👁️ Surveillance & Control Methods
The tools of oppression used by totalitarian regimes. Roll or choose methods to show how the state watches, controls, and punishes its citizens.
📹 Surveillance Methods (d20)
| d20 | Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omnipresent Cameras | Cameras on every street corner, in every building, watching constantly |
| 2 | Telescreens (Two-Way) | Mandatory screens in every home that watch as they broadcast propaganda |
| 3 | Informant Network | Citizens encouraged to report neighbors, family, coworkers for rewards |
| 4 | Thought Police | Secret police who monitor for signs of disloyalty or wrong-think |
| 5 | Facial Recognition | AI systems track every person's movements throughout city |
| 6 | Mandatory Implants | Tracking chips or neural interfaces required by law |
| 7 | Social Credit Score | Every action tracked and rated, low scores mean restrictions |
| 8 | Phone Monitoring | All communications tapped, keywords trigger investigations |
| 9 | Drone Surveillance | Autonomous drones patrol streets and alleys continuously |
| 10 | Biometric Checkpoints | ID scans required to enter buildings, districts, transportation |
| 11 | Internet Monitoring | All online activity logged, censored, and analyzed |
| 12 | Loyalty Tests | Random questionnaires and psychological evaluations |
| 13 | Neighbor Watch Programs | Block captains report unusual behavior in their area |
| 14 | Work Productivity Tracking | Every minute of work monitored for efficiency and loyalty |
| 15 | Mandatory Confessions | Regular self-criticism sessions where citizens confess doubts |
| 16 | Child Spies | Children trained to report parents' disloyalty |
| 17 | Predictive Policing AI | Algorithm predicts who will commit crimes, arrests preemptively |
| 18 | Location Tracking | All movement logged via phone, implant, or ID card |
| 19 | Emotion Recognition | AI reads facial expressions to detect negative feelings about state |
| 20 | Total Transparency | Privacy is crime, all homes have clear walls, no secrets allowed |
⚙️ Population Control Methods (d20)
| d20 | Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ration Cards | Food, water, medicine distributed by state, loyalty required |
| 2 | Travel Permits | Movement between districts requires approval and documentation |
| 3 | Curfews | Citizens must be indoors during set hours, violators arrested |
| 4 | Forced Labor | All citizens assigned jobs, no choice in career or location |
| 5 | Mandatory Medication | State-provided drugs keep population docile and compliant |
| 6 | Breeding Programs | Marriage and reproduction controlled by state for genetic purposes |
| 7 | Language Restriction | Certain words banned, newspeak enforced, concepts erased |
| 8 | Education Control | All learning state-approved, history rewritten, critical thinking forbidden |
| 9 | Class System | Rigid caste structure, movement between classes impossible |
| 10 | ID Papers | Must show papers on demand, wrong documents mean imprisonment |
| 11 | Propaganda Everywhere | Posters, broadcasts, loudspeakers proclaim state greatness constantly |
| 12 | Book Burning | Unapproved literature destroyed, reading it is crime |
| 13 | Two Minutes Hate | Mandatory viewing of enemy for ritualized anger expression |
| 14 | Victory Gin | Cheap alcohol keeps masses distracted and numb |
| 15 | Loudspeaker Announcements | Can't turn off, broadcast orders and propaganda 24/7 |
| 16 | Uniform Requirements | Everyone wears assigned uniform indicating class and role |
| 17 | Assembly Restrictions | Gathering of 3+ people without permit is illegal |
| 18 | Historical Revision | Past constantly rewritten to match current state narrative |
| 19 | Pleasure Drug Distribution | Soma or equivalent keeps population happy and distracted |
| 20 | Fear-Based Compliance | Regular public executions remind citizens of consequences |
⚖️ Crimes Against the State (d20)
Thoughtcrimes and real crimes that bring the Thought Police
| d20 | Crime | Description | Typical Punishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thoughtcrime | Thinking disloyal thoughts about the Party | Re-education or death |
| 2 | Facecrime | Wrong expression on face (doubt, fear, sadness) | Vaporization |
| 3 | Ownlife | Preference for solitude, suspicious individuality | Investigation |
| 4 | Sexcrime | Unauthorized relationships or unapproved pleasure | Labor camp |
| 5 | Crimestop | Failing to stop thinking forbidden thoughts quickly enough | Re-education |
| 6 | Possession of Banned Literature | Owning unapproved books or documents | Prison |
| 7 | Unauthorized Communication | Speaking to wrong class or without permission | Demotion |
| 8 | Breaking Curfew | Being outside during restricted hours | Fine or detention |
| 9 | Spreading Rumors | Sharing unapproved information | Public confession |
| 10 | Failure to Report | Not informing on others' crimes | Complicity charges |
| 11 | Waste of Resources | Not meeting quotas or efficiency targets | Ration reduction |
| 12 | Defeatism | Expressing doubt about victory or progress | Re-education |
| 13 | Sabotage (Real or Imagined) | Blamed for equipment failure or accidents | Execution |
| 14 | Conspiracy | Meeting secretly with others | All participants executed |
| 15 | Hoarding | Saving extra rations or supplies | Confiscation, fine |
| 16 | Unauthorized Art | Creating unapproved music, writing, or art | Destruction, punishment |
| 17 | Remembering the Past | Keeping pre-regime memories or objects | Memory alteration |
| 18 | Questioning Authority | Asking why or seeking explanations | Interrogation |
| 19 | Foreign Contact | Communication with outsiders | Treason charges |
| 20 | Existence | Being from wrong class, family, or background | Unpersoning |
🔨 State Punishments (d20)
| d20 | Punishment | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Re-education Camp | Months of propaganda, torture, and brainwashing until loyal |
| 2 | Vaporization | Executed and erased from all records, never existed |
| 3 | Unpersoning | Erased from society, family pretends you never existed |
| 4 | Room 101 | Tortured with your worst fear until will is broken |
| 5 | Labor Camp | Years of hard labor in mines, factories, or farms |
| 6 | Public Confession | Forced to admit crimes and beg forgiveness on broadcast |
| 7 | Demotion | Moved to lower class, lose privileges and status |
| 8 | Family Punishment | Loved ones punished for your crimes to ensure compliance |
| 9 | Exile to Outer Districts | Sent to dangerous, poor areas as permanent resident |
| 10 | Permanent Surveillance | Live under 24/7 direct observation, no privacy ever |
| 11 | Ration Reduction | Food/water cut, slowly starve while working |
| 12 | Public Flogging | Beaten in town square as example to others |
| 13 | Forced Labor (Dangerous) | Assigned to radioactive cleanup, minefield clearing, etc. |
| 14 | Memory Alteration | Chemical or surgical procedure to erase memories |
| 15 | Public Execution | Hanged or shot while crowds are forced to watch |
| 16 | Experimental Subject | Used for medical/scientific testing without consent |
| 17 | Shaming Ritual | Wear sign, stand in public, be insulted by passersby |
| 18 | Imprisonment (Indefinite) | Locked away with no trial, no release date |
| 19 | Organ Harvesting | Executed, body parts used for Party elite |
| 20 | Show Trial | Public trial where confession is scripted, outcome predetermined |
🏘️ Daily Life Restrictions (d20)
The small ways the state controls every moment
| d20 | Restriction | Impact on Citizens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food is Identical | Everyone eats same tasteless gray paste, "nutritionally complete" |
| 2 | No Personal Decoration | All homes identical, personalizing space is crime |
| 3 | Mandatory Exercise | Morning calisthenics broadcast, participation tracked |
| 4 | Approved Haircuts Only | Limited styles, must match class and gender |
| 5 | Color Restrictions | Only certain colors allowed for each class |
| 6 | No Music Except Anthems | All music is patriotic, other music destroyed |
| 7 | Bathroom Schedules | Can only use facilities at assigned times |
| 8 | Sleep Monitoring | Required sleep hours tracked, deviations investigated |
| 9 | Controlled Temperature | Heat/cold set by state, no thermostats |
| 10 | Mandatory Viewing Hours | Must watch state broadcasts, sensors verify attention |
| 11 | Limited Water | Rationed water, shower times monitored |
| 12 | No Mirrors | Forbidden to see own reflection, prevents vanity |
| 13 | Controlled Lighting | Lights on/off at set times, no control |
| 14 | Meal Times Fixed | Eat only at designated hours, nowhere else |
| 15 | No Laughter | Joy without party approval is suspicious |
| 16 | Assigned Friendships | Social groups assigned, unauthorized friendships forbidden |
| 17 | No Running | Running implies urgency, emergency, or escape |
| 18 | Single File Walking | Must walk in organized lines on designated paths |
| 19 | Conversation Monitoring | Small talk limited to approved topics |
| 20 | Smiling on Command | Must appear happy when cameras are present |
✊ Signs of Resistance (d12)
Small acts of defiance in oppressive regime
| d12 | Act | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graffiti | Resistance symbols spray-painted in hidden locations |
| 2 | Samizdat | Underground printing and distribution of banned materials |
| 3 | Dead Drops | Secret message exchanges in predetermined locations |
| 4 | Code Words | Seemingly normal conversations hide resistance messages |
| 5 | Sabotage | Subtle damage to infrastructure, appears accidental |
| 6 | Hidden Meetings | Resistance cells gather in secret locations |
| 7 | Contraband Trade | Black market for banned goods and information |
| 8 | Fake Papers | Forged documents to help people escape or hide |
| 9 | Information Hoarding | Memorizing and preserving true history |
| 10 | Signal Systems | Windows, clothing, objects arranged to send messages |
| 11 | Camera Blind Spots | Knowledge of surveillance gaps, used for secret meetings |
| 12 | False Reporting | Giving Thought Police wrong information to protect others |