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Delta Green RPG
Delta Green: Handler's Guide
This massive, full-color volume is filled with deep resources just for the Delta Green game master.
THE PAST: details on the world and history of Delta Green.
THE UNNATURAL: details on the Cthulhu Mythos, from monsters to hypergeometry to the Great Old Ones, including rules for creating new threats.
THE SCHISM: deep details on the Delta Green organization itself — or rather, two different Delta Green groups, not always working to the same ends.
THE OPERA: guidelines for creating scenarios, running campaigns, and customizing the setting.
APPENDICES: a ready-to-play scenario, “The Sentinels of Twilight,” a Handler-facing glossary, index, recommended media, sample NPCs to use in any game, rules variants, and more.
THE PAST: details on the world and history of Delta Green.
THE UNNATURAL: details on the Cthulhu Mythos, from monsters to hypergeometry to the Great Old Ones, including rules for creating new threats.
THE SCHISM: deep details on the Delta Green organization itself — or rather, two different Delta Green groups, not always working to the same ends.
THE OPERA: guidelines for creating scenarios, running campaigns, and customizing the setting.
APPENDICES: a ready-to-play scenario, “The Sentinels of Twilight,” a Handler-facing glossary, index, recommended media, sample NPCs to use in any game, rules variants, and more.
368 pages, ebook
Published October 31, 2017
25 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 26, 2020
The more I read this and think about it (along with the Agent's Handbook, which came with it in the slipcase) the more I love it. Some deep, deep conspiracies going on here, with more background than you will ever use, along with a scenario, hypergeometry, unnatural denizens of the cosmos, and advice on how to create your own scenarios. All the mechanics needed to play are in the Agent's Handbook, but the Handler's Guide provides all the context. ALL the context. You can tell this was a labor of love. The various notes, memoranda, and official documents scattered throughout are their own treasure troves of information - peeks into the beyond. One of the best tabletop RPG books I have ever had the pleasure of owning.
May 13, 2025
UN manual de 380 páginas dirigido a narradores de Delta Green, y que, narra la historia de Delta Green y sus operaciones a lo largo de las décadas hasta 2017.
Detalla también, los dioses primigenios y las principales amenazas sobrenaturales detectadas, así como una corta aventura que se presenta casi como una lluvia de ideas a las que dar forma.
en general un manual muy interesante para leer de cabo a rabo, y que si bien no es imprescindible para dirigir el juego, si que ofrece mucho contexto para hacer todo más interesante.
Detalla también, los dioses primigenios y las principales amenazas sobrenaturales detectadas, así como una corta aventura que se presenta casi como una lluvia de ideas a las que dar forma.
en general un manual muy interesante para leer de cabo a rabo, y que si bien no es imprescindible para dirigir el juego, si que ofrece mucho contexto para hacer todo más interesante.
March 27, 2023
So far the best game system related book I’ve ever read. Stocked full of lore and tons carrying mini stories. Makes you really understand what you’re meant to convey to the players.
I got the slipcase bundle from the publisher’s website, which came with the books’ pdfs for free and an additional pdf of more concise/easy to reference rules.
I got the slipcase bundle from the publisher’s website, which came with the books’ pdfs for free and an additional pdf of more concise/easy to reference rules.
July 19, 2018
This was a great resource for 2015 Delta Green RPG (which I was a proud Kickstarter backer). There is 100+ pages of Delta Green history with some mission ideas, and other elements to inspire a GM's (or Handler's) campaign, a monster section of various unnatural entities (including some of the Old Ones) that the Agents may face, magical spells (or hypergeometry as its called), and named Tomes on the unnatural and dossiers on notable members of both factions of Delta Green- the Program and the Outlaws. It has a small section on how to create a Delta Green mission (and provides a basic example) and ends with a mission, Operation Fulimate, which reminded me much of author David Paulides' Missing 411 series, which explores mysterious disappearances in National Parks across the U.S. (as well as a few from other countries).
April 29, 2020
Is the end of the world as we know it, do I feel fine?
It might be more difficult to answer that question than what I had originally anticipated. The two previous Delta Green books I had read were fantastic, “please give me more” level. Is the Handler's book worse? I do not think so, but it is undeniable proof the world has changed, and I am getting older. I had a similar feeling while reading Unknown Armies 3rd Edition, it probably happens a lot with Nth edition RPGs. Since Delta Green has more to do with the real world, it is only normal the changes are more pronounced here.
Very briefly, I am happy to see the Karotechia go. Not that I did not like punching Nazi Occultist, but PAPERCLIP and ODESSA were getting a bit too old. Yes, they have unnatural means of keeping themselves alive, but that conspiracy theory was not aging very well for me. I did not care enough about the Club Apocalypse or the Cult of Transcendence to be sad of their disappearance. My but with the whole update is the loss of the Greys. I understand it makes a lot of sense: X Files made the little aliens a bit too popular, and they showed you could not expand a conspiracy theory ad infinitum, so it is better to quit when you are ahead. The end of the Accord, and of the Report in particular, is also a good way of explaining 9/11 within the game. The thing is, I really liked the Greys. I love the first few X-Files mythology episodes, and my love for the Mi-Go is only surpassed by my devotion to the Yithians. Having two aliens combined in the original Delta Green was just fantastic. Seeing them go made me sad, but hey, it is not dead, which can eternal lie, right?
Nevertheless, the notes on historical scenarios are a good addition to the book. You could always reuse your old material, but on top of that, there are a few ideas to play operations set between Innsmouth and the present day. If you add that now we have “The Fall of Delta Green” and a plethora of Call of Cthulhu supplements for the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1970’s, there is no need for you to leave the comfortable and well-known 20th century. But this is not CoC but Delta Green. This is a game of a world, our world, going south, and you should be ready to fight for it. I thought the War on Terror update was going to go in a different direction, but I am very happy with the 2000 and 2010’s info overall. The coup inside MAJESTIC and the fact that now we have two ACTUAL Delta Green conspiracies (and not DG and NRO Delta) feeds into the recurrent idea within the intelligence community (or at least, of its fictional portray) that the good days are over, and now we do not really know what do we stand for. Just in case you needed to be more paranoid.
In short, the Past section might be a bit too long and/or confusing. There is a ton of info there and probably deserves a second close read. The Supernatural one is not particularly original, but it would be difficult to be otherwise. Nevertheless, having the Great Old Ones without statistics makes them more terrifying and deadly (not that they are not in CoC, but I prefer them this way). The section on the two DGs is very good, and although I am not sure it is the base for two different styles of play, it certainly can give your players a very different feeling of how they fit in the world. The notes on how to create your own operations are very good, but the scenario included left me meh. Incoming supplements will tell us whether this version of DG is capable of capturing the zeitgeist or it will be just be a game for nostalgic people.
P.S. I have not read the 1st Edition supplements, or the fiction for that matter, so it is possible someone who has might get more of The Past, and be happier about it than I was.
It might be more difficult to answer that question than what I had originally anticipated. The two previous Delta Green books I had read were fantastic, “please give me more” level. Is the Handler's book worse? I do not think so, but it is undeniable proof the world has changed, and I am getting older. I had a similar feeling while reading Unknown Armies 3rd Edition, it probably happens a lot with Nth edition RPGs. Since Delta Green has more to do with the real world, it is only normal the changes are more pronounced here.
Very briefly, I am happy to see the Karotechia go. Not that I did not like punching Nazi Occultist, but PAPERCLIP and ODESSA were getting a bit too old. Yes, they have unnatural means of keeping themselves alive, but that conspiracy theory was not aging very well for me. I did not care enough about the Club Apocalypse or the Cult of Transcendence to be sad of their disappearance. My but with the whole update is the loss of the Greys. I understand it makes a lot of sense: X Files made the little aliens a bit too popular, and they showed you could not expand a conspiracy theory ad infinitum, so it is better to quit when you are ahead. The end of the Accord, and of the Report in particular, is also a good way of explaining 9/11 within the game. The thing is, I really liked the Greys. I love the first few X-Files mythology episodes, and my love for the Mi-Go is only surpassed by my devotion to the Yithians. Having two aliens combined in the original Delta Green was just fantastic. Seeing them go made me sad, but hey, it is not dead, which can eternal lie, right?
Nevertheless, the notes on historical scenarios are a good addition to the book. You could always reuse your old material, but on top of that, there are a few ideas to play operations set between Innsmouth and the present day. If you add that now we have “The Fall of Delta Green” and a plethora of Call of Cthulhu supplements for the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1970’s, there is no need for you to leave the comfortable and well-known 20th century. But this is not CoC but Delta Green. This is a game of a world, our world, going south, and you should be ready to fight for it. I thought the War on Terror update was going to go in a different direction, but I am very happy with the 2000 and 2010’s info overall. The coup inside MAJESTIC and the fact that now we have two ACTUAL Delta Green conspiracies (and not DG and NRO Delta) feeds into the recurrent idea within the intelligence community (or at least, of its fictional portray) that the good days are over, and now we do not really know what do we stand for. Just in case you needed to be more paranoid.
In short, the Past section might be a bit too long and/or confusing. There is a ton of info there and probably deserves a second close read. The Supernatural one is not particularly original, but it would be difficult to be otherwise. Nevertheless, having the Great Old Ones without statistics makes them more terrifying and deadly (not that they are not in CoC, but I prefer them this way). The section on the two DGs is very good, and although I am not sure it is the base for two different styles of play, it certainly can give your players a very different feeling of how they fit in the world. The notes on how to create your own operations are very good, but the scenario included left me meh. Incoming supplements will tell us whether this version of DG is capable of capturing the zeitgeist or it will be just be a game for nostalgic people.
P.S. I have not read the 1st Edition supplements, or the fiction for that matter, so it is possible someone who has might get more of The Past, and be happier about it than I was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2018
I began to read the Handler's Guide as a PDF, but decided to start from the beginning when I received my physical copy. It is so damn good that it was wholly worth it.
The art and interior design of the book is one of the best I have ever seen in an RPG book. It is full of little details and frightful art pieces that truly transmit the feeling of Delta Green.
The book itself is sharply written and brings the behind the scenes of Delta Green to the modern era, while also giving you enough information to run games in any era of the DG timeline.
Our universe is a bleak place, the stars are aligning, and we can barely hold back the tide.
Mostly known as some of the best supplements and campaign books from the old Call of Cthulhu game, now Delta Green is a stand alone game.
And the gaming world is better for it.
In this case, the Handler's Guide pulls back the layers so the Handler has an idea what is really happening in the universe, what the status of both Delta Green incarnations is, how to create and run scenarios, and hundreds of story ideas for Handler's to explore.
If you like your unnatural horror bleak, with death and insanity as part of the fun, look no further.
It is one of my favorite tabletop games ever made.
And the best thing? There are a TON of new books on the way to erode my sanity with.
Great job, Arc Dream. Keep the spectacular work coming.
The art and interior design of the book is one of the best I have ever seen in an RPG book. It is full of little details and frightful art pieces that truly transmit the feeling of Delta Green.
The book itself is sharply written and brings the behind the scenes of Delta Green to the modern era, while also giving you enough information to run games in any era of the DG timeline.
Our universe is a bleak place, the stars are aligning, and we can barely hold back the tide.
Mostly known as some of the best supplements and campaign books from the old Call of Cthulhu game, now Delta Green is a stand alone game.
And the gaming world is better for it.
In this case, the Handler's Guide pulls back the layers so the Handler has an idea what is really happening in the universe, what the status of both Delta Green incarnations is, how to create and run scenarios, and hundreds of story ideas for Handler's to explore.
If you like your unnatural horror bleak, with death and insanity as part of the fun, look no further.
It is one of my favorite tabletop games ever made.
And the best thing? There are a TON of new books on the way to erode my sanity with.
Great job, Arc Dream. Keep the spectacular work coming.
April 21, 2025
This is just the second book I've read from the set of Delta Green books I picked up through Humble Bundle.
As in the case of the Agent's Handbook, this book - a guide for those who wish to run the games rather than being a player in them - is of a type that essentially every table top RPG has in some form or another. This has to be one of the best GM guides I've ever read, however, because in addition to the expected rules of play and advice for Handlers (this games term for the game master) it's absolutely packed with all the lore that I'd wanted in the Agent's Handbook.
I'm slightly torn on this book. For the most part I loved it. The aforementioned lore was a major feature of the book and I absolutely love that. I love that there are two organizations that think of themselves as Delta Green, that they're run vastly differently, and that the key players at the center of each group are incredibly distinct and well thought out. I love the inclusion of the incredibly detailed timeline and all the sidebars on various topics. It just really made it all come to life. I also loved the one-shot included at the end. This is another common feature in books like this but this little one-shot does a better job than most I've encountered at bringing the concepts all together. However, I'm still not sure how I feel about the game itself. This book reinforces the feeling I got from the Agent's Handbook that this game takes an already tough formula and makes it even nastier, because the book comes right out and says it numerous times. It, in fact, encourages the reader to basically ensure that the players have as little chance as possible to come up with a win in this game, and I just don't like that. I still really want to play this game before passing final judgment but I suspect that this game is more fun to run rather than play, and that it does especially well as a traditional story, as noted by the excellent "Once More from the Top" short story from the Book of Cthulhu: Volume II collection.
As in the case of the Agent's Handbook, this book - a guide for those who wish to run the games rather than being a player in them - is of a type that essentially every table top RPG has in some form or another. This has to be one of the best GM guides I've ever read, however, because in addition to the expected rules of play and advice for Handlers (this games term for the game master) it's absolutely packed with all the lore that I'd wanted in the Agent's Handbook.
I'm slightly torn on this book. For the most part I loved it. The aforementioned lore was a major feature of the book and I absolutely love that. I love that there are two organizations that think of themselves as Delta Green, that they're run vastly differently, and that the key players at the center of each group are incredibly distinct and well thought out. I love the inclusion of the incredibly detailed timeline and all the sidebars on various topics. It just really made it all come to life. I also loved the one-shot included at the end. This is another common feature in books like this but this little one-shot does a better job than most I've encountered at bringing the concepts all together. However, I'm still not sure how I feel about the game itself. This book reinforces the feeling I got from the Agent's Handbook that this game takes an already tough formula and makes it even nastier, because the book comes right out and says it numerous times. It, in fact, encourages the reader to basically ensure that the players have as little chance as possible to come up with a win in this game, and I just don't like that. I still really want to play this game before passing final judgment but I suspect that this game is more fun to run rather than play, and that it does especially well as a traditional story, as noted by the excellent "Once More from the Top" short story from the Book of Cthulhu: Volume II collection.
June 8, 2025
This book was an excellent set of guidelines and rules for 'Handlers' or Game Masters in the parlance of this Modern Era Spinoff of the Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying game.
It is an excellent and highly readable source book on the history and background of Delta Green, an ultra secret U.S. Government shadow agency born out of the aftermath of a raid on the New England fishing town of Innsmouth in 1928 (based on the H.P. Lovecraft story, 'Shadow Over Innsmouth ').
This book is just fun to read for any fan of the Cthulhu mythos but is essential if you intend to run a game of the Delta Green RPG. It provides plenty of inspiring material to use in your games along with the nitty gritty stats for things like creatures of the mythos and books and artifacts. Some are familiar to Players of Call of Cthulhu while others are unique to this games world that is a darker version of our own.
I enjoyed reading this and I hope to have a chance to run a game and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Call of Cthulhu and the X-Files or likes Espionage thrillers.
It is an excellent and highly readable source book on the history and background of Delta Green, an ultra secret U.S. Government shadow agency born out of the aftermath of a raid on the New England fishing town of Innsmouth in 1928 (based on the H.P. Lovecraft story, 'Shadow Over Innsmouth ').
This book is just fun to read for any fan of the Cthulhu mythos but is essential if you intend to run a game of the Delta Green RPG. It provides plenty of inspiring material to use in your games along with the nitty gritty stats for things like creatures of the mythos and books and artifacts. Some are familiar to Players of Call of Cthulhu while others are unique to this games world that is a darker version of our own.
I enjoyed reading this and I hope to have a chance to run a game and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Call of Cthulhu and the X-Files or likes Espionage thrillers.
December 11, 2025
DELTA GREEN: HANDLER'S GUIDE is an update of the original 1994 Delta Green guidebook that brings it past the War on Terror and to the year 2016. It massively retcons a lot of the setting and gets rid a lot of the Nineties-based conspiracies like The Fate, Karotechia, MAJESTIC, and Saucerwatch. It also updates a lot of the original characters if you're a lore junkie like me. Not all of the changes are great as I think MAJESTIC and Saucerwatch had a lot of potential still but I understand why they wanted to de-emphasize the conspiracy theories element given how they've been misused in RL. I think the character section is the best part and it's interesting to see who ended up where from the game's signature characters.
October 5, 2024
I didn't get as much from this as I did the Agent's handbook. There is a bit about how to run an RPG game and a ton on the history of the Delta Green organization. I have been running games for 30 years so the first part wasn't really helpful and I prefer to sandbox background information rather than having everything all written up so the second part wasn't as useful either.
The most useful bits for me was the mechanical information. Things like how to use forbidden tomes and spells and the bestiary and descriptions of the Great Old Ones. The included scenario seemed fun, too.
The most useful bits for me was the mechanical information. Things like how to use forbidden tomes and spells and the bestiary and descriptions of the Great Old Ones. The included scenario seemed fun, too.
June 8, 2019
Too much story, not enough rules. I can invent world and settings with the best of them, and have been doing so since 1975. But in 350 pages, there are really like 40 pages of rules, and an 80 page bestiary. The rest is a pre-built world, when I prefer rules for world-building.
The insistence that what sets Delta Green apart is the lack of control is also annoying, quite frankly. If i want my players to experience powerlessness, I can set them back on the streets of real life.
The insistence that what sets Delta Green apart is the lack of control is also annoying, quite frankly. If i want my players to experience powerlessness, I can set them back on the streets of real life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2024
Lovecraft X The X-Files tabletop roleplaying game.
Book 1: Delta Green - Agent's Handbook* ★★★★★
Book 2: Delta Green - Handler's Guide ★★★★★
Book 3: Delta Green - Impossible Landscapes* ★★★★★
Book 4: Delta Green - Hourglass ★★★★
Book 1: Delta Green - Agent's Handbook* ★★★★★
Book 2: Delta Green - Handler's Guide ★★★★★
Book 3: Delta Green - Impossible Landscapes* ★★★★★
Book 4: Delta Green - Hourglass ★★★★
August 15, 2018
Magistral. Imprescindible. Y, paradójicamente, breve. Porque la única pega que le pongo es que me falta más material, precisamente, sobre cómo arbitrar el juego. Lo demás está descrito con un detalle exhaustivo. Pero eso me falta.
January 3, 2023
Expansive revision of the Delta Green setting concept from the original supplement line. I could wish it put more effort into pivoting away from Lovecraftian racism, but otherwise solid. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...
November 21, 2023
I don't normally put gaming books on here, but this one is dense and I've pored over it a few times, so I'm counting it toward my annual reading challenge.
October 14, 2024
Love the alternate history timeline and really adds a lot to you're games you are running.
November 28, 2025
This is exactly what a sourcebook should be. Dense with detail, inspiration on every page. I'd challenge any GM to read this and not want to run it immediately.
July 3, 2022
Very detailed, fascinating atmosphere, and informative. Clearly best for readers who are interested in the game. If you are not, and you bought it, the alternate history makes for a good lovecraftian read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews