Paranoia

Right so this week we're doing Paranoia. I've actually got both the 2nd and 5th editions for this game. 5th Ed is ok enough, but I prefer the versions with Costikyan involved, so we'll make a 2nd Edition character.

First off the name. For Paranioa you have the surname, the clearance level, a 3 letter and then your clone number. We'll redo my previous character, Joe-R-NML-1. Sure the name won't work once he gets a higher clearance level (in the game the clearance levels are from the ROYGBIV color spectrum with Red at the bottom. Well technically Infra-red is the bottom, but PCs are assumed to have just cleared that by being made Troubleshooters). Well not every level anyway. And this is the first clone...

Next we roll attributes - Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Endurance, Moxie, Chutzpah, Mechanical Apptitude and Power. Each is a d20 roll and you can reroll two. So we'll use the dice-roller from WoTC...

STR: 4
AGL: 10
DEX: 6
END: 17
MOX: 17
CHZ: 7
M.AP: 2
POW: 5

Yeah, re-rolling STR and M.AP there. Getting a 12 and an 11. A 12 STR means a carrying capacity of 25. And your base level in the various skills is by their related attribute. So play-wise Joe should probably concentrate on Moxie skills. Which is a combo of intelligence, wit and bravery basically. Sadly there aren't any Endurance based skills...

Next we roll for Service Group. An 11 means Armed Forces. Combat Monkey group. Ok then...

Now for Mutant Power. Oh yeah in Paranoia ALL characters are mutants. And if the Computer finds out you're a mutant thats a treasonable offense that you'll be executed for. So keep it a secret! Anyway we get a 13 on this, Polymorphism. Joe is a shapeshifter. Though with a 5 Power, not a terribley good one...

And Secret Society. I bet you guessed that being in a Secret Society is treason and grounds for execution? And you'd be right. And again ALL players are in one. So keep your's secret and expose the other players for rewards. The game is called Paranoia for a reason. As for Joe he gets an 11 which goes to the Illuminati. Joe has SECRET masters. Who assign him SECRET missions. That he must obey or die! SECRETLY...

Equipment wise Joe gets the standard Red-barreled laser pistol and Red-Reflec armor. And has a 100 credits earned up...

Lastly we look at skills. Every skill already has a starting base level from the attributes. And Joe gets 30 points to spread around among them. But only up to 12 unless its a Special Training one linked to his Service Group. Those can go up to 14. For Armed Forces Joe has: Grenades (2), Primitive Melee Weapons (2), Unarmed (2), Motivation (2), Laser Weapons (1) (stupid DEX!), Projectile Weapons (1), Vulturecraft Operation & Maintenance (3), Demolition (4) and Survival (4). Joe will spend 10 points on Demolition and Survival, taking both up to 14. Yeah, Joe can make things go BOOM. Heh heh. Then 3 points to bump Motivation to 5. As a future Secret Master of Everything Joe needs to get better at leading the chumps slaves valuable lower rankings. And another 5 points to get Laser Weapons to 6 so he has a hope of surviving the inevitable fist player-vs-player firefight. Then lastly we'll go over the list of Moxie skills and bump Security up to 6 with the last 2 points...

And that fleshes out the Alpha Clone for Joe-R-NML. When this one dies Joe-R-NML-2 keeps the everything but the Service Group. So waiting in the wings are Joe-R-NML-2 thru 6. After the sixth death you have to start with a new guy...

Abandon-ware

A discussion of my roommate's current game (they're playing Megatraveller) lead to me talking about the old computer rpg. Which led to him learning of Abandonia. So that will keep him away from my Season 3 Venture Brothers until I can watch them...

New Comics Day 3/25/09

A Marvel heavy week. In fact a heavy week all around with a few older books tossed in. From Marvel we have the length-aly titled Avengers: The Initiative: featuring Reptil one-shot. Stegron the Dinosaur Man is attacking Initiative bases. And with the various teams still reeling from the Skrull invasion and Osborne's take-over Tigra has to rally various members to stop Stegron. Along with newest recruit Reptil, a kid with dinosaur related powers. Plus the book wraps up a dangling plot thread from the less than stellar and canceled Heroes-for-Hire book...

Guardians of the Galaxy has multiple resurrections and Phyla getting a new job...

And some of the fall-out from THAT leads to Richard Rider getting a new hero ID in Nova. Plus still MORE Osborne running things fall-out...

And the second part of the Darkhawk War of Kings lead-in ends. Still too much The Loners related emo-ness. So annoying. Being a super-hero teen sucked soooooo much. Also included is the original second issue of Darkhawk. Man does Mike Manley suck as an artist...

Wolverine: First Class returns under new writer Peter David. Its..ok. I mean it has Wolverine and Daredevil fighting the Hand. Thats always nice. But it doesn't really have the charm or wit of the Van Lente issues. Sadly it looks like David will be on the book for awhile to come...

Jack of Fables finishes the fall-out from the Revise/Book Burner war, secrets about Jack's origin are learned and things are set-up for a cross-over with Fables...

The Top 10: Special seems to jump ahead of the regular Season Two title. Pete's still no longer a cop and Girl Two has become a Public Defender. The one-shot is still being written by Zander Cannon but the art is by someone named Daxiong. Nice enough and he does well integrating the background cameos Top 10 is known for...

The Umbrella Academy has Space-Boy, the Kraken and Seance taking a stop-over in Vietnam before heading to Dallas to save President Kennedy from #5 and his time-travel buddies...

I also finally got issue two of Jersey Gods. Great cover by Darwyn Cooke and solid story. Zoe and Barock make a connection during the space god mall brawl and then have to go back to their day jobs...

Proof takes a step back to the early 1900s to a story of Proof's days with the circus and an encounter in London with the Spring-heeled Jack...

And from last week, I grab my first ever Avatar book. In this case the Jamie Delano title Rawbone. Which has lesbian pirates. Lesbian. Pirates. Why did no one tell me about this book last week! LESBIAN PIRATES!