truemane
2020-12-18, 09:34 AM
Hey everyone, I'm just starting a game of Masks and, as always, I don't much like the Nova Playbook. It just doesn't fit with the rest, with its D&D-ish list of spells and effects and a near complete dearth of guidance as to how all that power guides the story.
So here's a version I've been tinkering with, heavily inspired by one I found on-line. I would welcome any feedback.
Note that the only change from the standard Playbook is the Moves. For the sake of simplicity and ease of use, everything else is word-for-word the same. So you can skip down to that part if you like. The rest is included for the sake of form.
An alternative playbook for Masks: A New Generation, by Magpie Games
A re-write by truemane of a Playbook design by Cloven Pine Games
Look: ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/ Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
sparking eyes, multicolored eyes, intense eyes, deep circles under eyes
preppy clothing, hand-me-down clothing, statement clothing, nondescript clothing
power-dampening suit, arcane costume, otherworldly costume, classically heroic costume, no costume
Abilities
You can manipulate the world on an elementary level. Choose one option from the list as the general principle of your power:
telekinesis and telepathy
sorcery
biokinesis
elemental control
gravity manipulation
cosmic energies
Labels:
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) Danger +1
Freak +2
Savior 0
Superior 0
Mundane -1
Backstory: When did you first use your powers?
Who was the first person you accidentally hurt with your powers?
Who, outside the team, helps you control your powers?
Why do you continue to use your powers?
Why do you care about the team?
When Our Team First Came Together:
We destroyed our surroundings in the fight. Where was it? What did we destroy?
Relationships: You hang out all the time with __________________ to blow off steam.
You once hurt ________________ when you lost control of your powers.
Influence:
Choose your demeanor: happy facade or locked down.
If you choose happy facade, give Influence to three teammates.
If you choose locked down, give Influence to one teammate.
Nova Moves
Take Conduit and Two Others
Conduit
For any roll involving your powers, you may mark up to three Conditions to gain +1 forward on the roll for each Condition marked. If you do, on a Hit, in addition to any other options you may also stun an audience into respect, fear, or silence. And on a Miss, in addition to any other options, you lose control of your powers in a terrible way.
Phenomenal Cosmic Power
When you directly engage a threat or defend someone with a display of your might, you may choose to cause significant collateral damage to roll with +Freak instead of +Danger or +Savior.
Beautiful and Terrible
When you loom over someone while mantled in power, you may provoke or comfort and support them with +Danger instead of +Mundane or +Superior (they are considered susceptible to your words). On a Miss, mark a Condition.
Grounded
When you lose control of your powers in a terrible way, you may designate one teammate as your tether. That tether takes +1 forward to comfort or support you. On a hit, they may return your powers to your control. On a miss, they take a powerful blow from your unstable powers and you must mark a Condition or flee the scene.
The Power that’s Inside
When you unleash your powers to to overcome an obstacle, reshape your environment, or extend your senses you may choose to cause significant collateral damage to instead remove an obstacle, transform your environment, or appear anywhere in a scene regardless of time, space, or probability. On a Miss, mark two Conditions or lose control of your powers in a terrible way.
I can See Forever
When you touch the source of your power to understand the universe, you may assess the situation with +Freak instead of +Superior. You may ask an additional question, even on a miss. On a Miss, mark a Condition.
Moment of Truth
Your mind’s eye opens, and you can see the world around you like never before. You can control it, at will, with ease. Of course, warping reality tends to have ramifications down the line, but in your moment of godhood...how could you possibly be worried?
Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if there is any fear in their eyes when they look at you. If they say no, take +1 forward and mark potential. If they say yes, immediately shift your Danger up and Savior down.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them how they could stop you, if it came down to it. Give them Influence over you and clear a condition.
Advancement Take another move from your playbook
Take another move from your playbook
Take a move from another playbook
Take a move from another playbook
Someone permanently loses Influence over you; add +1 to a Label
Rearrange your Labels as you choose and take +1 to a Label
Unlock your Moment of Truth
Take The Bull’s Heart from the Bull playbook
_____________________________
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below
Unlock your Moment of Truth after you’ve used it once
Change playbooks
Take an adult move
Take an adult move
Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city
So the Nova should be more or less nonstop GO BIG OR GO HOME. The MC always has the option to have them lose control of their powers as a Move, but I wanted to give the Player to have some say over how salient a risk that is.
One thing I couldn't work out in my head was a way to change the scale of their power use. I would like Conduit to also have something like: on a 12+ whatever you're doing is now crazy-big or crazy-intense or just crazy-crazy. So when they really Go Nova, there's another level on top for them to reach.
I just couldn't figure out wording I was happy with.
Some other thoughts:
-Could Conduit give Hold (and then spend Hold for +1) rather than +1 forward? Mechanically, it's the same thing, but narratively it's the difference between charging up before a fight and channeling during.
-If we did Hold, as above, could the Hold increase the more Conditions they mark (like instead of 1, 2, 3 Hold for 1, 2, 3 Conditions, it could be 1, 2, 4 or 1, 3, 5)?
-Should The Power that's Inside be 'paid for' by collateral damage rather than a Condition? I wary of 'Mark a Condition' to activate and and then on a Miss 'Mark some more Conditions... SUCKER!
-I'd like a way, or even a couple of ways, to take Influence over people, but I couldn't figure out where to tuck that in. Beautiful and Terrible seems to make the most sense, but it also seems balanced as is.
Any help anyone wanted to offer would be appreciated!
So here's a version I've been tinkering with, heavily inspired by one I found on-line. I would welcome any feedback.
Note that the only change from the standard Playbook is the Moves. For the sake of simplicity and ease of use, everything else is word-for-word the same. So you can skip down to that part if you like. The rest is included for the sake of form.
An alternative playbook for Masks: A New Generation, by Magpie Games
A re-write by truemane of a Playbook design by Cloven Pine Games
Look: ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/ Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
sparking eyes, multicolored eyes, intense eyes, deep circles under eyes
preppy clothing, hand-me-down clothing, statement clothing, nondescript clothing
power-dampening suit, arcane costume, otherworldly costume, classically heroic costume, no costume
Abilities
You can manipulate the world on an elementary level. Choose one option from the list as the general principle of your power:
telekinesis and telepathy
sorcery
biokinesis
elemental control
gravity manipulation
cosmic energies
Labels:
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) Danger +1
Freak +2
Savior 0
Superior 0
Mundane -1
Backstory: When did you first use your powers?
Who was the first person you accidentally hurt with your powers?
Who, outside the team, helps you control your powers?
Why do you continue to use your powers?
Why do you care about the team?
When Our Team First Came Together:
We destroyed our surroundings in the fight. Where was it? What did we destroy?
Relationships: You hang out all the time with __________________ to blow off steam.
You once hurt ________________ when you lost control of your powers.
Influence:
Choose your demeanor: happy facade or locked down.
If you choose happy facade, give Influence to three teammates.
If you choose locked down, give Influence to one teammate.
Nova Moves
Take Conduit and Two Others
Conduit
For any roll involving your powers, you may mark up to three Conditions to gain +1 forward on the roll for each Condition marked. If you do, on a Hit, in addition to any other options you may also stun an audience into respect, fear, or silence. And on a Miss, in addition to any other options, you lose control of your powers in a terrible way.
Phenomenal Cosmic Power
When you directly engage a threat or defend someone with a display of your might, you may choose to cause significant collateral damage to roll with +Freak instead of +Danger or +Savior.
Beautiful and Terrible
When you loom over someone while mantled in power, you may provoke or comfort and support them with +Danger instead of +Mundane or +Superior (they are considered susceptible to your words). On a Miss, mark a Condition.
Grounded
When you lose control of your powers in a terrible way, you may designate one teammate as your tether. That tether takes +1 forward to comfort or support you. On a hit, they may return your powers to your control. On a miss, they take a powerful blow from your unstable powers and you must mark a Condition or flee the scene.
The Power that’s Inside
When you unleash your powers to to overcome an obstacle, reshape your environment, or extend your senses you may choose to cause significant collateral damage to instead remove an obstacle, transform your environment, or appear anywhere in a scene regardless of time, space, or probability. On a Miss, mark two Conditions or lose control of your powers in a terrible way.
I can See Forever
When you touch the source of your power to understand the universe, you may assess the situation with +Freak instead of +Superior. You may ask an additional question, even on a miss. On a Miss, mark a Condition.
Moment of Truth
Your mind’s eye opens, and you can see the world around you like never before. You can control it, at will, with ease. Of course, warping reality tends to have ramifications down the line, but in your moment of godhood...how could you possibly be worried?
Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if there is any fear in their eyes when they look at you. If they say no, take +1 forward and mark potential. If they say yes, immediately shift your Danger up and Savior down.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them how they could stop you, if it came down to it. Give them Influence over you and clear a condition.
Advancement Take another move from your playbook
Take another move from your playbook
Take a move from another playbook
Take a move from another playbook
Someone permanently loses Influence over you; add +1 to a Label
Rearrange your Labels as you choose and take +1 to a Label
Unlock your Moment of Truth
Take The Bull’s Heart from the Bull playbook
_____________________________
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below
Unlock your Moment of Truth after you’ve used it once
Change playbooks
Take an adult move
Take an adult move
Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city
So the Nova should be more or less nonstop GO BIG OR GO HOME. The MC always has the option to have them lose control of their powers as a Move, but I wanted to give the Player to have some say over how salient a risk that is.
One thing I couldn't work out in my head was a way to change the scale of their power use. I would like Conduit to also have something like: on a 12+ whatever you're doing is now crazy-big or crazy-intense or just crazy-crazy. So when they really Go Nova, there's another level on top for them to reach.
I just couldn't figure out wording I was happy with.
Some other thoughts:
-Could Conduit give Hold (and then spend Hold for +1) rather than +1 forward? Mechanically, it's the same thing, but narratively it's the difference between charging up before a fight and channeling during.
-If we did Hold, as above, could the Hold increase the more Conditions they mark (like instead of 1, 2, 3 Hold for 1, 2, 3 Conditions, it could be 1, 2, 4 or 1, 3, 5)?
-Should The Power that's Inside be 'paid for' by collateral damage rather than a Condition? I wary of 'Mark a Condition' to activate and and then on a Miss 'Mark some more Conditions... SUCKER!
-I'd like a way, or even a couple of ways, to take Influence over people, but I couldn't figure out where to tuck that in. Beautiful and Terrible seems to make the most sense, but it also seems balanced as is.
Any help anyone wanted to offer would be appreciated!