Under the Influence: A Masks: A New Generation Supplement

Under the Influence is a third party supplement for Masks: A New Generation by Magpie Games. This PDF contains 15 Playbooks including the 10 found in The Worst Generation, the three found in The W.A.R Book, and The Liminal and Broker, which can only be found in this collected volume.

The Ace

The Ace is based primarily on the drama and themes of Shonen Manga, specifically the protagonist of such and the various rivals they hold throughout their various series. These heroes can’t back down from a fight, because weakness means losing your friends, and that’s the worst loss of all. 

Inspirations

• Ichigo and Byakuya: Bleach
• Naruto and Sauske: Naruto
• Goku and Vegeta: Dragon Ball

The Broker

The themes of The Broker highlight long distance friendship, missed connections, and the pitfalls of trying to find time to meet up with your friends with busy schedules. The Broker is only truly at home juggling the many different schedules and time tables they've accumulated, even if it means their relationships suffer.

Inspirations

• Jeremy Belpoise, Code Lyoko
• The Operators, World Trigger
• Fuutaba Sakura, Persona 5

The Defector

The Defector's themes center trust, betrayal and reputation. You've been burned, and you've burned others. You were part of something big but they crossed a line you couldn't. You may have a team who has your back but the rest of the city knows who you were before and they're unlikely to receive the new you very well. 

Inspirations

• Plastic Man, DC
• Rogue, Marvel
• Nico Robin, One Piece

The Inheritor

The Inheritor's themes are plain to see, the inheritance of a fallen house, the lingering resentments and hopes of others and of course one's own drive to make a mark on the world and set things right. The Inheritor has a difficult road to walk, correcting mistakes of the past, building on those mistakes and trying not to make them all over again. 

Inspirations

• Uryu Ishida, Bleach
• Killer Frost, DC
• Raidou Kuzunoha, Shin Megami Tensei

The Liminal

The Linimal's themes center around the push and pull between the heroic and villainous elements inherent to the Masks setting, and the place up and coming heroes have in this dichotemy. The Liminal is caught in a tug of war, not only because they have people they care about on both sides, but because they themselves are uncertain where they factor into the whole affair as well. Do you give in to your more villainous elements or push ahead, doing the right thing even if it might alienate those you care about?

Inspirations

• El Tigre, El Tigre
• Catwoman, DC
• Terra, Teen Titans Cartoon

The Persona

 The Persona's themes center darker themes than traditional Masks playbooks such as trauma, systemic inabilities to combat harmful elements of society and the damages those inabilities cause on a personal level. The Persona has been hurt, some grave injustice committed that the system cannot right on its own. This has forced The Persona to take matters into their own hands, possibly risking falling into the same systems that hurt them all in an effort to put to rest the pain it caused in the first place. 

Inspirations

• Red X, Teen Titans
• Prince Zuko, Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Ranger

 The Ranger's themes fall on Mean Girl inter-party conflict, preconceived expectations and learning to grow into a healthy self image and self esteem. The Ranger was part of a former group but something created a rift and now they're on their own, with a new team that is much looser and eager to accept them for who they are. Being your own person is hard, especially when former friends call on you to return to who you once were. As the saying goes, people only remember the version of you they had the most power over. 

Inspirations

• The Power Rangers, Power Rangers
• Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider
• Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon

The Relic 

The Relic's themes center around cultural exploration, tradition and iconoclasm. You're a person out of time, a new world stretches before you and while some things haven't changed, this isn't the world you grew up in. No matter how far back you're from, and no matter how far into the future you are, there's a learning curve, and sometimes the old ways are going to chaffe against modern sensibilities. 

Inspirations

• Samurai Jack, Samurai Jack
• Etrigan, DC
• The Revivals, Transmetropolitan

The Ronin

The Ronin's themes center around abandonment and stigmatization on a social level as well as self reliance and found family. As well, The Ronin deals with luck and the fickleness of fortune. 

Inspirations

• Mugen, Champloo, 
• Miyamoto Usagi, Usagi Yojimbo, 
• Ogami Itto, Lone Wolf and Cub 

The Royal

The Royal's themes form around the concepts of familial expectations and traditions, individuality and generational drama. The Royal was made to be a hero, in a literal sense. Regardless of how they came to be, they were expected and everyone who had a hand in their creation wants something in return for their dedication and planning. The Royal is always on strings, never a real person of their own while their family has a say in the matter.

Inspirations

• Todoroki Shoto, My Hero Academia
• Neiji Hyuga, Naruto
• Avatar Korra, Avatar: The Legend of Korra

The Smith

This drive for self improvement and constant crushing grind is encapsulated in their Extra Mechanic Masterwork. The Smith has a tool, weapon or item that they've given their lives to, to make it the greatest work of art they've ever crafted. This requires testing, constant revision and failure, driving the Smith to throw themselves and their emotions into the crucible until they've burned out. 

Inspirations

• Steel, DC
• Ouetsu Nimaiya, Bleach
• Sengo Muramasa, the real world

The Tactician 

The Tactician's themes are all about being the most prepared person in the room, the person with a plan, the one everyone looks to when things go south or just when they need a killer party today, on short notice. The Tactician's plans don't always go the way they want however, and a great deal of their drama is dealing with the fact that perhaps being so prepared might actually just be anxiety or a method to gain control when nothing else in their life seems stable.

Inspirations

• Oracle, DC
• Izuku Midoriya, My Hero Academi
• Jinbe, First Son of the Sea.

The Transfer

The Transfer's themes are classic Fish Out of Water tropes. The Transfer is from beyond the typical super hero stylings of whatever story you set them in, super heroes and their antics either a rarity or something they only hear about on the TV. The difference is they've got powers, and they've come to the big city looking to learn how to do what the people in the city have known all their lives. While they may not know much about big city life, they bring their own knowledge and charm with them wherever they go. 

Inspirations

• Clark Kent, Smallville
• Remundo, Xiaolin Showdown
• Husk, Generation X

The Vessel

 The Vessel's themes center around darker dramatic elements of teen and heroic dramas, surrounding depression, emotional control, imposter syndrome and anxiety through the classic lens of super heroes like Venom, Jean Gray or similar characters. A power dwells inside you, either a creation of your own or some entity that has made its home within you. You've gained terrible powers through this but the Power doesn't like you much. It likes your friends less. Learning to control it, before it controls you to do terrible things, is central to The Vessel's drama. 

Inspirations

• Misaka Makoto, A Certain Scientific Railgun
• Izumi Shinichi, Parasyte
• The Darkness, Top Cow

The Witch

The Witch has themes and inspirations from H.P Lovecraft, Dr. Who and Isaac Asimov, of untold knowledge and it’s corrupting effects. The Witch is a character that seeks to learn as much as they possibly can, so they can be the best there is, no matter the cost. 

Inspirations

• Tony Tony Chopper, One Piece
• Crest Wielders, Fire Emblem Three Houses
• Sailor Pluto, Sailor Moon