Call of Chicago: More Bang-Bang For Your Kiss-Kiss

  Here's the link to the Original Article

Posted on February 27, 2019, by Kenneth Hite

"My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen." — “The Rifleman’s Creed,” as quoted in Full Metal Jacket (Stanley Kubrick, 1987)

Spy stories, war stories, and horror stories: The Fall of DELTA GREEN contains all of them. And all of them contain, encompass, even (ahem) fetishize weapons. While every player knows that bringing a gun to a tentacle fight may not always be the best idea, every player in their secret heart of hearts thinks to themselves, “But what if I brought a better gun to a tentacle fight?”

Herewith a few of those better guns, guns emblematic of the decade or just too cool to ignore. I weep at giving short shrift to the standard Communist bloc small arms (the Kalashnikov AKM 7.62mm assault rifle (d+0; L1 on full auto) and the Makarov PM 9mm pistol (d+1)), bypassing the fun Czechoslovak “Skorpion” SA Vz. 61 7.65mm submachine pistol (d+0; L1 on full auto but only at Close range unless fired from the shoulder with stock attached and extended), and avoiding the temptation to gun-neepery about the 1962 re-vamp of the venerable FN Browning Hi-Power 9mm pistol (d+1).

I’m less busted up at ignoring the ridiculous GyroJet 13mm rocket pistol (d+0 Point-Blank and Close, d+1 Near and Long, no Point-Blank damage bonus, natural 1 an automatic miss) despite its appearance in You Only Live Twice. If the finicky Stoner 63A 5.56mm LMG (L1* on a bipod mount) actually had any advantages besides being convertible to an assault rifle or carbine (30-round box magazine, d+0, L1 fully auto) I could convince myself to write it up. The Navy SEALs liked it a lot and carried it for 20 years after first deploying with it in 1967, which I suspect comes down to its 150-round drum magazine and low weight compared to the M60. DELTA GREEN probably has some use for a 10-pound assault rifle that can become a light machine gun in less than a minute (Mechanics test Difficulty 4, Diff 3 with Firearms or Heavy Weapons).

The gun writeups I did get to here include their potentially applicable “Gun Cherries” (Double Tap, pp. 74-75), any special rules to more closely model their action, and even a clue that Agents can plink with the relevant Investigative Ability.

AAI QSPR Tunnel Weapon .44 Magnum pistol

Do you feel lucky, Pickman?

For the extremely close-quarters fighting in the Viet Cong tunnels, “tunnel rats” needed a weapon that was silent (in a tunnel, echoing gun blasts deafened shooters and warned foes), deadly, and most of all easy to draw and fire in close quarters. Silencers made guns longer and clumsier, and a kludged-together .38 Special with an aiming light and suppressor (part of the 1966 LWL “tunnel kit”) was hard to draw, misaligned, and still too loud.

In 1969, Aircraft Armaments, Inc. (AAI) came up with something different. The Quiet Special Purpose Revolver (QSPR) milled a .44 Smith & Wesson Magnum revolver down and sawed off the barrel, for less bulk. Instead of a normal bullet, the gun fired a plastic-cased buckshot shell, using a “captured piston” system that essentially launched the shell at the enemy. Effective range was only 25 feet, but in the tunnels, that was enough. The piston system sealed off the gases, so the gun fired with no more noise or muzzle blast than a cap pistol. The tunnel rats didn’t trust another experimental gun, but the Rangers loved it for covert action and night ambushes. Only 100 QSPRs were ever made — unless DELTA GREEN ordered up a few hundred for anti-ghoul action and other night fights.

The QSPR does d+1 damage and cannot reach beyond Close range. Given its much lower stopping power compared to regular bullets, all Armor adds 2 points (-1 Armor becomes -3 Armor) against it at any range (not just at Close range as with regular shotguns). Treat QSPR shots as silencer shots (FoDG, p. 141), but foes without a positive Alertness Modifier get no bonus to hear them. Possible Gun Cherries: Handy, Smooth Action.

Carl Gustav “Swedish K” Kulsprutepistole m/45 9mm SMG

Sanitized sanitizer

This Swedish submachine gun dates from 1944 and features a simple, hardy steel-frame design. Low cyclic rate means low recoil, and even though it technically only fires full auto, squeezing off a one-round “burst” is easy for even new users. Its 36-round magazine has a slight trapezoid outline, making for a secure fit and smoother feed for ammo in filthy field conditions — Swedish and Irish troops used it in the Congo, and the Egyptian and Algerian governments licensed it for desert operations. A folding wire stock made it relatively compact (21 inches long) while still packing lots of firepower.

The Navy SEALs and the CIA loved the “Swedish K,” which could fire immediately after being submerged in water, and easily out-performed the balky early M16 models. The CIA even manufactured a variant with an internal sound suppressor for covert operations, and (Tradecraft) literally filed the serial numbers off (“sanitized”) whole shipments of “K-rifles” for CIA operators, MACV-SOG troops, and guerrilla armies around the world. This kind of behavior gets Sweden to embargo shipment of the m/45 to the U.S. in 1966, so the Navy hires Smith & Wesson to build a knockoff, the M76. (The CIA probably just starts buying them second-hand from Indonesia, which also licensed the weapon.)

The Swedish K does d+1 damage (L1 on full auto, roll of 1 fires on full auto regardless of your intent). CIA variants with the internal suppressor count as silenced (FoDG, p. 141). Possible Gun Cherries: Handy, Rugged Reliability, Smooth Action.

GE M134 “Minigun” 7.62mm LMG

Not on MY doorstep

To provide helicopters with more reliable (and heavier) firepower to cover landings and takeoffs, the Army tasked General Electric to scale down the Vulcan 20mm Gatling cannon to fire 7.62mm NATO machine gun ammo. This smaller, lighter six-rotating-barrel electric-powered gun (nicknamed the “Minigun”) enters the field in 1963 on helicopter door mounts and weapons pods. The standard mount comes with a self-contained 1,500-round magazine, but with a delinker (Mechanics test Diff 4 or 3 with Heavy Weapons to jury-rig) it can take up to a 5,000-round ammo belt.

Contrary to its later cinematic depiction, a single human cannot carry and fire the M134 simultaneously: not only would the recoil knock him down, the gun requires a power source and attached cable.

The M134 does L1* damage. Electrically powered and mounted, each 1 Heavy Weapons point spent firing it counts as 2 points. It can only be Shot Dry after two unmodified 6 rolls, and does three instances of damage to up to three targets if so. Possible Gun Cherries: BFG, Stopping Power.

The Fall of DELTA GREEN adapts DELTA GREEN: THE ROLE-PLAYING GAME to the GUMSHOE investigative roleplaying system, opening the files on a lost decade of anti-Mythos operations: the 1960s. Players take on the role of DELTA GREEN operatives, assets, and friendlies. Hunt Deep Ones beneath the Atlantic, shut down dangerous artists in San Francisco, and delve into the heart of Vietnam’s darkness. Purchase The Fall of DELTA GREEN in print and PDF at the Pelgrane Shop.

This entry was posted in Fall of Delta Green, General, News and tagged guns, Kenneth Hite, The Fall of Delta Green.

It seems I am headed to Gary Con XI

Gary Con is an annual game convention celebrating the life and works of Gary Gygax, the Father of Role Playing Games. We do this by doing what he loved so much in life, playing Games! Join Gary’s children, friends and fellow game enthusiasts as we celebrate a life well-played.

You can find all the details you need about the convention on Thier Official Site Found Here

It seems Catalyst Demo Team has scheduled me to Run Shadowrun at Gary Con!

So I am posting my schedule here at the links below!

https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xi/schedule/470

https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xi/schedule/471

https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xi/schedule/472

https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xi/schedule/473

https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xi/schedule/474

https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xi/schedule/476

https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xi/schedule/477

I hope to see you their! Yours for now Captain Hedges!

Gary Con was awsome and amazing! However, I probably won't ever be going back again it was once in a life time situation.

Happy New Year

New year time is the celebration and the fiesta time where all you can see is the excited and happy faces all around, whether they are children, adult, rich, or poor. We share camaraderie with our friends and relatives on this special day. In this technical world, when everything has become electronic, we share Happy New Year Wishes 2019 The idea is to get connected with people and share the moment of happiness. Yours Captain Hedges

Myths and Urban Legends in Louisiana

Here are some more myths and Legeonds sourroundng parts of Louisiana I have tracked down.

 1. Levitate at The Tomb of Marie LeVeau

Known as the Voodoo Queen, Marie LeVeau was born on Sept. 10, 1794 and died in 1881. She was born a free Creole in the French Quarter of New Orleans and was a dedicated practitioner of voodoo, a practice that she passed down to her daughter named Marie LeVeau II. Though even days after her death many say they could still see her roaming the streets, her grave today still resides in New Orleans at the St. Louis Cemetery. Locals say that if you place a rose on her grave at midnight on her birthday that you can levitate above the historic gravesite. 

2. Haunting at Spanish Moon

This popular music venue and bar in Baton Rouge has been claimed by many to be haunted. Patrons as well as past employees recall countless stories of strange happenings occurring all around the site, and paranormal experts are said to have done readings in the building. The history of the space certainly justifies the theory. During the historic 1927 Great Mississippi River Flood the building was used as a morgue. This flood is largely known as one of the worst in the history of the area in a time when transportation did not allow many to evacuate. About 250 people were known to have died and the ones around the Greater Baton Rouge area were kept at this Highland Road location until they could be identified and relocated.  

3.Grunch Road

On the Eastern side of New Orleans there is said to be a strange group of people who for many years lived secluded in the outer swamps and forests away from the city. Their seclusion caused them to eventually become deformed and many describe them as small dwarf-like creatures who lived at the end of a long, lonely road. However, when pets and people started disappearing from the area, the road become known as haunted. Some say the strange people hired a beast to protect them from the onlookers who started showing up at their home. 

4. Le Feu Follet

This myth originated in the swamps of Louisiana. Known as a ghostly light or flame, the Feu Follet entrances its visitors into following this light leading them deeper and deeper into the swamp. The subdued follow the light until they are hopelessly lost, never to leave the swamp again. Some say the ball of light is the spirit of a lost child who left its nursery and others relate it to the spirits of those who lost their lives to protect the buried treasures of such famous pirates as Jean Lafitte. Either way, if you for some reason find yourself in the Louisiana swamp at night…don’t follow the light. 

5. The Myrtles Plantation, Francisville, LA

This old plantation home located in St. Francisville, Louisiana passed between the hands of a few families between the span of 1796-1834. Throughout that time in America’s history, the families along with servants and slaves lived on the plantation for many years. Today, the Myrtles Plantation is known as one of the most haunted homes in America for a host of visiting stories, as well as the unique contents of a couple photographs. The first is the Legend of Chloe that started with a photo taken for insurance purposes in 1992. The image seems to feature a girl standing in between the Butler’s Pantry and the General Store, though you can clearly see the building through the apparition. The second was taken during a school field trip when a teacher and her student were taking a picture in the courtyard. If you look in the window behind them, a little girl. She has become known as the Ghost Girl of the plantation. Both pictures have been highly analyzed with no proof of tampering involved. 

6. The Honey Island Swamp Monster

Lying between the East Pearl and West Pearl Rivers in southeast Louisiana, the Honey Island Swamp is a tract of bottomland that has caused many spooky stories due to a certain train wreck in the 20th century. Legend has it that back in the day a traveling circus was in the area. Their train crashed on the way to their next stop, causing them to lose a bunch of chimpanzees that interbred with the local alligator population. This led to the creation of the Honey Island Swamp monster that is supposed to be about seven feet tall with three-toed, webbed feet, and a weight close to 400 pounds. Its yellow reptilian eyes pierce through the night and its matted grey hair allows it to perfectly blend with its surrounding atmosphere. The first spotting of the monster was in 1963 by Harlan Ford who later returned to the area with a friend to get a cement casting of the creatures webbed, claw foot. 

7. The Wayne Toups Rice Festival Incident

Wayne Toups is one of the beacons of Cajun culture. Being one of the top Cajun musicians of all time, this legendary performer has been dubbed Le Boss and it is no surprise that he has a myth of a tale to support this persona. During the height of his popularity at some point Wayne Toups went to jail. Though some still say he performed, as he did every year, at the International Rice Festival in Crowley. Getting let out of jail by local authorities to play the show, and then return with them back to jail to serve out his sentence. Thousands of people claimed to have attended the show, but being before the birth of camera phones, nobody took any pictures. Today the mystery continues.

8. Ellerbe Road School, Shreveport, LA

In the 1950s and 60s, what is known now as the Ellerbe Road School in south Caddo Parish was a segregated school for black children. The building is now a bunch of crumbling ruins in an area that is not very populated, and it has generated several terrifying stories over its many long years. Some say that the spirits of some old students linger in the building due to a fire that killed them when the school was still around. Another story of devil worshipers using the old school as a site of worship does have some legitimacy. Pentagrams, as well as inverted pentagrams, can be seen painted inside and outside of the building, while a boar carcass was also found in front of the school one time. This was no pig roast but seemed to locals to be part of some strange ritual or sacrifice. 

9. LaLaurie Mansion, New Orleans, LA

This mansion is known as one of the most haunted places in the historic French Quarter in New Orleans. The stories behind this house are gruesome, real, and somewhat disturbing. The tale originates in 1832, when Dr. Louis LaLaurie and his wife Delphine moved into the home. Known as a popular socialite in town, as well as a grand party thrower, Delphine hid some very dark secrets in this elaborate home during a time when slavery was prevalent in the south. The three-story mansion at 1140 Royal Street housed horrors and atrocities that only began to surface after police raided the home because a neighbor saw Delphine chase a little girl around her garden with a whip. She then chased the girl onto her roof where the girl jumped to her death. Laws were thankfully in place in New Orleans during that time to punish her. However, somehow through relatives, Delphine’s slaves were returned to her. Delphine used to chain up her cook to the stove all day, only to unchain her for bed, then would chain her back all day when she woke in the morning. It is said that a fire broke out in the home in 1834, supposedly by this cook who could no longer stand her fate. When firefighters entered the damaged home, the rumors only became more true though Madame LaLaurie had disappeared, never to be found again after an angry mob gathered outside her home. Gruesome tales have surfaced since this tragic event. The inhumane treatment is truly disgusting and makes the LaLaurie Mansion one of the most haunted, horrifying places in the French Quarter. 

10. Was the Rougarou (Were-Wolf Post found here from yesterday)

This legend took root in Midieval French culture and was born into Louisiana when the first French Canadian immigrant settled among us.  To the French settlers, the tale was spun to keep children in line and out of the woods, especially at night.  To locals, well versed in the effects of VooDoo, the Rougarou became an even more fierce creature.  Said to stand between 7 and 8 feet in height, the beast has a human body but the head of a wolf, with razor sharp teeth and glaring red eyes.  Some believe that you must not look into the eyes of the Rougarou, lest you befall the curse and become one yourself!

There are several theories on how to become a Rougarou.  First, If you were to kill a Rougarou, you could become infected with the curse if you are exposed to its’ blood.  To further this belief, If one were to kill a Rougarou and witness the beast returned to its’ true form, he should not tell anyone of the encounter for 1 year and a day else he would see the same fate.  Other legends, no doubt put in place by the Catholic church, states that if one does not abide by the rules of Lent for seven years, he will become a Rougarou.  And yet another version of the legend says that a person who is turned into a Rougarou is cursed for 101 days, upon the last day the curse is passed to the first victim that the beast draws blood from.  The Rougarou will then permanently return to his human form, the victim will turn into a Rougarou at sunset that day.  Lastly, it is said that one can be cursed by a witch an become a Rougarou as well.

So, what do you do if you are turned into a Rougarou?  I’m glad you asked!  Legend states that you will retain your human form during daylight hours, though you will appear quite sickly to those around you.  At night you will prowl around the swamps and bayous of Louisiana, and sometimes within the city of New Orleans itself.  In these areas you most certainly would not be alone in your prowling however, you would likely be the only one searching for prey, human prey that is!  The Rougarou is said to have and insatiable hunger for blood and unfortunately, it seems to search out those that he knows in his human form to feed upon.

Though there are some parallels between the Rougarou, Vampires and Werewolves, the three are not the same.  The Werewolf has an intolerance for silver, the Vampire detests holy relics, garlic, silver and sunlight.  I have only found these references to talismans used to ward off the Rougarou; a man would place a leaf inside of his wallet, a woman would paint a hexagon beneath her bed.  I don’t know about you, but I find these two forms of protection a bit on the weak side for my liking!

So how would one defend himself against this beast?  Looks like to me, you would have to kill it!  So silver bullets are out and so is the good old stake through the heart approach.  Thank God the Legends are thorough!  Cajun Legends state that the Rougarou must be decapitated and his body mutilated or burned, to keep him dead!

So when and where was the last Rougarou spotted?  Well, it has been a very long time and there is no photographic evidence as found in the case of the Honey Island Swamp monster (sometimes claimed to be akin to the Rougarou).  However, let’s not write the creature off just yet!   Since the massive flooding brought about by hurricane Katrina, there have been reports of something large moving about in the swamps just beyond the suburbs of New Orleans.  Howls and screeching noises can be heard echoing through the bayous at night beneath the Louisiana moon!  Perhaps this is the resurgence of the Rougarou, warning the inhabitants of the suburbs to stay out of the swamps, especially at night!

The ROUGAROU A Louisiana Folklore

I posted earlier on Facebook I was on the trail of the Rougarou! 

I decided I needed to make a blog post what better way then to talk about an ancient Myth or is it/he/she/whatever just an urban legend?

The Louisiana werewolf is the rougarou of the bayou - a very similar-looking creature.

Louisiana is a fascinating place and full of legends from long ago. Is there a Louisiana werewolf? Well, the rougarou of the Bayou country has a pretty strong link to the werewolf of ancient times in Europe and France. Louisiana is a lovely place to visit. However, if you do go there, it is wise to consult long-time residents on the local legends of the area, especially about creatures like the rougarou of the Bayou. It is always good to know which areas should be avoided.

Similar to the European werewolf, the rougarou is a man who can shape-shift, or transform, into a creature. The name rougarou comes from a variant pronunciation and spelling of the French loup-garou. Loup is the French word for wolf, and garou is a man who transforms, shape-shifts, into an animal.

In the French Louisiana areas, the rougarou has been the stuff of legends for several generations. The legends originally came from either the early French settlers or the French Canadian immigrants (Acadia) centuries ago.

Apparently, the Cajuns believe the creature prowls in the swamps around Acadia and Greater New Orleans. It might also be lurking around fields, forests, and maybe just anywhere it chooses to. It is a creature with a human body and a wolf head.

In Laurentian (Laurentian Mountain range) French communities, there are legends of the werewolf. Now, a werewolf, or lycanthrope, is a human who has the rare ability to shapeshift into a creature with a wolf head and human body. The rougarou has this same ability, therefore, has strong links to the werewolf.

I may work on a-post about the top 10 Myths or Urban Legends in another blog post later!  

Greg Stafford the Passing of a Legend

When I first heard the news about Greg’s death I wasn’t sure what to think.
Please read Chaosium’s official statement here.
It is with great sadness I received the news about Greg Stafford's passing yesterday. It is safe to say that with out his contribution and his inspiration to the RPG Industry I personally probably would have never gotten into gaming the way I did. His works on King Arthur weather in a board game format, or a Roleplaying game that heavily influenced my early child hood in one King Arthur Pendragon Roleplaying game. As well as his works on The Basic Roleplaying system and the Prince Valiant Word Game. All Published by Chaosium.

This is how I will always remember Greg Stafford!

Personal blog: http://www.staffordcodex.com/
Website Chaosium: http://www.chaosium.com/
Website Pendragon: http://www.gspendragon.com/

Yours for now Captain Hedges

So I decided I would make BBQ Pork with pork n beans today!

Sweet, smoky and entirely irresistible, this recipe combines baked BBQ and pork in beans and smothers them with a hickory barbecue sauce full of pork laganiza, All Seasoning, brown sugar, cooking wine, garlic salt, Paprika, red and black pepper. 

INGREDIENTS

6 Table Spoons of BrownSugar 

1  Table Spoon of All Seasoning

1 Table Spoon of Garlic Salt

1 Table Spoon of  Paprika, 

1 Table Spoon of each Black and Red Pepper.

9oz of hickory  barbecue sauce.

2-24oz-Packages of thick pork laganiza.

1-53oz can of Van Kamps Park and beans.

Before cooking pic (above), After Cooking Pic (Below);

Now it’s time to eat some! This is my bench today! You want some? Come by and get some! Before it’s all gone!

Yours Captain Hedges.