List of entries for the 2018 Summer Contest: Setpieces

> This contest is dedicated to all the lengthy, glorious descriptive text written by Handlers which agents never got to hear because they went in with guns blazing.
>
>

The 2018 Summer Contest: Setpieces was the 1st summer contest organized by /r/nightattheopera, an open table RPG community that utilizes a living world where Delta Green Agents and Operations take place in the same linear (or non-linear, non-Euclidean) timeline. The contest run from May 4th, 2019 through July 4th 2019.

## Definition

### What’s a setpiece anyway?

A setpiece is a fleshed-out, ready-to-go ‘something’ that you can drop into a game, or build an ad-hoc game around. For example: An auto salvage yard, which includes a description, some different areas (an office, the car crusher, the alleys of cars stacked like cordwood, etc.), some NPCs (the surly owner and his dog, two metal thieves breaking in overnight, etc.) and some suggestions on how to use the setpiece (rules for crushing cars, stats on the beater tow truck agents might steal from the lot, etc.).

### What is not a setpiece?

An encounter isn’t a setpiece. This is a fine line, but ultimately ask yourself if what you’re doing is too niche. If your setpiece is a cultist hideout, have you written it so narrowly that it only works for one elder god? That feels more like an encounter.

We want these to function as drop-ins that can fit any scenario, or seed any adventure.

* *Good*: Frank will crush a car, no questions asked, but requires payment in illicit substances.
* *Bad*: Frank is a member of a Cthulhu-worshiping cult and has the key to the inner sanctum

## Contest Rules

Setpiece contest submissions should contain at a minimum:

* A description of the setpiece (including a map, if applicable)
* Suggested adventure/scenario hooks for the setpiece
* Rules or mechanics to interact with the setpiece
* Statblocks for any NPCs or items which can be encountered at the setpiece

### Voting

Anyone who submits a setpiece will be asked to rate *five* (5) other setpieces based on the simple scheme below. Non-voting submitters will have their own scores set to zero. Please do not submit if you’re not up for reading and rating others. There is no limit on the number of entries, but for each entry you’ll be scoring 5 others so keep that in mind.

### Judging

Entries will be judged on the following criteria using a 1-5 scale:

* Originality: does the setpiece rely on published Delta Green material or cliches of the setting?
	+ 1 - This setpiece leans heavily on a crutch built of published Delta Green or setting trope material.
	+ 3 - This setpiece features an original concept
	+ 5 - This setpiece is full of fresh new material
* Modularity: can the setpiece can be added to a scenario with minimal changes?
	+ 1 - This setpiece won’t fit into an existing scenario without heavily rewriting  the scenario.
	+ 3 - This setpiece will fit with most scenarios with some adjustments
	+ 5 - This setpiece can be dropped into a scenario on the fly with minimal adjustments
* Realism: does the setpiece feel like a living space that could exist the real world?
	+ 1 - This setpiece is wildly unrealistic, using it would take a large suspension of disbelief for players
	+ 3 - This setpiece feels realistic
	+ 5 - This setpiece oozes realistic, intricate detail
* Eeriness: does the setpiece create an atmosphere of dread and unease?
	+ 1 - This setpiece doesn’t capture any Delta Green-esque atmosphere
	+ 3 - This setpiece feels like it belongs in the Delta Green universe
	+ 5 - This setpiece shouldn’t be read with the lights off.
* Balance: Will the setpiece set players up with an unfair or unfun advantage, or does it undermine the scenario it’s added too?
	+ 1 - This setpiece features something which would heavily, negatively influence a scenario in which it was used
	+ 3 - This setpiece is unlikely to meaningfully distract or add to from the larger scenario
	+ 5 - This setpiece notably adds to any scenario it’s placed in

The goal here is to create a cool, free, community resource of setpieces. Depending on volume and quality of submissions we might combine these into a PDF, but at the very least we’ll provide a list of links like in the 2018 scenario contest.

## The Winners

**1st Place**
Coney Island Carpets by BurningHeron
**2nd Place**
Olney Rock by Patrick Harkin
**3rd Place**
Police Roadblock by Jack Cook and The Beetle Labs by Jef Wilkins
## Submitted Setpieces

Coney Island Carpets by BurningHeron (**Winner 1st Place**)

Olney Rock by Patrick Harkin (**Winner 2nd Place**)

Police Roadblock by Jake Cook (**Winner 3rd Place [tie]**)

The Beetle Labs by Jef Wilkins (**Winner 3rd Place [tie]**)

Federal Agent Counter-Investigation by Mellonbread

The Gang Goes to Prison by Jake Cook

Dead Drop by Jake Cook

There Was a Firefight by AgentFincher

Fire Department by Kevin Ham

Blade in the Dark by Mellonbread

Black Stars Brewery by Mark Knight

Room 218 by Michael Keenan

Manuxet Marsh FTZ 299 by Michael Daumen

Gator Farm by Zomner

The Job Offer by Dhole

The Big Gun Down by Mellonbread