The Infernal

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The Infernal
« on: July 28, 2010, 05:03:03 PM »
At first, the whole situation was innocent enough. It gave you things, made you feel good about yourself. You came to it when you had problems, and it helped you solve them. And when you asked how you could repay it, it told you to be patient. That all debts would be settled in due time.

It hadn't mentioned debts before that.

You've got satan as your cornerman, or a demon in your brain. Or you're the right-hand man of something otherworldly. Maybe the stars glow for you, and you alone. Regardless, you owe a debt to something much bigger and more terrible than you will ever be.


Look

Distant, Quiet, Anxious, Tense, Frantic, Vicious

Empty Eyes, Calculating Eyes, Burning Eyes, Flickering Eyes, Piercing Eyes

Bartered Soul, Last Chancer, Returned, Emissary, Legion, Lackey, Chosen

Basic Moves

You get all the basic moves.

Infernal Moves

You automatically get:

Soul Debt
Name the power that you owe a debt to. It can hold Strings against you. You can choose to carry +2forward on any roll, in exchange for giving that power a String against you. When the power holds 5 Strings against you, your Darkest Self is triggered (it can also be triggered in other ways, like normal).

Also, choose two:

Elsewise Power
Give the power one String to use a move you don't have, just this once.

'Need' Is My Favourite Word
When you, like, really, really want something, give your power strings. Roll +strings given. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose one: You get exactly the thing you wanted; It doesn't come at a cost to anybody else; It costs you one less String.

Dark Recruiter
When you bring an innocent soul to the power, mark experience.

Fury Beyond All Earthly Fury
When you lash out at someone, you may suffer 1 harm to deal +1harm, regardless of whether you succeed.

Unknowable
When you lash out at someone, on a 10+, they lose 1 String on you. On a 7-9, add "they lose 1 String on you" to the list of options.

Sex Move

When someone sleeps with you, you may give them any number of Strings held against you by your power. If you do, it counts as them gazing into the abyss.

Darkest Self

The power takes over your body, and carries out its own agendas. The MC controls your character's actions and speech, for the time being. Every time the power makes you do something you don't want to do, it spends one of the Strings it has on you. You can Act Under Fire to convince it that "no, not that. Anything but that." But it keeps the String, in that case. You escape your Darkest Self when the power has no more Strings.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2010, 06:52:47 PM by mcdaldno »

Re: The Infernal
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2010, 05:03:51 PM »
I want you to be able to give the power Strings for more interesting things than bonuses & re-rolls... But I'm currently stuck wondering what those interesting things are.

Thoughts?

Elsewise Power
Give the power one String to use a move you don't have, just this once.

Re: The Infernal
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2010, 05:11:15 PM »
In general, I think this sounds totally delicious and I love it.  I want to ask about Fury Beyond All Earthly Fury, though.  How difficult is it going to be to do extra harm in Monsterhearts?  Because, looking at this from an eye just used to AW proper, it seems kinda suck.  +2 harm, in exchange for suffering 1 harm sounds better to me, but if high harm attacks or moves to do extra harm are super rare, then, well...

Re: The Infernal
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2010, 07:34:58 PM »
I want you to be able to give the power Strings for more interesting things than bonuses & re-rolls... But I'm currently stuck wondering what those interesting things are.

Thoughts?

Maybe make them more specific but more powerful. Instead of a bonus to any roll, a move to make somebody sleep with you for a String?

'Need' Is My Favourite Word
When you, like, really, really want something... Give your power String equal to the +barter of the object and roll +sharp. On a 10+, choose 2:
* You get exactly the thing you wanted.
* It doesn't come at a cost to anybody else.
* It costs you one less String.
On a 7-9, choose 1.
On a miss, you don't get exactly what you want, it comes at the expense of somebody else, and it costs +1 String.

I used 'barter' and 'sharp' as placeholders; I am not sure if a +barter-equivalent even makes sense for a teenage-centered game.

Re: The Infernal
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2010, 07:40:29 PM »
'Need' Is My Favourite Word
When you, like, really, really want something... Give your power String equal to the +barter of the object and roll +sharp. On a 10+, choose 2:
* You get exactly the thing you wanted.
* It doesn't come at a cost to anybody else.
* It costs you one less String.
On a 7-9, choose 1.
On a miss, you don't get exactly what you want, it comes at the expense of somebody else, and it costs +1 String.

I used 'barter' and 'sharp' as placeholders; I am not sure if a +barter-equivalent even makes sense for a teenage-centered game.

Yeah, I don't envision barter existing in this game. Some people will be like "my character is a dirt poor orphan" and some will be like "my character is a rich-as-fuck doctor's son who has never had to examine his own privilege." And that will be an awesome inequality, made more awesome if we let it run rampant and unmechanized.

The move in general is spot-on and awesome. Consider it included, albeit with the barter & sharp & some details modified.

Re: The Infernal
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2010, 04:22:42 AM »
"Need is my favorite word" is my favorite move so far :)

Maybe make it "roll+string given" and/or the power tells you what it's going to cost?