Monsterhearts (Inactive)

Game Master Elsine

I needed a little.... reprieve from the Sci fi/fantasy genres, as my IRL group and my other PbP's are all those genres. I have also wanted t Run monsterhearts again for a while now.

For those unfamiliar Monsterhearts is a game about the messy lives of teenage monsters. the setting is modern day, urban fantasy in a high school. you take on the role of a high-schooler who has some secret connection to the supernatural (or, for one skin, is completely mundane).

this game if PbtA, which means it is resolved with rolls that are 2d6+stat. the stats are Hot (how atrractive and likeable you are), Cold (How strong willed/emotionally controlled you are), volatile (Fight or flight, how good you are at violence), and Dark (How angsty you are, how connected you are to the darkness inherent to this town). the game resolves actions using moves, found (Among the rest of the basic rules) here. as a player, you will create your character using one the the skins (This game's word for classes) the skins can be found here

This game has themes of messy sexuality, emotional and social violence, sex, violence, and the other stuff inherent to teenagerhood (unless you're like me, and had a nice, boring teenagerhood, in which case, time for vicarious drama!), and it will deal with such things, so this game is hard pg-13, light R (We won't actually show anything too graphic, and will draw the curtain on certain scenes, but it will still be very open about sexuality and emotional manipulation. just as a warning

okay, I think I have covered the basics. Any questions or interest?

This sounds interesting. I'd be willing to play this. Let me look over the rules.

I'm potentially interested, but have played Monsterhearts a few times now and am kind of over most of the default skins - would you allow something third party? Running it by you first, of course. I have an idea in mind about going in an "artist who paints visions of things and can draw things into existence" sort of direction.

I'm potentially interested, but have played Monsterhearts a few times now and am kind of over most of the default skins - would you allow something third party? Running it by you first, of course. I have an idea in mind about going in an "artist who paints visions of things and can draw things into existence" sort of direction.

I have a bias against third party playbooks in PBTA, just due to sturgeons law. there are a few I like (The beast, the fury, and the unseen are all pretty good), so run it by me, but no promises, so maybe have a backup.

Ooh, I'd be in. Monsterhearts is a fun change from the usual for sure. My first choice would be the Infernal, but are the bonus skins (Selkie, Angel, Hollow, etc) in as well?

Ooh, I'd be in. Monsterhearts is a fun change from the usual for sure. My first choice would be the Infernal, but are the bonus skins (Selkie, Angel, Hollow, etc) in as well?

yeah, Mcdaldno skins are fine, also these ones.

Ok, here's my pitch.

Sammael 'Sam' Caine, the Infernal
Emissary of Adallosit the Tyrant
Distant, calculating eyes

Hot 0
Cold -1
Volatile 1
Dark 1

Dark Recruiter
Soul Bargain
Elsewise Power
Uncanny Voices

I have a bias against third party playbooks in PBTA, just due to sturgeons law. there are a few I like (The beast, the fury, and the unseen are all pretty good), so run it by me, but no promises, so maybe have a backup.

I was basically thinking of this. I certainly don't mind tweaking it if something seems too strong or vague.

I had an idea in the car...

Carriekazi. She was the girl who would risk anything. Leap a dirt bike off of the gym roof? Freshman year. Jam the lap bar on the roller coaster so she could stand up through the loop. Did that, got the video. She's broken just about every bone at some point and she's totaled more vehicles than most adults have owned. Luckily her dad owns the tow and junkyard and she put most of them together herself.

Pic

She was definitely voted "most likely to crash and burn." She's done that too. Lost a tire on a curved road and went off the cliff. She was trapped about halfway down. Her back was broken, she couldn't feel her legs. After two days, she couldn't handle it anymore. Nobody was going to notice her. With her one working arm, she started grabbing things out of the back seat to tip it over and send all the way down. One last ride. She felt her skull crack on that one.

A couple hours later, she got up and pulled herself out. Any crash you would walk away from.

Hot -1
Cold 2
Volatile 1
Dark -1

Moves
Hunger - Chaos
Short Rest for the Wicked
Satiety

the seer is approved, I like it.

and the ghoul is cool, I like it (and aparently I like the phrase "I like it")

we have room for 1-2 more, then we'll start!

the seer is approved, I like it.

Sweet! It's getting late so I'll get a backstory together tomorrow.

Hmm, going to swap distant for frantic looks-wise. Fits my idea of how an Infernal works best. Manic and selfish, then collapsing into gloom when the Darkest Self hits.

interested. will have a look over the weekend. away from PC, hope phone will suffice for now

Maybe a Succubus type character, quick look through, i think Queen

I'd like to give this a go, so I'll read up on the rules and submit a character either today or tomorrow (only reason I can't today is I have a lot of pre-arranged events and tasks to do today). Looks like a different enough approach to potentially be fun. :D

I think, with 5, we will have enough.

if anyone is undecided on playbooks, the witch, mortal, fury, and unseen are all awesome, and I have never gotten to run for them. just saying

So here is build. Way to new to this for much more else. Still going with succubus idea :P

Aldrea

Stunning. Captivating eyes. Most popular kid in school

Hot 2
Cold 1
Volatile -1
Dark -1

Moves
The Clique - Well Connected
Many Bodies

I wish I had time because the strings mechanics seems amazing. Would have been a creeper ghost btw.

I wish I had time because the strings mechanics seems amazing. Would have been a creeper ghost btw.

darn, woulda loved to have you.

Okay, so we kinda have a rough cast, so let's do some questions

Starting with the basics

Where is this game set? what part of the country?

If a spot opens up, I'm interested as well.

If a spot opens up, I'm interested as well.

I am willing to run for 6. Got your eye on any particular skin?

With at least 2 others expressing interest in being female, I might switch over to being male. Obviously there's no problem with female/female relationships (and I wouldn't be opposed to RPing one) - I'd just like to go for a bit of diversity. (And that'll keep things open for the players who haven't submitted anything final yet)

Where is this game set? what part of the country?

I'm pretty flexible, but I do admittedly have an infatuation with the way the Northwest of the US is portrayed in media (Twin Peaks, Life is Strange, Alan Wake, etc)

I'm relatively new to this system, but after some cursory reading I think I'm leaning to "The Proxy" or "The Fae." Any advice on how to set things up? It would be a male character.

Pick name and the other background stuff from the skin (look and origin generally), pick stats (you should have two at -1 and two at +1, then add 1 to one of them), then pick starting moves.

Once we get started officially, strings get assigned, and that's about it.

I'm relatively new to this system, but after some cursory reading I think I'm leaning to "The Proxy" or "The Fae." Any advice on how to set things up? It would be a male character.

all things being equal, I would prefer the Fae, as the proxy is a little... poorly done. yes, I know i am a tad picky about playbooks, I just... have had bad experiences with third parties for PbtA games more than enough times.

Hmm...Under suggestion I'm considering mortal, unseen, or fury. They really are interesting ideas and I'm trying to to find something that's different than everyone else. Any opinions?

Matthew Emmanuel, Witch of a long lineage.

Guarded, Calculating Eyes, Wiccan

Hot -1
Cold +2
Volatile -1
Dark +1

Sympathetic Tokens
Hex Casting
-Binding
-Illusions

Never played this before so may be out of my league here. May also be late to this now.

Name: William, the Fury
Look:Beneath Notice with Brittle eyes
Origin: Abused Child

Hot: -1
Cold: -1
Volatile: 2
Dark: 1

Moves
Futile Hope
Push
Firestarter

I'll be writing up a more descriptive character soon, but this is what I'll go with.

Hmm...Under suggestion I'm considering mortal, unseen, or fury. They really are interesting ideas and I'm trying to to find something that's different than everyone else. Any opinions?

I love all those playbooks, so I will just give you the rundown of why all of them are awesome

the mortal is fun because you are all about the pain of supid teenage love, and because it is fun to be the only munane one, the only one who doesn't have to constantly hide their true nature (okay, so you do, like every other teenager, but you true nature is not bloodsucking or spellslinging, so slightly lower stakes). Warnings, this playbook is about codependency and not being loved back, so, like with most playboks, your character will suffer a lot.

the Fury is fun because the cycle of hope and betrayal is fun to watch, and because this playbook goes into darkest self a lot, so you get to unleash suffering and anger on everyone, before it all starts over again. A warning about this one, it kinda causes collateral, so be prepared to deal with that fallout.

the unseen is fun for pure voyerism, being there, but not being noticed. its the playbook if you want to snoop and know everything, and don't mind being seperate and overlooked. a warning, this playbook is kinda unattached by nature, so you will have to work a little more to stay relevant.

Matthew Emmanuel, Witch of a long lineage.

Guarded, Calculating Eyes, Wiccan

Hot -1
Cold +2
Volatile -1
Dark +1

Sympathetic Tokens
Hex Casting
-Binding
-Illusions

Never played this before so may be out of my league here. May also be late to this now.

God, why does everyone have cool characters... I am tempted to say yes. I will sleep on it.

Damn it. Now that I'm reading the unseen, I kinda wanna give that a shot. I guess I really don't know how this game is played. Is it mostly just people interacting and such? is there an ultimate goal for each character?

Submissions so far:

Aldrea - The Succubus
Carriekazi - The Ghoul
Juliet Morris - The Seer
Matthew Emmanuel - The Witch
Sam Caine - The Infernal
William - The Fury

Damn it. Now that I'm reading the unseen, I kinda wanna give that a shot. I guess I really don't know how this game is played. Is it mostly just people interacting and such? is there an ultimate goal for each character?

there is no real "Big goal" in the game, at least not one set by me. you can decide on goals for your character. my advice, make them kinda short sighted, and very much about immediate gratification (You want to go to the party tonight, so you sneak out, you want revenge on the guy who slammed your head into a locker, so you corner him in the showers, you like this person, so you do something stupid to impress them).

does that make sense?

So its a choice between being hopeful and being betrayed vs a huge outlet for voyeurism.

....

Never thought I'd make a decision like this someday.

Eh, for now Fury lets me act and be acted upon which I feel will be better for a first experience (lol) so I'll go with that.

My idea for Aldrea
"Daddy's princess who cant do wrong in his eyes. But at school or in the social scene. A queen. A matriarch. A dictator" think that fits well. Cliché, but these skins kind of hint at that :P

My idea for Aldrea

"Daddy's princess who cant do wrong in his eyes. But at school or in the social scene. A queen. A matriarch. A dictator" think that fits well. Cliché, but these skins kind of hint at that :P

oh yes, embrace the cliche and angst! let it flow through you, and draw angst from it!

Submissions so far:

Aldrea - The Succubus
Carriekazi - The Ghoul
Juliet Morris - The Seer
Matthew Emmanuel - The Witch
Sam Caine - The Infernal
William - The Fury

I think we have a good group now. I'm going to put up the discussion thread soon, so we can flesh out these characters and setting

So those are the selected? Well if so, I'll join in. May need some hand holding with the mechanics but I should be all right. I'll start brainstorming more about my character.

yep, I decided I could take everyone. so just comeon over to the discussion thread to work on character stuff!

Hello all! Volsung invited me to play in this game! Provided that the list above is current, I think I'll take "The Vampire"

Hello :) and welcome aboard

Hello. I'm interested, I'm liking what I see thus far, and I'd like to take part if possible. I was interested in The Unseen and "She's Not There", but I was informed that the skin might not be the best choice for all the interpersonal affairs of the group that seem to be developing. Then again, having all those sorts of things going on all the time and constantly being locked out of them seems to fit the Unseen's issues from what I can tell of the skin, and particularly one with "She's Not There".

Open to other suggestions if I'm welcome, but this skin is the one that caught my eye.