Session Zero

Please focus on the team concept before proposing any characters. A cohesive team concept will both promote roleplay and push the campaign in a certain direction. A campaign about a family of hunters on a road trip will be different than ones who are a chosen and their friends dealing with weirdness in their home town.

Example team concepts (not limited to these):
- Chosen and their friends
- Unsolved Cases Team of Expert and team
- Order of monster hunters lead by an initiate
- Road tripping family or group of friends dealing with evil that they find along the way

I think these two would be interesting.
- Unsolved Cases Team of Expert and team
- Road tripping family or group of friends dealing with evil that they find along the way

I have not played or Read MOTW before. Taking a look at it now.

Take a look at the playbooks and see if you find 3 you like. Odds are if they aren't all too similar to each other one of them should work for a team concept

I like the Unsolved Cases Team of Expert and team concept. As for character concept, I like the Expert, the Spell-slinger and maybe the Flake.

I also like the Unsolved Cases team concept. It sounds like fun! As for character concept, I will need to take another look before I decide. I like the chosen but other than that I will have to check them out.

Keep in mind if you all go with the unsolved cases team concept, one of you needs to be the Expert. That player doesn't have to be a leader. At minimum, they are the one who deals most directly with your superiors at the agency, and as such get the case files. Once you are on your own to solve the case, you are equals.

You guys can also come up with the agency. Is it made up or part of an existing one like the FBI? Is it well known or a rumor at best to those outside?

I kind of like the idea of a private agency that deals with unsolved cases with an upper echelon of directors that has connections throughout the major agencies, including Interpol and other international policing organizations.

How about we are all living double lives and working as undercover agents. We can't say anything about this private organisation because they will deny our claim and make us an expendable asset?

We could go SCP style.

I need to look at the different characters types.

At the very least, who want to be the Expert? Or do you want to say no one is an expert because you are all unofficial agents of this organization?

I can play as the Expert.

We have an Expert.
I was thinking The Monstrous or The Mundane.
Stalker05 said they might go The Spell-Slinger. If they don't I might look into Spooky.

Well Stalker05 is the one who said they would be the expert, so I guess that means you can be the Monstrous, Mundane, or Spooky

So, any news? Have you determined what you are playing?

@zatatmando,@Smiley any thoughts on your playbooks? We have a basic idea of the party theme, so once we have the playbooks we'll use the prompts each playbook gives to determine a history between each hunter and the other two hunters

Hmm, I am actually thinking either the Initiate or the Professional. The Professional comes with the possibility of a vehicle as well, and some good combat bonuses so I think I am leaning that way.

I just realized that the team concept actually calls for a professional, not an expert. The expert is just a really knowledgeable person, while a professional works for an organization. Think of the initiate and the professional as two sides of the same coin, with the initiate being the magical one and the professional the mundane one.

With that in mind, do you still want to play the expert @Stalker05 ? If you felt compelled because of what I said then I got that wrong

If you go Professional I might go Monster or Spook.
You could be my handler.



I was thinking Mandane for the Van also but Profesional gets it.

If no one has a car but a car is necessary for a story, you guys can get a car but since it wasn't part of a playbook it will be an old used car that has seen better days but is still functional

I am fine with Expert. So, we have Professional/Initiate and a Monster/Spook?

Ok. By the way, what do you want to name this organization? Or is it part of an existing one like the FBI but not many know it is a branch that exists?

I can go with the Professional and be your handler, Smiley! That sounds like fun actually. Are there character sheets for PbTA in Gamersplane or will we need to go with a PDF of the character?

There is a custom sheet I saw. Make a custom sheet and then in templates I saw MotW. It is missing the part about EXP and level ups, though. I would recommend filling out the PDF and then using the custom sheet as best you can afterwards

Nevermind-I found the template for MOTW in the Custom character sheets. Here are my possible connections to you other hunters. What do we think?

•
Your relationship with them has romantic potential. So far it hasn’t gone further.
•
They’re on the Agency’s watch list, and you’ve been keeping an eye on them.
•
You are related. Tell them how close.
•
You met on a mission and worked together unofficially. And successfully.
•
They’ve worked with the Agency before, and they’re well regarded.
•
You were friends back in training, before the Agency recruited you. This could be military, law enforcement, or some weirder school: decide the details between you.
•
They pulled you (and maybe your team) out of a terrible FUBARed mission.
•
You got sent to "deal with them" as a hazard to the Agency’s policies one time. Tell them how you resolved this.

I think that it should be a private agency rather than a branch of a known one. What do you all think?

To keep things from getting awkward, I recommend avoiding any romance options

I think I am going with The Spooky.

History
Go around the group again. On your turn, pick one of
these for each hunter:
• They taught you to control your powers, to the extent
that you can control them at all.
• You are blood-kin. Decide together exactly what.
• You’re old friends, and trust each other completely.
• You used your powers on them one time. Decide if
it was for selfish reasons or not, and tell them if they
found out about it.
• You’ve known each other some time, but since your
powers manifested, you keep them at a distance
emotionally.
• You hope they can help you control your powers.
• They saw you use your powers for selfish or vindictive reasons. Ask them who the victim was, and then
tell them what you did.



@zatatmando -This one for me? They’re on the Agency’s watch list, and you’ve been keeping an eye on them.

What does Hold 3 or Hold 1 Mean?
Tune In: You can attune your mind to a monster or minion. Roll +Weird. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. On a miss, the monster becomes aware of you. Spend one hold to ask the Keeper one of the following questions, and gain +1 ongoing while acting on the answers...


What does +1 Forward mean?

Premonitions: At the start of each mystery, roll +Weird. On a 10+, you get a detailed vision of something bad that is yet to happen. You take +1 forward to prevent it coming true, and mark experience if you stop it. On a 7-9+ you get clouded images of something bad that is yet to happen: mark experience if you stop it. On a miss, you get a vision of something bad happening to you and the Keeper holds 3, to be spent one-for-one as penalties to rolls you make.


Is there a list of any magical items or amulets that you use to invoke your powers. Or Do I pick what ever?

So a hold is like a meta currency that you can spend on what the move that gave them to you says you can spend them on. In your example, you can ask 1 question from the list it gives you for each hold the roll awarded you. Hold 3 means 3 questions, while hold 1 means 1 question.

As for Forward and Ongoing, these give you a +1 to your very next roll (forward) or all rolls (ongoing) so long as the source of the forward or ongoing is still relevant. For your example, if you roll 10 or higher and do something that would stop your vision from happening, the first roll you make towards that end gets a +1 added to it (with the way 2d6 is, every +1 is huge, hence why there are rarely any +2s anywhere).

As for magic items or such, there aren't really magic items like you think of D&D or Pathfinder or similar fantasy games. Instead, it is all about the narrative. If it makes sense narratively that something you want to do requires ingredients or a special item to be held, the Keeper (game master) tells you. If they don't say anything, you can just do it (depending on your roll of course). Most people who actually use magic are assumed to have some sort of basic item on them that helps them invoke magic, but that's more of a narrative thing. In the Spooky playbook, there is a picture of a little girl floating in the air. You might imagine the teddy bear she is holding is her magic channeling item because of its connection to her.

@Ironmonger42

Can you use a Hold from one Power on another?

A hold can only be spent on what the source of the hold says you can spend it on. You can't use one move that gives you and hold and then use it to ask a question from the Investigate a Mystery move all hunters share unless they move is what gave you the hold, for example.

I understand what Hallucinations & Mood Swings would be.

What would secrets, self destruction, and greed for power look like?

Secrets - you know something and can't reveal it
Self destruction - you know what action would cause things to go wrong and must do that action
Greed for power - you must take an action that would give you strength even at the cost of the mystery

Okay, so we have an Expert, a Professional and a Spooky? Do I fill up my character in the playbook pdf link that was given or are there Gamersplane character sheet where I put my stats and choices?

Let's name our organisation Paranormal Entities Surveillance Division (P.E.S.D), a private division that gathers funding from the FBI and high-class society people who are interested in knowing about this alternate world of monsters and magic. It has a quasi-governmental operating license that lets them catalogue and interact with paranormal things. Often, other organisations fund P.E.S.D to deal with paranormal threats or even suppress them from common people. Since it is private, it is mostly underfunded unless it has a big operation and heavy weight like FBI looking into something.

Do we need to choose from this list?

The history section from the Expert playbook

Go around the group again. On your turn, pick one of these for each other hunter:

• They are your student, apprentice, ward, or child. Between you, decide which.

• They came to you for advice, and your advice got them out of trouble. Ask them what the trouble was.

• They know about some of your dark secrets, but they’ve agreed to keep quiet about them. Tell them what they know.

• A distant relation. Tell them exactly what.

• You were previously both members of an eldritch group, now disbanded. Ask them why they left, then tell them why you did.

• They once helped you get a singular item that is now part of your haven. Tell them what it was.

• You were taught by the same master. Ask them how it ended.

• You saved their life in a tight spot. Tell them what happened.

The idea is that each hunter should have one connection to each other hunter. It's 100% to fuel roleplay and get past some of the awkwardness at the start. Either one hunter proposes a history with another hunter, or the other hunter says "i like the idea of having this history with you" and you flesh it out.

For example, Stalker05 might say "I like the idea of having this history with someone: They came to you for advice, and your advice got them out of trouble. Ask them what the trouble was.. Who wants to have that history with me?" and then the two of you agree on the trouble so you have it straight. Alternatively, Smiley might say, "I think it would make sense that my character might have the 'You saved their life in a tight spot. Tell them what happened.' history with you from your list. I was thinking x happened. Are you good with that?"

Cool! @zatatmando,@Smiley What history do you want to have with my character?

I am thinking that my character is a research fellow at a University/Institute which is his day job. He gets paid less and sometimes works part-time. But one day he stumbles upon the supernatural, and from that time on, he has started researching them.

@zatatmando I like this one for both of our characters: They’ve worked with the Agency before, and they’re well regarded.

@Smiley I like this one for our characters : You hope they can help you control your powers.

For @zatatmando (Pro) I was thinking this one They’re on the Agency’s watch list, and you’ve been keeping an eye on them.

@Stalker05 What about a mix between
They came to you for advice, and your advice got them out of trouble. Ask them what the trouble was. & You hope they can help you control your powers.

(Not sure what type of expert you are, was picturing you like Dr. Peter Venkman from ghostbusters ) I learn about you online after that issues with my powers. They caused some sort of Incident and I came to you for help to control my powers.
The incident put me on the Agency’s watch list. Coming to you is what made me not get shoved in a cell for the rest of my life.

@Stalker05 I like your choice actually, I think it could be a good fit. Perhaps you are an asset that the Agency has used before, and I was assigned to work with you then as well. I could say that I was called up for a mission and chose to grab you again for your expertise in the field.

@Smiley, I like the"You used your powers on them one time. Decide if it was for selfish reasons or not, and tell them if they found out about it." I think it could still work for me being your handler, but this link introduces a bit of intrigue that may play out down the road a bit. Perhaps you used your powers on me to get yourself out of trouble, or maybe even to keep me from noticing you in public or something. That part will be up to you, of course.

So I will be away at a wedding today and overnight into tomorrow, and may not be able to post again until Sunday afternoon, just FYI.

@Smiley I like your choice better actually. Though we could potentially do both links, which might be interesting. You could be on the watch list and have panicked and used your powers on me when you saw me following you. What do you think?

@zatatmando Works for me.
(Struggling to think how to follow connect everything.

Here is what I am thinking.

My Powers caused an Incident.
I used my Powers on Zatatmando's Character to get away from the Agency.
Knowing I needed help I went to Stalker's Character. Not knowing they were already working with the Agency.
Stalker's Character helped me get out of trouble with the Agency.
Now I am on the Agency's Watch listen
And Stalker's Character can hopefully help me control my powers.


I am still trying to figure out which Powers to take. I think I have my character done besides Powers and Name...

@Smiley I like your choice, we can do that and verify with the GM. We need flesh out what trouble was caused.

@zatatmando I like your choice too. I will be the Agency's asset, and I have worked with you before. BTW, take your time and enjoy the wedding.

One thing you may also want to discuss your ratings. Spooky has weird down and expert has sharp, but the other 3 should be somewhat balanced (if possible, at least 1 person has +1, but if no one is good at w rating than that can add drama when that move has to happen).

Reminder: tough is used to attack and protect

Sharp is used to learn information

Charm is used to get NPCs or each other to do something for you

Cool is used to help other hunters and handle stressful actions not covered by other moves

Weird is used to perform magic, but only those listed (anything else needs a special move or is big magic)

I took These stats.
Charm-1, Cool+1, Sharp=0, Tough+1, Weird+2

If Pro takes
Charm=0, Cool+2, Sharp-1, Tough+2, Weird-1

and Expert Takes
Charm+1, Cool-1, Sharp+2, Tough+1, Weird=0

We would have
Charm +1, Cool+2, Sharp +2, Tough +2, Weird +2


(Not forcing them to take those stats. Just looking at balance.)

I could change mine to
Charm+2, Cool=0, Sharp-1, Tough-1, Weird+2
But I wasn't going to player my character as being a charmer. I can change it if needed.

I think I am finished with my character.
For Powers I took

Is there a way to get playbook template here in Gamersplane?

I am thinking that my stats will be:
Charm+1, Cool-1, Sharp+2, Tough+1, Weird=0

As for my moves:

Preparedness: When you need something unusual
or rare, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you have it here right
now. On a 7-9 you have it, but not here: it will take
some time to get it. On a miss, you know where it is,
but it’s somewhere real bad.

I’ve Read About This Sort Of Thing: Roll +Sharp
instead of +Cool when you act under pressure.

Haven
You have set up a haven, a safe place to work. Pick three
of the options below for your haven:

Lore Library. When you hit the books, take +1 forward to investigate the mystery (as long as historical or reference works are appropriate).

Infirmary. You can heal people, and have the space for one or two to recuperate. The Keeper will tell you how long any patient’s recovery is likely to take, and if you need extra supplies or help.

Panic Room. This has essential supplies and is protected by normal and mystical means. You can hide out there for a few days, safe from pretty much anything.

Gear
You get three monster-slaying weapons

Magical dagger (2-harm hand magic)
Magnum (3-harm close reload loud)
Cold iron sword (2-harm hand messy iron)

Here is what I used.

---

---

There should be some templates when you use the custom option. Not sure if you can copy what Smiley found.

Just a reminder if you feel like there are too many good options to choose from for your playbook, you can get more when you level up. You can even get moves from other playbooks (as long as narratively it makes sense).

You get exp to level up from rolling 6 or less, moves that say you get exp, and finishing mysteries.

There are two custom sheets located.

Here
Here

Damn, this look great. But, I am new to Gamersplane, how do do this template? Is there a particular command script to make a template like this?

I followed the first link and there is a creat a character button which I assume sends you to the character creation page with the template already there

As for the second one, I am also new so no idea. I think I joined only 3ish month ago

Click on the Template.
Click Create Character.
Add Name
The new character will show up as a Custom Sheet in your characters.
Edit from there.

I have my character done.

Alright, submit the character and I'll take a look and message you if I have questions

Character submitted!

Looks like it was filled out right. Approved! Just need our Professional by Zatatmando and then I just have one more question before we get started.

For time sake i'll go ahead and ask it. Its about monsters. My background is mostly with D&D 5e, so i'm not very familiar with monsters that don't appear in there. I wanted to know what everyone's preference was regarding monsters. On, and if there is anything you want me to avoid entirely, please message me. You won't see anything like sexual violence or violence against children in my games, but you might hear that a random man's heart was ripped out by a monster. If anything goes "too far" that I didn't already say I wasn't going to do, please message me.

I should be able to upload my character tomorrow, just doing last tweaks on it and making choices. I lost a couple of days to the wedding and then stuff that we had to make up for lost time on.

All good. Just a heads up for those that want to start thinking about it. I plan to start session one by having each of you introducing yourselves as it someone was reading a confidencial file with your BIO in it. Imagine someone 5 years after your adventures was reading up on what you all did and opened the case files and saw your BIOs.

@Ironmonger42
Is the dossier supposed to be now or 5 years in the future.
If I am 24ish now would the dossier be when I am 29?

The idea is that the case files are being written as you are going through them. The forms are essentially a detailed writing of your adventures. As such your bio would be what they would read before reading about your adventures. Focus on what is true before the adventure start

I just did that quick.
I can remove the Redacted stuff if needed. Paragraph made by chatgpt...

Is there any real world place you want this to take place in? I am assuming the USA but does anyone think a particular state or even a particular city or town would make things more interesting? Or should we say "a generic southern USA town"? Or such?

Ok, I tried making a sub forum for me to easily talk with each of you in a place only me and one of you can see. Please tell me if in the one-on-one forum if you see only one forum with your name or if you can post it look at forums without your name.

Edit: looks like yes it worked and at least one player confirmed they can only see the forum with their name

Just a quick bit of clarity if I failed to mention it.

The game takes place in modern day by default, meaning cell phones and the Internet are a thing, but supernatural things tend not to play with technology well. Technology might spazz out, fail to detect it, or even become warped or modified. For example, a person attacked by a werewolf might find all cameras that witnessed the event show only static when the werewolf would be on screen, or it might look like a normal wolf attacked, not a werewolf.

Character submitted!

Approved! Go ahead to Case 1 and write your BIO that was written when you joined PESD