I, monster

[arrefmak]

general query:

If you were a PC in a game about 'Monsters without Masters', what would interest you about the conflicts and themes?

1. finding a love?
2. proving your humanity?
3. kicking ass?
4. finding a place where humans won't kill you?
5. revenge? destroying your master's bloodline?
6. showing you are better than humans?
7. something else awesome?

I can't create polls, so any comments welcome.
Thanks.

Comments

[princejvstin.livejournal.com]

What happened to the Masters? Where did they go? Why does the Monster exist?

If those aren't explicitly known, those are themes, too. Discovery of the past as a doorway to what the Monster can or should do now, or in the future.

[arrefmak.livejournal.com]

You put your finger on a good point. Discovery is a sweet theme for this.

[follybard.livejournal.com]

I think I'd be interested in exploring the balance between assimilation into regular human culture and retention of essential otherness. (This would perhaps be a more interesting scenario for PCs whose monstrousness isn't very externally obvious.) I'm actually in the process of developing a character with this premise for an ongoing D&D campaign spouse is in: I am building a morally ambiguous (read: some people might think she's evil) character specifically to explore how such a character could integrate functionally into a group of otherwise Good (and one True Neutral) PCs.

[arrefmak.livejournal.com]

Yes, I like that idea.

[notshakespeare.livejournal.com]

If I'm actually a monster - I'd be interested in eating people!

[arrefmak.livejournal.com]

As in 'kick ass' or because people annoy you?
:)

[notshakespeare.livejournal.com]

As the scorpion said, "It is my nature."

[egwenna.livejournal.com]

The kick ass part would come if you get caught. :-)

[ambersknave.livejournal.com]

I'm a 'shipper at heart I think... So it's love/humanity/relationships for any of my monsters, especially when the "monster" isn't archetypical.

[arrefmak.livejournal.com]

A man after my own...

[cochese.livejournal.com]

I'm a Frankenstein fan, so my inclination of course leads to love/humanity as well.

[arrefmak.livejournal.com]

Aha!
Now must wonder how axis of conflict would be arranged. mmmmmmmmm

[mr-josephus.livejournal.com]

I think I'd seriously lean toward #6 myself. "Humanity rejects me, my own Creator despises me, so I will find my own path... and show that I am the better being for it."

[arrefmak.livejournal.com]

Cool. I wasn't sure if that one would provide 'interest arc' but it would for me.

[mr-josephus.livejournal.com]

I think it does have potential for quite a bit of interest. To me, at least... the World of Darkness games I'd played in the past which were of interest to me were always about Monsters of various varieties who learn in the course of the game that, although they are surrounded by and try to mimic humans to not stand out as much, they eventually realize that they are in fact something completely different... and come to peace with that realization.

[prince-corwin.livejournal.com]

So does this game have a website, somewhere?

[arrefmak.livejournal.com]

Well, no.
Gone are the days when I start designing the web page as soon as I have the glimmer of an idea.

This is an idea I had last year, but I've mashed-up some of the premise with a short story I was writing about five years ago. Between the two, I have a notion of what the story might be about, but there really isn't a game there yet.

I'm considering.
In the world of "not enough time" and "too many folks want to game the first three months but not after", I've been thinking about what sort of game would I like to run.

This idea keeps circling asking for permission to land.

By asking what sort of conflict drama would appeal, I get some idea if I'm just spinning my own quirks or appealing across a spectrum.

Thanks for asking, tho'.

[prince-corwin.livejournal.com]

Ah, I understand. Didn't realize this was a personal project, I thought it was an actual indie game already available. So, an answer:

At the moment, subversion and inversion are very much my style. So I'd incline for 6, with a dash of 2-turned-upside-down. I might not be able to prove I'm better, but I'd want to prove they're just as monstrous as I am... or tempt them into monstrosity, stealing away their humanity.

(See also, generic fantasy background I'm noodling with in my copious free time that tries to flip every major world religion upside down in one fashion or another.)