Haystack, Oregon

General Conversion Notes: On a whole the adventure works as is for Liminal Horror. There should be a shift in framing (as addressed below) and a swapping out of Delta Green for The Bureau (see faction notes here).

(Note: Replace all instances of Delta Green with The Bureau, including the green triangle for The Bureau’s Inverted Triangle & Eye)

Factions

  • The Bureau: Nick Poacher works for The Bureau, but is in Haystack on his own accord (unclear whether The Bureau knows or cares that he’s gone off script). Poacher has been captured by The Hydrian Order, but dialed out The Bureau (July 31st) but is inconclusive if made it through. The patron of the PCs was able to intercept the distress call at the least.
  • The Hydrean Order: Imogen Moss’ group that seeks to rekindle the connection with The Deep Ones (this is being secretly manipulated by a Mi-Go)
  • Majestic 12: MJ12 remains as is (Majestic 12 is an organization that focuses on UFO and extraterrestrial life). Declan Booth is a low-profile field investigator.
  • Devotees of the Voor’s Head Device: A community started by Rachel Foster, they seek mystical insight using the magical black hood (Voor’s Head Device)

Framing

The party has been brought together to investigate Nick Poacher’s disappearance. An essential part of the framing is to create a setup that not only has the players invested in investigating what happened, but potentially willing to break laws in order to do so. While you can come up with whatever framings you want for your table, below are two options to use as a launching point.

Option One (working for a patron against The Bureau)

This is the preferred framing, as they are not affiliated with The Bureau and instead are brought together by a patron. The relationship and identity of the patron does not need to be well defined, but one option is connecting them to The Archivist (paranormal Columbo).

If this is the case, the brief will be close to the same, but not refer to Nick as their “fellow” and instead start with: “Nick Poacher, an agent of The Bureau,” and add a line about “avoid additional Bureau involvement.”

If you are not continuing a campaign, have players choose the following archetypes when starting fresh. These archetypes are general enough that more than one player can choose them (they can differentiate by choosing a background to show what they used to do). This is at the root of why they are tangled up with The Archivist (or other patron):

  1. Burned: The Bureau interfered with your life, and you want to find enough evidence to bring them to justice. During one of their operations they may have: contributed to the death or loss of a loved one, instituted a cover up that destabilized your life, you narrowly escaped their grasp.
  2. Final Girl: Your life has already been touched by the paranatural and there is no going back to what was… you are driven to find answers. You start with a fallout.
  3. Quid Pro Quo: The Archivist has something you need (or holding something over your head) that is more important/dangerous than breaking the law or going into danger. It may be: a way to save a loved one, evidence you need to put your life back together, a resonant artifact you need to save them.
  4. Indebted: Your debts became too large to bear. Is the Archivist your means out or does he own your debt (and you want a way out from under his thumb)?
  5. Trail of Breadcrumbs: Your quest for the truth has led you to dark places, breaking norms, and pushing past laws. Your search leads you to the attention of the Archivist, and he’s providing you an opportunity to peek behind the veil.
  6. Relic-Touched: A resonant artifact is in your possession. Not only do you have access to its power, but being its keeper puts a target on your back. Sometimes being on the offensive is a better tactic. You start with a resonant artifact in your possession.

Bonus: This can be taken by one player (and may be kept a secret by all but the Facilitator). This is an additional Archetype on top of one of the above.

  • *Sleeper Agent:** You are secretly a Bureau agent. One of the above Archetypes acts as your cover. You can’t help but wonder, given the Archivist’s knowhow, does he know the truth about your involvement. (How committed are you to the cause? How close are you to turning double agent?)

Option Two - you are agents (or subcontractors) for The Bureau

This is a straightforward option (but one that pushes somewhat against the framing of LH. It puts you in the direct employ of a shadowy organization who is problematic at best. Their primary directive (since [redacted]), is to safeguard, control access too, and protect all information related to the paranatural. This goal supersedes common rights of everyday citizens.

If this is the framing you choose, it is recommended to push against the PC’s sense of right, wrong, and put them in positions where they have to put the needs of The Bureau above what is morally correct.

Some departments that could be sent (and therefore may be part of the team):

  • Operations Sub Departments: Asset Recovery, Field Operatives, Containment, Divers)
  • HR Sub Departments: retention, talent acquisition, liability assessors, auditors, middle management
  • Support
  • R&D
  • Freelance/subcontractors

Cast of Characters

  • Imogen Moss - STR: 11 DEX: 12 CTRL: 7 HP: 6 Armor: 1
    • Has the silver cylinder. She believes this Resonant Artifact allows her to commune with the Deep Ones, but instead contains a human brain that the Mi-Go is psionically interfacing with to control Imogen and her followers in hopes of setting up an opportunity where it can capture a Deep One.
  • Nick Poacher - STR: 13 DEX: 11 CTRL: 14 HP: 5 Armor: 1
  • Declan Booth - STR: 12 DEX: 13 CTRL: 12 HP: 4 Armor: 1
  • Rachel Foster - STR: 8 DEX: 8 CTRL: 12 HP: 3
    • Has a Resonant Artifact, the Voor’s Head Device, a thick black hood word over the head that grants mystical insight and can potentially allow one to view the Black Ocean.

Quick Stats

  • Most weapons do d6 damage. Fists and kicks do d4.
  • Average Citizens have STR: 10 DEX: 10 CTRL: 10 HP: 3
  • Members of the Hydrean Order have STR: 11 DEX: 10 CTRL: 8 HP: 4 - Dagger (d6) or Gun (d6)
  • Dogs - STR: 4 DEX: 12 CTRL: 8 HP: 3 - Bite (d6)

Monsterous Stats

MI-GO

Is secretly controlling Imogen through dreams and psionic suggestions throught the silver cylinder. This Mi-Go is hoping to capture and disect a Deep One.

STR: 16 DEX: 13 CTRL: 14
HP: 8 Armor: 1
Electric Wand (d4, blast), Macrodimensional Scalpel (d6)

  • Aetheric Flight: mi-go can fly in any environment as on an invisible current.
  • Grapple and Erase: upon causing Critical Damage, they will inject their victim with a substance that prevents the creation of short-term memories for 12-hours.
  • Multiform: The mi-go can change alter it’s body as needed.
  • Macrodimensional Armor: Mi-go exist across multiple dimensions and can appear is moving in stutters. Make a CTRL save, on a success it is phased out of the material dimension and that damage negated.
  • Non-Terrene: The mi-go are able to exist in any environment.
  • Shortcut: On a successful CTRL save the mi-go can stutter in and out of existence, bypassing a physical obstacle.
  • The Voice: They emit a buzzing noises that simulates human speech.

An entity resembling a spongy crab topped with glowing fungus. They can change their forms at will. Their macro dimensional resonance allows them to see small bits into the future. They constructed the humanoids that many refer to as “The Greys.”

DEEP ONES

STR: 18 DEX: 11 CTRL: 14
HP: 8 Armor: 2
Knife-like Talons (d6), Sharp Spines (d6, blast)

  • Amphibious: Adapted to land or ocean (any depth)
  • Genetic Hypergeometry: Has access to genetic meories, allowing it access to many Rituals.
  • Inhuman Momvement: They can move fast on land, and even faster under water.
  • Injector: When a Deep One deals Critical Damage it inserts one of it’s barbed stingers (injecting a toxin that warps the victims DNA). Alongside a Wound the victim takes a Fallout that begins their transformation into a Deep One Hybrid.

Ancient fish-like beings that vary in specific physiology. What they do have in common is they are old, and reside deep in the oceans. Consistent features across the Deep Ones are their fanlike scales, bony spikes, large size, huge globe-like eyes, razor sharp teeth, gills and stinger used to inject their DNA generic rewriting toxin.

LESSER DEEP ONES

STR: 15 DEX: 12 CTRL: 11
HP: 5 Armor: 1
Razor-sharp teeth (d6)

  • Asension: The process from becoming a hybrid to a true Deep One can an unknwon amount of time. Some stay a lesser hybrid forever, while others transition quickly.
  • Almost Human: Many can pass as a human being, especially in low light. Their warped forms give pause but require a full medical examination to prove their divergance from homosapien.
  • Partially Amphibious: Until their transformation is complete, they have a partial ability to exist underwater (hours to days)
  • Inhuman Movement: Lesser deep ones can climb, run, and move beyond how normal people can.

Lesser Deep One’s are the result of humans being injected with the Deep One’s toxin, which warps their DNA and transforms them into hybrids. At first they seem human, but they change and warp to become more like their progenitors. These changes happen randomly, with some features coming in before others. They are human-sized and human shaped, with pot-bellies and elongated arms. Their skin starts shift to scales, with their coloring becoming a greyish green. Their feet become webbed, with finger nails falling out to be replaced by sharp claws. Their eye’s grow in size and shift to the side of their heads, becoming fishlike with their shrinking jaw becoming filled with razor sharp teeth.

Mechanics

Checks

Any time the text calls for a check (Strength Check, etc) using the Liminal Horror Save mechanics. You can have it be a comprable Save to the Isle’s attributes (Strength = STR) or have it be whatever makes sense for the narrative and not dictated by the text.

Stress

Encountering otherworldly things for the first time, dangerous traps, and other gross things will result in Investigators taking Stress. While not indicated in the text, use the judgment as a Facilitator as to when to doll out that tension.

  • 1 Stress: Witnessing something horrid.
  • 1d4 Stress: Particularly horrific scenes or the abilities of minor horrors.
  • 1d6 Stress: Abilities of major horrors.
  • 1d8+ Stress: Abilities of particularly monstrous entities or witnessing events not meant for human eyes.

Fallout

Fallout is a pivotal addition to adventures using Liminal Horror. It shows how the Investigators become weird and changed. It also can be used to reinforce the themes of the adventure. You can use the many generic Fallouts already released from Liminal Horror on the website. You can also create Custom Fallout (there is advice on how to do so here). For this adventure, using the themes of body horror, oceans, transformations.

Reactions

Unless it’s otherwise obvious, roll to determine an enemy’s Reaction when they encounter the party for the first time.

2d6 Reaction
2-4. Violent
5-6. Hostile
7. Neutral
8-9. Friendly
10-12. Helpful

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Liminal Horror is developed by Gobin Archives, Josh Domanski, and Zach Hazard Vaupen