Monsterhearts at DexCon 2012

DexCon, Friday 8 pm Monsterhearts

• GM: Jeff Collyer
• Lisa Padol: Hollow: Max
• Meehgan Gonzalez: Serpentine: Lucretia
• Brendan Conway: Werewolf: Cassidy (female)
• Daniel Bahrner(?sp? He played the Marmot in AW Madworms): Fae: Mudcap
• James Mendez Hodges: Infernal: Puja (female)
• David Petroski: Ghoul: Mara (female)
• Shawn D'Arment: NPCs

Cassidy was Jane for most of high school, but no one paid attention to Jane, or even really knew she existed. Then, she got bitten by a werewolf, almost died, changed her name, and became a social force to be reckoned with. She was feisty, with predatory eyes. Her moves (feats, special abilities) included Scent of Blood and Primal Dominance. She started with 2 strings on Lucretia, who also had 2 strings on Cassidy. Her highlighted stats (which would net her an experience check when she used them) were Hot and Volatile.

Mudcap was scruffy, with mesmerizing eyes. He wasn't born fae, but had stolen the gift, with the tacit consent of the King of Fairy, or at least, Mudcap thought the King approved. Because the player had chosen a move involving the King, the King of Fairy was now In Play -- this isn't necessarily the case every time someone chooses the Fae skin. Everyone had a string on him, and he had 2 stings on Puja. His highlighted stats were Hot and Dark.

Puja looked vicious, with burning eyes. Her bargain had been made not with a Christian demon or a Celtic or Islamic one, but rather with Ravana, a Rakshasha. He was a 10-headed monster king of Sri Lanka (the one who kidnapped Sita). My notes list what might be moves: Strings Attached, Soul Debt, Unknowable. Ravana had a string on her. So did Mara and Max. She had a string on Lucretia, as Lucretia thought she could save Puja, I think, even if Lucretia didn't necessarily know about Ravana. Her highlighted stats were Volatile and Dark.

Mara was a stereotypical goth, if I am reading my notes correctly. She was striking, always working on something, and had calculating eyes. She committed suicide, thinking it would be quiet. My notes say something about "disturbed" and "doesn't remember at this point". Her insatiable hunger was for Chaos. Her moves included Satiety and Short Rest for the Wicked. The NPC Annabelle had 2 stings on her, as Annabelle taught her what love was. Cold and Hot were her highlighted stats.

Max was stiff, with wide eyes. She had once been a demon, so she knew Ravana. Her moves included Blank Canvas and Inhuman Gaze. She had 2 strings on Lucretia. The NPC Sara had 2 strings on her, for Sara saw through the faked past. Hot and Dark were her highlighted stats.

Lucretia was lithe with hypnotic eyes. In serpentine form, she had slimy scales and a forked tongue. Her family was from old wealth -- think the Malfoys from Harry Potter, although Lucretia wasn't a bad person to be around. Her moves included Failing Dynasty and Temptation. Her parents always wanted her to do more and to do better. She had the highest GPA in the class, did mock trial, and similar academic achievements. Her father, Nestor, was the head of the family. She had 2 strings on Cassidy. Her highlighted stats were Hot and Cold.

A string is a measure of influence that gives a mechanical bonus. Looking at the seating chart diagram, my notes, and the Monsterheart rules, I think the final breakdown at the start of the game was:

• Cassidy: 2 strings on Lucretia, 1 string on Mudcap
• Lucretia: 2 strings on Cassidy, 1 string on Mudcap
• Max: 1 string on Mudcap, 2 strings on Lucretia
• Puja: 1 string on Mudcap, 2 strings on Cassidy, 1 string on Lucretia
• Mara: 1 string on Mudcap, 1 string on Puja
• Mudcap: 2 strings on Puja
• Annabelle: 2 strings on Mara
• Sara: 2 strings on Max

In retrospect, we thought that the string given to the NPCs probably should have been given to PCs. For a campaign, it may work to have NPCs have strings on PCs, but for a convention one shot, one needs to be very sure that the NPC will be important. Defaulting in both situations to PCs having the initial strings is my recommendation.

As for the PCs, Lucretia had 2 strings on Cassidy because she'd been studding her to learn what it meant to be human. Max had 2 stings on Lucretia because she'd been studying Lucretia and taking social cues from Lucretia. In other words, the Hollow took social cues from the Serpentine who was looking to the Werewolf to learn what it meant to be human.

The map of the classroom was of the Chemistry Lab and La Crosse class, where students sat two to a desk, with the teacher up front.

Teacher: Mr. Gregory

Sara and Cassidy Lucretia and Matt
Annabelle and Jared Mudcap and Trenchcoat Jimmy
Pru and Sam Max and Kevin
Biff and Puja Steve and Mara

We decided:

• Annabelle was a cheerleader. She was in love with Trenchcoat Jimmy.
• Jared was the La Crosse captain.
• Matt is in a wheelchair and has the second best GPA. He's very good with math. He and Lucretia are best frenemies.
• Pru was an exchange student from England.
• Sam was a stoner. Pru disliked the way Sam smelled.
• Steve kept trying to chat Mara up. He was a slacker band guy, according to my notes, and played trombone.
• Cassidy thought Mudcap smelled funny.

Kevin liked to be called Slate and was a skateboarder.

Puja: But, for some reason, when I look at him, he falls off his skateboard.

Someone joked that he _always_ fell off his skateboard when a girl looked at him.

Biff had racist parents who taught him all too well. Puja was of Indian (as in from India) ancestry. Trenchcoat Jimmy did not, in fact, do drugs, though folks assumed he did. We joked that he was playing World of Darkness while the rest of us played Monsterhearts.

The GM had questions for us. These are the ones I remember:

• Mudcap, who smokes pot in your fae forest? Steve.
• Cassidy, who's holding the big party this weekend? I am, of course.
• Puja, who do you have a crush on? Mara.
• Mara, who do you hate with a burning passion? Annabelle.
• Sara was Cassidy's bestie. What does Sara do? Sara is Adorable.
• Who is Sara sleeping with? Mr. Gregory, who is in his 30s.
• Lucretia had a crush on Steve, who was cute and So Chill.

Next to the sketch of the classroom, we made a sketch of the town. It was Morgantown in West Virginia. Cassidy's family used to own the general store, but lost it to a Wal-Mart's.

GM: Did your family own slaves?

Cassidy: Obviously!

The mall was slowly dying. Cassidy lived in a trailer park on the other side of the tracks. There was a nearby coal mine. Mara worked at the local hospital. There was a drive in. There was a graveyard next to the church, and the graveyard was where Ravana showed himself to Puja. And there was the fae forest, and Lucretia's family home.

Me (looking at the map): So, the place people don't want to go is here and here.

Daniel: Sounds like the place people don't want to go is Morgantown, Virginia.

So, there would be a party at Cassidy's. Why had she not invited Puja?

Someone, possibly Cassidy, corrected this to "Cassidy has not _yet_ invited Puja."

Lucretia: You can take my invitation -- I'm not going.

Biff (played by Shawn at the moment): You can't trade invitations between races!

Lucretia shut Biff down. That's a move in Monsterhearts, which meant she rolled well, probably on Cold. Biff now had the Condition of White Trash.

Lucretia: Yes, and if I were giving it to you, I'd be trading it between classes. Please go back to your trailer park and die.

Puja (possibly after Biff tried to sell her on the idea of going as his date): We only eat goats. We don't mate with them.

Mara: _I_ even got an invitation, and I'm going.

My notes say that someone, possibly Lucretia again, shut down Mara and gave her the condition of Pathetic. My notes also say that Trenchcoat Jimmy promised Mudcap to run a White Wolf game. Making a promise to a fae can be dangerous, especially if one breaks it, but I don't think this particular promise was significant in the session.

Sara wanted Cassidy to tell Sara's parents that Sara was going to Cassidy's party, but she wasn't planning to go. Instead, she planned to go out with Mr. Gregory.

Sara: This is more important. It's grown up stuff. I'd do it for you if you had a full time boyfriend.

Cassidy: Yeah, if I were dumb enough to have a full time boyfriend. If I were dumb enough to have a full time boyfriend twice my age!

Both girls came out the worse for the exchange, Sara having the condition Stupid, and Cassidy having the condition Frigid. Note that this says nothing about whether the girls really were these things, merely about how they were now being perceived.

I think at that point, Puja opened herself up to the abyss and learned that Ravana wanted to go to the party, too. So, Puja would have to go so that she could invite Ravana to feast on the emotions.

Puja: What do I need to do?

GM as Abyss: Ask Cassidy.

I think she managed to score an invitation. Meanwhile, Max asked Lucretia how she should dress for the party, and Lucretia took her to Cassidy so that they could both ask Cassidy.

Cassidy: I want you to imagine you have a chance of being desirable. Dress like that.

Lucretia: It appears we have to go shopping, Max.

Max: So, that means we go to the mall.

Lucretia: Yes, we go to the mall.

Meanwhile, Mudcap wanted to score some booze. I think Cassidy may have asked him to handle that for the party.

Mudcap: And I don't think I'm going to get it at the "local" liquor store.

Instead, he planned to open his mind to the Abyss, which, in this case, meant asking the Fairy King for some fairy booze.

GM: How do you commune with the Fairy King?

Mudcap: I eat mushrooms.

The Fairy King was surprised to hear that mortals wanted fairy wine.

Fairy King: Of their own free will?

Mudcap: Yes. The one called Cassidy requested it of me.

Fairy King: And you come to me?

Mudcap: As the purveyor of all good things in Faerie.

Fairy King: True. You speak the truth. An... elided concept in Faerie.

He was willing to provide the wine in return for a memory of a first kiss, from one who had not yet kissed. The king gave Mudcap a leaf broach to give to the person doing the kissing.

Fairy King: And the wine will be where all good things are.

I think he meant the forest. Mudcap was hoping to get two kisses. Specifically, he was hoping to get Puja and Lucretia kissing. I'm not sure if he wanted this now, or after events transpired to make it more likely.

Mara wanted Biff's help in making a food fight, I think.

Biff: You got a date for the party? Cuz if you want something to happen -- Quid pro quo!

She agreed. When the fight started, Lucretia announced that she was going to tell the principal, and my notes say something about a drunk Mudcap and a Mr. O'Hara and "we get along really well".

I'm not sure who Mr. O'Hara was. Possibly the principal. Regardless, Lucretia left, followed by Max, and told the principal, who sent Mr. Gregory to deal with it. Max and Mr. Gregory left to do that.

Lucretia decided that it was time to talk to the principal about a Very Important Matter: Matt as chosen for some academic honor that she wanted.

Principal (I think): You're a right little fine filly, aren't you?

I think Lucretia's player got a mixed success.

Principal: Things aren't the same since the missus passed on. How's your momma doing?

Lucretia: Fine, sir. Thank you for asking. My parents are very supportive.

I don't recall the upshot of this, alas.

Mr. Gregory went to the cafeteria to break up the food fight, with Max following. Slate fell, splashing milk on Cassidy. Pru kicked Slate in the face. Cassidy now had two conditions, Gravied and Frigid.

Mudcap managed to protect Annabelle during the food fight, catching her in a full dip. He got her to promise that she would at least consider him over Jimmy.

Max tried to help pull people off Cassidy and rolled a 12+ on 2d6. This meant that Steve was thrown through a window.

Mr. Gregory: Who did that?

Mara pointed to Max.

Max: They were hurting Cassidy -- who looks more desirable now than I will _ever_ look!

Mara went to the hospital after school, as that's where she worked. She was a Registrar clerk at the ER. We decided we wanted the biggest sexist (or sexiest -- my notes are hard to read) ER doctor.

Someone: That would be George Cluny.

So, we decided it was Dr. George. Steve was sent to the hospital. I think Mudcap visited him, and the two got stoned.

Lucretia decided to visit Steve at the hospital, because of her crush. I think Puja went with her.

Lucretia: Mara, I would like to have Steve's room number, now, please.

Mara: I have more important things to do than a school girl crush.

Hospital security guard: Miss Mara, what's happening?

Mara (pointing at Lucretia): I think she has a weapon.

Puja: Go -- go -- get away.

Puja and Lucretia managed to get to Steve's room.

Lucretia (taking in the sight of Steve and Mudcap smoking pot): There is no smoking in the hospital.

Mudcap: This isn't smoking -- it's pot.

Lucretia: Steve, I came to see how you are!

Steve: And how am I?

Lucretia (to Puja, now Completely Over her crush on Steve): We're leaving.

Mudcap: She speaks for you?

Puja (I think): That is not true!

By now, Mara had sent security to Steve's room, I think. Puja dove out the window, having attracted the attention of security. Worse still, she smelled of pot. Puja gave Ravana another string on her, and this granted her a +2 to her next roll.

GM: You get an 8. Because Ravana.

Someone decided that, in the English translation, Ravana was voiced by Keith Davis. (I'm not sure what that means.) We decided, in the interest of hitting Puja with the consequences of her partial success, but not taking her out of the action, that the hospital security guards now had a string on her and had pictures of her on the security camera.

Mudcap tried to get Lucretia to take the leaf broach that the king gave him, trying to convince her that it would help her, possibly with Puja.

Lucretia: I'm fine, Mudcap. I don't need anyone's help.

Lucretia: Are you implying that I don't have people skills?

Mudcap: Yes.

Lucretia was attempting to shut down Mudcap, but rolled a 5, which was a failure. The Snaketongue started coming out in her voice. My notes say, "Meet him in foresst -- some pointerss -- yess -- elouction lessonsss?" I can't tell if that was IC dialogue (and if so, whether it was Lucretia's or Mudcap's) or just folks joking around.

(I'm fairly sure that the following exchange was a joke, not IC:

Lucretia: You're a dirty nasty little boy. You may kiss me, if you like

Mudcap: With that tongue? Yes.)

Max went shopping on her own, and opened her mind to the Abyss, asking: What must I do? She was answered by the screens in the audio-visual department and knew exactly what to buy for the party. Mechanically, she got +1 going forward to turn on everyone at the party. However, this would soon be, ah, supplanted by a better plan, if not Max's plan.

Mara went looking for Lucretia's passcode to frame Lucretia for altering Matt's records. She did this by opening her mind to the Abyss. She did _that_ by going to the nursery and listening to the cries of the newborn babies.

GM: What happens if they're not crying? (thinks better of it) I don't want to know!

Mara got a detailed vision, but also the condition Drained. The vision showed Lucretia's parents at a reunion in their basement. They were doing shots when a mask fell, revealing someone's true face.

Someone: Shots of what? Rat? Mouse? Blood? Tequila!

Mara (I think): I had plans to fix Puja, but degraying takes precedent!

That night, Cassidy went running through the woods in wolf form. She soon realized that there was another werewolf in the woods. He lifted his leg to piss on a tree.

Cassidy: Well, fuck him! I attack!

This didn't go quite so well as she had hoped. The other werewolf pinned her, and Cassidy was Turned On. She also became her Darkest Self, and a horrible, distorted, mutant howling was heard!

GM: Poor Sam, smoking out by graveyard -- how bad is it, and where do the organs end up?

Cassidy: Where _don't_ they end up? At least some of the wind up in my stomach!

Lucretia ran out of her home to see what was the matter. Puja also wound up in the forest.

GM (about Lucretia, after she blew a dice roll, probably to Hold Steady): Lose your shit -- that ship's sailed!

Puja decided she had to defend her friend!

Puja: Give a string to Ravana, because I'm growing ten heads, fifty arms, and every weapon in India!

David: And the conch shell!

I'm not sure what that means, as my knowledge of the culture is barely existent.

Cassidy couldn't identify Puja by her scent, if I read my notes correctly, because Puja was Unknowable.

Mara entered the woods by now. Either she or Puja was staring down the wolf. My notes say that Cassidy was covered in blood and bleeding, but I think I probably meant Lucretia. I think she and Puja and Cassidy had all been wounded.

We also agreed that Puja and Lucretia would figure out that the werewolf they'd fought was Cassidy. After all, Lucretia, the Science Olympiad Nerd, had a Discover Your Own DNA kit! I learned that such kits exist. We weren't sure whether fur was the same as hair for DNA testing purposes, but we were willing to stretch a point, and to say that the wolf's eyes were exactly the same as Cassidy's.

Mara heedlessly, but ultimately fruitlessly, pursued Puja, I think having been Turned On. (One can't control being Turned On, but one can decide what one's PC will do because of being Turned On.) Puja and Lucretia went to one of their homes, I forget which.

Meanwhile, I said that Max would be walking through the woods on her way home so that she could run across Mudcap and ask his opinion about her outfit. The Hollow needs to be interacting with other PCs for best results. I think Max turned Mudcap on with the fashion show.

Mudcap said that he didn't want Max to feel uncomfortable about undressing, so he undressed as well. Max now understood a rule of human interaction: Friends should strip together to feel more comfortable.

Mudcap liked the sight of naked Max and told her to show up in the party exactly as she was.

Max: I'm not supposed to wear the clothing?

Mudcap: I don't think it was meant to be!

Max: Even though the tv told me to?

Mudcap: Are you sure you heard it right?

Max: Well... it was a bit staticky.

Mudcap: Then, you want to get a good reaction. Promise to go to the party naked.

Max promised.

After Max left, the Fairy King expressed his displeasure with Mudcap. After all, he'd delivered the booze, but Mudcap had yet to deliver a first kiss. Mudcap fully intended to do this at the party, but the king made sure he had an unpleasant night full of hallucinations and culminating in a hangover.

My notes say "Puja abducts Lucretia home". I think that this meant that Puja grabbed Lucretia's arm with one of her many hands and the girls ran either to Puja's home or to Lucretia's.

Lucretia: Puja, I need to get cleaned up -- will you help me get cleaned up?

Once per session of Monsterhearts, a PC may heal 1 harm by resting and tending to her wounds. But, if someone else does this for the PC, "delicately and intimately - and perhaps with erotic subtext", the PC heals an additional harm. A character can take 4 Harm before dying. So, the two girls achieved best results by tending to each other's wounds.

Lucretia looked at Puja's current form.

Lucretia: I won't tell anyone if you won't tell anyone.

Lucretia's player: And then I turn into my slimy snakeform.

My notes say that this form was a bit Mystique-ish.

GM: So, what's your Sex Move?

Lucretia's player: My Sex Move? Are we having sex right now?

Puja's player (I think): I think we are. It smells of blood, sex, and snakes.

So, a ten-headed fifty-armed girl had tender sex with a scaly serpentine girl. Puja's Sex Move was that Ravana lost a string on her -- but gained one on Lucretia. Lucretia's Sex Move was that Puja was now part of Lucretia's Failing Dynasty.

Someone: You see what happens when you have sex? You see?

GM (to Cassidy's player): You'll be coming to naked.

Brendan: Oh good gravy!

GM: This is the _best_ of gravy!

I forget the context of these two lines, but they might have been dialogue between Puja and Lucretia.

So, the same again?

Are you done? Are you done? Let's start.

The next day was the day of the party at Cassidy's trailer park.

Mudcap: Did Annabelle keep her promise and go with me to the party?

GM: Yes.

Mudcap: Good -- I don't have to kill her.

Of course, this didn't stop Mudcap from putting the moves on Cassidy.

Mudcap: I could kiss you. I put my arm around you, and I am turning you the fuck on!

Annabelle was Not Pleased and expressed her ire.

Cassidy: Oh, this is _not_ the night, bitch!

Annabelle: You get your hands off my man!

Cassidy: I claw out her eyes.

Someone: This _is_ a lot like Midsummer Night's Dream.

Cassidy managed not to actually blind her or do too much damage.

GM: You gonna chase her out of the party?

Cassidy (with gracious sadism): No, I'll let her stay.

Someone: See, this is how it happens. There you are, the hottest girl at the party, with your arm around Mudcap.

Mara's mother, who knew that Mara had come back from the dead and tried really hard not to think about this, gave Mara a lift. My notes say that Lucretia called Mara. I'm not quite sure why. Mara had her mother pick up Puja. Puja ran down the stairs when her own mother called, dressed in a sari and some kind of flip flop sandals, I think. She insisted that Mara pick up Lucretia.

Lucretia: Puja, in light of the fact that Cassidy tried to kill us, do you think we should go to the party?

Puja: Yes!

That having been established, Lucretia found time to look into the Abyss.

GM: Have we talked about what Lucretia does when she looks into the Abyss?

Someone, possibly Lucretia's player: She moisturizes.

GM: Of course she does. You can never take too good care of your skin.

Lucretia asked the Abyss: Should I be feeling this way about Puja?

She had a partial success, and the player chose to have the visions be confusing, but not give Lucretia the Drained condition.

GM: Between Ravana an the snake gods, the Abyss getting to be a crowded place for you.

In the vision: There was a lot of drinking, wine and maybe some blood. Liquid spilled everywhere. Puja was drenched and dissolved into a ten-headed monster, and perhaps a rosebush as well.

Lucretia: Well, father always says the Abyss knows best.

Mudcap had enough experience at this point to chose an upgrade, and the player decided that he would Choose a Move From Another Playbook. Specifically, he decided to choose the Witch's ability to hex people.

GM: Do you intend to practice -- unsafe hex?

Mara went looking for Biff (now played by the GM, as Shawn had left some time ago), hoping to get him to cause chaos at the party. Biff wanted some action from Mara first. She agreed to kiss him. Naturally, he pretty much stuck his tongue down throat.

My notes say: Max_imum effect, which may be a pun on Max, which may have to do with Max's entrance being timed for maximum effect. She climbed on top of one of the trailers, naked, as she had promised Mudcap.

GM:: All eyes are on the top of the trailer till Max falls off -- onto Biff.

Biff was delighted -- it was raining naked women! He kissed Max, who didn't know that this was supposed to be a problem. Lucretia tried to help Max out. I think Biff may have kissed her as well. Lucretia Lashed Out Physically.

Puja: Lucretia - Lucretia!

The players informed the GM: We're taking him behind the trailer to eat him Right! Now!

Biff now had the condition: Snake Food]

Mudcap's options for getting first kiss memories were rapidly dwindling, as Biff had already claimed two. At some point, though it might have been earlier, Mudcap talked to Puja about what she'd done with Lucretia.

Mudcap: Did you kiss her?

Puja: Yes.

Mudcap, who knew, somehow, about the ten heads, asked if it had been Puja's "real" head which had kissed Lucretia.

Puja (thinking about this, which looked utterly hilarious): ... No.

Meanwhile, Max found her way behind the trailer, and assumed that Eating Biff was clearly the Thing to Do at the moment.

Lucretia: Is this right? She's not --

Puja: We'll fix this later. Err on the side of charity.

So, Max joined in the feast.

Mudcap: You girls really need something to wash that down with.

That would be the fairy booze, of course. Cassidy came behind the trailer. Mudcap rolled to turn Cassidy on by kissing Max.

Someone (speaking for the dice): Sorry! No, you're not!

Cassidy: I just want to give you a string and punch her!

Max (after Cassidy punches her): Am I supposed to hit you or eat him?

Lucretia: Oh dear, oh honey... (Turns on Cassidy)

Cassidy punched Lucretia, I think getting a string and doing 1 extra harm to Lucretia. Mudcap started hexcasting illusions on his New Love, Max. He also became his Darkest Self, which meant that he interpreted everything anyone said, including himself, as a promise.

Max: So, are you two an item now? I'm so happy now!

Cassidy: Thanks. <PUNCH>

At this point, probably with Puja's help, the Demon God Ravana Manifested!

Puja honored him. Max greeted him as one (admittedly minor) demon to another (not at all minor). They were the only ones who could see him, I think.

Mudcap was furious. Here they were, talking about this demon god. Obviously, this was a Promise! They had promised to show him a demon god, and they were Breaking Their Promise!

Max and Puja protested, and pointed to Ravana. Finally, Puja asked Ravana to manifest so that Mudcap could see him. Unfortunately for Mudcap, Ravana did.

GM: You know that trip you had the other night? This is going to make _that_ look good!

I think we said that Ravana probably ate part of Mudcap's soul.

Someone: Well, we knew he would -- Mudcap kissed him!

Someone joked that Ravana was texting: Shiva, man, you gotta come down here! Great party!

Mara called her mother.

Mara: Mom, I've had enough to eat. I'm coming home now.

She returned home, sated on Chaos, at least for the moment. And there, we ended.