Author: 830toAwesome

So, the last thread was really cluttered and the Playbook for The Persona has moved….so insanely far from what it was to what it is I feel it’s more appropriate to re-post this. There’s a lot I could say about this Playbook. That no one asked for it (except someone did), that it doesn’t need to exist (too late), that it’s totally not what I intended to make (it really…isn’t), that it’s the longest time I’ve spent on a single Playbook (it is by a massive margin and I know we’re not done here), that a Multi-Class Playbook is just not a thing, that a PVP book is absolutely not something Masks needs or the system supports, that I’m running out of things to say, that you can save money by switching to some insurance company.

But really there isn’t that much more to say. The Persona is meant to fill in the role of a hero that needs to take extreme measures to fight the good fight. He’s the ends that the means can’t justify. He’s the shadow of the team, but he’s part of the team all the same.

I took out a lot of stuff for this. Really whitteled it down to what it needed to be. I reworked the Token system to the point it went away. I reworked the Darkness mechanic until most of the rolling should be done by roleplaying. Like the game intends. It went from A Doomed+Janus concept to its own thing. The mission you have should be part of the overall story. The bonuses you get should help no matter what Persona you’re wearing. The moves support someone who leans on their hero side, their alias side or tries to balance both. The Relationships are way better now.

It’s a new playbook.

I am eager to present to you, for the first time and not the first time, The Persona. Catch me next time before the curtain falls on G+ for The Advocate

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jUPDtR_9bEVRPVCNgv8t8WVWAFccx7WPjZZk6nAdbUk/edit

With some help from the player I made it for and the rest of my table, I think this is in a good enough shape to share. The Persona. A Playbook no one asked (someone..did but ya know) but I made anyway.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jUPDtR_9bEVRPVCNgv8t8WVWAFccx7WPjZZk6nAdbUk/edit?usp=sharing

It’s certainly a mechanical monstrosity but I feel it’s fairly…balanced.

I tinkered with this today for a bit, I’m not in a place where I think it’s perfect but I think it’s a good start. I call it Firebrand and devised it for The Delinquent as a mechanic to make them less beholden to the more narratively dominating Playbooks like The Doomed or The Protege whose mechanics sort of make their issues front and center.

Firestarter

Rebel Tokens ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

You’re not just some good for nothing, raging against the machine with sound and fury signifying nothing. You have a reason for shutting people out, for fighting your fight and for harboring the wounds you harbor. Pick one Obstacle.

A powerful, established hero or organization whose methods you find disagreeable.

A personal issue you can’t simply overcome with time.

Familial or outside obligations and expectations.

Any time you work against these Obstacles, by either thwarting or rejecting authority or opening up about your own problems to friends, gain one Rebel Token. A Player may have up to five Rebel Tokens at once and they roll over between Sessions. If a Player gains any Rebel Tokens beyond five, they must Mark a Condition instead. Rebel Tokens may be used to buy various effects as listed

Clear a Condition when successfully Rejecting someone’s Influence (1 Token)

Shift Labels, GM’s Choice (1 Token)

Take +1 forward to impede, agitate or thwart a target. This target must have Influence over you (1 Token)

Clear an additional Condition when Comforting or Supporting a teammate, the teammate must have Influence over you (2 Tokens)

Take +1 forward to impede, agitate or thwart a target. The target need not have Influence over you (2 Tokens)

Take something from an opponent as if you’d successfully rolled a Directly Engage (2 Tokens)

Gain either a vehicle, communicators, false identities, badges of authority, or simple robots from the Mentor’s Resources for a scene (3 Tokens)

Gain an Audience from The Star but take a singular Advantage instead of two. You may maintain this Audience for a session but must make a roll + superior to maintain it when time passes (5 Tokens)

It’s simple. It’s hacky but there’s something beautiful in there.

I can feel it.

Thoughts?

So my players are gearing up for a massive Gala event that has all the makings of a heist/intrigue Issue. Two of my players have decided that to facilitate this heist they need fake identities. I suggested they play well known heroes and have worked on a Mechanic to make the stakes reasonable and not just about the RP. I’d appreciate some thoughts on this mechanic.

Alias:

Suspicion: ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

You have an assumed identity. You must act in a manner which comports with your facade and failure to do so will raise suspicion. Whenever you fail to meet one of the assigned manners of your Alias, mark one on the Suspicion Track.

Well Known but not Well Researched: You’ve studied your Alias prior to using them as a disguise. You’ve learned some of their various tics and mannerisms. Pick Two.

Physical Ailment (Danger/Superior): Your Alias has suffered from a malady for some time. A debilitating virus, battle wounds from a fight with a rival or simply the march of time. Take -1 to Directly Engage or Assess the Situation while acting under your Alias. You may burn one Potential either on your track or earned in the scene to lower Suspicion while playing up your disability or ailment after a failed roll.

Incompatible (Freak): Your powers and the powers of your Alias are wholly distinct from one another. You’ll need some fairly good bluffing to make the square peg fit the round hole. Take -1 to Unleashing your Powers while acting under your Alias. You may burn one Potential either on your track or earned in the scene to lower Suspicion by solving a problem without your abilities.

Callous (Savior/Mundane): Your Alias is not known for their good reputation. Perhaps they’re a villain who wantonly disposes of their minions. Perhaps you’re a hero that punished harshly and praises rarely. Either way, you’re not the sort to stand up in defense of anyone or anything but yourself and your cause and everyone knows it. Take either -1 to Defend or Comfort/Support while acting under your Alias. You may burn one Potential either on your track or earned in the scene to lower Suspicion by rejecting or otherwise acting harshly to a teammate or someone you have Influence over outside your Alias.

Burned Bridges (Superior): The person you are emulating is either not respected, feared or otherwise an outsider to the wider hero community. Your words carry little weight with your peers. Take -1 to Provoke while acting under your Alias. You may burn one Potential either on your track or earned in the scene to lower Suspicion by further acting in a manner that would make your peers ostracize you.

Detached (Mundane): Your Alias, for whatever reason, is well known for their public persona at the expense of their more private reservations and feelings thus making it difficult to relate to others. Take -1 to Pierce the Mask rolls while acting under your Alias. You may burn one Potential either on your track or earned in the scene to lower Suspicion by actively opening up to someone you’ve spurned in the past.

Center of Attention: You’ve picked a popular or famous Alias and the world, regardless of why, has expectations and exceeding Influence over you. Take -1 to rejecting the Influence while acting under your Alias. At any time you may declare you are using your status to distract or place yourself at the forefront of the scene. Roll + Suspicion. On a miss, you may lower your Suspicion by 1 to a minimum of 0. On a hit you’ve got their attention, take +1 forward to your next action but increase your Suspicion by 1. On a 10+, you’ve misstepped, your enemies gain an opportunity and increase your Suspicion by 1. You may burn one Potential either on your track or earned in the scene to lower Suspicion by playing to your beloved status when it is least appropriate.

In the Moment: Any time, until your cover is blown, you may expend a single Suspicion to use an Adult Move associated with your choices from Well Known but not Well Researched. You may use this once per scene.

Facade: Maintaining an Alias is difficult. At the end of the scene or when time passes, roll + Suspicion to see how well you are keeping up your ruse. On a miss, you’ve kept your ruse up and no one seems to suspect a thing. On a hit, you’ve bungled some important detail. What is it? Take an additional -1 to a single Well Known but not Well Researched choices until the end of the following scene. On a 10+, someone knows and they’re bound to sound the alarm. Indicate one person in the scene and say how they know.

If masquerading as an Adult persona, you are considered to have Influence over teenage heroes. If they reject that Influence, instead of removing your or your Aliases Influence over them gain 1 Suspicion instead. Once all five Suspicion points have been marked, your cover is blown. Mark a Condition and prepare for the worst.

Been a really long time since I banged around these parts but not been dormant on the Masks front. Love the new playbooks, excited for the last few that are coming.

Been running a lot of games and a player of mine expressed a desire to play a different sort of Time Traveler. The Samurai Jack/Etrigan sort that’s thrust ages ahead in time. A mix of The Innocent and the Outsider. My players helped with some editing/ideas and I am very proud to present the latest of my Homebrew Playbooks. The Relic.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cbPuGQUfKilN1Ve71ueZe8mHfL1i0c20B8wIizRYLo0/edit?usp=sharing

Back with another Fanbook. After the Joined was totally restructured (and how cool was that?) I felt that there was still some life in the old Joined to be wrung out. So I present the Bonded, a Playbook that’s all about that special bond between boy and dog or…boy and killer robot or boy and magical sword. Some direct inspiration, as you can see, were Red from Transistor (and the eponymous Transistor), Hiro and Baymax from Big Hero Six and Dar from The Beast Master.

Some moves and bits have come over from the old Joined Beta Playbook but I don’t think anyone can accuse this of being a simple alteration. The Playbook plays differently out of the gate and has all sorts of new and (I hope) interesting gadgets.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TkJa54JTERt0G3xDIscGou-cS6H-vpCwTu0U6l4d4F8/edit

Friend did a picture of my Delinquent, Counterspell (Gadgets/Hacking and Telportals) from an old Play by Post Game.