruins a good game for me now.

[DCtRPG] – Well thanks Geoff, it’s been great to catch up and hear your thoughts about this period of Dark Conspiracy’s development. I’m sure the readers and fans alike will appreciate this insight into our favourite game…

Before I wrap this up, however, I have to ask; if you had the Dark Conspiracy licence (and unlimited resources of course), what would you be interested in doing with the game?

[Geoff] – If I had the resources, I don’t think I would take on the licence, to be honest. As much as I still enjoy the background (as I rediscovered earlier this year), it’s not really the sort of game I’d work heavily on now. My tastes have definitely changed since the DEMONGROUND days, and it’s hard to go back to DC (Savage Conspiracy not withstanding).

That said, for the sake of the argument, I’d take the GDW house system out the back and shoot it in the head to put it out of its misery. Once upon a time, I liked it. Nowadays, it’s FAR too heavy for my tastes and I couldn’t write for it any more. I’d make the game focus more on the emotional aspects of why the characters are minion hunters and what it costs them. For me, THAT’S the most interesting aspect of the game, but one that was barely touched on, if at all.

[DCtRPG] – Cheers Geoff! Here’s to old friendships and future endeavours!

However, after a chance inspection of the body by Hamilton Willard, a well-respected Coloradan Ornithologist, rumours have circulated that Gratinera was actually the victim of a deadly bird attack, a story which, as with many recent strange occurrences now happening across America, has been embraced by the media.

Facts – Upon investigation it does indeed seem that Gratinera was killed as the result of multiple wounds to the body and face.

• If Willard or any other expert is consulted, they will quickly confirm these suspicions, stating that the wounds look as if they were caused by the beaks and claws of some species of the Corvidae Family of birds (Aves) and more specifically, those of the Corvus cryptoleucus or Chihuahuan Raven (American White-necked Raven) common in this part of Colorado.
• Looking into Carlos Gratinera’s background, it is soon discovered that he was ‘freelance’ programmer and application developer, who often travelled peddling his applications to various corporations. His car, a beat up saloon which had obviously broken down, was found a few miles away from the site where Carlos’ body was discovered.
• Further investigation indicates that Gratinera was not the first victim of this type of attack to have been discovered in, or near, Mesa Verde National Park. In fact, in the last 6 months, one other traveller and a myriad of animals have been found with similar injuries.

Options – The Referee has multiple options in further fleshing out A Murder of Crows.

• An Unlucky Victim: Carlos Gratinera is actually the unfortunate victim of a much bigger threat. Mesa Verde has recently became the home of a malevolent evil, and the ruins of Hisatsinom are in the early stages of become a Demonground. In this scenario, the attacks of the Chihuahuan Raven is the result of the arrival of this entity, and its presence driving the local fauna mad. As the Minion Hunters explorer the park, they will soon discover that the Ravens aren’t the only animals they have to worry about.
• Black-winged Assassins: The murder of Carlos was just one part of a larger conspiracy. It seems that Carlos was privy to a series highly classified corporate secrets; information that he had no qualms using to advance his own circumstance. As a result, the corporation hired a hitman to rid themselves of their nagging problem. It transpires that this assassin has a highly unusual modus operandi, one which involves robotic creatures modelled after the Raven. In the past, this killer has used the quiet valleys of Mesa Verde to test and refine his killing machines, and knowing that Carlos was a regular traveller of the near by highway, ensured that the blackmailer would meet his death there.
• The Curse: Carlos was no computer programmer, but rather an artefact thief. Recently, he and a small group of conspirators have been ‘robbing’ the ruins at Hisatsinom of their secret treasures. Discovering that the spiritual remains of their ancient home were being ransacked, the descendants of the Pueblo people called upon their primordial Totem to reap revenge on the ‘graverobbers’. This Totem, a beast resembling a warped vision of the Chihuahuan Raven has done as it was asked, but now free from years of captivity refuses to return to it torpor state.

Further Research – More information about Mesa Verde and the Hisatsinom ruin can be found at http://www.nps.gov/meve/

The Darktek sourcebook is a bit of a departure for this site and its reviews; it is the first non-adventure/campaign that we have looked at. Weighing in at just over 100 pages, the Darktek sourcebook is a collection of devices, tools and weapons that are examples of the advances in technology that have come about since the arrival of the ET races and the Dark Minions.

Published by GDW in 1991 it was the second supplement to be published for the line and, while it did a lot to reinforce the retro-future feel to the game and its setting, it really felt more like an extension to the already impressive equipment section the Dark Conspiracy rulebook than a stand alone book. That said, while the book is firmly directed at Referees – it does include a number of neat and nasty secrets – the majority could easily be given to players to review and discuss.

Like every other GDW publication, Darktek is fully illustrated with pictures for pretty much every item described in the text. These range in quality from the typical black & white drawings through to, most impressively the full colour spreads (which are printed on glossy white paper) that illustrate scenes that come right of the sort of stories we expect from Dark Conspiracy.

One should also mention the fantastic colour cover of the book, a John Zeleznik classic. Depicting a soldier armed to the teeth with not only weapons – both human and ET – but also various pieces of Darktek, it represents, at least in my mind, everything this book could have been!

The Division of Labour

Darktek is divided into nine distinct chapters, two (Why Darktek? and The Nature of Darktek) focus on what Darktek is and how it can be used, and seven detailing the various categories of Darktek that could be encountered in play. These later chapters group together Darktek items based on their function and purpose, and range in subject from advanced biological devices to more common place consumer goods.

Why DarkTek?

This chapter introduces the reason why Dartek was written and just how this type of gear can be used available in the setting. Of course, knowing that this supplement comes from GDW (given the company’s interest in arms and equipment) it is unsurprising that a guide to Dark Conspiracy-specific equipment was created, but this chapter includes details on just how to get the most out of this type of technology in the game.

Sure, as the text highlights, all the gear from GDW’s other modern settings – MERC:2000 or Twilight:2000 – is fully compatible with Dark Conspiracy, but more than this, Darktek plays a role in the spirit of the game. I believe what the author is saying here is that simply giving players Darktek (more specifically ET and Darkling Darktek) isn’t the point. Rather it is how these items are revealed to the characters, and how they use them more important. Gaining access to an item of Darktek should be an adventure in of itself, and simply by acquiring such items indicates, on some level, just how entwined in the mysteries and conspiracies the Minion Hunters have become. Moreover, Darktek can be used as clues and leads as to what is really going on in the Referee’s scenarios and the world at large, acting as triggers that call the players into action as much as their characters. This in my opinion is the real purpose of this book and Darktek in general, to act as inspiration in play and indicators as to just how far players will go to right the wrongs*.

The Nature of DarkTek

This chapter details the ‘mechanics’ of Darktek. As with all equipment in the setting, it introduces the cost and availability scale for each item listed, although it points out that almost all true Darktek devices can not be brought and are simply unavailable through normal means.

The core of this chapter, however, is the information around the effects and costs of using some forms of Darktek. This excellent addition to the game, one that highlights that the benefits of these items can comes at a cost. Darktek devices of this nature can have up to four ways in which can burden a Minion Hunter: Feed (the energy drained from the user to power an item); Control (how these items can make a Minion Hunter more susceptible to Darkling powers); Detection (some devices act as beacons to the Dark Ones), and Recharge (the electrical energy needed to run the device, be it from conventional means or from a users own life force). Of course not all Darktek items have all of these requirements, and in fact many have no ill effects from use at all, but those that do are likely to be a double-edged sword to any one wanting to possess these powerful devices.

The chapter rounds out with a note on how one can rid themselves of an item of Darktek. Again, most devices are easy disposed of, but in some cases, especially those which have a feed requirement, Darktek must be surgically removed from its host. Once more this is an excellent example of how Dark Conspiracy can be creepy and disturbing.

Darktek Devices

The remainder of the book focuses on a selection of Darktek., and for simplicity sake the following summarises each of the remaining chapters.

• Biological Devices – As can be surmised from the title, this chapter focuses on items of a biological nature. Interestingly all of the Darktek listed here is of Dark Minion origin, but when reading more on the game altering effects of these chemicals and viruses, it is of little surprise this is the case. A number of these items focus on the Empathic abilities of either humans or Darklings, while most others involve trying to control or enhance their target. I think that this is actually the best section for the devices, and definitely one of the creepiest.
• Electronic Devices – These mostly Human or Humaniod ET devices posit the possible advances in electronics and computers in future of Dark Conspiracy. Unfortunately, given the 20-plus years since the release of this book, most if not all of these tools seem antiquated and overly clunky in concept. Beyond that however, this chapter offers very little in the way of actual Darktek and nothing that a good Referee couldn’t create themselves in play.
• Weapons – If guns are your thing in DC then this is the chapter for you. Here you find interesting Darkling and ET weapons, such as the Bolter and Spectral Gatherer, as well as more mundane human weapons (which seem every out of place in a Darktek book – Spear Gun? Saw-Off Shotgun?). The chapter also introduces a couple of new types of armour that will quickly become standard equipment for most Minion Hunters.
• Vehicles – An eclectic collection of new cars, planes and ‘devices’ is provided next. Again this chapter includes too many non-Darktek descriptions for my liking (especially in respects to the cars), but makes up for this in some ways with the introduction of darkling devices like the Folder Pod and Spaceswimmer, both of which extremely useful although eerily disgusting to visualise in use.
• Robots – It is interesting to see a focus on robots in the book, as the advances in this type of technology always defines much on in the setting, in my opinion. This chapter covers a range of robot types, from androids through to remotely controlled drones, and includes examples of everything from babysitters to war machines. The only unfortunate thing about the devices presented here, is that once more the majority are man-made, rather than emanating from the Darklords.
• Miscellaneous Equipment – This is an interest chapter and focuses quite heavily on various safety and life support devices that have become available in the age of Dark Conspiracy. These are definitely a ‘grab-bag’ of tools and items, and while that are likely he most helpful devices for Minion Hunters will likely be quickly overlooked by those wanting real Darktek..
• Consumer Goods – It seems inevitable that the influence of Dartek would filter through into the consumer sphere. By far the briefest chapter (only 2 full pages), it covers a small range of items that I think would rarely be of interest to Minion Hunters.  In fact the whole chapter seems to have simply been thrown in at the end of the book as some sort of filler; even its chapter header art – a woman witnessing a giant spider attack on a school bus – just looks out of place.

Conclusions

What can one say about Darktek? I have to be up front and say that I feel that this book was a missed opportunity for Dark Conspiracy, and much of what was provided seems to have been included without much thought. Now, I don’t say that only because much of the ‘advanced’ technology is antiquated in today’s terms, but rather, in my opinion, it includes way too much equipment and technology that is of normal human origin. I firmly believe that DarkTek should have been a book that Referees and players would have literally died for to have on their shelves, but in the end – after a fantastic start with the diverse and creepy biological devices – feels more like an uncontrolled wander through the author’s wish list of ‘stuff’ missing from the rulebook.

What makes this worse is the excellent premise raised in the first couple of chapters – using Darktek as setting tools and motivators, not to mention the inclusion of the various drawbacks to using this type of technology**– is never fully realised. This is a real shame, and for me at least relegates the book to be little more than a few extra toys for the players or a place to draw a little inspiration when creating my own DC adventures.

Now there are some really good aspects to this book outside the devices themselves, two-page spread colour art is inspirational, and pictures such as those on pages 18-19 and 86-87 a begging for their stories to be told. And even amongst the Darktek there are a number of real gems that could be the focus of whole campaigns let alone adventures. But as I said, there is just too much ‘chaff’ to make the entire book worthwhile.

In summary, while I really do think that there is a place for a Darktek book in Dark Conspiracy setting, it is a disappointment that this is not it.

* All of which makes it more of a shame that the book fails to deliver on this promise.

** Interestingly the author makes the point of stating that Referee must (not should or may) apply the cost of using Darktek to the Minion Hunters.

Clear Credit

Darktek, 1991 GDW (GDW 2102) ISBN 1-55878-084-X
Design: Charles E. Gannon
Development: Lester W. Smith
Art Direction: Amy Doubet
Graphic Design and Production: LaMont Fullerton, and KirkWescom
Interior Art: Steve Bryant, Paul Daly, Elizabeth T. Danforth, laMont Fullerton, Rick Harris, David Martin, Ellisa Martin, David O. Miller
Interior Color: Grant Goleash
Cover Art: John Zeleznik
Typesetting: Stephen Olle
Proofreading: Stephen Olle and Michelle Sturgeon
Text Processing: Sarah Knecht and Steve Maggi

[DCtRPG] – Hi Lee, thanks for taking the time to talk to us here at DCtRPG.info. Before we start the interview proper, care to tell the readers a bit more about yourself?

[Lee] – I’m a slightly atypical working-class English bloke, as I don’t like football (soccer) and I know what atypical means! Seriously, I am 46 and from more or less the middle of England. Always been into science fiction, fantasy, thrillers and so forth. Apparently I could read unaided without talking out loud from the age of 3 or so, which has to have some bearing on my lifelong love of reading and other general geekyness!

[DCtRPG] – Always good to meet another geek! I guess also that you’re a life long roleplayer?

[Lee] – I was in a wargaming club as a teenager, and one day I saw this bunch of people sat around a table talking their way through a fight rather than shifting models around. This intrigued me greatly, so the following week I had a chat with one of the guys and he explained what it was all about. Soon, I couldn’t get enough roleplaying! The very first session I was in was original AD&D, and somewhere I still have the character sheet. He was a second level fighter I think. Not long after this, I purchased my very first RPG, which was the classic Traveller three-books-in-a-box. Never looked back since!

[DCtRPG] – Another one hooked by the bug I see. But what about Dark Conspiracy, how or when did you discover this great little game?

[Lee] – I had seen ads for the game in Challenge magazine and just thought it looked kind of interesting. A few months later my friend Dave (aka Ferret) organised a game weekend at his place, and Dark Conspiracy was on the agenda. He happens to be one of the best gamers I have ever met, both as player and GM, and the game combined with his home-brew scenario to grow into something special. Within weeks I had ventured to Dungeons & Starships in Birmingham and bought every Dark Conspiracy book that had been released by that time. On reading the main rulebook it struck me that there was a similarity to classic Traveller, in that the rules were a framework upon which you could build your own individual take on things.

[DCtRPG] – And so what was/is it about DC that really appealed?

[Lee] – More than anything else, it is the wide spectrum of styles that the game supports. Low-life drug dealers slaughtered by monsters from outer space? Check. Corporate espionage and dodgy deals in the boardroom? Check. Escaped genetic mutations just trying to survive? Check. Facing off against eldritch horrors from twisted alternate dimensions? That too! It’s all there waiting to be used. Of course, as Lester Smith himself said, GDW’s basic premise behind the original game was “monsters blow up real good”. He gave us plenty of other avenues to explore though, and that is where we as fans have gone with it.

[DCtRPG] – Damn straight! But it does lead me to ask, what was or is the least appealing aspect of the game or its system?

[Lee] – Hmm, well I guess we all know which of the rules are fiddly and over-complicated (automatic fire, I’m looking at you!) or just slightly too simple (Initiative). We should remember that the rules were held over from Twilight: 2000 v2 and a later version, used in Traveller: New Era and T2K v2.2 fixed a couple of things. Hopefully the optional rules we have in mind for the 3 Hombres edition will help things. As for the setting, the only problem I ever had was that there are so many disparate parts to it that they don’t really gel together at first.

[DCtRPG] – As I stated in the introduction, you are a well known contributor to the Dark Conspiracy line. What was it exactly that got you to start contributing?

[Lee] – When GDW went bump I just started to jot down anything that came to mind that could be dropped into a DC session or adventure. After reading a few novels the idea of the Republic of Britain came to mind, so I started laying that out just for myself. I happened across Demonground just after issue 2 was released, having only just discovered the internet at that time. The reason my name was all over the next couple of issues is because you guys were kind enough to accept EVERYTHING I had written for DC over the previous 4 or so years! After issue 4 or so I started writing brand new material, which was most enjoyable. I met a lot of good people through Demonground and still keep up with most of them. That’s all down to yourself Marcus, and I can never thank you enough for that late night phone call!

[DCtRPG] – Aw, shucks! Thanks for the kind words. Getting back on track, however, I have to ask, out of all the writing you have done, what would you say is your favourite?

[Lee] – People still tell me their favourite thing of mine is the Republic of Britain, but for me that is just something I wrote! I don’t really have anything that stands out to me, but what I enjoy most is creating new equipment. I’m not a rules person, but inventing items and writing background is where I am most comfortable.

[DCtRPG] – Well we should do what we enjoy the most, as they say. And was it through your writing that you got involved with 3 Hombre Games and DC III?

[Lee] – After TGC’s [that was The Gamers’ Conglomerate – DCtRPG] effort sadly came to nought (and it was a damn fine attempt!) things were in limbo for a while. Once again it looked like Dark Conspiracy was cursed, but eventually Norm Fenlason chased the licence and managed to cut a deal. Right away he asked me and Tad Kelson if we would go with him on the journey to DCIII. Having known them both for some time, I jumped at it, and having collaborated with them both in the past we know which of us is the best at certain tasks. For DCIII I am mainly a proofreader and editor in practical terms, as well as being a sounding board for the others to bounce ideas off. In fact we all do that to each other.

[DCtRPG] – Excellent! Where there is a will there’s a way, as they say! So, what can we expect to see from the new DC?

[Lee] – Right now we are concentrating on the rules and setting material for DCIII. We have several adventures already written and on the back burner, which will be released when DCIII is finished. This is so they can be statted for the new rules rather than being new material for the old version, as our previous material has been. There will be cross-compatibility of course. There is also a slight chance we may develop our own simple ruleset, which would enable us to offer non-DCIII material in future.

[DCtRPG] – Well I for one am looking forward to what this new era in DC will bring! Finally, before I let you go, I just have ask, if you have a free hand, and an unlimited budget, of course, where would you ultimately like to see Dark Conspiracy go?

[Lee] – If Call of Cthulhu was D&D then I’d want DCIII to be Pathfinder! Apart from that…I don’t know really. I guess I just want it to carry on and for new material to be done properly. The ability to offer things like full colour hardback print versions would be cool though.

[DCtRPG] – Thanks, Lee! It has been great having this chance to chat about the past present and future, and I’m sure that the readers will all join me in wishing you and the rest of the team the best of luck in your endeavours!

In terms of production style and format, Detour mimics the folio structure as seen in Ice Deamon and Nightsider (minus the card covers and maps). This includes such things as the adventure-related banner art on each page, the standard Dark Conspiracy footer and a single column of text, all which are great ‘nods’ to the previous editions and the continuity of the line. The art, all of which is provided by David Lee Ingersoll, is grey-scaled illustrations (except the front cover, which is full colour). These do a good job of invoking the atmosphere of the adventure, and ranges from average to good in terms of quality. That said nothing stands out as distinctly Dark Conspiracy in style or subject matter, although it makes up for this with a sheer quantity that far surpasses most other RPG products (for any line or system) of this size.

Structurally Detour is divided into eleven scenes although it should be pointed out that a few of these are more background and setting frameworks rather than being actual scenes to be played out in game. The first five of these detail the backdrop to the adventure and the information needed to involve the characters in the story, while the final six describe events within the plot and their likely outcomes during play.

The Hook

As Detour endeavours to detail life outside of the metroplexes and controlled zones, as much as it attempts to provide an actual playable scenario, it is not surprising that the adventure’s hook sees the characters, hired, coerced or forced into signing up with a group that frequents such places. In this case, the Minion Hunter’s potential employer is Salvage Incorporated (or SI), a company that earns a living as rubbish collectors and ‘refurbishers’ of old and abandoned goods.

The scenario’s first scene Taking the Road Less Travelled, offers a number of ways in which the characters might find gainful employment with SI, from the typical – the characters are on the trail of a missing friend or colleague and discover that SI are about to travel through the last place they were seen (deep in the Outlaw) – through to the one I could see being used most readily – the characters need to get away from the city as soon as possible, and the contract, as dangerous as it might seem, offers just that. It is also pointed out that, SI controls ‘a fair amount gray market activities’ in the community and this is yet another way of getting the characters involved in the story. It is great that Detour suggests a range of ways of being brought into an existing DC campaign, and these all gel well with the scenario’s style. Especially as I personally see the best use of this adventure being played out while the Minion Hunters are at a loose end or on the run from someone or something much more dangerous.

The main plot elements in Detour is SIs attempt to retrieve of a large backhoe (or, as they are often referred to outside of America, a JCB) that has either been put up for salvage in a small out-of-the-way place known as Crystal Lake. Of course Crystal Lake sits deep within the Outlaw and with trusted manpower in short supply the Minion Hunters are just the sort of individuals SI is looking for to complete its Sweep (group assigned to the task of retrieving the backhoe).

The events leading up to this opportunity, as well as the standing Salvage Incorporated and its owners – ‘Judge’ Darien Carter and Doug Wiley – has within the local community are detailed in next few scenes. The Urban Ecosystem, Making a Living from Society’s Scraps, Salvage Inc. and The Backstory and the Interview, all add greatly to the atmosphere of Detour and brings to life how society has changed with the onset of the Greater Depression.

The introduction portion of the adventure is rounded out with Scene Six – Salvage Incorporated’s Road Contracts – which explains just how Salvage Inc operates on the road. This is an excellent insight into how organisations like SI have to prepare for travelling in the Outlaw, and could easily be turned into a full scene where the characters are introduced to the team and told what to expect once out of the safety of New BosWash.

The Chase

At last the adventure proper starts with Scene Seven, The Trip, which covers the initial part of the outbound journey facing the Sweep and again highlights just how much life has changed in Dark America.

Scene Eight, Idle Chatter?, covers just the sorts of stories and rumours you’d expect a team of hardened ‘collectors’ to have gathered after years on the road. As with some of the earlier ‘scenes’, scene eight does a lot to add to the atmosphere to the game and would act as an excellent introduction to the world of Dark Conspiracy for the uninitiated. Approached as on the premise of someone positing the question of ‘what’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen on the road’, it covers things like the discovery of weird road-kill through to the appearance of strange new roads and beyond. It is a great scene, and the material introduced here alone could spark a dozen more Dark Conspiracy adventures.

Scene Nine, A Night in the Woods, returns to the main goal of the adventure, the retrieval of the backhoe, and details both the night the Sweep spends in the Outlaw, and how the group will approach Crystal Lake (or more importantly the lake’s lodge). The scene also provides the potential for an encounter with a group of Rock Gargoyles, although this both seems out of place and is easily avoided as presented.

The real crux of the story is played out in Scene Ten, Breakfast at the Crystal Lake Lodge, and it is here that we discover the real reason that SI (or, if the characters are there because of them, their friend or colleague) was lured to such an out of the way place. Suffice to say that Darkling lurking in the lodge is both conniving and cunning, and has the tools to achieve what it wants – yet more bodies and minds. Unfortunately this scene is somewhat of a letdown compared to the others, a real disappointment when it should have really been the focus (or climax) of what has been other wise a very immersive experience up to this point. My main complaint is that beyond the general motivations and ‘tools’ at the Darkling’s disposal, no real plan or goals beyond the collection of more bodies are mentioned. Worse still, what is presented is likely to quickly become a nothing more than a simple shoot-out and combat scene, with little chance of the players ever really discovering who, what or why the creature is in the Lodge (unless the Referee does a lot of plot development themselves).

The Day After is the eleventh and final scene of the supplement. A collection of further challenges that might face the Sweep as it returns with its prize to New Boswash, these range from encounters with gangers through to discovering another party interested in the Darkling the Minion Hunters have just encountered. Again, while these are well thought out, they seem all too brief and lacking details to really drive any further stories. That said, I think the one idea that does directly relate to the events at the lodge is very, very good, and has the potential to spawn an very interesting and perhaps different sort of Dark Conspiracy campaign.

Extras

Detour only provides a few extras, game stats for two weapons (a generic 12 Gauge Revolver Shotgun, and M1919A4 Machinegun) and an updated version of standard body armour (the Spectra Vest with Armour Inserts). In addition, the Darkling from the lodge is detailed in all its gory greatness, although disappointingly its personal minions are not (in fact, it is a bit of a serious error that the reader is pointed to the Dark Races Compendium for details on these, as other than that this scenario is nicely self contained).

Opinion

It is difficult to sum up what I think of Detour. The reason I say that is because in the end I don’t think it quite knows what it wants to be – an atmospheric setting piece or an example DC adventure. Personally I think it does better as the former, with some interesting and diverse ideas, and a style that really highlights the Dark Conspiracy setting. As an adventure it doesn’t have, in my opinion, much substance beyond the vignettes and core set-up.

Despite these rather negative sounding comments, Detour definitely hits some hit notes. The writing is excellent and, as I’ve said, it is probably the best example of atmospheric prose I’ve seen for the line. It is also interesting to see the author’s take on the Outlaw, a perspective which gives a feeling of it being part ‘wild west’, part ‘post apocalyptic’ in nature . Likewise the scenario does a great job in offering options for bringing the player characters into the adventures, being flexible enough to allow the adventure to be used by players of any DC style game. I also really enjoyed the design and layout of the adventure (a nod to the original supplements that to me says that 3 Hombres Games both respects and wants to build on Dark Conspiracy’s history), and the art, on reflection, is much better than one should really expect from a start-up game publisher releasing their first product.

While there are some editing errors in the text (for example, paragraph 2 on page 7 repeats the same information about the ‘trunk monkey’ – a truck’s tail-end gunner – twice in two different ways) and punctuation seems inconsistent throughout (a few missing fullstops, etc.), nothing really stands in the way of one enjoying the supplement for what it is – a damn good setting and kick-off point for Dark Conspiracy. In fact that is exactly what Detour is, an atmospheric look at ‘what Dark Conspiracy can be’ and how its themes make stand out from other conspiracy or horror games.

In the end there are just three things that in my opinion hold Detour back from great. The lack of details around the darkling creature (its goals and motivations beyond adding new victims), the absences of any sort of investigation (that the characters are limited to essentially entering a running battle with the Darkling once they are aware of its presence*), and the failure to provide the stats for the Darkling’s own minions (in my opinion, a publisher shouldn’t expect a potential player/Referee to have to purchase further material to use a supplement). As I said, none of these are ‘show-stoppers’ but if 3 Hombres Games ever decides to revisit Detour, they could do worse than add these few simple things to the PDF.

I like Detour, it is a great little product and it really showcases just what 3 Hombres Games brings to the line. I definitely look forward to reviewing more of their material in the future.

* although equally one could point out that this lack of investigation actually reinforces the themes of Dark Conspiracy and is probably more honest to its source than many of DC products.

Clear Credit

Detour, 2011 3 Hombres Games (11001DC2)
Author: Captain Obvious (an ‘obvious” nom-de-plume)
Cover & Illustrations: David Lee Ingersoll
Editing: Lee Williams
Graphic Design and Layout: Norm Fenlason
Additional Material: Kevin O’Neill

Ice Daemon is a 16 page adventure published in 1992 by GDW for the Dark Conspiracy gameline. It is the first of a new type of folio style adventures produced for the company (a format that would be used in one other Dark Conspiracy adventure – Nightsider – and at least one of the company’s adventures for the MERC: 2000 gameline). With a pretty typically average level of gaming art (for the period), the illustrations, both cover and interior, are a little below what GDW usually produces in its products (whether this was due to the lower price point of the adventure, or the way in which it was produced, I can not speculate). Fortunately the cartography is still top-notch and the entire adventure’s presentation does have a good ‘unified’ style and theme; ice blues mixed with washed out colours on the cover and end pieces, and easily read black & white text.

The Hook

I love the introduction to this adventure, to me it brings out one of the best aspects of horror gaming – the ability to throw the characters in the deep in at any time, and in any place. Ice Daemon does just that, starting the adventure in Texas during what could easily be one of those cut scenes when the Referee says – you head out from X and arrive in Y a few days later. Sure you’re tired, and a little short on ready cash, but you made it in good time. In particular the characters here are travelling in the desert heat, likely bored, hot and more than a little irritated.

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The folio format itself deserves some explanation, especially as, in my opinion, it is quite an innovative and interesting design during a time when most game companies were looking more and more towards full colour hard-backed supplements. The basic design is similar to the old Dungeons and Dragons adventures one might recall from the early 1980’s; a tri-fold cardboard cover which wraps around (but otherwise unattached) to the staple-bound adventure text. This ‘cover’ is full colour and on one side has the end pages (what one would call the traditional cover and back of the product), while on the other are the full colour maps of the important area(s) described in the adventure. The third panel details important information from the adventure, be it additional maps or statistics and descriptions of key Dark Lords or Minions. This panel is also perforated allowing the Game Master (GM) to remove it prior to play. By doing so, they are actually creating an adventure specific GM’s screen, which is a definite added bonus when running the scenario.
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Into this comes a strange weather pattern – high cumulus cloud – that at first sight seems to indicate a welcome thunderstorm. But, as they soon find out, and is reported on the local news, this storm quickly brings colder than expected weather that soon has the group reaching for the car heater!

This style of ‘surprise, you’re in an adventure now’ setup, as I said, really appeals, especially in Dark Conspiracy, where the evil facing the world is usually only encountered in seemingly chance encounters by most of the population. Here you get the mental image of a Dark America, which, while it might be bad by our standards, is still a place where you can life; work and raise a family in ignorant bliss– unless you luck out and have an encounter like this.

The Chase

The adventure proper starts when the group are forced to seek shelter from the worsening storm, which as you can well imagine, is causing havoc on the usually parched country side.  Here the party meets Albert Vincent, a helpful though cowardly young man who will assist the group in getting better prepared to face the sudden change of weather. Within this shelter the characters will have a chance to discover that the weather system seems to be focused a few miles north of their location, and centres (as the reporter or weather channel graphs will report) on a spot which seems to blink like a beacon on the weather radar.

Here Albert’s role comes to the fore and he can be used to prompt the characters to investigate this strange occurrence, either getting them out into the weather, or dying a horrible death at the jaws of the Ice Wolves. Once outside any suggestion that the weather might be natural is dispelled when the group encounters the aforementioned Ice Wolves. These large, aggressive beasts will attack immediately, and once killed will reveal tracks heading off in the direction of the blinking beacon seen earlier.

Following this, the characters come across an odd mound clouded in ice and snow, and more impressively a collection of creatures that could only be described as Yeti! These shaggy beasts seem to originate, although with the wolves from within the mound, and as they seem not aggressive or even to interested in the characters, access to this ‘complex’ is easy enough.

Once within the characters will quickly realise that they in the midst of some odd research facility, and will find a Greenhouse growing hydroponics, Mess and Bunk halls, and a storeroom. Exploring this complex is easy enough, until the group encounters either more wolves, or one of the humans who work along side the Yeti. If this does happen, a sharp and deadly firefight is likely to quickly break out, and the chances of the party ever discovering the truth behind the complex and the weather are remote. On the other hand, if the group succeeds in keeping from being discovered, they will soon discover what can only be called the Portal room.

This chamber houses numerous databanks and computer stations, and is dominated by a strange platform through which Yeti seem to suddenly appear. Here also is a small alien, the titular Ice Daemon, who with its empathic powers has infiltrated a corporation and is now funnelling its resources to create the complex and the dimensional platform. As the group watches the ‘parade’ of arrivals, it soon becomes clear that some sort of invasion is in progress, one that must be stopped!

It is likely that the climax of the adventure is one large battle, from which the Ice Daemon will flee, escaping through the portal (in a rather Deus ex machine moment). After its departure the real threat to the party appears – the Ice Wyrm. This massive creature is described as “is 1O meters tall and has a snake-like shape. Its long muscular body is armoured with sharp, chitinous plates. and ends with a spiked tail that it lashes as a weapon” and much too small for the room started to destroy the complex.

After what is likely to be a long and bloody fight, the characters must then stop or destroy the beacon – the now obvious source of the increasingly cold weather. Once achieved, Texas will slowly return to normal, although the Ice Daemon still remains at large.

Extras

Ice Daemon rounds out with notes on awarding experience, and a couple of pages of descriptions on the main enemies in the adventure; the Yeti, Ice Wolves, Ice Daemon and Wyrm, although details on their stats are listed on the third panel of the wrap-around cover (see below). Included here also, is information on the various item of Ice Dimension Darktek the group might have seen in action or have come to possess. None of this is very new or interesting, but it is good to see it collected together like this.

As I described earlier, Ice Daemon was published in a folio format, and for the most part follows the format I mentioned there. In particular the third panel deserves a special mention; perforated it detaches from the other section (which forms the front and back cover of the product when closed, and on the ‘inside’ a full colour map of the Ice Daemon’s complex), and details all the stats for the Minions and the Dark Lord. This is extremely handy and removes the need to flip back and forth between statistics and location description when actually running the game.

Opinions

I have fond memories of Ice Daemon, having run it a couple of times. It is a brief (4 or 5 hours in my experience) adventure that gets right to the point and into the action. Players have said that it is atmospheric (especially when run in winter) and has a nice climatic ending.

From a personal point of view, the scenario does what it says on the cover, and I could only gripe about a few things. The way Albert is used in the set-up confuses me a little, and I get the feeling he might have been a bit of a late inclusion aimed at ensuring the players get quickly on with the plot. I’ve always used him as a bit more of a more rounded character, having his own motivations and needs to both assist and hinder the party, this moves him away from just be a simple ‘trigger’ (i.e. get on with the adventure or more die) and more of a ‘red herring’ and plot devise (i.e. could he have something to do with the sudden snow fall).

In this I’ve also always set the beginning of the adventure in a small town ship, demonstrating how ill equipped the townsfolk are in dealing with the snows and sleet. This, I feel, helps place a sense of urgency, between the rapid collapse of the town and the attacks of the wolves, on the characters to solve the mystery. I’m probably being a little harsh here, as Ice Daemon is only 16 pages long, and does a good job of creating enough of a narrative to at least build on with ideas like this.

That said, one aspect of the plot I can never abide by is the ‘miraculous’ escape of the Ice Daemon needing to trigger the arrival of the Wyrm. Suffice to say that there are a myriad of options a Referee has to make this scene feel a little less ‘contrived’, but personally I’d have preferred if they were included in the adventure. Beyond that, however, I think Ice Daemon is a pretty good example of an adventure of this sort, and demonstrates one style of plot that is, in my opinion, sorely missed in this day and age of gaming.

Clear Credit

Ice Daemon, 1992 GDW (GDW 2111) – ISBN 1-55878-124-2
Design: Creede and Sharleen Lambard
Development: Nick Atlas
Editing: Dave Nilsen and Lester Smith
Cover and Interior Color Illustrations: Allen Nunis (pencils & inks), Steve Bryant, and Kirk Wescom (colors)
Interior Illustrations: Rick Harris
Art Direction: Steve Bryant
Graphic Design and Production: Amy Doubet, LaMont Fullerton, Rob Lazzeretti, and Kirk Wescom
Typesetting and Proofreading: Steve Maggi
Proofreading: Stephen Olle