Hazards of the Rung Sat Swamp

The upcoming Borellus Connection is a gigantic, titanic, cyclopean campaign for Fall of DELTA GREEN. It’s so huge, in fact, that it could not (in its original form) be contained by any binding ritual that could be worked by our printers. It was just huge. Therefore, we’ve a got a wealth of cut material from the campaign that we’ll be presenting as Page XX articles in the months to come. As a taster, here’s a write-up of hazards from the swamps of Vietnam and Ken’s Operation ALONSO, where the Agents are sent to investigate the remnants of the Cthulhu cult that might be lurking in the Rung Sat…

Handlers may not feel the Rung Sat deadly enough with just the provided Encounters, or may wish to throw something more in for flavor or tension-building. Alternatively, Agents who operate carelessly (or roll a natural 1 on an Athletics or Stealth test, making noise and waves) may invite dramatic retribution.

Cobra

Abilities:Athletics 7, Fighting 9, Health 4

Hit Threshold:4 (quick)

Stealth Modifier:+2

Weapon:strike (Diff 6 Health test; minor:d+2, Hurt; major: L2; -2 Health and -1 Athletics every hour)

Armor:none

Deadly Strike:A cobra automatically spends 3 points of Fighting (if available) when it strikes.

Crocodile

Agents encounter d+2 crocodiles at a time.

Abilities:Athletics 8, Fighting 17, Health 13

Hit Threshold:4

Alertness Modifier:+0 (+1 for splashing targets)

Stealth Modifier:+1 (+2 mostly submerged)

Weapon:bite (d+4), tail swipe (d+2 to a foe in the rear, can be combined with another attack)

Armor:-5 vs any (thick scaly hide)

Aquatic:Crocodiles have contest advantage (FoDG,p. 086) in the water.

Primal Horror:Being attacked by a crocodile triggers a 4-point Stability test (Violence).

Flies

A swarm of flies (or other insects) cannot be effectively hit. As long as targets remain inside the cloud, each person suffers d-3 damage per round. In the normal course of things, a cloud of flies is only d-1 rounds “wide.” (Use this same damage for red ant bites, but ants only spend one round on a victim unless he’s tied down.)

Being inside a swarm of angry insects triggers a 3-point Stability (Helplessness) test; those who fail must attempt to leave the cloud, throwing down heavy equipment or leaving the trail to do so.

Flame weapons (white phosphorus grenades, flamethrowers) can briefly damage or disperse a cloud of flies. Only chemical fog permanently disperses an insect swarm.

Scorpion

Among other hideous things, the Rung Sat houses the giant forest scorpion. Any good hit on one of these six-inch monsters (Hit Threshold 3) kills it, but if the Agent fails a Sense Trouble test (Difficulty 5, or 4 if the Agent has Survival) it stings first.

Onset:d-2 hours (minimum 5 minutes); Health test Difficulty:4; Minor: d-1; Severe:Hurt (paralyzed), d+2 to both Health and Athletics

Sucking Mud

A layer of mud covers a sinkhole or fumarole, producing a sucking vacuum when an Agent steps through it. It takes a Difficulty 6 Sense Trouble to notice the slight depression in the middle of the mud flat (Difficulty 5 with Survival).

Anyone who fails becomes stuck in the mud, sinking rapidly as the low pressure below sucks him under. It requires an Athletics test (Difficulty 3) to avoid going under; +3 Difficulty to escape entirely. Reduce the Difficulty by -1 if they have a rope to cling to or climb up. Each round, the Difficulty increases by 1. Someone stuck in the mud can Cooperate on this test, but only with someone on firmer ground – and on a failed 1, both go into the mud.

Someone who goes under the mud begins drowning immediately, losing d+3 Athletics and Health (divided however they like) each round from inhaling mud.

VC Booby Trap

Punji stake traps (FoDG,p. 140) don’t work without soil to dig in, although the VC might booby trap a seemingly solid section of ground that way.

In the Rung Sat, the guerrillas prefer grenade traps triggered by tripwires around trees or in the shallow water near their bases. Spotting a tripwire requires a test of Conceal or Demolitions (Difficulty 4) or Sense Trouble (Difficulty 5). Not spotting a tripwire triggers a grenade (L1*). Disarming it takes a quick snip of the wire (Mechanics Difficulty 3 or Demolitions Difficulty 2); stepping over it just takes a round of otherwise undistracted movement.