OOC - Transfer student discussion - the Chosen

[Q.Q Elf]

Okay, for lack of a better, uncluttered space, I'm making this thread for setting up our new Chosen. I'll provide some links shortly.

Mister-Kent...
What about Buffy did you like and dislike, while I am retrieving links from other threads?

[Q.Q Elf]

Here is the link to the free "skins" PDF for Monsterhearts. The Chosen is the first one.

http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/wp-con ... -Skins.pdf

"Skins" are character archetypes.

Walk through the Chosen, and please come back with any questions you may have.

The others are looking for Final Showdown out of you. Don't feel obligated. We can bargain on it.

The skin also calls for you to choose some Scoobies as part of your back story. We'll have to figure that out.

However, lunch is calling, and I'm hungry.

[Q.Q Elf]

Part of each skin sheet is Backstory. In the book, when it talks about switching Skins at the end of a Season, it says to simply run Backstory as normal. You get the Strings, period.

To the group...
Since we are requiring Final Confrontation, what about this...

In lieu of selecting Scoobies for Backstory (which doesn't make total sense for a transfer student), how about giving our Chosen 1 free advancement, to be spent on 1 Chosen Move... So the Chosen still gets 2 Chosen Moves to choose. Does that make sense?

As for the enemy of the Chosen, of course it is the Emissary of the Horned Prince.
2 Strings on the Chosen for me!

[MonkeyWrench]

I'm fine with giving Kent a freebie.

As for the "scoobies" that they need I'm fine name dropping myself as a helping friend. Seth's family transferred in at the beginning of this school year, it's very possible that they were friends somewhere else until having to part ways for some reason, maybe they both fought as chosen and monster should and it ended in a truce and some mutual respect, or they know about each other but chose to be friends rather than enemies, or maybe the chosen never found out about Seth's secret and his family didn't want them to be friends and left to separate them.

If that's the way you want to take it then I'm game for doing the "he's been my friend for years, I owe him all the help he needs"

This game isn't very backstory driven, essentially anything other than the two questions fulfilled on the skin sheet is extra fluff for you and anyone else who wants to be joined with you, the game doesn't really care where you came from... I myself always enjoy a good background fluff.

[Q.Q Elf]

I've stitched together all sorts of background from what the others have written. I think the ambiguity in the backgrounds lets me make up a lot in service of the story.

[Mister-Kent]

Ooh Freebie, thanks!

The things I loved best about BtVS was how everything was so damn Capital-S-SYMBOLIC of adolescent and young adult relationships. Also, I liked that you could still love a character while you hate their lifechoices, because you can understand where they're at emotionally. I love anything that illustrates the "Hedgehog's dilemma"--the closer you get, the more you hurt each other

Ooh, that sounds like a cool character bit if Seth and m Chosen (er, name TBA) were old friends that had to be parted.

I'm looking at the moves and the stats--I'm thinking either Hot or Volatile for stats, and for moves...

[Q.Q Elf]

Raise the stat you'll use, or want to use. What you pick tells me something about your character's story.
Hot will mean more social action. Volatile says you want more fights.

I'd also note that Final Confrontation is based on the number of Strings the Chosen has on the Enemy.
(Strings are a measure of social currency. You can spend your knowledge of someone to your advantage.)

You can earn Strings on the Enemy by social means or physical confrontation. Either way is valid. There are other ways to pick up Strings as well, but Hot or Volatile are the Chosen's strengths, as you are aware.

[Mister-Kent]

For Kate Jericho, the Chosen, I chose Hot--all about moving around others, drawing them into her personal turmoil. As for moves, in addition to Final Showdown I chose Come Prepared and To the Books. Kate's a tenacious young lady, with stubborn, unwavering eyes.

[MonkeyWrench]

Since our usual rounds go with the player choosing one and then another player choosing another I'll volunteer and pick Volatile for Kate Jericho, Unless it has already been decided of course....

[Q.Q Elf]

Ooh Freebie, thanks!

The things I loved best about BtVS was how everything was so damn Capital-S-SYMBOLIC of adolescent and young adult relationships. Also, I liked that you could still love a character while you hate their lifechoices, because you can understand where they're at emotionally. I love anything that illustrates the "Hedgehog's dilemma"--the closer you get, the more you hurt each other

Cool.

Monsterhearts is definitely about the relationship side of the story. (There's another AW hack called Monster of the Week that deals with killing the monster of the week.)

Plus, there are things like Darkest Self and Sex Move that trigger all sorts of messy unintended consequences (drama!), which fits the crazy teenager part of the drama.

Anyway, I'm highlighting Hot for the Chosen... for obvious reasons.

[Q.Q Elf]

For Kate Jericho, the Chosen, I chose Hot--all about moving around others, drawing them into her personal turmoil. As for moves, in addition to Final Showdown I chose Come Prepared and To the Books. Kate's a tenacious young lady, with stubborn, unwavering eyes.

Those are cool. I like To the Books. You'll need to set up some Scoobs through play, although I'm sure Seth could volunteer. Summer (Metal Fatigue) is on a short leash, though. And Clark (Rukellian) is now a servant of the Emissary... so unless he fights his nature, he's the opposition.

There's a wanna be Slayer amongst the NPCs. Some of the NPCs are less defined, so they could be potential Scoobies.

As for Come Prepared, anything you like as an idea? Swords? Crossbows? Frying pans? What is Kate's go-to-hell weapon?

[Mister-Kent]

I have Seth Varron as one Scoob buddy--who is the wannabe slayer of the NPCs? Is there a list of NPC students to browse?

Also, can someone quick 'splain "highlighting" to me? So at chargen and points later, we all "highlight" another characters stats, is that it? And that is like a +1?

Kate probably is a knife-nut at heart. I see Kate using something concealable and stylish that she can hurl at the enemy's face as a Hail-Mary attack, like a hatchet (The second image here is from somewhere called KarateMart. When next I run an urban fantasy game, you can just bet that's where the PCs are getting all their gear!)

[MonkeyWrench]

I have Seth Varron as one Scoob buddy--who is the wannabe slayer of the NPCs? Is there a list of NPC students to browse?

Also, can someone quick 'splain "highlighting" to me? So at chargen and points later, we all "highlight" another characters stats, is that it? And that is like a +1?

Kate probably is a knife-nut at heart. I see Kate using something concealable and stylish that she can hurl at the enemy's face as a Hail-Mary attack, like a hatchet (The second image here is from somewhere called KarateMart. When next I run an urban fantasy game, you can just bet that's where the PCs are getting all their gear!)

Victoria Johnson is the wanna-be chosen. I made her since we didn't have a hunter.

[Mister-Kent]

Maybe Kate shows up as Victoria's "friend from out of town"

[Q.Q Elf]

We're assuming Kate has come to town to hunt the Fallen Angel, the Emissary of the Horned Prince. Perhaps Victoria Johnson was helping keep tabs on events in town for the Chosen One.

Looking at the seating chart for our class, Kate will be taking over a seat that has been vacated.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Kate's seat is next to Victoria's (which is convenient).

Here are the students in class who are suspected as servants of the Emissary:

• Marcus Owen
• Pavo Flenchez

Other things to note in the town...
Victoria's mother was slaughtered by a Werewolf.
Student Frederick Adams also likely killed by a Werewolf.

The question is how much does our Chosen know about the Werewolf problem? Are the Werewolfs what brought her to town?

[Metal Fatigue]

Also, can someone quick 'splain "highlighting" to me? So at chargen and points later, we all "highlight" another characters stats, is that it? And that is like a +1?

Highlighting doesn't change the value of the stat. It's the primary way you earn XP.

When you roll a highlighted stat, succeed or fail, you mark an XP (but no more than one XP per stat per scene). When you have 5 XP, you immediately erase all your XP and take an advancement (as listed on your skin booklet). Mark off that advancement, you can't take it again.

When you highlight someone else's stat, think about what you'd like to see their character doing a lot. If you want them to beat up other people and run away from too-tough foes, highlight Volatile. If you want them to be seductive and manipulative, highlight Hot, and so on. This is your way to influence their story.

[Q.Q Elf]

Okay... here's the link to the editable Google doc:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Look it over, make sure it fits.

We should be able to get Kate into the story soon.

[Q.Q Elf]

To piggy-back on the Highlighting comment...

It takes 5 experience to gain an Advancement.

You can potentially get 2 experience per scene (more if you have Moves that gain experience for you). If you maximize your experience gain, you will advance every 2.5 scenes.

Minimally, you'll have to do something with the Highlighted stats. For Hot, it's Turn Somebody On or Manipulate a NPC. For Volatile, it's Lash Out Physically or Run Away.

You should ALWAYS try to use those Moves that will gain XP.

...

How do you get moves queued up quickly enough?

You always end your in-character posts with a Move. Always be doing something that will force you to roll dice, and that will require a lot of forward-looking gaming.

[Mister-Kent]

The doc looks good! And Highlighting makes sense now--it's sorta like Compels in FATE, then? And I like that all IC posts move things forward. That'll be fun!

[Q.Q Elf]

Technically, you get XP on the first move... so when I say always, I mean you should always work those in as soon as possible in order to log the XP. Everything after that point is for you to drive the story home. You could be helping others, you could be pursuing your own agenda.

The other consideration is this... Kate's strong move is based on Hot. That's followed by Volatile.

Our basic action is like this:
2d6 +Stat

So Kate would be rolling 2d6 +2 for Hot moves like Turn Someone On or Manipulate a NPC.
On the other hand, Kate would be rolling 2d6 -1 for Cold moves like Shut Someone Down or Hold Steady.

What does this mean?

Monsterhearts runs like this.

• A 10+ result is a clear win for you.
• A 7-9 result is a mixed win. There's a compromise.
• A result of 6 or less means Kate has f*cked up, and there will be a consequence.

What kind of consequence? The game calls these "Hard Moves". They are fun for me because I get to turn up the tension quickly. My goal is an organic-to-the-story way of dumping a huge new problem on your characters.

I guess it's a way to encourage you to stick to what your character knows, but it doesn't always work out that way