textfiles/sf/XFILES/shadisar

The X-Files

by Louis J. Prosperi
with Jim Nelson and Steve Bryant

 The X Files is Fox Network's hit show starring David Duchovny and Gillian
Anderson. This one-hour suspense-mystery is set in the USA, circa 1994.
Chris Carter is the Executive Producer for Twentieth Television in
association with Fox Broadcasting Co. The X-Files, and all related
characters are trademarks of Fox studios. All photographs in this article
were provided by Fox Studios.

-from Fallen Angel-
 Mulder and Scully return to Mulder's hotel room and find it disheveled.
 They hear sounds in the bathroom, draw their guns and open the door, to
see the legs of a man attempting to escape.
 Mulder pulls the man back into the room, and discovers it is Max Fenig.
 "My apologies, Forgive me, I'm a curious man. I had to know!"
 "Know what?"
 "If it was you?"
 "How do you know me. Last night was the first time we laid eyes on each
other."
 "Not true. We at NICAP have been following your career Mr. Mulder, ever
since you got involved with the X-Files."
 "Following my career? How??"
 "With the Freedom of Information Act. Your travel expenses are a matter
of public record."
 "How did you recognize me?"
 "I uh, I saw your picture in a trade publication once, and I read your
article in Omni about Gulf Breeze sightings."
 "I published that under a pseudonym."
 "M. F. Luder, I know. M. F. Luder is an anagram for F. Mulder. You really
didn't think that would fool us did you??"
 "I didn't think anybody was paying attention."
 "Somebody is Always paying attention Mr. Mulder. . ."

Introduction

 The X-Files follows the exploits of a pair of F.B.I. agents as they
investigate a series of bizarre, often unexplained cases. Week after week
these agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, come face to face with unusual,
and occasionally supernatural, phenomena.
 What keeps me, and many others I know watching every week is that each
episode confronts the viewers with the mysterious and the unknown. Not an
episode goes by that the viewer's spine doesn't tingle with suspense,
disbelief, or fear. This type of fear is not the same that lovers of
horror and splatter movies feel. This fear is more of an uncomfortable
sensation, a sensation that says 'Something is NOT RIGHT!'
 There is something inside nearly all of us that enjoys being scared,
especially when it is when we're safe at home, watching television. Not
since The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits has a television show been so
successful at scaring its audience on a weekly basis. Part of what
attracts viewers to the X-files is the fact that each episode deals with
the unknown, and each week, the viewer is not sure what to expect.
 Beyond its appeal as a television show, the X-Files is also a great
source of ideas and adventures for both modern horror and conspiracy
roleplaying campaigns. The cases Mulder and Scully investigate in the
X-Files are all suitable in either type of game, as they involve a variety
of subject matter, ranging from UFO abductions, to supernatural creatures,
to secret government experiments and cover ups.
 In addition to providing an overview of the X-Files, this article is also
intended to provide some guidelines for using the X-Files as an
inspiration for roleplaying campaigns, either as the basis of a new
campaign, or simply as a source of additional material for a pre-existing
campaign.
 The information in this article is not written to suit any specific game
system or setting. Instead, any characters information is generic enough
that players and gamemasters should be able to create any necessary stats
for their system of choice with little effort.


A Quick Overview

 For those of you who aren't familiar with the X-Files, the following is
brief overview of the series, including its basic premise, the central
themes of the show, and descriptions of its main characters.

The X-Files
 At the heart of every episode of the X-Files are the X-Files themselves.
 In a small office in the J. Edgar Hoover building in Washington, D.C.
(the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation), there are a
number of file cabinets whose files all bear a similar designation. That
designation is 'X-File.'
 The X-Files are files which in some way, or for some reason, remain
unexplained, or unsolved. These include serial killings, missing persons
reports, reports of alien encounters, UFO sightings and abductions,
sightings of supernatural creatures, and other unexplained phenomena.
 Most of these files have remained unsolved, and for the most part ignored
by the bureau, until recently, when a bureau agent by the name of Fox
Mulder began to investigate the X-Files. Mulder is one of the F.B.I.'s
best detectives, particularly in regards to profiling serial killers, and
his successful track record allowed him the privilege of choosing his own
assignments.
 Mulder's strong interest in the paranormal and extraterrestrial led him
to dig into the X-Files, and after a time he called in a number of favors
in order to arrange for him to be assigned to the X-Files. Since then,
Mulder has become consumed by the X-Files, spending more and more time
investigating the X-Files than any other type of cases.
 Shortly after Mulder became obsessed with the X-Files, the Head of the
Office of Professional Responsibility Section Chief Blevins, assigned
another agent to the X-Files, in keep an eye on Mulder, and to report on
whether Mulder's time on the X-Files was justified. This agent was Dana
Scully, a young doctor, recruited by the bureau just out of medical
school, and one of the bureau's more analytical agents.
 The relationship between the two agents began as almost adversarial, with
Scully doubting Mulder's theories and ideas, but as they have worked
together, the relationship has grown much stronger, including slight
undertones of physical attraction.


Deep Throat
 Shortly after Scully was assigned to the X-Files, Mulder began to
investigate a missing persons case which involved an Air Force test pilot
assigned to Ellens Air Force Base in Idaho. Before leaving for Iowa,
Mulder was approached by a mysterious man who warned Mulder against
continuing his investigation of Ellens Air Force Base, and the missing
pilot. Though this man would not identify himself, he made it quite
obvious to Mulder that this man had connections within the government and
military, and could be of use to him and his investigations into the
X-Files.
 Since that time, this mysterious man, whom Mulder dubbed Deep Throat,
began to aid Mulder in his investigations, offering him clues, evidence,
and other useful information. The two have an elaborate system of
contacting one another. The relationship between Mulder and Deep Throat
has been a very one sided one, with Mulder accepting Deep Throat's help,
and following his advice and counsel.
 It seems that there are few things in which the US government is involved
about which Deep Throat knows nothing, and he has used this information to
aid Mulder and Scully in their search for the truth on many occasions.
 Most of the information known about Deep Throat comes from Deep Throat
himself. He claims to have been with the C.I.A. during the Vietnam War,
and to have been present at the capture of an extraterrestrial being. He
also claims that he was forced to kill the alien by order of a top secret
directive instituted by the major governments of the world, as a method of
dealing with any and all extraterrestrial beings encountered or captured.
 Other than this, the only real information known for certain about Deep
Throat is that he has many, high-level connections in the federal
government, and in particular within the intelligence community. This
influence also extends in some way to the F.B.I., for in one instance,
Deep Throat over-ruled an attempt by Section Chief McGrath to close the
X-Files and have Mulder fired.
 Deep Throat's motives for helping Mulder are not known for certain,
though at different times during the series, he claims to have different
reasons.
 When he first begins to help Mulder, it seems that he is only interested
in aiding Mulder in discovering the truth. Later, Deep Throat tells
Section Chief McGrath to "Always keep your friends close... but keep your
enemies closer." implying that the only reason he helps Mulder is to keep
an eye on him. Still later, Deep Throat tells Mulder and Scully of his
involvement with a Top Secret directive that requires all
extraterrestrials encountered or captured by any of the world's
governments to be killed. He tells Mulder and Scully that after having to
kill such an ET himself, he began to search for someone whom he could lead
to the truth, so that it may be exposed.
 In the last episode, we learn that whatever motive he had, Deep Throat
feels so obligated to help Mulder, that he is willing to risk his life to
rescue Mulder from government operatives.


The Nature of the Cases
 The cases which Mulder and Scully investigate cover a wide spectrum,
ranging from claims of UFO abductions, to serial killings, to
disappearances. There is seldom any sort of thread connecting these cases
save one. All these cases have something unexplained, or unusual about
them.
 These cases always relate in some way to one or more of the X-Files
already on file with the F.B.I. It is this connection to the X-Files which
draws Mulder's attention. Mulder routinely monitors new cases brought to
the F.B.I.'s attention, and makes arrangements for he and Scully to be
assigned to those that relate to the X-Files. Mulder's superiors rarely
complain, as the cases he is most often interested in are always bizarre
and unusual.
 Very often during the course of their investigations, Mulder and Scully
discover involvement on the part of the US government. This involvement
ranges from the military to the C.I.A. to the National Security Agency,
and other government agencies. In some instances, this involvement runs
deeper than mere connection, to responsibility on the part of the
government. Such was the case at Ellens Air Force base, when Mulder was
abducted by government officials, only to be released a day later with no
recollection of what occurred during that day. Government involvement was
also prevalent in the episodes Fallen Angel and E.B.E., and The Erlenmeyer
Flask, when Mulder and Scully came across various operatives of the
government intent on keeping them in the dark as to the governments
involvement. These are the cases in which Mulder's relationship with Deep
Throat has paid off most.
 Lastly, in the cases investigated by Mulder and Scully, it is very seldom
that the whole Truth is ever discovered. The real truth is virtually never
learned by Mulder and Scully, and it is only in rare instances when the
audience is told the Truth. The audience often sees more than either
Mulder or Scully, but in most cases, even the audience is left guessing as
to the real answer behind the agents' investigations.

The World of the X-Files
 The world of the X-Files is our own world, but with one or two possible
exceptions.
 The show takes place in the United States in 1994. But it is a world
which has witnessed the landing of UFOs, where supernatural creatures
really exist, where psychic abilities are real. Yet these things remain
hidden in plain sight to virtually everyone, except those who truly
believe that the Truth is Out There.
 One of the most important aspects of this is that the show doesn't imply
that these things might happen, but that they are happening in the world
now. As stated above, the world of the X-Files is our world. This may be
the key to the show's appeal, as its audience is not viewing fiction, but
it may be witnessing the Truth.
 As of the end of the first season of episodes, the X-Files were in danger
of being shut down, and Mulder and Scully being assigned to different
divisions. Whether this will turn out to be the case or not will have to
wait for the season premiere in the fall of 1994.


Central Themes
 There are a number of themes which are found in most episodes of the
X-Files. These themes represent the central issues of the show, and are
important to keep in mind if a gamemaster plans to use the show as the
basis for a game.

The Truth is Out There
 The first of these themes is stated at the start of each episode. That
is, The Truth is Out There. Much of what happens on the X-Files has to do
with the Truth. It is the Truth which Mulder and Scully seek, and it is
the Truth that Deep Throat hopes they will uncover.
 It also this same Truth that many people, among them Mulder and Scully's
associates at the FBI, cannot see, either because they lack the vision, or
they lack the courage. It is this same Truth that the government works to
cover up, through its agents and operatives, whenever necessary.
 This is the central theme of the show, one that is addressed in every
episode. Of particular interest is how though the Truth is at the heart of
each episode, it always eludes both Mulder and Scully as well as the
audience. In nearly every episode ,the whole Truth is never found.

Trust No One
 There is also a strong theme of paranoia and of 'Who can be Trusted??' in
most episodes of the X-Files. The most prevalent instance of this theme is
the government 's cover ups/involvement in many of the cases investigated
by Mulder and Scully.
 On many occasions we see the government acting to cover up or hide
evidence relating to the Truth behind the X-Files. This began in the very
first episode and continued all the way through the season and includes
the season finale. It is clear that in the world of the X-Files, the
government has much to hide, and more to gain by preventing the Truth from
being discovered.
 Very often the government is not only involved in some way, but are in
fact responsible for the situations Mulder and Scully confront. This is
the case in episodes such as The X-Files, Deep Throat, Fallen Angel,
E.B.E., Eve, and The Erlenmeyer Flask.
 Perhaps the most puzzling question relating to this theme is: "Who are
They?" That is, who in the government is working to hide the Truth. Most
of the evidence on the show points to either the C.I.A. (Central
Intelligence Agency) or the D.I.A. (Defense Intelligence Agency). In the
episode E.B.E., Deep Throat informs Mulder and Scully that he was once in
the C.I.A. In other episodes, we see the 'Smoking Man' hiding away
evidence in a file room within the Pentagon. Also, many of the government
operatives that Mulder and Scully confront work for various branches of
the military.




"Somebody is Always Paying Attention Mr. Mulder"
 The scene depicted in the opening of this article (from the episode
Fallen Angel) reveals much bout the atmosphere and mood of the X-Files, as
well as points out one of the shows major themes. This theme is simply,
Somebody is Always Paying Attention. This is true is many ways. Mulder
pays attention to most of the new cases brought to the F.B.I. to see if
they relate to the X-Files. Deep Throat is always paying attention to
Mulder and Scully's activities. Mulder and Scully's superiors in the FBI,
as well as others within the government also keeps tabs on Mulder and
Scully's investigations.
 As noted above, this theme is pointed out in Fallen Angel, but is also
seen in Eve, The Erlenmeyer Flask, and Deep Throat.

Us Versus Us
 One of the more interesting themes in the show is the distrust, and
opposition exhibited between various departments of the U.S. government.
Mulder and Scully are federal agents, working for the FBI, yet to those
involved in the government cover ups/operations, Mulder and Scully are as
much the enemy as a foreign spy might be.
 This one of the most realistic aspects of the X-Files. The U.S.
government is highly compartmentalized, and those departments don't
necessarily 'open their doors' to one another. Quite the contrary. The
exact reasons for this rivalry is unknown, but is a major element in many
episodes, including Deep Throat, Conduit, Fallen Angel, E.B.E., Eve, and
in particularly, The Erlenmeyer Flask.


Characters

 The nature of the X-Files results in a small cast of re-occurring
characters, consisting of Mulder, Scully, and their mysterious 'friend',
known only as Deep Throat. Brief descriptions of these three follow, along
with generic type stats that should enable a GM to generate appropriate
stats for his game system of choice.
 Should a GM decide to run an X-Files game, or use the X-Files as a source
for inspiration, these characters could be used either as player
characters, or as valuable, detailed NPCs.

Fox Mulder

Occupation: F.B.I. Agent
Skills: Deduction, Charisma, Psychology, Police Investigation
Motivation: Seeks the Truth
Weaknesses: Fear of fire, slightly obsessive behavior, mildly paranoid

 Fox Mulder is a graduate of Oxford University, where he majored in
psychology. This background made him an ideal candidate for recruitment
into the FBI.
 Once through the academy, Mulder proved to be very effective at profiling
serial killers, a talent which his training in psychology greatly aided.
 Mulder is among the FBI's top detectives and investigators. His obsession
with the paranormal and supernatural earned him the nickname 'Spooky'
while at the academy. This obsession began when Mulder was only 12 years
old, when his sister Samantha disappeared. After therapy in regressive
hypnotism, Mulder has become convinced that his sister was abducted by
aliens.
 Mulder's expertise in the paranormal spans the range of UFO sightings,
psychic powers, and creatures of the supernatural. His experience with the
X-Files has expanded his knowledge in these areas, but it is clear his
interest in the paranormal began in earnest long before this assignment.
 Mulder is very passionate about his work with the X-Files. He has learned
to ignore the remarks and ridicule of his fellow agents, and at times even
enjoys a laugh at his own expense.
 Since Scully has been assigned to the X-Files, Mulder has developed a
strong friendship with her. This friendship also shows signs of physical
attraction, but this is probably in part to the close proximity in which
the two work together.

Dana Scully

Occupation: F.B.I. Agent
Skills: Medicine, Forensics, Police Investigation
Motivation: Seeks the Truth
Weaknesses: Must find scientific/rational explanation for the unexplained.

 Dana Scully graduated from medical school, and did her residency in
forensics before being recruited by the F.B.I. Her schooling in science
and medicine have made Scully one of the bureau's most thorough
investigator.
 Her clinical approach to investigations is what caused her to be
considered for the assignment to keep an eye on Mulder and his involvement
with the X-Files.
 Scully was originally assigned to the X-Files by the head of the
Professional Responsibility division, Section Chief Blevins. Her first
assignment was to evaluate Mulder's investigations of the X-Files, and to
file a report indicating whether Mulder's activities should be stopped or
not.
 During their first few cases, Scully was very skeptical of Mulder's
theories and ideas, and always sought rational, logical explanations for
the cases she and Mulder investigated. Since then, however, her exposure
to the X-Files has caused her to begin to question her beliefs in this
area.
 In addition to her skills in detective work and evidence analysis,
Scully's knowledge of medicine and forensics have proven invaluable to her
and Mulder's investigations of the X-Files.
 Recently, Scully's father died, when she and Mulder were investigating a
kidnapping. During their investigation, they sought the aid of a convict
who claimed to have psychic powers able to contact her father.
 Scully and Mulder have built a solid friendship since working together.
Conflicts with other government agencies and officials has recently caused
Scully to place more trust in Mulder, and on more than one occasion, she
has told him that he is the 'only one' she trusts.



Deep Throat

Occupation: Official in some agency with the U.S Intelligence community.
Skills: Contacts within U.S government, Stealth
Motivation: Seeks to have the Truth exposed
Weaknesses: Dedication to exposing the truth.

 There is little known about the man Mulder knows as Deep Throat. The few
things that are known about him indicate he is someone of authority in the
U.S. government, with especially high security clearance. His authority
seems to include influence over departments of the F.B.I., as evidenced by
his actions towards preventing Mulder's dismissal and the closing of the
X-Files (see the episode Fallen Angel).
 Deep Throat claims to have been with the C.I.A. during the Vietnam War,
during which time he was involved in a top secret international directive
involved with the capture or encounter of extraterrestrial biological
entities (E.B.E.s). This involvement supposedly resulted in Deep Throat
killing a captured E.B.E., an action which he claims to regret.
 Deep Throats true motives are not entirely clear. At first it seemed his
interest was in aiding Mulder discover the Truth, but on more than one
occasion he has provided Mulder with false and misleading information,
purposely throwing him and Scully off track. On still other occasions,
Deep Throat has risked much, including his life, to help Mulder and
Scully.
 In the last episode of the first season, Deep Throat is gunned down by
operatives working for some covert organization within the U.S.
intelligence community. Whether he is dead or not has yet to be
determined, though all the known evidence would indicate that he is in
fact dead.

Other Characters
 Aside from the three main characters described on the previous page,
there are three minor characters who play significant roles in the
X-Files. Again, if the GM is running an X-Files game, these would be
important NPCs.

Section Chief Scott Blevins
 Section Chief Scott Blevins is in charge of the F.B.I.'s Office of
Professional Responsibility. Blevins is the man responsible for assigning
Scully to the X-Files in order to have her investigate Mulder's
activities. Blevins doesn't particularly like Mulder or his obsession with
the X-Files, and has tried to shut Mulder down on more than one occasion.

Section Chief Joseph McGrath
 Section Chief Joseph McGrath is the head of the F.B.I.'s Violent Crimes
Division. McGrath would like nothing more than to discredit Mulder and his
work on the X-Files, but thus far has been unable to do so. McGrath also
resents Scully's assignment to the X-Files, as she was once a valuable
member of his Division.
 McGrath came very close to having Mulder kicked out of the bureau after
Mulder disobeyed orders by investigating a suspected UFO crash site. Only
the intervention of Deep Throat prevented Mulder's dismissal from the
F.B.I.

'The Smoking Man'
 The 'Smoking Man' gets his name from the only trait or characteristic he
has demonstrated. That of smoking cigarettes. This man has appeared in
only a handful of episodes, but those appearances are important ones.
 In his first appearance, it seems that the Smoking Man works either with
or for Section Chief Blevins. Later on, however, it seems that he may be
Blevins' superior in some way.
 In two episodes we see the Smoking Man carrying evidence obtained by
Mulder and Scully and hide it away within a huge file room inside the
Pentagon. In one of these cases, this evidence was obtained after Deep
Throat was shot by undercover operatives.
 One possible theory regarding the 'Smoking Man' is that he is the one who
insisted Blevins assign someone to watch over Mulder and his work with the
X-Files, in the hope that they might be able to supply enough motive to
close the X-Files before Mulder learned too much.


My Top Ten Episodes
      Below are brief synopses of my personal favorite ten episodes of the

X-Files. These episodes convey best what the show is about. I have also
tried 
to highlight episodes which cover all the main types of cases which Mulder
and 
Scully have faced.
      These 'Top Ten' are presented in chronological order based on
original 
air dates. Also, I apologize if I didn't choose one of your favorites.

The X-Files
      This is the premiere episode of the series. In it, Scully is
assigned to 
the X-Files to watch over Mulder and decide if his work is worthwhile to
the 
F.B.I. Mulder and Scully investigate the death/disappearances of several
high 
school students in Oregon, whom Mulder believes have been experimented on
by 
aliens.

Deep Throat
      Against the wishes of a group of mysterious people within the U.S. 
Government, Mulder and Scully investigate the disappearance of an Air
Force 
test pilot at Ellens Air Force Base in Idaho. This investigation reveals 
possible UFO-related experimentation by the military. This is also the
episode 
which introduces the character of Deep Throat.

Squeeze
      Scully is asked to help an old partner in profiling a serial killer
who 
leaves no evidence, motive, or M.O. Mulder gets involved when he notices 
similarities between these victims to a number of X-File murders. But
these 
X-Files are dated 1963 and 1933. This leads the agents to the trail of
what 
can only be a centuries-old killer.

Conduit
      Mulder and Scully investigate the disappearance of a young woman
whose 
mother is in one of the X-Files, and claims to have been abducted by
aliens 
years before. All the evidence indicates alien involvement, but the key to

solving the case is not the girl, but her younger brother.

Ice
      Mulder and Scully are sent as part of team to investigate the deaths
of 
the personnel of the Arctic Ice Core Project, but when they arrive, they 
discover an unearthly parasite has been unearthed, and poses the same
threat 
to them as it did the dead victims.


Fallen Angel
      After being tipped off to a government cover-up of a UFO crash,
Mulder 
travels to Wisconsin where he meets a fellow UFO enthusiast, as well as a 
massive government search for 'something.' And when Mulder and Scully 
interfere with the operation of 'Project Falcon,' Mulder's position in the

F.B.I. is threatened.

Eve
      While investigating a mysterious murder in Connecticut, Mulder and 
Scully learn of an identical murder which took place simultaneously in 
California. The case grows more bizarre when the agents meet the daughters
of 
the two victims, both identical to each other in appearance. A tip from
Deep 
Throat leads Mulder and Scully to learn that the girls are related to a
secret 
government experiment known only as 'The Lichfield Experiments.'

Beyond The Sea
      Mulder and Scully turn to a convicted felon on death row to help
them 
find a kidnapper. But Scully gets over-involved when the convict claims to

have psychic powers, and demonstrates them by contacting Scully's recently

deceased father.

E.B.E.
      Shortly after the crash of a UFO in Iraqi airspace, multiple UFO 
sightings are reported in Tennessee, and Mulder and Scully investigate, 
leading to signs of a large-scale government cover-up. They are later both

helped and hindered by Deep Throat, who hopes to get them to back off
before 
they learn more about him than they might have hoped.

The Erlenmeyer Flask
      Deep Throat leads Mulder and Scully to investigate the disappearance
and 
supposed drowning of a fugitive, but they fail to see anything unique in
the 
case. But when a friend of the fugitive is killed, their investigations
lead 
to secret government experimentation with extraterrestrial DNA. And as
they 
work to unveil the Truth, the evidence and everyone involved is eliminated

quickly and quietly.
      At end of this episode, the season finale, Mulder informs Scully
that an 
order from the Executive Branch has shut down the X-Files, and Mulder and 
Scully are to be re-assigned to other divisions.


Gaming Notes

      As mentioned earlier, the X-Files provides an ideal setting for
either a 
modern Horror or conspiracy-style roleplaying campaign. Even if not the
basis 
for such a campaign, the X-Files provides a great source for ideas and 
adventure seeds for campaigns in either of these two genres. Below are
some of 
the more well known games in each of these genres which might be
appropriate 
for an X-Files campaign.
      Adapting any source to an roleplaying game is challenging, and the 
X-Files is certainly no exception. Though this article provides
information on 
the X-Files television series, space doesn't allow a detailed look at how
to 
simulate the X-Files in a roleplaying campaign. In an upcoming article, I
will 
be presenting guidelines for taking any source, be it TV show, a movie, or

book, and using it as the basis for a roleplaying campaign, and I intend
to 
the X-Files as one of my examples.

Modern Horror Games
      There are many Modern Horror games available. Most notably among
these 
are Call of C'thulhu (and the C'thulhu Now supplement) from Chaosium, and 
Chill by Mayfair Games. The Hero System produces a horror genre supplement

entitled Horror Hero that also might be appropriate, as might GURPS
Horror. 
Another choice comes from Tri Tac Games, who produce a game entitled
Bureau 
13: Stalking the Night Fantastic, in which the PCs are investigators
working 
for a secret government agency. Last on the horror front would be the
various 
Storyteller games from White Wolf, such as Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, and
the 
forthcoming Wraith.

Conspiracy-based Games
      As for conspiracy-based games, there are more than you might think. 
Topping the list is GURPS Illuminati, an excellent treatment of conspiracy

theory. Blacksburg Tactical Research Center produces a game called CORPS, 
which is billed as 'The Global Conspiracy Game.' Two other offerings in
this 
genre are both from Atlas Games and are Over The Edge and Pandemonium.
Over 
the Edge is a game of the surreal with a healthy dose of paranoia and 
conspiracy thrown in for good measure. Pandemonium is game that asks the 
question "What if the Tabloids were True?" Set in a tabloid world,
Pandemonium 
offers a slightly more humorous approach to this genre, but still offer
many 
interesting story ideas which would be well suited for an X-Files
campaign.
      Regardless of the system or genre, the most important thing to keep
in 
mind when developing an X-Files based campaign is to remember what the
X-Files 
are all about. They are about the unknown. They are about the Truth which
is 
out there, waiting to be discovered. No matter what genre the gamemaster 
chooses for his X-Files game, it should prove to be a very different
gaming 
experience than those most gamers are privy to. The tone and mood of the 
X-Files, combined with its central themes provides an atmosphere matched
by 
few roleplaying games published to date.

Summary

      I hope this brief overview has given enough you information about
the 
X-Files for you to use the show as either the basis for a campaign, or an 
additional source of ideas for a pre-existing one. At the very least, I
hope 
this article piques your curiosity such that you check out the X-Files for

yourself, and if you are already familiar with the show, I hope this keeps

your interest up.
      I am interested in any comments and feedback you may have on this 
article. Please send any of the above to me (Lou Prosperi/fasalou@aol.com)
c/o 
Shadis.
      Remember, The Truth is Out There.
      Trust No One.

_ 1994 Shadis Magazine

P.S. I TRULY apologize for the EXTREME length of this thing.
I had no idea when I started that it would take 11 posts. If one of you
out there could take all the posts and combine them, I would be
appreciative.

Hope you all enjoy this thing.

Take Care,

Lou Prosperi
Internet Rookie