In this post I'll review Apoptosis, the winning scenario of the 2023 Shotgun Scenario Contest by Dragoleaf. I already wrote a little bit about Apoptosis in this post, but I finally got to run it, so I thought I'd give it a more in-depth review.
 |
| The inciting incident |
In this scenario the Agents are sent to look into the gruesome mauling of Yusuf Erkul by a horde of animals. Erkul died because he discovered the truth, that all life is just an extension of Shub-Niggurath. Anyone who learns this truth becomes a target of the Great Old One, and subsequently animals and humans become aggressive towards them. The same fate of metaphysical repugnance has befallen the neighbor of Yusuf and might also befall one or more of the Agents.
The concept of this scenario is great, as is the execution. The scenario write-up has everything a Handler needs to run it, they just have to select a location where the scenario takes place and maybe flesh that out a little bit.
The line of investigation is clear and there are plenty of clues, so the Agents should never get stuck. My group and I only needed one three-hour session to finish this scenario.
Players might want to bring Agents that they are not particularly attached to. The SAN losses in this scenario are quite high, especially if an Agent looks at the photos that reveal the truth. This is thematically appropriate, but the probability of a temporary insanity us high. The resulting metaphysical repugnance can lead to a climax, where the Agents themselves are attacked by hordes of animals and humans. Additionally, you have to consider the lethality of the improvised explosives that Yusuf's neighbor is throwing around. The resulting chaos is fun and perfect for a one-shot, but you can expect to lose one or more Agents to the onslaught.
The scenario has the slight flaw that it basically solves itself. Anyone who looks at the photos will sooner or later be killed by animals or a human mob, and no one around them will care. However, this is only a flaw in theory, not in practice, since the Agents won't know that.
Overall, this is a great scenario and I would recommend it if you're looking for a fast one-shot full of action.
Thanks so much for your review! Love that someone got a kick out of my scenario entry.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the scenario does basically "resolve itself" in a way. I wrote Apoptosis soon after I became involved in Delta Green, and wanted to keep with the "self-imploding" angle of the Unnatural that the Handler's Guide suggests.
However, whilst Shub-Niggurath will destroy anyone who looks upon the Truth-infection, this is more of a primal, knee-jerk response. One that doesn't necessarily result in the destruction of the photographs, the origin of the Truth-infection. So if the Agents don't get involved, what's to stop Erkul's old stuff ending up in a police evidence locker or in someone's inheritance?
The whole scenario could start all over again, unless the Agents nix the origin point of the incursion.
A+ choice of teaser thumbnail. I would probably downgrade the SAN loss for Agents who merely glanced at the photographs, maybe 1D4/1D12. Though the SAN costs that stuck out to me the most were the helplessness tests to push through Shub's lie, especially the final 1D4/1D10.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with down-sizing the SAN loss at the end, but I just like a good, solid "Oh god oh fuck" Lovecraftian realisation. The one thing I do agree with is the inconsistencies with the Helplessness SAN loss.
DeleteI think the scenario could benefit from gamifying that SAN loss, instead of writing it out narratively (because the Agents can always sequence-break). Maybe a table with examples of the escalating SAN loss as you realise the magnitude of the "conspiracy" at play in the scenario.