Notes on Playbooks

[Morphling]

As in a typical masks game, only one of each playbook will be accepted. In addition, only one limited edition playbook in total will be accepted. Here are a few notes and changes to the various playbooks.

 

The Beacon

This playbook is largely unchanged. Assuming you are playing a beacon with no powers, you can slip through Tangee scans easily if you're careful with your identity. The setting doesn't immediately evoke the same carefree tone as the Beacon's drives, but these drives still work and support the Beacon's role on the team thematically and functionally. The Beacon acts as a ray of hope and delight, even among the darkness of the Iron Red Soldiers world.

 

The Bull

This playbook is largely unchanged. Remember that deviations from the Bull's life before the invasion will be monitored suspiciously by the monitoring Tangee and their supervillain allies. If the Bull was in school, they should continue to attend. If the Bull wasn't in school, they shouldn't start going now. And the Bull's backstory can still easy tie into the Tangee invasion-perhaps someone designed them to combat a threat only a few saw coming, or perhaps they're the result of a failed Tangee attempt to create some sleeper agents.

 

The Delinquent

This playbook is largely unchanged. There's plenty of opportunity for mischief in a world with villains running rampant and aliens floating in the skies like ominous sentinels. The Delinquent is practically pre-built for an underground rebellion. Think a bit about why the Delinquent has not been apprehended as a dangerous element, however. Have they only just begun to fight in earnest? Or have they been in hiding ever since the occupation began?

 

The Doomed

This playbook is largely unchanged. Their doom can still be in play as normal, although it may be even more pressing without the aid of any adult superheroes or powerful organizations to keep it at bay. If the Tangee found out about a Doomed whose doom threatens more than just themselves, the aliens would be sure to imprison that Doomed in a heartbeat, so the Doomed should try to stay under the radar. And the Doomed's Nemesis is still a factor, even in the Tangee-occupied Halcyon City. The Nemesis should still be connected to the Doomed's particular issue-not necessarily the Tangee.

 

The Janus

This playbook takes on an even more direct, significant tone in Iron Red Soldiers. In regular MASKS, the Janus keeps their lives separate to keep their friends and families safe from the repercussions of their superheroic life. In Iron Red Soldiers, that threat isn't just a general sense of danger from villains and possible vengeance-the Tangee are a real threat, floating overhead and looking for dangerous metahumans. If the Janus's two lives collide, the consequences could be more dire than ever.

 

The Legacy

This playbook is still built as normal-their legacy existed up to the Tangee invasion, and members of the legacy likely tried to fight back, especially in the Battle of Halcyon. Of the four possible members of your legacy, three work as written; only "___ is still active and prominent in the city" needs changing. Interpret that member of your legacy to have been active prior to the Tangee invasion. Now, that person has been captured and held by the Tangee.

When creating a Legacy character, also define at least one member of the legacy who is not "the greatest opponent your legacy ever faced" and who is not imprisoned-that character becomes the most important for triggering many of your moves, including the core Whenever time passes move of the playbook. Otherwise, the Legacy has access to their moves related to their legacy either through those members who are free, or through flashbacks. Think along the lines of, "What was it that Iron Deva used to tell me all the time?" for moves like Words of the past or The legacy matters.

 

The Nova

This playbook is largely unchanged in mechanics, but their place in Halcyon is even more strained. The Nova's flashy powers make them a tempting target for the Tangee and a likely culprit for the future disaster. If the Nova unleashed the full extent of their powers, blowback may come as much from detection as from straightforward collateral damage.

 

The Outsider

This playbook is largely unchanged. The only caveat to keep in mind is that the Outsider should not be a Tangee. While the idea of a rebellious Tangee might be appealing, a Tangee character would not actually be an "outsider"' they would in fact be fairly common within this playset. Instead, play a member of another alien species that either opposes the Tangee or acts as an outside observer to the Tangee.

 

The Protégé

Like the Legacy, this playbook is built as normal, but with the assumption and understanding that the Protégé's mentor starts play imprisoned. Since your mentor is almost certainly one of the heroes effective in and capable of contending with the Tangee, they have been dealt with far earlier. The Protégé has access to their moves through flashbacks and memories-feel free to set up scenes when the Protégé recalls an instance with their mentor that then affects their Labels today.

 

The Transformed

This playbook is largely unchanged in mechanics and character creation, but unlike nearly any other playbook, the Transformed cannot at all hide among the masses of Halcyon City. This makes them an obvious target. The Transformed should think about what they do to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from Tangee sweeps.

 

Limited Edition Playbooks

The Brain: Are you the threat the Tangee is looking for? Is one of your creations the real danger that made the Tangee move against Earth? Your shame is still out there, and almost certainly tied into this larger conflict.

The Harbinger: You might come from right around the same time as the disaster that spurred the Tangee to action. Since your own knowledge is scrambled, maybe you're here to stop the Tangee...or maybe you're here to help them. Don't count on any particular interpretation to be true, either-timelines change.

The Innocent: A lot of the details of your future self may be obscured by the invasion and the chaos surrounding it...including whether your future self is a true villain, a Tangee-deemed "dangerous" hero...or something else. Investigate while fighting.

The Joined: As long as you tie into the particular issues of your connected playbook, you shouldn't encounter additional difficulties.

The Nomad: You need a very strong reason to tie you to a Halcyon City in mid-alien occupation. If you can't come up with one, try another playbook.

The Reformed: The Tangee invasion could've been the impetus you needed to switch sides. The Good news is that your Friends in Low Places are likely still active in the city's underground; the bad news is they're absolutely at risk from the powers in the city, be it Tangee or A.E.G.I.S or what have you.

The Scion: You'll need to free a few heroes to have good candidates for earning Respect, but the leaders of CLOAKSS and DAGGR make good options, too. Oh, and your supervillain parent is almost certainly active and free.

 

The Newborn, The Soldier, and the Star will not be used this time around.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Morphling (see edit history)