Pandemonium (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
Pandemonium is a comedy
role-playing game
designed by Stephan Michael Sechi and published by MIB Productions, Inc. It is inspired by the fictional "news" that appears in tabloid publications such as the Weekly World News
.
is a fictionalized version of Earth
that the game refers to as Tabloid World. In Tabloid World, all of the unlikely events described in tabloids are true, although most of the public does not believe so. (For example, Elvis is alive, aliens abduct people on a regular basis, and the Bermuda Triangle
hides the lost continent of Atlantis
.) People who know the truth about Tabloid World are referred to as Enlightened.
Player characters in Pandemonium are Paranormal Investigators (P.I.s), Enlightened individuals who have left their regular jobs (or Mundane Professions) to research unusual phenomena for the fictional newspaper Weekly Weird News. Their adventures
typically involve investigating sightings of tabloid staples like Elvis and Bigfoot
in order to uncover larger mysteries and conspiracies.
Pandemonium characters have three Attributes
(Body, Mind, and Spirit), which are described as bonuses to action rolls. For example, a Body score of "+1" gives the character a one point bonus to die rolls involving physical activities. Characters also have skills which provide adjustments to action rolls. Skills may derive from characters' Mundane Professions, Hobbies, or Paranormal Talents.
Character actions in Pandemonium are resolved by rolling by rolling a ten-sided die, adding the relevant Attribute or skill bonus, and subtracting situational modifiers (if the Very Complicated Rules are being used). If the adjusted result (the Action Sum) is six or higher, the character succeeds in the action. The Action Sum is then compared to the Fate Table to determine the degree of success. Players may improve their rolls by spending their characters' Instant Karma Points, which are earned in a manner similar to experience points in other games.
One of Pandemoniums most distinctive rules involves past lives
. In keeping with the game's tabloid theme, all P.I.s are reincarnations of historical figures such as Joan of Arc
or Albert Einstein
, who have skills and abilities far superior to a typical character's (a notable exception is Elvis Presley
, who in the game's world is still alive). If a P.I. successfully recalls a past life (through a successful action roll), the P.I. assumes the past life's personality and skills for ten minutes.
The gamemaster
in Pandemonium is called The Editor.
, and Joel Kaye. It was published in 1993 by MIB Productions, Inc. and distributed by Atlas Games. Pandemonium was the first role-playing game inspired by tabloid newspapers, predating the Amazing Engine
-based Tabloid! by one year.
MIB Productions and Atlas Games released only one accessory for Pandemonium. Stranger Than Truth (subtitled Further Adventures in Tabloid World) is a 96-page collection of adventures written by Rob Heinsoo, Robin Laws, and John Tynes
, published in 1994.
In the summer of 1996, Atlas Games publicly admitted that Pandemonium had "not found a solid market niche", and reduced its overstock by giving away copies of both products (Varney 1996).
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
designed by Stephan Michael Sechi and published by MIB Productions, Inc. It is inspired by the fictional "news" that appears in tabloid publications such as the Weekly World News
Weekly World News
The Weekly World News was a supermarket tabloid published in the United States from 1979 to 2007, renowned for its outlandish cover stories often based on supernatural or paranormal themes and an approach to news that verged on the satirical. Its characteristic black-and-white covers have become...
.
Setting
Pandemoniums campaign settingCampaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
is a fictionalized version of Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
that the game refers to as Tabloid World. In Tabloid World, all of the unlikely events described in tabloids are true, although most of the public does not believe so. (For example, Elvis is alive, aliens abduct people on a regular basis, and the Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
hides the lost continent of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
.) People who know the truth about Tabloid World are referred to as Enlightened.
Player characters in Pandemonium are Paranormal Investigators (P.I.s), Enlightened individuals who have left their regular jobs (or Mundane Professions) to research unusual phenomena for the fictional newspaper Weekly Weird News. Their adventures
Adventure (role-playing games)
An adventure is either a published or otherwise written collection of plot, character, and location details used by a gamemaster to manage the plot or story in a role-playing game. Each adventure is based upon a particular gaming genre and is normally designed for use with a specific game or gaming...
typically involve investigating sightings of tabloid staples like Elvis and Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
in order to uncover larger mysteries and conspiracies.
System
Pandemoniums rules are divided into two groups. The E-Z Rules are a minimal ruleset intended for beginning players, and assume players use pregenerated characters included in the rulebook. The Very Complicated Rules allow player-generated customized characters and include more detailed rules for combat and other tasks.Pandemonium characters have three Attributes
Attribute (role-playing games)
An attribute is a piece of data that describes to what extent a fictional character in a role-playing game possesses a specific natural, in-born characteristic common to all characters in the game. That piece of data is usually an abstract number or, in some cases, a set of dice...
(Body, Mind, and Spirit), which are described as bonuses to action rolls. For example, a Body score of "+1" gives the character a one point bonus to die rolls involving physical activities. Characters also have skills which provide adjustments to action rolls. Skills may derive from characters' Mundane Professions, Hobbies, or Paranormal Talents.
Character actions in Pandemonium are resolved by rolling by rolling a ten-sided die, adding the relevant Attribute or skill bonus, and subtracting situational modifiers (if the Very Complicated Rules are being used). If the adjusted result (the Action Sum) is six or higher, the character succeeds in the action. The Action Sum is then compared to the Fate Table to determine the degree of success. Players may improve their rolls by spending their characters' Instant Karma Points, which are earned in a manner similar to experience points in other games.
One of Pandemoniums most distinctive rules involves past lives
Past Lives
- Music :* Past Lives , a live album by Black Sabbath* Past Lives , an American post-punk band* Past Lives - The Best of the RCA Years, a compilation by the British musical group Level 42....
. In keeping with the game's tabloid theme, all P.I.s are reincarnations of historical figures such as Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
or Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, who have skills and abilities far superior to a typical character's (a notable exception is Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, who in the game's world is still alive). If a P.I. successfully recalls a past life (through a successful action roll), the P.I. assumes the past life's personality and skills for ten minutes.
The gamemaster
Gamemaster
A gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
in Pandemonium is called The Editor.
History
The game's core book, Pandemonium! (subtitled Adventures in Tabloid World) is a 176-page softcover manual written by Stephan Michael Sechi, Robin LawsRobin Laws
Robin D. Laws is a writer and game designer who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of a number of role-playing games and related products.-Works:Robin D...
, and Joel Kaye. It was published in 1993 by MIB Productions, Inc. and distributed by Atlas Games. Pandemonium was the first role-playing game inspired by tabloid newspapers, predating the Amazing Engine
Amazing Engine
Amazing Engine was a series of role-playing game books that was published by TSR, Inc. from 1993 until 1994.Each publication employed the same minimalist generic rules, as described in the Amazing Engine System Guide, but each world book had an entirely different setting or genre...
-based Tabloid! by one year.
MIB Productions and Atlas Games released only one accessory for Pandemonium. Stranger Than Truth (subtitled Further Adventures in Tabloid World) is a 96-page collection of adventures written by Rob Heinsoo, Robin Laws, and John Tynes
John tynes
John Tynes is a writer best known for his work on role-playing games such as Unknown Armies, Delta Green, Puppetland, and for his company Tynes Cowan Corporation. Under its imprint Pagan Publishing, Tynes Cowan Corp...
, published in 1994.
In the summer of 1996, Atlas Games publicly admitted that Pandemonium had "not found a solid market niche", and reduced its overstock by giving away copies of both products (Varney 1996).
Further reading
- Atlas Games: Pandemonium, retrieved June 7, 2006.
- Meier, Clemens 2003. Playtest Review: Pandemonium, retrieved June 7, 2006.
- Swan, Rick 1994. 'Role-playing reviews.' Dragon, 202:80-84 (Feb 1994).