Monsterhearts

[Chiyako]

2 minutes ago, DreamsnThings said:

...whhhaaat exactly does the character creation process look like for this? im kinda just... not sure where to go from here...

If you'd like you can just copy what one of us has done for our character posts. Base it off the skin you choose. That tells you what to choose from. As far as the backstory part goes that's more a discussion we all have with one another to decide who fits best for what.

So for Infernal:
 

• You choose between one of the two stat lines (-1 Hot / -1 Cold / +2 Volatile / +1 Dark //OR//  +1 Hot / -1 Cold / -1 Volatile / +2 Dark).
• You start with Soul Debt and get to choose one more of your Infernal Moves.
• You start with two Bargains.

Otherwise it's the normal stuff (name, maybe a lil background blurb about your character based off the setting that was posted). There are things you get, like your Sex Move.

Then you have the Backstory part, which is the discussing with other players before the game starts part.

[WritesNaughtyStories]

Pick a set of stats, choose your second move and two Bargains.

Your stat choices are:

Hot -1 Cold -1 Volatile 2 Dark 1 or  Hot 1 Cold -1 Volatile -1 Dark 2

Hot is exactly what it sounds like, Cold is your ability to be snide, crafty and calculating. Volatile is your ability to melt down, scream, throw things and hurt people. Dark is your ability to brood thoughtfully and draw inspiration from the Abyss. Those are minus signs, not dashes.

Then figure out your name, what you look like and hand out three strings. Then pick someone you think thinks they can save you from the Dark Power, you get one string on them. It's best to describe why you think that and describe how that came to pass. 

A string is some kind of emotional leverage the other person has. When someone has a string on you they can spend it to get a +1 on a roll against you by using that leverage. The idea is for them to describe what they do to influence you - threaten you, tease you, show you that smile - whatever their ability to coax or cajole you towards acting the way they want.

For the Infernal, you also come with an NPC called the Dark Power, it gets strings on you by giving you powers.  The MC can use this to stir up your life.

Once the Dark Power gets 5 strings on you, you become Your Darkest Self:

Quote

You find yourself shivering, needy, and alone. The Dark Power will make some daunting, open-ended demands. Every demand fulfilled brings you closer to feeling whole again, and removes one of the Dark Power’s Strings on you. You escape your Darkest Self when the Dark Power is out of Strings, or you make a bargain with an even more dangerous entity.

 

Some thoughts on how to play the Infernal:

Spoiler

Playing the Infernal

Tempted, impulsive, and in over their head. The Infernal  has a demonic patron – someone who gets them things  they want, at an unspecified price. The Infernal plays  with themes of temptation, addiction, and dependency.

The Infernal is extremely powerful while sinking  into debt with their Dark Power, though that pushes  them toward an inevitable crash. The crash isn’t a  punishment to be avoided, but rather a dramatic height  in the character arc. When you play the Infernal, don’t  stop just shy of that fifth String of debt or try to play  it safe. The Infernal is most interesting when they are  swinging chaotically between power and powerlessness.

With Dark Recruiter, the specifics of what it means  to bring someone to the Dark Power is left up to  interpretation and context. It might involve ritual  sacrifice, or a simple introduction at the cafe.

The Strings Attached Bargain plays with the “be careful  what you wish for” trope from stories of witches and  genies. Taking this Bargain communicates to the MC  that you want to be punched in the gut by tragic irony  every now and again.

 

Edited Saturday at 11:57 AM by WritesNaughtyStories
Typos, clarity, Darkest Self text

[roll to seduce]

To add a bit in regards to the story elements of your character.

There are suggestions for names, look, eyes, and origin, which fits the concept of an infernal. You can pick from those or write your own. The others have done a really good job at expanding on these sections, you're welcime to the same.

Check out the small towns document, we're playing the summer folk setting, and it has a suggestion for an infernal character. 

All the main characters hang out at Playland. Think of where in Playland your character likes to hang out.

As an infernal you got a special friend, a dark power. They need a name, and some details. 

[WickedCadrach]

So, something I don't think we've said explicitly, but may be worth locking down... this is a setting a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that is to say, regular people don't know about or believe in the supernatural, right? Like no one in town believes in vampires until they encounter one; the devil is just a concept except for the Infernal and those who have been around them. 

Do I have that right?

[WritesNaughtyStories]

That's the usual set up. I've never run or played with  the existence of monsters being known by the public. Part of the drama is trying to hide your difference.

Edited Saturday at 11:56 AM by WritesNaughtyStories

[roll to seduce]

Yup, people do not think these supernatural things exist. Furthermore, normal people are not aware that Potter's Neck is in a perpetual summer. Your characters may or may not know, the infernal could even have caused it by accident.

So part of tension is created by you having to hide your ugly side from the public, both literal and figuratively.

 

[roll to seduce]

It's also worth mentioning we could run a setting where everyone are literal monsters. So drama comes from people putting you into boxes depending on what kind of monster and you have to decide whether you choose to follow your nature or become something different.

A premise for another time.

[WickedCadrach]

5 minutes ago, roll to seduce said:

It's also worth mentioning we could run a setting where everyone are literal monsters. So drama comes from people putting you into boxes depending on what kind of monster and you have to decide whether you choose to follow your nature or become something different.

 

Yeah, I think, particularly for people like me who are just getting to grips with the game, this would be good for another time. 

[Rob4ix]

I feel the "boxes" would be great idea, A. Could be the conflict of "species", like in x-men, obv first thing that comes to mind is racism, but stop right there, since all species actually have different abilities and tendencies, so... Its closer to what racists actually see the hated race like, but its a reality, like, werewolves are carnivores, so vegans would likely be pretty prejudiced against werewolves (its just an example, not the best one, but you get the idea)

B. Encourages to make more unique characters! Werewolf with split personality, undead thats actually very energetic and athletic, and so on!

[roll to seduce]

Part of the setup is to make more distinct characters. Character creation is 1, create the playbook, to discuss them.

I have a bunch of questions I should ask. What places does Dylan frequent? Who there has a crush on him? What is the current argument between Robin and her cousin? Why doesn't Robin tell her boss that her coworker has been stealing cash from the stall? And so on.

[WickedCadrach]

12 minutes ago, Rob4ix said:

I feel the "boxes" would be great idea, A. Could be the conflict of "species", like in x-men, obv first thing that comes to mind is racism, but stop right there, since all species actually have different abilities and tendencies, so... Its closer to what racists actually see the hated race like, but its a reality, like, werewolves are carnivores, so vegans would likely be pretty prejudiced against werewolves (its just an example, not the best one, but you get the idea)

B. Encourages to make more unique characters! Werewolf with split personality, undead thats actually very energetic and athletic, and so on!

I think the 'gangs' element of the game actually allows some of this to be emergent in the base setting. It's may already be a crisis for your vegetarian friend to discover you're a werewolf (or for the neonate werewolf to have been vegan before turning), but then if a local pack is introduced that has expectations and norms on what it means to be a werewolf, you can definitely explore those lines. 

I hesitate to take the idea too far during setup though, because the monsters kind of stop being 'monstrous', and you end up with 'Zootopia but with horror monsters'. And that feels too tame for the type of stories and themes the base game leans on (isolation, identity confusion, individuality vs group acceptance, etc)

[WickedCadrach]

44 minutes ago, roll to seduce said:

What is the current argument between Robin and her cousin? Why doesn't Robin tell her boss that her coworker has been stealing cash from the stall?

Robin doesn't tell her boss that her coworker is stealing from the register because her coworker is someone she's going to be classmates with in the fall, and as the new girl Robin is desperate to make at least a single friend before then. She's willing to bend her moral compass there because she's told herself that she can be 'a good influence' on this person, but in reality, it's because she's attracted to them at some level. This could be a classic hotboy NPC or maybe a girl Robin sees as popular or connected with the popular crowd. Either way, the guilt is eviscerating her—maybe more than usual because the concession stand manager is her aunt?

Robin's cousin Charlotte is a year younger than her and also going to high school in the fall. Charlotte does not want to share the already cramped apartment with her aunt (Robin's mom) and Robin, and unlike Robin's put-together church-girl personality, Charlotte is aggressive, volatile, and embraces a punk aesthetic and attitude. Their personalities clash on every front, but beyond that, Robin found Charlotte's weed pen and told her mom. Her aunt (Charlotte's mom) knew her daughter smoked and was ignoring it, but now that her sister (Robin's mom) knows, she feels obligated to take a stand and punish Charlotte—taking away her weed pen too. Their current argument boils down to Charlotte believing it's her home and Robin has no right to judge anything she does vs. Robin believing that she needs to intervene if she sees someone someone doing something harmful to them. 

Edited Saturday at 01:31 PM by WickedCadrach
spelling

[DreamsnThings]

Name: Velvet Dramour
Skin: Infernal
Look: Spoiled
Eyes: Greedy yet vacant eyes
Origin: emissary/Glorified pet

Hot: +1
Cold: -1
Volatile: -1
Dark: +2

Infernal Moves:
* Soul Debt You owe a debt to a Dark Power. Name it, and choose two Bargains it has made with you. The Dark Power can gain Strings. If ever it has 5 Strings on you, trigger your Darkest Self.
  - Dark Recruiter When you bring an innocent soul to the Dark Power, mark experience.

Bargins:
  - Uncanny Voices You can give the Dark Power a String in order to realize a secret about someone you’re talking to. The owner of that character will reveal one of their secret fears, secret desires, or secret strengths (they choose which.)

Darkest Self:
You find yourself shivering, needy, and alone. The Dark Power will make some daunting, open-ended demands. Every demand fulfilled brings you closer to feeling whole again, and removes one of the Dark Power’s Strings on you. You escape your Darkest Self when the Dark Power is out of Strings, or you make a bargain with an even more dangerous entity

*Sex Move:
When you have sex, the Dark Power loses a String on you and gains a String on whoever you had sex with.

Story
  A Drifter, having wandered for a long time she eventually made... a deal with a man, she was human once, maybe. but his touch, his power, his magic twisted her wants and self so very much. she considers herself his... because he wants her to... regardless of the fact something in the back of her mind is telling her this isnt right. he sends her out, not for her own happiness mind you, she gets enough of that from him... at least that's what he says, so that's what she feels.

  shes a good girl, doing what Mr. Ascars asks, bringing new friends and boyfriends to him for some fun. they are allways happier after they meet mr. Ascars... right?

  that nagging voice in her head is wrong... right?

  with no home to go back to, no family to rely on, no Self free from his charm wants or desires... Mr. Ascars is her everything... Atleast until im free...
Backstory:
You owe debts. Give away 3 Strings, divided any way you like between the Dark Power and the other characters. Someone thinks they can save you. Gain a String on them.

Edited Saturday at 04:36 PM by DreamsnThings
Woops all bargins!

[WickedCadrach]

8 minutes ago, DreamsnThings said:

Backstory:
You owe debts. Give away 3 Strings, divided any way you like between the Dark Power and the other characters. Someone thinks they can save you. Gain a String on them.

Oh my... That is compelling. So who thinks they can save Velvet's soul? The Hollow who may not even be sure they have a soul of their own? The Witch who wields her own power without being slave to another? Or the Mortal girl who thinks 'the devil's whisper' is what tempts her to touch herself at night, never grasping what real darkness is? (or someone yet to be named?)

[roll to seduce]

I think that's about as many main characters I could realisticly manage at once.

I think Velvet has one move too many moves.

Being under Mr. Ascar's care, what is the rumoured relationship between Velvet and her caretaker? 

Selene passes Playland every day on her way from her work. What place does she stop at every day and why?

[WickedCadrach]

3 minutes ago, roll to seduce said:

I think Velvet has one move too many moves.

I think you're right. According to the Skin reference sheet, Infernal skin gets Soul Debt + one more Move, then two Bargains. 

[WritesNaughtyStories]

2 hours ago, roll to seduce said:

What places does Dylan frequent? Who there has a crush on him?

Dylan loves the ice cream.parlor over by the pier. They don't have much money so they don't often buy ice cream, but the couples, leaned close together, and families with giggling children is a strange, alluring sight. It is far beyond their experience - they were made to be used, and while they were, their place in the world was clear. But now, with the maker gone, the real world is very different. When they scrape together a few dollars, Dylan buys a single scoop of peach ice cream and eats it from a dish across the street, watching, confused and transfixed.

Ellie, though her name tag say Elisa, is a tall, athletic girl who plays basketball at the high school has a crush on Dylan. She thinks Dylan looks pretty hot but is shy enough that he'd be loyal and compliant. But she hasn't said anything because she's not 100% sure Dylan's a guy - and she's definitely not, like homo, or anything.

[Chiyako]

56 minutes ago, roll to seduce said:

I think that's about as many main characters I could realisticly manage at once.

I think Velvet has one move too many moves.

Being under Mr. Ascar's care, what is the rumoured relationship between Velvet and her caretaker? 

Selene passes Playland every day on her way from her work. What place does she stop at every day and why?

I am probably going to add a bit more to Selene's sheet (some descriptor stuff, maybe some more personality/background stuff), but I think Selene probably likes things to be more orderly. She has a set schedule in mind, including her walks out onto and along the beach. I think maybe on the way home she often stops by @WickedCadrach's stand for a corndog (because they are tasty), enough that she knows the order by heart, if nobody else has taken that one yet.

[WickedCadrach]

7 minutes ago, Chiyako said:

I think maybe on the way home she often stops by @WickedCadrach's stand for a corndog (because they are tasty), enough that she knows the order by heart, if nobody else has taken that one yet.

Sounds great to me! What's your order? It might stand out just because Robin see Selene so often, but is there a particular way Selene orders or set of items she orders that stands out to Robin?

(Also dying to know who you're going to take your starting Sympathetic Tokens from. I don't think they have to necessarily be on player characters, either, if I've read that right) 

Edited Saturday at 04:10 PM by WickedCadrach

[Chiyako]

8 minutes ago, WickedCadrach said:

Sounds great to me! What's your order? It might stand out just because Robin see Selene so often, but is there a particular way Selene orders or set of items she orders that stands out to Robin?

(Also dying to know who you're going to take your starting Sympathetic Tokens from. I don't think they have to necessarily be on player characters, either, if I've read that right) 

I'd say Selene orders a corndog with mustard. She always asks if they have honey as well, even though she is always told that they don't. And a free cup of water.

As for her Sympathetic Tokens, I haven't figured that out myself yet, or who might have seen her taking something (which is part of why she is an outcast I suppose, she takes things both to try and get closer to people and because she thinks it is important that she has them to help people, even without their permission and even if they don't actually need any help). If anyone wants her to have taken something I'm all ears!

[DreamsnThings]

1 hour ago, roll to seduce said:

I think Velvet has one move too many moves.

Wait wha- oh fuck the first move it forces on you mentioned 2 bargains and i took that as 2 of those 3 options  xD woops, ill cut "cant save myself" for now and grab it the first time my experience track fills out, rp wise treating that first level as velvet regaining a small bit of control

 

1 hour ago, roll to seduce said:

Being under Mr. Ascar's care, what is the rumoured relationship between Velvet and her caretaker? 

Rumors are a little odd since mr ascar himself is a recluse, albeit a rich one, just about everything you can imagine has been said about him... good and bad... the same can be said for his relationship with his adoptive daughter, Velvet... some say he is simply a good dad the way velvet talks about him, but others suspect something more... sinister

In actuality he is extremely manipulative, controlling, and a dark entity beyond mortal understanding. :D who uses her almost as a doll or puppet to lure others in to his schemes :3

Edited Saturday at 04:26 PM by DreamsnThings
Clarity early

[roll to seduce]

I'm gonna have to compile a cast later. I forgot, I'm supposed to refer to the characters directly.

Selene, your parents separated recently. Which one are you staying with? Why did they divorce?

Dylan, did you ever go to school. How do people know about you?

Velvet, towards the end of the year, someone a grade below you asked you on a date. Who was it? And what did you answer?

Should we get a name and identity for Robin's coworker maybe. And get an agreement for what ages people are okay with rp-ing with.

[WritesNaughtyStories]

@DreamsnThings, I think @WickedCadrachmay be right. Dylan thinks they know something about escaping and thinks they can save Velvet. Where did they meet?

[DreamsnThings]

5 minutes ago, roll to seduce said:

Velvet, towards the end of the year, someone a grade below you asked you on a date. Who was it? And what did you answer?

Velvet seemed extremely happy and excited to go on a date with danny! He was a sweet guy albeit nerdy and she was probably a little out of his league... they had a good time, and he even met mr ascars! Which was delightful... shame danny went missing a few weeks later... they even had a second date planned! Why do all the good guys disappear? 

11 minutes ago, WritesNaughtyStories said:

@DreamsnThings, I think @WickedCadrachmay be right. Dylan thinks they know something about escaping and thinks they can save Velvet. Where did they meet?

This is moving fast, im blanking on which of like 3 things this could be about xD

If its the move i dropped one allready 

P.S. if anyone asked questions i missed dear god tell me x.x im loosing track

[Chiyako]

16 minutes ago, roll to seduce said:

I'm gonna have to compile a cast later. I forgot, I'm supposed to refer to the characters directly.

Selene, your parents separated recently. Which one are you staying with? Why did they divorce?

Dylan, did you ever go to school. How do people know about you?

Velvet, towards the end of the year, someone a grade below you asked you on a date. Who was it? And what did you answer?

Should we get a name and identity for Robin's coworker maybe. And get an agreement for what ages people are okay with rp-ing with.

Selene stays with her father, mostly because he won the case against her mother. She still loves them both, although her mother is always worried about her. Her father says they separated because her mother blames him for something he isn't guilty of. Her mother says they separated because her father was acting inappropriately, although she didn't go much more into it. She still has a good relationship with both, especially her father who often spoils her, and while it does sadden her that they separated she doesn't typically show it, finding solace in her books and secret occult studies.

As for rping with Robin's coworker, I'm cool with that. I'm fine with rping with whatever ages, provided they fit.

Edited Saturday at 04:51 PM by Chiyako