100 Conspiracy Theories — Print Edition

One hundred secret schemes, hidden powers and starting points for modern investigative adventure.

A conspiracy campaign needs more than somebody saying, “The government is covering it up.”

What is being concealed?

How was it accomplished?

Who benefits?

Who might be involved?

What happens when the player characters begin pulling at the loose threads?

100 Conspiracy Theories provides one hundred possible conspiracies for use in modern investigative, espionage and horror roleplaying games. Each entry develops its central idea and supplies several adventure seeds for bringing it into play.

One Conspiracy Per Page

The entries follow a consistent format designed for quick reference.

Each conspiracy includes:

• A numbered title.

• A description of the alleged secret.

• An explanation of how the conspiracy operates and remains concealed.

• Cui Bono?—who benefits from maintaining the deception.

• A selection of possible conspirators.

• Several related adventure seeds.

• Additional Games Master tips where appropriate.

The result is more than a list of peculiar claims. Each entry gives the Games Master the foundations needed to turn a conspiracy theory into an investigation, mission or continuing campaign.

Investigate, Infiltrate or Protect the Secret

The player characters do not always have to be outsiders attempting to expose the truth.

The book suggests several ways to use its material:

• The characters may uncover a concealed conspiracy.

• They may attempt to stop an ongoing scheme.

• They may work for one conspiratorial faction against another.

• They may be responsible for protecting the secret from investigators.

• They may discover that a seemingly absurd theory conceals a different and more credible plot.

• A conspiracy’s underlying structure may be adapted to another period or genre.

Although primarily intended for modern occult, espionage and investigative games, the material can also provide models for conspiracies in historical, fantasy and science-fiction campaigns.

Written from a Sceptical Perspective

100 Conspiracy Theories does not present its subjects as factual revelations.

The book explicitly distinguishes genuine conspiracies—which occur in crime, politics and espionage—from the speculative and paranoid theories that attract public attention.

Its improbable claims are treated as material for fiction: potentially exciting foundations for roleplaying scenarios, not evidence about the real world.

Supernatural elements are kept to a minimum, allowing Games Masters to decide whether unusual events have mundane explanations or whether magic, demons, aliens and other forces genuinely exist in their campaigns.

A Practical Source of Adventure Ideas

Use the book when you need:

• The central mystery for a one-shot.

• A hidden organisation behind an existing villain.

• A new assignment for spies or investigators.

• Conflicting conspiracies competing behind the scenes.

• A long-term secret for a modern-horror campaign.

• An emergency idea when the players abandon the evening’s prepared material.

Entries can be used individually, combined into larger schemes or connected with material from the companion volume 100 Conspirators.

Somebody Is Hiding Something

The evidence does not fit.

The official explanation leaves questions unanswered.

Powerful people have reasons to keep the truth buried.

Choose a conspiracy.

Decide who benefits.

Put the first clue where the characters can find it.

Then see how deep the investigation goes.

This listing is for the physical print edition of 100 Conspiracy Theories, written by James Desborough. It is a 103-page, black-and-white A4 perfect-bound paperback. ISBN: 978-1-4466-8745-1. It is a system-neutral roleplaying supplement rather than a complete standalone game.