9 thoughts on “Have a Harpy evening!”

  3. I’m getting the same sensation I always get when I read your skins.  There are some great ideas in there but the mechanical elegance, synergy, and power levels are a little misaimed.  Screech in particularly is a great move.

    Anyway, more specific comments.  First “Vivious flock”?  (Spell checker).

    On the moves:

    * Boread Chase 

    I strongly disagree with this one.  Boread Chase allows them to fly.  This should have a similar sort of effect as Dissapate, and the Ghost explicitly has to roll for Dissapate.  “You make a big scene” should be even more obvious if you fly away.  (I’d also disagree that Alkonost is the only supernatural move).

    Just change it into “You can fly”

    * Defiler 

    This is actively stronger than the Growing Up move “Call Someone on their Shit”.  It’s far stronger than the Vampire’s “Ice Cold”.  And there are four separate options, which is huge.

    I can see what you are going for.  How about something like “Defiler.  Whenever you inflict a condition on someone also inflict a condition called “Viciously [condition inflicted]”.  The viciously version is not removed by the same move that removes the original condition.  (So even a Hungry Ghost needs two bites to eat it).  Possibly even “When a condition is inflicted as a result of a move you made or a string you spent” – meaning that the Harpy takes blowback for being a defiler as part of the move (something they should do but is lacking).

  6. I agree with Francis. Almost all the moves are “like a normal move, but better.” Sure, you’re picking fights with other characters…but the mortal has codependency, the vampire has its cold estrangement, and the queen has a fuckup-worthy gang. This has…”people dislike that you’re mean to them.”

  7. Hmm… you’ve just either articulated something I hadn’t or clarified my thinking thanks, Adam.  The Harpy is a skin about being good at being mean to people rather than a skin about someone who can’t help be mean.  There is literally no mechanical incentive in the entire skin for the Harpy to be mean where someone else wouldn’t.  They are simply more effectively mean than other skins on the occasions they choose to be.

    They need a core move that’s either

    (a) counterphobic (something that means they can’t accept compliments and drive people away that way).  “Whenever someone expresses approval of you or turns you on, either give them a string or shut them down”

    (b) incentivising them to gratuitously lash out (an XP move would be the classic.)  Something like “Whenever you make someone break down or run away gain an XP”

    (c) envious. As a – but instead of not being able to accept compliments on you you think you deserve them all.  Whenever you see someone express approval of someone else or turn them on, give a string or shut one of the parties down.

    (d) exclusively possessive.  Something like “Whenever you see something you want it’s not enough for you to have it.  You must ruin it for everyone else so it’s just yours.  Whenever someone turns you on or makes you feel beautiful, you must hold steady or either Shut Them Down to inflict a condition or Lash Out.”

    They also need to take a lot more backlash.  Most of the Harpy’s moves seem to be about teflon coating themselves so they remain pristine rather than dragging other people into the muck with them.  Which leads to the big problem that a powergamed Harpy will rarely even shut people down, and will face fewer consequences when they do.  Harpies should have to scrub the mud out.

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