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After two years of playing a Masks game here on these boards and absolutely loving it, I've been suddenly inspired to try running my own.
What is Masks?
Masks is a rules-light RPG based on the Powered by the Apocalypse system, designed by Magpie Games. Player characters are teenaged superheroes in the vein of Young Justice, Teen Titans, X-Men (the early years), New Mutants, Runaways, etc. The action is simple, the relationships are complex -- 'cause growing up is tough enough. Then you add super powers to the mix!
There are no hit points or Armor Class. If you have a power, you usually don't even need to roll to see if you use it. (But you might, if you need to wield your power effectively.)
The basic mechanic (called a "Move") is rolling 2d6 plus your Label. A "hit" is rolling a 7 or higher. Rolling a 10 or better means you did something awesome. A 7-9 usually means there's some sort of complication or the success came at a cost. A 6 or less means you missed. But, you get to mark Potential for each miss -- which is the tracker for experience. You learn through failure.
Labels are how your character sees himself or herself -- and they fluctuate throughout the game. Sometimes he'll see himself as a monstrous Freak, and sometimes she'll think she's Superior to everyone. Then on other days (and after various wins, losses, and tender scenes), those Labels will be very different.
The Labels are:
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 Playbooks
Playbooks are the starting point of your character. It's sort of like your character class. You have to choose one of the Playbooks, and no two players can have the same Playbook.
THE BEACON The heart of the team. Low powered, low angst. They’re a hero because they want to be, and they’re driven always upward. Important Labels: Mundane, Savior
THE BULL The bruiser with a heart of gold. Created to be a weapon. Caught between being a cold, gruff fighter and caring deeply about teammates. Important Label: Danger
THE DELINQUENT The troublemaker and attention-seeker, rabblerouser and rebel. Tricks, deception, and provocation are their hallmarks. Important Label: Superior
THE DOOMED The dramatic martyr. Cursed to ultimately lose their self to some terrible fate, and up against a terrible nemesis. Important Labels: Freak, Danger, Savior
THE JANUS The hero with a dual life. Required to have a secret identity; they struggle to manage two lives at once. Important Label: Mundane
THE LEGACY The latest in a family of heroes. Part of a larger tradition of heroism with its own enemies, rules, and obligations. Important Label: Savior
THE NOVA The overpowered conflagration. They can reshape the world—but it’s hard to control so much power, and if they fail, others get hurt. Important Label: Freak
THE OUTSIDER The alien with strange powers. They’re from somewhere else. And they’re trying to decide between staying here or going home. Important Labels: Superior, Freak
THE PROTÉGÉ The extremely well-trained understudy. Defined by a strong relationship with one adult figure—their mentor. Important Label: Superior
THE TRANSFORMED The monstrous appearance and human mind. They used to be a regular person, but they were changed forever. Important Labels: Freak, Danger
THE REFORMED Villainy used to be a way of life for you. Then you saw just what your selfishness and hate created. The supervillain life is a hard one to quit, but you know this best: Sometimes the villain needs saving too. Important Label: Danger
THE NEWBORN You're a barnad new being, created though scientific inquiry, a feat of engineering, or random chance, this world is all new to you, full of wonder and adventure it's not easy though- everyone has an opinion about who you are and what you should do. it's time to find out for yourself who you really are. Important Label: Freak
THE INNOCENT Time travel is great! or so you thought, until you landed in a strange new world with a dark, broken, damaged, dangerous adult version of yourself, not what you had wanted to become. the question is, now, what are you gonna do about it? Important Label: Mundane
THE STAR Being a hero isn't about doing right, it's about being seen doing right.let them think you're shallow for loving the spotlight, and the cameras, and for smiling so much. You'll be a hero in all the ways that matter. Important Label: Superior
THE JOINED You'd be nothing without them- your partner, your sibling, your rival, your other half. You're tied to their powers and to them, through and through. the rest of the world only sees you two as halves of a whole, not as two separate people, and the two of you aren't sure if they're right. Important Label: Depends on your other half's playbook
Handy links:
Basic Moves
Playbooks
Bonus Playbooks
The Setting
The game of Masks is set in the fictional Halcyon City, a sprawling metropolis where all sorts of heroes and villains congregate. Three generations of heroes have risen and faded here, from the Golden Age, to the Silver, to the Bronze, and now a fourth generation is rising -- the young teens of Masks. No one quite knows why Halcyon is such a hotbed of superheroics and supervillainy, nor why the city is ground zero to alien invasions, planar incursions, temporal disturbances, magical conflagrations, and all other manner of incredible phenomena, but the good news is -- this is where the action is!
How to Apply
Interested? I hope!
Here's the thing about Masks: the character creation is not done in a vacuum. Everyone at the table gets at least a little bit of input, especially when we get to the, "When Our Team First Came Together" part. So, to apply, go through the playbooks, pick the one or two that you most would like to play, then give a basic synopsis of your concept. Name, powers, look, and the start of his or her (or its) personality, and some background. You don't need to flesh everything out quite yet.
Then (And here's the twist), I need you to create a villain. Someone linked to your character in some way, and why that villain is especially dangerous to your character (and not just dangerous = deadly, though that works too. But the villain should be some kind of foil to your hero. It doesn't have to be a single character, either. An alien race. A gang of thugs. An evil corporation. Go wild.) If there's so many applicants that I'll have to make some tough choices about whom to invite, this is probably what will sway me one way or the other. (Also, some of the Playbooks actually require a villain to be created alongside the hero. So if you choose one of those, then you're that much further along!)
I'll probably leave the recruitment up for at least a week (longer if there's some issues with the message boards again), depending on how many applicants I receive. I'll extend the deadline for actual submissions if you can at least throw in a post expressing interest in the game and a particular playbook.
How to Apply (TL;DR)
Choose a Playbook
Come up with a basic backstory/character concept
Create a Villain -- someone/something linked to your hero
No duplicate playbooks (if there's two or more applying with the same Playbook, I'll have to choose)
Apply or express interest within one week (before Sept. 12)
Have fun!
Gonna throw in interest... can't apply right now, will do in morning. Maybe a deliquent
Dotting
Interesting...
Sooooo many possibilities.
Probably gonna go for Bull or Reformed, but Beacon has it's own allure...
Totally going to apply, have been lurking the other game and loving your writing but missed the last recruitment.
Time to come up with a concept! (BTW, are you OK with alternative powers to the suggested ones if they're appropriate to the playbook?)
Okay, read the very important note to only make 1-2 submissions. Bull & Nova pitches incoming.
Playbook - Protege
Quick background - Young hero trying to prove his worth not just to his mentor but himself, tries to be a leader but finds himself coming up short so he still needs his mentor.
Villain - Previous protege of my mentor and things went sour between them, the villain knows they can't go straight after the mentor but the new protege might be the best way to get revenge.
Thats the quick version, I will make a more detailed post later
Quick version:
Clone or construct of a villain who wants to extend her life but was accidentally freed/released before being ready for a 'mind transfer'. Not sure of playbook or powers yet but thinking I could make any of Beacon, Bull, Nova, Doomed, Newborn or innocent work... Promise I'll narrow that list down though (when i decide on powers). Villain would, fairly obviously, be the one who made her.
Okay, the Bull's mostly ready.
Andromeda AKA Angelica Freeman AKA Subject Tau-34
"I was supposed to be an astronaut..."
Almost half her life had been spent on nothing but planning and training for the final frontier, and now she was supposed to throw it all away?! That's when she snuck into the Psi-Amp lab that she wasn't supposed to know about. That's why she disabled all the safeguards on their experimental device. That's how she broke her powers.
Oomph she got. Building toppling oomph, impenetrable shields, force piled on force piled on force, far more than she could handle.
They gave her new powers a chance, but after three entirely scrapped shuttles, they planned to scrap her too. But even if NASA didn't want her, she was too valuable to let go entirely. So Angelica Freeman disappeared into the belly of the beast, hidden away in some Alphabet Soup organization with a banal looking letterhead. It didn't take long for her to do what they wanted, for Subject Tau-32 to be ready for her missions. After all, she'd turned herself into a living weapon, someone needed to wield her...
So, here are the ways she has any real success using her powers: Huge powerful wall-shattering blasts, nigh-impenetrable force fields (especially around herself), something that is a lot more like shooting herself out of a cannon than flying. She can smash in the wall of a house with a thought, but might, just might be able to turn the doorknob with a lot of concentration, obvious light shows, and a nosebleed. And she'd probably take the door off its hinges anyways.
Woman, Black, Dirty Hands, Baggy Clothing, Simple Costume (Domino Mask, Black sleeveless singlet with a starfield)
Filling in a little more of that: Part of her training to become an astronaut involved a lot of the rigorous physical training that they require as well, but once she was turned over to people who didn't really care about anything but her mind's weapon, that training, and really any freedom to move around outside of missions came to an abrupt end.
I'm picturing some kind of Null-Sarcophagus that they would store her in between missions, floating in a box with about a half inch of space on all sides, with the end result being that she has a host of health problems from what ended up being similar to a Zero-G lifestyle. She's got muscle degeneration, early Osteoporosis, damage to her eyesight; if it weren't for her force fields, she'd never be able to get near a fight!
Signature Moves: Brutally efficient grappling ("Sure you can bench press a school bus, but a tendon's a tendon"), suddenly electrified gear ("Ah, ah, ah. Hands off."), making sure to never fight without plenty of innocent bystanders nearby ("Go ahead, Tau. Take the shot.")
I've definitely left the transition from Tau-34 to Andromeda a little vague so far, since if she's in the game I'd imagine a lot of that part would be filled in by connections with the other heroes, but I'd certainly be willing to flesh out more of that if requested :)
Thanks for all the interest so far!
@Hymenopterix: Thanks! I'll consider allowing you to take a different power than what's listed, but no promises. Generally, they're pretty flexible (see Cwethan's Bull -- using telekinesis as a blunt weapon works in my mind) so I won't stifle your creativity. I like your concept so far, though I'm not sure it fits the Beacon playbook. The Beacon is the most normal, so being a clone/construct of a villain sort of defeats that. But there's a lot of other choices you've got listed. Looking forward to the full submission!
Cwethan, looks good!
Okay, my submission: Holly Elton, AKA Wraith.
Not super-fleshed out yet character:
Holly is a nice girl from a well-off family. she gets good grades, dresses well, always smiles, never says anything too offensive. Her whole life, she has been the good, uptown girl.
As the teleporting superhero(?) Wraith. she is a thrill-seeker and firebrand, noted for freerunning across the Halcyon cityscape, a practice that has not endeared her to the local police forces, and for engaging in impromptu "urban Spelunking", particularly with buildings that have a good deal of security.
The Villain:
Once, after a bad encounter with a supervillain, Hollly had sought shelter at her older Brother, Nathaniel Elton's house. He caught her bandaging herself in the bathroom, and extracted the truth from her. He has expressed... disappointment in Holly's chosen use of her gifts, and is a constant source of pressure now, trying to get her to "straighten up and fly right"
But Wait, I haven't actually stated what playbook she is! Well, that's because I'm having trouble deciding if Wraith is a mouthy, thrill-seeking (while in persona) Janus or a delinquent who is living a double life. Anyone have any insight, with the loose concept I've used so far.
Dotting for interest. Gotta read over the rules system a bit to get familiarized, but since wife and kid are headed out of town on vacation soon, and I have a few days off work to myself, I should have something together soon.
Edit: Leaning towards going The Legacy playbook on a quick initial read.
Concept 1: Teenage daughter of high profile superhero parents. Parents who recently went missing, and now their daughter has to step into the limelight to try and find out what fate has befallen her mother and father. Playbook: Legacy
Concept 2: A troubled youth who has suffered extensively, to the point of suicidal tendencies. The problem is, he has incredibly strong regeneration abilities. Nothing he says done has worked. And he’s tried some fairly extreme measures himself. In the end, he has been recruited to try and do something positive with his life rather than throw it away. Playbook: ???
Looks Interesting, dotting.
EDIT: Loose Concept is - An intra-dimensional traveler from a parallel/ fey or demon like plane brought to Halcyon city...
I could see the direction going towards either the Doomed , or Outsider playbooks depending on the team composition.
Look
Abilities
Nemesis
or it could be that the hero an extreme outlier and all the other inhabitants of the dimension are evil and after the hero for not fulfilling his destiny ( this works best with a demon-like hero i'd suppose )
Look
Abilities
Nemesis / Villian
I've got a delinquent I'm fleshing out, but here's a Nova concept. Everything on here is, of course, open to change if something doesn't look quite right or if I get in and some relationships change how she works! As well, I'm pretty bad, historically, at super hero/villain names, soooo...
Beatrix "Bea" Avery AKA Stella - The Nova
Beatrix’s father told her that the stars aligned when he met her mother, when they fell in love, and when she was born. Her mother said she had a divine right to rule this planet, that the gods themselves gave her strength from beyond the ages. Her half-brother, Gaige (born from her father’s first marriage), said that it was the glitter she sprinkled on her oatmeal when she was 4. Whatever the case was, Beatrix had powers that made her a danger to everyone around her.
Beatrix’s mother and father constantly talked about how amazing she was and her powers were, and how she would do great things and change the world. At school she was always the head of her class, and had a large circle of shallow friends who attempted to respect her despite her hateful nature. She slowly worked on her powers, with strict instructions from her mother and her father, neither of whom appeared to have any real idea where these powers came from, but were going to exploit them as best they could, to show off their perfect, superhero daughter, who was going to be a fabulous leader of humanity.
The pressure and stress became too much for her very quickly, and by the time she hit high school, she was barely sleeping from her anxiety and insomnia. She wouldn’t let that affect her though, as she feared what might happen if she let her parents down. Of course, she couldn’t keep that up forever. When attempting to show off to a fellow student she may or may not have had a crush on, she unleashed a blinding flash of scintillating colors, burning out the student’s eyes. They went blind, eyes scarred and tears pouring from what was left. She was, of course, expelled.
Her mother and father were not happy.
Gaige, who had resorted to supervillainy in secret to pay the bills, decided to visit one day, and upon seeing Beatrix’s tears and the bruises she sported, quickly whisked her away to the big city, leaving her parents behind. With his villainy paying the bills, he was able to keep them in a loft apartment, and assisted Beatrix in controlling her abilities, despite his own lack of powers. She began to pursue superheroism, as a way to let out her stress, to help her empathise more with others, and to maybe gain some real respect or even friendship.
Neither her or her brother are dumb - Stella and Captain Nitro have clashed more than once and they quickly figured out who the other was, but they haven’t had a real discussion about it outside of their identities. For now, they just subtly pull their punches when they end up fighting each other.
Beatrix carries herself very tall and straight, always attempting to be the tallest person in the room despite her shorter height. She smiles and laughs rarely, and they are often marred by a certain smugness that is mostly unintentional. She speaks with self-importance, and little care to those around her when she is in a serious situation. However, this is covered up by a general softness when she can afford to think about it. She is so used to being “the superior” one, but is attempting to change that, trying to put more thought into the feelings of others, even when her first reflex is to cuttingly insult someone.
Beatrix’s abilities come from the distant stars and the moon (cosmic energies), which she channels to create great feats of destruction and beauty. She can create giant walls of color, miniature stars that burn hot and can affect gravity, loosen gravity’s hold on her, and more that she hasn’t discovered yet. She’s fairly good at keeping these under control when not actively using her abilities, but once she gets started, her momentum ramps up and it can be difficult for her to suddenly stop or contain her abilities. When using her abilities, her eyes sparkle and her skin glows, but otherwise she just looks like an ordinary human.
This is a bit tentative, but…
Woman, white, glowing skin, fashionable clothing, fantastical costume.
She likes clean lines and bright colors when she can afford them in her day to day life, wanting to focus on being presentable to the outside world - a holdover from her strict upbringing. Her costume consists of a black but frilly dress and petticoat, covered in glitter - something she loves but still refuses to admit. Along with this, she wears a simple black mask and keeps her hair tied up in a wavy ponytail.
She's actually got two major villains - mostly because against the Captain, they're not really fighting.
1. Captain Nitro - Her half-brother, Gaige, is an intelligent mechanical engineer, and created an enormous blaster that shoots out impressively destructive, white-hot plasma that can melt steel. Also has a lower setting that can simply knock out intelligent beings. He tends to only be in this for the money, and uses his combination of street smarts and tactics to not bite off more than he can chew, and is never afraid to retreat if it’ll save his skin.
2. The Mother of Pus - A mysterious entity that is a formless mass of obsidian tentacles beneath an endlessly billowing cloak. It’s voice is vaguely feminine, but echoes and distorts. The Mother of Pus is a creature from beyond the stars that stalks the city streets and is slowly consuming the populace. The more creatures it consumes, the more its powers grow. It is able to generate powerful obsidian tentacles to fight with, and can spill out a sticky, tar-like substance that it uses to capture its victims. Its powers seem to grow during the new moon and cloudy nights, when the city is at its darkest. It targets Beatrix specifically when it can find her, claiming they both come from the same place and that it can teach her to have greater control over her abilities...
Hi, Thron! Thanks for the interest!
You might want to take a longer look at the full Legacy playbook. Having your parents go missing might be a good hook to jump-start your character's career, but it shouldn't be a lasting plot point. Part of being the Legacy is having one or more of your elder, established members of the legacy still around and judging you. Then you'll also have a future legacy nipping at your heels. The Legacy is the middle child syndrome personified in superheroics.
As for your second idea, I'd say the Transformed. Made monstrous and never able to blend in again, the Transformed has to constantly deal with having a human mind in a creature's body. Being constantly suicidal is way darker than what I'd like the game to be, but you'll have plenty of angst as the Transformed, and could have easily survived an attempt at self-harm.
============
Elsine, I can see it going either way. Not sure if I have a preference. Though, with the "villain" youve chosen, it might be too much of a strain on the Janus. What's stopping him from outing you to everyone you know? As the Delinquent, your brother may be a more credible danger, threatening to turn you in or report your activities. What else do you envision your brother able to do? What lengths would he take to stop you from heroics?
Yeah, I’m fine with those caveats. Though maybe more along the lines of an uncle/aunt or or grandparents, if that’s possible. And maybe a younger brother by about 5 years or so. I like a driving factor for her being forced into the limelight being the absence of her parents and her trying to fill the void they left behind. I’ll work on something proper regarding a submission and send it your way.
Hmm, Dotting.
Have a pretty good Outsider idea I'll try to put up in a bit.
Definitely interested!
I'm inclined to play The Doomed. I'm drawing loose inspiration from Monstress (and perhaps from Raven and Magik as well). Details to come soon.
One question:
My other idea was an amnesiac who sometimes gets confusing flashes of her past. Might have been remade/reborn by a nefarious Mad Scientist. Loose inspiration from Madman and Longshot. For playbook, at first I thought the Newborn (since she'd not really know the world around her) but the playbook doesn't seem like as good a fit as I'd hoped. Any you'd suggest?
Thron, maybe her parents were active but are now missing. Her younger brother is now her responsibility...and her grandma is retired, but following her new career closely (and with some great worry and suspicion). Hey, maybe there's an uncle in there too.
I’m kinda leaning towards my villain being a corporation that for all intents and purposes on the outside and in all legal pretense is a very upstanding and charitable organization, but secretly their owner has an obsession with obtaining powers themself. To that end they have secretly and expertly harassed and targeted my characters family in efforts to either mimic or steal their powers for their own ends.
My family has no tangible proof of this persons evil deeds due to the owners incredible skill at covering their tracks, and the front of the company is so charitable that an accusation would be futile without proof. The business is basically too big to fail and has so many umbrella corporations and subdivisions that it’s essentially impossible to track things back to the top.
@Moon Papa and Isthill: Thanks for the submissions!
Moon Papa, try to decide which Playbook you'd prefer, since they both look like they'd work. Though I do understand if you wanted to keep both options open, since I'm getting a lot more submissions and interest than I expected!
@thejeff: Yeah, you might be focusing a bit too hard on the Abilities. Keep in mind that most of them can be said to be technological equivalents. The Outsider can be all technological, and be a genius from the far future/another dimension/alien race. The Protege could be a genius-in-training -- power armor and gadgets are included in their abilities. Even the Newborn could be a super smart-yet-naive being. The playbooks add a lot more flavor and variety than just being "The Genius." Be creative.
Oh, by the way (and this goes for everybody) -- I know I mentioned the Runaways as one of the examples, but the main thrust of this game is not going to be you all running and hiding (though there might be some). The villains I'm asking you to create is to flesh out the world and add a more personal touch to Halcyon City and the encounters within. I'm not planning on battering you constantly to the point where you're all feeling on the run all the time.
@gyrfalcon: I'm not sure if a full-on amnesiac is the right way to go with Masks, since so much of the game is interacting with the other characters, giving them influence, rejecting that influence, sharing Team moves, and the like. The Newborn is the closest thing to a "clean slate." Otherwise, I could see the Bull working as someone without a past and latching on to the loves and rivals.
I am very interested, I will give it some thoughts tonight and look at the playbooks others are looking at and have an official recruitment post up tomorrow.
Okay, Nova's about ready, but apparently the Secrets of AEGIS book is dropping later this week, so I'm gonna hold off on submission #2 to make sure there isn't something in there I HAVE to try :-)
Yeah. I just realized something... I recently proposed a character I didn't get to play... I'm really dumb.
Leave to just reuse Mosaic, and add in a villain suitable for her. Sorry, I should have just done that from the start.
Okay, Nova's about ready, but apparently the Secrets of AEGIS book is dropping later this week, so I'm gonna hold off on submission #2 to make sure there isn't something in there I HAVE to try :-)
Wait, is that one going to add more playbooks as well?
Elsine, I was really surprised you didn't throw out Mosaic at the start. You sure can!
And wait, what? New playbooks? Oh, this I gotta see! I'll keep an eye out for them as well.
I think I like the idea of the slightly naive outsider as opposed to the doomed, at least I feel it'll be the more fun of the two to play (for me ).
I'll move forward with that concept, considering "Prince Oberon" for a name
Haven't read them yet, but their names are The Soldier and The Brain
Just the two? There's five more listed in the full Masks book that I haven't seen yet. The Brain, the Soldier, the Harbinger, the Scion, and the Nomad.
So far, the only description is, "The Brain, a genius who created their own worst enemy."
But I'm interested to see what it entails!
Shrug, when the book arrives, I'll be able to say for sure. For now just going off a review/preview
I got curious.
The Secrets of A.E.G.I.S.PDF is available on RPG Drivethrough now, and here's a review of it, including details about both new Playbooks (The Brain and The Soldier).
Also, I found an awesome picture and now I'm considering Beacon. Arrgh. I'll sleep on it!
I would be definitely interested in a game of Masks. I'll come up with an idea when it isn't so late here already.
Since neither the Brain or the Soldier has supplanted my Bull or Nova concept in my heart, on with the Nova!
Psyche aka Kylie Wolfe-Ascher
"Look, I already fixed it, so what's the problem?"
They decided that she hadn't been acting from malice, but that was certainly the end of her life off the radar. Which meant everything worked out! Now she's got her own super team!
Since the manifestations of her powers are quite important to how a Nova Ruleswise, I'm looking at Shielding, Moat, Worship and Elemental awareness to start. I could see swapping one of those for Snatch
"It kind of makes sense, right? I mean, I know I'm not God or anything, but don't you think maybe people like me are where some of the myths came from? And they're good people; their hearts are in the right place! They're just a little... enthusiastic. And when it comes down to it, who wouldn't do some crazy stuff to give themselves powers! Plus, most of them don't do anything like that. Why should I let a few bad apples spoil the bunch?"
Signature Moves: Stroking Psyche's Ego, Questionable Augmentations, Crowdsourced Information about their obsessions, Layered Compulsions and Delusions that make any sort of Telepathic contact incredibly fraught.
Don't think i'm going to go with either of the new playbooks - still trying to decide on what concept/playbook to submit. Its tricky.
Gonna steal Cwethan's style. (also, the reason I'm reusing her civilian name is that I have a defunct alias with the name already)
Mosaic aka Holly Elton. The Star
It matters more what they think you are.
But, the Pyrros Team has disbanded recently, after the substance abuse issues of Aine and Gestalt, and Jericho's numerous "idiscretions" with fans led to all of them being summarily dismissed from the team by Pyrros.
White
Warm smile
"Nice causal" clothes (blouses and skirts or sundresses, but not evening-wear or $300 coats)
Flashy costume (a well-fitted (but not skintight) outfit, with triangles of various colours on it, aligning between her shoulder blades, on her chest, and on her left hand to form a golden sun motif)
On the night that Gestalt's substance abuse issues became public knowledge, it was Holly who called the ambulance. as such, Aisha blames her for her being kicked from the team. she has since begun a (somewhat successful) solo career
Signature moves: Tell the press a malicious Lie (or half-truth), Steal Mosaic's show, Call her out publicly, confront her in private, use the past against her.
I know I touched on a few dark themes, I can tone it down if you want.
Hello,
Meet VIC-1138 "The Newborn"
The Future is a shining near utopia, in large part to the Artificial Intelligence [AI] known as Gaia, although in reality the Gaia Sphere is in fact thousands of AI and Virtual Intelligences [VI] working in concert. Mundain and dangerous tasks are taken care of by the GaiaSphere [GS], When you go to work you take your smart car to the smartway and the collective VI of the cars work together for a rapid uncongested trip to work. Peacekeeping and Dangerous tasks are handled by autonomous VI Constructs [VIC]. Any given [IVC] knows the basics of its task and and when required the unit can access the entirety of humanities knowledge and experience.
For some the egalitarian society of tomorrow is not a utopia, some feel that in raising humanity up Gaia is holding some back. One such group in an attempt to raise themselves to their true potential raided a Gaia run facility and used the Time Machine there to send one of their agents back in time to 2018 with knowledge of the future to prevent the rise of Gaia and free mankind from ‘her’ oppression.
Gaia has sent back a Peacekeeping VIC unit to stop this mad man from destroying the future. However in this case Gaia’s near omnipitiance has worked against it, Normally a VIC can easily access the GS and know anything, have any skill but as soon as VIC-0000010001110010 steps through the time tunnel it realizes that it knows nothing, Well not nothing, it knows it has been sent back to find and stop Reese Kyle, it knows it’s basic programing as a Peackeeper unit. “To Protect and Serve” and it knows to keeps knowledge of the future from falling into the hands of the people from it’s local time line.
A VIC is not bound by Asimov's Laws, but it is aware of them and uses them as a guideline.
0. A VIC may not harm humanity, or through inaction allow humanity to come to harm.
1. A VIC may not harm a human, or through inaction allow a human to come to harm, unless this interferes with the zeroth law.
2. A VIC must obey orders given to it by a human being unless such orders interfere with the zeroth or first laws.
3. A VIC must defend its own existence unless such defense interferes with the zeroth, first or second laws.
He dresses in era appropriate clothing, a hoodie and loose pants sneakers
New book has arrived! Still no sign of Magpie putting the playbooks somewhere publicly available.
Quick notes on the playbooks that I hadn't picked up on from earlier reading:
The Soldier is VERY TIED to S.H.I.E.L.D./AEGIS/Argus. This playbook is all about your relationship with the organization you're a member of to the point of adding a sixth label that's all about that relationship!
The Brain has an interesting almost Delinquent-esque relationship with the rest of the group. It's not strictly necessary, but a lot of their custom moves and the like reward throwing your teammates under the bus, either literally, or by denigrating their achievements next to yours (whether actively (Tony Stark) or passively (Reed Richards)). Things like pointing out how dumb the leader's being (losing influence) to steer the team in a "better" direction (gaining Team). Muuch more conflict based than I was expecting.
If folk are interested, I'll be happy to PM them a fuller write up on the new playbooks, though I won't be posting the full text in thread until they've actually made that available some other way. Since I have a paper copy rather than a pdf it'll have to wait until at least tonight :), but post here or PM me if you'd like to see 'em!
Intriguing on the Soldier - especially in the case of being a like... teen member of the organization? I might just PM you on that one, since one of my other characters was a Beacon that might fit better into that scenario.
Yeah, the default assumption is that you're a (junior) agent who's on assignment as a member of a super team.
The listed inspirations are:
Quake (Secret Warriors)
Captain America (The Avengers)
Bombshell (Teen Titans)
Hellboy (Hellboy)
Cyclops (X-Men)
Captain Marvel, (The Avengers) - Carol Danvers, not Mar-Vell or Batson or Rambeau.
Now, clearly Cyke doesn't fit the default assumption of being a member of an outside organization, but he would also play Really well out of this playbook as a Mission First type, so you might be able to find some flexibility there...
Hmm, this might be a bit repetitive coming right after that last one, but I shan't change my idea! Here we go...
IFS Inquiry and I/O-L3 frame "Isaiah" (Outsider)
The Iron Federation is an ancient civilization, made up and run primarily by sentient AIs, mainly because some long-ago catastrophe shattered the original Federation, and what exists now is the descendants of that precursor civilization's infrastructure and automated administration. Driven by hard-coded impulses to create, maintain, and advance civilization, and possessed of a benevolence that surprises many, the Iron Federation nonetheless maintains a distance from most others, aware that the Collapse of the precursor civilization may be a mistake that they could end up repeating. They are ever searching for answers to what happened then, while simultaneously working to contain or destroy dangerous artifacts and rouge elements left behind by the Collapse. Their technology blurs the line between science and magic, sometimes quite explicitly, and they are masters of construction and creation.
IFS Inquiry is a young, AI driven scoutship from the Iron Federation, sent to investigate anomalous readings emanating from a distant planet... and which eventually traced them back to Halcyon City. While not strictly prohibited, its making contact with the natives was not the originally intended course of action for its mission, and Inquiry's excessive curiosity regarding this world is providing some annoyance to the command center to which it reports. Still, the massive concentration of anomalous events in Halcyon city is enough that Inquiry has reluctantly been granted permission to remain there in order to observe the locals, and has worked its way into a local super team through a humanoid Infiltration/Observation drone frame that goes by the name of "Isaiah".
"Isaiah" is quite gregarious and friendly, eager to find out about the endlessly intriguing organic natives of this world. 'He' is also surprisingly open about 'his' position as an alien robotic spy drone, at least to those cleared to know 'his' real identity.
Inquiry usually pretends to be no more than a spacecraft around those not initiated into its real nature, and spends much of its time nosing about at high altitudes, tirelessly scanning the city below.
Inquiry and "Isaiah" are actually the same being, connected by a quantum-entangled, sympathetically enhanced communications link. Its existence as a shipboard AI fully capable of being in more than one place at a time sometimes shows through in odd mannerisms and priorities.
Mechanically, This will be an Outsider making unusual use of the option for a personal craft.
"Isaiah" has all the strength, speed, and endurance that one would expect from a highly advanced robot (albeit a model not designed for heavy combat), and is capable of indefinite inertialess flight. 'He' also always seems to have just the right tidbit of strange pseudo-magical hypertech in 'his' pockets... probably because said pockets connect to an internal fabricator.
IFS Inquiry is equipped with a powerful array of advanced sensors-there are few things the scoutship cannot observe. It also maintains communications with its command center back home, and in a pinch can open up the line, either to link up to the central AI gestalt for information and processing power, or to transmit a powerful pulse of energy that can be utilized by the ship's fabrication systems to produce specialized equipment... including the ability to replace its "Isaiah" frame if it gets destroyed. Inquiry doesn't like doing this too often, though; the command center gets testy if it exceeds its allotted energy budget.
"Isaiah" is androgynous, though 'he' usually goes by male pronouns for convenience. 'He' actually appears perfectly human to most observers; only looking at thermal imaging, checking 'his' scent, or other such unusual measures reveal 'his' actual inorganic nature. 'He' usually dresses casually, but puts on a fancy, chrome-and-magic-runes holographic 'costume' when the time comes to do something heroic.
Inquiry Is a starship, a goodly thirty meters in length, and is sleek, smooth, and seamless. Faint traceries of strange geometric patterns are visible on close inspection.
Rouge Shards. Other leftovers of the Collapse of the ancient civilization, and not nearly as friendly as the Iron Federation. The Rouge Shards (as the Federation calls them; others name them differently) take many forms, whether that be a wandering fleet of genocidal warships fighting some long-forgotten war, a mass of rampantly self-replicating machines devouring all in their path, or a megalomaniacal AI driven to exterminate all that it sees as unworthy of inheriting the galaxy after the loss of its first masters. Regardless, the Iron Federation takes it as their solemn duty to stamp out these violent fragments... and the violent fragments often feel the same of the Federation.
I'm fine with exploring the new playbooks. I still haven't seen the full versions, but I'm not going to stop someone from submitting one using them. They might blow me away!
By the way, thanks everyone for all the interest! Though, I'm sure it's going to be a tough choice narrowing it down to the perfect team...
@thejeff Are the playbooks findable via official channels, or "findable?"
I certainly wouldn't mind not having to type up a bunch of oddly formatted text if it's the former :)
I really like the soldier aspect - definitely fits a bit better into my concept of a gal who has a bunch of crazy nonlethal gun/bullet types. I was thinking about them inventing their own bullets/grenades but the idea that she gets it from the organization could be really cool. And also wrestling with what it means to HER to be a hero vs AEGIS's definition.
Submission #1 (will probably submit a second)
NB: The history section is VERY short compared to what i'd usually write - the concept makes it difficult to add much more.... more details / background require team input!
Playbook: Newborn
Hero Name: Mercury
Real Name: None
Anqi Sheng, an ancient Chinese apothecary who has been able to extend his life for millennia by the use of alchemical elixirs was, once again, growing old. After many years of hunting down the ingredients for his latest elixir he was confronted by a group of young heroes. During the fight, the elixir was exposed to and Mercury was 'born'...
As a newly created being, Mercury has no experience of the world, but is intensely interested in it and, especially in the humans who inhabit it (particularly the relationships between them).
Super durability and Strength; Elemental form (liquid metal)
Mercury is a 5’10” androgynous metallic humanoid figure l with jade-green eyes. Mercury has vaguely Asian features and wears no clothing or jewellery.
Anqi Sheng, a Chinese apothecary a who has repeatedly extended his life since ancient times by creating elixirs consisting of mercury and jade. By using potions of his own creation, Anqi Sheng has the ability to render himself invisible, amazingly string and extremely resistant to harm. Though old, Anqi Sheng has been able to become an incredible martial artist through millennia of training. His primary goal, now that he is once again growing old, is to gather the ingredients necessary to create a new elixir and, thus, to be once-again renewed.
Oh me oh my, what have we here? I wish I'd stopped by sooner.
Lemme think about cooking something up - this looks like fun.
Since there seems to be a running theme on how submissions are being presented, I shall join in with the same format!
Kayla Taylor, (Superhero Name TBD). The Legacy
I won't let them down. I can't...
Kayla's family is one of the few fourth generation hero families to still actively take part in heroics in Halcyon City. Most of the others either have been killed off by villains, retired to a "normal life", not passed on the "super" gene to their offspring, or...in unfortunate cases, become villains themselves. They Taylors, however, have proven to be a beacon of heroics for several generations of heroes.
Kayla and her younger brother Shane have, as such, grown up in the spotlight of this legacy, fully expected to take part in the heroics of the world and carry on the "family business." It wasn't uncommon to see politicians and world leaders either calling or stopping by their home, Praetus Tower, a modern skyscraper in the heart of downtown Halcyon where all the members of the Taylor family resided. Kayla and Shane were never allowed to take part in any of these top secret meetings, but even so she grew accustomed to meeting people of influence and the delicate nature of international politics.
At the age of twelve, Kayla's powers came to the fore, gaining her father's strength and invincibility and her mother's ability to fly! It was a potent combination. So potent, that her family decided that it was at this point that Kayla was to leave her private school for hero-children and be home schooled by the finest tutors as well trained in using her abilities privately in the family Holo-Room. Kayla resented leaving her friends behind and being essentially made a prisoner in her own home, but she knew the importance of it and begrudgingly took part.
It has been four years, and the world has seen little of Kayla Taylor in that time, despite her parents being as active as ever. Paparazzi make small fortunes for snapshots of her whenever they can, or rack up immense medical bills when they trespass and activate the security of the tower or worse, come into direct conflict with another member of the Taylor Family. But three days after her 16th birthday, her father informed Kayla and Shane that they had a mission, and would be back in a week. It was the last time she ever saw them, and that was a month ago...
As for her superhero costume, this is the best reference image for her in costume I could find, and have since learned that a search on the internet for superheroine images is a dark and strange place...
Inifini-Corp has long been a staple of international trade, with a multitude of outreach programs and charitable organizations across the globe. They have businesses in nearly every conceivable enterprise, from work in AI, technology, and tele-comms, to agriculture, farming, and manufacturing. You name it, Infini-Corp likely has a hand in it. Their business structure is the most diversified on the planet, their umbrella corporations have umbrella corporations.
But all-in-all, it is also one of the most well respected and well liked companies in the world. They have donated billions of dollars worth of goods and supplies to those in need across the globe.
...all the while making trillions in profits and from government research grants from all the worlds governments. And every time a member of the Taylor family line have thwarted a dangerous foe, that villain has been equipped with technology incredibly similar to Infini-Corp tech, or their ultimate plot would indirectly result in a major windfall for the corporation. The Taylor's have become convinced the company is an elaborate front for a major criminal enterprise, but frustratingly have been unable to find tangible, reliable proof to present their case publicly.
When did you officially become a part of your legacy? At age twelve when her powers manifested.
What's the greatest accomplishment of your legacy? Her great-grandfather, the original Praetorian, defeated the Omega, an interdimensional monstrosity that was attempting to devour the planet!
How does the public perceive your legacy? The Taylors are alot like the Fantastic Four, though much larger in scope as it is a larger family. Hero-Celebrities, who have the trust of the governments of the world and are often turned to for help in various tasks that need that extra oomph a superhero provides.
How does your legacy tie into your reasons for being a hero? Kayla has long known the life that was going to be ahead of her, and now that life is being forced upon her unexpectedly. She knows she has to do what is expected of her, but she also knows she has to find her parents...before it is too late...
Why do you care about the team? Because they are the first friends and "peers" she has had in four years. It's her first connection to the outside world that she has had in all that time, and she hopes it will help her be somewhat normal again. Even if her normal is a super-life.
Relationships:
You once got caught doing something that shames your legacy with...
a year ago, she managed to sneak out of the tower and into a dance club with some of her old private school friends. After getting drunk, she blew her cover and the tabloids the next week were all covered with pictures of her drunken partying.
You trust (xxx) and told them an important secret of your legacy:
That night, she was able to meet back up with a boy she liked back in private school named Trevor. Before she got too drunk, she told him about the fact that her great-grandmother was still alive and lived in Praetus Tower!
Legacy:
Still active and prominent in the city: Her uncle, Augustus Taylor, also known as "The Judge." He used to be a lawyer, but when it was learned that he used his telepathy to aid in his cases, he has never again been allowed into a courtroom. Even so, his skill as a lawyer is unparalleled, and he still acts as a counsel to superheroes, celebrities, and politicians who need legal advice.
Retired and Judgmental: Her great-grandmother, Centuria. Long presumed dead like her husband, Centuria is actually still alive and living within Praetus Tower in secret, per her own demand. She still appears as young as ever, thanks to her incredible ability to heal and regenerate that has basically made her ageless. However, her mind is not so fortunate, and she has grown somewhat bitter in her old age, and has occasional lapses of dementia.
Next Possible Member: Shane Taylor, Kayla's younger brother. He is expected to be the next to take up the mantle of "The Praetorian," and to say he is eager to do so is an understatement. Though his powers have yet to manifest, he is nearing that age, being ten years old this coming December. What they will be, if they do manifest, remains a mystery.
Villain: Dr. Dread, a villain that seems to turn up as a legacy of his own, appeared and killed the previous Praetorian, Kayla's Grandfather, in an extremely public and heavily broadcasted fight above Halcyon City. Kayla's father managed to drive him away, but it was too late, and the villain was never apprehended or heard from again...as of yet