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First Church of Christ, Computer Programmer, a quasi-underground church that reveres the Computer as an aspect of God. Tend to get a slap on the wrist at worst, as The Computer is more bewildered at the idea than anything else.
Frankenstein Destroyers, a band of robot and cyborg-hating Luddites. Whether The Computer counts as "a really big robot that can't move" is sometimes a point of contention.
Humanists, who want the Computer to be subordinate to human governance, and would have gotten somewhere if they weren't constantly bogged own by infighting and red tape.
The Illuminati, a secret society so secret, most of its members don't even know its true purpose. They're not a conventional society in the sense that they plant their members in other secret societies. They also don't exist.
Pro Tech, a group of technology lovers who steal (and fiddle with) technology any chance they get. Members can frequently be identified due to the sheer number of blinking gadgets on their person.
PURGE, a terrorist organization devoted to overthrowing The Computer violently, but hasn't put much thought into what will come after. Naturally, their terrorist actions are always blamed on the Communists.
Trekkies, about what you think. They all wear pointy rubber ears and jerry-rig their lasers to look like phasers. Ironically, despite membership in the Trekkies being obvious, it's the only society never punished by The Computer because it's so obviously harmless.
The Sierra Club, who are obsessed with the environment and the mysterious "Outdoors", access to which is strictly limited by The Computer.
The International Workers of the World (Wobblies), described in the first edition supplement Acute Paranoia. The Computer heard about this society and sent Troubleshooters to spy on it. The problem was that it did not exist (the Real Life Wobblies fell apart before Alpha Complex was created), and when the Troubleshooters returned with no information they were quickly executed for insubordination. A dozen or so teams later, one set of Troubleshooters got wise and founded the society solely so they could spy on it. The other societies sent spies to infiltrate this new group, and the end result is a group composed entirely of spies for other groups.
Even more so than most RPGs, consider the rules and setting to be a collection of possibly-useful suggestions which can be cheerfully ignored when they get in the way of having fun.
The characters were not a team, and as stated above were actively encouraged to backstab each other. This required a certain amount of maturity from the players and a willingness to forget about the "mission" in favour of roleplaying and chaos.
Players, in theory, had no knowledge of the rules, so anyone metagaming ("I get plus one for being behind cover") could be executed for it. (If they did look, they should simply factor the rules into their schemes without admitting they know, because it's Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught)
Be aware that if you make any mention of a published-in-1995 "Fifth Edition" of the game, you are referring to an Official UnProduct, and Friend Computer does not like people referring to things which never existed.Anyone interested in RPG design should have a look at the brilliant concept of Perversity Points, first introduced in the "XP" edition of the game. Basically, they're given out for being entertaining when playing your character instead of just boringly efficient, and spent to improve your dice rolls or (this being Paranoia) screw up someone else's, with the GM handwaving some appropriate in-character circumstance.With the latest edition, the game can now be played in three forms: as a Troubleshooter, an Internal Security agent, or a High Programmer. In the latter cases, The Computer progressively shifts from "That information is not available at your security clearance" to "That information is not available at this time". (Other times, High Programmers get lots of information, but most of it is garbage.) The equipment also beefs up; Troubleshooters have laser pistols, IntSec agents have cone rifles (basically bazookas), High Programmers hang out in the Situation Room and manipulate teams of lower-clearance citizens working for service groups or secret societies or the Troubleshooters.
The following List of Tropes present in Paranoia is classified Security Clearance ULTRAVIOLET*
Official Notice to all Citizens: Any inability to exactly reproduce on demand this complete and current List, either verbally or in writing, will be construed as treason. Have a nice daycycle!
:
Absurdly Spacious Sewer: The world of Paranoia is an underground bomb shelter built to withstand nuclear Armageddon. Missions often involve searching vast sewers or labyrinthine tunnel systems.
All Crimes Are Equal: In a "Zap" game, just about everything is punishable by summary execution.
The Alleged Everything: If anything works as it logically should in Paranoia, the GM's a creampuff. The rules even helpfully suggest amusing ways for things to go wrong and kill a clone or two in the process.
Berserk Button: Avoid being a Communist. Friend Computer will allow mutants to register their powers, and may even be lenient on traitors. But if you are a Commie (or made to look like one), you WILL be terminated.
While Friend Computer is merciful to those who were mutated by foul Commie sabotage of their cloning tanks, registering your Machine Empathy mutation is not recommended, as it will not only get you terminated, but erased as well.
Blessed with Suck: Players are usually given a mutant ability which allows them to do something awesome, but using it runs the risk of exposing themselves as mutants, and getting toasted. And when mutant powers fail, they fail hard. And sometimes the "power" is not even useful to begin with, like having a perpetual runny-nose.
Blinding Camera Flash: In the Acute Paranoia adventure "Me and My Shadow Mark IV", the PCs' mission equipment includes a lightbot named Mikey, who was intended to be a photographer's assistant. If the word "light" is used around him, he'll start flashing lights in the unfortunate character's eyes, blinding him.
Bottomless Magazines: Laser barrels are rated for six shots. You can go over the limit, but the chance of explosion starts at 5% per shot, and going over the limit just keeps bumping it up.
Dirty Communists: Commies are one of the Computer's chief fears, given the Cold War theme of the game. Players are expected to shoot anyone they suspect is a Commie.
Do Not Spoil This Ending: Both rules and pre-written missions are "Ultraviolet clearance", but the context switches from "but we know you'll read it anyway, you filthy traitors" to "no, seriously, you'll have more fun if you go in blind to this part".
Double Agent: Characters are Troubleshooters for the Computer, and usually double agents for one of many secret societies.
Radiation meter: Citizen! Are you Blue clearance or higher?
Red clearance Troubleshooter: No...
Radiation meter: Good! Then you are experiencing an acceptable level of radiation.
Fascist, but Inefficient: At RED Clearance. Inverted at higher clearances; the game suggests that the GM play efficiency for as much scary value as the inefficiency REDs have to deal with.
Flock of Wolves: Alpha Complex in general, the Wobblies in particular.
Forbidden Fruit: The main reason there are any Communists in Alpha Complex.
Frickin' Laser Beams: Lasers are the typical Red-clearance weapon, and thus reflec (shiny plastic) is the typical armor. Handguns require at least Yellow clearance.
Hey Catch: Happens in one mission with a grenade. The pin hasn't been pulled. If the PC doesn't do anything stupid like shoot the thrower, he can keep it.
High Turnover Rate: Characters die so quickly that players are allowed six clone lives.
Hoist by His Own Petard: A traitor who volunteers to test a "traitor killer" device. It explodes. This is intentional; the designer assumed that a traitor would volunteer so that it wouldn't be used against him.
Machine Worship: Corpore Metal thinks that robots and cyborgs should rule, while the FCCCP (First Church of Christ Computer Programmer) not-quite-secret society worships Alpha Complex's current ruler, The Computer, as an aspect of God.
Mutants: One of the Computer's chief fears is mutation. Characters are always on the look-out for mutants, and are almost invariably mutants themselves.
No Delays For The Wicked: Played both ways. Any player mission is going to be a total shambles, yet Alpha Complex as a whole seems to continue functioning somehow.
Non Promotion: Being promoted up from relatively-safe Infrared anonymity. Being made Troubleshooter team leader (the picture on the badge is a target).
No Sex Allowed: Everyone's a clone for a reason. Still, humans are humans, and exceptions do exist (particularly for High Programmers, and anyone who lives Outdoors long enough for the hormone suppressants to wear off).
Off the Rails: What are these "rails" of which you speak?
Railroading: On the other hand, if the GM needs the PCs to be somewhere or do something, one directive from Friend Computer and they're there, doing that.
Old Shame: Punny Names are one to the current publisher. They especially recommend avoiding them in Straight-style games because they break the mood.
Painting The Medium: Done with the rulebooks. Player documents have security level Red, while gamemaster materials are classified Ultraviolet. Since the players' Troubleshooters start at Red level, they are technically guilty of treason if they read the higher-level rules. The GM is encouraged to terminate the PCs if they try to game the rules, and players are encouraged — in true Paranoia fashion — to know the rules but not let on that they know them...
Possession Implies Mastery: Subverted hard. Most objects are assumed to be this... by the R&D Mad Scientist who dreamed them up. However, in practice, the Troubleshooter should have no freakin' clue how to use it safely and properly. And the instruction manuals are always of a higher security clearance than s/he can access.
Punny Name: A long standing tradition of Paranoia naming is to find the cheesiest pun you can with the format "Name-Y-XXX", where "Y" is your clearance color. For instance, a rather unfortunate name to have would be "Trey-Y-TOR".
Read the Freaking Manual: Subverted in-game and in real life. In game, most Troubleshooters can't (legally) read the manuals for the items they are given because the manual is above their security clearance, and that would be treason. In real life, the players can't (legally) read the rules of the game because it's above their character's security clearance, and that would be treason.
Red Scare: Da, I am seeink no Communist menace here, Comrad— I mean, Citizen. I am werry, werry loyal Citizen. Please to be hawink this leaflet introducink you to the teachinks of Lennon and Marx...
not that Alpha Complex citizens even have parents, but you get the idea
. Any old line of guff may be accepted by The Computer at face value if it's being flaky that day, and/or you appeal properly to its emotional simulation software.
Rules Lawyer: Being one and proving it is grounds for execution for treason: To be a rules lawyer, you must have read the rules. And if you aren't the GM, those rules are above your security clearance, Citizen...
Screw the Rules, I Have a Nuke!: Troubleshooters can even acquire nuclear hand grenades, which work as this trope would suggest... until they carry out their threat. Have YOU tried outrunning a megaton nuclear explosion?
Smoldering Shoes: The Trope Codifier, if not the Trope Namer. Images of smoldering, empty boots (usually with a big, nasty laser hanging just overhead that just forcibly emptied the footwear) have been a trademark of Paranoia artwork (literally!) since at least Second Edition.
Un Paused: In the adventure "Me and My Shadow Mark IV" from the Acute Paranoia supplement. Markie (the Mark IV warbot) is talking to the PC's when a piece falls off of him, sending him into a catatonic state. (It's a barometer. It just messed with his superiority complex.) When the piece is re-attached, Markie continues talking right where he left off.
Water Source Tampering: In the Acute Paranoia adventure "Outland-ISH", the high Programmer of ISH sector is putting a drug called ZAP! in the water supply for Infrared citizens. It tremendously increases productivity but eventually kills the drinker.
What Does This Button Do?: So you've been ordered to field-test an experimental device, but the instruction manual is above your security clearance. What do you do now? Repeatedly invoke this trope, and hope you don't stumble across the self-destruct...
characterized by extreme and irrational suspicion. A 2004 industrial-espionage thriller
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