Modern game

[welsh]

I am considering starting a new campaign, but not for a few months yet. This would probably start in New York and would involve three overlapping stories.

(1) Involves the disappearance of a young model and involve Private Investigators.
(2) A series of brutal murders, involving the police or perhaps even the FBI.
(3) An art theft, involving a heist of a rare painting involving a group of thieves.

The game will utilize some of the Delta Green setting and could become a delta green game eventually. But it will not start out as such.

I would like to have
(1) 1-4 PIs
(2) 1-2 cops
(3) 2-6 thieves

[coffee demon]

I'm IN!

[DSIGFUSS]

I'm in too. I've been looking for a new game to start up in.

I'd love to play one of the cops.

[coffee demon]

I'd like to be a second cop, if possible. DSIGFUSS and I have had many run ins with police together in real life, and we feel like we could do realistic portrayals..

[Mr. Handy]

This sounds interesting. Since it's not starting for a few months, I should have some more time then. I'm thinking of playing one of the thieves.

[paradys]

i'd be interested too. all the story lines sound interesting, i'd be willing to be a pi or a thief.

[Lobbsung Ludd]

This sounds interesting. I can go thief if any spaces are left, or cop.

[SuAside]

perhaps, perhaps, perhaps 8)

[Raiko]

I think I'd like to play one of the art thieves.

[Riotopsys]

I've been wanting to play a cat burglar, where will this be set?

[Piano man]

I would be interested by then too. Would also like to play a cop, but would play whatever you like.

[Raiko]

I've been wanting to play a cat burglar, where will this be set?

I'm glad you found a game you fancy.

Welsh said the game will probably be set in New York.

[welsh]

The game will start in New York, but probably not end there. The campaign actually will probably have players travel to Europe, the middle east, and the Far East.

What I am thinking is to get the players involved in mini-campaigns to get started- this way players can learn about each other's characters and get some experience under their belt before the campaign begins. These might have nothing to do with cthulhu or cultists.

(1) PI's will do a missing person's case
(2) Homicide cops will do a detective case
(3) Thieves will get to rob someone.

Sorry to delay this- The initial three chapters are pretty well figured out, as are the next two. The first three will be in New York. Follow ups in Switzerland and Iraq, maybe Afghanistan. But at present I am busy with a dissertation and the Lure.

What I would really like is to have players gain some background or experience in their professions.

For example, I would like PI's to have some idea what PI's normally do and recommed references-

Introduction to Private Investigation

Idiot's guide to being a PI?

PI's handbook

Homicide cops-
Practical Homicide Investigation

Homicide Investigation

Murder 101

Part of the inspiration for this game comes from David Simon's show The Wire as well as his book Homicide which tells the story of a year with the Baltimore homide unit. Pretty good stuff there.

For the thieves- My story draws from television and film. Primarily The Usual Suspects or the FX show -
Thief and the film Heat

Would be thieves may also wish to read-
Confessions of a master jewel thief

or
super thief

[Raiko]

For the thieves- My story draws from television and film. Primarily The Usual Suspects or the FX show -
Thief and the film Heat

Wow! Two of my favourite films.
I liked Thief a lot as well, although it could have done with padding out another couple of episodes.

Would be thieves may also wish to read-
Confessions of a master jewel thief

or
super thief

I haven't read either of those, but as your tastes is heist movies seems so similar to mine, I might give them a try.

BTW: When I first read this thread I had just watched the second Grand Theft Auto 4 trailer, consequently I'm inspired to have my thief be a Russian immigrant. I'd decided to make him a veteran of the (First) Chechen War. Although he's never been to Afghanistan he'll know some guys who were there during the Russian invasion. Does that concept sound ok? If not I'll change things.

[welsh]

OC- Hey Raiko, I can't really vouch for either book. Only that they have been highly recommended.

As for the private investigators-

These guys will be contracted by a company called Freelance Inc. Freelance works as a headhunting firm, essentially professional placement. A client needs a service and they find the talent.

PI's are less gumshoes than corporate investigators. Don't think Sam Spade, think Kroll Inc.
A list of top corporate firms-

http://www.portfolio.com/resources/busi ... tive_firms

see-
http://www.boston.com/business/articles ... spotlight/

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... U44017.DTL

Our agents would be professionals, all top individuals, with a variety of skills ranging from business degrees, law degrees, sciences, and even the arts.

I will think about character creation tips, but generally these characters should have pretty good skills to start. I would say character scores for PI's would run to 120 points and each character must use 18 points to intelligence.

In contrast I am guessing cops and thieves would have 110 points of character points to play with.

We will also use Delta Green Skills and the Delta Green character sheets and be probably rely on DG's weapons rules.

[coffee demon]

any suggestions for the cops? Sounds like everyone should be pretty top-notch. At first I was imagining a beat cop. Now it sounds like I should be some kind of detective, or forensic specialist..

Any thoughts?

[welsh]

Hey Coffee Demon-

No, these cops are homicide detectives. I am thinking of running the players through a few homicides before getting them entangled in the case.

Sometime ago I met a homicide detective while commuting into New York. Bad weather (it was snowing badly) forced us to return home and we got to talking. He said that usually the homicide detectives will handle a case for the first 48-72 hours. After that the case will normally be turned over to local precinct detectives.

In our case we will need to change police procedure a bit. I am thinking of the homicide division here as a city wide detail.

I might award some initial bonus points to get you started- suggesting academy and specialized training, etc.

It shoudl be noted that for the most part homicide cops get their cases through confessions and basic investigative process. I'll write more on that tomorrow.

[Seppuku]

If Mark lives through what's happening in Ash I'd like to use him. If he get's through this he will be one badass thief.

[welsh]

Currently thinking of making some changes. Maybe 2-4 cops instead of 1-2. I am also more keen on getting everyone started with a mini adventure.

My concern is that I will be traveling in Dec-Jan for about a month. Given holidays, that shouldn't be a problem. A short adventure could get everyone going before the main campaign creeps in.

[welsh]

Delta Green Character Sheet-
http://www.delta-green.com/opint/raredocs/DGCSheet.PDF

Ok, so for the cops-
For those interested in being a NYPD cop-
Wikipedia's quick page

Or NYPD official site

All NYPD cops would have gone through NYPD's six month police academy.

On organization of detectives of the NYPD.

SOme might also work with the New York State Criminal Investigation Bureau.

NYS Police Academy curriculum
The way I am thinking of running this is to create a group of homicide detectives that are also working a special unit involve homicides that are city wide and fit certain criminal patterns. Such police investigators might be involved in serial killers, homicides related to organized crime of narcotics traffic, etc- generally these are cops who do multiple murders.

The cops would normally be assigned to a precinct. This would allow cops to know the neighborhoods and local patterns of crime. They would also be more repsonsive to the crime- allowing them to more quickly look at the crime scene, interrogate witnesses, etc.

Our unit would only be drawn to a case if there was a pattern of murder or if the nature of the crime was 'unusual'- with a pattern of violence extreme for most cops, or reflecting multiple murders, or suggesting a patterns of psychological or organized patterns to the homicides.

So starting skills for cops-
All cops should be at least 30 years of age.
Some might have come up patrol and have not completed college, but most would have a college education. That said, EDU should be 14-18

Other traits= -
STR 13-18
SIZ 10-16
INT 14-18
POW- up to you
Dex 12-18
APP- up to you

Ok, so lets say 110 to start. That should make for some pretty good characters.

Skills- All detectives would start with the following minimum scores (which you can add to if you choose)- Computer Use 10%, Drive Auto 35%, Fast Talk 20%, First Aid 35% Forensics 20%, Handgun 35% (most homicide cops never use their guns) Law 30%, Library Use 30% Listen 35%, persuade 20%. Psychology 25%, shotgun 35% Spot Hidden 30% Track 20%, Tradecraft 25% + 3 others occupational skills. Use your personal skills as you would like.

Note- While you should add to these scores- others you may elect to include pharmacy, martial arts, psychoanalysis, rifle, submachinegun (Ah those SWAT days), SCUBA (body retreaval, Pilot Boat or Pilot Helicopter (from past experiences), Forgery or Accounting, Anthropology (juvenile gangs? cults), Botany and Chemistry (Narcotics or as CSI), Disguise (from undercover), Demolitions (bomb squad or robbery) Cryptography- code breaking.