Never mind the game, it's nice to have someplace to squirrel away your notes and roll dice where players cannot see them... and if it has something useful to contribute that's even better!

This one has four panels. The side for the Handler has various useful tables, presented in a somewhat jumbled way reminiscent of a hastily-assembled pin-board - it's worth becoming familiar with where everything is before you need to refer to it in the heat of play.

The tables include a range of ones for using skills, including some useful advice - "Don't roll dice if things are calm and under control, do roll dice if it's a crisis and things are out of control" - as well as loads of ideas for modifiers to use depending on the situation and how hard the thing being accomplished happens to be. There are also combat actions and combat modifiers, a whole selection of other ways to do damage to the party, and finally one panel on SAN and the lack thereof... all the game mechanics you're going to need neatly tabulated.

The player side is a collage of rather blurry artwork, the best bit of which is an image of someone practising on the shooting range. Either a distraction as you try to figure out what the rest is, or something you'll get tired of looking at really quickly.

You also get a copy of the quickstart module Need to Know, which can be obtained for free as a PDF download, so this seems quite highly priced for the downloadable version. Best go for the hard copy version so you don't have to print the thing out and get a paperback copy of Need to Know into the bargain.

The situation is simple. A Delta Green operative has gone missing from a US military base in Afghanistan. The party, also Delta Green operatives, are sent to find out what happened - and retrieve the missing person if possible. It's assumed that the party are already in Afghanistan - as soldiers, intelligence agents, civilian contractors or the like - and some pregenerated characters are provided if required. In a delightful twist, they're told that whatever they really are, they will pose as CIA agents who are posing as Army intelligence specialists and civilian advisors... and of course, they are not supposed to let on that they are CIA, never mind Delta Green!

The background information for the Handler (GM) explains what the missing man was doing, and why he was in this particular base in the first place. There's also comprehensive information about the base itself and the few people still there - it was in the process of being handed over to the Afghani Army as the Americans reduce their presence in country. Gathering information about the agent's disappearance will require a lot of interaction, and all that's needed to role-play this to effect is provided. Everything seems to be centred on a mysterious village called Kali Ghati, which nobody seems prepared to admit exists, let alone want to go there.

This should be enough to get the party wanting to go there. Naturally, it's not exactly safe driving through Taliban-infested country, never mind the sort of issues Delta Green is there to combat... and there's a neat firefight to get through before they actually reach the place (not to mention that they might be on foot by then, with a harsh environment to contend with along with all their other ills). Eventually they'll get there, and find a weird bunch of villagers to interact with - again, you're given what you need to make them come alive in the game.

The climax of the adventure takes place in a cliff-top temple, which the party will have to climb up to and explore... and survive, if they can. Overall, it's a neat little adventure suitable for use as a one-off or campaign starter (for either of which you might use the pre-generated characters) or, if you have a reasonably military-oriented group, something you can weave into an existing campaign. Alien horrors, unfamiliar cultures, sheer desperation that could so easily turn into despair... it's all here.

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Lover in the Ice

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea everyday!

Product- Lover in the ICe System- Delta Green Producer- Arc Dream Publishing Price- $4.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/184098/Delta-Green-Lover-in-the-Ice?affiliate_id=658618 TL; DR- Good adventure, Hard NC-17 rating! 85%

Basics-Some things are best left unremembered. In “Lover in the Ice”, a snow storm opens up a Delta Green storage facility, and “something” gets out. Can you stop whatever got out from loving its way across Missouri in a blizzard?

Theme or Fluff-The story of “Lover in the Ice” is a solid one. Players race around a medium sized town in the middle of a blizzard of the century. It's got some great scenes that feel real and a lot of little extra fill out the world details. What I miss from most of Arc Dream’s work is intro paragraphs of box text. These set the scene for the players and really the GM to get you in the right headspace for each location. I’m long enough in the tooth that I can cobble one together from the description, but this is something that needs to be part of each place you visit! Players do a breach, bang, and clear for several houses and locations, and a quick section detailing what each room looks like will really help my players and me. It doesn’t make the story any less fun, but it does make me have to do more work. What here though is fun, but HOLY COW it’s hard R. KNOW THIS GOING IN! If your group is ok with that, then have at this one! 4.5 /5

Mechanics or Crunch-Overall, I like what’s here, but I think some things need to be filled out a bit more. There is a monster that can do some very horrible things to the players. I’d like a bit more words on how the attack is done. I have an idea of how it works, but I’d like either a few extra checks or two phase method of attack to make it happen. Otherwise the attack looks like its a one and done prospect. That’s a bit rough. Also Delta Green likes to just give the players information saying if you have HUMINT 30% you know X. I prefer to make the players roll. This is at odds with the ideas Arc Dream has of not making trivial things rolls, but it’s more in line with player expectations. Players like touching dice and even if I say “you know X because of your HUMINT 30%” It feels less fun to the guy/gal holding the dice. Overall, this is much more of a social/explore mission than a straight up fire fight. Don’t expect Fallujah level fights here! This is a contain the problem mission. The mechanics work well, but I had a few issues that I changed on the fly because its my game and I can. I think you will do the same, but I think these changes should be a standard part of the scenario. 4.25 /5

Execution-I like the basic setup of this mission. Now, let’s get petty! “Lover in the Ice” has a decent layout, but for the price, I kinda want a cover page, more art, and hyperlinks. Its a PDF, but not hyperlinked, so I get slightly annoyed. It’s pretty short, so this is a good one shot. But, I’d like a bit more production value. The monster gets a hand drawn picture, but never a nice, graphic picture I can throw to my players. The handouts I gave to my players are amazing and horrified a few of the players to stop reading! But the adventure puts up a few red herrings along the way. There is a section where players can keep finding random crap. Nothing in the random crap box is useful except one item. That is fun to see all the different things in there and what other things Delta Green might have been up to! I’d also like player maps of places without the marks that a GM has. These unmarked maps are VERY useful as something I can plunk down on the table instead of having to remake maps or just cover up points of interest. I like the general execution of this adventure, but I’d like a few more things to really knock it out of the park. 4.25 /5

Summary-I really love this adventure! It's got a solid storyline, good execution, and enough action to keep the players involved. It is not without its faults. I’d like a bit more direction or changes to some of the rules, some extra writing, and some minor things added to the product. None of the faults here absolutely breaks the game in any way. Honestly, if your group can stand Hellraiser and wants to try Delta Green, then this is a great intro game. If your group cannot stand theme of body horror and rape, then give this one a hard pass. Just like sushi, it can be done amazing, but if you can’t stand raw fish, pass and be polite. Don’t force anybody to eat the sushi! But if you want to try this one, it’s a great day to save the world from some crazy horrors in the snow! 85%

Good short scenerio, but Dennis never explains who (or what) put the marking on the door, or why, and why does a certain name cause a certain thing pain when said aloud.

The scenario is decent enough despite several glaring errors, but the organization is terrible and there is no table of contents. Especially lascking was asny sort of GM's summary which would have tied the entire mess together.

Generally great scenario as a one shot but could've been written a bit better. First of all - there's no mentioning that Fermilab is an actual thing and whole holobeam thing is real. It'd be good to have some box of facts at least to dig the theme on your own. Second thing I find that all the clues could be put all together and most of them could be obtained from many NPCs so it would be easier to adapt to the group and set the flow. Having every character a list of specific clues put me off a little and in the end I mixed it up according to specific NPCs. Last but not least - there are very important stuff written in character descriptions at the end of the scenarios (like Helen's special abilities...) which aren't mentioned anywhere else. Also - this game would be sooo much better with pregens.

Again - great inspiring scenario. Took three evenings (3x2.5 hours on average) to finish.

I purchased the "Watermarked PDF + Softcover Color Book (Premium Heavyweight)" a few weeks ago. Got it in the mail for a few days ago now and must say that the print was exelent, nice quality feel to it! Recomend! Hace not played it yet but it seems like a "nice" story! :)

A horrific tale of the consequences of being a Delta Green agent...and what happens when that person becomes the mission.

Well written, compelling, never predictable. Read it, You won't regret it!

Staring into the eye of madness, the abyss, the apocalypse... if you need a one-sentence description of Delta Green, that would do. I have been a fan of Delta Green since it first appeared as a modern-day era supplement for Call of Cthulhu. I loved it then, but this is my hands-down favorite now. There are many horror-themed games on the market, but few are willing to cross that invisible line into a world where death and madness are not possibilities, they are inevitable. Delta Green pulls no punches and I love it all the more for that.

Yes, characters are fighting the "good" fight, but that's only a single (and perhaps least interesting) facet of the game. It's that downward spiral your characters inevitably slip into that really gives some gravitas and meat (pun intended) to the setting. Could you run a Mythos version of the X-Files with this? Sure. But, you'd be better off seeking your entertainment elsewhere. Pushing back the unknown, one mission at a time- that's DG. Watching your relationships disintegrate before your eyes because you can't tell them what you have seen or done, and those things invariably making you a colder, harder person... that's DG. Driving down the country road, your clothes covered in your partner's (who is dead in the seat next to you) blood and you have to get rid of the body because no one can know about how he died or why... that's DG.

I cannot give this game high enough marks. It's damn-near perfect. If you love horror and mystery that does not hold your hand, you need to buy Delta Green!

As a Kickstarter backer I grumble at how long these projects take and DG was no exception.

The final product is excellent and the up date to the rules streamlines and mirrors the effect these things have on us in real life. The violence and bonds mechanic especially backs up the evidence of the after effects of prolonged combat as many veterans will confess to. Broken relationships, PTSD, thousand yard stare can all be realised in game giving a balanced rules mechanism to enhance the atmosphere and in some cases, desperation of Agents. Love it.

Look forward to the slipcase set.

I joined this Kickstarter after taking a look at the early rules document. I was thinking about purchasing the new Call of Cthulhu at the time, but I instantly fell in love with these rules. They are the best horror RPG rules I've used, and I've been playing since the 70's. Super streamlined, with a great reworking of Sanity, and fantastic additions for downtime and family life. Another nice addition is Lethality, making combat realistic and frightening. I really like conspiracy and "monster of the week" campaigns, and this game does both very well, with the bonus of existing within HPL's Mythos. Character creation is fast, but you still end up with a deep character. The information on government organizations is top notch. The Handler's Guide oozes adventure ideas and horror from every page. The layout is fantastic and very atmospheric. You can easily run any previous Delta Green material or CoC scenario with these rules. This is really the only horror game I'm ever going to need. It's perfect. Can't wait for more of the books.

A fantastic update of a great game. The new mechanical additions go a long way to supporting the sort of games that this setting has always excelled at: desperate agents trying to save the world as their life, careers, and sanity slowly buckle under the strain. Everything you need to run an awesome Lovecraftian campaign is in these two books!

The first scenario that exposed me to Delta Green back when it was originally released and it hit all of the werid things that I really love about the setting. How it's grounded in the real world and that how one thing, upon discovery, can catostraphically ruin the lives of everyone in contact with it. There's a beautiful nihilism about The Last Equation that is wonderful to run and play. It's a great mystery that isn't about a monster and more about the horrors of the world that lie just beyond human comprehension. It's quintessentially Delta Green.

The Need to Know Document is a great primer on the rules for the Delta Green RPG. All the "crunch" of the system packaged in a well-designed and easy to use reference. Perfect for use at the table to make a quick rules lookup. It also contains six pre-generated characters and an intro scenario called "Last Things Last." A good intro scenario for new players to get a feel for the rules, and it can also be used as a great jumping-off point for a new campaign.

The screen is one of the best "GM Screens" I have ever seen for an RPG. It is a four-panel screen, each panel approx 8.5" x 11", oriented landscape-style so it doesn't block your view of the table or your players. The tables on the back side are very useful and I find them to be of great help when running a game. The art on the front is top-notch and it fits right in with the setting of Delta Green. It is made of durable cardboard, just like a hardcover book, so it should last for many years. Tougher than a Shantak's thorax.