Magicks

What does a 1 out of 5 Masque look like?

A 1 is pretty impossible to score unless done so deliberately. A Masque that scores a “1” will result in curses or advanced poisons, negative consequences, and on some occasions, death of one or more of the performers involved. To score a 1, the Masque must be boring or just downright annoying, likely with little or no effort put into it - the stage manager judging the ritual would likely have little to no idea as to what the performers are actually trying to achieve; some or all performers may have not contributed anything towards the Masque, and the performers may have deliberately made references to things outside of the setting of the world that are not relevant to the game.

 

A Masque where two people sit in silence and a third talks about what Darth Vader might eat for breakfast for a couple of minutes would score a “1”, and any survivors of the resultant effect would likely gain an Advanced Poison lammie that is especially difficult to remove, or they may have their maximum HP and/or MP reduced as an ongoing effect, if they are not Executed outright.

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What does a 2 out of 5 Masque look like?

A 2 is a performance that technically engages with the world, characters and plot, but where the stage manager judging the ritual may find it difficult to understand what it is that the performers are trying to achieve. If some of the contributors are less involved/engaged than others, if the stage manager finds that the performance doesn’t hold their attention, if the performance is forgettable, formulaic, or seems as though this would have been a more effective use of time and magic if attempted by alchemy - or even a decent monologue - (anything that makes an audience think “this could have been a sonnet”), then a Masque might score a “2”.

 

Three people telling a predictable story about how much they each wished they knew the “Fling” spell, as it might have been useful in the last fight they had, is likely to score a “2”, and the result may be disappointing (e.g. for this example, each of these three contributors may gain a personal lammie - of which you can only have one in the game - that simply grants the bearer the ability to cast “Fling” for 1MP twice per encounter, hampering their ability to gain a more powerful personal lammie later on).

 

What does a 3 out of 5 Masque look like?

A 3 is a solidly “good” Masque, that suitably engages with the world and plot the characters find themselves faced with, that makes it clear what it is they are trying to achieve (and how and why the performers of this Masque are especially well-suited to achieve this result, or  why it is that they each personally care about this shared goal). It will hold the attention of the audience, and will elicit some sort of audience response - whether this is due to interactive elements, music, use of props, anything that makes a watching audience laugh, cry, emotionally connect or otherwise respond to the piece. All of the contributors should be actively involved in the roleplay, and it should be clear that thought and effort has gone into the ideas displayed.

 

A group of characters from the Forest of Arden acting out an engaging tale about how important the trees are to them, and how the Forest helps them find their way, in order to empower a branch they found on the ground to be a “Wayfinder” and direct them towards good fortune and away from danger might successfully craft such an item with this Masque.

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What does a 4 out of 5 Masque look like?

A 4 is an “Excellent” Masque, that is truly unique, moving, entertaining or breathtaking. A Masque that scores a “4” is likely to be someone’s favourite moment of the weekend, where something especially cool or exciting happens, and that participators and witnesses alike will froth about out-of-character, even a month after the event has concluded. 

 

A “4” Masque will clearly have thought and effort put into it, with all contributors engaged in an active/enthusiastic way, resulting in a short production that is of high quality entertainment value to the audience. A “4” will likely involve something unique and creative, and as well as clarity of purpose and fully immersing themselves in the plot and lore of the world and their characters, there should be some element of the performance itself that is remarkably above “average”.

 

If a group of characters with the “Chant of Healing” ability sang an original song together that clearly referenced ongoing events in their stories and the world around them, and made it clear that they wanted to empower a guitar, so that the bearer attuned to the item was immune to the “Silence” call, and/or so that whenever anyone who hears a short refrain and that the musician considers a “friend” would be fully healed to their max HP, this might be a possible effect of a well-performed “4”-score Masque.

 

What does a 5 out of 5 Masque look like?

A 5 is an “Outstanding” Masque - the kind of performance that other people will still talk about out-of-character for years to come as one of their favourite LARP moments; “5”s should not be awarded lightly, and it is unlikely that more than 1 or 2 Masques, if any, will earn this top score “organically” (without a mechanical boost from the “Show Must Go On” skill granting +1 to a 4 out of 5).

 

As such, there are almost no limits to what a “5” result can achieve - you can revive characters that were previously executed, you can change the course of Fate in ways that were previously thought impossible, you can craft a Golden Quill as powerful as Prospero’s, you can open a Plothole (Portal) to the worlds of any of Shakespeare’s plays, or to Stratford-Upon-Avon or London in the 16th or 17th century, if you see fit to do so.

 

However, if your Masque has the clarity of purpose for a result of this immense magnitude, but does not truly “wow” the audience and stage managers, don’t be surprised if you receive a slightly more moderate result, compared to whatever godlike powers you were aiming for with your performance.

 

To give an example of what a “5” looks like is challenging, as by definition they are highly unique, surprising and each individual one is special. You do not need to use litres of fake blood, magic tricks or flashy choreography, but a “5” should simply be the best possible version of what any 5-minute ritual/theatrical performance can be, with all contributors enthusiastically/actively engaged, making it clear what you are trying to achieve, staying relevant to the plot threads of the setting, and making it clear why each performer is involved, as they perform something unique and memorable that completely captures the attention and interest of the audience and stage managers watching. A “5” will almost certainly evoke a strong emotional response: shock, awe, amazement, laughter, tears or anything that brings people either to their feet or their knees, as they wonder at the high-quality marvel that has been performed.

 

A “5” is unforgettable, and the only additional descriptor that can really be given is that you know it in your gut when you have witnessed a rare “5 out of 5” performance.

 

It is anticipated that most Masques will likely score a “3” (organically), although players are encouraged to get creative to try their best, aiming to achieve “4”s and even potentially “5”s if they can!

When signing up for an available Masque slot, you will have the opportunity to write a short sentence (“synopsis”) to summarise your intention, such as “to summon and question the ghost of Julius Caesar” or “to empower the Athenian Faeries to turn invisible for 1MP” or “to unbind Mercutio from Verona and instead tie his destiny to the fate of Messina” - it is especially important to note if any particular NPCs will be required to be present for your intended Masque!