Dept. 23 Campaign Planning Form

Inspired by Paranoia™. Tainted with Cyberpunk. Redolent of Judge Dredd, Transmetropolitan, and any number of other dystopian fictive milieu.

Basic Information

Campaign name: Dept. 23

Starting year: Year 419 of The Computer

Genre: Conspiracy

Realistic or cinematic? Cinematic

General theme of campaign: Cybertech Conspiracy

Are there multiple planes of existence? Theoretical physics has long supported the idea, but actual existence of other universes has not been demonstrated.

Campaign Background

Campaign’s base city, nation, empire, or planet: The City.

Society/government type: Cybercracy (see. GURPS Basic, p. 510)

Control Rating: CR5

Exceptions to general CR: Ordinary citizens (Infrared clearance) are forbidden to own or possess any type of weapons.

Tech level: TL10

Exceptions to general TL: TL11 cellular rejuvenation and TL12 regeneration are available (but very expensive) biotechnologies.

Brief description of important neighboring powers, political/economic situation, etc.: The City is a nearly 150-square mile metropolitan complex located in the middle of a vast desert wasteland. Outside the City the world has become almost uninhabitable, a combination of war, disease, and environmental devastation having decimated the population and rendered much of the surface hostile to life. Survivors of the destruction long ago located themselves in centralized urban areas that were adapted and refitted over the decades to become self-contained city-states. Citizens are tagged with an identity chip, usually located in the palm of the left hand, which contains personal information, including bank accounts and security credentials.

Information for PCs

See Naming Conventions in The City

Background: Player character was formerly an Infrared with no idea of what was going on beyond the day-to-day. One day the character noticed and reported the possible treasonous behavior of a co-worker or friend and was rewarded with the opportunity to serve in a greater capacity. Characters are now Troubleshooters, entry-level agents with Department 23, a division of Central Uniform Computer Operations.

Starting point value allowed for PCs: 120

Disadvantage limit (including Quirks): -75

PC races allowed: Human, Mutant

Starting wealth: $50,000

Starting Wealth levels allowed: 0

Starting Status levels allowed: 0

Starting TLs allowed: TL10

Languages available: English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian. A polyglot of these is spoken among the denizens of the Flats.

Cultural Familiarities available: Alpha Complex, The Burbs, The Flats

Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills

Required advantages: Security Clearance (Red), 5 pts.

Required disadvantages: Duty (Troubleshooter), (12 or less (Quite often), Extremely hazardous, Involuntary), -20 pts. Secret (Member of a Secret society) (Possible Imprisonment or Exile), -20 points.

Required skills:

Especially appropriate Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Hard to Kill

Especially appropriate Disadvantages: Callous, Enemy, Paranoid, Sense of Duty

Especially appropriate Skills: Computer Operation, Computer Hacking, Computer Programming, Electronics Operation (Security), Electronics Operation (Surveillance), Hidden Lore (Conspiracies), Interrogation, Karate, Savoir-Faire (Secret Society), Writing

Disallowed advantages, disadvantages, and skills: Damage Resistance. Luck. Unfazeable. Unkillable. No supernatural advantages, disadvantages or skills allowed, other than those which are the product of mutation see Psionics section below).

Appropriate Patrons, Allies or Contacts: Character might have a Contact at his previous mundane service occupation. Or he may have an acquaintance among the COPS or GOONS. It is even possible the character may know someone who lives on the Flats.

Special Abilities Allowed for PCs

Exotic/supernatural traits: None.

Cinematic skills: Cinematic martial arts skills and techniques are allowed. For other cinematic skills or attributes, please consult with the GM.

Unusual Background cost(s) for these abilities:

Legal or social restrictions on these abilities: Skilled martial artists are required to register with the Civil Uniform Justiciar Office as "living weapons."

Psionics

Are PC psis allowed? Yes. However only mutants have psionics.

Are any of the powers from Chapter 6 off limits? Teleportation

Are PC gadgeteers allowed? Yes.

Rulebooks and Resources

Rules and Character Creation

GURPS Basic Set 4th edition (standard)

GURPS Ultra-Tech 4th edition (standard)

GURPS Martial Arts 4th edition (optional)

Setting and Other Material

Paranoia XP: Service Pack 1, published by Mongoose Games, 2004 (setting)

GURPS Cyberpunk 3rd edition (setting)

See also

• Wikipedia article on Paranoia RPG