Delta Green

No prior knowledge of the rules is required. The system is simple: you roll two ten-sided dice to get a percentage. If your roll is below your skill level, you succeed. The Game Master will explain the rules as they arise and keep the game flowing. Your focus will be on choices, clues, and consequences, rather than calculations. If you're already familiar with Delta Green, the GM can incorporate any optional adjustments you prefer. Either way, you'll be playing confidently within minutes.

Delta Green is intense, adult horror. Themes may include violence, gore, and psychological stress. Before play, your GM will establish lines and veils with you, and use safety tools like pauses and check-ins during the game. You decide how far to turn the dial, from moody thriller to harsh horror. Consequences are significant, but player comfort is paramount. To align tone and content with your preferences, explore GM styles here: GM playstyles.

It shines with 2 to 5 players. Fewer agents create a more surgical and tense atmosphere. Larger teams bring more skills and crossfire, but also attract more attention. A typical operation lasts 3 to 4 hours. One-shots usually fit into a single session. Campaign play maintains the same session length, with occasional debriefs or home scenes as time permits. Your Game Master adjusts pacing and clue density for the group, ensuring everyone gets their moment in the spotlight.

It is modern, grounded, and investigation-led. There are no classes or levels. You create an agent with skills, a job, and personal connections. Combat is quick, lethal, and typically a last resort. Supernatural elements are rare, unknowable, and perilous to use. Sanity and Bonds measure the personal cost of the work. In contrast to D&D’s heroic fantasy and dungeon crawls, Delta Green is more akin to crime drama combined with cosmic horror and covert operations.

Sessions use Delta Green, The Role-Playing Game from 2016. Players follow the rules in the Agent’s Handbook. The GM operates from the Handler’s Guide. Core mechanics include percentile skills, Lethality for certain firearms, and Stress and Sanity with Bonds. If you have preferences, the GM can incorporate or omit optional tweaks to suit your table. Both published scenarios and original cases are available to meet your goals and time.

Both options work well. For a one-shot, pre-generated agents allow you to jump into the case quickly and come with built-in hooks. For longer campaigns, creating your own agent helps you invest in Bonds and background. Group creation takes about 30 to 45 minutes, using profession templates such as law enforcement, science, military, or academia. You select stats, assign skills, and define Bonds. If you bring an existing agent, the GM can adapt them to this ruleset.

Yes. Delta Green excels online because evidence, maps, photos, and audio clues share easily. You only need a computer, a microphone, and a stable connection. The GM will confirm a virtual tabletop or video chat and provide digital handouts and a dice roller. In person, two ten-sided dice are sufficient. If you want to compare online options, see online play platforms.