Starting "Monster of the Week" RPG

I started a short campaign of "Monster of the Week" (an RPG by +Michael Sands) over the weekend, to get my 2014 gaming underway. It's been in my hopper of games to run for quite some time now and should run through to July.

Before I had anyone sign up or choose characters I already had a concept for the first session. I wanted something that could tick several boxes, serving as a demo, a throwaway encounter but also potentially a major part of the overall mystery arc. I would decide,with the group, which of those it would be once we'd played the initial session. It turned out that they liked the concept and we'll ride with it.

I wanted to take an old world monster that was known to them, but that I hadn't seen in a modern setting. I went for the Minotaur. He was a shifter, in human form appearing as a strong teenage boy named Chris. He lived on a farm with an older man, thought to be his father, who in reality was his son. Every seven years the Minotaur needed to devour seven people to stay alive.

I added a layer on top of the story to give a hook and also to send the group on the wrong path (old "Cthulhu" habits die hard). In this case, the monster and minion made a crop circle on their farmland. The crop circle functioned as a labyrinth for the Minotaur, the place in which he is invulnerable and feeds. It also lured in a group of teenagers who were UFO spotting, the first set of victims. The UFO angle was also the hook for the players, one of them in particular who played a conspiracy theorist, "the Flake".

We had a good sized group for this, six players,and the mix of characters selected lines up some amazing threads. We had powers ranging from the demonic to the divine, along with murky family relationships and paranoia. All of the players really loved this game and for me it was a true pleasure to run. I felt that some of the options and instructions I was given as a GM in the system made for a more complete and rounded story.

I also had a personal revelation about my own gaming preferences. I've always liked horror games, but genre aside, the thing that made "Monster of the Week" (and another favorite,"My Life With Master") special to me is the cinematic quality. I stated up front to the group to remember that this plays like a TV show. I liked being able to play the game as scenes, without worrying about realism. I liked the way time flows and the structure works. I really liked introducing a "move" that I've never used before, the "cutaway scene", in which I described a scene to the players that's happening somewhere else, to give them insight into the story. That opened things up immensely, as I could reveal some of story to the players without the characters having to be present or directly engaged. I'm excited about the next session and am already thinking about other TV style games....perhaps "Monsterhearts" will be next.

Monster Of The Week RPG

I recently purchased the "Monster Of The Week" tabletop RPG by Michael Sands. It uses Vincent Bakers "Apocalypse World" rules, along the same lines as other adaptations such as "Dungeon World" and "Monsterhearts".

I've played "Apocalypse World" and "Dungeon World", both run by Michael Bay. I like the simplicity of the system, just 2D6 rolled to determined success and no opposing rolls needed from the GM. Also the emphasis on bonds and history between the player characters adds a nice layer and encourages the making and breaking of relationships.

"Monster Of The Week" takes the system and applies it to a setting that would be familiar to fans of shows like "Buffy" and "Supernatural". From a game perspective, this game also resonates with me as a "Call of Cthulhu" and "Unknown Armies" GM...both are cited as influences on the game, and as in CoC the GM is referred to as a "Keeper". Essentially you have a group that investigates a supernatural event, identifies the monster behind it, finds its weakness and kills it.

The game starts with a basic setting up of the theme for the group, the reason for them to be together. They could be a slayer like Buffy with the rest of the group forming the entourage, or perhaps they're a family on the road, taking the fight to the monsters. Once that's established, players choose a "playbook", a character sheet. Each character has a set of moves, things that they,and only they, can do. If I were to play this I'd have a real tough time choosing which to be, as they all have so much appeal. There's the "Chosen", basically a Buffy kind of character. There's the "Wronged", like Dean on "Supernatural". Throw in the Expert, Flake (conspiracy theorist),Mundane,Professional and several others, and you have the makings of some great stories. One player can even be a monster that joins the group.

I really like the advice for running stories and campaigns in this,and what struck me was how closely the guidelines given map to my own process of running and preparing games. It's taken me two years to find my own style, and it's interesting to see someone else from a "Cthulhu" background end up in the same place! The advice is really clear and well articulated. I recommend getting this for the advice alone.

"Delta Green" is set to finish after three more sessions and then I'm on to "Vampire:The Masquerade". "Monster Of The Week" is my top contender to run after that, or perhaps alongside it. I think it'll be great fun  to run.