Framework for a Delta Green vs. Karotechia Sandbox Campaign

For my current Delta Green campaign I had two goals in mind:

1. I wanted it to center around Delta Green's history, since my players are largely unaware of the DG lore.
   
2. I wanted the campaign to be more player-driven, a sandbox in which the players decide what to investigate next.

The first goal is rather easy to achieve, I just had to select a threat or antagonist with which Delta Green has a long history and make them the main focus of the campaign. I selected the Karotechia as main threat. In the modern day Delta Green lore the Karotechia is all but dead, but I decided that one of the Karotechia Bishops somehow survived the raid on La Estancia. Now he is rebuilding the organization and ready to take revenge on Delta Green.

With this Karotechia successor as enemy in mind we now have to construct a campaign that is centered around them. To create the desired sandbox feel, the campaign would ideally have multiple entry points, as well as different investigative paths that the Agents could take. For this reason I decided to use a Conspyramid to construct the campaign frame.

Though it's originally from Night's Black Agents, the Conspyramid is useful GM tool for any game that features a hierarchically organized conspiracy. A  Conspyramid has several layers, at the top is usually the big bad guy of the campaign, which in this case would be the Karotechia Bishop. The lower layers are the various minions and sub-organizations of the conspiracy. The elements in the lower layers have the least amount of power and reach. This is where the Agents start their investigation. They then follow the connections of the different elements in the pyramid. The strength and capabilities of the enemies increases the further they get to the top of the pyramid, until they can finally confront the Bishop.

Without further ado, here is a (preliminary) version of my Conspyramid:

It has only three levels, but that's okay, it's only supposed to be a small conspiracy. There are also a lot of lateral connections that the Agents can follow, so it's unlikely that they get to the Bishop too fast.

Let's take a look at the different groups in the pyramid, starting with the lowest level.

Odin's Reich is a National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM) band. Their lyrics are openly racist and antisemitic, but they also use a lot of occult and esoteric imagery. They are clearly inspired by the writings of the Black Sun's Dawn (see below). Some band members are also in the Wolves of Erik and they have played at several of their initiation events.

The Wolves of Erik are taken from The Labyrinth, where they are described as Neo-Völkists. They conduct rituals and ceremonies that are dedicated to old Norse gods and other North European pagan entities. The Labyrinth doesn't give much more details on them, but says that they are just one hypergeometrical ritual away from becoming a dangerous cult. They are useful muscle for the conspiracy.

Wolfsangel Warrior Program (WWP) is a self-help and fitness program, run by one of the leaders of the Wolves of Erik. They grift young, white man out of their money by selling them so-called masculinity seminars, access to questionable weight lifting and martial arts routines, as well as a whole bunch of health supplements and testosterone boosters. One of these supplements might have unnatural properties. The WWP is an important source of income for the conspiracy.

Patriot Watch Media hosts a far-right news website as well as several YouTube shows. They perpetuate fake news and right-wing conspiracy theories, as well as anti-government propaganda. They run a lot of ads for the WWP, with which they have a very good business relationship. Their roles in the conspiracy are finances and recruiting, but their "journalists" might also be a complication for Agents that fail to keep a low profile.

On the second level of the Conspyramid we have two entities, Black Sun's Dawn and Sonnengau. These groups have easier access to hypergeometric rituals/artifacts compared to the level below.

Black Sun's Dawn is a satanic neo-nazi terrorist group. They are known for their weird beliefs, where they mix satanism with worship of Hitler as a savior-figure. They are a small group, but their members have commited multiple murders and terror attacks. The Bishop might use Black Sun's Dawn as a hit squad, should he learn that DG is investigating any of the other groups in the conspiracy.

Sonnengau is the name of a community of Völkisch settlers that have taken over a small village in rural East Germany. Consequently, the town has become a safe haven for all kinds of German neo-nazis, as well as members of the community. The town is also the source of the unnatural component of the WWP supplement.

Both Black Sun's Dawn and Sonnengau are led by a student of the Bishop, who himself is at the top of the pyramid. In follow-up blog posts I will give more detailed descriptions of the Bishop and all the groups that I introduced here.