Masks: A New Generation of Heroes

Game Master Cwethan

Sorry guys, still turning the options over in my head. Right now the new game and the short time skip both seem viable. Hoping to make a final decision in the next couple days.

I'm fine with whatever you decide :)

Me too (mostly). I'm kicking around an idea for a Legacy, by the way.

Default, if you go with the new game, would this be set in some variation of the Marvel Universe, or would it just be "X-Men inspired" where you're trying to capture the flavor of X-Men without the confusing continuity of the comics/movies/animated shows?

If we do x men, id want to play a nova. Son of Sunfire or something.

-Posted with Wayfinder

It'd be a variation of the Marvel Universe, with some adherence to the continuity, but more deference is given to good story.

Not sure what I would play. I'm gonna mull things over a bit. Chew on the gristle, as they say.

I know what I would play

I think I would do a either a bull or a janus. Something a bit more brash and all-up-in-yo-grill.

Should have a decision soon. Sorry for the wait guys.

No worries

-Posted with Wayfinder

I've responded to your PM, Default~!

Okay, we're going to move along with the following decisions made:

1. We will continue the game from a time jump which takes place a year later.

2. During this time, you all remove current conditions and may take an advancement as if you had accumulated enough potential to reach and also proceed to your original potential amount. This symbolizes your growth over the year.

3. I will posting a recruitment for one more hero to join us. If you have someone who you know is interested, kindly direct them there. I will post a link here when I do, and most likely ask for input depending on interest.

4. We've been playing off more narrative elements and I think I've been ignoring some rules for ease of play. I'll be bringing those in, or reminding you all of them.

5. I'm going to resume prepping in earnest for a more guided, but still free-form campaign. Should be good practice.

6. North Star, you have free reign to give me a new character and retire your current one. Someone who you'll have more fun actively roleplaying.

EDIT: We will be doing another round of conversation, discussing events that probably happened in the time skip and incorporating our fifth when they get here.

I'll need you guys to clean up your character sheets to remove old players when possible

Any questions?

Recruitment up for our fifth.
here.

No questions from me. I'll get started on a new character.

Okay, I want to use my advancement to 'take a move from another playbook'. And I wanted to take "Dangerous Web", but it refers to the a label of the mask move they have. I take it that means I can't have it, or can we just choose a label to use it with?

Okay, so after an hour and a half of back and forth through the playbooks, I am going to be making a Legacy, who is the daughter of Thor from an alternate dimension where Ultron wiped out the avengers (and presumably the rest of the world's heroes), based on the Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow Animated Movie. I will have her posted shortly.

And here she is.

Okay!! Looking forward to continuing!

Questions... Will we still be having the fight vs. Jill and Barney? Or going straight to the time skip?

Will we need to come up with a "what we've been doing" post, or should we work with you about it privately (so secrets can be shared gradually)?

Hi, Thor Girl!

Default, looks like you may want to amend the recruitment thread because the Doomed is open again and the Legacy closed.

We will be doing a time skip with the basis that Jill and Barney disappeared into the wind after their little "test" strike against you all.

As for the events that take place during the time skip, this is what I suggest:

1. Discuss with your teammates one event or memorable experience you shared with them during the time skip. This should be done for each teammate, one per pair. So with five people, we should have a total of ten "bonding" events.

2. Discuss an event or experience that your character found positive. This should be remembered as one of the high points of the year, and while it can include the other characters, the focus should be on you for the most part.

3. Discuss an event or experience that negatively impacted your character in a major way. This shouldn't be something they can brush off in a month. This experience left lasting effects on them, whether they'd like to admit it. I'd rather you avoid including other characters as the antagonistic force, but if you discuss it with them and you both really like how the story is developing, then sure. Once again, the focus is on your character.

The above should be public knowledge so others have material to roleplay and reference when in game together, but if you'd like to create other experiences and events on top of that you may do so. If you'd like secrets to share with me, that is acceptable as well. Just be aware that the nature of this game, we might come across a snafu where I have to go "Um...actually..." and override another player's narrative decision because they didn't have the pertinent information.

I'll amend the recruitment thread.

Wingblade, want to do the "tried a date" thing?
I'd be okay with it either going all right or ending like a train wreck. Or some middle ground. If not, id still like to advance their relationship chemestry a little during the downtime.

-Posted with Wayfinder

You asking me out? ;)

Sure, I think a date night would be a lot of fun... I could see it going in any sort of direction. Question is, which way would be the most fun/entertaining for us as players?

I've been anxious to have a chat or three with Whippoorwill, so I'll post something with her as well.

Then I need to come up with the positive and negative events... gotta figure those out.

And finally Atoms and I can maybe get our heart-to-heart in!

For actual scenes you want to play out, feel free to post in teh gameplay thread with Headers to differentiate. If you want me to play your mentor, we can act that scene out to.

I think that Hashtag should probably end with getting slapped in the face. But I am not sure if there's a thing that he could do to get Wingblade to do that, since her response reflex is more... visceral?

Ha!

A face slap is a definite possibility, though you're right that Wingblade's responses are keyed toward something more violent. I guess we'll see how the night goes?

Default, are you going to summarize the warm-up that leads to the time jump (thus starting our shared experience posts), or should we go ahead and get started? I've got something in mind between Whippoorwill and Wingblade, then I can turn her back over to you if you'd like.

As far as Thor Girl goes, my plan for how you all met her is that a portal opened and her sword flew out, followed by her. She landed hard, but began stirring. People reacted when they saw that she was dressed almost identically to Thor.

Are you going with Thor from Marvel comics, or Thor from actual Norse mythology? There's a difference.

Just curious.

:)

The gist of what I'm thinking of for how the time skip starts, and also ties some loose ends, is this.

North Star sees the pain his friends are going through, and decides that he needs to get stronger to help save their friends. However, something goes wrong and he gets locked in 'mortal' combat against his future self. Knowing that losing his friends might push him over the edge, he zaps you all with a memory burst, erasing himself and unintentionally all memory of your other previous teammates. You won't regain your memory until a later time, you're aware of Jill and Barney, but have no recollection of your vendetta against them.

And I offer my services to rp your mentor if you want some uncertainty to this. If you have a clear image to how that character would act, then it might be better for you to do the scene yourself.

I mean the Thor from Marvel comics, since Default was pointing at the fact that we'd be going to a Marvel based setting.

Awesome to hear that we'll be continuing :D Time to rebuild~

@Default - About the timeskip
I wouldn't recommend that kind of memory erase for the timeskip. It opens up a lot of plot holes:
- The aliens on the moon have a new containment suit for Atoms, and are still expecting him to do a task for them. Atoms is easily trackable without his suit, and we already know that the aliens are capable of telepathic communication from their base to Earth, so they wouldn't have any trouble contacting him. Plus, if Imagine was really kidnapped, I can't imagine that they wouldn't hesitate to call for Atoms and the rest of The Team's aid.
- Nick and The Defenders were also looking for our friends, both to save them, and to have us help fight against the Givers. Even if North Star somehow managed to erase their memory, he wouldn't of been able to erase Matrix's memory.
- River, Tectonic's sister, would not be happy that she is still gone. She was keeping tabs on all aspects of Tec's life, so she surely knows about The Team, and probably wouldn't hesitate to interrogate us.
- Alleghory, North Star's mentor, would almost certainly investigate his disappearance. The Team would be one of his first stops.
- Hashtag goes to the same school as Imagine, Eldritch, and North Star did. One of the teachers or students would surely inquire about their disappearance. Even if their memory was erased, the school records would still show that there are missing students.
- The family members of our missing teammates, even if their memory was erased, would still have an empty bedroom and other records of someone having lived there with them.

I would rather that our former Teammates are honorably discharged in proper, Masks fashion. They've either decidedly "Perished", "Retired", or became a "Paragon" (see page 118 of the core Masks rulebook). We saved them, and we might still have some form of occasional contact with them, but they've gone their different ways. This would allow for a much more refreshing start, and there are no plot holes this way.

@Wingblade and Hashtag - The Date
Atoms would not be happy about this xD He's protective about Wingblade, and not entirely trusting of Hashtag's badboy persona (thanks to some biases from his police training). Aaand he might be a little jealous/envious too, of course~

@Hashtag - Dangerous Web
Although Default may rule otherwise, I believe you need to take 'The Mask' before you can take that Janus Move.

@Thor Girl - Welcome!
Looks like a fun character! :) It'll be cool to see her in-game.

@Everyone - Timeskip Questions
I'm thinking for the Positive Experience, Atoms went back to The Defenders and helped them sort out the mess with the Givers, leaving the rest of The Team out. His help was invaluable, and in his eyes, he kept The Team safe from the dangers there. Plus, he earned the respect of The Defenders.

Still thinking through the other questions.

I mean the Thor from Marvel comics, since Default was pointing at the fact that we'd be going to a Marvel based setting.

Did he? I thought since we're sticking with the current campaign, we're still in Halcyon City.

@Wingblade and Hashtag - The Date

Atoms would not be happy about this xD He's protective about Wingblade, and not entirely trusting of Hashtag's badboy persona (thanks to some biases from his police training). Aaand he might be a little jealous/envious too, of course~

Aww, Atoms! Don't be jealous! I'm sure there's a lovely little photon out there who's just for you.

Yeah it's fine if people are suspicious of his nature. Vick's still flaky sometimes, and he still graffitis s!&+. :P

Not to mention if we do actually do the date thing, it would end badly for me. Or at least not how he hoped it would. Hell, he could 'realize' he's not attracted to girls for all he knows.

Currently, we are staying in the same campaign world which is non-Marvel. That setting will probably be for a different game.

Yeah it's fine if people are suspicious of his nature. Vick's still flaky sometimes, and he still graffitis s~&$. :P

Not to mention if we do actually do the date thing, it would end badly for me. Or at least not how he hoped it would. Hell, he could 'realize' he's not attracted to girls for all he knows.

(o.O)'

Hashtag wrote:

Yeah it's fine if people are suspicious of his nature. Vick's still flaky sometimes, and he still graffitis s~&$. :P

Not to mention if we do actually do the date thing, it would end badly for me. Or at least not how he hoped it would. Hell, he could 'realize' he's not attracted to girls for all he knows.

(o.O)'

What? Vick's not had a lot of interpersonal relations, and he could be bi or gay or even pan and not have discovered that about himself.

I get that -- I'm looking at it from Wingblade's perspective, who has had even fewer interpersonal relationships. She might... not understand. And be hurt. Especially if she decides she really likes him and they're incompatible in that way.

Yeah.

Jeez growing up was complicated!

Currently, we are staying in the same campaign world which is non-Marvel. That setting will probably be for a different game.

Okay, my bad. I misinterpreted what was occurring. Let me think on it some, as Thor Girl would be fun but I would definitely need the Marvel-verse tie-ins to make it really shine. I'll probably toss together another character and get them posted.

Okay, I think I'm going to keep Thor Girl but change her backstory up some, so that she is a emissary from the Norse pantheon to the people of earth, who are trying to reestablish contact with Earth after having to flee another group of celestial beings.

I will also be changing her to a Outsider, since it's a better fit for my new character origins.

I'm going to be traveling this weekend and away from my keyboard. That means I'll be able to post from my phone, but I can't make any big posts (like the one I've got planned between me and Whippoorwill).

Hopefully that won't throw off your schedule to get us restarted, Default.

The Memory Loss
I'm fine with it. I get the sense that it's a way to give us a sort of "soft reboot" and let the dangling plot threads from our missing teammates wither and die without a lot of questions like, "whatever happened to Alexis? What sort of powers did she get?"

Am I right in thinking that?

But I like Atoms' thoughts about using those plot threads as fodder for our "happy" and "sad" moments during the downtime.

One thing I figure my year was like was a lot of time with Whippoorwill away from the others. Default, a big part of how that is because I skewered that Sentinel that happened to be a living person. Could you let me know if that guy survived? How hard Whip comes down on me depends on that answer (it's going to be hard, regardless).

Addressing the 'Memory Erasure' Issue

Deputy Atoms makes some great points. Alright, we'll go with the following then, with some workshopping if you guys have suggestions.

Jill and Barney remain at large, but your friends are reclaimed, abandoned as used guinea pigs.

Imagine retires back to her home planet where she is learning to live up to her responsibilities. She comes to visit every so often, but at the usual rate it's only once every 3-4 months.

North Star perishes but not to his future self. Seeing no alternative, North Star enters an endless struggle with his alternate self, entering a dimension where they will battle with physical and mental might till they perish.

Tectonic becomes a paragon, and realizes that her sister means more to her than she realizes. She actually joins the defenders and is the biggest rock thorn in Nick's side who also recovers after a few weeks. She goes by her old name, Tectonic, and is still a bit of a loose cannon, but she's doing her best. She initially tried to spend more time with you guys, but eventually, you guys drift apart as life moves on.

Eldritch retires as he takes what's left of his magic and searches for the remnants as the shards scattered, embedding themselves into different folks. This leads to a very tense period in Halcyon city as troublemakers of various power levels. Eldritch played a large part in reclaiming bits of his old power, but some remain embedded and unretrievable. He retires as a hero and opens up a magician's school to help those with his sorcery, learn to control it.

Ghost Dragon retires and throws the bulk of his determination into his medical studies. He's applying for medical school, but with his phasing abilities, he's already doing some amazing things. Ghost Dragon as a hero dies as he no longer appears, and these days the man behind the mask lives as a regular citizen, content to let those who don't fear their power, to use it to such great risks.

@ Wingblade
You wings are intensely sharp, so much so that the wounds you inflicted were repairable to a certain extent. He lived, but it took years to fully heal, and the scar of what you did remains. His name was Jason.

Awesome, Default! :D I love these endings.

Also, if you'd like to comment on a favorite of the entries to the recruitment, it'll close in a couple days I don't foresee any additional entries.

Please private message me as anyone can view this public thread

Also mention if you'd mind two new players instead of one.

Okay, I got her updated to the outsider playbook and wrote some backstory for her.

I'm back and ready to write! (That is, once I get home from work.)

Default, are you going to post an end-of-Season-One wrap-up? I can hold off, of course. Just let me know.

I am currently in the process of revamping Atoms' CS, which is why you guys haven't heard anything definite from me yet on timeskip questions, etc.

I'm sorry it's taking so long! I've been working on it since the announcement that we were continuing, and I'm about halfway through. Atoms will still be the same Atoms you all know, but there are definitely a lot of game changers that you will see.

I've decided to go with two players who should be joining us when they see the news. They seem to be very interesting characters, I'm sure you guys will have fun playing off each other.

I'll post a small "season" wrap up shortly.

Hey everybody! I'll be playing Bioshock, and I hope to have an alias up later today. I've been reading along in the gameplay thread, and I'm impressed by the kind of story the Masks system facilitates when it's got a talented group of players! I look forward to getting to know each of you and your characters.

Fun fact, I'm currently serving with the US Peace Corps for two years in Cameroon! I have a stable internet connection, and I don't foresee it much impacting my ability to post, but I'm 5 hours ahead of Eastern time.

Hi there!

~~~

Ooooooh god. Hashtag's going to be right messed the eff up by Northstar's exit. He gets to actually *know* the man cared and respected him, just as he sacrifices himself to end the struggle?

*clutches chest* Right in the feels

Hi! Looks like I'll be joining as well. I'll be posting from this alias as well as from Bran the Blessed (depending on masked/transformed status) - I'm really looking forward to actually getting to play Masks!

Currently both aliases are essentially blank except for an avatar, but I'll get those filled in later today.

That's a great send-off! It's a shame that so many people fell away; there was a lot of great chemistry in the early half that I've gotten through.

* * * * *

I've got my alias set up, but the avatar is probably going to get changed when I can find one I like better. Maybe when the Starfinder avatars come out?

@DM Default
Are there questions you want us to be discussing as a group concerning how the new blood fits into the team? I imagine that we're doing a similar thing to Young Justice, where the new characters are already established as members, having joined sometime during the timeskip. If that's wrong, let me know.

Eli is a junior at Halcyon High, having transferred at the beginning of the school year that started during the timeskip (not sure what the exact time is supposed to be in-game). I'm still catching up on the gameplay, so I don't know if there were on-screen events that happened with Jill and Barney or not. My nemesis could tie in really well with them as part of an unfolding conspiracy, which could serve as a reason to tie Bioshock into the team.

From my playbook, I've got a question about when the team came together, which may not be relevant. The question is We paid a high cost for victory. What was it? Are we going to go through another round of When the Team Came Together? Or maybe the new people should just answer their question in regards to the mission/situation when they joined?

@Nobody in particular
I also have Relationships to fill out.

You told _______________ all about your doom and the danger you’re in.

You’d love to kiss ________________ before your doom comes.

I'm considering Hashtag for the first one, since both of us have evil moms, and that seems like something we can bond over. Plus, being able to alter the sensory input to your brain at will is a druggie's wet dream (off-screen, since this is PG from my understanding). Maybe Bronwyn for the second one?

I'm supposed to give Influence over me to two people because they matter for what I need to do (which I assume has to do with ending my nemesis's threat). I'm open to suggestions.

@Hashtag
How do you envision using your illusions? I've got psychic constructs that are more-or-less sensory illusions whose effects can be felt, so I want to make sure I'm not stepping on your schtick. At this point, I'm conceiving that Eli can only create complicated sensory hallucinations when he has skin-to-skin contact with a person, but maybe he can make simple ones that persist for a short period of time. Vick's illusions can be done from afar, so that's an advantage. Maybe we could come up with some interesting ways to use them in tandem?