Masks: A New Generation of Heroes

Game Master Cwethan

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Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Unwanted hero is unwanted

-Posted with Wayfinder


Shaun Adams - The Transformed
Hashtag wrote:

Unwanted hero is unwanted

-Posted with Wayfinder

Wanted hero is wanted :) Mentioned Hashtag in my post.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

Imma gonna let someone else post first because I don't want to go twice in a row.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

I can't do anything unless events happen. He will be sulking for at least an hour and that hasn't passed yet.


Influence:
Deputy Atoms, Tycho, Imagine
Labels:
Danger : +2 Freak : +2 Savior : 0 Superior : 0 Mundane : -1
Kenneth Kaine Potential 2/5 / Conditions: Angry

I'll have a post up here soon, my girlfriend leaves tonight <3


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Just so wingblade knows, nothing personal! :)

Vick's also going to help, he just needed a bit to click. Also, he didnt know you guys also failed at Franklin so he was kinda self-centered and sensitive about his damaged ego.

-Posted with Wayfinder


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

It's actually amazing that no one has mentioned to the Franklin High side that Halcyon High also got hit. For all Wingblade knows, you guys had a normal day at school.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Well, now Wingblade heard some kind of hint from Hashtag


Shaun Adams - The Transformed
Wingblade wrote:
It's actually amazing that no one has mentioned to the Franklin High side that Halcyon High also got hit. For all Wingblade knows, you guys had a normal day at school.

Mmm, well. About that... :) *chuckles*

Eldritch, The Nova wrote:
He would head out into the hallway, turning on the communicator and sending a message through. "Wingblade? You getting this? Some people just stepped out of a tear in reality and domed the school. The four of us are on it here."
Deputy Atoms wrote:

... He gets back on his communicator, pressing the 'Call All' button while hoping there's enough juice left in his communicator for a few more transmissions...

"This is Atoms. I'm at Franklin High and my communicator is about dead. There's a situation here, some kind of force field and possible threats. We need everyone on the team channel. Change your frequencies."

Imagine wrote:

Imagine sets her Bluetooth wireless talk-speaker on her ear (primitive, but convenient) and replies to Deputy. "Affirmative, Atoms. We have the same situation. 2 Heavies and a Support. Displaying exo-terrestrial capabilities. Attempts at Communication are negative. Assume hostile."

Deputy Atoms wrote:

Atoms answers Imagine's message with a quick "10-4" as he makes his way through Franklin High and a river of people. It doesn't take long for him to reach the cause of all this chaos. Before him stands an odd, almost see-through figure and what appears to be two thugs, just like Imagine had said. They were doing something to the students.

"Assume hostile," his mind echoes.


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Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

Yeah, well, if you'll note, Wingblade was being serenaded by Atoms when the first message went through and was dive bombing the shield during the second.

So there. ;P


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

I really enjoyed that back n' forth between Hashtag and Wingblade. It's an interesting dynamic.

Also wow! Screaming so loudly that you rip your vocal chords apart? That's pretty scary, Wingblade.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Wingblades actions are a pretty solid example of how NOT to approach a delinquent! :D

It's very interesting how she thinks he's the supervillan, and SHE's the one planning disembowelment... I like how her origins really do play into who she is a person and how it really narrowed her viewpoint.

I mean, Vick wasn't making it any easier on her, but she's been on the edge of hysterical since the schoolground fight and Vick's not seen that they're both kinda, well, highly unstable at the moment.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

The team is split in more ways than one.

Half the team has lost control:
The Bull - Tectonic, who is hurt emotionally. Guilty about what happened at the school when she let her powers run rampant, abused in the past, and who knows what'll happen when she wakes up, and how she reacts to her head injury.

The Doomed - North Star, who is hurt mentally. His incident with his future self caused his mind to slip. Not only was he temporarily unable to control himself , but he lost awareness afterwards (he actually follows around a group of strangers, thinking they're the team, and it takes him a while to realize that he doesn't know these people and doesn't know where he actually is).

The Nova - Eldritch, who is hurt spiritually. He lost some of his magic power, and seems to have a poor outlook on life. He's guilty about when he lost control in the past, and already feeling guilt about what he might do in the future.

The Outsider - Imagine, who is hurt 'physically'. In that she can't be physically present because presumably, her people spirited her away to the moon base and are forcing her to stay.

And the other half are 'in control':
The Beacon - Ghost Dragon, who is controlling the situation. He's trying to bring the team together, and he has already made plans in-case Haden throws them off.

The Delinquent - Hashtag, who is controlling his environment. I think out of everyone, he knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. Dude is bold and probably the most stable of the team.

The Protégé - Wingblade, who is controlling the team. She's really tightening her grip on the team after what happened with Alexis. To the point where, if you won't be controlled, you're off the team, meaning she gets control of the 'team' no matter what.

The Transformed - Atoms, who is controlling himself. In that, "The Deputy wouldn't be stopped", and he won't be turned away from something once he puts his mind to it.


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

We're certainly not making things easy for ourselves, are we?

Ack! Ninja'd.

Pretty good assessment, Atoms.

I'm not sure how it's been coming across, but Wingblade's stress is because she decided to have fun with fighting Alloy, and she lost track of the rest of the fight. She feels that if she'd paid more attention, she could have prevented the mage from sneaking off and grabbing the girl. Now, she's trying to fix it by going after her, and in her eyes the team is falling apart around her and she can't do anything to stop it.

(It's not that she's thinking you're off the team if she can't control you, but I can see how that impression can be made. She's uneasy around Atoms and everything Hashtag has said and done makes her think he's quit on his own.)

I am having a lot of fun, even though Wingblade's being pushed to her limit.


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December 26th Update

1. I love that scene between Wingblade and Hashtag. Great argument guys.

2. Remember the difference between character and player. This game is double fun if we can have certain amounts of player character vs player character conflict. If for a second you suspect that someone might be taking it personally, don't hesitate to talk it out in discussion. I'd hate to end this game because two players got pissed at each other.

3. Post incoming. You guys move fast, which is absolutely great. You should react to each other more than to me, also makes my job easier at times.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed
Wingblade wrote:

We're certainly not making things easy for ourselves, are we?

Ack! Ninja'd.

Pretty good assessment, Atoms.

I'm not sure how it's been coming across, but Wingblade's stress is because she decided to have fun with fighting Alloy, and she lost track of the rest of the fight. She feels that if she'd paid more attention, she could have prevented the mage from sneaking off and grabbing the girl. Now, she's trying to fix it by going after her, and in her eyes the team is falling apart around her and she can't do anything to stop it.

(It's not that she's thinking you're off the team if she can't control you, but I can see how that impression can be made. She's uneasy around Atoms and everything Hashtag has said and done makes her think he's quit on his own.)

I am having a lot of fun, even though Wingblade's being pushed to her limit.

That has come across actually. I've just been keeping it as ammo for a future Atoms v Wingblade moment ;) Though it did almost come up when they talked in the school.

Tectonic wrote:
Vignette

I'm calling it now, Nora is the Avatar :D


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Yup. Nora the avatar!

DM Default. I think that both Wingblade and I are out of character totally cool. It's been really fun to explore that limit of emotional outburst between teenagers. :)

... It occurred to me that I've not earned a single point of potential, have I?


Shaun Adams - The Transformed
Hashtag wrote:
... It occurred to me that I've not earned a single point of potential, have I?

*READS THROUGH ALL YOUR POSTS*

You are correct. You don't have any potential.

However, you do have influence over Ghost Dragon, and he has influence over you, because of your triumphant celebration with him on Page 2.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

I gotta admit, she is SUPER dedicated to ruining me!


Angry, Insecure Potential 1/5

Quick reminder, people: keep it cool OOC. Our characters are all kinda pissed right now, don't let it spill over.


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

Ghost Dragon's gonna be playing team peacekeeper as best he can, FYI - seeing as he's the least traumatized after all of this.


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

Oh, I'm cool. I'm so cool I'm frozen.

:P


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None
Deputy Atoms wrote:


Just to remind everyone~ Comfort/Support automatically fails if your target doesn't "open up to you".

Okay, I'm gonna say I read it as differently.

Comfort or Support wrote:


When you comfort or support someone, roll
+ Mundane. On a hit, they hear you: they mark potential, clear a condition, or shift Labels if they open up to you. On a 10+, you can also add a Team to the pool or clear a condition yourself.

Emphasis mine.

It's about comma placement. Since the "if they open up to you" appears after the second comma and the phrase "shift Labels", I interpreted that to mean that they can shift their Labels if they open up to you, but they mark potential or clear a condition as long as the roll is a hit. That's what the "On a hit, they hear you" phrase means. Not that they have to open up to you in order for it to succeed, regardless of roll. Otherwise, why bother having a roll at all?


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

I'm going to disagree with you both! *le-gasp!*

"On a hit, they hear you:" This is the part of the sentence that declares that no, they don't get a choice in the matter.

But because they do hear you, they can either A: Mark Potential, B: Clear a Condition or C: Shift Labels and open up to you. You succeeded your roll, one of those three things happens.


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

Okay, so, I meant to say what Hashtag did, but he said it better.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

Yeah I can see why that's confusing. It's clearer in the rulebook, and I'll put an excerpt from it below. The key phrase here, which I'll bold, is, "if they don’t open up, then no one gets anything".

Rulebook wrote:

OPTIONS FOR COMFORT OR SUPPORT SOMEONE

On a hit, the person you are comforting or supporting has to decide if they want to open up to you. What that means varies heavily depending on the specific situation—it could cover anything from confessing a secret to returning a kiss. The key is that it supports a meaningful emotional, dramatic exchange. If you don’t feel like you’ve received any kind of open-hearted response, then it’s not enough—the character you supported or comforted hasn’t opened up. If they do open up, they get to choose to either mark potential, clear a condition immediately, or shift one of their Labels up and one of their Labels down (both their choice). Making the emotional connection helps them strengthen their self. On a 10+, you also get to choose to either add a Team to the pool or clear a condition immediately yourself. You only get to do this if they open up to you—if they don’t open up, then no one gets anything. Sometimes, opening up in response to comfort or support triggers another move, a Team move—sharing a vulnerability or weakness. If that’s the case, it’s fine! Finish resolving the comfort or support, then resolve the vulnerability or weakness.


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Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

... Why didn't they include that in the shorthand? :P


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

Yeah...that's a bit of important context that needs to be included for those who are using the shorthand. Like, seriously, that changes the way the entire move works, and makes me feel like rolling at all is nearly useless on that move when it comes to PC-PC interaction.


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December 26th Update

Apologies for the confusion. I opted to not just post swathes of text for two reasons: I feel a bit icky just posting from the rule book when they provide free materials for reference, and they did something to the rule book that makes me have to correct words when you do a copy+paste. At least I thought they did, perhaps it was just my pdf reader....

I'll work on getting a clearer definition system on the campaign info tab. And once again, thank you Deputy for the rules help. It's kinda like your co-GMing, but as this is a new system for me, I'd rather get it right.


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

I'm not blaming you for that, DM Default. That's on the company for not phrasing the shorthand better or including the line that if they don't open up to you, you get nothing. I understand space is limited, but that changes the understanding of the move if you don't have the full ruleset.


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Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

AS a player, I'd like to make a request. It seems that everyone's characters are just completely seeing through my illusions or finding me instantaneously when I teleport, and as a player that's starting to make me feel invalidated. If my powers don't have any impact at all, then why am I playing someone with them?

Can we be more mindful of this in the future? I give you your spotlight for abilities but it just seems like mine don't work even when I get a hit on my rolls.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

Speaking of GMing, I've recently started my own game of Masks on a different site :) So thank you again, DM Default, for introducing me to the system and giving me a foundation on how to play and run the game.

And yeah, I feel that same ick when C&Ping, but I guess it's better than sitting here trying to put it in my own words or something.

EDIT:

Hashtag wrote:

AS a player, I'd like to make a request. It seems that everyone's characters are just completely seeing through my illusions or finding me instantaneously when I teleport, and as a player that's starting to make me feel invalidated. If my powers don't have any impact at all, then why am I playing someone with them?

Can we be more mindful of this in the future? I give you your spotlight for abilities but it just seems like mine don't work even when I get a hit on my rolls.

That's a perfectly valid point. I'll keep that in mind when the Deputy interacts with Hashtag.


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

I thought you were already seated at the table when Ghost Dragon went over, hence I was reacting to you already being there. Was that an illusion of you at the table? Because my action was supposed to be post-Halcyon HQ and everybody brought back together.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Ghost dragon, your latest interaction was actually fine, since I made no indication that I WAS doing anything other than sitting there.

I would rather not LIE to the other players in order to make my characters tricks work. So I don't.


Male Human The Beacon | Condition: None

Okay. Glad I read that post correctly. I'll make sure to react accordingly in the future.


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Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

Hashtag, I can't help but feel that your post is mostly directed at me, and Wingblade's ability to find Hashtag after he 'ported out from his home.

I thought I gave very good, logical reasons as to how she found him -- she's trained by Whippoorwill, who is very Batman-esque in this world. Driven, focused and smart, she's always prepared. She is extremely interested in redemption, having been redeemed herself, so she would definitely be on Hashtag's side, quietly rooting for him to choose good. But she's also pragmatic and always prepared. At character creation, I chose Hashtag as the other player that Wingblade is to keep an eye on.

If you had written that Hashtag took off to the Himalayas or a remote island, obviously Wingblade wouldn't have found him. But you went spray painting in the city -- something he's known to do. Simple deduction. I rolled a success, and I feel that aerosol paint would be something that Wingblade could detect in the air. Note that I had her show up at the end of his painting, so it wasn't instantaneously finding him, but he was in one place long enough for her to find him, I felt.

Remember, we all have powers, and maybe they're not that clear in the other players' minds. I'm sorry, I've forgotten that you have illusions at times. Maybe you've forgotten that I envision Wingblade as having heightened senses.

Maybe it'll be a smart thing to make sure everyone understands our powers and concepts to avoid future surprises and possibly hurt feelings if one of our characters makes another feel less special.

So I'll start:

Wingblade was originally conceived as an amalgam between X-23 and Hawkgirl/Hawkman. Now being a Protege, she's also got a healthy dose of Robin, having been trained by the Batman-analogue Whippoorwill. Hopefully, that will give everyone a good idea of what she can do, and what to expect from her.

Her bladed metal wings are sharp and nearly indestructible. I think I prefer them to be made of an organic-type metal that affords some self-repair. As for the rest of her body, she has a lot in common with X-23: tough, fast healing and heightened senses.

She's a good bit stronger than a normal girl her size, but nowhere near superhuman strength except for the steel musculature in her wings. Her metabolism is fast and adapted for both high speed, high altitude, and high-gee-force maneuvers.

Obviously, I'm waiting to find out from Default about how fast my healing factor will be. I don't necessarily want it to be as potent as other comic characters' such as Deadpool and Wolverine, but I do like the thought of her taking a beating every now and then and getting up and pushing through for more.

As for her senses, they're not Daredevil's level, but I would expect that she's able to listen in to any nearby whispered conversations. She's got a good sense of smell and should be able to pinpoint invisible attackers with all her senses together. I won't make the claim that she's immune to Hashtag's illusions, but I hope he'll allow that she's usually the first to see through them.

Lastly, her raw fighting talent has been honed by the best. She's far from infallible at combat, but she should be one of the better fighters on the team, if not the best. Obviously, she can't compete with the raw power of the Nova or the Doomed, or the physical strength of the Bull or the Transformed, but she's got some moves that may surprise them all.

Please understand, I'm not trying to claim my character is better than any others. What I'm gathering about this rules system is that it's trying very hard to evoke the feel of Teen Titans, Young Justice or the New Mutants. And there's one important rule about those types of shows/comics: Anybody can beat up anybody. In fact, any one team member can usually beat up the rest of the team, depending on the circumstances. How many times does one character get possessed or controlled, and proceed to rip apart the rest of the team? It happens all the time. I blame the writers. ;)

So I'm going to finish this wall-of-text by saying that I'm going to keep playing Wingblade as I envision her -- smart, cunning, resourceful and trained by the best, yet still volatile and fallible.

I hope everyone can work with that. :)


Influence:
Deputy Atoms, Tycho, Imagine
Labels:
Danger : +2 Freak : +2 Savior : 0 Superior : 0 Mundane : -1
Kenneth Kaine Potential 2/5 / Conditions: Angry

Well, since we're going to be doing a descriptor of what it is that our characters do, I feel that I'll give describing Eldritch a bit and see what flows...

Truthfully, I've found categorizing him to be difficult at times. Sorcery is a big cover-all of things. In the terms of D&D, I feel him being more of a sorcerer than a wizard. What Eldritch does is driven by instincts and willpower, not by taught lore or practiced ability. I've tried to have the drawing of sigils and glyphs as a focus of his uncontrollable power; he has the power of an alien, Elder God channeling through him. It needs to be focused for him to be able to direct it without harming others or doing something worse. Even then, the potential for danger is there.

I didn't want the glyphs to be too limiting because he is the Nova, he is an explosion of power and is meant to slam into things. He isn't the best fighter in the group but who needs to be when your power actually can change reality, when you can tear apart what is and isn't. Usually, Kenneth uses it like a sledgehammer and bashes his way through things brutally. I see him almost like Mugen from Samurai Champloo in that way; he prefers direct and simple rather than complicated. Should he really take the time to practice and channel his mind, he could accomplish feats that no one can imagine. Death, time, distance, all things that we consider absolutes are no longer such when such power is there. Yet he has seen what that power can do, how much harm even a -taste- of it can do to others.

I have the burning, the emblems appearing upon him, cracking his skin with blue flames and other stuff because I wanted him to have something in common with both the Transformed and the Doomed. In another word and another game, he could've been either one of them and he knows it.

I'm hoping to have a better concept of who Kenneth is the more we play. I had planned on him being far moodier but I'm sure he'll have his moment :P


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent
Wingblade wrote:

Hashtag, I can't help but feel that your post is mostly directed at me, and Wingblade's ability to find Hashtag after he 'ported out from his home.

I thought I gave very good, logical reasons as to how she found him -- she's trained by Whippoorwill, who is very Batman-esque in this world. Driven, focused and smart, she's always prepared. She is extremely interested in redemption, having been redeemed herself, so she would definitely be on Hashtag's side, quietly rooting for him to choose good. But she's also pragmatic and always prepared. At character creation, I chose Hashtag as the other player that Wingblade is to keep an eye on.

If you had written that Hashtag took off to the Himalayas or a remote island, obviously Wingblade wouldn't have found him. But you went spray painting in the city -- something he's known to do. Simple deduction. I rolled a success, and I feel that aerosol paint would be something that Wingblade could detect in the air. Note that I had her show up at the end of his painting, so it wasn't instantaneously finding him, but he was in one place long enough for her to find him, I felt.

Remember, we all have powers, and maybe they're not that clear in the other players' minds. I'm sorry, I've forgotten that you have illusions at times. Maybe you've forgotten that I envision Wingblade as having heightened senses.

Maybe it'll be a smart thing to make sure everyone understands our powers and concepts to avoid future surprises and possibly hurt feelings if one of our characters makes another feel less special.

Well, you seem infallible against the character who's entire shtick is being a trickster. While your character's recent actions are the most obvious examples, I felt it necessary to express how it was making me feel regardless of WHO it was. I will stand by what I said. I think everyone should have a time to *be* cool, and getting constantly shut down is not fun.

After looking it over, I think the issue with how instantaneously you seemed to have found me in the way you wrote you post... you figured out where I'd be and then next paragraph you were there. However it was conveyed, I must not have gotten the idea it took you time to do it.

In the interest of preventing any chafing between players, I apologize if I created any drama out of this. But, I don't believe in bottling up issues that could be fixed by doing what we're doing now, talking it over.

To explain Hashtag:
He's a punk. A rebel. He doesn't like authority because most of his experience with them has been them telling him he's nothing but trash or destined to rot in a cell next to his mother. He doesn't want to accept that, but he doesn't know how to react to those condemnations in a kind or patient manner. So he fights back, and they push, and he pushes harder. (This is, ultimately, the kind of conditioning that causes him to rather set a bridge on fire than cross it) Still, he's a good kid inside, he doesn't think his mother was necessarily *evil*; she raised him till he was 8, after all.

As for powers, his Teleportation is the first thing he developed. He doesn't have the grace or speed of his mother, but he does have oomph. He can teleport masses that his mother still strains to move. Perhaps if he had the ability to truly practice and have a mentor to help guide him, he would be great. This is in part because his powers are inherited and refined a bit in his generation.
Also, it's not that easy seeing through his illusions. They're not just visual images he creates, they have sounds, smells, everything but texture and mass. Creatures he fakes have warmth and even bad breath. He's better with his illusions than his teleportation, because he spent years practicing them every night and day, since they weren't as disruptive as popping all over the place. His family literally believes they have a cat...


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December 26th Update

Okay, we're starting to hit a stride of "power vs power" arguments/conversations here, and I'd like to avoid that. After all, how many great friendships were ruined due to Hulk vs Juggernaut arguments?
In all seriousness, if I seem paranoid about player vs player conflict, that is because I am.

Just to see if I got things straight, Wingblade's and Hashtag's powers are one of direct conflict with each other (one tracks things while the other avoids being tracked). In a narrative game like this one, where I'm letting you guys have more narrative control, it seems that there's some issues brewing with how one players efforts are being easily overturned.

The key word, being easily.

Hashtag being good at illusions shouldn't make him untrackable, but it would to most normal people. To those with heightened senses, he would be fair game but it would definitely make it harder (world logic).

So in the last case of Wingblade tracking him down, perhaps a paragraph detailing all the trouble she has to go through to track someone who has as many tricks as Hashtag does.

Unfortunately, for a play by post game, we can't immediately respond and have to kind of play-by-ear from where the previous poster left off. In such cases, please feel free to drop reminders or questions here, just keep it civil and friendly.

This whole power vs power scenario doesn't really make any room for infallible, and was actually one of my major concerns for Deputy Atoms and Eldritch's character as they're powerhouses of sorts.

TLDR: There are no infallible, express your concerns politely, if another PC is trying to do something and you're going to stop/circumvent that, then at least make it a tremendous effort to do so.

Sidenote to Wingblade: With your healing factor, I'm gonig to have you keep the broken hand for a scene or two. After all, if you broke your hand to clear a condition, but then just got it back without it really affecting the narrative in a negative way towards you, then nothing really changed and you breaking your hand didn't mean anything.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Sorry DM Default.

You hit the nail on the head.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

I like to imagine that Wingblade has a good healing factor, but her hand isn't healing as quickly as expected because her thoughts and feelings are somehow retarding it.

Might be interesting to explore.

--

As for me, I think Sheriff Adams is the most worst guy. Eh pretends to be a cop and doesn't afraid of anything. I'm pretty sure his only power is to be ludicrously unstable.


Influence:
I have influence on: Bran the Blessed, Mercy
Conditions: Insecure
Labels:
Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +2, Mundane +1. Potential 0/5

All right; sounds like we're clear -- I had thought it was obvious that it took a bit of time for her to find him, but I guess that wasn't conveyed very well. I'll keep that in mind.

As for the broken hand, I don't really want to go with a mental reason why it's not healing very fast. What if I keep aggravating it, or it's healing wrong so I need to re-break it to set the bones right?


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

^
Wrist bones are very complex and if they don't heal right they can completely ruin your hand's range of motion, or even prevent you from opening or closing your fingers.

When Wally West, a speedster with increased healing due to his super-speed metabolism, shattered his knee, he ended up with his leg in a brace and unable to use his powers for days (They had to rig a speed-suppressing thing too) because with the speed his knee healed it would come together all wrong and he'd never be able to walk.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

I've been thinking, that if I get my moment of truth unlock later on i would take the "change playbook" option, and switch to the legacy. How does changing playbooks work?
Do i lose my powers and get new ones? Do i lose all my prior playbook moves?

-Posted with Wayfinder


Shaun Adams - The Transformed
Hashtag wrote:

I've been thinking, that if I get my moment of truth unlock later on i would take the "change playbook" option, and switch to the legacy. How does changing playbooks work?

Do i lose my powers and get new ones? Do i lose all my prior playbook moves?

-Posted with Wayfinder

Whether you lose old moves or powers depends on the narrative that's causing you to switch playbooks. In other words, if it makes sense to the GM and you, then you could either lose or keep certain old moves and powers.

Switching playbooks though is what you'd expect, you fill everything out except for relationships, influence (you keep your old influences), labels (they stay the same as before the switch), and "When our team first came together...".

The big rule with changing playbooks is that you can't change to an occupied playbook. Which means, for example, you can't change playbooks to The Nova while Eldritch is still using it.


December 26th Update

I like the idea that your emotions may make your healing faster but less accurate when setting itself, so it gets you back into fighting form faster, but it'll be messed up until you fix it, which can be a couple scenes from now.


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

You're the best Delinquent, Hashtag. Never change <3


Shaun Adams - The Transformed

I'm disappointed that neither of you rolled to provoke :( Because you're clearly provoking each other.


Ji-Wan "Vick" Zeng Conditions: Guilty; Potential 4/5; Delinquent

Me?


Shaun Adams - The Transformed
Hashtag wrote:
Me?

Nah, Tec and Wing.

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Greetings! Who wants to be part of a relaxed superhero RPG that's more about character development than optimization and "winning"?

....

Just me?

Uhhh well, if you're interested, I invite you to sign up for this game of Masks: A New Generation of Heroes!

Short Overview of Masks:

Masks is a tabletop roleplaying game in which you play young superheroes who are growing up in a city several generations into its superheroic age. Halcyon City has had more than its fair share of superheroes, superteams, supervillains, and everything in between. Over the course of three different generations of super-people, Halcyon City has seen it all.

You play members of the fourth generation, young adults trying to figure out who they are and what kind of heroes they want to be. The rest of the world is telling them what to do, but they’ll find their own path amidst the noise. And kick some butt along the way. After all, what’s the point of being a hero if you can’t fight for the things you believe in?

Masks is based on the award-winning Powered by the Apocalypse system developed by Vincent Baker and used in Apocalypse World, Monsterhearts,Urban Shadows, and more. It’s a rules-light system that fuels some of the best innovations in gaming in the last ten years, and Masks has been built from the ground up to incorporate everything I’ve learned about Powered by the Apocalypse games.

When you take an action that would trigger a move, you roll two six-sided dice, add them together with one of your Labels (a stat that describes your hero), and look to the move to see what the results are. On a 10+, you get what you want, and maybe a little extra. On a 7-9, you get what you want, but at some kind of cost or with a complication. On a 6 or less—a miss—the GM says what happens next, and chances are things get complicated for our young heroes.

Masks produces stories like those found in Young Justice, Teen Titans,Young Avengers, X-Men, and more, using the Powered by the Apocalypse rules to provide an easy but useful skeleton for awesome storytelling!

You'll be choosing a "playbook" to start building your hero off. Remember, your hero is still a teen-late teens at most, so it's fine if his powerset isn't the most complete. Plenty of room for development. The options are below.

Mask Playbooks Bios:

The Bull – You’re tough, gruff, and powerful on the outside, and caring on the inside—oh, and you were made by an evil organization that’d love to get you back: can you learn to rely on the team enough to save you from yourself?

The Nova – You’re amazingly, egregiously, horrifyingly powerful, and keeping control is a struggle: can you come to terms with your power before it destroys you? Or someone you care about?

The Outsider – You’re not from here, and you don’t quite understand this place, but you find it fascinating: can you find a way to belong? Or will you always be different?

The Legacy – You’re carrying on a long tradition of heroism and nobility: how can you balance that legacy with your own identity?

The Protege – You’re tied to a mentor who trained you: do you want to be them? Or someone else entirely?

The Janus – You put on the mask, become someone different, escape your mundane life, but you know your responsibilities are always waiting for you: who are you really? The mask or the mundane?

The Delinquent – You’re a rabble-rouser, a rules-breaker, and an incorrigible prankster, someone who pushes people away while secretly wishing they would stay close: can you stop being a little shit for long enough to let them know you actually care?

The Doomed – Your powers are killing you; they come with some awful, nightmarish fate. But until that end comes, you’re going to work to change the world: how much are you willing to give up for your cause before your doom comes?

The Transformed – You don’t look human anymore and the world won’t let you forget it: can you learn to accept yourself? Can you deal with their looks, stares, and fear without becoming the monster they see?

The Beacon – You’re here because this is awesome, and you may not quite fit in, but screw it, you’re going to do this anyway: can you prove that you actually deserve to be here? Or are you just a wannabe?

But the actual playbooks are located ---> Mask Playbooks

If you're wondering about some of the more important mechanics before you decide to sign up or pass, I invite you to read the following two sections. Interaction is the basis of this game, and how you percieve your place in the world and influencing people into changing are core mechanics.

Rules for Labels:

Characters in Masks each have five mechanical attributes called “Labels.” Labels represent how your character views their identity. Are you a Danger or a Savior? A Freak or Superior? Or are you just Mundane?

Each Label ranges from -2 to +3; the higher the rating is, the more the character sees their self by that light. If you have Danger +3, you see yourself as a threatening, violent figure. If you have Mundane -2, you see yourself as anything but a normal person.

The Labels include:

Freak, which is all about being strange, unusual, unknown, different, unique, powerful, weird, and special.
Danger, which is all about being strong, threatening, violent, destructive, badass, frightening, reckless, and mighty.
Savior, which is all about being defensive, protective, overbearing, moralistic, guarding, patronizing, and classically heroic.
Superior, which is all about being clever, faster, better, arrogant, dismissive, commanding, egotistical, and smart
Mundane, which is all about being normal, empathetic, understanding, kind, boring, simple, uninteresting, and human.

The Labels shift and change over the course of the game as your self-image changes, most often due to the influence of others. As these Labels shift, so does your position in the story: a hero who sees their self as a Danger is better at directly engaging villains and threats, but their low Mundane means they might struggle to connect with ordinary people after a fight.

Rules for Influence:

Influence is a mechanic used to keep track of whose words matter to you. When you have Influence over someone else, it means they care about what you say. When someone else has Influence over you, it means that you’re affected by their words.

Much of Masks involves giving, taking, and losing Influence over others. After all, you can’t convince your teammate to stop being a Danger if you don’t have Influence over them. When you do have Influence over them, and you tell them how they endangered civilians, your words might lead their Labels to shift. They might be chagrined at your words, and shift their Danger up, and their Savior down—they see themselves as more of a Danger, because of what you said. Or, they might resist, argue with you, and wind up shifting their Savior up and their Danger down—they don’t care what you say because they define who they are, and they choose to be a Savior.

Influence allows for a quick and easy way to understand whose words can cause your Labels to shift. You care about what they say, so your self-image is tied up in how they view you, what they say about you, and what you accept about their perspective on the world.

Of course, you are just a young superhero, trying to find your way. And that means in Masks, all the adults have influence over you by default. But you can resist what they say to free yourselves of their words. You just have to stand up to them, and tell them that you make your own path…easy, right?

So....if I haven't scared you off yet, and you're eager to play, Great! I hope to have a team of at least 4 but wasn't sure how many players would be interested.

Unfortunately, part of the character creation process involves the other chosen players, so creating a character won't really work for an application here.

That said, if you're a proactive roleplayer who doesn't mind learning a relatively simple system, I'd love for you to write "I officially want to be part of this game." in your comment somewhere along with the playbook you wish to use. Sadly, we can't have two people playing the same playbook, so any arguments over a certain one will end with neither player having access to that option.

Happy Gaming!


I am excited! I'll be working on a Nova character, not sure what power yet but we'll figure something out :D


For those who want more reading....

Moves will give you the framework of when you have to make an effort to do accomplish something that has a chance of failure. This isn't for normal use of powers or things you can do with ease, rather, its when there are going to be consequences.

This is an example of a "scene" during play which isn't combat. Conversation is an important developmental tool between player characters.


Mark of interest to investigate.


Oh....err....I read the caveat. I officially want to be in this game as the team's Nova. Going with sorcery, going to do all the magic.

Dark Archive

I officially want to be part of this game!

And I'd like to play an Outsider. =3


I'm interested as a Legacy.


Shareena is actually me, like I said I'm interested in a Legacy.


"I officially want to be part of this game."

I would love to play The Delinquent.


here as well. I think I'll do a Doomed, who is trying to resist becoming the monster that he knows he will become in the future.

So here is my first stab a this character:

North Star:

Playbook: The Doomed

Hero Name: North Star (because everyone follows me)
Real Name: Tycho Simpson

Look:Man, Shifting, white, haunted eyes, adaptive clothing, adaptive costume

Abilities:
Memory Manipulation, Psychic Constructs, Superhuman Strength and Speed

Nemesis: My nemesis is my future self, the being that I am prophesied (or destined, depending on your point of view) to become. A psychic ruler of minds and master of the entire world, who controls all he sees (and what he can't see as well).

Team Moves: When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, give them influence over you and spend 1 team from the ppol to clear one box on your doom track.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, give them influence over you and ask them if they honestly think there's hope for you. If they say yes, mark potential or clear one box of your doom track. If they say no, mark a condition or mark your doom track.

Potential: _ _ _ _ _
*every time you miss a roll on a move, mark potential.

Advancement:
_ Take a move from another playbook.
_ Take a move from another playbook.
_ Take a move from another playbook.
_Someone permanently loses influence over you; add +1 to a label.
_Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add +1 to a label.
_Unlock your Moment of Truth.
_Clear a doomsign; you lose access to tht move for now.
_Get burn and three flares (from the Nova's playbook).

_______________________________________________________________

When you've taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below.

_Unlock your moment of truth after you've used it once.
_Confront your doom on your own terms; if you survive, change playbooks.
_Take an adult move.
_Take an adult move.
_Lock a label, and add +1 to a label of your choice.
_Become a paragon of the city for however long you have left.

Labels:
Danger: +1
Freak: +1
Savior: +1
Superior: -1
Mundane: 0

Conditions:
_Afraid: (-2 to engage a threat)
_Angry: (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
_Guilty (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
_Hopeless (-2 to unleash your powers)
_Insecure (-2 to defend someone or reject others' influence)

Backstory:
*When did you first learn of your doom: as a child, the cult that raised me told me it was my sacred duty to rule mankind.
*When I was rescued by (insert Dr. Fate/Strange character here) found me, she knew that I would need a place to learn to use my powers safely, so she guided my power to allow me to form a demiplane.
*I oppose my nemesis because I don't want to be the authoritarian dictator of a future world where I control everyone's minds and will. I think it's the worst thing that you could do. And because it would be so easy to become that person.
*The hero that raised me has been training me to harness my power safely, so definitely her.
*(assuming that we are starting as a team) they are the first real friends I have ever had.

Doom:
What brings your doom closer:
Overexerting yourself, facing danger alone

Doom Track: _ _ _ _ _

Doom Signs:
X Portal: Mark your doom drack to appear in a scene with anyone you want.

Sanctuary:
Features: A meditation space; art, music, and food; a library of valuable tomes (really my memories of my future self).

Downsides: I will need to mark one box on my doomtrack; The best I can do is a lesser version, unreliable and limited.

Let me know if I'm missing anything.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I'm interested. I have several super hero characters, so right now I'm brainstorming to see who would fit in these categories, or if I'll create someone brand new.

But at the outset, I think I've got one character who may work as a Protégé.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I've got three officially interested as per the rules in the primary post. I'll open up the discussion thread soon so we can begin more in-depth character creation for those that need help or have questions.

@ Vrog
Looks pretty good. We'll flesh it out more through discussion. But make sure you read through all of the primary post.

Masks Hero Alias Template:

___________________
Hero
___________________

Hero Name:
Real Name (if different):
Abilities:
Look:

___________________
Labels
___________________

Danger : 0
Freak : 0
Savior : 0
Superior : 0
Mundane : 0

___________________
Influence
___________________

Have Influence on:

___________________
Team Moves
___________________

List your team moves

___________________
Advancement
___________________

Write dowsn any current advancements.

___________________
Backstory
___________________

List Questions, then answers.

___________________
Relationships
___________________

We'll answer these questions in discussion.

___________________
*Any Other Abilites Unique to your Playbook
___________________

Yep.

In-game, we'll be using the copy-paste strategy at the beginning of each of our posts as conditions, potential, and honestly, even labels change a lot. As I know some people post on mobile or find it a pain to edit their stats at every change, the copy-paste method should help make things easier.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Heh heh. Oops. I suppose you wanted me to literally say "I officially want to be part of this game."

Well, if you're willing to overlook that gaffe, I officially want to be part of this game.

But as I said earlier, I have a stable of characters I've created over the years and I'm working to figure out which one will best transition to this new system. Most of my characters were built using the old Marvel Superhero system (FASERIP).


Officially want to be part of this. I will hopefully decide what I actually want to be once I get home and get access to the plabooks.

@Stalwart WOOT FASERIP


I officially want to be part of this game.

Since I'm new to the ruleset, I actually think I'd like to put together a character using the Beacon. I think I've got a couple ideas of how to work with it that would work.


I'm totally new to this too, but that's what makes it fun!


Whoa, didn't expect this much interest to be honest. Shouldn't be a problem though.

Officially Expressed Interest/ Accepted Players
WarforgedMan - Nova
Atlas2112 - Outsider
rungok - Delinquent
Stalwart - Protege
Doomkitten - Undecided
Phntm888 - Beacon

if you're confused about why you aren't on the list, please read the first post thoroughly. If you're just expressing interest, the above-listed playbooks have been officially called "dibs."


@DM Default - You made an Alias Template for us? You are the hero that the Paizo Boards truly deserves.


I officially want to be part of this game. Like I said, I'm thinking Legacy.


I know that it's a group character creation process (similar to the Dresden files rpg) but I left those parts out of my build, since they would need to be done separately anyway.


Officially Expressed Interest/ Accepted Players
WarforgedMan - Nova
Atlas2112 - Outsider
rungok - Delinquent
Stalwart - Protege
Doomkitten - Undecided
Phntm888 - Beacon
Phantom mouse - Legacy

Discussion thread is up for those who are accepted. Feel free to post in.


For anyone who hasn't submitted an official submission yet, the playbooks left are:

The Bull, The Doomed, The Janus, The Transformed.

Though, Doomkitten hasn't chosen a playbook for herself yet.


You missed me on the list sir.


@ Vrog
I will remind once again to read the primary post thoroughly.

Hint: you don't need to open any spoilers.


oh, sorry, I am interested in the game/expressing interest. and I officially want to be part of this game with the Doomed playbook.

Sorry, too excited.

Also, reading is OP.


Consider yourself added sir.


Okay. I think I want to play the Bull. Coming up with concept and creating character meow.


Okee doke, a lot more than I anticipated but never fear.

Due to the nature of the game, we'll hit a cap off players or interest will die out. If you are still interested in playing, the available playbooks are left.

Available Playbooks
The Janus
The Transformed


I would like to play The Transformed. Alias coming up shortly.

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