New playbook: Alien

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New playbook: Alien
« on: March 16, 2012, 05:48:26 AM »
I have never played Monsterhearts. I'm not sure if I'll find space for it any time soon. But there are three things I do know: Alien paranormal romance fiction my girlfriend was reading at the time (The Lilith's brood series by Octavia Butler), Invader Zim slash art and the movie The Man Who Fell to Earth, which is mostly notable for a scene where David Bowie rolls around in a bed with a gun. With that aside, I'm gonna try to jam aliens into your game.

I know that their main shtick should be a massive superiority complex. I think they should pick a player that they feel particularly superior to (And maybe give them a string on the Alien? Because the Alien's like "Hah, you cannot trick me with your feeble human minds, I will gladly enter your small metal box." Maybe I'll reread the thing on strings before saying that)

Other stuff they should have:

A plan (They're also kind've Cylons) (Maybe this plan should include being all hot and cold and obsessive on another PC, like the aliens are in Lilith's or how the cylons are towards Baltar, kind've)

Sex tentacles (There is no arguing this point)

Disguise, infilitration, some spy motifs

WONDEROUS TECHNOLOGY

Advanced alien tantra powers that sex out your cancer?

Borderline-personalityness. They're surface emotions are largely faked, their real emotions are weird and inhuman.

Homesickness. He really has a heart too! A weird squishy heart! They're like Nes from Earthbound


Re: New playbook: Alien
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2012, 03:44:20 PM »
Homesickness is well covered by The Selkie. I'd suggest focusing very little on this element, and more on the other ideas you've got for this one.

Very Monsterhearts-y alien sources: Roswell, The Faculty, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Sexing away the cancer is an excellent idea. You know how The Chosen's sex move heals all their wounds and cures all their Conditions? Maybe The Visitor's sex move heals all the wounds and Conditions of the other person!

That's my suggestion for the Skin name, btw: The Visitor.

I love the idea of building a Skin around secret plans, smug superiority, weird sex-triggered tech, and weird emotions. Yay!

Re: New playbook: Alien
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2012, 03:20:20 AM »
Thanks for the reply!

I agree with everything you said. Visitor it is!

I also think there's a little bit of possible overlap with the Queen. Though I think outsidery-superiority and authority-superiority should be a good enough source of contrast.

Stats: hot-1, cold 1, volative-1, dark 1?

I definitely wanted to include alien genetic sexgineering. I'm thinking the other player chooses 2 of:
- Give them 2 strings.
- Get the condition Tampered With.
- Let the Alien player choose the player's next advance.

Is having the Alien choose next advance too rules-kinky?

Moves:
Mission From Mars:
You are on a mission from your alien superiors. Choose a small goal. When you fulfill it, mark experience. If you fail or neglect it, another alien agent gets a string on you.  Either way, gain a new small goal.

Alien Sex Fiend:
You approach intimacy from a analytical, detached perspective. You can spend a string to add +1 to Turn Someone on and roll Cold. On a miss your inhumanity is obvious. They can take all of your strings away.

Calculating:
When you go to lengths to investigate someone, like going through their trash or talking to their friends and relatives, roll Cold and get stuff:
- Take a String
- Give them Condition: Blackmailed.
On a miss, its obvious to someone you're a total creeper.

Tentacle Horror:
In your true form, roll Dark to Physically lash out.
When someone sees your true form for the first time, they must Hold Steady, Run Away or Gaze into the Abyss.

Re: New playbook: Alien
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2012, 06:46:48 PM »
Reading over the Serpentine I feel like a lot of the fictional ground I wanted to go with for the Alien is pretty well covered (Weird true form, weird masters, trying to learn how to be human). I'm still pretty pumped about GENETIC SEXGINEERING but I think it would need more to make a good Skin. Think of this as the Visitor beaming home but MAYBE THEY WILL RETURN.