Keeper of Secrets
First Post
In the old days when someone bought a GM Screen they got something fairly simple; a pair of card stock screens holding a variety of tables for commonly used information. Doubling as a shield from where the GM could hide important notes, maps and die rolls, it provided a very functional service. In the modern era of gaming however, the bar has been raised and gamers now expect something a little more for their money. It is pretty much expected that GM screens include more than just the screen. When they come with a small adventure or some other useful item, it is usually expected rather than seen as a helpful benefit.
The Paranoia XP GM Screen from Mongoose certainly delivers on the idea of something more, as it provides the GM with not only the useful material so badly needed to run a deranged comedy game but comes with a plethora of forms and handouts. I was a little saddened that the game did not come with a little zany adventure but to be honest, the forms and handouts that it does come with more than makes up for it.
The forms are essentially a variety of play aids that the GM can photocopy and use for everything from ‘termination vouchers’ to ‘mission debriefing questions.’ Just reading through the forms is certainly worth a few laughs as the GM can certainly put these to good use by distributing them and letting the PCs figure out their own devious ways to use them against one another. Of course, the very fact that the forms certainly add a certain flavor to the already flavorful game of Paranoia XP is certainly worth noting.
The screen itself is certainly impressive, as well. With a giant image of a computer terminal, complete with an eye in the center, bringing to mind the eerie reminder that The Computer is constantly watching. The rest of it is filled with endless slogans and one-liners invoking paranoid and cynical thoughts, such as “If it does not kill you, it will make you more loyal,’ and ‘Every hour is happy hour.’ Of course, a slight barb was tossed in at West End Games (the former publisher) with ‘Traitors in WEG Sector have been terminated.’
The inside contains what would be expected: charts assisting with combat and charts showing the Secret Societies and Mutant Powers. Naturally, it serves the most important purpose of hiding the rolls of the dice by the GM. This can’t be overrated in a game like Paranoia where cheating, well, it runs rampant.
Overall, it’s a great product. But at the same time it is a GM screen and nothing revolutionary about it. But the forms that come with it are well worth the price.
4 out of 5 stars.
The Paranoia XP GM Screen from Mongoose certainly delivers on the idea of something more, as it provides the GM with not only the useful material so badly needed to run a deranged comedy game but comes with a plethora of forms and handouts. I was a little saddened that the game did not come with a little zany adventure but to be honest, the forms and handouts that it does come with more than makes up for it.
The forms are essentially a variety of play aids that the GM can photocopy and use for everything from ‘termination vouchers’ to ‘mission debriefing questions.’ Just reading through the forms is certainly worth a few laughs as the GM can certainly put these to good use by distributing them and letting the PCs figure out their own devious ways to use them against one another. Of course, the very fact that the forms certainly add a certain flavor to the already flavorful game of Paranoia XP is certainly worth noting.
The screen itself is certainly impressive, as well. With a giant image of a computer terminal, complete with an eye in the center, bringing to mind the eerie reminder that The Computer is constantly watching. The rest of it is filled with endless slogans and one-liners invoking paranoid and cynical thoughts, such as “If it does not kill you, it will make you more loyal,’ and ‘Every hour is happy hour.’ Of course, a slight barb was tossed in at West End Games (the former publisher) with ‘Traitors in WEG Sector have been terminated.’
The inside contains what would be expected: charts assisting with combat and charts showing the Secret Societies and Mutant Powers. Naturally, it serves the most important purpose of hiding the rolls of the dice by the GM. This can’t be overrated in a game like Paranoia where cheating, well, it runs rampant.
Overall, it’s a great product. But at the same time it is a GM screen and nothing revolutionary about it. But the forms that come with it are well worth the price.
4 out of 5 stars.
