Here’s a thing I’ve been thinking about. Probably our group will decide to go in a completely different direction, but could be a fun thing to try.
Originally shared by J. Walton
The Cage: A Setting Hack for Monsterhearts and for Brand Robins
Inspirations: Hunger Games, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Coalition from Rifts.
In the near future, everybody has been told that monsters exist. After all, they were directly responsible for the collapse of civilization in the middle of the 21st century. That was definitely the monsters and not, say, the political fallout of ecological collapse and rampant epidemics.
Now, humankind lives safely in glistening walled fortress cities that protect us from the post-apocalyptic wasteland beyond and the monsters that roam the new wilderness. Here young people are taught in the paramilitary academies to loyally serve their city-state and to maintain a vigorous but ultimately toothless rivalry with those from other city-states, with whom we cooperate in manufacturing, agriculture, and security. Exhibiting internal divisions just creates openings for the monsters.
Because the threat of the monsters has not ever truly vanished. No, some monsters have managed to sneak their way into the city-states, posing as normal humans. Some traitorous humans have even betrayed their species by consorting with them or not reporting to the State Police that one of their associates or family members has been turned. Consequently, we must always be vigilant for signs of monstrous abominations in our midst.
That is why, young citizen, that your teacher has suggested we run some bloodtests. She reports that your behavior has been erratic of late and that you have missed several class meetings. Is there anything that you want to tell us?
Any associated custom moves?
(also: cool! this brings the game in a totally different direction, but it’s really interesting!)
Not yet, but there could be! I think you could run it pretty easily with just the standard moves.
J. Walton, I think this is really interesting! I would love to give this setting a try as MC and player!
Dani L. Awesome. Maybe at Gamestorm or GoPlay this year?
This description should probably use some additional guidelines on the “homeroom” equivilent, how the MC should think about threats and villains, the kinds of activities that are expected of young citizens, random inspections, the monster underground, and what happens when the PCs start to strain against the bars of the cage.
This reminds me of the movie Warm Bodies. Sounds pretty cool.
Christopher Stone-Bush Haven’t seen it. I’ll have to check it out.
It was a decent movie. Not exactly what you wrote up, but similar. Post-zompocalypse, people are holed up in walled compounds, with zombies outside. Zombies are mostly intact, and can almost pass themselves off as human, so there’s a constant fear of them getting inside. It’s a romantic (dark) comedy.
J. Walton , sounds good! Don’t think I’ll be at GameStorm but GoPlay if you’d be up for it. 🙂