I played my first game of Monsterhearts last night with Kathryn Jenkins, Dom, Ven, Robin Poole and Victoria Allin,…

I played my first game of Monsterhearts last night with Kathryn Jenkins, Dom, Ven, Robin Poole and Victoria Allin,…

Originally shared by Oli Palmer

I played my first game of Monsterhearts last night with Kathryn Jenkins, Dom, Ven, Robin Poole and Victoria Allin, ran by Scott Dorward. It was fairly bizarre, that’s for sure.

I’m playing the Ghoul skin. Cole Harrison used to be a decent lacrosse player till he was involved in a car crash. Rumours abound said he died that night but his dad is the local chief surgeon and evidently very good at his job as he managed to stitch Cole back together.

Cole has not been the same since, dropping out of lacrosse and becoming quite withdrawn. This didn’t stop him however from lobbing a corpse up a tree to try and hide it, raining blood down on all his class-mates.

Hugely looking forward to next week to see the next episode unfold!

(quick photo mash-up to give an idea of Cole, image taken from Jeffrey F. Bill / The Baltimore Sun before being edited into an abomination of a human life)

I’ve posted these before individually, but I’m looking for more feedback on some moves.

I’ve posted these before individually, but I’m looking for more feedback on some moves.

I’ve posted these before individually, but I’m looking for more feedback on some moves. They’re all for a teenage witch themed hack, inspired by The Secret Circle. All the characters are witches and the Skins focus more on high school archetypes; the loner, the rebel, the popular kid, etc.

Everyone has access to this move:

Weave Magic

When you weave magic into a mundane action, you perform extremely well or achieve more than you would normally. (If you would roll for a move, roll 1d6+1d8 instead of rolling 2d6.) Then choose one:

– it took more out of you than expected, gain the Condition drained;

– your actions attract immediate and unwanted attention;

– the Powers take a String on you.

These move are for The Loner Skin:

Disinterested

Whenever you stand by and just watch rather than get involved in something that should, or does concern you, everyone who is involved loses a String on you.

Dispassionate

Whenever you act with obvious emotion, whomever caused the reaction, and any observers, take a String on you.

This move is for The Outsider Skin:

Perfect Words

When you lock eyes with someone to know what they’re feeling, roll with Dark. On a 10 up, hold 3 and on a 7-9, you both hold 1. During the scene, you can spend your hold one-for one to ask the following questions, player to player:

– What is your character thinking right now?

– What can I say to make your character feel better?

– What can I say to hurt your character?

Players must answer honestly, and take +1 forward while acting on the answers.

This move is for The Reckless Skin (not satisfied with that name):

Sexy Dangerous

When you impress someone with an act of destruction, violence, or bravado, chose one of the options below, then roll to turn them on with Volatile.

– you accidentally injure someone nearby;

– you cause more collateral damage than intended;

– you suffer 1 harm;

– you gain the condition reckless.

These moves are for The Passionate Skin (again, probably change the name of this one):

Up For the Challenge

When you turn someone on who everyone knows is in a relationship, on a 10 up, take a String on their partner as well. On a 7-9, add this option to the list: they give you a String on their partner.

Honeyed Words

When you converse with someone in an attempt to dig up dirt on them, roll with Hot. On a 7+, they tell you something about themselves they wish they hadn’t. On a 10 up, give them the Condition secretly under [your name]’s thumb.

Again, feedback would be appreciated. Thanks. 🙂

Now one “Skin” that does not exist in Monsterhearts is the Intrepid Reporter snoopy investigator type character who…

Now one “Skin” that does not exist in Monsterhearts is the Intrepid Reporter snoopy investigator type character who…

Now one “Skin” that does not exist in Monsterhearts is the Intrepid Reporter snoopy investigator type character who wants to find out everyone’s secrets (and maybe expose them or use them as leverage). Some examples might be Veronica Mars, Harriett the Spy, The Hardy Boys and other teen mystery novels.

Some suggested moves would be one that allows them to get strings on other people by manipulating NPC’s for information or dirt. Probably some kind of ability to use Dark to investigate a scene of an event and get information of what’s going on. And of course there is some kind of research type move that lets them delve into information networks, newspapers or occult lore to get further information on a subject.

As for the Darkest Self, its hard to think of what that might be. A suggestion could be their Darkest Self means that they are driven to publicly expose everyone’s deepest, darkest secrets and dam the consequences and only can get out of it if they see the harmful reproductions of their actions or are convinced by someone that doing so would bring more harm than good. What skin would be a good idea for this?

When you give someone a makeover, roll+Hot.

When you give someone a makeover, roll+Hot.

When you give someone a makeover, roll+Hot. 

On a hit, gain a string on them. On a 10+ choose 2, on a 7-9 choose only 1 and they also gain a string on you.

– They take +1 ongoing to their Hot and -1 ongoing to a Stat of your choice until they change their style

– Ask them a question that they must answer truthfully

– Remove one of their condition and give them a different one

– Offer them XP if they do what you want 

With apologies to all, I began veering dangerously off-topic in the thread on Colin’s PBP Facebook game.

With apologies to all, I began veering dangerously off-topic in the thread on Colin’s PBP Facebook game.

With apologies to all, I began veering dangerously off-topic in the thread on Colin’s PBP Facebook game. Let us continue here, if there is any juice left in the discussion. 

We had the brave, and very forgiving, +colin spears agreeing to trial a mark-experience-on-failure (ie roll of 6-) as occurs in Dungeon World. My prediction is that it will encourage risk-taking among MH players, and since risk-taking is most of a teenager’s job description…

This is (technically) a rules hack. 

So I’m starting a PBP game via a group on Facebook with some friends.

So I’m starting a PBP game via a group on Facebook with some friends.

So I’m starting a PBP game via a group on Facebook with some friends. Well since part of the appeal is being able to post via the Fb app, I’m not sure how to handle rolling. My first inclination was to just use the honor system and trust everyone to be honest about their rolls, but I wondered if their was any kind of app or something that could be used for the rolls for a PBP/PBFb game.

Any other advice concerning doing MH or AWE games in general this way is also welcome.

Hypnotic Vampires and Jessica Jones

Hypnotic Vampires and Jessica Jones

Hypnotic Vampires and Jessica Jones

Hypnotic is maybe the most powerful and invading move in the game. Nothing else can just force characters to do something. It was a no-brainer for my Vampire to pick it up eventually. In the end I didn’t do anything too terrible with it (worst thing was probably to make another student jump out of a window and break her leg). 

Then I watched Jessica Jones and saw how terrible mind control actually is. Then I thought about what I could have actually done with the move and was sick to my stomach. Forcing the straight edge Queen to drink or to show what kind of genitalia they actually have are jsut one example. 

So I decided for myself that if we play another season of this game that my character will have seen JJ and decide for herself that using that power is terrible and just freaking wrong. 

I will not use it anymore. It’s just sickening to myself now. 

Of course a player could simply X-card me when I would have done such shit and I generally pay attention to my other players in order to not do stuff that would make them uncofortable or would fuck over their character but the option was there.

I still might use it in Darkest Self though. That is kinda what it is for but I am scared of that. 

Its not every day that I run a Queen, but whenever I do, they are especially memorable.

Its not every day that I run a Queen, but whenever I do, they are especially memorable.

Its not every day that I run a Queen, but whenever I do, they are especially memorable. Today it was Alana, who was the identical Quadruplet of Brenda, Kendra and Elyssia – 4 identical blue eyed girls with straight blonde hair and a psychic link. And what a monster she was, ruling over the Quads and seeing out of their eyes. Then Elyssia tried to express her individuality by dying her hair red without my permission….

Rob and I talk about what we feel is great and less-great about Monsterhearts in this podcast episode.

Rob and I talk about what we feel is great and less-great about Monsterhearts in this podcast episode.

Rob and I talk about what we feel is great and less-great about Monsterhearts in this podcast episode.

Originally shared by Richard Williams (Epistolary Richard)

We close out the first season with the Ric and Rob talking about their favourite games. In this penultimate episode of Across the Table, Ric & Rob talk about Monsterhearts, the game of the messy lives of teenage monsters.

https://axthetable.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/episode-seven-monsterhearts/

Listen through iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/across-the-table/id1050414710

https://axthetable.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/episode-seven-monsterhearts