™
PARCriminalAN HistoriesOIA A whole felonious background for your Troubleshooter, and ways to uncover your teammates’ felonies
BY BILL O’DEA OF THE TRAITOR RECYCLING STUDIO (www.traitorrecycling.com) GREG INGBER DAN GELBER CONTENTS KARL LOW GREG COSTIKYAN Introduction 2 ERIC MINTON ERIC GOLDBERG Character creation checklist 3 ALLEN VARNEY Original game design & development/ 1. I know that guy! 5 Additional text/Accessories to treason Sedition 2. Tell us all about yourself 14 Service fi rm tables 14 ALLEN VARNEY IAN BELCHER Editing, layout/Extortion Skill list 16 Mongoose Publishing roleplaying Mutation tables 17 JIM HOLLOWAY manager/Incitement to violence Secret society tables 18 Cover and interior illustrations/Vandalism Secret skills 19 ALEXANDER FENNELL Equipment list 20 PAUL BALDOWSKI Mongoose Publishing production director/ 3. Prehistory Pachinko 21 HUMZA KAZMI Criminal mastermind R. ERIC REUSS 4. Your old job 40 5. Your new job 57 Poorfreadnig/Sabotage THE COMPUTER Appendix: The Tic 60 Knows more of your history than you do Character sheet 63
Security Clearance RED WARNING: Knowledge or possession of this information by any citizen of Security Clearance INFRARED is treason punishable by termination, erasure, the rending of garments and the lamentation of women
TM & Copyright © 1983, 1987, 2006 by Eric Goldberg & Greg Costikyan. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose Publishing Ltd., Authorized User. Based on material published in previous editions of PARANOIA. ILLUMINATI is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and is used by permission. The reproduction of material from this book for personal or corporate profi t, by photographic, electronic, or other means of storage and retrieval, is prohibited. You may copy character sheets, record sheets, checklists and tables for personal use. E-mail questions and comments to Mongoose Publishing at [email protected], or write to PO Box 1018, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 1DG, UNITED KINGDOM. On the World Wide Web: www.mongoosepublishing.com. Published by Mongoose Publishing, Ltd. Publication MGP 6640. Published January 2006. First printing January 2006. PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED The history of You
Criminal Histories is a character creation behaviors, anxieties, suspicions, evasions, character kits are in Chapter 1. Pick one system for ambitious PARANOIA players. truckling remonstrances and righteous acts you like and write the corresponding This mighty 64-page book replaces and vastly of vengeance. ratings and narrow specialties on your expands the wimpy dozen or so pages of Sure, you can roleplay your Troubleshooter’s sheet. character creation rules in Chapter 3 of the individual tics if you want, or take cues from PARANOIA rulebook. With this book you can his service group or secret society or even 1 The skill lists, secret society tables give your brand-new Troubleshooter player his mutation. But we think the game works and equipment list in Chapter 2 are character (PC) a lengthy rap sheet of past best when you yourself, the player sitting at identical to the main rulebook. We accomplishments, scandals, allies, enemies, the table, experience in your own person the reproduce them for your convenient skill and specialty bonuses, contraband paranoid tension of Alpha Complex. To avoid reference. Note, though, the service equipment and possibly even multiple fatalities. fi ltering the fear and ignorance, we take the fi rm tables are the expanded versions To accumulate such a resume in conventional fake personality out of your way. from the fi ne PARANOIA supplement PARANOIA, you’d need to play half a dozen Criminal Histories keeps the character-vessel Service, Service! Likewise, the mutation sessions with the same character—and how empty but (we push the metaphor to its limit) tables use the enlarged list of powers many Troubleshooters live that long? puts the vessel in a closet full of skeletons. The from the supplement The Mutant Criminal Histories can benefi t any character background you create for your Troubleshooter Experience. The new material in each and any PARANOIA game, but it’s especially provides you strong motivation to protect your table is easily skippable if your GM lacks designed to enhance two- and three-PC secrets, but none of it need imply a particular the relevant book. games. Until now, such small games haven’t roleplaying approach or acting challenge. always captured much of the hallmark Again, you may decide to take on such 1 The Prehistory Pachinko (Chapter PARANOIA atmosphere. If you only have one challenges, if you wish. You might find it 3) is the coolest part of the book, the teammate, it’s not hard to guess who planted interesting to roleplay a kleptomaniac Armed graveyard from which you dig all the that grenade in your backpack. This book Forces soldier who got addicted to asperquaint, skeletons for your empty vessel’s offers a solution, a way to promote paranoia escaped Outdoors, went off his hormone closet—uh, wait, our metaphor kinda got on the head of a pin. suppressants, fathered a child, then returned away from us. Anyway, the Pachinko is a In place of the typical six-player cross-stitch to Alpha Complex to take revenge on the offi cer collection of tables you use to generate pattern of ‘kill this PC and that PC, but make who ordered him to falsify records of a botched a complete history for your character: sure this NPC survives’, Criminal Histories raid on a PURGE stronghold. service fi rm record, training bonuses, lets you investigate and discover specifi c, If you want to roleplay that guy, well and interesting ‘found’ equipment, allies, named felonies and traitorous acts your fellow good. But remember, such fripperies aren’t enemies and traitorous acts. Troubleshooters committed before the game mandatory. Find the Start Table at the beginning began—acts with specifi c, named accomplices of Chapter 3, roll a 20-sided die (1d20) or victims, committed in particular, defi ned life and consult the table row corresponding circumstances—acts that, if uncovered, mean Using this book to the number you roll. The result sends termination and erasure—acts they would kill you to another table, where you roll 1d20 to keep secret. Won’t that be fun? Though Criminal Histories replaces the existing again and either get an adjustment to Better yet! Criminal Histories gives your own character creation system in Chapter 3 of your character or go on to still another Troubleshooter a similar rap sheet, so other the main PARANOIA rulebook, you should table. Keep following the Pachinko’s players can investigate you, too! fi rst become familiar with that system before instructions until it says to stop. Repeat What, that doesn’t sound enticing? Think of using this one. To save space, this book until your GM tells you to stop, you run it this way: Now you’ll have a more personally skips the minutiae of choosing specialties and out of clones or your wrist gets tired. compelling, even visceral reason to bump off weaknesses, Perversity point bonuses for tics, your fellow PCs. Trust us, that’s fun. and other stuff experienced players know. 1 Check out your PC’s old service group To use this new system, start by photocopying job(s) in Chapter 4, and learn how he got the character sheet at the back; we give you his Troubleshooter training in Chapter 5. No character traits, permission to photocopy it (for personal use When you’re done, you’ll have a great only!). Then consult the expanded character background. just baggage creation checklist starting on the facing page. Use the checklist to fi ll in the sections of your 1 Check the extensive list of tics Unlike other (non-fun) roleplaying games, sheet. For most steps of the checklist you’ll in the appendix at the end of the PARANOIA does not require you to assign consult the tables in this book: book. As always, thank you for your your character an Alignment, a Nature, a cooperation. Demeanor, a Psychological Limitation, an 1 Kick-start the character creation process Arete or Angst or Sanity score, or a Myers- by choosing one character kit, a Briggs Personality Profile. The character prepackaged starting set of skill ratings, creation rules leave your PC’s personality specialties, weaknesses and suggested an empty vessel, a vehicle for your own service fi rm type and secret society. The
2 PARANOIA Criminal Histories How to create your character Photocopy the character sheet at the back of this book. Following these directions, fi ll it out in pencil, not pen!
Name format: First name — ROYGBIV security clearance initial — three-letter sector PARANOIAA designation — clone number. Ordinarily your #2)-).!, ()34/2)%3#2)-).!, ()34/2)%33 #(!2!#4%2 3(%%4#(!2!#4%2 3(%%4 clone number starts at 1 (the Prime), but, uhh, #ITIZEN ?????????????? ??? ????? ????????? don’t circle the 1 until you’ve fi nished the Prehistory .AME #LEARANCE 3ECTOR #LONE NUMBER #ITIZENS GENDER - & /THER 0LAYER ?????????????????????????????????????? Pachinko in Chapter 3. Not that anything could possibly -!.$!4/29 "/.53 $549 #HARACTER KIT ??????????????????????? /CCUPATION ???????????????????????????? 4EAM LEADER !DS BRANDING go wrong, you understand, but.... #OMM RECORDING !GENT PROVOCATEUR 3ERVICE GROUP FIRM TYPE FIRM NAME ????????????????????????????????????????????? %QUIPMENT GUY !LERTNESS OFFICER (APPINESS OFFICER &INANCIAL OFFICER 4ICS ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (YGIENE OFFICER -EDICAL OFFICER ,OYALTY OFFICER 0UBLIC RELATIONS Pick one character kit from those listed ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? in Chapter 1. Pencil in the default skill and specialty ratings. !#4)/. 3+),,3 -ANAGEMENT ??? 3TEALTH ??? 6IOLENCE ??? "OOTLICKING ????? #ONCEALMENT ????? !GILITY ????? #HUTZPAH ????? $ISGUISE ????? %NERGY 7EAPONS 6IOLENCE ????? The Gamemaster determines your character’s #ON 'AMES ????? (IGH !LERT 3CAM 2ADAR ????? $EMOLITION ????? occupation. This character sheet assumes (YGIENE ????? 3ECURITY 3YSTEMS ????? &IELD 7EAPONS ????? )NTERROGATION ????? 3HADOWING ????? &INE -ANIPULATION ????? your character is a Troubleshooter. If your )NTIMIDATION ????? 3LEIGHT OF (AND ????? (AND 7EAPONS ????? GM is using the Extreme PARANOIA rules -OXIE ????? 3NEAKING ????? 0ROJECTILE 7EAPONS ????? supplement, your character might be a vidstar, mad /RATORY ????? 3URVEILLANCE ????? 4HROWN 7EAPONS ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? 5NARMED #OMBAT ????? scientist, executive, or something else. ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? 6EHICULAR #OMBAT ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? Consult the tables in Chapter 2 to determine +./7,%$'% 3+),,33+),,,,,3, your service group and service fi rm type. (ARDWARE ??? 3OFTWARE ??? 7ETWARE ??? The GM will tell you which specifi c fi rm of that "OT /PS -AINTENANCE ????? "OT 0ROGRAMMING ????? "IOSCIENCES ????? type you work for. He may just designate a #HEMICAL %NGINEERING ????? # "AY ????? "IOWEAPONS ????? service group and fi rm for you based on your chosen %LECTRONIC %NGINEERING ????? $ATA !NALYSIS ????? #LONING ????? (ABITAT %NGINEERING ????? $ATA 3EARCH ????? -EDICAL ????? character kit. -ECHANICAL %NGINEERING ????? &INANCIAL 3YSTEMS ????? /UTDOOR ,IFE ????? The service fi rm tables come from the PARANOIA .UCLEAR %NGINEERING ????? (ACKING ????? 0HARMATHERAPY ????? 6EHICLE /PS -AINTENANCE ????? /PERATING 3YSTEMS ????? 0SYCHOTHERAPY ????? supplement Service, Service! If your GM doesn’t have 7EAPON !RMOR -AINTENANCE ????? 6EHICLE 0ROGRAMMING ????? 3UGGESTION ????? that book, ignore any result with an asterisk (*) and roll ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? again. ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ?????
#OPYRIGHT Ú %RIC 'OLDBERG AND 'REG #OSTIKYAN !LL RIGHTS RESERVED 0ERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOP(!00).%33 )3 -!.$!4/29(!00).%33Y THIS SHEET FOR PERSONAL USE 5NAUT )3HORIZED -!.$!4/29 USE IS TREASON PUNISHABLE BY TERMINATION There’s a long list of tics at the end of the book. Use them as inspiration in choosing your own two tics. Remember, a tic is by defi nition visible Optionally, you may take up to six common specialties (the areas of concentration and instantly recognizable within a few minutes listed under each skill). Each specialty you choose has a rating 4 higher than the of casual association with your character. governing skill. If you take a common specialty, take a compensating common weakness in the same skill. The weakness rating is 01. You have open ‘slots’ for six narrow specialties, one in each skill. Your kit includes Your Mandatory Bonus Duty may be a few narrow specialties. You can take the others now, or leave the slots open and assigned at the start of your mission or before defi ne them during play. Each narrow specialty has a rating 6 higher than the governing play begins. The six MBDs in the fi rst column skill, and no compensating weakness. are presented in the PARANOIA rulebook. Each PC in the game has a vital specialty related to this particular session’s premise. The six in the second column come from the Extreme This character sheet assumes your character is a Troubleshooter, which means his PARANOIA rules supplement. If your GM doesn’t have vital specialty is Energy Weapons. If your GM is using the Extreme PARANOIA rules that supplement, ignore these MBDs. supplement, your character might be a vidstar, mad scientist, executive, or something else. In that case you’ll have a different vital specialty in place of Energy Weapons, and you would treat Energy Weapons just like any other common specialty. Use your chosen character kit’s starting default Your vital specialty rating is equal to the governing skill’s rating plus 4. You can’t skill and specialty ratings. Ratings range take a vital specialty as a weakness, and it doesn’t count against your six common from 01 (terrible) to 18 (terrifi c). specialties. If you’re creating a character without a kit, roll Service group specialty: Select one common specialty from the list for your service 1d20 for each of your six skills, then halve the number group in Chapter 2. The specialty rating is 4 higher than the governing skill, and has rolled to get the rating; for results under 4, the skill’s no compensating weakness. Alternately, if the service group grants you a specialty rating is 04. Or you can allocate 40 points among the you’ve already taken, you can ‘bump up’ the existing common specialty’s rating by 4 skills (putting at least 4 in each one), or just make all (maximum 18). the ratings 07.
IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE A CRIMINAL BEFORE, JUST WAIT.... 3 Creating your PC (continued) The steps below relate to the back side of your character sheet, the secret side. Don’t let other players see this side! Of course you must show it to your Gamemaster if he asks. PARANOIAA To determine your character’s mutation, fi nd which play style your GM is using (Classic, #2)-).!, ()34/2)%3#2)-).!, ()34/2)%33 3(%%4 3%#2%4 3)$% Straight or Zap) and consult the appropriate -UTATIONS ????????????????????????????????? 2EGISTERED mutant power chart in Chapter 2. 3ECRET SOCIETY ??????????????????????????????????? $EGREE ???????????????? These charts use the expanded mutation rosters 0AST TREASONOUS ACTS ????????????????????????????????????????????????? in The Mutant Experience. If your GM isn’t using that ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? supplement, use only the top mutation chart for each style, and ignore the bottom chart. !TTRIBUTE RATINGS 0OWER ????????????? !CCESS ?????????????#,!33)&)%$ ?????????????#,!33)&)%$ 3%#2%4 3+),,3 #/.4!#43 %.%-)%3 ???????????????????? ????? .AME 3VC GRP .AME 3VC GRP Your character kit may suggest a secret ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? society. The GM may assign you that society ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? on the spot or may ask you to consult the secret ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? society charts in Chapter 2. ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? Your starting degree (rank) depends on the GM’s %15)0-%.4 chosen play style: Classic=1d20 divided by 4, Straight=1, 0ERSONAL0L !SSIGNED 4REASONOUS Zap=1d20. ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? Use Chapter 3’s Prehistory Pachinko to ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? determine your past treasonous acts. Record ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? them here along with the punishment codes for ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? your sad fate in case anyone fi nds out about ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? said acts. If you run out of space, attach a separate sheet. Think of it as your resumé. /4(%2 345&&/4(%2 345&& #REDITS !DDICTIONS 0ERVERSITY #URRENT MANDATES You don’t know your Power and Access 4REASON CODES AND EVIDENCE AGAINST OTHERS attribute ratings. But the Prehistory Pachinko in Chapter 3 may tell you to adjust these ratings. Record the total adjustments and report them 3%#2%43 !2% 42%!3/.3%#2%43 !2% 42%!3/. to your GM, who will take it from there. 1UESTIONS RULESMASTERS MONGOOSEPUBLISHINGCOM s &IND MORE 0!2!./)! MATERIAL OF SURPRISING BRILLIANCE AND DEPTH AT WWWMONGOOSEPUBLISHINGCOM s 3HEET DESIGN BY -ICHAEL 0URGAR
Pick three skills from the Secret skills chart in Chapter 2: one Uncommon skill, one Unlikely Consult the consolidated equipment lists in Chapter 2 to buy personal and and one Unhealthy. Rating for Secret skills not treasonous equipment with your starting credit allotment. But wait until you’ve on the regular non-secret specialty list=1d20. run through the Prehistory Pachinko in Chapter 3, because the tables there For regular specialties: governing skill +4. If you already might bestow all manner of great and/or incredibly perilous stuff. Or bankrupt have that specialty or weakness, don’t change the you, one or the other. existing rating. Starting credits=1,000cr, unless your GM tells you different. The Prehistory Pachinko in Chapter 3 may adjust that total for good or ill. The Prehistory Pachinko in Chapter 3 will generate a number of people from your Starting Perversity points=25, plus up to 10 more if you selected two past, who may or may not like you, but who recognizable and unique tics. These are your Perversity points, not your character’s, remember you and what you did. Write their and will stick with you through thick and thin no matter how many PCs you kill off. names and service groups in your Contacts and Treason codes are letter-number combinations the GM may politely order you to Enemies lists. Who knows? You (or your teammates) record at various points during the mission. may someday bump into those old acquaintances.... You may develop various addictions during the Prehistory Pachinko process. Mandates are service group-specifi c instructions and authorizations presented in the Service, Service! supplement. Your GM may generously grant you one or more of these interesting mandates during play.
4 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 1. CHARACTER KITS INTRODUCTION
1: I know that guy!
A character kit is a starting point, an incomplete package of skill and specialty ratings you can Armchair Vulture take as a template when you create your own character. A kit can save time and offer ideas ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Wetware 05 when you’re fresh out of both. Management 09 Pharmatherapy 09 When you choose a kit, copy the ratings—in Bioweapons 01 pencil!—onto your character sheet. Then move Con Games 13 Oratory 13 on to the Prehistory Pachinko in Chapter 2 to Likely service fi rm type: Pocket Protector Interrogation 01 create your new character’s background. Intimidation 01 Refurbishers (CPU), History Purifiers The following kits all have Energy Weapons Pretend You Know Vulture Soldiers 15 (HPD&MC), Tech Support (TS). as the vital specialty. In other words, we’re Secret society taint: Anti-Mutant, Death assuming you’ll use these for Troubleshooters. Stealth 06 Leopard, PURGE (in Classic or Zap games If your Gamemaster has purchased the fi ne Violence 06 only) PARANOIA supplement Extreme PARANOIA Energy Weapons 10 Description: Vultures rule! I read and and is running a game with different characters, Fine Manipulation 10 watch everything about them, and I buy all such as vidstars or R&D mad scientists, delete Unarmed Combat 01 their stuff on C-Bay! I’m their biggest fan! You Energy Weapons and substitute a more KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES want to know about their brilliant quintuple appropriate vital specialty. pincer attack? Why not? Well, I’m going to We have suggested service group and secret Hardware 06 be one someday—you just watch! Will too! society taints to expedite quick character Habitat Engineering 10 They’ll recruit me. I even met them once! No, creation. These are only guidelines, not Weapon and Armor Maintenance 01 seriously! We know each other, and we trade rules, so use whatever firm or society fits Software 08 C-mails every so often. Not all the time, but your mission. Also, because we intend these C-Bay 12 enough. Really! kits to be stepping stones and not complete Vehicle Programming 01 characters, we’ve only included one or two Recite Downloaded Vulture Squadron Statistics narrow specialties. You can come up with the From Memory 14 others. We’re kinda tired.
WONDER HOW MANY CITIZENS REALLY WERE BUILT FROM A KIT? 5 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Battery Licker Bodyguard Bot Lover
ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Management 04 Management 05 Management 06 Convince Others A Device’s Batteries Need To Be Intimidate Someone By Being Really Quiet And Bootlicking 10 Changed 10 Still 11 Interrogation 01 Stealth 08 Stealth 07 Convince People To Let You Play With Their Security Systems 12 High Alert 11 Bots 12 Sleight of Hand 12 Sneaking 01 Stealth 06 Concealment 01 Spot Someone Who’s Carrying A Concealed Surveillance 10 Shadowing 01 Weapon 13 Shadowing 01 Violence 06 Violence 10 Violence 05 Energy Weapons 10 Energy Weapons 14 Energy Weapons 09 Fine Manipulation 10 Vehicular Weapons 14 Projectile Weapons 01 Agility 14 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Unarmed Combat 14 Hardware 10 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Field Weapons 01 Bot Ops and Maitenance 14 Hardware 10 Projectile Weapons 01 Electronic Engineering 14 Electronic Engineering 14 Thrown Weapons 01 Habitat Engineering 01 Weapon and Armor Maintenance 14 Weapon and Armor Maitenance 01 Chemical Engineering 01 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Combine Different Parts Of Bots That Normally Nuclear Engineering 01 Hardware 06 Wouldn’t Go Together 16 Install Batteries The Wrong Way So They Don’t Weapon and Armor Maintenance 10 Software 09 Lose Power 16 Vehicle Ops and Maintanance 10 Bot Programming 13 Software 04 Chemical Engineering 01 Operating Systems 13 Habitat Engineering 01 Wetware 08 C-Bay 01 Biosciences 12 Software 04 Financial Systems 01 Outdoor Life 01 Wetware 08 Wetware 04 Likely service firm type: Fuel Cell Medical 12 Replenishment (PS), Fuel Cell Replenishment Psychotherapy 01 Likely service firm type: RoboPsych (TS), any Power Services fi rm. Likely service firm type: Bodyguard Auditing (R&D), Bot Processing (R&D), any Secret society taint: Mystics Communication Liaisons (AF), any IntSec Tech Services fi rm Description: There’s something absolutely fi rm. Secret society taint: Corpore Metal (duh), yummy about a battery. Just place it against Secret society taint: Communists, Free Humanists the tongue and zap! Oooh! That felt funny, Enterprise, PURGE Description: Oh boy, is there anything haha! Still, it’s not easy maintaining your Description: Roger that, he just entered the cooler than bots? I love my little metal hobby. Batteries are everywhere, but they need building. My job? I’m happy with it, of course. buddies—especially their insides. Have you to be removed from whatever device is using I spend most of my time driving these people seen the wiring inside a Model KH-4 scrubot? them—and quickly, before all the wonderful around and keeping my weapons and armor Or the pattern recognition code in a TR7200 juice is gone! Weapons have the best batteries, up to spec, but it all depends on who I’m spybot? Magnifi cent! Circuit boards and fi le but not when they’re leaking. That stuff inside protecting, you know? Guarding that INDIGO folders are so much easier to deal with than a battery tastes nasty. R&D scientist was a bit scary, if you get what citizens. I mean, have you seen when a human I mean. You wouldn’t believe the things I was bruises or bleeds? It’s just gross. told to forget. Now that GREEN vidshow girl? She was a good boss. I gave up a clone for her without hesitation because— Hold on. What hoverbot? Say again, who’s inside the building? Uh-oh. I gotta run.
6 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 1. CHARACTER KITS CLUED-IN SCIENTIST
C-Bay Jockey Clueless Scientist Clued-in Scientist
ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Management 08 Management 04 Management 08 Con Games 12 Convince Someone Your New Experiment Is Bootlicking 12 Oratory 01 Perfectly Safe 10 Moxie 12 Maintain Spotless C-Bay Feedback Rating 14 Stealth 05 Hygiene 01 Stealth 04 Oratory 01 Violence 07 Blame Another Scientist For Your Failed Violence 05 Energy Weapons 11 Experiments 14 Energy Weapons 09 Demolition 11 Read A PDC While Walking Without Tripping 11 Agility 01 Stealth 08 Avoid Being Hurt In An Explosion By Not High Alert 12 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Noticing It 13 Shadowing 01 Hardware 07 Violence 07 Habitat Engineering 11 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Energy Weapons 11 Nuclear Engineering 01 Hardware 08 Agility 11 Software 10 Mechanical Engineering 12 Fine Manipulation 01 C-Bay 14 Electronic Engineering 12 Run Away Real Fast 13 Nuclear Engineering 01 Data Search 14 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Financial Systems 14 Weapon and Armor Maintenance 01 Data Analysis 01 Software 08 Hardware 08 Hacking 01 Data Analysis 12 Mechanical Engineering 12 Operating Systems 01 Operating Systems 12 Electronic Engineering 12 Bot Programming 01 Habitat Engineering 01 Wetware 06 Vehicle Ops and Maintenance 01 Suggestion 10 Data Search 01 Outdoor Life 01 Wetware 08 Software 05 Likely service firm type: MemoMax Biosciences 12 Wetware 04 Quality Assurance (TS), Fuel Rod Disposal Medical 01 Likely service fi rm type: Any except R&D Consultants (PS), Field Logistics Advisors Likely service firm type: Clone Tank fi rms. Go fi gure. (PLC), Blast Shield Maintenance (AF). Support Services (TS), Food Vat Control Secret society taint: Illuminati, Pro Tech Secret society taint: Free Enterprise, Pro (PLC), any R&D fi rm. Description: No one really wants an Tech Secret society taint: Pro Tech by choice, experiment to succeed--not really. Sure, they’ll Description: Buying is mandatory, but it’s many others without knowing it pour credits into it and get excited. But deep also—bid is 25cr? Too high, pass—it’s also a Description: Boy, working on experiments down they want me to fail so they can blame great hobby! Selling too! That’s why... oooh! for The Computer sure is swell! I get to play me for lots of stuff. Hey, two can play that Limited edition Battle of the Four Sectors B3 with all kinds of nifty electronics, Software game. That’s why other scientists don’t like can? Bid 539cr... That’s why I’m always bidding and even biological agents! BOOOOM! Huh? working with me anymore--they’re the ones on and auctioning off. It helps—try and outbid What was I saying? My experiments don’t who get blamed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I me, will you? Bid 321cr—it helps the Alpha always work—CRASH!—but that’s okay. The have to rig this experimental bot to look like Complex economy, and ... oh yeah, gotta Computer knows I’m trying--SMASH!--and it works. remember to ship that ‘I Love PLN Sector’ hat that’s the important part. Where did all this today ... and it, er, what was I saying? Oooh! broken glass come from? Oh well. Back to A mint-condition ‘Best Good Happy Sector work! KABOOOOM! Hour’ mug? Bid bid BID! That’s why I had to upgrade the dormitory data line. Not enough bandw— fi ne, bid 549cr then! I’m sorry, what?
DO YOUR DUTY. 7 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Fleshy Docbot Form Fanatic
ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Management 07 Management 08 Intimidation 11 Interrogation 12 Moxie 01 Intimidation 12 Frighten Citizens With Complicated Medical Bootlicking 01 Terms 13 Oratory 01 Stealth 05 Stealth 08 Switch Medicines When No One’s Looking 11 Sleight of Hand 12 Violence 05 High Alert 01 Energy Weapons 09 Violence 04 Fine Manipulation 09 Energy Weapons 08 Thrown Weapons 01 Give Really Wicked Papercuts 10 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Hardware 04 Former Vulture Hardware 05 Software 09 List The Form(s) Needed To Repair Financial Systems 13 ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Something 11 Hacking 01 Management 09 Software 10 Data Analysis 14 Wetware 10 Intimidation 13 Data Search 14 Biosciences 14 Con Games 01 Financial Systems 14 Medical 14 Motivate People By Screaming At Them 15 Bot Programming 01 Pharmatherapy 14 Stealth 04 Cloning 01 Hacking 01 Outdoor Life 01 Violence 10 Vehicle Programming 01 Suggestion 01 Energy Weapons 14 Wetware 05 Field Weapons 14 Likely service fi rm type: Medical Services Likely service fi rm type: Form Facilitators Projectile Weapons 14 (TS), Bodyguard Communication Liaisons Vehicular Combat 14 (CPU), Form Inventory Offi cers (CPU), Form (AF). Agility 01 Disposal Advisers (CPU), Biological Niceness Secret society taint: FCCC-P, Frankenstein Demolitions 01 Indexers (R&D). Destroyers Fine Manipulation 01 Secret society taint: Computer Phreaks, Description: Stop crying. It’s to stop the cut Ignore Pain If In Combat, Cry Like A Baby FCCC-P, Humanists from getting infected. Now keep this wrapped Outside Combat 16 Description: Mark my words. One day we around the wound for a week—no peeking. will have a form for everything, and on that day, Now, will that be plasticred, PayNow or KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Alpha Complex’s full potential will be realized. KwikCredit? Yes, you have to pay. Because Hardware 08 Why? Because forms are amazing. Just the I need the credits to buy more bandages, Weapon and Armor Maintenance 12 hint of several forms can get certain clones medicine and other stuff like that. Habitat Engineering 01 to divulge information they normally wouldn’t. Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be? I thought Software 04 You need something? Fine, but please fi ll so. That’s why I injected some gonhorreactin in out this form. I made it myself; it will increase Wetware 05 you along with the antibiotics. Pay and I’ll inject intra-team communication effi ciency by at least Bioweapons 09 the antidote, or die here and I’ll take out the Medical 01 40%. Don’t want to fi ll it out? Then I guess you value in organs. Thanks, and stay healthy! don’t need to know where our debriefi ng will Likely service fi rm type: Vulture Squadron be held.... Recruiters (AF), Crowd Control (AF), BLUE Good, but press hard—you’re making fi ve Room Caterers (PLC). copies. Secret society taint: Anti-Mutant, Death Leopard, Frankenstein Destroyers Description: Stupid Junior Citizens. Why did they have a fi eld trip to a Vulture Squadron testing range? I think they deserved it! But now I’m busted down to RED and kicked out of Vulture Squadron. Oh yes, someone will pay. Not necessarily the people who demoted me. Anyone will do, especially if they’re weaker than me. You! Get over here! Is that B3 can empty? No? THEN WHY DID YOU THROW IT OUT?! [ZAP!] Ahh, I feel better now.
8 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 1. CHARACTER KITS KLEPTOMANIAC
Gearhead Just About Dead Kleptomaniac
ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Management 06 Management 04 Management 06 Chutzpah 10 Con Games 08 Chutzpah 10 Hygiene 01 Intimidation 08 Moxie 01 Get NPCs Excited Over New Autocars 12 Moxie 01 Look Innocent 12 Stealth 04 Bootlicking 01 Stealth 10 Violence 07 Stealth 06 Concealment 14 Energy Weapons 11 Disguise 10 Sleight of Hand 14 Fine Manipulation 11 Sneaking 01 High Alert 01 Thrown Weapons 01 Violence 06 Security Systems 01 Energy Weapons 10 Violence 07 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Energy Weapons 11 Hardware 10 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Unarmed Combat 11 Mechanical Engineering 14 Hardware 07 Agility 01 Vehicle Ops and Maintenance 14 Software 07 Fit More Things In Your Pocket Than Normally Habitat Engineering 01 Hacking 11 Possible 13 Weapon and Armor Maintenance 01 Data Analysis 01 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Squeeze A Few More Kilometers Out Of A Dead Mistake Alerts To Hacking Attempts As Autocar Battery 16 Successes 13 Hardware 04 Software 08 Wetware 10 Software 08 C-Bay 12 Pharmatherapy 14 Data Search 12 Vehicle Programming 12 Cloning 14 Financial Systems 12 Data Analysis 01 Medical 01 Data Analysis 01 Operating Systems 01 Suggestion 01 Hacking 01 Wetware 05 Have No Clue About Your Own Abilities And Wetware 05 Likely service firm type: Vehicle Limitations 16 Likely service fi rm type: Inventory System Therapists (R&D), Armored Autocar Escorts Likely service fi rm type: Any, until the fi rm Updaters (PLC), Tool & Die Works (AF), any (PLC), Equipment Assembly Control (PLC), fi nds a reason to transfer him elsewhere. PLC fi rm. Consolidated Motorized Transport (TS). Secret society taint: Communists, Death Secret society taint: Computer Phreaks, Secret society taint: Corpore Metal, Pro Leopard, PURGE Death Leopard, Free Enterprise Tech Description: Oh, don’t worry. I can tell that Description: It’s not that I think everything Description: Don’t get me wrong, bots are GREEN goon is on the take. We’ll just bribe belongs to everyone. I just can’t help myself cool. Heck, an autocar is a bot! But you just him ... how do I know? I just do, all right? sometimes... oh, this? Yes, it’s your PDC. can’t compare a scrubot with a J-Type Autocar Then I can hack into The Computer using the Sorry about that. When I see something EX. Have you seen the engine in that one? terminal just past ... yes, I said The Computer. that’s so easy to take, it’s hard to resist. It’s Micro-fi nished cam shaft, gold battery wires, It’s okay! I do it all the time! Then we’ll disable like getting presents, sort of. Oh, here’s your seven cooling fans with independent power the locks on the jail cells, and we can rescue ME Card, too. systems—it’s enough to make a clone cry our comrades. Even fi les and data on AlphaNet. If someone with joy! But for pure power, you can’t beat the Hmmm? Oh, I meant ‘teammates’. Rescue didn’t want it taken, he should have put it G-Type Autocar EP. We’re talking zero to 80 in our teammates from jail. And if that goon somewhere secure. under 2.5 seconds! Man, I’d love to crack open doesn’t take our bribe, I can always sneak past Fine, I’ll upload the credits I took from your that one and get my hands in that engine. him as you make a distraction. account. But I’m keeping your identity, okay? What? Oh, yes sir! Autocar is fixed and ...What? washed. Have a nice day!
IT’S REGULATION SIZE ARMOR. ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE NOT TREASONOUSLY TALL? 9 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Offi ce Jerk On The Edge O Wise Janitor
ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Management 10 Management 04 Management 07 Bootlicking 14 Convince Others Small Coincidences Are Really Hygiene 11 Intimidation 14 One Huge Conspiracy 10 Bootlicking 01 Chutzpah 01 Stealth 09 Make Others Believe You’re Smarter Than Oratory 01 High Alert 13 Them 13 Find Tasks Another Worker Hasn’t Surveillance 13 Stealth 09 Finished Yet 16 Concealment 13 Security Systems 13 Stealth 07 Disguise 01 Shadowing 13 High Alert 11 Shadowing 01 Sneaking 13 Shadowing 01 Security Systems 01 Concealment 01 Violence 05 Violence 08 Disguise 01 Energy Weapons 09 Energy Weapons 12 Surveillance 01 Demolition 12 Violence 06 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Hand Weapons 01 Energy Weapons 10 Hardware 05 Boobytrap Your Own Stuff 14 Habitat Engineering 09 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Mechanical Engineering 01 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Hardware 04 Software 05 Hardware 05 Software 09 Wetware 08 Software 06 Data Analysis 13 Pharmatherapy 12 Hacking 10 Data Search 13 Suggestion 12 Financial Systems 01 C-Bay 01 Cloning 01 Wetware 08 Financial Systems 01 Psychotherapy 01 Pharmatherapy 12 Obscure And Useless But Legal Alpha Complex Make Anyone Worry About Getting Fired 14 Suggestion 01 Trivia 15 Likely service fi rm type: Entertainment Likely service fi rm type: Tech Support Wetware 05 Scouting Agencies (HPD&MC), Singalong (TS), 116 Emergency Systems (CPU), Field Likely service firm type: Termination Agents (HPD&MC), any CPU fi rm Data Collectors (R&D). Center Janitorial (IntSec), Treason Scene Secret society taint: FCCC-P, Humanists Secret society taint: Anti-Mutant, Mystics Cleanup (IntSec), Goo Cleanup (R&D). Description: Hey, you’re looking good! New Description: WHY IS EVERYONE Secret society taint: Illuminati, Mystics haircut? Whatever it is, you look fantastic! LOOKING AT ME? Description: When night falls and clones Listen, about those sales figures for last Okay, calm down. Take my medicine. It’s sleep, I come to life. While cleaning the fl oors weekcycle. They really need to go up—or just like my counselor said: People are not and dusting the desks, I read what you throw else I might need to fi nd a new fl oor salesman, out to get me. Mutants are rare, right? Same away or tried to delete. I know your secrets; I understood? with Commies and traitors. Still, one can’t be know many secrets. Do not bother looking for No! I’d never fi re you! You are too cool, my too careful. That’s why I rigged my PDC with me, for I will sink into the shadows. I shall come man! Remember that accident Franklin-R had enough plastic explosive to take me out with it. to you when the time is right. last week? Keep that in mind. Now go make Is that what I wanted to do? So confused.... Like when I need a few credits. Being a some cold calls, you great guy you! HEY! DON’T TOUCH ME! janitor isn’t exactly a high-paying gig. Gotta keep a sharp eye on people; they’re always trying to plant bugs. And spyware! Virtual bugs! For the love of FC, WHERE’S MY MEDICINE?
10 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 1. CHARACTER KITS REAR GUARD
Phreak Wannabe Rear Guard
ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Management 06 Management 09 Bootlicking 10 Bootlicking 13 Hygiene 01 Con Games 01 Speak Like A l33t h4x0r Or An Idiot 12 Explain Why You Should Follow Everyone Stealth 08 Else 15 Concealment 12 Stealth 09 Disguise 12 High Alert 13 Security Systems 01 Shadowing 13 Surveillance 01 Security Systems 01 Violence 04 Sneaking 01 Energy Weapons 08 Violence 07 Type Really, Rlleay Fast With Only One Or Two Energy Weapons 11 Erorrs 10 Agility 11 Vehicular Combat 01 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Pillhead Hardware 08 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Habitat Engineering 12 ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Hardware 06 Electronic Engineering 01 Management 05 Find Mechanical Problems Just Before Having Software 10 Intimidation 09 To Enter A Fight 12 C-Bay 14 Con Games 01 Software 04 Data Search 14 Stealth 09 Wetware 05 Hacking 01 Concealment 13 Cloning 09 Operating Systems 01 Sleight of Hand 13 Suggestion 09 Wetware 04 High Alert 01 Medical 01 Security Systems 01 Psychotherapy 01 Likely service fi rm type: News Services Hide Pills Under Your Tongue 15 (HPD&MC), Circuit Maintenance (PS), any Likely service fi rm type: Crowd Control CPU fi rm. Violence 05 (AF), Crowd Control (IntSec), Scientist Sanity Secret society taint: Communists, Corpore Energy Weapons 09 Checkers (R&D) Metal KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Secret society taint: Any at a very low Description: Behold, I am Lord of AlphaNet! degree My handle is ph33k1. Pretty cool, huh? I used Hardware 07 Description: No, you guys go on. Um— I Chemical Engineering 11 threes in place of the ‘E’s—that shows you how need to change laser barrels. You know, from Vehicle Ops and Maintenance 01 l33t I am! I am the Chown Master! so much fi ghting the Commies. My PDC? I dunno, where is it? Maybe ... Software 04 What? You want me to go in fi rst? I don’t think it’s hidden in my pants! Ha! I even own a Find Pharmaceutical Pages On Gray Subnets 10 that’s a good idea. First of all, you are sooo, SO Leet Jumpsuit, so now I look the part too! No Wetware 10 much better at shooting than me; remember system is secure, no encryption strong enough Biosciences 14 last time when you made that masterful shot to—crap. What is my password? Mumbo ... Pharmatherapy 14 from the hip? You know me, I’ll just screw it jumbo ... humbo ... dammit! Psychotherapy 01 up somehow. Suggestion 01 Maybe Ryan-R should go fi rst. He has the Likely service fi rm type: Drug Interaction biggest weapon. Testers (R&D), Slime Identifi cation (TS), Food Oh, thank you! Thank you! I’ll be right behind Vat Control (PLC). you, sir. I swear. Secret society taint: Mystics, Computer Phreaks (infi ltrating Mystics), Death Leopard (allied with Mystics), Mystics Mystics Mystics Description: Can’t talk. Need medicine. Where’s my pills? Gotta have pills. Yummy pills ... GET OUT OF THE WAY NOW! Need pills, want pills AHA FOUND THEM gulp aaaahhhh .... Much better. What did you need? I got some of that, but I got some Black Beauties that’ll do the job for half the price. All right.... um, is that half? It is? Great, thanks man. Just remember to stay off the TeaSir while on that stuff.
IGNORANCE IS BLISS. HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY. SEE HOW IT ALL WORKS OUT? 11 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Snitchaholic Stompy Loudclone TechnoMurphy
ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Management 08 Management 05 Management 08 Bootlicking 12 Intimidation 09 Hygiene 12 Moxie 12 Chutzpah 01 Intimidation 01 Hygiene 01 Get People To Speak Up 11 Stealth 07 Interrogation 01 Stealth 04 Security Systems 11 Pretend Not To Have Heard Stuff 14 Surveillance 08 Surveillance 01 Stealth 09 Sneaking 01 Violence 07 Shadowing 13 Violence 10 Energy Weapons 11 Surveillance 13 Energy Weapons 14 Unarmed Combat 11 High Alert 01 Field Weapons 14 Projectile Weapons 01 Sleight of Hand 01 Unarmed Combat 14 Violence 04 Agility 01 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Energy Weapons 08 Fine Manipulation 01 Hardware 04 Make Incredible Amounts Of Noise By Just Break Things By Trying To Use Them 10 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Walking 16 Software 04 Hardware 05 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Wetware 10 Software 07 Hardware 09 Biosciences 14 Bot Programming 11 Cloning 14 Data Analysis 01 Weapon and Armor Maintenance 13 Electronic Engineering 01 Outdoor Life 14 Download A Bot’s Audio/Visual Recording Pharmatherapy 01 Files 13 Software 06 Psychology 01 Wetware 07 Wetware 06 Suggestion 01 Cloning 11 Pharmatherapy 10 Likely service firm type: Any Power Suggestion 01 Suggestion 01 Services or Technical Services fi rm. Likely service firm type: Sensitivity Likely service fi rm type: Threat Assessors Secret society taint: Frankenstein Trainers (AF), Form Facilitators (CPU), History (AF), Threat Assessors (IntSec), Noise Destroyers, Psion, Sierra Club Purifi ers (HPD&MC), Storage Media Integrity Pollution Preventers (TS). Description: It’s not that I hate technology; Checkers (PLC). Secret society taint: Any at a low degree it seems to hate me. Watch this. I pick up my Secret society taint: Anti-Mutant, Computer Description: WHAT? Oh, ‘how’s work?’ The PDC, connect to AlphaNet— see? It crashed. Phreaks, FCCC-P Long-Range Ammunition Testing Grounds is Sometimes it’s convenient, like when I get Description: Those Phreaks are right; good work, I guess. Carrying all those cannon too close to the cameras in my dormitory. information wants to be free. I’m not a shells is hard, but I get to fi re them every now But I seem more connected with whatever snitch—I’m a freedom fi ghter! I liberate juicy and then. is the opposite of mechanical. Bodylogical? gossip from selfi sh clones who want to keep What? Yeah, it’s because of all the noise. I Humanology? Whatever the term, I’m just no information all to themselves. That’s why I’m lost my earplugs and—could you speak up? good with machines. good at skulking through darkened corridors— THANKS! Hmm? All right, but I really shouldn’t be downloading bot sensor recordings—even I lost my earplugs, so I can’t hear too good driving. —Oops. The autocar battery just died. taking on the occasional fi refi ght with those these days. I’m taking pills for the ringing, but Told you! who would keep information chained. So what still—WHAT? You can hear me a kilometer if I liberate the data to Internal Security for a away? Wow, must be nice to have GOOD few credits? It allows me to keep fi ghting the HEARING! good fi ght—to let data be mine! Er, I mean ‘free’! Let data be free!
12 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 1. CHARACTER KITS YOUR FUTURE BOSS
That Quiet Neighbor Your Future Boss
ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Management 04 Management 10 Creep People Out By Acting Really Normal 10 Bootlicking 14 Stealth 07 Chutzpah 14 Sneaking 11 Hygiene 14 Security Systems 01 Interrogation 01 Moxie 01 Violence 10 Oratory 01 Energy Weapons 14 Make A Compliment Sound Like A Putdown 16 Fine Manipulation 14 Hand Weapons 14 Stealth 09 Agility 01 Shadowing 13 Projectile Weapons 01 Surveillance 13 Concealment 01 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Sleight of Hand 01 Hardware 05 Violence 07 Teela’s Biggest Fan Mechanical Engineering 09 Energy Weapons 11 Vehicle Ops & Maintenance 01 Throw Other Employee’s Plans Into The Recycle Bin From Several Meters Away 13 ACTION SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Software 04 Management 07 Wetware 09 KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Bootlicking 11 Biosciences 13 Hardware 04 Hygiene 01 Medical 13 Pharmatherapy 01 Software 04 Stealth 04 Psychotherapy 01 Wetware 06 Violence 09 Dispose Of Corpses 15 Suggestion 10 Energy Weapons 13 Likely service fi rm type: Any CPU service Psychotherapy 01 Agility 13 fi rm Likely service fi rm type: Armed Forces Unarmed Combat 13 Secret society taint: PURGE or Corpore Friends Network (AF), 116 Emergency Fine Manipulation 01 Metal, but even they’re creeped out by this Systems (CPU), any HPD&MC fi rm. Projectile Weapons 01 one Secret society taint: Humanists, Illuminati, KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & SPECIALTIES Description: Sorry, I don’t know where my Psion Hardware 05 roommates are. They never came back from Description: Excellent suggestion, sir! their shift. Me? I’m just working with some Seems like you just saved the fi rm a lot of Software 09 Soylent RED. That’s why I have all these credits. Now if we could just fi nd a way to get C-Bay 13 stains on my jumpsuit and boots—it’s from the the others to follow your plan.... Data Search 13 soylent. I’ll get clean once I’m done chopping Me? You want me to train the others? I don’t Data Analysis 01 it all up. No, it’s not my service fi rm job, it’s know, I have so much work to do as it is. Those Vehicle Programming 01 more of a hobby. TPS cover sheets won’t print themselves. Then Find Teela Merchandise On Auction Sites 15 Of course you’re welcome to search my again, I’m the only one besides you who knows Wetware 06 personnel files... see? I’ve gotten several the plan well enough to train others. Hmmm. Pharmatherapy 10 commendations for being loyal and quiet. Yes, What if I trained the others to do your plan and Suggestion 01 I do move a lot. That’s because my roommates my cover sheets? Kill two Commies with one Know Insanely Obscure But Legal Statistics keep disappearing. shot, so to speak? About Teela 12 Say, talking in the hallway like this is so Why thank you, sir! I’ll get on that right Likely service fi rm type: Any (fanboys are rude. Would you like to come inside? Very away. everywhere) good—after you, sir. Secret society taint: FCCC-P, Romantics Description: Teela is the best ever! I’m president of the Teela Fan Club #4436, and I have all of Teela’s merchandise! The Teela hair locket, the Teela HotFun bowl, the Teela radon detector kit, even the limited edition Teela collectible spork! I had to fi ght off other clones to nab that one, and I’m always prowling C-Bay for more merchandise! I love Teela! Did you know her real name is Tella-O-MLY? I even got to meet her once! She’s even better in person, if that’s possible! Gah, I love her! LOVE!
WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TODAY? 13 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED 2. Tell us all about yourself These service fi rm tables incorporate all the service fi rms introduced in both the PARANOIA rulebook and in the supplement Service, Service! Firms new to Service, Service! are marked with an asterisk (*). If your Gamemaster doesn’t have that book, roll again until you get a service fi rm type without an asterisk.
■ Service group ■ Armed Forces ■ Central Processing Roll 1d20 to determine your service group. Unit (CPU) Then, unless instructed otherwise, consult the 1 Ammunition Fresheners 1 116 Emergency Systems table for your group to fi nd your service fi rm 2 Armed Forces Entertainers * type. The GM will tell you about your specifi c 2 Credit License Checkers fi rm before play begins. 3 Armed Forces Friends Network 3 Env. Effect Experimenters * 4 Bodyguard Comm. Liaisons 1 Armed Forces (group)* 4 E-Data / Hard Copy Printers * 5 Blast Shield Maintenance 2-3 Armed Forces (service fi rm) 5 Facility Surveillance Control 6 Crowd Control (Armed Forces) 4-5 Central Processing Unit 6 Form Disposal Advisors 7 Fitness Enhancers * 7 Form Facilitators 6-8 HPD & Mind Control 8 Fuel & Munitions Transport * 8 Form Gap Analysts * 9 Internal Security** 9 Historical Battle Reenactors * 9 Form Inventory Offi cers 10 Internal Security (service fi rm) 10 Memorial Maintenance * 10 Human Resource Outfi tters * 11-13 Production, Logistics & Commissary 11 Military Counseling * 11 Information Archivists * 14-15 Power Services 12 Military Parade Organizers * 12 Liability Limiters * 13 Post-Strategic Faulters * 16-17 Research & Design 13 Mandatory Break Monitors * 14 Sensitivity Trainers 18-19 Technical Services 14 Personal Legal Defense * 15 Threat Assessors (Armed Forces) 20 Industrial spy or saboteur*** 15 Pocket Protector Refurbishers 16 Tool & Die Works 16 Security System Installers * You serve in the Armed Forces proper, not 17 Very Special Forces * as an outsourced civilian contractor. Don’t roll 17 Summary Providers * 18 Vulture Squadron Recruiters for a service fi rm. Workers in Armed Forces 18 Venture Capital Consultants service fi rms are civilians, but often held early 19 Weapons Effect. Assessors (AF)* stints as Armed Forces grunts before their 19 Volunteer Collection Agencies 20 Other (see GM for details) current assignment. 20 Other (see GM for details) * Introduced in Service, Service! ** Write ‘Internal Security’ on the back of your * Introduced in Service, Service! character sheet. Roll again for another service group. You are a spy for Internal Security in that group. The second group is your ‘cover,’ the ■ HPD & Mind Control group everyone thinks you work for. You learn a service fi rm specialty from Internal Security, 1 Alpha Complex Charities * 11 News Services not your cover group. 2 Celebrity Emulators * 12 Public Hating Coordination *** You’ve been assigned to spy on or sabotage 3 Celeb. Lifestyle Documenters * 13 Registered Mutant Relations * another service fi rm in your group. Roll again to 4 Comprssd Housing Recyclers * 14 Sector Expansion Surveyors determine your group, then roll twice on its fi rm Entertainment Scouting Agencies Semantics Control table to get two service fi rm types. Your fi rst roll 5 15 determines who you’re spying for, the second 6 External Border Expanders * 16 Singalong Agents whom you’re spying on. (If you roll the same 7 History Purifi ers 17 Subliminals Police fi rm type both times, you’re spying on a direct rival fi rm of the same type.) You learn a service 8 Invalid Care Providers * 18 Temp. Inforest. Dmg Obfuscation * fi rm specialty from your original group, not your 9 Junior Happytime Prod. * 19 Trend Identifi ers cover group. You’ll collect a salary from both fi rms, assuming you survive a month. 10 Media Prod & Approval * 20 Other (see GM for details) * Introduced in Service, Service!
14 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 2. CHARTS AND TABLES SERVICE FIRM TYPE ■ Internal Security ■ Production, Logistics ■ Power Services & Commissary (PLC) 1 Border Control * 1 Alternative Energy Consortia * 1 Armored Autocar Escorts 2 Conspicuous Surv. Initiative * 2 Battery Backup 2 Artisan Unions * 3 Corridor Patrol Agents * 3 Burn Radius Assessors 3 BLUE Room Caterers 4 Crowd Control (IntSec) 4 Circuit Maintenance 4 Enforced Reclam. & Recyc. * 5 Encryption Breakers * 5 Executive Power Chauffeurs * 5 Equipment Assembly Control 6 External Security * 6 Fuel Cell Replenishmt (Power) 6 Field Logistics Advisors 7 Forensic Analysis 7 Fuel Rod Disposal Consultants 7 Food Vat Control 8 Glee Quota Adjutants 8 Latent Power Accumulation * 8 Free Market Food Consortia * 9 Gray Ops * 9 Odor Fresheners 9 Geological Resrce Procuremt * 10 Infi ltration Consultants * 10 Pwr Oscillation Professionals 10 Hydroponic Gardeners * 11 Physical Fitness Assessors * 11 Power Plant Protectors * 11 Inventory System Updaters 12 Public Relations Improvers * 12 Reactor Maintenance * 12 Micro-Warehousing Auditors * 13 Re-Educ. Client Procurement 13 Rout. Redundacy Regulators * 13 Obsolescence Enforcers * 14 Surveillance Operatives 14 Safe Atoms Initiative 14 Package Delivery Services * 15 Termination Center Janitorial 15 Sewage Reclamation * 15 Printing Offi ce Field Checkers 16 Thought Surveyors 16 Temperature Enforcers (Pwr) * 16 Quality Control Inspectors * 17 Threat Assessors (IntSec) 17 Transcendent Motive Energy * 17 Rec. Surplus Specialists * 18 Treason Scene Cleanup 18 Transit Services (Power) * 18 Storage Media Integrity 19 Unique ID Archivists * 19 Wire Supply Checkers 19 Warehouse System Inspectors 20 Other (see GM for details) 20 Other (see GM for details) 20 Other (see GM for details) * Introduced in Service, Service! * Introduced in Service, Service! * Introduced in Service, Service!
■ Research & Design ■ Technical Services
Agricultural Upgrade 1 Bedding Inspectors 11 Paint Control 1 11 Object Combinators * Engineering * 2 Bot Processing (Tech) * 12 Safety-Part Installers * Biological Niceness Peripheral Optimization 2 12 3 Clone Tank Support 13 Slime Identifi cation Indexers Assessors * Consolidated Motorized 3 Bot Processing (R&D) 13 Perpetual Motion * 4 14 Tech Support Transport (CMT) Cryptography 4 14 RoboPsych Auditing Fuel Cell Replenishment Temp. Optimization Developers * 5 15 (Tech) Enforcers (Tech) * 5 Death Ray Mapping * 15 Scientist Sanity Checkers 6 Lighting Maintenance * 16 Transit Services (Tech) * Singularity & Dimensional 6 Drug Interaction Testers 16 Maintenance Vending Machine Portal Disposal * 7 17 Observation Teams * Outfi tters * Explosive Formulation * Test Subject Trainers * 7 17 MemoMax Quality 8 18 Vermin Terminators * 8 Field Data Collectors 18 Vehicle Therapists Assurance Weapon Effectiveness 9 Medical Services 19 Waste Reduct. Monitors * 9 Goo Cleanup 19 Assessors (R&D) 10 Noise Poll. Preventers * 20 Other (see GM) 10 Mutation Suppression * 20 Other (see GM for details) * Introduced in Service, Service! * Introduced in Service, Service!
A FLASH-FRIED COMMIE IS A JOY FOREVER. 15 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Specialties list
Included for reference. For a list of specialties Demolition: How to use TNT without Vehicle Ops and Maintenance: taught by each service group, see page 18. killing yourself. At clearances below GREEN How to use and repair all vehicles: autocars, this skill is treasonous. crawlers, fl ybots, copters and Vulturecraft. ■ Action specialties Energy Weapons: Hitting someone Weapon and Armor Maintenance: with a laser, sonic weapon or blaster. Vital Sabotaging others’ weapons and armor, and specialty for Troubleshooters. You can’t keeping yours from being sabotaged. ■ Management take Energy Weapons as a weakness, and it doesn’t count against your six common ■ Software Bootlicking: How to ingratiate yourself specialties. with superiors. Field Weapons: Flamethrowers, gauss Bot Programming: Revising bot Chutzpah: Getting others to accept guns, tanglers and the ever-popular plasma instructions. doubtful statements through confident generator. C-Bay: Getting the best price buying and assertion, bluffi ng and unmitigated gall. Fine Manipulation: Lockpicking, selling on Alpha Complex auction sites. Con Games: Hoodwinking a citizen watchmaking, cutting the red wire one second Data Analysis: How to understand or bot through fast talk, spurious logic and before detonation. Computer-generated stuff. persuasion. This isn’t physical sleight of hand Hand Weapons: Hitting someone with a Data Search: Finding something useful (see Sleight of Hand under Stealth). force sword, grenade, neurowhip or truncheon, using The Computer. Hygiene: Maintaining cleanliness in or with primitive weapons. Financial Systems: How to transfer yourself, your surroundings, your teammates Projectile Weapons: Hitting someone credits safely for legitimate or criminal and innocent passersby. with a slugthrower, cone rifl e or other aimed purposes. Interrogation: Extracting useful weapon that uses ammunition. Hacking: Breaking into The Computer’s information from Commie mutant scum. Thrown Weapons: Hitting someone systems. Really, what could go wrong? Intimidation: This doesn’t exactly with a grenade, brick or rock. Treasonous at clearances below GREEN. ingratiate you with your inferiors, but it gets Unarmed Combat: Hitting someone Operating Systems: Revising their cooperation. when you don’t have a hand, energy, projectile, MemoMax clone backup tech. Rewriting Moxie: Streetwise smarts; canny thrown or vehicular weapon. The Computer’s instructions. Treasonous at assessment of a person, situation or Vehicular Combat: Hitting someone clearances below BLUE. statement. with a weapon mounted on a vehicle. Vehicle Programming: Revising Oratory: How to get a bunch of people vehicle instructions. to do what you want. ■ Knowledge specialties ■ Wetware ■ Stealth Just as all the Knowledge skills routinely overlap, one specialty can often bleed into Biosciences: Knowing what’s likely to Concealment: Hiding stuff on your another. Suggest something creative, and the mutate you and how. person or in your surroundings; also, spotting ever-thoughtful GM may generously allow it. Bioweapons: Engineering your own Black stuff others have hidden. Death or weaponized anthrax. Treasonous at Disguise: Wearing a higher-clearance ■ Hardware clearances below BLUE. jumpsuit or false mustache without looking Cloning: Repairing and operating the idiotic. Bot Ops and Maintenance: How to tanks that grow new and backup citizens. High Alert (Scam Radar): Awareness operate and fi x docbots, guardbots/warbots, Operating MemoMax backup devices so the of common techniques for staging tricks, traps jackobots, scrubots and vehicle autopilots. new clone remembers his name and boot or ambushes. Not danger sense! Chemical Engineering: Lots of uses size. Security Systems: Jiggering locks for this, but somehow PCs always want to use Medical: How to heal the injured and and alarms. it to make explosives. cure the sick, or ensure they don’t heal or Shadowing: Following someone without Electronic Engineering: How to string get cured. being noticed. together circuits and microprocessors. Outdoor Life: Telling a tree from a weed, Sleight of Hand: Palming and pocketing Habitat Engineering: Knowledge of or a bird from an elephant, when most citizens small things without being noticed. the air, communication, transport, power, have never heard of these. Sneaking: Moving around without being water and waste systems. Mighty handy when Pharmatherapy: Ensuring wakefulness, followed or noticed. you need to fi nd a ventilation shaft to escape sleepiness, happiness or any mental state Surveillance: How to bug things. How incoming fi re. through the application of little pills. to debug things. Mechanical Engineering: How Psychotherapy: Recognizing insanity; to make really neat Rube Goldberg-type helping others recover from it or descend ■Violence contraptions. further into it. Nuclear Engineering: How to operate Suggestion: Biochemical and Agility: Rapid or balanced movement, a reactor without fl ooding half the sector with psychological techniques of subliminal gymnastics, jumping. radioactive waste. persuasion.
16 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 2. CHARTS AND TABLES MUTATIONS Mutant power These double-sized tables come from the fi ne PARANOIA rules supplement The Mutant Experience. These three pairs of mutation tables are suited to the three play styles presented in the main rulebook: Classic (the Computer monitor), Straight (the eyeball) and Zap (the smoking boot). Each style includes two tables. Choose either table appropriate to your game’s style. If you don’t want to decide, roll 1d20: On a result of 1-10, use the fi rst (upper) table for your play style; on 11-20, use the second (lower) one. After you select a table, roll 1d20 a second time to pick a power from that table. If your Gamemaster doesn’t have The Mutant Experience, then use only the top table under each play style. All the new powers are on the bottom tables. Ponder what you can never have, eat your heart out, and encourage your GM to buy The Mutant Experience. CLASSIC STRAIGHT ZAP
■ Roll 1-10: Classic table 1 ■ Roll 1-10: Straight table 1 ■ Roll 1-10: Zap table 1 1 Charm 1 Adhesive Skin 1 Absorption 2 Corrosion 2 Adrenalin Control 2 Chameleon 3 Detect Mutant Power 3 Bureaucratic Intuition 3 Charm 4 Electroshock 4 Charm 4 Desolidity 5 Empathy 5 Death Simulation 5 Electroshock 6 Energy Field 6 Deep Thought 6 Energy Field 7 Hypersenses 7 Electroshock 7 Growth 8 Levitation 8 Empathy 8 Levitation 9 Machine Empathy * 9 Energy Field 9 Machine Empathy * 10 Matter Eater 10 Hypersenses 10 Matter Eater 11 Mental Blast 11 Machine Empathy * 11 Mental Blast 12 Polymorphism 12 Matter Eater 12 Polymorphism 13 Puppeteer 13 Mechanical Intuition 13 Puppeteer 14 Pyrokinesis 14 Mental Blast 14 Pyrokinesis 15 Regeneration 15 Pyrokinesis 15 Regeneration 16 Slippery Skin 16 Regeneration 16 Shrinking 17 Telekinesis 17 Rubbery Bones 17 Telekinesis 18 Teleportation 18 Toxic Metabolism 18 Teleportation 19 Uncanny Luck 19 Uncanny Luck 19 Transmutation 20 X-Ray Vision 20 Ventriloquist 20 X-Ray Vision
■ Roll 11-20: Classic table 2 ■ Roll 11-20: Straight table 2 ■ Roll 11-20: Zap table 2 1 Call Bots 1 Adaptive Metabolism 1 Acidic Spit 2 Chromativariation 2 Call Bots 2 Bouncy 3 Creeping Madness 3 Clean Slate 3 Chromativariation 4 Environmental Control 4 Creeping Madness 4 Creeping Madness 5 Gravity Manipulation 5 Environmental Control 5 Cryokinesis 6 Haze 6 Find Location 6 Enervating Darkness 7 Hyperrefl exes 7 Forgettable 7 Gravity Manipulation 8 Jump! 8 Haze 8 Haze 9 Light Control 9 Hyperrefl exes 9 Hyperrefl exes 10 Magnetize 10 Jump! 10 Jump! 11 Pouches 11 Light Control 11 Magnetize 12 Push Mutant Powers 12 Mind Sense 12 Radioactivity 13 Radioactivity 13 Pouches 13 Scream 14 Scream 14 Psychometry 14 Sculpt 15 Sculpt 15 Push Mutant Powers 15 Second Skin 16 Second Skin 16 Radioactivity 16 Speed 17 Speed 17 Second Skin 17 Spikes 18 Spikes 18 Speed 18 Stasis 19 Stench 19 Stench 19 Stench 20 Stretchy 20 Stretchy 20 Stretchy
* Having this mutant power is grounds for immediate and lasting execution.
CRANIUM SHAPE MAY INDICATE MUTANT ABILITY. 17 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Secret society tables Roll 1d20 and fi nd the table for your service group. The entry beside the number you rolled is your secret society. If the entry has an asterisk, see the key below.
■ Secret society table key * Write ‘Illuminati’ on the secret section of your character sheet. Roll the die again to fi nd a second, ‘cover’ society. You are an undercover agent for the Illuminati in this society. ** You’ve been assigned to spy on another society. Roll twice more. Your fi rst roll determines who you’re spying for, the second whom you’re spying on. If you roll a 20 again, the group you’re spying on assigns you to spy on a third society. Roll enough 20s and you could be spying on the entire Complex. Good luck keeping your cover stories straight.
■ Armed Forces ■ HPD & Mind Control ■ PLC ■ R&D 1-3 Anti-Mutant 1-2 Anti-Mutant 1-5 Free Enterprise 1-3 Computer Phreaks 4-6 Death Leopard 3-4 FCCC-P 6-9 Humanists 4-6 Corpore Metal 7-9 Frankenstein Destroyers 5-7 Humanists 10-11 Mystics 7-9 Pro Tech 10-12 PURGE 8-11 Romantics 12-13 Romantics 10-12 Psion 13 Communists 12-13 Sierra Club 14 Communists 13-15 PURGE 14 FCCC-P 14 Communists 15 Pro Tech 16 FCCC-P 15 Free Enterprise 15 Mystics 16 Psion 17 Communists 16 Pro Tech 16 Psion 17 Sierra Club 18 Illuminati * 17 Psion 17 PURGE 18 Illuminati * 19 Other (see GM for details) 18 Illuminati * 18 Illuminati * 19 Other (see GM for details) 20 Undercover agent ** 19 Other (see GM for details) 19 Other (see GM for details) 20 Undercover agent ** 20 Undercover agent ** 20 Undercover agent ** ■ Technical Services ■ Power Services ■ CPU ■ Internal Security 1-2 Computer Phreaks 1-2 Computer Phreaks 3-4 Corpore Metal 1-4 Computer Phreaks 1-3 Anti-Mutant 3-4 Death Leopard 5-6 Death Leopard 5-8 Corpore Metal 4-6 Death Leopard 5-6 FCCC-P 7-8 Frankenstein Destroyers 9-10 FCCC-P 7-9 FCCC-P 7-8 Frankenstein Destroyers 9-10 Mystics 11-12 Sierra Club 10-12 Frankenstein Destroyers 9-10 Free Enterprise 11-12 Pro Tech 13 Anti-Mutant 13 Communists 11-12 Mystics 13-14 Psion 14 Communists 14 Free Enterprise 13-14 Pro Tech 15-16 Sierra Club 15 Pro Tech 15 Pro Tech 15-16 PURGE 17 Communists 16 Psion 16 Psion 17 Communists 18 Illuminati * 17 PURGE 17 PURGE 18 Illuminati * 19 Other (see GM for details) 18 Illuminati * 18 Illuminati * 19 Other (see GM for details) 20 Undercover agent ** 19 Other (see GM for details) 19 Other (see GM for details) 20 Undercover agent ** 20 Undercover agent ** 20 Undercover agent **
Service fi rm specialties At your job, your service fi rm trained you in one other common specialties, with a rating 18). The enhancement has no effect on common skill specialty. Choose your service 4 higher than the governing skill. You existing skill weaknesses. firm specialty from the following list. Your don’t suffer a compensating weakness chosen specialty enhances your character in for your new service fi rm specialty. For your convenience service firm one of two ways: specialties are labeled with their governing skill 1 Bumped: You instead choose to (M=Management, St=Stealth, V=Violence, 1 New and improved: From your service enhance one of the six common H=Hardware, So=Software, W=Wetware). fi rm’s authorized list you choose a new specialties you chose earlier. The ‘free’ skill specialty different from, and in enhanced specialty must be on your 1 Armed Forces: Demolition (V), Energy addition to, the six you (optionally) chose service fi rm’s authorized list. Add 4 to the Weapons (V), Hand Weapons (V), earlier. The new specialty works like enhanced specialty’s rating (maximum [continued on page 19] 18 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 2. CHARTS AND TABLES SECRET SKILLS Secret skills If your secret society requires you to learn a specifi c Secret skill, it appears in bold print on the society’s line in this table. Skills not in bold print are recommended but not mandatory. If you don’t like a recommended skill, pick one from another society, or invent your own skill and submit it to the GM for approval.
Society Uncommon Unlikely Unhealthy * Anti-Mutant Power Studies Comic Book Trivia Twitchtalk Computer Phreaks Cash Hacking Jargon Hacking, programming skills Communists Demolition Tractor Maintenance Propaganda * Corpore Metal Cyborging Botspotting Bioweapons Death Leopard Demolition Action Movies, Partying Gambling FCCC-P Alpha Complex History priestly skills Meeting Machine Empaths Frankenstein Destroyers Demolition toolmaking skills programming skills Free Enterprise Haggling Advertising & Marketing Bribery, Forgery Humanists Marital Arts [sic] hobbies, languages Old Reckoning Cultures Illuminati ——————————— skills taught by your cover society —————————— Mystics Drug Procurement Meditation, Partying Old Reckoning Drugs Experimental Equipment Repair/ Pro Tech Maintenance Video Games WMD Psion Power Studies Comic Book Trivia Twitchtalk PURGE Demolition Gloating Bioweapons, Twitchtalk Romantics Archival Studies Cooking, Knitting, music Old Reckoning Cultures Birdwatching, Botany, Sierra Club Survival, Wild Lore, Travel Spoor Recognition, etc. Bioweapons
* Each society also has a specifi c Propaganda skill, an Unhealthy skill that is unique and differs from all other societies’ versions of the skill.
Service fi rm specialties (continued) [continued from page 18] 1 Internal Security: Interrogation (M), Engineering (H), Nuclear Engineering Intimidation (M); Security Systems (St), (H). Projectile Weapons (V), Thrown Surveillance (St); Energy Weapons (V), Weapons (V), Unarmed Combat (V); Hand Weapons (V), Unarmed Combat 1 R&D: Chemical Engineering (H), Vehicle Ops and Maintenance (H). (V). Mechanical Engineering (H), Nuclear Engineering (H); Bot Programming (So), 1 Central Processing: Security Systems 1 PLC: Chutzpah (M), Con Games (M); Vehicle Programming (So); Bioweapons (St); Electronic Engineering (H); Bot Bot Ops and Maintenance (H), Habitat (W), Cloning (W). Programming (So), Data Analysis (So), Engineering (H), Vehicle Ops and Financial Software (So), Data Search Maintenance (H); Data Search (So); 1 Tech Services: Chemical Engineering (So), Vehicle Programming (So). Biosciences (W). (H), Electronic Engineering (H), Habitat Engineering (H), Vehicle Ops and 1 HPD&MC: Bootlicking (M), Chutzpah 1 Power Services: Data Analysis Maintenance (H); Bot Programming (M), Con Games (M), Moxie (M); Bot Ops (So), Data Search (So); Chemical (So), Vehicle Programming (So); and Maintenance (H); Pharmatherapy Engineering (H), Electronic Engineering Pharmatherapy (W). (W), Medical (W). (H), Habitat Engineering (H), Mechanical
TIME AND BRIEFING OFFICERS WAIT FOR NO CLONE. 19 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Equipment
This chart lists many items, their security Red (R) 1 Vague Hint of Guacamole (G) 3 clearance and their typical costs in credits. Orange (O) 3 Minty Breath-O-Fresheners, tin (O) 10 Prices vary with current production quotas, Invisible (illegal) 25 Vita-Yum Meal Substitute Bar (R) 2 The Computer’s current infl ation policy and Invisible revealer (G) 160 Vita-Yum Meal Substitute Bar Substitute other, even more boring reasons. Some of Pencil, disposable (O) 1 Pill (O) 5 these items are obtainable only on the illegal Sneakers, black w/red stripes (R) 120 IR Market, where prices vary wildly based on Sneakers, red w/black stripes (R) 220 ■ Hygiene and maintenance demand and on how stupid you look. Shoelaces, spare (O) 1 Every item has a security clearance below Sunglasses (O) 2 Bandages, self-stick, box of 25 (Y) 25 which it is illegal to possess the item without Chainsaw, electric (I) 100 specifi c authorization from The Computer. ■ Coms and multicorders Chapstick, Dynomint fl avor (G) 100 (Note that it routinely grants such authorization Comb, red (R) 5 to Troubleshooter teams when it deems the Com 1 (R) 100 Crowbar (Y) 10 item directly necessary to their mission.) 2 (Y) 500 Dental fl oss, 10m (O) 1 Possessing an item marked with a double 3 (G) 1,000 Hammer (O) 10 asterisk (**) below the listed clearance is 4 (I**) 5,000 Hottorch (R) 100 treason. In Straight games possessing an Multicorder 1 (R) 600 Instant Cleans-O-Spray (R) 50cr item without the double asterisk is merely 2 (G) 1,000 Lemonie-Moistened Towelettes, 20ct (R) 50 insubordination punishable by a fine. In 3 (I**) 5,000 Nail (I) 1 Classic or Zap games possessing the item 4 (V**) 10,000 Tella-O-MLY Pocket Mirror (R) 5 is treason. Multicorder programs (varies) 100 Note: If the Gamemaster doesn’t like PDC (R) 250 ■ Survival and technology something on this list, he’ll change it. ■ Drugs and recreation Bag, collapsible travel (G) 50 ■ KEY Binoculars (O) 50 Asperquaint (Tireless Servant) tablet (Y) 6cr Bullhorn, with MegaBooster! (R) 50 IR=INFRARED, (R)ED, (O)RANGE, Cancer-Lite Cigarettes (R) 6 Calculator (I) 10 (Y)ELLOW, (G)REEN, (B)LUE, (I)NDIGO, Cancer-Free Cigarettes (O) 8 Disposable lighter (I) 4 (V)IOLET, UV=ULTRAVIOLET FunFun Firecrackers (safe for all ages!) Fake RED laser barrel, non-op (illegal) 12 number = price in credits (R) 5 each Fake ORANGE barrel, non-op (illegal) 18 Gelgernine (Inner Happiness) tablet (R) 2 Fake YELLOW barrel, non-op (illegal) 27 ■ Bots Gelgernine aerosol spray (G) 200 Geiger counter (B) 100 Pyroxidine (Wide-Awake) tablet (R) 20 Lantern, electric (B) 20 Bot brain, used: 500; varies Pyroxidine capsule (R) 100 Magnifying glass, bifocal (G) 5 Combot (B**) 30,000 Rolactin (Happy Life) tablet (B) 50 Matches, box (B) 1 Docbot 1 (R) 1,000 Sandallathon (Sleepy-Sleepy) tablet (R) 1 Nightvision goggles (I) 300 Docbot 5 (B) 10,000 Visomorpain (Little Black Friend) tab (IR) 1 Plasticord, per meter (R) 1 Guardbot (G) 8,000 Xanitrick (Wakey-Wakey) tablet (IR) 1 Slide rule (Y) 10 Jackobot (O) 10,000 Yo-yo (lasts for hours!) (G) 20 Stopwatch (Y) 15 Petbot (IR) 400 Umbrella (V) 10 Robutler (Y) 2,500 ■ Food, drink and Utility knife multi-tool (B) 50 Scrubot (R) 1,000 consumables Teachbot (R) 1,000 ■ Vehicles Warbot Model 425 Mark 4 (UV**) not for sale Bouncy Bubble Beverage (choice of fl avors) Plain (IR) 1 Vehicle prices and availability vary. Rebates ■ Clothing and sundries Extra Classic (R) 2 possible. Dealer prep and options not Tastes Just Like Something Orange! (O) 2 included. FastDraw Executive laser holster (O) 90 R&D Experimental Flavor #71 (illegal) 10 Gas mask (R) 50 Chocolyke Puff Crunchers, can (O) 10 Autocar (R) 15,000 Hiking boots (B) 75 Cold Fun (3 fun fl avors: Pink, Brown, Vanilla) Copter (G) 75,000 Mittens, heat-resistant (O) 35 Single-serving cup (IR) 2 Crawler (Y) 50,000 Notepad (G) 1 Single-serving cone (R) 3 Flybot (B) 125,000 Pen (plastic, black stick, black ink) (IR) 3cr 5-gallon tub (O) 200 Transbot (O) 50,000 Pen (metal, black w/gold trim, red or black CruncheeTym Algae Chips Vulturecraft (B**) you can’t afford this ink) (R) 10cr Plain (IR) 1 Ink refi lls: Not Quite As Plain (R) 1 Black (IR) 1 Trippple Cheeze (Y) 3
20 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO INTRODUCTION 3. Prehistory Pachinko
An Alpha Complex citizen starts his industrious to skill ratings, reassignments to different keep using the Pachinko until the PC is and loyal life as a Junior Citizen in one of The service fi rms and similar changes, so make promoted to RED. This could happen in Computer’s thousands (millions?) of closed sure you have something to alter before going one try, or it could take over one million. and closely supervised creches. For 14 years, into the Pachinko. Fine, it’ll probably take several tries, but teachbots and HPD&MC teachers instruct him The tables tell you where to roll next, what statistically speaking it could take more in the myriad skills and mandates he needs to write on your character sheet, what each than one million. Could happen. to successfully integrate into Alpha Complex column means, etc. Just roll 1d20, fi nd the society and serve The Computer effi ciently, number you rolled on the table, and read 1 Method GM: Keep using the Pachinko safely and loyalty. On his 14th birthday, The straight to the right to get your results. For until the GM says stop. The GM can Computer assigns him to a service group as example, if you roll an 11 on the Generic Good also direct players to specifi c tables an INFRARED citizen. He gets a barracks Behavior table, you saved the life of a higher- regardless of where the roles say to assignment, a shiny black jumpsuit and boots, clearance clone and you get 500 credits. go next. Not much randomness in this a ME Card with 100 credits and a lot of drugs. Certain tables require you to roll for each option, but it does make sure you hit (He’s INFRARED, after all.) column in the table. For example, if you roll an the needed tables. Well, tables the GM Troubleshooters are usually at least 11 on the What Does This Button Do table, you wants, but that’s the same thing. RED Clearance. (Sometimes your GM pushed a brown button. Then you roll a second may run a campaign with higher-clearance time to fi nd out why you pushed it, and a third 1 Method Best: Yes, we think this is the Troubleshooters or with non-Troubleshooter time to see what happened. Such multi-roll best method. With this one, a player characters, especially if your GM has the well- tables are always clearly identifi ed. gets to decide how often to use the written and useful rules supplement Extreme Pachinko—until the GM says stop, of PARANOIA. Urge him to buy it today!) That ■ Rolling methods course. On completing every fourth leaves a lot of experience between the original trip through the Pachinko, if the PC INFRARED with that ‘just out of the creche’ How many times should you use the Prehistory hasn’t yet been promoted on this or smell and the halfway-seasoned citizen you Pachinko for a given character? Obviously, the previous three trips, then he is eventually play. for as long as the GM (who is always right) automatically promoted one security Your GM might ask you to spend hours wants. Need a little more direction? Here are clearance. Why do we like this one best? crafting a background and history for each some options. Because the Pachinko takes away as PC, explaining the character’s rise to RED (or much as it gives, if not more. Anything Method 18: Citizens leave the creche at higher) and creating friends, enemies and a 1 bad that happens is your fault, because 14, so use the Pachinko four times, one treason-fi lled past... but we doubt it. Unless you could have stopped at any time. for each year leading up to 18 years old. you’re playing a Straight series, your PC We’re willing to reward you just to keep It’s almost too neat. probably won’t survive and reappear in another you going. Operant player conditioning: mission, so why do all that work? 1 Method Clearance: Troubleshooters a key principle of PARANOIA. You leave the hard work to us. have to at least be RED Clearance. So
Presenting the Prehistory Pachinko!
With nigh-endless rolls of the ubiquitous 1d20 and these six dozen handy tables, you can create a detailed background for any character, player or non-player, in minutes! Start by rolling 1d20 on the Start Table. Then, like a silver ball bouncing down inside a pachinko machine, keep bouncing from table to table until you reach the end. Once there, you’ll have a character background laced with intrigue, secrets and more. Then you can start all over again, creating even more skeletons in your closet. Use the Prehistory Pachinko only after you have created your character. This system can bring small bonuses
‘PACHINKO’? MUST BE FROM ANOTHER ALPHA COMPLEX.... 21 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Roll 1d20 75 times and.... All the tables in the PARANOIA Criminal Histories Prehistory Pachinko use a single 20-sided die (1d20). Each time the Pachinko sends you to a table, which will happen eleventy-billion times, roll 1d20 and fi nd the number you rolled in the ranges listed in the table’s fi rst column. Then read across to the appropriate column to fi nd the result.
Table index Looks like you’re still growing. 1-4 Roll on the Improve Them Skills Action Specialties Drop 25 Table. Action Specialties Go Up 24 Someone’s been practicing! Approved Downtime Fun 36 Maybe your decanting went wrong. At Least I Have a Job 34 5-8 Roll on the Improve Them Specialties Table. 1-4 Roll on the Disprove Them Skills Balance The Equation 26 Table. Bit Parts on Vidshows 37 It’s not a layoff; it’s lateral work Disprove Them Skills 23 9-12 transitioning. Roll on the At Disprove Them Specialties 25 Least I Have A Job table. —Or maybe you’re just dense. Do I Look Fat? 23 5-8 Roll on the Disprove Them Eh... 22 Now that’s setting an example. Specialties Table. Either/Or 22 13-16 Roll on the Loyalty In Action Filed in the Big Round Folder 39 Table. For the Love of FC! 32 You sure love that ‘snooze button’. Generic Good Behavior 33 Aww, you made a friend. Roll on 9-12 Roll on the What’s A Layoff? Generic Inappropriate Behavior 32 17-20 the Someone Doesn’t Want To Table. Hairdo Voodoo 23 Kill You Table.
How Insane Are You? 38 WHO’S A GOOD CLONE? I Don’t Own This Equipment 35 Now that’s setting a non-example. 13-16 Roll on the Treason In Action IR Market 35 Table. Improve Them Skills 23 Improve Them Specialties 24 You done good. Roll on the Your New Allergy 38 1-6 They don’t seem happy to see Knowledge Specialties Drop 25 Who’s A Good Clone? Table. WHY YOU LITTLE TRAITOR! 17-20 you.... Roll on the Who Hates You Knowledge Specialties Go Up 24 This Time? Table. You done bad. Roll on the Loyalty in Action 32 7-13 My Toolbelt 39 Why You Little Traitor! Table. Now That’s Loyalty! 33 You done nothing. Old Injury 37 14-19 PLC Outlet Mall 35 Roll on the Eh... Table. (Your Gamemaster, if he gets involved in the Pachinko process, may redirect you to Secret society treason tables 26-29 START You done something... big. 20 another table in place of the result from Service group treason tables 29-31 Roll on the Either/Or Table. Some Specialties Drop 26 this table. He may fi nd it tiresome to track Some Specialties Go Up 25 your current weight and hairstyle, and of Someone Doesn’t Want to Kill You 34 course he is always right.) Start 22 Another vidshow documentary? Thing You Shouldn’t Know 38 1-4 Roll on the Useless Knowledge Treason in Action 26 Congratulations! 1-7 You are promoted one security Table. Useless Knowledge 36 clearance. What Does This Button Do? 38 Cafeteria food is soooo tasty! What Evidence? 31 5-8 Roll on the Do I Look Fat? Congratulations! What Experiment Ran Amok? 39 Table.
You are demoted one security EH... What’s a Layoff? 34 8-14 Scrubots can style hair, you clearance. If you were 9-12 know. Roll on the Hairdo Where’s My WMD? 39 INFRARED, nothing happens. Who Hates You This Time? 34 Voodoo Table. Who’s a Good Clone? 22 Congratulations! Bored. Take pills. Not bored! Why Do They Hate You? 34 15-20 You are terminated. 13-16 Roll on the Your Latest Why Do They Like You? 34 Increase your clone number. Addiction Table.
Why You Little Traitor! 22 EITHER/OR Idle hands are the traitor’s You Really Shouldn’t Have That 35 This Pachinko run has ended. 17-20 playthings. Roll on the Approved Your Latest Addiction 23 Return to the Start Table. Downtime Fun Table. Your New Phobia 37
22 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO THE START 1 Improve Them Skills 1 Disprove Them Skills 1 Your Latest Addiction 1 Do I Look Fat? 1 Hairdo Voodoo
Don’t raise any skill rating Don’t lower any skill rating below Don’t raise any skill rating higher than 10. Thank you for your 04. Thank you for your cooperation. higher than 10. Thank you for your cooperation. cooperation. You lose your shirt trying to win at You tell your boss how great she is, 1-3 Three Cups and a Lugnut. Gelgernine—you have greenish 1-3 and she actually believes you. –1 to Management. 1-3 saliva and poor memory. +1 to your Management skill. Your nickname at the service fi rm is ‘Stompy Loudclone.’ –1 to Stealth. Cool! You can fi t through air vents! 4-6 Sandallathon—you have the shakes 4-6 (If your character kit really is Stompy 4-6 +1 to Stealth. Loudclone, well, there you go.) and occasional anxiety attacks. Leaping 2 meters across a 3-meter You wrestled over the last Cold 7-9 Xanitrick—you have the shakes and 7-9 gap rather hurts. –1 to Violence. 7-9 Fun—and won. +1 to Violence. occasional sneezing attacks. You’re pretty sure the scrubot brush 10-12 you broke off will glue back.... So that’s what’s inside a PDC. Asperquaint—you have a weird 10-12 –1 to Hardware. 10-12 +1 to Hardware. facial twitch. While trying to send a C-mail, you You manage to stop giggling 13-15 place the winning C-Bay bid for 100 Pyroxidrine—you have strange 13-15 13-15 whenever someone says used B3 cans. –1 to Software. bruises and a sporadic death-wish. ‘WYSIWYG.’ +1 to Software. But the text didn’t say tourniquets Qualine—you are always way open Surely your roommate will forgive 16-18 aren’t for facial wounds! 16-18 16-18 your tampering with his medication, if –1 to Wetware. to reasonable suggestions. he revives. +1 to Wetware. That special soap from IntSec Bouncy Bubble Beverage—you That goo sure tasted funny, but you 19 tingles, but you feel great! 19 19 feel great! +1 to Power (tell your –1 to Power (tell your GM). burp and use the bathroom a lot. GM). Your image is ‘accidentally’ used for CoffeeLyke—you have the shakes Accidentally recording someone’s 20 the escaped traitor Monobomber. 20 IMPROVE THEM SKILLS 20 conversation can have its benefi ts. –1 to Access (tell your GM). and are very hyper. DISPROVE THEM SKILLS
+1 to Access (tell your GM). ADDICTION YOUR LATEST This Pachinko run has ended. Addictions lead to crime, so roll on the This Pachinko run has ended. Treason In Action table. Return to the Start Table. Return to the Start Table.
Loyalty in the front, treason in the back! You now have a mullet. Yes, but that’s because your jumpsuit 1-3 1-4 doesn’t fi t right. Roll on the PLC Outlet Mall +1 to Power (tell your GM). Go back to the Start Table. Table. It’s not boring, is it? You now have a boring crewcut. 4-6 –1 to Power (tell your GM). Go back to the Start Table. Yes, and that’s because you really are fat. 5-8 –1 to Violence. Go back to the Start Table. Punk rock lives, man! You now have a mohawk. 7-9 –1 to Access (tell your GM). Go back to the Start Table. Yes—suspiciously so. When was your last 9-12 DNA screening, citizen? Roll on the Why But shaved is the new cut! You are now bald. 10-12 You Little Traitor! Table. +1 to Access (tell your GM). Go back to the Start Table.
No! Not at all! You look fantabulous! +1 to I suppose some people still think it’s cool--somewhere. You now have a ponytail. 13-16 13-15 Management. Go back to the Start Table. Roll on the Who Hates You This Time? Table. Now that’s a hairstyle! You now have a short-back-and-sides. 16-18 No—you’re suspiciously skinny. When was Roll on the Someone Doesn’t Want To Kill You Table. your last Mandatory Soylent Consumption 17-20
DO I LOOK FAT? Party? Roll on the Why You Little Traitor! Who uses shampoo when you can use ‘product?’ You now have long, beautiful,
HAIRDO VOODOO 19-20 Table. curly locks of hair. Roll on the Either/Or Table.
WHAT SECURITY CLEARANCE IS THIS HAIRSPRAY? 23 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED 1 Improve Them Specialties IMPROVE THEM SPECIALTIES 1 Action Specialties Go Up Don’t raise any specialty rating higher than 18. Thank you for your cooperation. Knowledge Specialties Go Up 1-6 No time to study, I got stuff to do! Roll on the Action Specialties Go Up table. 1 7-12 No time to do stuff, I got to study! Roll on the Knowledge Specialties Go Up table. 13-18 Troubleshooters do stuff while studying. Roll on the Some Specialties Go Up table. 19-20 Did we say ‘improve’? Our mistake. Roll on the Disprove Specialties table.
Don’t raise any rating higher than 18. Thank you for your Don’t raise any rating higher than 18. Thank you for your cooperation. cooperation.
You can trust me! You do? Wow, that was easy! Having a bot as your only friend isn’t all bad. 1 1 Add 2 to Chutzpah. Add 2 to Bot Ops and Maintenance. Finally fi gured out Three Cups and a Lugnut was a con. Glass cleaner, Alka-Vescence, some boot polish for color ... it’s 2 2 Add 2 to Con Games. just like B3! Add 2 to Chemical Engineering. PLC accidentally gave you a jumpsuit that fi ts. You know that PDC you took apart and put back together? It 3 3 Add 2 to Hygiene. still works! Add 2 to Electronic Engineering. It was you who uncovered the Blanket Bandit in your dormitory. You got the air conditioning at just the right temperature. 4 4 Add 2 to Interrogation. Add 2 to Habitat Engineering. I wonder why that clone gave me his Cold Fun for free? Watching Tech Services repair a vendabot is more exciting that 5 5 Add 2 to Intimidation. it sounds. Add 2 to Mechanical Engineering. Glad it wasn’t you who stepped on the IntSec goon’s foot. No, heavy water would not make water balloons heavier to 6 6 Add 2 to Moxie. throw. Add 2 to Nuclear Engineering. Your speech on why Teela is the best vidstar ever was well Vrooom! There you go; it was just the battery. 7 7 received. Add 2 to Oratory. Add 2 to Vehicle Ops and Maintenance. Is that a PDC in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? defi ne {dirt == ORANGE citizens; startdirt:activate scrubber; 8 8 Add 2 to Concealment. stopdirt:no movement}. Add 2 to Bot Programming. You win your sector’s Dress Like Your Favorite Bot contest. You manage to fi nd a sucker willing to buy ‘Slightly used RED 9 9 Add 2 to Disguise. Boots—shoelaces extra.’ Add 2 to C-Bay. Wait, I read about this setup on the Gray Subnets.... You fi gured out which subsector is hogging all the Cold Fun. 10 10 Add 2 to High Alert (Scam Radar). Add 2 to Data Analysis. There! Now the biohazard alarm won’t go off every time you use Let’s see. Keywords ‘map uncensored RED briefi ng room.’ Hit 11 11 the bathroom. Add 2 to Security Systems. Enter and ... it worked? Cool! Add 2 to Data Search. So that’s where your roommate gets her IR Market pills. Plasticreds are so last cycle. Here, I’ll download the credits with 12 12 Add 2 to Shadowing. my PDC. Add 2 to Financial Systems. That’s interesting. Tell me more about why you hate your Thanks to you, that truckbot will now stop before running 13 13 supervisor. Add 2 to Surveillance. people over. Add 2 to Vehicle Programming. Played a lot of FunBall—and knew when to get out of the way of You wisely stayed away from the off-color Soylent. If only your 14 14 refbots. Add 2 to Agility. roommate was that wise. Add 2 to Biosciences. I’ll never mix B3, instant Hot Fun and pyroxidine again. Glass cleaner, Alka-Vescence, some boot polish for color ... it’s 15 15 Add 2 to Demolitions. just like B3! Add 2 to Bioweapons. I got it now. First the pilot light, then trigger the fl amethrower. And if the MemoMax warning light goes off, just hit it hard. That 16 16 Add 2 to Field Weapons. usually fi xes it. Add 2 to Cloning. So that’s how bandages are supposed to be used! 17 17 You are a master at Empty Bowl Fu. Add 2 to Hand Weapons. Add 2 to Medical. ACTION SPECIALTIES GO UP ACTION SPECIALTIES What does this do? Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Wow! Ahh! A tree! It’s gonna eat me! It’s gonna ... stand there? 18 18 Add 2 to Projectile Weapons. Add 2 to Outdoor Life.
You never miss a shot at the wastebasket—or your roommate. GO UP KNOWLEDGE SPECIALTIES See that twitch? It always happens before he goes on a killing 19 19 Add 2 to Thrown Weapons. spree, so I’ll be leaving now.... Add 2 to Psychotherapy. Drive and shoot? How about I just shoot? You played a vidshow backwards and found hidden messages. 20 20 Add 2 to Vehicular Combat. Add 2 to Suggestion. Go to the Balance the Equation table. Go to the Balance the Equation table.
24 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO SPECIALTIES 1 Disprove Them Specialties DISPROVE THEM SPECIALTIES 1 Some Specialties Go Up 1-6 You go on without me; I’m gonna take a nap. Roll on the Action Specialties Drop table. What has fancy book-learnin’ done for me, huh? Action Specialties Drop 7-12 1 Roll on the Knowledge Specialties Drop table. 1 Knowledge Specialties Drop 13-18 Troubleshooters aren’t selected on ability. Roll on the Some Specialties Drop table. 19-20 That’s cute—you’re expecting to go to an improvement table. Roll on this table again.
Note: If you lose points from a specialty you don’t have, then write down that specialty with a rating 2 points lower than the governing skill.
That’s the work of a mutant, and I would I’ll open the repair pan— bad bot! Leggo! Don’t raise any rating higher 1 1 than 18. Thank you for your know! ... oops. –2, Chutzpah. –2, Bot Ops and Maintenance. And I take your credits and run. No! I mean If it made you sick, it’d have a warning cooperation. 2 2 I invest them! –2, Con Games. label! –2, Chemical Engineering. Your supervisor loves Happy 3 Bathing is for losers! –2, Hygiene. Don’t stick that in a socket again. Shapey Chippies, and you own 3 1-2 –2, Electronic Engineering. a case of the stuff. Add 2 to You gotta tell me! Please? I’ll get in trouble 4 It’s all the same water, so I’ll drink from the Bootlicking. if you don’t! –2, Interrogation. 4 toilet ... yick! –2, Habitat Engineering. Tell me where he is or ... argh, I forgot my Nope, the bolt was under the 5 Got my hand stuck in a vendabot! Hello? trousers again. –2, Intimidation. 5 3-4 middle cup! Thanks for playing. –2, Mechanical Engineering. Next! Add 2 to Sleight of Hand. You honestly thought bathrooms had no 6 You love your new pet rock—it’s so warm! cameras. –2, Moxie. 6 –2, Nuclear Engineering. It’s amazing how easy it is to Friends! Citizens! Lend me your ... hey! 5-6 climb through the wiring ducts. 7 People drive and talk all the time, so it’s Come back! –2, Oratory. 7 Add 2 to Sneaking. AUGH! –2, Vehicle Ops and Maintenance. I’ll hide the cone rifl e in my jumpsuit—no 8 one’ll notice. –2, Concealment. One typo and your petbot demands credits Stop or I’ll shoot! Sorry, I lied. 8 for rolling over. –2, Bot Programming. 7-8 ZAP! Really, I’m an autocar! Beep beep! 9 Oooh! ‘Slightly used RED Boots— Add 2 to Energy Weapons. –2, Disguise. 9 shoelaces extra?’ I bid 300cr! –2, C-Bay. If we were being watched, we’d know it, right? It’s not treason if you pick your 10 If I’m reading this right, we cross this bridge –2, High Alert (Scam Radar). 10 9-10 own lock, right? and AAAaaaahhh.... –2, Data Analysis. Add 2 to Fine Manipulation. You swear that barracks motion detector 11 IntSec disliked your search for ‘secret hates you. –2, Security Systems. 11 society safehouse.’ –2, Data Search. You can punch, slap, kick and Hey, where’d he go? perform the Figure-Four Leg 12 Enter name, press Deposit... wait, where 11-12 –2, Shadowing. 12 Lock. Add 2 to Unarmed did my credits go? –2, Financial Systems. Combat. Can you speak into my collar? Um... no 13 The autohack won’t open up ’til you say reason. –2, Surveillance. 13 So I can scrub the inside of my ‘Pretty please.’ –2, Vehicle Programming. laser barrel to keep it from There’s a reason you get picked last in 13-14 14 Was that birthmark there before you touched jamming? Add 2 to Weapon Mandatory Exercise. –2, Agility. 14 the glowing mold? –2, Biosciences. and Armor Maintenance. Red wire, green, blue... oh, just cut any of 15 Hey, look! Somebody sent me a letter fi lled the—BOOOM! –2, Demolitions. 15 The Computer called me its with powdered sugar! –2, Bioweapons. 15-16 ‘bestest buddy ever?’ I agree, Shooting yourself with a tangler hurts! 16 You hacked your MemoMax backup. Now that’s odd. Add 2 to Hacking. –2, Field Weapons. 16
SOME SPECIALTIES GO UP SOME SPECIALTIES what was your name...? –2, Cloning. Taste my steely spoon of vengeance! It took a while, but ‘function waZ DROP ACTION SPECIALTIES 17 ...oops. –2, Hand Weapons. Next time, don’t use a tourniquet for a bHelp(x,y){waZwgp(z);waZwbn() 17 17-18 nosebleed. –2, Medical. ;return;};’ makes sense now. It doesn’t matter which way I load a cone 18 DROP KNOWLEDGE SPECIALTIES That’s a tiger? Pfft. Looks like a— getitoff Add 2 to Operating Systems. rifl e shell, right? –2, Projectile Weapons. 18 getitoff aaughthepain! –2, Outdoor Life. Red pill at morning, no lateness Pull the pin? I’ve already thrown the 19 He’s sane! Look, give him your knife. See? warning. Black pill at night, grenade. –2, Thrown Weapons. 19 19-20 He didn’t... oh, gross. –2, Psychotherapy. sleeper’s delight. Add 2 to Their tires? I swear you said to shoot our Pharmatherapy. 20 You want algae chips... Erk! You want to let tires! –2, Vehicular Combat. 20 go of my neck! –2, Suggestion. Go to the Balance the Equation Go to the Balance the Equation table. table. Go to the Balance the Equation table.
ABOUT HERE, WE STARTED TO THINK 80 TABLES MIGHT BE A BAD IDEA... 25 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
Some Specialties Drop ‘I’m the boss! I’m a vathead! I’m stupid! I’m...’ Oh, hell-o, sir! Uh, 1 1-2 been standing there long? –2, Bootlicking. Balance the Equation 1 Maybe those burns will remind you not to steal CoffeeLike when 3-4 1 Treason in Action it’s hot. Eh, probably not. –2, Sleight of Hand. Oh, hi! Can I call you back? I’m secretly following my team leader 5-6 1 Secret society treason tables right now. Bye! –2, Sneaking. What? Hitting someone with a laser doesn’t mean throwing it at 7-8 BALANCE THE EQUATION them? –2, Energy Weapons. And with this one, my house of cards is... achoo! Arrgh! 9-10 1-20 Go to the Treason in Action table. –2, Fine Manipulation. You tried boxing a jackobot. Your knuckles should heal up in a 11-12 TREASON IN ACTION few weeks. –2, Unarmed Combat. Why did I paint my refl ec black? Because black refl ects light, duh! Treasonous at home, are we? 13-14 1-6 –2, Weapon and Armor Maintenance. Roll on the appropriate secret society treason table. Treasonous at work, are we? Hey, anybody know what a ‘fi rewall’ is? How about eye-cee-ee? 7-12 15-16 Roll on the appropriate service group treason table. –2, Hacking. Just generally Treasonous. Friend Computer! I— er— I was just practicing my typing! 13-15 17-18 Roll on the Generic Inappropriate Behavior table. –2, Operating Systems. 16-18 Treasonous shopping trip. Roll on the IR Market table. I’m sleepy. Can I get some sandallathon to wake up a bit? 19-20 Thanks. –2, Pharmatherapy. 19-20 Now that’s treasonous. Roll on the For The Love of FC! table. SOME SPECIALTIES DROP SOME SPECIALTIES Go to the Balance the Equation table. Secret society treason tables Ahh... now we come to the beating heart of the Prehistory Pachinko. Each of these offenses lists a treason code in boldface (for example, O5B), which represents the potential penalty your PC faces if he gets caught (which, as play begins, he hasn’t yet been). You are not cleared to know what these codes mean. Instead, report them loyally to your GM, who will determine your character’s punishment—if he gets caught, which he hasn’t yet been—with customary cheery impartiality.
Roll Anti-Mutant Communists This is payment for your crimes against DNA! You stole credits from a lower- The Party said to say goodbye. You terminated an INFRARED who wanted to 1-2 clearance registered mutant. O5B—if you’re caught! start his own Party. C3B—if you’re caught! Either the power gets cut or you do. You threatened an equal-clearance citizen Redistribution, comrades! You gave credits stolen from a VIOLET citizen to a 3-4 to cut power to a registered mutant’s dormitory. P4M dorm full of INFRAREDs. M3B She tried to melt my brain, I swear! You secretly accused an INDIGO citizen of No, they’re the middle class! You know the difference between the bourgeoisie 5-6 being an unregistered mutant. P3M + x100cr and the proletariat. Brainscrub Oh, was that your fi nger? So sorry! You beat up a suspected mutant of equal Wanna come back to my place? You spiked the INFRARED water supply with 7-8 clearance. C3M + x100cr hormone-suppressant-suppressant. B3T That fi re? Maybe he started it ... with his mind! You framed a higher-clearance http://GRAY.commie.rtp. You designed the Communist Gray Subnet pages. 9-10 citizen to make it seem he had an unregistered mutant power. M4B B2T Press ‘Reboot’ and run! You tampered with a jackobot’s asimov circuits to make After disabling the cameras, you wrote ‘Comrades Rule!’ inside an elevator to 11-12 it immune to Machine Empathy. Brainscrub the INDIGO levels. B2T Teleport away from this, mutie! ZAP! You terminated a higher-clearance Death to landlords! You terminated a BLUE citizen because she was a BLUE 13-14 registered mutant. B3T citizen. Termination I’m not fl oating, I’m, I’m... Take this! You terminated your roommate when she I don’t remember sitting there, honest! You accidentally left a box of Commie 15-16 witnessed your mutant power. Termination leafl ets in the cafeteria. Termination Kabooom! You planted a bomb in a Mutant Registration Kiosk and killed What’s a spectre? You slipped a copy of the Communist Manifesto into the 17-18 several citizens. Termination InterSector PDC Address Book before it was printed. Termination Were they mutants? Um... probably? You terminated four higher-clearance UVs are fi nks! You put Fizz-Wizz in a High Programmer’s showerhead. 19-20 citizens suspected of being mutants. Termination Termination Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
26 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO SECRET SOCIETY TREASON (1) Roll Computer Phreaks Corpore Metal Death Leopard I think she’s been fi lesharing! You planted treason That’s one less weapon against our bot brothers. You want advice? Look up! You wrote, ‘Smash 1-2 in the public fi le of a FCCC-P deacon. C3B—if You disabled an EMP grenade. P3C—if you’re Something Already!’ on a corridor ceiling. O3P—if you’re caught! caught! you’re caught! Slap! Don’t you dare talk to your superior like that! Watch this—the explosion knocks out the camera. See? I’ve only bought Tella-O merchandise! You 3-4 You assaulted an INFRARED who yelled at a You traded videos of vandalism with other society edited your C-Bay transaction history. M3B vendabot. P4M members. P3C Go to GREY.protech.rtp and chat away. You set Oh-I-had-an-accident-please-help. You cut off your I hate lines! Hate! You smashed up some furniture 5-6 up a Grey Subnet chatroom for Pro Tech. own hand to get a cybernetic replacement. P3M + in a CPU offi ce. P3M + x100cr Brainscrub x100cr Run this app on my PDC? Sure thing. You helped Can I borrow your marker? Thanks. You wrote Are those wicks in his sock drawer? You framed 7-8 launch a denial-of-service attack against an IntSec ‘Bots Rule’ on a PLC store shelf. C3M + x100cr your roommate for a bomb you planted. C5M netsite. B3T Just looking for bugs, I promise. You downloaded Stay out of our Metallic Utopia, meatbag! You Dude, that traffi c is because of me! You blew up 9-10 a copy of The Computer’s voice-recognition code. drugged a lower-clearance citizen and dumped an autocar bridge. C4M + x100cr B2T him Outdoors. C4B Now they’ve come from legitimate investments! Press ‘Reboot’ and run! You tampered with a You’re an irritating little snit, you know that? You 11-12 You laundered credits for a Free Enterprise petbot’s asimov circuits to make it kill humans. pushed an INFRARED in front of a speeding member. B2T Brainscrub transbot. C3M ‘I think Gary-V-MTS wants a crate of stembolts....’ Party in Fred-G-PLC’s apartment! You broke into a And that’s why we humans are inferior, get it? You 13-14 You impersonated a VIOLET service group leader. higher-clearance home and trashed the place. tried to convert a scrubot to your society. B3T Termination M4B Another fi ne? Yes sir! Thank you sir! You added Die, you obsolete pile of fl esh! You terminated a Nothing wrong with a little fl avor additive. You 15-16 your fi rm’s supervisor to an IntSec Most Wanted higher-clearance citizen who belonged to the added a hallucinogen to the local food vat list. Termination Frankenstein Destroyers. Termination mixtures. M3B Teach them to act all superior. You distributed the I just walk past those combots? Your PDC Enjoy your trip, suckers! You reprogrammed an 17-18 ME Card numbers of several INDIGO citizens. transmitted a virus designed to corrupt asimov elevator to drop hard when any button is pressed. Termination circuits. Termination B3T And I thought I was out of shape! You found and I know that’s good, but ... I’m still scared. A bot you Stickin’ it to the Clone never felt so good! You blew 19-20 distributed videos of an unclothed UV. reprogrammed killed an ULTRAVIOLET. Erasure up an IntSec Security Checkpoint. Termination Termination Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
Roll First Church of Christ Computer-Programmer Frankenstein Destroyers Computer, blessed be ... where’s my beads? You left rosary beads in a This ain’t what I ordered, you metal bastard! You broke a vendabot that 1-2 confession booth. O3P—if you’re caught! wouldn’t give you a refund. C3B + x100cr I tithe, you tithe, we all tithe except His Holiness. You donate 10% of your No juice, no bots ... no problems. You ruined the power lines to a bot 3-4 monthly wage to your church elder. P3C manufacturing facility. M3B I confess to ... give me a minute .... You have a record of confessing just to What’s wrong? Can’t clean up your own oil? You damaged a scrubot beyond 5-6 receive penance. P3C + x100cr repair. M3B It’s good for the soul! Never mind what a ‘soul’ is! You threatened a co-worker Preemptive revenge, anyone? You sabotaged an Armed Forces warbot to 7-8 to force him to confess his sins. C5M make sure it cannot hurt humans. Brainscrub You get your reward when you run out of clones! Really! You proselytized No, I didn’t notice those earlier. What are they? You stuffed propaganda 9-10 some INFRAREDs. C4M + x100cr leafl ets in a PLC store’s bins. B2T Vow of silence—50cr. You bribed your roommate who overheard your prayers Here’s your totally and completely empty briefcase, sir. You bribed a fi rm 11-12 to keep quiet. C3M supervisor to replace bots with human laborers. B2T We appreciate your donation, brother. You blackmailed another citizen into This transbot is out of service--permanently! You blew up a transbot and its 13-14 joining FCCC-P. M4B station. Termination Come to think of it, he does like crosses a lot .... You drew a cross in a closet Die, betrayer of humanity! You terminated a higher-clearance citizen who 15-16 and framed your service fi rm supervisor. M3B belonged to Corpore Metal. Termination Verily, decanted without a template... You starred in a video as Christ-U-IAN I just like to hold my PDC and wave it around, okay? You helped spread a 17-18 receiving The Computer’s blessing. B3T virus that destroyed bot brains. Erasure Take that, heretic! You terminated your fi rm’s supervisor for belonging to a Wow! That’s good, right? You programmed a bot to explode, and it took out a 19-20 rival church faction. Termination local CompNode. Erasure and Unhistory
Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
SECRET SOCIETY AMNESTY! TURN YOURSELF IN AT TERMINATION CENTER G17. 27 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Roll Free Enterprise Humanists Illuminati It’s the third CoffeeLike machine from the left, Those bottles sure do last a long time! You Yes, I obey! You accused a lower-clearance 1-2 correct? You used the wrong vendabot as an IR stopped taking your mandatory medication. citizen of assaulting you. O3C—if you get caught Market drop. O3P—if you get caught! C3B—if you get caught! (and your masters don’t rescue you)! Where’s your ‘Lord’ now, punk? You terminated a 10cr to win on Troubleshooter Team Bravo! You Yes, I obey! You broke the 2nd and 3rd fl oor 3-4 lower-clearance citizen for being part of FCCC-P. ran a betting pool in your dormitory. P3C buttons in the local elevator. P4M C3B Gotta get there before the customers! You took a That political essay? I saw Denise-B writing that Yes, I obey! You destroyed 322 cans of Bouncy 5-6 shortcut through a higher-clearance area. yesterday. You framed a higher-clearance citizen. Bubble Beverage. P3M + x100cr P3C + x100cr M4T No, you really want to buy these wingnuts. You Here’s a few laser pistols, Cousin. You contributed Yes, I obey! You made sure a winning lottery 7-8 forced some INFRAREDS to buy surplus to a weapons cache for the revolution. B3T number was 1776. C3M merchandise. C5M This shirt is from his legendary Reactor Tour! You Let me wrap up your purchase for you! You helped Yes, I obey! You broke the legs of your fi rm’s 9-10 helped sell bootleg Rand-Y and the Rokbots copy and distribute a Humanist leader’s latest supervisor with a FunBall bat. M4B merchandise. C4M + x100cr manifesto. B2T It’s either steal or tell Vinnie-G he ain’t getting his After the revolution, I’m chair of the Exploratory Yes, I obey! You replaced all the Mutation 11-12 cut this week. You stole some credits from a PLC Committee. You were named a future Humanist Registration forms at the local IntSec kiosk with store. C3M government supervisor. B2T Termination Vouchers. Brainscrub TO: All. FROM: Unknown. SUBJ: Our Future. You Yes, I obey! You rigged a vidscreen to explode Smoke? I don’t smell nothin’! You burned a stack 13-14 wrote a political tract and anonymously C-mailed it whenever anyone changed the channel manually. of illegal forms just before IntSec arrived. C3B to thousands. Termination B3T If you like your eyes in your head, you’ll forget He knows too much—can we have IntSec pay a Yes, I obey! You replaced one battery with 15-16 what they saw. You threatened a higher-clearance visit? You arranged to have your supervisor another, and two days later a roomful of INDIGOs citizen to keep him quiet. M3B terminated. Termination died of food poisoning. Termination See? Ernie-G already signed the order. You forged Yes, I obey! You spoke a password in an empty Just say, ‘Humanist’ and they’ll obey! You installed 17-18 your fi rm supervisor’s signature for an equipment corridor, and that night Reactor CBV-3223A a software backdoor in several combots. Erasure request. B3T melted. Termination Let’s see if you like our cement shoes, eh? You All I do is push this button? Sure, I’ll do it. You Yes, I obey! You put poison in some TeaSir that 19-20 terminated a higher-clearance citizen who wouldn’t helped shut down a local CompNode. Erasure went to a High Programmer’s estate. Erasure take a bribe. Termination and Unhistory Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
Roll Mystics Pro Tech Trust me, man. Sobriety is a trip in itself! You stole an INFRARED’s drugs. This must be the magnetic ... oops. You broke a multicorder while trying to see 1-2 O3C—if you get caught! how it worked. O3C—if you get caught! I confess that— I’m pulling out your wiring, haha! You broke a confession You just need a new chip, is all. You fi xed a citizen’s PDC for credits without 3-4 booth to use as a drop for drug deals. P4M authorization. P4M Naw, they’re cool. You helped Free Enterprise sell a bunch of happiness pills. We could use some quintuple-A batteries. You stole some new batteries from 5-6 P3M + x100cr your service fi rm. P3M + x100cr Oh, wow! The colors! The colors! You wandered into a higher-clearance area I’m just taking my PDC for a walk. You helped smuggle strong cryptography 7-8 by accident. C3M + x100cr across Alpha Complex. C3M + x100cr Don’t change that channel! You installed a psychedelic screen saver on the Nuclear power is 100% safe, I swear! You terminated an INFRARED who got 9-10 entertainment lounge’s vidscreen. M4B irradiated by a reactor. C3B We need fertilizer! That’s why I’m dropping my pants! You helped grow Should we just scan these prints? You helped a Computer Phreak set up a 11-12 mushrooms in a secret hydroponics lab. Brainscrub gray subnet for bot blueprints. Brainscrub You’re the Lizard King! You want to eat me! Aaaahh! You terminated your Hello, Dr. Quantum! Er... sorry. You used a member’s code name in public. 13-14 roommate while having a bad trip. B3T M3T Dude, I thought I was having the soylent! You accidentally spiked the lunch of Well, that’s one less thing to worry about! You terminated an equal-clearance 15-16 your fi rm’s supervisor. Termination citizen suspected of being an IntSec spy. B2T Don’t be such a downer, man! ZAP! You terminated an IntSec offi cer who There’s your cyberneck, now where’s my credits? You installed cybernetics in 17-18 broke up a drug deal. Termination some Corpore Metal members. Termination Um... I’m just washing these sheets of paper, man. You dumped a lot of LSD I didn’t know the blast radius would be THAT wide! Due to your calculation 19-20 in the local water supply. Erasure error, Project Nuclear Hammer took out an entire subsector. Erasure
Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
28 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO SECRET SOCIETY TREASON (2) Roll Psion PURGE Romantics No, I didn’t see that B3 move by itself. You were Was that an authorized subliminal message? You Quick, give me that marker! While the power was 1-2 almost caught practicing your unregistered mutant hacked a public vidscreen to fl ash, ‘PURGE!’ once out, you wrote ‘Frodo Lives!’ on a transtube wall. power. C4T—if you get caught! every hour. C3B—if you get caught! O3P—if you get caught! I wasn’t working on that shift; check the roster! You Have you learned a lesson, or should I break your C’mon boxcars! I need a new pair of boots! You 3-4 purposely exposed citizens to an unshielded other arm? You beat up a higher-clearance citizen regularly run a dice game in an abandoned reactor core. M3B who was trying to blackmail PURGE. M3T corridor. P3C It’s just a list for my Tella-O Fan Club! Your PDC It’s called ‘reality television’. You showed a quick Need to borrow your knife—thanks. You carved 5-6 has a list of all registered mutants in your home video recruitment trailer to an INFRARED ‘Death to UVs’ in a cafeteria table. Brainscrub sector. Brainscrub dormitory. P3C + x100cr. You didn’t register, got it? You destroyed some So I put this PURGE banner in the blast crater, What’s this ‘democracy’ you speak of, citizen? You 7-8 mutant registration forms before they could be right? You gave PURGE credit for a transtube tried to start a vote for service fi rm supervisor. processed. B3T accident. B3T C5M Psion? Never heard of them... die! You terminated These are just ... Happy FunBalls! I promise! You Whatever a ‘ho’ is, I want one. You started a 9-10 your roommate for discovering your Psion stole a crate of HE grenades from an Armed fi lesharing subnet for swapping Old Reckoning hip- connection. B2T Forces cache. B2T hop song fi les. C4M + x100cr I did not drop anything. Why not pick it up and read Shut up and help me stuff him in the incinerator. First one to PLN Sector gets 10,000cr! You 11-12 it? You scattered pro-Psion leafl ets at a transtube You terminated a citizen of equal clearance who organized an autocar race to recreate the Old station during rush hour. B2T was going to rat out your cell. B2T Reckoning movie The Cannonball Run. C3M Think of me as Anti-Anti-Mutant. You terminated a Fine, we’ll go over ‘offsides’ one more time. Your I like warm rocks. You stole from fi ssionable 13-14 higher-clearance citizen suspected of being an PDC has a folder from the Gatzmann Archives material from an R&D lab. Termination Anti-Mutant leader. Termination about Old Reckoning sports. M4B Kabooom! You planted a bomb in a Mutant Your ideology is no longer needed, loser. You Psst! This way! You smuggled a fellow Romantic 15-16 Registration Kiosk and killed several citizens. terminated a higher-clearance citizen who was out of an IntSec Interrogation Center. M3B Termination kicked out of PURGE. Termination I obey! DIE YOU GENETIC WEAKLINGS! You Should I be sneezing blood? You spread a Well, that was weird. Can we do it again? Your 17-18 killed an IntSec squad to protect your Control. biological agent in a sector, killed hundreds. experiments in the marital arts led to some Erasure Erasure interesting ... breakthroughs. B2T Sugar and spice and ethidium bromide .... You put He left it in my desk to frame me, right? You Death to The Computer! You helped tacnuke a 19-20 a powerful mutagen into the local clone banks. framed your fi rm supervisor for owning a book on CompNode. Erasure and Unhistory Erasure and Unhistory programming. Termination Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
Roll Sierra Club 1-2 It’s called ‘dusk,’ and it’s beautiful! You rewired your dormitory to slowly decrease the lights at night. O3P—if you get caught! 3-4 They’re just jealous of our special relationship. You have a pet rock. P3C 5-6 So that’s what a banana looks like! You snuck into a hydroponics lab and ‘liberated’ some fruit. P3C + x100cr 7-8 I’m gonna be a Mommie! You are carrying around an egg of unknown type. C5M 9-10 Ah-choo! Oh, sorry about that. You try spreading germs, Nature’s nanobots, by sneezing on everyone of equal or lower clearance. C4M + x100cr 11-12 No, I haven’t been here before. You used another member’s ME Card so IntSec won’t know he went Outdoors. C3M 13-14 You’re going to smoke this? You smuggled in some mushrooms and sold them to some Mystics. M4B 15-16 I think Alpha Complex is this way. You went Outdoors and got lost for two days. M3B 17-18 Bad Albert! You let the Club’s pet gator escape, and he ate three Vulture Warriors before you caught him again. B2T 19-20 Look over there, sir! ZAP! You terminated a higher-clearance citizen who caught you trying to leave Alpha Complex. Termination Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught! Service group treason tables The Prehistory Pachinko litany of treasonous offenses continues with these service group tables (starting on the next page). As with the secret society entries, each of these service group offenses lists a treason code in boldface (for example, O5B), which represents the potential penalty your PC faces if he gets caught (which, as play begins, he hasn’t yet been). As before, report these codes loyally to your GM, along with whatever details of the associated offense you feel might entertain him. Remember, entertain or die!
AH, THE RICH AND LASTING AROMA OF SECRET SOCIETY TREASON. 29 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Roll Armed Forces Central Processing Unit HPD & Mind Control Need to practice punching ... hey, you three! What’ll it be? Try new Cheez Pleazr or try my fi st? But ‘deprecate’ isn’t even a word! Is it? You falsely 1-2 C’mere! You beat up on some INFRAREDs just for You threatened a lower-clearance citizen to join a accused a lower-clearance citizen of bad grammar. fun. O3C—if you get caught! focus group. O4B—if you get caught! O3C—if you get caught! She’s always confusing her Hs and Bs, sir! You So that’s their plan of attack, eh? You spied on a Done already? Yes, sir! You disposed old forms by 3-4 framed an HPD&MC INFRARED for your typo in a General’s meeting to win at war games. P4M fl ushing them down the toilet. P4M subliminal message. P4M Need to keep my strength up! You ate real food That’s just old forms, so drop it anywhere. You Drop that hose and sing! You led a singalong that 5-6 destined for a higher-clearance cafeteria. P3M + accidentally broke a crate of security cameras. stopped citizens from putting out a structure fi re. x100cr P3M + x100cr P3M + x100cr I thought I told you to leave the area? You gave a As of now, we were never in that offi ce. You Which means you love it? 5! No, 1! You ruined a 7-8 ‘precautionary beating’ to an equal-clearance erased some security camera footage. C3M carefully planned survey. C3M citizen. C3M The sign said ‘No Smoking,’ and you know how Did you know you could request a queue bypass No! That didn’t happen ... look, just turn around. 9-10 the Major smokes! You framed your supervisor for form? You posted bureaucratic shortcuts on a grey You terminated an INFRARED who couldn’t an accident at the base. M3B subnet. M4B unremember a piece of history. C3B After my cut, you have 500 unrestricted credits. What videos are you talking about, sir? You stole What slughthrowers? You stole some weapons for 11-12 You removed credit licenses for your secret Old Reckoning videos for for secret society. your secret society. Brainscrub society. Brainscrub Brainscrub No color means they’re full, right? You accidentally So the cameras will now ... is that smoke? Your That’s not Brian-O, that’s Brian-V! You submitted 13-14 shipped spent laser barrels to Vulture Squadron. rewiring of cameras started a huge electrical fi re. the wrong citizen’s face for a public hating video. B3T B3T B3T Go back to your beat, copper! ZAP! You Just type ‘555-1212’ and you’re in. You gave an Those weren’t important, were they? You knocked 15-16 terminated an equal-clearance IntSec Crowd electronic lock ‘skeleton key’ to your secret a pile of new, original Teela videos in a recycler. Control agent. B2T society. Termination Termination Colonel Rachel-I says, ‘Thanks for the expose!’ Not only wasted time, but wasted life as well. You Listen, either you fi x it or I’ll fi x you! You terminated 17-18 You terminated a higher-clearance HPD&MC terminated a higher-clearance PLC supervisor who a higher-clearance Tech Serv repairman who journalist for your supervisor. Termination refused to follow effi ciency directives. Termination refused to fi x your studio’s camera. Termination What barracks full of solders, sir? You played Wow, you all must really like B3! You mistakingly The plans say there’s nothing but rock past that 19-20 around with a plasma generator and terminated 20 handed out 50 Termination Vouchers instead of 50 wall--blast away! A sector expansion you soldiers. Termination free trial B3 vouchers. Termination authorized destroyed a CompNode. Termination Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
Roll Internal Security Production, Logistics & Commissary I’m bored. Wanna scare some IRs? You put some INFRAREDs under It was like that when I got it. You dropped and broke a package you were 1-2 surveillance just for fun. O3C delivering. O3C I recycled ... er, put that in the evidence locker! That’s it! You ruined some Where did Jenni-LDD go to this time? You accidentally knocked an INFRARED 3-4 forensic evidence. P4M into a food vat. P4M Why do I always get the short straw? You snuck into an INDIGO corridor to They’re in this warehouse ... somewhere .... You lost several crates of 5-6 plant a bug. P3M + x100cr hydroponic food. P3M + x100cr DFT Sector is unhappy? I meant DTF! You mixed up some sector’s Glee Looks like you’re getting seconds for dessert tonight! You took a bribe to deliver 7-8 Quota measurements. C3M + x100cr extra Cold Fun to a cafeteria. C3M + x100cr Always a shame when a BLUE goes Commie, right? You framed a higher- This costs ... um, 300 credits. Wow! Thank you! You overcharged several 9-10 clearance citizen for treason to increase your record. M4T higher-clearance citizens and pocketed the credits. M4B Shhh! Head down this vent and never come to this sector again. You let one We can use these FuzzyBobbyBobbleBots, right? You stole some items and 11-12 of your secret society brethren go free. Brainscrub gave them to your secret society. Brainscrub Who needs proof when I got a gun? You terminated an equal-clearance citizen I’m sure they’re still good—PLC food never spoils. You mistakingly served 13-14 because you lost the evidence to convict her. B2T spoiled food to a higher-clearance citizen. B3T Gloria-Y? As in YELLOW? Um ... terminated as ordered, yes sir. You Well, I remember sending it out last week. You forgot to issue a recall for a 15-16 accidentally terminated the wrong clone for being a Communist. Termination faulty autocar seatbelt. Termination Those were my mutants! ZAP! You terminated a higher-clearance Armed Do you know how much the marketing cost us? ZAP! You terminated a higher- 17-18 Forces guard for stealing credit on a case. Termination clearance R&D scientist who didn’t approve a product for sale. Termination Nothing to see here! It’s not like Tella-O is dead or anything. You accidentally Who left all these cans just sitting here? You shipped 500 cases of B3 that had 19-20 started a riot that ruined a subsector. Termination gone bad, sickening or killing thousands. Termination
Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
30 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO SERVICE GROUP TREASON Roll Power Services Research & Design Technical Services That paper clip ought to do the trick. You used old, That sound? A transbot runs right overhead, you You’ll remember this beating, that’s for sure! You 1-2 faulty wiring in a new INFRARED dormitory wall. know. You lied to cover up your supervisor’s failed beat up an INFRARED for suggesting MemoMax O3C—if you get caught! experiment. O3C didn’t work. O3C Nuclear power is better than being dead, am I Probably a bad battery. Lemme take a look .... You All gone, see? Aaaaah! You use your daily 3-4 right? Hint? You threatened an equal-clearance fi xed a faulty autocar without prior authorization. medication to get vital test components. P4M citizen into signing a pro-nuke petition. P4M P4M This is a totally and completely different That’s why you should never trust those Tech That’s why you should never trust those Power experiment, sir. You ignored an order by a higher- 5-6 Services folk. You purposefully drained some Tech Services folk. You purposefully drained some clearance citizen to stop your research. P3M + Serv fuel cells. P3M + x100cr Power Serv fuel cells. P3M + x100cr x100cr I’m sure there’s lead down there somewhere. You Science thanks you for your donation, citizen. You You can all relax—Teela is back on tonight! You 7-8 disposed of spent fuel rods by dropping them stole credits from your roommate to pay for new took a bribe to fi x a vidscreen in an entertainment down an elevator shaft. C3M + x100cr materials. C3M + x100cr lounge. C3M + x100cr Looks like this has never been properly cleaned. If he got that angry while holding the device ... well, Oh, that line’s broke. That’s line 5, isn’t it? You 9-10 For shame! You blamed an jackobot fuel cell that would explain the explosion. You helped blame forgot about a higher-clearance citizen on tech explosion on a higher-clearance citizen. M4B an explosion on a higher-clearance end user. M4B support hold. M4B A meter and a bill don’t match up? Weird. You hid I just moved it. Where? Um ... I forget? You stole Use this well, and you never heard of me. You 11-12 the power use for your secret society meeting an experimental device for your secret society. stole some paint for your secret society. rooms. Brainscrub Brainscrub Brainscrub But it’s our time for the monthly rolling brownout! Who’s Mr. Smarty Clone now, eh? You terminated Hey boss! That was Kelly-R-NNG, right? You 13-14 You accidentally cut power to a higher-clearance a fellow R&D researcher who succeeded where decanted the wrong clone replacement. B3T corridor. B3T you had failed. B2T Just pick a room without citizens in it. You Hmmm, you can’t record on it any more? You hit If I can just delete her memory of me and ... oops. 15-16 mistakenly cut power to a CompNode. the wrong button and ruined a bot brain during You accidentally erased a higher-clearance Termination reprogramming. Termination citizen’s MemoMax fi le. Termination Stupid wrench-head! ZAP! You terminated a Tech If only I had the proper funding! You terminated an Stupid reactor-head! ZAP! You terminated a Power 17-18 Services repairman for stealing PS batteries. IntSec agent who would have reported your Services electrician for stealing TS batteries. Termination invention as a failure. Termination Termination I’m sure I closed it—let’s grab some dinner. You left I have to plug my diagnostic kit in somewhere. You I’ll be right back—gotta use the bathroom. You left 19-20 open a biohazard container and contaminated an accidentally shorted out a CompNode. your post and a reactor went critical. Termination entire sector. Termination Termination Go to the What Evidence? table. Remember, you’re only punished if you get caught!
WHAT EVIDENCE?
Note: Your Gamemaster can usually infer the evidence of your crime based on the specifi c treason you committed. This table provides random evidence generation just in case. If the evidence makes no sense for the given crime, ask your GM to choose a more sensible result.
Evidence you accidentally left Skill or specialty Evidence you accidentally left Skill or specialty Roll Roll at the scene of your crime needed to fi nd it at the scene of your crime needed to fi nd it 1 DNA in a hair left at the scene Biosciences 11 Scorch marks used by a particular weapon Energy Weapons Vehicle 2 A credit trail through three different PLC stores Financial Systems 12 Autohack used to get to the scene 3 Audio recorded by a scrubot Bot Programming Programming 4 A video fi le stuck on a rarely-used hard drive Data Search 13 An unusual tear in a citizen’s jumpsuit Hygiene ME Card RFID (radio-frequency identifi cation) 14 A secret camera that only records to videotape Surveillance 5 Data Analysis reading 15 User login records at a nearby terminal Operating Systems Electronic 16 Wire cutters left inside a junction box Fine Manipulation 6 Electronic ‘signature’ of an IR Market device Engineering 17 Stolen goods hidden above a loose ceiling tile Concealment Pharmatherapy or 7 An INFRARED secretly saw the whole thing 18 Final few seconds of a MemoMax recording Cloning Interrogation Fine residue only left by certain bomb-making 19 Demolition 8 C-Bay cookie stored on a PDC C-Bay supplies 9 Someone’s lying, and not well Psychotherapy Bootprints on the fl oor of a busy pedestrian 20 Agility 10 Pattern of scratches on a citizen’s arm Medical walkway This Pachinko run has ended. Return to the Start Table.
EVIDENCE? SINCE WHEN DO WE NEED EVIDENCE? 31 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED 1 Generic Inappropriate Behavior Roll What you did What you got 1 For the Love of FC! Slam! Ouch, my nose! You let the door 1 slam behind you on an equal-clearance –20cr (20cr fi ne) 1 Loyalty in Action citizen. What traitor? You walked right past a 2 –50cr citizen you should have censured. Together! Tooo-... what’s the next line? (‘FC’ = ‘Friend Computer’) Must sing one song 3 You forgot the words to a Happiness per hour Hymn. Roll What you did Penalty if caught Idiot! I oughta... But he stepped on my toe, We can knock out this wall, right? You 4 sir! You yelled at an INFRARED for no –100cr 1-2 knocked out a support column and Erasure reason. destroyed an entire subsector. Must collect and Close enough, right? You threw trash at a 5 dispose of team’s And now I just click ‘Send,’ right? Your bin, missed and just walked away. trash 3-4 attempt at creating spam instead created Erasure an AlphaNet worm virus. Yes, I still have all ten fi ngers. Your service 6 –450cr fi rm report was full of typos. This is a fl avoring agent, right? You poured 5-6 Erasure a powerful mutagen into a food vat. I hate this place! Uhh—did I say that out 7 20 gelgernine pills loud? You were caught being unhappy. That’s just a marketing technique, right? Only a vathead would have written ... you You thought ‘tacnuke’ was a new algae Sleep on the fl oor at 7-8 Erasure 8 made this, sir? You did the opposite of chip fl avor and shipped a box to an your dormitory bootlicking. INFRARED cafeteria. Let’s get the pre-recycled paper for a Red means go, right? You jaywalked and 9 change! You spent beyond your fi rm’s –950cr 9-10 caused the Great M1AA Autocar Freeway Erasure budget. Pileup. Zzzzzzz .... wha? You were caught Offi cial Reprimand A generator should be hot, right? You 10 sleeping on the job. from service group 11-12 turned the wrong dial and caused a reactor Erasure meltdown. I assumed he wanted to get hit by that 11 autohack! You did nothing as a high- –1,400cr That’s a home run, right? You hit a FunBall 13-14 Erasure clearance citizen almost died. through an ULTRAVIOLET’s window. Oops! Oh well, it was in my way. You Must praise bots 12 The Z-Axis is height, right? You knocked a bot over by accident. once per hour 15-16 misdirected a tacnuke strike and hit a Erasure It’s assigned to me, so I can do what I want Must eat only FOR THE LOVE OF FC! VIOLET’s house. 13 with it! You threw away perfectly good soylent until The These are old forms, right? You shredded soylent. Computer says stop 17-18 10,000 completed promotion approval Erasure I’ll call IntSec when I get home, if I have Hand out Loyalty forms by accident. 14 time. You failed to report a traitor. Preservation leafl ets You said the blue button, right? You Mud fi ght! Ha ha! Hey, who are you? You 19-20 accidentally fl ooded a subsector with Erasure 15 –2,000cr splashed dirty water on an INDIGO citizen. heavy water. Carry 6-liter water Just in case someone else wants a Go to the What Evidence? Table. 16 bottle and offer shower. You left the water running. citizens a drink GENERIC INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR GENERIC INAPPROPRIATE Public censure by No harm, no foul, right? You gave in to 17 The Computer on treason. vidshow LOYALTY IN ACTION Featured on Bump! What was that? You ran over an 18 Negligent Citizens in Not bad, but could be better. innocent petbot. 1-6 Your Sector Roll on the Generic Good Behavior table. –2,000cr and you Umm... my arm always stretches like that? 19 must register your 7-12 You bootlicker, you! Roll on the Now That’s Loyalty! table. You were caught using your mutant power. mutation Take this, you— innocent bystander? You Demoted one 13-16 Someone gets a present! Roll on the PLC Outlet Mall table. 20 terminated the wrong clone. clearance Guess that wasn’t a good thing after all. 17-20 Some citizens like a bad boy. Roll on the Someone Doesn’t Want to Roll on the Treason In Action table. Kill You? Table.
32 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO GOOD BEHAVIOR 1 Generic Good Behavior What you got (note it on Roll What you did your character sheet) 1 Now That’s Loyalty!
I got the door, sir! You held a door open for an 1 10cr older citizen. What you got (note Roll What you did THE VIDSCREEN SAID TO YELL AT YOU! 2 20cr on character sheet) You were enthusiastic in censuring a citizen. That’s it? No boom? You R&D Medal of Together! TOOO-GEEEEETHEEERR! You One free download from 1-2 successfully tested an 3 Survival sang a loyal song on-key. Happiness Hymns netsite experimental device. They deserve pity, not scorn. You forgave an 4 50cr INFRARED who stepped on your toe. My jumpsuit seems to be Voucher for one 3-4 shrinking. You always eat all fresh salad It goes in the bin, vathead! You picked up assigned meals. (clearance color) 5 An ‘I Like FC’ keychain another citizen’s trash. That means I love The You actually met Computer, right? You honestly Not one error? I’m amazed too! Your service 5-6 Teela and have the 6 100cr didn’t know what Machine service report had no typos. photo to prove it Empathy means. The pain makes me smile! You remained 7 20 gelgernine pills happy in the face of potential sadness. Nexthereyougothankyoucomeag Voucher to cut to 7-8 ainnext! You didn’t make one the front of any That’s amazing, sir! How do you do it? You Your pick of bunks back at mistake in a 27-hour shift. queue, once 8 bootlicked really well. the dormitory Does IntSec have a lost and Facial tattoo: Can’t we pour TeaSir directly into our mouths? 9-10 found? You turned in a 1000cr 9 200cr ‘I’m Loyal’ You trimmed your service fi rm’s budget. LOYALTY! plasticred. No thanks—did you see what they’re serving Offi cial Commendation 10 Your face on a run today? You worked through three lunch shifts. from your service group Burrrrrpppp!!! You drank the 11-12 of collectable B3 most B3 in your sector last year. Watch out for that autohack, sir! You risked ‘Loyal Citizens’ cans 11 500cr your life for a higher-clearance citizen. She says she wants a One ‘Get Out Of Now maybe you can see what you’re guarding. Free subscription to Bot THAT’S 12 13-14 revolution. You turned in your Interrogation Free’ You cleaned a dirty bot voluntarily. Fancier Monthly magazine supervisor for treason. card Oh, so you know nutritional needs better than 13 An apple Sorry, but no form means no PLC? You yelled at a citizen for wasting food. Hero of Our 15-16 package! You stopped a secret
NOW Complex award Should he be holding that VIOLET message? One free ticket to the society from getting a WMD. 14 You alerted IntSec to a traitor. Bake-A-Traitor vidshow Arms don’t bend like that, mutie! Promoted one Let me lie across that slime puddle, sir! You 1000cr and a shiny new 17-18 You terminated an unregistered GENERIC GOOD BEHAVIOR 15 clearance saved an INDIGO from poor hygiene. jumpsuit mutant. Why can’t clones just turn a knob? You shut One free pass to Cloggy 16 That’s not gas, it’s air freshener. off a dripping faucet. Adventures water park Promoted two 19-20 Now enjoy your cigarettes! You clearances But that would make The Computer cry! You Praise by The Computer blew up a room full of Commies. 17 resisted treason. on all public vidscreens Nobody likes a goody-two shoes. Roll on the Who Hates You Here kitty! Good kitty! You rescued a petbot Featured on Alpha News 18 This Time? table. stuck in a camera tower. Network’s News At 18:00 Are you glowing? You turned in your Featured on True Tales of 19 roommate for being a mutant. Loyalty Take this, you Lennon-loving freak! You TABLES, TABLES, 20 Promoted one clearance terminated a Commie. TABLES, TABLES, Nobody likes a goody-two shoes. Roll on the Who Hates You This Time? table. TABLES, TABLES, TABLES, TABLES, TABLES TABLES TABLES TABLES TABLES TABLES TABLES TABLESTABLES, TABLES TABLES TABLES, TABLES TABLES 33 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Often an NPC’s reason to hate you is Yes, you use the same set of Sometimes an NPC’s reason to like you is evident from the earlier Pachinko table tables to determine both your evident from earlier results. If not, use this table to determine a motive. results. If there seems no obvious reason, friends and your enemies. use this table to determine a motive. Roll 1d20 three times per You both like to secretly make fun of your NPC: 1 supervisor back at the fi rm. 1 He believes you stole his promotion. Roll Name Roll Name 2 You make him laugh ’til B3 comes out his nose. 2 You tattled on him; he got fi ned 200cr. 1 Douglas 11 Ryan 3 He thinks you’ll be really easy to frame. 3 You got the best bed in the dormitory. 2 Ursula 12 Amanda You helped him cheat on all his tests back WHO HATES YOU THIS TIME? 4 You accidentally knocked him into a in the creche. 4 3 Isaac 13 Greg confession booth. 5 You’re the FunBall goalie on his team. 4 Connie 14 Chloe 5 The Computer praised you for your work. You taught him how to open a packet of 5 Larry 15 Jake 6 Your favorite FunBall team always beats Instant E-Z-Soup without burning himself. 6 6 Anne 16 Paige his team in the playoffs. You remind him of a younger version of 7 7 Ray 17 George himself—before the Slicer Incident. 7 You fi nked on his best friend to IntSec. 8 Tracy 18 Sarah You pushed him out of the way of a 8 8 You’re not Teela O’Malley. 9 Gene 19 Adam frankenstein scrubot. 10 Caroline 20 Liana 9 You told IntSec a bot broke that monitor. 9 He thinks you think he’s stupid. He’s right. 10 You’re both really into Happiness Hymns. 10 He thinks you’re in a rival secret society. Roll Clearance 11 He thinks you’re in his secret society. 1-8 INFRARED 11 You make fun of him behind his back. 9-13 RED 12 You both enjoy teasing the INFRAREDs. 12 You won’t do what he wants you to do. You both took a long, strange trip thanks to 14-16 ORANGE 13 expired gelgernine pills. 13 You inadvertently gave his PDC a virus. 17-18 YELLOW You always seem to get the last seat on 14 He thinks you look a lot like Tella-O-MLY. 14 19 GREEN the transbot to work. You give in easily when he threatens to tear 20 BLUE 15 He thinks you stole 2cr from his jumpsuit off your face. 15 while he showered. Roll Service group You lent him some credits and didn’t beat 16 He tried to recruit you into his society, and him up when he couldn’t repay. 16 1-2 Armed Forces you turned him down.
WHY DO THEY LIKE YOU? You held the elevator door for him once, 17 YOU? WHY DO THEY HATE 3-4 Central Processing Unit and that’s all it took. Sad, really. 17 You foiled his escape to the Outdoors. 5-8 HPD & MInd Control You backed up his lie about being late to 18 18 You bought the last box of Cheez Pleezr. 9 Internal Security work. He thinks you’re an IntSec agent and wants You tried to terminate him, so it’s a pretty 10-12 PLC 19 19 to avoid getting arrested. valid hatred if you think about it. 13-15 Power Services You buttered him up like a Warm Oblong No reason except he’s an angry, bitter 16-17 Research & Design 20 20 Yeast Product. bastard. 18-20 Technical Services This Pachinko run has ended. Return to the
SOMEBODY DOESN’T WANT TO KILL YOU? SOMEBODY DOESN’T WANT This Pachinko run has ended. Return to the Now go to the Why Do Start table. Start table. They Like You? or Why Do They Hate You? table, as appropriate. WHAT’S A LAYOFF? Your fi rm was shut down. Reroll your service fi rm type and then roll 1-5 AT LEAST I HAVE A JOB on the Eh... table. Your fi rm was absorbed by another fi rm. Reroll your service fi rm 1-5 You have been downsized. Reroll your service fi rm type, then roll on and then roll on the Eh ... table. 6-10 You have been traded. Reroll your service fi rm, then roll on the the Generic Inappropriate Behavior table to learn why it happened. 6-10 Generic Good Behavior table. You have been re-assigned. Reroll your service group and service You have been laid off. Reroll your service group and service fi rm 11-15 11-15 fi rm, then roll on the Who’s A Good Clone? table. type, then roll on the Why You Little Traitor! table to learn why. You have been promoted to a new position, and possibly a new In a complex of guaranteed employment, you managed to get 16-20 clearance. Reroll your service group and service fi rm, then roll on the 16-20 yourself fi red. Reroll your service group and service fi rm type, then Now That’s Loyalty! table. roll on the For The Love Of FC! table to learn the horrifi c reason.
34 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO STUFF AND WHERE YOU GOT IT 1 I Don't Own This Equipment I DON’T OWN THIS EQUIPMENT
1 PLC Outlet Mall 1-14 I’ve never been to the sewers, I swear. Roll on the IR Market table. I don’t even know what that is. Roll on the You Really Shouldn’t Have 1 IR Market 15-20 That table. 1 You Really Shouldn’t Have That
All items are RED Clearance. 1 Packet of 25 sunfl ower seeds Song fi le of ‘(ULTRAVIOLETs) They’re Limited Edition ‘INFRARED’ 1 Gonna Die’ by Commie Propaganda 1 FuzzyBobbyBobbleBot 2 Wooden duck decoy Machine 2 A worm virus on a standard-sized disk Memchip of ‘Bake-A-Traitor: Outtakes, YeastyPet!, your little pal who lives 2 3 Bloopers, and Wackiness 2’ on sugar & water! C-mail anonymizer for the series 1300 3 Self-heating Pot Noodle (Kelp-N-Peach Tongue cover with random YELLOW PDC 3 4 fl avor) citizen’s ID tattooed on it Warm rocks in a tin (2 oz. enriched 4 4 INFRARED-colored highlighter uranium in a small lead box) 5 One small cube of dehydrated water Blank termination voucher signed by a 5 5 ‘I Heart Teela!’ hot beverage mug local VIOLET 6 Itching powder Jazzer-U-PLN action fi gure with Real Old, crumpled photo of Karl Marx 6 Programming Hands! (cannot really Keycard for any lock GREEN or 7 6 sharing a B3 with Fidel Castro and program) lower John Lennon 7 Plush toy scrubot Tube of Super Slippery Frickin’ Asimov circuit disabler device (point-n- 8 7 Fiction axle grease click, 0.5 meter range) 8 Joyful Entertaining Ball Latest data encryption key for Technical 9 A really annoying whistle 8 9 Box of 50 used paperclips Services fi les Armed Forces artillery strike call Video fi le of a High Programmer on the Pompadour of FC’s Love hair styling 10 9 10 beacon (batteries not included) toilet gel AlphaNet address for Computer BLUE-Clearance map of the local 11 10 11 Kazoo with Happiness Hymn songbook Phreak warez subnet sector Coupon for one free drink at Rashaun- Voice command to make scrubots 12 12 11 Thermos of chilled vodka O’s Approved Beverage Depot enter maintenance mode Psst—over here! Roll on the IR Market A vial of FCCC-P-blessed Heavy 12 Vulture Squadron uniform 13 13 table Holy Water 13 Elevator override code IR MARKET 14 Chainsaw 14 SecureSig PDC signal scrambler Direct PDC number for the head of 14 Three tickets to a live taping of CSI: Laser barrel one color above your Internal Security 15 15 CSI Sector current clearance PLC OUTLET MALL Power Services rolling blackout start 15 Rand-Y and the Rokbots ringtone for Bots-R-Me bootprint slipcovers, circuit 16 16 your PDC guardbot version 16 Tella-O-MLY’s address 20-pack of Commemorative FunBall 17 Ice gun A tacnuke cone rifl e shell (but no timer 17 Trading Cards with Pink Chewable 17 Flavor Bar Gloves with some INFRARED’s or fuse) ‘Infectious Disease Free!’ iron-on 18 fi ngerprints etched onto the 18 Tuberculosis 18 jumpsuit patch fi ngertips Two tabs of some really great LSD, 19 December 1992 issue of Playboy Broken circuit board that could be THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE YOU REALLY 19 19 important and valuable, maybe man Photo of an INDIGO in a ‘compromising 20 Oh my! Roll on the You Really An authentic banana peel (slightly position’ with a jackobot 20 20 Shouldn’t Have That table brown) This Pachinko run has ended. Return to the This Pachinko run has ended. Return to the This Pachinko run has ended. Return to Start table. Start table. the Start table.
ALONG ABOUT HERE IN THE LAYOUT, WE REALLY BEGAN TO LOSE IT... 35 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
1 Useless Knowledge Elective Activity or Pursuit (EAP) club Bonus I’m the starting kickback for the Fightin’ 1 Approved Downtime Fun 1 +3 to Unarmed Combat #1479ers! You play on a FunBall team. Is that a Type-K Autocar CX? Can I drive +3 to Vehicle Ops and 2 Trivial stuff you know for some reason Secret skill gained it? You joined an Autocar Appreciation club. Maintenance Me and Felix-G play the back nine on Nah, pyro- sets things on fi re and tele- Power Studies 3 +2 to Access 1 Threedays. You joined a PowerGolf team. moves things around. (Uncommon) I got the Teela cap, Teela mug, Teela Common household cleaners have many 4 underwear, Teela slide rule.... You joined a +4 Perversity points 2 Demolition (Uncommon) uses. Tee hee. Tella-O-MLY fan club. My credits have no licenses? You’re right, Cash Hacking Either you learn to dodge those autocars or 3 that is odd. (Uncommon) 5 you take up vidshow watching. You joined a +3 to Agility Corridor Running club. IntSec estimates that 7% of citizens have Let’s hope they shut off the overfl ow pipes 4 Cyborging (Uncommon) 6 +3 to Biosciences secret cyberneck implants. this time. You joined a Vat Swimming club. I know this guy who can get what you want, Drug Procurement I put a diode on that? Is that even a 5 so stop shaking already. (Uncommon) 7 muscle? You joined an Electromuscular +2 to Power Sequencing club. This was the Grand Transbot Station before Alpha Complex History 6 So ... I argue about dinner and you say I it became Valuable Lesson Sinkhole Park. (Uncommon) 8 +3 to Moxie don’t appreciate you? A Marital Arts club. No, no, no! You start with an ‘m’ sound Loyalty Offi cer to Observation Tower 5. You Red refl ec with extra 7 Gloating (Unlikely) 9 before the ‘ha’, as in ‘Mwa-ha-ha-ha!’ joined a Clearance Chess club. albedo (E2) The Legion of Justice and the Hall of Comic Book Trivia 8 I wandered lonely as a bot/That scrubs on Doom? I think you got them reversed. (Unlikely) 10 high o’er walls and fl oors. You joined a 4 sheets of red paper Creative Writing club. Trust me, the toy prize goes inside the box Advertising & Marketing 9 If it weren’t for Jake-U, we wouldn’t have of Fun Flakes. (Unlikely) +1 to Access 11 B3 today! You joined a High Programmer (tell your GM) The TH17 Mark 3 jackobot has some Appreciation club. 10 Botspotting (Unlikely) serious fl ange pedals. For this next scene, you pretend to be a Dude! Grab a Mildly Intoxicating Bev and 12 mutant traitor! You joined an Amateur Multicorder (RED) 11 Partying (Unlikely) party like it’s Year 299! Dramatics society. From the cold, dead hands of my fi ve clone I just took fi ve tattered jumpsuits and 13 Two red laser barrels 12 Knitting (Unlikely) brothers! The Complex Laser Association knitted a new one—like the cut? Next we’ll perform ‘Happiness Is (A Warm That? Just some common table sugar. I’m 14 Boomboxbot (RED) 13 Bioweapons (Unhealthy) Laser).’ Citizens United Through Song. baking a cake. Honest. Is too! Is not! Is too! Is not! Is too! Is not! 15 +3 to Chutzpah And we know they worshipped ‘Celebrity Old Reckoning Cultures You joined a Debating society. 14 MPEG’, though we’re unclear who that was. (Unhealthy) Mix Instant HappyKaff with Cold Fun to get
APPROVED DOWNTIME FUN +3 to Chemical USELESS KNOWLEDGE 16 Happy Fun Pops! You joined a Fun Foods Wow! Somebody dropped a 100cr Engineering 15 Bribery (Unhealthy) Appreciation society, plasticred! Right at your feet! See those thrush pipes? That’s a TH17 +3 to Bot Ops and C’mon, seven ... seven ... seven ... Bot- 17 Mark 3 jackbot! You joined a Botspotters 16 Gambling (Unhealthy) Maintenance Eyes? Crap! club. See, if it defi nes function7 as ‘open,’ then Spontaneous loyalty on three, ready? You 17 Hacking (Unhealthy) the door thinks it’s already shut. Clear? 18 joined a Spontaneous Loyalty +3 to Bootlicking Demonstration group. No idea why he wants me promoted, but 18 Forgery (Unhealthy) Dunno about any ‘pyramid,’ but this is a that’s his signature there. 19 guaranteed investment! You joined a +2,000cr For the love of FC, cut the blue wire! THE Genuine Credit Opportunity club. 19 WMD (Unhealthy) BLUE WIRE! So few citizens know a tick from a check +1 to Access 20 mark! You joined a Volunteer Form Hey, that’s just like my cell’s code for ‘He’s A random society’s (tell your GM) 20 Checkers society. an IntSec spy.’ Twitchtalk (Unhealthy) Go to the Balance the Equation table. Go to the Balance the Equation table.
36 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO OLD JOB TABLES Old Job Pachinko The following tables are not part of the Prehistory Pachinko, except they sort of are. None of the previous Pachinko tables reference any of these. But Chapter 4, ‘Your Old Job’, describes what your Troubleshooter PC did before he became a Troubleshooter. There’s a wealth of detail there, including a line describing some optional tables for more details about previous employment. Each Old Job entry references the appropriate service group treason table listed on previous pages—for instance, a PLC Old Job suggests rolling on the PLC Treason table—but some entries refer to the brand-new tables listed below. These tables don’t really fi t into the Pachinko because they’re service group-specifi c, so we gave them their own section. Feel free to toss these tables into the Pachinko whenever you feel they’re appropriate, or at least funny. You can always ignore them if you want, unless of course your GM instructs you otherwise.
1 Old Injury Instructions for multi-column Old Job tables 1 Your New Phobia Some tables on the next two pages include multiple columns. For instance, ‘Where’s My WMD?’ has one column to determine the specifi c Weapon of Mass Destruction, 1 Bit Parts on Vidshows and a second column to determine where you absentmindedly left it. In these cases, you roll 1d20 multiple times, once for each column in the table, and combine the results into one unique calamity.
Roll Old Injury Your New Phobia Bit Parts on Vidshows
I get the -itis part, but what’s a col? You have to My mental health is great, why do you ask? You 1-2 Eat This!—Hungry Customer #12 use the bathroom frequently. have agateophobia, the fear of going insane.
Sure, but what’s in the pill? You have I’ll hold the elevator doors open with my foot. You 3-4 pharmacophobia, the fear of happy pills and other Where’s Teela Now?—Fungus Farmer walk with a slight limp. medication. Did you just blink twice? You have This door leads away from the core, right? You That Show Trial Show—In the audience, 5-6 secasoshaphobia, the fear of secret societies--even have radiation burn scars. dressed as a scrubot your own. That vat worker looked a lot like me.... You have I’m working on my 75th Tella-O fanfi c! You have Bake-A-Traitor—In the audience when 7-8 efi ngophobia, the fear of your clones coming to get carpal tunnel syndrome. “Stabby” Tab-Y was baked you.
So I called you stupid, wanna do something about I don’t care if it’s just a hammer, it freaks me out! Three’s Mandatory—Wacky Neighbor’s Wacky 9-10 it? Your nose has been repeatedly broken. You have bolshephobia, the fear of Communism. Neighbor
Step away from the switch, will you? You have 11-12 I’ll carry those boxes, sir! You have lumbago. nocturophobia, the fear of darkness and things IntSec!—Victim in Dramatic Recreation #6403 hiding in it. That’s not a ... jackobot, is it? Shudder! You have Be careful or you’ll poke someone’s AARRGH MY Best Good Sector Happy Hour—The voice of 13-14 automatonophobia, the fear of bots and automatic EYE! You have a big scar under one eye. Funno the Petbot devices. I PLAYED FUNBALL FOR YEARS AND I’M JUST I’VE DONE NOTHING WRONG! HEAR ME? Random Medical Crisis—Patient with 15-16 FINE! You have a constant mild ringing in your NOTHING! You have intertiophobia, the fear of toothache and secret heart condition ears. being arrested by IntSec. All I’m asking is to scan your DNA—hiding But you said to run this over to DPS Sector! Your The NEW Captain Botaroo Show—Giant B3 17-18 something? You have mutavincophobia, the fear knees hurt when you run or climb stairs. can mascot that mutants are after you. I’M NOT AFRAID! HEAR ME? NOT AFRAID! You Troubleshooter Follies—Ignorant 19-20 What step? You’re missing your two front teeth. have metusintertiometusophobia, the fear of being Troubleshooter...and you’re still on it. arrested for being afraid.
...AND BY THIS PAGE WE WERE SERIOUSLY DOUBTING OUR INHERENT SELF-WORTH 37 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED 1 Thing You Shouldn’t Know 1 What Does This Button Do? 1 Your New Allergy 1 How Insane Are You? Thing You Shouldn’t Know What Does This Button Do?
Penalty—if Roll Button color Why you pushed it What happened Roll What you accidentally learned you’re caught Random data—roll on Correct forms needed to get a 1-2 Blue Part of regular duties 1-2 M4B Useless Knowledge table replacement ME Card Averted a disaster—gain 3-4 What soylent is really made of—gross! M2B 3-4 Red Supervisor told you to one security clearance Which insurance plans actually work as 5-6 M2B Interesting data—roll on stated 5-6 Black To turn on some music Thing You Shouldn’t How to disable a confession booth Know table 7-8 B2T doorlock Next to button you really Nothing happened—that What the inside of an INDIGO’s estate 7-8 Green 9-10 B2E wanted to push you know of looks like A pile of free Cold Fun Which UV has a weakness for chocolate To call your secret 11-12 Termination 9-10 White (!) appeared—roll on Do I cake society contact Look Fat? table 13-14 What a hammer-and-sickle symbol means Brainscrub You dropped into a pit—roll 11-12 Brown To fl ush the toilet on Old Injury table Entry code to Armed Forces weapon 15-16 Termination caches Your fi rm lost all of its Can’t remember; all a A local IntSec BLUE Trooper is also a 13-14 Fuschia stock—roll on What’s a 17-18 Termination blur; awful nightmares high-degree Death Leopard Layoff? table Secret formula for Bouncy Bubble Something went boom! 19-20 Erasure Beverage 15-16 Flashing red Didn’t mean to Lose one security clearance Your sector went up in 17-18 Clear Because it taunted you smoke—increase your Your New Allergy clone number by one You realized it was all in To stop that horrible Roll Allergy Your reaction 19-20 Pink-ish your head—roll on How noise Insane Are You? table 1-2 Bouncy Bubble Beverage Lots of sneezing
3-4 Cold Fun You break out in hives
5-6 Scrubot cleaning foam Itchy, watery eyes How Insane Are You?
7-8 Another Troubleshooter Coughing Roll Your mental issues
9-10 Confession booths Swollen tongue You’re no more unstable than the rest of Alpha Complex, for what 1-10 that’s worth. 11-12 Dust Runny nose 11-14 You occasionally hear whispering voices. 13-14 Floor Wax #802 Fatigue 15-18 You think Commie Mutant Traitors are out to get you. 15-16 Real food Shortness of breath 19 Your friend George lives in your little fi nger.
17-18 Anything orange-colored Frequent bathroom use 20 The leprechaun king wants you to kill them all. These issues might not manifest in your clone backups -- this is 19-20 Chapstick Open sores totally up to your GM.
38 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 3. PACHINKO A MOTLEY ASSORTMENT 1 My Toolbelt Filed in the Big Round Folder Where’s My WMD? 1 Filed in the Big Round Folder Roll Important fi le you lost What happened to it Roll WMD Where you last saw it Small amount of Service fi rm quarterly In the top drawer of 1 Where's My WMD? 1-2 Threw it away by accident 1-2 fi ssionable report your desk uranium Radon test results for Spilled CoffeeLyke all Underneath your 1 What Experiment 3-4 3-4 Bot Flu Ran Amok? the dormitory over it mattress Troubleshooter Used to play Paper Mustard gas On the fl oor next to the 5-6 immediate backup 5-6 Funball during lunch canister toilet request
Instructions for the offi ce My Toolbelt 7-8 Accidentally shredded it 7-8 The Nude Bomb Near the recycling bin copybot
Add this tool to your Roll GREEN citizen’s Folded it into an origami 300kt tactical On an empty transbot personal equipment 9-10 9-10 promotion to BLUE scrubot nuclear bomb seat 1-2 Inclinometer Service fi rm employee Next to the cafeteria 3-4 Smoothing plane 11-12 No idea—it’s just... gone 11-12 Nerve agent phone number list salad bar 5-6 Pneumatic syringe Arrest warrant for Flushed down the toilet, 7-8 Airbrush (no paint) 13-14 13-14 Bubonic plague Your neighbor’s cubicle Trotsky-R-SSR don’t ask how 9-10 Staplegun Plat of survey for the Really needed to blow Grey Goo The autohack you took 11-12 Flat nose pliers 15-16 15-16 service fi rm’s facility your nose nanobots yesterday 13-14 Ball-peen hammer INDIGO citizen’s Behind your thermos at 15-16 Cranial caliper 17-18 Caught on fi re 17-18 Ice-9 change-of-address form home 17-18 Plow Somehow got into your 19-20 Teeny-tiny fl ashlight 19-20 Winning lottery ticket 19-20 The Q-Bomb Who knows? sandwich
What Experiment Ran Amok?
Roll Experiment Potential damage Roll Experiment Potential damage A few inconvenienced BLUE 1-2 A mutation-removing retrovirus 11-12 Dental hygiene bots 400% increase in mutations citizens
You may be terminated for 3-4 Cold Fun that never loses its cold Rolling blackouts 13-14 Jumpsuits that never wrinkle budget overruns
Everybody forgets the verb ‘To Riots and looting in many 5-6 A gun the size of FDF Sector 15-16 Treasonous thought detector go’ sectors
The end of Alpha Complex as 7-8 Self-carbonating B3 77.35% of citizens sick for days 17-18 Intelligent spam we know it
Teleportation without that annoying The end of Alpha Complex, 9-10 Red tide 19-20 An artifi cial, controlled singularity ‘Bamf!’ noise period
LAYING OUT 80 TABLES IS AN UNUSUAL AND INSTRUCTIVE EXPERIENCE 39 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED 4. Your old job
Only rarely does The Computer assign a general categories of labor. No matter what just happened to be visiting the warehouse citizen to Troubleshooter duty right out of the a job is officially called, it usually has a that day when you toppled that fateful stack creche. Most Troubleshooters had several jobs dominant characteristic or function it shares of boxes on them. We recommend developing before The Computer drafted them into the with other jobs in the same service group. a backstory for each of these allies, enemies, ranks. This is why you roll a service group and For example, a secretary, a statistician and accomplices and victims, based on the duties service fi rm when making your character. a midlevel manager have different jobs, but you performed in your old job. Yet this raises questions. What did your all do the same basic clerical work. So their Tell the Gamemaster the stories you PC do in his old job? Did it help shape his metajob—the type of work they do regardless devised. In his unassailable wisdom he may specialties or give him some equipment? And of their duty titles—is Clerical. accept or alter your tales as he desires. During why did he get promoted to Troubleshooter Each service group has five metajobs. missions in progress, he may bring in one or duty in the fi rst place? Three of these are the same for every service more of these past characters, each laden Worry not, for we have all the answers. group: Menial, Clerical and Technical. The with a freight of memories related to your past (Yes, all. We are Famous Game Designers, other two vary by group: Armed Forces has deeds or misdeeds. so we have an answer for every question you a Strategic metajob, whereas HPD&MC has Stop shuddering! Remember, what works can think of. Just remember, the answer may a Pedagogical metajob. Either pick a metajob against you also works against your teammates. often be, ‘Be quiet, or we’ll make you learn that fi ts your character, or roll 1d20 and consult Keep your eyes open. When you head into the encumbrance rules’.) the table at the beginning of your group’s vidshow studio and your fellow Troubleshooter This section explores your PC’s previous section to randomly assign one. tries hard not to catch the eye of the YELLOW duty assignments. Rather than ramble for 2,000 Each metajob has a brief description of typical producer, loudly say ‘Hmmmm!’ Try to meet pages trying to describe every possible job, we duties for these workers, some duty titles, that producer in private. Who knows—maybe describe each service group’s metajobs—its common and weakness specialties typical for your teammate dropped a box on him! citizens in this metajob, some equipment that could go ‘missing’ when the citizen transfers to another job or Troubleshooter duty, some tables in the Prehistory Pachinko to roll on and a few reasons why a citizen in this metajob could be assigned to Troubleshooter duty. All of this is meant to inspire you, not constrain you. None of this is canon; do what you want with it. Want a PLC character with a Strategic metajob? Go for it. Rather pick your own common specialties instead of going with that the metajob recommends? Sounds good to us. The Prehistory Pachinko can bounce your character among several different jobs before he fi nally reaches the vaunted ranks of the Troubleshooters. We recommend either using the fi rst service group assignment or the last for determining a metajob and related information, but do whatever you want. Combine, cut-out and cross-pollinate between metajobs to your heart’s content. We’ve never worried much about internal consistency, so why should you?
Wait, why am I doing this? Oh. We didn’t explain what purpose this serves in the game? Hold on, give us a moment.... Okay, we remember now. Using the Prehistory Pachinko tables, you probably found several people, maybe bunches of people, who like you or hate you. You met all ‘So, Forkbot RJ-23, when did you fi rst notice these these folks in your former job. Maybe some ‘Non, non! Trust Anatole-Y! You will look, ah, most feelings of inadequacy around the warehouse?’ were co-workers; others were clients; others altogezzer too-too high-clearance!’
40 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4. YOUR OLD JOB ARMED FORCES Armed Forces old jobs
Armed Forces’ five metajobs are Menial, ‘Missing’ equipment: duffel bag, camoufl age Violent, Technical, Clerical and Strategic. jumpsuit (still clearance dependent), wearable To determine which was yours before you target, back support belt became a Troubleshooter, roll 1d20 and Optional Pachinko tables: Armed Forces compare the result with your clearance to get Treason, Old Injury your metajob. Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Serves faithfully and without recorded complaints, no real sense of danger, hasn’t died yet. Menial Menial labor in Armed Forces is some of Technical the most back-breaking work you can ever imagine outside the history of slavery. Most These guys are surprisingly cocky given their times, menial labor is boring—run here, carry lack of practice with cone rifl es, but that’s this there, waste time until the shift’s over, that because the other soldiers rely on them to keep sort of thing. Armed Forces menial labor has those cone rifl es clean and loaded. Armed the added bonus of being pointless because Forces techs ensure the safe operation of there’s no enemy army to fi ght. Many citizens military hardware—everything from weapons in this metajob will spend hours or even days to warbots. building a fort, assembling overly-complicated The average AF tech swaggers about equipment or digging the proverbial but still the base, field-stripping random pieces of real trench. Then they have to take down, machinery and pointing out how the soldier was disassemble or fill in whatever they just almost about to blow his fool self up because fi nished building, assembling or digging. Even he forgot to press some button. Usually this is supervisors have no idea why these duties a lie; the tech just wants others to know how need to be done—but they know they’ll be sent important he is. This comes from a deep-rooted to Sector Zero if the duties don’t get done on inferiority due to his lack of combat training. time and under budget. Sure, he went through the same six-week Common duty titles: Barrel Scrubber, basic training course like any soldier, but that Moving Target, Offi ce Mover, Ditch Digger, was years ago and he hasn’t fi red a weapon Mess Hall Server, Living Example since. Typical common specialties: Hygiene, There is one exception to this mechanically- Unarmed Combat, Weapon and Armor inclined group: the medic. He still lacks the Maintenance, High Alert, Bootlicking, fi ghting skills like other techs, but he also lacks Mechanical Engineering the technical skills of his brothers and sisters. Common duty titles: Combot Specialist, Typical weakness specialties: Moxie, Instead, he knows the human body as well as Tank Driver, Bot Repairman, Clone Repairman, Agility, Con Games, Bot Ops and Maintenance, the others know bots. Which is to say, well Barrel Borer, That Guy What Fixes Stuff Chutzpah, Vehicle Ops and Maintenance enough to get all arrogant whenever someone Typical common specialties: Con Games, scrapes a knee. Medical, Bot Ops and Maintenance, Vehicle Ops and Maintenance, Vehicle Programming, Weapon and Armor Maintenance Clearance Menial Violent Technical Clerical Strategic Typical weakness specialties: Bootlicking, Suggestion, Habitat Engineering, Nuclear INFRARED 1-14 15-17 nope 18-19 20 Engineering, C-Bay, Electical Engineering ‘Missing’ equipment: Combot user’s RED 1-10 11-12 13-16 17-20 nope manual (YELLOW), multitool kit, kevlar patch kit, medkit, kitkit (has almost anything— ORANGE 1-5 6-12 13-17 18-20 nope randomly pick what comes out), bottle of YELLOW 1 2-6 7-9 10-19 20 asperquaint (YELLOW) Optional Pachinko tables: Armed Forces GREEN 1-3 4-7 8-13 14-19 20 Treason, I Don’t Own This Equipment Why promoted to Troubleshooting: skilled BLUE 1-2 3-15 16-17 18 19-20 at maintaining weapons and armor, fi xes bots and/or people really well, knows the difference INDIGO nope 1-7 8 9-14 15-20 between repairkits and medkits. VIOLET 1 2-8 nope 9-11 12-20
OH, LOOK! EVEN NOW WE ARE NOT QUITE DONE WITH TABLES! 41 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
ready to send other citizens into a battle in the Clerical Violent War Against Communism. Pity these poor soldiers, for they cannot Armed Forces produces a staggering amount There are two general categories of Armed attack the enemy directly. Instead, they of paperwork. Every offi cer must fi le a daily Forces personnel: those in Armed Forces must analyze the latest enemy intelligence report on the status of his unit’s supply, contractor service firms and those in the and decide where, when and how to attack. morale, hygiene, obedience, duty, readiness military proper: Ground Force, Sky Force, Sea They must organize logistics to keep food, and casualty situations regardless of the size Force, etc. By and large, soldiers on the military ammunition and entertainment fl owing to the of the unit. A general fi lls out the same forms side enjoy the weaponry, armor and destructive troops. They must keep the books on service as a platoon sergeant, and all of this must be tendencies of the Violent metajob. group spending and give rousing speeches to checked for accuracy, compiled into larger Though many workers in Alpha Complex the troops. Occasionally, they might be able reports, sorted by regiment and location, can get violent, these soldiers are trained to to ride a tankbot or battleship in an important scanned into electronic form, etc. This is how be, and expected to be, extremely violent. battle exercise, but that’s as close to actual an Armed Forces clerk spends his day. Fun, These are the frontline soldiers in the war combat as they can get. Pity indeed. eh? against the Commie Mutant Traitor menace, Though almost all these jobs are INDIGO Of course, an AF clerk has no idea what he’s and only through their heroic and tireless or VIOLET Clearance, there is the occasional typing up and fi ling. He is a soldier, and as efforts has Alpha Complex remained free. So INFRARED. The Bottom-Up Management such, he simply obeys without really thinking they get big guns, lots of target practice and Perspective program selects a random all that much. So though he can quickly fi nd the even some Outdoors training. They are highly INFRARED soldier and assigns him as a Vulture Squadron Soiled Underwear Washing trained killers. member of a strategic team. The goal is to Powder Use Report, he has no idea what any of Too bad they don’t have an enemy army to prevent Armed Forces leaders from forgetting the numbers mean, who tracks them, or why. kill. This leaves them frustrated; they are ready about the needs and concerns of the common A clerk works closely with those in the to take it to the enemy at a moment’s notice, soldier. In practice, the INFRARED serves strategic metajob as assistants and secretaries, but the notice rarely comes. Sure, there’s the CoffeeLyke and TeaSir. doing whatever odd job a general or major occasional readiness drill and war game, but Common duty titles: General, Brigadier- needs: buy more ammo off C-Bay, fi x this light for the most part a soldier spends his time General, Admiral, Colonel, Colonel-General, switch, or buy a present for my superior offi cer training, practicing and parading around Alpha Brigadier-Admiral, Admiral-Colonel, and any for his Decanting Day party. This gives the clerk Complex. other combination to make a title seem more plenty of opportunities to learn things he really Common duty titles: Grunt, Soldier, Ditch important than the others shouldn’t know, as well as to see the insanity Digger, Field Exerciser, War Game Enthusiast, Typical common specialties: Financial of leadership fi rst-hand. Given that he’s at the Acceptable Loss Systems, Hacking, Oratory, Vehicular Combat, mercy of these high-clearance generals, a clerk Typical common specialties: Demolition, Chutzpah, Data Analysis often becomes a bit unhinged. If you ever want Field Weapons, Intimidation, Outdoor Life, Typical weakness specialties: Bot to see a clerk shudder, just ask him if he has Bioweapons, Hand Weapons Programming, Vehicle Ops and Maintenance, ever had to plan a parade route. Typical weakness specialties: Con Games, Weapon and Armor Maintenance, Bootlicking, Common duty titles: Secretary, Personal Sneaking, Data Analysis, Suggestion, Fine Data Search, Cloning Assistant, Offi ce Offi cer, Senior Paper Shuffl er, Manipulation, Nuclear Engineering ‘Missing’ equipment: Vulture Squadron Not A Proper Soldier If You Think About It ‘Missing’ equipment: Laser barrel bandolier encryption code (BLUE), riding crop (BLUE), Typical common specialties: C-Bay, (empty), IOU from a combot, fl ash grenade 2000cr (licensed to buy Armed Forces products Data Search, Electronic Engineering, (stun only), boot polish, pet maple leaf only), chapstick (GREEN), tailored camoufl age Psychotherapy, Hand Weapons, Chutzpah (illegal) jumpsuit (improves Hygiene checks) Typical weakness specialties: High Alert, Optional Pachinko tables: Armed Forces Optional Pachinko tables: Armed Forces Projectile Weapons, Habitat Engineering, Treason, Old Injury Treason, Thing You Shouldn’t Know Cloning, Unarmed Combat, Outdoor Life Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Great Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Lost ‘Missing’ equipment: Vulture Squadron at shooting things, never complained about all a war game, better at small unit tactics than strike request form (BLUE), staple remover those parades, violent even by Armed Forces regiment-level strategy, we have to get rid of (O5W impact), portable document scanner, standards. this common INFRARED person somehow. Seal-Heal papercut spray, 583cr in plasticreds Optional Pachinko tables: Armed Forces Strategic Treason, How Insane Are You TARGET Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Not everyone gets to play with cone rifl es PRACTICE improved offi ce effi ciency by 34%, uncovered and tankbots. Someone needs to coordinate a credit-skimming scheme, worked with ‘Crazy’ attacks, plotting strategy and tactics from BUILDS MORALE General Hannah-V for ten months and wasn’t a regrettably safe distance. These are the AMONG THE terminated. colonels and generals of Armed Forces, always SURVIVORS
42 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4. YOUR OLD JOB CPU Central Processing Unit old jobs
Central Processing Units’ fi ve metajobs are Menial, Technical, Clerical, Analysis and Fieldwork. To determine which was yours Technical before you became a Troubleshooter, roll 1d20 and compare the result with your clearance to Technical employees at CPU deal with get your metajob. everything from minor hardware and network management to low-level object code creation. They produce high-quality algorithms that Menial effi ciently calculate results from a number of networked databases, spreadsheets and With the exception of certain specifi c Fieldwork realtime input devices in a format useful and assignments, the most dangerous jobs in relevant to CPU and The Computer. CPU are menial. The turnover in these jobs is That’s the thory, anyway. In reality they horrendous. Workers either fi nd a way to get spend their time chasing intermittent computer out, become expert in avoiding their duties, or bugs, patching legacy systems together in run out of clones. Despite (or perhaps because ways waaay outside of spec, developing of) the workfl ow procedures constantly under workarounds so that stuff can get done revision from the brightest minds in CPU to despite multiple layers of security protocol, improve safety and efficiency, the typical and occasionally just sabotaging a terminal menial CPU employee considers any day completely in hopes the request will be de- good if it brings no maimings and only minor prioritized by the time a new terminal arrives. burns. Technical workers are not allowed to actually What’s so dangerous? Menial CPU program The Computer, and any who show employees routinely deal with high-velocity unusual skill in the area are quickly reassigned printers, toxic ink supplies, high-volume where they can’t do any damage. shredders, plastic media incinerators, and the It takes a certain mindset to be a successful dreaded de-magnetizer units, which are so technical worker in CPU. Where the menial powerful they’ve been known to pull the CRUP workers try to avoid work altogether, the system right out of a clone’s head. They move technical workers simply have to avoid the huge racks of delicate electronic equipment blame after a project is completed. ‘Simply’. in order to improve the workflow process As if it’s that easy! Still, once they get good (for instance, making it easier for the BLUE at that, the life of a technical worker is rather supervisor to get to the coffee machine). easy. Their job isn’t terribly dangerous Common duty titles: Coder, Techie, Common duty titles: Loader, Shred Jockey, (by PARANOIA standards) and isn’t at all Dataman, Doughboy, Patsy Disposers, Dozeposers, Poor Sot physically demanding. The work, though dull, Typical common specialties: Chutzpah, Typical common specialties: Agility, isn’t terribly complex, but it’s obscure enough Bot Programming, Hacking, Electronic Bootlicking, High Alert, Sneaking, Medical, Bot that those who don’t know any better can Engineering, Fine Manipulation, Con Games Ops and Maintenance easily assume the technical worker is creating Typical weakness specialties: Vehicular miracles. Combat, Oratory, Disguise, Slight of Hand, Outdoor Life, Weapon and Armor Maintenance Clearance Menial Technical Clerical Analysis Fieldwork ‘Missing’ equipment: Blank disks (INFRARED), signature stamps (varies), INFRARED 1-16 17-19 nope nope 20 docbot authorization forms (ORANGE) Optional Pachinko tables: Old Injury, At RED 1-8 9-10 11-18 nope 19-20 Least I Have a Job ORANGE 1-2 3-5 6-17 18-19 20 Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Found documents indicating a coverup and YELLOW nope 1-2 3-9 10 11-20 exposed it to The Computer, found documents indicating a coverup and blackmailed the one GREEN 1 2-8 9-14 15-19 20 doing it, length of service indicates excellence at survival. BLUE 1-2 3-7 8-17 18 19-20
INDIGO nope 1-7 8 9-19 20
VIOLET 1 2-10 11 12-20 nope
PARDON US IF WE’RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT TABLES... 43 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
Typical weakness specialties: Hygiene, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Optional Pachinko tables: Thing You C-Bay, Operating Systems, Chemical Substituted your own name for a real Shouldn’t Know, Who Hates You this Time? Engineering, Unarmed Combat, Intimidation Troubleshooter to Get Out of This Rat Hole, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: ‘Missing’ equipment: electrical power bars was substituted by a co-worker for a real Particularly poor analyses led to a problem (INFRARED), passcode lists (BLUE), wire Troubleshooter to Get Him Away From Me, you were called out to fi x personally, decoded cutters (RED) recognized for exemplary performance leading a particularly complex message leading to the Optional Pachinko tables: Do I Look Fat?, to effi ciency gains... and is expected to do the arrest of many traitors, decoded a particularly What Does This Button Do? same for the Troubleshooter team. sensitive message and annoyed someone Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Shifted powerful. the blame a little too well and your ‘loyalty’ to The Computer was noticed in your semi-weekly Analysis review, consistently got your superiors out of Fieldwork the fi re by making the data fi t their projections, All that data input and licenced by clerical annoyed a CPU clerical worker. workers, massaged by technical workers, All the data CPU processes has to come and eventually destroyed by menial workers, from somewhere. That’s the job of fi eldwork is actually analyzed. Analysts recommend employees. Sent out not only to evaluate Clerical changing various procedures to increase conditions and report back to CPU, but also effi ciency. Then after their recommendations to suggest efficiency changes ‘on the fly’, Most CPU employees fi t under the clerical are implemented, they analyze the results fi eldwork employees are almost universally heading, partially because this also to determine what else should be changed. despised. encompasses most of the legal department. Often it ends up changing right back— Unlike most of CPU, Fieldwork employees After all, licenses don’t write themselves—at but analysts explain this as ‘temporary are quite fit and presentable. They are least not unless they’re one of those new viral adjustments to promote satisfaction with no-nonsense types, quick to use whatever recombinant strains, but those are rare enough current procedures’. resources they have, including threats of that you shouldn’t have to worry much. After all, CPU analysts are sequestered so their misfi led forms and reports. CPU fi eldworkers only a mean GM would infl ict on his players a analyses are not compromised by the ugly are here to make things more effi cient, and license that altered its own terms every minute intrusion of ‘statistical anomalies’. In other anybody who isn’t actively helping them is or so, and only a truly sadistic GM would tell the words, they never see real-world effects of obviously working against Alpha Complex. rest of your group you already have experience their decisions. This makes them confi dent They take health and hygiene seriously, as interpreting those kinds of things. in the most outrageous proposals. The idea these are the cornerstones of loyalty. The work of a CPU clerical employee varies of ‘getting their hands dirty’ is repulsive, and Common duty titles: Effi ciency Coordinator, between deathly dull and mind-twisting. if facts don’t meet theory, the problem is Off-Site Worker, Yellowpants, Know-it-all, Interpreting multiple conflicting procedure obviously that not enough facts have been Jerk and policy manuals, with the knowledge that gathered. Typical common specialties: Moxie, your life may be on the line if you get it wrong, While at work, many CPU Analysts spend Intimidation, Concealment, Surveillance, has lead to a high incidence of psychosis their time decrypting messages IntSec Hygiene, Weapons and Armor Maintenance among CPU clerical workers. Fortunately, The suspects were sent by secret society networks, Typical weakness specialties: Bootlicking, Computer recognizes the danger and ensures rival fi rms or bursts of line noise. Of the three, Oratory, Security Systems, Con Games, every CPU employee has ample access to analysts prefer the line noise explanation, Demolition, Bot Ops and Maintenance helpful and entertaining psychotropic drugs. because there’s less chance the message will ‘Missing’ equipment: Truncheon The Computer also wisely keeps these people be above their security clearance and require (RED), Geiger counter (GREEN), vitamins well away from any type of programming. a brainscrub. (YELLOW) Common duty titles: Clerk, Typist, Lawyer, Common duty titles: Code Breaker, Optional Pachinko tables: My Toolbelt, It’s Data Entry, Dweeb. Analyst, Elitist, Geek Just My Allergies Typical common specialties: C-Bay, Data Typical common specialties: Data Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Search, Psychotherapy, Pharmatherapy, Analysis, Chutzpah, Habitat Engineering, Exceptional ability at gathering information Interrogation, Oratory Financial Systems, Data Search, Mechanical for CPU noted, was assigned as an onsite Typical weakness specialties: Hacking, Engineering replacement for a dead Troubleshooter. Operating Systems, Outdoor Life, Bioweapons, Typical weakness specialties: Vehicle Intimidation, Chutzpah Programming, Moxie, Bot Programming, Bot ‘Missing’ equipment: Office supplies Ops & Maintenance, Hacking, Vehicle Ops & (INFRARED), multi-line/handset wireless Maintenance phone (GREEN), Portable Cubicle Wall ‘Missing’ equipment: Sector maps (BLUE), (RED) AIR-on Executive Class Chair (ORANGE), Optional Pachinko tables: Filed in the Big daily one-time pads (VIOLET) Round Folder, How Insane Are You?
44 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4. YOUR OLD JOB HPD & MIND CONTROL HPD & Mind Control old jobs HPD&MC’s five metajobs are Menial, Technical, Clerical, Pedagogical and Clearance Menial Creative Technical Pedagogical Clerical Clerical. To determine which was yours before you became a Troubleshooter, roll 1d20 and INFRARED 1-10 nope 11-16 nope 17-20 compare the result with your clearance to get RED 1-9 10-14 15-17 nope 18-20 your metajob. ORANGE 1-8 9-12 13-15 nope 16-20 Menial YELLOW 1-4 5-9 10-16 17 18-20 Working for HPD&MC isn’t as glamorous as GREEN 1-2 3-12 6-13 14-18 19-20 some citizens imagine. It’s not all about rubbing elbows with vid-celebs and brainwashing the BLUE 1 2-7 8-10 11-13 14-20 masses. As with other service groups, there is INDIGO nope 1-6 7-10 11-16 17-20 plenty of grunt work to be done—and plenty of grunts assigned to do it. VIOLET nope 1-4 5-6 7-13 14-20 But as menial work goes, it’s not so bad. Most of these jobs require little in the way of physical exertion... unless you count ego-stroking. creative workers can get away with a hell of a HPD&MC employs some of the biggest egos lot. And they do. in the Complex, and those egos need to be Creative Of course, once a creative worker at massaged. Continuously. If your suck-up skills HPD&MC gets transferred to Troubleshooter are up to snuff, you can make powerful friends. The Computer likes to see creativity in its duty, all those things he got away with at his If not, watch your back. Of course, you should citizens. Studies show that citizens with active old job may be reexamined. be watching your back anyway. imaginations can sustain a 23% reduction in Common duty titles: Dancebot Aside from this, menial jobs at HPD&MC mandatory mood enhancers. Nothing wrong Choreographer, Reality Screenwriter, Product run the gamut from dull to excruciatingly dull. with that! However, creative citizens have a Re-vamp Packaging Consultant, Official Hurry-up-and-wait is the general rule here. habit of thinking up all these ‘new ideas’. The Portraitist for VIOLET Executives, Ambitious workers fi nd ample time to snoop Computer fi nds this rather insulting—it would Typical common specialties: Chutzpah, around their workplace, eavesdrop on their prefer they use their creativity to fi nd new ways Oratory, Disguise, Agility, Bot Programming, superiors, spread rumors about rival co- of appreciating all the old ideas (the ones that Pharmatherapy workers. All those little treasons are probably have been graciously provided for them by The Typical weakness specialties: Hygiene, what got you promoted. Computer). For this reason, The Computer Sneaking, Intimidation, Energy Weapons Common duty titles: Production Assistant, doesn’t look favorably upon ‘creative types’. Financial Systems, Cloning Assistant Production Assistant, Assistant to Nor do most service groups, HPD&MC being ‘Missing’ equipment: Video editing the Production Assistant, Stunt Double, Extra a notable exception. software for the PDC (YELLOW), set of (‘Loyal INFRARED Worker #3’), ‘that guy who Among the pencil-pushers, the geeks and markers in different RED tones, fan-fi ction brings me my lunch’ the gussied-up thugs who run the other service script for That Show Trial Show, bottle of 20 Typical common specialties: Agility, groups, those with artistic inclinations are benetridin capsules (VIOLET), IntSec goon Bootlicking, High Alert, Sneaking, Medical, Bot considered suspect at best. HPD&MC doesn’t costume (GREEN), a stupid looking hat Ops and Maintenance really care for them either, but grudgingly (INFRARED), bucket of Puregleam Ultrawhite Typical weakness specialties: Vehicular acknowledge creative workers serve a paint (ULTRAVIOLET) Combat, Oratory, Disguise, Slight of purpose. As such, HPD&MC acts as a refuge Optional Pachinko tables: HPD&MC Hand, Outdoor Life, Weapon and Armor for citizens who really couldn’t work anywhere Treason, Generic Inappropriate Behavior Maintenance else. Actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: ‘Missing’ equipment: TeaSir sweeter graphic designers, musicians—freaks of Thinking outside (but not too far outside) the packets (RED), box of promotional T-shirts every stripe—they all fi nd work generating box, creating works of breathtaking beauty from a cancelled sitcom (INFRARED), laser- entertainment products for the citizens of Alpha and cost-effectiveness, displays insight into guided back scratcher (YELLOW) Complex. It’s an okay gig, if you can get it. the tastes of INFRARED audiences... such Optional Pachinko tables: HPD&MC Ironically, creative workers receive little as they are. Treason, Bit Parts In Vidshows attention from IntSec, mostly because Why promoted to Troubleshooting: everyone already believes they’re a bunch Admirable penmanship, brings superiors of treasonous lunatics. Because their guilt is Technical CoffeeLyke without being asked, same size generally assumed, IntSec operatives have and shape as famous vidstar (makes excellent little to gain by expending time and resources Technical workers from IntSec and HPD&MC stand-in), says amusing things about people actually pursuing individual misdeeds among are remarkably interchangeable. If you think nobody likes, gives great foot massages. the creative workers. The upshot of all this: about it, one does covertly what the other does overtly. Both service groups have a lot
...THE WHOLE TABLE CONCEPT HAS BEEN WEIGHING HEAVILY ON OUR MINDS... 45 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED of audio/visual equipment to be confi gured and particular project, he had better have someone is to enrich the minds of all citizens—by any maintained. Both groups take pride in capturing from clerical on his side (or in his pocket). means necessary. quality footage. Whether that footage is used Most of the clericals who don’t work in If the (sniff) creative workers were left to to entertain the masses or to condemn a the vid-biz are assigned to the Housing their own devices, everything they produced traitor to a messy, painful death—that’s merely Directorate, the agency that coordinates all would be devoid of moral content. It would be academic, especially when you’re just the guy matters related to public housing. Though nothing but slapstick and explosions, with no who mixes the audio. housing construction jobs are sub-contracted redeeming social value. The Pedagogues make In fact, a fair number of HPD&MC techies out to various Tech and Power Services service certain every piece of HPD&MC-produced are transfers from IntSec who still maintain fi rms, the Directorate is ultimately responsible media provides citizens with a bracing dose professional contacts with their former co- for making sure every citizen has a bed to of Computer-approved ideological content. workers. Conversely, IntSec headhunters are sleep in, or at least something resembling a Furthermore, they screen existing media for known to grab (literally) the most talented tech bed. This is not exciting work, but it needs to be treasonous concepts before it is released to workers from HPD&MC fi rms when they need done right. When INFRAREDs fi nd themselves the public. And, as the creatives are fond of to add a little ‘vid-biz magic’ to one of their sting without a place to sleep, they frequently take saying, ‘Pedagogues could fi nd treasonous operations. Such ‘freelance opportunities’ can to the streets/corridors. Because... where else concepts in a bowl of day-old Cold Fun.’ be a mixed blessing. On the plus side, they can they go? The Computer counts on pedagogical earn you access to information you would Keep in mind, clerical housing administrators agents to safeguard the very soul of Alpha never have seen otherwise. The downside: don’t just deal with the INFRAREDs; they Complex. Therefore, it only assigns its most They earn you access to information you never coordinate housing for all citizens. Having a trusted citizens to serve in this capacity. If The would have seen otherwise. friend at the Housing Directorate is the best Computer allowed citizens of compromised Common duty titles: Pyrotechnics (perhaps the only) way for mid-clearance integrity to serve as pedagogues, who knows Specialist, Cambot Operator, Post Production citizens to secure the most desirable living what sort of secret society propaganda could Image Revisionist, Gaffer space. If you ever hooked up an ally with be slipped into HPD&MC produced media. Typical common specialties: Surveillance, a swank apartment, he certainly owes you Fortunately, all pedagogical agents are beyond Electronic Engineering, Demolition, Bot big-time. But to set him up with that nice reproach, and nothing like this ever happens. Ops and Maintenance, Weapon and Armor apartment, you probably had to arrange the Pedagogues tend to make more enemies Maintenance, Biosciences eviction of the existing occupant. That previous than other HPD&MC workers, even more Typical weakness specialties: Disguise, resident—he’ll also owe you. Big-time. so than creatives, because they enforce Nuclear Engineering, Unarmed Combat, Common duty titles: Production Accountant, the offi cial version of truth, justice and The Habitat Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Budget Supervisor, Gap fi nancing Coordinator, Computer’s way. Spend enough time churning Medical Housing Relocation Facilitator out documentaries on the evils of secret ‘Missing’ equipment: Roll of double- Typical common specialties: Intimidation, societies and someone’s bound to hate you. strength gaffer’s tape (RED), Fogg-Deluxe Financial Systems, Surveillance, Habitat Common duty titles: Level II Censor, non-toxic smoke generator (YELLOW), Engineering, Data Analysis, Data Search Wholesome Values Coordinator, Associate vintage Old Reckoning machine-gun (fi ring pin Typical weakness specialties: Bot Director of Standards and Practices for removed; GREEN) Programming, Electronic Engineering, Hacking, Channel 4 Vidnews, Acceptable Syntax Optional Pachinko tables: HPD&MC High Alert, Oratory, Vehicle Programming Consultant Treason, What Does This Button Do? ‘Missing’ equipment: pre-approved housing Typical common specialties: Chutzpah, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: A transfer form (GREEN), keycard for a BLUE Oratory, Pharmatherapy, Psychotherapy, whiz with the Glitztronix 250 Graphics System, Clearance condo (BLUE), blueprints for the Suggestion, Unarmed Combat fi xes more things than he breaks, distributed northern XUR Sector INFRARED barracks Typical weakness specialties: Bioweapons, a hilarious ‘blooper reel’ of an exceedingly (ORANGE) Bootlicking, Cloning, Medical, Moxie, Vehicular pompous vidnews anchor, knows a guy who Optional Pachinko tables: HPD&MC Combat knows a guy. Treason, Bit Parts In Vidshows ‘Missing’ equipment: Pre-censored copy of Why promoted to Troubleshooting: The Tella-O Story miniseries script (YELLOW), Doesn’t put up with any guff, malarkey or glossary of ‘really nasty expletives, unsuitable Clerical shenanigans, strikes fear into the hearts of for broadcast’ (ORANGE), an unspeakably slackers, cuts budgets until they bleed, sends violent deleted scene from When Bots Go In Alpha Complex, there’s a lot of authority tied thoughtful holiday cards to co-workers. Bad (GREEN) up in paperwork. Therefore, the people who Optional Pachinko tables: HPD&MC control the paperwork boast a shocking amount Treason, Who Hates You This Time? of power. This is especially true at HPD&MC, Pedagogical Why promoted to Troubleshooting: where clerical workers have secured a death Expresses appropriate opinions in an grip on the budget process for every major Pedagogical agents at HPD&MC aren’t fond of appropriate manner, works with at-risk Junior project. Remember all those creative types we the phrase ‘mind control’ (the MC in HPD&MC). Citizens in his off-hours, composes praise talked about earlier? They can’t be expected The term carries sinister connotations of songs for The Computer and sings them to stick to a budget or to meet deadlines—not brainwashing, subliminal messages, mass around the offi ce. without the HPD&MC clerical department riding hypnosis. These connotations are, in fact, them hard throughout the so-called ‘creative warranted. It’s just that Pedagogues prefer to process’. When a producer wants money for a think of themselves as educators. Their job
46 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4. YOUR OLD JOB INTERNAL SECURITY Internal Security old jobs
Internal Security’s fi ve metajobs are Menial, Typical weakness specialties: Chutzpah, Technical, Clerical, Inquisitional and Nuclear Engineering, Field Weapons, Moxie, Securitive. To determine which was yours Con Games, Projectile Weapons before you became a Troubleshooter, roll 1d20 ‘Missing’ equipment: Type ‘N’ battery for a and compare the result with your clearance to neurowhip (RED), refl ec albedo cream (minus get your metajob. one damage step—YELLOW), treason scene tape (ORANGE), body bag with ‘I can be recycled!’ tag (INFRARED). Menial Optional Pachinko tables: Internal Security Treason, Useless Knowledge Menial work in IntSec is surprisingly tame. The Why promoted to Troubleshooting: worst tasks are cleaning up in the termination Doesn’t ask a lot of questions, good at and interrogation centers, where workers can maintaining weaponry, hasn’t thrown up get somewhat unnerved by the sights, sounds yet despite repeatedly cleaning termination and puddles found in those rooms. Still, it’s centers. easier than technical work, less tedious than clerical work, cleaner than inquisitional work and safer than securitive work. Technical Unlike other service groups, IntSec doesn’t have a lot of heavy objects that need lifting IntSec uses lots and lots of machines. From or moving. Instead, menial labor in IntSec microscopic bug ‘mites’ to the reliable guardbot, revolves around supporting the other metajobs: there are tons of machines that need a loving, repairing refl ec, keeping places clean, placing well-trained hand to repair and maintain explosives just before the major push into them. This means technical workers would a Communist stronghold, that sort of thing. be the largest group in IntSec—if it weren’t for Because of this, menial workers can be a rampant and pervasive paranoia. ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ for Internal Remember, clearance is based on trust, not Security. They often have a smattering of skills skill. INFRAREDs and REDs are usually not and knowledge of what’s going on, but not permitted to work in a technical capacity for enough to actually get them anywhere. fear these barely-trusted clones will sabotage Common duty titles: Reflec Shiner, needed and costly equipment. Would you trust Explosives Storage Expert, Neurowhip an INFRARED to maintain a camera/blaster Recharger, Treason Scene Tape Dispenser, cluster that guards the entrance to your Body Remover, Janitor place of employment? Neither would IntSec. These technical workers hate stereotypical Typical common specialties: Intimidation, Technicians in IntSec are usually ORANGE security tasks. Most citizens believe any Weapon and Armor Maintenance, Hand and YELLOW, but the occasional INDIGO Internal Security agent can interrogate, guard Weapons, Hygiene, Bootlicking, Demolition technician can still be found working on the or root out traitors just like in all the vidshows, really important machines—like the CoffeeLyke and it surprises them when an IntSec agent dispenser in the VIOLET offi ces. says, ‘Hey! I only program multicorders for covert sting operations! What’s a truncheon?’ Common duty titles: DNA Scanner Clearance Menial Technical Clerical Inquisitional Securitive Operators, Bot Repairmen, Electrode Wire Checkers, Video Recording Copiers, INFRARED 1-12 nope 13-19 nope 20 Spybot Programmers, Slugthrower Systems Specialists RED 1-10 nope 11-18 19-20 nope Typical common specialties: Surveillance, Electronic Engineering, Fine Manipulation, Bot ORANGE 1-5 6-13 14-16 17-18 19-20 Ops and Maintenance, Weapon and Armor YELLOW 1-3 4-14 15-18 19 20 Maintenance, Biosciences Typical weakness specialties: Disguise, GREEN nope 1-6 7-9 10-13 14-20 Nuclear Engineering, Unarmed Combat, Habitat Engineering, Chemical Engineering, BLUE nope 1-5 6-8 9-14 15-20 Medical ‘Missing’ equipment: Spy powder (see INDIGO nope 1-4 5-9 10-18 19-20 PARANOIA Stuff—BLUE), one random DNA sample (INFRARED), wire integrity voltmeter VIOLET nope nope 1-8 9-19 20 (RED), spybot user manual (GREEN)
WHO ACTUALLY WAS ASKING FOR A BOOK OF 80 TABLES? WE CAN’T RECALL. 47 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
Optional Pachinko tables: Internal Security aren’t that many workers employed in these Treason, I Don’t Own This Equipment Inquisitional tasks because only citizens of exceptional trust Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Works can be assigned such important responsibilities. well with weapons and bots, understand the Inquisitional workers are employed to find Despite the occasional clerical error that puts technical side of surveillance, need another information, whether it be encrypted on a disk, an INFRARED in charge of fusion reactor warm body to staff a Troubleshooter team. scrawled in a secret message on a transtube security, most of these citizens are YELLOW wall or buried deep within the subconscious of or higher. a citizen. These are the interrogators and the Most of these jobs are characterized by long Clerical investigators—the ones most likely to show stretches of extreme boredom peppered with up on an exciting and totally false HPD&MC tiny moments of extreme terror. Guarding the Like any police department or government edutainment vidshow. elevator that leads to an ULTRAVIOLET’s offi ce, Internal Security produces a staggering Like his counterpart in securitive work, the estate is dull—until the doors open and a amount of paperwork. Forms and reports average inquisitional worker is full of pride to GREEN citizen walks out. ‘How did he get in need to be fi led to explain and justify just the point of hubris. He cannot bootlick for lack there? Did I let him slip past? Will I get blamed about anything IntSec does: why a citizen is a of motivation. He is so used to being feared for anything and everything?’ The traitor who Citizens of Interest and suspected of treason, and in control that he just doesn’t understand committed a crime will get the correction he why the COI hasn’t been arrested, why the humility or begging. Because they spend their deserves, but the guard who let the traitor COI has been arrested once he’s taken in, days hunting down information, inquisitional pass faces an equally punishing correction. why certain procedures were followed, or workers often know things they shouldn’t. This probably explains their unwillingness not followed, during Standard Questioning This makes them excellent targets for secret to let anyone past, even with authorization. Performance Measures, why the body wasn’t societies for conversion, which makes them Getting in trouble for refusing entry is not as recycled after the Standard Questioning equally excellent targets for Internal Affairs painful as explaining why that mushroom cloud Performance Measures, etc. investigations. Once a worker leaves the is not your fault. Ostensibly, this is to protect the citizenry from interrogation chamber, his cool yet gruff Not all of these workers are guards. They can overzealous IntSec agents. In reality, it’s so demeanor falls aside, replaced with one of fear be assigned to ‘proactive security measures’ high-clearance IntSec offi cials can keep tabs, and paranoia. This is why so many inquisitional such as spying, going undercover and tailing and blackmail, on their subordinates. Clerical workers volunteer for unpaid overtime. a suspect. But if a securitive worker ever falls workers in IntSec do a brisk trade in bribery, Common duty titles: Data Miner, Ears from grace, he is assigned to the worst job in ‘misplacing’ paperwork and reformatting drives Of The Walls, Answer Man, Double Agent, the securitive hierarchy: riot duty. Standing to remove any evidence of misdeeds on the Information Gatherer, Surveillance Systems around in areas of repeated riots, looking part of an IntSec agent. A good IntSec clerical Expert for signs of upcoming uprisings and putting worker can locate and lose an report within Typical common specialties: Interrogation, them down should they begin, is stressful and seconds. A poor IntSec clerical worker spends Intimidation, Hand Weapons, Disguise, doesn’t win friends. the rest of his life transcribing interrogation Pharmatherapy, Surveillance Common duty titles: Goon, Temporary recordings. (‘Q: Where were you that night? A: Typical weakness specialties: Bootlicking, Guardbot Replacement, Traitor Tracker, Augh. Arr. Stop stop oh please stop.’) Oratory, Thrown Weapons, High Alert, Undercover Agent, Riot Signs Identifier, Common duty titles: Secretary, Traitor Psychotherapy, Security Systems Unoffi cial Designated Scapegoat Report Filer, Traitor File Reporter, Interrogation ‘Missing’ equipment: Name of random Typical common specialties: Oratory, Chamber Stenographer, Data Entry Agent, secret society leader (GREEN), bottle of Intimidation, Sneaking, Shadowing, Field Last Request Requester telescopalmine (GREEN), INFRARED Weapons, Bot Programming Typical common specialties: Bootlicking, jumpsuit, dull, rusty knife (RED) Typical weakness specialties: Data Search, Sleight of Hand, Data Analysis, Optional Pachinko tables: Internal Security Interrogation, Bootlicking, Disguise, Sleight of Con Games, Financial Systems Treason, Thing You Shouldn’t Know Hand, Unarmed Combat, Data Search Typical weakness specialties: Oratory, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Really ‘Missing’ equipment: bullhorn (ORANGE), Bot Programming, Vehicle Programming, good and tracking down information, knows tracking device (YELLOW), stun gun Surveillance, Moxie, Hacking too much and should be placed in a highly- (ORANGE), ME Card reader (YELLOW) ‘Missing’ equipment: List of local snitches dangerous job. Optional Pachinko tables: Internal Security (BLUE), box of RED pens (RED), portable paper Treason, Who Hates You This Time? shredder (ORANGE), low-level encryption key Why promoted to Troubleshooting: (YELLOW) Securitive Rooted out traitors repeatedly, good at using Optional Pachinko tables: Internal Security violence to stop riots, so overzealous in Treason, Filed In The Big Round Folder Security jobs are the heart of Internal Security’s applying violence to stop riots that he keeps Why promoted to Troubleshooting: mission. IntSec guards doors, elevators, causing them. General knowledge of all kinds of treason, stations, stairwells, machines, vats, people, assigned by a high-clearance IntSec offi cial bots, support columns, chambers—the list is to get rid of him. almost endless, or at least heavily classifi ed. Yet though this work is integral to IntSec, there
48 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4. YOUR OLD JOB PLC PLC old jobs
PLC’s fi ve metajobs are Menial, Technical, Clerical, Service and Quality. To determine which was yours before you became a Technical Troubleshooter, roll 1d20 and compare the result with your clearance to get your To function properly, each of PLC’s manifold metajob. service firms employs its own suite of technological devices. Whether it’s laser cutters and ore sorters in the mines, plastic Menial injectors and chemical vapor depositors in the factories, or batch pasteurizers and body PLC handles a broad range of tasks, from removal cranes at the food vats, there’s always mining to manufacturing to bulk transport. And something requiring a skilled operator. PLC’s in each and every phase of PLC activities, technical staffers are just skilled enough to there’s a share of heavy lifting. Guess who handle these needs. handles the mindless, mildly hazardous The line between menial and technical drudgework? Yep, it’s the drudges on PLC’s workers in PLC is thin. Many career tracks, menial staff. especially for handcrafters and artisans, cross Menial workers in PLC tend toward muscular over from unskilled labor to skilled technical builds (running to fat) and thuggish dispositions. work. The struggle for promotion can be Their jobs rarely require a lot of thought, so fi erce! their workplaces breed sedition like month- Technical workers in PLC deeply resent their old Cold Fun spawns weird fungal growths. counterparts in Technical Services. TechServ’s Secret societies, Elective Activity Programs technicians hold the authority to repair and and IntSec infi ltrators all compete for a slice maintain all of PLC’s equipment, and they love of this disaffected personnel pie. to lord it over the peons in PLC in the process. Common duty titles: Food Vat Worker, But anyone who pushes PLC’s staffers too far Cargo Hauler, Assembly Line Worker, Forklift risks disappearing mysteriously. Oddly, such Operator, Crate Sealer, Greenhouse Mulcher, disappearances correlate with unexpected Mineral Extraction Worker, Fry Cook, Napkin increases in the protein content of the local Stacker, Countertop Scrubber, Shopping Cart food vats. Retrieval Specialist Common duty titles: Machinist, Chemist, Typical common specialties: Intimidation, Carpenter, Chef, Video Game Programmer, Moxie, Concealment, Unarmed Combat, Soylent Formula Technician, Algae Chip Vehicle Ops and Maintenance, Financial Seasoning Specialist Systems Typical common specialties: Security Typical weakness specialties: Bootlicking, Systems, Hand Weapons, Bot Ops and Typical weakness specialties: Shadowing, Hygiene, Surveillance, Fine Manipulation, Maintenance, Mechanical Engineering, Bot Vehicular Combat, Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Hacking Programming, Biosciences Weapons and Armor Maintenance, Hacking, Typical Secret skills: Marital Arts, Cloning Forklift Ops and Maintenance, Meeting Free Enterprisers ‘Missing’ equipment: Olfactory-deadening Clearance Menial Technical Clerical Service Quality pills (INFRARED), microwave oven (RED), case of SnaxMax Shrimp-Flava Crunchee INFRARED 1-14 nope 15 16-17 18-20 Stix (ORANGE), crowbar (YELLOW), key to Warehouse 6063-R in BCG Sector (YELLOW), RED 1-9 10-12 13-15 16-19 20 box of nails (INDIGO) ORANGE 1-6 7-11 12-13 14-17 18-20 Optional Pachinko tables: PLC Treason, PLC Outlet Mall YELLOW 1-4 5-9 10-12 13-17 18-20 Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Mindless obedience, strong as a bot, resistant GREEN 1 2-10 11-14 15-18 19-20 to toxic fumes, bullied his supervisor into arranging the promotion. BLUE nope 1-4 5-12 13-16 17-20
INDIGO nope 1-6 7-13 14-18 19-20
VIOLET nope 1-3 4-9 10-17 18-20
HARK! IT APPEARS TO BE ANOTHER—WHAT DID YOU CALL IT?—TABLE! 49 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
Typical Secret skills: Cooking, Whistling, service fi rm ME Card with 3,173cr remaining from a high-clearance citizen, tried to wring a Forgery (BLUE), the secret formula to Extra-Classic bribe from the wrong high-clearance citizen. ‘Missing’ equipment: Lead pipe B3 (VIOLET) (INFRARED), mechanic’s toolkit (RED), Optional Pachinko tables: PLC Treason, machine lubricant aerosol (RED), hacksaw Filed in the Big Round Folder Quality (YELLOW), 10kg drum of RealLemon fl avoring Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Bribed (YELLOW), emergency override access the right people, annoyed the wrong people, A perfect Complex demands perfect products. code to keypad-operated doors in Soylent has a knack for tracking down obsolete (yet Sometimes, through accident or treason, Enterprises Processing Plant A-13 (INDIGO) desperately needed) merchandise. the assembly lines churn out substandard Optional Pachinko tables: PLC Treason, merchandise, and someone needs to ensure What Does This Button Do? that loyal citizens don’t waste their hard-earned Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Broad Service credits on inferior goods. That job falls to the base of technical skills, survived fi ve different steadfast quality workers in PLC. industrial accidents, salvaged a tainted batch Service sector workers are the point-clones These dedicated employees assess of B3. for much of the Alpha Complex economy. everything that comes out of PLC to ensure that Citizens, especially those at higher clearances, it meets the strictest standards of sturdiness, shop for all sorts of things, and PLC needs a fl avor, aroma, color, texture, and carefully Clerical staff of cheerful, well-groomed citizens to do scheduled obsolescence. Unfortunately, the the selling. traditional Old Reckoning regimen of animal Clerical workers in PLC track, manage and Service workers handle tasks that require testing just isn’t an option. Good thing there’s massage all of the numbers involved in supply, direct interaction with the public. Selected a ready supply of INFRARED workers and, in production, logistics, distribution, inventory, for their glossy hair and perfect teeth, these emergency cases, Troubleshooters. consumption, wastage and recycling. Their citizens are as primped and blow-dried as any Common duty titles: Crash Test Dummy, job holds dangers; those numbers affect HPD&MC talking head. Standing and smiling Quality Control Inspector, Flavor Quality real merchandise worth real credits, and for hours on end requires a certain socially Assessor, Video Game Playtester, Equipment a misplaced decimal means angry high- aptitude. Workers train especially for this, Assembly Controller, Pharmaceutical Purity clearance citizens drop by the workplace to aided by a sizable allotment of mood-elevating Appraiser ask you a few questions… drugs. Typical common specialties: Concealment, Anyone in PLC can steal stuff, but only Given how little meaningful competition The Electronic Engineering, Vehicle Ops and Clerical staffers can make it disappear from Computer’s fake economy allows, service Maintenance, C-Bay, Vehicle Programming, the system. Thus clerical personnel rake in workers hold power out of proportion to their Pharmatherapy more bribes than any other metajob; graft is a station. Canny employees refuse to hand Typical weakness specialties: Shadowing, way of life. Those who can’t cut it end up doing over necessary merchandise (like food or, in Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, everyone else’s work for a fraction of the pay. exceptional cases, oxygen) until they get their Hacking, Operating Systems, Outdoor Life Those who rat on their fellows to IntSec often payola, so they rake in impressive bribes. Typical Secret skills: Drug Procurement, end up at the bottom of the food vat wearing Common duty titles: Sales Clerk, Gift Wrap Thirty-one Offi cial Flavors Trivia, Bribery a biodegradable cement jumpsuit. Specialist, Hair Stylist, Boot Polisher, Courier, ‘Missing’ equipment: Designer jumpsuit Common duty titles: Secretary, Economist, Waiter, Bartender, Lavatory Attendant, Maître (any clearance), can opener (RED), ‘Inspected Data Entry Clerk, Distribution Manager, d’, PR Flack, Meeting Planner, Customer By #50356’ rubber stamp (RED), carton of Supply Chain Consultant, Inventory Systems Service Representative ChocoPrune Nuggets (ORANGE), magnifying Statistician, Package Delivery Database Typical common specialties: Bootlicking, glass (GREEN), pre-release version of PillMan Specialist, Brand Consumption Tracker, Hygiene, High Alert, Sleight of Hand, Financial video game (GREEN), carton containing 12 Product Obsolescence Planner Systems, Suggestion single-dose vials of VideoLand (INDIGO) Typical common specialties: Bootlicking, Typical weakness specialties: Interrogation, Optional Pachinko tables: PLC Treason, Moxie, Security Systems, Data Analysis, Intimidation, Security Systems, Surveillance, Do I Look Fat? Financial Systems, Psychotherapy Bot Programming, Bioweapons Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Keen Typical weakness specialties: Interrogation, Typical Secret skills: Haggling, Gloating, eye for spotting damage and fl aws, bribed Oratory, Sneaking, Bot Programming, Propaganda supervisor, framed colleague for treasonously Operating Systems, Outdoor Life ‘Missing’ equipment: Half-empty bottle of approving damaged merchandise. Typical Secret skills: Cash Hacking, Inner Happiness tablets (RED), RFID scanning Advertising & Marketing, Fraudulent wand (ORANGE), ME Card reader (YELLOW), Accounting pricing gun (YELLOW), voice mail instruction ‘Missing’ equipment: Office stationery manual (YELLOW), pepper grinder (GREEN), (any clearance), CoffeeLyke percolator Alpha-Mart Executive Discount Card (BLUE) (ORANGE), pre-signed ‘Action Squad Alpha’ Optional Pachinko tables: PLC Treason, T-shirt wholesaler distribution form (GREEN), Hairdo Voodoo Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Great people skills, extorted a Troubleshooting job
50 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4. YOUR OLD JOB POWER SERVICES Power Services old jobs
Power Services’ fi ve metajobs are Menial, Typical Secret skills: Swimming, Steamroller Technical, Clerical, Engineering and Ops and Maintenance, Twitchtalk Emergency. To determine which was yours ‘Missing’ equipment: spool of insulated wire before you became a Troubleshooter, roll 1d20 (varies), LeadLike hazmat suit (INFRARED), and compare the result with your clearance to carton of light bulbs (RED), circuitry-cleaning get your metajob. aerosol (RED), Rad-B-GON anti-radiation pills (ORANGE), canister of mutagenic sludge (YELLOW), depleted uranium rod (BLUE) Menial Optional Pachinko tables: Power Services Treason, Old Injury Power Services runs all of Alpha Complex’s Why promoted to Troubleshooting: habitat systems. Between the power plants, Familiar with interstitial areas frequented by the transit network, and the air, water and traitors, hardened to trauma, ratted out co- waste processing systems, there’s a plethora worker for stealing plutonium. of unspeakably lousy jobs. Menial roles in Power Services extend farther up into the clearance ladder than is usual in Technical other service groups, due to the critical nature of the systems. Fissile materials and nuclear By maintaining the smooth operation of critical waste can’t be left in the hands of untrustworthy systems, the endless legions of technical drones. Who knows what sort of pranks they staffers in Power Services keep all of Alpha might squander it on? Complex running. When the lights go out and Due to excessive noise levels, workers in the air purifi ers stop running, these are the these menial metajobs often communicate via guys everyone blames. hand signals. These signals have spawned Although every service group has technical many variants of Twitchtalk now in use by personnel, Power Services technicians secret societies throughout Alpha Complex. consider their work far more important than the Common duty titles: Janitor, Waste duties of everyone else’s technicians. After all, Reservoir Stirrer, Ventilation Grille Cleaner, the systems they control mean life or death for Hazmat Handler, Transtube Maintenance the entire Complex. Their superiority complex Engineer, Coolant Spill Mopper, Reactor makes them insufferable, especially around Shielding Scrubber, Mutant Freak their rivals in Technical Services. Typical common specialties: Chutzpah, Common duty titles: Electrician, Machinist, Sneaking, Unarmed Combat, Habitat Transtube Traffic Controller, Oxygen Typical common specialties: Surveillance, Engineering, C-Bay, Pharmatherapy Reprocessing Engineer, Power Flow Engineer, Habitat Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Typical weakness specialties: Battery Life Assessor, Control Rod Installer, Data Analysis, Operating Systems Hygiene, Surveillance, Projectile Weapons, Power Guy Typical weakness specialties: Con Electronic Engineering, Operating Systems, Games, Concealment, Chemical Engineering, Biosciences Weapons and Armor Maintenance, C-Bay, Bot Programming Typical Secret skills: Demolition, Video Clearance Menial Technical Clerical Engineering Emergency Games, Hacking ‘Missing’ equipment: tool kit (RED), INFRARED 1-12 nope 13-15 nope 16-20 package of replacement fuses (RED), cadmium nuclear control rod (ORANGE), electrical multi- RED 1-5 6-10 11-13 nope 14-20 meter (ORANGE), intersector transit pass ORANGE 1-4 5-10 11-15 16 17-20 (GREEN), Geiger counter (BLUE) Optional Pachinko tables: Power Services YELLOW 1-3 4-7 8-14 15-16 18-20 Treason, Where’s My WMD? Why promoted to Troubleshooting: GREEN 1 2-6 7-10 11-14 15-20 Advanced technical skills, a keen ear for warning klaxons, was once escorted on a BLUE 1-2 3-6 7-12 13-16 17-20 service service by a Troubleshooter team without anything important exploding. INDIGO 1-3 4-5 6-10 11-16 17-20
VIOLET 1-2 3-6 7-14 15-19 20
BY NOW WE HAVE COME TO KNOW EACH TABLE AS A PERSONAL FRIEND. 51 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
Optional Pachinko tables: Power Services Clerical Engineering Treason, Your Latest Addiction Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Paperwork is paperwork, right? Clerical Engineering personnel design all of the power Familiar with current GPS standards, knows workers in Power Services inventory supplies plants, transit networks and electrical systems what part of the reactor Troubleshooters of enriched uranium, chart traffi c patterns and associated with Power Services. If anyone shouldn’t start a fi refi ght in, of questionable track buildups of toxic compounds in the water understands how these systems work on the loyalty, drew the short straw. supply. Some even have the authority to act on grand scale, it’s these guys. Then again, Power the information they accumulate. Such action Services installations are generally massive commonly includes forming a working group works designed by committee. Even those Emergency to plan a committee structure to deal with the who survive the service group’s continual approaching calamity. By the time disaster orthodoxy purges only comprehend a fraction When things go wrong in Power Services, strikes, the most forward-thinking members of the whole. they really go wrong. Sewage line ruptures, have already transferred to other positions, Engineering workplaces are the safest in all transbot collisions, and the occasional nuclear leaving their less politically adroit rivals to take of Power Services. Despite this, Engineering meltdown keep Power personnel hopping. the blame. personnel suffer from a relatively high mortality Emergency workers stand ready to handle all Clerical workers tend towards mental rate. This stems from heavy Internal Security of these day-to-day disasters. instability. Their work is mind-numbingly interest; Engineers are in a position to wreak Emergency staffers combine a reckless, boring, yet a single error can result in total enormous havoc should they collaborate with devil-may-care attitude with an arrogance born reactor meltdown and subsequent Erasure. secret society terrorists, and their lives are of their job’s importance and The Computer’s It’s no wonder many Clerical staffers in Power heavily controlled to keep them in line. trust. They’re exceptionally diffi cult to deal Services end up rocking helplessly in the Common duty titles: Architect, Circuit with, especially for Technical workers in corner, talking to invisible friends, or grabbing Designer, Transtube Traffi c Planner, Sewage Power and Tech who resent their high-handed a fi rearm and shooting up the place. Route Developer, Civil Engineer, Subcommittee approach. Common duty titles: Secretary, Executive Reactor Design Reconciler, Four-Eyes Authorized to enter hazard zones from Assistant, Data Entry Specialist, Sewage Typical common specialties: Oratory, which all other citizens have been evacuated, Flow Rate Compiler, Radiation Emission Security Systems, Surveillance, Habitat Emergency workers often ‘fi nd’ valuable items Statistician, Power Consumption Tracking Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Data that ‘would just have been lost or destroyed Administrator, Coolant Flow Measurement Search anyway’. They usually have contacts in Free Specialist, Redundancy Routing Plotter, Paper Typical weakness specialties: Moxie, Enterprise and PLC who’ll take their swag off Shuffl er Shadowing, Sneaking, Bot Ops and their hands, but most keep an item or two for Typical common specialties: Bootlicking, Maintenance, Vehicle Ops and Maintenance, personal use. Sleight of Hand, Surveillance, Habitat Financial Systems Common duty titles: Reactor Shielding Engineering, Data Analysis, Data Search Typical Secret skills: Cartography, Volunteer, Sewage Rupture Containment Typical weakness specialties: Interrogation, Transtube Network Knowledge, Forgery Engineer, Traffi c Rerouting Specialist, Fallout Disguise, High Alert, Electronic Engineering, ‘Missing’ equipment: Laser pointer (varies), Guy Bot Programming, Vehicle Programming scale model of hydroelectric dam (ORANGE), Typical common specialties: Intimidation, Typical Secret skills: Power Studies, sewage line blueprints (YELLOW), architectural Agility, Fine Manipulation, Nuclear Engineering, Jargon, Filesharing drafting software package (GREEN), bottle of Vehicle Ops and Maintenance, Medical ‘Missing’ equipment: Blackmail material rolactin tablets (BLUE) Typical weakness specialties: Bootlicking, on Power Services executive (treasonous), Projectile Weapons, Thrown Weapons, Bot glow-in-the-dark radium paperweight (RED), Ops and Maintenance, Weapon and Armor accurate transbot schedule (YELLOW), next Maintenance, Outdoor Life month’s brownout timetable for DRM Sector Typical Secret skills: Sprinting, Disaster (BLUE), blank requisition form for fissile Trivia, Gambling material (INDIGO) ‘Missing’ equipment: Fire extinguisher Optional Pachinko tables: Power Services (RED), lead-lined hazmat suit (ORANGE), stun Treason, How Insane Are You? WHOO! SORRY, gun (ORANGE), demolition charge (GREEN, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: FOR A MOMENT W2K impact, 10m radius), life preserver Fastest typist in subsector data-entry pool, THERE I ALMOST (BLUE), fi ssion power plant control override excessively insubordinate, at the bottom of codes (INDIGO) the offi ce pecking order. THOUGHT THE SUN Optional Pachinko tables: Power Services WAS ABOUT TO Treason, I Don’t Own This Equipment. EXPLODE. Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Trained to handle emergency situations, quick thinking under pressure, top score on disaster simulation test, had a nervous breakdown.
52 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4. YOUR OLD JOB RESEARCH & DESIGN Research & Design old jobs
Research & Design’s five metajobs are Typical Secret skills: Drug Procurement, Menial, Technical, Clerical, Creative and Partying, Bioweapons Experimental. To determine which was yours ‘Missing’ equipment: Half-melted before you became a Troubleshooter, roll 1d20 experimental widget (varies), goo vacuum and compare the result with your clearance to (RED), powered exoskeleton (ORANGE, get your metajob. experimental), environment suit (GREEN), vial of fl esh-eating bacteria (INDIGO), stasis box (VIOLET, experimental) Menial Optional Pachinko tables: Research & Design Treason, Your New Phobia Menial laborers in Research & Design handle Why promoted to Troubleshooting: all of the horribly dangerous components that Prevented lab accident, turned in fellow menial go into the typical R&D experiment. Unstable laborer for sloppy work, hasn’t died yet. molecules? Crystallized hantavirus? Partially deweaponized plutonium? Someone has to carry it around, transfer it from its shielded Technical container, or just plain clean up the resulting goo. And you can bet that no scientist will sully Experimental equipment doesn’t build itself. their hands with all that stuff. Technical workers in Research & Design These workers suffer more on-the-job construct, maintain and repair an incredible casualties than their counterparts in other gamut of prototype gear, calibrating devices service groups. Virtually everything they and data analysis programs. They also handle work with is corrosive, radioactive, infectious a good bit of normal maintenance in places or explosive. But aside from that, their work where R&D doesn’t want to give access to covers the usual gamut of unskilled labor, Technical Services. from light exertion to heavy lifting. They fetch, Working with a bewildering array of carry, clean as directed, and occasionally melt, machinery, Technical personnel gain a broad crumble or spontaneously combust—all in the base of skills in hardware, software and the interest of Science! sciences. They typically match this with a Common duty titles: Laboratory Janitor, corresponding weakness in skills regarding, Hazmat Handler, Chemical Stirrer, Goo well, everything else—especially social skills, Remover, Bot Polisher, Igor physical strength and basic hygiene. Engineer, Experimental Software Developer, Typical common specialties: Hygiene, Like most R&D professions, Technical Widget Builder, Techno-wizard High Alert, Agility, C-Bay, Bioweapons, employees run risks in dealing with experimental Typical common specialties: Chutzpah, Medical gear. Their mortality rate nonetheless pales Security Systems, Fine Manipulation, Electronic Typical weakness specialties: Interrogation, beside that of menial and experimental staff. Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Surveillance, Vehicular Combat, Operating Common duty titles: Gadgeteer, Prototype Operating Systems Systems, Biosciences, Cloning Assembler, Microchip Etcher, Bot Maintenance Typical weakness specialties: Moxie, Shadowing, Demolitions, Habitat Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Financial Systems Typical Secret skills: Cyborging, Clearance Menial Technical Clerical Creative Experimental Botspotting, WMD ‘Missing’ equipment: Half-assembled INFRARED 1-13 nope 14-16 nope 17-20 experimental gizmo (any clearance), R&D toolkit (ORANGE, experimental), laser RED 1-7 8-11 12-16 nope 17-20 wavelength calibrator (YELLOW, experimental), reprogrammed bot brain (BLUE), backdoor ORANGE 1-4 5-11 12-16 nope 17-20 password to lab database (INDIGO), pocket YELLOW 1-3 4-9 10-16 17 18-20 calculator (INDIGO) Optional Pachinko tables: Research GREEN 1-2 3-7 8 9-16 17-20 & Design Treason, I Don’t Own This Equipment BLUE 1 2-5 6-10 11-18 19-20 Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Defused an overloading experimental INDIGO nope 1 2-6 7-19 20 device, provides useful technical skills to Troubleshooter team, too incompetent to be VIOLET nope 1-3 4 5-18 19-20 allowed in the lab.
WE SHALL FEED THESE TABLES, AND PET THEM, AND NAME THEM GEORGE... 53 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
products. Only rarely do you see researchers know the difference when you whip ‘round to Clerical at any clearance below GREEN. the local IR Market and resell it to PURGE? Common duty titles: Lab Assistant, Biologist, Common duty titles: Test Subject, Weapon Some R&D workers devise ingenious new Chemist, Physicist, Geologist, Metallurgist, Effectiveness Assessor, Drug Interaction technologies, while others build them, test Cryogenicist, Geneticist, Cyberneticist, Tester, Experimental Flavor Analyst, Prototype them, and clean up the resulting goo. And Parapsychologist, Mathematician, Graphical Vehicle Pilot, Quality Assurance Engineer then there are the Clerical workers, who spend User Interface Designer, Whiz Kid Typical common specialties: Interrogation, their daycycles sitting around and fi lling out Typical common specialties: Fine Agility, Weapon and Armor Maintenance, C- paperwork. Manipulation, Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Bay, Cloning, Medical Clerical work is pretty safe when compared Engineering, Data Analysis, Biosciences, Typical weakness specialties: Bootlicking, to the rest of R&D, but it’s still high-risk when Cloning Fine Manipulation, Habitat Engineering, compared to other service groups. Personnel Typical weakness specialties: Unarmed Operating Systems, Biosciences, Outdoor may not have to work too close to exploding labs Combat, Vehicle Ops and Maintenance, Life and psychotic bots, but they’re often assigned Weapon Ops and Maintenance, C-Bay, Typical Secret skills: Experimental all sorts of experimental offi ce supplies that Psychotherapy, Suggestion Equipment Repair/Maintenance, Action haven’t had the kinks worked out yet. Even Typical Secret skills: Obscure Scientifi c Movies, Old Reckoning Technology upon being assigned to Troubleshooting duty, Trivia, Jargon, WMD ‘Missing’ equipment: NEW! Bioluminescent such a citizen often cringes uncontrollably ‘Missing’ equipment: Slide rule (YELLOW), Hot Fun (ORANGE), sunglasses (ORANGE), when he sees a thumbtack or an automatic fl ask of volatilized Omega-Hybrizine (YELLOW, hatbot (YELLOW, experimental), research pencil sharpener. thrown weapon, S3K energy, 5m radius), non- carapace (BLUE, armor 3, hardened, full- Common duty titles: Experimental working model of experimental rifl e (YELLOW), fi gure), Old Reckoning hair dryer (INDIGO), Equipment Report Form Filer, Secretary, Mark 9 cybernetic lab assistant (GREEN), operating manual for experimental plasma Archivist, Inventory Clerk, Data Miner, Intern, WMD schematics (VIOLET) generator (VIOLET) Gofer Optional Pachinko tables: Research & Optional Pachinko tables: Research Typical common specialties: Bootlicking, Design Treason, Thing You Shouldn’t Know & Design Treason, What Experiment Run Con Games, Concealment, Data Analysis, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Broad Amok? Data Search, Pharmatherapy base of scientifi c knowledge, burned out, lost Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Typical weakness specialties: Intimidation, political struggle with rival scientist. Experience with surviving experimental Oratory, Disguise, Hacking, Vehicle equipment, quick reflexes, covered for Programming, Medical inept high-clearance scientist after bungled Typical Secret skills: Cash Hacking, Video Experimental experiment. Games, Filesharing ‘Missing’ equipment: Incriminating memos Creative personnel design experimental (any clearance), multifunction pen/stapler equipment, and Technical staffers put it (ORANGE, experimental), levitating coffee together. These guys get to try it out and see mug (YELLOW, experimental), ‘smart’ paper how it actually works. This generally involves shredder (GREEN, experimental), precognitive a lot of screams and explosions. word processor (INDIGO, experimental) R&D turns out two kinds of experimental Optional Pachinko tables: Research & devices. Ordinary R&D toys have clearly Design Treason, Useless Knowledge delineated functions, even if trying to use Why promoted to Troubleshooting: them results in clearly delineated death. But Blackmailed supervisor, offers valuable social for a change of pace, Experimental staff skills, fount of esoteric information. members test out salvaged Old Reckoning equipment. These ancient widgets are less likely to wantonly slaughter their users, but Creative their purposes range from opaque to downright deceptive. Woe to the tester who mistakes a Creative workers form the beating heart of fl are gun for a portable hair dryer! Research & Design—or, if they don’t technically What with all the lethal gadgetry on display WASH 16 TEST compose the beating heart themselves, they in the workplace, Experimental employees use TUBES AND certainly know how to synthesize and animate up spare clones faster than an automat sells it. They invent all the insane machinery Hot Fun on Mandatory Hot Fun Purchasing WHADDYA GET? that comes out of R&D, often without any Day. But these jobs have a few advantages. ANOTHER DAY conception of how dangerous and fl awed their Lucky citizens can go up in clearance really OLDER AND DEEPER creations actually are. fast if their superiors wind up testing some The Computer distrusts novelty, on the especially dangerous experimental device. IN DEBT grounds it might serve to disguise some Meanwhile, workers of an entrepreneurial bent creeping form of Communism. Therefore, It can make off with all kinds of R&D loot; after all, only allows trusted (high-clearance) citizens to if you claim some item self-destructed, who’s to perform advanced research and to design new
54 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4. YOUR OLD JOB TECHNICAL SERVICES Technical Services old jobs
Technical Services’ fi ve metajobs are Menial, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Typical Secret skills: Haggling, Jargon, Technical, Clerical, Medical and Support. Talked down a rampaging scrubot in a grease Meeting Corpore Metalists To determine which was yours before you factory, numb to most forms of injury, fastest ‘Missing’ equipment: Roll of electrical tape became a Troubleshooter, roll 1d20 and fl oor-waxer in his home sector. (RED), electrician’s toolkit (RED), electrical compare the result with your clearance to get multi-meter (ORANGE), access code to all B3 your metajob. vending machines in BOQ Sector (GREEN), Technical MemoMax template repair software (BLUE) Optional Pachinko tables: Technical Menial In Technical Services, technical staffers rule Services Treason, I Don’t Own This the roost. They make everything run, and they Equipment Menial work in Technical Services doesn’t make sure everyone knows it. Sure, Power Why promoted to Troubleshooting: chew through clones quite as fast as, say, personnel ensure everyone has heat and light Sabotaged a confession booth for his secret R&D. Nonetheless, it’s pretty dangerous. and so forth, and PLC provides all the material society, bribed his superior, just plain good at Rogue bots and vehicles cause their fair share goods. But what good’s a working sewer fi xing stuff. of death and dismemberment, while electrical system if your toilet’s broken? Who cares how accidents and chemical spills spell doom for much Cold Fun comes out of PLC if no one other hapless employees. Many workers give fi xes the automat in your cafeteria? Clerical up sanity for a bad joke and retreat into a bottle Technical employees collect a lot of bribes. of pills. Other, more enterprising clones solve They also collect a lot of abuse, but that’s okay; Just like any other bureaucracy, Technical two problems at once by brewing alcohol from they don’t like human beings much anyway. Services generates tons of paperwork each leftover clone tank scrapings and Cold Fun, They prefer to hang out with bots. After all, if and every day. Clerical workers fill reams then selling it to their fellows for a quick cred. a human’s angry at you, you have to deal with of forms and terabytes of data storage with When they’re not trembling in terror, menial all sorts of icky emotional stuff, but if a bot gets the minutiae of batteries expended, circuits personnel devote most of their efforts toward mad at you, you can just pop its chassis open mended and grease stains scrubbed through cleanliness. Technical Services workplaces and twiddle its brain until it loves you again. the length and breadth of Alpha Complex. generate an awful lot of grease, grime, grit, bits, Common duty titles: Mechanic, Electrician, Ostensibly, this painstaking attention to detail soot, ooze and all-around, general purpose Transbot Upgrade Engineer, Vending Machine increases accountability, improves technician goop. Many menial workers scrub surfaces Repairman, MemoMax Quality Assurance response time and augments something-or- full-time; such workers are the envy of their Operative, Bedding Inspector, Bot Adjuster, other. colleagues, who perforce must scour their own Low Programmer, Handyman, Greasemonkey, In practice, Technical Services churns out equipment and workplaces off the clock. Mr. Fix-It paperwork as a defense mechanism against Common duty titles: Janitor, Tubetrain Typical common specialties: Intimidation, CPU consultants and Internal Security. With Cleaner, Bot Polisher, Slime Scraper, Tool Security Systems, Bot Ops and Maintenance, oodles of data dancing at their fi ngertips (can Caddy, Parts Sorter, Battery Remover, Electronic Engineering, Bot Programming, an oodle dance?), clerical workers can strive Equipment Loader, Painter, Scrubot Handler, Vehicle Programming to contain CPU workfl ow redesigns or Internal Termination Booth Sanitizer, Fumigator, Hey Typical weakness specialties: Hygiene, Security purges to nonessential personnel and You Shadowing, Chemical Engineering, Nuclear service fi rms, or at least to people the clerical Typical common specialties: Hygiene, Engineering, C-Bay, Data Analysis worker in question doesn’t particularly like. Sneaking, Field Weapons, Habitat Engineering, Vehicle Ops and Maintenance, Pharmatherapy Typical weakness specialties: Clearance Menial Technical Clerical Medical Support Interrogation, Disguise, Vehicular Combat, Nuclear Engineering, Weapon and Armor INFRARED 1-8 nope 9-11 12 13-20 Maintenance, Biosciences Typical Secret skills: Slime Identifi cation, RED 1-3 4-12 13-15 16 17-20 Botspotting, Distilling Vodka ORANGE 1-2 3-10 11-14 15-17 18-20 ‘Missing’ equipment: Broom (INFRARED), can of bot polish (INFRARED), insulating rubber YELLOW 1 2-11 12-14 15-16 17-20 gloves (RED), bottle of industrial-strength solvent (ORANGE, thrown weapon, O5V bio), GREEN 1-3 4-10 11-14 15-18 19-20 all-surfaces buffi ng widget (YELLOW), master key to ColorRight paint storage facility in ITX BLUE 1 2-8 9-13 14-19 20 Sector (VIOLET) Optional Pachinko tables: Technical INDIGO 1 2-6 7-14 15-19 20 Services Treason, Old Injury VIOLET nope 1-4 5-15 16-18 19-20
AND THIS, LOYAL CITIZENS, IS THE LAST TABLE IN THE WHOLE BOOK. 55 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
Of course, to ensure that Internal Security nanobot reconstruction paste (YELLOW), doesn’t find too much treason, Technical Medical experimental cybernetic eye (GREEN), Model Services employs its own measures to maintain 18 docbot brain (BLUE) orthodoxy. Through questionnaires, interviews Description: Medical workers form a distinct Optional Pachinko tables: Technical and straight-up surveillance, clerical staffers branch in the Technical Services hierarchy. Services Treason, Your Latest Addiction compile dossiers and databases on their Instead of opening up bots and performing Why promoted to Troubleshooting: Saved own personnel. High-clearance executives repairs, they open up citizens and perform the life of a high-clearance citizen, ensured a then promote, demote, and otherwise shuffl e surgery. Like any workers in a technical fi eld, high-clearance citizen died, deft handling of employees around the service fi rm org chart on they maintain a clinical attitude toward their medical emergencies, remains cheerful in the the basis of their perceived orthodoxy. Hence work. Only the most trusted medical personnel, face of screaming amputees and eviscerated the current situation in Technical Services: Key those who treat high-clearance citizens, learn corpses. personnel know how to praise The Computer the advanced techniques of the ‘bedside in a hundred ways, yet they’re completely manner’. clueless when it comes to fi xing your toaster. One thing that sets medical workers apart Support Common duty titles: Clerk, Statistician, is their adherence to the ancient Hippocratic Inventory Manager, Vehicle Damage Database Oath. This roadmap to medical ethics has Whenever something breaks down in Alpha Director, Bot Maintenance Tracker, Paint been updated many times over the years. The Complex, Technical Services comes in to Application Request Reviewer, Slime Archivist, current text: fi x it. But sometimes the problem isn’t with Minister of Botspotting the equipment, but with the people using Typical common specialties: Bootlicking, I swear by The Computer to fulfi ll this it. So when slack-jawed subordinates and Oratory, Sleight of Hand, Surveillance, Data agreement to the best of my ability: pointy-haired bosses gum up the system with Analysis, Data Search I will apply all lawful measures that ignorance and user error, someone has to Typical weakness specialties: Intimidation, are required for the benefi t of the sick, teach them How Stuff Works. Inevitably, that Moxie, Disguise, High Alert, Bot Programming, so long as they are willing to pay and someone is a support worker. Vehicle Programming there are no higher-clearance citizens Support workers tend toward arrogance Typical Secret skills: Alpha Complex requiring my attention; and self-absorption. Being the only one who History, Video Games, Hacking I shall do no harm to anyone, except actually understands how things work grants ‘Missing’ equipment: Broken bot brain when authorized by Friend Computer enormous leverage, and support staffers know paperweight (varies), penbot (RED), paperclips or a citizen of proper standing; how to use it. When not demanding bribes (ORANGE), map of non-functioning security I shall respect the privacy of my to provide timely and accurate assistance, cameras in GGA Sector (BLUE), data on patients, barring legal and appropriate they chortle as they torture lower-clearance genetic anomalies in clones decanted from calls for information from my superiors, clients with dangerously erroneous advice and Clone Tank 9053-HTL (INDIGO) The Computer, Internal Security and outright psychological abuse. Optional Pachinko tables: Technical CPU; Common duty titles: Consultant, Technical Services Treason, Filed in the Big Round So long as I abide by this oath, may Support Staffer, Field Analyst, Remote Folder I continue to draw salary and maintain Advisor, Phone Bank Representative, Hello Why promoted to Troubleshooting: No the respect of my fellows; but should My Name Is record of insubordination (because he erased I should violate this oath, may I be Typical common specialties: Chutzpah, Bot it), rewarded for sparing an important service torn apart by wild scrubots and my Ops and Maintenance, Electronic Engineering, fi rm from an IntSec investigation, accidentally MemoMax fi les wiped. Bot Programming, Data Search, Suggestion improved workfl ow in his department to the Typical weakness specialties: Bootlicking, point where he wasn’t needed full-time. (Note:Tech Services has classifi ed fatality Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, statistics for medical personnel killed by wild C-Bay, Data Analysis, Medical scrubots.) Typical Secret skills: Cash Hacking, Common duty titles: Doctor, Nurse, Gloating, Operating Systems Anesthesiologist, Radiologist, Brain Surgeon, ‘Missing’ equipment: 500 plasticreds Clone Decanter, Revivifi cation Technician, (INFRARED), Stack of technical support Euthanasia Specialist, Docbot’s Aide quality surveys (INFRARED), hands-free IF YOU WOULD Typical common specialties: Con Games, headset (RED), list of anti-virus AlphaNet sites LIKE TO PRESS 1, Concealment, Fine Manipulation, Cloning, (YELLOW), unabridged PDC 1300 instruction PRESS 1. Medical, Pharmatherapy manual (INDIGO) Typical weakness specialties: Intimidation, Optional Pachinko tables: Technical IF YOU WOULD Shadowing, Vehicular Combat, Bioweapons, Services Treason, Who Hates You This Outdoor Life, Suggestion Time? LIKE TO PRESS 2, Typical Secret skills: Cyborging, Knitting, Why promoted to Troubleshooting: PRESS 2. Old Reckoning Drugs Knows how to fi nd any technical manual of ‘Missing’ equipment: Two-liter jug of his clearance or below, inserted own name sandallathon solution (INFRARED), medkit into Troubleshooter database while providing (RED), laser scalpel (ORANGE, hand weapon, technical support. S5K energy), portable defi brillator (YELLOW),
56 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 5. TROUBLESHOOTERS RECRUITMENT 5. Your new job
Being a Troubleshooter is glamorous, safe and full of exciting opportunities to serve The Computer and the citizens of Alpha Complex. Everyone wants to become a Troubleshooter, but only those with the highest levels of talent, skill and loyalty are assigned to Troubleshooter duty; many are called, but few are chosen. These elite, best-of-the-best citizens help protect Alpha Complex from traitors and threats to good order, allowing the rest of us to live in comfort and safety. Take two: Being a Troubleshooter is ignominious, highly dangerous and full of mandatory opportunities to serve The Computer and the citizens of Alpha Complex. Some actually want to become Troubleshooters, but only those with the lowest levels of accidents, DNA drift and treason are assigned to Troubleshooter duty; many are called, but few have the mix of expendability and minimally acceptable skill to qualify. These rare, sometimes random citizens help protect high-clearance citizens and service groups from each other, allowing the rich and powerful to live in relative comfort and safety. That’s all well and good, but how do citizens get to become Troubleshooters? Is there a test? Can people volunteer for the duty, or are they assigned by outside forces? And if these guys are as dangerous and hapless as they seem, why does The Computer continue to use Troubleshooter teams? The answers to these questions and more are listed below. In other words, this is not fi ller. Real people asked these questions. Honest.
You have been volunteered Troubleshooters are not so much recruited as shanghaied. When The Computer needs additional Troubleshooters, due to unusually high demand or (far more often) attrition, it pores through the permanent fi les of Alpha Complex citizens to fi nd candidates for Troubleshooter duty. All Troubleshooters have four primary duties regardless of mission objectives or the odds against them:
1. Serve The Computer. 2. Locate and eliminate traitors, including secret society members and unregistered mutants. 3. Investigate and eradicate corruption. 4. Remove dangers to good order and operation of Alpha Complex.
Therefore The Computer looks for citizens who have already shown promise in these four areas. Everyone is supposed to serve The Computer, often upon pain of termination, but few go out of their way to serve. Just waking up and getting to work on time is serving The Big C, and that’s the kind of service most citizens provide. They follow the rules and do what they’re supposed to do so they can get some Cold Fun and stay out of the to volunteer at his church on weekends? He’s the kind picked for Joyful Liberation of Guilt hostels. But occasionally a citizen rises above Troubleshooter duty. Then again, there was that kid who looked like he his brethren by going above and beyond the call of duty: working for did all that but he never really did anything. He always found someone hours past quitting time, obeying laws that even a BLUE citizen didn’t to do the work for him as he ‘supervised’ and took the credit. He is also know existed, complying with every new Mandatory Voluntary Rules the kind picked for Troubleshooting duty. In other words, these people Adjustment with a smile, etc. are bootlicking uberachievers or smooth manipulators. Remember that kid in school who did everything? Member of fi ve Given the drudgery and monotony of most low-clearance jobs, few different clubs, served on the prom committee, ran for class president citizens get the chance to locate and eliminate traitors, but it can and won, had the best grades in every class and still managed happen. Usually, it falls into one of two categories: things done to real
REGULATE YOUR BREATHING—WASTING AIR IS TREASON. 57 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED traitors, and things done to honest citizens who Troubleshooters. It includes a four-week get framed as traitors retroactively. If a citizen We all enjoy a little T&A training period of courses such as Why locates or eliminates another, and has solid Communists Are Evil and How To Duck evidence of the target’s treason (such as video There is only one test for potential Effectively, and ends with a fi nal exam and of the target attending a Communist rally), Troubleshooters: trust. Just as security mock Troubleshooter mission. This program is then The Computer approves and rewards clearances are based on trust instead of detailed in PARANOIA Flashbacks. Because the termination. Of course, this is PARANOIA. talent or seniority, Troubleshooters are it lasts four weeks, many participants face Such evidence can trivially be manufactured, placed in teams because the data labels fi nes (or worse) from their service fi rm for and because The Computer is paranoid and them trustworthy. Notice we did not say the missed time. insane, it’s ready to believe evidence of treason Troubleshooters really are trustworthy, only and justify termination. that they are labeled as such. Consider the 1 If a Troubleshooter attends TSU, roll on Not all accusations and terminations are following equation, which The Computer uses the What’s A Layoff? table. good enough for Troubleshooter duty. The to determine a citizen’s T-Value, his potential complexity and opacity of Alpha Complex trustworthiness for Troubleshooter duty: ■ Troubleshooter laws means traitors are numerous. A citizen Certifi cation Exam (TCE) who drops an empty B3 can on the fl oor is T = 4Xs (Xl + 2Xe) (Xi +3Xr) 2Xd technically a traitor, and the citizen who turns This program assumes the selected citizens, him in gets a tiny reward. But The Computer where because they are trustworthy, already have usually fi lters these out when searching for a Xs = Serving The Computer, the skills and training necessary to succeed as prospective Troubleshooter; it wants a hero, Xl = Locating Traitors, Troubleshooters. While it’s called a program, not a nitpicking tattletale. It prefers citizens Xe = Eliminating Traitors, it’s just a mock mission where Troubleshooters who report or terminate members of secret Xi = Investigating Corruption, are tested on typical mission components: societies, unregistered mutants and the like. Xr = Removing Corruption, and briefi ng, outfi tting, service service, terminating We’re talking real treason. Xd = Removing Dangers. traitors, not terminating loyal citizens, docbots Investigating and eradicating corruption The Computer thinks this equation is and debriefi ng. The grading scale is pass-fail often happens at a citizen’s service firm, perfect for determining who should become and skewed towards passing everybody; but it could happen anywhere and anytime. a Troubleshooter, even though it’s trying otherwise, there’d be no Troubleshooters Investigating means the citizen took initiative to assign absolute values to relative terms left. Troubleshooters who pass get a shiny and looked into possible cases of corruption, such as danger and service. Where do these certifi cate suitable for framing—which only such as keeping an eye on a co-worker to numbers come from? Though there are tables makes the other Troubleshooters jealous. see if he’s slacking off or voluntarily counting that list examples of danger and values that inventory to make sure it’s all there. Eradicating should refl ect that (‘If danger is potentially 1 If a Troubleshooter attends TCE, roll is a bit harder, but a call to a supervisor or lethal but not likely, then Xd is 34’), the numbers on the Who Hates You This Time? IntSec usually takes care of that. are still assigned by people. That leaves a lot table. But because Troubleshooters usually face of room for mistakes—and fudging. situations more treasonous and deadly than However, this is only to select candidates for ■ Intergroup Troubleshooter counting inventory, the level of corruption plays duty. Just because a citizen’s T-Value is high a big part in the equation. Did a citizen improve does not mean he gets the laser and refl ec Training (ITT) vidshow editing software to decrease post- automatically. He still needs to go through This program assumes the selected citizens, production times by 7.3%? Good for him—have Training and Assessment, commonly though trustworthy, do not know enough about a lollipop. Did a citizen infi ltrate an IR Market abbreviated T&A. the other service groups to effectively serve chapstick ring and blow up everyone? Now There are many kinds of T&A. Each sector as Troubleshooters. (It also assumes such that’s investigation and eradication worthy of trains and assesses Troubleshooters prior knowledge is necessary.) Troubleshooters a Troubleshooter. to assigning them to missions, and can use spend eight days in intensive training, one day Removing dangers is the most flexible any approved method. Below are several of per service group, to gain skills and knowledge of the priorities, and as such it is the most the most widely-used T&As. Players should a group feels is necessary. This is usually abused by secret societies, service groups check with their GM before adding these to some variant of, ‘We are the most important and high-clearance citizens to get their their character’s history, and GMs should service group so do what we need.’ people into Troubleshooter teams. A rogue allow this if it fi ts their illustrious purpose. Of combot is defi nitely a danger, and any citizen course, GMs are always welcome to just tell 1 If a Troubleshooter attends ITT, roll on who manages to remove it will move to the the player what T&A his character used. We one of the service group treason tables top of the Troubleshooter recruitment list. suggest one table from the Prehistory Pachinko (your GM’s choice). But what about an ungrounded power line? for each option. That’s dangerous, but assigning a citizen to ■ In-Field Training, AKA Troubleshooter duty because he knows how ■ Troubleshooter to ground a wire doesn’t have the same ring to Toss-in-the-Vat it. It still happens, mostly because that citizen University (TSU) This program assumes the selected citizens has powerful friends who want him sent on a This program assumes the selected citizens, are needed immediately and all the training in particular mission. though trustworthy, probably don’t have the Alpha Complex wouldn’t help these suckers. skills and training necessary to succeed as Though it should only be used in emergencies,
58 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 5. TROUBLESHOOTERS TRAINING METHODS many sectors use this program all the time; in the line of duty. Tell service fi rm workers that A second reason, seldom talked about, is that it’s the most common T&A in Alpha Complex. agents of The Computer are visiting, and they’ll Troubleshooters are useful to higher-clearance Troubleshooters train and assess each other straighten up, hide the little bits of treason citizens in their internal power struggles. Need while conducting a real mission, and they hanging around and look busy. Tell the workers to see what that VIOLET citizen is up to? Send ‘graduate’ at debriefi ng. In other words, they that these visitors are Troubleshooters, and in Troubleshooters to look for a ‘missing bot’. are officially Troubleshooters if they can they’ll disable all the important buttons, hide Is that Power Services UV over in LOT Sector survive a mission. all the valuables and go home sick. threatening to blackout your estate over an If everyone knows Troubleshooters are inept unpaid bill? Tell a team to ‘repair the LOT 1 If a Troubleshooter attends In-Field, and dangerous, why does The Computer keep Sector fusion reactor’. Then watch it, and that roll on the Generic Inappropriate them around? Because from the Computer’s UV, go up in a mushroom cloud. Behavior table. point of view they’re a huge success. It seems To a high clearance citizen, a Troubleshooter nearly every Troubleshooter team exposes team is like a mail-bomb. You send one to a and terminates traitors within their own ranks. rival’s base and then watch it explode from a Apples, oranges & traitors In fact, Troubleshooters are 24.9 times more safe distance. The only difference is, these likely to have traitors in their midst than any mail-bombs are approved and supported by Troubleshooters get picked for being trustworthy service fi rm. The Computer. and loyal, go through a modicum of training and To The Computer, this must mean the Lastly, because everybody knows then are released upon Alpha Complex to shadowy leaders of the traitorous movement Troubleshooter teams are full of potential or fi ght treason and right wrongs. What happens really, really want to destroy or co-opt active traitors, these teams are a great place next usually involves explosions, clone Troubleshooter teams. This fact alone proves to safely dispose of malcontents, stooges, replacements and damage control teams. the worth of Troubleshooters. Traitors wouldn’t incompetents and other traitors. If you want to Everyone publicly loves Troubleshooters. be so dead-set on ruining the program if hide an apple, don’t put it in with the oranges; Many, especially those who have had actual it didn’t threaten them, right? Ending the put it with the other apples. And if that apple personal contact with Troubleshooters, Troubleshooter program would be giving in to is rotten, put it in with other rotten apples, privately fear and loathe them. This is more the Communists, and The Computer will never and they’ll eat each other and die. Wait, our than just jealousy over their lasers and public capitulate to traitors! metaphor is getting away from us.... prestige. It’s based on the damage they cause
The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens. Others—as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and offi ce-holders—serve the state chiefl y with their heads; and, as they rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it, as God. A very few—as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and men—serve the state with their consciences also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part; and are commonly treated as enemies by it. —Henry David Thoreau, ‘Civil Disobedience’ (1849)
HOW LONG HAVE YOU SHARED FILES, CITIZEN? 59 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED Appendix: The Tic PARANOIA differs from many other (non-fun) roleplaying games recognizable, true, but it’s never going to be used. Any character (‘Really? Are you sure?’) in that players aren’t expected to take on a should spot your character’s tics within, at most, a few minutes complete alternate persona as a character. In a Troubleshooter mission of casual contact. you should never hear, ‘But my character would never say that!’ Player characters in this game are intended to be mere shells, so you can feel 1 Voluntary: A tic shouldn’t be optional; you automatically exhibit all those fearful, paranoid moments directly without the character getting it, given a certain stimulus. If you have ‘Might get all wide-eyed in your way. Yes, that’s a good thing. at the sight of autocars,’ how do you decide when to use it? Any Which brings us to tics. Tics make your character unique without other character must be able to conclusively associate the tic with getting into all that ‘alternate persona’ stuff. you. As the PARANOIA rulebook states, a tic is an obvious and recognizable behavior or condition that seldom, if ever, directly affects 1 Involuntary: ‘Has a visible birthmark.’ Yeah, okay—how do you the game. In other words, a tic is a method of identifying a character. It roleplay that to get Perversity points? A good tic requires you to may not lead to more treason like other parts of this book, but it can help take action to exhibit the behavior. others identify you as the traitor. If that doesn’t excite you, remember you earn Perversity for roleplaying your tics. Besides, it works both ways. 1 Subtle: Too small to be seen (‘Blinks once just before drinking Suppose you want to anonymously rat out your team leader to Internal B3’)? Defensible as normal behavior (‘Turns head when there’s Security. If you identify your leader by name, IntSec can probably fi gure a loud noise’)? Nope. It’s not a tic if no one notices it. out who placed the call. If you instead say, ‘Look for a heavyset squinty guy with a twitchy nose who keeps sticking out his tongue a lot,’ well, that ID could have come from anybody who passed him in a corridor. Ticcy do’s Through some happy coincidence or touch of genius, we Famous Game Designers have presented tics in the published PARANOIA Here’s what makes a good tic: support line that are uniformly—what’s the word?—annoying. “Always talks about vidshows.” “Estimates values of objects aloud.” “Relieve 1 A behavior or a belief leading to behavior: A tic is an action, all stresses with cleansing group activities.” “Memory like a goldfi sh.” not an opinion or bit of knowledge. Good tics are open actions: We don’t insist you embrace that idea. We don’t absolutely insist you ‘Crushes empty B3 cans with his forehead after drinking.’ ‘Whistles devise fun new ways to torment your teammates. Insistence would be while he works.’ Beliefs that lead to open actions (‘Confuses bots rude. Just, you know, think about it. and people when stressed’) are also fi ne.
1 Obvious and a bit weird: E.g., ‘Counts stair steps aloud as he climbs or descends stairwells.’ Ticcy don’ts 1 Automatic: Whether constant (‘Walks with a limp’) or triggered Here’s what makes a bad tic. Don’t let your tics display any of these (‘Giggles with glee when facing certain death’), tics are not undesirable qualities: chosen; they happen all by themselves without the character realizing it, and continue despite any attempt to control them. 1 Useful: Tics are quirks, not abilities. If your tic is, ‘Can hide laser barrels in his jumpsuit,’ then you’re just trying to add 1 Unobtrusive in action: Tics should not affect gameplay, so the Concealment specialty. Nice try, but no. Tics and narrow make the action simple and somewhat restrained. ‘Hops on one specialties are similar, but tics shouldn’t help you. foot’ is too much; if the character always hops, he might as well Never tell a GM, ‘I use my tic to....’ Any sentence that starts shoot himself now. ‘Hops on one foot in elevators’ is better—not like that should cost you Perversity points. Tics are tags to help constantly in use, but it will happen. make your character distinctive, not tools to perform in-game actions. For example, ‘Uses paperclips instead of wires on circuit 1 Fun: Don’t take ‘Screams in people’s ears’ unless you want this boards’ is basically a Hardware specialty, especially because it to be your last game with these players. Keep it light, simple says ‘uses.’ This implies the tic can help a character’s attempt at and amusing for the players (if not their Troubleshooters). Fun Electrical Engineering. ‘Speculates about types of circuit boards is mandatory. used in every passing bot’ is better because it doesn’t give you any better chance at Electrical Engineering; it just outlines an obvious, recognizable tendency. A tic list 1 Fatal: ‘Likes to make prank calls to IntSec.’ ‘Constantly questions We provide the following tics for your amusement. Use these for PCs, authority.’ In Alpha Complex these aren’t tics, they’re suicide NPCs and characters in your unfi nished novel. You can use them to attempts. A tic that endangers you can mess up the game, which annoy parents and authority fi gures, too, but don’t expect us to post isn’t the point of tics. bail.
1 Overly specifi c: ‘Squints when reading the fi ne print of magazine Acts like everyone’s direct supervisor. ads about pharmaceuticals for anxiety relief’—obvious and Acts overly heroic all the time—but only in his words.
60 PARANOIA Criminal Histories APPENDIX SAMPLE TICS
Alpha Male with Sloping Forehead: ‘Man, how’d I get teamed up with Flatters everyone and everything, including himself and inanimate such a bunch of dweebs? Gimme that sandwich, nerd!’ objects. Always gets names wrong, especially in stressful situations (‘I throw Foghorn Leghorn syndrome. the grenade to Bob-R... er, John-R... oh, you know who I mean’). Follows treasure maps ‘found’ on the backs of assorted offi cial Always looking for Commie surveillance ‘bugs’ in everything. documents\wrappers\trash, which only he can decipher: ‘See? This Always offers a negative comment on a plan. set of wrinkles is the FSQ sector, and this crumb is where the Commie Always tells stories from his ‘adventures’ as a young clone in the treasure is hidden!’ creche. Gets brilliant ideas, but immediately forgets them. (‘I know exactly Always tries to cover up his prominent hammer-and-sickle-shaped what to do! Oh, wait, never mind, I forgot.’) birthmark. Gets distracted by strange hums or other sensory phenomena that Amazed at the size of his own muscles, and likes to share that no one else can detect. amazement. Greatly amused by innuendo he can’t really explain: Answers every sentence with a question. Team leader: Okay, you two try to fi nd the food vat with the Assigns everyone ‘kitty’ or other odd code names for ‘secret bomb, while -- undercover work’. Uses only those names. ‘Woohoohoo!!! Finding the food vat, eh? Ha ha hahhh!’ Believes odd numbers bring bad luck. Always does/has everything Team leader: Uh... what do you mean? at least twice. ‘Ohhh! Mean and GREEN! Too bad we’re all RED Clearance! Blanks out.... Woohoohoooo hahahahaaaa hnrf hnrf hnrf!’ ...for long periods of time. Calls everyone ‘dude’ or ‘chickie’ (depending on gender), and is of the Harmless compulsive liar: ‘One time, I was hanging with Tella-O, opinion that everything is either ‘awesome’ or ‘like totally sucks’. and this Commie attacked the restaurant, and I totally jumped in the Carries around and talks to a small plush scrubot toy. Mark 4 Warbot and blew his ass away with the phase cannons. All the Character gets obnoxiously inquisitive towards anyone attempting to ULTRAVIOLETs were so totally impressed and grateful they gave me concentrate. ‘Whatcha doing? Is that a bomb? Are you disarming it? Is a huge promotion, and that’s why I’m a food vat supervisor by day and it gonna go off soon? Are you sure that’s a blue wire?’ a Vulture Squadron test pilot by night.’ Character has a hand puppet (‘Socko’) that narrates everything and Has a nickname, and insist others use it. Nobody better call him by generally speaks its mind. He has a permit for it, too... something about his real name (‘Francis’ or ‘Rufus’) or he’ll freakin’ kill them. interrogation protocol evaluation measures. Has divided everything in life into ‘honorable’ or ‘dishonorable’. Character loves to scare the bejeezus out of his teammates and snap Hopes to attract the attention of vidshow scouts by establishing a the picture on his PDC. ‘Nyuk, nyuk, gotcha!’ personal ‘catch phrase’. Tries out several different catch phrases during Character seems to think his laser is also a good lighter, can opener, each mission. power drill, fl yswatter, map pointer, and so forth. Doesn’t see why people Hums/sings ‘theme music’ for every occasion. are always so skittish around him. Twirls his gun when holstering it. In denial about having a tic. (‘What t-t-tic?’) Pick another tic. Compulsively labels things with small, sticky slips of paper. Jealously competitive. He’s better at everything. And if he can’t be Constantly fusses with his bed-head hair. better at something, he would have been better if circumstances were Constantly glum like Eeyore or Marvin the android. different, or anyway he’s better at something else. Constantly overestimating the danger of a given situation unless Jump from polite and calm to threatening and angry in seconds. called on it. Keeps an audio diary on his PDC and gets angry if he suspects Constantly punctuates his sentences with exclamations like ‘Yesss!’, someone was listening to his private thoughts constantly spoken ‘Score!’, ‘Hoo-hah!’, and ‘How’d you like that?’ Says ‘HEEEEYYY!’ aloud. rather too often. Keeps calling people ‘Baby’. Convinced he is suffering from some terrible disease. Complains loudly Likes to keep stretching so he won’t pull a muscle. if exposed to dust, germs, heated plasma, or the like. Likes to reminisce about old bot-homicide cases. Cracks knuckles, neck, back and elbows loudly and constantly. Loves to hum, whistle and sing B3 commercial jingles. Destined for greatness: Knows he’s going to be an ULTRAVIOLET Makes autocar noises while walking. one day. It’s just a matter of time. Arrogance to match. Makes inexplicable puns. (‘That wound looks hasty. Get it? ‘Hasty’? Disagrees with any plan that doesn’t involve violence/peace/drugs/etc. Hah! I crack myself up.’) (pick an obsession). Marvels at how everything uses power in some way. Does comical impressions of teammates. Ducks or dives for cover at every loud noise. Easily distracted. Looks at every sound or movement, losing focus of whatever he was busy doing. Thanks to loyal citizens Paul Baldowski, David Boyle, Greg EMphasizes THE FIRST SYlable OF EVery WORD. Costikyan, David Graffam, Greg Ingber, Joshua Marquart, Every time he mentions treason, traitors, mutants or mutations. he Saul Resnikoff, Bart Savenije and Andrew Tinney for their spits. many inspired ticcy suggestions on the PARANOIA development Exceedingly sensitive to comments about his height. blog (http://www.costik.com/paranoia). Check there for the Expert on everything. Read a martial arts magazine once, is suddenly latest PARANOIA news and many urgent last-minute requests Bruce Lee. Saw a FunBall game on vid; is now a pro player in the making. for help from us characteristically slipshod Famous Game His bunkmate for two days was a nuclear engineer, ‘and he was so Designers. dumb, I know twice as much as he does about nuclear engineering!’
NOTICE WE DIDN’T MAKE A SINGLE PUN ON THE WORD ‘TIC’? 61 PLAYER SECTION CLEARANCE RED
Needs to fi gure out survival probability of dangerous actions. Slow thinker. Not necessarily stupid, but he always takes some time Needs to use the restroom. ALL THE TIME. before he answers. Obsessed with footwear. Smells everything to see if it’s clean/safe/etc. Obsessed with making accurate reports (exact number of casualties, Speaks about people nearby as if they couldn’t hear him. blast crater radius and depth, amount and types of salvagable Speaks in third person. equipment, etc.) Speaks without articles (‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’). Obsessed with physical fi tness; can’t stand still; jogs in place or Stares at laser fi re ‘cause it’s so pretty. punches an imaginary punching bag. Suggests grand, nonsensical battle strategies for mundane Obsessive-compulsive about hygiene -- e.g., puts on latex gloves to activities. handle things. Takes (deep breath) deep (deep breath) breaths (deep breath) Passionately loves fi rearms and large explosions. (‘What about guns?! between (deep breath) each (deep breath) word. Aren’t you going to assign us any g-g-guns?!’) Large explosions and Talks in rhyme, almost all the time. fi refi ghts seem to give this character inappropriate pleasure. ‘Tastes’ (licks) everything before using it. Prefers to address real situations by talking in hypotheticals. Tells knock-knock jokes when things get boring. Or exciting. Pretends to take very important calls on his PDC to impress/imtimidate ‘That reminds me of a song.’ Breaks into song when stressed. his team: The worse the situation, the more he reminds people to ‘Keep Team leader: Well, we all saw you take— smiling!’ ‘Just a moment, I have to take this. Yes? Oh, hello, Teela! You Thinks he’s a ‘character’ in a ‘roleplaying game’, whatever those need to be rescued from Commies? Well, I’d like to help are. you but my team leader has to talk to me. No, I’m sure it Thinks he’s a bot. Knows he’s a bot. isn’t some kind of pointless accusation that prevents me Trying to learn how to juggle, and likes to practice. from rescuing you! Yes, I’m sure if it was he would be Trying to pay off a debt for running in a clearly-marked walking executed, but my team leader is smarter than that. Okay, corridor. good luck, bye!’ Trying to raise funds for his Loyalty Glee club. Twirls someone else’s hair absentmindedly. Projectile vomiting when agitated, nervous or faced with an irresistible Uses baby talk to someone who’s confused or frightened. target. Uses home-brewed abbreviations (HBAs) for EST (every single thing) Records a running, sportscaster-like PDC commentary on all for EP (effi ciency purposes). Carries a LoSA (Lexicon of Standard teammates’ actions. Abbreviations). Refers to himself in the third person by name. Very easily startled (great for the team demolitions guy). Romantics messed with the character’s last MemoMax restore; now Vulture Squadron fan. Always says what he would do in this sitution he randomly slips into a TV personality (a pirate, Yogi Bear, talking bowl if he were a Vulture Warrior. of soup) and back out with no memory of it happening. Waves and smiles at hidden security cameras, hoping his friend is (For registered mutants only:) Says he has every mutation and tries watching. to demonstrate the most appropriate one for every situation. ‘What’re we gonna do now, man? What’re we gonna do? We’re Says ‘I see’ and nods pensively at every comment. screwed!’ Screams ‘RELAX!’ to help soothe nervous people. Whipped dog syndrome: Alternates between exasperating Sees numerology in normal, everyday numbers. obsequiousness and vicious, predatory backstabbing. Shy; always puts up his hand to ask permission to speak before ‘You think you have a tic? I had a tic once so bad, it cost me four speaking. clones!’ Sighs a lot. Every sigh is a bit different.
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State. — Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945), Adolf Hitler’s Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
62 PARANOIA Criminal Histories 4-
#2)-).!, ()34/2)%3PARANOIA #(!2!#4%2 3(%%4 #ITIZEN ?????????????? ??? ????? ????????? .AME #LEARANCE 3ECTOR #LONE NUMBER
#ITIZENS GENDER - & /THER 0LAYER ?????????????????????????????????????? -!.$!4/29 "/.53 $549 4EAM LEADER !DS BRANDING #HARACTER KIT ??????????????????????? /CCUPATION ???????????????????????????? #OMM RECORDING !GENT PROVOCATEUR 3ERVICE GROUP FIRM TYPE FIRM NAME ????????????????????????????????????????????? %QUIPMENT GUY !LERTNESS OFFICER (APPINESS OFFICER &INANCIAL OFFICER 4ICS ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (YGIENE OFFICER -EDICAL OFFICER ,OYALTY OFFICER 0UBLIC RELATIONS ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? !#4)/. 3+),,3 -ANAGEMENT ??? 3TEALTH ??? 6IOLENCE ??? "OOTLICKING ????? #ONCEALMENT ????? !GILITY ????? #HUTZPAH ????? $ISGUISE ????? %NERGY 7EAPONS 6IOLENCE ????? #ON 'AMES ????? (IGH !LERT 3CAM 2ADAR ????? $EMOLITION ????? (YGIENE ????? 3ECURITY 3YSTEMS ????? &IELD 7EAPONS ????? )NTERROGATION ????? 3HADOWING ????? &INE -ANIPULATION ????? )NTIMIDATION ????? 3LEIGHT OF (AND ????? (AND 7EAPONS ????? -OXIE ????? 3NEAKING ????? 0ROJECTILE 7EAPONS ????? /RATORY ????? 3URVEILLANCE ????? 4HROWN 7EAPONS ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? 5NARMED #OMBAT ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? 6EHICULAR #OMBAT ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? +./7,%$'% 3+),,3 (ARDWARE ??? 3OFTWARE ??? 7ETWARE ??? "OT /PS -AINTENANCE ????? "OT 0ROGRAMMING ????? "IOSCIENCES ????? #HEMICAL %NGINEERING ????? # "AY ????? "IOWEAPONS ????? %LECTRONIC %NGINEERING ????? $ATA !NALYSIS ????? #LONING ????? (ABITAT %NGINEERING ????? $ATA 3EARCH ????? -EDICAL ????? -ECHANICAL %NGINEERING ????? &INANCIAL 3YSTEMS ????? /UTDOOR ,IFE ????? .UCLEAR %NGINEERING ????? (ACKING ????? 0HARMATHERAPY ????? 6EHICLE /PS -AINTENANCE ????? /PERATING 3YSTEMS ????? 0SYCHOTHERAPY ????? 7EAPON !RMOR -AINTENANCE ????? 6EHICLE 0ROGRAMMING ????? 3UGGESTION ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ????? ??????????????? ?????
#OPYRIGHT Ú %RIC 'OLDBERG AND 'REG #OSTIKYAN !LL RIGHTS RESERVED 0ERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY THIS SHEET FOR PERSONAL USE (!00).%33 )3 -!.$!4/295NAUTHORIZED USE IS TREASON PUNISHABLE BY TERMINATION PARANOIA4- #2)-).!, ()34/2)%3 3(%%4 3%#2%4 3)$% -UTATIONS ????????????????????????????????? 2EGISTERED 3ECRET SOCIETY ??????????????????????????????????? $EGREE ???????????????? 0AST TREASONOUS ACTS ????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? !TTRIBUTE RATINGS 0OWER ????????????? !CCESS #,!33)&)%$ ?????????????#,!33)&)%$ 3%#2%4 3+),,3 #/.4!#43 %.%-)%3 ???????????????????? ????? .AME 3VC GRP .AME 3VC GRP ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? ???????????????????? ????? %15)0-%.4 0ERSONAL !SSIGNED 4REASONOUS ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? ????????????????????????? /4(%2 345&& #REDITS !DDICTIONS 0ERVERSITY #URRENT MANDATES 4REASON CODES AND EVIDENCE AGAINST OTHERS
3%#2%43 !2% 42%!3/. 1UESTIONS RULESMASTERS MONGOOSEPUBLISHINGCOM s &IND MORE 0!2!./)! MATERIAL OF SURPRISING BRILLIANCE AND DEPTH AT WWWMONGOOSEPUBLISHINGCOM s 3HEET DESIGN BY -ICHAEL 0URGAR