Episode 6: Mighty R-Bots

Episode Summary

The players track down Ko-V-ERT. Everything is revealed and, in typical Paranoia fashion, a really big fight breaks out. Maybe they can survive long enough to bring their evidence to the authorities.

Encounter One: Abandoned Trip

For you Gamemasters chewing your nails at the freedom the Troubleshooters had in the last episode, relax. We're back to old-fashioned railroading and massive property damage.

The party should have finished Episode 5 with the realization that "Tee-V-GDE", the clone who got them into this mess, is really the Warbot developer Ko-V-ERT.

They can't use this to absolve themselves. As fugitives, their evidence is automatically suspect, and any attempts to present this information is met with heavy gunfire. Nope, their only hope is to either get a confession from Ko-V-ERT, or collect solid evidence against him.

Given the information from Episode 5 about Ko-V-ERT's whereabouts and sightings, your players should realize that there's only one place to go.

If the Troubleshooters are really dumb, they might try to search Ko-V-ERT's (empty) quarters first. Discourage this; the ERT sector Violet quarters are heavily guarded, with roving doberbots, sadistic Vultures, and harsh spotlights everywhere. Take the worst of Episode 2, stick it all in front of your players, and dare them to run the gamut. They should take one look at the formidable setup and tackle RUR sector R&D instead.

(They won't find anything incriminating at Ko-V-ERT's place anyway. He's worked hard to nurture his image of being a squeaky-clean citizen.)

RUR sector is in a dark and dusty corner of Alpha Complex, run down with the relentless tide of disuse. Tell the Troubleshooters that security cameras are deactivated, lights are dim, their footsteps echo at every turn -- in short, the area appears to be deserted. It really is, but if your players are scared enough to jump at every little thing, don't disappoint them.

The R&D Center stands out from the other abandoned buildings in this sector, if only because the lights inside actually work. It's an imposing gray structure, looking like an abandoned factory; what few windows it has are set 50 meters off the ground. The only entrance is a set of rusted double doors, unlocked.

Opening the doors, the Troubleshooters see a wide hallway stretching into the distance. As they walk down the hall, the faint sound of machinery can be heard. The hallway leads to a catwalk 15 meters above the ground, on one side of a cavernous room. In the room are five bots, several large machines, a cot, and a clone. The lighting is normal here, and the sound of the machines drowns out any noises the party makes. The clone is Ko-V-ERT; he doesn't appear to notice the players, but is bent over one of the machines, busy working.

Ask each character what he wants to do. Maybe someone starts recording the proceedings, or spies on Ko-V-ERT with Hypersenses. Some might look for a way down, while another may try to shoot Ko-V-ERT with his back turned. Pretend to be interested, as if their decisions will make a difference.

Before anything can happen, however, the catwalk collapses and everyone falls to the floor. A force field appears, surrounding the party, separating them from the rest of the room, and Ko-V-ERT turns towards them.

Encounter Two: True Confessions

Read the following:

Let the players say whatever they want -- they sure can't do much of anything else. If they're smart, they'll try to get a confession out of Ko-V-ERT. This is easy to do; he's all too glad to gloat. Yes, he impersonated Tee-V-GDE. Yes, he used the Troubleshooters to incriminate other citizens. Yes, he was working for a secret promotion. And yes, he will kill them.

Ko-V-ERT speaks with a calm, condescending confidence, pleased to have an audience to share his secrets, and all too ready to incriminate himself (James Bond's villains work the same way). Some sample Ko-V-ERT dialogue:

Is someone recording all of this? Make a note if they are. Pity them if they're not.

If someone tries to take the initiative and do something like teleporting away, stop 'em. Maybe the force field inhibits weapons and comm units. Do the old make-dice-rolls-from-behind-the-screen-"Sorry-you-failed" trick. Of course, if you think it'd make things more interesting, let them get away with it. It's your party.

Encounter Three: Rise of the R-Bots

When it's time for Ko-V-ERT to wind down his speech, read:

Dramatic? Yes. Overblown? Yes. Not the most secure way to get rid of troublesome Troubleshooters, but a megalomaniac has to humor himself sometimes.

Game Stuff: Who R These Bots?

Inspired by a series of Old Reckoning video tapes, Ko-V-ERT's latest creation are the Recombination Bots, or "R-Bots" for short. Each bot is humanoid in shape, with built-in weapons and programmed for combat. However, for really bothersome enemies, the bots can transform and combine into one giant robot, "Mighty R-Bot", with greater strength and more firepower.

That's the theory, anyway. As Ko-V-ERT (and the players) will learn, there are still a few bugs in the system. Specifically, when the bots combine, their personalities conflict, causing massive problems.

Any resemblance to numerous Saturday morning cartoons and/or cheesy Japanese toys is not coincidental.

The R-Bots' stats and quirks are noted below.

Yes, everyone, it's the moment we've all been waiting for -- the Really Big Fight. After throwing open the force field, Ko-V-ERT hides in the back of the room, watching the melee and taking the occasional potshot at the Troubleshooters. The bulk of the work, however, is done by the R-Bots.

While the bots look formidable, they have enough flaws for exploitation by creative clones. If the Troubleshooters show more cooperation than the R-Bots, they can inflict a good amount of damage. Really smart folks will attack Ko-V-ERT instead, but the bots and his Violet laser should keep them at bay.

If it looks like the Troubleshooters are gaining the upper hand, Ko-V-ERT unleashes his secret weapon by yelling, "R-Bots, unite!" The R-Bots will immediately stop fighting the players, jump into the air, transform, and combine to become Mighty R-Bot.

That's when the fit really hits the shan.

As the R-Bots' profiles indicate, Mighty R-Bot is kinkier than a pretzel factory. At best, he is an uncoordinated war machine; at worst, he is a schizophrenic mechanical wreck. Mighty R-Bot can take 50 points of damage, and will be busy enough trying to walk straight that the players can easily fight it. By the time Mighty R-Bot topples to the ground, Ko-V-ERT (if he hasn't been fried yet) should be screaming in a frenzy.

Before any more damage can be done, end the show. One wall of the room explodes with a thunderous crash, and a squadron of Vultures swarms in. The room fills with sleeping gas, everyone falls unconscious, and eventually wake up in Episode 7. If anyone whines about the abruptness of the situation, have them make a Very Hard Endurance roll, then knock 'em out anyway.