OOC: Apocalypse Engine Rules & Monsterhearts Framework

[Rukellian]

Was just commenting on the last bit, that's all. There is no way to sugar coat violence, and I agreed.

Question about Harm though and death. Does a ghost recieve harm like any other monster, or is it hurt a different way? When and if I reach 4 harm, will the ghost be susceptible to death?

Yes. Because the Ghost is Un-Dead, but we've glossed over the hand-wavium that makes Clarence alive.

For instance, when it comes to the Vampire not burning due to sunlight, the book mentions a magic ring or trinket that subverts the usual Vampire story. Or Vampires just don't work that way in our story. We've made a concession to allow the monster to exist in the story, and Harm 4 would likely break it.

Something about the Ghost hasn't fully crossed over yet. Harm 4 means the Ghost is finally done, and ready to cross over. They've broken the thing that keeps the Ghost in this world, and now it's the end.

Does that make sense? There's no special rule that applies to a Ghost & Harm. Or a Ghoul. Or any Skin that might argue for a dodge around Death, unless the Skin has a special move that averts it (like the Ghoul).

Okay, got it! Thanks for the clarification.

[Keehnelf]

I have plenty of good self-inflicted ways to get messy with my darkest self, don't you worry. I've tried to hint toward them with my character description so far. James at his darkest gives in to obsession, paranoia, and flagrant manipulation or coercion for no reason other than to feel like he's actually making an impact on the world around him. The capacity for harm to others, to his relationships with others, and to himself is inestimable.

[Q.Q Elf]

Moving on with the Basic Moves (which I'd like to minimally cover before we start... although we should also talk about the Moves you chose for your Skins)...

Run Away.

Self explanatory? Get out, physically, and go to the happy place.

It's a test of Volatile.

On a 10+, your character gets away to a safe place.

On a 7-9, your character gets away, but choose one:

• You cause a big scene. (Big whoop. This is kind of lame, all things considered.)
• You run directly into a worse situation.
• The scariest person gets 1 String on you in the process.

If I tell you that your character has to Hold Steady in a situation, you can always freak out & have your character Run Away instead.

[Q.Q Elf]

I have plenty of good self-inflicted ways to get messy with my darkest self, don't you worry. I've tried to hint toward them with my character description so far. James at his darkest gives in to obsession, paranoia, and flagrant manipulation or coercion for no reason other than to feel like he's actually making an impact on the world around him. The capacity for harm to others, to his relationships with others, and to himself is inestimable.

Good!

When James flips over into giant bitch mode, I'm glad you're ready to go.

[Keehnelf]

Ohhhh yes. He's all wounded puppy and smoldering allure when he feels in control, but when that tenuous sense of security slips away: watch out.

[Q.Q Elf]

Gaze Into the Abyss

Finally. The last of the Basic Moves.

This is when Angsty teenager gets all Angsty, and then starts contemplating oblivion & shit like that. When you look into the Dark, the Dark sometimes will answer back. That's the attraction.

You roll with Dark as the ability for this one.

On a roll of 10+, Choose TWO:

• The visions are clear, detailed. You know what is going on.
• The visions tell you what you need to know, and what you need to do. You carry 1 Forward.
• The visions ease your suffering. You lose 1 Condition.

On a 7-9, Choose ONE:

• The visions are confusing and alarming. I'm going to give you something, but I definitely need to ramp up the tension through what you find out.
• The visions are clear and detailed, and you understand what is going on... but it leaves you with the Condition drained.

It's the only thing tied to Dark (as far as Basic Moves go)... and it gives you the opportunity to force my hand & tell you where I think the story is going. Does this really help in an Emergent Story kind of game?

EDIT: I'm going to have to ramp up the tension if you give me the keys to the bus. So when you do this Move, and pick something where I narrate, then you're giving authorship over to me, and my job is to complicate your character's lives.

[Metal Fatigue]

You dominate them. They must Hold Steady before they can retaliate. (Since I, the MC, do not roll, this seems only appropriate for Player versus Player situations.)

The NPC would be acting at a Disadvantage (or losing the Advantage if they had it).

WRT surviving 4 Harm, you can take either option if you're already Drained, you can lose all Strings if you have no Strings, but you cannot survive 4 Harm by going into Darkest Self if you're already in Darkest Self. Thus it is not possible to survive 12 Harm. (Don't laugh, my PC nearly died that way once. We backed down when each of us had dealt 7 to the other.)

Weapons can increase the amount of Harm dealt by Lash Out, but usually not beyond another +1 (a knife, a baseball bat, a pistol or rifle). 3 Harm in a hit is a shotgun in your face or being run over by a car. 4 Harm in a hit is having a burning house collapse on you.

Healing is really slow. 1 Harm if you have time and take care of your wounds, +1 Harm if someone else cares for your wounds with possible sexual subtext. (Think Buffy and Angel here.) That's the max per "session": 2 Harm recovered.

[Keehnelf]

I like the idea that the story-revelation success could provide an opportunity to narrate a non-munchkin-ish vision by the active player. It keeps the burden of making interesting things happen on us, but allows us to take the reins in a slightly broader way by opening up influence outside of what our character would be able to do directly.

E.g., James uses his Faery sight-beyond-sight to see (I decide to narrate with a 10+) that when Victoria leaves the party in her car, she's going to get in an accident on a dark and empty road. I don't know how or where it will happen, but I've set that as a piece of action in the future that events have to intersect without having to get my character actively engaged. He may decide to ignore it and go his merry way, or he may decide to try and prevent it and get himself involved in mess as well, but regardless of what he does it's out there floating in the void and waiting to strike, no matter what anyone does.

[Metal Fatigue]

The visions are confusing and alarming. They provide you with nothing beneficial, and leave you only with more questions.

Nope. Rolling 7+ on a move is always an advantage. The visions are confusing and alarming but they tell you something. Have you ever played Apocalypse World? This is your chance to barf forth apocalyptica, or the equivalent.

Does this really help in an Emergent Story kind of game?

Only if you, the MC, are doing it right. Use it to put people at odds, to ratchet up tension, to throw something that everyone forgot about into sharp relief. Emergent Story doesn't mean you have zero input.

[Q.Q Elf]

The visions are confusing and alarming. They provide you with nothing beneficial, and leave you only with more questions.

Nope. Rolling 7+ on a move is always an advantage. The visions are confusing and alarming but they tell you something. Have you ever played Apocalypse World? This is your chance to barf forth apocalyptica, or the equivalent.

Haven't played AW. I have it, but haven't really read it.

Ok, I'll keep that in mind with the Move.

Does this really help in an Emergent Story kind of game?

Only if you, the MC, are doing it right. Use it to put people at odds, to ratchet up tension, to throw something that everyone forgot about into sharp relief. Emergent Story doesn't mean you have zero input.

Good advice.

[Metal Fatigue]

Haven't played AW. I have it, but haven't really read it.

To my way of thinking, the Monsterhearts rules sort of…tacitly assume that a first-time MC, if not player, is familiar with AW. It's meant to be a separate, standalone implementation of the Apocalypse Engine but it isn't quite.

In any case, reading about stuff like "To do it, do it" and "Moves snowball" will help you.

[Keehnelf]

Soooo....what are the Conditions and what do they do?

[Metal Fatigue]

The rules call out certain Conditions (drained, terrified, etc.) but you can make up anything.

The mechanical impact of a Condition is that when you act on someone in a way that takes advantage of a Condition they have, you get +1 to your roll.

Suppose you have the Condition "outcast," and I want to bash your face into the lockers. I can get a +1 by describing how there are students standing around, watching, and no one lifts a finger to help you.

[Keehnelf]

Oh, that's great. Thanks!

[Metal Fatigue]

BTW, you can't just say "I Gaze into the Abyss." You have to do something in order to do something. Your character has a way of looking into the inner darkness; what is it? Cutting? Drugs? Looking at your reflection in your grandmother's old mirror? Whatever it is, stick to it.

[Metal Fatigue]

(this is mainly for Rukellian)

Conditions don't subtract from your rolls. They add to other players' rolls against your PC, or enable NPCs to act at an Advantage. Even then, the PC or NPC has to take advantage of the Condition somehow in the narrative.

[Q.Q Elf]

Anyone object if we fast forward to a new scene? I guess it would be lunch room time since Marcus Owen threatened to beat up Clarence... although we can morph that all into the party that Lucinda seems to be getting together.

(Yeah, we could go through class by class, and after-school activities, but meh. I think the thing says we can fast forward, even if we should track your characters' schedules during the day).

Metal Fatigue, you can carry that 1 Forward that Summer just earned by getting out of the bathroom.

I should also go back and see who got what Experience. At 5 checked boxes, you get an advancement (see the Skins PDF for info on that).

Remember, you get a checked box when you roll something that involves your highlighted stats (1 per highlighted stat per scene). It's not just based on successes, but also failures. You just have to use the stat. Certain Skin-specific Moves also trigger a checked box.

Let's see...
Metal Fatigue has his checked. 2x stats, 1x condition.
Keehnelf tested Hot, so that's 1x.
MonkeyWrench also tested Hot, so that's 1x.
What's up with you all not flipping out & wrecking stuff?
Rukellian... also tested Hot, so that's 1x.

Forgive and Forget (from the Ghost). I wonder how that will get into play. Clarence needs to get himself out there some more, I think.

I guess we should discuss the Skin-specific moves some more.

There should be more opportunity at the party to wreck stuff.

[Metal Fatigue]

I have no problem moving forward to the party. I don't think there will be enough drama at lunch.

[Rukellian]

I have no problem moving forward to the party. I don't think there will be enough drama at lunch.

True. Clarence usually skips lunch for another study hall, considering that ghosts don't need to eat.... unless Q.Q Elf says otherwise.

Forgive and Forget (from the Ghost). I wonder how that will get into play. Clarence needs to get himself out there some more, I think.

Yeah, I am trying to find a good time to make use of that. Right now, he has not been reminded of his death, nor has he been provoked into remembering it. Once those gears start to move, I will build up his behaviour to the point of casting blame statuses on people, only then will I be able to make use of the Forgive and Forget in the way it was intended.

I would like to think that he is going through one of those livid dream sequences, replaying the days in which he was still alive and worried about his studies. Whether this was forced or not I will leave up to the MC. When he is reminded of his undeathly state, I assume he will wake up pretty quickly from his dream, perhaps causing an abrupt change in his behaviour.

Rukellian... also tested Hot, so that's 1x.

I also successfully pulled of a Cold stat use, keeping myself steady while listening to the commotion taking place in the hallway.

[Q.Q Elf]

Okay, cool, so that's 2x for you? I really have to rearrange my tablet to download all the things to it...

Anyway, scene 2 is set up. Party on!