Barf Forth Apocalyptica
powered by the apocalypse => Monsterhearts => Topic started by: Ernesto Pavan on June 16, 2012, 08:10:46 AM
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Here (https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B98eU24MQ87uX0F5WXVwendsUW8)'s a girl who got burned once and hasn't been nice with anybody since then. But hey, tomorrow's another day, right?
This skin is a beta and in "manual" format, because the most advanced tool I can use is LibreOffice. I'd be very happy if anybody gave a look at it and maybe tried it out in one of their games.
Things that I'm most dubious about right now:
- The name list (some of those, like Astaroth, really need to go away; please consider them placeholders)
- The Darkest Self
Thanks for your attention, people!
EDIT: Switched the link from Deposit Files to Google Docs.
EDIT II: Google Docs killed the original format; I restored it.
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This looks pretty good! I think I'm the most pumped about this Skin of any non-offical ones.
I really think you should include gender-switching as a Move. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incubus. If you want a mechanical effect, mebbe: You get a different gendered identity with a different name. You have the same Strings on people in both of your identities, but people can only have Strings on one of your identities.
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This looks pretty good! I think I'm the most pumped about this Skin of any non-offical ones.
I'm flattered! I made some modifications following suggestions I received on Google Plus; here's the new link: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B98eU24MQ87ueXhJeXoyaWtjRTg (notable edits include the addiction of the addictive move, a partial rewriting of the "summoning" one and a new Darkest Self).
I really think you should include gender-switching as a Move. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incubus. If you want a mechanical effect, mebbe: You get a different gendered identity with a different name. You have the same Strings on people in both of your identities, but people can only have Strings on one of your identities.
That would be really nice, but I'm avrai it would also require some bookeeping. Also, I don't understan one thing: how comes people feel the same about both your identities (ence your Strings on them), but your identities don't feel the same about them (ence their "differenced" strings)?
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how comes people feel the same about both your identities (ence your Strings on them), but your identities don't feel the same about them (ence their "differenced" strings)?
It helps to think of Strings as your understanding of/familiarity with the target character: hence, you can manipulate them because you know what motivates them.
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In-depth ideas to follow, when I'm more awake, but first contact:
"jailbait" is the best look option ever, and I'm so fucking jealous that I didn't come up with it first.
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On a sidenote, I'm seriously thinking about the "gender switch" move. My main concern, now, is to thing a way to make it a bit more relevant, as you can already turn anybody on, independently from your respective genders (and so the game is queer enough already without people switching gender for the sake of it).
EDIT: Hang on a second. People switching gender? I have to make something of this...
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Yeah, I kind of think that move mechanic was kind of poopy now. But I still want that move, consarnit.
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I made a new version of the Skin, making some important changes:
- I adapted the flavor text to reflect what I really perceived was the real concept behind the skin: a character that only manages to have superficial, uncommitted relationships based on dependency instead of respect and love.
- I switched a little help (which really didn't feel like it had a place) with a new move, wet dreams (which feels like it does have a place).
- I tweaked a couple of Look options and edited the "Playing the Succubus" section.
I hope these changes made the skinn funnier to play. Now I think it's ready for playtesting.
New link: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B98eU24MQ87ua2tFY3N2TzJnVWM?
EDIT: I noticed some typos in the file. They'll be edited in the next update. Sorry 'bout that.
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Looks good!
I'll put it on the table for my second group this saturday. If one of the players select it, I will, of course, give you feedback.
One thing, though. I might want to change the compulsory move so it befits a player who might want to play the skin as a non-supernatural. A simple rename should work for that purpose. I'm thinking "Gifts of lust" or something like it.
Oh, and I LOVE the Darkest Self!
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Looks good!
I'll put it on the table for my second group this saturday. If one of the players select it, I will, of course, give you feedback.
That's great! Thank you so much! I hope anybody who selects it, if they do, will have fun.
One thing, though. I might want to change the compulsory move so it befits a player who might want to play the skin as a non-supernatural. A simple rename should work for that purpose. I'm thinking "Gifts of lust" or something like it.
I thought about twisting some wordings to make the Skin "ambiguously supernatural", but in the end I didn't feel it was necessary. After all, there are lots of skin out there which are clearly supernatural in nature.
Oh, and I LOVE the Darkest Self!
Thanks again.
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Does "Dark Powers" mean you mark experience twice for each gift, or is just clarifying that you mark experience once for each gift? I'm pretty sure it's the latter, but am I wrong in thinking it could be read as the former?
This is neat!
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Does "Dark Powers" mean you mark experience twice for each gift, or is just clarifying that you mark experience once for each gift? I'm pretty sure it's the latter, but am I wrong in thinking it could be read as the former?
You are right, it's to be red as "you mark xp every time someone spends one of your Gifts" (so, if you bestowed 2 on them, you mark 2 xp).
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Hang on a second. People switching gender? I have to make something of this...
Just a quick note to say: Jackson Tegu is working on something special, called The Cuckoo. It covers the gender-bending ground pretty well. Stay tuned for that.
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Some interesting ideas in this skin. A few name suggestions (from succubi in modern media)- Grace, Morrigan, Catherine.
I'm not familiar with the succubi in teen horror romance media you are trying to reference here and am not quite sure what you are aiming for. I would think the idea would be to keep them coming back, to draw them into your power and to 'corrupt' them? Meaning give them appropriate Conditions I suppose.
Some thoughts- your Gifts as written only work for PCs. (easy fix, NPCs act at advantage). However, I feel perhaps there should be some price either for the Succubus or the target to pay, or some risk if they renege on the bargain and reject the gift, perhaps. Also, not sure about the auto-success mechanic of the gift. I guess I'd like to see the non- supernatural option. Maybe if the Faustian thing is important, what you can offer as Gifts are Strings and/or Conditions on others?
The Devil is a winner should probably be conditional (see Faerie Contract)- the simple choice being someone who has accepted a gift.
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Some interesting ideas in this skin. A few name suggestions (from succubi in modern media)- Grace, Morrigan, Catherine.
That's great! I'll add those immediately ^^
I'm not familiar with the succubi in teen horror romance media you are trying to reference here and am not quite sure what you are aiming for. I would think the idea would be to keep them coming back, to draw them into your power and to 'corrupt' them? Meaning give them appropriate Conditions I suppose.
That would imply a strong moral statement by the game world: "You made a deal with the Succubus, so now you're evil/going to Hell/fucked up, man. Sorry 'bout that." I don't really like the idea; in fact, I love that people can make more or less literal deals with the Devil without any consequence (well, besides becoming more and more dependant from the Devil itself - hence the Strings gained by the Succubus for each gift).
Some thoughts- your Gifts as written only work for PCs. (easy fix, NPCs act at advantage).
That's so true! I'll address that. Thanks!
However, I feel perhaps there should be some price either for the Succubus or the target to pay, or some risk if they renege on the bargain and reject the gift, perhaps.
You should note that Gifts are different in concept from, say, promises made to a Fae. You're not making a bargain with the Succubus: you're buying a heroin fix. Once you get it, you can do whatever you want with it: you already paid the price.
I guess I'd like to see the non- supernatural option.
I don't plan to write one. I don't think it's necessary.
The Devil is a winner should probably be conditional (see Faerie Contract)- the simple choice being someone who has accepted a gift.
I thought about this, but in the end I decided against it. _Faerie contract_ requires a broken promise, that's true, but also offers more options and it'f very different in nature.
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Just a quick note: If you want to read more about succubi and deals with the devil, try Succubus Blues (published as Succubus on top in the US) by Richelle mead. The entire series is pretty good, and mainly deals with a succubus trying to deal with her job of corrupting people through sex, her day job in a bookstore and her relationship with a mortal. That relationship can never be consumated. They can't even kiss, because if they do, she'll be sucking out his lifeforce because he's so pure.
The series also deals with her relationships with her other immortal friends.
All in all a pretty good read, and very inspiring for an MC.
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Just a quick note: If you want to read more about succubi and deals with the devil, try Succubus Blues (published as Succubus on top in the US) by Richelle mead. The entire series is pretty good, and mainly deals with a succubus trying to deal with her job of corrupting people through sex, her day job in a bookstore and her relationship with a mortal. That relationship can never be consumated. They can't even kiss, because if they do, she'll be sucking out his lifeforce because he's so pure.
The series also deals with her relationships with her other immortal friends.
All in all a pretty good read, and very inspiring for an MC.
You won me with the first few words of description. I purchased the ebook on Amazon ^^
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Hmm, maybe I didn't clearly make my point. Sure, getting strings on people in return for gifts is a fine representation of gaining power over them. Mythological demons tempt mortals with various things, vices if you will. Succubi specifically offer sex, and commonly drained or captured something from their victim- life energy and/or/i.e. semen. If you're adding the faustian ability to grant other gifts, I'd say Infernal Gifts would be the Succubi sex move. Perhaps that's what you are hinting at with 'time and intimacy'. This is what I meant by a price, I suppose- give yourself to the Succubi in return for... well, usually in the mythology, just the wanton sex. They are muy sexy, but take something in return for the pleasure.
Succubi seduces you, you have sex. String gained on you, and the sex makes you feel great. I could see the partner getting to choose from a list, like lose a condition, heal a harm, get a string on someone else- something to keep them hooked. But they'd maybe also get a condition like drained or sex addict or similar. Then maybe the Succubi has additional options to spend a String on people with that Condition.
There might be a productive approach in enhancing Turn Someone On as a move, perhaps adding a mechanical incentive to the target to 'give themselves to you' or making it an additional option on a 10+, with incentive for the target (XP?, but you'd need something for NPCs).
Just my thoughts on the skin.
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With the Gifts, It feels like there are two skins here, or the Succubus is a specific type of the proto-Dark-power-in-the-flesh one-type-of-Faustian-bargain-offering Demon skin.
The base move of the skin is to be able to offer a Temptation to others, Choose one of Sex, Money, Power, Popularity, Success. This gives the recipient some advantage in this arena. People who take up the temptation fall under the Demons power and/or pay a price. The Sex move is activated when they in some way take advantage of the Temptation- this might be when the price (the Condition) is paid.
But this is probably drifting from your intention and the thread, but I'd be interested in Joes thoughts on a PC mini-Dark-Power.
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The Succubus has a booklet! Thanks to Max Hervieux for the illustration and to Daniele Di Rubbo for putting it together.
I made a couple modifications to the old version: the text was clarified and some typos corrected, I removed a move and added one or two (and yes, now the Succubus can shapeshift).
If you find something wrong with the text, please make me know (it's my fault). And of course, if you try it, please send me an actual play :-)
Here's the link (https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B98eU24MQ87ubVZ0RjBRRXp5ZXc).
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Had my game started this week instead of last, this would be on the table. If I manage to bring anyone new into the game, it'll be an option.
Off the cuff, I do feel like 9 moves plus gifts is a lot to squeeze into a skin. Feels like it's pushing the envelope a bit much.
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Off the cuff, I do feel like 9 moves plus gifts is a lot to squeeze into a skin. Feels like it's pushing the envelope a bit much.
Yeah, I've got the same impression, but honestly didn't know what to cut. Maybe I'll wait for some feedback and take away those moves that nobody uses.
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I went through this too while writing my Anansi skin, and I'm still not sure I have it quite perfect yet. Off the top of my head, I think Addictive and My Bitch, while thematically appropriate, cover the same territory...they're ways to get over on someone. In fact, The Devil Is A Winner does this too. Various combinations of those moves applied against a single target would, I think, create play that's not very suspenseful (and maybe not fun; it would depend I suppose).
Also, it seems fairly criminal that a Succubi skin doesn't have some special enhancement to the Turn Someone On move. Maybe I'm thinking inside the box, but I'd be trying to work that into the Succubi's default move somehow.
I have thoughts about Shapechanger as well, but I'm not sure I can articulate them just yet. I love gender-bending and I feel like there should be a move to accomodate this (at the same time, it'd be a shame to overlap thematic territory with what Jackson is doing). Maybe when the Succubus turns someone on, they may ask the player they're targeting who their character's idealized sexual partner is...and that's the form the succubus takes (and can take whenever they're appearing to that character)?
Just some thoughts. I like the skin a lot...the bitter jilted lover idea is great, and some of the moves really grab me. Just This Time is probably my favorite.
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I went through this too while writing my Anansi skin, and I'm still not sure I have it quite perfect yet. Off the top of my head, I think Addictive and My Bitch, while thematically appropriate, cover the same territory...they're ways to get over on someone. In fact, The Devil Is A Winner does this too. Various combinations of those moves applied against a single target would, I think, create play that's not very suspenseful (and maybe not fun; it would depend I suppose).
Also, it seems fairly criminal that a Succubi skin doesn't have some special enhancement to the Turn Someone On move. Maybe I'm thinking inside the box, but I'd be trying to work that into the Succubi's default move somehow.
I have thoughts about Shapechanger as well, but I'm not sure I can articulate them just yet. I love gender-bending and I feel like there should be a move to accomodate this (at the same time, it'd be a shame to overlap thematic territory with what Jackson is doing). Maybe when the Succubus turns someone on, they may ask the player they're targeting who their character's idealized sexual partner is...and that's the form the succubus takes (and can take whenever they're appearing to that character)?
Just some thoughts. I like the skin a lot...the bitter jilted lover idea is great, and some of the moves really grab me. Just This Time is probably my favorite.
That's great feedback! Thanks.
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This reminds me so much of In Nomine's Lilim. For those not familiar with the game, their power granted by their particular demonic essence is that any deal they make marks their soul and the person they made the deal with. This can be a long, drawn out infernal contract or it can be as simple as making dinner and getting their date to agree "you owe me one for this". The biggest trick they have up their sleeve is that these favors are cumulative. So if a Lilim picks you up when your car breaks down, you owe her the same later. But if she cheats on tests for you a bunch of times, you either owe several small favors or one big one (like "kill that guy" big). I mention this because its already so well represented by Strings.
The Lilim are associated with succubi because they're all daughters of Lilith and not above using sex to build up their favor pool. So I can clearly see the overlap of the Faustian/Succubus. In fact, there might be room for a simple move like "you owe me", although its a bit late for me to come up with the wording.
Now, on to the actual playbook. My main issue is that the Gifts are more powerful than the ones the Infernalist can get for less downside. I would suggest Gifts of Protection and Wealth could work as-is but maybe the other ones should be replaced with the Infernalists' Power Flows Through You, Numbing it Out and Elsewise Power.
Just In Time looks like it could be a lot of fun. Offer someone a Gift, burn that string to offer them XP, they use the String to fulfill the offer.
A Little Help is neat and would fit nicely in the "doing favors" category, possibly even to the point that Gifts wouldn't be required. Some things a Succubus can do herself to incur a debt. For the rest, there's A Little Help.
I can't help but picture an adult version of The Succubus working as a talent agent (or at Wolfram and Hart). "don't worry, we'll get you the role. Just bring the goat to my office by 10 for the blood sacrifice."
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This Skin has really stuck with me. I'm starting to develop some pretty clear ideas for it. . . not necessarily a full rewrite but probably something different enough that I'll slap a different name on it. Here's an example:
When you have sex with someone you may spend strings to them 1 for 1 to deal harm. When you spend at least one string, roll+harm dealt. If you kill your target this way, this roll is at an additional +1.
On 10+ choose 3 of the following, on 7-9 choose 1. On miss, the strings are still gone but the target gets wise to you before taking harm.
Heal yourself of 1 harm for every harm you deal.
Mark Experience
Your target gets the condition Addicted (to sex with you)
The victim doesn't see you as the source of the harm. If you kill you victim, the cause will appear to be natural, like a heart attack or something.
My only thought is this would make the Succubus a very dark character, trading in addiction and murder.
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Great feedback! Did you have a chance to playtest the Skin?
The Gifts are powerful, yes. They are meant to be. But they're also one-shot and can only be used by others. The main point is that the Succubus can make your darkest wishes come true... while slowly turning you into her toy. It's really a deal with the devil, but unlike the Infernal, in this case you're playing the dealer.
The new move looks very nice, but I don't think it really fits the Skin's theme. It would be great for a skin focused on vengeance and bloodshed, though.
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Haven't playtested it, no. I'm hoping to get into a PBP game at the moment but have to wait for someone else to drop. If I do, I'll be happy to ask if i can playtest it.
I tried to fit it with the classic image of the succubus and the deal with the devil element. I also wanted to include something that makes it bad to not spend strings when having sex but it was getting long and unwieldy enough already.
Keep in mind that the Infernal's gifts for strings are also one shot. Yours are MUCH more powerful. One of the things I liked about the Lilim is that they didn't have a specifically wish-granting power. In this game it would translate more like:
Heart's Desire: Roll+dark. On a hit you know what your target most wants <i>right this moment</i>. On a 10+ you also know what their deepest desire is. Providing either gives you a String.
alternately
Let's Make A Deal: If someone agrees to "owe you one" for something, either before or after you do it, you get a string over them. (Againt NPC's, this may require a manipulate roll after you've done the favor)
The favor repayment part is trickier to do under the system. I suppose the Strings as bonuses to Manipulate covers it pretty well.
The general idea is that they're at the center of this web of favors, helping people who can help them later and building up debts until they can "pay off" by having enough Strings to devour someone completely. I'd probably add something else to spend Strings on but the bonuses already provided make them pretty powerful.
I'd even dump A Little Help and Infernal Gifts to replace with those two. The other powers already mesh with one another very well. A resourceful Succubus can start from scratch and build up enough influence to wrap even the hardest case around their finger just with that. The fact that they pick up strings fast will put them in a position to grant wishes through purely mundane means pretty quickly.
EDIT: Not sure if Heart's Desire and Let's Make A Deal should be together or not. Strings are awfully powerful and the combination can make any Heart's Desire favor worth two strings.
Also the sex move's harm vs power dynamic is supposed to be something the player doesn't necessarily like. They'd much rather just use sex for power but that power is fueled by the victim's life force. The harm is a balance to the fact that you get some really good stuff from the rest of the sex move. . . in fact rather than rolling it might be Hold 1 for every harm you deal and spend that hold for the results. . . I'll revisit that in a bit.
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Now that I notice, you seem to have read the old version; did you check the latest one? There are some significant differences.
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I'm working from this one:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B98eU24MQ87uX0F5WXVwendsUW8/edit?pli=1
Although at this point I'm more or less cobbling together my own ideas out loud while cribbing heavily from it. :)
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Damn, I never shared the last version on this forum, apparently! Here it is: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B98eU24MQ87ubVZ0RjBRRXp5ZXc/edit
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Ah yeah, Wet Dreams does make a pretty big difference. I was pondering a dream travel Move that would let you make another (single per use) move in the Dream world at a distance. Unfortunately, you'd want to include the sex move in the list of possible options and it just kept coming off as too rape-y. Addictive is definitely a nice touch.
I think the main difference between your idea and mine is that your Succubus helps people solve their own problems at a price whereas in my concept of it, she does the solving (although possibly through proxies) for them. Its more of a classic Faustian deal or Mr. Morden's "what do you want?" The Harm for hold sex move provides a mechanical encouragement to the succubus to BE the downside of the deals with the devil but it also leaves room to play a reluctant Mephistopheles.
As a small note, I'd make Just This Time also apply if the string is spent for a Manipulate An NPC bonus. It reminds me a bit of AW's Oftener Right move and I keep thinking a twisted version of that would be cool. Like if someone asks you for advice, you can just tell them whatever. It doesn't have to be good advice or it can be good advice in the eyes of a sex demon. If they follow it they take +1 ongoing towards their goal. If they succeed, you mark XP.
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... It reminds me a bit of AW's Oftener Right move and I keep thinking a twisted version of that would be cool. Like if someone asks you for advice, you can just tell them whatever. It doesn't have to be good advice or it can be good advice in the eyes of a sex demon. If they follow it they take +1 ongoing towards their goal. If they succeed, you mark XP.
That's almost right... :D
...With Good Intentions If someone asks you for advice, you can just tell them whatever. It doesn't have to be good advice or it can be good advice in the eyes of a sex demon. If they follow it they mark XP while you take a String on them.
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Love this skin. Printed and ready to be handed out as an option to my players!
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Love this skin. Printed and ready to be handed out as an option to my players!
Great! If somebody chooses it, I hope they'll have lots of fun and be willing to share their impressions.
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Oh, I will. It's an ongoing campaign, but maybe not everyone survives the next encounter with the Fallen...
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I'm curious about the text "The bonus it gives also stacks with shapeshifter’s." Is that an artifact from an earlier version? Should Shapeshifter give some sort of bonus?
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I'm curious about the text "The bonus it gives also stacks with shapeshifter’s." Is that an artifact from an earlier version? Should Shapeshifter give some sort of bonus?
It was supposed to give you +1ongoing if you met someone's fancy. I can't remember if I left it out intentionally or this was a mistake XD
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hi! A player picked up this skin in my campaign (well, 2 sessions so far), and it seems to work fine, although it really needs to specify what happens if you bestow a gift to an NPC. The easy way could be to put them at an advantage, but maybe something different can be done, because the advantage is to NPCs the equivalent to a +1, and this is even better. Perhaps coming out of nowhere with a hard-hard move? (damage, strings, conditions, etc.)
Also, I think there are too many moves, in comparison with other skins. I'd perhaps cut out "the dark powers are always willing to help", "just this time" (too specific, and only against PCs), and also cut out any one of "my bitch" and "the devil is a winner". Finally, addictive could perfectly be part of the sex move: "they lose all strings over you. If they have none, they gain instead the condition 'addicted to [your name]".
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Has there been any other commentary/experience that people have had with this skin? I want to suggest/use this in the next game of Monsterhearts I play, but also want to make sure I can persuade the GM about balance and such. I really love the themes being explored with the Succubus!
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No one's quite played the Succubus yet in my group (we've had one session), but it created pretty much our entire plot, with a little help from the Ghost's answer to one of my questions during homeroom creation.
Essentially, one of my players immediately decided to play the Zeppo (another fan-Skin) who desperately wanted into the cool group at school -- the Succubi. He placed one in our homeroom and when I asked the Ghost what he had seen the Succubus doing last night, the Ghost answered, "Masturbating to a picture of the Angel". Bam. Plot. The Zeppo went on to earn an advance that session and immediately took Dark Gifts. He has tried twice to give them out and succeeded once, giving the NPC I originally described simply as "the nerd who gets all the chicks" in the beginning the Gift of Might so as to make him star of the track team the Angel's on in exchange for that NPC teaching him pick-up artistry. Assuming the new player who might join decides not to play the Succubus (which is an option), I'm planning to have the NPC use that Gift to kill him, thereby opening a spot on the track team.
Anyway! I also wanted to ask (off-topic) if TireTerpsiTlazo is perhaps short for Tiresias, Terpsikhore, and Tlazolteotl? If so, first of all: you're awesome; be my friend? *bats eyes* Second of all, I'm working right now on a Tlazolteotl-inspired Skin. {This message has been placed here simply to ensure it is seen; I will not hijack the thread}
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You might have a tough time convincing your GM. I'd argue that the succubus is one of the most broken skins ever. Not because its moves are mechanically powerful, per se. But it breaks the fundamental nature of the game--That there's a fixed amount of happiness, and that if you're gaining, someone else is losing. A MH succubus that makes people better by fulfilling their desires is the equivalent of an Apocalypse World Character that doesn't need to eat or drink.
In short, it's not feral
Have you seen he Incubus (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/37403859/The%20Incubus.pdf)? It's clearly based on the succubus but full of trade-offs and consequences. Plus, rock and roll band.
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Anyway! I also wanted to ask (off-topic) if TireTerpsiTlazo is perhaps short for Tiresias, Terpsikhore, and Tlazolteotl? If so, first of all: you're awesome; be my friend? *bats eyes* Second of all, I'm working right now on a Tlazolteotl-inspired Skin. {This message has been placed here simply to ensure it is seen; I will not hijack the thread}
Wow! Got it in one! I'm very impressed, though I usually spell it Terpsichore. Of course you can be my friend! Also, I hope you post your results soon. My interest in the Succubus comes from thinking it's a great skin to explore a teenager with gender confusion rather than sexuality confusion, but Tlazoteotl would also be an interesting way to explore that with the right powers.
You might have a tough time convincing your GM. I'd argue that the succubus is one of the most broken skins ever. Not because its moves are mechanically powerful, per se. But it breaks the fundamental nature of the game--That there's a fixed amount of happiness, and that if you're gaining, someone else is losing. A MH succubus that makes people better by fulfilling their desires is the equivalent of an Apocalypse World Character that doesn't need to eat or drink.
In short, it's not feral
Have you seen he Incubus (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/37403859/The%20Incubus.pdf)? It's clearly based on the succubus but full of trade-offs and consequences. Plus, rock and roll band.
Aaaaaand, getting this thread back on topic, what would be ways to address that? I don't want to criticize Ernesto in his own thread, but if we're theorizing ways to improve or rejigger the skin, what would be concerns? I'm seeing a.) Too many powers and b.) The core gifts mechanic doesn't have any consequences for either the Succubus or the gift getter (who should ideally receive those consequences?). Or, should we move discussion on creating a different version of this great skin to another thread and let the author have full reign here?
As for the Incubus, I don't want to be the rough rock star. I actually think the powers are decent, but don't want to start off with the outwardly confident and sexy vibe.
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Aaaaaand, getting this thread back on topic, what would be ways to address that? I don't want to criticize Ernesto in his own thread, but if we're theorizing ways to improve or rejigger the skin, what would be concerns? I'm seeing a.) Too many powers and b.) The core gifts mechanic doesn't have any consequences for either the Succubus or the gift getter (who should ideally receive those consequences?). Or, should we move discussion on creating a different version of this great skin to another thread and let the author have full reign here?
As for the Incubus, I don't want to be the rough rock star. I actually think the powers are decent, but don't want to start off with the outwardly confident and sexy vibe.
I think the fundamental problem with this skin is that there's not a real teenager behind it--all good skins have a teenager at their core that the monstrous trappings are meant to represent. It's not that I think this skin lacks that teenager--clearly there's someone inside the skin. I just think that someone is not a very real person.
You mentioned that you wanted to use it to explore gender confusion. Is that just because of the shapechange move? Or do you see other aspects of the skin that would help in that exploration--because focusing on those might give us a more real teenager under that skin to work toward.
Sidenote:
I also don't like that the succubus sex move is about the mechanics of sex. That, for me at least, is on the wrong side of the veil--and not for any good reason that I can see.
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You mentioned that you wanted to use it to explore gender confusion. Is that just because of the shapechange move? Or do you see other aspects of the skin that would help in that exploration--because focusing on those might give us a more real teenager under that skin to work toward.
It's definitely because of the shapechange move. This is the only skin that I've seen that directly spoke to me on the gender side of things. Most importantly, it made me wonder if a gender-confused teen would sell their soul for the chance to transform into the body they wished they were born into.
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Most importantly, it made me wonder if a gender-confused teen would sell their soul for the chance to transform into the body they wished they were born into.
Well, I ain't sure I was ever gender-confused, but I know THIS genderqueer teen certainly effing would've, had I known what I wanted to be.
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It's definitely because of the shapechange move. This is the only skin that I've seen that directly spoke to me on the gender side of things. Most importantly, it made me wonder if a gender-confused teen would sell their soul for the chance to transform into the body they wished they were born into.
Have you seen the Cuckoo from second skins? They're shapechangers who change only by stealing the identities of others. I have a feeling you'd have fun with that skin.
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It's definitely because of the shapechange move. This is the only skin that I've seen that directly spoke to me on the gender side of things. Most importantly, it made me wonder if a gender-confused teen would sell their soul for the chance to transform into the body they wished they were born into.
Have you seen the Cuckoo from second skins? They're shapechangers who change only by stealing the identities of others. I have a feeling you'd have fun with that skin.
I haven't seen it, no. :< I never backed the Kickstarter. I'm just getting into this after all!
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First of all, I'd like to apologize for not replying to this thread anymore. For some reason, I wasn't notified of all the latest replies! That's weird.
Anyway, to reply to some of the questions in a more or less random order: I wrote the Succubus inspired by the "burned girl" archetype. She jumps from one dysfunctional relationship into another, as she believes that all of them are about utility - she has something people need (the Gifts), they have something she needs (souls). That's why she gives you strings because you did something without asking anything in return: you left her completely flabbergasted. Are acts of unselfish kindness really possible?
Essentially, the Succubus is all about discovering that not everyone is out to take advantage of you, and that you don't have to take advantage of them first by manipulating them into a position of weakness.