g026r's New Writeups

Code 7 (thing)

2005-07-19T18:13:35Z

In the world of Paranoia (the RPG of the darkly humorous future), a "Code 7" refers to any mission so difficult, so dangerous, that successful completion will require that each Troubleshooter involved use all seven of their six assigned clones. (This is, of course, impossible.)

Suggestion that The Computer would ever assign its loyal Troubleshooters with an impossible mission is treason, and rumours to this effect are the obvious work of commie mutant traitors. (For more information on this definition of Code 7, readers are directed to just about every Paranoia adventure ever published.)

In GM-speak, a Code 7 adventure can also refer to any short mission ideas that were never developed into a full adventure, yet were published anyways. (See the section labeled Code 7 in Acute Paranoia, West End Games, 1986, for several examples of…

Unwanted Convoy (thing)

2004-11-16T04:16:43Z

A word of advice to anyone playing Diplomacy using the rules published in the 4th Avalon Hill edition (2000): cordelia's example listed above will not work. It also is unlikely to work with the rules from the 2nd (1982) or 3rd (1996) Avalon Hill editions; more on this ambiguity below. First, however, a brief history of some other types of unwanted convoys.

(Note: This node uses standard Diplomacy notation for its examples. While an attempt has been made to explain the various moves, readers may wish to familiarize themselves with the notation before continuing.)

Basically, an unwanted convoy is any unasked for attempt by a foreign power to convoy another power's army to a destination. The original unwanted convoy made use of an obscure and now obsolete clause in section XII (The Convoy Order) of the rules published prior to 1982, that states the following:

"4. AMBIGUOUS CONVOY ROUTES. If the orders as written permit more than…

Standard Diplomacy notation (thing)

2004-11-16T00:43:12Z

Although the methods in which move orders for the game of Diplomacy are written can vary from game master to game master, they usually follow a generally recognized style, which this node attempts to describe. Although a general familiarity with the rules is assumed, an attempt has been made to explain those examples that warranted it.

The Power
Prior to listing any orders, the power for which the order, or group of orders, belongs to will be listed. The the power name is generally listed on a seperate line, followed by a colon, and then all the orders for that power are listed on seperate lines.

Example:

England:
Order 1.
Order 2.

France:
Order 1.
Order 2.

The Unit Being Ordered
For each order, the order begins with a listing of the type of unit being ordered. Although the unit type can be listed in full, generally the abbreviated forms of A, for Army, and F, for Fleet, are used. This is followed by the province…

nuclear hand grenade (thing)

2004-10-28T03:45:57Z

Although no real-life version exists, a nuclear handgrenade did make an appearence in a mission-module for the 80's pen-and-paper RPG, Paranoia. (The module in question was titled Alpha Complexities.)

Officially designated as the thermonuclear grenade, it was described as being a hard metal sphere with the with the words "THROW VERY HARD" printed on it. The GM information went on to mention that it had the same effective yield as a tacnuke, and that any troubleshooters that were desperate enough to actually test it would likely be unable to report back on its one major design-flaw (see point 2 in WWWWolf's above writeup).

As any good Paranoia GM knows, sometimes the best way to hose your players is also the simplest, and slipping a few nuclear handgrenades into their list of assigned mission equipment could always serve to liven up a dull mission. After all, as far as R&D…

MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI (person)

2004-10-23T06:08:42Z

MĀNA-YOOD-SUSHĀĪ is the creator god in Lord Dunsany's 1905 work The Gods of Pegāna. It was he who, upon being approached by either Fate or Chance, created the Worlds and the gods.

Upon finishing, he rested. As long as he sleeps, the Worlds and gods shall continue to exist. However, his awakening signifies THE END, when he shall destroy the Worlds and gods and create new ones in their stead. There are suggestions made throughout the book that the reason for this is that the Worlds and gods are merely dreams of MĀNA — much like Lewis Carroll's Red King — and for this reason Skarl the Drummer beats forever on a drum, the steady noise serving to keep MĀNA asleep.

The name is always written in upper-case letters, with regular sized letters at the start of each of the…

The Gods of Pegana (thing)

2004-10-23T05:09:42Z

The Gods of Pegāna

by
Lord Dunsany

The Gods of Pegāna was the first published book by Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett (1878-1957), 18th Baron Dunsany. It consists of a series of stories, written in a very biblical style, that deal with a world and its pantheon of gods. The book, which was barely more than 40 pages, was a resounding success upon its 1905 publication, and it ensured that Dunsany, who had been forced to pay to have it published, would never have difficulty finding a publisher again.

The book, and its follow up: 1906's Time and the Gods, are seen by many as an influence on subsequent fantasy works by the likes of Tolkien, among others. It is a well acknowledged fact that H.P. Lovecraft was a great admirer, to such an extent that his early work is often described as being a pale imitation of Dunsany's.

Although the work's revolutionary characteristics have dimmed considerably over the past century —…