New Heroes of Elliquiy City (Masks, Working Out Team Makeup)

[Nastara]

Hey Heroes!

There was a time when people didn't feel safe in Elliquiy City (name subject to change).  Those with ill plans, desperate wants, and greed in their hearts took from the city while law enforcement had their hands tied.  But then, heroes stepped up.  Not supported by anyone or shown the rules, they just stepped up. 

The first generation, the Gold Generation, wore flashy costumes and fought thugs and crime bosses mostly, just normal folks who decided they weren't going to let Elliquiy City fall into corruption and darkness.  They didn't have much, maybe leftover military training or a boxing gym, but they weren't going to just stand idly by.  These days, the Gold Generation's all but retired or dead.  All the same, they set a legacy that would forever mark Elliquiy City.

In the Silver Generation, we saw our first true superheroes.  Whether it was from genetic abnormality, cosmic rays, or scientific experiments they were somehow more than human.  As if the universe demanded a fair fight, the villains got worse too.  Now it wasn't just about stopping a robbery, it was about stopping the world from being blinked out of existence. The Silver Generation acted in a time unmonitored and powerful.  They're still active as the most prominent heroes in the city, but time doesn't care if you've got laser eyes and retirement is starting to look better and better.

But all of these superpowered types punching each other and you know it's eventually going to break bad.  That's what birthed the Bronze Generation, an era of superheroics tinged in irony and bitterness.  Raised in a world where their predecessors had incredible powers and were constantly bringing the world back from the brink, members of the Bronze Generation became introspective.  They took different paths, some going into governmental work, some working on the fringe of society.  They're still active, but there's some distrust of what the world will be when they're running things.

Then there's you, the new generation.  Young heroes done with high school and trying to find your place.  With three generations of superheroes ahead of you, there's a lot of pressure.  Of course, life doesn't disappear just because you own a domino mask, so there's the pressure of adulting to consider as well.

Welcome to New Heroes of Elliquiy City (name pending).  EXCELSIOR!

Masks: A New Generation is a Powered by the Apocalypse ttrpg published by Magpie Games.  It follows the stories of young superheroes attempting to understand their powers and identities while also being thrust into actual superheroics!  The game is light and narrative with a focus on pushing the characters socially.  There's more information about the game here.

Owning the game is not necessary to be a player in this game!  All play materials that you would need are available from the Magpie site.  Mostly you'll be wanting the playbooks and the basic moves, though I'll be providing help throughout the game to keep rules knowledge as light as possible!

Of course, there's also gonna be PLENTY of sex stuff.

Running this game, I'm going to be aiming for a tone similar to other young superhero comic books (X-Men, Young Avengers, New Mutants, Spider-Man) with lots of fun bright, happy adventure paired with darker emotional beats as appropriate.  For that reason, I'd love to see characters that are fun, sexy, and interesting but aren't so gonzo they disrupt the feel.

I'll be running the game in a Non-Con section with that likely being a part of the game, but carried with the carefree attitude we already would expect from violence.  There won't be graphic gore and the emotional safety of the players is more important than anything else, so we will respect lines and veils as we build the team and play.

What I'm Looking For
-Interesting Character with description physically and/or personality wise that catches my eye
-Goodness-of-Fit with kinks/character roles
-Posting history that shows willingness to crank out several paragraphs per post on as regular of a basis as possible
-People who are here to play, have fun, and not get into drama. I've had some complaints from people who haven't been picked or who didn't like that the game was themed towards being a little fun and silly in the past. Literally the last thing I want from Elliquiy is to be deal with annoyed or passive-aggressive messages in my inbox when I log on. Please don't do that, this isn't the game for it.

Code Select Expand

[b]Hero Info[/b]
[b]Superhero Name: [/b]
[b]Real Name (if different): [/b]
[b]Playbook:[/b] If torn between playbooks, feel free to list more than one
[b]Abilities:[/b] Take signs from the playbook you are looking at or make your own. We can negotiate these.
[b]Pronouns/Gender: [/b]
[b]Interested In: [/b]This is mostly what YOU the player are interested in. Add more if you want to: Men/Women/Futa/Masculine Monsters/Feminine Monsters
[b]Brief Description: [/b]At least some physical, some personality
[b]Familiarity With Masks/PbtA: [/b]
[b]How Often Do You Elliquiy?: [/b]Daily? Weekly? Constantly but only on weekends? Just give me a little pattern.

Thank you so much and... RECRUITMENT IS OPEN!

If you are interested in getting information about the playbooks, here's a list of more or less what is going on with them!  If you are interested in a non-core playbook, I can get it to you once the team is assembled!

Playbooks

For people looking through playbooks either to find what their character may be like OR to look for inspiration, here's a list!

Core Playbooks
These playbooks are the ones that come with the core book and are freely available online!
-The Beacon- You don't have to be a superhero, but you are one because being a superhero is AWESOME.  You get Drives, cool things you'd like to do because they seem fun.
-The Bull- You are the result of experimentation that has left you separate from other people.  You mostly care about two people, your Bull's Heart, a Rival and a Love.
-The Delinquent- You are drawn to the fun, chaos, and thrill that comes with petty risktaking and crime.  But you care more than you let on and are fundamentally a hero.
-The Doomed- There is something bigger, darker, and scarier than you that is tied with your powers.  It is bringing you steadily towards your Doom which will consume you if you aren't able to stop it.
-The Janus- You have to balance your Mundane and Superheroic life.  That's important and the only way you can keep people around you safe is to wear a Mask.  But that doesn't stop your obligations.
-The Protege- You have been trained by an existing hero in how to fight crime.  They aren't necessarily trying to make their follow up, but their influence on you is important and shapes you.
-The Nova- You have incredible world bending, reality shaping powers.  When you make a mistake, people get hurt.
-The Legacy- You're the latest in one of the big important traditions of superheroes with similar names, costumes, and powers.  It's a heavy mantle to wear.
The Transformed- Something changed you in a way that makes you obviously visibly different.  Are you the monster that people see?
The Outsider- You aren't from around here and all of these Earth customs are strange and foreign to you.  Plus, you've got your species breathing down your neck about coming back home.

Halcyon City Herald Collection
These playbooks came out in the HCHC Expansion!  They're a little bit more complicated than the Core playbooks or take an idea from one of them and plays it in a different way.
-The Innocent- You come from an alternate dimension or time where you were a hero!  But here, in this time, there's an older, darker version of yourself (either a villain or a dark antihero). You have a path that if similar things happen to you as happened to them, you'll turn the same way.
-The Joined- Your powers are tightly tied to those of another hero in the party.  The two of you act almost as one at times, but growing up may separate you.
-The Star- You have a following that loves your performance and heroics.  Keep them happy and they'll take care of you.
-The Reformed- You used to be a villain and everybody knows it. Your path to heroism will obligations that hang above your head.
-The Newborn- You are new to life, a construct that doesn't understand how the world works.  Your friends will guide you in that.

A.E.G.I.S.
These playbooks are from the A.E.G.I.S. expansion (I can't remember the exact name of the book...)  They are again, more complicated than the Core playbooks.
-The Brain- You are a genius who understands things on a scientific and tactical level beyond your teammates.  You ALSO have a shame, something you created or discovered that is an enormous danger.
The Soldier- You are an agent of A.E.G.I.S. with the backing of the organization.  You have an additional stat (Soldier) which you can use to rely on your training.

Unleashed
These playbooks are still in beta and aren't done yet.  They've gone through a LOT of changes lately and I'm not 100% sure how they play.  They are definitely some of the weirdest ones.
-The Scion- Your parents are supervillains and everyone kind of expects the same from you.  You have people in the city that you need to prove yourself to and things you have to do to show you are a hero.
-The Nomad- You've been hopping from dimension to dimension for a while now but something about this reality has you starting to develop roots.  You can only give Influence to up to 6 people and it works differently for you.
-The Harbinger- You are from a dark future of this world that will come to pass the way things are currently going.  You're here to stop it.  The people you meet fill in that dark future as we play.

[Sain]

Boop.

Will have to cook up a hero for this

[Nastara]

*boops back!*

Looking forward to seeing them!

[Love And Submission]

I'm interested. I've played MOTW and Dungeon World so that's why I want to join.

[Nastara]

Great!  Masks uses a REALLY similar system, same 2d6+(Stat)!  It's got a couple of big changes, especially that instead of static stats you have labels that swap up and down as people exert influence on you!

[Sain]

Couldn't find anything in books with matching theme at first glance, but I'm sure one can be adapted to her easy enough.

Hero Info
Superhero Name: Frost Kitten
Real Name (if different): Merry Lee
Playbook: Legacy
Abilities: Thermal Energy Absorption, Cat-like Grace, Frost Breath, or something else cold and kitten related?
Pronouns/Gender: Woman
Interested In: Men/Women/Futa/Masculine Monsters/Feminine Monsters
Brief Description: Merry Lee is Frost Kitten, the legacy to Ice Cat, Snow Panther, and a whole host of cool feline heroes and heroines. She is a thickset B+ girl from a lower middle class home. However, a fateful meeting with the mysterious Winter Cat imparted upon her a legacy to protect. Family visits have become nigh impossible to schedule without them seeing the alien cat on her desk and super stuff hidden in every drawer. However, with spotty success in the heroine business Merry isn’t sure yet if she should go all in on that. Should she do the hero thing? It’s either that or continue doing free photoshoots for “exposure” in hopes of eventual modeling career as she grinds the burger flipping. Or, worse yet, college. She does know though that this wishy washy attitude towards the Winter cat and his mysterious mission can't continue forever.

Merry is cheerful and happy if a little shy to speak up or inconvenience others. Customers who cut each other in line for or let their precious ‘lil Tom’ litter the tables Mery gives the warmest smiles and apologies as she scrubs the floor. However, at night, Frost Kitten unleashes the rage at villain’s in form of ruthless violence and even more ruthless words, slashing their ego’s with the sharpest of whips while wearing a smile that wouldn’t hurt a fly. In appearance Merry is a thickset girl. Mixed asian and european ethnicity with brown eyes and hair. With her powers unleashed she transforms into a white cat-girl with patterns of blue dotting her skin. For convenience’s sake it’s better to cover up the tactical bits by pads since most people can’t tell if it’s a costume or skin.
Familiarity With Masks/PbtA: Dungeon World experience
How Often Do You Elliquiy?: Daily or nearly daily could be neat, though I’ll take slower too.

[legomaster00156]

Huh, I've wanted to play this system, but I am not sure yet...

[PixelatedPixie]

Definitely interested though I will have to think as what.  Are the Halcyon City Herald Collection playbooks allowed? (Reformed, Star, etc)

[Nastara]

I'm going to try to respond to thoughts and things with little @s and bold the sections of answers that are helpful to anybody!

@Sain, Hehe!  I love her!  Looks fantastic!  Loving the concept and info for her!

Regarding playbook, yeah, we can chat about what fits!  The way they work, it's primarily about what arc the character has rather than a more Dungeon World/D&D/MOTW method where you're saying what they are capable of.  I've seen some cool things where someone chose a Marvel/DC character and made them really effectively in a bunch of playbooks.  I could see The Janus if you're interested in zooming in on the difficulty of balancing her mundane and her super life but that can also be a thing that we play with even if she isn't a Janus.  Fundamentally, all of the playbooks are about the kind of story that character will tell, but you can have dabbling into others.  For example, The Janus is ABOUT the secret identity, but other playbooks can also TOTALLY have secret identity hijynx!

@legomaster, Okay!  Well, let me know if you decide you are!

@PerpetuallyAnnoyedCleric, Cool!  Take your time, I don't intend to have this be an immediate turnover for recruitment.  I'd say that any official Magpie playbooks are allowed, but I don't think I can personally provide the non-core ones out on the thread. I believe that Elliquiy has rules against that though if I'm wrong let me know!  For those who want to get those themselves, the other playbooks are The Star, The Reformed, The Innocent, The Soldier, The Newborn, The Scion, The Nomad, and The Harbinger.  For beta playbooks (Scion, Nomad, Harbinger) if an update comes out we will likely want to update you to the finished version.

Also, I'm sure I can make those available once there's an actual group made in the same way as a IRL GM I'd be printing it out for you!

[legomaster00156]

I think if I join, I'd look into playing a Janus, Legacy, or the former sidekick one whose name escapes me.

[Nastara]

Okay!  Cool!  I think you're thinking of the Protege!

[PixelatedPixie]

I don't mind changing the playbook/concept/character, but this is what came to mind.  My other thought was a Scion (but I lack the book, it just came up with a google search), the Brain, or the Reformed.

Delinquent

Hero Info
Superhero Name: TBD
Real Name (if different): Margrethe Dreyer
Playbook: The Delinquent
Abilities: Psychic Weapons, Gadgetry and Hacking
Pronouns/Gender: Female
Interested In: Men/Women/Masculine Monsters (though not strictly opposed to most of the rest)
Brief Description:

I know, I know, the teacher totally said I shouldn’t mess around with, how did he put it, “powers beyond the understanding of man.”  Well, fuck that.  It isn’t my fault the power grid failed and made the portal unstable.  It isn’t my fault the explosion leveled the school.  No one else was there anyway!  Like a building doesn’t get leveled every day in this city anyway!  So fine, I wake up, and everyone is like “Margrethe built a bomb!” and “Margrethe is a terrorist!”  It was an acc-i-dent.  Fuck.  Anyway, that’s how I got my powers.  I mean, some of them.  I was already smart enough to build the portal, now I just have some weird energy infusing me.

An intelligent but troubled young woman, as her principal once put it, Margrethe always had a bit of a heart of gold even as she flipped off the powers that be.  Sure she built her own TASER and tested it on an unwilling subject, but the guy was a school bully and totally had it coming.  Sure she hacked into a bank and transferred a bunch of money to charity, but the money was from illegal arms sales anyway!  The ‘terrorist incident,’ as the news branded it, just amplified her powers and put her in the position of having to choose sides.  It didn’t surprise anyone who knew her that she chose the side of good and justice, but that didn’t mean she was any happier to be prancing around rescuing kittens from trees. 

How did you get your powers?  Big explosion.
What do you do for fun?  Shop, troll, browse the internet.
Who, outside the team, thinks better of you than you do?  The bullied masses of (school).
Why do you try to be a hero?  Cause villains are grade-A assholes.
Why do you care about the team?  Well someone has to keep the goody-two-shoes safe in the real world!

Familiarity With Masks/PbtA: Somewhat familiar with Masks.  I own the books and have played a tiny amount.
How Often Do You Elliquiy?: I usually try to check every day or two, posts may or may not happen that often.  If I get extremely busy it can slip to once a week, but that is the minimum I try to update things.

Star

Hero Info
Superhero Name: Shimmer
Real Name (if different): Aada Lowry
Playbook: The Star
Abilities: Light Control
Pronouns/Gender: Female
Interested In: Men/Women/Masculine Monsters
Brief Description:

I had my powers BEFORE I was a star you know.  It isn’t like there was some freak camera accident that magically gave me the power of television! I don’t remember where they came from.  My mother says I’d summon sparkles at a baby, so maybe they are just natural.  She’s the one that got me onto TV, almost got me kidnapped too.  Who knew that showing off a super-powered toddler was a bad idea?  Anyway, Quintet saved me.  He was working at that studio at the time.  He swooped in, kicked villain ass, and officially invited me to be on his show.  The less said about that fiasco the better.

With a widespread fanbase who require frequent bouts of drama and major acts of heroism Shimmer is viewed with equal parts respect, pity, annoyance, and jealousy.  She was on television as a child and while she has since moved to the internet, often posting her own videos on a website, she has never escaped the fame and public attention.  The team is the first chance that Shimmer has had to truly be part of something greater than herself.  She may be an annoying brat who wants to post everything on the internet, but she is also a bubbly, positive, person who sees the best in everyone and truly wants to help her team.

*I liked the image of Mercy so used it, but ignore the wings and halo. 

Familiarity With Masks/PbtA: Somewhat familiar with Masks.  I own the books and have played a tiny amount.
How Often Do You Elliquiy?: I usually try to check every day or two, posts may or may not happen that often.  If I get extremely busy it can slip to once a week, but that is the minimum I try to update things.

[Nastara]

Awesome, @Cleric!  She looks completely lovely! <3

Yeah, in terms of playbooks, don't worry too much about it.  We can always play around with things as we get closer!  In terms of sharing playbooks, that's WAY easier for me to do once we have the group, just probably can't public post them!

Any of those sound like they would be an excellent playbook for the delightful Margrethe!

[legomaster00156]

Hero Info
Superhero Name: The Shield
Real Name (if different): Daniel Stanton
Playbook: Protege
Abilities: Powerful Armor (in the form of gauntlets that create energy barriers; shared power with mentor), Weapons and Gadgets (various tools and devices created by himself; unique power)
Pronouns/Gender: Male
Interested In: Women/Feminine Monsters
Brief Description:
Daniel is the former sidekick of the Silver Age superheroine known as the Crimson Comet, an agent of A.E.G.I.S. Like many Silver Age heroes, the Crimson Comet possessed extraordinary powers, sporting pyrokinesis and the power to create barriers of force. While Daniel possessed neither such power natively, his intellect drew the heroine's attention, and with her help, soon he had created his own devices to create similar defensive arrays. He has joined A.E.G.I.S. as a low-level superpowered agent, officially with the Crimson Comet as his senior operative. While the organization does kill some villains in defense of the planet, Daniel has not been given the authority to do such. His joining of a superhero team was sanctioned by the authorities, with the caveat that he reports any and all missions undertaken to A.E.G.I.S. either before or after the fact.

He is burdened with doubt about his ability to stand on his own without his mentor. She may not be the most famous superheroine in the city, but within the organization, she is respected for her powers, her morality, and her achievements. It's a long shadow that she casts, and he struggles to get out of it (he isn't even sure he wants to).

Daniel used to wear a supersuit when out on the job, designed to look similar to the Crimson Comet's, but since joining the team has turned around and taken on more practical clothing. He deliberately doesn't wear anything flashy. He will usually wear a sturdy bulletproof (and laser-proof) vest, padded clothing, a belt of tools, and his barrier gauntlets. He has gotten used to living out of the spotlight, to the point that when it now shines on him, he avoids it for fear of messing up and casting shame on himself, his mentor, or his organization.
Familiarity With Masks/PbtA: Moderate. I'll need to re-read some of the stuff.
How Often Do You Elliquiy?: Multiple times daily, I'm a frequent roleplayer.

[Eikichi]

Putting down my interest flag. Will have a character up in a few days.

[PixelatedPixie]

Couldn't resist editing in a second concept that got stuck in my head.  Would be fine playing either (so if someone really wanted one of the playbooks, I don't mind using the other, or even a third.  Assuming we both got accepted of course.).  Will back away from my rulebooks before I make five more characters.   

[Sain]

Playbooks are something you pick one? This terminology confuses me. I'll need to check over what they mean and how the rules actually work

Oh, how wacky can the origins of powers be? I'm thinking she saved a mysterious cat with funny color pattern from dying on asphalt during a hot summer and as thanks that cat fused with her.

e. Oooohhh... Now I see how playbooks work. Will be looking for something that fits. May change things around for Merry a bit (or alot)

[Love And Submission]

Can I be a Nova with animal manipulation? I want to command a squad of bears.

Summoning bears seems like the best superpower.

[Trashbo96]

Hey hey! So I’ve been dying to do a superhero game and I have this character made up that is based on a pc I made for a 2ed AD&D spell jammer game. Anyhow he’s called the “Amazing Sha’ir” think of him like a sorts of spell caster.. only he doesn’t have any magical abilities. Rather he has a small minor Gennie familiar who grants him a few limited spells every day. As for his back story I’d be willing to work it and shape it to better fit this setting.. anyhow thanks for the consideration :)

[Sain]

Made edits to Merry to make her Legacy since that seemed to fit nicely. Could write more but left it concise for now.

[Nastara]

@legomaster, Looks absolutely excellent! You may also enjoy the Soldier playbook if you want to play deeper as an agent if Aegis!

Putting down my interest flag. Will have a character up in a few days.

Great! Looking forward to it!  I want to give people time to see this and join in, so I'll likely be keeping it open about a week.

@Cleric, oh my God, I totally get you on having to put the book down. I love writing up concepts even though there aren't enough games I'm in to play them all! Also, she looks lovely! <3

@Sain, you've got the playbook idea now! It's definitely a little weird and funky, it's less about what your powers are and more about how the character approaches the world.

In terms of origins, what powers look like, and how your character fits into the world, a LOT of that is totally free. That origin sounds totally believable to me!

@love and submission, That actually may be a little UNDERpowered for the Nova. I'd have to think about that one, I've certainly seen comic characters with those kinds of powers, but it may push us into a slightly Gonzo space of "everything is always covered in bears."

Sounds interesting, @trashbo!

And that looks like a great slide into Legacy, @Sain!

[JoanieSappho]

You have my interest, and I shall see if I can think up a good character that hasn't already been thought up by someone else

[Nastara]

You have my interest, and I shall see if I can think up a good character that hasn't already been thought up by someone else

Awesome! Can't wait to see them! And I TOTALLY bet you can!

[JoanieSappho]

And, before I start on my first draft of the character, I realised I probably should ask. As, naturally, my first idea was for an Outsider, literally an alien stuck on Earth. Would that fit with the themes we're going for, though? If I have the superhero stuff come easy to her, but the humaning be extra hard.

[Nastara]

Absolutely! The Outsider is even a playbook! It tends to be about trying to figure out how to people and comparing your culture to those of humans. It's a REALLY fun playbook!