Anybody have experience running Masks for two players, and if so, how did it go? I feel like the team dynamics would break down a bit with less than three characters, but I’m curious if that’s true in play.
Anybody have experience running Masks for two players, and if so, how did it go?
Anybody have experience running Masks for two players, and if so, how did it go?
I tried and it feel incomplete, like something is missing, IMHO any game powered by Apocalypse engine demands 3 to 5 players, depending the game. It isn’t a good game to run solo or duo games
I run my Masks campaign for two – extremely good – players. It works pretty well though the drama needs to lean on NPC ‘ s more when there isn’t enough PC characters. I started with introducing Rival to one player as very close friend in our school setting and expanded it there.
I think three plus would be better in general, but with two involved and vocal players it can be done with good results – but I do think everyone must be really in for the game.
the problem is at the influence. The influence mechanic works like a wonder for a more diverse and spread game, when it is with 2 players it usually becomes a gentlemen pact where each player usually don’t “challenge” each other to improve
I did my playtest with two players (the third couldn’t make it) and while we liked the game a lot (hey, I bought it!) most the Influence mechanic got left on the shelf. Because I had no experience with PbtA games, I didn’t compensate, though I did provide adults who had (and lost) Influence, and some teen NPCs for them to exert Influence over. The players also constructed stories where their characters were tightly intertwined (well, one was like ivy wrapped around the other, but you get the idea).
There’s probably room for a “Masks Minor” variant game that is just for two players while newbie GMs (well, new to PbtA) adjust their own styles to make sure that everything matters.
What about each player having two characters and the GM having one too? The system seems like it will work well still.
It could. That’s not what we did, but that seems like it could work.
A playing NPC sounds like a so lame soluction.
Thanks for the input, everyone! Sounds like Masks would likely be a bad fit for the two players I have, though if they really jump on the premise we’ll give it a go. Might do two characters each, we’ll see. I’ll report on how it goes, if it goes.
James Etheridge You might try Worlds in Peril for two players. It’s also PbtA, and uses the more traditional Bonds approach, although I’m tempted to morph Bonds into Flags/Buttons to allow for players swapping out
I’ve actually tried Worlds in Peril before, but I didn’t really care for it. It admirably accomplishes what it sets out to do, but it’s a wholly different experience from Masks, and I much prefer the latter. All the same, thanks for the suggestion!
I ran a multi-year Monsterhearts game with two players. Add a consistent NPC and it worked just fine. We had loads of player-created NPC’s as well to mess with.