Operation KILLJOY

> It's only getting worse, not worth a moment's regret
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> Each dawn another curse, every breath a twisting blade
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> What will be left behind in the ashes of the wake?
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## ACTORS

### THE LEAVITTS

* Deceased Crime Boss - Lamar Leavitt. Post-Katrina, ran a drug network in New Orleans. Kept a truce with other outfits.
* Crime Boss Stepmom Marie Leavitt. Sad, entrepreneurial, hardheaded. Addicted to Phantom of Lamar. Rapidly running out of supply of him. Buying other drug outfits with Ash profits. Gaining a stranglehold on the city, or so she thinks. Queenpin on a House of Cards set to collapse.
* Eldest Son Andre Leavitt. Brave, bold, self-righteous. Wants to fill in Lamar’s shoes by taking over the family business.
* Middle Son Phillip Leavitt. Angry, haunted. Coping with PTSD from Iraq. Research, locates, digs up primo bodies from the cemetery for his sister. Serves as muscle while using Beam.
* Youngest Son Daniel Leavitt: Eager, optimistic. Looks up to brothers, will do anything to impress them. Often accompanies Phillip, also use Beam.
* Sister Julie Leavitt: chemist, sole bearer of the recipe for Ash. Secretly a Ghoul. More on that later.
* Terrance “Black Jack” Newsom: former business partner of Lamar. Godfather to all of Lamar’s children. Terrance controls the Black Spades (dealers) for the Leavitts. Loyal to a fault.

### LOS ECOS

* Headed by Pablo Gutierrez. A Mexican cartel escaped from the remnants of a Delta Green raid on their former boss Sepulturo. A new crew from the ashes of Los Ecos into the Ash game. Seeks to intimidate, threaten, eliminate the Leavitts to get them out of the game. Guided by the severed head of Louis Demonte, brother of Gaston Demonte, who knows his brother’s secret and wishes nothing more than to take him down.

### BADGES

* Agent William Suko (DEA) is Delta Green’s Case Officer for this investigation. Puts Agents under Task Force KILLJOY, providing them with equipment, guidance, local police cooperation. Reminds Agents of all available resources: wiretaps, cell phone records, active tracks, etc.
* Detectives Shane Kowalski and Vance Ibenez (New Orleans PD) have been paid to look the other way, misdirect investigations for years. Make Ash’s existence the most well-kept secret in the city. Have worked extensively with Suko in the past. Have his trust. Can be brought onto KILLJOY, acting cordial, cooperative (all while feeding Marie and Andre intel) until the need to pull a Serpico arises.

## ASHES OF THE WAKE

Ash is a corpse’s Essential Saltes combined with mundane narcotics. Julie Leavitt, a brilliant chemistry student, has taken the products of her father’s empire and given them an edge other drug outfits could only hope to achieve. Julie was lovingly taught this process by her ex-boyfriend, Gaston, an exiled Demonte clan Ghoul. Gaston and Julie partook in the flesh and memories of the dead in an ecstatic three way. More than anything else, Julie wanted to be with Gaston forever. Now she can, having allowed Gaston to add Julie to the list of lovers of his that have partaken in the Changeling Feast of their flesh. Not even Julie’s own family knows that she is no longer herself. After all, Gaston knows everything about her life. He continues this charade with a happy family.

A person’s DNA in Ash can be extracted scientifically. Their deaths can be researched. See **CREATING ASH**, **USING ASH**, and **ASH STRAINS** in **STAT BLOCKS**

### SUGGESTED TIMELINE

#### PRIOR

D-3 Detectives inform Marie of the Cartel moving into New Orleans. Word on the street is that they are looking to make Ash. Marie does not take their advice seriously.

D-2 Grave-robbing spree occurs throughout the city’s cemeteries.

D-1 (Halloween) Program is alerted to drug by DEA Friendly, has a female, Valorie Klenk in custody at a secure holding facility. Valorie tried a taste of LSD Ash, the memories of a deceased stripper that filled her with confidence. Made her feel adored, wanted. She was hooked. She sought out a custom memory, one with her mother, but was unable to afford it, so she turned to the Cartel for Knockoff Ash, found by New Orleans PD wandering out in the street to put on a show. Agent Suko takes note when Narcotics officers tell him about this chick with the hand growing out of her back shaking it for everyone.

D+0 Agents arrive, meet with Agent Suko.

### BRIEFING

Suko says

* A new underground drug called Ash has taken root in New Orleans over the past few months, only coming onto the DEA’s radar recently as a drug that “makes you feel alive by killing you dead,” according to some users.
* Suko has no samples. Eager to get some for testing.
* Suko has Valerie in custody. Agents can meet her.
	+ Bought Ash on Bourbon Street
	+ Provides address for the crack house owned by the Cartel.
	+ Tries to describe sensation, can describe strip club where deceased stripper worked

### POST

D+1 (Día de los Muertos) Newsom is gunned down

* Still in possession of thousands of dollars
* A playing card on his body: black Jack of Spades ripped in half
* Clues point to Cartel
	+ Tattoos (Criminology)
	+ Calling Card (Anthropology, History)
	+ Lots of eyewitnesses

D+2 Phillip, Daniel and gravediggers are attacked by Cartel while harvesting corpses.

Daniel is dead.

* Dead cartel members cell phones
	+ Location history can reveal production areas
	+ Photos of themselves and others can help cast net
* Graves robbed, bodies loaded onto truck
	+ Recently overdosed rockstar
	+ Several deceased soldiers
	+ Other exciting lifestyles

D+3 Marie retrieves Daniel’s body from the morgue. Marie blames Andre for pushing the production and needing more corpses so soon. The two fight. Marie orders Julie to not turn Daniel into Ash. That night, Andre and Phillip counterattack Cartel. Gutierrez escapes with Louis’ head.

D+4 Julie refuses to produce Ash, further dividing the family. Marie uses the last dose of Phantom of her husband. Phillip continues hunting Cartel members, searching for Gutierrez. Gutierrez consumes the head of Louis, transforming into a Ghoul himself.

D + 5 Julie overpowers Gaston’s control and flees the estate, by digging a tunnel, taking with her the source of the Ash to steal away human emotions for herself and Gaston. Marie runs out of Phantom of Terrance sends her into withdrawals, locked in her room and forcing Andre to take charge. Louis/Pablo attack the mansion, steal Gaston/Julie’s work before fleeing.

### ENCOUNTERS

* If Detectives think Agents are getting too close to Leavitts, will set them up in an ambush ran by Phillip, other Black Spades (Detective’s guns loaded with blanks to simulate shootout), or may walk Agents right into Los Ecos operations unexpectedly (more risky for themselves)

### LOCATIONS

Drug Den (Cartel)

* Dying Ash addicts, with cancerous growths
* Knockoff Ash samples
* Cartel attempts to burn house down to destroy evidence, flees.

Mexican Drug Lab

* Abandoned industrial park
* Components for mundane drugs, chemist making Knockoff Ash
* Deceased body (Ash source)

Motel

* Pablo and Louis’ head stay in a room here, while his cartel goons work elsewhere
* Cartel scouts on exterior report danger to Pablo
* If Pablo feels like the jig is up and has enough time, take’s Louis’ advice and consumes the Ghoul’s head. Agents may catch this happening in real time.
* Enough evidence here to convict/deport all of Los Ecos

French Quarter

* Black Jack and his crew sell out of a barber shop at Canal and Bourbon Street
* Halloween through November 2nd is Día de Los Muertos, the celebration of life and death. A beautiful blend of sugar skulls and Santa Muerte with Nawlins voodoo and funeral jazz march demonstrations
* Barber Shop is monitored by CCTV
* Small stash of Virtual in back room
* Dealer here, collects money, calls Holder, who brings drugs to Buyer out front

Leavitt Estate

* Mansion, well protected by guards and surveillance equipment
* Guards do not allow Agents in. If presented with a warrant, warn family, and attempt to divert and hide any criminal activity.
* Drug Lab and Morgue (stolen body supply). No one but Julie is allowed inside. Computer contains Gaston's hidden camera films of him and Julie performing unspeakable acts (SAN loss 1/1d6).

### POTENTIAL REWARDS

Stay on the Case - learn of the Ghoul open season of post-Katrina New Orleans, Operation REDBONE

Study the Unnatural - with enough doses and bodies available for experimentation, learn flawed version of Ashes to Ashes.

Eliminating Cartel Presence +1d4 SAN

Stopping Ash Flow +1d6 SAN

Learning Julie’s Secret -1 SAN, +1% Unnatural

## STAT BLOCKS

### CREATING ASH

Ashes to Ash

Elaborate ritual. Study time: weeks; +1 Unnatural, 1D12 SAN. Activation: hours; 15 WP, 1D8 SAN to reduce to Essential Saltes, 12 WP and 1D6 SAN to create Ash

The ritual of reducing a corpse to “essential saltes” is informed by ancient alchemy, medieval occultism, and invocations to Mordiggian. It costs 15 WP, usually expended over a few days in an alchemical laboratory where unnatural powers are invoked and channeled, sometimes with spectacular effects. It costs 1D8 SAN.

It is important that the entire corpse be available. An ancient, desiccated body is usually acceptable, as is a body that has been dismembered, as long as it is complete.

Converting essential saltes into an alchemical mixture is a somewhat simpler process, though it requires strange incantations and chemicals to fuse it with. It costs 12 WP per batch made and 1d6 SAN once the body is gone. A typical batch contains a dozen doses.

The secret ingredient Julie Leavitt uses in creating Ash is love and affection, both for her family and her lover, Gaston Demonte. This process can be followed if the ritual is learned, costing 1d4 points from a Bond per batch made. A blend of Ash without this spend is treated as Knockoff Ash (see below).

### USING ASH

Using a drug provokes a SAN test. Critical success means the user “steers” the high. Failure means the trip goes sour after a while. A Fumble means a really bad trip. The high lasts 1D4 hours, 2D4 with a larger dose but with a -20% penalty to SAN test).

### STRAINS OF ASH

* Virtual (LSD): you relive the dead person’s memories as if you are them (0/1D4).
* Phantom (MDMA): you hallucinate and may interact with a spirit of the dead. It feels slightly corporeal to you (0/1D6).
* Beam (Cocaine): you temporarily gain the skills of the dead (+20% to relative skills), with some residual memories. SAN fumble means the dead’s memories bleed over, placing memory masks over the faces of the living (1/1D8).
* Pure: you share the mind of the dead (gain all skills of deceased). SAN fumble means the dead takes over (1/1D10).
* Knockoff Ash: result of the Cartel attempting to emulate Virtual. As any of the above but imposes a 40% penalty to the SAN test. On a fumble, cancerous growths form as the body of the dead takes root in the user, sprouting limbs, heads, and other body parts where they should not be (1/1D6 to witness, 0/1D4 to find).

Some deceased, Ash Strains, and their methods of death, for your use. Phantom and Pure are typically expensive custom orders.

* Roland Thompson, Soldier, Beam, Decapitation
* Michelle King, “Escort”, Phantom, Strangulation
* Ellis Dagger, Rockstar, Virtual, Overdose
* Ashley “Jasmine” Creasy, Stripper, Virtual, Hit by Car
* Elisa Hert, Sky Dive Instructor, Virtual, Flu
* Nathan Harris, Cop, Beam, Shot in Head
* Tony Donegan, Professional Motorbike Stuntman, Broken Neck

#### Lamar Leavitt

Incorporeal, exists only in the Ash

**SKILLS** (enhance Marie when she’s high): Alertness 60%, Criminology 80%, Firearms 40%, HUMINT 60%, Persuade 80%, Pharmacy 40%,

#### Marie Leavitt, Coping by with a Criminal Empire

**STR** 10 **CON** 10 **DEX** 10 **INT** 15 **POW** 12 **CHA** 12 **HP** 10 **WP** 10 **SAN** 47

**DISORDERS**: Addiction (Lamar’s Phantom), Obsession (Dead Husband)

**MOTIVATIONS**: Stay Strong for the Kids, Keep Lamar’s Legacy Alive

**SKILLS**: Accounting 50%, Bureaucracy 50%, HUMINT 40%, Persuade 60%

**BONDS** Andre Leavitt 10, Phillip Leavitt 6, Daniel Leavitt 12, Julie Leavitt 4

#### Andre Leavitt

**STR**  13 **CON**  13 **DEX** 9 **INT** 12 **POW** 13 **CHA** 12 **HP** 13 **WP** 13

**MOTIVATIONS**: I Can Do This Better Than Dad, Keep My Family Prosperous, No Need for Bloodshed

**SKILLS**: Accounting 60%, Bureaucracy 60%, Firearms 40% HUMINT 60%, Persuade 60%

#### Phillip Leavitt, Haunted Ex-Soldier

**STR** 14 **CON**  15 **DEX** 11 **INT** 10 **POW** 11 **CHA** 11 **HP** 15 **WP** 11 **SAN** 40

**DISORDERS**: PTSD, Sleep Disorder

**MOTIVATIONS**: I Would Die for My Family, Heal Myself

**SKILLS**: Alertness 50%, Athletics 50%, Bureaucracy 30%, Drive 40%, Firearms 60%, Military Science (Land) 40%, Navigate 40%, Persuade 30%, Unarmed Combat 50%

**ATTACKS**: Unarmed Combat 50%, damage 1D4+1

Concealed Sawed Off Shotgun 60%, damage 2D10\*

AK47 from Iraq 40%, Lethality 10% or damage 1d12 AP 3

#### Daniel Leavitt, Practically Just a Boy

**STR** 8 **CON** 11 **DEX** 12 **INT** 11 **POW** 12 **CHA** 12 **HP** 9 **WP** 12 **SAN** 60

**MOTIVATIONS**: Be Smart Like Andre, Be Tough Like Phillip, Be as Loving as Mama Marie

**SKILLS**: Computer Science 30%, Firearms 33%, Internet Memes 50%

**ATTACKS**: Big Bro’s Pistol: 33%, damage 1D10

#### Gaston Demonte as Julie Levitt, A Ghoul with a New Family

**STR** 21 **CON** 21 **DEX** 13 **INT** 16 **POW** 15 **CHA** 12\* **HP** 21 **WP** 15 **SAN** 0

\*CHA applies only in a human form.

**BONDS**: None, but fiercely protects all Leavitt's (permanent 1 point)

**MOTIVATIONS**: Family, Spreading Love, Protecting Julie (as Gaston)

**DISORDERS**: Dissociative Identity Disorder (Julie Leavitt), Delusions

**SKILLS**: Alertness 73%, Athletics 93%, Criminology 56%, Firearms 34%, Foreign Language (Ghoul) 82%, Forensics 39%, HUMINT 73%, Law 36%, Medicine 36%, Occult 79%, Pharmacy 72%, Science (Chemistry) 59%, Search 46%, Stealth 81%, Track (by scent) 65%, Unarmed Combat 77%, Unnatural 34%

**ATTACKS**: Claws 77%, damage 1D8, Armor Piercing 3 (in ghoul form).

Bite 77%, damage 1D10+2 (in ghoul form; see WORRY AND RIP).

Unarmed 77%, damage 2D4 (in human form).

**CHARNEL VISAGE**: In his true form, that of a loathsome ghoul, Gaston has no CHA stat as humans would understand it. He can transform rapidly between his native form and any human form consumed with the Changeling Feast ritual

**GIFT OF THE GRAVE**: Consuming rotten human flesh immediately restores 1D8 HP to an injured ghoul. This may be done once per 24 hours.

**IMMORTALITY**: A ghoul never grows old, starves to death, or perishes through natural causes.

**INHUMAN AGILITY**: With a successful Athletics roll, a ghoul can leap five meters in any direction from a standing position, scale any vertical surface, or drop up to 15 meters without damage. At top speed, a ghoul can run nearly 60 kph.

**INHUMAN STRENGTH**: Gaston adds 1D6 damage to all attacks with melee weapons and thrown weapons.

**LIFE UNDERGROUND**: A ghoul can burrow through earth at up to three meters per minute. Ghouls thrive underground. They prefer to breathe air and may go into a sort of torpor if suffocated long enough but can survive indefinitely without it. A ghoul can see in absolute darkness, identify things by smell, and hear a human heartbeat at 15 meters.

**MEPHITIC MEMORIES**: With an INT test, Gaston can recall the memories of any of the many human beings whose brains she has devoured: slaves, slave masters, voodoo cultists, regular Nawlins citizens, even a Delta Green Agent from Operation REDBONE. If the test fumbles, the memories come confusingly and heartbreakingly to the forefront of their thoughts, beyond her control.

**RESILIENT**: A successful Lethality roll does not destroy a ghoul but inflicts HP damage equal to the Lethality rating.

**WORRY AND RIP**: After succeeding with a bite attack, a ghoul may inflict 1D6 damage on the same target each turn, without requiring an attack roll. The ghoul can take other actions while holding and worrying a victim. If the bite attack pierced the victim’s armor, the “worry and rip” damage ignores armor. The victim can attempt an opposed STR test as his or her action each turn to break free.

**RITUALS**: Ashes to Ash, Changeling Feast, Charnel Meditation, Obscure Memories, Raise from Essential Saltes

**SAN LOSS**: 0/1D6 (in ghoul form).

#### Terrance “Black Jack” Newsom, Leader of Black Spades gang

**STR**  13 **CON**  13 **DEX** 9 **INT** 12 **POW** 13 **CHA** 12 **HP** 13 **WP**  13

**SKILLS**: Alertness 50%, Athletics 50%, Criminology 60%, Dodge 40%, Drive 50%, Firearms 40%, First Aid 50%, HUMINT 60%, Forensics 50%, Law 40%, Medicine 60%, Melee Weapons 40%, Persuade 70%, Pharmacy 50%, Stealth 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%

**ATTACKS**: Glock 27 40%, 1D10

#### Special Agent William Suko, DEA

**STR** 11, **CON** 14, **DEX** 13, **INT** 9, **POW** 15, **CHA** 7 **HP** 13, **WP** 15, **SAN** 70, Adapted to Violence

**SKILLS**: Accounting 60%, Alertness 40%, Athletics 50%, Bureaucracy 40%, Criminology 50%, Dodge 50%, Drive 50%, Firearms 70%, First Aid 30%, Forensics 30%, HUMINT 60%, Law 50%, Melee Weapons 50%, Persuade 50%, Pharmacy 40%, Search 50%, Unarmed Combat 60%

**ARMOR**: Full Battle Rattle and Helmet, 6 points of armor if expecting trouble

**ATTACKS**: Glock 20 (70%, D12)

AR-15 w/ holo 70% Lethality 10% or damage 1d12

#### Detectives Kowalski and Ibanez, Crooked New Orleans Vice Detectives

(Kowalski speaks Spanish, Ibanez speaks Creole)

**STR** 12 **CON** 12 **DEX** 12 **POW** 12 **INT** 12 **CHA** 12 **HP** 12 **WP** 12

**ARMOR**: Reinforced Kevlar 4 point (if trouble is expected)

**MOTIVATIONS**: Keep the Take Flowing, Don’t Get Caught

**SKILLS**: Alertness 70%, Athletics 40%, Bureaucracy 50%, Criminology 50%, Dodge 40%, Drive 50%, Firearms 50%, First Aid 30%, Foreign Language (Creole/Spanish) 30%, Forensics 50%, HUMINT 50%, Law 40%, Melee Weapons 50%, Navigate 40%, Occult 35%, Persuade 40%, Search 40%, Swim 40%, Unarmed Combat 60%, Unnatural 13%.

**ATTACKS**: Sig P229 50%, damaged 1D10

#### Pablo Gutierrez, Pre-Ghoul

**STR** 12 **CON** 12 **DEX** 12 **POW** 12 **INT** 12 **CHA** 12 **HP** 12 **WP** 12

**MOTIVATIONS**: Squeeze in On Ash Business, Make Money, Become Powerful

**ARMOR**: Kevlar Vest 3 points when trouble is expected

**SKILLS** Alertness 50%, Criminology 60%, Drive 40%, Firearms 50%, HUMINT 50%, Melee Weapons 40%, Occult 40%, Persuade 60%, Unarmed Combat 40%,

#### Louis Demonte as Pablo Gutierrez, Ghoul

Skills as a Ghoul (pg. 198 Handler’s Guide) but replace skills with Pablo’s above when higher

**MOTIVATIONS**: Kill Gaston Demonte

#### Black Spade / Cartel Crew Member

**STR** 13 **CON** 13 **DEX** 12 **INT** 11 **POW** 12 **CHA** 12 **HP** 13 **WP** 12

**MOTIVATIONS**: Rep the Set, Keep the Boss Safe

**SKILLS** Alertness 50%, Criminology 60%, Dodge 40%, Drive 50%, Firearms 40%, Foreign Language (English) 40%, Law 40%, Melee Weapons 40%, Persuade 50%, Pharmacy 40%, Stealth 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%

**ATTACKS**: Semi Auto SMG or Pistol “Copkiller Bullets” 40% damage 1d10 AP 3

Fists and Feet 50% (1D4)

## Credits

Operation KILLJOY was written by Jake "ChiefMcClane" Cook for the 2019  shotgun scenario contest.

Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are © Jake "ChiefMcClane" Cook, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Operation KILLJOY is not available here under CC-BY-SA.