Hoffman Institute

The GM: Brad

The Characters:

Game System: Alternity

Game Type: Campaign

Related Games:

• None

  Stand alone game... so far.

Synopsis:

Website

Introduction

You have been sent to Boston and are staying at the Staybridge Suites in the suburb of Woburn. The weekend you arrive a tech comes out with you and sets up a secure wireless network that can be accessed from your block of hotel rooms. You are reporting to Thomas Wilson of the Washington office and had a conference call scheduled with him Monday

(1/22/07) morning. You have been provided with two Institute vehicles to be used while in Boston: a Buick Rainier (a SUV) and a Buick Lucerne (a large sedan) both with performance enhancements, both black.

When you started employment at the Institute you were issued a laptop that runs OSIRIS (a custom build operating system) and a flash drive with the employee manual. The manual is encrypted and requires OSIRIS to access it (it appears as a blank file if opened anywhere else). OSIRIS will not allow the manual to be copied, printed, or screen captured. You were also issued a cell phone with the Hoffmann switchboard and your supervisor programmed on speed dial. You were issued a Heckler & Koch 9mm and were provided training in the safe use of it. You were also provided training in field operations. You are able to requisition other equipment through the Facilities and Accounts office in New York. If it is related directly to your work and relatively accessible, you have had little trouble getting what you need.

The manual contains information about the Institute and procedures. To the public, the Hoffmann Institute is a public think-tank researching alternative energy, medical devices, agriculture techniques, and psychic studies. As agents of the Institute, you were required to take an oath of secrecy regarding its operations. It is expected you will protect the identity of the Institute and keep its activities from the public eye.

Precautions should be taken to prevent evidence or eyewitnesses from spreading knowledge of the Institute's activities. This can include posing as scientists, reporters, or other law enforcement agencies or simple bribery. However, it is generally taken to mean that the law can be violated to protect the Institute.

Although the Institute has allies in various positions, they have no affiliation with law enforcement agencies and have no authority to enforce the law. Should it come to it, the Institute retains a law firm to deal with legal entanglements, but this is only done as a last resort. Drawing that kind of exposure to the Institute is frowned upon.

That being said, the Institutes operations often involve surveillance, breaking and entering, and illegal access. This is all done discreetly of course.

Though past assignments are generally not spoken about freely, you've heard some stories during your time at the Institute. Agents breaking into government agencies. Agents sent to UFO sightings to gather information. You've heard stories of people being assigned controlled or military equipment to fulfill operations. You've heard whispers of the special divisions referred to by colors with responsibilities of special operations or interrogation. There is a story of a group of agents sent to Iraq during the early days of Desert Storm to try and recover antiquities that were being looted. When things went bad, they needed special extraction by one of these secretive divisions. You've also heard the words Dark Tide mentioned in the context of bad things happening.