OOC: Come Play Terrible Butterflies

[sythyry]

Time for Terrible Butterflies, the role-playing game!

Terrible Butterflies is the RPG that I've been fussing with the last couple months. (People in the Play-By-Email playtest campaign are invited to comment on it.)

The premise: It's Thursday, January 11, 1990, in an Earth which superficially resembles this one. Last night, the souls of some 10th grade students at Clayton High School were eaten by nonsentient giant astral caterpillars. The caterpillars then metamorphosed into newly-sentient astral butterflies -- that's you. You're intelligent, good of character, magically mighty, and already guilty of one heinous deed.

Given way too much power, given that you're secretly a horrible soul-devouring monster but generally identify as more or less human, and given that you're fundamentally a decent person ... what do you do?

The game will be alternate Monday evenings, at Chez Gargoyle in northern Westchester. I'd like to start on Monday, March 19.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Sounds interesting . . . almost like a optimistic view in a World of Darkness game.

[zhaleskra.livejournal.com]

The D'oh! That was me.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Kinda! In the PBEM, all the antagonists are Good. Of course, what do Good people want to do about soul-devouring monster insects?

[zhaleskra.livejournal.com]

Destroy them, naturally.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Exactly! So it's being kind of like a World of Light, in which everyone is all about good and justice and the American Way and all, and they're still all out to kill each other out of good, just, American reasons.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

There's no reason to fight anyone -- people should understand, anything worth working for requires a little human sacrifice.

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

That sounds... waaaay too Republican.

When I heard about the idea of Terrible Butterflies, I started thinking: what would happen if I were a Terrible Butterfly? My first thought would be: I can take over the bodies of these Hy00mans. Therefore, why shouldn't I?

I guess that I'm not quite so good of character, am I?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Yup. Many of the good folk exhibit the best side of Republicanness / conservativeness. Others exhibit the best side of other things, of course.

(and, PCs are pretty much stuck taking over the body of one single human. They can abandon their host, but that leaves the host comatose and soulless. Possessing other humans doesn't work as well.)

[allessindra.livejournal.com]

we're in. Tho I'm having issues wrapping my brain in this particular warp...

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Tell me more about the issues (private email is fine) and I'll see what I can do. It is a game of moral discomfort, but I don't want to pound on player issues unless the players want it.

Nothing personal

[allessindra.livejournal.com]

I'm just having problems with my motivation, ya know? Ok, WHY am I this butterfly, and how did I get here? Where is Strasberg, or Stanislavski, even, when I need him?

It's more like, "I'm a what? And I did what? and what am I supposed to be angstful over?"

Re: Nothing personal

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Well, Why is a pretty important question. Act 1 (of 3) is largely about your (presumed) efforts to figure out why.

Angst ... well, you're a teenager, or a mental image of one. And you did something awful while you were nonsentient, and you remember both sides of it: both eating and being eaten. And, chances are, you like the person you killed.

But if you'd rather not think about that (or if they don't bother you), and enjoy being alive and powerful in a world of lesser beings, you can.

But, obligatory personality parameter here: you must be a fundamentally decent and good entity. Not that you have to go all superhero or anything, but your basic intentions and goals have to be some kind of good. Like, oh, "Have fun (but make sure nobody gets hurt, and be sure to clean up your messes after you're finished)". Or "Mostly be good for humanity and the earth, but enjoy it." Or a grim-faced angel of justice. Or trying to just be a normal person and ignore all the freaky stuff as best you can. Or something else in that general space.

Re: Nothing personal

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

So, not 'humans are prey and I must devour their souls, curse this useless proboscis'?

Re: Nothing personal

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

After seeing how that worked in practice, I decided I didn't much like it.

Re: Nothing personal

[rowyn]

Yeah, me either. :/

Although the original Terrible Butterflies blurb was much catchier than the one you used this go 'round. =)