“In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” – Winston Churchill
Born in an age of suspicion and the fear, of secret plots and government collusion, Conspiracy X channels the zeitgeist of 1990s America. Alien conspiracy, secret service black book projects and the rise of poltergeist activity all contribute the only roleplaying where you play the bodyguard of lies.
Conspiracy X was first published by Eden Studios in 1996 (well it was initially published by New Millennium Entertainment but moved to Eden soon after). The first edition saw the production of numerous supplements and it was ported to Eden’s Unisystem mechanics (as a second edition) in 2006.
Conspiracy X 1st Edition
On the surface the world looks very much like the one outside your bedroom window. The same people are walking the same dirty streets, the same animals rummage through the same garbage, and the same mindless drivel is shown on the same television stations. Sometimes that world just doesn’t seem right. You wake up in the morning and get the feeling that something isn’t as it should be. Why do certain figures appear out of nowhere and become famous overnight? Why do the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer? What is the government really paying for when it shells out 75 bucks for a screwdriver? Why is it the more questions you ask the less answers you get? Why is it any answer always leads to another question?
Sometimes you cannot see what defines your world. This is the nature of conspiracies. This is the nature of Conspiracy X.
Pray it’s only a game.
Developed out of the rise of a growing trend of conspiracy horror (witnessed by the success of the X-Files TV series, the Delta Green RPG and numerous other materials), Conspiracy X 1st edition introduced players to a world alive with mystery and mistruths; one where your players weren’t the solution, but rather they were the culprits! Designed and written by Rick Ernst, Shirley Madewell and Chris Pallace, the core rule book would soon be joined by a host of other sourcebooks and supplements, each bringing the reality of a world threatened by alien terrors and supernatural horrors to life.
In Conspiracy X, the players assume the roles of the operatives and conspirators of AEGIS, a secret organization at work within the United States government. Aegis has been aware of an extraterrestrial presence on Earth for over forty years. Unwilling to deal with the aliens on any but their own terms, Aegis monitors alien activity and counters those endeavours it deems not in humanity’s best interest.
But AEGIS is not the only conspiracy in existence. The Black Book operates within the American military industrial complex, making deals and treaties with extraterrestrial agents on Earth. The Black Book supports alien efforts in building and maintaining bases of operations on Earth. This group facilitates alien abductions and experimentation in exchange for advanced technology and knowledge. Once part of the same organization, AEGIS and The Black Book now wage a secret war of covert operations, abductions, and human experimentation behind a facade of lies and disinformation. As part of AEGIS, you make use of any weaponry you can in your fight against The Black Book and its inhuman allies. The Aegis arsenal combines traditional high-tech surveillance equipment and state of the art weapons with psychic warfare, supernatural rituals, and stolen alien technology.
The conflict rages strong after nearly fifty years and the stakes are high. Humanity’s existence on Earth as Master or Pawn depends on the player’s vigilance and success.
Conspiracy X 2nd Edition
Conspiracy X takes place in a world of dark secrets and hidden agendas where the only certainty is nothing is what it seems. The president might not be human, and the sign carrying paranoid on the street corner ranting about CIA mind control satellites may very well be right.
In other words, a world just like yours, if you could see beyond the lies.
The core rulebook that brings Conspiracy X into the 21st century. 2nd Edition converts the game to Eden Studio’s Unisystem mechanics – it updates the structure of AEGIS in a post 9/11 world. Written and compiled by Dave Chapman, the core 2nd Edition book was released in 2006 and included the complete rules for creating AEGIS agents. Although the planned supplements – The Extraterrestrials Sourcebook (2009), The Paranormal Sourcebook (2012) and The Conspiracies Sourcebook (2013) – did arrive until much later, with these four books you had everything you’ll ever need creating and run your own Conspiracy X 2.0 adventures.
Although sightings of UFOs have increased since that fateful crash in Roswell, New Mexico, aliens have been on Earth for longer than we could have imagined. Project BLUEBOOK told the public that UFOs were not real, and that aliens didn’t exist. Hower, AEGIS – a secret organisation at work within the United States government – has been aware of the extraterrestrial presence on Earth for more than sixty years. Their self-appointed duty is to monitor alien and paranormal activities and counter those it deems unacceptable. Any means can be employed to keep the war against these alien visitors, and those who conspire to help them such as the National Defense Directorate, a secret from normal society, to keep panic from spreading.