[Other] MonsterHearts 2: Age of Uncertainty

[girlplay]

Game Name MonsterHearts 2: Age of Uncertainty

Game System Other Roleplaying Games

Theme The messy lives of teenage monsters

Flavour Collaborative, narrative high school drama

Game advertisement Synopsis Monsterhearts is about the messy lives of teenagers who are secretly monsters. It explores the anxiety and confusion that comes with growing from a child to an adult, complete with peer pressure and personal changes. The monstrosity of the characters is literal; they are vampires, witches, werewolves, etc. However, it is also allegorical, reflecting issues of isolation, alienation, shame, power (and powerlessness), self-destruction, and desire. MonsterHearts is a conversation amongst the players and MC (Master of Ceremonies) and a story that they tell together. You build off the things that other people say. Each player is in charge of a main character and what they think, feel, do, and say. As those main characters live their lives, the players interact with rule that help sculpt the story as well as shake it up at key moments. The player characters (main characters) are high schoolers with dreams, desires, goals, and fears. Drama is the name of the game and it's important that the main character live interesting lives. On top of this, each character has to deal with the fact that they are a monster of some sort, adding more complication to their lives. The MC and players make most decisions about the setting, NPCs, and story elements together. This is a creative, cooperative conversation - quite different from traditional gaming systems. The rules are there to facilitate the story and add a level of unpredictability to what happens. Rules This game will use the MonsterHearts version 2 rules, available at: https://buriedwithoutceremony.com/monsterhearts House rules and recommendations for players Players may choose their sexual orientation. Players have agency and get to decide who their character is, including gender identity, sexual orientation, and every other detail. Your character might be confused about who they are, but the player isn't. Character creation: step 0. Think about who your character is as a person first. Step 1 in the rulebook is to pick your skin (monster type). I encourage players to get a general idea of who their character is before they delve into the mechanics of the system. If your character is a heart-broken jock, which skin fits that idea? Available skins to play. We'll be sticking to the ones in the core rules and not using additional skins like the Chosen, Sasquatch, etc. Posting rate expectation. The game relies on rapid back-and-forth conversation between players and the MC. Therefore, the minimum posting rate for this game is once every other day. I would greatly prefer it if the posting rate maintained at once per day. Do not join this game if you cannot commit to that for the foreseeable future. The other players are relying on you to do your part and support the mutual story. Fade-to-black. This game with not include graphic depictions of sex, violence, or anything else that players find objectionable. If you're familiar with the "x-card", then you'll know that we will be using it and putting an immediate stop to any content that goes beyond the comfort level of any player. To that end, I have something that I'm going to "X" right away. Consent. My "x-card" before we even get started is that characters may not engage in sexual activity if their decision-making ability is impaired or compromised from using intoxicants. A person cannot consent if they are not in their right mind. So, if a character is drunk at a party, they are off-limits. Etc. Player agency. Do not narrate for any character other than your own. You may not declare what anybody else thinks, feels, or does. Dice rolling. Do not roll dice until the MC instructs you to. Your actions have to warrant a die roll. For example, your character cannot wink at somebody across the classroom during a history exam and then you declare that you're rolling to turn them on. You have to take action, take risks, and do something significant to have those actions trigger a mechanical resolution. Application process There is no application process. If you want to play and can commit to the time and effort it takes to participate, then you're welcome to join. I shall be accepting a maximum of 5 players. A certain maturity level will be expected, especially since MonsterHearts can include some intense themes. Please abide by the PG-13 rating of this site. If you want to learn more about what that means, please read the following: https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...19#post1506919 What to do. While we wait for the game thread to be created and players to sign on, please start describing who your character is that you want to play. Nothing you write will be "locked in" at this moment; we're just brainstorming. Any and all questions are welcome. Please ask. Run ideas past me. Etc. I'm here to facilitate the story.

[Hyregoth]

@girlplay Nice to see you around again. This game sounds awesome!
Instead of asking questions, I thought I would throw an idea out and invite comments.

Expressing Interest Name: Zachary "Zach" Wolven Core Skin: Werewolf Basic Story (so far): Zach is a jock. He tries to hide his anger and frustration at life with sports. Zach's parents were not bad, they were just busy with their lives. Zach had everything he wanted but affection and quality time from his mom and dad. As an only child, of a wealthy family, Zach had many 'friends' but he longed for something real. When not at school or on the athletic field, Zach is punching a boxing dummy or out drinking with his friends. He doesn't do drugs as that would mess up his ability to play sports. He is considering taking steroids if he can find some that wouldn't disqualify him. Zach is super popular at school (or thinks he is). His anger helps him focus on sports and will probably be the captain of the Football team this year as the last captain graduated. He's had a number of girlfriends but nothing that really stuck. He works hard, plays hard and does his best to keep his cool so that he doesn't hurt anyone. He's not particualry happy with his 'fake' life but knows no other way. He hides his terrible secret well so that is only rarely revealed. But, when it is, it always results in bloodshed.

[girlplay]

Hey, Hyregoth! Nice to see you again. And thanks for the interest.

A wolfie jock. It sounds like football is going to be a big draw at our school. Not surprising, is it? A lot of schools love their sports.

[Hyregoth]

I fixed the creepy image. haha. And I threw in a little surprise.

[girlplay]

@Hyregoth: I have a few questions about Zach.

1) When Zach is hanging out with his friends, drinking, where do they get their alcohol?

2) What position does Zach play on the football team? I'm guessing it's one that allows him to hit people a lot.

3) What do his parents do for a living?

[Hyregoth]

@girlplay

I have a few questions about Zach.

1) When Zach is hanging out with his friends, drinking, where do they get their alcohol?

Lots of places. He and his friends raid their parents' refrigerators, liquor cabinets or wine cellars. Zach can usually get one of his parents to buy if he complains long enough. Same with the other kids. A couple of his nerdy friends have really good fake IDs as well.

2) What position does Zach play on the football team? I'm guessing it's one that allows him to hit people a lot.

Zach plays Defensive End. He's fast and loves to hit the opposing QB or Running Backs hard when he can. He's had plenty of penalties for roughing the passer and for late hits.

3) What do his parents do for a living?

Zach's dad is Corporate Attorney for a Pharmaceutical Company. Zach's mom is a Plastic Surgeon at private medical group. Both are gone many evenings or days on end for business.

[girlplay]

Apparently, Outplay is going on. Maybe not the best time to advertise...

[Ursinorum]

Victor Name: Victor Herring Skin: Ghoul Background: Life had not been easy on young Vic. His mother died during childbirth and his father got shot in the line of duty as a police officer when the kid was only ten years old. Since then, he was moved in the house of his grandma, Louise Herring, who constantly compares Vic to his father Paul, a comparison in which the kid always comes out short. Life in high-school is also terrible, Vic is morbidly obese, dorky and very shy. He is also a closeted homosexual who's just starting to come to terms with his sexuality. Member of the debate club and the chess club, he's the prime target for bullies, of which he endured a lot. But his worse nightmare is Hollie Carson, an annoying know-it-all in the lead to steal the title for Valedicotrian next year, as the ambitious girl is also extremely fit. Weirdly, the isolation and the ridicule actually made Vic weirdly arrogant, like he saw the bullying as a price for being intellectually better than everyone else. Dying: At a house party to celebrate Winter Break, while Vic was busy arguing with Ned Stevens on why he and Andy Williams were not invited to the party and making a fool of himself, Andy managed to steal a bottle of cheap rum before they got kicked out. Laughing and drinking on their walk home, when the bottle was half-way done, Vic clumsly tried to approach his chess-club buddy in a rather physical manner, but Andy didn't appreciated this. With a shove, the drunk kid pushed Vic over the edge of a road into a ditch, running away. Reopening his eyes, Vic saw a small-framed figure gasping and running away, too short to be Andy -but- distracted by the weird sensations in his body, he couldn't identify the bystander. After-death: Still angry for the rejection (and for being left for dead), Vic confronted Andy the following evening and ended up killing and eating him. The papers blamed wolves for the gruesome death, but that was a defining moment for Victor: the paranoia, the shame and the guilt left their mark on him. The hunting memories of his act left him humbler and more distant, which helped him become more approachable. A few days after, some jocks started taunting him and he was about to lose his cool and attack them in the hallways, but at the last second, Jack Nelson -one of Zach Wolven's clique- stepped in and defused the situation. Instantly, Jack became Vic's new crush, showing the Ghoul a moment of chivalrous care. Actually Jack saw the anger build up in Vic, whose body became more grim-looking after his death, and got scared. Skin Details: Look: wrecked body, calculating eyes Stats: Hot:-1, Cold +2, Volatile -1, Dark +1 Moves: Hunger for Power: +1 to rolls when pursueing, roll to KYC when ignoring it. Satiety: when satiating an Hunger, either: heal 1 harm, mark XP, take 1 Forward Watchful Golem: when defending someone without them knowing, mark XP

Was thinking of having Hollie as a witness for Vic's death, but decided to leave it vague.. it might have been her, it might have not..

[Hal Hammerhand]

Interest

[girlplay]

@Ursinorum: Thanks for the interest! And I see you put a lot of time and thought into it.

Generally speaking, the background strings like somebody watching Vic die are given to other main characters but Hollie's certainly not a bad choice either.

A few questions for you:

1) Hollie is your rival and a know-it-all. But what does Vic like about Hollie?

2) What makes Vic feel that he needs to stay in the closet? Anything or person specifically? Is that part of grandma Louise's doing? Or a student who is openly anti-gay and made somebody miserable for coming out?

3) A piece of evidence still exists connecting Vic to Andy's death. What is it and who has it? Or does Vic not know?

@Hyregoth: Are you okay with having a friend named Jack Nelson, who is kind of handsome and has a generally good reputation? What's most interesting about Jack?

@Hal Hammerhand Hi Hal!

[Hyregoth]

Originally Posted by girlplay

@Hyregoth: Are you okay with having a friend named Jack Nelson, who is kind of handsome and has a generally good reputation? What's most interesting about Jack?

Sure, everyone needs a designated driver friend like that.

Jack is a boy scout. Quite a few people use him but Jack doesn't seem to mind. He hangs out with the other jocks and enjoys the camaraderie. He doesn't drink except on rare occasions.

[Ursinorum]

1) Hollie is your rival and a know-it-all. But what does Vic like about Hollie?
He definitely admires in her what they both share, ambition and smarts. he's envious that she's actually a likeable person, envying that she can manage not to repel everyone like he does

2) What makes Vic feel that he needs to stay in the closet? Anything or person specifically? Is that part of grandma Louise's doing? Or a student who is openly anti-gay and made somebody miserable for coming out?
A part from the tunnel of overthinking that I imagine comes with the realization of everyday homosexuals, yeah, definitely the grandma's comparison with the father who was a "real man's man". I like the idea of the homophobic schoolmate, but an "outed" gay person might give Vic the hope of having someone to talk to, and I don't really want to give him that much hope so early in the game (maan, am I the monster?)

3) A piece of evidence still exists connecting Vic to Andy's death. What is it and who has it? Or does Vic not know? Uhh.. that necklace from a holiday that everyone mocked him for? The nametag from his shirt? Andy's big brother? A hunter? I definetly don't want Vic to know that!



The somebody watching Vic die can be left out for grabs for other players and if nobody wants it it can go to Hollie for blackmail and stuff.

[Hal Hammerhand]

Daniel: Name: Daniel "Danny" Perkins Skin: The Infernal Background: Danny wasn't always six feet tall and strapping. His early highschool years, he was the gothic nerd, trip pants, trench coats, tarot cards, you name it, his best attempts at making friends but he was just the outcast, never fitting in and always teased or outright bullied. The summer before his sophmore year changed all that. While spending time with his Great Grandma in Salem, he stumbled upon a very old medallion and after reading the words inscribed around the outer edge, things started to happen, his thoughts and images of what he believed would make him cool, accepted and wanted, started to come true. At first, he had everything he wanted and it wasn't until he started to hear the whispers that he began to worry but by then, this new power was so easy, almost like breathing, to use it. What he didn't realize was that now that the deal was struck...it wasn't going to be easy to back out.

[Hal Hammerhand]

I don't know if I got the right feel for the game yet with this character but it was my second draft...let me know, Girlplay.

[girlplay]

Originally Posted by Hal Hammerhand

I don't know if I got the right feel for the game yet with this character but it was my second draft...let me know, Girlplay.

I kind of see what you mean. A character that's a hundred or so years old is going to be long over the high school drama and teenager-y angst of youth, especially the latter. The origins listed in the vampire skin do include one that have been alive for a very long time. The level of maturity and worldliness that somebody would develop over that time put them in a very different emotional and mental position than other high schoolers, unless bring back in school causes a kind of de-evolution or regression in the character.

I'd also be concerned that once Johann finds the witness that he'd have no more reason to stick around the school or continue the story.

How do you think we might address these issues?

One thought I had is that finding the witness could / should be very difficult. To do so, you'd have to uncover the secrets of the teenagers around you and delve into their lives pretty deeply to do that. The search itself could be very complicated and take a fair amount of time. Of course, this is assuming that John doesn't know what she looks like (because of the darkness or whatever).