Monsterhearts
Mar 13, 2013 23:49:32 GMT -8
Post by HyveMynd on Mar 13, 2013 23:49:32 GMT -8
All righty then. This thread is mostly so my group of Monsterhearts Skype players can ask questions about the game mechanics, but I'm not going to turn away other people's questions either. ;D
Skins
In case you haven't done so already, you can download the Skins (character sheets) for free from the Monsterhearts website here. Each Skin is a double-sided sheet of letter-sized paper that you fold in half to make a little 4-paged booklet. The PDF above contains the ten Skins found in the main book; The Chosen, The Fae, The Ghost, The Ghoul, The Infernal, The Mortal, The Queen, The Vampire, The Werewolf, and The Witch.
There's also The Serpentine and The Angel available for free on the website, and I have The Hollow and The Selkie special Skins from backing the project on IndieGoGo.
After thinking about it, I won't say no to any Skin, even though I personally don't care for The Chosen; I think it's pretty boring. I also consider The Angel an "advanced" Skin, as it does something funky with one of the stats. Pick a Skin that excites you, but I'd recommend sticking to something from the "basic 10".
Just like Dungeon World, there's no need to select a Skin before we actually sit down to play. Character creation takes less than 10 minutes, and is simply picking options from the provided lists of names, looks, origins, and starting moves. Unlike Dungeon World (and some other AW-based games), you can double up on Skins, meaning that two players can pick the same one. We could have two Werewolves in the group, for example.
How to play
You can grab a reference sheet for free from the Monsterhearts website here. As players, you'll only need the first two pages of that document. The remaining four pages are for me, the MC (the GM). Monsterhearts works almost identically to Dungeon World (and all the AW-based games); you narrate your character's actions and responses, and sometimes (either intentionally or unintentionally) those narrations will meet the fictional trigger of one or more moves. Every character can trigger the seven Basic Moves; turn someone on, manipulate an NPC, shut someone down, hold steady, lash out physically, run away, and gaze into the abyss. Each Skin also has a number of Skin Moves that only those characters can trigger. These are just like the Class Moves in Dungeon World; only the Druid has access to the Druid Class Moves, just like only the Vampire has access to the Vampire Skin Moves.
As is standard for AW-based games, the rule with moves is "to do it, you have to do it". You can't just announce your character is lashing out physically or turning someone on. You have to narrate what your character is doing to trigger the corresponding move. Want to trigger lash out physically? Tell me your character is grabbing that kid by the collar and slamming his head into the lockers. Want to turn someone on? Tell me your character has too many buttons undone and is leaning in just a bit too close when talking. To do it, do it.
When a move is triggered, you'll nearly always roll dice to see what happens. Just like Dungeon World, the roll is always 2d6 plus a stat (hot, cold, volatile, or dark). The stat added to the roll is dictated by the move you've triggered. If the total is 10 or more (10 up), you achieve your intended goal with no complications or side effects. If the result is a 7-9, you get what you want, but at a cost, with a twist, or with a reduced or unintended effect. On a 6 or less, something bad'll happen. Note that this doesn't necessarily mean you fail at your attempt. It just means the effect of your action is probably something you're not going to like.
Many times you'll have to select a number of options from a list based on the total of your roll. Sometimes the list of options are positive, and rolling high allows you to choose more of those options. Other times the options are negative, and rolling high allows you to choose fewer of those options. If this sounds confusing, it's really not. It's just one of those things that is easier to see in play.
Strings
Strings are the Bennies of Monsterhearts. You can spend them to do things like add to your rolls, subtract from other people's rolls, get people to stop what they're doing, and other effects. However the MC doesn't give you Strings for good roleplaying; you get Strings by using moves. Many moves have "gain a String on that person" or "take a String on that person" as either an option or as part of their effect. When that happens, you just make a little notation in your Skin booklet that you have a String on [character]. You can take Strings on both PCs and NPCs the same exact way. Strings are also asymmetrical, meaning that taking a String on someone doesn't mean you give them one in return.
Strings represent the emotional leverage you have on other people. You know how to push their buttons, rile them up, or get them hot. You know how to provoke a reaction. You don't have to say what that is when you take a String on another character, but you do have to say how you're getting under someone's skin when you spend a String. Remember, to do it, you have to do it.
One last thing about Strings; they are power. You want them. Lots of them, on lots of different people, so you can hold them over their head, back up your threats and enforce your will.
Skins
In case you haven't done so already, you can download the Skins (character sheets) for free from the Monsterhearts website here. Each Skin is a double-sided sheet of letter-sized paper that you fold in half to make a little 4-paged booklet. The PDF above contains the ten Skins found in the main book; The Chosen, The Fae, The Ghost, The Ghoul, The Infernal, The Mortal, The Queen, The Vampire, The Werewolf, and The Witch.
There's also The Serpentine and The Angel available for free on the website, and I have The Hollow and The Selkie special Skins from backing the project on IndieGoGo.
After thinking about it, I won't say no to any Skin, even though I personally don't care for The Chosen; I think it's pretty boring. I also consider The Angel an "advanced" Skin, as it does something funky with one of the stats. Pick a Skin that excites you, but I'd recommend sticking to something from the "basic 10".
Just like Dungeon World, there's no need to select a Skin before we actually sit down to play. Character creation takes less than 10 minutes, and is simply picking options from the provided lists of names, looks, origins, and starting moves. Unlike Dungeon World (and some other AW-based games), you can double up on Skins, meaning that two players can pick the same one. We could have two Werewolves in the group, for example.
How to play
You can grab a reference sheet for free from the Monsterhearts website here. As players, you'll only need the first two pages of that document. The remaining four pages are for me, the MC (the GM). Monsterhearts works almost identically to Dungeon World (and all the AW-based games); you narrate your character's actions and responses, and sometimes (either intentionally or unintentionally) those narrations will meet the fictional trigger of one or more moves. Every character can trigger the seven Basic Moves; turn someone on, manipulate an NPC, shut someone down, hold steady, lash out physically, run away, and gaze into the abyss. Each Skin also has a number of Skin Moves that only those characters can trigger. These are just like the Class Moves in Dungeon World; only the Druid has access to the Druid Class Moves, just like only the Vampire has access to the Vampire Skin Moves.
As is standard for AW-based games, the rule with moves is "to do it, you have to do it". You can't just announce your character is lashing out physically or turning someone on. You have to narrate what your character is doing to trigger the corresponding move. Want to trigger lash out physically? Tell me your character is grabbing that kid by the collar and slamming his head into the lockers. Want to turn someone on? Tell me your character has too many buttons undone and is leaning in just a bit too close when talking. To do it, do it.
When a move is triggered, you'll nearly always roll dice to see what happens. Just like Dungeon World, the roll is always 2d6 plus a stat (hot, cold, volatile, or dark). The stat added to the roll is dictated by the move you've triggered. If the total is 10 or more (10 up), you achieve your intended goal with no complications or side effects. If the result is a 7-9, you get what you want, but at a cost, with a twist, or with a reduced or unintended effect. On a 6 or less, something bad'll happen. Note that this doesn't necessarily mean you fail at your attempt. It just means the effect of your action is probably something you're not going to like.
Many times you'll have to select a number of options from a list based on the total of your roll. Sometimes the list of options are positive, and rolling high allows you to choose more of those options. Other times the options are negative, and rolling high allows you to choose fewer of those options. If this sounds confusing, it's really not. It's just one of those things that is easier to see in play.
Strings
Strings are the Bennies of Monsterhearts. You can spend them to do things like add to your rolls, subtract from other people's rolls, get people to stop what they're doing, and other effects. However the MC doesn't give you Strings for good roleplaying; you get Strings by using moves. Many moves have "gain a String on that person" or "take a String on that person" as either an option or as part of their effect. When that happens, you just make a little notation in your Skin booklet that you have a String on [character]. You can take Strings on both PCs and NPCs the same exact way. Strings are also asymmetrical, meaning that taking a String on someone doesn't mean you give them one in return.
Strings represent the emotional leverage you have on other people. You know how to push their buttons, rile them up, or get them hot. You know how to provoke a reaction. You don't have to say what that is when you take a String on another character, but you do have to say how you're getting under someone's skin when you spend a String. Remember, to do it, you have to do it.
One last thing about Strings; they are power. You want them. Lots of them, on lots of different people, so you can hold them over their head, back up your threats and enforce your will.