Secret Society (Dept. 23)

It is considered treasonous to be a member of some secret societies. IAM maintains a list of permitted and forbidden secret societies. As of this date, the list of permitted societies is incomplete and outdated. The list of forbidden secret societies is classified UV.

While it is illegal to belong to a secret society, it is estimated that over 75% of Indigos belong to a secret organization. What is worse is that this number is greater at security clearance levels Red and above!

Some Well Known Secret Societies

See Wikipedia article on Paranoia RPG for more secret societies. Some of these groups may have changed name or leadership or purpose.

Communists are the oldest and most dangerous of the secret societies. They seek to reprogram IAM, disrupt the social order, and bring the city back to the chaos of the time before IAM.

Illuminists believe that everything is just as it appears to be, and that there are no alien conspiracies, shadow governments, or other powerful entities secretly in control or manipulating reality behind the scenes. Illuminists advocate for the destruction of all secret societies - even their own, which they promise to disband as soon as all the other secret societies have been destroyed or disbanded. It is suspected there are more Illuminists than members of any other single secret society.

Naturalists. To the Naturalist, everything is Fake. They teach that nothing in the City actually exists, that it is all a simulation controlled by IAM. There are only a few actual citizens, each of whom is locked in a suspended animation tank. They are waiting for the earth to be returned to a habitable state, at which time these sleeping citizens will be awakened by the Masters and tasked with rebuilding human society.

Peetas. An orthodox religious group known to worship animals, particularly the bear and turkey. Some clubs have purchased their own animal clones which they attempt to raise as pets. The only deaths from animal attacks in The City are Peetas who have unwisely chosen Komodo dragons or Bengal tiers as their "soul animal."

WWF. A society, whose members are mostly female, that claims to possess a collection of what were once known as "recipes," magical instructions and incantations that ancient people used to create food. Members of the WWF eschew the use of Food processors and their more radical members have been known to attack and even damage public food processor terminals.

Dickheads. A well-organized and not-very-secret religious organization who follow the writings of an ancient prophet named Dick. They believe there is a very powerful entity, known alternately as GOD or VALIS, who orbits the planet in a space station. This creature is currently in a state of suspended animation, but when eventually awakened the being will descend to the planet and restore it to a state of perfection and paradise. Dickheads believe the prophet Dick will return soon to initiate the descent of Valis. Dickheads politically advocate the creation of a space program to visit the space station where God is said to be sleeping.

You and Your Secret Society

The GM has decided to allow players to select their own secret society. Further, in a spate of generosity no doubt related to a organic brain dysfunction, the GM has decided to allow players to either select an historical secret society, or make up one of their own.

Membership in a secret society does have its benefits. For example, secret society membership allows the character to purchase Contacts (or Enemies), Claim to Hospitality, and even Patrons, all of which are otherwise unavailable to the beginning character and may only be purchased later through GM approval, a lengthy and perilous process.

See also

• Dept. 23 Campaign Planning Form