Roleplaying in The Village

By David Ladyman
Additional Material by Stephen Beeman
Edited by Steve Jackson
Interior Art by John Robinson
GURPS System Design by Steve Jackson
Loyd Blankenship, Managing Editor
Page Design and Typography by Steve Jackson
Production by Carl Anderson and Carl Manz
Proofreading by Ingrid Kunze
Playtesters: Charles Ardai, Stephen Beeman, Mark Brown, Christopher Burke & Co., Bruce Clark, Graeme Cree, David Reuhl,
Brett Slocum, Melinda Spray, The Village Gods (Daves Debien, Weinstein and Anderson, Doug Mangum, and Kevin Reims),
and The Wrecking Crew (Eric Jerome, Dean Kenady, Dan Ormiston, Mike Vragel, and Bill Williams).
Special thanks to Six of One, the Prisoner Appreciation Society, for their help and comments.
The map on pp. 46-47 is based on one drawn by Steven Ricks, used by permission of Six of One.

Writing this book has been a great deal of fun. It allowed me to combine two activities 1 enjoy, watching intelligent TV (each episode, multiple times!) and playing
mind games with a party of roleplayers. As my Wrecking Crew players can tell you, I adhere to the policy that crooked is best; a straightforward solution is too
easy. I want to thank them for the practice they've provided me, over the last several years. 1 also want to thank Graeme Cree for his list of numbers, his
photographs and other assistance, Lynda Manning-Schwartz for additional source material, and Stephen Beeman for writing the original version of the material
about television roleplaying. Thanks to SJG for buying the license and letting me play with it; I hope other roleplayers and Prisoner fans enjoy reading and play-
ing what I've enjoyed writing. Most of all, and always, thank you, Martha, for putting up with a temperamental writer and intermittent checks.
— David Ladyman

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. The Prisoner and the "bicycle" insignia
are trademarks of ITC Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

ISBN 1-55634-161-X 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910

Contents —2—
 Welcome to The Village, your new home.

In 1966 and '67, a team of visionaries, led by actor Patrick McGoohan,

looked into the near future and created a nightmare world that was, and still is,
uncomfortably close to our own modern reality. In their world, the needs and
imperatives of society take absolute precedence over the rights of the individual.
Failure to return a greeting isn't just antisocial — it's a serious crime.
In The Prisoner, the television series they created, a British secret agent
suddenly resigns from his job. He is captured and spirited away to 'The Village,'
an otherwise anonymous small town. Its residents don't even know where in the
world it is located! In The Village, everyone has a number, not a name, and No.
2 is in charge. No. 1, if he, she or it exists, never appears, although No. 2 has
occasional telephone conversations with unseen superiors. Everyone is subject
to the dictates of social order, and no one is allowed to leave.

—3— Introduction
 Throughout the series, No. 2 and his warders are trying to discover why the
About GURPS former agent (known only as 'No. 6') resigned, and No. 6 is trying to escape.
Steve Jackson Games is committed to Neither succeeds until the final episode, in which No. 6's right to be an in-
full support of the GURPS system. Our dividual is acknowledged and he is released from The Village.
address is SJ Games, Box 18957, Austin,
TX 78760. Please include a self-ad- The Prisoner and The Village offer a game world very different from the
dressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any
time you write us! Resources now avail- fantasy realms with which most roleplayers are familiar. It is a world of conflict,
able include: but the emphasis is less on physical conflict than on mental and psychological
Roleplayer. This bimonthly newsletter hostilities. That isn't to say that adventures here are dry, cerebral affairs. There
includes new rules, new races, beasts, in-
formation on upcoming releases, scenario will be daring escape attempts, harrowing struggles, bold feats poised on the
ideas and more. Ask your game retailer, or razor's edge between success and failure.
write for subscription information. Because of its emphasis on roleplaying the mental and psychological features
New supplements and adventures.
We're always working on new material, of a character, a Prisoner campaign can be difficult for some, especially less-ex-
and we'll be happy to let you know what's perienced roleplayers. It requires more preparation by the Game Master before
available. A current catalog is available for each adventure. And some gamers will decide The Village is a nice place to visit,
an SASE. but they won't want to live there. In this case, the best course is to bring them to
Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, in-
cluding us — but we do our best to fix our The Village from another campaign, lead them through a few adventures, and
errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all then let them escape back to the real world. (But are they ever sure they have
GURPS releases, including this book, are completely and finally escaped?)
always available from SJ Games; be sure
to include an SASE with your request. This worldbook discusses how to run all sorts of Prisoner campaigns, in-
Q&A. We do our best to answer any cluding the 'just visiting' type, both within The Village and outside it. A short
game question accompanied by an SASE. introductory adventure, "Arrival," in Chapter 6, outlines one good way to
Gamer input. We value your com-
ments. We will consider them, not only for begin a campaign. The book closes with synopses of each episode and a bibliog-
new products, but also when we update raphy of many of the sources available to you for example and inspiration,
this book on later printings! beginning with the videotapes themselves.
BBS. For those who have home com-
puters, SJ Games operates a BBS with dis-
cussion areas for several games, including The Prisoner is a fascinating background, and one which grows more inter-
GURPS. Much of the playtest feedback for esting with more study. The more familiar the GM can become with the series
new products comes from the BBS. It's up and the critical work that has grown up around it, the better the campaign will
24 hours per day at 512-447-4449, at 300,
1200 or 2400 baud. Give us a call! be. Certainly this is true of any game built around an existing world, but it is
especially true for The Prisoner. This is not because slavish attention to detail is
Page References required . . . indeed, as we will see below, that is a very bad idea. The "feel" of
Rules and statistics in this book are
specifically for the GURPS Basic Set, The Village, and the attitudes that permeate it, is a subtle one. It's sometimes
Third Edition. Any page reference that hard to catch, but it is worth the effort. It offers a genuinely unique roleplaying
begins with a B refers to the GURPS Basic experience.
Set — e.g., p. B102 means p. 102 of the
GURPS Basic Set, Third Edition.
On Consistency
To fully describe the world of The Prisoner would be to destroy it. It is a
About the Author world of possibilities, not definite realities. Most of what you find between these
At an early age, David Ladyman dis- covers will be options for the GM, not absolutes which must be obeyed. GURPS
covered science fiction, detective thrillers, has always emphasized that the GM (not the rulebook) is the final authority when
and Saki; these instilled a taste for the roleplaying; in a Prisoner campaign, he is the only authority.
slightly off-beat story that has lasted all his
life. He is a voracious reader (he spent In many ways, the 17 episodes of the series do not form a consistent whole.
many childhood nights under a blanket Inconsistencies range from the trivial (the electrical repair cart is called at dif-
with a flashlight, reading until he heard his ferent times the repair cart, the electrics cart, and the electronics cart) to the
mother's step in the hall) and avid book
collector; this has stood him in good stead major (in "Free for All," an election for the office of No. 2 is held; in "It's Your
in his present occupation as a freelance Funeral," the office is transferred by appointment, during Appreciation Day
game designer, editor, and writer. ceremonies). Indeed, the emphasis, if any, seems to be more on inconsistency,
He has worked with such companies as on keeping No. 6 off balance, than on consistency. Some of these inconsistencies
Steve Jackson Games (where he has served
as GURPS System Developer, Autoduel are intended; others, no doubt, were just continuity errors.
Quarterly editor, and designer of Star Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the episodes were written by
Traders), Hero Games, and TSR. He also 11 different people, with 11 different views of The Village. It wasn't, and isn't,
owns his own company, Texas Gaming
Products, representing game manufac- important that every detail of The Village match from episode to episode. In fact,
turers at conventions around the U.S. it adds to the not-quite-rightness of the campaign if, for example, one day the

Introduction —4—
waiter serves only whiskey (non-alcoholic) and the next day "only beer is avail-
able here, sir," or if one day phones have dials and the next day all calls must be Welcome to The Village
placed through an operator. For the purpose of this book and properly flavored "Good morning. It's another lovely
Prisoner adventures, I assume that all inconsistencies are intended, the better to day, so rise and shine! Life is for the
keep players off balance. living!"
So we won't tell you that all phones must have dials, or that the cafe can only
serve whiskey and vodka, or that a yearly election must be held to choose No. 2.
All of these are possible, but none of them are necessary. We'll tell you how "Game of chess, m'dear?"
things are in the various episodes, but don't bind yourself to that. And never let "I don't play."
"You should learn ... we're all pawns,
a player say, "It has to be this way, because that's the way it was in m'dear. Your move."
"Checkmate" (or "Fall Out," or in this worldbook, or wherever)." That's not
the way the series works, that's not the way The Village works, and that's not
the way a Prisoner campaign should work. If it helps the plot, use it. Any
"It depends which side you're on."
inconsistency can be explained — reasonably explained — as another device of "I'm on my side."
the masters to keep their prisoners off guard! "Aren't we all?"
We've tried to touch on all of the series' best sequences in this book, but "You must be new here. In time most
we've very likely omitted some favorites. (If you spot a really glaring omission, of us join the enemy, against ourselves."
"Have you?"
write an adventure that features it!) We have also very likely managed to con- "Let's talk about the game."
tradict something you know to be true about The Village. Bear in mind that some "All right, what if both sides look
things which are true in one episode are false (or don't even exist) in another. alike?"
"You mean, how do I know black from
No. 6 rarely wears the same watch from episode to episode — is it just that he's white?"
hard on watches? The professor's name in "Do Not Forsake Me" is always "Mm-hm?"
spelled 'Seltzman,' except twice, when No. 6 is demonstrating his handwriting "You men always ask that."
"Well?"
and spells it 'Saltzman.' Everyone who writes about The Prisoner is entitled to "By their dispositions, by the moves
the benefit of the doubt — what you believe is surely right at some point, but is they make, you soon know who's for you
it always right? Not in The Village! The last episode, "Fall Out," certainly or against you."
doesn't directly answer many of the questions the series raises, but it wasn't "I don't follow you."
"It's simple psychology, the way it is in
intended to. In fact, those still-unanswered questions provoke much of the series' life. You judge by attitudes. People don't
continuing popularity. For our purposes, they allow you to devise the Village of need uniforms."
your own choice, unconstrained by what "has to be." "Why complicate it?"
"To keep your mind alert."
"What use is that to you here?"
"Now? From habit. Just to defy them.
Too old."
"For what?"
"Escape."
"You had a plan?"
"Everybody has a plan, but they all
fail."
"Why?"
"It's like the game. You have to learn
to distinguish between the blacks and the
whites."

"I love you madly . . . and I love the

Those options, the worlds of possibility that The Village offers, are part of way the hair curls on the back of your
neck. You'll make a beautiful corpse. I'm
what makes The Prisoner such fertile ground for campaigning. The premise of going to do you the honor of letting you die
The Village is conflict, and conflict is what gaming is all about. (If there is superbly . . . but not yet, darling. There's
nothing to be achieved, what is the goal of the game?) Bear in mind, though, that more fun to come!"
this is not the hack-and-slash conflict of man against dragon. The conflict here is
mental and psychological, rarely physical. And much of the conflict rests in the
basics of discovering who your friends are, and who are your enemies. The (Quotes above are from the card No. 6
Village is a world of paranoia, of constantly guarding your back, of wondering finds on his desk when he first arrives;
from No. 66 and No. 9, in "Arrival"; from
whom you can trust, and for how long. In most other campaigns, you can assume No. 6 and the Count, in "Checkmate";
your fellow party members are working with you, especially after several and from Sonia and No. 6, in "The Girl
rigorous adventures together. Who Was Death.")
Not in The Village!

—5— Introduction
 The people in The Village have few things in common.
They can be scientists or servants, safe-crackers or sailors,
spies or spiritualists. They are in The Village because the
masters have a use for them, and this defines their new role
in life. These might include:
He or she knows something (or can do something) that
the masters want to know (or be able to do).
He or she knows something that the masters want to
know.
He or she knows something that the masters don't want
the world to know.

Characters -6-
 He or she can help, or can be used to help, coerce another prisoner (Depend-
ents and loved ones are useful here).
He or she has been recruited as a worker to help the masters.
The masters need experimental stock (a catch-all category).
There must be a reason for each character to be in The Village, as part of his Who is Who?
or her character story. It helps if each player develops the background of his "I am not a number, I am a person."
character a bit more than usual for the beginning of a campaign. If he's a secret (laughter) "In some place, at some time,
agent, where has he served? What were a few of his specific operations? Has he all of you held positions of a secret nature,
ever been to East Germany? To Pakistan? Is he usually a courier? Is he in and had knowledge that was invaluable to
an enemy. Like me, you are here to have
counter-intelligence? With about a page of background information prepared that knowledge protected or extracted. Un-
before the campaign begins, the GM can more easily develop plots around The like me, many of you have accepted the
Village's uses and abuses of this particular resident. situation of your imprisonment and will die
here like rotten cabbages. The rest of you
have gone over to the side of our keepers.
Which is which? How many of each?
Advantages and Disadvantages Who's standing beside you now? I intend
There are no new GURPS advantages or disadvantages among the residents to discover who are the prisoners, and who
of The Village. However, the masters do find some more useful than others, and are the warders."
thus the useful ones are more likely to appear in The Village. There are two — No. 6 to assembled villagers
recommendations for advantages and disadvantages in Prisoner campaigns: "Free for All"
(1) At least half the value of all disadvantages should be in mental disad-
vantages. Prisoner campaigns stress mental conflict, and social and physical
disadvantages likes Poverty or One Eye are not as disadvantageous in this con-
text as Weak Will, Addiction, or Honesty. Many social advantages and disad-
vantages are meaningless in The Village.
(2) No one may take No. 2 or the masters as an Enemy. They are an inherent
aspect of life in The Village. (Of course, a warder might have No. 2 as a Patron.)

Advantages
Advantages which tend to attract the attention of the masters include:
Absolute Direction, Absolute Timing, Animal Empathy, Empathy, Lightn-
ing Calculator, and high values in Clerical Investment, Eidetic Memory, Musi-
cal Ability or Strong Will — they'd like to know what makes their prisoner tick.
Acute Senses, Alertness, Danger Sense, or Intuition, if the prisoner used
them to discover something which shouldn't have been discovered.
Characters with Attractive (or better) Appearance are likely to be recruited,
willingly or unwillingly, to help persuade other characters.
Psionic powers, if they exist, will certainly draw the masters' attention. Use
of these abilities in a Prisoner campaign is discussed on p. 73.

Disadvantages
Think in terms of disadvantages that will make play more interesting in The
Village? Don't force any of these disadvantages on players, but do encourage
them to take at least one or two each.
Many mental disadvantages (e.g., Addiction, Alcoholism, and Lecherous-
ness) can be used to force a character to do something against his will, as can
Phobias. A Sense of Duty, if properly manipulated, can end up making someone
choose between the lesser of two evils — will he compromise his duty to one
individual, if it will help him fulfill his duty to all others he feels responsible for?
A Vow never to reveal a secret dramatically increases the possibilities for
conflict between the one with the Vow and No. 2, thus improving the quality of
the campaign (but probably not the quality of that prisoner's life). Codes of
Honor and Honesty can be similarly used.
Anyone with Gullibility is a walking land-mine, especially to his friends —
try to include one in the party! A Delusion can be a double-edged sword, helping

—7— Characters
 or hindering No. 2 as he labors to convince a prisoner that the world isn't what
it seems to be. Compulsive Lying and Stubbornness can actually be useful when
fighting back against No. 2, although they have their drawbacks. Dependents are
a convenient lever against a prisoner, and Paranoia is an amusingly redundant
disadvantage — a paranoid might actually feel more at home in The Village than
People in The Village out of it, since he knows that everyone is out to get him.
Intelligence Agent
"We're still the same people."
"Working for different sides."
"Sides don't matter — only success."
Typical Prisoners
"In that case, we should still have a Although absolutely anyone might be unlucky enough to wind up in The
great deal in common." Village, there are a few types who are most prone to waking up there! Their
"We do the same job." possible allegiances and nationalities are limited only by the GM.
"For different reasons, yes."
"I see you still venerate absolute truth.
Whatever way you look at it, we both want Intelligence Agent
to conquer the world." A spy is a likely Village resident for either of two reasons. He might know
too much, or he might know something the masters don't. His job is to pry into
— A and No. 6
"A, Band C" other people's secrets, and he tends to learn things he shouldn't. No. 6 fits this
category, although he had retired when he was collected.
Academic A spy could have any of the advantages and skills listed for Military Person-
"She may be a mere No. 58, but she
used to work in records. She has a great nel, Mercenaries, or Diplomats (see below).
variety of information, haven't you, my
dear?" Military Personnel / Mercenary
— No. 2 to No. 6
The armed forces are at the front lines of international conflict, and a sudden
"Free for All" breakthrough can reveal secrets the other side never intended anyone to dis-
cover. Lower echelon officers can receive battlefield promotions that uninten-
Scientist tionally make them privy to information available only to the top brass. And any
"Why were you brought here?"
"I invented a new electronic defense soldier serving as an embassy guard or in any other protective capacity (includ-
system." ing mercenary bodyguard) might stumble across documents left open at the
"Goon." wrong time. One might even find himself recruited by the locals, either by
"What's the point, I've confessed it all
before!" officials asking him to defect, or by not-so-official rebels asking for aid in their
"Try again." revolution. A higher level officer might be kidnapped or recruited for the secret
"I thought all nations should have it — information which has crossed his desk.
it would have insured world peace."

— No. 6 and Rook

"Checkmate"

Dependent
"Why did you slash your wrists, No.
73? Aren't you happy here? You're not
being very cooperative."
"There's nothing I can tell you."
"You must know where your husband
is."
"He's still over there."
"Where?"
"Oh, somewhere there. He had some
work to finish."

— No. 2 and No. 73

"Hammer Into Anvil"

Continued on next page . . .

Characters —8—
 Combat Reflexes and Danger Sense are appropriate for military or mercen-
ary characters, as is Military Rank (although rank isn't all that useful in The
Village). Leadership, Fast-Draw, First Aid, combat skills, Intelligence
Analysis, Strategy, Tactics, and the various Survival skills are all likely skills
for such characters.
High-ranking military officers are sometimes permitted to retain their
uniforms in The Village; this sets them apart from most of the citizens in their
bright-colored costumes.

Diplomat
Diplomats get involved in the comings and goings of all sorts of people and
information, both overt and covert. The embassy might be the first place a
traveller would turn if he were involved in something strange or frightening, and
the diplomat who helps him could become just as involved. Foreigners seeking
asylum can also involve a diplomat in matters which the masters deem important.
In fact, the primary purpose of The Village might be to contain political
prisoners.
A diplomat might have Charisma, as well as Detect Lies, Diplomacy
(naturally!), Politics and Savoir-Faire skills. Leadership and Public Speaking
are also possibilities.

Journalist / Photographer
Scoops are a journalist's dream, and an enterprising journalist will strive to
be present at any possibly newsworthy occasion, especially if he's not invited.
Even if invited, a journalist's obligation is to protect his sources, no matter what
the cost, no matter what inducements or threats the masters might make (giving
him a Sense of Duty). Such newshounds often find themselves in possession of
other people's secrets, and often know where hidden people and other sources
can be found. Photographers are just as likely to draw the masters' attention,
especially since they might have hard evidence of what they've seen.
Newsmen tend to have Research, Savoir-Faire, Shadowing, Fast-Talk and
either Writing or Photography skills.
People in The Village
Academic / Scientist / Doctor
(Continued)
It's often not so much who academicians know, as it is what they know. By
Dependent or Actor
his research into mind transfers, Professor Seltzman ("Do Not Forsake Me") "I know what you must think of me.
became a wanted man. Because of his advances in subliminal education, the Put yourself into my position. They offered
professor in "The General" was recruited into The Village. But sometimes the me my freedom in exchange."
"Exchange for what?"
Who is important as well, when a wanted scientist has disappeared, telling only "To get into your confidence. Make
a colleague where he has gone. you trust me. And tell them everything
Scholars often have such skills as Computer Operations (and possibly about you."
"Then they'd let you go. You believed
Programming), Electronics Operations, Research, and of course their academic that? With that knowledge in your head,
specialty (or specialties). Scientists tend to specialize in the life sciences and you really believed that they'd let you
study of the mind, so Physiology and Physician are also possibilities. Any of the go?"
subjects discussed in Chapter 5, Weird Science, might lead to a scientist's "I hadn't thought about that."
"Obviously not."
recruitment, voluntary or otherwise. "They might. They might let me go! If
you'd give me some sort of information.
Technician / Bureaucrat / Clerical Worker / Laborer Oh, please help me! Please help me!"
"Your services will not be required
The emphasis in The Village is on the outstanding and the unusual, but tomorrow."
someone's got to perform the mundane, day-by-day work that keeps The Village
running. Scientists and doctors need assistants, the computers need operators, — No. 6 and personal maid
"Arrival"
and the various weird gadgets have to be maintained. Even unskilled help is
necessary. The floors must be swept, and the l a w n s must be mowed.
Some of these workers might be highly skilled prisoners, demoted to menial
work as part of their punishment; others might be prisoners whose mental

—9— Characters
 capacities have been so damaged that they can only perform rote tasks. And a
few will be warders, watching and observing while disguised as drudges. But
most will be workers recruited (or raised!) to fulfill these less-skilled jobs. Their
How Did You Get Here?
humbler backgrounds don't necessarily mean they will be satisfied to stay im-
The manner in which each person ar-
rived in the Village is an important part of prisoned, though!
the character story, too. Any of the less-visible advantages are easily possible, especially Common
Sense. Skills are mostly job-specific: Accounting, Administration, Carpentry,
Kidnapping
One of the simplest approaches is simp-
Computer Operations, Cooking, Driving, Electronics Operation, Engineer,
ly to kidnap the victim. No. 6 was gassed First Aid, Mechanic, Merchant, Piloting, Powerboat, Research, Teaching, other
and taken from his home. Less profes- Professional skills, and so forth.
sionally suspicious people, or those with
whom there was less urgency, might be
given drugged food or drink. Young, in- Dependent
firm or meek people might just be told to Dependents can be used to coerce information from more important charac-
"come along" by fake (or real!) police of- ters. Alternatively, a Dependent might be the only one who knows a particular
ficers.
thing about the character on whom he depends (such as his current location).
Trickery Some Dependents may have even been born in The Village, if a prisoner is there
After one of his escapes, No. 6 found long enough. Be creative. (Note that "Dependent," in this context, is a character
himself returned to The Village via
parachute. Once again, he had trusted the
type, not necessarily an NPC. A PC could be a dependent of a living or dead
wrong person! This time he wasn't NPC.)
drugged — he was just fooled. Many When a Dependent's purpose has been served, he or she exists at the suf-
people might simply have boarded a plane, ferance of the masters ... the lucky ones will have some talent that is useful in
bus or helicopter and found it led to a place
they had not expected. The Village.

Penetration Innocent Bystander

Whoever the masters are, they have
foes. An intelligence agent or journalist Innocent bystanders were at the wrong place at the wrong time. They learned
might ferret out the secret of The Village something they weren't intended to know and must be kept silent. (Infrequently,
and manage to enter it — only to be dis- they learned something no one else knows and have decided to keep that infor-
covered. At that point, the inquisitive one
will learn much more about The Village
mation to themselves.)
than he wanted to. Innocent bystanders, like dependents, are usually very ordinary people.
They're not in The Village for what they can do, but because of a relationship or
Accident accidental circumstance.
Although The Village is isolated,
people must happen onto it from time to
time. No doubt some of these unfortunates Actor
are simply killed and their bodies found far Actors aren't all that common in The Village, but if a role needs filling, an
away. But the masters don't kill unneces-
sarily. If their agents can create a plausible acting warder is often the best person to fill it. Nadia (in "The Chimes of Big
disappearance from the real world, the Ben") does a good acting job, whether she's been professionally trained or not,
visitor will live out his life in The Village. and the duplicate No. 6 ("The Schizoid Man") is required to be a better No. 6
Voluntarily, Without Knowledge
than No. 6 is himself.
This would apply mostly to low-level Actors may also be prisoners. Very occasionally, a wanted person realizes
workers. Such people might have been his danger and hires a stand-in to temporarily replace him; when a stand-in is
recruited for their jobs, knowing that they then accidentally kidnapped into The Village, he faces the difficult, if not impos-
would be moving far away from their
homes for a long time. They might or sible, job of convincing No. 2 that he isn't who he's been pretending to be and
might not have realized that they would doesn't know what he's been pretending to know!
never leave the new job. Actors would have Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk, and Sex Appeal skills;
Voluntarily, With Knowledge Performance is also a possibility.
This covers high-level warders, like the
various No. 2s and their chief assistants. It
also covers specialists such as the Profes- Warders as Player Characters
sor. Such people are so much in the Not all warders are the evil tools of No. 2 which they seem to be (though
masters' confidence that they can leave the
Village and re-enter it. Of course, some- most of them are). A necessary aspect of a Prisoner campaign is that players not
one with this much secret knowledge might know which of their fellow players are working for them and against them in any
find, at any time, that he had been re-clas- particular adventure. A natural spin-off of this aspect is that some PCs will come
sified from warder to prisoner . . .
into the campaign as warders rather than prisoners! They will work overtly or
covertly for No. 2, and might be the key to spoiling a prisoner plot or two.
Eventually, though, a warder PC must either become a prisoner or leave the

Characters — 10 —
campaign. (Of course, the player can stay in the campaign, with a new charac-
ter.) If he's been working covertly, he'll be uncovered, and other characters will
no longer include him in their schemes, leaving him little to do during a play
session. Once-covert PC warders who start openly working against the good of
the rest of the party have become Adversaries. Yes, there is constant distrust Playing a Warder
inherent in a well-run Prisoner adventure, but ongoing animosity and rivalry A warder PC can be intelligent or
stupid, honest or venal, sadistic or earnest-
between two halves of a party will usually spell the messy end of a campaign. ly concerned with the welfare of his char-
Only a very talented GM can keep everyone happy in this situation. ges. A warder player, unless he or she is
Player characters who have been working openly as warders, possibly as acting as an Adversary, should make every
effort to seem to be another prisoner.
scholars or observers, must begin to develop some degree of sympathy for the The GM should reward in-character be-
prisoners, so that they might be swayed to the prisoners' cause. Perhaps these havior with character points. Although
warders were only aware of the positive aspects of The Village when they were warders may become sympathetic to the
recruited — its concern for the welfare of society, its willingness to sponsor prisoners' cause, they should not do so
without a good reason, and the reason will
experimentation that has been banned elsewhere, its egalitarian nature. Others vary according to the original conception
might be warders not by choice, yet enjoying a few privileges that most villagers of the warder's personality! Once the other
don't have. A warder's gradual conversion to the prisoner point of view can be PCs identify a warder PC, they should try
to convince him or her — in character — to
a fascinating addition to a campaign. Of course, prisoners must be careful not to change sides, or at least to turn a blind eye
trust such a convert too soon! "The General" features two examples of warder to their escape attempts.
conversion: the Professor and No. 12 both fight against No. 2 in this episode.
Thus, in The Village, overt warder PCs can participate for a while with the "I'd appreciate knowing my duties as
rest of the party. But again, if they persist in working against the rest of the soon as possible."
"You've no idea why you're here?"
"All I know is I was sent here by the
highest authority."
"You were indeed. You should feel
very proud."

— The Colonel and No. 2

"Do Not Forsake Me"

"You still confident of your cover?

Any sign of penetration?"
"No, they still think of me as just
another prisoner."'
"Getting along with your subject all
right?"
"Oh, we're kindred spirits — com-
rades. There'll be no trouble from him."

— Interim No. 2 and No. 100

"It's Your Funeral"

"How long have you been in this

place?"
"I don't have to answer your questions.
Kindly leave."
"The whole house is most elegant;
books, paintings, and a very beautiful gar-
den."
party's interests, animosity and rivalry will develop. A little warder participa- "The professor and I have certain
tion in a campaign is just another excuse for mistrust among the players. privileges."
"As prisoners or as warders?"
Prisoners will no doubt argue bitterly among themselves about what that sym- "We came here voluntarily. We have
pathetic warder might really have in mind and whether he (or she!) can be trusted everything we need. We're perfectly
... and how far. In the series, No. 6 was betrayed almost every time he gave any happy."
trust at all. The GM should probably not do this. If the PCs find that they can — No. 6 and Professor's wife
never trust anyone, the campaign will soon collapse. But if they can sometimes "The General"
trust others, they will remain hopeful ... and open to further betrayal.
On the other hand, a persistent, loyal warder PC doesn't create doubt and
mistrust. The other players have no questions about who he's working for; they
know he's a foe, and will probably refuse to have anything to do with him.

— 11 — Characters
 The Village is a gilded jail. Its purpose is not just to confine the prisoners,
but to convince them to cooperate and conform. This chapter describes The
Village as a roleplaying environment.
"The Basics" deals with the foundations of The Village — where it is, what
it is, why it is. The GM must address most of these questions even if the
campaign is set outside The Village, and this section is specifically addressed to
the GM. "Society" describes the way the Villagers interrelate socially. Again,
in or out of The Village, this section helps decide how society in the new
campaign will function. "Places" describes the physical layout of The Village .
No interior maps are included; when drawing such maps for a campaign, use a
pencil. Things will change from adventure to adventure!

The Village — 12 —
Basics for the GM
Before making a study of The Village proper, the GM must resolve a few
basic questions ... the same ones that No. 6 asks at the beginning of nearly
every episode. It would be possible to simply say that the official roleplaying
Village will be identical to the Village in the series, but it shouldn't be that easy.
Several of No. 6's questions were never answered, and some were answered
In The Village
more than once, with different answers each time. The GM may be just as
"Pretty spot — mixture of architectures
definite and just as consistent, leaving some questions unanswered and changing — Italianate — a little — certainly has a
the answer to others from adventure to adventure, but should be aware of the Mediterranean flavor. What do you think,
decisions that have or haven't been made. So . . . . Thorpe?"
"I think I wouldn't mind a fortnight's
Is the campaign set in The Village? (If not, Chapter 3 discusses alternative leave there. Prison for life, eh? A far cry
types of Prisoner campaign.) Where is The Village? And why was it built — from Sing-Sing."
what do its masters want? For that matter, who are these masters anyway —
whose side are they on? And who is No. 1? The following discussion will help — The Colonel and Thorpe
"Many Happy Returns"
each GM develop an authentic, yet individual, version of The Village.

Where Am I? "What's the name of this place?"

In the Village. "You're new here, aren't you?"
Where is The Village ? "Where?"
"Do you want breakfast?"
At one point, No. 6 was told it was on the Baltic coast of Lithuania. After "Where is this?"
leaving by sea, he thought he had located it on the northwest coast of Morocco. "The Village."
When he exited triumphantly in "Fall Out," he was within a few miles of "Yes."
London. "I'll see if coffee's ready."
"Where's the police station?"
So place The Village anywhere. Morocco. Lithuania. Southeastern Britain. "There isn't one!"
Cape Kennedy, falsely reported to have been destroyed by an explosion of "Can I use your phone?"
nuclear fuel. The Bermuda Triangle (for the traditionalist). Disney World, "Why, we haven't got one."
"Where can I make a call?"
which closed for repairs and never reopened. An island between Russia and "Well, there's a phone box around the
Japan, claimed by both but occupied by neither. The Land That Time Forgot, a corner."
tropical pocket in Antarctica, secretly developed into a new home away from
— No. 6 and waitress
home. An orbiting space station. Bear in mind, though, that the further removed "Arrival"
The Village is from present times, the harder it is to maintain a sense of im-
mediacy and grim reality while roleplaying.
The Village can even move around, especially if the campaign uses the "I'd like a map of this area."
weirder sciences. Or perhaps there is more than one Village. If so, are they run "Map. Color or black and white?"
by the same masters? Does each know that the other(s) exist? "Just a map."
If logistics (such things as short travel times and easy resupply) are going to "Mmm . . . Ah! Black and white. Here
we are, sir; I think you'll find that shows
be a concern, it should probably be near the PCs' home bases. everything."
And what lies outside The Village? The map (pp. 46-47) shows mountains, ... "I meant a larger map."
the sea, and three roads leading away. In "Many Happy Returns," No. 6 climbs "Only in color, sir. Much more expen-
sive."
a peak to find lofty, cloud-covered mountains in all directions. In "Living in . . . "That's not what I meant. I meant
Harmony." the western town of Harmony has been constructed just down the a larger area."
road, within earshot of The Village band. And in "Fall Out," the London "No, we only have local maps, sir;
there's no demand for any others. You're
turnpike is just around the corner. Pick surroundings (preferably inaccessible) to new here, aren't you?"
fit the geographic location selected for this particular Village.
— No. 6 and shopkeeper
"Arrival"
What Do You Want?
"Information" is always No. 2's reply, and that is one of the common
reasons for bringing a prisoner to The Village. The masters want to know what
their prisoner knows, and they feel that The Village is the best environment for
extracting that information without outside interference. Once someone is in The
Village, his knowledge can be surrendered voluntarily or taken by force.
A few prisoners are too important to be forcibly cracked open for what they
have inside their heads. No. 6 is in this category, as are most player characters

— 13 — The Village
 (see "PCs and NPCs," p. 55). However, PCs should never feel secure in this
importance. Some No. 2s can become overzealous in pursuit of their respon-
sibilities, risking important minds in experimental procedures (e.g. No. 2 in "A,
Aliens? B and C"). And frustration can drive others to normally forbidden extremes (as
The original Prisoner series is about
the human condition, and about man's with Degree Absolute in "Once Upon a Time"). Just because a prisoner should
struggle to free himself from the chains be safe doesn't mean he always will be.
created by his fellow man. Although it An interesting variation on 'the prisoner who knows something the masters
seems science-fictional, it would be more
correct to call it an allegorical science fan-
want' is 'the prisoner whom the masters think knows something they want, but
tasy. actually doesn't.' Dutton ("Dance of the Dead") is in that predicament.
But a roleplaying game can explore A second reason for bringing someone to The Village is that he knows too
strange variations. S o . . . Perhaps much. Someone who finds out about The Village while in the outside world
humanity is not to blame at all. Perhaps
extraterrestrial aliens, intent on investigat- could find himself on the inside very quickly. The masters (at least some of them,
ing earth life to the fullest, have established some of the time) are paternalistic, and would rather imprison someone than
The Village as a laboratory and testing eliminate him.
ground for the most interesting cases. That
would reasonably explain many of the A third reason for arrival in The Village is to help coerce an otherwise
weird science effects — they are imported unwilling prisoner into cooperation. Dependents are a common example of Vil-
from beyond. That would also explain why lagers who arrived for this reason. Some Dependents turn out to have been
a rocket ship departs The Village in "Fall
Out," returning to wherever it came from.
recruited by the masters.
For an alien, a human No. 2 is a useful Some Villagers arrive to actively work with the masters. They might be
facade, and human illogic might be even motivated by greed, misplaced ideals, or even basic sadism. Their minds could
more baffling to an alien than to a com- be so damaged that they don't really know where they are, but just keep doing
puter. If No. 1 is an alien, then perhaps
No. 2 and many of the other warders are their job. Whatever their reasons, they are the jailers, or "warders."
alien too. If so, how are they different? Do A final reason is that The Village is a research facility, always in need of
they understand human emotion? Are they experimental stock for its continuing social and psychological programs. Few
human-looking, can they shapeshift, or do
they wear a great deal of makeup? Do they prisoners are kidnapped specifically for this purpose, but it is always an addi-
have psionic powers? Do they misunder- tional reason for bringing a prisoner to The Village.
stand common idioms? Some prisoners will fit into more than one category. An agent might both
And what do they really want?
know too much and know things the masters want. Some children and spouses
are there because it's easier for an entire family to disappear, rather than just the
mother or father, and they might as well be used as a handle on the important
prisoner. The masters would
never allow a family to become a
support group, though. Remember
that the warders trade on isolation,
paranoia and disorientation; they
want their wards to learn that any
loyalty other than to their society
is dangerous!
Keep in mind that few people
are allowed to leave The Village
— even warders are often there for
life. Many residents of The Vil-
lage might have served their pur-
pose 30 years ago. Now they're
only there because they mustn't be
allowed to leave. Almost anyone
brought in unwillingly can now be
kept in because he knows too
much. Workers who arrived
voluntarily but later decide against
further cooperation might still be
held because they have valuable
information in their heads or can
be forced to continue working.

The Village — 14 —
Whose Side Are You On?
There are many possible identities for the masters of The Village.

Us or Them
No. 6 was a spy, an intelligence agent; the most obvious masters of The
Village, to him, are the agencies he worked for, with, or against. Therefore, the
first four possibilities deal with an expanding circle of intelligence organiza-
tions: the Brits, the West, the East, Everybody. No. 6 was a British agent; We Want Information!
perhaps the British wish to know why he resigned, badly enough to sequester "I suppose you're wondering what
you're doing here?"
him in The Village. British intelligence is certainly involved with The Village to "It had crossed my mind. What's it all
some extent — when No. 6 returns to his agency in "The Chimes of Big Ben," about?"
Colonel J. and Fotheringay are part of the scheme against him. Of course, they "Sit down and I'll tell you. It's a ques-
tion of your resignation."
might be double agents; there have been double agents in British Intelligence "Goon."
before. (They might even be physical doubles of the real Colonel J. and "The information in your head is price-
Fotheringay!) less. I don't think you realize what a valu-
Then again, the British and the Americans often work together on intel- able property you've become. A man like
you is worth a great deal on the open
ligence efforts; perhaps they are working together on The Village, as well. When market."
amazement at the technology of mind-switching is expressed in "Do Not For- "Who brought me here?"
sake Me," the reply mentions that "we" have flown a rocket around the moon "I know how you feel, believe me. And
they have taken quite a liberty."
(in 1967). It sounds like the United States has a part in running The Village. And "Who are they?"
then again, "we" might simply refer to humanity as a whole. "A lot of people are curious about what
If it's not the West, might it be the East? In "Arrival," Cobb, who worked lies behind your resignation. You had a
brilliant career, your record is impeccable.
with No. 6 in British Intelligence, remarks that he mustn't keep his new masters They want to know why you suddenly
waiting. He appears to have changed sides — perhaps over to the Iron Curtain? left."
But his new masters might simply be another branch of British Intelligence, that "What people?"
secret branch which is responsible for such nefarious activities as The Village. "Personally, I believe your story. I do
think it was a matter of principle. But what
Even if this Village isn't run by the East, is there another which is? If so, I think doesn't really count, does it? One
how different is it from No. 6's Village? A great deal? Not at all? What's the has to be sure about these things."
primary language? Do they make a pretense of practicing democracy? Do they "And that gives you the right to poke
your nose into my private business?"'
run prisoner exchange programs, trading their hardest cases to give the other "Now, please. It's my job to check
side a shot at them? your motives."
Perhaps West and East are working together, cooperation which presages a "I've been checked!"
"Of course. But when a man knows as
coming world government. The Village might be the international community much as you do, a double check does no
which No. 2 dreams of in "The Chimes of Big Ben"; it certainly has an interna- harm. A few details may have been
tional range to its inhabitants. Yet if The Village is run by a world network of missed."
agencies, why do they care why No. 6 resigned? Who might they be afraid that "I don't know who you are, or who you
work for. And I don't care. I'm leaving."
he would work for, other than another of their own number? "Have you not yet realized there's no
way out?"
Multinational Corporations and Conspiracies
— No. 2 and No. 6
All of the above presupposes a governmental hand in The Village, and that "Arrival"
might not be correct. There are multinational corporations, extra-governmental
bodies which are spreading their network into all corners of the world and which
"I told them."
owe allegiance to no flag. There are the Illuminati. There are Scientists for a "What?"
Better Tomorrow. There are archvillains, the descendants of Professor Moriarty "Everything I know. The irony of it is
and Fu Manchu. Perhaps they (or just one or two of them) are the masters of The that they don't believe me. You know I
Village. They would certainly have an interest in No. 6's knowledge and exper- didn't have access to the vital stuff."
tise. And they would have just as much of a reason to silence those who learned — Dutton and No. 6
too much as would governments. "Dance of the Dead"

Welcome To Your Village

There are many reasons why each of the above suggestions is both
reasonable and impossible, but this is not the place to argue for or against any of
them. The GM should pick the one which best suits his campaign. If none of
these suit, there are yet other possibilities.

— 15 — The Village
 Or pick none at all — after all, the series never reveals who the masters are!
If the campaign works best with a deliberate haze of misleading and deadend
clues about the identity of the masters, go with it.

Who Is No. 1?
Who Runs The Village? No. 1's identity is only allegorically revealed in "Fall Out," if indeed it is
"Has it ever occurred to you that you revealed at all. Having numbered Villagers running all the way to No. 2 certain-
are just as much of a prisoner as I am?"
"Oh, my dear chap, of course. I knew ly suggests that a No. 1 exists, but his existence is never definitely established.
too much. We're both lifers. I am definite- The President in "Fall Out" has a conversation with someone (or something) —
ly an optimist. That's why it doesn't matter is that No. 1? No. 2 is periodically seen talking on the telephone to a superior —
who No. 1 is. It doesn't matter which side
runs The Village." is that No. 1? Warders who leave The Village sometimes mention reporting in
"It's run by one side or the other?" — are they reporting to No. 1? And if No. 1 exists, does he change as often as
"Oh, certainly. But both sides are be- No. 2?
coming identical. What in fact has been
created is an international community. A
For a Prisoner campaign, the answers to these questions can be very impor-
perfect blueprint for world order. When tant or not important in the least. A campaign can be run without any identity or
the sides facing each other suddenly real- personality assigned to No. 1; No. 1, in fact, might not exist at all. He might be
ize that they are looking into a mirror they a figment designed to convince Villagers that there is someone even more in
will see that this is the pattern for the fu-
ture." control than No. 2. Or 'he' might be 'they,' an outside management committee
"The whole earth as The Village?" which selects and periodically reviews each No. 2 for competence and produc-
"That is my hope. What's yours?" tivity. He might be a computer, even more powerful than the General. If his
"I'd like to be the first man on the
moon." identity (or lack thereof) is not an important element of the campaign, pick one,
or none, of the above and move on to more crucial decisions.
— No. 6 and No. 2 However, No. 1's identity and personality can flavor the rest of the cam-
"The Chimes of Big Ben"
paign, even though it is never revealed to the players:
Is No. 1 arbitrary and quick-tempered? Does he second-guess No. 2? Then
the person wearing No. 2's badge will change often and be prone to nervousness.
"I risked my life and hers to come back Is No. 1 a committee? Then No. 2 might play one committeeman against the
here, home, because I thought it was dif-
ferent. It is, isn't it, isn't it different?" other, currying favor with some, fulfilling special projects, changing the
parameters of a plot as the committee changes its mind. (Of course, he might not
— No. 6 to Colonel know he was dealing with a committee ... in which case, No. 2 himself would
"The Chimes of Big Ben"
soon become ragged and paranoid, dealing with a master whose whims constant-
ly change.)
Is No. 1 a computer? Then it will probably know as much as No. 2 does
Meeting No. 1 about conditions in The Village; perhaps it retains No. 2 only to maintain a
"She [No. 2] must get instructions. facade of humanity. It can't be snowed with a mountain of data, but it can be
Who do they come from? Is he here fooled by explanations based on human arbitrariness.
tonight, the man behind the big door?"
"Well, there's no need to know. This If it seems interesting and useful, identify No. 1 and bring his influence to
place has been going for a long time." bear on the campaign. He might even appear during an adventure, but even so,
"Since the war? Before the war? Which is he really No. 1?
war?"
"A long time!"
That Would Be Telling
— No. 6 and his Observer One of the principal elements of a Prisoner campaign is ignorance. Players
"Dance of the Dead"
must never have all of the answers. That would be telling.
It's an "us against them" situation, and players must be constantly kept
wondering who is with "us" and who is with "them." For more on sowing
"Did you ever meet No. 1?"
"Face to face?" discord and distrust, see Distrust and Paranoia, p. 62.
"Yes."
"Meet him?!" (laughs)
Map of Your Village
— No. 6 and No. 2
This map (pp. 46-47) is the same one provided to residents of The Village.
"Fall Out"
It provides ample detail about the physical layout of The Village itself, and no
clues at all about what lies beyond. Players may be given copies of this map.
GMs may add new buildings (or move the existing ones) as they see fit, either
before the campaign starts or during the campaign!

The Village — 16 —
 The underground facilities beneath Town Hall and the Green Dome are, of
course, not shown on the map. No. 6's residence is in the area marked Village Society
"cottages" in the center of the Village. "Why do you want to risk your life?
We could be happy together!"

Society — Queen to No. 6

In terms of sex and race, The Village is an egalitarian society: it represses all "Checkmate"
people arbitrarily. The majority of the population seem to be white and British,
but that simply reflects the demographics of the late '60s British acting pool; a
campaign version of The Village can be mixed any way desired. "What would Poles or Czechs be doing
here?"
Women are not treated as sex objects, although No. 6's interest in women is "It's very cosmopolitan; you never
exploited by the warders, particularly his reaction toward ladies in distress. No. know who you'll meet next."'
2 doesn't keep a harem, and women aren't second class citizens. They tend to fill
— No. 6 and taxi driver
the less important jobs, but this seems more a reflection of the society from "Arrival"
which they were drawn (and thus which gave them job training) rather than the
intent of The Village itself. Certainly the job of No. 2 is not exclusively male.
Relationships among the Villagers (and indeed, among the warders) are
"Lovely woman — warm, sym-
allowed. In fact, they are encouraged if No. 2 thinks that this might create one pathetic. She'd talk him into anything to
more advantage or lever to be used against a recalcitrant prisoner. keep him alive."
Be prepared to exploit any relationship that PCs establish, either among "The Professor?"
"Indeed — such is the course of true
themselves or with NPCs. If a prisoner falls in love, feel free to threaten his love."
lover. Even better, it might be that his lover has been assigned to seduce his "Do you need him?"
secret from him, or a lover could be coerced into betrayal. Conversely, any "They're both necessary, the one for
relationship can be found to have violated the rules, if the prosecution of such a the other, even essential."
violation proves useful. As with all other aspects, remember to be arbitrary — if — No. 2 and No. 6, about Professor's
players decide that every relationship will be exploited, they are much less likely wife
to commit themselves, thus depriving No. 2 of useful grist for his mill. "The General"
Some families exist in The Village. The maid in "Arrival" has lived there
as long as she can remember (having arrived with her parents?); both the
watchmaker and his daughter ("It's Your Funeral") live in The Village. No. 6
tells a fairy tale to children in a nursery, in "The Girl Who Was Death," but this
indicates that children live separately, rather than with their parents. Perhaps
these are orphans for whom The Village has assumed responsibility, and who
will be raised to be the best warders they can be.

Slogans, Phrases and Signs

Slogans are among the best ways to impress upon players that they are
gaming in a totally controlled society. In The Village, slogans replace thought
and can make players screamingly aware that the other Villagers have thorough-
ly accepted their role in this society. The most common, of course, is "Be seeing
you!," accompanied by an open-handed salute with thumb and finger forming a
circle around the eye.
Other phrases, such as "You're new here, aren't you?," add to the chilling
not-rightness of The Village. By not following accepted patterns, newcomers
display how out of place they are. And finally, signs scattered throughout The
Village reinforce the mind-control. All of these (slogans, catch-phrases and
signs) help invoke the properly disconcerting atmosphere of a Prisoner cam-
paign. A few others include:

You're new here, aren't you?

Trust me..
Feel free!
Questions are a burden to others; answers are a prison for oneself.
A still tongue makes a happy life.
Of the people, by the people, for the people.

— 17 — The Village
 Social Order
"Society is a place where people exist
together."
"Yes, sir."
"That is civilization."
"Yes, sir."
"The lone wolf belongs to the wilder-
ness."
"Yes, sir."
"You must not grow up to be a lone
wolf."
"No, sir."
"You must conform!"'
"Yes, sir."
"It is my sworn duty to see that you do
conform!"
"Yes, sir."

— No, 2 and No. 6

"Once Upon a Time"

"Youth, with its enthusiasm, which

rebels against any accepted norm because
it must, and we sympathize. It may put
flowers in its hair, bells on its toes — but
when the common good is threatened,
when the function of society is en-
dangered, such revolts must cease. They
are n o n - p r o d u c t i v e and must be Your community needs YOU!
abolished!" It can be done. Trust me.
— President to assembly
You're never too old to learn.
"Fall Out" Music says all.
Music makes a quiet mind.
Music begins where words leave off.
"We've just witnessed two forms of Walk on grass.
revolt. The first, uncoordinated youth,
rebelling against nothing it can define. The Currency
second, an established, successful, secure
member of the establishment turning upon The unit of currency in The Village is the Work Unit, roughly equivalent to
and biting the hand that feeds him. Well, a modern-day $. There are some variations from today's standards (the one-page
these attitudes are dangerous. They con-
tribute nothing to our culture and are to be
Tally Ho costs two Work Units), so when figuring costs, use a modern-day
stamped out." price, modified by the GM's whim. However, no actual currency is exchanged
when a purchase is made; a card is presented and the appropriate value punched
— President to assembly
out of it. (Note that this means shopkeepers can't give a day's-end tally; it isn't
"Fall Out"
important that money be collected, just that it be spent!) Some other prices that
are quoted in various episodes:
"Humanity is not humanized without
force, and errant children must sometimes Phone calls (only local): free
be brought to book with a smack on their Each three words in a Tally Ho private note: 1 unit
backsides." Cup of coffee: 2 units
— President to assembly Taxi ride: 2 units maximum
"Fall Out" Tally Ho: 1 units
Bottle of non-alcoholic vodka: 16 units
Bottle of non-alcoholic whiskey: 24 units
Cuckoo clock and note pad: 42 units
First prize in art competition: 2,000 units

The Village — 18 —
Jobs
Just because The Village uses currency doesn't mean that everyone has a
job. Most notably, No. 6 never accepts employment, yet he lives quite comfor- Sign Your Number!
tably and never shows a need for additional credit. On the other hand, some "Special delivery. Sign your number
prisoners do work, and can fall short between punchcard paychecks — in "It's here, No. 6."
Your Funeral," No. 6 comes to the assistance of a woman who doesn't have
— Postman to No. 6
enough units for the candy she wants. "Dance of the Dead"
Most Villagers, warders and prisoners alike, work. Many "undercover"
warders have two jobs — their apparent job (weeding, painting, shopkeeping,
etc.) and their real job (usually surveillance). Other warders, who work in the "Who are you?"
Control Room or elsewhere underground, have only the one job. "I'm a number, just like you! Does it
The GM decides who works and who doesn't. If a particular job puts some- matter which?"
one in the right place at the right time, then give him that job. If a job can be used
— No. 6 and watchmaker's daughter
to keep a prisoner out of the way at a crucial point, he's hired! (He is likely to be "It's Your Funeral"
congratulated on "being accepted for the job," even though he has never ap-
plied.) If a job would interfere with plot development, ignore it.
A job table is not included in this book, because jobs, their pay, and their
chance of failure should all be wholly arbitrary. A job pays what the masters
(e.g., the GM) decide for it to pay: two gardeners, working side by side, might
be paid 20 and 200 units a week, and next week the wage difference might be You're All Taken Care Of
reversed! Room and board are supplied without charge to all Villagers; wages "Here's your employment card, your
and credit allowances are spent on such things as cafe food and drink, the Tally card of identity, your health and welfare
Ho, taxi rides, and goods from the general stores. card, your credit card, and a free ride
home."
If a player character is to have a job, the Labour Exchange (p. 39) is usually
the place to start. — Hospital attendant to No. 6
"Arrival"
Education
The only episode which mentions education is "The General," in which it
"We'll fix you up with some new
is the focus. In "The General," most classes consist of watching television at clothes."
home for 30-second stretches. However, the Professor's wife seems to be direct- "What about my old ones?"
ing an informal tutorial/study hall in the garden outside her quarters, and it is "They've been burnt."
reasonable to assume that the recreation hall has facilities for classes. Teaching — Doctor and No. 6
a class is appropriate employment for an otherwise idle Villager, and he might "Arrival"
inadvertently reveal a scholarly secret when doing so.

Numbers, Buttons and Names

Nearly everyone has a number, even those who work under the Green
Dome, with a few notable exceptions. Numbers range from 2 to above 300. They
are reusable — when a person passes on, his number can be assigned to a new Competitions
arrival. Roughly speaking, the lower your number, the more important you are. "Good morning! Good morning! Good
morning! And what a lovely day it is! Rise
No. 1, overall master of The Village, is never seen or heard, although No. 2 and shine! Rise and shine! Before our pro-
occasionally speaks to him (her? it?) by phone. No. 2 is answerable to No. 1 and gram of early morning music, here are two
The Village's masters, but otherwise has complete authority over The Village. announcements. The long range weather
Nos. 3, 4 and 5 never appear in the series (although there are push buttons for forecast is that the fine spell will continue
for at least another month. Your local
these numbers on the information board in "Free for All"). No. 6, of course, is council, and remember it is your local
the Prisoner himself. At least four No. 8s appear in various episodes. Numbers council, democratically elected by you,
over 100 tend to be assigned to the underground workers. have decided to organize a great new com-
petition. Can you paint? Can you draw?
Numbers can be doubled up. In "Free for All," No. 113 is a reporter; No. Can you model in clay? If you can, then
113b is his photographic colleague. In the same episode, the information board your day is just six weeks today. More
lists Nos. 3e, 4d and 6h, and the Town Council is numbered 2a through 21. about this later, but now, music."
Buttons consist of a number (usually red) superimposed on the penny-far- — Village Voice
thing bike. Most are black on white, but a few are white on black. (There is no "The Chimes of Big Ben"
apparent significance to this variation.)
Only a few Villagers don't wear buttons. The Butler never does. The Profes-

— 19 — The Village
 12345
67890 sor and his wife don't; they do not even seem to have numbers, but are simply
called "the Professor" and "The Professor's wife." No. 6 often refuses to wear
his. ("I am not a number, I am a person/") If someone refuses to wear his
button, it can be accepted as an eccentricity or prosecuted as a serious violation
of the rules. (Even if prisoners are allowed to omit their buttons, it can be quite
". . . I Am A Free Man!" unnerving to the resisting prisoner if all other Villagers, including strangers,
pleasantly address him by his proper number anyway!)
"I think we have a challenge." On the other hand, if players become too comfortable with the notion of
— No. 2 to Labour Exchange manager,
wearing buttons, have them wake up one day to find that nobody but them is
as No. 6 leaves. wearing a numbered button.
"Arrival" A number tends to depersonalize the wearer, making him a standardized unit
of society rather than an individual. Names (rather than numbers) are occasional-
ly used, most often as a dramatic device in the show, when the humanity of a
"He can make even the act of putting character is to be stressed. Thus, we learn the names of Nadia (in "The Chimes
on his dressing gown appear as a gesture of Big Ben"), Alison (in "The Schizoid Man"), and Button (in "Dance of the
of defiance."
Dead"). In fact, even Dutton's termination order refers to him by name. In
— No. 2 about No. 6 general, though, even important individuals are referred to by a label (the
"The Chimes of Big Ben" Professor, the General) rather than by a name.
Population
"No. 2 here. Yes, sir, I am doing my Buttons also give a rough approximation of The Village's population. The
best — he's very difficult ... I know it's numbering system goes up to at least 300. Assume that a few people are not
important, sir . . . he's no ordinary person, assigned numbers, that a few more are doubled up, and that at any given time
sir, but if I had a free hand ... I know sir,
yes, I know I'm not indispensible." some numbers aren't in use. Then close to 300 live in The Village, although
some of the workers live underground and are never seen in The Village proper.
— No. 2 on telephone to No. 1 About 70 workers live permanently underground. The old people's home
"A, Band C" has accommodations for about 40. Apartments on the west side of The Village
house about 150. The rest (about 20 or 30) live in private cottages or similar
residences (e.g., No. 2 and the Butler in the Green Dome).
Clothing
Villagers, even many warders operating underground, sport an amazing
array of casually tacky fashion. Black and white in contrast are a common theme;
startling combinations of red, yellow, blue, green, white, and orange are just as

The Village — 20 —
common. Villagers do not lose their fashion sense when they come to The
Village; they wear what the shops provide. The surrealistic clothing is obviously
yet another means used by the masters to disorient and reorient the prisoners.
From head to toe: parasols (sun umbrellas) are popular, with each triangle of
cloth a different color. Caps of all sorts are available; straw boaters are common.
Sunglasses are also popular, especially those with a narrow eye-slit running
across the face or with black-and-white checkered lenses. Casual sweater jackets
(like that worn by No. 6) are fashionable, as are brightly colored and trimmed
cloaks. Occasionally a maid wears a dress (black, with white apron and trim);
skirts are very rare. Both men and women favor pullover sports shirts, in either
a solid color or stripes (usually horizontal). Slacks are the day wear of choice, in
beige or some other bland color. Shoes run to loafers or deck shoes.
There are a few alternatives. Sailor suits are occasionally worn, as are
military uniforms, especially by older inhabitants. The Butler is always dressed
in upper-class serving togs, with black tie and gloves. Guards who are obviously
guards wear gray-green fatigues, boots, white helmets, and white bandoliers.
And No. 2 wears whatever he likes.
Nightwear is not unusual (pajamas and bathrobes). Parties call for costumes,
obligingly supplied by The Village.

Music
"Music says all ..." Music is an important part of life in The Village, and
the band usually supplies it. There are daily concerts at the Bandstand (p. 37),
and the band often appears elsewhere, as well. It plays sprightly marches for
funerals, campaign speeches, and other public affairs, and sometimes for no
apparent reason at all.
Indeed, music is nearly inescapable. The ubiquitous "radios" can be turned
off only by smashing them, and they will be quickly repaired. Is there some
subliminal component to this constant "entertainment," or is it just that the
masters hope that music will soothe the savage breasts of their captives?
Background music adds realism to roleplaying sessions; see p. 63.

— 21 — The Village
 Special Occurrences
Competitions
In "The Chimes of Big Ben," an art competition is announced by the Village
Voice. The types of artwork entered range from paint and tapestry to sculpture,
yet all but No. 6's are very similar: all are strictly representational, and all
feature No. 2! When the Awards Committee can't understand No. 6's abstract
sculpture ("It means what it is"), they award it the grand prize.
Public Events At the end of this episode, the Voice announces a new competition. For the
"Good afternoon, everyone! Good masters, such competitions decrease Villager boredom and thoughts of escape.
afternoon! I have some exciting news for
you. Your citizen's council officially For a GM, they provoke players into helping to develop adventures. No. 6
proclaims Thursday, the day after tomor- turned the art competition into an escape attempt. If normally forbidden facilities
row, as Appreciation Day, the day when are made available (an electronics workshop, a computer terminal, a mechanic's
we pay due honor to those brave and noble
men who govern us so wisely. You will all bay) in the name of competition or diversion, what might creative prisoners
be delighted to hear that the proceedings make of such an opportunity? And what ulterior motives would No. 2 have in
will be opened with an address by No. 2 providing them?
himself, and concluded by the unveiling of Sports events, although never featured in the series, are also likely can-
our new Appreciation Monument. There
will be speeches, thrills and excitement!" didates for Village-wide competitions. How about a chess tournament? Interest-
ing prizes and awards help induce PCs to participate. (What award or privilege
— Village Voice might be granted to the winner of the Kosho finals — a trip to the previously
"It's Your Funeral"
unsuspected World Kosho Federation Championship?)
Competitions can serve another purpose, as well. If the party is acting too
unified, announce a competition with a desirable prize: more personal liberties,
"They say six of one and half a dozen the right to judge others' behavior, better perks. Then have one of the party (but
of the other. Not here — it's Six for Two
and Two for nothing and Six for free, for only one) win the competition. Award him the prize, and start singling him out
all, for free for all! Vote! Vote!" for preferred treatment. See how long it takes the rest of the party to become
suspicious of him.
— No. 6's campaign speech
"Free for All"
Public Ceremonies
In "It's Your Funeral," Appreciation Day is the appointed time for the old
"A Proclamation! All citizens take No. 2 to step down and the new No. 2 to take his place. There are speeches from
notice that a carnival is decreed for the Address Platform, and The Village expresses its appreciation for the fine
tonight! Turn back the clock! There will be guidance that the old No. 2 has given it.
music, dancing, happiness! All at the Car- In game terms, Appreciation Day is simply a random public ceremony filled
nival, by order."
with pomp, which everyone attends. Other such ceremonies (Village Day, Town
— Village Voice Council Week, Good Conduct awards) are just as likely — schedule one when-
"Dance of the Dead" ever an adventure could use it. Remember, it doesn't have to make sense; there's
a Village full of willing participants to justify its existence. Ceremonies and
competitions (and the preparations for them) can be opportunities to introduce
PCs to other prisoners, especially if players have decided to suspect any NPC
Villager who 'just happens to start talking to you one day over lunch.' They also
provide a steady supply of unusual situations. No. 2 rarely wears the Great Seal
of the Village, but he does on Appreciation Day, so that is an opportunity to
plant an assassin's bomb in it.

Village Festival
The Village Festival initiates the action in "The Schizoid Man." Alison
(No. 24) is practicing both her photography and telepathy in preparation for the
big event. The festival is probably a mixture of the ordinary and the bizarre.
Expect a small midway, cotton candy, games of chance, and various craft com-
petitions. But don't be surprised at beauty pageants judged by blind Villagers
and dramatic enactments of The Village's debt to No. 2.
Note that once the festival has served its purpose in triggering the plot, it
isn't mentioned again. In fact, it was supposed to take place in a month, but that
month was spent conditioning No. 6. After a month, the calendar is rolled back,

The Village — 22 —
with no hint of complaint or bewilderment from the Villagers. Just because an
event is scheduled doesn't mean it will take place.
And just because it hasn't been announced doesn't mean it won't take place.
Spring a sudden festival or ceremony on the party, which they didn't know about
but which all NPCs have obviously been preparing for. Then have the Villagers
express amused surprise that the party didn't know about it ("But everybody
knew . . ."). If the GM is feeling particularly nasty, he can throw in a rules Democracy in Action
citation for their ignorance ("All Villagers are to have prepared five pies for the "Your administration is effective,
bake sale. Failure to do so is in violation of your society's standards. Please though you have no opposition."
report to the Town Council for confession and sentencing."). "An irritation we've dispensed with.
Even its best friends agree democracy is
remarkably inefficient."
Election Day
Every 12 months, an election is held to select a new No. 2, or so the current — No. 6 mid No. 2
"Dance of the Dead"
No. 2 says ("Free for AH"). This seems unlikely, given the rapid turnover of
No. 2s and the fact that each is supplied from outside, but as usual, the Villagers
blithely accept his announcement. They greet No. 6's candidacy with avid en- "You'll come?"
thusiasm, which turns to apathy when he is elected. Balloting isn't secret; both "I have a choice?"
"You do as you want."
No. 2 and No. 6 stand by the ballot boxes as each Villager passes by to cast his "As long as it's what you want."
ballot (a beribboned campaign button featuring one or the other candidate). "As long as it is what the majority
Elections for any number of offices (No. 2, councilman, shopkeeper, King) wants. We're democratic ... in some
ways."
might be held whenever it suits No. 2's purposes.
The GM might shock the players by actually letting one of their characters — No. 2 and No. 6
win an election and serve in a meaningful office. Better yet, elect a PC to an "Dance of the Dead"
office which he did not apply for and does not want to fill, and then sanction him
for improperly fulfilling the office when he resists. (Tell him it's the will of the "This farce, this 20th-century Bastille
majority — of the people, by the people, for the people — and who is he to deny that pretends to be a pocket democracy!"
the people's will?)
— No. 6 to No. 2
Public votes can be a subtle way to manipulate and control opinions. Those "Free for All"
raised in the Western democracies will usually feel that an election (or, for that
matter, a referendum vote to settle some point of Village policy) must somehow
signify "fairness" and "equality." A public vote or election might persuade
PCs to commit themselves to something, in the hope that they can gain from it.
And PCs might feel obligated to abide by the results of a "fair vote" — or even
an opinion poll!
Elections
Carnival and Dance "We start our election campaign
Occasionally the urge for fancy-dress descends on The Village, and a car- today."
nival is held. The elaborately scripted invitations are received by special "Elections? In this place?"
delivery. Some Villagers might get to choose their costume, although No. 6 "Of course — we make our choice
every 12 months. Every citizen has a
didn't. The carnival is held at the town hall, which is normally off limits to choice. Are you going to run?"
ordinary Villagers. "Like blazes, the first chance I get."
The dance seems to be a pleasant affair, but it follows a strict regimen. There "I meant, run for office."
"Whose?"
are times for social chit-chat and times for dance, and it is forbidden to engage "Mine, for instance."
in one when the other is scheduled. It is interesting to note that no buttons are "You have a delicate sense of humor."
worn on the costumes at the carnival. The dance itself looks like a Renaissance "Naturally. Humor is the very essence
of a democratic society."
court dance, which few Villagers would have know before their arrival. This
argues for classes of some sort at The Village, else how did everyone learn these — No. 2 and No. 6
steps? "Free for All"

Government and Administration

The Village's government demands absolute obedience to its rules, yet
neither these rules nor the process by which they are applied is written down;
they constantly and arbitrarily change. Offices are elective one week, appointive
the next. No. 2 has absolute authority one day, yet must bow to the will of the

— 23 — The Village
 town council the next. There is an administration, but its power ebbs and flows
erratically.
The GM should use this arbitrariness to terrorize the players. Praise them
one adventure and denounce them the next for identical activities. The Village's
Council and Committees government and administration are tools in this respect; there are no definites by
"All those in favor?" (bang) "Carried which the GM must abide when devising and revising their structure and goals
unanimously."
from adventure to adventure. In this as in many other aspects of Village life, the
— No. 2 in council meeting episodes are examples, not guidelines which must be rigidly adhered to. Usual-
"Free for All" ly, the Village administration of the moment seems to be shaped to attain a
specific goal. Let that, if anything, be the guideline — form a government and
specific administrative offices for the purpose of specific plot developments.
"Be careful. Do not defy this commit- For example, if an Office of Economic Development is appropriate in an
tee. If the hearings go against you, I am adventure, it exists. (It is probably in the left-hand wing of the Labour Ex-
powerless to help you."
change, or just off the main corridor of Town Hall.) It can set prisoners in
— No. 2 to No. 6 competition and conflict over personal possessions, wealth and status. If some-
"A Change of Mind" one then decides to visit the Office of Economic Development a couple of
adventures later, it might still be there (but does it have the same administrator
running it?), it might have been converted over to some other use, or there might
(No. 6) "Can I help?" simply be a blank wall where its door used to be . . .
(Awards Committee member) "We're
not quite sure what it means."
(No. 6) "It means what it is." Town Council
(No. 2) "Brilliant! It means what it is. The Town Council, chaired by No. 2, is another surrealistic element of
Brilliant. Oh, no, you mustn't let me in- Village life. Holding the power of life and death, it is the highest authority within
fluence you! You are the awards commit-
tee." The Village, yet it is often merely a rubber-stamp committee for No. 2's
decisions. Council members are distinguished by the tall black top hats they
— No. 6, the awards committee wear during meetings.
and No. 2
"The Chimes of Big Ben" There are about a dozen members on the Council, chosen either by election
or appointment — sometimes one, sometimes the other. (If elected, they were
probably nominated by No. 2 and ran unopposed.) It is rare for a rebel to make
his way onto the Council; members are picked from among the most outspokenly
and unquestionably loyal of Villagers, and a significant proportion of them are

The Village — 24 —
warders. They meet in the Council Chamber, a large, high-ceilinged room in
Town Hall (p. 36).
For the most part, the Council and its decisions are redundant, since any-
thing it decides can just as easily be declared by No. 2 or The Village as a whole.
However, Council deliberations have the veneer of democracy — prisoners who
are unswayed by dictatorial decrees from No. 2 or by the anarchic rule of a Rules
Village mob might have trouble opposing a "democratic" decision of the Coun- "Although you've only been here a
cil. In addition, PCs might occasionally be deluded by these pretensions to short time, my dear, there's only one thing
democracy and appeal to the Council for a rationally-considered decision, or to learn and it can be learned very quickly
even contest for a Council seat Oust as No. 6 ran for election in "Free for All"). — obey the rules, and we will take good
care of you."
If they do so, string them along for a while, then leave them hanging, the more
fools they for having thought that the democratic process could solve their - No. 6 to No. 58
problems in The Village. Or amaze them ... let it work . . . once. "Free for All"

Other Committees
The Finance and Awards Committee are each mentioned once, both times in "It is the duty of all of us to care for
each other, and to see that the rules are
conjunction with the art competition in "The Chimes of Big Ben." The Finance obeyed. Without their discipline, we
Committee sets the number and value of the prizes for the competition; the should exist in a state of anarchy."
Awards Committee determines who has won these prizes. The Finance Commit-
— Observer (Prosecutor) to court
tee is never seen. The Awards Committee consists of three Villagers who seem "Dance of the Dead"
to be prisoners — following No. 2 about the exhibit hall, they sheepishly base
their decisions solely on what they think he likes.
The Ladies' Appeals Subcommittee in "A Change of Mind" acts as a speak-
"You are not allowed animals. It's a
ing chorus, calling on No. 6 repeatedly to confess and repent of his social rule."
misbehavior. They are doing this selflessly, for his own good, and become quite "Rules to which I am not subject."
indignant when he refuses to acquiesce to their suggestions. At least one sub-
— Maid and No. 6
committee member is a recent offender; it's probable that all four have recently "Dance of the Dead"
confessed, since the newly converted are among the most ardent appealers.
Other committees might include:
Entertainment, which determines which juke box songs are played at the Cat "You're not using any offensive
and Mouse and which movies are played at the Palace of Fun; weapons, I hope? You know the ruling
Band, which determines who plays which instrument and what the band's about axes, swords, chisels, that sort of
music selection includes; thing. They may fall into the wrong
hands."
Games, which recruits Villagers for games on the chess lawn and Kosho
arena . . . and so forth. — No. 2 to No. 6
The GM may create a variety of interesting and/or pointless committees. "The Chimes of Big Ben"
They will have only the power the masters allow; committee membership can be
a reward for a Villager's proper conformity. Once a trend of this sort is estab-
lished (for instance, the most subservient are awarded committee seats), use it to "Has anyone ever seen these rules?"
increase the players' paranoia. If a player character confides in a seemingly — No. 6 to court
rebellious NPC, appoint that NPC to a committee, then let the player wonder "Dance of the Dead"
whether his confidence has been betrayed. Or have the NPC confess his part in
the plot, but not publicly name names, because, as he tells the player character,
"You would feel much better if you confessed yourself, and I know you will."
Once that NPC is on the Appeals Subcommittee, he is a constant reminder that
whatever plot is underway has probably already been compromised.
They can also be used to introduce PCs to specific Villagers, possibly to
bring them in on GM-hatched plots. (If No. 65 is late for a meeting, and a PC
checks on him, she might find that he has been busy calculating the depth of the
underground passageways and has lost track of time.)

Village Rules
Various rules are cited each time a violation is punished, but if they really
exist they are nowhere written down. In "A Change of Mind," No. 42 under-
goes social correction for failing to respond to a greeting. In "Dance of the

— 25 — The Village
 Dead," No. 6 is sentenced to death for possession of a radio. (He is in the midst
Curfew of an elaborate escape attempt at the time, but that more flagrant violation is
"Hello, and good evening, curfew never mentioned.)
time, sleep time, 15 minutes from now to This absence of quotable rules provides fertile ground for PC harassment. If
curfew. Meanwhile, allow us to lull you prisoners are making more progress than the GM prefers, charge them with
away with . . . "(music plays).
something. Anything. It need not directly involve their current preoccupation
"Curfew in five minutes. To curfew the (yet another escape attempt, for instance); any charge, no matter how seemingly
minutes are five." trivial, will at the least distract them. At best, they will be forced to temporarily
abandon their current course of action.
"Curfew time one minute. Sixty
seconds." Some charges are obvious: attempting escape, possessing contraband
materials, constructing weapons, violence. Should any player break the con-
"And now it's here. It's curfew. Chim- straints of the background by meeting all solutions with violence, slap his char-
ing out as usual. Nighty-night. Be seeing
you." acter under restraint; if the offense is repeated, that character is a candidate for
death or zombification. The masters do not tolerate violent rebellion!
— Village Voice But "criminal" charges can be creative and unsettling: wearing a temporari-
"The Chimes of Big Ben"
ly prohibited color, failure to sleep after curfew, hoarding units ($), twirling
your umbrella the wrong way during a parade. Most rules, however, are social
in nature, and should emphasize society's claim on the individual: asking (un-
"You wait until tonight!" warranted) questions, locking one's door, wearing a hat at the cinema. And don't
"You mean we're allowed out after
hours?" forget the ridiculous: if a PC is in the midst of a free-wheeling brawl with two
"Anyone would think you were locked warders on foot and another in a security cart, and they stumble through the band
in, the way you talk!" while it is marching, consider citing all four (or just him!) for failure to yield the
— Maid and No. 6 right of way to a parade. Or, perhaps most disturbing: cite the guards, and call
"Dance of the Dead" the prisoner as a witness at their trial!
If the GM can unsettle the players to the point where their PCs become
anxious to learn and obey the rules, then No. 2 has scored a significant point.

Punishment
Many punishments are purely social in nature (see p. 29). Most other
punishments would consist of a loss of privileges, ranging from minor (fine of
currency units) to major (house arrest) to draconian (reclassification as an ex-
perimental subject). Needless to say, this last would apply only to "nonessen-
tial" prisoners who created a great deal of trouble.
No. 6 got away with a great deal, usually with no more punishment than a
stiff talking-to from No. 2. Part of this was because he didn't care about most of
the things The Village could do. No. 2 and his minions will know everyone's
weakness. They will know what sanctions are likely to impress each individual
. . . and they won't waste effort with punishments that don't truly punish, unless
the purpose is to intimidate someone else.

Curfew
Night-time curfew is around 11 o'clock. The Village Voice gives 15-, 10-
and 5-minute warnings before curfew. Curfew defines when it is legal to be
outside, and when it isn't. It also sets the time when a PC is least likely to
encounter a randomly roaming Villager who wants to know what he's doing.
Occasionally, all doors (including those to cottages and apartments) are automat-
ically locked at curfew. (If not at curfew, then possibly halfway through the
night, so that any roaming Villagers are locked out.)
Given the many electronic monitors scattered about The Village, it is dif-
ficult to move about at night undetected, but No. 6 does so on a few occasions,
and PCs will probably be able to do so as well; roll vs. Stealth or Disguise at -3
every 5 minutes, or oftener in an especially high-security area. As with other
violations of Village rules, breaking curfew should be punished arbitrarily, and
sometimes not at all.
Villagers abroad after curfew may also encounter Rover (sidebar, p. 43).

The Village — 26 —
Court System
The first rule of The Village's court system is to never be constrained by
whatever the current rules are. In "Dance of the Dead," No. 6 is tried by a
tribunal costumed as Nero, Elizabeth I and Napoleon; his trial is the evening's
entertainment. In "A Change of Mind," he appears before the Town Council.
And on numerous occasions, he is simply called on the carpet before No. 2.
Thus, rules, judge, jury and sentence are whatever No. 2 feels will best
serve today's purpose. To be most effective, they should occasionally be
changed in mid-course. (The trial in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a good
model.) A prisoner who has carefully built a reasonable majority on the Town In Court
Council should be called before a tribunal. A prisoner who has carefully "Guilty! Read the charge!"
"The prisoner has been charged with
developed a good working relationship with No. 2 should be summoned instead the most serious breach of social etiquette:
by the Town Council, being told by No. 2 in parting that the council's judgments Total defiance of the elementary laws
cannot be overruled. And perhaps this time No. 2 is not at the council meeting! which sustain our community. Questioning
the decisions of those we voted to govern
us. Unhealthy aspects of speech and dress
not in accordance with general practice
and the refusal to observe, wear or
respond to his number!"

— President and Justice, about No. 48

"Fall Out"

"In the matter of the people versus this

person, the court is now in session."
"What is my crime?!"
"We'll come to that. Perhaps I should
explain, our legal system is unusual."
"No jury?"
"Three judges decide here."
"As in the French Revolution."
"They got through the deadwood,
didn't they? I'm appointed by the court to
defend you; this lady (his Observer) to
prosecute. The judges have been chosen."
(Claps three times.)
(Costumed Nero, Napoleon and
Elizabeth I are seated. No. 6 claps
derisively.)
"Proceed."
(Nero, reading from a scroll) "You are
charged with having on your person and
using for unlawful purposes and against
Information and Files the interests of the community an object,
One of the most important tools available to No. 2 is a thorough dossier the possession and use of which breaks our
rules. How do you sit?"
describing each Villager. No. 2 and his warders know everyone's weaknesses, "Don't you ask how I plead?"
strengths and desires, and how to play on them. "Proceed, Prosecutor!"
In game terms, this means that a character's file contains more information
than either the GM or the player himself knows about the character, no matter — No. 2 and No. 6
"Dance of the Dead"
how complete a character story has been created. Sometimes this information
must be created on the spot. (For example, if a character is confronted by
someone who claims to know him, as Sir Charles is confronted by No. 6 in "Do
Not Forsake Me," and if these two individuals have not actually met during the
campaign itself, the player or GM with something to prove must create a few
common pieces of knowledge on the spur of the moment.)
Both the GM and the players should realize that occasions like this might
arise, and be willing to go along with the pretense. (What is roleplaying, after
all, but a constant pretense?) If one person invents a fact, the other person
shouldn't deny that fact unless it is totally counter to his character conception.
Of course, if it is indicated that the character himself (and not the GM or the

— 27 — The Village
 player) is the one manufacturing facts, the character being addressed is free to
accept or reject whatever is being made up.
For example, if No. 34 is trying to prove he really is the man who worked
with No. 13 on the Ankara assignment, he might mention the brand of coffee
they drank while on stakeout, or describe the man No. 13 flirted with at the time.
Since the Ankara assignment has just been made up by No. 34's player, No. 13's
Completing the Files player has never heard of it before. However, she should go along with the story,
"You see, there's not much we don't agreeing that No. 13's "memories" are accurate and that he probably is who he
know about you, but one likes to know says he is.
everything." On the other hand, if No. 34's player indicates that No. 34's story is not
— No. 2 to No. 6 really true, than No. 13 is free to deny it or accept the obvious lie.
"Arrival"
Surveillance
There are monitors throughout The Village, some hidden within statues
"Subject proving exceptionally dif- (peering out the statues' eyes) and others openly standing on pedestals (the better
ficult, but in view of his importance, no
extreme measures to be used . . . yet."
to see you with, m'dear!). The busts are not only scattered throughout The
Village proper, but also dot the woods around it.
— No. 2's report on No. 6
"Arrival"

"I must add 'sense of humor' to your

file. They tend to leave out things like that.
Very important."

— No. 2 to No. 6
"The Chimes of Big Ben"

The Watchers
"I'm sure that a man of your calibre
will appreciate that rebels must be kept
under the closest possible surveillance,
with a view to their extinction if the rebel-
lion is absolute."

— No. 2 to No. 6
"The General"

Inside the buildings of The Village, the surveillance is just as intense. No. 2
is able to monitor No. 6 within his cottage from dozens of different angles
"Attention, post 14. Yellow alert . . .
yellow alert . . . now leaving northern (including from the ceiling and at least one monitor within a closet).
perimeter: No. 6. Repeat, No. 6 . . . now Of course with so many cameras and views available, it would take many
approaching. Contact imminent. Northern more Observers than The Village has available to constantly monitor all of them.
area, No. 6, heading for outer zone in our
vehicle. Orange alert. All units."
(See "Observers," p. 32, for a description of their monitoring techniques.) It is
possible with today's computer-aided technology to monitor each camera con-
— Supervisor stantly, but the artificial intelligence necessary to decide which sequences should
"Arrival" be forwarded for review to human overseers would require a level of develop-
ment as yet unknown . . . outside the Village.
Surveillance is an art which Control has almost fully mastered, but there are
still a few cracks in the system. Some monitors are just audio receivers; others
send only video images. No. 6 is able to find wooded stretches which lack
monitors, and it's often possible to see when a camera pivots toward a prisoner.
In game terms this means that characters should always be wary of surveillance,

The Village — 28 —
but should also be aware that the odds of being caught in a specific act are usually
low. Of course, a pattern of suspicious behavior raises the odds of being under Social Groups
the camera at any given time, and the most stubborn Villagers are assigned (1st member) "There can be no mitiga-
human Observers to keep them constantly under scrutiny. tion. We all have a social obligation to
No prisoner can ever be sure that he has seen or dealt with all the cameras in stand together."
(No. 42) "I don't contest the validity of
an area. Rolls on Traps, or any Electronics (Surveillance) skill, would be ap- the complaint; my point is . . . "
propriate for those making the attempt. (2nd member) "No interruptions! All
right. You say you are a poet, and you
were composing, when you failed to hear
Alerts No. 10's greeting."
When Control notices a Villager going astray, an alert is broadcast to all (1st member) "Neglect of social prin-
warders. A yellow alert is simply a call for heightened vigilance. An orange alert ciple."
(No. 6) "Poetry has a social value."
is the next step; it activates Rover, which is usually sufficient to handle any (1st member) "He's trying to divide
problem. The only red alert which occurs during No. 6's stay in The Village us!"
takes place when the rocket is about to blast off in "Fall Out." (2nd member) "His intentions are ob-
vious: to stop us from helping this unfor-
tunate girl!"
Peer Pressure (No. 42, to No. 6) "You're trying to
undermine my rehabilitation. Disrupt my
Much of The Village's pressure to conform comes from fellow Villagers. social progress."
These pressures are most closely examined in "A Change of Mind," where all (No. 6) "Strange talk for a poet."
of the following methods are brought to bear in an attempt to break No. 6, to (1st member) "Reactionary!"
(2nd member) "Rebel!"
force him to conform to The Village's standards. All of these methods can be (No. 42) "Disharmonious!"
used to show player characters exactly how isolated they are; applied successful-
ly, they can actually convince a prisoner that what he believes is fallacious and — The Social Group
that he should bow to the opinion of the majority. "A Change of Mind"
Of course, if the other PCs support him in his original belief ("The world
really is round, isn't it, guys?), a player character is much less likely to change
his mind or his ways. To be truly effective, several of the other PCs must be part Ladies' Appeals Subcommittee
of the peer pressure, ardent in their support of the position to which No. 2 is "We represent the Appeals Subcom-
trying to convert the target. mittee."
Each of these methods of peer pressure is common in the real world; they are "Quick off the mark, No. 42! — Ap-
peals Subcommittee already. You certainly
not merely roleplaying techniques! As it does with many other aspects of life, get around."
The Prisoner highlights them to illustrate just how ugly and unjust they are. "Do not sneer at No. 42. To volunteer
for social work of this nature requires con-
siderable moral courage."
Social Groups "Risk of infection from the untouch-
Social groups resemble many "consciousness raising" organizations of ables."
today's society. They are an attempt to browbeat a disagreeing person into "Bitterness will not help you, No. 6.
You have brought your misfortunes upon
submission to their opinions, under the guise of making him more aware and yourself."
more conscious of his own faulty, mistaken opinions. Of course, since their own "Nevertheless, you ladies, I'm sure,
consciousnesses are fully raised, they are not open to opposing arguments or out of the goodness of your hearts, will
counter-evidence — their minds are already made up. They collectively and help me."
"It's clearly premature to look for con-
aggressively attack any opinion which differs from the norm. trition in the poor creature!"

Silent Treatment — Ladies' Appeals Subcommittee and

No. 6
The silent treatment is just what its name suggests — no one speaks to the "A Change of Mind"
victim, or waits on him, or, as much as possible, acknowledges his existence. It
is invoked to correct its target's behavior through peer pressure. Of course,
some Villagers could become quite comfortable in being ignored, and that
mustn't be allowed to happen. If someone is getting accustomed to this treat- Unmutual
ment, send a shrill, self-righteous individual or committee to tell the victim "Your attention please. Here is an im-
portant announcement. No. 6 has been
(repeatedly) why they are ignoring him and what he must do to rectify the declared unmutual until further notice.
situation. The Ladies' Appeals Subcommittee serves that purpose in "A Change Any unsocial incident involving No. 6
of Mind." Stop delivering food to him, or allowing him to make purchases. should be reported immediately to the Ap-
peals Subcommittee. Thank you for your
Publish headlines about him in the Tally Ho. See what he reacts to most negative- attention."
ly, and emphasize that aspect of his treatment.
— Village Voice
"A Change of Mind"

— 29 — The Village
 Disharmonious and Unmutual
Confession "Disharmonious" is the term used in "A Change of Mind" to label anyone
"The council chamber has considered who exhibits antisocial behavior. "Unmutual" is then applied to any dishar-
your case, No. 93, and already there are monious Villager who rails to repent of his behavior. It can be an adjective
signs of disharmony in your behavior. You ("You are unmutual") or a noun ("I was an unmutual"). It exhibits the power
appear to be a reasonable man, but there is
plenty of evidence showing your unwill-
of labels for stereotyping — once No. 6 has been declared unmutual, the rest of
ingness to work for the community. The The Village knows exactly what he is and how to deal with him. Unfortunately,
court has a busy morning, and there are as No. 2 discovers, stereotyping labels are just as powerful even when they're
several cases waiting to be dealt with. No. not accurate.
6 is seriously in need of help, and we want
to do something for No. 42. She appears to "Unmutual" will be a useful term, but other labels can be just as influential.
be in a permanent state of depression, al- Consider "Dissident." for the one person who actually votes against No. 2 in an
ways in tears. It is your clear duty, No. 93, election, or "Hooligan," for someone who accidentally brushes against a little
to prove that you are once again a suitable
member of our society. The only way for old lady (who has been skillfully placed in his path).
you now to regain the respect of your fel- To be useful, labels, and the way Village society reacts to them, should hurt.
lows is to publicly acknowledge your Being labelled unmutual, when one doesn't mind such a distinction, is not a very
shortcomings. Go to the rostrum and con-
fess. We will tell you what to say.
potent form of persuasion. It must be impressed on such independent souls that
"They're right, of course." Village society takes a very dim view of unmutuals (or dissidents, or whatever)
"They're right, of course." and that otherwise unallowable behavior is expected toward unmutuals. While
"Quite right." No. 6 is unmutual, Villagers ignore him, shout at him and even strike him, all of
"Quite right!"
"I'm inadequate." which would normally be considered antisocial, unmutual violations of the rules!
"I'm inadequate." Spooky things can happen to unmutuals. It might be that an unmutual
"Disharmonious.' prisoner finds a large "U" on the back of his shirt each day, even though it
"Disharmonious."
"I'm truly grateful..." wasn't there when he got dressed. ("If you aren't unmutual, why are you wear-
"I'm truly grateful ..." ing that U"?)
"Believe me."
"Believe me."
"Believe me, believe me, believe me."
Confession
"Believe me!" Public confession is most dramatically dealt with in "A Change of Mind,"
(Waiting villagers stand and clap.) but other examples occur throughout the rest of the series. Confession serves
"No. 6, enter! I take it you have com- two purposes. It purges the Villager of any remnants of his original beliefs, as
pleted the written questionnaire of confes-
sion? . . . No. 6, you are not called before he himself actively works to deny them. It also works to convince others of the
this committee to defend yourself; all we errors of their own ways — if so many others are wrong in resisting the will of
ask is for your complete confession." the majority, how can I be right?
— Voice of council and No. 93
"A Change of Mind"
People
Warders
Warders, as player characters, are discussed on p. 10. Most of what is said
"Second Only to One" there applies to NPC warders as well. Warders range from the corrupt to the
"It has been my lot, in the past, to wield
a not inconsiderable power. Nay, I've had
sincere. Most are neither; they do their job from day to day and don't make
the ear of statesmen, kings, and princes of waves. The low-level warders are as much prisoners as anyone else, but they
many lands. Goverments have been have their privileges, and they know it could easily be much worse.
swayed, policies defined, and revolutions Warders have all sorts of specialized skills. There are even a couple of
nipped in the bud at a word from me at the
right place and at a propitious time. Not warders who can work as a bomb squad when the need arises.
surprising, therefore, that this community
should find a use for me. Not altogether by No. 2
accident that one day I should be abducted
and wake up here amongst you. What is No. 2 is the Chairman of the Village, the person in charge. However, he (or
deplorable is that I resisted for so short a she) is also answerable to the masters, responsible for everything that takes place
time. A fine tribute to your methods. I wish
to thank you for a recognition of my talent, in The Village, whether good or bad. He can be resolute or timid, easily angered
which placed me in a position of power or unflappable. He is subject to extreme job insecurity. There are more than 17
second only to one." No. 2s in the 17 episodes of the series. Two appear in more than one episode
— No. 2 to assembly
(Leo McKern in "The Chimes of Big Ben" and "Once Upon a Time/Fall Out";
"Fall Out" Colin Gordon in "A, B and C" and "The General"); several are only "acting"
No. 2s, during "It's Your Funeral."
Each new No. 2 further worsens the Villagers' lack of security and con-

The Village — 30 —
tinuity, and changing No. 2s (even within an adventure) helps foster that same
insecurity in players. An ever-changing No. 2 keeps players off-balance, never
knowing exactly how to deal with this new antagonist, while he has complete No. 2: Character Template
files on each of them. It also makes designing new adventures easier if the ST, DX and HT: 1d + 7
current No. 2 need not maintain absolute consistency with previous adventures. IQ: 1d + 10
However, don't feel constrained to constantly change No. 2. There is much Advantages (pick two):
1) Strong Will (1d levels)
to be said for a consistent, well-developed antagonist whose previous dealings 2) Eidetic Memory (30 points)
with the player characters help the GM decide upon his current actions and 3) Alertness (1d levels)
reactions. And helping to eliminate a different No. 2 each adventure becomes 4) Luck (15 points)
more predictable and less satisfying than struggling against the same No. 2 over 5) Danger Sense
6) Intuition
the course of several adventures. It is more difficult to make an antagonist Disadvantages (pick one):
terrifying when the players know he'll be gone at the end of one adventure. 1) Addiction or Alcoholism
In general, each No. 2 has several strengths, a master plan for The Village, 2) Major Delusion
3) Intolerance (-10 points)
a fatal flaw (sometimes), and a large umbrella. He sees all and knows all, or 4) Mild Phobia
thinks he does. He has instant access to all of the computers and monitoring 5) Megalomania
systems of The Village. He and the PCs will be constantly challenging each 6) Compulsive Behavior (-10 points)
Skills: anything useful, at (DX-3) + 1d
other, either directly as the PCs try to escape, or indirectly as they involve
or (IQ-3) + 1d.
themselves in No. 2's latest scheme to mold Villagers' minds.
Discovering and exploiting flaws in No. 2's character will be a primary
player motivation and a good way to develop an adventure. In "A, B and C,"
No. 2 is afraid of the masters. In "Hammer Into Anvil," No. 6 triggers No. 2's
paranoia. Conversely, with the detailed files which he has access to, No. 2 is
able to discover and take advantage of player character flaws (disadvantages). In The Butler
"It's Your Funeral," No. 2 causes a young woman to faint at No. 6's feet, 3' 11", 115 Ibs., black eyes, balding,
triggering his chivalry because "she's become a lady in distress." Don't ignore black hair.
other sources of conflict, but be sure to take full advantage of this one. ST 10, DX 10, IQ 10, HT 10
Advantage: Acute Sense of Taste and
Each No. 2 is different, but nearly all share a few common characteristics.
Smell (+2).
They have high IQ. They have Status 4, Patron (masters and/or No. 1), and full Disadvantages: Dwarfism; Sense of
Legal Enforcement Powers (15 points). They have a Duty (almost all the time) Duty (to Chairman of The Village).
and at least one Quirk (often "Carries large umbrella"). Their individual skills Quirks: Never speaks; Never wears a
number; Never hurries; Always in serving
and other attributes vary greatly. Not counting their Patron, nearly every one is attire.
at least a 150-point character. It is best to design each new No. 2 individually, Skills: Computer Operation-10; Driv-
but if inspiration fails, especially if the plot calls for a rapid succession of No. ing (18-wheeler)-10, Driving (Stock Car)-
10; First Aid-10; Piloting (Helicopter)-l0;
2s, use the guidelines above, "Instant Characters" from the GURPS Basic Set), Savoir-Faire-13; Professional Skill (But-
and the character template in the sidebar to generate a few quick stats. ler)-15, Professional Skill (Masseur)-12.

The Butler
The Butler is an exception to many of the rules about The Village. He never
wears a numbered button, and thus stands outside the Village ranking system.
He is always impeccably dressed, never in the colorfully tacky togs of most other
Villagers. He never speaks, although he appears in all but two episodes. He is
carefully expressionless until the final Shootout in "Fall Out." His duty is to
attend the leader of The Village — usually No. 2, but twice No. 6, once as he
wins election in "Free for All" and then after he survives Degree Absolute in
"Once Upon a Time."
The Butler is one of the most opaque symbols in the series; every fan has his
own interpretation. Some have said that he is a sheep, representing mankind
without a mind of its own, obediently following the man in charge. Others think
he represents survival, always choosing the safest path.
He is not an obvious starting point for adventure, nor is he likely to be drawn
into any schemes, but he can be a useful plot element, appearing at just the right
time (or the wrong one). He is not always in attendance on No. 2; if he sees
something questionable, will he report it to his master? Probably not, but who
knows for sure?

— 31 — The Village
 Supervisor
The Supervisor is in charge of the Control Room and all monitoring in The
Village. He is one of the underground warders and thus rarely, if ever, en-
counters any of the prisoners face to face. Of course, in his position as Super-
Supervisor (No. 24)
visor, he is intimately acquainted with each one of his charges in The Village.
5' 9", 150 Ibs., brown eyes, bald.
ST 10, DX 12, IQ 14, HT 10 The usual Supervisor is the bald fellow described in the sidebar, but this man is
Advantages: Acute Vision +2; Alert- sometimes away, or perhaps falls temporarily out of favor. In the series, the
ness + 2; Common Sense; Intuition; Supervisor is one of the most consistently seen characters, but in a campaign,
Peripheral Vision; Status +2; Strong Will
+ 2. where all action is seen through PCs' eyes, he might never appear.
Disadvantages: Duty (Almost all the If he does appear, he is an amoral dispenser of data; information is neither
time), Farsighted. right nor wrong in itself, and he supplies it upon request to those properly
Skills: Administration-16; Area
Knowledge (The Village)-18; Computer
authorized to receive it. He is not responsible for how it is used.
Operation-16; Computer Programming-
14; Detect Lies-13; Electronics Operation Technician/Scientist/Doctor
(Communications)-14, Electronics Opera-
tion (Security Systems)-15; Intelligence Nearly all technical personnel at The Village are warders, including some
Analysis-14; Leadership-15; Photography- prisoners who have joined the ranks of the warders in order to continue the
14; Psychology-14; Research-13. research to which they have dedicated themselves. A few of the more uniquely
skilled professionals are prisoners who have been coerced to continue their work
in The Village, under the threat of punishment to themselves or those they love.
Observer Template It is for this purpose that the masters are trying to locate Professor Seltzman, in
ST ld+7, DX ld + 7, IQ ld+9, HT "Do Not Forsake Me," since he is the only one in the world who has completely
ld+7 mastered mind-transference techniques.
Most highly-trained professionals among the warders are quite happy in
Advantages:
Acute Vision +2; Alertness +1; plus what they are doing — happy employees, after all, require less supervision.
three of the following six advantages: They are supplied with all the tools they desire and plenty of comforts after
1) Alertness +2 (more) hours; personal freedoms, theirs or anyone else's, are much less important than
2) Common Sense
3) Eidetic Memory (30) (counts as two the continuation of their research and a relaxing environment away from the
choices from this list) workplace.
4) Intuition This did not happen by chance, of course. When assembling personnel for
5) Night Vision
6) Peripheral Vision
The Village, the masters seek out just such people from the scientific and medi-
cal community, avoiding those who might let questions of ethics or individual
Disadvantages: rights affect their work.
Duty (Quite Often); plus five rolls on In particular, they recruit those social and medical investigators whose re-
the Guard/Observer Disadvantage Table.
search was impeded by laws against human experimentation. This is the main
Quirks: reason why The Village has access to ground-breaking techniques of behavior,
As desired. mind and memory modification unavailable to the rest of the world.
Skills: Most of the lower-level professionals have no such dedication to research,
8 points in each of three of the follow- but they are satisfied with steady work and comforts which they could never
ing skills, 4 points in each of three others, afford in the outside world. Their work is occasionally disrupted by upheavals
and 1/2 point in each of the rest. Area
Knowledge must get at least 4 points.
in upper management, but by the time the first of these occur, they have become
1) Administration familiar with The Village, realize they have few options, and have no desire to
2) Area Knowledge (The Village) rock their comfortable boat, anyway.
3) Computer Operation
4) Detect Lies
5) Electronics Operation (Communica- Observers
tions) Many of the warders, both underground and out in The Village, are ob-
6) Hypnotism
7) Intelligence Analysis servers, assigned to keep tabs on specific prisoners. Observing can be a round-
8) Interrogation the-clock job, with the observer grabbing sleep when his subject sleeps, or it can
9) Lip Reading be divided into shifts. Some observers probably keep an eye on more than one
10) Psychology
11) Shadowing
prisoner, switching back and forth between them every five minutes or so. There
12) Stealth is a chance, of course, that the prisoner will accomplish something significant
plus 10 points in other random skills. while unattended, but it's unlikely, especially since prisoners usually don't know
when they're being observed and when they aren't.
While underground, warders follow their charges in the Control Room,
using the many means of electronic surveillance there. This is especially useful

The Village — 32 —
when the subject is himself indoors — it's difficult to keep a discreet eye on a
prisoner if the observer must be in his bedroom to watch him brushing his teeth. Guard/Observer
When the subject moves out of doors, it's often easier to keep track of him Disadvantage Table
in person, especially if he moves into an area with fewer electronic eyes, such as To generate approximately 40 points in
the woods. Observing in person, of course, entails the risk of being detected, but disadvantages, roll five times on the fol-
that isn't always a bad thing. And some observing can be conducted by teams of lowing 2d table, rerolling when necessary
or desired. (For example, a second result
relays: a gardener keeping an eye on the subject between his cottage and the of "Bully" must be rerolled, but a second
general stores, a repairman watching him while he listens to the band, a waitress "5-point Odious Personal Habit" result
observing him as he sips his morning cup of tea. could become a second Odious Personal
Observation can accomplish either of two purposes. Obviously, it serves to Habit (5 points) or combine with the first
one for a 10-point Odious Personal Habit.
detect activities which violate the rules, or behavior which suggests that a rules
violation is imminent (increased agitation, hooded stares at No. 2, etc.). But in 2 — Lecherousness
addition, it serves as a deterrent, reminding prisoners that anything they do or 3 — Bad Temper
4 — Unluckiness
think is probably known, so antisocial behavior should not be considered. If 5 — Unattractive *
deterrence is the aim, personal observation is preferred to electronic monitoring, 6 — Bully
since the observer can easily let the prisoner know he's being watched. 7 — 5-point Odious Personal Habit *
8 — Impulsiveness
In addition to individual observation (conducted by about 15 warders), 9 — Stubbornness
another 40 to 60 are responsible for general observation, either in the Control 10 — Mild Phobia *
Room or out in The Village. The best of these occupy the Control Room's 11 — Truthfulness
seesaw posts, the viewing screens of which rapidly sequence through nearly 12 — Berserk
* = cumulative results possible.
every monitor in The Village. With only a momentary glance through each
monitor, these warders are trained to detect questionable activity and transfer the
potentially offending view to one of the other warder stations in the room for
more prolonged observation, before going on to the next monitor. Guard Template
The other warders in the Control Room make more detailed examinations of ST ld+9, DX ld+8, IQ ld+7, HT
these scenes and prepare a quick electronic report on each one, even if the ld+7
sighting was an apparent false alarm. If a seesaw observer fails to maintain an Advantages:
adequate average of sufficiently suspicious sightings, he is replaced in his seat Legal Enforcement Powers (Not
by someone more competent. obligated to respect the civil rights of
others); plus three of the following six ad-
The general observers out in The Village are the main group of warders with vantages:
two jobs — each has an apparent job, in addition to his observation respon- 1) High Pain Threshold
sibilities. It is primarily these warders whom No. 6 is trying to avoid when he 2) Alertness +2
3) Peripheral Vision
recruits his escape team in "Checkmate." Without watching anything or 4) Danger Sense
anybody in particular, they must perform their overt duties while covertly keep- 5) Combat Reflexes
ing an eye on everything around them. 6) Toughness (DR1)
plus 10 to 20 points in other random
advantages.
Guards
Guards are most often found underground, posted in the corridors. How- Disadvantages:
ever, they occasionally appear in The Village for a show of force. They some- Duty (Quite Often); plus five rolls on
the Guard/Observer Disadvantage Table.
times show up for "ceremonial" reasons; the carnival proclamation in "Dance
of the Dead" is attended by several guards in riot helmets. Quirks:
There are about 30 guards among the warders' personnel; 10 to 15 are on As desired.
station at any one time, and it is boring duty. Unfortunately, this means that Skills:
when they are actually drawn into action, they are mentally unprepared and slow 8 points in one of the following skills, 4
to respond, as No. 6 discovered in "The General" and "Fall Out." In addition points in each of two others, and 1/2 point in
to the 30 warders assigned to guard duty, another 20 or so warders with other each of the rest:
1) Area Knowledge (The Village)
responsibilities (chiefly observers) are available as reserves; these reserves are 2) Blackjack
drafted into action in "Fall Out." 3) Brawling
Guards are occasionally used as bullies, as well. Any time a gang is needed 4) Interrogation
5) Guns (semi-automatics)
to rough up or apprehend a recalcitrant prisoner, guards switch into Village garb 6) Judo
and get the job done. Most guards greet such assignments as a welcome switch 7) Karate
from their boring routine. 8) Piloting (Helicopter)
9) Powerboat
They are usually armed with billy clubs, rather than guns, which might be 10) Shorts word (for clubs)
too dangerous if they fell into a prisoner's hands.

— 33 — The Village
 Village Voice
Good Morning All! The Village Voice is one of the most "Big Brother-ly" aspects of The
"Good morning all; it's another beauti- Village. In a pleasant voice, she announces anything from the weather forecast
ful day. Your attention, please. Here are to pending punishments, sometimes in the same breath. Never seen, she is the
two announcements. Ice cream is now on
sale for your enjoyment. The flavor of the voice of the masters. Her speakers reach throughout The Village, from the
day is strawberry. Here is a warning: there bedroom to the beach. Each day, with a cheery "Good morning!," she an-
is a possibility of light, intermittent nounces the forecast and any upcoming special events. Each evening she counts
showers later in the day. Thank you for
your attention."
down to curfew. In between, she passes on any other appropriate news or an-
nouncements.
— Village Voice The Village Voice serves two purposes in a Prisoner campaign. First, espe-
"Arrival"
cially at the beginning of the campaign, her announcements are particularly
effective at driving home to the players that The Village is unlike any place
they've visited before. And second, she can be used to pass on information or
Villagers announcements that are useful to plot development. She can't be ignored, and
"How do you stop this thing?" (the players are less likely to suspect that an announcement is directed at them per-
radio) sonally, than if, for example, No. 2 calls one of them in and passes the informa-
"We can't."
"Why not?" tion on face to face.
"It's automatic." An excellent prop, worth the difficulty of creating it, is a prerecorded Vil-
"Who controls it?" lage Voice tape to activate at appropriate times during the adventure. The mes-
"I have no— "
"Who runs this place?"
sages might be important clues, or they might just be "atmosphere." The
"I don't know... I really don't know!" original Voice was sweet yet matter-of-fact and official-sounding.
"You never wondered? You never
tried to find out? How long have you been
here?"
Villagers
"As long as I can remember." Villagers range from the mindless sheep of "Free for All" to the determined
"Your parents?" resisters in "It's Your Funeral." In many cases, the same Villagers go to both
"They died when I was a child."
"You don't remember them?" extremes. What can explain this wide variety of personality within a single
"I found out it's wiser not to ask ques- person? Obviously, mind-altering substances, hypnotic techniques, and other,
tions. We have a saying here: a still tongue more advanced scientific breakthroughs have been brought into play. The Vil-
makes a happy life."
"People must have tried to get away lage is not just an end to itself; it is also an experimental environment in which
from here. How many have succeeded?" population-control methods are constantly being tested.
"Don't ask." In game terms, this means that non-player Villagers, especially the faces in
"Has anyone ever escaped?"
"Some have tried. They've been
the crowd who aren't central to the current adventure's plot, will act exactly as
brought back . . . not always alive." the GM wants them to. A mindless mass sweeps No. 6 to victory in "Free for
"Go on. What are you afraid of?" All," then reacts in total apathy as he gives his victory speech. The whole
"Nothing. I've said too much." Village immediately accepts the label of Unmutual, first for No. 6, then for No.
— No. 6 and personal maid 2, in "A Change of Mind." Some Villagers resist the masters, even after being
"Arrival" conditioned, in "Checkmate." A howling mob tries to enforce No. 6's kangaroo
court death sentence in "Dance of the Dead." How do they all know, so very
quickly, what the masters want them to do? Good question . . .
"They didn't settle for ages. Now they From adventure to adventure, Villagers can play an important role, or none
wouldn't leave for the world." at all. They are one of the forces that can be brought to bear on a party of PCs,
"You mean you brought them around but not the only one; use them some of the time, but not always.
to your way of thinking."'
"They had a choice." Individual Villagers are important, too. At times, one individual will stand
against the tide of the rest of The Village (the administrator No. 12, in "The
— No. 2 and No. 6
"Arrival" General"); at other times, a few Villagers will play a part even though all others
are "dormant" for the adventure (the jammers, in "It's Your Funeral"). And of
course, sometimes the active Villager will turn out to be a warder (Nadia, in
"I meet everybody — I know every-
"The Chimes of Big Ben"). Villagers are the hardest characters to classify.
thing — who's sick, who's getting better. They are the best resource available to PCs, but they could be sincere allies,
Be seeing you!" warder plants, or unresisting prisoners. Even if sincere, they could be forced to
— Flower girl to No. 14 betray their PC friends; sometimes it's even possible to force a PC to betray his
"A, B and C" own party!
In general, the "average" Villager is completely broken to the whim of the
masters, a caricature of modern mass man. He wears what he is given, repeats

The Village — 34 —
the slogans he hears, and enthusiastically participates in whatever the masters
ordain. No matter how bad his lot is, prisoner or warder, he knows that it could No. 6: Character Stats
be worse, and he won't do anything to risk the comforts he has. 6', 165 Ibs., light blue eyes, brown
hair.
ST 12, DX 13, IQ 13, HT 12.
No. 6 Advantages: Alertness +4; Attractive;
No. 6 is the prisoner who would not be broken, the individual to whom the Charisma +1; Combat Reflexes;
Peripheral Vision; Strong Will +4;
masters eventually concede, thus ending the series. He quits his job as an agent Toughness (DR1).
for personal reasons; when the masters decide they need to know why, he is Disadvantages: Addiction (tobacco);
brought to The Village to be dealt with. For many months, he and the various Code of Honor (especially to damsels in
No. 2s lock horns; no No. 2 ever succeeds in learning his secret, and he never distress); Fanaticism (to Our Side); Sense
of Duty (to good people); Stubbornness.
succeeds in escaping. He is a powerful, skillful, strong-willed individual, one Quirks: Never eats sweets; Enjoys
whom nearly all admire and respect. wordplay; Quotes Shakespeare.
No. 6 might reside in a campaign Village, but this isn't necessary. In fact, Skills: Acrobatics-13; Acting-14; Area
Knowledge (The Village)-15; Area
while his skills, knowledge and attributes can prove useful, he can also tend to Knowledge (Europe)-16; Artist-14; Boat-
overshadow player characters, which is not desirable. If his presence is useful ing-14; Brawling-17; Computer Opera-
and interesting, use him, but don't let him take over the campaign. tion-13; Demolitions-16; Detect Lies-14;
Disguise-12; D r i v i n g (Auto)-13;
It may seem contradictory to play in The Village without including No. 6, Electronics Operation (Communications)-
since he is the prisoner who provides all of the basic source material on which a 14, Electronic Operation (Security Sys-
Prisoner campaign is based. But he represents Everyman, and what he does, tems)-14; Escape-12; Fast-Talk-13;
anyone else with strength of conviction can also hope to accomplish. In addition, Fencing-18; First Aid-12; Guns (Pistol)-
16, Guns (Submachine Gun)-14; Holdout-
he is arguably not the most powerful force in his world; he is recognized not 12; H y p n o t i s m - 1 2 ; Intelligence
because he conquers the masters, but because they fail to conquer him. He is not Analysis-13; Interrogation-14; Kosho-12;
an irreplaceable individual, but the archetypical hero on which player characters Lip Reading-11; Leadership-12; Lock-
picking-13; Piloting (Helicopter)-11;
can model themselves. And, having modeled themselves, they become the Powerboat-12; Psychology-11; Research-
prisoners that he represents, taking over his role in The Village. 13; Savoir-Faire-14; Scrounging-12;
To repeat: if his presence is useful and interesting, include him, but he isn't Seamanship-15; Shadowing-14; Stealth-
14; Streetwise-15; Survival (Forest)-15.
mandatory. It might be interesting at some point to flip things around, enlisting
some or all of the PCs into an attempt to break No. 6, either by coercing or
tempting them. Or introduce a "prisoner" who seems to be the No. 6 of the
television series, but is actually a warder. The interplay among PCs, No. 6 and Fighting Back
No. 2 could become quite challenging, especially for the GM. "My name, my number — on a list!"
"Honors or deportation?"
"Jamming."
Jammers "Jamming? Domestic science?"
Jammers are mentioned only in "It's Your Funeral," but they are an inter- "You'll learn about jamming one of
these days; it's our most important way of
esting element in a campaign. Jammers are prisoners who provide concealing fighting back!"
"chaff" for escape attempts and other schemes. They pretend to be constantly
exchanging secret messages, devising elaborate plans, and in general keeping — Watchmaker's daughter (No. 50)
warders chasing non-existent plots. If the warders stay abreast of their scheming, and No. 6
"It's Your Funeral"
they won't be able to devote as much time to tracking down the real plots. And
if the warders ignore them, the jammers might just pull off a plot of their own.
After a short period of monitoring, warders are able to determine whether a
prisoner is truly scheming or just jamming. However, it then becomes a calcu-
lated risk to ignore that prisoner and concentrate on more likely conspiracies. If
jammers are active in a campaign, the GM must decide how effective they are
and how much cover they provide for the real intriguers. Once PCs discover
them, they will probably try to actively manipulate them, but jammers are just as
resistant to prisoner manipulation as to warder interference.
And just because jammers are active in one adventure doesn't mean they stay
active in the next adventure. No. 2 might become fed up with their interference
and wipe their minds of all memories since they arrived in The Village. He might
convert them to a proper frame of mind. He could even replace one with a
look-alike warder who is then perfectly set to detect future conspiracies. In each
of these cases, prisoners who come to the jammer for help will experience a
much different outcome than expected.

— 35 — The Village
 Places
Is He John Drake? The Village is a charming potpourri of colorful cottages and larger build-
Patrick McGoohan, the guiding force
and star of The Prisoner, starred in an ear-
ings, built up and down the green slopes bordering a small bay. It is liberally
lier series, called at different times Secret sprinkled with hedges, lawns, flower beds, ornate columns and statuary. There
Agent and Danger Man. He played the part are arches above the walkways. Its winding roads are narrow, not even wide
of John Drake, a British intelligence agent. enough for two of its striped taxis to pass each other. Signposts clearly identify
It has been suggested that No. 6 and
John Drake are actually one and the same each building, including individual residences. There are many speakers
man. They bear a very strong physical throughout The Village, both indoors and out, so that all residents can be sure to
resemblance to each other and are both in- hear any public announcements. Most of these speakers are mounted on black
telligence agents, both working for Great
Britain. No. 6's real name is never and white striped poles and protected with the same colorful awnings which
revealed in The Prisoner, his birthday and cover the other kiosks and booths here. The Village Voice (p. 34) communicates
fiancee, are both mentioned there, but through these speakers, as well as through individual speakers in each residence.
neither John Drake's birthday nor his
fiancee (if any) are ever revealed. (It is
interesting to note that No. 6 and Mc- Hospital
Goohan share the same birthday.) John
Drake disappeared shortly before No. 6
The hospital, built like a small, four-story fortress, is where Villagers go to
first shows up in The Village. The two be cured or changed. It has enough wards, examination rooms, operating rooms,
have at least one common working ac- and other facilities to take care of the relatively small Village, but it also holds
quaintance (Potter, in "The Girl Who Was abundant facilities for research and experimentation into the many mind-altering
Death" and multiple DM/SA adventures).
So it is very possible that John Drake and and personality-adjusting techniques which are constantly being tested here.
No. 6 are the same man. But then again, Most of the experimental stations set up in the hospital are only there on a
maybe they aren't. temporary basis, for as long as it takes to field-test a given theory or device.
Some are permanent facilities useful to many different types of experiment.
The Computer Room, for example, is a permanent fixture which most ex-
The Hospital perimenters use. They are usually dealing with jealously guarded secrets and
"I'm sad, No. 6, I thought you were techniques, however, so files will be rigorously encoded and locked to protect
beginning to ..." each scientist's data from other users of the system. In most cases, a Computer
"Give in?" Operation roll, with at least a -2 penalty, is necessary to access the system, and
"Be happy. Everything you want is
here." another roll at -5 to -10 or more is required to access a particular file of experi-
"Everything's elsewhere." ments. Any failure by 3 or more will alert a warder in the Control Room and
"Don't cause me to take steps. We in- another in the main Computer Room under Town Hall. (In at least one episode,
dulge any member of our community for a
time. After that."
a device had keys marked in code, to make it harder for unauthorized persons to
"I know, I've been to the hospital. I've figure out how to use it.)
seen." Other hospital facilities include the amnesia room (see Mind-Wipe, p. 71),
"You've only seen a fraction." an aversion therapy room (containing a chair wired for shock treatment
— No. 2 and No. 6 synchronized with a viewing screen), multiple observation rooms, and a red-lit
"Dance of the Dead" group therapy room, where participants lie strait-jacketed on the floor.
Part of the hospital's upper floors are devoted to quarters for those staff who
"And remember, if you get another at-
prefer not to mix with their experimental subjects in The Village.
tack of egotism, don't wait — report to the There is a secret entrance to the hospital in the woods, and there is an
hospital immediately." underground passage from the hospital to the main underground facilities.
— No. 2 to Rook
"Checkmate" Town Hall
Town Hall is where the town council meets and where many Village ad-
"What are we to do with him?" ministrative details are dealt with by the warders. It has two main rooms, plus a
"There you go again. You mustn't be series of smaller rooms and offices opening off the hallway which connects the
so eager, Doctor. Your techniques are effi- two larger rooms.
cient, but not always beneficial. No. 6 will
yet be of great value."' The council chamber is at the north end of the hall. It is a large circular
"He can't do as he likes." room, with a chair and desk for each councilman (about 12) arranged in a circle
"He is an individual, and they're al- around the center of the room and a larger chair (almost a throne) at edge of the
ways trying. Don't worry, his Observer
will ring me the moment he puts a bomb in circle opposite the main door. This is No. 2's seat. At the top of this chair, above
your lovely hospital." No. 2's head, is one of the blue lights which the masters uses to directly monitor
The Village. This light is constantly flashing when the room is in use, and one
— Doctor and No. 2
"Dance of the Dead"
can never be certain when the masters are taking a direct interest here.

The Village — 36 —
 When someone is testifying before the council, he stands in the center of the
room on a small railed platform, like a witness stand, surrounded by the council.
This platform can rotate, so that the person testifying is able to face each coun-
cilman one by one.
At the other end of Town Hall is a ballroom which is used when the whole
Village gathers socially. This is where the carnival in "Dance of the Dead"
takes place. The ballroom can be modified to suit any type of occasion; for the
fancy-dress carnival, it features shining chandeliers and elaborately decorated
gilt walls.
Most of the offices are mundane in their content: the supplies office, for
example, contains shipping records (origin unspecified), consumption tallies and
other less interesting data. A couple of the offices, used for personnel meetings,
have one-way mirrors facing out into the hallway. One room is an unofficial
morgue; bodies of people officially recognized as dead are stored in the hospital
morgue.
Town Hall is usually guarded by a force field which can detect those
authorized to pass it and momentarily deactivate itself. Below Town Hall is one
end of The Village's underground facilities (see p. 43), accessible near the
council chamber.

Cafe
The cafe is the principal alternative to eating at home, especially during the
day. There is usually nothing remarkable in its layout or menu, except that
alcoholic beverages are not usually available. On pleasant days, most patrons
prefer the outdoor tables.

Bandstand, Chess Lawn, Free Sea, Address Platform

The bandstand is the usual site of The Village's daily concert. Because it can
be heard throughout most of The Village, the band (about 20 or 30 strong) often
outnumbers those actually seated in attendance. Selections are up to the con-
certmaster, but he is open to suggestions from either the band or other Villagers.
Concert length and time of performance vary, but they most commonly begin
around ten in the morning and last till noon.
The bandstand faces the chess lawn, the central feature of which is a large,
rubber-based chessboard, with four-foot-wide squares. At either end of the
board is an eight-foot-tall seat, used by the two Villagers directing play. To one
side is a small storage shed where the chessboard itself and 32 staves, held by
players to designate the 32 pieces and pawns, are stored while not in play. Games
take place here two or three times a week. They are usually directed by expert
players, but 32 Villagers can occasionally be found who will take the time to give
a couple of tyros a chance to play.
Games with much smaller boards are common, especially in the pavilions
near the old people's home.
The Free Sea is an 18-inch-deep pool around which daily promenades are
made, usually in a clockwise direction. The band often participates in these
promenades. There is a fountain in the middle of the Free Sea; this is a possible
emergence point for Rover.
At the far end of the Free Sea from the chess lawn is an ornate stone address
platform, built to stand about 15 feet above the ground. Speeches and proclama-
tions of all sorts are made from here, including the campaign speeches in "Free
for All."

— 37 — The Village
 Green Dome
The green dome houses the Centrum, where No. 2 keeps tabs on The Vil-
"A World On Its Own" lage. The foyer of the dome, between the front door and the double doorway into
"Numbers in a village that is a com- the Centrum, is decorated as an 18th-century European salon.
plete unit of our own society. A place to The first doorway into the Centrum is at the bottom of three stairs leading up
put people who can't be kept around. from the foyer. Here there are white double doors with ornate handles. Six feet
People who know too much or too little. A
place with many means of breaking a beyond these doors is the second doorway: two sliding metal doors whose
man." opening is activated by an electronic eye (unless overridden from the Centrum).
"Intriguing." (Thorpe) These metal doors can be opened manually, if the eye has been deactivated and
"They have their own cinema, their
own newspaper, their own television sta-
they aren't locked in place. There are two more doors on either side of this short
tion, a credit card system, and if you're a passage. The door on the left (as one enters the Centrum) leads to the Butler's
good boy and cough up the secrets, you are quarters and a kitchen; the door on the right leads to a sitting room, for those rare
gracefully retired into the old people's occasions on which No. 2 wishes to have someoner wait out of sight while he
home."
"But, no escape." (Colonel) concludes other business. (If either visitor were a warder, that person could
"They also have a very impressive simply enter or exit through the passages underneath the dome.) The floor of the
graveyard." Centrum is about four feet below the level of the foyer; a 30° ramp leads from
— No. 6 to the Colonel and Thorpe the metal doors down into the Centrum.
"Many Happy Returns" In the center of the Centrum is a five-foot-diameter black ball resting on a
two-foot-tall stand. The ball has been scooped out on one side and upholstered
in deep blue, so that it is a chair, No. 2's throne. From it, with the added reach
"Quite a beautiful place, really, isn't it? of his large umbrella, he can operate the ten-foot-long curving control board
Almost like a world on its own." which stands about four feet from his chair. The control board gives him instant
"I shall miss it when I'm gone." access to any monitor in The Village, and contains a terminal linked to the
"Oh, it will grow on you. We have
everything here — water, electricity. underground mainframe computer. If he calls up a monitor, its output is dis-
There's the council building. We have our played on a 20-foot-wide by 15-foot-tall wall screen just clockwise of the main
own council, democratically elected. We doorway. Three cordless phones (red, yellow and blue-green) sit near at hand.
also use it for public meetings, amateur
theatricals."
"Fascinating."
"Yes, indeed. There's the restaurant.
Did you know we have our own little
newspaper?"
"You must send me a copy."
(Laughs) "You'll be the death of me.
We also have our own graveyard. But
you'd be more interested in our social
club, I think. Members only, but I'll see
what I can do for you."
"You are too kind."
"Now if you have any problems,
there's our Citizens' Advice Bureau. They
do a marvelous job. Everybody's very
nice. You might even meet people you
know."

— No. 2 and No. 6

"Arrival"

"Number, please."
"What exchange is this?"
"Number, please."
"I want to make a call ..."
"Local calls only. What is your num-
ber, sir?
"Haven't got a number."
"No number, no call."

- No. 6 and telephone operator

"Arrival"

The Village — 38 —
Occasionally, a larger red cordless phone, giving direct access to the masters, is
on hand as well.
One of the masters' blue observation lights (described in Town Hall, p. 36)
is occasionally present in the Centrum.
There are two other, more ordinary chairs and a small round table on the left
hand of No. 2's chair, but they are usually retracted into the floor. A pennyfar-
thing bicycle stands near the wall beyond these chairs. On the far side of the
Centrum from the main doorway is a disguised, rarely used back entrance. There
is a searchlight mounted in the ceiling, which can be programmed to track
anyone walking about in the Centrum.
No. 2's chair has a couple of other features. It can rotate, so that it has its
back to the doorway. And it can retract beneath the floor, so that it acts as an
elevator between the underground complex and the Centrum. The other chairs
can retract as well, and the floor panels covering them can serve as additional
elevators down into the underground passages.
Below the dome are No. 2's living quarters and the center of The Village's
underground facilities (see p. 43).

Labour Exchange
The Labour Exchange is where Villagers apply for and are assigned jobs.
The front door opens into a waiting room backed by a counter. Labour Exchange
employees behind the counter take initial applications and assign interview
times. Beyond the counter are a couple of administrative offices and several
small interview rooms. The largest room in the Labour Exchange is a large
hemisphere, similar to the Centrum and the council chamber, where aptitudes for
various types of work are tested.

Palace of Fun
The Palace of Fun is home to a cabaret (the Cat & Mouse), a games arcade
and a cinema. The Cat & Mouse is open between nightfall and curfew. Like the
cafe, it doesn't normally serve alcohol, but is still a popular night spot — not
surprising, given the alternatives. The game area features pinball, table sports
and electronic games — most of the games available in a modern arcade, plus a
few that have never been seen elsewhere. Some of the more exotic games are
experiments devised by the hospital scientists, but it's often hard to detect which.
The cinema seats only about 50; the selection of movies runs at least 20 years
behind the times and is not very popular except among the old people.

Recreation Hall
The Recreation Hall is for sports and other physical recreation. The fencing
strips and shooting range of "The Schizoid Man" are here, as well as two Kosho
courts. The hall has a well-equipped weight room, three handball/racquetball
courts, two saunas, a padded floor for gymnastics and unarmed combat, and an
all-purpose indoor court. It also houses a small exhibition and lecture room,
where the art competition in "The Chimes of Big Ben" is displayed. This lecture
room is where several Village social clubs, including a literary society, an art
club, a bridge club and a poetry circle, each meet weekly.
The shooting range employs electronic beams, rather than bullets.

General Stores
The General Stores stock most goods which are generally in demand, other
than staples (which are automatically supplied). Clothing is available here, as are
paper goods (books, pads, paperbacks, etc.). Specialty foods (caviar, fine
cheeses, odd fruits, and so forth) can be found here, but not everything all the

— 39 — The Village
 time. There is a basic crafts section, containing paints, clay, canvas, woodwork-
ing tools, and the like, but more specialized tools must be found at the Shop, at
the appropriate time (see below). Food, and most other items sold in the Village,
bears the bicycle logo. Cans are labeled, for instance, "Village Food," with the
actual contents in much smaller type.

Shop
The Shop is The Village's answer to boutiques. No single specialty shop
The Real Village could remain interesting in The Village, so the shop changes periodically. One
The Prisoner was filmed in Port-
week it might house a small art gallery; the next week it will be selling fine
meirion, a Welsh resort on Cardigan Bay. lingerie. In "It's Your Funeral," it is a watchmaker's shop. The town council
The town was assembled, building by determines the choice of upcoming incarnations, sometimes based on Villager
building, by a wealthy and talented ec- requests.
centric who wanted to create his own town,
as a hobbyist might build a model-railroad It might be amusing to watch a prisoner, having determined that a specific
layout! He bought beautiful structures item is necessary for his latest plot, maneuver for an appropriate specialty to be
(many of them scheduled for demolition), stocked by the shop.
had them disassembled, and then reas-
sembled them on his seaside property. As
a result, it is a surprising mix of architec- Stone Boat
tural styles with a unique flavor.
The town was used only for exterior The Stone Boat is a concrete vessel on the beach at the end of the sea wall,
shots; all of the elaborate and sinister inte- where young and old alike play at being sailors. The interior cabin is furnished
riors were constructed as special sets. with benches and padded seats.
The Prisoner fan club, Six of One,
holds a yearly convention at Portmeirion.
Graveyard
The graveyard lies in the woods at the edge of the beach near the old people's
home. Burials are usually performed with appropriate ceremony; the marching
band performs, and a tombstone is erected with the late Villager's number.

Beach
At high tide, the sea washes right up to the stony sea wall bordering most of
The Village seaward; at low tide, there is a wide strip of beach which is popular
for sunbathing and swimming, especially during warmer weather. (For landlub-
bers, there is a high and low tide every 12 hours, with high tide separated from

The Village — 40 —
low by about six hours, so each day and each night the beach will be fully
exposed for a while and fully covered for a while.) Tally Ho
While the tide is out, there are several tidal pools suitable for wading and "Congratulations!"
splashing. There are also canvas changing booths and beach umbrellas available "Come again?"
near the beach. As at other times, most swimmers wear their buttons. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am
No. 113, and this is my photographic col-
league No. 113b." ("Smile!" snap!) "We
Citizens' Advice Bureau contribute to the local newspaper — the
Tally Ho, you know This is red hot stuff,
The function of the Citizens' Advice Bureau is shrouded in mystery. Few you know — haven't had a candidate of
Villagers will discuss it; even fewer ever choose to enter it. It is ostensibly there your calibre for ages."
to address Villagers' problems, but few Villagers have problems severe enough "Congratulations."
to provoke them into a trip to the Bureau. During the Professor's stay in The "How are you going to handle your
campaign?"
Village (during "The General"), the Bureau is converted into living quarters for "No comment."
him and his wife, and no one missed its presence. This is also the building made "Intends to fight for freedom at all
over to simulate No. 6's home offices, at the end of "The Chimes of Big Ben." costs." ("Smile!" snap!) "How about
your internal policy?"
"No comment."
Kiosks "Will tighten up on Village security."
("Smile! "snap!)
There are numerous kiosks and booths scattered throughout The Village, for "How about your external policy?"
various reasons. Nearly all of them are decked with brightly striped awnings or "No comment."
bright plastic covers. "Our experts will operate in every
corner of the globe." How do you feel
about life and death?"
Candy "Mind your own business."
On nicer days, a small booth is set up outside the General Stores, for the sale " 'No comment.' "
of candy, postcards and other impulse items. (Note that postcards mailed to
— No. 113 and No. 6 (with interjections
addresses outside The Village will come back marked "Address Unknown.") from No. 113b)
"Free for All"
Tally Ho
The Tally Ho, the Village newspaper, is a single-sided broadsheet published
daily, if not more frequently. It is constantly updated, and since it prints only one
copy at a time, upon demand, a purchaser will always get a paper hot off the
press. (It also can be bought at the General Stores and the candy stand.) Input is
either directly at the press, which is a small stand usually located near Town Hall
(but which can be rolled throughout The Village), or through one of the two
remote links in Town Hall and underground.
The Tally Ho specializes in local news; a reader would get the impression
that there was no world beyond The Village. Villagers may place notes in the
Personal Column, usually running 72 hours per insertion.
The Village Weekly magazine is occasionally available, as well.

Free Information
There are a couple of information stands in The Village, where a directory
of buildings and all current residents can be consulted. These stands also provide
basic information about what services are available where. Punching the ap-
propriate button lights up the location being sought on the display map. The
information stand near the General Stores can also be used to summon a taxi.

Telephone
There is a telephone in each apartment, cottage and shop. There are also four
telephone booths on The Village grounds (including one at each information
stand), equipped with the same style of cordless phone used in the Centrum and
the Control Room. Calls are free, but only local calls are allowed. These
telephones can also be used to access an operator who can answer most Village-
related questions.
No. 2 can also talk back and forth with Villagers directly through the
television in every cottage and apartment.

— 41 — The Village
 Kosho
Kosho, played in "It's Your Funeral"
and again in "Hammer Into Anvil," is The
Village's contribution to the world of
sports. The playing field consists of two
trampolines, each about 8' X 14', set end
to end with a man-sized basin of water be-
tween them. There is a ten-foot-high wall
at either end of the trampolines and run-
ning along one side of them; this wall is
about five feet higher than the surface of
the trampolines and the water. The wall is
about two feet wide, and is bounded by a
horizontal rail which can be used for
balance when jumping up to or running
along the top of the wall.
Kosho equipment consists of a helmet
(similar to a small, unvisored motorcycle
helmet), a long, full-sleeved red robe,
loose trousers, gloves, and sport shoes.
Kosho is played one-on-one. The object
of the game is to dunk your opponent.
Players move by jumping about on a tram-
poline (sometimes to the other trampoline,
sometimes to the top of the wall, and some-
times just to gather momentum) and by
running along the top of the wall. Players
may not jump off the trampoline onto the Village Residences
floor. All Villagers live in comfortably appointed quarters whose food and other
Moving about, the contestants try to
push each other into the water as they jump
supplies are regularly replenished. Several of the more important Villagers live
past each other, or to throw each other off in cottages, but most live in smaller apartments, especially those residents of the
the wall into the water. Much of the action old people's home. All residences are equipped with moveable walls, enabling
involves sparring for position, so there is No. 2 to order a nearly instantaneous makeover any time he desires.
often little physical contact The game con-
tinues until one of the players is dunked, or
until both players declare it a draw. Cottages
Kosho might be used to settle a dis- Each cottage is individually styled to suit its current resident. When pos-
agreement which would otherwise be ad-
dressed by brawling in the street. It is used sible, it copies that person's last home in the outside world. Each has at least
in "It's Your Funeral" as an opportunity three spacious rooms. The door opens automatically if its occupant wishes to
to switch out No. 6's watch when he isn't enter or leave (unless No. 2 has intentionally had it locked, as he might at night).
wearing it, but that could as easily have
The door can also be programmed from the Control Room to open to other
been accomplished at night, while he slept.
Like other activities, Kosho can be used to specific Villagers.
bring certain people together or to generate
a conflict which must then be resolved. Apartments
Kosho, like everything else in The Vil-
lage, can serve an ulterior purpose. A Village apartments are somewhat less spacious than the cottages, and are
prisoner who allows himself to become too occupied by residents of less importance. Most of the serving personnel live in
involved in the game, as a participant or a them, as well as prisoners who are not of much use but who can't be gotten rid
spectator, has embraced one of the features
of this artificial society — or, at the very of. Still, they are as comfortably outfitted as the cottages; it is obvious that
least, become distracted from escape or money is not a concern to the masters.
resistance.
Kosho is a Physical/Average sport; it
defaults to DX-5 or ST-5 once a game has
Old People's Home
been witnessed. Residences in the Old People's Home can be as large as a cottage or as small
as a single room, especially if its occupant is bedridden. The old people are
grouped together so that geriatric care can be dealt with more easily. Of course,
some of the residents here aren't old, but are so incapacitated that they are unable
to care for themselves.

The Village — 42 —
Bell Tower
The Bell Tower, rising above most other buildings in The Village, stands
beside the sea. The four bells at its peak are rung on special occasions. The
highest of four levels, where the bells hang, is also quite useful for surveying the
Rover
entire Village; this is where No. 6 comes when he finds himself alone in The
Rover is one of the most unusual im-
Village at the beginning of "Many Happy Returns." The second level opens into ages of terror ever conceived. A large,
a large balcony overhanging the sea; No. 6 is here, testing the radio he finds in flabby, bouncing white ball which seems
"Dance of the Dead," when discovered by his Observer and No. 2. always on the verge of flight, it spells cap-
ture or death to would-be escapees. New-
The top level can be outfitted with searchlights, as it is in "Checkmate," but comers to The Village become vividly
Control doesn't usually bother with them, trusting to its radar and other surveil- aware of its abilities the first time they see
lance equipment. it cover a terrified victim and suffocate him
to unconsciousness or death. Its deep, grat-
ing roar can be heard throughout The Vil-
Nursery lage when it is on the prowl, and most
The apartment building across the lawn from the Palace of Fun also holds a Villagers instantly freeze, praying that it is
seeking someone else this time.
children's nursery. There aren't many children in The Village, and most of these Rover is not, in fact, a single entity.
live with their parents. Those without parents, or who have been temporarily Twice during the series, three Rovers are
separated from their families, live in the nursery — at the time of No. 6's dispatched to bring back a Villager at sea.
In each case, one Rover is the normal six-
bedtime story in "The Girl Who Was Death," only three children are living foot size, while the other two are about
there. One loyal Villager is employed as a Nanny when the nursery is occupied. three feet across. Rover is spawned in
water, rising from the sea or even out of
the Free Sea fountain to relentlessly track
Secret Caves down violators of Village rules.
The slopes of The Village are riddled with hidden caves, especially in the Controlled and programmed by war-
ders, Rover is not infallible. Its range is
undeveloped woods around The Village proper. A few of these lead into the usually less than 30 miles, sufficient for
underground complex beneath The Village. Some of these are closed off with most purposes. It occasionally goes on
sliding metal doors. Careful search might disclose a ventilation shaft or two patrol, but it is usually dormant unless ac-
leading up from the underground complex, as well. tivated for a specific purpose. It can recog-
nize a password (as in "The Schizoid
Perhaps not surprisingly, those caves which lead underground seem to shift Man"), but if it is simply told to track a
about from time to time. A cave which leads underground in one adventure fleeing vehicle, it will continue to do so,
might have a rock-solid back the next time it's investigated. even if the vehicle's driver jumps out.
There are vague suggestions that Rover,
when on patrol, senses and is drawn to
Mangrove Walk violence.
Rover has a Move of about 6, and
The mangrove walk is mentioned in "Hammer Into Anvil," when No. 6 is travels with equal speed over land and
walking through the woods between the beach and the mountains. water. It normally has approximately
PDO/DR20, making it immune to fire from
handguns. It may be assumed that No. 2
Underground has access to weapons which could destroy
There is an elaborate system of hidden underground passages and rooms a rogue Rover.
beneath The Village, accessible through the Green Dome, Town Hall, the
Hospital, a few caves in the woods, and a couple of other places. One passage
leads out of The Village, under the mountains. It is through this passage that
most supplies are delivered, from food to construction materials; most delivery
personnel never see The Village.
These passages are usually guarded, but not always. Some No. 2s decide that
the chance of intruders getting into the underground complex is small enough
that round-the-clock guards are a waste of manpower.

Control Room
The Control Room is the center for all surveillance activity in The Village.
It is a a large hemisphere, like the Centrum and the Labour Exchange aptitude
room. A seesaw-shaped apparatus dominates the center of the room. A senior
Observer sits on either end of this apparatus, facing outward and keeping a close
eye on the monitor mounted on his end of the seesaw.
Beyond the seesaw from the entrance and also facing outward are five other
observation posts. Just behind them, toward the center of the room in a ring

— 43 — The Village
 about four feet wide, lies a map of The Village, on which ground movement can
be tracked. The hemispheric wall has a schematic of the stars visible from The
Village, on which aerial movements are similarly tracked, a world map, and a
view screen.
Termination Order In addition to the numerous cameras which can be monitored from the
No. 6 intercepts a termination order Control Room, there are several other surveillance devices, all accessible to
naming Dutton, in "Dance of the Dead."
It is sent by the masters and is intended for Control Room Observers. Visual range to sea is about two miles. Beyond that,
No. 2. Such orders can advance the plot — radar can be used to track movement. There are three radar scopes, one covering
letting PCs intercept a termination order a six-mile radius ring, the second covering a 12-mile range, and the third track-
(or a message ordering the lobotomization
of all old people, or whatever) gives them
ing movement beyond 12 miles.
a purpose, possibly initiating a new adven- There is other control equipment here as well, including any overrides
ture or redirecting a stalled adventure. Or- currently prepared for The Village's vehicles. These controls are used to over-
ders of this type are especially effective ride the helicopter No. 6 takes in "Arrival," the speedboat he jumps in "Free
when directed against a PC or a Depend-
ent. for All," and the ship he commandeers in "Checkmate," the Polotska.
An actual termination order is one of
the more sinister "props" the GM can pro- Television Broadcast Room
vide during an adventure. Dutton's ter-
mination order was a sheet of black paper, The broadcast studio and control room for the closed circuit television sys-
bearing nothing except his full name, in the tem is located in the underground complex.
ubiquitous "Albertus" typeface.
(To unsettle players who are very Speaker Central
familiar with the show, let them find such a
sheet of paper with a PC's name on it. A set of rooms near the television studio houses the radio and speaker
Then another. Then another. The streets of equipment. It is from here that the Village Voice brightens each day, from
the Village are full of them! It turns out that morning till curfew. There are also speaker feeds from the Centrum and the
these are not termination orders, but, per-
haps, election flyers.) Control Room, so that announcements and emergency messages can be broad-
cast directly, without having to run to Speaker Central. In a pinch, remote
pickups can be fed back to this studio for broadcast throughout The Village.

Embryo Room
The Embryo Room is a rarely-used facility to provoke regression in a sub-
ject. About 25 yards in diameter, it is supplied with a range of materials to
simulate the stages of man from birth to old age, including a crib, a rocking
horse, a swing, a desk for staging office interviews, etc. The most intense
process of regression possible in this room is known as Degree Absolute (p. 93).

Assembly Hall
The largest underground room is the assembly hall, seen in "Fall Out." A
large, rock-rimmed hemisphere, it houses the primary computers for The Vil-
lage, as well as the most direct link to No. 1.

Transportation
Village vehicles appear to have few abilities out of the ordinary. A taxi,
helicopter and speedboat are each described below in GURPS terms.
It is certainly reasonable to assume that any new No. 2 is able to import the
vehicles of his choice during his term in office.

Your Village Taxis and Other Land Vehicles

"The Village is a place where people Taxis are certainly the most distinctive of The Village's vehicles. "Mini-
turn up — people who have resigned from Moke" two- or four-seaters with a striped, fringed canopy, they are battery
a certain sort of job, have defected, or have operated. They usually have an open rear storage compartment, useful for haul-
been extracted — the specialized know-
ledge in their heads is of great value to one ing bodies (loose, or on a stretcher) and other baggage.
side or the other. Are you sure you haven't Similar vehicles serve as repair carts, ambulances, etc. If combat becomes
got a Village here?" necessary, the following general description holds for most of them:
— No. 6 to Colonel Unarmored body (PD1/DR1), heavy chassis, light suspension, the smallest
"The Chimes of Big Ben" possible power plant, heavy duty tires, acceleration 5 mph/second, top speed 40

The Village — 44 —
mph (Move 20). Maximum load is 50% more than what it was designed for —
for example, an electrics cart is designed to hold about 500 Ibs. of equipment and Warder
driver. Assume it could hold another 250 Ibs. before bottoming out, which "I have my duty."
means it could carry another person in a pinch. "To whom?"
"To everyone — it's the rule — of the
people, by the people, for the people."
Helicopters "Takes on a new meaning."
Village helicopters have one distinguishing feature: their controls can be "You're a wicked man."
overridden remotely by The Village. It is not always definite where the master "Wicked?"
controls are (in fact, there might be more than one set of controls), but there is "You have no values!"
"Different values."
usually one set in either the Centrum or near the Control Room. "You won't be helped."
Helicopters are equipped to carry a pilot and passenger, plus about 20 cubic "Destroyed."
feet (maximum weight 1,000 Ibs.) of cargo. Their stats are: "You want to spoil things."
"I won't be a goldfish in a bowl."
Small chassis (+2 piloting modifier), small power plant, unarmored body "I must go — I'll be seeing you later?"
(PD1/DR1), acceleration 10 mph/second (under normal load), top speed 200 "Can you avoid it?"
mph (Move 100). "I hope it's all right — the radio."
"What would you do?"
"Report on it — ask for instructions."
Speedboats "No. 1?"
Like helicopters, speedboats' controls which can be overridden by The Vil- "Yes."
lage. They have the same passenger and cargo capacity as a taxi. Their stats are: "Who?"
"No!"
Speedboat chassis, medium power plant, unarmored body (PD1/DR2), ac- "Tell me."
celeration 10 mph/second, top speed 60 mph (Move 30). "That's all I know — all there is to
know."
"In the place where you work?"
Bicycles "Don't keep asking me questions!"
Several varieties of bicycle are available in The Village. The most common
is a small-wheeled affair with one of the familiar striped canopies. Small motor- — Observer and No. 6
"Dance of the Dead"
assisted bikes are used to travel throughout the underground passages. Their top
speed is under 10 mph (Move 5). The pennyfarthing bike itself, while very
common as a symbol, is rarely seen otherwise. There is one standing in the
Centrum which no one ever rides; the postman uses one when he delivers No.
6's invitation to the Carnival, in "Dance of the Dead," and a man in "Arrival" Observer
is pushing one. "I still don't believe it. My Observers
would have told me. They do see and hear
everything, you know."

— Interim No. 2 to No. 6

"It's Your Funeral"

"She's one of our best Observers."

"We have one each?"
"Only our most fractious children."

— No. 2 and No. 6

"Dance of the Dead"

"Shall I watch No. 34 instead?"

"No, he's dead."
"Dead? When?"
"It's none of our business."
"I got to know him quite well."
"He didn't know you, did he?"

— Observer and Supervisor

"Dance of the Dead"

— 45 — The Village
The Village — 46 —
— 47 — The Village
 As "Living in Harmony" demonstrated, The Village fit any specific background. It's easy enough, for example,
isn't necessary for a Prisoner campaign. In some contexts to convert all of the English elements of The Village to
(a medieval fantasy world, for example, or the Wild West), Japanese — the Villagers themselves, the language used,
The Village as described in Chapter 2 would be inap- the foods served ("non-alcoholic sake, 20 units"), and so
propriate. What are the alternatives? on, if that happens to fit the campaign. It also works in a
First, consider where The Village is appropriate. It near-future setting, even post-holocaust. The science is still
works for any modern-day campaign, and can be tailored to fantastic, and it's always possible that a pocket of clean air
and healthy land survived, no matter how thoroughly the rest of the world was
wrecked (perhaps there's a dome over The Village). As to reasons: any modern
or post-modern campaign is likely to have intrigues and secrets, and that's what
The Village is all about.
Then in what contexts is The Village not appropriate? Time travel can place
The Village anywhen; multiversal connections can place The Village anywhere.
But once out of a context similar to today's real world, its chilling not-quite-
rightness begins to be lost in its overall strangeness — any 20th-century town
Mad Scientists
would look odd to Mayans or Huns. Who cares that you can only place local
"We are in this prison for life, all of us,
calls, if you've never seen a telephone before? Before Alexander Graham Bell, but I have met no one here who has com-
local calls aren't a restriction, they're a liberty! mitted a crime."
In these and other such contexts, The Village as seen in the original The
— Watchmaker to No. 6
Prisoner series is out of place. For a successful translation into other times and "It's Your Funeral."
places, those elements which tie it to 20th-century Britain must be stripped
away, leaving the essentials which define The Village no matter where or when.
In any reality, a chilling possibility is
General Principles that The Village's experimental function is
really its most important one. It is being
So what makes The Village what it is? The name itself isn't all that impor- run by scientists — perhaps genuinely mad
tant. In fact, for purposes of springing a surprise on a party, the GM probably scientists — who use it as a test-site for
various inhuman and inhumane experi-
should find another name for his revised Village. ments on living subjects. Many of these
Most obviously, there must be a reason for The Village. This reason doesn't techniques aim at mind control; hence the
have to be very specific — it can be as general as that of the original Village. The masters' preoccupation with learning the
masters built The Village so that they would have total control over a collection secrets of No. 6 and the other prisoners.
It's not that the secrets themselves are so
of people. For the most part, this control is so that they can learn what these important ... but breaking the prisoners'
people know, and prevent these people from telling anyone outside The Village will, to learn their most private thoughts, is
what they know. But their control also provides them with experimental very important!
This type of campaign would place a
freedom; they aren't answerable to anyone, especially bleeding-heart liberals heavy emphasis on weird science and on
who would stifle the advance of science because of a few accidental deaths or the intrigues among the various ex-
unfortunate side effects. perimenters. The scientists might have
much less outer-world influence than
would the masters of a politically-
A Closed Environment motivated Village, making it easier to
"stay escaped" once a prisoner was out.
A second prerequisite, related to the first, is that The Village be a closed On the other hand, the victim of a mind-
society. Its residents need no passports; they won't be going anywhere. There is control experiment might think he had es-
no long-distance telephone service or out-of-town mail delivery. There is no caped, when he had never left The Village!
communication of any sort with the outside world, though the masters themsel-
ves, those few who live in The Village, have access to the world at large, as do
their most trusted warders. "You don't believe it?"
Thus, prisoners are unable to tell anyone else what they know or appeal to "It's improbable."
"But not impossible."
anyone else for help; they are helpless, wholly dominated by the masters, and "Nothing's impossible in this place.
they know it. Additionally, a closed environment is one of the most important
requirements of scientific experimentation, so that results aren't subject to out- — No. 12 and No. 6
"The General"
side influences. The Village provides that environment.

"Us" versus "Them"

A third aspect of The Village, useful to most of its potential functions, is that
prisoners cannot distinguish between "us" and "them." They know that they
have been imprisoned and that their every move can be monitored, but they don't
know which of their fellow Villagers are prisoners and which are warders. They
can't plan a revolt, because they don't know who they'd be revolting against.
No. 2 and the uniformed guards are obvious targets, but by the time the rebels
have recruited a force large enough to challenge the guards, they've betrayed
themselves to incognito warders. Their plot is doomed to failure.

— 49 — Alternate Realities
 Fantasy
The Village fits easily into worlds of fantasy and magic. The weird science
of the series can be translated directly into magic; anything that can be done with
Dream Worlds science fantasy can be done with magical fantasy, It is reasonable that a powerful
If the limits of time, space and reality mage, or anyone with access to enough magical power, could establish and
seem restrictive, consider the worlds of
dreams. Put the PCs to sleep, then send operate a fantastic Village.
them off to Never Never Land. While they There are many reasons why a magical Village might be established. A mage
dream away, the GM can lead his party who devises spells but refuses to share them might find himself here, as well as
through any realm he wishes to take them,
changing them for better or worse along
any adventurer who knows formulae and words of power but who will not or
the way. He can send them into situations cannot divulge them. Hostages could be held in The Village, perhaps masked or
they would never have been foolish disguised so that no one could magically detect their presence or, seeing them,
enough to tackle while awake. He can add, their identity. And experimental magicians are always in need of trial subjects;
increase or delete advantages, disadvan-
tages, and skills, he can kill PCs arbitrari- what better place to find them than among a population that can't refuse or
ly, he can break all the rules of civilized complain?
play because nothing is really happening One problem would be the magic of imprisoned Villagers, but that could be
— they're just asleep.
In a dreamland Village, the most loyal addressed with damping fields and negative magic. Villagers could also be
player character can turn into a snivelling hypnotized to forget their most powerful magics. Perhaps each Villager wears an
warder. Departed friends can return to tor- amulet which he can't remove and which cancels any spell he tries to cast. Or
ture their companions. Villains who were perhaps only the prisoners wear them; warders could wear fake amulets which
conquered three adventures back can show
up, perhaps as warders, perhaps as fellow have no restraining power.
prisoners. In "A, B and C," No. 2 sends A second problem would be the intensity of the magic required to keep
No. 6 into dreamland, putting him in con- everything under control. A community of the sort described here might
tact with three figures from his past, to find
out how he would have dealt with the situa- generate a magical aura visible for miles and glaringly obvious to magical sen-
tion. ses. Perhaps the entire Village has a dome which masks this effect, or perhaps,
As always, don't overdo things. Some like a black hole, its magic is so strong that it falls in upon itself, and can only
players will enjoy this type of adventure,
but many others will hate their almost total be detected by an absence of expected mana. And then, it could be that mana and
lack of control. If the players aren't enjoy- magic radiate no aura in this particular world.
ing themselves, it's time to move the cam- If The Village were detectable, interference from curious, powerful mages
paign in other directions.
could be another problem. It would have to be kept far away from the nosy
(perhaps in another dimension?), or the "No Trespassing" signs would have to
be very foreboding, or its function would have to be disguised. On the other
hand, if all powerful wizards were masters — if The Village were run by a coven
of all of the greatest mages — the threat of interference would be much less of a
problem.
Of course, rather than taking The Village to a fantasy world, what about
bringing fantasy into The Village's world? Consider the possibilities of The
Village built in a high-mana area of the modern world, run by those who know
the ancient ways. How would a modern secret agent react to "Body of Stone"
or "Zombie"? How could The Village be detected if it were magically
camouflaged? Magical masters could do everything, and more, that the masters
in the television series can do. And they might disguise it as super-science to
make it even harder to deal with ... "a sufficiently advanced magic is indistin-
guishable from technology."

Horror
Mind Control, Horror Style The Village is very much a world of horror. Mating it with other such
"In Haiti, we'd say he's stolen his worlds is an obvious, but very effective possibility. Alien masters, in fact, are
soul." just a step away from a Village run by Creatures Man Was Not Meant To Know.
— Control Room Observer Awesome creatures from another dimension might be quietly investigating
"The Schizoid Man" mankind, preparing to taking over the world. They could hide one of their
number inside a box and call it a computer, the super computer known as No. 1.
An evil genius trying to conquer the world would establish a Village for
much the same reason as a multinational corporation would (p. 15).

Alternate Realities — 50 —
 The Cabal, the loose-knit organization of occult beings described in the
GURPS Horror worldbook, is another natural choice to fill the role of the
masters. Their supernatural abilities give them an advantage over any normals
they choose to imprison. They are careful as they move about in the world, but
not always careful enough; anyone who uncovers the real identity of a member Outside Campaigns —
of the Cabal is likely to find himself in The Village, perhaps slated for next Visiting The Village
Wednesday's menu. And individuals who don't know their own supernatural Perhaps a GM would prefer to bring an
ongoing campaign into The Village for an
abilities might be brought to The Village, willingly or otherwise, to discover adventure or two, and then continue with
what they can do. the original campaign. For example, a
The flip side of a Cabal-run Village is possible, as well. Consider a Village Fantasy campaign might discover a magi-
cal Village, get swept in as prisoners, and
run by scientists and/or enforcement agencies, whose prisoners are all vampires, escape, swearing never to come near it
weres, and other occult characters. There is certainly strong motivation for again. Or outer space aliens might come
keeping all such creatures locked away, where they can't harm real people and down, erect a Village, capture the PCs,
where their diabolical secrets can be discovered. Scientists might even have been play with their minds to see what makes
them tick, then fly away again, leaving the
able to simulate the light of a full moon, so that moon-based experiments can take characters to wonder if they're gone for
place more often than once a month. The surrounding mountains are probably good, or gone just to get reinforcements.
planted with garlic and wolfsbane, to prevent escape. All warders would simu- Espionage is the most obvious cam-
paign genre for visiting The Village, since
late occult capabilities (wearing artificial fangs, taking injections which make secret agents routinely deal in information
their eyes glow, etc.), so that the truly occult prisoners couldn't tell them from and information is so important to The Vil-
their fellow prisoners. lage; in fact, an espionage campaign can
turn into a Prisoner campaign, either gra-
Many player character types are possible in this type of campaign. PCs could dually or all at once. If the players tire of
be warders, recruited by authorities to help hold back the evil wave of the occult. life in The Village, they can escape or be
But once in The Village, do they side with the human masters or the occult released, or they can move into a different
prisoners? At one end of the scale, the masters are truly humanitarian and the line of work (and campaign) altogether.
However, because non-espionage cam-
prisoners are an evil threat to all mankind. At the other end of the scale, the paigns are less related to The Village,
masters are ruthlessly subduing an oppressed minority who can't help being dropping in on The Village from such cam-
what they are. Where on this scale would a campaign's newly created Village paigns can be more of a shock to players
who aren't expecting it.
lie? It doesn't have to be at one extreme or the other. Perhaps some warders are Any characters who spend time in The
kindly ("Oooh, look at the cute little wolf-baby!"), some thoughtless ("After Village (wherever or whatever it is) and
all, they're not really people."), and some hateful ("A werewolf killed my then get out will always be left to wonder
whether they're scheduled for a return trip.
sister, and they're all going to pay for it!"). The prisoners themselves can cover And once they're out, they don't know
the same range, some burning with evil, some filled with remorse at their who knew about The Village and who
didn't — they still don't know whom they
can trust. Even if they destroyed The Vil-
lage completely, the potential exists for
another to arise from its ashes or for a
second to exist. How to play on this fear is
dealt with in Escape (p. 64).

(Colonel) "You must forgive us, but

you see, we have a problem. Tell him our
problem, Thorpe."
(Thorpe) "You resign. You disappear.
You return. You spin a yarn that Hans
Christian Anderson would reject for a fairy
tale."
(Colonel) "And we must be sure. You
see, people defect. An unhappy thought,
but a fact of life. They defect from one side
to the other."
(No. 6) "I also have a problem. I'm not
sure which side runs this Village."

— The Colonel, Thorpe and No. 6

"Many Happy Returns"

— 51 — Alternate Realities
 changed nature, and some just plain folks who can turn into hairy beasts. Whom
The Psi Village do PC warders help, and whom do they oppose? The answers would change from
Suppose that psionic powers (see p. 73, adventure to adventure. All the while, of course, they would have to be wary of
and Chapter 20 of the GURPS Basic Set) an inadvertent nip or experimental virus which could change them into occult
exist. Suppose that their existence is a creatures themselves.
secret; even the authorities can barely Note that, in a campaign sympathetic to occult prisoners, PCs can be occult
admit to themselves that such powers can
be real. Suppose that a decision is made to beings themselves! They're still fighting against repressive warders, resisting
study some of these "psi" users, by any attempts to conquer their minds. See GURPS Horror or GURPS Fantasy for
means possible. suggestions and character statistics suitable for this type of being.
Enter The Village.
A Village of imprisoned psi-users
would be a challenge even for the warders' Other Times
super-science. It might be necessary to Moving away from the Cabal, who might be the masters in other times of
keep many of the prisoners sedated or
worse, to keep them from teleporting away horror? Secret societies come to mind for Victorian England — the Masons, the
or forcing the warders to do their bidding. Illuminati, perhaps a devil-worshipping cult. (These would be the people respon-
But it would explain, if not justify, the sible for Jack the Ripper and other mysteries of the Victorian era.)
warders' utter ruthlessness and the in- For the Roaring Twenties, the pulps are a good source of evil megalomania.
credible precautions taken to prevent es-
cape. Stephen King's Firestarter would be Dr. Fu Manchu would feel right at home running The Village. So would a
required reading for the GM considering Creature Man Was Not Meant To Know, as mentioned above. There are several
such a Village. kindred spirits from the early 20th century, all of whom have the drive and
know-how to make a Village work, the more so if two or more teamed up
together.
Turning the Tables
One very different reality: Suppose that
the masters are not all-powerful. Indeed,
Space
they know less about The Village than any In a space Village, there's no one to hear you scream. A Village among the
of their prisoners! Somehow their plans stars is very similar to the one on Earth, with one more advantage for the
have backfired, and now they are unknow-
ingly running a vacation resort for the masters. It's much harder to escape from a contained environment when there's
people they think are prisoners. This might nothing but vacuum for several light years in every direction. SF literature
explain the constant turnover in No. 2s, includes many examples of prison colonies just that isolated; it wouldn't be hard
though. For guidance on running this par-
ticular "change of pace," the GM must
to convert any of them for use in a Prisoner campaign, or to drop The Village
look to other sources ... into any space faring campaign.
For those interested in the latter option, GURPS Space covers a wide variety
"No one has ever escaped from Stalag of future social organizations. Space Villages might be possible in any future
13!"
— Colonel Klink to Major Hochstetter society, but they fit naturally into the mindset of most Corporate States (inter-
"Hogan's Heroes" stellar "multinationals" — see p. 15) and Empires. Any society with a high
Control Rating — that is, any highly repressive society — might find a use for a
Village.
There are many possibilities for a space Village:
It could be a relatively small facility, in orbit (as depicted on p. 48). For even
more security, it might orbit an otherwise worthless star, or even float in the
remote, lightless reaches of deep space.
It could be the only inhabited area on an otherwise empty planet ... a sort
of "Devil's Island" in space. If the planet is hostile, prisoners must stay within
the dome or die. If it is pleasant, those who escape will be able to build a frontier
society in hiding. But they'll always have to wonder if they really escaped, or if
there are warders among them, still watching!
Or it could be a whole planet. A large enough interstellar empire could easily
produce a world's worth of dissidents, troublemakers and other Village fodder.
What would a planetary dictatorship be like, if its object was not power for its
own sake, but surveillance for its own sake?
Whatever the nature of a future Village, it could enter a campaign, not
because the PCs "belong" there, but because they stumbled over it while explor-
ing. Of course, finding such a Village would mean, at best, a life sentence as a
resident. But in an interstellar campaign, escapees from a Village might just be
able to run far enough and keep quiet enough to truly get away. Maybe . . .

Alternate Realities — 52 —
Western
The short answer to establishing a Wild West Village is to watch "Living in
Harmony." Westerns are the modern archetype for the Good Guy/Bad Guy
(White Hat/Black Hat) tale, including the espionage genre (Secret Agent/Danger
Man, James Bond and The Saint all being prime examples of their type). The Welcome to Harmony
Prisoner turns this genre on its side, questioning who wears the white hats and "Welcome to Harmony, stranger."
who can really be trusted. It can do the same for Westerns. "Harmony? Never heard of it."
When designing a Western Prisoner campaign, establish the classic roles "Not many people have, senor. It's sort
of . . . exclusive."
(the aging but still accurate sheriff, the town drunk who is not yet beyond "So am I. Where is this town?"
redemption, the dance hall girl with a heart of gold, the corrupt banker, and so "You'll find out, senor. It's not wise to
forth), and then apply a twist. Who can be trusted? Who are really warders? Who ask too many questions here."
fills the role of No. 2? How will the town (or ranch, or mining camp) be kept
— Mexican Sam and No. 6
sealed off? Who are the masters and what do they want? "Living in Harmony"

Medieval "I don't know you."

"I know you. I know all about you.
Reasons have always existed for keeping certain people locked away, but the That's why you're here."
Middle Ages usually locked them away in a dungeon; methods have always "Where?"
existed for learning their secrets, but earlier days usually preferred the relatively "Here."
crude techniques of the torture chamber. The concept of a Village specifically
designed to isolate people and extract their secrets is a giant step forward in the
finding and keeping of information. "I'm not for hire."
Which isn't to say that The Village couldn't have existed in earlier times. "You turned in your badge?"
"And my gun."
Just take that innovative step earlier than 1967 — say 1000 B.C., in China, "What were your reasons?"
where an emperor has constructed a hidden village in which exiled enemies of "My reasons."
the state, people of political consequence, and so on, are kept in luxury, sur- "You've already taken a job? Who
with?"
rounded by informers, and prevented from leaving. Or A.D. 1200, in Europe.
Or 1400, in Shogunate Japan. Note that the farther back in history that the — No. 6 and the Judge
Village is established, the easier it is to hide it from prying eyes and create a "Living in Harmony"
closed environment. Likewise, the further back in history one goes, the easier it
will be to recruit warders who don't mind staying in one place for the rest of their
lives! A medieval serf had no more freedom of movement than a Villager, and "The Kid's real fond of Cathy. But he
much less day-to-day security. does tend to get ... overaffectionate."
"If anything happens, it'll be paid for."
There are still secrets to be hidden and learned; in fact, a wider range of "Nothing could happen if you were
character types can end up as prisoners, because life, particularly the business of sheriff."
secrets, is less specialized in medieval times. There are no Middle Ages "... Let her go." (takes badge)
"Let her out, Kid . . . She's safe now;
skyscrapers specifically devoted to the finding and keeping of secrets, accessible safe for as long as you work for me."
only with a security clearance; a king's secrets are kept in the royal castle, along
with all the other royal possessions. Where Computer Operations skills are — The Judge and No. 6
necessary to read a high-tech file, all it takes is Literacy in earlier times. Of "Living in Harmony"
course, Literacy is as rare in some eras as Computer Operation is in ours!
Weird sciences don't have to be all that weird — just a bit ahead of their
time. Imagine the effectiveness of electronic bugs, behavior-modifying drugs,
and gunpowder in controlling a population which has never seen them before.

— 53 — Alternate Realities
 Perhaps the greatest difference between The Village unseen masters of The Village have powers which reduce
and most other roleplaying worlds is that here, the PCs their own abilities to insignificance. Players used to over-
aren't high men on the totem pole. They're underdogs, and whelming success in their every roleplaying venture will
they will remain underdogs. Players used to running the find that they don't always win here, and those victories
most powerful characters in their world will find that the they do achieve will often be marginal.
 In fact, The Village isn't a suitable world for some roleplayers, because they
can't handle the lack of control they will often encounter. They game to win, and Beginning the Campaign
in roleplaying, they're used to winning constantly. Yes, the Bad Guy NPCs can It's possible to begin a Prisoner cam-
put up a good fight, but by the end of each adventure, the PCs must have paign by simply announcing it and having
thoroughly thrashed them. Such automatic victories become meaningless. everyone sit around the table with this
worldbook to generate new characters.
In The Village, victories are anything but frequent, anything but automatic, That's not the most interesting way.
and anything but meaningless. When they come, they will be savored, but If the GM can begin the campaign
players must realize that they will not always come. without the players knowing what they're
So they must be able to handle disappointment and defeat. In fact, the GM getting into, he'll be able to capture the
amazement and shock that greet any new
has the means in The Village to crush them every time. Soon, they'll realize that prisoner in The Village. Perhaps they can
he can. And therein lies the GM's greatest challenge in a Prisoner campaign. He each be told to prepare a secret agent, or be
must deal fairly with the players. They must win sometimes, but in winning they given a list of character types from Chapter
1 and have them design from that list.
must feel they've earned the victory, not had it handed to them on a silver platter. (Don't photocopy the list directly from this
If, arbitrarily, the GM decides they'll win this time but not the next, and it book, because it would be obvious where it
doesn't matter what they do in either case, then he's not playing with them, he's came from.) Alternatively, slide into a
Prisoner campaign from another cam-
using them to play his own game of solitaire, and they'll realize that, too. When paign, with the players none the wiser until
the GM gives in to this ultimate power trip, the campaign is over. after they wake up in their home away
from home. "Arrival," the beginning ad-
venture in Chapter 6, is designed to ac-
PCs and NPCs commodate this "surprise" approach.
The thing that saved No. 6, from first to last, is that he was important; he
wasn't expendable. The masters wanted his active cooperation; they wanted to
recruit him. The information was important but secondary. Any No. 2 could Valuable Prisoners
have drained No. 6's mind, leaving an empty husk, if allowed to do so. "He's no ordinary man. This has got to
No. 6 has much in common with player characters. They, too, are important, be handled very differently."
not to be expended arbitrarily. Even more so than in most campaigns, the GM "That could be dangerous."
"You know how important this is."
has the power of life and death. Random and senseless happenings are the rule,
not the exception, here, so he might consider himself justified in arbitrarily — No. 2 and Supervisor
eliminating a PC now and then, just to maintain the flavor of the campaign. "Arrival"
Don't do it. Resist the temptation. That's what NPCs are for.
Threaten the PCs with violence, both mental and physical, but use NPCs, "I would have made him talk — every
man has his breaking point."
not PCs, to show that No. 2 can make good on his threats. Let the PCs realize "I don't want him broken. He must be
that there are warders who are itching to take them apart, and that only No. 2 won over. It may seem a long process to
stands in the way of a swift and final trip into exploratory surgery. In fact, the your practical mind, but this man has a
future with us. There are other ways."
GM can use that realization to make them reconsider a proposed attack on No.
2. Do they really want to destroy this No. 2, when the next might not maintain — Doctor and No. 2
quite so tight a rein on his doctors and scientists? "Dance of the Dead"

"How is he?"
Playing Fair "Still rebellious, but it will pass."
"Without treatment?"
A GM in a Prisoner campaign is all-powerful, which is certainly fun for "We don't want to spoil him."
him. He can pull any trick he wants out of his little black box of science, he can "Unless we must."
watch anything the prisoners do through his ever-present monitors, he can make
— Doctor and No. 2, about No. 6
anyone do anything he wants through the wonders of hypnotic suggestion. "Dance of the Dead"
Sounds great, yes? But what about the players? Is it fun for them?
It has to be, or they will rise up in revolt. "Incidentally, how's progress with
How can players ever win fairly, if the GM holds all the cards? Roleplaying Dutton?"
is a game; approach it as a game, and play by the rules. What are the rules? In "Well, he's given me quite a lot of in-
formation, but he's reluctant to go any fur-
most game worlds, the majority of the rules are set by a published rulebook, and ther. I'm afraid I'll have to be more
by worldbooks like this one. In The Village, though, the rules are constantly extreme. Of course, I'll win in the end. I
changing; a great deal of the challenge for the players arise from the fact that always do."
"Rather a small fish, you know. Still,
they're never sure what the rules are from adventure to adventure. Therefore, it'll give you an opportunity to experiment.
this book can't prescribe what they are each time — the GM must decide them. After all, he is expendable."
In "Arrival," No. 6 thinks he has escaped in a helicopter, until the stick is
— No. 2 and Doctor
remotely overridden from within the Control Room. But in "Do Not Forsake "Dance of the Dead"

— 55 — Campaigns
 Me," Professor Seltzman escapes in a similar helicopter, perhaps the same one.
Was someone in the Control Room a bit slow, or was that helicopter not gim-
micked? What works one time doesn't always work the next. In the televised
episode, it is simply that the scriptwriters want Seltzman to escape in one
episode, but don't want No. 6 to escape in the other. The GM can be just as
arbitrary, deciding each time someone climbs into the helicopter whether he will
escape or not. But that isn't fair. He's making up the rules as he goes along.
To be fair, set the rules before each adventure. Decide which Village sys-
tems will be in operation this time, and which won't. Choose the loopholes, then
drop clues so that the PCs might find them. If electronic mind transfer is the
game of the day, decide whether a well-timed short circuit will upset the process.
Of course, the GM can't consider each possibility that the players might explore,
but he should set some parameters that will help him make quick decisions.

Planning Adventures
Initial Motivation
The Adventure Design Flowchart (below) will help the GM get started in
making these decisions for an adventure. To begin with, who will initiate the
action? It might be No. 2, some other warder (like the doctor at the beginning of
"Dance of the Dead"), one or more of the PCs, or an NPC prisoner.
And what motivates the initiator this time? There are six broad categories
listed, three for warders and three for prisoners. This is not the definitive,
no-exceptions and no-additions list. A couple of these categories aren't well
illustrated in the series. Other categories are possible; one that isn't listed is the
motivation of No. 50 (the watchmaker's daughter), in "It's Your Funeral" —
she wants to protect the Villagers from punishment. Some motivations will
bridge two or more categories. For example, every time No. 6 tries to escape,
his ultimate aim is to come back and destroy No. 2 and The Village.
For warders, the broad categories on the flowchart are: "Make the Prisoner
Conform" (as in "Dance of the Dead"), "Learn the Prisoner's Secret" (multi-
ple examples), and "Teach the Prisoner he is Powerless" (as in "Many Happy
Returns").
For prisoners, the broad categories are: "Escape" (multiple examples),
The Adversary "Destroy No. 2" ("Hammer Into Anvil"), and "Destroy Another Warder"
In a Prisoner campaign, there is often
no need for an Adversary. There is usually
(destruction of the computer in "The General" being the best example).
less physical combat than in most other These are the simpler motivations, but things can get much more complex —
campaigns. And it would be awkward to and the GM will want them to occasionally, to keep his players interested. Every
have someone besides the GM run No. 2 motivation on the chart optionally leads to "Lead Someone On." As an ex-
and the other warders — No. 2 must be
aware of nearly everything the GM knows. ample, in "The Chimes of Big Ben," No. 2 attempts to learn No. 6's secret. He
On the other hand, the GM will probab- does so by leading No. 6 into an escape attempt. On the flowchart, this is charted
ly have at least one player helping him or- by:
ganize opposition to the party, because a
significant feature of most adventures is Who initiates the action?
the plant, someone in the party's trust who No. 2
is working for No. 2 and the masters. For to learn the prisoner's secret
more on plants, see Distrust and Paranoia,
p. 62.
by leading him on
It would be perfectly appropriate to so that No. 6 initiates an action
have a long-term "sleeper" in the party as an attempt to escape.
well. If the GM can arrange in advance When designing motivations, be as specific as possible. It isn't sufficient
with a player who would enjoy it, one of
the original PCs can be a high-level warder simply to decide that No. 2 will try to learn No. 13's secret this adventure. The
all along. This will be totally in keeping GM must decide exactly what method No. 2 will employ; perhaps he will alter
with the spirit of The Prisoner, and will be her mind so that she hears and says the exact opposite of what is intended. He
a lesson to those players who expect all
deceits and betrayals to take place within hopes to so confuse her that she will blurt out her secret by trying to withhold it.
the confines of a single play session. If the GM doesn't get this specific, players are likely to find themselves wander-
ing aimlessly through yet another 'let's learn her secret' plot.

Campaigns — 56 —
Complications
Notice that motivations can loop through "Lead Someone On" more than
once, so that characters can end up pulling the strings of characters who are
Surrealism
themselves pulling the strings of yet other characters. In fact, they can end up
Surrealism is produced through un-
pulling each other's strings! The interim No. 2 in "It's Your Funeral" began by natural juxtapositions and combinations,
manipulating No. 6, but by the end of the adventure, he was following No. 6's and The Village is full of it. Council mem-
directions. It can also be interesting if an initiator plans to lead someone on to bers in top hats and boating jerseys, and a
stone boat with full sailing rig, are just two
lead someone else on. examples. To maintain the slightly off-key,
A second complication can occur when more than one person initiates an not-quite-right qualities of The Village, try
adventure. The best example of intertwined motivations occurs in "Dance of the to add other surreal touches. Perhaps the
Dead," where No. 2 is trying to break Dutton, while No. 6 attempts an escape clocks (not digital) run counter-clockwise
rather than clockwise. Perhaps attending a
using the dead body he finds on the beach. band concert is free, but playing in the
Either of these complications can hopelessly tangle the plot unless the GM band costs five units a performance.
maintain a clear idea of what's happening, and why, and when, throughout the Have a list of five or six oddities ready
for each adventure, and work them in as
adventure. He must stay on top of things, but if he can do so, everyone, includ- the occasions arise. If they aren't all men-
ing himself, will enjoy it a great deal. tioned in one adventure, the list for the
next adventure is already begun.

Who initiates the action?

What weird science is available?

How can this plot be discovered?
What loopholes are available?
(What clues to loopholes are available?)
What is the probable climax?

— 57 — Campaigns
 Plot Developments
Having chosen the initial motivations for the adventure, the GM can fill out
the plot by addressing the final questions on the flowchart:
What weird science is available? Weird science is usually available only to
Of Mice and Men
the warders, but sometimes it can fall into prisoner hands, like the Sublimator
"Preventing is only postponing. You
never understood us, No. 6 — we never insert in "The General" and the drugs in "A Change of Mind" and "A, B and
fail!" C."
How can this plot be discovered? What are the probable clues that will tip
— Outgoing No. 2 to No. 6
"It's Your Funeral" off the other side that something is up? For example, in "A, B and C," No. 6
finds puncture marks in his wrist. He doesn't yet know what is happening to him,
but he knows something is.
"In here you only have so much time to
give them what they want before they take
What loopholes are available? And what are the probable clues to finding
it from you. His time had come; so will these loopholes? In "The Schizoid Man," No. 6 is able to shake off his electro-
yours." shock treatment with further shock. He is gradually clued in to how he was
changed through vagrant memories shown in the form of flashbacks. (In a game,
— No. 9 to No. 6
"Arrival" difficult IQ rolls might be allowed daily to focus a memory.)
And lastly, what is the probable climax? Escape? (Unlikely.) Release of a
secret? (Just as unlikely.) The fall of a No. 2? Foiling of an attempted coup?
"He doesn't even bend a little."
"That's why he'll break. It only needs Have a climax in mind, but be prepared for a change if the situation truly
one small thing, if he will answer one warrants it.
simple question, the rest will follow: Why One good way to prepare an adventure, using these guidelines and answering
did he resign?"
these questions, is to follow the same techniques used by the television writers.
— No. 2 about No. 6
"The Chimes of Big Ben"

"Everything you think here is in the

strictest confidence."'

— Labour Exchange Manager to No. 6

"Free for All"

Getting Physical
While the emphasis in The Prisoner is
on mindplay and psychological conflict,
too much talk and too little action can be-
come boring. The GM should make sure
that each adventure contains physical, as
well as mental, challenges. In every
episode, No. 6 runs, fights, hides or
sneaks; players should have the same op-
portunities.
Even in an alternate reality, a Prisoner
campaign bears some relation to espionage
adventures — opportunities should arise to
pick a lock, break into a building, shadow
a suspect, fast-talk a guard, brawl with
warders, run from capture (especially
Rover!), avoid or misdirect surveillance,
and so on. Action isn't everything, but its
absence can certainly make an adventure
less adventurous.

Campaigns — 58 —
Producing a Television Series Campaign
Roleplaying is at its best when the GM and the players cooperate to create an Cooperation
"I've nothing to say. Is that clear? Ab-
interesting, exciting narrative. With a Prisoner campaign, the GM can shape this solutely nothing."
narrative into episodic adventures. Such a format helps him structure his plot, "Now be reasonable, old boy. It's just
and lets his players visualize the action more clearly. a matter of time. Sooner or later you'll tell
When a GM creates a Prisoner campaign, he wants to create this sort of me. Sooner or later you'll want to. Let's
make a deal. You cooperate, tell us what
narrative with players. But if sessions must end by a certain hour and are we want to know, and this can be a very
occasionally postponed, it is difficult to sustain a long, complex "novel"- or nice place. You may even be given a posi-
"film"-style plot. A format is needed that lends itself to short, self-contained, tion of authority."
"I will not make any deals with you.
fast-paced adventures involving a standard collection of characters and settings. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed,
The obvious answer, for a Prisoner campaign especially, is a television series! stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or
The parameters of a TV series provide a convenient framework for adven- numbered! My life is my own."
"Is it?"
tures. They give a preset length and basic outline for each episode (the TV show "Yes. You won't hold me."
format), a collection of regular NPCs (supporting characters with recurring "Won't we? Let me prove that we
roles), an endless supply of foes (each new No. 2 and his henchmen) and a ready will."
source of plot ideas (the series itself). The result is an easy-to-run campaign that — No. 6 and No. 2
both the GM and his players should enjoy. "Arrival"
On the other hand, mindlessly mimicking a series of televised plots can
become dull, unoriginal and predictable. Create, using the series as a tool —
don't duplicate.
Wheels within Wheels
"Don't go."
The TV Series Format "I must."
The Prisoner episodes break into three parts, but these parts are not the same "There's a reason."
"Reason?"
length from episode to episode. Roughly speaking, in Act I, the plot is initiated "No. 2 wants you to go . . . or does
and developed until the opposition becomes aware that something is up. In Act she? Am I playing her game, or yours?"
II, the opposition develops a response while the plot itself proceeds. In Act III,
— No. 6 and his Observer
the climax occurs. "Dance of the Dead"
In this context, there are two basic types of Prisoner episodes, those in
which No. 2 or another warder initiates a plot ("The Schizoid Man" being a
"What we do here has to be done. It's
prime example) and those in which the prisoners do so (the best example being the law of survival. It's either them or us."
"Hammer Into Anvil"). In several episodes, the two types are combined. "Imprison people? Steal their minds?
Destroy them?"
"Depends on whose side you're on,
Initiated by No. 2 doesn't it?"
This is the basic format of most Prisoner episodes, and will probably be the "I'm on our side."
basic format of a campaign as well. No. 2 initiates a new scheme (Act I), No. 6 "Then we have to find out where your
responds (Act II), the climax occurs (Act III). sympathies lie."
"You know where they lie."
In these cases, Act I will be the shortest of the three acts, since most of its (reading file) "Subject shows great en-
action takes place behind the scenes, out of sight of the PCs. This is different thusiasm for his work. He is utterly
from television episodes, because in television, you're a viewer, not a par- devoted and loyal. Is this a man that sud-
denly walks out?"'
ticipant. Viewers can watch while No. 2 develops his plot, but players can't. In "And I didn't walk out. I resigned!"
a campaign, most of Act I will take place as the GM plans the adventure; in some "People change, exactly. So do loyal-
cases he'll talk to players privately beforehand, lining up temporary warders. ties."
"Not mine."
Then, as the adventure begins, he works into play the clues, the visible evidences "All very commendable. But let's be
of No. 2's plot. In some cases, these clues will be obvious — in "Many Happy practical. I am interested in facts. Your
Returns," No. 6 wakes up to find The Village deserted. In others, they will be only chance to get out of here is to give
more subtle — in "A Change of Mind," seemingly random encounters develop them to me. And if you don't give them,
I'll take them. It's up to you. Think about
into a Village-wide effort to convert No. 6. The climax of Act I will come as the it. Good day, No. 6."
players recognize the elements of a plot and begin working against it. "Number what?"
Act II centers on the PCs' investigations and countermeasures, as they put "6. For official purposes, everyone has
a number. Yours is No. 6."
together the pieces of the puzzle that identify the nature of No. 2's plot. In "The "I am not a number. I am a person."
General," Act II covers the alliance and plans of No. 6 and No. 12. In "A, B "Six of one, half a dozen of another.
and C," it includes No. 6's investigation of No. 14 (the doctor), his confronta- Good day."
tion with "B," and his discovery of the dream lab. By the climax of the second — No. 6 and No. 2
"Arrival"

— 59 — Campaigns
 act, the players should be fairly certain of what's up; the tension in this act comes
Someone is Watching from the need to stop No. 2 before he succeeds or strikes again.
To X.0.4. Act III brings the PCs into the final confrontation with No. 2, climaxing in
Ref. your query via Bizet record. victory for one or the other. In "Many Happy Returns," No. 2 wins. In "It's
No. 2's instability confirmed. Your Funeral," No. 6 (and the retiring No. 2) come out on top.
Detailed report follows.
D.6.
Initiated by Prisoners
— Secret message from No. 6 to imagi- In this format, the players initiate the plot while No. 2 responds, reversing
nary X.0.4. many of the roles of the previous format. There are not as many good examples
"Hammer Into Anvil"
of this format in the series, and there shouldn't be many in the campaign. The
GM (and therefore No. 2) is responsible for designing adventures and initiating
"Well?" action, not the players. In fact, leaving a plot totally up to the players, when
"I'm sorry, sir, but there's nothing."
"Nothing, nothing at all?" they've already tried to escape two or three times, can lead to an evening of "I
"No sir, they're just blank sheets of don't know, what do you want to do?" unless the GM can give them very
paper." specific leads for a new escape plan.
"It can't be! Why should he hide blank Most plots which No. 6 seems to initiate are triggered by No. 2, instead: the
sheets of paper in the Stone Boat? ... Or
are you hiding something?" escape attempt in "The Chimes of Big Ben" and even No. 6's fairy tale in "The
"What do you mean, sir?" Girl Who Was Death" both turn out to have been engineered by No. 2 to trick
"I mean, was there a message here and No. 6's secret from him. The GM can do the same. Acting as No. 2, pre-plan a
you're not telling me?"
"Why should I do that, sir?" plot for the players, feeding them tidbits and possibilities until they arrive at a
"Perhaps you're in with him?" scheme which they think they devised on their own. (In terms of the flowchart,
"In with whom?" "lead the players on.") Having done so, it is reasonable for No. 2 to be able to
"No. 6! No. 6! Oh, you don't know
what I'm talking about. Get out!" keep track of what they're doing, especially if he has been able to work a warder
into their confidence.
— No. 2 and No. 263 Act I in this format will play somewhat longer, since it requires that players
"Hammer Into Anvil" both arrive at a plot and begin to develop it — in television-speak, the action is
happening in front of the cameras, not behind them.
"That's not like the old No. 2. Where is Act II is the shorter in this case, because it concentrates on No. 2's response
the strong man, the hammer? You have to to the plot as the prisoners continue to develop it.
be a hammer or an anvil, remember?"
"I know who you are!" Act III is still the final confrontation, and it will climax with the same
"I'm No. 6." possible results, ranging from total victory to total defeat for the prisoners.
"No- D.6."
"D6?"
"Yes. Sent here by our masters to spy Mixed Formats
on me!" Several of the episodes are not just plots by No. 6 or No. 2. In some (as
(laughs) "Sorry, I'm not quite with mentioned above), schemes by No. 6 turn out to have been devised by No. 2. In
you." others, both No. 2 and No. 6 develop plots — "Checkmate" involves both an
"Oh, yes. Well, yes, you can stop act-
ing now, you know. I've been on to you escape attempt by No. 6 and an infatuation engineered by No. 2. Even with such
from the beginning. I knew what you were mixed adventures, the general episodic format remains:
doing!" Act I — initiation and development; recognition and initial response
"Do tell."
"All those messages you sent. All those Act II — development of both plot and counterplot
gentlemen you recruited. I know you were Act III — final confrontation
a plant. You didn't fool me!"
"Maybe you fooled yourself?"
"What does that mean?" Length
"Let us suppose for argument's sake Each adventure is a single episode of the series, and should be playable in a
that what you say is true, that I was planted
here — "
single session. An occasional adventure can run two or even three episodes, in a
"By X.0.4.!" "To be continued ..." format. But even the episodes of a two- or three-part
"X.O.4.?" story should stand alone well enough that they can be enjoyed by those who
"Yes!" missed one part or another.
"Oh, very well. By X.0.4., to check on
Village security, to check on you." Sessions with a campaign of this sort last about five hours. If there is less
"You were!" time available per session, it is possible to run a single episode over two or three
sessions by ending each session at a "commercial break" between acts. This
Continued on next page . . .
method demands that the next session be held soon, though. After all, TV
episodes are structured to leave the audience — and the story — hanging during
commercials.

Campaigns — 60 —
The Bible
Every TV series has a "bible," a book containing information about the
characters and setting of that series. Descriptions of all the sets are found here,
Someone is Watching
as are details on the likes, dislikes, and personal history of each recurring
(Continued)
character. Writers refer to the bible as they write each episode. For a Prisoner
"What would have been your first duty
campaign, the basic bible is this worldbook, modified as the GM desires. A as a loyal citizen? Not to interfere! But you
campaign's bible should also include character sheets for PCs and NPCs, and did interfere. You have admitted it your-
notes about previous episodes. self. There is a name for that — sabotage!"
"No!"
"Who are you working for, No. 2?"
The Teleplay "For us! For us!"
"That is not the way it's going to sound
With a customized bible and a solid visualization of The Village, a GM can to X.0.4.!"
put together an episode fairly quickly. Will this adventure be initiated by No. 2 "I swear to you!"
or the prisoners? If by No. 2, will it be an overt plot to which the prisoners react, "You could be working for the enemy,
or you could be a blunderer who's lost his
or the covert leading of prisoners into a plot of their "own"? If by the prisoners, head. Either way, you've failed! And they
will a non-player prisoner invite them in on a plot, or will the players devise it do not like failure here."
on their own? Will it be an escape attempt or an attempt to change some aspect "You've . . . destroyed me."
of Village life (e.g., destroy No. 2)? "No. You've destroyed yourself. A
character flaw. You are afraid of your
This is the time to be wildly imaginative. If evacuation of The Village, weird masters. A weak link in the chain of com-
sciences and even fairy tales are all fair game, how can anything else be out of mand, waiting to be broken."
line? "Don't tell them! Don't report me!"
"I don't intend to. You are going to
Then fill in the hints and clues to be discovered (or revealed) during Act I. report yourself."
If No. 2 is initiating the action, the GM can be fairly definite about what these (Hands red telephone to No. 2.)
will be. If the players are taking the lead, he'll have to recognize and develop
— No. 6 and No. 2
some of these clues during play. "Hammer Into Anvil"
Act II will depend more on the players' actions, but it should lead toward the
climax in Act III. With this climax in mind, plan the direction and steps along the
way intended for Acts II and III. (Be ready to modify this climax if the players "I don't trust No. 2, 1 don't trust you,
and I don't trust your tame professor."
prove more or less clever than intended.) Add brief notes on any subplots that "Who do you trust, No. 6?"
will need resolution. "I trust me."
Finally, go back over the teleplay that has been created, fleshing out the "Join the club."
individual scenes. Build No. 2 and his henchmen if this is their first appearance, — No. 6 and No. 12
write their dialogue, and tailor the details of some of the scenes to particular "The General"
PCs.
This entire process shouldn't take more than one or two hours, once the GM "We're intimidated without force. By
has a good premise for the episode. my manner you assumed I was a guard-
ian."
"That's true."
Producing the Series "By your manner, I knew you were a
Once the series format has been established, the show can enter production prisoner, subservient. The guardians pose
— that is, the GM can start to run adventures. After he's run a few episodes, as prisoners, but none of them would be
intimidated by me."
establishing the style and flavor of the series, he (the "producer-GM") can hand "So you're a prisoner?"
off his duties to other GMs. These GMs, taking the role of episode-writer-direc- "Yes. Only other prisoners would obey
tors, follow the series format to create new episodes. Because of the stand-alone me."
"So you've found a way to identify us.
nature of each episode, and the continuity enforced by the bible, a Prisoner Where does it get you?"
campaign can run for quite a while with several GMs rotating director's duties. "It's a first step. No escape plan can
Of course, the series' producer remains the ultimate authority on the campaign, succeed without knowing who you can rely
on."
but each director can add his own touch to the show. "What is the plan?"
"First things first. Let's find our reli-
able men."
The Multi-GM Campaign
Whether or not a Prisoner campaign is run as a television series, it can — No. 6 and Rook
"Checkmate"
benefit in at least three ways if more than one GM is helping to run the show.
None of these advantages require that every player participate occasionally as
GM, but the more who do so, the merrier. The most obvious advantage is that it

— 61 — Campaigns
 makes it easier on each GM, as he isn't required to write a new adventure every
Paranoia Notes week or two. The other two reasons are particularly appropriate to Prisoner
Once players are aware that some PCs campaigns.
(they don't know which) are probably
working against them, the GM can start Power and its Abuses
spreading and encouraging even more
suspicion, casting doubt on everyone in Among the most likely problems in a Prisoner campaign are abuses and
turn. Again, two purposes are served by perceived abuses of the GM's power. No. 2 can be anywhere, know everything,
doing so. First, he makes each player
suspicious of every other player. And
and force anybody to do anything he wishes. Well, not really, but it can certainly
second, he covers the evidence of which seem that way at times. That is a fact of life in The Village, and campaigns which
PC is actually working for No. 2. realistically mirror The Village must reflect this reality. Playing Fair (p. 55)
It doesn't take an exceptionally bright discusses ways to address this problem; one additional way is to rotate GMs.
observer to notice that a GM is passing lots
of notes back and forth with a particular By giving each player a continuing opportunity to GM the other players,
player. So camouflage the GM's relation- everyone gets a shot at omnipotence. And everyone learns what it means to sit
ship with his ringers. Send everyone else across from omnipotence, trying to deal with it. A GM is less likely to deal
notes, too. Don't let anyone else see the
notes passed to any player — require that arbitrarily and harshly with a prisoner if he knows that his own character could
all GM notes be returned to the GM. In be just as vulnerable next week. Which isn't to say that he should back off and
fact, he might pass lots of notes to a player not treat prisoners as No. 2 would. Just remember that No. 6 was a special case,
who isn't a ringer, or summon him to mul-
tiple private conferences with No. 2, to
and that player characters usually fall in the same special category. Endanger
make it look like he's the ringer. Have PCs, but be sure that there is hidden somewhere a way for them to escape the
private conferences with all of the players, danger. And hurt them if they fail to escape.
but don't waste much time doing so, or the When someone is GM of the week, his own player character becomes a
other players will quickly grow bored.
Players will want to show the GM's useful NPC for plot development. The GM doesn't have to temporarily
notes to other players, to prove their in- lobotomize or snatch some other player's character, removing him from the
nocence. Don't let it happen. They must adventure; he can do whatever is necessary to his own (N)PC, knowing that he
realize that the note represents a conversa-
tion, and that they can't prove the contents can reverse the damage after the adventure is over. Of course, he can also leave
of a conversation. (Some notes actually his character in play, but everyone will be perfectly aware that he is the most
represent written correspondence, but No. likely candidate for Warder of the Adventure.
2 isn't so foolish as to leave much cor-
respondence lying around as evidence.)
A problem that can crop up is that the I Am The New No. 2
GM's notes to ringers are longer and more No. 2 changes in every episode but the last, although two No. 2s are brought
detailed than notes to other characters.
Again, players are quick to pick up on such back for additional duty. If GM duties rotate, then every adventure can easily
evidence. Be aware that this can happen, have a new No. 2 as well. It isn't necessary that each player invent a new No. 2
and avoid it. Discuss with the player each time he GMs an adventure; he can bring back his last No. 2, and develop
beforehand what types of correspondence
are likely to be used, and work out short- the relationships which were established the first time this No. 2 was Chairman
ened ways to express them. of The Village.
One solution is a simple number code. No. 2 isn't the only way The Village changes from episode to episode; with
"1" could mean "come to the Green
Dome immediately." "2" could mean
a new GM each adventure, these other arbitrary variations in Village life will
"it's time to get No. 52 alone and inject the show up in a campaign also. Rotating GMs is one of the best ways to reflect the
drug." And so on. The GM should keep a unsettling shifts that take place from episode to episode.
copy of the code in front of him (but behind
his screen), and give a second copy to his
ringer, so that he doesn't get crossed up. If
a message is misinterpreted, it means the
Distrust and Paranoia
the ringer misunderstood what No. 2 was In a Prisoner campaign, it must be established that players cannot know
trying to tell him. whom to trust, and in particular that they can't even know whether to trust each
With a number code, the GM can write
and pass a message very quickly. Better
other. Most roleplaying is rooted in the premise that one can trust one's fellow
still, he can simply announce a number players, and most roleplayers presume that trust from the very beginning of a
which means nothing to anyone but his campaign. In a Prisoner campaign, one of the GM's primary responsibilities is
ringer ... or introduce a significant num- to eliminate that presumption of trust.
ber by referring to a numbered NPC. "No.
29, balancing on a ladder, is painting the Note that it isn't enough simply to cast doubt on NPCs from time to time. If
front of a cottage." Numbered messages players know that they can trust each other, they'll still have a core group on
can be passed to other players, and the which they can depend, and they'll be more at ease. It is very difficult to make a
players are powerless to prove that the
notes are meaningless to them. ("This is a Prisoner campaign work if that trust and ease are maintained. To turn the ease
note" is a popular meaningless note in into the unease necessary to life in The Village, the GM has to shake the PCs'
some circles.) and players' trust in each other.

Campaigns — 62 —
The Ringer
One of the best ways to sow distrust is to make sure that a PC (or more than Atmosphere and Props
one!) in each adventure is working for No. 2 against the party. Of course, don't Establishing the proper atmosphere can
choose the same PC(s) each adventure, else the circle of trust will just get smaller improve the flavor of a Prisoner campaign
dramatically. Life in The Village is in
and tighter, excluding the chosen PCs. many ways similar to the everyday life of
In some cases, a PC can be coerced or recruited during the adventure. ("If the players; the more that the GM can em-
you don't help me, you'll never see your sweet Sue again!" "If you help me, I'll phasize the differences between real life
and The Village, the more entertaining the
bring your Enemy here to The Village so that you can work him over.") Even campaign will be.
though such a character is working against the party, No. 2 should be aware that The GM of a Prisoner campaign can
he might try to alert the other characters to his forced betrayal. If he does tip off enhance the atmosphere by creating ap-
the party and No. 2 discovers that he has done so, he should suffer No. 2's propriate props, including signs, identity
cards, notices and so on.
displeasure. If at all possible, every player should
A player will occasionally want to introduce a warder into the campaign. have his own numbered button. The but-
(See Warders as Player Characters, p. 10.) As that section states, this can work tons and numbers on p. 20 can be photo-
copied and duplicated for personal use.
for a while, during which he makes a fine ringer, but the player should be ready Music is another obvious and easy ad-
to convert the character into a prisoner, change him to an NPC, or remove him dition to an adventure. A soundtrack
from the campaign once his cover is blown. album exists (see p. 95). Anyone with a
good sound system and an extensive music
Another approach is more artificial but keeps No. 2 from having to twist library might record appropriate music.
players' arms each time he needs a ringer. Ask one of the players to take the part But the easiest way is simply to begin hum-
of a warder — an actor who has been substituted for the original prisoner. When ming a few appropriate lines, from the
the actor is revealed (or when he does his job) he will be removed and the series or from some other recognizable,
applicable music, as players are deciding
original prisoner character replaced. The actor's character sheet can be very what to do or when there is some other
similar to that of the real character. (Should the prisoners develop physical tests break in the action.
to identify each other, the mind-switcher could be used to put a warder mind in Other sound effects, especially periodic
Village Voice announcements, can be
the real body!) recorded ahead of time, for playback
Of course, not every player is willing for his character to work for No. 2, during an adventure. The GM should find
even for one adventure. These are his friends; why should he betray them? Try an appropriate "voice talent" to make
Voice announcements!
to help such players realize that they are merely playing a game, by the rules of Posters and other signs from the series
the game. It is their characters who are betraying, and being betrayed, not can be useful when a particular aspect of
themselves. If they can't handle those two concepts, they're in the wrong cam- Village life is being emphasized in an ad-
paign. venture. Even if a slogan never actually
appears as a sign (e.g., "Be seeing you!"),
if it would help the adventure, draw it up
Introducing a New PC and post it near the play area. See pp. 17-
18 for a list of slogans.
As the campaign continues, players might want to introduce new characters Appropriate clothing is never out of
into The Village. Sometimes this is because a new player has joined the group; place, and might be easier to find than ex-
other times a PC has died or left the campaign and a player needs a replacement pected. The styles are those of 1960s Mod
(or Hip) and can often be found at Good-
character. A third possibility is that a player wants to rest his regular character will and other used clothing locations.
for an adventure or two (he might need to recuperate) while he introduces a
different character into the campaign. The "Village Typeface"
Each of these cases is a prime opportunity to bring in a ringer, especially if All signs and notices in The Village are
set in the same unique typeface — the same
the player wants his character to be a warder. But if overdone, the players will one used for the title of this book. GMs
become fairly sure that every new arrival is a warder. If the GM doesn't let more creating their own signs and props should
than one in every four or five new prisoners be ringers, he should be able to use it for maximum authenticity! The name
of the typeface is "Albertus," and it is
accomplish two things. One, he'll be able to slip a ringer past his players every available as Formatt brand rub-down type.
once in awhile. And two, PCs will know that they can probably (but not assured- For The Prisoner, the typeface is cus-
ly) trust the newcomer, putting him into the thick of the campaign immediately. tomized by removing the dots from the
lower-case I and J, and cutting the loop in
the lower-case E.
Other Methods For cards and other documents, titles
and headlines would be set in Albertus, but
In "Hammer Into Anvil," No. 6 writes the book on paranoia and distrust, the "fine print" would be in ordinary
much of which a GM can adopt for his own purposes. Have warders stop and talk newspaper or typewriter type.
to PCs when they are within sight, but not hearing, of other PCs. Have what Remember that for an authentic Village
appear to be coded messages printed in the Tally Ho, or announced by the campaign, British spellings would be used:
"colour" and "labour" instead of
Village Voice, addressed to specific people. Summon a PC to a meeting with No. "color" and "labor," "authorise" instead
2 in the Green Dome. of "authorize," and so on.

— 63 — Campaigns
 And as soon as players become convinced that such "messages" are fake, a
GM can use them to pass real messages. Then if players complain that a charac-
ter couldn't have known to do what he did, point out that yesterday's Tally Ho,
or today's public announcements, gave him the necessary signal.

Escape
Escape will always be a prime consideration for prisoners. No. 6's thoughts
Getting Away are never far from it. But The Village is specifically designed to prevent escape;
"There's a good move, wasn't it?" many good people (including No. 6) have tried and failed. The PCs aren't
"I know a better one ..."
"Oh?"
supermen. Unless they devise a thoroughly ingenious plot, and keep any word
"Away from this place." of it from leaking, their escape attempt will fail.
"That's impossible." The GM should decide before he begins the campaign how he will deal with
"For chessmen, not for me." the inevitable escape attempts. Will they be able to get out the first time they
"They told me there was no hope."
"I don't believe what they tell me; come up with something clever? Will every attempt be doomed to failure, be-
you're surprised?" cause escape is impossible? Will only one particular scheme work, the details of
— Queen and No. 6 which must be uncovered during several adventures?
"Checkmate" Remember that just because they've escaped doesn't mean their adventures
are over. Both times No. 6 escapes (in "The Chimes of Big Ben" and "Many
"When do you plan to escape?" Happy Returns") and the one time he awakes to find himself back in London (in
"How did you know I was going to?"
"Why, everybody plans to escape till "Do Not Forsake Me"), it turns out that his adventures abroad are part of an
their spirit's broken. Tell me your plan and elaborate plot devised by No. 2.
I'll help." Let the players escape at least once or twice, reeling them in again each time.
"Help who?" Demonstrate to them just how long The Village's arm is. Then if they do get out
"I like you. If it's a good plan, I'll es-
cape with you . . . Well, I've helped a lot on their own, they'll always be aware that they could wake up back in The
of other people plan."' Village tomorrow.
"Why are you still here?" Or . . . they might actually escape, or even be released . , . and then forget
"Well, none of them ever succeeded."
"That's a coincidence." about it. Selective amnesia would be easy for the masters of The Village. How
"Why, it's been valuable experience. do you know that you haven't been to The Village?
At least I can tell you what not to try."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"That's a risk you'll have to take."
"Not me."
Death
Death is an ever-present threat in The Village, with the graveyard nearby as
— Queen and No. 6 a constant reminder. Nevertheless, very few people are actually killed during the
"Checkmate"
course of the series. Rover claims two or three victims. Two suicides are
"One day you'll go too far, and I'll die reported (Cobb, in "Arrival," and No. 73, the young wife in "Hammer Into
and beat you all!" Anvil"). A termination order is received for Dutton, in "Dance of the Dead"
— Rook to No. 6 (although it is not certain that the order was carried out), and No. 34 is reported
"Checkmate" dead in "Dance of the Dead." The Colonel dies, from old age and shock, when
transferred into Seltzman's body ("Do Not Forsake Me").
"Don't worry. It was a good idea, and A body washes up to shore ("Dance of the Dead," one more time), and the
you did your best. I'll stress it in my
report."
mad scientist, his daughter and their henchmen are all blown up in "The Girl
Who Was Death," but the former is probably not related to The Village and the
— Nadia to No. 2
latter are merely fairy-tale people. Several Westerners die during "Living in
"The Chimes of Big Ben"

Campaigns — 64 —
Harmony," but it turns out that these deaths are electronic dreams, and only
Cathy and The Kid truly expire. No. 2 dies in "Once Upon a Time," but he is
revived in "Fall Out." And then there is the final Shootout of "Fall Out" —
more people die here (albeit bloodlessly) than in all the rest of the series.
The dangers in The Village are more cerebral than physical. Loss of self-
respect, personality and identity are all more pressing threats than physical
death. In fact, death is sometimes preferred to the alternatives The Village
offers. Don't make a habit of threatening player characters with death — show
Outside Reaction
them alternative horrors, and make them believe these alternatives are worse.
If a friend whom you haven't seen for a
(Of course, less important victims might be subjected to violent physical per- while contacts you out of the blue and
suasion, not only to break their wills, but to weaken and disgust the more starts describing his sojourn in The Vil-
important prisoners.) lage, how likely are you to believe him?
That is the same reaction No. 6 faces each
Keep in mind that, between deception and weird science, apparent death may time he leaves The Village before "Fall
not be real and real death may not be permanent. Dead NPCs might return in any Out."' The odds are that escaping prisoners
number of disturbing ways ... as clones, as zombies, or as themselves with no will face the same reaction.
Trying to convince a disbelieving world
explanation. Should it be necessary to eliminate a PC (perhaps for repeated, that The Village really exists (especially if
clumsy violence), that PC might reappear as an ominous figure glimpsed in the the PCs don't know where it is, or if it
distance, or as a blank-faced guard. Or as No. 2! moved since they were last there) can
amount to several adventures in itself.
Trying to convince the world (especially
one's former employers) that one isn't
crazy and hasn't gone over to the other
side can take just as long and be just as
frustrating.
In "Many Happy Returns," No. 6 has
access to a jet plane when trying to find
The Village. What if he hadn't? How
would he have gone about his search? How
might PCs conduct a similar search, in the
face of widespread disbelief? In "Do Not
Forsake Me," No. 6 even has a new body.
Not every PC in a new body will be lucky
enough to convince someone of his real
identity with a kiss.

"All I know, old boy, is that you

resigned from a post of the highest possible
secrecy in this country, refused to give
your reasons, and then promptly
vanished."
"I was kidnapped."
"Oh, really? How dramatic. And then,
after a gap of months, we suddenly receive
a suitably coded message that you're com-
ing back, from the other side of the Iron
Curtain."
"You think that I've gone over."
"And come back out to carry on the
good work."
Winning and Losing "No."
"No, he says, no, nyet, nyet. What sort
Prisoner PCs won't always win. No. 6 himself only bats about .500. Even a of imbeciles do you think we are?"
great plot is susceptible to a greater counter-plot or a twist of fate.
Thus, it isn't the GM's responsibility to make sure that PCs come out on top — ColonelJ. and No. 6
"The Chimes of Big Ben"
in every adventure, even those adventures in which they fought the good fight.
Life isn't always fair, and The Village takes particular pride in being able to
prove that maxim repeatedly. If anything, it's the GM's responsibility to give his
PCs no more than what they've earned, and sometimes less than that.
The GM should be aware, and make sure his players are aware, that The
Village gives nothing away and yields little more. Then they will grow to ap-
preciate the small victories, and it won't be necessary to blow up The Village at
the end of every adventure for them to go home satisfied.

— 65 — Campaigns
 Ending the Campaign
Eventually, GM and players might decide to end the campaign and move on
to other adventures. The producers of The Prisoner do so spectacularly in "Fall
Cover-Up Out." A campaign's conclusion can be just as spectacularly final, or it can leave
Should anyone succeed in escaping unanswered questions.
from The Village, even temporarily, and If the GM decides his players are gloriously triumphant, praise them, honor
returning to his old life, he will encounter
a cover story created by the masters to ex-
them, reward them and send them out into the world, justified in their resistance.
plain his disappearance. He may find that Use "Fall Out" as a guide.
he died in an accident ... went insane ... If they're ready for something different but they're still stuck in The Village,
became a criminal and is on the run from make sure their next escape attempt works, or simply abandon The Village (as in
the law . . . went over to the other side.
Whatever the story, it will be one that will "Many Happy Returns"). Don't argue too long if they tire of being relatively
make old friends much less likely to help helpless prisoners; the original series was only designed for seven episodes.
the ex-prisoner or to believe anything he If they've left on less than auspicious terms, the campaign is probably over
says. In fact, they are likely to become
tools of the masters, humoring the escapee but their characters will never know for sure. There's always the chance that the
while working to return him to custody. masters will track them down once more, perhaps for a return to The Village,
All in his best interests, of course. perhaps simply to eliminate them. The masters (or a designated minion) can
The GM should give some thought to
the "cover story" for each PC before he
become an Enemy, appearing in occasional adventures. This new Enemy's in-
permits even a temporary escape. Prison- fluence might not be direct — PCs might find a bank account suddenly closed
ers will have no idea what sort of lies have out, or they might be arrested for a particularly vile crime, with convincing
been spread about them until they escape evidence having been manufactured against them.
for the first time.
Another way to move on to other adventures is for the PCs to discover who
the masters really are. During their final adventures in The Village, they might
gradually come to realize that the masters are Communists, or aliens, or cor-
Roleplaying One-On-One porate exploiters, or a secret cabal of the Illuminati. Having escaped The Vil-
The Prisoner has created a world which lage, they now must alert the world to the threat. But the world probably doesn't
is ideally suited to one-on-one roleplaying, believe them (see Outside Reaction, sidebar, p. 65). For other source material,
between a Game Master and a single
player. The problems of intra-party consider the television series V and War of the Worlds.
cooperation vanish when a party is It might be that prisoner PCs actually become converted to the masters' point
reduced to one character. Such a campaign of view. Maybe the masters are really benevolent; maybe the prisoners are
most closely mirrors the television series
itself; No. 6 in many ways acts as a solo deceived. In either case, they might be sent out into the world as agents for the
PC in the midst of The Village. masters. Or, just as unlikely, the PCs might convert the masters to their own
If the GM runs all other characters, he point of view, unifying with them to fight a greater evil. In either case, the PCs
is able to focus each adventure on the
single player character, and he can ensure
have probably acquired the masters as patrons.
that all other characters act exactly as he Even in a multi-GM Prisoner campaign, it isn't necessary that all GMs know
wishes them to. Even if players are part of who the masters are, so it might be possible to develop a concluding adventure,
a regular multi-person campaign, they or series of adventures, in which the PCs discover the masters' identity.
might try some one-on-one roleplaying,
especially in The Village. The feel of play
is in many ways different from normal
party roleplaying. The Good Side of The Village
It is easy to see The Village as entirely evil, without conscience. For the
most part, that is how it is portrayed in the series. A black and white relationship
is established between No. 6 (representing the Individual) and The Village (rep-
The Penny-Farthing resenting Society): everything No. 6 tries to do is right; everything No. 2 tries
Bicycle Symbol to do is wrong.
The penny-farthing bicycle is an
"ironic symbol of progress," indicating
It would be very easy to portray The Village that way in a Prisoner cam-
that man is progressing far too rapidly with paign: everything The Village does, or tries to accomplish, is evil, and should
tools that he is not yet ready to handle. It is be ruthlessly opposed simply because of its source. That makes player decisions
the universally present icon for The Vil- easy — and trivial. Players are the Good Guys; No. 2 and his warder minions are
lage, appearing on the flag, everyone's
badge, stationery, food packaging, and so the Bad Guys. By that reasoning, anything the PCs do is okay, even if it means
on. killing and maiming a sizeable number of Bad Guys. This logic is all too com-
mon in fantasy roleplaying. Kill any orc or dragon you see; they're all evil. And
if the victim just happens to have a bit of treasure, so much the better; the slayers
are rewarded for their public service.
Don't let the players get off that easily. There are positive aspects to The

Campaigns — 66 —
Village: no one goes hungry, there is a constant succession of entertaining public
events, and the citizens believe that they have a voice in their society — in fact, Vindication for No. 6
most of the Villagers seem happy. Some of them sincerely believe that The "He must no longer be referred to as
Village is the perfect society. They can't be swayed by appeals against its ab- No. 6, or a number of any kind. He has
solute dictatorship — for them, that is one of The Village's better points. If a gloriously vindicated the right of the in-
good man (like No. 2) is making all of the decisions, everyone is better off. dividual to be individual."
So even if a campaign Village is rooted in evil (and it probably is), it isn't — President to assembly
evil through and through, and it cannot be dealt with as though it were. Prisoners "Fall Out"
who begin randomly blowing up Village buildings, killing dozens at a time, have
become just as evil as the masters whom they oppose. No. 6 does not kill until "The transfer of ultimate power re-
the final episode, though he does allow some of his captors to eliminate themsel- quires some tedious ceremony, and per-
ves or each other! haps you would care to observe the
preliminaries from the chair of honor."
If PCs aren't free to kill everything that moves, what type of objectives (Fanfare as No. 6 sits)
should they have?
It is The Village's infringements on the rights of the individual which No. 6 — President to No. 6
opposes. The individual should have the choice of whether to participate in a "Fall Out"
society. No. 6's basic argument is that he never chose to be a part of Village
society; that choice was made for him. So his first priority is escape. As the "At the other end of the scale, we are
series progresses, though, he develops a second priority: to improve the society honored to have with us a revolutionary of
different calibre. He has revolted, resisted,
in which he is forcibly bound. He runs for office, in "Free for All." He destroys fought, held fast, maintained, destroyed
the program of forced education, in "The General." He breaks a sadistic No. 2, resistance, overcome coercion. The right
in "Hammer Into Anvil." to be person, someone or individual. We
applaud his private war and concede that
Similarly, the terror of a Prisoner campaign consists of two parts. First, The despite materialistic efforts he has survived
Village has made a basic choice for the prisoners — they are part of The Village, intact and secure. All that remains is
whether they wish to be or not. Second, having drawn them into its society, The recognition of a man, a man of steel, a man
Village imposes arbitrary rules which are arbitrarily changed. magnificently equipped to lead us, that is,
lead us or go."
So Prisoner PCs will have two objectives: to resist The Village's attempts to
bind them, primarily by trying to escape, and to destroy or change the most — President to assembly
repugnant aspects of Village society. A scorched earth policy is the simple "Fall Out"
approach to both of these, but it should not be allowed to succeed ... not
necessarily on moral grounds, but because the masters have overwhelmingly
superior force. They must be outwitted or out-willed.

Character Points
As always, character points can be awarded for appropriate play. The
guidelines for distributing points depend on the role played by the particular
character.
For the "focus character" in an adventure, point awards should be based on
the cleverness and will with which he resisted No. 2's plot. If the character was
manipulated into cooperation, he should get few character points, or none at all.
Remember that conforming to Village society is a form of cooperation . . . but
active nonconformism is dangerous!
Character points can also be given to players whose characters aren't the
focus of a particular adventure. If they are primarily Villagers in an adventure,
reward those who play the part well . . . this includes conforming! (Remember
that even No. 6 gave opaque Villager-type answers when meeting new Villagers,
and used the "Be seeing you" farewell.) The more other PCs act like Villagers,
the more the focus character will feel No. 2's pressure to conform.
And warder characters should receive points based on the skill and effective-
ness with which they trick PCs into believing their stories, conforming to Vil-
lage society, and learning their secrets.
Obviously, a successful escape, or a successful conversion of a warder to a
free man (or vice versa) will be worth several character points . . . but this should
not happen often!

— 67 — Campaigns
 Anything is possible in The Village, as long as the GM so wills it. Mind-
switching, teleportation, resurrection — what we have here is the technology of
science fantasy, not near-future science fiction. The guiding principle is that
science is a tool, to be used to develop the plot.
 If a building or corridor needs to be off limits, force fields exist! If dreams
need to be accessible to the warders, they can be viewed on a video screen, and
presumably recorded on videotape. But if taped recordings of dreams would foil
the plot, then there's some reason why they can't be had — perhaps the brain's
Super Science
"If I told you 10 years ago that we'd
electro-pulses are convertible to the radiation that energizes a television tube, but have flown a rocket around the moon,
not to relatively insensitive magnetic media. would you have believed me?"
Don't let common sense get in the way. It makes sense that someone could
— No. 2 to the Colonel
aim a camera at the television and tape the dream that way. If the GM needs to "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling"
prevent that from happening, then perhaps the camera is broken, or the
electromagnetic field generated by the dream-viewing equipment scrambles the
magnetic storage capability of the camera. On the other hand, don't get carried
"The trouble with science is that it can
away. A GM can kill his plot in five minutes if characters can be hypnotized to be perverted."
do anything No. 2 wants them to.
Pay attention to advances in the sciences, factual, hypothetical and fictional. — Duplicate No. 6 to No. 6 and No. 2
"The Schizoid Man"
Some of the following was actually possible in 1967. And some of it wasn't
possible then, but is possible today. At this writing, the validity of tabletop
fusion is still in question. But even if it is eventually disproved, it is available if
needed in The Village.
Given a background that justifies the invention of any effect necessary, the Old Science
challenge to the GM is to keep his image of objectiveness. The players should One of the interesting aspects of The
not get the idea that the GM is using the weirdness of The Village to substitute Prisoner today is that it was filmed over 20
for pre-planning . . . even if he is. Ideally, the characters will become convinced years ago, and some of its technology,
even its futuristic technology, is vividly
that the masters are arbitrary and super-powerful, without the players worrying obsolete. The General, the computer that
that the GM possesses both these qualities! knows everything, can only handle facts.
Described below are the most important of the weird sciences that occur in Information is input on large plastic (or
the series, their dangers, and a few suggestions for other effects. Since The metal) perforated strips. Typewriters are
used, not word processors. Even the
Prisoner deals so much with mental conflict, most of these techniques are crea- simplest information is stored on large tape
tive ways to play with Villagers' minds, but a few other fantastic possibilities disks. Microchips are nowhere in evi-
also appear throughout the series. dence. And so on.
There are at least two ways to deal with
this. The first is to retain all these tech-
nologies, effectively casting the campaign
Thoughts and Dreams in the late '60s. Benefits include the fact
In "A, B and C," No. 6 is hooked up to a machine which converts the that players who are very familiar with the
series will be immersed in the strangeness
energy from his brain — his thoughts — into electrical impulses which are that permeates The Village. Mainframes
displayed on a television monitor. designed for simple tasks provide an im-
At the same time, he is given an injection which allows No. 14 to direct his mediate visual cue.
thoughts, thus controlling his dreams. She uses a computer to conjure one of Drawbacks include the fact that some of
these technologies can seem antique,
Madame Engadine's famous Paris soirees. Later, when urged by No. 2, she reducing the tone of dread The Village
intrudes directly, putting words into the mouth of No. 6's dreamtime com- should provoke. Mainframes designed for
panion, B. No. 6 hears her words in B's voice, but doesn't believe that B is simple tasks are simply silly, given today's
technology.
speaking for herself. The opposite approach is complete
There don't appear to be any dangers to the dream-monitoring mechanism, renovation, bringing The Village into the
but the injections are experimental and dangerous. Only three total can be ad- '90s and the 21st century. Modern technol-
ogy can explain many of the apparent in-
ministered, and only at 24-hour intervals. consistencies of the series! For instance,
why didn't No. 6 systematically destroy
the cameras in his cottage? Because he
Truth Test couldn't find them; a 1990 spy camera can
In "Free for All," No. 6 is given a Truth Test, one of the weirdest applica- be the size of a pinhead, one more bump on
a bumpy plaster wall.
tions of weird science. Essentially a lie-detector apparatus tied to a mechanical The tradeoffs are between immediate
hypnotizer, the test is visually displayed on a large screen as a block and a ball, recognition and modern reality. The GM
on converging inclines. When a lie is told (or even thought), the ball slides will have to decide which technologies to
keep, scrap or update, based on what is
downward toward the intersection of the inclines; when the truth is told, the best for his campaign and for his players.
block slides upward. At the conclusion of the test, No. 6 has been won over
(temporarily) to the truth of the masters' premises.

— 69 — Weird Science
 The Pulsator and Other Hypnotic Effects
Each bedroom in The Village is equipped with a lamp over the bed. While
the resident is awake, its light maintains a constant brightness; when asleep, the
Mind Games light can pulse hypnotically, for a couple of effects. The principle effect is to
"His mind is now yours. What do you deepen sleep, so that Villagers don't awaken and wander about at night. In
want from it?" addition, it can hypnotize, so that suggestions are more easily implanted in a
-No. 14 to No. 2
Villager's mind. For best and deepest effect, the pulsator lamp is lowered until
"A.BandC" it hangs within a couple of inches of its subject's face.
This lamp is ideal for controlling and modifying prisoner behavior. If No. 2
needs a character, even a player character, to do something against his will or
"Energy from his brain — thoughts — against his character description, an hypnotic suggestion will do it. Hypnotism
like sound waves. Converted into electrical can make the weak-willed become stubborn and the icy-cold become seductive.
impulses and finally into pictures." In game terms, it can negate, create or reverse almost any mental advantage or
— No. 14 to No. 2 disadvantage. It can also create or negate Dependents, Allies and Enemies, by
"A.BandC" acting on the character or the appropriate NPC.
Bedlamps aren't the only manner in which hypnotism is employed. The
White Queen in "Checkmate" and the doctor (No. 86) in "A Change of Mind"
"Fill him with hallucinatory drugs! Put are both hypnotized by more pedestrian means. The Queen becomes instantly
him in a dangerous environment! Talk to enamored of No. 6; the doctor is given a post-hypnotic suggestion by No. 6
him through microphones! Give him love! which is triggered by the tolling of four o'clock.
Take it away! Isolate him! Make him kill
and then make him face death! He'll crack! But, at least for game purposes, No. 2 cannot simply hypnotize the PCs into
Break him, even in his mind, and the rest spilling their secrets. It didn't work on No. 6, and it shouldn't work on the player
will be easy!" characters. This may be an artificial limit, but it is a necessary one; it was
— Judge (No. 2) honored in the series, and it must be honored in a game. The masters can work
"Living in Harmony" their wiles on a prisoner's mind, but the most important prisoners must, in the
end, change sides of their own free will.

"This is only the beginning. Will you

never learn? We have many ways and
Shock Treatment
means, but we don't wish to damage you Behavior can also be modified through shock treatment. Several of No. 6's
permanently. Are you ready to talk?" skills are changed in "The Schizoid Man." He becomes left-handed and two
— No. 58 (No. 2) to No. 6 habits — "Prefers eggs for breakfast" and "Smokes cigars" — are changed to
"Free for All" "Prefers flapjacks for breakfast" and "Smokes black Russian cigarettes."
In general, shock treatment isn't as effective as hypnotism. Shock treatment
convinces the body, not the mind (to be simplistic), and the mind still resists the
change. No. 6 believes something is wrong, but is not convinced until he finds
independent proof in the photo of his bruised nail. Hypnotism could have
eliminated his disbelief.
However, hypnotism can only change the mind, not the body. (Again being
simplistic. There's considerable overlap between the two methods, and they can
help reinforce each other.) Hypnotism is not very effective with physical ad-
vantages, disadvantages and quirks. And some subjects are resistant to hyp-
notism (a subject's Strong Will resists Hypnotism skill rolls). In such cases,
shock treatment is an alternative. That is probably why the White Rook is treated
in "Checkmate."
And sometimes the GM will want the uncertainty that shock treatment
provides. If No. 6 had been hypnotized to believe he was No. 12 in "The
Schizoid Man," he would have had no mental conflict. While the treatment
changed his body, he was still convinced that he was No. 6, and that created the
doubt that nearly defeated him.
The method by which No. 6 reversed his own shock conditioning may have
been scientifically dubious, but it was ingenious. A PC who becomes aware that
he has been conditioned should be given the benefit of the doubt if he develops a
clever (not a copycat) way to help himself.

Weird Science — 70 —
Speed Learning/Sublimator
The focus of "The General" is on speed learning through subliminal inser-
tion. Subliminal suggestion and advertising are almost as old as motion pictures.
It was quickly discovered that if a picture or message was flashed to a viewer,
even when totally out of context in the middle of a story, and even for only a Mental Programming
single frame, that the viewer subconsciously (subliminally) perceived the mes- "I don't dispute the accuracy of your
sage and was influenced by it. The sublimator takes the process a step further, statement — it is correct in every detail.
by screening an entire tape so rapidly that it can only be perceived subliminally. The trouble is, you see, there is nothing
you can tell me which may not have been
The result is a great deal of information received in a very short time. told you by the person you claim to be,
It would appear, at least on the surface, that this could be used only to under sedation or hypnosis. We're all
imprint "facts," as opposed to beliefs or ways of thinking. But suppose that aware of truth drugs and other ingenious
prisoners are imprinted with the "fact" that No. 2 is benevolent and that The means of extracting information. It could
all have been recorded and you could have
Village is a perfect society. This false "information" could no doubt be dis- learned it parrot-fashion."
regarded once the victim realized that he didn't really believe that, but it would "Ask me the minutest details of any-
be distracting to say the least! thing you know that we did together."
"The same problem applies."
Other, more "logical" methods of achieving the same result have been "I could never convince you, then."
advanced since the General's time. Pills which contain data coded into DNA "Only sufficiently to intrigue me, to
might imprint information directly onto the brain. Speed learning tapes and make sure that you are watched and fol-
lowed every inch of wherever you go."
chips, again fed directly into the brain, are another possibility. The sublimator
has the advantage of being able to affect many viewers, all at the same time. — Sir Charles and No. 6
Sublimation is one answer for the ever-changing behavior of the Villagers, "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling"
if ways of thinking can be imprinted as easily as facts. (Another explanation is
nighttime mass hypnotism.) Either can be used to explain why Villagers change
their behavior from adventure to adventure, unless the GM devises an even "Our prize prisoner — the one we call
better weird science. Sublimation (or the alternatives mentioned above) can also No. 6 — toughest case I've ever handled. I
could crack him, of course, but I can't use
be used to quickly educate characters, especially NPCs, with such mental skills the normal techniques — he's too valuable
as Area Knowledge, languages, and most craft and science skills. — mustn't damage him permanently, say
our masters.
"Your job, No. 12, will be to imper-
Mind-Switching sonate him, take his sense of reality away.
Once he begins to doubt his own identity,
One of the weirdest sciences demonstrated is the ability to switch minds he'll crack. What do you think of the
between bodies, seen in "Do Not Forsake Me" (especially since the same level idea?"
of expertise isn't able to switch the minds back to their original bodies). This is "I think it has fascinating possibilities,
but you'll have an awful job convincing me
a wonderful technology, whose possibilities are only touched upon in that that I am not your No. 6."
episode. It provides an undetectable physical disguise, especially useful for "Ah ... excellent, No. 12, of course —
criminals. Even after the fact, criminals can switch bodies to avoid apprehen- always the professional. Started living the
part already, eh?"
sion. Professor Seltzman used it both to escape and to acquire a younger, health-
ier body. If the technique becomes widespread, identification by physical — No. 2 and No. 6
records — fingerprints, retina patterns, and so on — becomes obsolete. And for "The Schizoid Man"
the hedonistic or curious (neither of which seems to aptly describe the masters)
it can be used to provide new experiences, especially if switching into other
species is possible. "Thus the miniaturized course can be
No. 2 uses it simply to coerce No. 6 into finding Professor Seltzman for him, projected through the sublimator at a speed
thousands of times faster than the eye can
but switched bodies within The Village can provide other sorts of distress and read. It is imposed directly onto the cortex
mental anguish. Even if the GM doesn't switch a player character into another of the brain and is, with occasional boosts,
body, how can the character ever be certain that he's talking (scheming) with the virtually indelible."
same person that he knew yesterday?
-No. 2
"The General"
Mind-Wipe
Selective mind-wipe is used in combination with mind-switching, in "Do
Not Forsake Me." When No. 6 wakes up in the Colonel's body, he has tem-
porarily lost a year of memory. He thinks that it is exactly one year earlier,
before he ever knew of The Village. By the end of the episode, his memory has

— 71 — Weird Science
 returned. (It might also have been used in "The Schizoid Man," to eliminate a
month of shock treatment memories.)
Full mind-wipes, although much easier than the selective approach, can be
troublesome because they eliminate all sorts of basic, useful information, such
as table manners and how to speak. Selective mind-wipe eliminates only those
specific memories which need to be expunged, leaving everything else. They are
much harder than full wipes, because the brain doesn't store memories in a neat,
ordered fashion; the erasing mechanism must first locate where each of the
Mind Control
sought-after memories are stored.
"As you know, the advanced yogi is
capable of living in a state of suspended An intermediate process, of intermediate difficulty, is to eliminate all per-
animation for months, his mind and body sonal memories, while leaving social memories — a situation very similar to
disassociated. Now, what Seltzman did amnesia. A person treated thusly wouldn't remember who he was, where he
was to take this discipline several stages
further, and with scientific aid he was able lived, or anyone he once knew, but he would remember most of his skills:
to transmit the psyche of one person into Brawling, Driving and Leadership, for example. He probably wouldn't remem-
another." ber any Area Knowledges, but that's up to the GM. Similarly, retention of
— No. 2 to the Colonel
mental advantages and disadvantages would have to be decided case by case —
"Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" he probably still has Common Sense, but is he still Lecherous? Strong Willed?
The mind-wipe in these episodes wears off — through suggestions and
reminders, No. 6 is eventually able to recall part, if not all, of the lost period.
"Now we call this our amnesia room. But mind-wipe, either full or selective, need not require this occasionally annoy-
Rather proud of it. With it we can erase the ing aspect. A non-eroding mind-wipe would be particularly useful with warders.
memory back to any point in time we They can contract for two, or five, or ten years, and when their hitch is up, a
choose. This man you see was extremely
cooperative. He told us all we wanted to selective erasure and a remote vacation home will retire them safely without fear
know in three days . . . with hardly any of compromising Village security. (Of course, it would be easier and cheaper to
persuasion. So now, we wipe out all un- simply imprison them or erase their memories back to the start of their contract
happy memories of The Village and put
him back into circulation to gather more
with no one the wiser, but that might suggest that The Village does not always
information." live up to ideal social standards.)
In a campaign, all types of mind-wipe are potentially useful. Non-eroding
— No. 2 to the Colonel wipes most often come into play when a character needs to totally forget some-
"Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling"
thing that happened, especially from one adventure to the next. If a character
learns or does something that would make it difficult for him to continue in
subsequent adventures, erase it from his mind.
Eroding wipes can be very useful within an adventure. Having eliminated a
block of memory from a prisoner, the GM can then feed him clues exactly when
he wants to; his restorative flashbacks happen whenever they are most useful.
It's nice to feed clues on some sort of cue ("Holding the dagger in your hand
reminds you of when you last saw it, plunging into No. 36's back"), but the cue
can be anything the GM wishes. If it's time to remind him about the dagger, and
a taxi is passing, tell him, "The passing taxi reminds you of another taxi — a
plastic model that was sitting on a bureau, No. 36's bureau ... as you plunged
a dagger into his back. That's right! You suddenly realize that you are the one
who killed him! What do you do?" Bear in mind that this type of memory loss
(and subsequent gradual recovery) is very hard to roleplay, unless the memories
are ones that the player never had.
A full mind-wipe essentially eliminates the victim from action, at least until
some of his memories return. It's not a nice thing to do to a PC. Practiced on an
NPC, however, especially a Dependent or other friend, it can motivate a party
to (a) find a way to restore the lost memory and (b) find out why the mind-wipe
took place.
"Intermediate" wipes, as described above, can fulfill many of the same
purposes as a full wipe. It can be entertaining to watch a player run an amnesiac
character. However, the GM must find a way to restore his memory quickly if
the player himself is not amused.
Players are least likely to be upset if their characters are only selectively
wiped, especially if they realize their memories are gradually returning. As with

Weird Science — 72 —
the other eroding mind-wipes, selective wipes are a good device for conveniently
spacing clues throughout an adventure. Drug Treatment
But keep in mind that this is a very powerful capability; there is probably a "So this is your wonder drug."
good reason why The Village doesn't use it often. For instance, had it been "Yes. Three doses. And that's the ab-
available during "The Chimes of Big Ben," No. 2 could have erased No. 6's solute limit."
"Why?"
recent memories and started over, with the clocks of The Village set properly. "Three's dangerous enough. Four
Perhaps the mind-wiping equipment is balky and unreliable, and selective would kill him."
wiping doesn't work well unless it's done immediately. A valuable prisoner
would only be mind-wiped if No. 2 were sure the machine were working right; — No. 2 and No. 14
"A, Band C"
after all, if irreplaceable information is wiped from a prisoner's brain, No. 2
would probably be the next victim used to calibrate the device! "Now we'll see how accurately they've
timed it!" (Girl falls.) "She was given a
drug yesterday, one of the new super-
Wonder Drugs strength moprubenates that we've devel-
oped — she doesn't know anything about
When all else fails, drugs can be used to provoke almost any behavior it, of course."
desired. One such drug helps trigger the dreams of "A, B and C." Another is a "Yesterday?"
timed knockout drug (see sidebar). A third, in "A Change of Mind," convinc- "Well, the drug remains dormant until
triggered by the nervous system and then it
ingly simulates the effect of a lobotomy. The GM should be creative in his releases itself to the desired quantities to
invention of drugs — they can do anything he says they can. produce instant tranquility or temporary
The drawback, of course, is that the subject must somehow consume the oblivion."
"But why?"
drug for it to take effect. If a Villager becomes suspicious and starts avoiding the "Um? Well, in anticipation of No. 6
drug, it becomes much more difficult for the drug to have its desired effect. throwing her out, which he was about to
do."
"And will. when she revives."
Harmony "Oh, no, no, no. You see, she's be-
come a lady in distress, and he's going to
"Living in Harmony" is a special case of several of the techniques described be all good deeds and sympathy."
above. No. 6 has apparently had an intermediate mind-wipe, since he accepts the
situation into which he has been placed — he becomes a western horseman. (This — Interim No. 2 and Supervisor
"It's Your Funeral"
might also be a case of memory implant.) Harmony exists as a physical location
and its inhabitants are real people, not electronic simulacra, so the action doesn't
simply take place in a dream. The purpose of the episode is to confuse No. 6's
distinction between reality and unreality (or between reality and an alternate
reality) so that his secret, the reason he resigned, slips loose.
Alternate realities, and bridging the gaps between them, are also discussed
in Chapter 3.

Telepathy and Other Psionic Powers

Telepathy is suggested twice during The Prisoner. Alison, No. 24 in "The
Schizoid Man," seems to be a telepath, though she later "admits" that her
ability is a trick. During "Fall Out," the President repeatedly consults the
flashing blue light that seems to represent No. 1 or the masters, and appears to
be receiving detailed silent messages.
Without any conviction that the writers intended Teleportation, two inci-
dents are easily explained through that psionic power. In "Free for All," No. 2
ends a conversation with No. 6 from the Green Dome and appears on No. 6's
doorstep two seconds later. And after having convincingly established that The
Village is on the northwest coast of Morocco, No. 6 and friends exit from The
Village's underground complex just a few miles from London. It seems that
either The Village itself or the truck they're driving has teleported. (Or maybe
there really are two Villages!)
Psionic powers open up a wide range of possibilities within The Village, and
an equally wide range of difficulties. What does the GM do when a character
tries to read No. 2's mind? Invent psionic shields or dampers? He might as well
rule that Telepathy doesn't exist in this universe. One possibility is just that: to
simply rule out from the beginning any psionic powers that look to be more

— 73 — Weird Science
 trouble than they're worth. For another potentially troublesome example, it
Gadgetry might be very difficult to contain a prisoner highly skilled at Teleportation.
"The transistor?" If there is a psionic skill the GM wants to use, but doesn't want to see
"Yes. It will record all her emotions for misused, another possibility is to rule that only NPCs have access to that skill.
Control. She'll dote on him, follow him Remember, though, that players don't always greet such rulings with en-
like a dog. When she's out of sight she'll thusiasm. Similar rulings ("Psychokinesis is allowed, but only to Power 5.")
be sighing, when she sees him her pulses
will quicken, and, if she thinks she's going are also possible.
to lose him, if he attempts to escape, she'll A final possibility is "mechanical psionics." Telepathy, telekinesis, and
be frantic and her overwhelming emotions precognition are all possible, but only when powered by the appropriate wonder
will send an alarm to Control . . . When we
get a full record for analysis, we'll be able machine. In this case, No. 2 didn't teleport psionically, in the "Free for All"
to program her into the alarm system."' example — he hit the proper button and a machine did it for him. This approach
essentially limits psionic powers to the warders, unless a machine falls into the
— No. 2 and Doctor
"Checkmate" wrong hands, but does so in a manner that players are less likely to take issue
with.
No attempt will be made here to describe the inner workings of any of these
psionic wonder machines; if the GM needs one, the button is right there on No.
(zzzap!)
"Are you all right? You tried to go in! 2's console, right beside the force field activator.
By mistake? It's fussy about who it lets in Regardless of how psionics are used in a campaign, the GM should not abuse
— this is the Town Hall." them. Warders who can read minds are particularly insidious. Don't let them and
— Passer-by to No. 6 their like get out of hand.
"Dance of the Dead"
Implants
"Five-yard range — nerve gas — one
Both of the examples ascribed to telepathy can also be explained with
squirt, you're paralyzed. Two squirts, electronic implants that feed information subvocally or even directly into the
you're dead." brain. This technology goes hand-in-hand with the individual speed-learning
techniques previously discussed — both involve a direct electronic interface with
— Duplicate No. 6 to No. 6
"The Schizoid Man" the head, particularly the brain. Simply put, a receiver is implanted in the brain.
This receiver can be as crude as a wire or as elegant as a biochemical chip. It
might be used to transmit information, emotions or even actions. The subject can
be conscious of what he is receiving, but he needn't be. An interesting middle
ground here is the subject who is not aware of the implant, but is aware of what
is being transmitted. He might interpret transmissions as his conscience, a little
bird, or even instructions from space aliens.
For more details and alternatives regarding implants, consult any of the
several cyberpunk stories, novels and game manuals currently in print.

Force Fields
A force field guards Town Hall except during the carnival in "Dance of the
Dead." It apparently is able to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized
personnel. Another field blocks the underground corridors leading to the sub-
limator in "The General." It is of variable strength; the first unauthorized
attempt to pass it triggers a warning, the second such attempt kills.
Force fields are remarkably useful devices for restricting access to otherwise
accessible locations. PCs are adept at getting into places they're not supposed to
be, despite the efforts of even the most well-meaning GM; force fields are an
all-purpose guard against them.
Which isn't to say that characters can't, or shouldn't, be allowed to figure
ways past fields. Overcoming a field can be an excellent intermediate hurdle
during an adventure. And the consequences of circumventing a field can trigger
further plot development. In "The General," No. 6 is able to walk past the field,
but at the cost of increased exposure to the warder with whom he has become
allied. Characters might discover that it is possible to momentarily cut power to
Town Hall (having discovered where the plug is located), but a warder might

Weird Science — 74 —
have spotted the characters while they were engaged in the dirty deed. Can he be
bought? Silenced?
If there is a field, decide its exact extent, how and where it is powered, and
how sophisticated it is. Then watch as the PCs attempt to overcome it. If they're
successful, it might be that the field will return in later adventures, better and
stronger as the warders close its loopholed.

Knowledge is Power
"There is no question, no question
from advanced mathematics to molecular
structure, from philosophy to crop spray-
ing, which the General cannot answer."

— No. 2 to No. 6
"The General"

"Good morning! I've brought you the

activities prognosis you ordered."
"Go ahead, read it out to me, please."
"It is now 10:19, exactly. According to
the prognosis, the subject is now taking his
daily stroll through The Village. At ap-
proximately 10:20 he will go to the kiosk.
There he will buy a copy of the newspaper,
bar of soap, and a bag of sweets."
"Oh, don't! He never eats candy!"
"According to the prognosis he — "
"It doesn't matter about the prognosis.
It's wrong; it doesn't work!"
"It will only take a moment to find
out."
"Well, all right — go ahead."
(They watch No. 6 buy a bag of candy
for an old woman who has used up her
week's allowance.)
"Um, my apologies. How did you
know?"
"Mission prognosis programming must
include a quantum permutation of all
causes and effects of supplementary ele-
ments."
"In other words, the computer calcu-
lated the old woman's behavior would
Persistent Machinery change the behavior pattern of No. 6?"
In "Dance of the Dead," No. 6 rips out the inner workings of a printer, but "... The subject will proceed on foot
to the old people's home, where at ap-
it continues unchecked. This printer teaches an unsettling lesson that can be proximately 10:45 he will undertake a
applied throughout a Prisoner campaign: Don't expect anything to behave the game of chess with No. 82, game to last
way you expect it to behave. Just because gutting 99 printers stops each one of approximately 15 minutes, ending with an
11-move checkmate win by No. 6."
them doesn't mean the 100th one will give up the ghost as easily.
The GM shouldn't always let himself be bound by normal cause and effect, — Programmer and Interim No. 2
especially in less important circumstances. If a point of plot development doesn't "It's Your Funeral"
hang on the outcome, he should feel free to play fast and loose with the laws of
nature. And he should be glib in his answers, if his players have the nerve to
demand an explanation. Almost certainly, that printer actually operated on a
small independent power cell and a microchip, laser-jetting words onto the page
so that no moving parts were actually necessary. The cords, plugs and wires
were all just for show.
Don't let anyone talk the GM out of a good effect just because he can't
logically justify it. Logic in The Village often operates on a higher, less under-
standable plane.

— 75 — Weird Science
 Computer Prediction of Behavior
In "It's Your Funeral," the computer was so accurately able to predict
Villager behavior that it not only knew exactly when No. 6 would be passing by
a candy stand, but also that No. 36 would be there as well, that she would be
short of units but needing a candy fix, and that No. 6 would buy her some candy.
Without full access to The Village's computers, it's difficult to predict PC
activity that completely. But remember that the GM does have such access. If
No. 2 needs to interrupt a character at an inopportune time, then the computer
(retroactively) predicted where he would be, a warder can be sent to greet him.
Remember, as well, though, as with most of the other weird sciences, not to
overuse and overabuse this ability. If the computer develops the habit of know-
ing everything characters will do before they do it, the result will be a party of
PCs who sit in their cottages humming mantras, because there is nothing more
useful they can accomplish.

SuperBeam
In "Hammer Into Anvil," No. 2 orders that a fleeing messenger pigeon be
shot down but not destroyed. The village flagpole pops its cap, a barrel emerges,
Control takes aim, and the pigeon is soon recovered alive.
As with most other technology in The Village, this beam's exact statistics
are unknown. In fact, it is important that players not know exactly how precise
or strong it is. It seems unlikely that it was placed there just to bring down
pigeons; for game purposes, assume that it is at least the equivalent of a stun rifle
(see pp. B119, 209), with a high (double-digit) accuracy bonus. Perhaps it can
also kill; this is up to the GM.

Weird Science — 76 —
Degree Absolute
Degree Absolute (in "Once Upon a Time"), is not so much technology as it
is psychological theory. Its premise is that if two minds are placed fully in
conflict, then one will eventually surrender. If the pressure is great enough, that
mind will die. No. 2 himself indicates that he doubts the theory, when he asks if
he died by poison during his Degree Absolute confrontation with No. 6.
Surgery
On the other hand, it is known that psychological pressure will make some
"Allow me to assure you that after con-
men crack. This is demonstrated throughout the series. Acting out a psychologi- version, you won't care what it is — you
cal breakdown is one of the more difficult roles a player can face, especially if just won't care!"
he would rather that his character not be cracking under pressure. Will rolls are "The ordeal of social conversion?"
an important mechanic here; when a particularly stressful situation occurs, the "You'll soon have lasting peace of
mind."
amount by which a character makes or fails a Will roll can help determine how "Drugs?"
he should react. Even so, if the GM tells a player that his character has retreated "Would drugs be lasting? What would
to the corner of the room and is shivering in fear, that player (and the rest of the be lasting is isolation of the aggressive
frontal lobes of the brain."
party) are unlikely to accept the 'reality' of this reaction unless the GM's
description and the player's roleplaying are both convincingly vivid. "Your attention, please! Here is an an-
nouncement for all staff psychologists and
psychiatrists. Those wishing to study the
Laser/Sonar Surgery conversion of No. 6 on the hospital's
closed-circuit television, please report im-
This is an example of a weird science that is gradually coming true. Sonar is mediately to the hospital commons. Thank
being used today to dissolve kidney stones without a surgical incision. In "A you for your attention!"
Change of Mind," it is used to perform frontal lobotomies.
— No. 2 and No. 6; Village Voice
Surgical processes that leave little or no trace are useful in two different "A Change of Mind"
ways. First, they can physically modify individuals without anyone realizing
how or why. Recognizing that a fellow PC or other friend has been modified can
be the first step in identifying a plot by No. 2 and moving to neutralize it. "We are using standard equipment.
Second, they can be used as they were in "A Change of Mind." Having Unit containing quartz crystal is activated
convinced the Villagers that sonar lobotomies are possible, No. 86 performs a by a variable electromagnetic field from
sham surgery on No. 6 (which is televised!), drugging and hypnotizing him into these high-voltage condensers here. The
crystal emits ultrasonic sound waves which
believing that he, too, has been lobotomized. Characters treated thus will behave are bounced off the parabolic reflector
as though they have actually been physically altered, until something or someone here. The focal point of the reflector can be
(i.e., a future plot development) convinces them otherwise. For No. 6, the two seen here by use of light waves. I will now
demonstrate the molecular disturbance at
plot developments are that he witnesses his tea being drugged (and switches the the focal point . . . The ultrasonic beam is
drug) and that two warder thugs stir him to an angry response he thought no capable of penetrating, whereas the light is
longer possible. not."
One nice twist (also seen in "A Change of Mind") is for a surgical process - No. 86
to have two effects. If a character demonstrates one of the effects, it is easier to "A Change of Mind"
convince players that he has suffered the other effect as well. With the sonar
lobotomies, the side effect is a small lesion; even though he wasn't lobotomized,
No. 6 is still given the lesion to help convince him otherwise. "Now that all your aggressive anxieties
Laser and sonar are ideal explanations for such invisible or fake surgery. have been expunged, let us say forever, I
know that you will feel free to speak, par-
ticularly about that little incident which has
Resurrection been causing you such absurd distress, the
trivia, the trivia of your resignation. Yes,
No. 2 appears to die in "Once Upon a Time," only to be resurrected (or just you resigned. Why? Why prematurely?
"resuscitated?") in "Fall Out." The possibility of resurrection can eliminate the Why did you resign?"
fear of death and help players concentrate on the more fiendish mental punish- — No. 2 to No. 6
ments available. In addition, characters who choose the easy out of death can be "A Change of Mind"
shown that that door, too, is closed.
On the other hand, resurrection shouldn't be cast as a sure thing, so that
characters, especially PCs, won't sacrifice themselves extravagantly and at the
drop of a hat. Early death can spoil some otherwise well-conceived adventures.
In general, try to use resurrection not to make death more common in a
campaign, but less common. Prisoner campaigns are best fought out in the
minds of the characters, not with their bodies.

— 77 — Weird Science
 Clones
Clones make a possible appearance in "Arrival" and "Free for All," among
the reporting and service corps. Cloning can have some of the same effects as
resurrection — it can make characters decide that death isn't important. In this
respect, the GM should try to use it as he does resurrection: sparingly, and to
accent the mental aspect of his campaign's ongoing conflict.
New Lives Cloning can be used in other ways, as well. Imagine a PC's consternation
"How was it done? Was it the drink?
You couldn't even let me rest in peace." when he realizes that the person to whom he has just spilled his plans is not his
ally, but his ally's warder clone. Or, sure his Observer is safely under observa-
— No. 2 to assembly, following his tion elsewhere, he looks up to find the same Observer peering over his shoulder.
resurrection
"Fall Out"
Clones can also be chilling, mindless servants in The Village.

"Where'd they get you, a people's

copying service, or are you one of those
double agents we hear so much about these
days?"

— Duplicate No. 6 to No. 6

"The Schizoid Man"

Desperate Measures
"If you think he's that important,
there's certainly no other alternative —
you must risk either one of us . . . I am a
good man. I was a good man. But if you get
him, he will be better. And there's no other
way — I repeat, not other way . . . Degree
Absolute, tonight, please — . . . a week!
That's not long enough! You don't want to
damage him . . . very well — tonight!"

— No. 2 on telephone to No. 1

"Once Upon a Time"

Weapons
Weapons certainly aren't emphasized in The Prisoner, but as with all other
aspects of science and technology, the GM has access to a full range of weapon-
ry, both real and imaginative. For a start, he can use anything published in the
GURPS system, from clubs to disrupters. But that's only a start. Nerve gas is
described in "The Schizoid Man," and all sorts of other effects are possible:
physical, chemical, biological, radiation, energy, etc.
Having read this, be reminded once more: physical weapons aren't em-
phasized in The Prisoner, mental conflict is.

Weird Science — 78 —
 Note: This information is for the GM only! If you intend to play in this
adventure, read no further!
This adventure is designed to introduce a party of adventurers to The Vil-
lage, making them gradually aware of exactly what they've fallen into. It bor-
rows heavily from the original The Prisoner episode of the same name, but it
generalizes the specific adventures that befall No. 6 in that episode, and gives
some alternatives, so that the campaign does not have to begin with an exact
repetition of No. 6's arrival.
 An Adventure in Three Acts
Breaking this adventure down according to the television episode format
described on p. 59, Act I covers the various abductions and ends as the PCs wake
up in The Village. Act II includes the PCs' initial investigations of The Village,
their reactions to No. 2's offer of a deal, and the beginning of their escape plans.
In Act III their escape plan is foiled, but they discover the real MIA.

The Adventure's Objectives

The Current No. 2 Establish the characters and motivation for a campaign. Much of the follow-
Age 43, short brown hair, brown eyes, ing text deals with starting a campaign, not just an adventure. "Arrival" can be
weathered complexion, 5' 3", 110 Ibs. run as a one-shot adventure, but many decisions about a Prisoner campaign must
ST9, DX12, IQ15, HT12.
Advantages: Alertness +2; Animal be made before the first adventure, and this section discusses some of those
Empathy; Attractive; Charisma +2; Legal decisions.
Enforcement Powers (full); Patron (the Get each PC into The Village. Ideally, each of them should be brought in by
masters); Status 4; Strong Will +4. a separate way, without any of them realizing that he's in trouble until it's too
Disadvantages: Duty (to masters, al-
most all the time); Mild Phobia (reptiles) late. It would be best if the players themselves didn't realize what they were
Quirks: Mild Megalomania ("I may not getting into — for more discussion in this direction, see Beginning the Campaign
be better than everybody, but I'm better (p. 55).
than anyone I've met so far.")
Skills: Acrobatics-15; Area Knowledge Have each PC explore The Village and meet the other characters in the
(The Village)-18; Breath Control-15; campaign. Some will already know each other from previous adventures or
Carousing-13; Computer Operation-17; perhaps by reputation.
Computer Programming-17; Dancing-13;
Detect Lies-17; Driving (Stock Cars, Impress upon each PC the power of The Village's masters. In particular, it
gasoline and electric)-11; Electronics would be good to foil an escape attempt.
Operation (Computers)-16, (Security Sys- Have the PCs begin doubting each other. They should all become aware that
tems)-16; Fencing-14; Gesture-14; Guns-
16; Hypnotism-16; Interrogation-15;
not all are as they seem; some professed prisoners might be warders, instead. If
Judo-13; Law-15; Leadership-17; Power- possible, some of the PCs should begin doubting not just each other, but also
boat-11; Research-17; Savoir-Faire-16. their own ability to withstand No. 2.
This No. 2 is an ideal choice for the
office. She is competent in a wide range of
areas, has no gaping holes in the skills
necessary to run The Village, and knows
how and when to use other's expert advice.
Her only serious disadvantage is her
phobia, which she has kept carefully hid-
den (but which the masters might be aware
of, if they ever need to rid themselves of
her!). Remember that the players don't
know about her phobia unless she displays
it at the wrong time.
She has risen through the ranks of an
appropriate organization, principally as a
computer specialist — she's seen little field
work, being a headquarters operative. She
was attracted to the masters by a desire for
more power than she would ever receive
working a keyboard (see her quirks). She
is determined to let no one interfere with a
perfect demonstration of her ability to
handle The Village, in the hopes of even
greater future power.

Arrival — 80 —
A Sudden Disappearance
Someone has disappeared. This person is known, or at least known of, to
everyone in the party, although not necessarily all in the same way. (A mutual
friend is often a good way to draw diverse characters who don't know each other Who is MIA?
into an adventure. It is less contrived than "You all just happen to be sitting at MIA is a non-player character in this
the same table in a bar.") Before beginning this adventure, the GM must decide adventure, controlled by the GM. Remem-
ber that that doesn't mean that he is con-
who the missing person is, what he was doing when apprehended by The Vil- trolled by The Village. He is resisting No.
lage, and why The Village kidnapped him. 2, not complying with her wishes. In addi-
tion, he is too important for The Village to
destroy his brain — he must not be dam-
Who Is the Missing Person? aged. If the multiple-GM approach for run-
This person (call him or her MIA), might be some PC's Dependent, or a ning this campaign is adopted, he could
brother he hasn't visited in five years. He might be a fellow agent. He might be easily become the first GM's player char-
acter during other GMs' adventures. If that
a missing husband whom a weeping young woman asks a PC reporter to find, is a possibility, be sure to design him (or
because "the police aren't doing anything." He might be a missing student or her) as a character suitable for use as a PC!
professor. He could be just about anyone whom a detective is hired to find. For
MIA's Wife
each PC, decide who or what type of person that PC is most likely to diligently MIA's wife is hidden somewhere in
search for. If necessary (it probably will be), invent new friendships and The Village as well. She doesn't play any
relationships for some of the PCs. A composite of these elements will create a further role in this adventure, but she will
probably figure in later adventures. She
description of MIA, the missing person. may also be designed as MIA's Ally,
rather than his Dependent, making her
When Was He Last Heard From? suitable for use as a PC in later adventures.
After determining who MIA is, and how he's connected to each PC, decide No. 6 as MIA
what he was doing when each PC last heard from him. This will probably not be If No. 6 is to take an important part in
the same for each PC. One might have received a postcard from Switzerland, the campaign, the GM may be tempted to
let the prisoner fill the role of MIA. Ob-
promising to return in a week. One might know that MIA was assigned to follow viously, this would place all the PCs in the
a suspected foreign agent, and last checked in just before catching a plane to role of friends or confidants of No. 6. This
Paris. MIA might have told one PC that he was traveling on business to New is perhaps not an enviable role, since the
masters' main use for old friends of No. 6
York or New Delhi. While working out these "last heard from" stories, decide is as levers against him! Thus, choosing
what MIA was doing when apprehended by The Village. Put together an No. 6 as MIA is, in effect, defining the PCs
itinerary, starting at the earliest "last heard from" point. as expendable . . . which is probably not a
good idea.

What Was He Doing Before He Disappeared?

Using the stories mentioned above, a possible itinerary includes these
points:
MIA is a British agent, whose cover is that of a shoe salesman. His wife
knows that he is an agent, but doesn't know much more than that. His twin
brother thinks he is just a shoe salesman. Before leaving on his last assignment,
MIA wrote a short note to his brother, saying that he was on his way to New
Delhi to develop a market for brogans, but that he would be back in a week and
they would get together to celebrate their birthday.
MIA left, but not for New Delhi. He was assigned to follow a foreign agent;
that agent changed his reservation at the last minute and left for Casablanca
instead, with MIA close behind. The foreign agent remained in Casablanca for
only a couple of hours before catching another plane for Paris. Before MIA left
for Paris, he checked in with his superiors by telegram to bring them up to date
on the change in plans.
From Paris, both agents caught a train to Bern. By this time, they are
traveling together for some reason, and upon his arrival in Bern, MIA sent the
Swiss postcard to his wife, promising a quick return.
Something has obviously gone wrong, though. A week after the postcard,
MIA's wife checks with agency headquarters. They profess to know nothing.
She contacts the Bern police, but they can find no record of MIA's stay in Bern.

— 81 — Arrival
 In desperation, she turns to a PC detective and then disappears — The Village
has decided she might be useful to them, as well.
Meanwhile, MIA's brother is a PC who never realized that his twin brother
is a secret agent. (In fact, the player might never have realized that he had a twin
The Ringer brother at all until the GM tells him!) His brother didn't show up for their mutual
In this adventure, it isn't necessary to birthday, and he's starting to get concerned — shoe salesmen are usually a bit
select one of the PCs as a ringer. Have
each PC respond to No. 2's initial overture more punctual than this, especially good old MIA. He tries to check with MIA's
with a short note: "Yes" (I am willing to wife, but she's disappeared too! Definitely worried, he begins to retrace his
help) or "No" (Your offer is declined). brother's steps.
PCs are free to tell each other what their
response was. (They are also free to lie —
The third PC might be a fellow agent. MIA is overdue, and his wife is
unless, of course, they have Honesty!) If worried, but his disappearance doesn't seem to disturb MIA's immediate supe-
any PCs accept, their immediate assign- riors. That in itself is somewhat unusual. After having reassured MIA's wife that
ment is to find out how MIA learned so he doesn't know anything but that he's sure MIA is okay, the PC decides to
much.
The promised reward (unlikely to be investigate further. He uncovers the telegram from Casablanca, but no later
fulfilled) is release from The Village. For word. And the telegram is also unusual — the PC agent gets the impression that
more suggestions, see The Ringer (p. 63). MIA is no longer carefully hiding his tracks from the agent he is following.

The Story Behind MIA's Disappearance

MIA's misadventure began with a routine tailing job: a foreign national is
suspected of collecting classified information. MIA is told to follow and discover
who is passing him the stolen information.
The Other Agent (call him TOA) is indeed involved in the passing of clas-
sified information, but as an investigator, not a participant. He, too, has been
assigned to follow up on the disappearance of documents from his own agency,
but he is beginning to realize he hasn't received a straightforward assignment.
Booked to New Delhi, he suspected a tail and changed his reservation at the last
minute to Casablanca. When MIA did so as well, TOA spotted him. And TOA
recognized MIA as one of the foreign agents TOA's agency suspects of receiving
stolen information. He quickly booked a flight to Paris; when MIA followed
suit, TOA knew he had confirmed the tail.
Now TOA is not sure what to do. He is being tailed by one of the agents he
is supposed to be investigating. Is MIA really from the other side, or is he
actually from his own side? If his own, why? Is he (TOA) suspected of double-
dealing? Is MIA his backup for a potentially dangerous situation? Is TOA a
sacrificial decoy, designed to flush the enemy so that MIA can neutralize them?
If the Players But then, why would MIA be on his list of enemy suspects?
Have Seen the Series And if from the other side, why? Perhaps this agent (MIA), fearing that TOA
It is quite likely that some or all of the is too close to the truth, has been assigned to neutralize him. But such assign-
players will have seen the original episodes ments are usually handled by a separate, deadly branch of MIA's service; using
of The Prisoner — perhaps dozens of MIA risks exposing the information-dealing operation that TOA suspects MIA
times. They will certainly try to use this
knowledge to help themselves. of being involved in. And how did MIA know that TOA was involved? TOA had
The GM should allow them to do so — just two days earlier been assigned to the case, and he certainly hadn't broken
once or twice. Let them think they are get- any new ground since then that would have brought attention to himself.
ting away with something, just as No. 6
often thought he was getting away with There are too many unknowns, and TOA, breaking several rules in the
something. Then let them run up against a Agent's Manual, decides to confront MIA.
stone wall . . . something not at all as it was The actual story is that The Village's masters have been clever, perhaps a bit
in the original show! If they're irritated,
they haven't yet really grasped the nature
too clever. Taking information from both sides, they have made sure that the
of The Village. If they realize that it's just investigators on each side are suspected as being the receiving agents by the
more proof that nothing can be depended other side. MIA and TOA have both been assigned to investigate the leaks, each
on, give them a character point for this from his own side, and thus each has been fingered to the other side by the
insight.
masters. MIA's agency suspects TOA; TOA's organization suspects MIA. In
fact, neither are involved — the masters have carefully sheltered their real
operatives.
What the masters hoped to accomplish has come close to taking place: agents

Arrival — 82 —
from both sides chasing each other in circles, neither side accomplishing any-
thing, but each side sure it is closer and closer to the truth as the circles and
circumstantial evidences close in on each other. ("If you're not here to receive
information, then why are you here?"
"But I was following you! Why are you here?"
"Following me, sure! I've caught you red-handed — now, confess! I assure
you, we have means . . . .")
But TOA has jumped the tracks, confronting an agent who is obviously
The Pickup
tailing him. Thus, when MIA insists that he was following TOA because TOA
In "Arrival," No. 6 is picked up imme-
is suspected of receiving information, TOA tends to believe him, long enough diately after his resignation, while he is at
for them to compare notes. When they realize that each side's investigating team home, alone. He is gassed and never sees
is investigating the other, they know they've been set up. But by whom? A few his assailant. In "Do Not Forsake Me," he
is again gassed, this time while struggling
more cross-comparisons isolate two or three highly placed agents in each or- with another British agent in Professor
ganization who had to have been directly involved in the cover-up. Seltzman's basement. The assailant had to
By this time, they've arrived at Bern, having taken a private train compart- subdue the professor before moving down
to the basement.
ment as the best place to discuss the situation. They decide to check back in at The ideal pickup is more like the first
their respective headquarters, carefully reporting only to their immediate supe- example than the second one. The subject
riors; they also arrange a rendezvous for further cooperative efforts in their is alone, never sees his assailant, and
now-joint investigation. Expecting a quick debriefing and then at least a day or never realizes he is being attacked. If no
one else sees the attack, there are no other
two off duty, MIA sends the postcard to his wife. mouths to silence. If the subject doesn't see
But MIA unwisely sends a coded message back to HQ before leaving Bern, his assailant, he cannot later connect him
naming two higher-ups that he suspects. (Even the best make occasional mis- with the assault. And if he doesn't realize
he's being attacked, he can't fight back.
takes.) The message inevitably falls into the wrong hands, and the masters Gas is the preferred method of in-
quickly whisk him away to The Village. TOA has covered his tracks well enough capacitation, since it requires little aim . . .
that his collusion isn't suspected by the masters, and when he fortuitously spies and everyone must breathe! Knockout
darts and brute force are two other pos-
MIA being spirited away, he decides not to check back in at his own head- sibilities.
quarters just yet. He continues his own investigation as though he had never met Nearly any subject will be missed when
MIA, keeping what he knows to himself for awhile. he disappears; some will be missed so
So MIA and his wife are now in The Village, and the masters want to know loudly that it's cleaner to abduct the ones
who would be shouting, as well. This is
how he uncovered their two agents in his organization. He's refusing to say, one reason why Dependents and Allies
knowing that as long as he holds out and they continue questioning him, TOA show up in The Village.
has a chance to unmask them. The Village has not yet begun using his wife to The warders who abduct prisoners-to-
be are professionals, and have access to
pressure him; in fact, MIA doesn't yet know that his wife is nearby. appropriate weird sciences to cover their
tracks. They can seldom be traced. They
take pride in their work, and like to add an
Getting the PCs to The Village artistic touch if the opportunity is avail-
Now that MIA is in The Village, the PCs can be lured there as well — that able. They are told where in The Village
the future prisoner will be living and work-
was the objective, after all. ing, and they try to match the pickup site to
Each PC now has a reason for trying to locate MIA. Ideally, each one will where he will wake up. This is most easily
be beginning at a different point (MIA's original New Delhi flight, the Paris accomplished if the subject can be grabbed
at home, since his Village residence is
airport telegraph office, the appropriate Bern post office, etc.). With luck, PCs usually styled to match his outside home.
who don't know each other will begin to suspect each other as they encounter one However, pickup warders have occa-
another while openly or covertly tracking MIA. sionally abducted a subject from his lab or
office and made sure he woke up in the
The GM may find it easiest to conduct each of these preliminary sessions "same place," in The Village.
one-on-one with individual players. If all are sitting around a table together
while each one tries to individually carry on his investigations, it will be difficult
to keep each from figuring out what the others are up to and (if they are so
inclined) joining together in their searches. A useful approach would be to play
out this introductory scenario with each player at the same time that the player
and GM establish his character story. This will eliminate the possibility of actual
encounters between the players — choose the approach that will work best to
establish the proper atmosphere for this particular Prisoner campaign.
Be sure to keep MIA and TOA's complicity a secret — that secret belongs
solely to MIA.
Somewhere along the line, the masters will decide each of the PCs knows too

— 83 — Arrival
 much. (Now is not the time to withhold clues — send PCs down a blind alley or
two, but make sure each one eventually progresses far enough to trigger the
masters' suspicion.)
Once each particular investigator has triggered the masters, it's time to
collect him. Select an appropriate pickup situation (see sidebar, p. 83) for each
PC. When he comes to, he's in The Village.
Village Encounters
These are "newcomer" encounters,
designed both to introduce The Village and
Welcome to The Village
to lead to conversations in which each PC The session in which the PCs wake up will probably be totally taken with
is asked at some point, "You're new here, introducing them to The Village, as they wander through it. Each should be
aren't you?"
• The "visitors" are greeted by a Vil-
assigned a number, with the appropriate button on his desk when each wakes up.
lager reading a Tally Ho article. It discus- Their clothes are gone, replaced by Village wear. Be sure to stress the strange-
ses the plot so far (MIA's appearance in ness that other Villagers find perfectly normal — "units" instead of money, only
The Village, the party's appearance) and local telephone and taxi service, non-alcoholic beverages, the Village Voice, the
goes on to say that the matter will soon be
satisfactorily resolved, since one of the strange dress, doors which operate by themselves, and so on. For other sugges-
new arrivals has agreed to No. 2's quite tions, see the Village Encounters sidebar at left.
reasonable request for information. If one By this time, some of the PCs should know each other, or at least know of
of the PCs offers a cogent objection, or
new information, the Villager may discard each other. Of course, if this adventure is part of a continuing campaign, most of
his newspaper and go buy a new copy. The the PCs will certainly know each other! In that case, the GM may want to find a
new copy will contain new information or player who is willing to have his characterdesignated as an undercover agent for
arguments that reply to whatever it was
that the newcomer said!
the masters. This character could even have aided in the others' capture! If that
• The newcomers meet one or two Vil- isn't possible, one PC can be designated as a "double" — the real PC is not a
lagers who know each of them by number, warder, but he has been replaced by a double who is a warder.
even if buttons aren't being worn. Let the PCs meet and decide for themselves whether they trust each other.
• A gardener is observed behaving
strangely; he seems to spend more time Have several notepads available, so that the paranoia notes can flow freely. If
watching other Villagers than he does gar- this party has worked together in previous campaigns, they're probably inclined
dening. If approached, he will gather his to trust each other. One or two private interviews with No. 2 and a few well-
gear and start working again about 20
yards further away. If he is approached placed notes which must be immediately returned to the GM (before other
again, another Villager will come up and players can read them) will help disturb that trust.
suggest, "You don't want to be bothering No. 2 has an interview with each PC, in which she demonstrates how much
him, you don't — they're always keeping
their eye on troublemakers," as she points
she knows about the newcomer. She also explains their presence in The Village:
to a stone bust which seems to be looking she wants MIA's secret (how he discovered the high-ranking double agents, and
directly at the newcomer(s). anything else he knows in that regard). Of course, No. 2 omits their other reason
• A Villager, in passing, invites a new- for being in The Village . . . that they know too much themselves. She doesn't
comer to join him in a sail at high tide (that
evening); the boat will be waiting on the feel it necessary to tell them that they'll be staying here for a long while,
beach. (It is, of course, an imaginary trip regardless of their help in this matter. Some of these interviews can be in pairs
on the stone boat.) or groups.
• The newcomers are "invited" to
visit the Labour Exchange, where each Try to keep all players active, possibly passing notes regarding No. 2's
one must perform a series of silly tasks, interviews while describing The Village to those PCs not currently being inter-
after which each is pronounced most fit to viewed.
pursue a random Village occupation, to
begin tomorrow morning.
Even if everyone in the party knows each other (from previous campaigns or
• The newcomers catch just a glimpse simply as a basis for beginning this campaign), the properly paranoid atmos-
of Rover . . . "You notice that everyone phere can be developed. For general notes in this regard, see Distrust and
around you is standing still. In the dis- Paranoia (p. 62). In particular, let each PC know that a double agent is suspected
tance, you see, just for a second, some-
thing large and white, that seems to bound in MIA's disappearance.
along." Naturally, none of the Villagers If all PCs are in an agency (not even the same agency), tell each one privately
will discuss this at all! (as his agency superior, before they reach The Village) that another PC is
particularly suspected and ask him to keep a sharp eye on that PC. Be sure not to
be too obvious about this; in fact, the best approach might be to contact each
player before the session to deliver this and other private messages. The goal is
to have each player feel that he can probably trust the others, but not to be quite
certain. If the players are certain there is a traitor among them, they will not
share confidences, and no betrayal will be possible.

Arrival — 84 —
The Fake MIA
No. 2 has been working on MIA for quite a while, but he refuses to break.
No. 2 didn't bring in his PC friends just because they've been asking about him;
she figures that at least one of them knows how MIA got his information. (They
don't.)
To give the PCs someone to work with (or work on), she has brought in a
warder double of MIA, someone who has a solid knowledge of MIA's file, but
who can't know everything MIA and each PC have in common. She hopes that
whoever knows what MIA knows will discuss it with the fake, thus spilling the
beans. The flaw in her plan, again, is that none of the PCs know MIA's secret.
On the other hand, if any of the PCs take the fake MIA into their confidence
regarding their escape plans, she will have their plan stopped cold.
If the PCs are clever, one of them might discover that this isn't the real MIA.
Don't have the fake MIA make any stupid mistakes, but he can be tripped up by
his lack of full knowledge.

Escape
Sooner or later (probably sooner), the PCs will start planning to escape. If
none of them do so, start dropping hints and mentioning the word "escape."
Have Villagers emphasize to them that no one has ever escaped. Have another
Villager mention an escape that should have worked, but didn't. If all else fails,
have an old Villager tell them that escape may not be possible, but that he
personally knew three men, men that were very important to No. 2, who planned
to escape one night. He never saw them again after they left. If they didn't
escape, where are they?
The prisoners are likely to come up with any number of escape plans on their
own. If they seem to need help, though, the GM may drop hints leading to the
plan in the sidebar on p. 86.
Once the prisoners begin planning to escape, make sure that No. 2 finds out
about it. It shouldn't be difficult, with the fake MIA in their midst and a few PCs
possibly having accepted her deal. If necessary, The Village surveillance equip-
ment can provide her with the information, especially since she's paying par-
ticular attention to the PCs, trying to discover MIA's secret.
MIA is currently hidden away somewhere along the PCs' proposed escape
route, preferably toward the end of it so he isn't discovered right away, drugged
unconscious. Until the GM knows how the PCs plan to escape, he won't know
exactly where to hide MIA. (His location along the escape route isn't part of No.
2's scheme; it's a handy plot device.) He has several days' growth of beard and
has lost weight; either of these should clue the PCs into the fact that they've been
dealing with a fake MIA.
It should go without saying that hostage-taking is not likely to be a viable
plan. Most warders will be considered expendable by the masters, and probably
even by most of their fellow warders.
It isn't necessary that all PCs be a part of the escape plan. If only one
enterprising PC decides to leave, then have him discover the real MIA by him-
self, before his plan is foiled.

Climax
This adventure should end in a draw, unless the PCs pull off something very
extraordinary. Any escape plans are doomed to failure from the start, but so is
No. 2's scheme, since the PCs don't know what she's trying to find out. Bright
PCs will realize that their plan is blown when they discover the real MIA, since
that means they've been confiding in a fake MIA. Brighter (or luckier) PCs

— 85 — Arrival
 won't have confided in the fake MIA; if they have no ringer in their midst, stop
Escape by Sea them anyway, but have No. 2 call them in to applaud them for a plan that nearly
This escape scenario can be used in this worked and have her react (slightly) to something reptilian — someone's lizard-
adventure, or dropped into another one, as skin belt or crocodile shoes, a piece of dragon jewelry, or even something she
appropriate. momentarily mistakes for a snake. If a PC notices her aversion (on a successful
The PCs become aware of a small two- IQ roll, with +2 for anyone possessing Empathy), he has something to use
masted sailing vessel tied up at the dock. If
they have been in The Village a while, they against her the next time they meet.
have seen this boat come and go; it seems
to carry supplies, or perhaps low-level
warders. At any rate, its comings and Character Points
goings are not marked by any particular
attention or ceremony. A half-dozen In general, as for other Prisoner adventures, points should be granted for
guards are present while the boat is tied up, intelligent attempts to escape, for constant resistance without unnecessary
but no Villagers go near it; PCs who ap- violence, and for strategies which set the warders against each other.
proach the boat will be warned away.
When the PCs show interest in the boat,
Points should be subtracted for voluntary cooperation or for being tricked or
the GM should require Seamanship rolls trapped into working against other prisoners. If a PC becomes concerned with
before providing information about it. If following Village rules for any reason except to lull the warders into dropping
there is not at least one PC with Seaman- their guards, that PC is co-operating! If a PC conforms to Village just because
ship skill of 13 +, they won't even be able
to get the craft away from the dock, and conforming is comfortable, that, too, should cost character points. (Unless, of
Common Sense would suggest as much. course, that PC's personality is already conformist in nature. But such a person
On the other hand, knowledgeable ex- will soon be swallowed up in The Village.)
amination will reveal that the boat is purely
wind-powered, with no auxiliary motors. Likewise, dock points for unthinking violence, especially if it harms in-
Suppose the PCs know enough about nocents. Who is really innocent here? Only the GM knows . . .
boats to risk it. And suppose they can in-
capacitate the guards (one will be sleeping
on board, assuming they act by night). The
PCs now have a boat. A careful search,
with as much die-rolling as the GM
pleases, will reveal no motors. There is a
radio, which doesn't work, but little other
electronic equipment. When the escapees
are a half-mile out, an observer will spot
the boat leaving, and a yellow alert will
sound, quickly becoming orange.
Speedboats will be dispatched, unless
the PCs have sabotaged them or arranged a
diversion. They are faster than the boat,
but can be driven away by the guns which
the PCs will have thoughtfully taken from
the guards. (Should the PCs shoot to kill,
they should be made to regret it later.)
Rover, too, will be sent after the escaping
boat . . . and will eventually catch up. It is
immune to all weapons on the ship, and
will bounce on board, but no one need be
caught. If the PCs have the sense to go
belowdecks, or even to stay in the struc-
tures on the top deck, the sinister white
sphere will bounce impotently around the
deck and then leave!
So the craft proceeds toward freedom
— for a while. Then it turns, all on its own;
the sails fill, and it carries the prisoners
right back to the Village. How can this be?
After all, it has no electronic controls to be
overridden by radio. The GM need not
answer this question at all. The Village has
many powers, and the prisoners have just
encountered one of them.
If the escape was bloodless, the boat
will be met at dockside by the band, and
the crew will be welcomed back home with
no suggestion that they did anything
wrong! If guards or warders were severely
injured, the guilty parties will be punished.

Arrival — 86 —
 In the standard opening sequence, a storm cloud, with This episode serves several purposes. It introduces No.
thunder, heralds the arrival of a new episode, followed by 6, and us, to The Village, and impresses upon him its
No. 6 (an unnamed secret agent, not yet The Prisoner) other-worldliness, its omniscience, and its omnipotence.
driving his Lotus (KAR 120C) down a broad, flat road. He No. 2 seems to know whatever he is thinking. In reaction,
enters London, turns down a tunnel, and leaving his car, No. 6 exhibits the strong-willed determination that he
strides determinedly through a long corridor. Throwing maintains throughout his stay in The Village.
back a set of double doors, he marches to a desk, lectures
intently to the quiet man behind the desk, slams down his
letter of resignation, and departs. While bureaucrats "The Chimes of Big Ben"
mechanically process his resignation, he returns to his flat, The new day is greeted by the Village Voice with the
followed by a black hearse. As he is inside, apparently announcement of an art competition. No. 6 learns that
packing for a vacation, knockout gas is pumped into his there is a new arrival in The Village, No. 8, and is asked
flat and he falls to his bed, unconscious. When he wakes, by No. 2 to show her around. She, too, is here only be-
still in his flat, he stumbles to the window and discovers cause she resigned, and her first escape attempt is simply
that his neighborhood has been replaced with The Village. to swim out to sea, using Olympic-class form. Rover is
The opening interview with No. 2 usually follows. even swifter, however, and she wakes up in the hospital.
No. 6 agrees to participate in Village life if No. 2 halts
his persecution and interrogation of No. 8. He starts work
"Arrival" on a wooden sculpture for the art competition. Meanwhile,
The opening sequence is a bit longer than usual, to help No. 8 (Nadia) tells him that she knows where they are,
establish the strange, new world in which No. 6 finds having seen a file she wasn't supposed to see before her
himself. The opening interview with No. 2 is omitted, arrival. They're in Lithuania, on the Baltic Sea, 30 miles
since they have not yet met. Looking out his window onto from Poland. She dreams of hearing the chimes of Big Ben
The Village for the first time, he is struck by its beauty and (in London) and together they plan to escape.
strangeness. The first person he sees is a waitress, and he At the art competition, No. 6's entry is the only one
leaves his cottage to question her. She can tell him little — with any implied abstract meaning, and the awards com-
there's no police station, no phone at the restaurant, this is mittee has no idea what to make of it. When told "it means
The Village. He finds a phone booth, but is told he can what it is," they award it first prize. No. 6 uses the prize
make local calls only. He hails a taxi, but it will only 'money' to buy a tapestry which had also been entered; the
transport him within The Village. He requests a map, but tapestry makes a fine sail, the final touch to a boat crafted
it only indicates "the mountains" and "the sea" beyond from the parts of his own entry.
The Village. Sailing away that night, they are pursued by Rover.
Returning to his cottage, he is summoned by a phone They leap from the boat and barely escape, swimming to
call to meet No. 2 at the Green Dome. He is offered break- shore. A confederate is there with transportation; No. 6
fast (his preferences being on file) and is told why he is in takes his watch, as well, since his own was ruined by the
The Village. He is then given a helicopter tour and wit- seawater. Carried in a shipping crate by truck, boat and
nesses Rover chasing down a victim. plane, they arrive in London and are unpacked at the intel-
Following an escape attempt (his first of many!) foiled ligence offices. Nadia is escorted away and No. 6 is on the
by Rover, No. 6 awakens in the hospital and meets an old verge of telling why he resigned when he realizes that the
friend, Cobb, who was kidnapped while in Germany. chimes he is hearing are tolling the wrong time! His watch
Soon after, he overhears that Cobb has committed suicide. should be an hour later than the chimes (Polish time vs.
Upon his release from the hospital, No. 6 is issued his ID British time), but it isn't. His suspicions are confirmed
cards by a new No. 2. when a pulled wire unplugs the sounds of London and an
Cobb's funeral procession is accompanied by only one opened window reveals The Village.
mourner, whom No. 6 soon contacts. She reveals that she Score this one zero to zero. No. 6 fails to escape, but
and Cobb had an escape plan, using an electropass The Village fails to learn why he resigned. Yet it reveals a
synchronized with the alarm system to gain access to the tiny crack or two in an otherwise perfect Village facade.
helicopter. No longer having the heart to escape, she pas- When told that he drinks his tea straight, No. 6 adds three
ses it on to No. 6. He flies away, only to have the controls lumps of sugar, which visibly disconcerts No. 2. It's not
overridden as the 'copter returns to The Village. We real- much, but it is a starting point. In addition, No. 6 learns
ize in the final scene that Cobb isn't really dead, but work- more about the risks of dealing with and trusting either
ing for The Village's masters, and that No. 6 has been No. 2 or anyone else, even his former brothers in the
conned into a doomed attempt. service.

— 87 — Plot Synopses
The Alternate "Chimes" and hands the envelope to No. 2. It is full of travel
A longer pilot version of this episode was made and brochures ("I wasn't selling out — that's not the reason I
then lost for several years. It is now available on tape, the resigned."). His dream body then lies down on the table
"eighteenth" episode of this 17-part series. It is not sig- where his real body is resting.
nificantly different from the description above, although This episode contains no escape attempts; the conflicts
the final credits give an interesting play on the symbolism concern No. 6's mind and No. 2's job security. No. 6 wins
of the penny-farthing bike. both. It explores some of the more amazing technology
available to The Village, and reveals insecurity in The
Village hierarchy.
"A, B and C"
If No. 6 won't spill his secret while awake, how about
in his dreams? An experimental process manipulates his
"Free for All"
dreams while displaying them on a television monitor. It is No. 2 calls on No. 6 with the news that it is time for the
thought that if No. 6 had been planning to sell out, there yearly election for chairman of The Village. He invites
are three possible contacts he might have been prepared to No. 6 to run against him. If he wins, he runs The Village
deal with. By placing him in dream contact with each one, as he wishes, and meets No. 1. As soon as No. 6 walks
No. 2 hopes to trigger an exchange which will reveal No. outside, he is greeted by a parade of Villagers, already
6's real-life intentions. supplied with posters and campaign buttons.
All three dreams begin with one of the celebrated par- Interviewed by the Tally Ho, No. 6's "no comment" is
ties at Madame Engadine's, in Paris, attended by anyone transcribed as "intends to fight for freedom at all costs"
who is anybody. After No. 6 greets Madame Engadine and and in print within two minutes. The press is saying what
strolls about for a few minutes, disk A is attached to the it wishes with no concern for the truth.
dream machine, and the first suspected contact appears. No. 6 attends the dissolution of the outgoing town coun-
After a disagreement over principles and motivations turns cil. At the meeting, motions are carried unanimously
into a fistfight, No. 2 is satisfied that "A" is not the before a vote can be taken. Afterwards he is given a truth
suspected contact. test (more weird science) and is told, "Everything you
The next night, the experiment is repeated, using disk think here is in the strictest confidence."
B. After a couple of minutes of interesting but not very More parades follow and No. 6 finally breaks away,
useful dialogue, No. 2 grows impatient and demands that fleeing in a speedboat. Retrieved by Rover, he undergoes
the doctor, No. 14, intercede by providing dialogue for the (more?) hypnotism, so that he will campaign exactly as
dream "B." Unfortunately, No. 6 is immediately suspi- desired. Fewer Villagers are listening to No. 2's speeches,
cious, tells "B" that she is not who she pretends to be, and more and more are hanging on No. 6's every word. When
exits the dream. He is returned to his cottage, still asleep. election day arrives, it's No. 6 in a landslide. But when his
Meanwhile, No. 6 has found the puncture wounds in his hand is raised in victory and he attempts a celebratory
wrist from the first two experiments and, seeing No. 14 in speech, he is greeted with absolute silence. The Villagers
The Village, vaguely remembers her from his previous no longer care. Entering the Green Dome, he runs amok,
nights' dreams. Following her, he discovers a secret deactivating all electronic guards and releasing the vil-
entrance to the dream lab, three files labelled "A," "B" lagers ("Obey my command! I'm in charge!"). But only
and "C," and three syringes, two of them empty. He his maid attends him, and she calmly walks up and begins
dilutes the solution in the third syringe with water. slapping him. A scuffle ensues, No. 6 collapses, he is
The third night, he is again brought to the lab asleep, carried back to his cottage, and everything is just as it was
but is able to take command of his dream. Nos. 2 and 14 before the campaign began.
don't know exactly who "C" might be; No. 6 ends up at a The spotlight is on elections, and how meaningful they
mysterious castle with a masked figure in the courtyard. are in today's democratic societies. When No. 6 begins to
Before handing over the envelope he carries, No. 6 take the election seriously, he loses. Appropriate 20 years
removes the mask, and No. 2 is revealed! The dream scene ago, the questions raised here are even more meaningful in
then shifts back to The Village, where No. 6 enters the lab today's world of campaigns based on continuous opinion
polls, sound bites and staged photo opportunities.

Plot Synopses — 88 —
 In this episode, The Village takes a further step in strip-
"The Schizoid Man" ping No. 6 of his identity. They've already taken his name
No. 24 is practicing her photography and telepathy with away; here, they try to remove all else that makes him
No. 6, in anticipation of the Village Festival. Curfew ar- unique, transferring his identity to another man. But once
rives; the next morning, No. 6 wakens in a strange room, again, the Prisoner resists.
having grown a moustache overnight. Villagers greet him
as No. 12. Back at his cottage he finds a man who looks
more like him than he does himself. This new man has "The General"
assumed the role of No. 6, and here the terminology gets a The "rave" this episode is speed learning which will
bit tricky. Our hero No. 6 will still be referred to as "No. subliminally teach a three-year course in three minutes.
6"; the new No. 6, the double, will be referred to as "No. Those who participate have errorless recall of what they
6(2)'. have learned. As might be expected, No. 6 has no interest
A switch has been pulled on No. 6, in the hopes that he in participating. He is persuaded to do so, and learns to his
will break down and reveal his secret, desperate to prove surprise that it works; he can now parrot the same history
that he is indeed himself. Electrotherapy has adjusted his lessons learned by the rest of the Villagers!
tastes and switched his handedness from right to left. No. Speed learning itself is relatively harmless, but its
6 (2) can do everything No. 6 does, only better. He shoots development and perfection masks a darker purpose. If
and fences better (and with the proper hand), his finger- historical facts can be implanted in seconds, why not
prints match those on file for No. 6, and No. 24 can read opinions and beliefs? (In fact, Villager behavior in other
his mind much better than she can No. 6's. To intensify the episodes argues that this technology has already been per-
pressure, No. 2 discusses with him the plan they have to fected.) The developer of this wonder method, the Profes-
break No. 6 (2) by producing a double. No. 6 is made to sor, realizes too late the ways in which it can (and thus
believe that he is the double and became unbalanced while will) be perverted by the General, the one responsible for
studying the part. its application. First he tries to escape and then to insert his
A photo that No. 24 left with No. 6 the "previous own subliminal message of revolt.
night" provides the evidence he needs to convince himself No. 6 has become part of the conspiracy by this point,
that he is still sane. It shows a fingernail bruise which has along with No. 12, an administrator who is part of the
since aged about a month — the photo wasn't taken last General's team (in top hats and shades). No. 12 supplies
night, but a month ago. Realizing that he has lost a month No. 6 with a coded revolt message and a security pass disk
while being conditioned, he sets about to reverse the con- which will get him past the force field under Town Hall.
ditioning. Sure of himself now, he confronts and defeats When No. 6 is captured, No. 2 decides to ask the General
his double, learning the password and his real name. When who his confederates were.
Rover appears and No. 6 uses the correct password, Rover At this point, we discover that the General is a room-
kills the double by mistake. No. 2 is convinced that the sized mainframe computer designed by the Professor. No.
real No. 6 is the man who was killed. 2 boasts that there is no question that the General cannot
Making a bid for freedom, No. 6 switches the plot, answer. The question he is about to put to the computer
assuming his double's identity. Unfortunately, he doesn't (given means and opportunity, who was No. 6's con-
know that No. 6 (2)'s wife died a year earlier; when he federate?) has a fairly obvious answer, so No. 6 intervenes
promises to greet her, his escape turns into a short trip with a challenge — he has a question that the General can't
back to The Village. answer. No. 2 readily accepts the challenge, and No. 6
inputs a four stroke question: Why? Conveniently enough,
the General is not programmed to handle either philosophy
or failure; it blows up, taking the Professor with it and thus
eliminating the possibility of a quick rebirth.
Progressive methods of education take it on the chin in
this episode written about the time New Math and similar
curricula were being introduced. The most telling line oc-
curs just after No. 6 has been captured: "The freedom to
learn, the liberty to make mistakes — old-fashioned
slogans, reactionary dribble." Just as important, though,
is The Prisoner's continuing premise: the individual has
the right to act (in this case, to learn) as he will, rather than
as someone else dictates.

"Many Happy Returns"

No. 6 wakens one morning to find that The Village has
been deactivated — no water, no telephone service, no
Villagers. He fashions a raft, takes several snapshots as

— 89 — Plot Synopses
 body washed up on shore and attempts to use its scavenged
possessions to escape. Meanwhile, the yearly carnival is
on tap ("There will be music, dancing, happiness — all at
the carnival, by order").
No. 6 meets Dutton when in the hospital for an electric
treatment to persuade him to talk. He meets his current
Observer. He attempts to send a message for help by put-
ting the body back into the current. At the carnival, he
finds a just-received termination order for Dutton, and
then is put on trial and convicted for acquiring a radio
(which he found on the body). Running from the resultant
mob of Villagers, he has a final confrontation with No. 2.
This episode is one of the most chilling of the series.
Snatches of dialogue throughout the show make it abun-
dantly clear exactly how thoroughly and methodically No.
6's life is observed and controlled. It gives the best
description of an Observer (see p. 32) and highlights the
arbitrary nature of life in The Village, from "signing your
number" to a death sentence for a minor infraction against
unwritten rules.

evidence, and puts to sea. He is found by a pair of gunrun-

ners who pillage his raft and dump him in the water, but he "Do Not Forsake Me
manages to board their boat and capture it.
As the boat approaches a shoreline (England), they
Oh My Darling"
recapture it and he goes back into the sea; he is barely able The aged Professor Seltzman had discovered how to
to swim to shore. Befriended by a gypsy, he makes his way switch two minds from body to body before he disap-
to London and his flat. At his flat, he meets Mrs. Butter- peared. Now The Village's masters want him, to find out
worth and discovers that she has both the current lease and how to switch such minds back into their proper bodies.
his Lotus automobile. She feeds and dresses him (in her No. 6 was one of the last agents known to have been in
late husband's clothes), and he departs to report to his touch with him before his disappearance, and they suspect
former superiors (different from those in "The Chimes of he knows where the doctor is now.
Big Ben"). To persuade No. 6 to reveal where Seltzman is, they
After checking his story beginning with his arrival in switch his mind into another body and return him to his flat
England, they find it sufficiently credible to authorize No. in London. He awakens with a new body and with a year
6 to begin an aerial search for The Village, focusing on the missing from his memory. Reporting in to his former bos-
northwest corner of Morocco. (No. 6 kept a log while at ses (different again from those in "The Chimes of Big
sea.) Finally, on one flight, he sees The Village below and Ben" or "Many Happy Returns"), he finds them unwill-
exclaims in triumph, only to find himself ejected from the ing to believe his story of The Village and mind transfer.
jet and parachuting back down to his home away from He does persuade his fiancee that he is really her true love
home. The Village has reached out its long arm and (with a kiss, no less); she gives him the receipt to a pack of
replaced his pilot with one of their own! Did the replace- picture slides from which he is able to extract Seltzman's
ment pilot really fly No. 6 to the Moroccan coastline, or in current residence.
another direction entirely? No one knows. Motoring over to Austria, he finds Seltzman, but has
The Village is still deserted as No. 6 walks to his cot- been followed both by British Intelligence and The Vil-
tage, but when he enters, the water comes back on, the lage. While fighting with the British agent, he is gassed (as
streets spring back to life, and Mrs. Butterworth appears in the opening sequence) and he finds himself back in The
on his doorstep, as No. 2, with a birthday cake (it's his Village.
birthday). "Many happy returns!" Once there, Seltzman agrees to conduct the retransfer,
The Village has won this round, hands down. It has but insists that he be allowed to work alone. When the
demonstrated to The Prisoner that no matter where he goes three men are hooked up, Seltzman manages to get No. 6's
or how securely he digs in, he will never be certain that he mind back into his own body, but also transfers his mind
won't wake up the next morning back in The Village. (Seltzman's) into the third, younger body. Now in dis-
guise, Seltzman is flown out by helicopter, making his
escape before The Village realizes the trick.
"Dance of the Dead" In terms of conflict between No. 6 and The Village, No.
Two plots intertwine in this episode. In one, No. 6 6 comes out ahead. He is only able to convince two people
meets a former colleague, Dutton, who has told all he of his true identity while abroad, and he ends up back in
knows but is still not believed; in the other, No. 6 finds a The Village, but he foils their attempt to capture Seltzman

Plot Synopses — 90 —
and his abilities (with significant help from Seltzman). In is one of No. 6's long suits, however, and No. 2 is even-
terms of allegory, the broad theme here is that of the tually persuaded (foiling the subplot).
misuses to which scientific advancement can be put, a No. 2 will soon step down from office, to be replaced
recurring theme in the series. by the last interim No. 2. The bomb is hidden in the great
seal of office that No. 2 wears, and is scheduled to explode
during the transfer of power ceremonies on Appreciation
"It's Your Funeral" Day. However, No. 6 keeps the bomb from being trig-
An elaborate plot is being woven to assassinate No. 2; gered while the old No. 2 is wearing the seal; once the new
an even more elaborate subplot has been fashioned to No. 2 has donned the seal, No. 6 hands the detonation
neutralize No. 6's possible interference. No. 2 is not cur- device to the outgoing No. 2, who holds it as his guarantee
rently in residence, his seat being temporarily filled by a of safe passage out of The Village.
series of "acting" No. 2s. The plots are the work of the There is little of the allegorical in this episode. A
last of these, in conjunction with The Village's masters. violent plot has been hatched; No. 6 foils it through (most-
A young woman calls on No. 6 and is rebuffed, but then ly) non-violent measures. Its most interesting elements in-
faints exactly on time in his living room and thus becomes clude The Village's cynical manipulation of No. 6's noble
a lady in distress, one of No. 6's few weaknesses. She weakness (in GURPS terms, a -10 point Code of Honor,
convinces him that a plot to assassinate No. 2 exists and especially towards women in distress) and the ongoing
that her father the watchmaker is building the bomb to do resistance of certain Villagers to their captivity (see "Jam-
it. She says that her father is actually a dupe of The mers," p. 35).
Village's masters — that they seek to both eliminate No. 2
and persecute The Village for his death. No. 6 agrees to
help, not to save No. 2 but to keep his fellow Villagers "Checkmate"
from being unjustly punished. No. 6 is invited to participate in one of The Village's
He warns the acting No. 2, who scoffs at his warning living chess games, in which each piece or pawn is played
but carefully records it. When the real No. 2 returns, he is by a villager. He accepts the White Queen's invitation, and
shown a series of tapes in which No. 6 apparently warns becomes her pawn. During play, a Rook moves without
each of the several interim No. 2s that they will be assas- instructions, and is removed to the hospital for treatment.
sinated. Thus convinced that No. 6 is only crying wolf, Following the game, a conversation with the director of
No. 2 initially scoffs at No. 6's warnings also. Persistence the white side reveals to No. 6 one way to distinguish
prisoners from warders in The Village. Prisoners are sub-

— 91 — Plot Synopses
missive; warders aren't. Once the Rook is released from straps on his gun (removing his badge) and guns down the
the hospital, No. 6 meets him and tests his new theory. Kid in a duel. A shootout in the saloon soon follows; No.
Sure enough, the Rook refuses to meet his eye. No. 6 6 gets all of the gunmen but is then shot down by the Judge
recruits him to his latest escape plan and seeks out several himself.
more bona fide prisoners. Together, they construct a radio No. 6 wakes up in the saloon, wearing his standard
that mimics an airplane's Mayday broadcast. Village garb rather than western gear; the Judge, the Kid,
Meanwhile, it has been decided to hypnotically induce even a horse are all cardboard cutouts. He hears the Vil-
the White Queen to fall in love with No. 6, so that she will lage band and, going over the hill, arrives back at The
follow him persistently. She is outfitted with an ex- Village. He finds the Judge (No. 2), Cathy, and the Kid all
perimental device which detects and transmits her bio- in the Green Dome. It has all been a plot to confuse fact
emotional responses. Thus, when she is near No. 6 her and dream, to induce him to spill his secret. His mind
pulse and respiration increase; when she senses danger to proves more stable than theirs, however — Cathy and the
him (as when he is on the verge of escaping), they should Kid return to Harmony, where he kills her once more and
increase dramatically and warn those monitoring her. then falls to his death while taunting the Judge.
No. 6 begins to understand her sudden infatuation when The primary allegory in Harmony is of The Village
he discovers the device; by destroying it, he is able to use itself, and Harmony is thorough in its depiction of an alter-
its parts to complete the radio. Late one night, his escape nate game world in which a Prisoner campaign can be set
team ties up No. 2 to incapacitate him, and begins broad- (see Chapter 3). This episode emphasizes No. 6's accept-
casting their Mayday. The M. S. Polotska responds, and ance of violence only as a last resort (a trait he shares with
No. 6 rows out to meet it, but the Polotska turns out to be secret agent John Drake) and his solid resolve to resist
a Village ship. Upon his return to The Village, No. 6 unreasoning authority, no matter what the circumstances.
discovers the flaw in his plot. By taking command of the
rest of his team, he convinced them that he was a warder, "A Change of Mind"
not a prisoner, and they betrayed him.
This episode deals with trust — who can trust, who can A two-pronged attack is made on No. 6's mind, using
be trusted. By not trusting anyone and by keeping moni- social pressures and scientific techniques. No. 6 is
tors everywhere, The Village obviously has the upper upbraided for his preference for privacy ("Now that could
hand in this regard. The symbolism of chess, which recurs be taken as being antisocial.") and is brought before the
throughout the series, comes to the fore in this episode, council, not to defend himself, but to make a complete
helping to illustrate the roles everyone, warder and confession. When he declines, he finds the entire Village
prisoner alike, plays in The Village. has turned against him: the Ladies' Appeals Subcommittee

"Living in Harmony"
The standard opening sequence is re-
placed here with a Western variant. No. 6
appears as a horseman who finds himself
in the town of Harmony, unable to leave.
The town Judge recruits him as Sheriff,
but he declines. He is soon arrested (for
his own protection); while in jail he wit-
nesses a hanging.
The victim was the brother of Cathy, a
saloon girl; later that night she brings a
bottle to the Kid (his guard and the
Judge's muscle) and slips No. 6 the keys
to his cell. He escapes, but is soon cap-
tured and dragged back to town. Back at
the saloon a trial is held. No. 6 isn't
charged, since he wasn't really a prisoner;
instead, Cathy is convicted of abetting his
escape, since she thought he was a
prisoner when she helped him.
No. 6 agrees to be sheriff if the Judge
will release Cathy, but still refuses to
wear a gun. He is approached by a towns-
man who pleads with him to help end the
Judge's reign of terror. When the towns-
man and Cathy are killed, No. 6 finally

Plot Synopses — 92 —
visits him (appealing to him to convert), the Tally Ho context of The Village. The pretext, not revealed until the
editorializes against him, and finally no one in The Village closing scene, indicates that the current No. 2 is grasping
will speak to him or even serve him at the cafe. He is at straws: perhaps No. 6 will at least partially reveal his
"unmutual." secret when telling a bedtime story to children.
Meanwhile, frontal lobotomy is demonstrated to him as The story: When another agent is killed, No. 6, once
a method of insuring compliance. He is then drugged and more a secret agent, is assigned to pursue the dead agent's
made to believe that he has been lobotomized. (He hasn't case. A mad scientist has decided to send a nuclear missile
really, because of the fear that he would lose too much to London, and the agent was on the track of the scientist's
valuable information and too many valuable skills.) Upon daughter, who calls herself "Death" and is at least as mad
his release from the hospital, he is greeted enthusiastically as her father.
by the Villagers as a healed man. Returning to the scene of the crime (a London cricket
When he discovers he is being drugged, he turns the field), No. 6 avoids an exploding cricket ball, then follows
tables, passing the drug on to No. 86, his doctor, instead. a trail of murderous clues to a pub (a poisoned drink), a
As the drug wears off, he realizes that the lobotomy was a steam bath (suffocation by steam), a carnival's boxing
sham. He hypnotizes the now-susceptible No. 86 and then arena (a challenge match), and finally the Tunnel of Love
requests of No. 2 that he be allowed to address The Village (an exploding radio — she's starting to repeat herself). A
from the Green Dome balcony, to recant his formerly un- car chase ends at the ghost town of Witchwood, where No.
mutual behavior. However, in the middle of his speech, 6 must dodge a machine gun, a trapdoor with electric
No. 86 appears and, on post-hypnotic cue, charges No. 2 spikes, and exploding cyanide candles.
with being unmutual. When he emerges unscathed from these dangers, she
She is instantly believed by the Villagers, and No. 2's abandons the subtle approach and begins lobbing grenades
latest scheme to uncover No. 6's secret is swept away by at him from a tower. He drives toward her in a handy
the resulting mob. bulldozer; she destroys it with her equally handy bazooka.
This episode once more challenges unscrupulous uses Her job accomplished, she jumps into a waiting helicopter
of science, both the hard sciences and the social sciences. and returns to Dad.
It also gives another view of Villagers. In "It's Your No. 6, however, vanished not into ashes but down a
Funeral," they are free-minded individuals willing to convenient sewer. Emerging from the sewer, he hitches an
sacrifice themselves; in this episode, they possess not a unobtrusive ride on the helicopter and then follows her to
single individual thought. a lighthouse, just offshore. At the lighthouse, he discovers
that the scientist thinks he is Napoleon and that his
henchmen are all dressed as field marshals. No. 6 over-
"Hammer Into Anvil" comes the marshals as they struggle in the best Keystone
"Each man has his breaking point. You must be either Kops tradition, but is then captured by the scientist and his
hammer or anvil." No. 2 believes himself to be a hammer, daughter. They leave him in the nose cone of the light-
and proves his breaking-point philosophy when he drives house/missile, but he turns the tables once more, escaping
a prisoner to suicide. No. 6 vows to break him to avenge in their speedboat as the lighthouse explodes around them.
the suicide's death. "Goodnight, children, everywhere."
What follows is a primer in How to Provoke and Feed
Paranoia. No. 6 first generates a general suspicion in No.
2's mind, then casts doubt on each of No. 2's most trusted "Once Upon a Time"
associates, until there is no one left whom No. 2 trusts. Time is growing short, and No. 6 has still not revealed
No. 2 becomes convinced that No. 6 has been sent to test his secret, the reason he resigned. In desperation, No. 2
him. (the same No. 2 as in "The Chimes of Big Ben") decides
At the conclusion of the episode, No. 6 confronts No. 2 to use Degree Absolute, a measure so extreme that he
in the Centrum, telling him, "Your first duty, if you requires authorization before it can begin. He realizes that
suspected me of being a plant, would have been not to either he or No. 6 will not survive the ordeal. ("I am a
interfere — so you're guilty of sabotage. Who are you good man — I was a good man. But if you get him, he will
working for, No. 2?" No. 6 says, however, that he is not be better. And there's no other way, I repeat, no other
going to report No. 2's failure; No. 2 is going to report way!")
himself. Curled into a shivering fetal position, No. 2 does Turning control of The Village over to his subor-
so. dinates, No. 2, assisted by the Butler, takes No. 6 into a
This episode contains no special allegory; it is a sealed room beneath the Green Dome, the Embryo Room.
straightforward challenge between a man with a solid posi- Having been electronically treated, No. 6 is taken through
tion in his community (No. 2) and an individual (No. 6). the ages of man, beginning with birth. At each stage, No.
2 is the figure of authority — his father, his proctor, his
coach, his superior in the agency, his judge, his command-
"The Girl Who Was Death" ing officer, and finally his warden. As he establishes each
Welcome to the most fanciful of the 17 Prisoner figure, No. 2 asks No. 6 why he resigned; each time,
episodes, one which takes place almost entirely out of the though taken with the charade, No. 6 refuses to answer.

— 93 — Plot Synopses
 Eventually, No. 6 overcomes his fear of No. 2 and the but No. 6's address is instantly and repeatedly interrupted
number six; at that point, the tide turns and No. 6 assumes by the masked audience.
the role of authority figure. The Butler begins following The President finally asks if he is prepared to meet No.
his directions, not No. 2's. No. 2 is reduced to a weeping 1, to which No. 6 assents. Descending below the cavern,
ruin and dies. The Supervisor appears, saying, "Con- No. 6 is guided past Nos. 2 and 48 and ascends a stairwell.
gratulations. We shall need the body for evidence. What We realize that the stairwell is leading up into the metal
do you desire?" cylinder at the edge of the cavern, and that it is a rocket.
"No. 1." At the head of the stairs, he finds a white-robed figure
"I'll take you." wearing a two-colored mask. The figure's robe prominent-
This episode, really the first hour of a two-hour finale, ly declares that he is No. 1. No. 6 grabs the mask away,
focuses on the perpetual struggle between No. 6 and The revealing an ape face. He grabs the ape's snout, and it, too,
Village, the struggle for possession of an individual's falls away, revealing No. 6's face. No. 6 chases the figure
private thoughts. The individual has won, and The Village around the room, up a ladder, and through a hatch, which
acknowledges his victory. No. 6 quickly locks.
Returning down the stairs, he overpowers the guards
with the Butler's help. Donning the guards' robes, he frees
"Fall Out" Nos. 2 and 48 and all four emerge into the cavern, spray-
The Supervisor leads No. 6 and the Butler deeper un- ing machine-gun fire all about. With the control center
derground, to a large cavern filled with mysterious ap- about to explode, The Village is evacuated in a frenzy.
paratus, bustling green-gowned doctors and scientists, Helicopters buzz away; the rocket is launched. The four
uniformed guards, and a white-robed audience. The jump into a tractor-trailer and drive away, emerging on the
audience is all wearing two-colored masks — black on one highway to London (which is nowhere near Morocco or
side, white on the other. Each member of the audience Lithuania).
(about 30 or 40 total) is seated behind a small desk plaque: No. 48 stops along the way and begins thumbing a ride;
"Education," "Defectors," "Old Folk," etc. No. 2 leaves the rig and heads for Parliament. Abandoning
At one edge of the cavern a large, upright metal cylinder the truck, No. 6 and the Butler reach No. 6's flat; the
protrudes from the rough wall, with a flashing blue light, Butler enters (the door opening automatically for him)
identical to that in the council chamber in the Town Hall, while No. 6 drives off in his car, down a road identical to
mounted in its center. that in the opening sequence.
A president, in red robes and judicial white wig, calls Author's note: I find myself no more capable than those
the assembly to order, praises No. 6 ("who must no longer who have gone before me of providing a definitive explana-
be referred to as No. 6, or a number of any kind," but this tion of all of the symbolism and allegory in this final
synopsis will continue to do so for clarity), and initiates episode. (Please excuse me if I omitted your favorite bit
the transfer of power to No. 6. Meanwhile, the dead No. 2 from the synopsis; there is simply too much to repeat it
from "Once Upon a Time" is lowered into the cavern and all.) McGoohan has said that this episode, and the entire
the scientists and doctors begin work to revive him. series, have many explanations; I leave it to you to select
The president starts a lecture on revolt, and as his first your favorite.
exhibit, has No. 48 brought before the assembly — — David Ladyman
"Youth, with its enthusiasms, which rebels against any
accepted norms because it must, and we sym-
pathize." No. 48 suddenly runs about the
cavern until he is finally chased down, but not
before he has thoroughly disrupted the assemb-
ly. He is pronounced guilty and the charge is
read: "Breach of social etiquette, questioning
elected authority, won't dress right, won't wear
his number."
Next, the revived No. 2 is exhibited as "an
established, successful, secure member of the
establishment turning on and biting the hand
that feeds him." Both No. 48 and No. 2 are
secured below, awaiting sentence from No. 6.
Turning again to No. 6, the President pre-
sents him as a revolutionary of a different, more
noble, calibre, and announces that he has a
choice: he can assume leadership of The Village
(presumably as No. 1), or he can freely leave.
He requests that No. 6 address the assembly,

Plot Synopses — 94 —
 First and foremost among The Prisoner references are Think Tank
the tapes themselves. All 18 episodes (including the alter- Roger Langley
nate "Chimes") are available in the U.S. through: Six of One, 1984
MPI Home Video A Prisoner novel.
15825 Rob Roy Drive
Oak Forest, IL 60452 Village World
1-800-323-0442 Max Hora
Six of One, 1987
Articles, essays and facts about The Prisoner.
Organizations
The Prisoner Appreciation Society, "Six of One," runs the prisoner, books a-d
an information center at Portmeirion, where it holds its Dean Motter and Mark Askwith
annual convention. Membership in the Society includes a DC Comics
subscription to an information-packed quarterly magazine, These four books make up a 200-page, full-color
number six, lots of photographs and other memorabilia, graphic novel set 20 years after the end of the series, in
and access to an extensive members-only catalogue. which No. 6 and the final No. 2 find themselves once more
For further information, send a long, self-addressed at odds among the remnants of The Village.
stamped envelope to either club office:
SIX OF ONE SIX OF ONE The Prisoner Files
P. O. Box 172-MPI P.O.Box 60 John Peel
Hatfield, PA 19440 Harrogate HG1 2TP Psi Fi Movie Press
USA Great Britain Canoga Park, CA, 1986
Extensive synopses of the first three episodes, plus
The commercial rights to The Prisoner are owned and other material and photographs.
licensed by ITC Entertainment Limited:
12711 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604 Music
The TV series soundtrack album, Prisoner Themes, was
24 Nutford Place compiled and edited by Larry Hall in 1985-86. It can be
London W1H 5YN used as background music for a campaign session! It is
Great Britain available to members of Six of One.

Publications Background
The Official Prisoner Companion The following material does not relate directly to The
Matthew White and Jaffer Ali Prisoner, but is of potential interest to anyone seeking to
Warner Books, Inc., 1988 design, or participate in, a Prisoner roleplaying game.
Plot synopses and other notes on various aspects of the Subjects covered include cinematic espionage, secrecy,
show. While not without errors, on the whole it com- alienation, weird science, surrealism, paranoia, and the
prehensively covers the series. various techniques used to control society.
Danger Man I Secret Agent episodes
The Prisoner & Danger Man Mission Impossible episodes
Dave Rogers Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Boxtree, upcoming (Fall, 1989) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the
The authorized history of both series, with plot synop- Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
ses and lots of pictures. 1984 and Animal Farm, George Orwell
The Cyberiad, Stanislaw Lem (especially with reference
The Making of The Prisoner to mind transfer)
Roger Langley Profession and The Feeling of Power, Isaac Asimov
Six of One, 1985 Bill, the Galactic Hero, Harry Harrison
A short look at the production and creative decision- The works of Philip K. Dick
making of the series. Essays by Jorge Luis Borges and Douglas Hoffstadter

— 95 — Bibliography
 Drugs, 73, 77, 93. Palace of Fun, 25, 39.
Dutton, Roland Walter, 14, 15, 20, 44, 55, 57, Paranoia, 5, 8, 62, 63, 93.
64,90. PCs, 55; cover-up, 66; new, 63.
Education, 19. Peer pressure, 29.
Election Day, 23. Penny-farthing bicycle, 45, 66; emblem, 20.
Encounters, 84. Plot synopses, 87-94.
Escape, 56, 64, 66, 67, 85, 86. Population, 20.
"Fall Out," 5, 13, 14, 16, 18, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, Portmeirion, 40.
44, 65, 66, 67, 73, 77, 78; synopsis, 94. Prisoners, 8-10, 35, 49, 50, 51, 55, 61.
"A, B and C," 8, 14, 20, 30, 31, 34, 50, 58, 59, Fantasy, 50. Props, 63.
69, 70, 73; synopsis, 88. Files, 27-28. Psionics, 52, 73.
Address platform, 37. Force fields, 74-75. Punishment, 26.
Advantages, 7. "Free for All," 4, 7, 8, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, Recreation Hall, 39.
Adversary, 11, 56. 34, 37, 41, 44, 58, 67, 69, 70, 73, 74, 78, Resurrection, 77.
Alerts, 29. synopsis, 88. Ringer, 62, 63.
Aliens, 14,50,51. Free sea, 37. Rover, 26, 29, 37, 43, 58, 64, 87, 88.
Alison, 20, 22, 73. Gadgetry, 74. "The Schizoid Man," 10, 20, 22, 39, 43, 50, 58,
Alternate realities, 48-49. "The General," 9, 11, 17, 19,28,30,33,34,41, 59, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 78; synopsis, 89.
"Arrival," 5, 9, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 28, 34, 38, 49, 56, 58, 61, 67, 71, 74, 75; synopsis, 89. Science, 78; old, 69; weird. 58, 65, 68-69, 71, 76,
44, 45, 55, 58, 59, 64, 78, 83; synopsis, 87. General Stores, 39-40, 41. 74, 77, 83, 88.
Atmosphere, 34, 63. "The Girl Who Was Death," 5, 17, 43, 60, 64; Scientists, 6, 9, 15, 32, 36, 51; mad scientists, 49,
Bandstand, 37, see also Music. synopsis, 93. 64, 68-69.
Beach, 40-41. Government, 23. Secrets, see Information.
Bell Tower, 43. Green Dome, 20, 38-39, 43, 93. Seltzman, Professor, 9, 32, 56, 71, 83, 90.
Bicycles, 45. Graveyard, 38, 40. Shock treatment, 36, 58, 70.
Butler, 19, 20, 21, 38, 93, 94; stats, 31. Guards, 21, 33, 86; disadvantage table, 33; Shop, 40.
Buttons, 19-20, 63. template, 33. Silent treatment, 29.
Cafe, 37. "Hammer Into Anvil," 8, 3, 42, 43, 56, 59, 60, Six of One, 1,40,95..
Campaigns, 4, 79-86; beginning, 55; ending, 66; 61, 63, 64, 67, 76; synopsis, 93. Slogans, 17-18.
multi-GM, 61-62; outside, 51; planning, 56- Helicopters, 45. Society, 17.
58; plot development, 58; props, 63; TV series, Horror, 50-52. Space, 52.
59-61. Hospital, 36, 43. Speaker Central, 44.
Candy stand, 41, 76. Housing, 42, 70, 83. Speedboats, 45.
Carnival, 22, 23, 33, 37, 45, 90. Hypnotism, 69, 70, 71, 92, 93. Speed learning, 71.
Cat & Mouse, 25, 39. Implants, 74. Spy, 6, 8, 15,51.
Caves, 43. Information, 13, 15, 49, 53, 55, 56. Stone Boat, 40, 57, 60, 84.
Centrum, 38, 44, 45. "It's Your Funeral," 4, 11, 17, 19,22,30,31, SuperBeam, 76.
Ceremonies, 22. 34, 35, 42, 45, 49, 56, 57, 58, 60, 73, 75, 76; Supervisor, 28, 32, 45, 55, 73, 94; stats, 32.
"A Change of Mind," 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 34, 58, synopsis, 91. Surgery, 77.
59, 70, 73, 77; synopsis, 92-93. Jammers, 34, 35. Surrealism, 57.
Character points, 67. Jobs, 19; see also Labour Exchange. Surveillance, 19, 26, 28-29, 43, 52.
"Checkmate," 5, 8, 17, 33, 34, 36, 43, 44, 60, Journalist, 9. Tally Ho, 18,29,41,63,93.
61, 64, 70, 74; synopsis, 91-92. Kiosks, 36, 41,75. Taxis, 36, 44.
Chess lawn, 25, 37. Kosho, 22, 25, 39, 42. Technician, 9-10, 32.
"The Chimes of Big Ben," 10, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, Ladies Appeals Subcommittee, 25, 29, 92. Telepathy, 73, 74, 89.
24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 34, 39, 41, 56, 58, 60, 64, Labour Exchange, 24, 39, 58. Telephones, 5, 41.
65, 73, 90, 93; synopsis, 87-88. "Living in Harmony," 13, 48, 53, 64, 70, 73; Termination order, 44.
Citizen's Advice Bureau, 41. synopsis, 92. Town Council, 24-25, 27.
Clones, 78. Machinery, 75. Town Hall, 23, 25, 36-37, 41, 43, 74.
Clothing, 20-21. Maid, 17, 25, 26, 34, 88. Transportation, 44-45.
Cobb, 15, 64, 87. "Many Happy Returns," 13, 38, 43, 51, 56, 59, Umbrella, 21,26, 31.
Committees, 25. 60, 64, 65, 66, 90; synopsis, 89-90. Underground, 36, 39, 41, 43-44.
Competitions, 19, 22. Map, 13, 41, 44, of The Village, 46-47. Units, see Money.
Computer, 28, 75, 76. Masters, 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 32, 36, 39, 42, 44, Unmutual, 29, 30.
Computer Room, 36. 49,50,52,66,91. The Village, 12; alternate, 48-49; arrival, 10; en-
Confession, 30. McGoohan, Patrick, 3, 36, 94. counters, 84; Festival, 22; good side, 66; hous-
Consistency, 4-5. Medieval, 53. ing, 42, map, 46-47; Portmeirion, 40; psi, 52;
Control Room, 32, 33, 36, 42, 43-44, 45. Military, 8-9. Rules, 25-26; typeface,63.
Corporations, 15, 50, 52. Mind-switching, 32, 71, 72. Villagers, 34-35.
Court system, 27. Mind-wipe, 71-73. Village Voice, 19, 22, 26, 29, 34, 36, 44, 63.
Curfew, 26. Money, 18. Warders, 10-11, 19, 30, 32, 33, 34, 38, 43, 45,
"Dance of the Dead," 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, Music, 18, 19, 21, 25, 63; soundtrack, 95. 49, 50, 51, 56, 58, 62, 63, 74, 83, 86.
25, 26, 27, 33, 34, 36, 43, 44, 45, 55, 56, 57, Nadia, 10, 20, 34, 64, 87. Weapons, 33, 78.
59, 64, 74, 75; synopsis, 90. No. 1,3, 16, 19,73,78,88,94. Westerns, 53, 92.
Death, 37, 64-65, 78. No. 2, 20, 30-31, 36, 38, 39, 41, 56, 62, 77; White Queen, 17, 64, 70, 91, 92.
Degree Absolute, 14, 44, 77, 93. sample stats, 80; template, 31.
Diplomat, 9. No. 6, 35; stats, 35; vindication, 67.
Disadvantages, 7-8; guard/observer table, 33. NPCs, 55, 59, 61.
Disharmonious, 30. Numbers, 19-20.
Distrust, 62, 63. Nursery, 43.
"Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling," 5, 9, 11, Observers, 16, 25, 28, 32-33, 36, 43, 45, 50, 59,
15, 27, 32, 55, 64, 65, 69, 71, 72, 83; synop- 78, 90; disadvantage table, 33; template, 32.
sis, 90-91. Old People's Home, 42.
Drake, John, 36, 92. "Once Upon a Time," 14, 18, 30, 31, 65, 77, 78;
Dreams, 50, 69. synopsis, 93-94.

Index — 96 —