Planning a modern UK Call of Cthulhu Campaign (Delta Green Countdown)

[shockeroo]

Hello all!

I'm wondering if anyone knows of any good resources for, or has experience with a UK-based modern CoC campaign; I'm planning on using the world in Delta Green: Countdown supplement in which nasty aliens have subverted the branch of MI5 (sort-of) that deals with paranormal investigation (PISCES) as well as much of the UK government. Frankly I'd love some pre-written adventures as I don't have a lot of time to write at the moment.

My plan is to start the characters in MI5 and have them transferred to PISCES after a paranormal encounter. The party includes two ex-military, a computer & cryptography expert, a psychiatrist and an occult/history scholar. I'm new to CoC and I'm wondering:

1) What are realistic goals for the players (short/mid term)? Overthrowing the conspiracy would be a colossal undertaking; even discovering it and surviving would be huge.

2) What's a good Mythos encounter for new players? I'd like to give them a challenging monster which they can defeat, only to discover a bigger problem which is much, much worse.

3) What's a good level of life and/or sanity endangering problems? How harsh should I be when the players inevitably do something none-too bright. My players have mostly only D&D experience; they accept the 'you will probably go mad and/or die' concept of Cthulhu but will probably still sulk when killed'.

Thanks for any advice!

[some guy]

Resources;
-I thought that Cthulhu Brittanica had modern day scenario's, but after giving it a look it seems it has 1 modern day and 1 near future scenario.
-You may want to give 'The Laundry' a look. Though it is a stand alone game, it still uses the same system as CoC. The setting is supposedly "the British Secrect Service and Officialdom meets the Mythos." It's based on novels by Charles Stross. I don't know much about it, but was always interested in it.
-The Yog-Sothoth site has a lot of scenario's and is basically a very nice forum for CoC.

Hm, I shall ponder the rest of your questions after a refreshing night's rest.

[STsinderman]

To be honest there aren't really terribly many well written CoC campaigns for Britain, though shadows over Scotland is pretty decent (but not modern). Most of them are pretty cliché and obviously written by those who have never been to the UK. Your best bet would be what some guy recommended, the laundry is a pretty decent setting and gives a unified organisation to get past the how almost every other campaign starts "one or more of your party receive a letter from an old friend."

[Archimedea]

If I've read this right, you are wanting to use Delta Green so the Laundry rulebook isn't going to be all that useful. What might be useful are the scenarios that are in the Laundry supplement, Black Bag Jobs, otherwise I too can totally recommend checking out Yog-Sothoth.com.

While the Laundry is UK-specific, it is kind of quirky, not as straight or serious as Delta Green. DG is an amazing piece of work and personally I don't think the Laundry can hold a candle to DG. But if you want UK scenarios, check out Black Bag Jobs. If you don't mind a big of conversion, Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland is a great fit for Scottish scenarios. Check out the reviews and the chat on Yog-Sothoth. There are some really good scenarios in the book. I own it and can recommend it.

The last alternative is make something of your own, but yeah time consuming. Anyway, I applaud your choice of Delta Green. It's simply spectacular!!

[Leewei]

Resources;
-You may want to give 'The Laundry' a look. Though it is a stand alone game, it still uses the same system as CoC. The setting is supposedly "the British Secrect Service and Officialdom meets the Mythos." It's based on novels by Charles Stross. I don't know much about it, but was always interested in it.

I enthusiastically second this idea. Charles Stross, among other things, invented the Slaadi in D&D. His literature can be a great inspiration as well.