''Conspiracy X'' is a
role-playing game (RPG) originally released by
New Millennium Entertainment in 1996, and since revised and released by several publishers including
Steve Jackson Games and
Eden Studios, Inc.
Eden Studios, Inc. is an American role-playing game publisher founded in 1996 by George Vasilakos, M. Alexander Jurkat, and Ed Healy. Currently run by Mr. Vasilakos, Eden Studios is best known for ''Conspiracy X'', the '' Buffyverse role-playi ...
In all versions, the setting posits that aliens are insiduously taking over the world, reminiscent of ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
''.
The current version is based on the ''
Unisystem
''Unisystem'' is a generic role-playing game system produced by Eden Studios, Inc. It is used in '' All Flesh Must Be Eaten'', the Buffyverse role-playing games, '' CJ Carella's WitchCraft'', '' Conspiracy X (2nd Ed.)'', and several other games ...
'',
but previous versions have used ''
GURPS
The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems ...
''
and its own system.
Setting
A secret American government agency called AEGIS has been aware since the
Roswell Incident
The Roswell incident was an event that occurred in 1947, pertaining to the recovery of mundane metallic and rubber debris from a military balloon that crashed near Corona, New Mexico by United States Army Air Forces officers from Roswell Army ...
of 1947 that there is an
extraterrestrial presence on Earth, characterized by supernatural and paranormal phenomena. Player characters take the role of AEGIS operatives, usually disaffected government agents employed by real-world organizations such as the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
or
ATF or an organization created for the game, such as the Defense Tactical Information Center or Project Rasputin. The game also touches on many modern popular
conspiracy theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
including the
CIA involvement with psychics and the alien cover up from
MKULTRA
Project MKUltra (or MK-Ultra) was an illegal human experimentation program designed and undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), intended to develop procedures and identify drugs that could be used in interrogations to weak ...
. The game can also be run to focus on paranormal happenings such as ghost sightings or
ESP
ESP most commonly refers to:
* Extrasensory perception, a paranormal ability
ESP may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment Music
* ESP Guitars, a manufacturer of electric guitars
* E.S. Posthumus, an independent music group formed in 2000, ...
.
First Edition
The first edition was originally published as a 224-page softcover book by New Millennium Entertainment.
Eden Studios acquired the rights, their first RPG, and continued to use the first version, which went through several printings, with the ''Third PrintingRevised'' carrying a copyright date of 1997.
Many supplemental books were produced for this line including books detailing alien technologies and races, books for dealing with the supernatural (as it is defined in the Conspiracy X world) and books on the governmental agencies featured in the core book (AEGIS and Black Book, also called the NDD), as well as a book on how to create conspiracies and the Bodyguard of Lies series, three books with miscellaneous additions to the world and rules as well as missions to roleplay.
This edition features an original rules system. Character generation is via a "point-buy" system, where players are given 100 points to divide amongst basic abilities as well as skills and resources. The player can also purchase more points by adding disadvantages to the character. For example, adding "Wanted by the Law" to the character nets another 20 points to spend.
Players then act communally to plan "the Cell", the base of operations they will be using for the adventure, including details of location, facilities, staff, and equipment.
Actions are resolved with one of only four probabilities:
* Easy (100%)Automatic Success (if your skill exceeds the difficulty level)
* Medium (58.3%)Success on rolling 7 or lower on 2d6 (if your skill is equal to the difficulty level)
* Hard (16.7%)Success on rolling 4 or lower on 2d6 (if your skill is a single point lower than the difficulty level)
* Impossible (0%)Automatic Failure (if your skill is more than a single point lower than the difficulty level)
There are also resolution systems for non-skill actions, competitive actions, extended actions such as research, and use of specific powers and abilities using the core resolution system as a base. Difficulties range from 1 to 5, and sometimes higher for very difficult actions.
Players can also try to use their character's psychic abilities by utilising
Zener cards
Zener cards are cards used to conduct experiments for extrasensory perception (ESP). Perceptual psychologist Karl Zener (1903–1964) designed the cards in the early 1930s for experiments conducted with his colleague, parapsychologist J. B. Rh ...
(square, star, cross, wave or circle). If a player wants to use his character's psychic ability, perhaps to foretell the future, the player names one of the symbols; the
gamemaster
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are m ...
draws a number of cards corresponding to the character's psychic ability and turns them over. If one of the cards is the symbol predicted by the player, the psychic action succeeds.
Supplements
The first edition was very well supported, with a number of supplements:
* ''The Aegis Handbook'' (1997)Player's Guide to Aegis.
* ''The Hand Unseen'' (2002)Player's Guide to the NDD, or Black Book.
* ''Nemesis'' (1999)Grey sourcebook.
* ''Atlantis Rising'' (1998)Atlantean sourcebook.
* ''Exodus'' (1999)Saurian sourcebook.
* ''Forsaken Rites'' (1997)Supernatural sourcebook.
* ''Shadows of the Mind'' (1999)Psi sourcebook.
* ''Cryptozoology'' (1997)Dossier of the Unexplained.
* ''Sub Rosa'' (1999)Conspiracy Creation sourcebook.
* ''
Gamemaster Screen'' (1996)with adventure module included.
* Bodyguard of Lies series:
** ''Psi Wars'' (1998)Introduces Dreaming, New Creditials, Trait and Resources, Alternate Weapon Ranges, Compilation of Alien Technology Resource Points and Psionics, New Informational Sources, Fear and insanity Rules, Manifestations, Biological, chemical, and radioactive menaces. The majority of the supplement is Psi-Wars, a complete ''Conspiracy X'' scenario.
** ''Mokole'' (1998)
** ''Synergy'' (1999)Introduces Rules for Toxins and Poisons. The majority of the supplement is Synergy, a complete ''Conspiracy X'' scenario.
GURPS Edition
Another version was published in 2002 using the ''GURPS'' rules-set. This was the second ''Powered by GURPS'' licensed game to be produced outside of
Steve Jackson Games. In addition to ''GURPS'' rules it provided conversion guidelines for players of the first ''Conspiracy X''. The ''GURPS'' variant is part of the "Classic" Edition line and features the same cover art.
Second Edition (Conspiracy X 2.0)
''Conspiracy X 2.0'' was published in 2006 (features the ''Unisystem'' rules) and was nominated for an
ENnie Award
The ENNIE Awards (previously stylized as ENnie Awards) are awards for role-playing game (RPG) products (including game-related accessories, publications, and art) and their creators. The awards were created in 2001 by Russ Morrissey of EN World ...
''Best RPG'' for 2007.
This edition presented conversion guidelines for players of the 1st Edition of the game (although no ''GURPS'' conversions are provided).
Since the release of Conspiracy X 2.0, the following supplements have also been produced:
* ''Extraterrestrials Sourcebook'' (PDF in May 2010, successful Kickstarter in November 2011 for a print edition).
* ''The Paranormal Sourcebook'' (print and PDF editions via Kickstarter funding January 2012).
* ''The Conspiracies Sourcebook'' (print and PDF editions via Kickstarter funding July 2012).
Reception
Andy Butcher reviewed ''Conspiracy X'' for ''Arcane'' magazine, rating it a 9 out of 10 overall.
Butcher comments that "''Conspiracy X'' is the most impressive first roleplaying release in a long time, and it's a great game. It combines a setting and style that will be familiar enough for players and referees to easily understand with an incredibly detailed and atmospheric background, clear, simple rules and an impressive range of original and clever ideas."
In the August 1996 edition of ''
Dragon'' (Issue 232),
Rick Swan
Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR.
His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995.
Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Pr ...
characterized the first edition of this game as "the latest entry in the Aliens Walk Among Us sweepstakes, and it’s also the best." Swan criticized the combat system, which he found overly complicated for a game that supposedly discourages combat in favour of investigation; but he admired the game concept called The Cell, where players must agree on the details of their base of operations. Swan also liked the use of the Zener Test for psychic abilities, calling it cool that "the character’s success depends on the player’s real-life 'psychic' powers. Neat, eh?" Swan, having only playtested the game through one adventure, was unwilling to give an unqualified recommendation. "But our introductory scenario revealed no serious flaws. More importantly, it generated a table-full of satisfied customers, hungry for more.
In a 1996 reader poll conducted by ''Arcane'' magazine to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time, ''Conspiracy X'' was ranked 23rd. Editor Paul Pettengale commented: "By far the best of the modern-day horror games inspired by ''The X-Files'', ''Conspiracy X'' has a meticulously constructed background which combined reality and fiction to create a frighteningly plausible setting. Reading through the background is enough to spark ideas for scenarios and even whole campaigns. The rules are simple and quick, while still allowing for a fair degree of complexity, and feature a unique and interesting system for dealing with psychic powers. Excellent stuff."
In 2001, Sarah Hollings published a review of the first edition of ''Conspiracy X'' for the on-line roleplaying magazine ''Places to Go, People to See''. Hollings liked the game, but found some of the rules around dice rolling overly complicated. "The damage system is frightening. The words daunting and confusing also spring to mind... There are some really good ideas in the combat system, and the underlying concepts are not complex. However the rendering of these ideas into a game mechanic has resulted in a very complicated and clunky system, in places unworkably so." While calling for updated rules revisions to replace the ad hoc
house rules
House rules are unofficial modifications to official game rules adopted by individual groups of players. House rules may include the removal or alteration of existing rules, or the addition of new rules. Such modifications are common in board g ...
most gamemasters would need to employ, Hollings nonetheless recommended the game, saying, "There is a lot to like in ''Con X'', as a system, and as a world setting. Yes, the mechanic sucks in many ways; yes, it often borders on unplayable, but nonetheless the work needed to come to a workable understanding (read 'house ruleset') is ultimately worth it for the fun you can have."
Reviews
*''
Shadis
''Shadis'' is an independent gaming magazine that was published in 1990–1998 by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG). It initially focused on role-playing games.
Publication history
Shadis was conceived and started by Jolly Blackburn as an indepe ...
'' #25 (March, 1996)
*''
Pyramid
A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...
'' #21 (Sept./Oct., 1996)
*''Backstab'' (Issue 2 - Mar/Apr 1997)
*''
Magia i Miecz
''Magia i Miecz'' ( Polish for: ''Magic and Sword'') was the first RPG-oriented magazine in Poland. Started in 1993, it ceased publishing in 2002 after 103 issues. The publisher was Wydawnictwo MAG. Tomasz Kołodziejczak served as the editor of ...
'' (Issue 43/44 - Jul/Aug 1997) (Polish)
*''
Casus Belli'' #104
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official 2nd Edition page''GURPS Conspiracy X''page at Steve Jackson Games
Eden Studios games
Espionage role-playing games
Role-playing games introduced in 1996
Role-playing games about conspiracy theories
Campaign settings
Contemporary role-playing games