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The Good: The writing is very engaging throughout most of the book. Many of the ideas are sufficiently cool that readers will likely have a hard time choosing between what they want to play with.
The Bad: The Demonte Clan entry is the weak point of the product, as much of the entry sounds like a really fun adventure... that someone else played.
The Physical Thing
The overall construction for Targets of Opportunity is excellent, with only the artwork being a potential weak point. More artwork of a higher quality would be a welcome treat here, though the existing work does a great job of developing the appropriate atmosphere throughout the product. The writing, editing, and overall presentation are all excellent and it's easy to become lost in the engrossing pages of this product. The existence of an index is a welcome addition, allowing for somewhat easier navigation. I would like to see a page dedicated to the major plot points introduced with each setting/story idea to aid the GM in game prep, especially when the book is used long after initially being read. I am pleased with the book, and very much appreciate the emphasis on large amounts of clean, easy to read information.Under the Cover
Targets of Opportunity is split into five different sections, each of which details a specific organization currently active in the setting. The book also features several appendices with rules modifications and other support to add a little more crunch to the BRP rules. Of the five organizations presented, four are clearly structured to be antagonists while one, M-EPIC, is suitable as an ally or antagonist. Each entry contains a wealth of information, plenty of clear support, and great writing which pulls the reader right into the current situation. Let's take a look at each of these!Black Cod Island is Native American land in Alaskan territory which has been the home of the Black Cod Native American tribe for many generations. Long ago the Black Cod struck dark bargains to gain the upper hand on other tribes, but were almost destroyed for flaunting their dark acts so brazenly in front of others. They learned a hard lesson and prospered in secrecy. Today the tribe very carefully controls information in its territory to prevent outsiders from learning their terrible secret: that they have long served the Deep Ones and, at this stage, are so interbred as to be far removed from the rest of humanity.
This entry does a lot of things really well. First, by choosing tribal land in Alaska there is already a strong element of isolation from any sort of support mechanism. This isolation even carries over into games that don't have that as a regular occurrence, such as Delta Green campaigns quietly being supported by the US military. Second, tribal land is quite a bit different from the rest of the country and engages in a lot of self-governance. This, alone, means that characters investigating the Black Cod have very little support from any sort of authority. That the Black Cod have manipulated all local real authorities into cooperation further exacerbates the problem.
Third, the group have a strong degree of loyalty which has been taken advantage of to enforce careful information control. This makes investigation even more challenging, but in a fun way since the characters are likely to start figuring out who the players are but are unlikely to quickly arrive at a solution to the problem. To compound this, most of the information really necessary to hurting the Black Cod is only going to be available on tribal land where they have incredible power. PCs are likely to feel paranoid much of the time, and they should – the Black Cod are out to get them.
The NPCs each have flaws, even the most badass Black Cod, and these flaws can potentially be exploited by Delta Green agents (or other NPCs) to speed events forward. What's important to realize with this group, as with the other organizations, is that there is no big thing to foil. The tribe is clearly composed of inhuman Deep One worshipers and Deep Ones who happily trade the lives of humans for power and longevity. What makes this whole entry shine is that characters who investigate the happenings of the Black Cod territory may have a very challenging time getting anywhere, and could even fail to penetrate the organization to any great degree. Adversaries such as this one, which are written as intelligent, organized opponents, are terrifying and a great deal of fun to play against.
While the Black Cod present an antagonist that often reflects the darkest aspects of humanity, the Disciples of the Worm are frightening because human reasoning has largely been stripped from their minds. They will also give readers that have body horror issues fits due to the graphic and traumatic way the parasitic worms infest their hosts. Let's just say it involves anal insertion and hooked barbs and leave it at that. Fears of rape, loss of control, and powerlessness can easily be explored through interaction with the few NPCs who are still lucid enough for some sort of conversation.
These worms provide immortality to their hosts, both by extending their natural lives and by rapidly repairing damage to the body. The downside is that they are extremely painful and those carrying these parasites have to take in a large amount of dope. Some particularly unfortunate hosts, who do not self-medicate appropriately, become mothers to more of the worms due to the creatures reproducing in the host's body.
The situation for Delta Green agents is very dangerous. Immortals with hundreds of years of experience have grown very wealthy and knowledgeable, often in mythos lore. However, even the most gifted host is still badly drugged up to counter the extreme pain of the worms. While this may lead to a trail of mistakes for the characters to follow, it also leads to an irrational fanaticism on the part of the hosts. Negotiation and reasoning is very unlikely to be acceptable. Since the hosts also have incredible healing abilities an aggressive, violent confrontation is far more likely. It is likely easier for these hosts to simply fling themselves, weapons bared, at the Delta Green operatives, than to try something more complex.
A campaign featuring the worm hosts as antagonists is likely to be strongly involved in the drug trade as well, since those infested with the worms need a constant supply in order to function. This is a great opportunity for street investigation, forensic accounting of doctor office records, and similar sorts of investigation. It's also a nice excuse to pull out a few guns with the shit inevitably hits the fan. Most hosts are pretty far gone, and a strong argument can be made that killing these wretches is a kindness. The mix of control and body horror, along with great investigation opportunities, makes for another strong entry.
While the worms provoke a more visceral feeling of terror, the Demonte Clan are all about paranoia. The Clan is a family of ghouls who have been using their ability to absorb from the brains they eat to create a small but powerful empire of control in New Orleans. The discussion of the history of the Clan and how it came to power is fantastic, offering a wealth of insight into how dangerous ghoul antagonists can be in a Delta Green campaign. In fact, I found the material here sufficiently inspirational that I'm tempted to run a full campaign focused just on ghouls. Unfortunately, there is a major downside to the material here.
The Demonte Clan entry reads like a completed adventure, which makes sense because it is. The big war has already been fought, Delta Green has won, and the Clan has been beaten back but not destroyed. The description of how everything went down is enjoyable and brings to mind thoughts of a similarly epic game. This adventure breaks the cardinal rule of good roleplaying, though, by telling us the most awesome things on paper instead of allowing us to experience them at the game table. It's no different than a character with an amazing background full of great plot elements... that won't make it to the game.
The background is certainly still inspirational, but inspirational isn't good enough for a product focused on providing material to be integrated into a campaign. If I want raw inspiration for a Delta Green game I'll pick up a Lovecraft novel, watch a horror movie, or hit TVTropes. What is needed from a product like this is all the additional support, the fine details added in, to make the Keeper's job that much easier and to add a welcome level of detail to the campaign. The Demonte Clan entry fails in this regard simply because all of build up the story presents is resolved just before the players are meant to get hold of it. The players are cast as agents mopping up after the major events have been resolved by NPCs. A Keeper can certainly ignore the exciting climax, and many of the very specific plot elements, of this entry and still retain some mileage out of it. I may end up doing exactly that, and I'm sure I'll have a good time with it. Nevertheless, this could have been a powerful contender with the rest of Targets of Opportunity had the entry stopped at the pinnacle of intrigue rather than in the aftermath.
M-EPIC occupies an odd role in the book as a potential ally for Delta Green agents. This Canadian equivalent to the group has had a hand in a host of threat neutralizations, coverups, and studies of Mythos phenomena in Canada. Drawn largely from the ranks of the RCMP, this group is much more active and better funded than the scattered American counterpart. It's a little funny to think of a Delta Green agent who, after years of no support and life-destroying horror, stumbles into a M-EPIC base and vows never to return to the United States.
This organization is nicely detailed and includes a good roster of supporting characters to build an adventure around. It could serve as a wonderful assisting group for investigating the Black Cod Tribe, especially if the Tribe has allied groups within Canadian territory. The NPCs and nature of the organization can also be used to great effect as windows showing what could or will happen to Delta Green agents as they continue on with their work. Some, such as Phillip Labonte, already have mental disorders and other problems from their repeated encounters with Mythos entities. The organization is detailed enough to serve as a fine alternative for a Delta Green campaign set in Canada, with all of the major NPCs and past history already perfectly fleshed out.
Speaking of flesh, the Cult of Transcendence takes up over 120 pages of this book and is very concerned with flesh in its many rituals. Arguably the crowning glory of a wonderful product, the Cult is a masterpiece that presents a powerful group of Nyarlarthotep worshipers who are actively trying to dissociate people from their human failings in order to reach a more enlightened state. This entry blends together a mix of cosmic horror, body horror, and sinister conspiracy to create a very believable threat that can easily be the subject of a full campaign.
The Cult works as the low end by encouraging human beings towards sociopathy. This is accomplished through a variety of different means including orgies, self-help organizations, churches, alien encounters, and a host of other manufactured events each of which has the specific goal of in some way distancing humanity from its morality and protecting the Cult. The myriad ways in which these many sub-organizations and goals interact is impressive, with each being carefully tailored towards a certain end. For example, fake alien abductions and appropriate evidence is used to lure Mythos investigators away from the real truth and towards control or confrontation.
At the high end, the Cult enables certain fanatical followers to slowly gain power until they undergo truly dark and disturbing rights of passage to gain entry to the shadow mansion that orbits the court of Azathoth. Here, with the Headless Brides for company, these transcendants control the vast conspiracy though their directives may not be as clear as they once were. Every detail of the house and those that dwell in it is beautifully alien, lethal, and exactly what I want investigators to enter at the climax of a lengthy campaign.
My review can't possibly do justice to this entry simply because it is highly detailed and interconnected, creating its own sub-mythology that offers the perfect blend of conspiracy, cosmic horror, and multi-tiered investigation opportunities for a Delta Green campaign. The NPCs are believable, nicely detailed, and offer a host of encounter options. The entry does a great job of providing lots of well-considered suggestions as to how to blend this material into any game. What's more, though, is that this entry simply does a wonderful job of stimulating the imagination and making the reader want to run a game. It's one of the most entertaining adventures I've ever read, and I can only imagine how much more fun it will be over time with the right group of friends exploring its secrets.
The remaining content isn't as incredible as the Cult, but it is very useful. Appendix A, while short, offers several useful combat options. Disabling Wounds are a way for a character to potentially take less damage but suffer a specific injury that otherwise impacts play. Suppressing Fire and Called Shot rules are welcome additions, as they both offer Delta Green squads a way to subdue dangerous opponents without having to go for the kill. Appendix B offers stress disorder alternatives to insanity, which is another nice detail that makes the game even more believable.
Appendix C provides a simple relationship system to allow characters to recover sanity, gain information, and drive the game forward. It's a nice mix of stick and carrot, and ultimately a fun option for characters with any meaningful roots in the world (which Delta Green agents hopefully have). Appendix D provides a very, very brief survey of DNA as an investigative tool. This reviewer believes interested Keepers are better served by a more comprehensive resource, but it's nice to have this to interest those groups that have characters with access to an appropriate lab and database. Finally, Appendix E offers a short but overall excellent discussion of how to keep a Delta Green campaign fun.
