[PbtA] MASKS: The Underdogs

[Homestarbaby]

Game Name MASKS: The Underdogs

Game System PbtA

Theme Sandbox: Young Generation of Superheroes Coming of Age

Flavour Medium Blend of Lighthearted Antics, Teenage Drama, and Hard Dark Choices (never going to either extreme)

About the System Masks: A New Generation is a Magpie game that runs on the Powered By Apocalypse system. It is a superhero setting where you play teenage superheroes trying to make their own mark on a world as the fourth generation of super powered heroes and villains. Boosted by Sam de Leve on Geek and Sundry's Signal Boost, this game is a lot of fun to play if you are really into story-driven narrative. And the rules are fairly easy to pick up! You can get the basic rules, moves, and play books from the main website here. I will be happy to answer any questions you have about the system or this particular game.

Plot Summary So for this particular game, we will have teenage superheroes that are called together by a retiring hero from the Silver Age to form a new group of heroes. This is a hero of legendary renown, and to some degree each young hero is eager to accept this role and live up to the older hero's expectations. At least at first. The team will face the challenges of villainy, life, and teenage drama. This is not an evil or vigilante game, so don't build a remorseless killer. This is a game about kids that want to be heroes and have to deal with a world that has already seen 3 generations of amazingness. Posting rate will be 1/week, but there will be a story thread for roleplaying with each other between episodes available as well. We could be dealing with a variety of issues in this game through the lens of the teenage perspective: self doubt, dramatic combat, peer pressure, public image, romance, moral choices, freedom, and redemption. The goal is to have a lot of fun and tell a great story! How light/dark we go depends on the group, so please be clear up front if anything starts to make you uncomfortable. We are using the standard setting for the game, so feel free to look into the main city for details on the world that you can work into your background. I am only using official material for everything except art. Fan material posted on the Google Plus hangout group does not count. I am going to hold this application up until August 29th and see if we can get enough interest in the game. If we can make a good team by then, I will roll forward with the game. Details for submitting an application are below... Teen Heroes

Applications Note: Remember that your character actually WANTS to join this group. The plot will not make sense if they are against joining. Character Applications: Hero Name: What are you going to call your super self? You can submit a mild mannered alter ego as well if you want. Not every teenage hero has one, so it is not necessary. But your super hero name is a must! Playbook: Characters in Masks have playbooks instead of character sheets. A playbook helps define who a character is and what they can do. You do not have to have a completed playbook (in fact, do NOT complete your Relationships, Influence, or "When Our Team First Came Together" sections), but I do want to know which one you are planning to use for your character. I will not be accepting multiple applications from the same playbook for balance purposes. Description: Each playbook has some guidelines for this, but I would like a brief summary here. Include not only your appearance and costume but also your personality and general attitude. This is where my interest is most likely to be piqued! Remember, ALL characters are teenagers. Goals: Why does your character want to be a part of a teenage super hero group? Why are they a hero and not a villain? What is it about this Silver Hero that they might admire? Background: Backgrounds are also a part of the playbooks, so use those as a guideline and fill in some details. Tell me about your character's past before they met the team. What was life like before they became a teenager? Roleplaying Sample: You can link to any thread or post on RPG Crossing or write up your own. If your sample is from this application's character's point of view, it will help give a better perspective on the sort of character you are wanting to make! Why: This is from a player point of view, not your character. So why do you as a player want to play this game? What sort of story narratives are you hoping to explore with your character? I am not accepting applications that are not teenagers or want to play custom playbooks. If you have any questions about content, please let me know.

Ordinary Teens?

Deadline: August 29th

Current Applications This is just for my own organizational purposes. Please rest assured I will be going by your full application and not just the brief summary below. Name Hero Alias Playbook Goals Why Feedback? Status Acathala Jenova Ryu Saotome Doomed Live & Leave Better Again yes Complete Dunderklumpen Zenith same Legacy Best Robot Hero Interact/Create Drama yes Complete Blackdragon0 applications withdrawn Torack Metanite - Nova Impress father Would love it no Complete daikaiju Cobalt Maxine Moore Janus less Bumbling more Good Double Life *chef kiss* yes Complete wodine The Hypersonic RockstarSynthwave Angel Flores Star True Rock goals Expand the Danny-verse yes Complete EmmaRae Basilisk Victoria "Vikki" St. Cloud Reformed Redempion Teen Titans fanfiction no Complete GleefulNihilism MVP Jai Smith Scion A way out Sucker for a Good story yes Complete Tahril formerly ToxiaFoxglove Jade Silva Reformed Won't blow 2nd chance redeption/reverse Legacy yes Complete OsmundCinderholt Prince Tachir (Ta-sheer) Outsider Don't be a married ruthless bastard simple yet magical no WIP - - - - - - - -

[daikaiju]

I've been wanting to play this game for ages! Posting interest for now!

[Rook]

Always up for a good superhero role playing game. One of my favorites was a teen titan inspired campaign. Not familiar with the rule system - working on fixing that now.

[Acathala]

Hero name Jenova AKA Ryu Saotome

Playbook the doomed. (Body transmutation, super strength/speed, vitality absorbtation.)

Appearence Ryu is a short, unthreatening Japanese-American. He takes great care of his appearence, the total metrosexual.
If he goes full cosmic horror, he appears as a giant alien plant monster, darkest of green in colour, a mass of thorny tendrils, protecting a body. It also has a giant mouth, with fangs the size of short swords.

Description
"Live your best life and leave the world better than you found it."
Ryu Saotome tries to dress fashionably in the latest style. A user of make up to make his eyes pop. Definitely a pretty boy who wouldn't be out of place in a J-pop band.
Given the fact a Cthulhu style horror is going to kill him and body puppet his corpse to destroy the world, Ryu is surprisingly chill. He's the kindest person you can meet, really preferring to talk, rather than fight, so much so, some people believe him to be a push over. If fighting is unavoidable, he'll use his powers to fight. Push him hard enough to breaking point, by doing something really unforgivably evil, then Jenova comes out, at which point the nicest person in the world is done with your crap.
Ryu has accepted he's going to die. Outwardly he shows no sign of this, being cheerful and friendly. Seeks out new experiences when he can, as he might not have a chance later.
He's chosen the name Jenova as a defiant joke to mock the Cthulhu-esque abomination that's going to kill him. Jenova being the calamity from the sky in FF7. His hero costume is Japanese style black hooded robes with gold lining, along with an Oni(Japanese demon) mask.

Goals
"Time is super not on my side. Got to use what I got left to help as many as I can."
Ryu Saotome wants to help as many people as he can before he dies, and he's acutely aware of the fact he doesn't have long to do it. He wants to join a team because he's hoping they can stop his cosmic horror killer. He knows it's a big ask.

background
"So cultists messed up a ritual to turn me into some sort of cosmic horror. Instead of turning me instantly into it, I now have a slow lingering death ahead. I'm glad I don't spring tentacles."
Ryu was kidnapped by cultist whilst on the way home from school. He was taken to an insane asylum converted into a mansion. There he was kept until the stars aligned.
Bound and chained to an altar, Ryu watched helplessly as the cult chanted words in an old language not of a terran origin. Then it entered him psychically. A nameless horror, overwhelming Ryu with visions of insanity, things that no mortal should see. He was lost.
Yet a part of him still fought back. It would have been all for nothing if one of the cultists hadn't slipped up with the chant, in turn tripping up everyone.
The horror was temporarily incapacitated, and Ryu focusing his will, was able to bring himself back. Somehow he had some of plant Cthulhu's power. Using his strength, he fights the cult and sends them packing.
Using the mansion as his sanctuary, despite knowing it's a very bad idea, Ryu tells himself the cult left a lot of resources here. Resources that he could use to find out things that could help. So far all he had learned is that he's doomed. In his heart of hearts, he knows this is where his final confrontation with Jenova will be.

Why join the team?
Ryu is realistic enough to know "Jenova" is probably going to kill him. He is going to fight it all the way, swinging. He hopes that the team will/could help him. Or at worst stop the cosmic horror that killed him.

Why
I think you're a good DM and I want to game with you again. Plus I like the concept I came up with. So much so I'm applying with it again.

Who would I like to partner with?
Zenith looks like a potential bestie.
Basilisk and Foxglove also have the potential to be interesting relationships.

[Vesper]

Very interested, just starting to check out the rules.

[Dunderklumpen]

Hero Name: Zenith (her hero name, but also her name)

Playbook: Legacy (abilities: super strength, invincibility, eye beams, flight, super senses
Moves: Fight the good fight, Words of the Past

Description: Zenith is tall for her age, blonde, and athletic. She can pretty much pass for a human, although there's a smooth artificial quality to her appearance. She is actually a synthetic (robot or android if you prefer).

She is quiet and nervous. Afflicted with a chronic sense of under-confidence. The weight of expectation from her legacy weighs heavily on her and she feels that everyone is judging her. Weighing her worth against the history and accomplishments of Legacy.

Goals: Zenith's sole duty and reason for existence is to be a hero. This has been drummed into her from birth, but she feels totally inadequate for this calling. She was desperate to find a group to join outside of her Legacy and hopes that a group will make up for her obvious shortcomings.

Background: Zenith is the latest generation of a Legacy of artificial heroes (robots or androids if you like). Earlier versions of the legacy are much more robotic and less human than she is. Zenith is a bold experiment for the Legacy and the first to be 'born' and allowed to mature at a normal human rate.

There is a great deal of expectation and hope placed on this new generation of the Legacy and Zenith feels the weight of that acutely.

Roleplaying Sample:

This thread from a rpg-crossing Monsterhearts game run by girlplay. I'm posting as the Dawn Porter, the Hollow (and psychic leech)

Why: I've run and played in Masks a few times and it's a game I really enjoy. I like the teenage drama aspect on supers. I think it really encourages players to interact, bounce off each other, and create some drama.

[Torack]

Application Hero Name: Metanite Playbook: The Nova (Cosmic Energies) Description: Metanite is tall, broad shouldered, and has dark skin. When he's in his superhero get-up, it's usually a gold and silver shirt with a pair of goggles. Otherwise, he's usually seen wearing a plain shirt and a pair of joggers. One thing he will never do is take off his shirt in front of others, mainly because of the insecurities he has from the strange phenomena his powers cause. Metanite's Torso is almost entirely translucent and has a faint glow. He thought it looked impressive at first, but the way others have looked at him when he took off his shirt has made him increasingly self-conscious about it. His skin, despite its transparency, is as tough as any other's. Goals: Among trying to gain full control over his powers, his main goal is to get strong enough to impress his father. No matter what he's done with his life, or how hard he's tried to achieve accolades, his father always looks at him with disdain and disappointment. He thinks that if he can become a renowned hero, his father will have no choice but to approve of him. Backstory: He got his powers on a random, freak accident while he was hiking with his older brother in Alaska. While on the hike, they decided to take a break within an abandoned cabin, and Andrew, Metanite's true name, decided to wander around the area to sate his curiosity. The sun flared, and with the strange magnetics of the aurora lights, he was suddenly blasted with a wave radiomagnetic energy. One minute, he was admiring a far-off white fox, and the next, he was in a hospital fighting for his life, his skin sloughing off from radiation poisoning and his genes deteriorating. However, against all odds, Andrew got better. His skin grew back, and he felt far healthier than he had before. Andrew's powers manifested a year later. He got into a shouting match with Emily, a high school friend of his, over a girl he kissed, only to find out it was Emily's girlfriend (he didn't even know she was gay). He told her to just drop it, and cosmic energy exploded from him. He rushed her to the hospital, but she ended up making a full recovery. It took her a while to forgive him, but when she did, she helped Andrew figure out his powers and even designed his costume for him. He didn't like it at first, but it eventually grew on him.   Metanite stood on the roof of a highrise, his heart beating fast in his chest, thumping up into his throat. This was his first solo mission as a hero of sorts, and he had no idea why he got convinced to do something as incredibly stupid as this. He was just some random guy with powers that were way, way too dangerous for anyone to have. Somehow that made Emily think he was the right person for this ridiculous job. The building across from him belonged to Vince Hogenson, a nasty businessman with an interest in the strange and unusual. And Emily's ex had somehow gotten herself caught within that building. Apparently she was snooping around trying to make an exposé for the Highschool newspaper. "This is so dumb, this is so, so dumb," he whispered to himself, his fists clenching. "You're gonna be fine," Emily said in his earpiece. "Just like we practiced. "Yeah, but, practice didn't carry the risk of death." "A bit dramatic, don't you think?" Emily said with a chuckle. He could hear the nervousness in her voice. "Just jump and propel. Easy." "Yeah... right." He took a deep breath. And jumped. Metanite used his powers to instantly propel him towards the building, crashing through a window and landing hard on the other side. Alarms immediately went off. Crap! He scrambled up off the floor and ran towards the door and opened it to a wide, narrow hallway. "Emily," he said, his voice shaking, "where am I going?" "Uhmm, give me a second." He heard footsteps approaching from his left. He peeked out the threshold and saw five armed security guards jogging right for him. "I don't got a second, Emily!" "Go straight!" She said, "just keep going straight until you hit the stairs, then go all the way down!" Metanite legged it. He didn't want to have to face off against five armed, big, beefy men all by himself. Not because he couldn't handle them, he was sure he could--maybe?--but because he needed to get to Emily's ex before the sub-basement level was locked down. He reached the door to the stairs and tried the knob. Locked. An orb of bright orange-yellow energy engulfed his fists, and he sent a blast right into the door, blowing it off its hinges. He ran down the steps two at a time, faintly aware the security guards were right on his tail. Right below him, the door opened revealing six more security guards. Metanite came to a halt. Looked back up and saw the guards above him descending. Closing on him fast. He cursed silently as a thought crossed his mind. He looked over the railing and jumped. He screamed all the way down and used his powers to slow his descent enough for him to land almost painlessly on his side. The wind was knocked out of him regardless, and he lay on the floor for a few seconds. After a few seconds of trying to gain his breath, he stumbled back up and opened the door. Right in front of him was one of the most notorious villains in the city. "You know," the tall woman said, looking at him like a cat looks at a mouse, "if you wanted into our program, you could've just asked." Why: I've never played a Masks game before, but I have played in a pbta game a couple years ago. I remember loving it, and I want to jump back into it! Also, I love superheroes, and an underdog story would be hilariously fun!

[EmmaRae]

Quick question: If we happen to be the kind of uber-nerd that happens to have one of the splatbooks, can we use a playbook out of it? Or is it core only? (I'm looking at The Reformed to be specific)

[daikaiju]

Cobalt Name: Maxine Moore, AKA Cobalt Playbook: The Janus - Energy Absorbtion, Impossible Mobility. Description: Mild mannered Maxine Moore is, at a glance, as average as they come. Your normal, mundane sixteen year old girl. Her skin is slightly tanned, both from the sun and her half-Mexican heritage. Her hair, a wavy dark brown, is often kept out of the way in a messy, loose bun. Her clothes, always comfortable, no-nonsense. The only thing that could possibly warrant a second glance would be the well-worn skateboard she is often found carrying (or riding!) - as well as the bruises and scuffs that go along with that. But that's not exactly the sole source of those marks. When trouble arises, Max dons the mantle of Cobalt - a masked hero like all the greats before her. Clad in black and blue, her mask (With its large, opaque white eyes) covers her entire face, with a hooded cape for even more good measure. Her supersuit is somewhat basic in its functionality - She's never had the financial backing of an established hero to afford a more protective suit, but her powers are plenty to deal with the dangers of superhero-ing. Usually. With her body concealed head to toe, her identity remains a secret - a secret she'd prefer to keep safe. When in her day-to-day alter ego, she mostly keeps to herself. She's a bit of an outcast, and she's fully aware of the danger she poses to people by getting close. Max truly shines, however, when she does the two things she loves most. The first of which, is of course, hero-ing. Maxine truly, genuinely, loves what she does. It's not just the thrills (Though, theres nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of going toe to toe with some would-be supervillain.), however. In her heart, she chose to become Cobalt because she knows she's been given a gift, and it's her duty as a gifted individual to help those in need. While she's in the mask, Max transforms. It's here that she can be as chatty and snarky as she wants - partially the safety of having her face concealed, partially the confidence of having her powers, and partially to try and push past the stress of ohgodthissupervillainisgonnakickmybutt. The second place she shines is back in the world of Maxine Moore. She's been skating since she was twelve years old, and to her, little else can match the freedom and self expression of street skateboarding. To her, it's not a sport, it's an artform - and the world is her canvas. Goals: Cobalt strongly believes in doing what she sees as doing the right thing - and as a Super, the right thing is to protect those in danger, an outlook she's held onto since childhood, growing up and watching the deeds of the Silver Age before her. She also knows, despite her best efforts to fight solo, she's inexperienced. She's caused more property damage than she's proud to admit, and she's accidentally let the baddie escape while she was picking up the pieces of some mistake more than once. With a team at her side, Max is certain she'll be able to do even more good. And maybe the public won't see her as some sort of bumbling menace anymore. Background: It was only one year ago that Cobalt was born, but before her, was the sheepish Maxine Moore. Max had a mundane upbringing - as mundane as life could possibly be in Halcyon City. The only child to a happy couple, her family was always lower class, living a stable, yet thrifty life. When she was eight, however, her family discovered up close and personal how dangerous life in Halcyon can be. A battle between two Supers nearly destroyed the massive bridge they were driving across, and the Moores suddenly found their car careening towards the water below - only to be saved in the nick of time by the hero and his teammates, permanently informing her of the duty of a superpowered individual. (Ironically - given that the destruction was at least in part their fault to begin with. But, y'know, she was eight.) Years later, at fifteen, a class field trip to a renewable energy research laboratory would expose Maxine to a blast of energy from a prototype potential-to-kinetic transference device. Seemingly unharmed, she was okayed to return to school. It was there, some days later, during lunch (Her designated skate period), she accidentally stumbled into some jerk a grade above her, after bailing an ollie down a small staircase on campus. On the scrawnier side, she knew better than to fight back when she was physically bullied, but she snapped when the jerk then proceded to stomp her board in half, putting all her weight down the middle. Maxine swung on the bully, sending the other girl flying. In the days to come, she would discover she had absorbed the impacts of all of her falls while skating, and all of the blows the bully had landed, and released them all at once. It wasn't long before Max put on the mask, but her powers weren't enough to save her from getting walloped almost every time she tried to stop a petty criminal. While the damage they inflicted on her could always be used to send 'em packing, and the energy absorbed could ostensibly be used to speed up her body's healing processes, that doesn't mean it didn't hurt. It was a long, long year of self-teaching herself the art of heroics.   Roleplaying Sample: "C'mon, dude. They clearly had a 'no cash back' sign by the register." Cobalt leaned casually against the dirty post of the lit streetlight, arms crossed, in front of the ski-masked man with a cash register drawer haphazardly stuffed into his backpack. Cobalt, of course, didn't see the man rob the cashier at knifepoint - that was Maxine Moore. Unfortunately to him, Maxine Moore's made a habit out of keeping her suit on-hand. And even more unfortunately for him, she had just recently mastered pushing her stored energy to her legs, granting her a footspeed beyond that of any normal human, granting her the edge to cut this chump off as he rounded the corner. She reached a gloved hand out to the man. "Wouldn't wanna get that poor guy working the register back at Tino's to get in trouble for forgetting that policy, would we? Why don't we bring that bag on back?" Beneath the ski-mask, the robber blinked hard, as if to say, who the hell is this twerp? Shaking it off, he instead drew his blade, a meager little switchblade. "Hey, c'mon, I'm pretty sure those are illegal." The robber took a quick step forward, moving to lunge at her. Pushing off her back foot, Cobalt swerved to the man's off-side in the blink of an eye. "That's two crimes!" Just as swiftly, her arm reaches out, smacking the assailant's forearm with an open palm strike and sending his blade across the street. Her other arm reaches around his bicep, and before the man can even react, she pulls forward with more power than a girl her size should have available, executing a quick and sloppy judo flip, his head hitting the concrete and knocking him out cold. "Well. That was pretty easy." Cobalt spoke, the grin audible in her voice, as she flipped the robber to his side with her boot, bending down to free the bag from back with one hand, pulling her cracked cellphone from the carrying case on her belt to shoot a text to the police dispatch with the other. She pulled off her own backpack beneath the cape, letting it rest on one shoulder while the thief's sat upon the other. With the police called, and the money secured, she leapt off, zooming around the corner to the bodega. She tosses the entire backpack to the startled cashier, offering a wordless salute, before zooming off yet again. With a quick change in the alleyway by her building, Max casually saunters into her apartment. "I'm hooooooome." "¡Mija!" Her mother yells out from the kitchen, "Did you remember to stop at Tino's for onions?" Of course she remembered. Every other errand she's had this week was forgotten due to getting sidetracked with heroics, but not this time. She was sure to stuff her groceries into her backpack before running off after the thief - Leaving cash on the counter before she left, of course. "But of course I did, I've got 'em right-" From the entryway, out of sight of the kitchen, she swings her bag around and unzips it. A drawer full of cash. Uh oh. -- Why: I love super heroes. And if it wasn't really, really obvious by the playbook I chose, I adore Spider-man. I'm really hoping to explore some of the spidey-esque double-life narratives around the Janus, and I'm especially excited by the prospect of seeing how that double-life plays along with other characters' playbooks. Trying to build a relationship with someone who won't even trust you to take off their mask? Or, if they become a part of the Janus's normal life, they have to pretend to not be superheroes too? That right there is just *chef kiss*. I've never played Masks, and I've only listened to an actual play of PbtA, but I've been itching to try Masks for a while now.

[wodine]

Character Application Hero Name: Synthwave Subtitle: The Hypersonic Rockstar Legal Name: Angel Flores Pronouns: They/Them Playbook: The Star Lead Singer of A Rose After Midnight, the meteorically mediocre post-punk dark-glam wave band. Age: 17 Description: Skinny Latine with dark hair and eyes, accentuated with pale makeup, leather and lace aesthetic. Their hair is a styled fauxhawk, nails painted Starry Night Madam Glam, black lipstick, and heavy eyeliner. Piercings run down their left ear, and an industrial bar and ear stud mark the right. Several other piercings can be found by inquiring and adventurous men. Danny would describe Angel as the kindest person he’d ever known. They are unabashedly themselves in every situation and have no care for the normalcies of society. Angel has been kicked around by life and because of that they are an endless font of optimism and hope for a better kinder world, which they channel through their voice in their anti-establishment music. Goals: Fame, notoriety, anarchy, freedom of the people, destruction of tradition and a basic truth that exists beneath all of these societal constraints! Change the world or burn it to the ground trying. Background: Growing up, Angel always felt blessed to have their best friend, Danny. Angel lost their mother when they were a toddler and Danny’s dad had taken off about that time too. Their parents shared a duplex in the less than prosperous side of Halcyon City and so the two children were often left with one of the two parents while the other would be working. Angel’s father worked as a mechanic and Danny’s mother as a waitress at a nearby diner that was dive enough for Guy Fieri but probably not quite up to flavor town expectations. Their parents signed them up for soccer together which would keep them busy after school. Danny took to soccer almost immediately while Angel spent most of their time sitting out or doing handstands in the field as the ball zoomed by with Danny scoring another goal. But Danny always made sure to pass the ball to Angel when he thought Angel could handle it… which normally meant when Danny could reposition to quickly get it back. Angel didn’t mind, they were just happy to have more time to hang out with their best friend. Star Questions • When did you first appear onscreen on the radio? So I try to laugh about it, cover it all up with lies. I try to laugh about it, hiding the tears in my eyes, ‘cause boys don't cry. Boys don't cry. Synthwave’s friend Algernon works at the local college radio station. He played a cover A rose after midnight did of The Cure’s Boys Don’t Cry and that small radio spot at 2 am during finals week led to Synthwave’s sudden success as an artist and front person of the band. It was their emotional connection with the song and Angel’s melodic register that allowed the band to soar. Angel possesses an expressive voice that carries the emotional narrative of the lyric accentuated by their brilliant intonation. The lower range is thick and dark with a slight smokiness, often utilized with a languorous tone and a quiver. Clear and bright, with a significant weight and resonance Angel’s voice carries easily over the radio. It has an earthy and almost cumbersome quality, laced with an edge, there is detectable, coarseness at times which oozes with a soulful rawness that connects the listener to the pain, anger, and angst contained in a petite latine frame. • What do you tell people about how you got your powers? Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance. We are entranced, spellbound, spellbound, spellbound, oh, oh, oh. In an attempt to maintain their image Synthwave makes allusions to witchcraft, the occult, and selling their soul – though this is all just a front to maintain their image. In reality, Synthwave has no idea the origins of their powers. • Who, outside of the team, supports your burgeoning star in every way possible? There's a new game we like to play, you see. A game with added reality. You treat me like a dog, get me down on my knees. We call it 'Master And Servant.' We call it 'Master And Servant.' Danny. It’s Danny. Always has been, always will be. He’s my best friend. • Who, outside of the team, loathes what you represent? Let's follow the cops back home. Follow the cops back home. Lets follow the cops back home, and rob their houses. The Establishment is, of course, the greatest enemy of Synthwave. Tyranny shudders at their voice, villains cower in the shadow, and the world will know the name Synthwave. • Why do you care about the team? When we were young, the future was so bright. The old neighborhood was so alive, and every kid on the whole damn street was gonna make it big and not be beat. Now the neighborhood's cracked and torn; the kids are grown up, but their lives are worn. How can one little street swallow so many lives? Synthwave is a child of the city. So are the other heroes. Their successes are Synthwaves, and Synthwave’s are theirs. Together they rise like a successful team – none of them are ready for their debut solo albums. Nova Questions • When did you first use your powers? Keep your voice down now. Keep your voice, keep your voice, keep your voice down. Angel first became aware of their powers on Halloween night. Angel had always been into the darker aspects of life, and as such wanted to dress as a vampire for Halloween. Thirteen years old, still confused, still unsure of who they were, they dressed as Queen Akasha, the first vampire – The Great Mother. Angel had spent weeks sewing, hot gluing, and rhinestoning the costume. They even convinced their best friend Danny to go as Lestat, much to his chagrin. Some of the older boys from school were picking fights with the younger kids, and when one of them hurled insults at Danny the hot-headed soccer star started throwing punches. Danny could hold his own in a fight but was quickly outnumbered. Angel never really learned how to fight, they relied on their quick wit and silver tongue to get them out of trouble, but Angel felt a roiling in their heart and soul. At first Angel thought they were going to vomit, but instead they emitted an ear-piercing shriek that sent the other boys flying. Confused, Angel didn’t have any time to think about what had happened. Danny grabbed them by the hand and then they were running down the street, laughing the whole way. That was the night everything changed for Angel. • Who was the first person you accidentally hurt with your powers? Don't cry on the bridge of starving. So cold, first light; up here on the bridge of night. Forsake me but listen… So lonely, So lonely, So lonely It was the first time they had performed in public. Though ‘public’ might be a generous description of a closed down auto-repair garage with a ten dollar cover charge that came with two tickets for three-fourths of a solo cup full of less than cold light beer. They had just started the third song in the set – that was when Angel noticed the crowd was starting to turn. It didn’t take a professional performer to notice that the combination of teenage angst, hormones, and light beer was going to turn. “Woo!” Even with the impending scuffle Angel couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Danny, red solo cup in hand sloshing room temperature beer onto the floor, jumping around and cheering with out so much as a single beat of rhythm in his entire body. Just as the chorus began to crescendo, something somewhere lit the match of the powder keg and in an instant the garage turned from concert to mosh pit to full on battle royal. When people charged the stage Angel felt that familiar feeling welling inside their diaphragm and shouted to keep everyone back but it was stronger than Angel intended. Stronger than Angel even knew they could muster. It sent them flying backwards, along with his band mates and the people who had been climbing onto the stage. The whole band had cuts, bruises, scratches, two broken bones, and a broken bass guitar. It took a lot of apologizing to get the band to play a second gig, but as they say, the show must go on. • Who, outside the team, helps you control your powers? Daniel when I first saw you, I knew that you had a flame in your heart. And under our blue skies, marble movie skies; I found a home in your eyes. We'll never be apart. Danny is my best friend. He always sees the best in me and is always there when I need him. Even when I don’t know I need him. • Why do you continue to use your powers? I'm just the man in the back. Just the man in the back, just the back. I'm just demeaning the pack, just demeaning the pack, just demeaning the pack. War. **** the system. • Why do you care about the team? Which one of the two of us is gonna burn this house down? Which one of the two of us will burn it right down? Which one of us is gonna burn this house down? One person can change someone’s world, but a whole team might be able to change the whole world. Roleplaying Sample: Felicity Danny Why: Honestly, I’m just having so much fun with Masks. Also I hope you don’t mind my continuing to expand the Danny-verse.

[Homestarbaby]

@EmmaRae - So long as you can share with me all the information relevant to that playbook, I am fine with you playing from any official source.

[EmmaRae]

Can do! The TLDR is they are similar to The Delinquent, but with less "lone wolf" style and more "connections to the criminal underworld".

Application Hero Name: Basilisk Real Name: Victoria "Vikki" St. Cloud Playbook: The Reformed Age: 16 Description: -woman, White, technicolor eyes, concealing fashion, tattered costume From the onset, Vikki looks like your typical Y2K-era goth girl, with pale skin and a slender, almost fragile build, the sad result of malnutrition throughout her life. Born with fake-looking teal-blue eyes, she often dyes her naturally black hair all kinds of colors depending on her mood and what she can get her hands on, and her outfits are usually thrift-store mods embellished by a worn neon-green oversized hoodie. In costume, she also sports an elaborate, custom designed gas mask, a necessity due to her powers which is often switched with a good ole N95 when she has to go incognito. Due to her upbringing and background, Vikki tends to have a much more jaded view of the world than most heroes. While others see the potential heights that humanity can soar to, she has seen the unparalleled depths to which it can fall. This also makes her easier to sympathize with victims, as some have been in the same situation she herself once was. She sports a dry, sarcastic wit either on or off the clock, and can be a bit possessive of her personal space and belongings, and is always down to whoop someone's butt in the lastest fighting game. Abilities: Poison Control: Vikki was born different than most, due to the triggering of a latent metagene. Besides her radient bright eyes, she also possess a unique set of glands that cause all of her bodily fluids to become weak neurotoxins, as well as keep her immune to her own neurotoxins. She is fond of spitting balls of poison in peoples eyes, as well as just exhaling toxic water vapor over people. The usual results are non-fatal, resulting in temporary loss of muscle control, blurry vision, and short term cognitive function loss (basically, the same results as going on an all-night bender all at once). However, she has no way yet to turn this power off, making her damaging to be around long term without her masks. Goals: Redempion. The Basilisk had every right and reason to become one of the greatest villains the city ever saw, but as her formitave years came to a head she realized what she wanted more than anything was to make sure no one else had to go through what she went through. For a bit, she thoughts of becoming a "robin hood" style villain, robbing banks to help out the less fortunate, but then the fates showed her just how deep the darkness runs, and just how big the changes need to be. Background: Vikki's upbringing was rough to say the least. Born the youngest of four, her low-income family wasn't the most respectful or responsive to their young daughter's additional needs, or the added hospital bills that simply living with a walking poison plant could accidentally generate. By the time she was 10, she had learned to just avoid home if at all possible, becoming a truant and a delinquent and hanging out at the local arcade betting punks on fighting games to make enough to eat most days. Who mentored you in supervillainy? It was at the arcade that she met her mentor, Lady Midnight. The supervillaness was everything a young girl could ever want to be: smart, confident, beautiful, and (comparatively speaking) wealthy. Fresh out of prison from her latest breakout, Lady Midnight was looking for fresh muscle for a quick bank job, and liked what she saw with the noob Basilisk. She even secured the girl's first gas mask to both help contain her powers and help keep her identity hidden, and giving her a place to stay as she ran away from home for good at 12. For the next few years, Basilisk would continue to work for Lady Midnight whenever possible, earning a name for herself and even starting to crack into actually going independent when she hit 15. Who first showed you that you could do good? Living on your own isn't everything it's cut up to be, and Basilisk knows she had it better than some others around her. Most of the kids her age she worked with lived at the Saint Mary's Orphanage in one of the worst parts of town. Because of this, she would often have to interact with Sister August, the elderly nun who ran the orphanage. Though older, she was no pushover physically or mentally, and held a strict-but-fair approach to her charges, and was wiling to look the other way in the name of the greater good, and would often lend the young villianess spiritual or emotional support in trying times. It was through these interactions that Basilisk learned just how rough these streets could be, and she would often donate some portion of her takes to the orphanage, especially during her short stint as a solo villain taking out rich targets. What was your goal as a villain? Vikki had two goals as a villain, depending on when you would have asked the question. In the beginnning, it was survival, a means to keep a roof over her head and food in her belly, and it was something she was actually good at to boot. Once she started making a name for herself and learned more about the world and about life however, her goal was to help those around her in the slums, to raise up the poor and the downtrotten mainly by taking from banks and bigwig CEOs who wouldn't even notice the loss. What caused you to switch sides? The villain career of Basilisk came to an end shortly before her 16th birthday, when she learned about true evil. The greed, corruption, and abuse she had grown up in was one thing, but pure evil was quite another. And Armond Leshy was pure evil in its darkest form. "The Bay Street Butcher" preyed on the young and the weak in Vikki's stomping grounds, even taking the life of one of her best friends. This personal attack made Vikki want only vengance, and so she went on the offenseive. First, she used every bit of clout she had to bring forth as many villains as she could against Armond. Then, when that didn't work, she went to the heroes. Offering to give up her villain ways if they would just take him down, and even offering herself as bait, Basilisk threw herself at the mercy of those she had been fighting against for years. And to her surprise, not only did [UNNAMED RETIRING HERO] listen to her, but they manged to pull enough strings to get an actual task force to take down the killer. The plan went off without a hitch, and Vikki was there at the forfront ready to exact vengance, nearly ready to pump the killer full of more toxins then she had ever done before. But once again, [UNNAMED RETIRING HERO] was there to talk her down, reminding her that for all she had done she was always careful never to take a life, that for all her crimes she was not Armond. And so, tears in her eyes, she stepped away and watched her friend's killer be carted off to prison before starting the new chapter in her life. Why do you care about the team? The concept of the 'found family' was one that easily spread in the villain community. Bosses, minions, and henchmen almost always had to have each others backs for survival, and in a lot of ways Vikki carries her feelings on this over to the new team. Some of them were even members of Task Force Zeta, and as a result have seen her at her most vulnerable. Maybe part of it is Vikki's latent issues of not growing up in a good family herself, but she's grown to care about this band of misfits and may whatever deity you believe in have mercy on your soul if you hurt them. Roleplaying Sample: The wonderful Lady Severance, from the currently on hold Thirsty Sword Lesbians game How could we ever forget about Kaylee? Why: I'm a huge fangirl of PtbA games, and MASKS is one of my favorites, second only to TSL. Also, I love teen angst for some reason, and short of writing more Teen Titans fanfiction this sounds like the best way to get that.

[Homestarbaby]

Still working on updating the list in post 1, but wanted to add a couple of quick notes for everyone applying. Yes, you CAN apply with more than 1 character concept. Just realize that at MOST I will only be picking one of your characters. Also, if you want feedback on your application please let me know. I will do a round of feedback responses later this week for those that want it. And finally, posting rate is once a week. Please make sure you have the time to commit to this schedule. I always feel bad when players get left behind in the story.

[Amarga]

Homestar is out here with another hot MASKS game
Wish I had time for another game, good luck!

[GleefulNihilism]

Oooo! A Masks game from one of the better DMs on the site? I'm listening.

Also still combing for art. Right now just going simple, like an all-black Nightwing deal but that's up for debate.

MVP Hero Name: MVP - He does have a civilian identity as Jai Smith, but one really couldn't call it Mild-Mannered. Jai Smith attends a high-class private high school where he's a star athelete, in fact he's openly called the best Quarterback the Football team has ever seen. And the best Pitcher the Baseball team has ever seen. And a pretty solid Wrestler, first string Soccer player... Playbook: The Scion. [Willing to consider other books that fit like the Reformed or the Delinquent, but this seems the best.] Description: Jai Smith is a handsome young man with black hair, brown eyes, and dusky skin. None of that is a surprise if you've met his parents, his father is British and his mother is South Asian by way of India. His eyes are often called his best feature, but when your parents met the way his did that's not entirely a surprise either. What is surprising though is his taste in expensive-yet-simple fashion. In his opinion he was born to wear a suit, whether he is right is up to the beholder to decide. His costume again goes for sleek simplicity, usually just an all black-body suit and a lower face mask. His natural stealthy tactics usually takes care of the rest. MVP likes projecting the image of being just a dumb jock because he thinks it's funny. He is an unapologetic jock to a large degree, but not because of the sports themselves at all. Kind of the problem with his skill and power set is that so many things come natural to him that a lot of life is just outright boring to him. He's not setting out to be the best quarterback and pitcher his school's ever seen, he's not even sure he wants a career in professional sports. He is just looking for something to actually challenge him. He usually has a smirk on his face like he's thinking of a joke you don't know, and will play dumb for a bit of a laugh. Fortunately, Sportsmanship is deeply ingrained in his personality and if he is playing a joke on someone else he never picks on someone he views as too weak to defend themselves. It's been said that he gives off the vibe of being a rich snob bully - but he never actually does any bullying, or at least he prefers to stick to his own weightclass. Fancying himself as a bit of a Ladies Man, he is getting a reputation as a bit of a Flirt/Playa/Hustler if the school rumor mill is to be believed. Goals: When asked what he wants out of the group, what he'll say is that he's just looking for a challenge. He's lying though. One of the few things in this world that absolutely terrifies him is his own powerset, knowing that if he really wanted to find out he'd not find Murder difficult at all. Quite the opposite, he knows that if he really wanted to put it to the test he'd find Murder as Natural and Easy as Breathing. What he wants is a way out, a way to not be scared of his own reflexes. This guy, this mentor - supposedly they have a good track record for reforming villains. Maybe, it's a long shot - but maybe... Background: Officially, Jai Smith's parents are Jesse and Kay Smith - a Corporate Troubleshooter and a former Bollywood Starlet turned PTA President who moved to America for a better job. However, that's not exactly the Truth. Jesse Smith AKA Mark Adams AKA 'Sureshot' - A freelance Assassin-For-Hire who thanks to some lowgrade cybernetic implants and extensive SAS training is a Sniper capable of feats of superhuman accuracy, the only sniper in the world with a confirmed kill past 5 kilometers in fact. Kay Smith AKA Kareena Chopra-Adams AKA 'Kobara' - formerly a Bombay, India based Snaked-Themed Assassin-for-Hire who thanks to a couple minor mutations of her own is capable of feats of superhuman agility and balance. Not to mention a talent for fighting with knives and the use of poisons. The surprise being that the two of them are actually happily married and wonderful parents - save for the fact that they fully expect Jai to follow in their footsteps. The first time he ever saw someone use superpowers for heroism and how he switched sides are actually related, if not directly. It happened when he was 6, being the son of two Super-Assassins of course puts a target on your back for his parent's enemies and supposed connections. In Jai's case, he was known simply as 'The Whale'. The Whale was an international crimelord known for his massive size and for using a luxury submarine as his base of operations. Young Jai was kidnapped and his parents were told that they had 3 days to do dozens of hits around the world or the Whale would kill Jai. What Jai remembers is that his parents became so desperate as time ran out that they actually asked Superheroes for help to rescue him from the Whale. He remembers that rescue, if as you remember things that happened to you when you were a little kid. What he's recently learned is that what he remembers and what actually happened was very different. His parents did get so desperate that they asked for help from the Superhero community for his rescue - but they failed to meet the deadline. Jai is actually still alive because when time was up Jai let the Eye out to defend himself and his natural talent for Murder proved so effective that he himself killed the Whale and several of the crimelord's associates and underlings before the rescue - often just using children's toys as weapons. This is the part where it's said that the experience was so traumatizing to little Jai that they brought in a telepath to erase the memories so he could have a normal life - but that's not the truth either. They didn't bring in a telepath because Jai was traumatized by his self-defense mass murder spree - they brought one in because he wasn't. A talent for murder as natural as breathing, the hope was to put the dark genie back in the bottle and it worked for a while - but he's starting to remember the truth. His parents love him - but they think him becoming a particularly terrifying and prolific murderer is inevitable. The best case scenario in their minds is that if they raise him right they can steer what kind of killer he'll be. They think there's no way they can make him into someone that isn't a Killer, but an Assassin-For-Hire that believes in Sportsmanship and Professional Ethics is a lot better then who they saw on the Whale's Submarine. That killer with their 6 year old son's face, blood on his shoes, and nothing behind the eyes. So they bring him with them on jobs, never to do the kill himself but to assist them and to mold him into a better class of killer. He cares about this team because they dare to give him a little hope that maybe what's buried deep down can stay that way. That maybe 'The Eye' can even do a little good. But a little hope can be a dangerous thing, obviously. Might make him slip all the sooner. Abilities: [Weapons and Martial Expertise] Depending on who you ask, Jai either has no Powers - or he has the Oldest Power, the First Power. In Assassin circles, Jai has what is known simply as 'The Eye'. The stories around the Eye are all said in whispers and told only around campfires. To those of a Judeo-Christian bend, when Cain killed Abel he used the Eye. To those that follow the Hindu Vedas, the Eye was a gift from the Yamaraja and it's intended use was to kill Sinners, but the slightest misuse of the Eye could lead to punishments from the God of Death worse than anything anyone else would suffer. In fact almost all cultures and societies have a story about 'The Eye' tucked away somewhere, suggesting that variations of 'The Eye' have been around for thousands of years. In more modern terms, 'The Eye' translates to 'Perfect Hand-Eye Coordination and Superhuman Reflexes'. To someone with 'The Eye', any object that can be picked up in his hands can be used as a deadly weapon and if it can be thrown it can be thrown with pin-point accuracy. In the Era of Firearms, he can further master guns in mere minutes and shoot with a proficiency near the skill level of military snipers after only a few days practice. Even empty handed, Martial Arts training comes so naturally to him that he can achieve the equivalent of black-belt level skills in mere weeks - even learn at least the basics of a new martial arts form in mere minutes just by watching a master. Roleplaying Sample: Well we have our own Damsel in Distress Solo we can refer to that but maybe for something a little extra - Strike-Out Bottom of the 9th Inning. 1 out, 2 Strikes, and the Sun is going down over his right shoulder baking the field. The silence was perfect, everyone holding their breath as they watch. Jai at the center of it all, literally - standing on the Pitcher's mound as he considers his next move. His team was up by 1, but they had players on 3rd and 1st. One bad pitch could end the game right here. "Ah, come on dad! Why can't I play Baseball?" "Well for Starter's son, it's just a idiot's version of Cricket but that's not the important reason. I know what you're capable of. If you're the Bowler you'd get No-Hitters every time and only an idiot wouldn't make you the Bowler." "Dad, they're called Pitchers. And no I wouldn't!" "Yes you would Son, I might just be your Dad but I wasn't born Yesterday." "...Alright, yeah I would." To the guy's credit, he was pretty fast. The guy on 1st apparently thinks Jai is so into picking his next pitch that he could make a play and try to steal 2nd. For a *brief* moment, Jai just has a stray thought. How easy it would be to stop the play by sending the ball into the runner's temple. Just a quick contact and the guy would be dead before he hit the ground with a cracked skull and a decent size chunk of his brain scrampled like an egg. He stops himself and sends the ball instead to his teammate on 2nd base who easily gets the tag. 2 Outs, bottom of the 9th. Nobody in the Stadium even breathes and now everyone is sitting on the edge of their seats. "Alright - Alright - you can sign up and tryout, on two conditions. Two special additions rules, just for you. Rule 1 - You can only have so many No-Hitters in a season, let's say the previous record plus 2 more. And I *will* check. For *you* the goal isn't to win, but to win with as close a score as possible. Okay?" "Okay, okay - I can do that. What's the other one." He knew the perfect pitch for the next one. Low, on the Inside, and give it a bit of Curve. That would have been perfect. He grunts quietly as he thinks on it though, and sighs a little. He aims for a little higher, and releases a little slower - because he was too. "The second rule - I know you'll occasionally get the idea of how to use that ball to kill someone on the field. When that happens, your next pitch has to be relatively easy. You don't have to give them a hit, but you have to pitch something you've seen them hit before. Understand? You have to be Sporting. You have a lot of natural advantages Son, you have to give something back." "Fine. Okay, yeah." Jai gave, rolling his eyes. It's like watching the ball move in slow motion for him, seemingly it meanders in the air. Maybe it just seems that way because Jai's been shot at before but this one - surely this guy will connect. Surely - "STRIKE 3!" MVP fist pumps in the air and the crowd goes Wild, another Victory for the Books. Jai's eyes pass over his Dad and the World's Best Sniper gives a knowing eyebrow raise, but a Thumb's Up regardless, then a few claps to join in with the crowd. Why: I'm a sucker for a good story. Always have been. I like how he's just as uncertain of his future as any other teenager, just in his case this has life-or-death consequences. Let's have a little fun.