Paranoia & Dragons Forked From: If you can find a group...

[Dannyalcatraz]

I have to admit that I'm tempted to throw something like this together for a con game. I'm not sure what game system to use though-- I think you'd want something lighter and faster (and more lethal) than most versions of D&D. Perhaps a very low-level group could work.

Low-level anything would work, honestly, and would be very appropriate given that most Paranoia PCs start off as Reds or Infrareds. Yes, there were a couple of adventures in which PCs were started off as Blues, but they were the exception rather than the rule.

However, all you REALLY need to do is make sure the party is ill prepared for whatever it is they're to face. That could be done by equipping each PC with inappropriate gear- as implied before, the Wizard gets Platemail, the fighter gets a dagger, etc.- or their intelligence on the situation is so appallingly bad that they're wandering XP for the monsters.

For example, their overlord could equip them all with shiny metal armor, masterwork weapon and the like, designed to protect them from undead...but they get sent to the wrong province and wind up facing some ravenous Rust Monsters.

Or perhaps they're just fighting out of their weight class- they have possession of the Realm's Übersword of Flying Buzzsaw Doom to complete their mission, but it refuses to be wielded by any of the party out of disgust at their lack of potence. And then the Dragons return to Capistrano...Or that million-bat swarm (like the one in Austin, TX) happens to be a Dracula family reunion.

 

[Storminator]

So that's where I'd go if I were creating a Paranoia style D&D game. I'd make the characters henchmen. Probably kobolds. And then I'd give them impossible missions, with contradictory orders from multiple masters. And then they'd go out and fail (or surprise me and succeed!), and be brought back to bow before their Dark Overlord and explain what went wrong.

See this for reference.

If the players are playing henchmen, the computer's obviously the adventurers. "The PCs are my friends!"

PS

 

[Cadfan]

If the players are playing henchmen, the computer's obviously the adventurers. "The PCs are my friends!"

PS

I was thinking of making the PCs henchmen of the villain.

"Your mission is to kidnap the Princess Peach. Climb the castle wall, sneak past the elven guards, and carry her away. Oh, right, last time I sent you on a mission you whined that you weren't tough enough to kill the Dragon of Doom, so I'm giving you some better armor and weapons this time. The quartermaster will issue you your platemail and your lances. Don't lose it, don't even take it off. I'll be checking on you periodically with my crystal ball and if I find you've removed so much as a gauntlet I'll boil you in oil. So, where was I. Climb the castle wall, sneak past the elven guards, and kidnap the princess. And don't take off the armor or lose the lances. How should you kidnap the princess? I dunno. Here's a bag."

 

[Rel]

Well it isn't D&D but I think that Kobolds Ate My Baby has some resemblance to Paranoia. At least the way I run it.

In terms of an overlooming authority there is King Torg (ALL HAIL KING TORG!). Even when he is not directly present the players are all required to hail him anytime his name is mentioned.

There tends to be somewhat of a PvP component with some of the PC's tasting like babies and others that might be hungry enough to eat them regardless of how they taste. I've seen instances of PC's riding one another, tricking each other into certain death and all kinds of other dirty tricks that vaguely remind me of Paranoia.

KAMB doesn't include clones per se. But the way I run the game you can rejoin as soon as your character dies (and your character will almost certainly die during the course of the adventure) minus the 3-5 minutes it takes you to roll a new one.

It's a wacky, fun game and I'd recommend trying it if you get the chance.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There tends to be somewhat of a PvP component with some of the PC's tasting like babies and others that might be hungry enough to eat them regardless of how they taste. I've seen instances of PC's riding one another, tricking each other into certain death and all kinds of other dirty tricks that vaguely remind me of Paranoia.

I've seen that in D&D campaigns...

No, I'm not kidding.

However, another dead-simple RPG that might be suitable for running this is the venerable- and sadly, long OoP- Fantasy Trip/In The Labyrinth/Melee/Wizard/etc. system that was the precursor to GURPS. Only 3 or 4 stats- it takes 5 minutes to make your first PC, and 3 or less for every subsequent one.

 

[Storminator]

I was thinking of making the PCs henchmen of the villain.

"Your mission is to kidnap the Princess Peach. Climb the castle wall, sneak past the elven guards, and carry her away. Oh, right, last time I sent you on a mission you whined that you weren't tough enough to kill the Dragon of Doom, so I'm giving you some better armor and weapons this time. The quartermaster will issue you your platemail and your lances. Don't lose it, don't even take it off. I'll be checking on you periodically with my crystal ball and if I find you've removed so much as a gauntlet I'll boil you in oil. So, where was I. Climb the castle wall, sneak past the elven guards, and kidnap the princess. And don't take off the armor or lose the lances. How should you kidnap the princess? I dunno. Here's a bag."

I was thinking more along the lines of "your mission is to enter the Tomb of Horrors, set off, err, bypass all the traps, reclaim the lich's treasure, and return it here..."

PS

 

[Charwoman Gene]

3e/4e Charisma is really just the Chutzpah stat.

 

[Voadam]

I was thinking of Paranoia the Ascension. The Technocracy is your friend. The Progenitors provide citizens with backup bodies and happy pills. The New World Order keeps services and Alpha Complex life running smoothly. Rumors that R&D Technology produces paradox are treasonous. Rumors that digital adepts have hacked portions of the Iteration X Computer and bots are treasonous. Magic and Miracles and Yoga do not exist and are treasonous.