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Front page, Taylor Institute for the Training and Advancement of the Neo-able website
The Taylor Institute for the Training and Advancement of the Neo-able is an organization devoted to assisting young, aspiring heroes master their powers, meet with their peers, and develop into well-adjusted young adults.
To this end, the Taylor Institute offers day and night classes, confidential counseling, on-sight housing and financial aid, a state of the art Neo-biology team and Augmented medicine wing, group meetings 4 times a week, Specialized tutors for all major Neo-Ability categories, and a dedicated AEGIS security team.
The Taylor Institute is supported by many prominent figures in the Neo-able community, including the Halcyon Interceptors, The Paragon Alliance, Atlas, Phoen-X, Cryonova, and the Halcyon Neo-Able Judicial commitee.
If you want to support the Taylor Institute for the Training and Advancement of the Neo-able, you can do so, either by donating (see button in the top right), or by contacting Aubrey Stuart for details about volunteering.
in this game, you will take on the role of a neo-able teen, who for one reason or another, spends time at the Taylor Institute (maybe you voulenteer there, maybe you have a mentor there, maybe you have court-mandated group sessions there... whatever you want)
Masks is a game about Teen Superheroes, in equal measure. dealing with problems from both worlds. Fighting supervillains, and fighting with your parents, figuring out how to stop a rampaging robot, and figuring out how to tel someon you like them.
okay, onto the system stuff:
stats will go from -2, to +3, and when you roll, your roll will fall into one of 3 categories: a success (10+), where you get what you wanted, and maybe a little more, a partial success (7-9) where you get what you want, but maybe not all of it, or maybe at a cost.
Both of these are classified as "Hits", so when a move says"on a hit..." read that as "on a 7+". then there are misses (6-),
these will introduce complication, and may or may not mean that you don't get what you want. but you mark XP for misses, so it's not all bad!
and the move comes into play, and you follow its directions (usually, you roll + a stat, and then make some choices, or I offer you choices). there are basic moves, which everyone has, and playbook moves, which are unique to certain characters.
A playbook is a collection of moves, choices, and advancements,
all within the confines of a central theme. everyone chooses a playbook (except The GM).
You can find the Basic moves and Playbooks for masks here
The five Labels are:
Danger: seeing yourself as threatening, strong, bloody-knuckled, and risky. Other people see you as a danger when they think they should steer clear of you because you might bring them harm. You see yourself as a danger when you believe you can take down other dangerous threats, and when you think you yourself are a threat to other people.
Freak: seeing yourself as strange, unusual, unique, and powerful. Other people see you as a freak when they think you’re odd, unlike them, something unnatural or outside of their understanding. You see yourself as a freak when you accept and own the things you can do that no one else can, and when you
think you don’t belong with the people and the world around you.
Savior: seeing yourself as defending, guarding, protecting, and stalwart. Other people see you as a savior when they think of you as noble or selfsacrificing,or a bit overbearing and moralizing. You see yourself as a savior when you think of yourself as a martyr, someone who gladly sacrifices to protect and defend others.
Superior: seeing yourself as smart, capable, crafty, and quick. Other people see you as superior when they think you’re the smartest person in the room, an arrogant and egotistical jerk. You see yourself as superior when you think you’re cleverer than everyone else, and when you know exactly what to say to make the people around you do what you want.
Mundane: seeing yourself as normal, human, empathetic, and
understanding. Other people see you as mundane when they think of you as all too normal and uninteresting, but also comprehending and sympathetic. You see yourself as mundane when you think you’re regular, just a person, not special, and focused on normal human things like feelings and emotions
Some moves will tell you to shift labels (either a specific one,
or generally) either up or down. when this happen, someone tells you to shift one label up, or down (or sometimes you choose to,
if a move gives you that option). if one goes up, another must go down, and vice versa.
Generally, you will shift your own stats when someone else comforts or supports you, and others will shift your stats when they tell you how the world works.
If you ever need to shift a Label and can’t (because the Label is at +3 and would shift up, or is at -2 and would shift down), you must mark a condition, GM’s choice. The entire Label shift doesn’t occur—you shift no Label either up or down.
The Beacon: You don’t have to do this. You could probably have a safe, decent, simple life. It’d be nice, but…come on. Superpowers! Aliens! Wizards! Time travel! You’re out of your depth, but who cares? This is awesome. Everybody should try it.
The Bull: You’re big, strong, and tough. You know what fighting really is, and you’re good at it. Sure…you’ve got a soft side, too. But you only show that to the people you care about most. Everybody else? They can eat your fist.
The Deliquent: You’ve got these cool powers. But everyone keeps telling you how to use ’em. You know what they need? Someone to give them trouble, to make sure they don’t always get their way.
And hey! You’re the perfect hero to do it.
The Doomed: Something about your powers dooms you. It’s just a matter of time before your doom comes for you. Until then, though...you’ve got a nemesis who needs fighting and a world that needs saving. After all, it’s better to burn out than fade away… [ooc]Just a note, this characters doom does not, necessarily, mean death. it could be stuff like "being cast adrift on the multiverse", or going over to the dark side." all it means is that you'll never be a hero again.
The Janus: Wake up. Breakfast. School. Work. Homework. Sleep. Repeat. It burns you up, being stuck in this life, unable to make a real difference. That is...until you put on the mask. And then, you be someone else: a hero.
The Legacy: You’re the latest in a storied heroic lineage, a family that shares a name and a cause. Now, everybody is watching and waiting to see if you’ve got what it takes to uphold that tradition. No pressure, right?
The Nova: You’re a font of power. Channel it, and you can remake the world into exactly what you want. Unleash it, and you can do miracles. It’s wonderful...and terrifying. Lose control for even a second, and other people get hurt.
The Outsider: You’re not from here. Your home is an amazing place, full of beauty and wonder. But there’s something to them, something special that you’re missing back home. Something…human. So yeah, you’ll be hanging around. At least for now.
The Protege: You proved yourself to an experienced hero. They think you’ve got what it takes. They’ve been training you for a while, and now you have to decide...do you want to be them? Or will you find your own path?
The Transformed: You can recall a time not too long ago when you looked...normal. When you didn’t feel their stares. When you didn’t hear their gasps. When no one thought of you as a monster. Those were the days, huh.
certain moves will add team to the "team pool". when you help someone else do something, you can spend a team from the pool to give them +1 (more than 1 person can do this for a given roll, but each person can only spend 1 team per roll). you need to be reasonably able to help them.
Team members can also spend Team to act selfishly. When you act selfishly, say how your actions ignore or insult your teammates, remove one Team from the pool, and shift one Label up and one Label down, your choice. You can use this option after rolling to alter the Label you’re rolling with.
Calling transformed!
Bastion: how did I know you'd join, and take that one.
Sbodd: you flatter me too much.
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I do have certain preferences. >.> Nightcrawler was always my favorite X-man. I have a soft spot for folks with body dysphoria.
How's this look?
Summary:
His powers are Superhuman Senses and Plant Affinity
He shot a deer, turned into a centaur.
A doctor supplies Sorrel with antitoxin because otherwise being around him would cause hallucinations. Now, you'd have to touch him.
I'll keep tinkering with it, but I'm off break now...
Well, there's totally a TITAN support group for individuals whose powers have warped them
also, Magic and shit exists... awesome, I get to crib off Dr. Strange, and mythology!
Dotting. I love PBTA games and I've wanted to try Masks but haven't yet. Looking at a Delinquent right now but want to reread through the rules to make sure I've got everything right in my brainspace.
Well, there's totally a TITAN support group for individuals whose powers have warped them
also, Magic and s+@# exists... awesome, I get to crib off Dr. Strange, and mythology!
Sounds awesome. I'm taking a lot of stylistic influence from creatures like the forest spirit in Princess Mononoke. I do want most of the lore of the deer to be uncovered in play. Sorrel (or what ever name I settle on) doesn't know why any of this is happening.
Dotting. I love super heroes and teen drama. Will read up and submit
Oooooh...damn, I want in. Not had a good look at Masks before now, but looking over it now? It looks good. There's a lot of things in the design here I love.
As for playbooks, Delinquent would have been my natural first pick, but now?
I am really, really tempted to go Outsider.
I think I have an idea of what I'm going to do with that. I'll make sure to have something concocted soon enough.
The fact that conditions affect moves rather than Lables is a nice touch.
The Teamwork system is really cool too.
The focus on team dynamic is soooo on theme. I'm so excited for this game.
Still workshopping the name. I like Sorrel because the flowers are so evil looking, and they're mildly toxic. Salvia and peyote are a little on-the-nose, and probably taken. I know Hemlock, Garland, Oleander, and Juniper are taken. (I really wanted Juniper.)
Centaur names are nice too. Chiron, Sagittarius, Nessus...
Something will come to me as the other characters start rolling in.
Okay, Recruitment is closed, as Infernal fills out our roster.
There is, however, a shiny new discussion thread up! You guys are all encouraged to go there to do your characters.
I'm deliberately playing the opposite of Conwall for this one. Thoughtful, considerate, not a showboater.
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Dotting in case a spot opens up.
I'm actually running a Masks game myself, people dropped off here and there, but we still got five players.
Would love to be a player myself though. I'd like the Janus.
Darn...missed the last Masks game that came up too. It's great to see people playing other games on these forums. I love the Paizo forum structure over other websites and would like to play in some PbtA games.