[OT] Anyone who plays Paranoia (especially Piratecat) please respond!

[GravyFingerz]

Ok, so yesterday I got my hands on Paranoia 5th Edition after years of wanting this game. Thankfully, it's surpassed my expectations, and I think this is the coolest game since sliced bread. I want to share this unique game with my players, since they have no idea what it is.

*evil grin*

I need tips on running Paranoia and making missions. General enough tips that any game master could use and are not based on GM style. If you guys could respond with some tips, I'd be very grateful.

In fact, I'll start off with the first tip.

1) Read the book.

 

[SableWyvern]

Set the ground rules early: ie, kill at least one clone during character generation. ("oh, you've rolled a nail for your random item. That's beyond your clearance. You could be terminated for having that. Would you like to throw it away? Yes? The Computer is everywhere Citizen. He sees you littering. Zap.")

Convince at least one player that being a registered mutant is a good thing. Make sure everyone else knows it isn't.

Come up with cool R&D stuff. R&D rocks. Make it all seem very must have.

Hand out heaps and heaps of contradictory side missions, from secret societies, the Computer, higher ranking clones etc....

Ensure there is no logical chain of command. EG - make the team leader red, most of the rest of the team orange.

Have heaps of fun with MBDDT 88b.

Take heed of the GM guidelines. Take no crap. Be evil. Have fun.

 

[Savage Wombat]

The best tip you could possibly get is - buy a module. ACUTE PARANOIA if you can get it. The adventure "Me and My Shadow - Mark IV" especially. This book will teach you more about the Paranoia sense of humor than any mere explanation.

For a true, in depth immersion in the pervasive "you're so screwed" fear of Alpha Complex, find "Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues".

Of course, these were all 1st ed. modules - possibly updated for 2nd ed. , I'm not sure - so ignore the rules and concentrate on the story.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

To get the ball rolling...

Rules to paranoia, eh? Bah, we don't need no stinkin rul... er, scratch that

Rules:

• 1) Never let your players see/read/hear the rules! Keep 'm guessing
• 2) If it sounds 'logical' you're doing something very wrong! (seriously)
• 3) Keep a body count, er... score! Survivors = Missed Opportunity!
• 4) Live the Paranoia Motto: With Friends like these, who needs enemies?
• 5) Everybody (especially The Computer) is Chaotic Neutral! No, really, it's true!

Hope these were general/generic enough. Sorry for all the dust, it's been a LONG time since I last played paranoia. Biggest mistake of my life, reading the rules when I intended to play again, *sigh*

There was also a truely amazing Paranoia Story Hour that seems to have gotten lost in the recent board shuffles. That was by far the best example of the game 'as it should be' I'd ever even heard about. I really wish that would have been revived, even if the campain was finished long before it saw (virtual) print. *sigh*

Hatchling Dragon

[Edited to add/clarify Rules]

 

[CRG]

I had a series of modules way back - wonder if i can find them.

I shocked the hell out of my Shadowrun game once by doing the Cyberpunk / Paranoia crossover module. It was really, really funny.

Anyway, buy any of the modules. Read them.

During character creation, make sure to assign lots of extraneous job responsibilities. Like Sanitation Officer. Under-secretary of housing compliance. Make it seem like they are all of conflicting levels of importance.

 

[Enkhidu]

Here's the best Paranoia idea factory I've ever run across....

Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Shot. Beg borrow or steal this warped novel by Greg Costikyan, and be prepared for a rollicking and nonsensical troubleshooting mission under the command of Homer-R-ICK, decorated, or at least unexecuted, mission leader.

I was already hooked on GMing Paranoia (I love fly by the seat of your pants refereeing), but this book cranked me up to where I could really bring out the fear and confusion in my players.

Did I mention how much I love this book?

 

[Oracular Vision]

Speaking of Mr. Costikyan, I just received a reply to an e-mail I did to him. He says he has reattained the rights to Paranoia, along with another guy named Eric, and they have had preliminary discussions with publishers about republishing it, but no deals have been made, and they are not actively pursuing it. I tried to talk him into making it a D20 product, as I can see mutant powers as feats, etc., working very well, but he said he doens't like the idea of using generic rules.

 

[Zappo]

Aaagh, I've got to get this game. I'm sooo tired of reading about it on the boards every month or so and turning green with envy. First thing I get when I put my hands on a credit card, a Paranoia from eBay.

 

[Wicht]

As a beginning Paranoia GM don't worry too much about the actual mission. The backstabbing, fumbles, R+D experimentation, secret societies and ever present computer are much more important then the actual mission. Of course that only applies to you. Scrub any PC clone that seems to show a lack of interest in at least appearing to be interested in the mission.

 

[Clefton Twain]

Aaagh, I've got to get this game. I'm sooo tired of reading about it on the boards every month or so and turning green with envy. First thing I get when I put my hands on a credit card, a Paranoia from eBay.

You don't have clearance to be green with envy. You can be orange, though.

And the computer has decided that "orange" is the wrong color to be. You have been terminated. Have a nice day.

--CT