Paranoia virgins, looking for some advice how to run a game...
- Thread starter Cergorach
- Start date
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
The only proper response to this question is: "You're not cleared to know that, citizen."
Ya'll consider yourselves ZAPPED!
Ya'll consider yourselves ZAPPED!
Wombat
First Post
If you want to increase the tension and suspiscion levels, I highly recommend passing notes and having "private meetings". If they don't start with the notes, hand one to someone. It can even be blank. Or it can say something evil and spurious about another player...
The more that the players feel like Player A knows something that Player B doesn't, or that Player C just went off with a suspicious looking character, the more likely they are to do your job for you.
Randomly yell out, demanding a decision -- if they hesitate, say the are caught in a crossfire, under a falling foodvat, whisked away by a rampaging funbot, whatever...
Force people to switch chairs depending on how In or Out of favour they are with you (The Computer); have one less chair than necessary, thus forcing one player to stand (and/or act as the maid for the rest of the group until he regains your favour).
In other words, do all the things you ever wanted to do to players in the past, but felt you couldn't because it would look like you are being "unfair" or "showing favouritism".
And providing odd looking munchies for the game (strange colours, odd shapes) really helps get folks in the mood, too
The more that the players feel like Player A knows something that Player B doesn't, or that Player C just went off with a suspicious looking character, the more likely they are to do your job for you.
Randomly yell out, demanding a decision -- if they hesitate, say the are caught in a crossfire, under a falling foodvat, whisked away by a rampaging funbot, whatever...
Force people to switch chairs depending on how In or Out of favour they are with you (The Computer); have one less chair than necessary, thus forcing one player to stand (and/or act as the maid for the rest of the group until he regains your favour).
In other words, do all the things you ever wanted to do to players in the past, but felt you couldn't because it would look like you are being "unfair" or "showing favouritism".
And providing odd looking munchies for the game (strange colours, odd shapes) really helps get folks in the mood, too
the Jester
Legend
Wombat said:And providing odd looking munchies for the game (strange colours, odd shapes) really helps get folks in the mood, too
I recommend an odd assortment of pills and other such things taken from a police evidence room.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Hey guys, I am a new Paranoia DM as well and I have a question:
My players are a bit trigger happy, and once someone shoots another party member what stops them from just killing each other over and over as the new clones arrive? They are the same character with the same memories so if ones a traitor shouldn't all the clones be traitors?
My players are a bit trigger happy, and once someone shoots another party member what stops them from just killing each other over and over as the new clones arrive? They are the same character with the same memories so if ones a traitor shouldn't all the clones be traitors?
Wombat
First Post
Aye, well there be two reasons which ye could be givin' far this situation...
Article the First: No new clone be responsible for the evils practiced by his previous clones. This yir be the offcial reasoning by The Computer (who be yer most bosom companion and tie-mate) hisself. In The Computer's infinite wisdom, the assumption be tha' just because one clone did happen t'display certain abilities of a mutated nature or happened to belong t' th' most scurvy pack o' secret an' desperate individuals as e'er sailed the SVN Subsector, the new clone, look ye, be given the benefit o' th' doubt.
Article the Seconde: D'YE WAN' TH' WHOLE OF THE CONTEST T' BE OVER IN UNDER A WATCHGLASS, M'HEARTIES? ('Poligize far the yellin'. M'nature got th'better o' me...) Nay, most fellows, if spoken to reasonable-like, will apprehend tha' takin' down all the new clones in rapid succession, wi'out considerations of the whereto's and whyfore's, will lead to a short an' disappointin' run.
This yere publick service announcement be brought t'ye by Black Jack Computer...
YAR!
Article the First: No new clone be responsible for the evils practiced by his previous clones. This yir be the offcial reasoning by The Computer (who be yer most bosom companion and tie-mate) hisself. In The Computer's infinite wisdom, the assumption be tha' just because one clone did happen t'display certain abilities of a mutated nature or happened to belong t' th' most scurvy pack o' secret an' desperate individuals as e'er sailed the SVN Subsector, the new clone, look ye, be given the benefit o' th' doubt.
Article the Seconde: D'YE WAN' TH' WHOLE OF THE CONTEST T' BE OVER IN UNDER A WATCHGLASS, M'HEARTIES? ('Poligize far the yellin'. M'nature got th'better o' me...) Nay, most fellows, if spoken to reasonable-like, will apprehend tha' takin' down all the new clones in rapid succession, wi'out considerations of the whereto's and whyfore's, will lead to a short an' disappointin' run.
This yere publick service announcement be brought t'ye by Black Jack Computer...
YAR!
Chaldfont
First Post
I ran Paranoia at a con one time for a bunch of people who had never played. Despite being told countless times that it was ok to backstab--they tried to work together like a regular RPG. Here are a few ways I put a stop to that:
I stole an idea from the adventure in the book. The PCs were issued a cone rifle (a big bazooka) and were given several shells. But the shells were unmarked, so every time someone used it, the GM rolled on a chart to see what it did. One of the entries was a Nuclear Warhead. So we got off to a good start with a nice TPK.
Each PC became a Chief X Officer. X was things like "Equipment", "Morale", "Hygiene". So each character had absolute power over one aspect of the mission. It is traitorous to disobey the Chief (for instance, the Chief Hygiene Officer sees that you have something stuck in your teeth: Treason!). I even gave out badge props for each of the positions and told the players that it was traitorous not to wear one's badge. At one point in the game, a player's badge had fallen off his shirt. All it took was for me to ask, "Hey, what happened to your badge?" to get the rest of the PCs to incinerate him.
I stole an idea from the adventure in the book. The PCs were issued a cone rifle (a big bazooka) and were given several shells. But the shells were unmarked, so every time someone used it, the GM rolled on a chart to see what it did. One of the entries was a Nuclear Warhead. So we got off to a good start with a nice TPK.
Each PC became a Chief X Officer. X was things like "Equipment", "Morale", "Hygiene". So each character had absolute power over one aspect of the mission. It is traitorous to disobey the Chief (for instance, the Chief Hygiene Officer sees that you have something stuck in your teeth: Treason!). I even gave out badge props for each of the positions and told the players that it was traitorous not to wear one's badge. At one point in the game, a player's badge had fallen off his shirt. All it took was for me to ask, "Hey, what happened to your badge?" to get the rest of the PCs to incinerate him.
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