Masks: A New Generation RPG: Discussion – Page 14 – Powered by the Apocalypse G+ Archives

How does the Brain’s “Always prepared” work? I mean, what’s the advantage? I feel like something is missing there.

Also I like how every other move revolves around Influence. Kenzi / Heart-Shaped-Pupil of Ward is so much a Brain.

I’m finding the rules for player hooks a little vague and have some questions. Hoping some of you can help.

*How do I use the ‘hook impulse’s? Take for example Mundane vs Savior, ‘To ask for empathy and mercy’. Is this something I should activate as a move? Should I have an NPC asking this player for mercy at the moment of his defeat?

*under Freak vs Savior there is an impulse I don’t grok. ‘To place responcibility’. it doesn’t read as a complete sentance to me, and I have no idea what it means.

And feedback appreciated.

Help with arc. Certain people might not want to read this.

…

I’m think about an arc where the villains are amassing troops to prevent a possible alien invasion. Basically, a cabal, possibly led by diviners, who insist that authorities aren’t doing enough. They have acquired materials to produce more parahumans. There is some collusion within the established heroes. They will try to rally the public next.

I can’t quite figure out whether this corresponds to one of the arc arche types in the book.

In my quest to be the most prolific poster here, I ask you:

How much adult interaction goes on in your games, and how does it play out?

I am asking because one of my players is suggesting there needs to be more (I tend to have brief interactions at the beginning of sessions and then the team goes on a mission and then everyone has to go to bed, so unless they were fighting an adult, it’s just that beginning one). And I am unsure how to make that happen.

Scenario: the functional equivalent of the Cuckoos from X-Books is stuck in a gestalt and causing issues.

Scenario: the functional equivalent of the Cuckoos from X-Books is stuck in a gestalt and causing issues. (Ok let’s be honest: they ARE the Cuckoos, but not really since I know nothing about them except that they exist)

Was pondering making a Custom Move to try to pull one out of the gestalt. But I put it off til 6 hours before the game and now am brain fried.

So is this a good idea, and if so, got any suggestions?

thanks!

Is there a playbook designed around the “Future Me Scares Me” trope?

Is there a playbook designed around the “Future Me Scares Me” trope? I’ve been tossing around in my head basing a character off a future or alternate reality version of another player’s character. It kind of feels like this could work with any playbook that shows a clear contrast with the ‘true’ version of the character, but was curious if anyone has come up with something to specifically capture that idea.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FutureMeScaresMe

Are there any other online resources where there are people talking about and sharing things regarding Masks?

I know Doyce Testerman has mentioned finding some fan-made things on forums (on his podcast). Curious if there’s any kind of unofficial nexus.

Question about some moves in Deck of Villainy, the answers to which might be extrapolated to other such Villain…

Question about some moves in Deck of Villainy, the answers to which might be extrapolated to other such Villain moves.

Satin has “Evade an attack with uncanny grace”. Is this suggesting that Satin can turn a successful directly engage (with a physical attack) into an unsuccessful one, that Satin can make it impossible to even use directly engage on them, or something else?

Blood Opal can Instantly heal a deadly wound. Does that mean she can erase a condition if the narrative reason for the condition is that she has been wounded?

Helldrake can turn into a titanic, nearly invulnerable dragon. Does that transformation make it impossible to physically harm her, so directly engage a foe is useless unless the intent is a non-physical wound?

There are other references to evasion and invulnerability in the deck.

Again, I think I am getting snagged on where the mechanics (marking conditions) meet the narrative, and understanding the intent of these moves will help me with making my own!

Black Panther Thoughts on Shuri and STEAM:

Rather than the face of STEM, I think Shuri is if anything the face of STEAM. I think most people know that this stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, though they may be less familiar with rationales for what the arts provide to that construction.

There is an unfortunate assumption that it either serves only to make STEM ideas palatable to non-scientifically inclined people or that STEM has the power to make artistic ideas a reality. What the Arts actually do is incorporate a human element. If you are considering user-centered design, whether from the aesthetic, cultural, or experiential angle, then you are required to envision and react to those potential users using knowledge that exists solidly in the artistic realm.

You can see Shuri’s appreciation for the arts in how she dresses and carries herself, and in her general practice of looking forward while still maintaining a cultural connection to Wakanda. Her designs are functional and elegant, and clearly reference designs, patterns, and uses that have emerged over the centuries in the isolated Afro-utopia that is Wakanda. You can also see this design philosophy in the nation’s buildings, styles of dress, rituals, and more or less every other aspect of life.

The various disciplines in STEAM can’t really be isolated in these constructions, so seamlessly are they integrated together. This is something of the whole point of STEAM for me, that concepts coexist to the point of complete synthesis. Essentially, STEAM ceases to exist because it is integral to thought.

This also points out part of the problem with using either STEM or STEAM within this context, which is that they are essentially Western divisions and unifications of thought. The terms (in my head canon) would be meaningless to a Wakandan, because they do not impose those separations in the same manner. Certainly, they would understand technology as an area of specialty, but to pull it apart from their history, philosophy, and people? Never.