Paranoia: When they're really all out to get you

[jbkilroy]

I will be posting information about Paranoia here, to aid those who don't have the book.  I believe that is everyone except me... MWA-HA-HA!!!

*ahem*

Anyhoo, in order to discourage players or potential players from learning about the game on their own (which may expose them to information classified above their clearance level) I will be posting things that might be useful information to have in this thread.

Everything I say in this thread can be considered to be RED clearance so all Troubleshooters are permitted to know it.

Still, the most important thing to remember is to have fun.  HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY!!   

[jbkilroy]

Here is an excerpt from the gamemaster's ULTRAVIOLET section of the manual, kindly lowered to RED clearance for your convenience.  It specifies the progression of a typical combat scenario, but can easily be adapted to any situation in which Troubleshooters frequently find themselves.

Shock: 'We're under attack!  Who are they?  Where are they?'

Panic: 'Oh no.  Not them.  Those vatslimes got the drop on us!  ME?  I never trusted them!  It's all your fault!'

Stunned incomprehension: 'How are they doing that?  Why doesn't this thing work?  Hey, where's our Equipment Guy?'

Terrified comprehension: 'We're stuck!  Bottled up!  "Oh hel-lo Friend Computer!  Nonono, everything's going just, uh fine"...'

Desperate ploys: 'I turn on the rocket boots.'

(When that doesn't work)

Existential resignation: 'My next clone is gonna get you back, you stinking Commie'


Generally, the tools at the disposal of the players is either totally inadequate to the problem at hand, completely inapplicable in their situation, or will actively make their problems worse.  This is balanced out in two primary ways.  First, the players clones can continue on the adventure should the player die (at least until they run out.)  The second, more subtle way is through perversity.  Trying something, anything in a no-win situation (especially without thinking about it too much)  is rewarded with perversity points.  These are used to buy bonuses or penalties to die rolls.  These points belong to the player, not the character, thus are carried over in the event of unscheduled (but likely not unexpected) termination.

Large blocks of text are fun!  ENJOYMENT IS MANDATORY!

[skavengear]

so will we ever actually get ultra-violet clearance

[Guu]

Would the game be better if people bought the book?  Is it clearly divided into player and GM sections?  Is there a player's handbook version of the text that you can buy so you WON'T be tempted to read GM info?

[skavengear]

its probablly no worse than dnd in that knowing the stuff the dm has as his disposal is not really all too important if you roleplay since the gm of any game can go off the path and change things

[jbkilroy]

I'll try and find a digital version of just the player's section of the manual.
Just be warned that expecting for things to behave a certain way just because the book says that they should, or expecting your 'rules' to back you up if something happens is just asking for trouble.

Ultraviolet clearance is the Paranoia equivalent of the 31st level in 4th ed.  You can't really ever reach that level as a player because at that point there's really nothing in the game world to be 'paranoid' over.  At that level you are permitted to modify the base code of the computer itself.  Of course, so can any other Ultraviolet but that would lead to a more subtle, politcal kind of game than the Paranoia engine was really intended for.  It's probably not even worth worrying about, because any failed mission generally results in a demotion in clearance anyway.  So from Red to Ultraviolet you'd need... 7 more successful mission than failures, each success more hard fought than the last, all without running out of clones?   ...I'm not seeing that happening.

[jbkilroy]

Well, there is a Troubleshooters Guide available for purchase, but its 25... either pounds or euros, I can't remember which.  From the preview pages they had available it wasn't anything new from the book I have, just with more pictures.

Seems kind of excessive especially since having any knowledge from that book that I don't know about would either be a) treason or b) incorrect (since I'm allowed to make up the rules as I go along anyway).

There is a section of the book that details effective ways to roleplay a troubleshooter.  (How to survive, accuse/terminate someone etc).  Its about 5-6 pages long, so I can make copies if that wouldn't ethically offend anyone.  I was going through the rest of the player section, and it's pretty much character creation rules and various table and terms you're not allowed to know the meanings of anyway.

[skavengear]

this may not be important, but did our transformer box escape us?