Category: Worlds in Peril: General Discussion

I put together of some of the teams that work well ported into a game of Worlds in Peril. I could only think of 10 off the top of my head, anyone have any other ideas?

Hey everyone, so if you haven’t heard, Masks is blowing up on kickstarter right now. I’m contributing a stretch goal if they reach 30k having to do with an evil corporation, a fountain-of-youth-drug and their connection to the villain named the Chrysalis and his Molt Men!

Here’s a bit about the game that Stras Acimovic wrote awhile back on his wall. It sums up the game pretty nicely I think and should help people in determining if it’s a game they want to check out:

What is it?

It’s a PbtA Young Superheroes game. If you like shows like Teen Titans (the original one, with the Puffy AmiYumi opening) or Young Justice (I am a huge fan) then this might be up your alley. It’s all about struggling with identity, dealing with issues outside of being super, and troubles with being a team.

What’s cool about this game?

● New Tech. In most PbtA hacks there’s usually one piece of new tech that’s magic or really compelling. Masks comes with a half dozen (although to be fair a number of them are kind of brilliant fixes to old tech like Conditions). Some are things I’m shocked I haven’t seen before (like playbook tied GM moves). Good stuff.

● Identity and Self Perception. Stat’s are fluid because they represent how you see yourself. Eventually as you learn who you are, and as you reject how others see you – you can lock these in place. But it’s a really interesting mechanic that also shapes discussion about who you are. If you want to see a character change in more ways than just gaining powers this is a really interesting take.

● Supers but not Superman. There’s a great variance between Adult moves and the ones you start with. These are not well polished heroes that have everything figured out. By the time you are that … you advance (and become a superhero in your own right and leaving the game) which is great. It creates for drama, tension, lots of teen angst.

● Teamwork. I love how they took assist mechanics and made it a core conceit that really ties to the whole ‘figuring out how to work together’ thing. I am a fan.

● Holy Heck Conditions. So there are no hit points. But if a villain decks you you may get angry. What’s awesome about these is not just that they provide mechanical interface with how you play (when you’re angry you’re less likely to connect with someone, or try to understand them) but they have specific ways to get removed (blow off steam! act out! Get in a fight with someone making things just worse. But then you’re not angry but they may be … whoops). I’ve seen conditions in other games (say BW) but this is a really stellar take on them that hooks hard into fiction and makes a lot of sense with how you get it and how you get rid of it. Really cool stuff.

● Art. Ok this is at the bottom (and really it shouldn’t be) but they got one amazing webcomic artist to do the art for the playbooks. It looks absolutely incredible (I’m iffy on the color scheme for the Beacon, but that’s the worst complaint I have). That Bull playbook pic though folks. So great.

What might you not like about it?

● If you’re looking for a superhero simulation – this isn’t it. It’s really about teen drama, and dealing with pressures placed on young shoulders. If you just want to have a shiny smile and uphold virtue and punch bad guys … maybe not exactly what you’re looking for.

● It’s narrow band young supers. It’s not generic supers. It’s not about villain punching (although that will happen for sure). You may not be able to create an accurate power depiction of whatever hero you want.

● Maybe you just don’t think heroes are awesome and superheroics are not your jam.

● You strive to stop being a teen hero and develop your own identity (winning is retiring – you stop being a young hero and become a big name in the supers society). Maybe that’s not your cup of tea.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1277034820/masks-a-new-generation?ref=home_social