Suppressed Transmissions vs. GURPS Illuminati

[cignus_pfaccari]

I haven't been able to find out much detailed about this -- is it a single world-spanning uber-conspiracy, multiple competing groups (my preference) or what?

Yes.

To be more specific, it includes all of the above. There is the world-spanning Cabal, which started in Egypt, but not only are there many many many factions within the Cabal, but there are outside forces fighting the Cabal, like the djinn, the descendents of the Egyptian priesthood, the qlippoth, etc.

It really is a fascinating worldbook, and I'd recommend picking it up even if you weren't running a game like that, just for the reading. The discussion of genres alone is worth the price of admission.

Brad

 

[ZombieButch]

Ken Hite is, IIRC, working on a GURPS Conspiracy sourcebook for 4th edition. Which I'm looking forward to, but probably isn't something you're going to want to hold out for if you're planning on starting conspiracy campaign any time soon.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Neither.

For the cost of just one Suppressed Transmission, you can get a Pyramid subscription and have access to *every* Suppressed Transmission via their archives.

You don't get all those nifty footnotes, though...

 

[Ethernaut]

You don't get all those nifty footnotes, though...

Nifty footnotes?

Call me intrigued. I was a long time pyramid subscriber and I have many, many ST articles filed away for future use. But what kind of cool stuff appears in the footnotes of these collected ST volumes? I'm very curious.

And yes, I agree with the GURPS Cabal recommendation as well. Probably my favorite Modern Fantasy/Horror supplement ever.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Nifty footnotes?

Call me intrigued. I was a long time pyramid subscriber and I have many, many ST articles filed away for future use. But what kind of cool stuff appears in the footnotes of these collected ST volumes? I'm very curious.

Basically, each page in the collected volumes is divided into the main text (2/3 of the page) and a sidebar (1/3 of the page in smaller font). The sidebar is used to explain some of the stuff in the main text in more detail, often stuff Ken Hite hadn't thought of when he wrote the original article.

The article on the Antarctic Space Nazis, for example, has further details on Shambhala, Martin Bormann, and Theosophy, among other things...

 

[Professor Phobos]

You don't get all those nifty footnotes, though...

True, but, then again, I already have both volumes, and if they aren't going to release another one, Pyramid is sadly my only option...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Any advice re: Warehouse 23 or Black Ops?

 

[Professor Phobos]

Any advice re: Warehouse 23 or Black Ops?

Pass on both. Suppressed Transmission basically just hits Warehouse 23 on the head with a tire iron, and Black Ops is very, very mediocre.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Any advice re: Warehouse 23 or Black Ops?

I'd recommend Warehouse 23. I like them both, but Black Ops is only really suitable for a specific campaign frame - ultra-competent special forces kicking occult and alien butt. Warehouse 23 can be used for more campaigns and settings.

 

[fnork de sporg]

I liked Warehouse 23. Sure it's not as good as ST but not a lot of things are. Much like ST it's a grab bag of conspiracy weirdness, in this case things that were to strange to be allowed to exist and so were taken to said secret goverment warehouse to sit next to the ark of the covenant and the stuffed severed head of elvis (they have one of those on every floor). W23 is a lot more Weekly World News that ST.

Black Ops I didn't like. The premise was OK but GURPS was not a good fit system wise. Making 700 point skill-heavy gurps characters is a pain in the ass. And the setting itself really isn't fleshed out enough to warrant converting it to something else.