Mystery Academy: The Next Generation
In this post I look at the actual setting, premise, and background for our sessions of this Masks hack. I talk about other ways you could go with this premise. Last time I covered the mechanics we used. This post also considers what worked and didn’t work for the hack, and what changes need to be made before I run it again. I think between these two posts you probably have enough to run from.
Just to be clear, as I said last time, I am 100% in favor of Masks: TNG.
“‘Picard! WHY DO YOU SUCK SO BAD AT CAPTAINING?!’ Admiral Nechayev is trying to reduce your Superior Label, Jean-Luc. Do you accept?”
“No. I give her a sermon on what it means to be a Starfleet Captain.”
“Roll to reject!”
okay sorry I’ll stop
–This is really interesting stuff, and I like it and want to hear more!
The holding environment you came up with is great, and it excites me for how it really is different to Masks while hitting on some similar themes. I’ve always wanted to do a Locke and Key style game, and I really like how you’re hitting so many of those notes.
My one immediate rules-ish thought—on the end of session questions, if everyone is always choosing one option, then that’s a good sign to kill that option entirely, or just plain give the PCs those effects automatically and still make them choose something else. So maybe everyone automatically gives Influence to a classmate, and gets to mark potential/clear a condition…and then also has to choose to grow into themselves.
Also, you could replace those questions to be less about the inward-facing thing of the team, and more about an outward-facing thing of the faculty and the school and the mystery. Focusing on the cool bits of this particular set up.
Anyway, thanks for sharing, Lowell!
Just to be clear, as I said last time, I am 100% in favor of Masks: TNG.
“‘Picard! WHY DO YOU SUCK SO BAD AT CAPTAINING?!’ Admiral Nechayev is trying to reduce your Superior Label, Jean-Luc. Do you accept?”
“No. I give her a sermon on what it means to be a Starfleet Captain.”
“Roll to reject!”
okay sorry I’ll stop
–This is really interesting stuff, and I like it and want to hear more!
The holding environment you came up with is great, and it excites me for how it really is different to Masks while hitting on some similar themes. I’ve always wanted to do a Locke and Key style game, and I really like how you’re hitting so many of those notes.
My one immediate rules-ish thought—on the end of session questions, if everyone is always choosing one option, then that’s a good sign to kill that option entirely, or just plain give the PCs those effects automatically and still make them choose something else. So maybe everyone automatically gives Influence to a classmate, and gets to mark potential/clear a condition…and then also has to choose to grow into themselves.
Also, you could replace those questions to be less about the inward-facing thing of the team, and more about an outward-facing thing of the faculty and the school and the mystery. Focusing on the cool bits of this particular set up.
Anyway, thanks for sharing, Lowell!