Soooo I know playing adults is outside the scope of Masks as written, but suppose one wanted to do it anyway? Start play with characters as undeveloped teens, and end with them as (nominal) adults with access to adult moves, some locked labels etc. How would you do it? What, if anything, would need to be changed?
Soooo I know playing adults is outside the scope of Masks as written, but suppose one wanted to do it anyway?
Soooo I know playing adults is outside the scope of Masks as written, but suppose one wanted to do it anyway?
I think it would be tricky, what with the fluidity of the labels being a core part of play. You could look into the possibility of “adult moves”, like Monsterhearts does it, or reframe the adult characters with different kinds of labels, as a quick-and-dirty fix.
I don’t get it. I think it already works that way. You start play as a teen and end up as an adult with adult moves ò_O
Depending on your play or group structure, and how into the details your play gets, I think you could probably manage it with time lapses and interim narration. You start the kids in their tweens in whatever situation they are in, play with the normal set of rules, make sure to challenge their labels in some manner, then when you rule them out, box them out.
Then time lapse, talk to them about what the intervening time has been like, how losing access to that label has affected who they are in development as a hero, their role with each other and the world. Then run through an adventure/series of adventures. challenge their labels, box them out when eliminated, rinse repeat.
As you go, the group may contest roles, splinter or step on each other’s toes when everybody starts being a superior or half the team wants to be mundane and the other wants to be a Freak. Drive play at fruitful junctures there.
If the thought is playing as adult super heroes I might want to encourage transitioning to another PbTA Supers game with the same characters? Their are a few more traditional supers systems built usinb PbtA rules.
Riley Crowder Masks to Worlds in Peril, for example. Not a perfect fit, but might be do-able.
Kind of as Bill and Mo said, you may have to rewrite a few of the moves that depend on label-shifting if they’re going to be full on adults, but it might work. Influence might become obsolete too, so you may need to futz with that, maybe make it more like Bonds in Dungeon World.
But yes, recreating the characters in Worlds in Peril might be less wonky.
Regardless of what you do, please update us! I want to know what you do and how it turns out.
In keeping with what Riley Crowder said I saw this on Drive Thru RPG “Worlds in Peril”. It seems interesting, and it looks like, with some adaptation, it could be perfect for a game of adult Masks.
EDIT: Well, Seems I was late to say this, whoops.
drivethrurpg.com – Worlds in Peril
Joe Hudson Jr Great minds think alike, perhaps? (laugh)
Thanks for the suggestions folks!
The ideas I have so far is to provide more opportunities to lock Labels, besides the three in the playbooks. Ditto acquiring adult moves. (This is likely to be a long term game so I don’t feel too bad about having the growth process take a while.)
I like Influence, but was toying with the idea of it being a way to inflict targeted conditions, once you’re an adult. It’s no longer possible to change your view of who you are, or not as easily as having one conversation – but it is possible to tell you “you should feel Guilty about being such a Freak” and make it stick.
Masks isn’t really a game about superheroes, it’s a game about young people dealing with their growing identities and how people perceive them. I think another game is a better bet for you.