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