To say this world is divided into good and evil would be a gross oversimplification, but it's still very tempting to do. Good versus bad is simple, streamlined, and easy to wrap your head around. The good guys are good just because they're good, and nothing can change that. The bad guys are bad just because they're bad, and they deserve everything they have coming to them. Unfortunately, real life is more complicated than that.
You would know. After all, you wield the powers of evil and you're about to come into conflict with the defenders of this little blue planet, and you have absolutely no choice in the matter.
So, who are you and how did you get yourself into this situation?
[ ] THE MONSTER
You are one of many, many,
many monsters unleashed upon this world by your creator, and while you may be a bit cuter than most of your brethren, your pitch-black eyes prove that you're the same kind of abomination at the core. A destroyer woven from the flesh of chaos. A creature born of hungry darkness and the desire to return everything to nothing. One more face in the crowd shot as your cackling creator takes on the legions of light and justice. As long as there is evil, there will be creatures like you.
It doesn't matter what kind of person you are—your very existence pits you against humanity. Even the kindest predator must feed, and humans are your natural prey. Unfortunately, the local magical girls aren't going to take that lying down. To survive, you must fight.
Faction Goal: Grow an unstoppable monster army and feed on the human race for power.
Civilization-Level Threat.
Your Role: Mook. You are an ordinary, dime-a-dozen monster in a magical girl show. Try and stay alive. If you live long enough, you may come to understand the war you were created for.
You start as a Beginner character, like the magical girls.
The Good:
- What You See is What You Get: No secret identity to worry about. Being a monster is a full-time job.
- Cute Monster Boy: Although you are generally humanoid, you possess some very obvious inhuman traits—claws, fangs, markings, skin of a distinctly non-human shade, and even a barbed tail. These traits will enhance your powers further and can be upgraded as you grow stronger.
- Evolution: You will grow stronger over time. Eventually, you may become a threat rivalling the monster lord who created you. You will grow in strength rapidly.
- Infectious Nature: As a creature formed of pure malice and darkness, you can spread that darkness to the hearts and souls of others. Once infected, you can control your victims like puppets. Very useful for your side. Very dangerous for anyone who gets in your way. You can infect others. Upgradeable.
- Made Of Evil: You aren't invincible, but it's very hard to put you down. As a personification of evil itself, you can only be destroyed if you're properly purified. Bonus to resisting everything but purification techniques.
The Bad:
- Weak: You're way stronger than a human and you could give most other species a run for their money, but you're the kind of foe a beginner magical girl could face evenly. You need time and luck to become a real threat.
- Uncanny Valley Boy: You are not a human, and you cannot really conceal this fact. Even in disguise, people find you… concerning, to say the least, and that's just the way you like it. Right? Bonus to intimidation, malus to disguise, huge malus to appearing harmless.
- Corrupted Soul: You are incredibly weak to purifying magic. Guess what every magical girl's powers run on? Huge malus to resisting purification techniques.
- Ticking Clock: The magical girls will learn how to kill you eventually. If you want to survive this war, you'll have to beat the clock.
- Obligate Psychovore: You rely on draining the life force of others to survive. This makes you a serious problem to the heroines. It also means you must manage your hunger responsibly. You must feed on human souls regularly.
[ ] THE ALIEN
Let's not beat around the bush: you are here to take over the world. A long time ago, your species called planet earth home. However, a disaster that basically destroyed the planet's biosphere forced your people into space. Now, you're coming back to reclaim your lost home. There's just one problem: while you were gone, a new species popped up, and they're wrecking everything!
You are a teen genius from a species of humanoid aliens dispatched as part of an elite team dedicated to reclaiming your lost planet. You spent your whole life on a series of colony ships hearing stories about the earth—how blue the sky was, how green the grass, how clear the water. Now, you're finally here. All that's left is to kick these annoying humans off the planet and terraform it properly. Unfortunately, a bunch of plucky magical girls keep getting in your way. So what if they live here now? You were here first!
Faction Goal: Take over the world. Eliminating humanity would be nice, but the most important thing is that humans not be able to stop you from recolonizing the planet.
Planetary Threat.
Your Role: Elite. You are one of the Dark Generals of this show—or the Shitennou, for sub purists. That means you are one of the main faces of the villain faction. The added screentime makes you a good target for redemption, but it would also make your death hit harder.
You start as an Advanced character.
The Good:
- Two-Faced Liar: You can pretend to be a human if you want, but you don't need a secret identity. And really, you probably shouldn't stick to just one disguise. Your mission requires flexible hours and locations, after all. Bonus to disguise roles, expanded disguise options.
- Trickster Archetype: You're having a ton of fun with this whole invasion thing. Your fiendish creativity terrifies your foes and your playful laughter gets under their skin. All opponents suffer a composure malus.
- Space Magic: Your powers are rooted in the vast depths of the cosmos, not the puny blue planet you're invading. Absolutely no one on earth knows how your powers work or how to counter them. The heroines will always be on the backfoot when fighting you.
- We Have the Power: Unlike some villains, you have the backing of an entire civilization. Sure, most of home is far away and out of reach, but you've received training from the best and you have an incredible array of tools to fall back on. There's no way the heroines will be able to infiltrate your base when it's on the moon! Expanded resource options.
- Teen Genius: You may be young, but you're one of the best your people have to offer. What other people take years to master, you learn in days; what takes them decades takes you weeks. You may not understand humans yet, but you're learning fast. You will learn rapidly.
The Bad:
- Tunnel Vision: You get fixated easily. This is part of why you were chosen for this mission—it makes you incredibly skilled and focused in your areas of expertise. It also means you can miss things that are right in front of your nose, or get obsessed with things you shouldn't. Reduced perception options.
- Fish Out Of Water: You studied up on earth for this mission, but reading about something is nothing compared to actually being there. You don't understand how things work here and you'll get confused easily until you get your bearings. Reduced general options until you learn more.
- Hopeless Romantic: You are an isolated teenager from a dystopian planet who just arrived on a seemingly peaceful world filled with people your approximate age. There is a 100% chance you will fall in love with the wrong person. This will definitely disrupt your mission.
- Not A Team Player: You've got three other people on the elite team to work around and share toys with. And you hate sharing. Malus to interacting with teammates.
- Impossible Dream: Deep down, you don't really want to hurt people. You try to hide this as much as possible, but it's the truth. And if you're not careful, that truth will get you killed by your own allies. Reduced villainy options unless character development kicks in.
[ ] THE TITAN
Once, people would have called beings like you deities and worshipped them. Other fallen gods might be bitter about losing that faith, but you don't care in the slightest. The only thing that matters is the person you lost long ago, under the worst circumstances imaginable. You will do anything to bring that person back. You have spent thousands of years gathering your power and setting your plan in motion. Now, it's about to come to fruition.
Yes, your plan has side effects. Yes, there will be human sacrifice involved. And yes, there is a slight possibility the universe will just sort of implode on itself if you get what you want. You do not care, and no argument from any magical girl will make you consider your stance. There is no trust. There is no compromise. There is only what you must do, and what must be sacrificed in the process.
Faction Goal: To bring back what you have lost. To create a new future for yourself and the one you love most. To undo everything that went wrong, even it means you must fight the will of the universe itself.
Ontological Threat.
Your Role: Big Bad. You may not look it, but you're the brains and the brawn behind this operation. For some reason or another, you have become helplessly intertwined with a devious plot. Now there's no way out—not for you, not for anyone. No matter what those magical girls do, this world's fate is sealed. If they want to change that, they'll have to go through you first.
You start as a Master character.
The Good:
- Narrative Dominance: This story is as much about you as it is about the heroines. You will always play a major role in determining the direction of the narrative. Few plot twists will ever take you by surprise, though this doesn't guarantee you'll be able to keep your momentum forever. Expanded options in almost any situation.
- Power Unending: Some people draw on a force of nature to transform and use magic. You are a force of nature. You are the heaviest hitter in the story by far, and the magical girls will spend most of the story just trying to catch up to you in raw might. Automatic crit success against Beginner and Civilian opponents, automatic success against Intermediate opponents. Only Advanced opponents and above stand a chance of victory.
- Shapeshifting: You aren't human—at least, you aren't human anymore—but you can still pass for one. In disguise, the magical girls will have trouble pegging you as anything other than an ordinary good-looking guy. Plus, the ability to change your face at will is handy.
- Immortal Foe: You have achieved true immortality. It is completely impossible for you to die permanently. However, you can still be sealed away or forcibly reincarnated without your memories, and the heroines will figure out how to do this eventually.
- Minions: You have minions! There are many who flock to your banner and will carry out your wishes just for the chance of being rewarded with a fraction of your power. The question is, how many of them can be trusted?
The Bad:
- True Name: For better or worse, you must have a secret identity. Things will go badly for you if anyone discovers who—or what—you really are.
- Achilles Heel: You have a weakness. You cannot defend against that weakness. Do whatever you can to hide it, or else.
- Tragic Obsession: Anyone willing to become the mastermind of a plan like this has to have some screws loose. There's at least one subject you are incapable of thinking rationally about. This will likely make talking you down really difficult. Restricted options for negotiation or allying with heroines.
- Mad, Bad, And Dangerous To Know: Anyone who spends enough time with you tends to meet a grim fate. No matter how many allies you create or win to your side, you won't keep them. In the end, you will fight alone. Restricted options for negotiation or allying with anyone.
- Eternal Devotion: You are utterly dedicated to a single person and the dream they left you with. For better or for worse, nothing can shake your devotion to your cause and the one you lost.
- Below My Notice: You have a problem with underestimating your opponents. Maybe you truly don't think they can become a threat, or maybe you're just trying to keep a lid on potential collateral damage. Restricted options for immediately dealing with foes.
Wow, that was heavy. Let's lighten things up a bit. This is a magical girl story, so everyone needs to have an iconic look, including you. What unique and fantastical style do you bring to the villainous table?
[ ] KNIGHTLY
You can't go wrong with a good suit of armor, right? Whether you've got a sci-fi aesthetic, a magical aesthetic, or even a slightly horrifying aesthetic, armor is the great unifier. Plus, it's very good at hiding your secret identity. Assuming you have a secret identity.
[ ] OTHERWORLDLY
You aren't from around here and you aren't shy about showing it. Maybe floating silk scarves wrap gracefully over your shoulders. Maybe mysterious tattoos and symbols cover your skin. Maybe you have an outfit so bizarre but still perfectly you that there's no point in describing it with words. Either way, you have your own style, and no one can miss it.
[ ] CREEPY
You know what you are and you have no intention of hiding it. Some monsters are beautiful. Some monsters are hideous. You walk the line between the two with confidence, massive claws, and a mouth full of glistening fangs. One thing is for certain: no one will ever mistake you for one of the good guys. Which could be a bit of a problem if you're aiming for that redemption arc.
I'm sure you look great. The magical girls won't know what hit them.
One last thing. If you were going to take a special interest in a member of the local magical girl team—and let's face it, you are, because that's how this sort of story goes—which girl would you be drawn to or repulsed by most?
[ ] THE ATHLETE
A sporty girl who never gives up. She isn't the brightest, but her heart is in the right place… usually. She calls it like she sees it, and she sees right through you.
[ ] THE BOOKWORM
A quiet and intellectual girl who knows more than most. She has difficulty communicating at times, but her knowledge is vast. Maybe that's why she unravels your schemes so easily.
[ ] THE PRINCESS
A wealthy and popular girl who can command anyone's attention with a crook of her finger. She has everything—the looks, the adoration, the certainty that she will succeed. But at her core, she feels the same emptiness that you are all too familiar with.
[ ] THE PATIENT
A sweet but frail girl who has seen some of the worst life has to offer. She's been in and out of the hospital her whole life, but she hasn't let it break her. If the weight of her own mortality can't dim her smile, nothing you can throw at her will, either.
[ ] THE CRYBABY
A cowardly but honest girl who can't control her feelings for the life of her. She has many interests but rarely gives her all, because nobody really expects her to accomplish anything. That complacency mixed with a quiet, unconscious bitterness is something you know all too well.
My first attempt at a quest! I've seen a lot of magical girl quests around, but not many magical boy quests. And the ones I have seen tend to end up being awfully similar to Sailor Moon's iconic Tuxedo Mask. Mysterious protectors are great and all, but the upcoming Tokyo Mew Mew reboot reminded me of how much I like the terrible boys this genre has to offer. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing just yet. Hopefully we'll learn together.
A quick rundown of the character level system:
Civilian: roll 1d10 for all combat actions. No magic actions.
Beginner: roll 1d100 for all combat/magic actions.
Intermediate: roll 1d100 +1d10 for all combat/magic actions.
Advanced: roll 1d100 +2d10 for all combat/magic actions.
Expert: roll 1d100 +3d10 for all combat/magic actions.
Master: roll 1d100 +5d10 for all combat/magic actions.
Legend: roll 2d100 for all combat/magic actions.
Unique: roll 3d100 for all combat/magic actions.
The magical girls will start as Beginners, as will all monsters unless otherwise stated. Evolution will be largely narrative-driven. Most things will be largely narrative-driven.
Let's tell a fun story together.
