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Jack @kuuga.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Masqueraiders Test Ride

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Jack @kuuga.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Masqueraiders refactor preview. I'm trying to reduce the "Defy Danger"-itis of Strike by creating a framework that formalizes pre-establishing what tactics are viable and which ones aren't midfight - and giving players the power to force the issue in their favor.

Line it Up
When you closely observe the enemy in order to identify its physical strengths and vulnerabilities, roll +Coins.

On any hit, you find a fleeting Opening. The Director will describe a weakness in the Marionette’s strategy, biology, or psychology, then tell you what Suits are Eligible to Strike that Opening, as well as the Break Move to expect when that Quality is successfully Struck.

On a Strong Hit, pick one:
The Opening is Lasting - it comes from a serious flaw and will remain vulnerable to eligible Strikes for as long as that Quality exists.
The Opening can be critically struck; if the next Strike against that Opening succeeds, skip the Break Move.
Take the narrative reins: declare an Action Suit that will definitely be Eligible for the next Strike, and describe the Opening to match.
You might describe a feature of your surroundings that could be exploited with Coins, identify a psychological vulnerability that someone with the charisma of Cups could leverage into a physical injury, or create an entry incision for a more brutal Masqueraiders to crack open with Swords.

On a Miss, you discover something dangerous instead. The Director adds a complication to the fight, such as:
The danger posed by this Marionette to the community as a whole is larger and more urgent than it previously seemed.
The Marionette possesses an additional Quality that must be broken.
The Break Move for that Quality is catastrophic, and will apply even if that Quality is the last to be broken.
The Quality is Warded; any Masqueraider who attempts to Strike at that quality for the rest of the Showdown may not use their strongest Suit for the Strike roll.

Strike
When you take advantage of an Opening on your foe, roll using any Action Suit previously established as Eligible for that Opening.

On any hit, you remove the Opening and break one of the foe’s Qualities.

If you break its final quality, it’s defeated and no longer a threat. The Masqueraider who breaks the final quality has an opportunity to show off - describe a climactic finishing move and give it a name. Then, proceed to Case Closed.

Otherwise, the Director will trigger that Quality’s Break move, and on a Weak Hit also pick 1:
They lash out, and you mark a condition.
They adapt; future Strikes using the Action Suit that broke this Quality will be rolled at Disadvantage.
They reshape the arena, introducing a new threat.

If the Host is Faithless and their mundane seat of power remains intact even after all Qualities have been eliminated, the Director will turn to the Count ‘em Up outcomes list for a Miss and select any number of outcomes.

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Jack @kuuga.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Anyway I spent the past week completely refactoring how my game MASQUERAIDERS handles detective work. Figuring out how to model all the exciting elements of an episodic mystery solving series like Kamen Rider W or Leverage is really hard, especially without becoming claustrophobic or formulaic.

INFILTRATE
When you use subterfuge, technical expertise, or deception to access a restricted area or pull off suspicious activity in plain sight: advance the clock, then roll +Wands.

On a Strong hit, you successfully access your target location and are able to collect actionable information or material evidence to support your investigation.

On a Weak Hit, you successfully access your target location, but only get surface level information before you must leave to avoid discovery, and cannot take anything with you.

On a Miss, your efforts are stymied by impenetrable security or you find nothing useful; your time is wasted.

On a Weak Hit, or if you Miss due to being stymied by an unforeseen obstacle, you can scuttle the original infiltration plan and “Go Loud”. Tick Heat twice between participating Masqueraiders to exfiltrate vital information or material evidence in a way that is conspicuous, destructive, or otherwise perilous. Participants who tick Heat may be surveilled or temporarily detained as a result. You can’t Go Loud alone - at least two Masqueraiders must be on the scene to take this option.

SURVEIL
When you seek out information that can only be attained over a period of time - following up on an alibi, performing a science experiment, or tracking the movements of persons of interest: roll +Coins.

On a Strong Hit, you witness behavior or observe a phenomenon that is suspicious, clarifying, or exonerating, and you do it efficiently. Do not tick the clock.

On a Weak Hit, you witness behavior or observe a phenomenon that is suspicious, clarifying, or exonerating, but it may take some detective work to put it all together, or the surveillance itself takes time to complete. Work with the Director to describe the procedure by which you assemble actionable information from your surveillance, then advance the Clock.

On a Miss, your time is wasted - your surveillance is a bust, the lab results are inconclusive, or the receptionist at the desk you waited an hour to speak to wasn’t on shift that day. Advance the clock without reward.

Instead of rolling +Coins, a Masqueraider can commit to a Stake Out instead. Advance the clock a total of two (2) times in order to secure the information you are looking for.

REVIEW
When you take a closer look at your present environment, or dredge your memory for a vital detail you haven’t processed yet:

Roll +Coins if you are seeking material information - the location of evidence, a detail on a poster, or a tell-tale stain on someone’s shirt cuff.

Roll +Cups if you seek to recall something subjective and human - a nervous tic, a contradiction in testimony, or a reaction that is suspicious only in retrospect.

On a Strong Hit, the hidden information is laid bare - you spot the detail, realize the contradiction, or find supporting evidence for a claim that was hitherto unsubstantiated.

On a Weak Hit, your recall is incomplete - you get an actionable lead towards the information you’re trying to find, but securing that information will mean taking time to revisit the scene or track down your target. If you follow that lead: advance the clock.

On a Miss, your memory leads you astray or your investigation is tainted by bias. Work with the Director to describe how you waste your time and what it costs you. Advance the clock and be prepared to tick a gauge.

GATHER TESTIMONY
When you meet face-to-face with a witness or suspect in search of clues: advance the clock, then roll +Cups.

On a Strong hit, your target provides you with actionable information or even an answer to a Count ‘em Up question. If your target has a reason to lie, you’ll know what they were lying about.

On a Weak hit, your target offers actionable information, but it may not be reliable. You may be able to determine the truth after further consideration or investigation.

On a Miss, your target is unwilling or unable to provide you with actionable information (beyond the fact that they can’t or won’t answer your questions), or your target cannot be located within the time allotted.

Before you roll +Cups, you may instead take a more direct approach to information-gathering and accept the outcome of a Weak Hit. in exchange for ticking a Gauge.

If you use violence to extract information, or endure violence done against you or a bystander in order to get the information you’re looking for, tick Blood.
If you offer up material resources in exchange for information, tick Lack.
If you proffer a quid-pro-quo or extort the information from your target, tick Bind.

Information attained through coercion is more likely to be unreliable.

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Jack @kuuga.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Working on MASQUERAIDERS some more. I've redesigned one of the moves for the Conjurer playbook to have a stronger mechanical identity. Push your illusory powers to their limits and create a distorted world that gives you and your allies more flexibility in saving lives and bringing down Marionettes!

() Mind Over Matter:

Once per Investigation, you push beyond the limits of illusion and reshape reality itself. Declare a pair of Action Suits whose entanglement reflects the altered space you have defined through your power. That altered space could be a stage, a film set, a game world, or any other intersection of the real and unreal. When you create this environment, gain one Trick.

You may spend one Trick to use one of the paired Action Suits in place of the other for any move. Any other Masqueraider may Fade their Covenant with you in order to substitute a Suit, or ask you to spend a Trick on their behalf for the same result.

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