This is my first time GMing this system as well as any PbP game, so please bear with me. :)
The game is set in the present day and the PCs are based in Howling Creek, an unassuming suburban town in Indiana that is secretly a hotbed of paranormal activity. No one is exactly sure why, but there are a wide range of varying theories; some say the town sits at the intersection of several mystical leylines, while others insist that it's the remnants of an ancient curse.
Regardless, most people (both within and outside the town) remain blissfully ignorant of the existence of the supernatural, rationalizing the town's strange phenomena as simply urban legends, mass hysteria, or drug-induced hallucinations. Those in the know observe that, for whatever reason, the town has a way of keeping its dark secrets under wraps, and they tend to do what they can to keep it that way to prevent widespread panic (and avoid attracting the attention of even darker forces).
The PCs are a motley crew who will soon find themselves at odds with various shadowy adversaries.
This is a very flexible setting; pretty much anything goes with regard to what sort of supernatural creatures and entities may exist (think Buffy, X-Files, Supernatural).
Please have a basic understanding of how the game is played and the basic moves (link).
Character Creation:
Use the basic hunter playbooks from the Revised edition. (link)
At this point I'm less concerned with your characters' stats and moves than with your concept, history and personal goals. You can pick out ratings and moves if you so choose, but your more story-centric details will be the deciding factor if I end up needing to choose between several players.
Since, as per MoTW rules, there can only be one hunter of any given type per campaign, you may want to submit more than one character (especially if someone else submits a hunter of the same type as you).
I'm not gonna make you choose your “look” from the multiple choice options in the playbooks, feel free to get creative. Please look relatively human so that you'll be able to engage in social situations with mundane NPCs without incident (mostly applies to Monstrous and Divine).
Player characters may choose to start aware or unaware of the supernatural (playbooks like the Expert or Wronged are obviously more likely to start out in the know, but even if you're the Chosen, Spellslinger or Initiate you could gain knowledge of your powers or join your sect over the course of the first hunt if you so choose. Generally speaking, only characters who are aware of magic (or have some sort of latent magical ability) will be able to use the Use Magic move to start. Big Magic can only be used by characters who are well-experienced with the arcane.
It will be up the players whether or not they know each other before the first session (I'm not going to require that we do the “History” portion of the playbooks exactly as written). We'll work out those details and refine other backstory elements before the actual gameplay begins.
Recruitment will stay up until I feel we have enough players (ideally at least 3).
I'm interested in making a Monstrous (though if someone else really has their heart set on it, I could do something else).
Derek Gargan
Derek is descended from a hidden bloodline, inhuman in nature. Origins unknown (perhaps shadowkind turned to good ends?), rare members of this bloodline act as predators of the supernatural, guarding humanity from the true dangers in the darkness. During the day, in strong sunlight, they look as ordinary men and women, but out of the sun, or at night, their senses come alive, and they can turn into bestial forms, bearing claws, horns, wings, looking much like the psuedo-demonic form of the gargoyles that adorn medieval churches and other structures.
Derek is only minorly aware of this ancestry as a childhood story; his father grew up here, but left for unknown reasons, dying while Derek was only a boy. Now having lost his mother in a freak car accident, he has been forced to reconnect with his long-lost extended family, who haven't mentioned the bloodline except in the most vague terms (and it's unknown if any of them are also powered). The bloodline only awakens in the presence of supernatural energies, and outside of Howling Creek, his family powers had lay dormant. At school, he feels like an outsider in the junior class, excluded from the cliques that formed years ago, and while he excelled in sports at his old high school, he arrived to town too late to join the local team for the season. He's angry at the loss of his family and being forced into new surroundings, and of course nobody understands him, just as he doesn't understand the social customs of the small town.
His powers have already awakened, even if he's not aware of them yet. He's felt a hint of energy in the night air, calling to him in a way he doesn't yet understand. He will need to learn how to use those powers if he is to survive.
I have Phillip Potter, a Professional who is part of a secret task force within the FBI known as the Hunters that track down monsters and the paranormal, while trying to keep them secret from the world at large.
Their orders had been only to take photos and collect evidence. ”Don’t do anything rash until we have irrefutable proof to put these bastards away,” their chief had said to them. David was the first to jump out of the car. He rushed towards the club, gun in hand, yelling at everyone to get down. Phil, making a mental note to chew David out for this idiotic action, quickly exited the driver’s seat to back up his partner. Phil wasn’t even halfway to his partner when he saw one of the tall figures leap in the air and land on David, ripping out his throat. Phil stood there in shock before training kicked in, and he fired at the attacker. The shrouded figure’s only reaction to the bullets going through its body was to turn its head slowly towards Phil. All Phil could make out were inhuman red eyes and the glint of a fanged smirk, bloodied from Phil’s partner. The figure turned back to consuming David and Phil ran back to car, speeding away, not even noticing the rest of the figures and their victims had disappeared completely.
David’s body was nowhere to be found the next day. Phil told his superiors David was reckless and killed as a result, though truthfully he felt responsible for not keeping control of the situation as he should have. Phil was placed on suspended leave as the internal investigation took place. After two weeks, Phil returned to work. The moment he arrived he was led by security into an interrogation room he was sure he hadn’t seen before. Phil kept calm as he took his seat, but inside his heart was racing, certain he was going to fired or even imprisoned over David’s death. The woman who walked in an hour later was someone Phil had seen around the bureau, but didn’t know what she did. She introduced herself as Sarah Bryson, and revealed that she knew what had really happened at the Devil’s Dice.
”I’m the head of a secret task force in the FBI that investigates cases like the ones you witnessed that night. We call ourselves the Hunters. It is imperative that the public remains ignorant that there are monsters out there in the world-”
”Are you going to kill me?” Phil interrupted.
Sarah laughed. ”That is certainly an option to keep you quiet, Phil Potter. But I had a different idea in mind. You’ve proven to be a good agent. This incident with Agent Garland is the only blemish on your record, and it could have been avoided if you had trained with the Hunters. I’d like for you to join us.”
It's now been six months since Phil agreed to join the Hunters task force. He's just finished training and is now ready for his first mission: To investigate reports of strange happenings in the small town of Howling Creek, Indiana.
Ive never played before, but ill do my best to learn all the rules.
Id like to play The Wronged.
Magnus immigrated from iceland as a child, adopted by an older and wealthy couple in an affluent town in California. He had a rough childhood, being bullied for his gentle demeanor, giant size, and unwillingness to fight back. His parents tried to teach him to stand up for himself, enrolling him in martial arts, wrestling, boxing, and even football. He excelled in all of these, but he did them only to make his family proud and he didnt like the fact that he often hurt others due to his size and strength. He grew into a powerful young man by the end of high school that quickly dwarfed his friends and family, being nearly 7 foot tall and powerfully built, which got him a college scholarship and a place on the football team there. He ended up falling in love with a fellow student, Miranda and before they both graduated they were married and expecting. His parents, overjoyed by the news, bought them a small home in a secluded neighborhood nearby their home.
Their bliss was shortlived, though. Something had been stalking the couple and on one dark night, the police and paramedics arrived to find the house nearly demolished, Miranda and her unborn child brutally murdered and Magnus pinned under part of the roof, arm crushed and eye maimed beyond repair, screaming and raging at something he claimed had attacked them. They quickly sedated him to get him to safety without further harm to themselves and or him. He recovered slowly from is injuries, losing both his left arm beneath the elbow and his right eye.
The investigation ruled him out as the murderer, but his ranting and raving led to his time at a psychiatric hospital for several months before being discharged into the care of his mother following the death of his father from a stroke while on a business trip. He spent the remainder of the year there recovering, until the thing returned one night. His mother was slain and although he tried to protect her, he failed and was knocked unconscious. When he awoke and found the scene, he vowed to track down the creature. Taking as much money and valuables as he could, he burned down the house of his childhood and set out to find what had became a curse upon his life... He has tracked the creature to Howling Creek from across the country, dodging any contact with police or authorities.
He would have his revenge.
Okay, this seems like a good number. Let's take things to the Discussion tab.