Card Game: Dropping Security Level

[shnar]

What happens if you have to DROP security level and there is not any cards left of the rank below you?

In the game we just played, two players were increased to Violet (there are only two violet cards). There was one Ultra Violet in teh game and he was a traitor so he was executed. It was his last clone, so he was supposed to drop in rank. What to do? Both the Violets were taken. Does the Ultra Violet stay at UV? Does he drop down to Indigo?

-shnar

 

[PaulB]

If you are required to change to a Security Clearance for which there are no cards remaining, you stay at your current Security Clearance.

If there are no cards available of the Security Clearance you require, you cannot lose your Security Clearance (ignore effects that require you to do so).

However, the ULTRAVIOLET in this case died, so the game ended... so, he wouldn't need a clearance anymore. This is 'Classic' PARANOIA - in the sense that the team each have a 6-pack. A terminated clone line wouldn't be coming back. The rules say you can't lose your Security Clearance if there are no cards... but, the clone is dead and doesn't need another card. So, dump the sucker down to VIOLET.

Heck, I'd done him down to INFRARED and see what he's going to do about. Dead clones can't shoot back...

PaulB

 

[shnar]

But that doesn't follow the rules of the game. It says that when the first player loses his last clone, that player drops a rank in Security, then you do the end mission debriefing phase (to see if anyone else has bumped up in ranks, etc), and then whoever is the highest rank wins the game.

So the rules of the game make him drop by a rank, making it a little more difficult for the dying player to win. However, there is also a rule that also says if the available rank isn't there, you don't move in rank. However, the context of that rule is when going /up/ in rank, if it's not available, you don't go up. I would imagine when going /down/ in rank, you would not be able to take advantage of that ruling...

-shnar

 

[PaulB]

Another take, given the point in the game you've reached, would be to assess everyone's performance in the debriefing and see whether the available cards support a team Security Clearance shuffle. i.e. the debriefing shows one of your VIOLET Clearance Troubleshooters warrants a promotion, so a VIOLET card would become available for the demoted ULTRAVIOLET.

PaulB

 

[shnar]

But that's the point. At the point where the player was supposed to drop in rank, there were no ranks available directly beneath his security clearance (i.e. he was UltraViolet and there were already two Violets). So does he keep the UltraViolet or drop two ranks to Indigo? Or even further if by some rare chance all the Indigoes were taken?

-shnar

 

[PaulB]

In your scenario, neither VIOLET was going either up or down a grade? Then by the rules, the ULTRAVIOLET would stay that way and win the game. In reality, I'd look to introducing some kind of house rule that fitted you PARANOIA sensibilities. Maybe create a nice table to roll on...

PaulB

 

[shnar]

Exactly. Violets were taken (well sorta, I'll explain below). So the main question is whether or not the UV would drop to Indigo or stay at UV. We ruled that a drop would always drop, the rule for staying at your rank smelled like it was meant to only count for upgrades. Plus, that definately felt more Paranoia-ish.

Now, why I said "sorta" above is due to timing. We're still not sure we played it out properly. Here's what happened:

(4 player game: Player1 UV, Player2 Indigo, Player3 Indigo, and me):
- Player 1, UV Player, was dealt his last wound that would kill him.
- UV player was Team Leader, so he passed on his Team Lead to Player 2.
- Player 2 was immediately upgrades to Violet.
- Player 1, for his dying action, killed Player 2.
- Player 2 was Team Leader now, but died, so passed leadership to Player 3.
- Player 3 was immediately upgraded to Violet.
- Player 2's dying action killed Player 3 (God I love Paranoia).
- Player 3 passed Leadership to me (I was only yellow, so didn't really matter).
- Player 3 tried to kill me but I was too tough
- Now that dying actions were all done and Player 1 (UV Player) actually completed dying, it was his last clone, so he drops a rank.

What rank to drop to? Both Violets are now gone. This brings up an interesting timing question then, when is Leadership passed, when are Traitor tokens removed (cause of Leadership), when is Dying Action (before/after Leadership passes), etc...

-shnar