New Paranoia NPC Question

[euansmith]

Hi, I've tried playing the latest version of Paranoia (does it have an official designation to separate it from previous versions?), and we ran in to an issue.

In the Dealing With NPCs section the rules refer to NPC skills, but then doesn't go in to how these are supposed to interact with the task resolution system.

Can we get some clarification on how the designers use NPC skills to inform setting difficulty levels? Even if the response is simple a clear "wing it", that would be helpful.

 

[Shai]

Taking into account that the GM doesn't roll dice.
I'd say that when the NPC takes action, the players roll the save, from here you have a choice:
1) the GM adds the NPC's skill to the difficulty number set to begin with.
2) the GM removes the amount of dice from the NODE (or adds dice if the NODE is negative) equal to the skill.
If the player succeeds that means the NPC doesn't and vice-versa.
There are more choices, these I'd use as a go to.
Personally, I treat the NPC skills like armour.

 

[euansmith]

Thanks for the reply, Shai. I'm still trying to get my group to give the game another go

 

[tbug]

What about moxie? Would the average NPC have more than one point of moxie? I recognize there aren't game mechanics for it, but how close are the citizens of Alpha Complex to going insane at any given time?

 

[Shai]

I think that depends on a few factors:
1) What rank is the clone?
It makes sense that low ranking clones will have less (or more) moxie than high ranking clones depending on the rank. With IR clones having few moxie points and, therefore, are held together by the daily dose that they are given.
While UV and Violet clones would have plenty moxie to spare (they have the xp to pay for it).
All the betweens are different, I'd say that it goes downward until you get to Green or Blue, then it starts going up.
2) What is the clone like?
Would the clone spend the xp they were given to add more moxie Or would they rather have another round of Unfiltered Peculiar Tasting BBB?
3) (most important) What's fitting to the narative? (Includes sector of origin)
Would the GM like them to go insane easily or is it more important for them to keep their cool? (Let's say the TS get to RLY sector, home to the Cult of C'thulhu, I'd expect the clones to be very unstable.)

About how close the citizens are to "loosing it" (going insane). I'd say that the majority (IR clones) are pretty close, which is why they're constantly sedated (so it becomes pretty far). At least, that's how I'd play it.
But I think that depends, mostly, on your style of play.