I’ve been introduced into this game as a alternative to the WoD and I’ve looked into the premise into this game and it seems there’s a whole alot of problems.
First of all, seems like this game is very centered on playing as a teenager which not only that, it also has unnecessary baggage like romances, teen angst, love triangles, high school, etc which it seems monsterhearts is rather based on Young Adult books which has all the tropes that I’m rather sick of seeing personally.
So I wonder if Monsterhearts can have all the young adult baggage gutted out somehow to tell a standard WoD style Noir story taking place in a city or do I have to play a different game? Assuming because if the unnecessary baggage like teenage romances/relationships are actually built into the game which makes it almost nigh impossible to fix. So far as a alternative to the WoD, I’m not too happy what’s presented in Monsterhearts so far.
Sorry, I think you should look elsewhere. The game is about playing hormonal teenage monsters (nothing problematic about that, it’s one of the best games out there).
I’d suggest Urban Shadows.
Yeah, Urban Shadows. Monsterhearts is a great game, but it’s not a World of Darkness alternative.
Well I’ve tried out Urban Shadows and I didn’t like the corruption roll concept and the prospect of loosing your character but to show up as a antagonist.
As for Monsterhearts, I have to say alot of the tropes associated with young adult fiction are very problematic since for one, I think relationships and especially love triangles are nothing but abuse enablers which I find very unnerving and disturbing. Also when I was growing up as a teen, I didn’t have a romantic relationship nor did I went to Prom since I was mostly a mostly a loner and rarely had any friends in high school.
Try Undying: magpiegames.com – Products | Magpie Games It’ll probably be much more to your liking.
Monsterhearts is specifically built to tell these sorts of stories, and to explore them in a healthy way. Whilst you may think they are problematic, I have seen this game, specifically, used for a lot of good. It’s fine if this isn’t the game for you, but please respect that it is the game for many others.
I’ve played the game in a college setting. It’s fairly flexible. More than teeenages it’s about playing conflicted characters with an underdeveloped sense of self. I actually find it hard to relate to my own teenage years but it’s still a fun game. I am working on an outsider skin that focuses less on relationships and more on not fitting in.
All in all the sort of drama the skins suggest is as much a part of the game as the stuff like Humanity in WoD. You can try to hack it out but it’s part of the approach. Look for skins that suggest the issues you want your game to address if you do try it.
I think MH would works fairly well for a WoD replacement, but that is likely since I am actually on the exact some path as you are, just on the opposite direction. I used to run tons of Monsterhearts but my groups have changed and I took up playing in some World of Darkness games to see if they had they same spark.
I too am unimpressed that most of the stories I have played in WoD, particularly the recent Minds Eye Theater game I joined. I found most of them excuses for people to act out their childish arrogant fantasies under the guise of “just playing my character”
I have played MH games, some of them worked. Most of them didn’t or didn’t capture the feel of Monsterhearts had when people were dealing with all the Drama. I know
If you are looking for urban horror fantasy might I suggest trying Unknown Armies 2nd (or the new 3rd edition that was recently kickstarted). If you are willing to give up the concept of supernatural monsters and admit the core conceit that Monsterhearts plays with that they are all just archetypes of people any way., you can tell some fairly interesting stories. You can do them with MH but the games work best with character who fall into the petty drama BS
zonilo1 I also agree that I don’t think MH is the game you want to start with because the parts you are trying to remove are the core experience of the game.
I know some have mentioned Urban Shadows and Undying.
You mentioned that you don’t like Urban Shadows because you don’t like the idea of losing your character only for them to come back as an NPC. Is this the ONLY thing about Urban Shadows you don’t like? If so that might be a much closer starting point (though again I think you’re cutting out one of the core pieces of the game).
Instead, what parts of WoD games are you looking for? What do you want to explore? What do you want to do in the game you are looking for? If you can identify these themes and mechanics, maybe we can help you point to right game for you.
I also recommend Undying for this purpose.
Hate to break it to you but Undying has the very same personal horror theme directly ripped from Masquerade/Requiem (humanity, the beast, etc) that I rather trying to get away from.
It might be a stretch, but there’s Monster of the Week as well.
However “Monster of the Week” is a hunter game, not a game where you play as monsters (specifically Vampires I’m looking for).
As the designer of the game, it sounds like it’s not what you’re looking for.
High school, teen angst, fraught sexual awakenings, and love triangles aren’t “baggage” that can easily be cleared away, they’re the focal point of the design. It sounds like a mismatch with your goals.
Thanks for taking the time out to respond. Since you said they’re the focal point of the design I guess I could might as well consider Monsterhearts as out of the question then especially since I like none of those tropes associated with young adult fiction especially the romances and love triangles being the biggest ones which I said before they’re nothing but toxic relationship and abuse enablers as far I can look at it.
Okay, I think this has been asked and answered. Everyone, no further posts please. If you have specific gaming advice for the OP then please message them directly.