Masks: A New Generation RPG: Discussion – Page 11 – Powered by the Apocalypse G+ Archives

Hello everyone! I’m in need of some advice regarding another possible character and how to play them.

I’ll keep it brief on the details. Davey Prendergast, aka Fogchild, is a Janus of supernatural origins. He can manifest ectoplasm in the form of tendrils (web generation) and use them for making basic objects, grapple ropes, weapons, and has been practicing with certain divining powers (supernatural senses).

More to the character parts, I wanted to give the best effect of the Dangerous Web move–cribbing a phrase from JoJo by announcing how he saw his foe’s move coming and planned accordingly. (And like JoJo, it’s mostly BS.)

My question is whether Fogchild’s Mask label would be better served by Freak or Superior. Spooky effects with ghost fog lean one way, but the bravado and cunning lean another.

(Also, I’m thinking Ghostheart from the Deck of Villainy might want Davey dead more than most people…)

Dear friends:

I have a question about playing the Innocent. Part of that playbook is finding out what your character’s older self did that turned them into a villain. How is that supposed to work in the game — does the player decide on that, or the MC, or both together? I feel uncomfortable writing up this NPC myself and so does the MC.

Another idea to float past the fellows.

Another idea to float past the fellows. Out of the listed abilities for the Nova, I’m surprised that one of those isn’t weather control. A power that, the more I think about it, is made for the concept.

Like the Nova abilities, weather powers are incredibly open ended and limited only by imagination. Jojo’s Stone Ocean arc features a character that makes other weather masters seem like amateurs, even if some uses stretch it a bit.

Furthermore, and more importantly, weather powers are the stuff of horror stories for uncontrollable mayhem. There are so many variables in play to make weather function that creating desired effects is downright miraculous.

Probably just out of room on the playbook, but yeah. Nova controlling weather seems like a great basis for a character.

WHO SHIFTS LABELS?

The move:

“When someone with Influence over you tells you who you are or how the world works, accept what they say or reject their influence. If you accept what they say, the GM adjusts your Labels accordingly; if you want to keep your Labels as they are, you must reject their Influence.”

Reading this, it seems clear the GM adjusts the labels EVEN IF the situation is a PC to PC interaction. Yet that is not the way we have played it; between PC’s we have had the Influencing PC say what is shifted. Is there a rule I am missing? Did I just get confused by the rule on page 77 which definitely says if you GAIN influence over a PC you already have influence over you (the player, not GM) decide which labels shift? How do you play this between PCs?

LOCKED LABELS AND MOVES REDUX

In a separate thread, I asked a question about locked labels, and there was a lot of interesting talk. However, on reflection it occurred to me that there can’t be that many moves that specify a label, and therefore just itemizing them and saying what happens if the label is locked might actually be easier than coming up with some kind of consistent rule. So, here they all are, with my take on what happens if the label is locked.

Bull – Punch everyone – if Danger is locked, nothing happens.

Janus – 2nd Team Move – if either Mundane or the Mask label is locked, nothing shifts, but the Influence gain happens.

Janus – the Mask – once either the Mundane or Mask Label are locked, affirming or denying your secret identity generates no effect.

Legacy – 1st Team Move – if you tell someone they are not your equal, and Superior is locked, nothing happens.

Legacy – I know what I am – if Savior is locked, then ignore the shift, you still add team to the pool the first time you defend a teammate.

Nova – 1st Team Move – If they say yes and either Danger or Superior is locked, nothing happens.

Outsider – Alien Ways – if Superior is locked, nothing happens.

Transformed – 2nd Team Move – If they say gaining, and Mundane is locked, no shift happens but you still clear the condition.

Reformed – What the hell, hero – on a miss, if Danger or Savior are locked the shift does not happen, but you still mark a condition of their choice.

Reformed – Dark Past – if Danger is locked, no shift happens, but you still choose one from the list.

Newborn – 2nd Team Move – if their response confuses/offends you and either Freak or Mundane is locked, nothing happens.

Newborn – Thermodynamic Miracle – if they open up to you and either Freak or Mundane is locked, nothing happens.

Innocent – What’s this thing? – if you act the way they tell you and Mundane is locked, no shift happens but you still clear a condition.

Martyr – if Savior is locked, nothing happens.

Joined – Powers Activate! – if the assistants Superior or Mundane are locked, nothing happens to the assistant. The leader still unleashes their powers with combined Freak.

Brain – Mission Debrief – if Superior is locked, you no longer can mark potential by downplaying your role in the mission.

Brain – Whenever you are confronted with your shame – if Superior or Danger are locked, you must mark a condition.

Soldier – I can do this all day – if Savior is locked, you cannot stop yourself from leaving the fight.

Soldier – Mission First – if Savior is locked, no shift happens, but if you avoided causing collateral damage you still clear a condition.

Two comments –

1) The only move that seems to me to simply be broken by locking the label is the Soldier’s I can do this all day. By broken I mean the move just makes no sense anymore, by locking Savior I can’t do it all day anymore? That just seems weird. Its the only one where I think considering a change in wording after the player locks Savior is worth talking about.

2) I disagreed with Brendan Conway on the Brain’s Mission Debrief.

Another series of thoughts about GM interpretation.

Another series of thoughts about GM interpretation. I’m in love with the Deck of Villainy and the characters featured in it. As well as how many different ways that the characters can be portrayed.

Specifically, I want to highlight Satin. One of their major abilities is complete body control, which gets a custom move, “Evade an attack with uncanny grace.” How would you interpret the move? Does Satin simply bob and weave around attacks? Or does their body contort in inhuman and disturbing ways that put elastic heroes off?

The rule on page 118 says about locked Labels “If that Label would shift, ignore that effect in its entirety.”

A move says “Give them Influence, and shift your Mundane up and your mask’s Label down.” If either Mundane or the mask label are locked, clearly you ignore the second clause. But do you ignore the first as well? Is the whole sentence the “effect” that is being ignored, or just the bit about shifting labels.

It’s looking like a player in my campaign (the Beacon) will have to miss three sessions in a row.

It’s looking like a player in my campaign (the Beacon) will have to miss three sessions in a row. We are all a bit bummed about it. I’m thinking over how to handle this so that positive things come out of it for his character and for the story. I’m open to advice!

My basic idea is to chat with my player about what he’d like his character to do, in general terms, during the sessions he’ll miss. I may suggest playing to some of his current Beacon drives: Take down a threat all on his own, and Travel to an incredible place or time.

Then I’ll craft love letters based on that, probably one for each missed session. I’ll also allow/encourage the players to play a couple out-of-session roleplaying scenes (in a Google doc or something like that) for times the Beacon is able and willing to communicate with the team.

How have your playgroups handled things like this? Or how would you advise me to proceed here? Any tips are welcome!

Another “spirit of the playbook” question here.

Another “spirit of the playbook” question here. I’m considering making a Janus with the ability to shapechange into a dinosaur, opting for a set of powers that are restricted to an alternate form. What I’m wondering is if this is too far outside the realm of what the Janus is supposed to be.

On the one hand, there’s plenty of teen heroes to fit the bill without an actual mask to wear–Danny Phantom and Sailor Moon come to mind.

On the other, I can’t help but wonder how certain aspects of the Janus would function. Would the completely different form make others not even consider a secret identity? Does the Moment of Truth belie a literal unmasking or just an outing of the person behind the mask?

Or am I just thinking too hard about this exercise in creating a hybrid between Diego Brando and Old Lace from the Runaways?

Is it valid for a Protege to target their Mentor with the “Someone permanently loses Influence over you” Advance?

Is it valid for a Protege to target their Mentor with the “Someone permanently loses Influence over you” Advance? Or at that point, if they’re never going to care what their Mentor thinks of them again, should the character just be changing playbooks?

Share your thoughts below!