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Messages - mcdaldno

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346
Monsterhearts / If you listen closely...
« on: July 28, 2010, 10:58:13 AM »
Dresden Dolls (esp. Sex Changes, Half Jack, Backstabber, Necessary Evil)
Bright Eyes (esp. Lover I Don't Have To Love, The Calendar Hung Itself)
City and Colour (esp. Save Your Scissors)
Mass Undergoe (esp. The Flesh Parade, All The Knives In The World, Baby!)
Jack Off Jill (esp. Strawberry Gashes)
Evanescence (I don't know. I don't listen to Evanescence and never have.)
Jackalope

I am laughing so hard right now. Rad.
Join in with more suggestions?

347
Monsterhearts / Re: The Fae
« on: July 28, 2010, 10:40:06 AM »
Quote from: fnord3125 on July 28, 2010, 09:43:16 AM
I remember you saying that the mortal's sex  move is going to be making the partner go into their darkest self, but did you say if there are other ways for that to happen?  I'm assuming there are, since not every game will include a mortal.

Oh wait: answering my own question, maybe.  Failing at looking into the abyss could cause you to go into your darkest self, right?  Is that how it's going to be?  Consequences of certain moves?

Failing certain moves gives you a hard choice: do X, or become your Darkest Self.
When the clock would strike midnight for your character, you can take your Darkest Self as a Condition to avoid harm. There are two Conditions in the game to alleviate harm: lose all Strings; Become your Darkest Self. They both reset at the start of every session.

348
Monsterhearts / Passing
« on: July 28, 2010, 10:28:51 AM »
Everyone can go to high school, or college, or Jackson's Pit, or wherever it is that kids go these days. Everyone looks just normal enough that they can pass for just a teenager.

Witches often dress like goths and pagans, and someone Actually saw Jemma bring a dead frog to school 1nce, OMG like for real. But Jemma can still go to algebra class without being burned alive or arrested.

Fae are often dainty, with narrow features. They often have this "rainbow child" thing about them, and According to Max, when he was dating Lilyth, she wanted to strip naked and fool around in the middle of the woods, like wtf, who does she think she is, Queen of the Hippy Sluts? But, fae can go to the movies on friday night, just like you and me. People are weirded out by Lilyth, and the other women view her as this unknowable threat, but whatever.

Mitch is a dumb jock. That's all there is to it. He must be taking some weird sort of steroids or something, because people often find crazy shed hair in his gym locker, like how can one person even grow that much hair?

So on.

349
Monsterhearts / Re: Skin Deep
« on: July 28, 2010, 10:20:55 AM »
Quote from: FigureFour on July 28, 2010, 09:30:51 AM
Also, are you suggesting that the Mortal's "victim behaviour" means they're holding more Strings than anyone else? That seems pretty in genre to me, the mortal being the focus of attention for all the other major character and using that as leverage.

I don't want it to be so cut-and-dried that The Mortal just straight up has a lot of Strings on everyone.

Rather, I want The Mortal to have lots of Strings if she plays her cards right and treats herself as something to be fought over and won. I want the Fae to have lots of Strings if  he demands promises and holds people to them.

350
Monsterhearts / The Fae
« on: July 28, 2010, 02:42:33 AM »
At the edges of this world, just beyond the veil, there are colours that few might even dream of. Beauty enough to shatter any heart. The fae live and breathe at the edges of this world. They keep a dusting of that magic tucked behind their ears, just in case.

And the fae are willing to share. They're nothing if not generous, asking for only one thing in return. A promise. Break it, and feel the wrath of faery vengeance.

Look

dainty, girlish, gaunt, mysterious, disheveled

quick eyes, lyrical eyes, mesmerizing eyes, laughing eyes, piercing eyes

fae born, fae blooded, adopted, touched with the gift, stole the gift

Stats

[Not that far along in the hack yet.]

Basic Moves

You get all the basic moves.

Fae Moves

You automatically get:

Faery Contract
If someone breaks or abandons a promise or contract made to you, they suffer 1 harm.

Also, choose 2:

The Constant Bargain
Whenever someone asks you to do something for them, and you do it, roll +[stat]. On a 10+, they lose one string on you, and you gain one on them. On a 7-9, choose one or the other. On a miss, you've proven that they can walk all over you, and they take another string on you.

The Wild Hunt
When you draw upon your most feral manner, perhaps echoing the movements of a cat or the voracity of a wolf, add +1 to your seduce roll.

Beyond The Veil
When you gaze into the abyss, you may also choose to: commune with the faery king; find a hidden String against someone.

Lure
Whenever someone makes a promise to you, they mark experience. Whenever someone breaks a promise to you, and you seek vengeance, mark experience.

Sex Move
When you lie naked with another, you can ask for a promise. If they refuse it, take 2 Strings against them.

Darkest Self
Everything you say is a promise. Everything you hear is a promise. If a promise is broken, justice must be wrought in blood. To let a promise slide counts as Acting Under Fire. To escape your Darkest Self, you must make a grim sacrifice in the name of faery.

351
Monsterhearts / Re: Your Darkest Self
« on: July 28, 2010, 01:11:53 AM »
Quote from: skinnyghost on July 28, 2010, 12:32:18 AM
Joe - just as a matter of curiousity, how familiar are you with White Wolf stuff? 

I've run Vampire: the Masquerade. I've started and abandoned a Vampire: the Masquerade hack that stole mechanics from Covenant.

I can pitch all the major product lines to you, including Mummy and Hunter.

That's more or less it.

If you are wondering if I know that I'm deep into White Wolf territory, yes. I know. If you have other thoughts: put 'em out there!

352
Monsterhearts / Re: Stats & Basic Moves?
« on: July 27, 2010, 09:45:23 PM »
"That dude? The one who always sits in the corner by himself, just staring off blankly? That dude is so fucking dark. What's his problem, anyways?"

353
Monsterhearts / Re: Skin Deep
« on: July 27, 2010, 09:25:57 PM »
Quote from: MaxwellSmart on July 27, 2010, 09:02:03 PM
1- The Angel/Demon/Infernal kind: one problem is they come from the gawd and you are messing with religious stuff here, which might be touchy for some. Also they are immortal, unkillable spiritual beings with powers beyond our comprehension, so yeah. Still using them has some appeal, and I can see some ways in which we could pull them off:

a) Fallen angel/Outcast demon: maybe a young or lesser angel or demon who messed up and "lose his wings" (losing most of his powers) and was thrown, wounded, to the mortal world to fix things or to redeem himself.

Thanks, Maxwell!

I am totally cool with messing with religious stuff. Teenage monsters engaging in dangerous sexual behavior is already touchy territory.

I don't see Infernals as being immortal, unkillable beings. Just like the other Skins, you can stab them until they die.

I am imagining Infernals could be demons themselves, mortals who've dealt with the devil, cultists paying tribute to Cthulhu, or fallen angels.

Fallen angels & outcast demons trying to reprove themselves to their all-powerful masters is a PERFECT background for an Infernal.

354
Monsterhearts / Stats & Basic Moves?
« on: July 27, 2010, 09:19:29 PM »
When you gaze into the abyss, roll +dark.
On a 10+, choose 3: it shows you what you asked to see; it's telling the truth; carry +1 forward when confronting the situation; it could always have been worse. On a 7-9, choose up to 3 from that list, but suffer 1 harm for each. On a miss, the abyss shows you whatever the fuck it wants to, and then threatens you. Meet its' demand, or become your Darkest Self.

355
Monsterhearts / Re: Your Darkest Self
« on: July 27, 2010, 08:58:10 PM »
fnord,

I want your Darkest Self to fuck shit up for you. I want it to be a losing proposition, that you can't help but love in a perverse way, because you're at the helm of your own self-destruction.

So, the only reward for being your Darkest Self should be that your inhibitions are probably swept away. You can just give in to the monster.

The only reward for escaping your Darkest Self should be that you've escaped it.

Also, though, some Skins get more powerful as their Darkest Self, in this trade-off-y way.

356
Monsterhearts / Re: Skin Deep
« on: July 27, 2010, 08:54:51 PM »
Quote from: fnord3125 on July 27, 2010, 08:17:59 PM
Man, I think all five of those rock.  I think.  I still feel kind of iffy about a character who's whole gig is being the victim.  But I guess you'll find out how well it works or doesn't when you actually play the game.

Got a question for you about the mortal: do you think the game is going to NEED a PC to play a mortal, or will it fly just fine if the only mortals are NPCs?

With the mortal: trust me. I know what I'm doing here.

When you are The Mortal, you draw fire. You are the go-to victim. You have moves that draw others towards that big red target that you are.

Why is that awesome? Because now you've got them right where you want them. Granted, it's a fucked up place to want them. But you've got 'em, now. What next?

The Mortal has a lot of potential. You always have the opportunity to be one step ahead of the other person. Just, the first step is getting hurt. Always.

Quote from: fnord3125 on July 27, 2010, 08:17:59 PM

I'm also not sure I'm feeling the ghost going super-invisible and unnoticeable in it's darkest self.  But... it could work.  If the ghost is struggling to stay relevant after passing from the world, being completely unable to be noticed would certainly be a pain.  But it also seems like it would just cut the player off from the action rather than, like many of the other darkest selves, forcing the player to REALLY engage in ways he may or may not like.

See, that's just it. What does a ghost fear most? What is the scariest possible thing for a ghost?

To stop existing.

I think that you're right, though, the Ghost needs some shit to do while at their Darkest. I think that there needs to be some mechanical prompt to seek & to sacrifice. Maybe? Thoughts?

Quote from: Shreyas on July 27, 2010, 08:44:21 PM
Personally, I think that the human characters in this genre are the most interesting and diverse crowd of all. You have your victims, but you also get lots of other interesting sorts; early Buffy (before it got all gonzo) is full of, basically, just vampires and humans that have to deal with vampires, all handling it in different ways.

Hey Shreyas,

Cool.

I was originally toying with the idea of having a Mortal (victim extraordinaire) and Chosen (destined for greatness, heir to a powerful lineage, the slayer, etc). Mortal being Bella, Chosen being Buffy.

The Chosen would be all about expectation management, probably? Or about borrowing trust from others?

What do you think?
Right direction?

357
Monsterhearts / Re: Your Darkest Self
« on: July 27, 2010, 08:15:00 PM »
Quote from: fnord3125 on July 27, 2010, 08:07:37 PM
Comment that may or may not be relevant: the darkest selves feel kind of like more restrictive Keys from tSoY.

Hm.
That's interesting. When I was reading Neon Fox's post, I immediately thought that they were too Key-like, but brimming with awesome otherwise.

Darkest Selves give you no experience. You don't get to them on purpose - though you do smile a secret smile when someone else shoves you into your Darkest Self.

Darkest Selves are about dealing with new situations and consequences, sure, but they're also about permission. You were trying to balance monster and fragile teenager before. Darkest Self says, "Fuck it. You're a monster, now. Full blown. You are terrible and hideous. Play it to the hilt."

It gives you a reset button, but it's a reset button that should *hurt*

358
Monsterhearts / Re: Skin Deep
« on: July 27, 2010, 08:10:50 PM »
Quote from: MaxwellSmart on July 27, 2010, 08:03:41 PM
2- Revenant: a kid who died or was killed but he left something unfinished, so he came back from the other side and dug his way up the grave to avenge the dead of his girlfriend or family or whatever (think like the teen Crow).

Hey Maxwell,

This is exactly what the Ghost is all about, in my mind: unfinished business, a tormented past, wanting to leave it all behind but also drawing its power from it.

So this thing you're calling Revenant, it's already in the game, and I am calling it Ghost.

Quote from: MaxwellSmart on July 27, 2010, 08:03:41 PM
5- The Harry Potter-ish style of Wizard? Or is it covered by the witch? Or I'm going totally off-genre here?

Hm. I think that Harry Potter is kind of one-foot-in-genre. If you wanted to play a character from Harry Potter, I'd pass you the Mortal and the Witch, and ask you which you preferred.

Quote from: MaxwellSmart on July 27, 2010, 08:03:41 PM
3- I am also not a big fan of the alien, it seems to break the world too much.

Yep. It's out.

Fae, Ghost and Infernal are all going to offer a touch of the otherworldly, though. How do you feel about that? Good balance? Too "non-earth"-y?

359
Monsterhearts / Re: Skin Deep
« on: July 27, 2010, 08:06:10 PM »
Fair enough. Hive Queen is out. I might try to slide something like The Infected in at some point, but we'll see.

Let's talk about what the Skins we like do!

Fae make promises and create beauty, and when betrayed they gain terrible power. Keep a fae happy, keep yourself safe. Keeping a fae happy naturally includes handing them your power, so the relationship gets more and more imbalanced until you're willing you escape it, no matter the consequences.

Ghosts channel their past traumas into deadly weapons. Their existence depends on them constantly having unfinished business. When they are their Darkest Selves, they are invisible. They have a messy co-dependency with their past.

Mortals have only one card, and it's the victim card. Fortunately, they know how to play it in a million ways. Being a Mortal is all about meeting your needs through sacrifice - letting others have their way with you, and leveraging that in order to get what you want.

Werewolves are all about walking as close to the fire as possible, trying not to get burned. Werewolves have hungers, which are physical things they want, bad. They get a bonus to trying to seize them. At their Darkest Selves, they must attempt to kill or maim everything that stands in the way of their hungers.

Infernal are all about walking as close to the fire as possible, too. Except, they aren't playing with rage, they're playing with debt. Infernals can go into debt in a bad way, debts owed to the devil, or the stars, or the demon living inside their heads. Whatever. At their Darkest Selves, they aren't themselves. They're someone else, coming to demand repayment.

360
Monsterhearts / Re: Your Darkest Self
« on: July 27, 2010, 07:53:13 PM »
Hey Neon Fox,

Thanks! These are both good directions to meander in.

I'm concerned that the Witch can escape her Darkest Self too easily. It's not a Darkest Self if you can undo it whenever you want to - it's just a bad mood. So... needs teeth.

With the Fae, I like it! "Even a casual commitment bites like a formal oath if you try to break it." I want to take that farther, and make it more severe.

Fae Darkest Self: Everything you say is a promise. Everything you hear is a promise. If a promise is broken, justice must be wrought in blood. To let a promise slide counts as Acting Under Fire. To escape your Darkest Self, [?]

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