RIGHTS AND CREDITS

The Apocalypse Engine is used courtesy of Vincent Baker and Lumpley Games
PRINCIPLE PLAYTESTERS
(lumpley.com). Thomas Hurley
Michael ‘Ronin’ Schiedel
Much of the basics for The Midnight Generation are taken directly from Masks: Dale Thompson
A New Generation by Brendan Conway and Magpie Games (magpiegames.com)
Other basic concepts and design have been inspired by Atlus’s Shin Megami
Tensai franchise and its Persona spin-off.
PLAYTESTERS
Some moves found in The Midnight Generation are inspired by Voidheart
Isaac ‘MaskedMask’ Calderwood
Symphony by UFO Press. The themes, concepts and moves of The Midnight
Generation take direct inspiration from the Shin Megami Tensi: Persona series, Micah Zimmer
the base Shin Megami Tensi series and other Japanese RPGs. Katie “Fluffy Horror” Sullivan
Ruby “Severin” Whitworth
The Midnight Generation is a third party supplement for Masks: A New Generation
Justin Lee
created by Magpie Games and is released under the Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Emily Isaias
Brit No!

And many others who wish not to be named but whose assistance we could not
have done without.

WRITING AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT KYLE RAWLINGS

DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION SAM HANNIS
 Midnight Generation is a hack for Masks: A New Generation inspired
by the Shin Magami Tensai: Persona series, Jungian psychology and real
world myths and legends. The Midnight Generation requires the base
game of Masks: A New Generation to play and uses all Masks: A New
Generation rules unless otherwise specified.
Before we get into the meat and potatoes of the game, some additional rules to keep in
mind at your table to make sure everyone is having a comfortable, safe and fun time. These
Safety Tools should be discussed and established during or before Session 0. Every table
is different so the Safety Tools below are simple recommendations, more or fewer Safety
Tools can be established, introduced or removed as your table sees fit.
The X Card: The x-card is the simplest safety tool and also the easiest to implement.
A card with a large X is placed on the table where everyone can reach it. If anyone
feels uncomfortable, they simply touch the x-card. The GM and other players will
change the scene immediately by skipping it or changing what is happening. The
person who activated the x-card is not expected to explain their reasons.
Lines and Veils: Lines and veils are established boundaries for the story and are
defined by each player individually. Generally they are shared with the GM, either
as a group or in private, before the start of a game or campaign.
Lines are hard boundaries that exclude specific content from the game, no questions
asked. This could include anything, but common lines are children being harmed,
rape or sexual violence, or racial discrimination. Veils are softer limits where the
player is ok with it being included in the game but it isn’t explicitly described. Things
that are specified as veils will be hand-waved without going into detail or happen
off-screen, like the fade-to-black sex scenes in a PG movie.
Roses and Thorns: Roses and Thorns is a check in exercise wherein each Player
reports on a difficult experience or content that they’d like to see less of in future
games or sessions (Thorns) and then a positive experience during play they
particularly enjoyed or would like to see more of (Roses). The facilitator often starts
to guide Players in being authentic though brief. GMs can do this in an anonymous
manner if people are uncomfortable with being put on the spot.
Stars and Wishes: As a modified version of the “Roses & Thorns” safety tool, “Star
And Wishes” is designed to be positive and affirming, a way for players and GMs
to give constructive feedback to each other post-game without feeling “called out.”
When a player gives a “Star” to someone else, they describe a moment in the game
they really appreciated - good roleplaying, a clever tactic, considerate behavior, etc.
When a player shares a “Wish” with the rest of the table, they describe something
they’d like to see more of in future games.
THE COGNITIVE WORLD OF SHADOWS
The Midnight World is a world shaped by human thoughts, a parallel existence
where the subconscious minds of humans intermingle into a gestalt landscape that
cannot generally be experienced by regular humans. The Midnight World instead
bleeds into the physical realm under certain criteria, such as weather events and
times of the day. The Midnight World is inhabited by dangerous entities called
Shadows, these Shadows are often capable of weakening the boundaries between
the physical and Midnight Worlds.
Shadows are born from the, typically negative or destructive, emotions of humans
that then manifest in the Midnight World. Stronger shadows attract weaker
shadows which in turn create stronger shadows which creates a dangerous
feedback loop. While the majority of Shadows are born from the gestalt of The
Midnight World, strong spirited individuals give rise to their own individual Shadows.
While most are merely stronger Shadows, dangerous on their own but little more
than the mindless masses they are a part of, the exceptional few have thoughts
and desires and motives that can even subsume the human that spawned them. If
a person accepts this Shadow Self as a part of themselves, accepting their darker
or repressed feelings or desires, these Shadows become Facades. Rejecting these
Shadow Selves however can empower them further, possibly even allowing them to
kill the human that spawned them.
In the depths of human hearts and subconscious which make up The Midnight
World there is a domain where mythological archetypes dwell, allowing Shadows
to take on the appearance of monsters, demons or mythological figures from
around the world. Anecdotes of mythological divinities the world over probably exist
because of that, born from the fears and dreams of humanity.
Traveling between The Midnight World and the physical world has its own
parameters, specified by the GM when they introduce the players to The Midnight
World. The journey is difficult for those born in the physical world, leaving most
exhausted or drained once they return to their place of origin. These locations may
be difficult to reach or in public areas, making travel a challenge in and of itself.
Traveling into The Midnight World may also have other specifications, such as
arming the Team with weapons even if they bring none along, changing their outfits
or other unique displays once they’ve traveled to The Midnight World itself.
THE LEPIDOPTERARIUM
Between the conscious and unconscious world there exists a realm to which all
Facade users may access. This is known as Lepidopterarium. Accessing this
realm is left to the GM to describe however its role within the fiction should remain
consistent. The Lepidopterarium serves as a launching point for the Facade users,
a repository of information on Shadows, Facades and the Midnight World. There is
always at least one Master of the Lepidopterarium, how they appear is up to the GM
much as the flavor of the realm. The Lepidopterarium can appear as a limousine, a
hotel, an abandoned castle, truly whatever the mind desires. The Lepidopterarium
and its Master are often served by other inhabitants though this is not required and
the realm may be as vacant or as lively as needed to fit the narrative.
While Masks: A New Generation focuses on coming of age alongside the high octane
life of a superhero this rules overhaul and playset shifts that focus somewhat. By
most standards, the players of The Midnight Generation are teenagers, mundane
even if extraordinary for their age in certain fields. Any powers or abilities that
they possess are grounded in reality and the overall feel of the setting skews more
towards urban fantasy than Western Superhero comics, or even Eastern Manga/
Manwha/webtoons. It is only in The Midnight World where the more fantastical
elements come into play and it is that division that helps define the themes and
concepts of The Midnight Generation as a whole but the drama and narrative flow
of the playset in a general sense.
As mentioned elsewhere The Midnight World is a gestalt realm of humanity’s
collective unconscious, an amalgam of their negative and positive emotions where
monsters are born and the very landscape changes at the whim of people with the
mind and desires strong enough to do so. These manifestations of other people’s
psyche are literal player facing methods for the team to engage in deeper concepts
and GMs are encouraged to leave subtlety at the door. For instance the GM may
take an emotional concept such as sorrow or grief and mold them into buildings
and dungeons the players are exploring. A woman being driven to suicide over grief
over the death of a loved one in the real world may well appear in The Midnight
World as a slowly wasting away zombie literally shackled to a demon that derides
them over their inability to save the people they love. GMs are also urged to talk
to their players about the darker subjects that might be broached by The Midnight
Generation and all applicable safety tools should be discussed before play begins
as usual.
One’s True Self: The Midnight Generation, more so than Masks: A New Generation,
has a heavy emphasis on playing to find out who the player really is. Facades
already serve as a reflection of a deeper truth of the character, a reality they either
rejected outright or ignored before accepting that element of themselves and forging
it into Facades. Simply because they’ve accepted that part of themselves however
does not mean that the growth in that area is done. Now that they accept it, they
have to process that information and that is where a good deal of drama should
come from.
The World is Twisted: It isn’t just The Midnight World that is twisted by the
subconscious thoughts of humanity. The real world is too. While you may just be
kids in the eyes of adults you have the power to change the world in some small way
even if it’s just by embracing your true self and living in that truth one day at a time.
Of course, donning one’s Facade and taking it to the literal collective subconscious
of humanity and fighting the psychological demons of people probably doesn’t hurt
in changing the world either. Plenty of people will take, and offer, the easy way out
but nothing is worth doing if it’s easy. The easy route is the path of closing your
eyes to difficult truths, and the first step in ignoring the twisted nature of the world.
Better to be Free and Miserable than a Happy Slave: The world expects a lot
of teenagers. They’re entering the workforce, looking to their future ahead and
navigating the adult world they’re not really a part of while still dealing with childish
concepts like cool kids in school, flash in the pan romances and the everyday
pressures of school. Juggling all of that may be difficult, the pressures to simply
conform an easy out. One cannot live with themselves, the parts of themselves they
wish to hide, by simply pushing who they really are aside so people accept them. It
is a harsh lesson, a cruel one at times even, but a central theme for The Midnight
Generation. Being your true self, even if it paints a target on your back, is better
than living a lie.
Not Just Persona: While the Persona series, and the Shin Megami Tensai series
as a whole, flavor much of The Midnight World from its use of Facades to the
concept of the Midnight World itself, The Midnight Generation delves into analytical
psychology much like the main inspiration as well as movies like The Holy Mountain
and Dark City along with games such as Psychonauts and the Xenosaga series.
GMs shouldn’t feel obligated to simply stick with our inspiration material for their
games.

The Truth is Important but Ugly: As part of the coming of age story at the heart
of Masks: A New Generation and The Midnight Generation the players should be
prepared to face and challenge difficult truths. The world isn’t pretty and while the
truth may be painful, rejecting the truth and reality is worse. Dealing with sadness,
knowing that life is brief and tomorrow is uncertain, and that sometimes bad people
get away with their crimes while good people suffer are all simple facts one learns
when they become adults.

Mistakes Happen, Learn from Them because You can’t Take Them Back:
Everyone is going to mess up at one point or another, especially teenagers finding
their way into adulthood. People say hurtful things, take people for granted, forget
important dates or willingly hurt friends out of spite. These actions happened,
facing them and improving is what matters most and the first step in doing that is
to admit that the mistake occurred. Only after that can one move forward, only after
that can one truly grow up.

Palaces are distortions within the Midnight World created by strong Shadows
and the negative corrupting thoughts that have formed them. While most people’s
negative emotions form basic shadows and the gestalt Midnight World, powerful
shadows warp the Midnight World much like gravity warps space-time. These
Palaces house these particular Shadows, buttressing their malignant presence
while drawing in weaker shadows. Palaces are filled with cognitive existences,
mirrors of real people or events that pertain to the Shadow whose Palace they
reside in. Shadows with their own Palaces are known as Rulers, defeating a Ruler
is the only way to remove a Palace from the Midnight World. Palaces come in many
shapes and forms, either as a mirror of the real world twisted by the Distortion of
their Ruler or an extravagant or mind-bending mutation of the Ruler’s perceptions.
Palaces, and their Rulers, are keen when others are trying to alter or in some way
interfere with their existence.
Shadows: Wards, and Palaces in general, attract beings known as
Shadows. These Shadows are generally weak-minded beings though they
are still dangerous to those that tread The Midnight World. Vassals are, by
and large, simply more intelligent Shadows or Shadows of particular people
constructed by a Ruler, who themselves is a Shadow large enough to make
their own Palace. Rulers and Vassals, as a general rule, can always summon
backup Shadows to harry the team and Shadows are significant enough
obstacles to be used in place of henchmen and other villain analogs.
Keys: Players may earn, and spend, Keys through the following moves. In
addition, Players may spend a Key at any time to lower the Palace’s Heat
by 1. Keys, unlike Team or other bonuses, do not reset when the Players
leave The Midnight World. Keys, like Team, can be spent and accessed by
the whole team.

Heat: Each Palace has a Heat Track. When a Player would mark their sixth
Condition instead of leaving the scene they instead increase Heat by 1.
Rulers may make a Villain move each time their Heat is increased. If the
Heat Track fills to 5 all Players are removed from the Palace and must roll a
Returning Home move at a -2. In addition the GM may, when a Heat is added
to the track, make a move off the Alarm Bell Move.

Wards and Vassals: Palaces are divided into Wards, each with a Vassal
that the Players must either defeat or claim. Once all Vassals are claimed, a
route to the Ruler is opened. GMs assign the number of Wards for a Palace
the first time the Players step into The Midnight World to a maximum of five
as if the Palace had Conditions. The Ruler may make a Villain move each
time a Ward is cleared. Defeating or clearing a Vassal grants the Players a
Key upon their defeat.

The Midnight World uses all Basic Moves and Mechanics from Masks: A New
Generation in addition to the following.
Travel to the Midnight World: When you step into The Midnight World as a party,
roll + Team. On a miss, something has changed about The Midnight World or the
Ruler of the Palace is aware of your presence, raise Heat by 1. On a 7-9, you’ve left
something behind in the real world or enter The Midnight World less prepared than
you expected . On a 10+ all members of the Party may clear a Condition, lower the
Heat Track by 1 or the party gains a Key.
Returning Home: When you leave The Midnight World, roll + Team. On a miss,
time has passed. Trigger any moves that specify When Time Passes and all players
take -1 forward to their next roll. On a 7-9, your time in The Midnight World leaves
you exhausted. All players mark a Condition or take -1 Forward on the first roll in
the Real World but no time has passed in the real world and lower the Heat Track
by 1. On a 10+, your time in The Midnight World has taught you something more
about yourselves. Each player marks Potential.
Traverse the Palace: When you navigate a Ruler’s Palace pick a leader to lead
you through the Ward. The Leader marks Potential and then rolls + conditions
unmarked. The Leader may spend a Key to boost their roll by 1 after the roll.
On a miss the Ward is far more dangerous than you expected. The Leader takes -1
Forward on their next roll or a dangerous foe is on the hunt for you, either way raise
Heat by 1. On a hit, you understand the Ward better. Gain 1 key and pick 1. On a
10+ pick two.
- The next area of the Ward holds something of value
- You get some knowledge of the Ward ahead.
- The current area gives you an idea of what is to come. Take +1 on your next
Assess.
- You’ll be able to traverse between this area of the Ward and other sections of the
Ward, there is no need to roll a Traverse when entering or exiting the area.
- Your movement has not been noticed or you’ve covered your tracks. Lower Heat
by 1 now or the next time it would be marked.
- An ally is in the next area of The Ward
- The Vassal does not expect you, add an additional Team to the Pool when you face
a Dangerous Opponent.
Find Shelter: When you look for a place to take a breather or rest from the rigors
of the Palace, the Leader of the current section rolls + Mundane. On a miss, the
place of safety is guarded by a particularly strong foe and they must be defeated
to access the safe house. On a hit all players choose one. On a 10+ the Leader
picks two.
- Clear a Condition from a Teammate
- Amp up a teammate and they take +1 Forward, take Influence over them
- Criticize a teammate, remove their Influence
- Use a Team Move
- Return Home
In addition when the team finds Shelter they may spend their keys on the following.
You may spend as many Keys as you have. Keys hold over even if you leave the
Palace to the Real World.
One Key: Return somewhere you’ve been before
One Key: Lower Heat by 1
Two Keys: Arrive somewhere precious to the Ruler, either in The Midnight World or
the real world
Three Keys: Provoke the Ruler of the Palace, the team takes +1 forward against
them when you next meet.
Four Keys: Confront the Ruler of the Palace before all Vassals are cleared.
Alarm Bells: When a Ruler would increase their Heat Track by one they may, instead
of using a Villain Move, choose one of the following.
- Investigate the disturbances
- Isolate you
- Reveal hidden traps
The Midnight Generation has eight Playbooks built to more directly interface with
- Show you something you never wanted to see the themes and inspirations used in this rules hack.
- Demonstrate the humanity of your foes

The Golem: You were made, designed, put together or simply awoken with the
singular purpose of discovering just what it means to be human. That of course
means, at least to start, that you are not human yourself. This may well be a
blessing and a curse, as you see what your human allies may not and the twisting
aspects of The Midnight World may well not affect you nearly as much.

The Icon: People have always expected things for you because you’re pretty or
talented or smart, creating a false person in your place. You’ve used this false
person to protect yourself but ever since coming to terms with who you really are all
you’ve wanted to do is share it with the world. The Midnight World was the catalyst
for this change, and the team too. Exploring it with them more might uncover even
more facets about yourself you didn’t even know.

The Navigator: The world is a difficult place, one you were not ready to deal with so
it pushed you into a box. You’ve since grown comfortable behind the four walls you
hid behind, content with your hobbies, but isolation is no way to live. In the Midnight
World your talents shape the cognitive landscape, making it easier to avoid the
dangers, a useful thing for your team. With their help you may just open up a little.

The Outcast: You used to be popular but some event pushed you to the edge of your
social circle until you were out of it. Now you sit on the outside looking in, the world
sneering at you for the mistakes they think you’ve made. You’ve learned from your
time in The Midnight World that it was their mistake to push you out, that there are
people who like you for who you are. You know the dangers of The Midnight World
and you’re going to protect your friends so they don’t get hurt like you did.
The Practiced: Shadows hurt you long ago. Either they took someone you loved
away or just attacked you until you were pushed to the brink of your life. Either way
you harbor a deep hate for them, a desire for revenge. You’ve found others hurt
by Shadows, others to help you through that pain but it’s a struggle. Exploring the
Like core Playbooks, these Playbooks have a When Our Team Came Together
Midnight World with the team may well quiet those raging thoughts for good.
segment. Answer them in the following order. If you do not have The Practiced or
The Outcast, answer The Bull and Nova’s questions instead before answering the
The Prisoner: You pissed off the wrong people and discovered that being a small other Playbooks.
fish in a big ocean is as dangerous as it is freeing. These dangerous people
underestimated you, pushed you aside thinking you were too small to fight back.
The Outcast: We can only enter the Midnight World at certain locations, what is our
They were wrong. It will take time, it will take effort, but eventually you’ll bring those
main point of entry?
that hurt you and hurt others to justice.

The Practiced: We confronted a powerful Shadow within the Midnight World, how
The Psientist: You uncovered research on The Midnight World when you were young did we defeat it?
from someone who paid the price of their curiosity. You’ve made it your mission to
finish their work and to give meaning to the tragedy that is their loss. You can shape
The Midnight World in ways others can’t and for that, your team is grateful. You The Icon: We protected someone important to the city, who was it?
just hope you can keep them safe from what took out the person’s research you’re
following up on.
The Prisoner: We helped someone escape a dangerous situation. Who was it and
what were they in danger from?
The Shadow: You were born in The Midnight World, or at least you came into the
real world from there. The search to find your true self drives you forward, even if
The Psientist: We shaped The Midnight World to our own design, what is our major
those truths might be uncomfortable. Your reality is tied to The Midnight World, you
center of safety?
know it better than anyone on your team, so while they help you discover who or
what you really are you can help make sense of the strange other world your friends
are alien to. The Shadow: We uncovered a difficult truth together, what was it and what does it
mean for the future?

The Golem: We discovered the Ruler of the next Palace. Who are they?

The Navigator: We let off some steam together after the fight, what did we do?

Masks: A New Generation has a plethora of Playbooks to choose from however
not all of them, or even most, will work right out of the box for this overhaul. What
follows is a list of all 20 official Playbooks from Masks: A New Generation and how
they might be altered, if they need altered, to fit into The Midnight Generation or if
they can fit at all.
In addition, for those players or GMs looking for Playbooks that gel with the themes,
concepts and flavor of The Midnight Generation without tweaking they are
advised to look at the attached Playbooks with their overhaul and Playset.
THOSE THAT WORK WITHOUT TWEAKING
The Bull: While the aspects of being “created” don’t quite fit The Midnight
Generation overhaul such drama can easily be dropped in favor of focusing more
fully on the Love and Rival elements of teenage life The Bull needs no altering to
face in the overhaul. Play up that headstrong attitude, pursue your Love and thwart
your Rival, it’s who you really are.
The Delinquent: Life is tough for a teen and there’s always going to be something
bigger to fight. School teachers, parents and their expectations, society at large, all
are good targets however one should also look at the root causes of the delinquency
itself. Lashing out at authority figures are rarely the root issue but instead are often
symptoms of other underlying issues. Considering the more psychological themes
of The Midnight Generation, one should delve into the why of the Delinquent as
much if not more than the how.
The Janus: The Janus will find themselves fitting in quite easily with the balance of
every day life versus the more fantastic elements of The Midnight World they now
have to contend with. Keeping up with obligations and regular teen stuff is a major
theme in much of The Midnight World’s inspiration so it works well in this overhaul.
The Nova: Destructive power and the worry of one’s own boundless potential are
solid themes in The Midnight Generation overhaul and while the concept of the Nova
and their power being harmful and dangerous may better apply to more tangible
and real world issues, they’re still issues people have to deal with. Not to mention
the power one might carry over into The Midnight World.
The Star: The pressures of being a teenager and famous are daunting, juggling the
you that everyone loves against the real person is prime drama for The Midnight
Generation. The Star fits in perfectly with the overhaul.
 THOSE THAT CAN WORK WITH TWEAKING
The Brain: A hidden shame is bread and butter for the themes and concepts present in
The Midnight Generation however the more fantastical or super hero-esque creations of
The Brain may be a bit out of tone for The Midnight Generation. Keeping these on a more or
less modern or slightly Futurist bent would be all the tweaking this Playbook should need.
The Joined: As long as The Joined is playing off a Playbook that works for The Midnight
Generation, the themes and drama The Joined Playbook offers play quite well with the
setting overhaul with little tweaking. Simply take care to play down the more fantastical
elements more common with Western comics.
The Newborn: While the general concept of a human creator is not out of bounds for
The Midnight Generation overhaul, Newborns can easily fit into the game in another way.
Those born from The Midnight World, exploring what it means to be human or...even just
themselves, is a long running character drama in the inspiration sources of The Midnight
Generation.
The Protege: While older Facade users are rare, and the powers of a Facade are not ones
that can be taught or handed down in a traditional sense, older Facade users can still
serve as aides when it comes to supplies, information on The Midnight World or Facades in
general. With these tweaks in mind, The Protege could fit well into The Midnight Generation.
The Reformed: Not all teenages have a great time in life, falling to petty crimes and running
into trouble with the law. With some tweaking, and keeping the more fantastical elements
of their Friends in Low Places, The Reformed can fit well in The Midnight Generation though
The Delinquent would be another, better, fit.
The Scion: While villains are more mundane in the physical world in The Midnight
Generation, as long as The Scion keeps their cruel or villainous family on a more mundane
track the desperate seeking of respect is a drama that could work quite well in The Midnight
Generation.
The Soldier: There are those in The Midnight Generation that band together and work to
fight Shadows when they cross over into the physical world. These organizations are often
made up of young Facades users and would work as a fine stand in for AEGIS. With these
tweaks, the Soldier Playset could work quite well.
THOSE THAT DON’T WORK
The Beacon: All players must have a Facade, which means all players must have powers
of some sort. The drama of The Beacon thus has little room to explore having no powers
when everyone is obligated to have some in some way.
The Doomed: While The Doomed may find some level of interaction in this world, the overall
drama of The Doom itself and its ticking clock works against the general investigative and
deep character focus that this system overhaul seeks to evoke. Along with that, a good deal
of mechanical overlap exists between The Doomed and The Places in general, which might
dilute The Doomed’s story.
The Harbinger: Time Travel is not an element of The Midnight World or the systems and
drama at play. The Harbinger will find little, if any, narrative hooks in this system overhaul.
The Innocent: Much like the Harbinger, time travel is not an element of The Midnight World
or the systems and drama at play. As such The Innocent and its narrative will find little if
any actual hooks in this system overhaul.
The Legacy: Facade users are, by and large, individuals that have no true connection to
one another as far as familial relations go. Inherited power is simply not a concept that
this system overhaul addresses, nor are there prominent, public Facade users. Facades
are by and large a power in the shadows and The Legacy simply doesn’t address this sort
of drama or narrative element.
The Nomad: Considering the general drama of the setting is wrapped up in the human
world, and the extension of the Midnight World being a part of the human world at least
in theory, those that exist outside the human or “earth” world generally don’t gel with the
concepts that this system overhaul addresses.
The Outsider: The Outsider with its fish out of water, tug of war between Earth and their
homeworld story is not one that would fit well into the general drama and themes of The
Midnight Generation overhaul. Much like The Transformed, players who wish to play non-
human elements should look to The Newborn and its tweaks.
The Transformed: The drama of the Transformed is not one you’ll find works well with
the overall themes and concepts of The Midnight Generation’s overhaul. The players are
intended to be teenagers within society, not shunned for their monstrous or dangerous
appearances. Players seeking some of The Transformed’s drama, revolving around their
existence and the deeper questions of self should look to The Newborn. Making a Character
in The Midnight Generation

While character creation in The Midnight Generation follows the same basic
guidelines of Masks: A New Generation, there’s a few extra bells and whistles that
might confuse or hold up Players. We’ve created a handy list to make characters,
step by step.
Step One: Pick a Playbook
Step Two: Answer Look, Name, Persona Name
Step Three: Choose Arcana and pick a Palace Move
Step Four: Assign +1 to any Label
Step Five: Answer Backstory Questions
Step Six: Select Playbook Moves
Step Seven: Introduce your Character to the Table
Step Eight: Answer When Our Team First Came Together in the order the GM has laid out
Step Nine: Select Relationships with your Teammates
Step Ten: Hand out Influence
POWERS AND FACADES IN THE MIDNIGHT WORLD
Midnight Generation uses a different method of ability choice than Masks: A
New Generation. Instead of powers granted by a Playbook, Players instead choose
an Arcana and select their powers from their Arcana list. A Player begins play with
Weapon Mastery and one choice from their Facades. The Playbooks of Midnight
Generation assign Arcana that best aligns with their drama; however Players are
free to choose any Arcana they wish as long as the GM has agreed. These abilities
are manifested through a player’s Facade, a manifestation of their personality that
the player hides under a mask of their everyday lives. Accepting this true aspect
of oneself awakens a Facade and the powers that they grant. In addition players
may choose up to two of the following abilities they may use inside or outside The
Midnight World.
ABILITIES IN THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
Owing to the non-overlapping areas of play between the regular world and The
Midnight World, Players abilities are likewise split between these phases of play.
Players may select two of the following Abilities they possess in the real world and
may carry over as the narrative dictates in The Midnight World.
Athletic Perfection, Detective Skills, A Mastery of a Single Skill Set, Hacking,
Stunning Beauty, Superior Intellect, Real World Connections, Acrobatics, Fearsome
Reputation, Intimidation, Stealth, Enhanced Senses, Abnormal Strength, Gadgets,
Deep Pockets, Master of Disguises
While in The Midnight World Players have access to their Facades, powerful
manifestations of their psyche, and may choose a single weapon they are proficient
with if they so choose in addition to one ability off their Arcana list. If a Player wants
an Ability not listed on their Arcana, GMs should work with their Players to make it
make sense in the fiction within reason.
 The Golem: Unlock The Golem’s final Social Link by acknowledging their humanity

The Icon: Unlock The Icon’s final Social Link by accepting their true self while
supporting their Icon status
Facades, much like the Shadows from which they spawn, pull from the depths of
the human heart and subconscious and thus take the form of mythological, folk or
The Navigator: Unlock The Navigator’s final Social Link by accepting their hobbies
religious figures or other elements drawn from popular culture. These figures are
unconditionally
separated into twenty two distinct groups known as The Arcana. When creating a
character, players must select an Arcana from the following list. Once an Arcana is
selected it may not be selected again by another player. The Outcast: Unlock The Outcast’s final Social Link by standing up for them when
no one else in the scene will
Playbooks: Each Arcana has a list of Playbooks whose narrative and drama best
fit their themes. These are general suggestions and players may select any Arcana The Practiced: Unlock The Practiced’s final Social Link by standing beside them in
they so wish. an unwinnable confrontation

Abilities: Beyond whatever skills, talents and Facades even have influence on The Prisoner: Unlock The Prisoner’s final Social Link by helping them bring
physical and mental abilities, making their users superhumans with access to someone to justice
things such as magic, a resistance to fear or madness, knowledge and mastery
over weapons or other extraordinary powers. The Psientist: Unlock The Psientist’s final Social Link by revealing a secret of the
Midnight World they do not know
Palace Moves: Players must choose one of their Palace Moves at character
creation when selecting their Arcana and may choose their other Palace move The Shadow: Unlock The Shadow’s final Social Link by accepting their non-human
through Advances as if they’d chosen a Playbook Move. Players may use their nature at face value
Palace Move whenever they are in The Midnight World or when prompted by another
Move. Masks Playbooks: Use the NPC Arcana Unlock

Confidence: Confidence is the mark of an Arcana whose Social Link has been
brought to five. All Arcana have their own unique method of unlocking their final
Social Link box, as do all Playbooks. If an Arcana is being used by a Player, use
their Confidence rules found on their Playbook. NPCs use the Confidence rules
found listed on their Arcana instead. You gain access to a Confidence Perk from any
Arcana you have Influence over.
 When you reject the Influence of an Arcana, lower their Social Link by 1. Arcana
cannot lose Influence over you, or any other Player in the team. Each Arcana has 5
Influence on their track, providing special benefits for the track being filled depending
on their Arcana. If you would reduce the Social Link to 0 mark a Condition.

Unlike in Masks: A New Generation, Influence is handled differently in The

Midnight Generation. Once all players have assigned their Arcana, the GM can
assign NPCs with the remaining Arcana when they’re introduced into the fiction
either through a Player’s backstory or through play.
Players and NPCs that have an assigned Arcana are denoted as such and have a
Social Link instead of traditional Influence. All other adults and important NPCs
have Influence as usual and the general rules of Influence apply to them.
Each Arcana has special conditions to unlock their fifth Social Link specified
by their Arcana. NPC Arcana use the conditions found within their Arcana while
Players using The Midnight Generation Playbooks have unique unlock conditions
for their fifth Social Link as indicated by their Playbook Confidence. Any Masks
Playbook may choose between a relevant Playbook Confidence not in play or the
Arcana’s Confidence. GMs are encouraged to share these conditions through the
narrative and as players interact with them.

Players add 1 to any Social Link the player would have when you hand out Influence
at the start of play. Spending your Influence instead lowers our Social Link by 1, you
cannot raise your Social Link in the same scene you spend Influence.

When you would take Influence over an Arcana, instead increase their Social Link
by 1 (up to 4) and shift Labels as usual. Ranks on the Social Link provide the
following benefits, chosen when the Player or GM assigns the Arcana. Bonuses are
cumulative.

1-2: Take +1 on all rolls relevant to the character.

3-4: Take an additional +1 when rejecting their Influence or choose a
Label to raise/lower when they shift your Labels.
5: Increase a Label by +1 and lock the Influence to 5 and gain access
to their Confidence Move. They have now become your Confidant. Keep
all bonuses and clear their Social Link. You either now have full Influence
over them, or none as per the usual rules of Masks: A New Generation.
If you would lose Influence over a Confidant, lose access to the benefits
gained from the first two steps.

Portrayed as a jester laughing on the edge of a cliff, accompanied with a dog at his heels.
The Fool represents innocence, divine inspiration, madness, freedom, spontaneity,
inexperience, chaos and creativity. The Fool Arcana tends to be the “jack of all trades”
type though rarely a master of any one skill. Figures in myth of the Fool Arcana are
often folk heroes or those that represent the classic Hero’s Journey.
Abilities: Elemental Control, Impossible Thievery, Power Mimicry, Willpower Manifestation
Playbooks: Any
Backstory Question: What event set your feet on your current journey?
Mythological Touchstones: Dionysus, Susano’o
PALACE MOVES
Master of None: When you find Shelter you may spend 1 Team from the
Pool to use any other Arcana’s Palace Move.
Butterfly Shuffle: When you find Shelter you may switch your Fool Arcana
Ability with another from your list.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Fool’s final Social Link by helping them
overcome an important step in their lifelong struggle.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Fool Confidant, lower
Heat by 1 whenever you would clear a Condition. In addition, you may mark
a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana
moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Fool as an NPC is typically on a journey of self
discovery, reinvention, or simply working through the mysteries of
life. Their lifelong struggle should be something important to them as
a character, something they have worked on long before the Players
entered their lives or at least before the Players had the means to
help them. The Fool NPC should be one important to the whole party,
someone in a similar struggle with their place in the world as the Team.
NPC Touchstone: Arthur Hastings; Agatha Christie
The Magician is portrayed holding a scroll raised towards the heavens in his right hand while his left
hand is pointing to earth to symbolize the dual nature of man. The Magician Arcana is commonly
associated with action, initiative, self-confidence, immaturity, manipulation, and the power to
harness one’s own talents. A common trait shared between members of the Magician Arcana is
their aspiration for the future and a desire to fulfill their inner potential. As the name suggests,
mythological figures associated with the Magician Arcana are often associated with magic,
mysteries or magical beasts.
Abilities: Wind Manipulation, Magical Aptitude, Emotion Control, Psychometry
Playbooks: The Nova, The Scion, The Newborn, The Janus
Backstory Question: What have you not mastered in your own life that your current
lifestyle might help achieve?
Mythological Touchstone: Odin, Odysseus
PALACE MOVES
As Above: When you Find Shelter or Traverse the Palace you may Hold 1. You
may spend this Hold and mark a Condition to use a Flare from the Nova Playbook.
So Below: When you Find Shelter you may shift your Danger down and
another Label up to clear two Conditions on a Teammate.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Magician’s final Social Link by helping them
overcome an insecurity that is holding them back.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Magician Confidant,
take +1 forward to Assess the Situation when looking for connections
between The Midnight World and the Real World. In addition, you may mark
a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana
moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Magician as an NPC should be one with esoteric knowledge,
perhaps knowing of The Midnight World, or secrets that the Players do not
know they need. These secrets could be of a deeply personal nature or
simply something the Players are not old or wise enough to know. The
Magician as an NPC is likewise often stuck with a personal problem; they
cannot see the solution either because of their ego or knowledge. Their
Unlock alludes to this, their insecurity or hurdle deeply personal and one
only time and a high Social Link will reveal.
NPC Touchstone: Giles; Buffy the Vampire Slayer
 The Priestess is portrayed as an old woman with an open book sitting upon a throne sat
between a black and white pillar. The Priestess Arcana is a symbol of hidden knowledge or
other untapped power, wisdom, female mystery and patience. Individuals associated with the
Priestess Arcana are usually quiet, reserved, hardworking and intelligent. Mythological figures
of the Priestess Arcana usually follow the crone archetypes, goddesses of wisdom, witches,
female mages or priestesses. The Priestess is the feminine counterpart of The Hierophant.
Abilities: Fire Manipulation, Psychometry, Phasing, Invisibility
Playbooks: The Janus, The Nova, The Brain, The Reformed
Backstory Question: What event made you withdraw into yourself and away from others?
Mythological Touchstones: Persephone, Frigg
PALACE MOVES
Break the Camel’s Back: When you Find Shelter with more than four
Conditions marked, you may clear an additional Condition when you break
something or hurt someone.
Take A Deep Breath and Count to Ten: When you are chosen as a Leader
you may take +1 ongoing to Assess rolls until you Find Shelter.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Priestess’s final Social Link by bringing them
knowledge they have long overlooked or ignored.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Priestess Confidant,
when you give Influence over yourself, the person taking Influence may clear
a Condition. In addition, You may mark a Condition or spend a Team from
the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence
over them.
GM Advice: The Priestess as an NPC is typically a woman, older than
the team, and as the Arcana suggests are diligent and tenacious where it
counts. This is contrasted by their Unlock, providing the Players the room to
resolve potential past pains the wisdom of the Priestess has shut away, or
simply to bring those who feel superior low or humbled.
NPC Touchstone: Ms. Beakley; Ducktales
The Empress is portrayed as a youthful woman sat upon a throne, a crown of stars on her head
and a scepter in one hand often surrounded by grains ripe for harvest. The Empress represents
mothers, prosperity, creativity, sexuality, abundance, fertility, protection, and comfort found
in the home. Those associated with The Empress Arcana are matronly, artistic, confident in
themselves and generous. Mythological figures of The Empress Arcana are typically important
female figures, often queens or fertility deities. The Empress is the
feminine counterpart of the Emperor.
Abilities: Ice Manipulation, Biokinesis, Plant Control, Barriers
Playbooks: The Joined, The Protege, The Newborn, The Soldier
Backstory Question: Who or what, outside the team, do you take care of?
Mythological Touchstone: Ikapati, Epona
PALACE MOVES
Killer Queen: When you defeat a powerful Vassal of the Palace you may
immediately find Shelter. If you are chosen as the Leader, take +1 forward
on the roll.
Frost Maiden: Whenever you are passed over for Leader, choose a
teammate. They lose Influence over you until you return to the Real World.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Empress’s final Social Link by showing their
protection is no longer needed, that you are capable on your own.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Empress Confidant,
take +1 forward when Defending someone you do not have Influence over
in The Midnight World. In addition, You may mark a Condition or spend a
Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have
Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Empress as an NPC, much like the Priestess, is typically a
woman though like the Priestess is not required to be. The themes of familial
observance are strong with the Arcana and thus should be strong with them
as an NPC, their Unlock revolving around the Coming of Age drama central
to Masks. That the parent, be it maternal, paternal or otherwise, is no longer
needed, that the child has become the adult.
NPC Touchstone: Charity Carpenter; The Dresden Files
 The Emperor is portrayed as an old man with an Ankh in one hand and a golden globe sat in the
other perched on a throne made of ram’s horn. The Emperor symbolizes the desire to control
one’s surroundings, and its appearance could suggest that one is trying too hard to achieve
this, possibly causing trouble for others; some elements in life are just not controllable. Those
of The Emperor Arcana are often people in a position of power or secure in their own abilities,
forthright but often violent or extreme in their measures. Their Facades are almost always kings,
heads of their respective pantheons. The Emperor is the masculine counterpart to the Empress.
Abilities: Lightning Manipulation, Terrakinesis, Fear Manipulation, A Vehicle
Playbooks: The Bull, The Soldier, The Nova, The Protege
Backstory Question: What aspect of your life is spiraling out of control despite your best efforts?
Mythological Touchstones: Zeus, Ukko
PALACE MOVES
Words Like Thunder: When you take Influence over a Teammate, you
may increase your Social Link by 1 when you spur them to dangerous or
foolhardy action within the Palace.
Like Sands through the House Glass: Whenever your Social Link would
lower by 1 with someone you may clear a Condition.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Emperor’s final Social Link by upending their
false stability.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Emperor Confidant,
Inflict an additional Condition on a Vassal if you mark a Condition yourself.
You may do this once per scene. In addition, you may mark a Condition or
spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as
you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Emperor as an NPC is often an authority figure, desperate to
create a world where everything is ordered and specifically ordered how they
want it. The Emperor does not need to be overbearing, cruel or despotic in this
order, simply that they wish to maintain their small level of control. Their Unlock
centers around upending this but like the Emperor, upending this regime need
not be cruel or antagonistic. It is sometimes for the best to end toxic ideas of
order so a new stability can be reached that is healthier for all involved.
NPC Touchstone: Chief Karen Vick; Psyche
The Hierophant is portrayed as a youthful man sat upon a throne between two pillars, one
inscribed with Law and the other inscribed with Liberty. He is dressed in red robes and a mitre
upon his brow. The Hierophant is a symbol of education, authority, conservatism, obedience to
rules and relationship with the divine. Those of the Hierophant Arcana are often more mature
for their age if young or older and world-wise. Mythological figures of this Arcana tend to mirror
Priestess figures, being male priests, gods of wisdom or divine beings. As such, the Hierophant
is the masculine counterpart of The Priestess.
Abilities: Shadow Manipulation, Magical Aptitude, Memory Manipulation, Cognitive Control
Playbooks: The Nova, The Scion, The Brain, The Protege
Backstory Question: What is one lesson you’ve learned in life that you can always apply
to any given situation?
Mythological Touchstone: Indra, Psyche
PALACE MOVES
Diligence: When you would Assess the Situation you may always ask the
following question, even on a miss.
- What here is precious to the Ruler?
Wise Beyond My Years: When you would Provoke a Vassal with their own
best interests you may take +1 Forward if you admit a fault of your own.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Hierophant’s final Social Link by breaking the
chains to those they serve.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Hierophant Confidant,
take +1 forward when Piercing the Mask of a Ruler or Vassal. In addition,
you may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of
their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Hierophant as an NPC is often a servant though one of
high status, beholden to the status quo or some other monolith they cannot
overcome. This power often serves as the basis of their drama, confounding
the harmony they wish for in their own lives. Breaking these chains will be
messy but the Unlock should see the Hierophant NPC in a better place, even
if it means giving up what power they have.
NPC Touchstone: Zaheer; Avatar: Legend of Korra
 The Lovers are portrayed as a nude male and female, a mountain between them and an
angel gazing down on both from the heavens. The Lovers symbolize a crossroads, a juncture
for which a definitive choice must be made. The Lovers also symbolize, as the name implies,
romance or fraternity and friendship. A commonality among individuals of the Lovers Arcana
is their popularity, cheerfulness, and their emphasis on social interaction however many find
themselves in a liminal state. Facades of The Lovers Arcana are typically important figures
betrothed to others, or deities known to be related to love or affection.
Abilities: Fire Manipulation, Supernatural Charm, An Alternate Form, Poison Manipulation
Playbooks: The Star, The Soldier, The Delinquent, The Newborn
Backstory Question: Who did you hurt through a recent, life changing, decision?
Mythological Touchstones: Qetesh, Dzydzilelya
PALACE MOVES
Come My Way: When the Leader would reveal a place of interest in an
upcoming Ward you may lower your Social Link with them to reveal
something of value on the way.
It’s Getting Hot in Here: You may raise the Heat of the Palace by 1 to take
an additional choice when Finding Shelter.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Lover’s final Social Link by ending or affirming
an important relationship.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Lovers Confidant,
take +1 when Comforting or Supporting someone afflicted by Shadows. In
addition, you may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use
either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Lovers as an NPC are tied to someone (or someones) else
though the object of their attention does not need to be aware nor, despite the
name of the Arcana, does the attention need to be romantic in nature. The
Lovers NPC is simply tied to this person or persons. Their Unlock is the first to
have two options, allowing the GM to decide the nature of this relationship and
how healthy it is for The Lovers and the target, or targets, in question.
NPC Touchstone: Spike; Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Chariot is portrayed as a king driving a chariot drawn by a black and a white lion. The
Chariot Arcana is a symbol of victory, conquest, self-assertion, self-confidence, control, war,
and command. Those of the Chariot Arcana are typically very driven individuals, who have a
personal goal that they aim to achieve at any cost. It is not uncommon for Chariot characters
to be short-tempered or for them to view others as stepping stones. Facades of The Chariot
Arcana are typical warlike heroes or war deities.
Abilities: Lightning Manipulation, Impossible Mobility, Telepathy, Superhuman Strength
Playbooks: The Bull, The Newborn, The Soldier, The Protege
Backstory Question: What personal challenge do you hope to overcome?
Mythological Touchstone: Guan Yu, Oya
PALACE MOVES
Ride the Lightning: When you Find Shelter, add +1 to your roll if you are
the leader for every Vassal you have defeated since the last time you rolled
to Find Shelter.
Backseat Driving: When you Enter the Midnight World you may raise Heat
by 1 on a hit to not leave something behind or enter the Midnight World
unprepared. If you would mark Heat as the Leader, you cannot be Leader
until after you Find Shelter.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Chariot’s final Social Link by ending their
conflict, once and for all.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Chariot Confidant,
take +1 forward when Directly Engaging a Vassal or Ruler if you have more
than three Conditions marked. In addition, you may mark a Condition or
spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as
you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Chariot as an NPC is someone in conflict with the world
around them, something or someone other than themselves has been
wronged and they alone will see it remedied. This conflict need not be
violent, The Chariot NPC can easily be a protestor or activist, but their
convictions should at least verge on unhealthy or obsessive. Ending this
conflict as their Unlock will resolve the urgency but it may not, and does not
have to, resolve the problem that began the conflict.
NPC Touchstone: Columbo; Columbo
 Portrayed as a blind woman holding a sword in one hand and a balanced scale in the other,
the Justice Arcana symbolizes a strict allegory of justice, objectivity, rationality and analysis.
Those of the Justice Arcana are unsurprisingly stoic with a strong sense of right and wrong and
a willingness to right the wrongs they perceive at the cost of themselves or their friends. Justice
Facades are usually various orders of angelic beings.
Abilities: Fire Manipulation, Short Range Teleportation, Telekinesis, Limited Invulnerability
Playbooks: Any
Backstory Question: What wrong must you right before you can have absolution?
Mythological Touchstones: Athena, Hades
PALACE MOVES
Shadow Bargain: When you tempt a Shadow with payment or kind words, roll
+ Savior. On a miss, the Shadow grows enraged. Expect them to target you
specifically. On a 7-9 they ask for more than your offer and won’t back down. The
GM tells you what they want. On a 10+, they offer you a Treasure in return.
Brand of Justice: When you confront a Ruler before all Wards have been cleared
you may roll + Savior to mark them with a Brand of Justice. On a miss, the Ruler
lashes out with all their might before fleeing, brace for impact. On a 7-9, you are
both Branded. Take -1 ongoing until you confront the Ruler again but take +1
ongoing against the Ruler until they are defeated or you Return Home. On a 10+,
take +1 ongoing against the Ruler until they are defeated or you Return Home.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Justice’s final Social Link by bringing them to
account for their actions.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Justice Confidant, take
+1 forward when Rejecting the Influence of a Confidant. In addition, you
may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their
Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: Justice as an NPC is not one who dispenses justice in a literal
sense but one in need of, or in need of being brought to, justice. This does
not make them a victim or villain so much that they have wronged or
wronged and these must be brought to account. Their Unlock asks for an
accounting to be held, of justice dispensed. It can be applied broadly, thus
is similar to the Lovers in that there are multiple end results for this Arcana
depending on who the NPC is.
NPC Touchstone: Spock, Star Trek
Portrayed often as an old man in ratty cloaks holding a lantern aloft in a dark forest or cavern, the
Hermit is associated with wisdom, introspection, solitude, retreat and philosophical searches.
Mythological figures associated with the Hermit Arcana are usually hermits themselves, or are
otherwise figures or deities that exist and operate behind the scenes. Similarly, Hermit Arcana
characters share the commonality of placing themselves in situations that hide them from the
public eye. Hermit individuals hide away from others or act in more supportive roles
rather than putting themselves in the spotlight.
Abilities: Lightning Manipulation, Shapeshifting, Shadow Manipulation, Illusions
Playbooks: The Delinquent, The Reformed, The Newborn
Backstory Question: What hobby have you taken up to cover up your loneliness?
Mythological Touchstone: Sophocles, Laozi
PALACE MOVES
No Place like Home: When you Return Home use this instead of the basic
move but apply any malus you would otherwise apply when applicable. Roll
+ Freak. On a miss your absence has been missed. Expect fallout when your
loved ones see you’ve returned. On a 7-9 you may clear a Condition but are still
exhausted, take -1 ongoing the next scene. On a 10+ clear two Conditions.
Cloak of Invisibility: Whenever you Traverse the Ward of a Palace you may
pick the option to leave no tracks behind, even on a miss, once per time you
are Leader until you Return Home.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Hermit’s final Social Link by revitalizing one
of their great loves.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Hermit Confidant, take
+1 forward when returning to the Real World if you are fleeing a difficult
fight or situation. In addition, you may mark a Condition or spend a Team
from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have
Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Hermit as an NPC is one who has withdrawn from worldly
things, either through trauma, hubris or apathy. This does not mean they’ve
withdrawn from everything, simply something that they once were engaged
with on a deep level has been left abandoned. Restoring this love is central
to Unlocking their last Social Link, but it does not imply they must return
with the same vigor or interest they held in the past.
NPC Touchstone: Moirane Damodred; The Wheel of Time
 Fortune is portrayed by a wheel of fortune with many choices on its face. The Fortune Arcana
symbolizes fate, luck, fortune and opportunity. Characters of the Fortune Arcana are usually
individuals who attempt to seize their own destiny in spite of fate and are typically involved with
making important choices and decisions in response to what life throws at them. Facades of
the Fortune Arcana are depicted as mythological figures or deities that control fate / omens.
Abilities: Luck Manipulation, Elemental Control, Inanimate Transfiguration, Energy Absorption
Playbooks: The Star, The Newborn, The Reformed
Backstory Question: What gamble hasn’t recently paid out for you?
Mythological Touchstones: Anubis, The Fates
PALACE MOVES
To the Victor: When you defeat a Vassal of a Ward, earn an additional Key
even if you are not the Leader.
Roulette: Whenever you roll a Playbook move you may spend 1 Key to re-
roll, even on a hit. You must take the second option, even on a miss.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Fortune’s final Social Link by subverting what
they feel is their destiny.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Fortune Confidant, you
may roll 1d6 per Condition you mark, up to 4. You may swap one of those
rolls for any other roll you make. These dice clear when time passes. In
addition, you may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use
either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The NPC for Fortune is one who sees their path pre-planned,
set up and certain. Subverting this feeling means Unlocking their final Social
Link at the appropriate narrative time and how this manifests is central
to the NPC given the Fortune Arcana. Making them a peer to the Players
is often recommended, placing their determined path running parallel or
across the Player’s own.
NPC Touchstone: Sam Beckett; Quantum Leap
Strength is portrayed as a young woman with a wreath of flowers along her head holding down
a lion, her hands clasping the beast’s jaws tight. The Strength Arcana symbolizes patience and
kindness subduing wild fury, and is associated with the morality about the stronger power of
self-control, gentleness, courage and virtue over brute force. Strength characters are not upset
easily and typically portray the fortitude that the Strength card represents. The Strength Arcana
Facades are warrior figures and heroes, or are figures that embody
strength of body or character.
Abilities: Fire Manipulation, Superhuman Strength, An Additional Powerful Weapon,
Indomitable Willpower
Playbooks: The Bull, The Protege, The Nova
Backstory Question: What weakness have you overcome to be where you are?
Mythological Touchstone: Thor, Siddhartha Gautama
PALACE MOVES
Shadow Boxing: When you would mark a Condition when facing a Shadow,
you may shift your Danger down and another Label up to clear a Condition
on your next Hit.
Hot Headed: When you would mark Insecure or Afraid you may raise the
Heat by 1 and break the scenery around you.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Strength’s final Social Link by affording them
time to rest.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Strength Confidant,
when a Vassal would mark a Condition on you for the first time in a scene,
you may instead expose a weakness or flaw. In addition, you may mark a
Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves
so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The NPC for Strength are typically go-getters, those seeking
to accomplish something at the expense of their own wellbeing and driven
by something deeper than mere adulation. They will, without the players,
eventually burn out or may even be there but by finding a way to make
them realize they are burning the candle at both ends is a typical method to
Unlocking their final Social Link.
NPC Touchstone: Hank Hill; King of the Hill
 As its name implies, The Hanged Man is portrayed as a man hanging from his foot while the other
dangles free to make the number 4. The Hanged Man Arcana is associated with self-sacrifice for the
sake of enlightenment, the bindings that make one free, paradoxes and hanging between heaven
and earth. Characters are sometimes self-sacrificial, but are more often notable for being caught
between two different extremes, parties or stages in life. Hanged Man Facades are typically
mythological figures that exist between two different forces or are martyr figures.
Abilities: Fire Manipulation, Gravity Control, An Alternate Form, Flight
Playbooks: The Delinquent, The Reformed
Backstory Question: What was something dear to you that you gave up?
Mythological Touchstones: Prometheus, Nanahuatzin
PALACE MOVES
Cover our Escape: When the Leader would roll a miss on Finding Shelter you
may mark a Condition to allow your teammates to still pick a choice off the Find
Shelter move as if they’d rolled a hit so long as they do not back you up against
your opponent.
Well of Memories: When you tune into the cognitive landscape of The Midnight
World roll + Freak. On a miss, there’s too much static. Mark a Condition as The
Midnight World seeps into you. On a hit you may ask the GM a single question about
the Ruler of the Palace and they must answer honestly. On a 10+ take +1 ongoing
until you Find Shelter.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Hanged Man’s final Social Link by helping them gain
something for great sacrifice.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Hanged Man Confidant, you
may always ask the following when Piercing the Mask of someone with knowledge
of The Midnight World, even on a miss.
- What secrets do you know of The Midnight World
In addition, you may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either
of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Hanged Man as an NPC is a seeker of knowledge both esoteric
and earthly, one willing to go to great lengths of the knowledge or desire. Be it an
academic searching for the answer at the center of their thesis, a parent seeking to
soothe an unruly child, or simply someone looking for an answer to an unresolved
question from their past, it is the Unlock’s criteria that the Players assist in gaining
whatever the Hanged Man seeks. The price must be paid however, and you should
make it plain as to what it is before asking for the answer.
NPC Touchstone: Lois Lane; Superman
Death is portrayed by a skeleton in armor riding a pale or white horse, a flag held aloft as it rides
through a trail of bodies. Often maligned or viewed as a literal death, this Arcana is generally
associated with foreboding and doom. The Death Arcana also symbolizes metamorphosis and deep
change, regeneration and cycles. Characters of the Death Arcana are typically sullen or reserved or
have some trauma dealt by the death of a loved one or those that work closely with death.
Mythological figures of the Death Arcana are usually figures related to death,
the dead or a transition between life and death.
Abilities: Shadow Manipulation, Sympathetic Pain, Curses, Healing Factor
Playbooks: The Delinquent, The Newborn, The Nova
Backstory Question: What relationship ended to make you who you are?
Mythological Touchstone: Nergal, Erio
PALACE MOVES
Death Becomes You: When you would mark your sixth Condition roll +
Danger. On a miss, leave the Midnight World forcefully and raise Heat by 1.
On a 7-9, clear a Condition now but mark an additional Condition when you
Return Home. On a 10+, clear a Condition.
And with Strange Aeons: When you would mark a sixth Condition, change
your Arcana Ability instead. You may do this once per Session.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Death’s final Social Link by helping them end
something with finality.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Death Confidant, you
may spend a Team from the pool to remain in the scene when you could not
mark a Condition. You must flee the next scene. In addition, you may mark a
Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves
so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The NPC for Death is someone in transition more often than
not, either moving to a new location, someone with a new job, or at a
crossroads in life but no matter where they stand in that liminal space,
there is foreboding over the conclusion. The ending specified in the Unlock
conditions should relate to this transition and it should be final as specified,
no chance of renewing or reopening the door once it closes. This need not be
a cause of consternation for the Death Confident, in fact ending such stress
may well give them a new lease on life.
NPC Touchstone: Darth Vader; Star Wars
 Temperance is portrayed by an angel standing before a river, one foot on land and the other in
the water. They bear two differently colored cups, passing the river’s water between them. This
Arcana is a symbol of synthesis, prudence, harmony, and the merging of opposites. Characters
of the Temperance Arcana are often struggling to find a balance in their lives and in their
hobbies. Mythological figures associated with balance and moderation are common
for the Temperance Arcana.
Abilities: Light Manipulation, Healing Energies, Emotion Control
Playbooks: Any
Backstory Question: Why is your life so off-balance currently?
Mythological Touchstones: Hecate, Ahura Mazda/Angra Maniyu
PALACE MOVES
Heal Thy Self: You may spend a Key to choose a second option from the
Find Shelter list if you selected clearing a Condition from a Teammate.
Abstinence League: When a teammate tries to rope you into their
dangerous plans in the Midnight World without hedging their bets, lower
their Social Link by 1 and take +1 ongoing if disaster strikes.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Temprence’s final Social Link by helping them
take a stand, no matter the consequences.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Temperance Confidant,
take +1 when Comforting or Supporting a Teammate when they lose
Influence over a Confidant. In addition, you may mark a Condition or spend
a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you
have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The NPC for Temperance is one mired by competing factors,
standing in the middle of interest they have long lost control of and have
no way to break free. A teacher caught between their students and faculty,
someone working three jobs with overlapping schedules, a parent with
three grown children seeking to alter a will, all of these fit. Likewise, any
one of those examples needs help taking a stand, to bring all parties into
equilibrium once more and thus serves as the basis for Unlocking their final
Social Link.
NPC Touchstone: Faust; Faust
Portrayed often as the literal Devil or a demon of some make with a naked woman and naked
man on either side in chains, the Devil Arcana represents temptation or the urge to do selfish,
impulsive, violent things, and being a slave to ones’ own impulse and feelings. Characters of
this Arcana can be greedy, proud, lustful, or otherwise of poor character. It is not uncommon
for this type of character to have antisocial tendencies as they do not often care much for the
needs or well-being of others. Mythological figures in The Devil Arcana are, unsurprisingly,
demons and devils or other creatures associated with evil or corruption.
Abilities: Shadow Manipulation, Dark Sorcery, Supernatural Charm, Power Augmentation
Playbooks: The Delinquent, The Star, The Reformed
Backstory Question: Who betrayed you when you needed them most?
Mythological Touchstone: Set, Samael
PALACE MOVES
In the Details: When you Assess a Ward you may always ask the following,
even on a miss.
- What here is the most dangerous to us?
Wings off Flies: When you toy with a Vassal of a Palace while engaged in
combat you may roll + Danger instead of + Superior when Provoking them.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Devil’s final Social Link by helping them settle
an old score or escape drastic violence.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Devil Confidant, you
may mark a Condition and gain Hold when another Teammate would mark a
Condition. You may spend this Hold as if it were Team. In addition, you may
mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana
moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Devil NPC is one caught in a cycle they cannot escape,
seeking justice through improper means or perhaps simply raging at a world
that seems to be pitiless in its constant grind as it takes them along with
the dust. This violence is not their fault, their rage merely an extension of
circumstance. Assisting them in escaping this cycle, putting old anger to
rest or simply taking them out of the situation they cannot take themselves
out of, is how one would Unlock The Devil’s final Social Link.
NPC Touchstone: Tyrion Lannister; A Song of Ice and Fire
 The Tower is portrayed by a tower struck by lightning and in flames, figures launching
themselves from the windows as the tower itself crumbles. It is also generically seen as an
omen of doom and disaster, of arrogance that leads to a downfall. Characters of The Tower
Arcana are typically arrogant, cruel or use their power to lord over others setting themselves
up for a fall from grace. Tower Arcana Facades are usually mythological figures that were once
heroic or well-loved but have since fallen from grace.
Abilities: Light Manipulation, Hexes, Willpower Manifestation, Shadow Travel
Playbooks: The Nova, The Delinquent, The Protege, The Joined
Backstory Question: What was your worst fall from grace?
Mythological Touchstones: Achilles, Lu Bu
PALACE MOVES
Out of the Frying Pan: When you roll a miss when Returning Home you may
lower your Social Link with all teammates to provide them +1 forward on
their next relevant roll as time passes.
Into the Fire: When you would return to a Palace with a Heat above 3
you may mark a Condition for each scene to gain an additional Key when
Traversing the Palace even if you are not the Leader.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Tower’s final Social Link by helping them avoid
foreseeable yet otherwise inevitable disaster.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Tower Confidant, when
the opposition would gain an Opportunity or would escalate the situation,
you may clear a Condition. In addition, you may mark a Condition or spend
a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you
have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Tower as an NPC is one that is on a path of destruction and
disappointment though it does not have to be their own actions. An addict
makes for a good Tower NPC though such themes might run into Lines the
Players have set up. Someone investing in bad stocks, maintaining a disastrous
relationship, driving a car long past its prime or other such NPCs make good
examples as well. Assisting The Tower in avoiding this certain disaster is center
stage, as difficult as it might be, to Unlocking their final Social Link.
NPC Touchstone: Claude Frollo; The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Star is portrayed with a virginal woman gathering water in a star filled lake under a star
filled sky. The woman pours water from the lake onto the land from two jugs. The Star Arcana is
also commonly associated with hope, self-confidence, faith, altruism, luck, generosity, peace
and joy. Characters of the Star Arcana are jovial and upbeat, hard to make cynical or tarnish
their mood. Facades of the Star Arcana are sometimes astrological figures, but many Star
Facades are simply multi-talented figures, or deities with many different depictions
or spheres of influence.
Abilities: Wind Manipulation, Telekinesis, Luck Manipulation, Supernatural Senses
Playbooks: The Nova, The Star, The Joined, The Reformed
Backstory Question: Where do you volunteer your time outside of the team?
Mythological Touchstone: Gilgamesh, Artemis
PALACE MOVES
Alien Constellations: When you Assess the Situation in the Midnight World
you may roll + Freak instead of Superior after Finding Shelter.
Pole Star: Whenever you are Leader you may add +1 to Find Shelter Rolls
any time you spend a Key.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Star’s final Social Link by helping them restore
something they’ve lost.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Star Confidant, take
+1 to Provoke Vassals or Rulers when appealing to their honest desires. In
addition, you may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use
either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Star as an NPC is someone who has suffered pronounced
loss though the circumstances are rarely their fault. This loss is something
tangible, something they would otherwise miss, something that brings them
pain when the loss is remembered. While the Unlock specifies that the loss
be remedied, it does not mean that whatever was lost must be returned. If
The Star has, for example, lost their innocence, such a thing is unlikely to be
returned however the peace that innocence may have provided can be. The
GM should be careful when selecting what was taken from The Star before
introducing it into the narrative.
NPC Touchstone: Jean Valjean; Les Misérables
 The Moon is portrayed with a wolf and a dog baying underneath a crescent moon which often has a
face upon it, two towers rise out from the distance. The Moon Arcana is associated with creativity,
inspiration, dreams, madness, illusions, fear, fantasy, the subconscious and trickery. Characters of
The Moon Arcana project their own fears and faults onto others and more so than most they often
tend to have trouble accepting themselves for who they are. Facades of the Moon Arcana are usually
mythological figures directly associated with the moon and are often trickster archetypes or those
that might have a secret or are otherwise deceptive in their myth.
Abilities: Ice Manipulation, Dark Sorcery, Illusions, Invisibility
Playbooks: The Nova, The Reformed, The Newborn
Backstory Question: What dream do you hold that you haven’t shared with anyone?
Mythological Touchstones: Mani, Myeongwol
PALACE MOVES
Bad Moon Rising: When time passes in the Real World roll + Freak. On
a miss, the next time you enter The Midnight World a new danger has
appeared. The GM will tell you what that is. On a hit, take +1 Forward to
Travel the Midnight World but the Ruler catches wind of you. Raise Heat by
1. On a 10+, Lower Heat by 1 instead.
False Cognition: Whenever you clear a Condition on a Teammate when you
Find Shelter you may clear a second Condition. When you Find Shelter next,
they mark the second Condition again.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Moon’s final Social Link by revealing something
hidden from them.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Moon Confidant, you
may select finding a secret when Traversing a Palace even on a miss. In
addition, you may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use
either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Moon as an NPC is one with many secrets but also one
to whom many secrets are being held. The Moon lives in a world of illusion
both by their creation and the creation of others though this illusion might
be for the best. Revealing that which is secret to them unlocks their final
Social Link but they may wish you hadn’t.
NPC Touchstone: Andy Bernard; The Office
Portrayed as an infant riding a white horse under a blazing sun, The Sun Arcana symbolizes
happiness, joy, energy, optimism, and accomplishment. Characters of the Sun Arcana almost
always (ironically) find themselves in terrible situations, the situation belying the underlying
optimism present in nearly all of them. These Facades are typically mythological figures directly
related to the sun, light, or fire or otherwise beings who bring hope or change.
Abilities: Fire Manipulation, Light Manipulation, Energy Blasts, A Powerful Aura
Playbooks: The Nova, The Reformed, The Protege
Backstory Question: What’s a constant grind against your spirits?
Mythological Touchstone: Sol Invictus, Init-init
PALACE MOVES
Praise the Sun: A Player of your choice may raise their Social Link with you
by 1 to negate any Heat gained in the scene.
Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant: When confronting a Ruler with their
misdeeds you may shift your Savior up and your Danger down to ask an
additional question when you Pierce their Mask.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Sun’s final Social Link by bringing them down
to earth.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Sun Confidant, you
may spend 1 Team to clear a Heat whenever you find Shelter. In addition,
you may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of
their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The Sun as an NPC is endlessly helpful, optimistic and
seemingly unflappable in the face of adversity. Something grinds against
them though it does not seem to affect them as much as it does to those
around them. Bringing the reality of this situation is key, if only so they can
actually address the problem, to Unlocking their final Social Link.
NPC Touchstone: Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation
 Portrayed by a field of caskets opening and their residents rising to the heavens as an angel
trumpets the end of days, the Judgment Arcana is associated with realizing one’s calling,
gaining a deep understanding of life and a feeling of acceptance and absolution. Characters of
the Judgment Arcana are often those that find themselves under the judgment of others for their
actions, deserved or otherwise and are not those who pass judgment themselves. Judgment
Arcana Facades are usually related to End of Days myths or are gods
tied directly to the judgment of humankind.
Abilities: Light Manipulation, Emotion Control, Angelic Wings, A Grimoire of Spells
Playbooks: The Bull, The Soldier, The Delinquent
Backstory Question: Whose shackles do you wear?
Mythological Touchstones: Oshosi, Enlil
PALACE MOVES
Committed to the Cause: When you take Shelter you may affirm a mission
you must complete in the next Ward. Take +1 ongoing when undertaking
this task. If you have not completed the task in the scene shift Danger down
and another Label up. If you could not shift Danger any further, mark a
Condition and lose +1 ongoing.
I Judge Thee Innocent: When a teammate clears a Condition from you
when you take Shelter you may raise your Social Link with them up by 1 and
clear a Condition from them as well.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The Judgment’s final Social Link by helping absolve
them in the public eye or shattering the chains that bind them.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the Judgment Confidant,
you may take an additional choice when Rejecting the Influence of a Vassal
or Ruler, even on a miss. In addition, you may mark a Condition or spend a
Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have
Influence over them.
GM Advice: Judgment as an NPC is one under judgment, not one that
dispenses it as the Arcana indicates. They are those that take action no
matter what others might think, those that march to their own drum even
when the world is set against them. In the case of the Confident, they
are often correct in these actions and the scorn they might face or the
impediments that face them are for the Players to help in clearing.
NPC Touchstone: Tom Robinson; To Kill a Mockingbird
The World is portrayed by a woman surrounded by angels, an eagle, a lion and a bull
symbolizing the five elements of the world. The World Arcana is the symbol of fulfillment,
wholeness and harmony. Characters of The World Arcana often have something missing in
their lives, a quest or drive that pushes them unceasingly to their desired goal and wholeness.
Facades of The World are typically aligned with spiritual acceptance, of transcending the world
or otherwise having found true fulfillment in their quest.
Abilities: Elemental Manipulation, Terrakinesis, Flow State, Supernatural Senses
Playbooks: Any
Backstory Question: Where did you live before meeting the team?
Mythological Touchstone: Sun Wukong, Hercules
PALACE MOVES
The World is Not Enough: When you gain a Treasure in The Midnight World
you may gain an additional Key or lower Heat by 1.
The World Ends with You: If a Vassal marks your final Condition you may
take Influence over their Real World self the next time you encounter one
another.
CONFIDENCE
Unlock: You may unlock The World’s final Social Link by helping them take
the next big step forward or to help them give back to those that need it most.
Confidence Perk: While you have Influence over the World Confidant,
Take +1 Forward when Unleashing your powers in The Midnight World. In
addition, you may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use
either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them.
GM Advice: The World as an NPC is one that stands at the precipice. Like
several other Arcana, their life is in flux and big events are on the horizon.
Like several other Arcana as well, The World holds two separate conditions
for their last Social Link. Both however revolve around the next stage of their
life or, if your players are willing to engage with the concepts and narratives,
the end of their life. No matter the narrative, The World’s Unlock rests in
assisting with this large and seemingly daunting task, The World of which
will need some help in seeing whatever it is they need doing, done.
NPC Touchstone: Crew of the USS Enterprise: Star Trek
 COMBO ATTACKS
Combo attacks are a staple of the JRPG genre and while Team can easily be used to convey
The Midnight Generation is inspired by JRPGs, primarily Shin Megami Tensai: these sorts of narratives in a general sense, they are far from the flashy finishers found in
the Persona series or other JRPGs that this book presents. Players who have unlocked their
Persona and its catalog, though a conscious effort has been taken to lower
Limit Breaks, found on their Playbooks, can spend both to share the narrative and work out
the amount of granularity that JRPGs typically have we feel it fair to offer some a custom Limit Break in the moment.
mechanics should GMs or players wish to include more granular, and more true to
the inspiration, rules.
THE WILD CARD
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES The Wild Card is not like other Arcana. It cannot be selected at character creation by a
Player or assigned by the GM to an NPC. It instead is the Arcana of the group at large. The
Building Shadows runs on the same principle as building Villains in Masks: A New Wild Card’s powers are based on the Influence within the team and its members.
Generation, providing a quick and simple generation of monsters and enemies for the
Team to fight on the fly. An aspect of the source material and JRPGs at large are Elemental When all members of the team have influence over one another, players may spend a Team
Affinities, weaknesses and strengths that can be exploited or used against the players. from the Pool to use a Move or Flair from another player’s sheet or use one of their abilities
Elemental Strengths and Elemental Weaknesses add a layer of complexity to your games in a scene. The Team Pool also begins each scene with an additional Team.
that many players may not appreciate however for those seeking closer parity between
JRPGs and The Midnight Generation we suggest the following.
When a member is free from the Influence of all team members, they may spend a team
selfishly from the Team Pool as if another player had spent the Team to raise their roll. They
Elemental Strengths and Elemental Weaknesses are both Conditions that you may
may do this once per scene.
apply to your Villains, Shadows or other NPCs as you see fit. Discuss with your Players
what forms of Elements you are using and what enemies may be strong or weak against.
Example elements can be found in the Arcana already, ranging from Fire, Water and When no members of the team do not share influence, all members of the team take -1 on
Lightning to Darkness and Light. Comfort/Support and Pierce the Mask rolls. In addition all members of the team take +1
forward on all Provoke rolls.
When a Shadow or NPC’s Elemental Weakness has been hit, grant the Player an opportunity
or +1 forward, their choice. They may mark this Condition only once per Scene. Likewise,
when a Player would mark a Shadow’s Elemental Strength, give the Shadow an Opportunity
and use a Villain Move of your choice.

You can likewise provide the Players a chance to use both of these Conditions.
Elemental Weakness: When an opponent uses an Element you are weak
against they gain an Opportunity, Expose a weakness or escalate the
situation. Take -1 Forward.
Elemental Strength: When an opponent uses an Element that is your
Strength, take +1 Forward against them but lose control of your powers in a
dangerous way after.
 The City of Hawthorne has been a tourist attraction for almost five decades,
the mining city that once made it thriving long gone. Now people come to ski
during its snowy winters, enjoy seasonable weather during the early spring
and simply get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city for a time.
The City of Hawthorne however has a problem. Steadily, over the last year,
tourists and citizens alike have been the victims of a mysterious illness,
those afflicted walk into
the stormy ocean the city sits upon. The illness hits without warning and
panic is not only beginning to grip the city, but also scaring off tourists.
No one has a solution, but can a plucky group of teens find the answers?
Perhaps a better question, can they handle the truths they might
uncover in doing so?
Settled on the West Coast, United States, The City of Hawthorne is nestled between the
Pacific ocean and sweeping mountains. It was a former fishing town that exploded in the
1800s when gold and silver deposits were discovered. This population boom persisted until
the late 1900s, when mines non-essential to the war effort were shut down and fishing
futures decreased due to the runoff from the mines. Today, the city of Hawthorne remains
a vibrant, but much diminished, locale with a thriving tourist market.
Owing to its location, the city of Hawthorne has a prolonged rainy season beginning in
late spring and extends into mid-autumn. The city built around this with canals and water
attractions to draw in visitors. The latter half of autumn sees a prelude of cool weather
to snow in the winter months which can get so heavy that the city often remains cut
off from the rest of the region for weeks at a time. Tourists often depart from the city
upon the first snowfall leaving the otherwise thriving city center a ghost town. This yearly
isolation has bred a strong communal streak in the city throughout its history; however
modern convenience has slowly eroded this once strong spirit. Like its county seat,
San Fransapporo, the city has a diverse population and a strong link to its immigrant
populations, driven by its slowly declining communal culture.

The city of Hawthorne extends from the coasts of the Pacific up into the foothills
of the local mountain. Much of this area are large estates, private farms, and
greenhouses that provide food for the city during the long winter months. Downtown
Hawthorne is quaint by most city standards, boasting few buildings taller than
three stories and centered around a town square and historical district that has
been maintained, reaching back to its old mining days. The city has preserved
the building influences of the Japanese and Chinese immigrants who helped build
the long dormant train tracks that weave into the mountains, blending East and
Western design principles into their new buildings where and when they can.
Historic Hawthorne: The city of Hawthorne boasts two Historic centers, the first
of which is Old Hawthorne. While Old and “new” Hawthorne have little in the way
of geographical division, the city marks the first of its historic centers with brightly
illuminated street signs and a city symbol of fish leaping from the ocean. Old
Hawthorne was, at one time, simply Hawthorne, the fishing village that served as
the seed that would become the modern city. A thriving open air market serves as
a hotspot making fish a staple of the diet as it can be maintained year round.Many
fishing families remain in the area, some going back one hundred and fifty years.
The second historical site is, of course, the new downtown of Hawthorne.
Constructed during the mining boom, downtown Hawthorne is built around a large
public square and serves as another tourist destination for its unique architecture
and famous “Saloon Crawl”, a longstanding tradition of attempting to drink a beer
in every saloon and bar along the main walk of downtown. While the downtown
boasts the historic center, modern buildings encircle it. The hustle and bustle of
hotels and modern fast food joints are a stark contrast to the markets and family
kitchens that help drive those very tourists to the city itself.
The Canals: Built long in the fog of the city, the Canals of Hawthorne assist in
pushing the otherwise flooding rains from the mountains and environs out to sea.
These canals, in the past, allowed fast movement across the city with various locks
and levees though these no longer function, and like much of the city remain only
in a tourist capacity. Rumors abound that during the small dry seasons when the
canals lay empty they stretch deep into the earth and cults practice strange faiths
in the dark. The city actively discourages investigating the underground canals as
they are quite dangerous and long since abandoned by the city due to the difficulty
in maintaining them and the high risk of sudden flooding during pop up storms in
the summer. This does not stop eager teenagers from doing so. To date, none have
confirmed the rumors to be true and many maintain that the rumors are in fact their
fault, urban legends created by children to occupy their boredom.
Hawthorne High: The highschool within Hawthorne, what many call Hawthorne
High, actually applies to the entire school district within the city itself. Considering
the size of the city and its nature as a tourist hotspot, class sizes are generally
small. Additionally while Hawthorne High is the most pertinent to the setting, there
is only a single school district within the city and runs from kindergarten to the
high school level. Several colleges and a university also make their home within
Hawthorne.
Like many other sites of the city, Hawthorne High is designed for partial self reliance,
a complex with dorms and an activity center built around the central highschool
and walled off from much of the city proper. Young students are not required to
live on site but the majority of highschool students must live in the dorms during
the week. Mandatory clubs and social meetings keep the students occupied during
the week and some even require weekend attendance. Many of the jobs on school
grounds are likewise handled by the students, providing introductory jobs for those
wishing to skip higher learning and go right into the job market after highschool.
Hawthorne High is split into four “houses”, known as Suites, each with their own
dorm complex. These Suites are the Cups, the Staves, the Coins, and the Swords.
Students are entered into one of these Suites upon graduating middle school and
after a lengthy summertime test program. The test evaluates competency in a wide
field of subjects and sorts students into the appropriate suite. Intermingling of the
Suites is encouraged however after hours fraternizing during school days remains
difficult outside of club activities. Each dorm has its own kitchen and the Suites are
encouraged to assist in both cooking and other chores with each Suite having its
own rules as to how this is accomplished. After hours and weekend fraternizing are
far more common, as students are largely left to their own devices with minimal
oversight when not actively engaging in school activities. As one might expect
however, cliques are not uncommon and many find the safety and familiarity within
their own Suite easier to deal with than maintaining strong friendships outside their
own circles. A yearly Suite Ball is held the day after the first snow, allowing the
Suites to pit themselves against one another, and mingle freely, on school time. This
Ball is filled with sports and other contests during the day and ends with a formal
dance all must attend.
Hawthorne Community Complex: As has been established, Hawthorne has
maintained a strong communal spirit even into the present day and the historic
Community Complex is an enduring symbol for that deep-seated culture. Sprawling
from the old city to the new, the Community Complex provides housing and activities
for seasonal workers, as well as kitchens and other services for those who remain
in the city after the snows set in. The Complex is an outspoken and often critical
opponent against the more modern voices of the city, arguing that the continued
erosion of the city’s identity (and diminishing funds for the Complex) will erase
Hawthorne off the map and replace it with a shell designed to churn its unique
culture into a sideshow for outsiders.
Hawthorne Pickle and Brew: For a city that spends three to four months isolated
from the rest of its surrounding area, Hawthorne has a strong culture of preserved
food and drink. The Brewery dates back to the mining phase of Hawthorne and
created much of the alcohol the miners would enjoy. Branching out as the mining
prospects of the city declined, Pickle and Brew tapped into the home preservation
market that has long run through the community, providing classes and jobs
for many out of work mining families. Today Pickle and Brew serves as both a
sightseeing event, giving hourly tours, and a vital source of income for many of the
town’s inhabitants.
Hawthorne Library: As the name implies, Hawthorne Library is a repository for
books and knowledge within the city, the library itself having a large feature on the
history of the city and archives of mining journals from the old inhabitants. The
Library also serves as a small college for those not wishing to leave the city but
still wanting a formal education. The Library is the tallest building within the city, a
staggering ten stories high which dominates the city skyline. Atop the Library is a
statue residents call The Lonely Maid, a young woman looking plaintively out to sea,
as if waiting for her husband to return from a long voyage.

Hawthorne Broadcasting: Long defunct as a company, Hawthorne Broadcasting

served as the television and radio station for the city. While the buildings have been
abandoned, and looted, the radio tower remains. Condemned, the studio and its
buildings now serve as urban exploration sites though the city’s police are quite
harsh towards those they find exploring the decaying buildings.

Hawthorne Botanical: With the modern age came advances in large scale
greenhouse farming, vertical farms, and hydroponics. Food has long been a concern
for the city of Hawthorne, famines brought on during the colder months were a
historic pain many would like to see forgotten. Hawthorne Botanical however is a
contentious issue as they easily outcompete long established farms and their own
greenhouses. This has caused much of the suburbs and rural areas of Hawthorne
into decline, stealing workers and income that would otherwise funnel out from the
city center to its environs during the lean months. Many within the city see it as
a necessary evil; cheaper food prices and fresher produce are hard to turn down.

As is the case with any game set in The Midnight Generation, there are two worlds the
game takes place in. In Hawthorne, the Midnight World is easy to access so long as you
know how and, of course, possess a Facade.
Rumors of The 98.9 MDNT, or “The Midnight Station” as it is more often referred, persist
within Hawthorne High and the city itself and should be known to the Players fairly early
on. The rumor goes that, at midnight, if you listen to the radio tuned into a space between
active stations, the static will clear and in its place a strange radio program will begin.
Those that hear this program are said to be driven mad, consumed by darker aspects of
themselves, and grow self-destructive or violent before finally walking into the sea.
In reality, 98.9 MDNT exists and the rumors are not quite far off. Long ago in the early
history of Hawthorne the peoples that migrated west and set up on the shores of the
Pacific found the cold seas of their new home violent and terrifying. Widows would pray
along the sea shore during storms with new brides, sons and daughters would bow their
heads for fathers to return home, and before long their prayers were answered. The
men that returned would speak of a beautiful woman who danced upon the thunderous
waves, her hair glimmering like moonlight and whose feet never touched the ocean.
The Lady of Safe Harbors soon became an icon of the city and to this day many of the
historic buildings bear her image though the memory of her patronage has long fallen into
obscurity. As the village of Hawthorne grew into a city, then into a mining center and now
simply a tourist location and ski town, the syncretic religion of The Lady of Safe Harbors
declined, the original townspeople abandoning the very Goddess they held as their savior.
The Lady of Safe Harbors has returned. Worship and belief are a strong draw in The
Midnight World where even dead and forgotten gods yet slumber. Now awakened,
the Goddess desires only revenge, wanting nothing less than the entire city that forgot
about her, that left her to fade, left her alone, to suffer the same fate. With her mortal
accomplice, she has begun to lure influential members of the city and tourists alike to
ward off others who might wish to take a weekend trip to the city. The Midnight Station
does indeed relate to the madness and slowly growing fear that has gripped the own. The
broadcast in truth is the very essence of those powerful enough to be totally taken over by
the siren song of the Goddess, a live feed into their Shadow. These people, even though
they may be strong willed, eventually succumb to the demands of the song and their
fates are all the same. They simply walk into the ocean, no attempt at stopping them or
even binding them seems to have any effect.
It is with this backdrop the game takes place. The Players should, conceivably, be told
about the rumor but not the truth of what or who is behind it. Part of the Playset is
playing around in the mystery, allowing the Players to organically arrive on the pieces
themselves and put a stop to the plot once and for all.
THE MANIFESTATION OF THE MIDNIGHT WORLD
The Midnight World found in Hawthorne is a sprawling world where the sky above
is bruised by perpetual storm clouds, the air heavy with mist and rain. The terrain is
dominated by sweeping hills where vast Palaces reside, overlooking the valleys and
rivers that make traversing the Shadow infested forests difficult. A powerful siren’s song
floats from these Palaces, drawing Shadows to them or any mortals that might somehow
stumble about without guides.
Travel to and from The Midnight World and Palaces is limited. Listening to the
broadcasts will provide clues, the Shadow Broadcasts should give hints to locations
within the city important to the NPCs. Examples are provided with the Playset NPCs.
Once the Players find these locations, they will find Phantom Towers broadcasting the
noise. After they come together and awaken their Persona, keying into the broadcast with
a radio transports the Players to the relevant Palace.
THE LEPIDOPTERARIUM
As with its source material, Hawthorne has those outside the machinations of the villain
willing to aid the heroes. In The Midnight Generation, this is called The Lepidopterarium,
a place between dream and consciousness that is neither. It is a place that all those
awakened to their Facade must enter.
The Master of the Lepidopterarium is a gaunt man named Chillingworth and though more
akin to some wild man with a wild gray beard and long gnarled hands, he dresses in a
pressed suit and speaks with an exacting elocution. He is attended by a young woman
named Hester, a stark beauty with dark skin and red hair kept in a tight braid, dressed in
vintage Bellhop attire. The Lepidopterarium appears as a massive hotel lobby with dark
blue velvet and polished stained wood. The Players always arrive from the elevator where
Hester greets them, and leave much in the same way either back to the real world or to
the Midnight World. Travel from The Lepidopterarium requires no rolls.

The Players of Hawthorne should begin session 0 and spend some time
discussing not only their Playbook choices and the mechanics but how they relate
to the setting in broad strokes and specifically with the school and the wider city.
STUDENTS OF HAWTHORNE HIGH
As in a regular Masks game the Players of Midnight Generation are assumed to
be in their teens, the typical Masks: A New Generation range being 13 to 19. We
suggest keeping the Players around 15-19 as many of the themes of the material
this supplement takes inspiration from can be quite mature. This places the
Players in the age of a normal American high school, freshman to senior.
The school takes up a large place in teenager’s lives, and with the school running
from first grade to 12th grade, friendships and relationships in the community-
driven society of Hawthorne should be well established with NPCs the Players
have picked out. Only the high school is divided into Houses, the selection of
which often breaking up childhood friendships, so this drama should be taken
well into account when Players select their Houses as well. It’s up to the GM how
much school takes place as a point of interest in the game, we’ve provided Moves
in the relevant section to help this drama, but it should still factor in to some
degree. Managing your life between school tests, the Midnight World, and social
interaction is a hallmark of the inspiration sources and should apply here as well.
Being a boarding school, weekdays should be fairly regimented during school
hours and even after-school activities such as clubs and sports keep students
occupied and out of mischief. The grip is not irontight however, and the school
should let the Players out of such obligations from time to time to explore the city
and interact with the more supernatural elements provided in the Playset.
The city offers a great deal of places to get into trouble and spend one’s time
and both Players and GMs should remember that with how tight knit the city is,
any shenanigans that break the social order will be reported to both parents and
school supervisors. The leash on Players may be loose but Midnight World is
not a superhero game like its source material. Massive destruction of property or
harm to civilians is going to get noticed so adjust expectations accordingly.
PLAYERS AND THE MIDNIGHT WORLD
GMs should discuss what the Midnight World is with the Players during Session
0 just as they should lay out the city, as a good deal of play is central to this area.
With it being closed off from the wider narrative, or at least with a strong barrier
between them, it’s important to keep in mind that the things done in the Midnight
World won’t generally reflect in the more mundane areas of the story. Rulers may
be tipped off by actions within the Midnight World though this is more of a stylistic
choice rather than a hard rule within the setting or Playset. How much information
Rulers can glean from actions in their Palaces may be something you want to
talk over as a table before play starts.
The Midnight World affords a great deal of exploration and creativity, and Players
should always keep in mind that Shadows can be talked to, reasoned with,
bribed, or otherwise influenced like any other NPC. They are not simply monsters,
even the ones with the most basic of intelligences. Rulers may be closed to the
words of the Players but Vassals on down should have their own wants, fears,
and interests, they are the NPCs you’ll be dealing with most outside the normal
world. They may not be Arcana but that doesn’t make them lesser as far as the
story goes and the GM section contains information to make Shadows interesting,
rather than just hitpoint sponges.

Alongside the Rulers, these NPCs are important enough to offer further information.
Each could easily be assigned an Arcana, and several offer suggestions to that end.
Chillingworth and Hester: Proprietor and Assistant of the Lepidopterarium
respectively, Chillingsworth is a thin and unusual looking man with wide eyes and
thinning hair. One would be remiss if they failed to notice the extra finger on each
of the man’s skeletal hands, which seem to twitch and move on their own. Hester,
in contrast, is a perfectly normal looking young woman with bright scarlet hair and
porcelain white skin. Both dress in period clothing, as if plucked from some 1940’s
hotel, Chillingsworth in a smart though disheveled suit and Hester in a bellhop’s
uniform.
The Arcana: While not a singular NPC, the GM should assign several Arcana to
important NPCs within the Player’s backstories after they’ve been introduced
in Session 0. These form the backbone of the story outside, and possibly even
involved with, the overall plot. Parents, teachers at the Academy, and proprietors of
businesses the Players frequent also make perfectly viable Arcana choices outside
those introduced in Session 0.
RULERS AND THEIR PALACES
GMs should keep in mind that these NPCs and their Palaces are merely suggestions,
easily changed or replaced. The more important aspects of the Playset are the
mystery of the broadcast and the figures that stand behind it. We have provided five
NPCs for reference as Rulers and a mastermind for the overall plot of the Playset
below.
SURUMI NANAKAMADO
A fellow student with the Players and a member of the Cups Suite, Surumi is a fourth year
student at Hawthorne High. By all accounts, Surumi is a bright and cheerful young woman
eager to graduate and move to somewhere a little more happening than the city, having
traveled during her summer vacation. On her return however, things began to change. A
voracious social media user before, Surumi has deleted all of her accounts in the lead up
to the Playset and even begun to alienate her friends and family with aggressive outbursts
and chilled attitudes. Those close to her remain confident that they can bring their friend
back, but as the Playset begins proper, the Players will be presented with the Midnight
Station and the first of the radio plays on 98.9 MDNT.
The radio play is done in the fashion of the 1950’s radio serials, Surumi is the main star
with a supporting cast of her family and an unnamed paramour living far outside the city.
The nightly broadcasts spell out the tragedy as first Surumi’s love dumps them during
their travels abroad, tired of the long distance relationship and the needy Surumi who so
desperately wants out of a dead end life. Her family further compounds this, running a
highly successful hotel within the city with clear expectations that Surumi will take over the
business once they’re ready to retire. The formally happy, confident and outward Surumi
was merely a mask of the desperate, caged young woman she hid from the world.
Her Palace, once entered, looks ostensibly like the hotel her parents run within the city
but once inside it becomes a prison, the shores of distant lands are shrouded in fog visible
from the barred windows. The Vassals of her Palace are the jailors, eager to place the
heroes behind bars if captured. Surumi herself, while the Ruler of the Palace, resides
in the lowest level of the Prison as its most dangerous inmate. The Palace itself is more
of a breakout than a confrontation, springing Surumi is the only way to free her from the
broadcast and from her own quickly approaching doom.
Surumi exemplifies the desire to be free and while her significant other perhaps began as
a well intentioned relationship, the more Surumi saw them as an escape from a life she
wouldn’t otherwise have chosen, the more toxic it grew. Actualizing the desire to be free
is vital to returning Surumi from the brink, but confronting the Shadow takes more than
just freeing her from her imposed bondange. Expressing to Surumi that assistance is not
weakness but that effort still has to be undertaken under your own power will erase the
Shadow Surumi that dwells deep in the Prison. It is not a literal prison that holds her, but
one of her own insecurities. Surumi had the key to the cell all along.
MATSU AOYAMA
Son of Hawthorne Botanical’s founders, Matsu is a second year student at Hawthorne High
and a member of the Sword Suite. Aggressive, outgoing, and physical, Matsu has become a
star in the school’s sports teams, active in both its soccer and hockey teams. As one could
imagine, this makes Matsu quite popular and with his family’s growing influence in the city,
that popularity extends far outside the boundaries of the school itself. Despite all of this, or if
the rumors are true in light of this, the young man has grown even more aggressive, targeting
mostly those he sees as less masculine or weaker than himself. This growing rage has caused
him to be suspended from the upcoming hockey season, which would have been his first Varsity
season with the school team. As one would imagine, this has done little to actually lessen
Matsu’s rage.
This rage is a front. The son of immigrants in a fairly conservative city like Hawthorne, Matsu
feels alienated from his peers as he feels pressure to remain in the closet. This trepidation of
outing himself as gay has predictably lead to no long lasting relationships. Each failed attempt
at being open and true to himself has driven the already excitable youth to lash out at anyone
and anything that he feels threatens the illusion he’s desperate to maintain.
Matsu’s radio program is a sports game, though it’s unclear on just what sport. The
commentators focus on Matsu as the defense, constantly having goals scored against him but
not from the opposing team. Instead, it is Matsu who has put the game close to a loss for his
side and audible jeering from the crowd is active during broadcasts. When the Players are first
alerted to the broadcast, it seems the game is in its last plays, Matsu’s team at a loss of points.
The Palace appears as a massive stadium, perhaps even the school’s, and the sounds of
gameplay can be heard throughout the surrounding elements of The Midnight World. Inside,
the Players can see the ongoing game though its rules are inscrutable as Shadows play with
Matsu on both sides. The Stadium itself is a strange maze, folding in on itself and expanding
at strange junctions, confounding the efforts of anyone attempting to make it to the game field.
The Players themselves are on Matsu’s team though getting out to play seems to be sabotage
from the “opposing” team, which in reality is Matsu’s own defenses to his true self. The Vassals
of Matsu’s Palace are both opposing team players and security, working hard to keep the team
from assisting Matsu and thus forcing him to lose the game.
Matsu’s Shadow is not the main enemy of the Palace even though he is the Ruler, his
insecurities having formed a far worse monster the team must take down. Matsu, like Surumi
and the other Palace Rulers, is isolated from his own true feelings, societal pressure and fear
of actual ostracization forces him into self-exile and into denying himself and his feelings until
they are alien and hostile to himself. Exposing this reality, that one can never truly be alone
if they are true to themselves and open to those that would seek to welcome the true self, is
key to empowering Matsu to defeat his own self-made Shadow and become a ruler in full. This
may well awaken Matsu’s Shadow into a Persona of his own, creating an Arcana for the team.
DOUGLAS BARCLAY
Operator of one of many ski resorts, Douglas Barclay is a polarizing figure within the
community of Hawthorne. A wild man by all accounts, many wonder why he works in a
tourist forward industry when he would otherwise rather be left alone in his small mountain
cabin. He has little charity towards tourists and townsfolk alike though his resort is the
cheapest and best maintained and thus remains popular despite the general lack of
personal warmth found in the single ski lodge on his part of the mountain.
Douglas was not always such a misanthropic curmudgeon, the older folk of Hawthorne
still speak of him kindly and despite public knowledge he donates almost the entirety of
his income to the Hawthorne Community Center. In times past, his daughter was an
enduring spirit of cheer and community and the only thing that brought Douglas happiness
after the passing of his wife. Reality is cruel however and the illness that took his wife
soon struck his daughter, leaving him with nothing. The decline was slow but final. Douglas
retreated into his mountain holdings and only made required trips into the city for food and
supplies he could not otherwise supply himself. He is an easy target for the Lady and her
accomplice and removing him would bring a good chunk of the ski season’s draw to bed,
especially before the first snowfall.
Douglas’s station is unlike the others so far, not a radio program but instead styled like
a broadcast from a Firewatch tower or other Park station, detailing conditions on the
mountain and warnings to those making trips to it. Douglas himself is a “missing person”
recounted on this singular broadcast, the news on repeat whenever the Players might
happen to catch it. The Palace is larger and more expansive than the first two, a vast
wilderness filled with beastial shadows and an approaching snowstorm to put a ticking
clock on proceedings. While ski lodges and woodland cabins make important landmarks in
this vast Palace, much of it is the wilderness and its Vassals are understandably inhuman.
Douglas’s isolation is one of self. His removal from society and other people is born of hurt
and mistrust. Finding Douglas may well be the goal but reaching Douglas through his grief
and helping him take the first steps to finally letting the society he shunned back in is the
only way to clear the Palace and save the man in the real world. This is no small feat, and
is the first of the Palaces whose true “puzzle” is less about traveling and fighting than it
is about what is fundamental about the inspiration material. The emotional baggage of the
Rulers are key to not only their Palace but the themes of the setting.
WILLOW
Willow was not born in Hawthorne, nor was it a place she thought she would
remain but as job prospects in the city dwindled and the helping hands of the
community turned inward, Willow found the only path left, preying on tourists as
she feels she was preyed upon. Now a well known local personality, Willow touts
self-help and health crazes she discovers on the internet, operating a shop that
no local ever really visits. Willow is an outgoing and outwardly kind person with a
bombastic personality that puts her at odds at the otherwise community focused
city. Her independence has long been a sticking point to Hawthorne, more so now
than ever as she has sought to expand into the Historic District with a new “Clinic”,
its building as New Age as her beliefs. Many suspect this is intentional, to clash as
much as she’s able to stand out against the orthodox.
Willow is an active, though unwitting, participant in the affairs of The Lady and her
true accomplice and is the only Ruler to know about the conspiracy and mystery
that grips the city. While Willow knows of the plan to punish the city, her knowledge
is purely need to know and what she has needed to know has been limited at best.
Her hate for the city is born from their constant cold shoulder to her and her ways,
feeling that the otherwise friendly and cooperative society turned its back on her
when they needed her most because she would not conform to their standards.
She’s not wrong in this belief, at least partially, and while she made no effort to
blend into the new culture, the community she found herself in is not as open and
welcoming as it might wish to appear. A squeaky wheel gets the grease as the
saying goes and few squeaked louder than Willow, and the more she has squeaked
to spite them the more doors have closed upon her.
Willow, by the time her station is broadcast, has long outlasted her usefulness
and becomes the next tragedy for the city. Someone as prominent with tourists
would certainly shake the community if they were to be stricken by the strange
“illness” that has gripped Hawthorne, a sacrifice for the true masterminds of the
plot. Her broadcast is unlike the others as well, not truly something one would hear
on radio. It is more like an infomercial, selling Willow’s very emotions and organs
in a macabre showing as Willow herself remains the host.
Willow’s Palace appears as a vast open air market surrounded by sturdy walls,
large vendor booths and amusements for the market goers serve as the first half of
her Palance. The Vassals are powerful guard dogs that patrol the area for would-
be thieves and outsiders, hungry for the players. Willow’s Palace however is more
complex than those before with a second half unlike the first. The second half of
the Palace is a photo-negative of Hawthorne, a cold and bleak realm where the
Shadows do all they can to disengage from the Players. Shadows only grow hostile
when they can no longer move away from the Players. The Vassals are copies of
Willow herself, and are desperate to connect with the Players but far too aggressive
to make such overtures.
Willow cannot be reformed, her Shadow far too bought into the lies of The Lady,
eager to sell the Players any information they might want to know about the true
mastermind of the affairs of the city. Sadly, Willow knows little about the true nature
of the villain and is eager to lie to the Team without threats, and even more eager to
sustain themselves if the Players will just leave. Willow’s isolation is one from the
outside in. While the city neglected to bring her into the fold, her every action drove
the community further and further away from any such hopes, a self perpetuating
cycle certain to keep Willow from not being alone in such a large community. Willow,
and her Shadow, are in lockstep however. Neither wish to integrate and even saving
her should mark a point for the Players that even if you win, you cannot save
everyone. Willow may not end their lives by walking into the sea, but they will flee
the city as soon as their Shadow is defeated. The simple fact remains that the city,
for all its open arms and eager desires to draw people in, has its dark side. It is
something the Players will simply have to contend with once the Palace is done.
OIZYS AND THE LADY OF SAFE HARBOR
Oizys is the mastermind of the Midnight Station broadcasts, and is a willing
participant in the affairs of the Lady of Safe Harbor. Who they are we leave to
the GM, but they should be someone important and well known to the team by the
time of the reveal. In the Playset, and moving forward, Oizys is merely a codename
and standin. It was Oizys who awakened the long slumbering Lady of Safe Harbor,
a scholar of folk religions or merely a tourist who stumbled into the long since
abandoned temple on the shores of the Pacific. No matter how they came to know
the Lady, the Goddess used this new mortal vessel to enact her revenge on the
city that abandoned her. How willing Oizys actually is is also left up to the GM,
perhaps they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, possessed by a
terrible spirit and used to bring about the destruction of Hawthorne. Perhaps, on
the flip side, they harbored resentment towards the city at large and are a willing
coconspirator with the Goddess, eager to aid in a mutual hate for the city. Much of
this falls to the GM and who they have built up to be the eventual human element
behind the return of the Lady. It is important to note as well that the Rulers above,
and overall, do not need to create some important web or have mutual connections.
Oizys’s goal is to drive panic in the city the closer winter comes, before hitting larger
targets to capitalize on the isolation and cut off nature of the city. The starting
Rulers arepractice as their goals advance, targets of terror picked at random rather
than for a concrete goal. So while the mission may seem chaotic at first, the final
members should put in stark contrast what the MO of the villains, to punish the
city for abandoning The Lady. That punishment may range from targeting specific
families that have existed in Hawthorne since its founding or to leave it a ghost
town.
those who have likewise lost something, be it a piece of themselves or something
more emotional. Her very essence resonates with loss, drawing her to her victims.
It is Oizys, either unwilling or otherwise, that has aided in directing this craving to
ease misery and self destruction towards important members of the city.
Unlike the other Palaces and their Rulers, the final destination for the players and
by extension the final leg of the Playtest, Oizys and the true villain at the source of
the mysterious radio signal encompass the entirety of The Midnight World. The
Lady of Safe Harbor acts as the Persona for Oizys, whoever you have declared
this person to be, and the final fight plays out in the ruined halls of the Palaces and
hills of the rain soaked Midnight World. More information on this conflict can be
found in the GM section, as much of it revolves around how the Players go about
discovering the realities set out in this section. Defeating Oizys and the Lady of
Safe Harbor puts an end to the broadcast of the Midnight Station and the terror
that slowly grips the community as people stop walking into the sea. Talking Oizys
and the Lady out of their mad scheme is not possible, both have come too far and
are too removed from the human element to be swayed by words, no matter how
heartfelt they might be.

The Lady herself is far removed from human thought and while it may be difficult
to express such an alien mindset in play, it is important at least to convey that
the Lady of Safe Harbor has never been human, merely a byproduct of the human
psyche in The Midnight World. She does not see humans as fully realized beings,
more like children who need constant care lest they injure themselves or worse,
end up dead. Born of the desire to protect, it is a fundamental aspect to her being
and while she has grown hateful of her wards it is only because she feels her love
has been shunned. Her motivations, while also largely up to the GM to convey, at
least in the Playset and the motivations of the Rulers of the Palaces center around
 the most from knowing about the Playset before Session 0, and we advise giving
them the time to look it over and discuss with the GM just how they want to set up
the weightier bits of their story.

The Prisoner: Someone wronged you, not a difficult place to start in or out of
The Golem: Like The Shadow, The Golem is tied to the more supernatural fiction
Hawthorne. How prominent these people are will determine how heavily they factor
of the world. It may be perfectly normal for Hawthorne to have a constructed
into the story but out of all the Playbooks, The Prisoner has the most potential to
human learning the ins and outs of what it means to be human. There may be
introduce the highest number of Arcana. This is both a narrative boon for the player
a masquerade for the would-be human, who constantly needs to hide their base
and a danger, each NPC introduced needs to fit into the wider narrative. We advise
nature to explore the outward nature they were designed for. Like The Shadow,
the Player to discuss with their GM important NPCs they have planned for the plot
players wanting to play The Golem should discuss how their meta-narrative is tied
and to work out a way to integrate them onto your list rather than introducing new
into the story and setting.
NPCs wholecloth.
The Icon: In a city with a constant influx of new people looking for the next best
The Psientist: Not unlike The Practiced, the Psientist has a great deal of prior
thing, the Icon stands to be center stage through all of it. The city does prove an
information presented within the Playset and supplement to establish the fiction
impediment however, loathe to give up their own, more so for rising stars and
of their character. Their former mentor is most certainly an Arcana if they’re still
famous faces. The fight for the Icon may not be getting the attention they want, but
around to be an NPC, and still serves as an important character even if they’re no
keeping it on their terms.
longer someone the Players will interact with.
The Navigator: The city of Hawthorne is one almost designed to thwart and confound
The Shadow: As Hawthorne is a fairly straight forward pastiche of all the elements
the base need of The Navigator and the introverted leanings of the Playbook.
that have inspired The Midnight Generation, The Shadow should find very little in
Hawthorne is a city of community, where everyday functions circle around a thriving
the way of troubles meshing into the existing game or the city itself. Finding out how
community center and where shopping plazas and clothing stores are bound to
they can get around the city without attracting notice will, and is intended to be,
know you by name before long. In a world of forced extroversion, simply having time
part of the drama of the Playbook. Players wanting to take on The Shadow should
to oneself is a luxury and one The Navigator should find constantly getting less of.
discuss early on with their GM how they see their shape and form looking in the
real world, and how much that will complicate their lives and, by extension, the
The Outcast: There is a great deal for the Outcast to be outcast from in Hawthorne.
lives of their team.
The city, while presenting a liberal and open minded face, harbors a fairly orthodox
view on the goings on of the city for those who live there full time. The small
Non-Midnight Generation Playbooks in Hawthorne: Hawthorne is written to be
community feel also presents something of a challenge for the Outcast, their deeds
a fairly mundane place, the supernatural elements mostly sectioned off into The
spread much further much faster than in a more contemporary big city. All of this
Midnight World. Playbooks that rely too heavily on more superhero elements are
should give The Outcast something to rail against however.
unlikely to mesh well with the setting. The Nova, Transformed, Newborn, Harbinger,
and Innocent will especially find a hard time meshing with the setting as presented
The Practiced: Given that The Midnight World is a fundamental part of the Playset
without substantial reworks. It is our suggestion that if you wish to use the Playset
and its rules, locations, and methods of contact are quite spelled out, The Practiced
provided, keep the Player options limited to the Playbooks specifically written for
should have a good bit of grounding in which to explore both their trauma and the
this supplement.
wider organization that assists them. Of all the Playbooks, The Practiced benefits

Agendas are the overarching goals of your game, the big notes you take to make
sure the tone and story are consistent throughout. The Midnight Generation, and
The Final Note overall, have a similar Agenda to their source material though may
need additional tweaks to get the feel and flow right. While these are within the
Playset Chapter, GMs should take the Principles and Agenda as standard for any
game set within The Midnight Generation rules.
Many of the Principles of The Midnight Generation follow the standard Masks: A New
Generation Principles. Along with them, the following are important or otherwise
replace those found in the core materials.
DESCRIBE THE WORLD LIKE A VIDEO GAME
This Principle replaces the “Describe the World like a Comic Book” from the core
materials. The inspiration sources for The Midnight World are, primarily, video
games, animated television shows and the like and it is best to focus more on
action and discussion than within the confines of a comic panel.
GROWTH IS HARD
While this pertains to the Rulers and PC’s mostly, knowing that changing one’s ways
is a difficult task applies to all NPC Arcana as well. The story of Midnight Generation
centers around growing and changing, learning about oneself and overcoming the
hurdles we put in our own way. This is just as important to NPCs as it is to PCs and
this is reflected in the more granular Influence system the game has.
Along with the moves from Masks: A New Generation, we have several custom
moves packaged with the Playset to help facilitate better play during school
sessions.
LABEL LESSON: When you attend class, tell the GM which class is particularly
difficult or engaging to you. The GM will assign a Label for that Class. Roll + the
assigned Label. On a miss, you’ve spaced out or simply don’t get out of the lesson
what you were hoping for. Mark a Condition. On a hit, shift the assigned Label up
and another Label down, your choice. On a 7-9, you upset the teacher or have
obligations for the class you have to meet. The GM will tell you which. On a 10+,
mark Potential.
MEDDLE: When you would meddle with another Player’s class time you have a
Social Link with, you may apply a -2 to their Label Lesson. If they miss, you may
choose the Label they shift up instead of the GM. If they roll a hit, you mark a
Condition and land yourself in hot water.
EXPLORE THE CITY: When you declare a Leader as you and your Team explore the
city, roll + Team. On a miss, you’ve found yourself in trouble or someone in the city
needs your help. The GM will tell you which, and how the scene begins. On a hit,
you blow off steam together and each clear a Condition and choose 1. On a 10+,
the Leader gains potential.
- You find a new place to hang out, tell the GM what it is.
- You uncover a lead to the Midnight World.
- A place you’re familiar with is having an event, tell the GM what it is.
- A path to the Lep is open, where can you enter it from?
The Final Note is designed in such a way to provide a GM with plenty of room
to include their own Rulers, Palaces, NPCs, and drama even while keeping to
the overall plot set out by the Playtest. None of the Rulers should be taken as
mandatory, the emotional drama they tell can easily be replaced and altered for
the final boss and we encourage GMs who may be uncomfortable or whose players
might be uncomfortable, to make changes where and when they want.

The Midnight Generation leans on a number of mature themes so we recommend

going over Safety Tools with your Players before or during Session 0 as well. Lines
and Red Light/Green Light will especially be useful, given the sometimes abrupt
revelations of said themes and a proper “noping” out of such is more than fair.

As mentioned in the Player section GMs are encouraged to cast Shadows, even
the weak ones, as less video game monsters and more like traditional NPCs. The
Palaces should be fun to explore, not merely randomly generated hallways and
while this may create additional prep time the payout will be well rewarded.
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you face difficult circumstances without hesitation
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them a secret or hidden truth or pain they
keep from others. If they tell you, exchange Influence and add a Team to the Pool. If they refuse, shift your
Battlefield Track one step closer to Shadow Arcana.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them something you’ve been holding back.
If they accept your words, take Influence over them and add a Team to the pool. If they answer your honesty
harshly, mark a Condition.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Assistant’s final Social Link by helping them admit a difficult or painful truth about
themselves. You may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their True Arcana moves
so long as you have Influence over them. In addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to allow them raise
their Battle Field Track one step closer to True Arcana

REAL NAME
LIMIT BREAK SHADOW FACADE NAME
You may take control of the narrative to unleash your True Arcana without consequence, solving a single TRUE FACADE NAME
situation or answering a single question that seems to have no answer.
LOOK
POTENTIAL q q q q q • ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential. • kind eyes, callous eyes, judging eyes, inhuman eyes
• stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume

ADVANCEMENT
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
ARCANA
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add (see on last page of The Assistant)
q Take your other Palace Move +1 to a Label
q
q
Take a move from another playbook
Take a move from another playbook
q Take Burn and 2 Flares from The Nova Playbook
q Unlock your Limit Break SOCIAL LINKS
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from (cross your Arcana off the list)
your Arcana
The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
q Awaken to your True Persona, choose another Playbook q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Take an adult move The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Take an adult move The Hierophant qqqq | q The Hanged Man qqqq | q The Sun qqqq | q
The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
LABELS ASSISTANT MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two)
q The Shadows of The Night: When you fling q When You’re a Stranger: When you turn to your
DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 yourself into easy relief in the nightlife of the knowledge of The Midnight World to highlight a
-2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 city, you may take +1 ongoing in the scene weakness or danger of a Palace, roll + Freak.
FREAK
and clear any Condition of your choice if you On a miss, you’re not nearly learned enough.
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 include a Teammate in your escapades. They Escalate the situation. On a hit, tell the GM a
may also clear a Condition of their choice, if solution to the issue at hand and they will tell
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 they join you willingly. you something you missed out. On a 10+, take
+1 Forward when acting on this information.
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Help!: When you assist a Teammate you
have Influence over in a scene, you can give q A Magic Man: When you would Lead your
them a +2 instead of a +1 when you spend a Teammates through the Midnight World, you may
CONDITIONS Team from the pool. You may do this once per
Teammate, once per scene.
raise Heat to clear a Condition. Additionally, you
may clear a Condition when finding Shelter, even
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) on a miss.
q Streetwise Hercules: When you would Pierce
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask) the Mask of someone you may always ask the q Hit Me With Your Best Shot: When you’d
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation) following, even on a miss. mark a Condition when Directly Engaging an
opponent, you may take +1 Ongoing to Provoke
- What pain have you hidden from the world?
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers) them until the end of the scene.
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)
ME AND MY SHADOW
BACKSTORY You have, within you, two Facades. The first is your true Facade, hidden away, ready to awaken when you truly
face yourself. The second is your Shadow Facade, a lesser, darker form that remains like a weight within you.
• What deep truth about yourself have you hidden away? The more you deny the first, the more you empower the second. Your very self is in between a tug of war. Your
• When were you taken as a Ward of the Lepidopterarium? personal Battlefield. You begin at the center of the track. When time passes, return to the center of the track.
• Answer your Shadow Arcana Backstory Question.
• Answer your True Arcana Backstory Question. Shadow Arcana ❑ ❑ ❑ | ❑ | ❑ ❑ ❑ True Arcana
• Why do you care about the team? Whenever you would mark a Condition or deny an aspect of yourself, roll + your Shadow Arcana’s Label. On
a miss, you empower your Shadow Self. Shift your Battlefield Track one step closer to Shadow Arcana. On a
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then
hit, you’re well built emotional walls protect you, clear a separate Condition or gain an Opportunity. On a 7-9,
determine what happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and
you’re not as resilient as you’d like to broadcast, shift your Battlefield Track one step closer to Shadow Arcana.
your teammates, and who has Influence over you.
On a 10+, raise your Battlefield Track one step closer to True Arcana.

WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... Whenever you clear a Condition, stand in defense of a Teammate or provoke someone to act true to
themselves, roll + Freak. On a miss, you still can’t shake your insecurities. Take -1 Forward and lower your
We called assistance from The Lepidopterarium, how did its denizens respond? track one step closer to Shadow Arcana. On a hit, raise your Battle Field Track one step closer to True Arcana.
On a 7-9, your hidden pain or secret holds you back. Take -1 Forward. On a 10+, mark Potential.
RELATIONSHIPS When you would move your Battlefield Track in either direction but cannot, choose one of the following
I confessed my hidden truth to _______________. depending on which side of the Track you are on.
My time in the Lepidopterarium has caused _______________ to distrust me. Shadow Arcana: Your Shadow Arcana takes control, causing you to lose your powers in a dangerous way or
exposing you to danger. At the end of the scene, move to the center of the Battlefield Track.

INFLUENCE True Arcana: You have access to your True Arcana for the current scene until the end of the next scene. You may
use its Palace Move and two Abilities of your choice. In addition, take +1 Ongoing on Unleash your Powers and
You’ve seen too much to open up to others, the team included. Give no Teammates Influence over you. Comfort and Support. At the end of the next scene, move to the center of the Battle Field Track.
 THE ASSISTANT
PLAYING THE ASSISTANT
The Assistant is one who hides from themselves, some deep seated trauma or difficulty in their
TRUE ARCANA past too daunting to face. This has caused them to erect a lie, another Facade, with which to
The Tower, Judgment, The Moon, Death interact with the world. It is important to discuss this trauma with both the GM and the other
Players to make sure nothing violates the safety tools or comfort levels of everyone involved. That
said, the trauma is the Assistant’s and even if other Players or the GM might feel it’s not traumatic
enough, the Player gets final say in how the trauma manifests and if it is, in fact, appropriate for
SHADOW ARCANA the character they are playing.

The world of the Assistant is seen through the filter of this secondary, false, person they’ve
While you have an Arcana and a Facade like all other Facade users, you’ve hidden yours away, erected. The real Assistant, whatever that may be, is always guarded.Lowering those walls should
buried it deep as you deny something fundamental about yourself. The Arcana still casts a Shadow, take time, effort, and not a small bit of fear. The Assistant has been hurt before, by the world, by
a false Facade yet untamed and possessing doubts and fears. You do not gain access to the their friends, by themselves, and should be eager not to be hurt again.
powers of your True Arcana, instead choosing a Shadow Arcana from below and one of its abilities.
In this way the Team is even more important to the Assistant than one might expect. It is the Team
The Cup The Stave that has the power to show the Assistant that the world may be hurtful, but there are positives in
Abilities: Hydrokinesis, Illusions, Willpower Abilities: Pyrokinesis, Minor Fabrication, Powerful living in it as their true self. That the real them, the one behind the wall, is the one they want to
Manifestation Voice be friends with.
Backstory Question: What belief have you Backstory Question: What personal items
become disillusioned to? destruction hurt you most? NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS
Shadow Arcana Label: Savior Shadow Arcana Label: Superior The Extra for The Assistant comes in two parts. First, their Minor Arcana, and second through Me
Cup of Wonder: When you would find a secret If I Could Back Time: You may mark a Condition and My Shadow. Selection of the Minor Arcana effects Me and My Shadow and players should
or hidden path in The Midnight World, take +1 to allow a Teammate to reroll their next Unleash make sure to pick their Minor Arcana during the initial stages of Character Creation as directed.
forward when using Traverse Palace to explore it. their Powers move within the Midnight Generation.
They must take the second roll, even on a miss.
Denying an aspect of yourself, and likewise provoking someone to act as their true self for the
purposes of Me and My Shadow come down to the Player in question. While the GM can advise
The Sword and help workshop how these things might appear in the fiction, the Assistant or the other Player
Abilities: Air Manipulation, Supernatural Senses, The Coin being provoked has final say on what is true to themselves for purposes of triggering the Extra.
Combat Expertise Abilities: Terrakinesis, Super Strength, Impossible
Backstory Question: What personal defeat cost Thievery A Shadow or Vassal has to have the ability to talk or interact in some human way to qualify for He’s
you the most? Backstory Question: What is the most significant A Magic Man. Shadows or Vassals that either cannot communicate with humans, or otherwise are
Shadow Arcana Label: Danger thing you have had to sacrifice? too alien and cannot be turned to for help.
Shadow Arcana Label: Mundane
Can’t Fight This Feeling: When you Directly
Engage a Vassal or Ruler, you may mark Angry to Go Your Own Way: You may add a Team to the INSPIRATION FOR THE ASSISTANT
add +1 to the roll after the roll. Pool whenever a Teammate lowers Heat. - Sonomura, Persona 2
- Maria, Persona 4 Golden

GM MOVES FOR THE ASSISTANT

- Shield their hidden secrets
- Expose them
- Introduce familiar faces
- Offer comfort, for a price
- Let them hide in a lie
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you engage in regular human activity with the team. You may do this once per
scene.
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, tell them a quality they have you think all humans
should possess. If they agree with you, exchange Influence. If they reject your words, remove their Influence
over you and shift your Labels. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them what makes you feel less human.
If they offer comforting words, give them Influence over you. If they tell you how to be more human, take +1
forward when applying their lesson. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Golem’s final Social Link by acknowledging their humanity. You may mark a Condition or
spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over them. In
addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to allow them to re-roll their Maverick move. They must take
the second option, even on a miss. REAL NAME
FACADE NAME
LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative to navigate a dangerous situation or take down a dangerous foe. LOOK
• ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
POTENTIAL q q q q q • kind eyes, callous eyes, judging eyes, inhuman eyes
• stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT Judgment, Justice, The Sun, The World
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q
q
Take your other Palace Move
Take a move from another playbook
+1 to a Label
q Take Burn and 2 Flares from The Nova Playbook
SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook q Unlock your Limit Break (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from
your Arcana The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
q Choose another Playbook The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city
q Take an adult move The Hierophant qqqq | q The Hanged Man qqqq | q The Sun qqqq | q
q Take an adult move The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
LABELS GOLEM MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)

DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q A Spanner in the Works: When you foil an q Ghost in the Machine: When someone
opponent’s well laid plans, roll + Superior. Pierces your Mask, you may roll + Freak. On a
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 On a miss, you overlooked something vital. miss, you show them just how inhuman you
Expect it to come crashing down on you. are. Shift Freak up and Mundane down and
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 On a hit, you’re a spanner in the works, mark a Condition. On a hit, you may ask them
take Influence over the opponent. On a a question in return. On a 7-9, give them
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 7-9 it was not without difficulty. Give your Influence over you. On a 10+ ask an additional
opponent an opportunity. On a 10+, mark question and take Influence over them.
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Potential or clear a Condition.
q Overclock: When you would mark a Condition
q Troll Engine: When someone Comforts or when all other Conditions are marked while in
CONDITIONS Supports you with a well-intentioned bribe, a Palace, you may clear a Condition and take
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) you may choose a second option if you open -1 Ongoing until you Return Home or move to
up to them. another Ward. You may do this once per Ward.
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
q I Have No Strings: When you lose control q Riddle of Steel: When you would Find Shelter
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation) of yourself or your powers in a dangerous while not being the Leader you may mark a
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers) way, you may clear a Condition and shift Condition to use a Palace Move from another
your Danger up and another Label down. Arcana. You may do this once per Ward.
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)

BACKSTORY TURING TEST

• Who made you? You were made with the basic function of studying humanity and learning from them. Your study, like the
• Which aspect of humanity do you reject? humans themselves, is a work in progress.
• Who, outside the team, helps you understand humans better? Rule One: When you act at the direction of someone else over your or the team’s priorities, take +1 Ongoing
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question. until you’ve completed their task. At the end of every scene in which you have not completed their task they
• Why do you care about the team? may shift your Labels or mark a Condition on you. If you could no longer mark a Condition, you lose the +1
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then Ongoing.
determine what happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and Rule Two: When you stand in Defense of someone while knowingly risking bodily harm you may add +1
your teammates, and who has Influence over you. after the roll. When you would mark a Condition or Take a Powerful Blow while Defending, they may shift
your Labels.
WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... Rule Three: When you act at the direction of the team over your own priorities, add a Team to the Pool. Add
We discovered the Ruler of the next Palace. Who are they? an additional Team to the Pool when you enter a battle against a dangerous foe if you are not the leader.

Maverick: When you take foolhardy action without consulting the team, reject someone’s Influence, or put
RELATIONSHIPS your safety over others you may shift your Labels in addition to any other mechanical effects even on a miss.
I study _______________ but they continue to confuse me.
_______________ continually surprises me with their empathy and warmth.

INFLUENCE
You’ve seen too much to open up to others, the team included. Give no Teammates Influence over you.
THE GOLEM
PLAYING THE GOLEM
You were built by, or at least owe your existence to, someone else. This person, or people, need not
be in the picture but the truth remains that you are apart from your peers. You are not human, but
made to try and be anyway. This conflict is the root of The Golem’s drama as the question itself of
what it is to be human is not a clear one. The search for these answers should propel you, taking
cues and clues from others and finding out which of these you actually think are worth following
and which are not.
Your lack of humanity may be off putting to some, or even terrifying to others. Social cues, mores
of culture, and the niceties one obeys to keep everything copacetic mean very little to you. After
all, you’re not really aware of these without someone telling you how they operate, and often times
you can’t really grok them from context. This is a blank cheque to be weird, make things awkward,
make people uncomfortable. It’s not a malicious thing you’re doing after all, you’re just not aware
of these conventions. At least that’s what you can tell others when you put a foot in it.
People are, by and large, your best bet of getting these answers so sticking close to them should be
a priority. Non-human characters should likewise be a point of reference as they can share notes
with you or even give ideas of what it means not to be a human as a frame of context. The Golem
will, and should, be spending much of their time with the Team. The Team is a ready made group
of people struggling through their own issues and thus serves as a sympathetic case for The Golem
to study without fear of reprisal.
NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS
The Golem’s Turing Test Mechanic has several distinct triggers for its effects. Typically for Rule
One and Rule Three, when someone is using their Influence over you that counts enough to trigger
these moves. Rule Two’s trigger should be left up to the player to determine, if they feel they are
risking their own physical safety that should be enough.
SUGGESTED MOVES FROM OTHER PLAYBOOKS
Artistic Vision from The Icon gives The Golem narrative weight for heightened attention to detail,
even perhaps past what regular humans are capable of. Likewise, SatNav from The Navigator can
flesh out some of your more robotic elements and purpose as a being to fight in The Midnight World.
From the Masks: A New Generation Playbooks, both Regeneration and Damaged further
illustrate your less than human build and augment and enforce many of the parallels your Playbook
has with the Newborn.
INSPIRATION FOR THE GOLEM
- Aigis, Persona 3
- Labyrs, Persona 4 Arena
- Sophia, Persona 5 Strikers
- Maria, Persona 4 Golden
GM MOVES FOR THE GOLEM
- Remind them of their lack of humanity
- Show them the best of Humanity
- Show them the worst of Humanity
- Ask deep questions
- Leave messages from their Creator
PLAYING THE GOLEM OUTSIDE THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
When playing outside The Midnight Generation make the following changes. Additionally, The
Golem covers a great deal of the drama that The Newborn covers. We recommend not allowing
both at the table so drama doesn’t overlap or block people out from the narrative they wish to
convey.
REPLACE THE ARCANA SECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING:
Abilities: Your abilities are built into you, part of your chassis and design. Pick two.
Super Strength and Durability, Impossible Movement, Extra/Enhanced Limbs, Energy Blasts, Built in
Weaponry, Holograms, Enhanced Senses
REPLACE OVERCLOCK AND RIDDLE OF STEEL WITH:
Remote Control: When you let your body move by its own programming, ignore all further Conditions
you would mark by Hard Moves for the duration of the scene.
At the start of the next scene roll + Freak. On a miss, the damage to your mind was simply delayed.
Mark any Conditions you would have otherwise marked in the scene. If this would take you out of the
scene, lose control of your powers in a dangerous way instead. On a 7-9, mark a Condition and shift
your Labels. On a 10+ mark Potential.
If I Only Had a Heart: When someone would Comfort or Support you and you do not open up to their
words, you may take +1 forward to Pierce their Mask or Provoke them.
REPLACE THE GOLEM’S WHEN OUR TEAM CAME TOGETHER QUESTION WITH THE
FOLLOWING:
We found evidence this was one part of a larger scheme, who was the villain working for?
REPLACE LIMIT BREAKS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOMENT OF TRUTH.
You were made to understand humanity, a reflection of their best and their worst. Most times they confuse
you, the logic behind their actions seeming...secondary when compared to the clockwork your parts work
like. But in the moment you see clariety through the chaos and it all expands like fractals before you. This
rare glimpse of humanity will not last long, use it to solve a single problem no matter how insurmountable it
may seem. When it’s done however there’s no hope of putting the genie back in the bottle. The world, once
ordered, will look less so and people will know what you can really do when you stop acting and start doing.
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you:
-share a triumphant celebration with someone. Ask them if they want to sneak off and enjoy the limelight
your fame allows. If they decline, clear a Condition as you leave without them. If they agree, exchange Influence
and you both may clear a Condition. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.
-share a vulnerability or weakness with someone. Tell them a struggle you’ve had with your fame. If they
offer support, give them Influence over you and add a Team to the Pool. If they tell you they’re jealous of your
fame, remove their Influence over you if they have it.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Icon’s final Social Link by accepting their true self while supporting their Icon status. You
may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have
Influence over them. In addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to allow
REAL NAME
FACADE NAME
LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative and take center stage of the scene to dazzle, impress, terrify, or put a
harsh spotlight on anyone else in the scene. LOOK
• ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
POTENTIAL q q q q q • smiling face, downcast face, apathetic face, impish face
• stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT The Lovers, The Star, The Empress, Fortune
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q
q
Take your other Palace Move
Take a move from another playbook
+1 to a Label
q Take The Mask and a Secret Identity from The Janus Playbook
SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook q Unlock your Limit Break (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from
your Arcana The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
q Choose another Playbook The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city
q Take an adult move The Hierophant qqqq | q The Hanged Man qqqq | q The Sun qqqq | q
q Take an adult move The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
LABELS ICON MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)

DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Rumor Mill: When you use information you’ve q Well-Traveled: When you would encounter an event,
learned in the Real World to shape or change phenomena or locale you’re familiar with roll +
the Midnight World roll + Freak. On a miss, the Mundane. On a miss, your memory is fuzzy or you’re
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 information simply doesn’t help. On a hit, take not as well-traveled as you thought. Take -1 on your
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +1 Forward when Unleashing your Powers to next move. On a hit, tell the GM something about
shape the Midnight World around you and tell the situation in question and they’ll tell you how
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 the GM what the information is. On a 7-9, you’ve your memory is off. On a 10+, your memory is crystal
not accounted for something. The GM will tell clear.
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 you how your information is wrong. On a 10+,
q Artistic Vision: When you assess the situation you
gain Potential.
may always ask one of the following, even on a miss:
q Laser Light Show: When your Teammates
CONDITIONS engage a threat, you may spend an additional
- What here is worth a lot of money?
- What here would someone miss if taken?
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) Team from the Pool to draw attention to yourself.
You may do this once per scene. - What here could I improve?
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
q Coming to you Live!: When you take center q My Body is a Canvas: When you extend your
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation) stage in a crowded place to act as distraction, powers and tap into The Midnight World, the GM will
roll + Freak. On a miss, you’re ignored. Roll to shift your Labels and you may take on a disguise of
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers)
take a Powerful Blow. On a hit, you get some a Shadow. Take +1 Ongoing to Provoke Shadows and
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence) attention but you’re going to have to give it more gain an Ability of your choice for the duration of the
energy to sell it. On a 10+ you sway the crowd, scene. If you would mark a Condition, lose access to
put on a show. your bonuses.
BACKSTORY
• When did you first taste the limelight?
• When did you develop your “image” and how is it different from your private life?
IMAGE PROBLEM
• Who, outside the team, keeps you connected to the mundane world? Even though you’re young you’ve had a taste of fame, a glimpse of stardom, the roar of crowds as your
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question. popularity spreads well outside your wildest dreams. To maintain this you’ve had to live as someone you’re
• Why do you care about the team? not, the famous you and the real you live disconnected lives.
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then
determine what happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and Your Public Image is different from your private life. Pick one:
your teammates, and who has Influence over you.
q An aspiring model q A fledgling novelist

WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... q An up and coming pop idol q An artistic savant
q A podcaster/streamer q The child of someone famous
We protected someone important to the community, who was it?
When you use your Public Image to get your way, roll + Freak. On a miss, you get what you want but
RELATIONSHIPS people are upset. Expect karma to swing back on you fiercely. On a hit, you’re given what you want but you
need to do something in return, probably something embarrassing. On a 10+ the request is minor.
_______________ was a fan of my celebrity identity before I joined the team.
_______________ sees me for who I really am. When you confront your Public Image by showing who you really are to someone, roll + Mundane. On
a miss, they reject you. Remove your Influence over them if you have it and roll to take a Powerful Blow. On
INFLUENCE a hit, they reject you for now. They’ll need time to process. Take +1 Forward when they confront you again.
On a 10+, they accept you. Take Influence over them and mark Potential.
Your teammates are the people you feel most comfortable showing your true self. Give all Teammates
Influence over you.
THE ICON
PLAYING THE ICON
The Icon, in many ways, plays similar to The Star core Playbook where you are expected to perform
or at least live up to the image placed upon you. Whereas The Star has an audience to back you
up and your fame is generally focused on that segment of people, The Icon is both less visible in
their popularity and more broadly well known. The Icon has to go out of their way to use their Public
Image to get what they want, otherwise they can generally slip through the masses as they are not
inherently a famous hero, just that their public persona is. That’s the rush of using one’s Public
Image. To be famous and noticed. That doesn’t mean that their fame is lesser or more obscure or
that there won’t be people riding The Icon to live up to that image. Managers, helicopter families,
fans who go above and beyond to see you when you’re not acting as your Public Image will all
demand that you play to that image even when you’re exhausted.
The team however accepts you for who you are. You aren’t some famous person to them, or if you
are, it ought to be secondary to the fact that you’re a teenager just like them. Blow off steam with
them, cut loose, be who you really are while you can. They likely can’t help you when people come
expecting you to be more than that or at least not without some drama.
NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS
The Icon’s Image Problem, like many of the Playbooks of The Midnight Generation, acts as a tug
of war between your true self you’ve awakened with your Facade and who you were before. In this
case the division between your Public Image and your real self is a more literal contrast, you have
people expecting you to be both. Living up to both is where the tug of war comes into play. Giving
in to your Public Image will net you positive results, for a time, but the returns are diminishing as
you’d expect. As with many of the Playbooks of Midnight Generation, the player is the final arbiter
on what it means to stand up for who they really are. The GM should take note of the differences
between one and the other and be prepared to use Influence when they feel things aren’t matching
up. But in general, when a player tells you who they really are... believe them.
SUGGESTED MOVES FROM OTHER PLAYBOOKS
From The Midnight Generation, the Icon should take moves that flavor how their outward face is
shown to the world. Moves from The Outcast for a more punky Icon make sense while Moves from
The Navigator make sense for a more reserved or shrewd Icon.
From the Masks: A New Generation Playbooks both Stage Fighting and The Gossip Mags
complement your Icon status and further the overlap between the drama of The Star and The Icon.
INSPIRATION FOR THE ICON
- Kujikawa Rise, Persona 4
- Takamaki Ann, Persona 5
- Okumura Haru, Persona 5
GM MOVES FOR THE ICON
- Give them time to breath
- Put their Public Image in a bad light
- Defend their Public Image
- Hide them from paparazzi
- Let them be a kid
PLAYING THE ICON OUTSIDE THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
When playing The Icon outside The Midnight Generation make the following changes. Additionally,
The Icon covers a great deal of the drama that The Star covers. We recommend not allowing both
at the table so drama doesn’t overlap or block people out from the narrative they wish to convey.
REPLACE THE ARCANA SECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING:
Abilities: Your powers are flashy, distracting, or relevant to your particular slice of fame. Pick two.
Powerful/Commanding Voice, Phenomenal Beauty/Pheromones, Gadgets and Hacking, Impossible
Fighting Skills, Supernatural Wealth
REPLACE MY BODY IS A CANVAS AND LASER LIGHT SHOW WITH:
Shopping Spree: When you take a teammate out for time on the town roll + Mundane. On a miss, you
get the both of you in trouble. The GM will tell you how. On a hit, you blow off steam but also burn a
hole in your wallets. Clear a Condition but you’re going to need to find a way to pay for all of your stuff.
On a 10+, put it on credit. That’s a Future You problem.
Not Talking to the Camera: When someone attempts to use their Influence over you by applying
something that might be true to your Public Image you may take +2 forward when rejecting their
Influence.
REPLACE LIMIT BREAKS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOMENT OF TRUTH.
You’ve lived in a shadow you’ve cast all on your own. The struggle to keep the real you and the fake you
separate has worn you down, living up to expectations you just can’t ever seem to meet has ground you
to paste. In this moment you see that there is not the you you’ve made and the you you’ve kept separate.
They’re both you, you are one. Use both sides of yourself to solve any situation. Make mountains move,
call up a crowd to lend their support, dazzle the opposition. When all is said and done expect those around
you to start seeing what you saw. That there’s only one of you and you can do amazing things when you try.
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you engage with the outside world on its terms.
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them what their favorite hobbies are. If
they invite you along to try them out, exchange Influence and add a Team to the Pool. If they don’t share their
hobbies, remove their Influence over you.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, confess a minor stress you’ve been holding in.
If they talk you down from it, clear a Condition and give them Influence over you. If they brush it off as minor,
mark a Condition but take +1 Forward when Provoking them next. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Navigator’s final Social Link by accepting their hobbies unconditionally. You may mark a
Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over
them. In addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to allow them to reroll when they fall to their Stress.
They must take the second roll, even on a miss. REAL NAME
FACADE NAME
LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative to find an item, opponent, ally, or path to or from somewhere no one LOOK
else could. • ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
• cautious eyes, scared eyes, hopeful eyes, longing eyes
POTENTIAL q q q q q • stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT The Hierophant, The Priestess, The Lovers, The Hermit
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q
q
Take your other Palace Move
Take a move from another playbook
+1 to a Label
q Take a Sanctuary from The Doomed Playbook
SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook q Unlock your Limit Break (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Clear one of your Stresses
The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Choose another Limit Break q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Take an adult move
q Take an adult move The Hierophant qqqq | q The Hanged Man qqqq | q The Sun qqqq | q
The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
LABELS NAVIGATOR MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)

DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Activated My Trap Card: When you would q Let Your Fingers Do the Walking: When you
reveal a trap you laid earlier, roll + Superior. would travel the city with your Teammates roll
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 On a miss, you’re caught in your own trap + Superior. On a miss, your excursion finds you
with your target. On a hit, gain an opportunity somewhere dangerous or unexpected. The GM
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 or add a Team to the Pool. On a 10+, do both. will tell you which. On a hit, you find somewhere
interesting. Tell the GM what or where you’ve
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q The Old Switcheroo: When you would found. On a 7-9, you’re out of your comfort zone
confuse or mislead an opponent in attacking but your Teammates aren’t. On a 10+, you and
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 one of their allies, roll + Superior. On a miss, your Teammates can clear a Condition.
your antics put the target on you or one of
your allies. On a 7-9, give your teammates an SatNav: When you are the Leader while
CONDITIONS opportunity though expect reprisal when your
opponent figures your antics out. On a 10+
q Traversing The Midnight World, you may always
choose the following question, even on a miss:
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) avoid further entanglement and add a Team - Expose a flaw in the Palace’s design.
to the Pool.
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
Critical Weakness: Whenever you defeat a
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation) q Coordination: When you would spend a Team q Vassal of a Ward in the Midnight World you may
from the Pool to help out a Teammate you may ask the GM a single question about the Palace’s
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers) provide an additional +1 to the roll if you rope Ruler. They must answer honestly.
another teammate into helping out.
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)

BACKSTORY STRESS INDICATORS

• When did you first withdraw from the world? You used to be a normal kid but something pushed you into your shell, some event that you haven’t been able
• What keyed you into your hobbies? to get over yourself. This is your Stress. Pick two:
• Who, outside the team, has made it past your walls?
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question. q The sudden loss of a loved one q Recently moved to the city
• Why do you care about the team? q Constant Bullying q Your former friends abandoned you
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then q A strict or overbearing caretaker q A loved one barred you from one of your hobbies
determine what happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and
your teammates, and who has Influence over you. When you are confronted with your Stress in a social situation, roll + Freak. On a miss, you must fling
yourself into your Crutch immediately. If you have not by the end of the scene, roll to take a Powerful Blow. On
WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... a 7-9, you waver. Mark a Condition or they shift your Labels. On a 10+ you stand strong. Clear a Condition
or mark Potential.
We let off some steam together after the fight, what did we do?
You have hobbies or other interests that you’ve focused on in your self isolation. These are your Crutches.
RELATIONSHIPS Pick two.

_______________ is helping me get out of my shell. q Cooking and Baking q Blogging/Photography

_______________ thinks I’m a nerd, they don’t get my passion.

q Computers and Programming q Comic Books
q Figurine Collecting q Street Racing
q Art q Amateur Boxing
INFLUENCE
You’ve only slowly begun to open up to the world around you, it takes a lot to earn your trust. Give two When you fling yourself into easy relief with your hobbies you may clear any Condition you have
Teammates Influence over you. One must be who you selected for your first Relationship question. marked, not just Hopeless.
THE NAVIGATOR
PLAYING THE NAVIGATOR
Being the Navigator is all about the push and pull between the things that make you happy and
eager to be out in the open and the things that pushed you behind the walls in the first place.
The world is harsh, you know that well, you’ve secluded yourself and often times you just wish
you could be left alone. However the world is not going to take that request laying down. Not just
because you have a host of friends who want to see you happy and safe from the harsh realities
that drove you to hide yourself away, but because life rarely affords one the option of simply
declining to live it.
While there are no mechanical riggings to force you back behind your walls and defenses, much of
the flavor helps to remind The Navigator that that is where they belong. Where it’s safe. The team,
for their part, should be the constant connection to the world and a way for The Navigator to get
free. It should also be reminded that while The Navigator tends to hermit, the entire drama of the
Playbook is to break free from those bindings and live your best life.
As such, the Navigator should stick close to the team when outside their comfort zone. The team
might feel this is clingy or co-dependent but they should keep in mind that this is all new for
you, not to mention a big step. This applies outside of social situations. The Navigator is the only
Playbook of the Midnight Generation set that does not gain a second ability from their Arcana.
Navigators should rarely be on the front lines, their role should be in supporting the front line and
sticking close to people that can protect them when their gambits go awry.
SUGGESTED MOVES FROM OTHER PLAYBOOKS
Never Have I Ever from The Outcast plays well with the drama of The Navigator given their often
secluded or hapless nature or odd hobbies. I Reject Your Reality from The Psientist provides
further narrative weight to the idea that The Navigator is the go-to when traversing The Midnight
World and its Palaces.
From the Masks: A New Generation playbooks, Unstoppable from The Transformed provides
other avenues for The Navigator to navigate. While its Label is not a standard Label for The
Navigator’s moves, it provides a more interesting and inarguably out of drama choice for the
Playbook. Be Mindful of your Surroundings from The Protege provides more weight to the
concept that The Navigator has a throughline to the dangers of The Midnight World, providing them
more chances to provide answers and solutions to the team.
GM MOVES FOR THE NAVIGATOR
- Stress them out
- Offer alternate ways to destress
- Make them a cause of stress
- Give them walls to hide behind
- Tear those walls down

NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS INSPIRATION FOR THE NAVIGATOR

The Navigator’s Extra, Stress Indicators, acts as a sort of tug of war. Delving into your Hobbies
- Yamigashi Fuuka, Persona 3
rewards you with clearing Conditions and fleeing from the harsh realities when your Stress
indicates prompts you to do so. Doing so too often has its own downsides as your teammates will - Kujikawa Rise, Persona 4
come to pull you out. Finding the right balance, and pace, of these mechanics is in and of itself the - Sakura Fuutaba, Persona 5
point of the mechanics. What exactly triggers a Stress should broadly be up to the fiction. While it
is a GM’s place to make definitive calls, the Navigator is the final arbiter if they feel a situation or
the words of a person apply for the purposes of the mechanic.

The Old Switcheroo can only be triggered when there is more than one opponent in the scene. The
opponents do not need to be particularly strong or dangerous, nor do they need to be allied with
your target. They merely need to be present in the scene to apply.

The additional +1 to a teammate’s roll from Coordination is in addition to any other Team your
Team might spend when assisting with the action.
THE NAVIGATOR, CONT’D
PLAYING THE NAVIGATOR OUTSIDE THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
When playing The Navigator outside The Midnight Generation make the following changes.

REPLACE THE ARCANA SECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING:

Abilities: Your abilities often stem from your creative abilities and are rarely powerful in their
own right. Pick two.
Gadgets, Machine Control, Hacking, Mechanical Limbs, A hi-tech vehicle, Drones, A Robot Assistant,
Telepathy and Telekinesis, Extended Senses

REPLACE SATNAV AND CRITICAL WEAKNESS WITH:

Fanning Out: When you would discover a new hobby or interest, roll + Freak. On a miss,
your new discovery absorbs you. Replace one of your Crutches and expose a weakness or
flaw. On a hit, you’ve gained new insight from the time spent. Take +1 Forward or tell the
GM how this new hobby might apply to your current situation. On a 10+, mark Potential..
Comic Book Store: When you explore the city for a new site or experience, roll + Superior.
On a miss, you wind up somewhere you did not want to be. The GM will tell you how. On a hit,
you find a new location but it’s not the ideal time. Tell the GM why. On a 10+, when you blow
off steam at the new location for the first time, clear an additional Condition.

REPLACE LIMIT BREAKS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOMENT OF TRUTH.

You’ve lived behind walls for a long time, sequestered away from judging eyes and cruel words.
The walls kept more than the harsh realities of life out, they kept you from those who only wanted
to help. You’ve been bringing the walls down slowly but in this moment you need to go big. Tell
someone a harsh truth of your own, declare an aspect of yourself as true that you’ve never shown,
move mountains. When all is said and done people remember how easy it was to get you out of
your shell when it mattered, don’t expect to retreat into it so easily from now on.
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you stand up for those society puts down.
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if they consider you a friend outside
your teamwork. If they say yes, exchange Influence. If not ask them how you could become closer, give them
Influence over you and take +1 ongoing to make it happen. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask what mask they wear when they’re feeling
hurt. If they tell you, take Influence over them. If they deny they have a mask to protect themselves, shift their
Labels. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Outcast’s final Social Link by standing up for them when no one else in the scene will. You
may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have
Influence over them. In addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to allow them to use a second Facade
for the scene. REAL NAME
FACADE NAME
LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative to break something, be it a person or otherwise, that seems unbreakable. LOOK
• ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
POTENTIAL q q q q q • soft eyes, friendly eyes, angry eyes, steely eyes
• stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT The Hermit, Strength, Temperance, The Chariot
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q
q
Take your other Palace Move
Take a move from another playbook
+1 to a Label
q Choose another Mask
SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook q Unlock your Limit Break (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from
your Arcana The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
q Choose another Playbook The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city
q Take an adult move The Hierophant qqqq | q The Hanged Man qqqq | q The Sun qqqq | q
q Take an adult move The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
LABELS OUTCAST MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)

DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q King’s Game: When you would confront an adult q Pin the Tail: When you Pierce the Mask of someone
over their hypocrisy roll + Danger. On a miss, in authority you may always ask the following, even
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 they overreact or come down on you hard. Take on a miss:
Influence over them but the GM will shift your - How can you help us?
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Labels. On a 7-9, they give ground but hit back.
- What’s really going on with…?
Expect them to take advantage of you when
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 you’re down but expose a weakness or a flaw in
q Never Have I Ever: When you Comfort or Support
the moment. On a 10+, mark Potential or add a a teammate by admitting an embarrassing or
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Team to the Pool. compromising fact you may clear a Condition, even
Twister: When you engage a threat to cover the on a miss. If they open up to you, Hold 1. Spend
q Hold to gain a +1 on your next Comfort/Support with
CONDITIONS Team’s retreat, roll + Danger. On a miss, you’re
just in the way. Roll to take a Powerful Blow as them.
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) the opposition moves over you. On a 7-9, give q Capture the Flag: Whenever you clear a Ward roll
the team an opportunity but mark a Condition. + Danger. On a miss, a powerful minion of the Ruler
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask) On a 10+ you intercede, take +1 Forward. or some other danger lurks near your escape route.
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
q Reverse Card: When a Vassal would gain an On a hit, add a Team to the Pool. On a 7-9, take -1
Opportunity you may mark a Condition to take when Returning Home. On a 10+, clear a Condition.
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers)
one as well.
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)

BACKSTORY TAKING OFF THE MASK

• Who cast you aside? At some point you found yourself alone, your old friends, peers, even adults having left you on the wayside.
• What is your greatest passion? You’ve internalized that rejection, and built up a Mask to cover the hurt, a mask you wear so no one can hurt
• Who, outside the team, sees you for who you truly are? you again. Pick one:
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question.
• Why do you care about the team? q The Clown (Freak): When you would q The Bookworm (Superior): When you Assess
Comfort or Support a Teammate with your the Situation in an area you’re well studied you
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then determine what may ask a question from the list, even on a miss.
antics, roll + Freak instead of + Mundane.
happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and your teammates,
and who has Influence over you. q The Ruffian (Danger): When you would q The Stoic (Mundane): When you would miss
Provoke someone with violence you may roll on a Reject roll, you may always pick which Label
WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... + Danger instead of + Superior. you Shift down instead of the GM.

We can only enter the Midnight World at certain locations, what is our main point of entry? When you would use your Mask to solve an immediate problem, you may roll with your Masks’s Label
instead of the Move’s Label. If your Mask’s Label is the same, take +1 Forward on the roll. If your peers or
RELATIONSHIPS adults are watching, the GM will shift your Labels.
_______________ and I butt heads on a lot of issues but I know they’ve got my back. When you would publicly confront a situation without your Mask, roll + Freak. On a miss, people judge
_______________ still sees me as the Mask I wear. you harshly. The GM will shift your labels or you may mark a Condition. On a hit, you show some of your true
self. Take +1 to your Mask’s Label. On a 7-9 Take -1 to Reject Influence for the rest of the scene. On a 10+,
INFLUENCE mark Potential or clear a Condition.

You’ve had to hide your true self for a long time but now you’ve found friends that you’re comfortable being Abandonment Issues: When you would lose Influence over a Teammate, mark a Condition or lash out or
yourself around. Give all Teammates Influence over you. Provoke a teammate to dangerous action.
THE OUTCAST
PLAYING THE OUTCAST
You’re on the outside looking in, something you’ve done or...even worse...something you haven’t done
has put you at odds with the majority of people around you. All that you’ve tried to do to change that
has just widened the divide. You could easily be bitter, raging at those that put you in such a position or
you could turn on the charm to hide that it really does bother you. The Facade provides for a number of
ways to confront the central drama your Playbook entails. The desire to belong and not suffer under the
yoke of the authorities that have held you down is stronger than the chains they’ve put you in.
Unsurprisingly the team is there to show you where you belong and provide you a chance to spread
your wings even if they have to pierce that mask now and again. They’ll find your earnestness helpful
for their own problems, you’re someone they can confide in when they need it most. Some on your
team may not care for how you’ve covered your own pain but that’s often because they see a bit of
their own coping mechanisms in you. Try not to hold it against them, they need you just as much as
you need them.
NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS
The Outcast’s Facade provides small bonuses while allowing the Player to choose just what sort of
mechanism they want the rest of their Extra Mechanic to cover. The trigger should, ultimately, make
sense given the Mask but the Player is the ultimate arbiter on how they’re interpreting the situation.
The GM has the final call if it counts as usual.
King’s Game requires the adult in question to be at odds with previous actions. Those actions do not
need to be in the same scene or even the same session. So long as the adult triggering the Move has
acted in a way contrary to their current attitudes that is enough to trigger the Move.
It is generally up to the Player to determine if someone is an authority for the trigger of Pin the Tail. The
GM should remember that the Player has determined they are an authority there after.
The embarrassing or comprising detail for Never Have I Ever should not be something small. The
Player should offer something meaningful to their character, not some trivial detail they can brush off
if other people were to find out.
GM MOVES FOR THE OUTCAST
- Put their teammates in danger
- Confront them with their Facade
- Let them show their true self
- Question their determination
- Show that the mask and the true self are one and the same
INSPIRATION FOR THE OUTCAST
- Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5
- Iori Junpei, Persona 3
- Hanamura Yosuke, Persona 4
SUGGESTED MOVES FROM OTHER PLAYBOOKS
The Old Switcheroo from The Navigator is a good choice for more trickster type Outcasts while
Too Close to the Sun from The Practiced provides more punchy Outcasts more options for
Directly Engaging opponents.
From the Masks: A New Generation Playbooks Are you Watching Closely from The Delinquent
further complements sneaky Outsiders, giving them options to show off their craftiness. Not So
Different from The Reformed further supports the darker side of The Outcast.
PLAYING THE OUTCAST OUTSIDE THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
When playing The Outcast outside The Midnight Generation make the following changes.
Additionally, The Outcast covers a great deal of the drama that The Delinquent covers. We
recommend not allowing both at the table so drama doesn’t overlap or block people out from the
narrative they wish to convey.
REPLACE THE ARCANA SECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING:
Abilities: You’ve learned to use your powers mostly on your own, they’re often rough or you’ve
come up with unorthodox methods to use them owing to your lack of official training. Some
might see your powers as taboo or off putting, but they’re all you’ve got. Pick two.
Biokinesis, Illusions, Physical Transmutation, Shadow Control, Superhuman Senses, Mortal
Puppetry, Clones, Gadgets and Hacking, Forbidden Martial Arts, Enhanced Strength
REPLACE REVERSE CARD AND CAPTURE THE FLAG WITH:
Simon Says: When you would act as a frontman for your team, mark a Condition and tell the
GM a Basic Move but do not tell the Team. Whenever a Teammate would use that Basic Move
for the first time in a scene, add a Team to the Pool on a hit. You may do this once per scene,
you cannot do this if you have four Conditions marked.
Trivial Pursuit: When you would chase after a teammate that must leave a scene, you may
shift your Labels to clear one of their Conditions during the next scene.
REPLACE LIMIT BREAKS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOMENT OF TRUTH.
You’ve had to wear a mask to hide the pain for a long time, you’ve often forgotten you wore one at
all. The fake face you’ve shown the world isn’t just a mask anymore, it’s a part of you and you’re
going to show how it’s helped strengthen who you really are beneath. Tell someone a difficult truth
and what they have to do to own up to their mistakes, topple someone from their perch on the
mountain, or just expose someone for the bad influence they really are. Once you’ve stood up to
the bullies, people are going to look at you when the next one comes around and you might find
they’re not so eager to let you slip that mask on again.
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you assist others in combating Shadows in the real world.
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if they thought you handled yourself
well in the situation. If they say yes, exchange Influences. If they say no and give you pointers, take +1 ongoing
when acting on their advice. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them a time you’ve felt at your lowest. If
they offer their shoulder to cry on, give them Influence over you and add a Team to the Pool. If they reject your
admission, remove their Influence.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Practiced’s final Social Link by standing beside them in an unwinnable confrontation. You
may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have
Influence over them. In addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to clear a Condition from a Teammate.
REAL NAME
FACADE NAME
LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative to protect someone or something in grave danger at the moment within
the scene.
LOOK
• ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White

POTENTIAL
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.
q q q q q
• rough hands, delicate hands, scarred hands, dirty hands
• stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT The Chariot, The Emperor, The Devil, The Tower
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q
q
Take your other Palace Move
Take a move from another playbook
+1 to a Label
q Gain two items off the Mentor’s Resources from The Protege
SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook Playbook (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from q Unlock your Limit Break
your Arcana The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
q Choose another Playbook The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city
q Take an adult move The Hierophant qqqq | q The Hanged Man qqqq | q The Sun qqqq | q
q Take an adult move The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
LABELS PRACTICED MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)

DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Golden Fleece: When you take a Powerful q Twelve Labors: When you offer aid to a civilian on
Blow against an opponent you engaged without your off time, roll + Savior. On a miss, the task is
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 hedging your bets, you may roll + Danger and more difficult than they let on or takes more time
use this move instead of the Basic Move. On than you expected. Take -1 ongoing for the next
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 a miss, mark two Conditions and give the scene. On a 7-9, they’re grateful but can offer little
opposition an opportunity. On a hit, mark one in return. On a 10+, they will come to your aid when
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Condition and expose a weakness or flaw in your you need it most, no questions asked.
opponent. On a 10+ add a Team to the Pool.
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Pomegranate Seeds: When you Return to the Real
Pandora’s Box: When you Comfort or Support World you may mark a Condition to add a Team to
q someone by asking them to accept a part of the Pool before the roll.
CONDITIONS themselves they deny, you may roll + Danger
instead of + Mundane. If they do not open up to q Theft of Fire: When you take a Treasure from
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) you, mark a Condition. the Midnight World you may use your contacts
to fence it in the real world. Roll + Danger. On a
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask) Too Close to the Sun: When you take a miss, authorities are alerted. Expect some heat in
calculated risk when Directly Engaging an the real world on you for a while. On a hit, you may
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
q opponent, mark a Condition even on a hit to use an Ability from another Playbook or Arcana for
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers) choose an additional choice from the Directly the duration of a Ward. On a 10+, Hold 1. You may
Engage options. You may choose one choice on spend this Hold to give a Teammate an ability from
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence) the list even on a miss. an Arcana or Playbook for a scene.

BACKSTORY SHADOW WAR

• Why do you seek revenge on the Shadows of The Midnight World?
The rest of the team may be new to this but you’ve got experience with Shadows, and not all of it positive.
• What good do you do for those hurt by Shadows? Going it solo got you hurt but now you have a team that has your back. But a new team and more firepower
• Who, outside the team, gives you support? doesn’t mean the wounds have all healed. The scars you carry from your previous fights remain and you’ve
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question. come up with Coping Mechanisms to get through the fights ahead. Pick one:
• Why do you care about the team?
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then determine what SCARS q q q q q
happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and your teammates,
and who has Influence over you. q Accepting the aid of a teammate q Showing mercy to Shadows
q Not overexerting yourself q Expressing your pain through words, not violence
WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER...
We confronted a powerful Shadow within the Midnight World, how did we defeat it? When you confront Shadows in a dangerous or single-minded way while ignoring your Coping
Mechanism, mark a Condition or mark one on your Scars Track to roll 3d6 instead of 2d6 when rolling
Directly Engage, Provoke or Unleash your Powers. Drop the lowest die from your roll. For example, if you roll
RELATIONSHIPS a 6, 4 and 3, your roll would be 10.
With more training_______________ could become an asset in my fight against the Shadows. When you confront your trauma caused by Shadows by applying your Coping Mechanism, lower your
_______________ has had their fair share of run-ins with Shadows, I can’t help but be a little jealous how Scars Track by one or clear a Condition if your track is at 0.
well they handle it.
When you would clear Guilty, Insecure or Hopeless via their Condition Move you may lower your track by 1
INFLUENCE instead. Any time you would mark a Condition, you may mark one on your Scars Track instead.

You’ve got a lot of people to worry about and sometimes your Teammates don’t appreciate the pressure When your Scars Track would fill, clear it and lose control of your powers in a dangerous way. In addition,
you’re under. Give Influence to two of your Teammates. gain Potential.
THE PRACTICED
PLAYING THE PRACTICED GM MOVES FOR THE PRACTICED
Playing The Practiced is about coming to terms with the trauma that might result in those who put - Remind them of their pain
themselves in a position of helping others fight monsters, or in the case of comic books, villains. - Offer absolution
While the trauma, or the revenge The Practiced seeks, may not have resulted from a physical loss
the core of their drive is to cover up those painful feelings and experiences through violent or self - Confront them with others pain
destructive means. These topics are thus important to discuss with the table as they may well - Put them at odds with their Organization
hit close to home with others at the table. Keep Table Tools handy if the themes and topics The - Offer a dry shoulder when they need it.
Practiced hit on grow uncomfortable in a given scene and discuss with all your fellow players on
how to navigate or avoid further occurrences if and when this happens.

The Team is thus a point of uncertainty for The Practiced. While some may want to help them heal,
they are also teenagers going through their own problems and not always able to navigate the
pain their friends are in which might just push The Practiced deeper into their problems. Others
on the team may not even hide the fact that they’re not interested in giving that level of emotional
support or want The Practiced to worry about them, a mirror to their own issues. Regardless The
Practiced needs the team and the team needs The Practiced no matter how contentious moments
can be between them.
NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS
Shadow War, like many Extra Mechanics in The Midnight Generation, act as a tug of war for
the Player. When they are following the steps to heal themselves they have access to additional
goodies but the constant bonuses of simply keeping off the handle are likewise tempting. The
Team acts as a third direction in this tug of war, working to temper the combat abilities of their
teammate with their eventual absolution. As this tug of war is slowly lost, The Practiced grows
more dangerous, a time bomb waiting to go off. Mitigating this timer, or at least keeping it from
hitting 0, is a goal not only for the Practiced themselves but the team as well.
You do not need to engage a Dangerous Foe alone for the purposes of Golden Fleece, merely that
you engage them in a dangerous or foolhardy way. Your allies can engage the opponent in any
manner they like.
The Teammate in question for Pandora’s Box is the final arbiter in what they consider something
they’d rather deny. If they open up and tell you what it is, that is applicable for the move to trigger.
The GM may ask follow up questions if they feel the answer is unsatisfactory, but the player still
has final say in if they feel it is appropriate.
The NPC you aid in Twelve Labors should still provide something on a hit, no matter how minor
it is. Kind words that clear a Condition, something useful in the real or Midnight World, even just
Influence is enough. So long as something is given to the Player, that’s what matters.
SUGGESTED MOVES FROM OTHER PLAYBOOKS
Midnight Channel from The Prisoner provides The Practiced a way to blow off steam and while
it is not indicated in the move, we suggest allowing members of The Practiced’s organization to fit
for its triggers to help further the connections between the Playbook and its mechanics. Reverse
Card from The Outcast furthers your combat capabilities in The Midnight World, allowing you to
more easily go toe to toe against Vassals without hedging your bets.
From the Masks: A New Generation Playbooks both Before We Get Started and Mission First
from The Soldier play well with The Practiced. While The Soldier and The Practiced are not as close
as The Icon and The Star or The Golem is to The Newborn, there is certainly some narrative overlap
and any of The Soldier’s moves are a solid choice.
INSPIRATION FOR THE PRACTICED
- Makoto Yuki, Persona 3
- Takeba Yuki, Persona 3
- Aragaki Shinjiro, Persona 3
PLAYING THE PRACTICED OUTSIDE THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
When playing The Practed outside The Midnight Generation make the following changes.
REPLACING THE MIDNIGHT WORLD AND PLAYER ADVICE:
A major part of The Practiced is that they’re part of an Organization that supports them and this
Organization has deep ties to other Facade Users and The Midnight World. Tweaking this to be a
Heroic Organization that helps teen, and adult heroes, through trauma by giving them resources
and a safe space will fix any lingering issues.
THE PRACTICED CONT’D
As The Midnight Generation uses different rules for Influence, dropping the Social Link and Arcana
from the Organization is a requirement. Use Influence as usual in core Masks in place of the Social
Link and choose an ability for the Organization from the list below.

REPLACE THE ARCANA SECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING:

Abilities: You have spent considerable time and training learning your abilities. Pick two.
Martial Training, Elemental Control, A Signature Weapon, A Suit of Power Armor, Power Mimicry,
Power Negation, Expanded Senses, Impossible Fighting Skills, An Alternate Form

REPLACE POMEGRANATE SEEDS AND THEFT OF FIRE WITH:

Nemean Lion: When you attempt to frighten or intimidate a villain without physical action, roll
+ Danger. On a miss, they call your bluff. Give ground to them or give them an opportunity.
On a 7-9, they falter but double down. Escalate the situation. On a 10+, they give in to your
demands but want something in return.
On Winged Feet: When you use your training to slip into, or out of an area, roll + Savior. On
a miss you find yourself somewhere worse or alert someone to your actions. On a 7-9 you
leave something incriminating behind or get hurt in the process, mark a Condition. On a 10+
you slip away unseen, avoiding further entanglement.

REPLACE THE PRACTICED’S WHEN OUR TEAM CAME TOGETHER QUESTION WITH
THE FOLLOWING:
Someone I fought, and landed a grievous injury on me, was present at the scene. Who were they?

REPLACE LIMIT BREAKS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOMENT OF TRUTH.

Fighting has been your only way to cover the hurt you’ve felt all this time but your friends and allies
have been helping you find other ways and outlets for the wounds you hold inside. You’d even say
that they’ve been making headway but you know something they want you to unlearn. Sometimes
violence is the answer, especially if it’s when you’re protecting other people. In this moment your
violence is the answer to all the questions being asked. Save someone, beat someone down so
they’ll never get back up, whatever the situation calls for. When you’re done however expect all
those people trying to turn you to less violent means to do so more proactively and keep an eye out
for those that might want to use your violence to their own ends
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you expose injustices and right them.
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them how they view their own pursuit of
Justice. If yours align, trade Influence. If your ideals diverge, they may shift your Labels. Add a Team to the
pool regardless.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them how being looked down on by society
has affected you. If they offer consolation, exchange Influence and clear a Condition. If they blame the world
for your problems, add a Team to the pool if they agree to help you fix it.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Prisoner’s final Social Link by helping them bring someone to justice. You may mark a
Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have Influence over
them. In addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to allow them to take +1 on their Calling Card roll as
if they had cleared an Investigation. REBEL NAME
FACADE NAME
LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative to take something valuable from anyone in the scene without revealing LOOK
the act. • ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
POTENTIAL q q q q q • smiling eyes, mischievous eyes, jaded eyes, hardened eyes
• stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT The Fool, The World, Judgment, The Hanged Man
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q
q
Take your other Palace Move
Take a move from another playbook
+1 to a Label
q Take Obligations from The Reformed Playbook
SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook q Unlock your Limit Break (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from
your Arcana The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
q Choose another Playbook The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city
q Take an adult move The Hierophant qqqq | q The Hanged Man qqqq | q The Sun qqqq | q
q Take an adult move The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
LABELS PRISONER MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)

DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q I am Thou, Thou Art I: When you Defend q Baton Pass: When you successfully Directly Engage
someone from a social injustice you may roll + a dangerous foe you may give a teammate a +2
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Superior instead of + Savior. You may exchange instead of a +1 when you spend a Team from the
Influence, even on a miss. Pool on their next missed roll during this scene.
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Midnight Channel: When you fling yourself into q Skulk You may take +1 ongoing when you, or the
easy relief by indulging in the local nightlife, Leader, lower a Palace’s Heat for the duration of the
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 clear an additional Condition. If you drag a scene when you enter a new Ward.
teammate along with you, add a Team to the Pool.
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Me and my Shadow: When you attempt to distract,
q Trapeze Artist: When you attempt daring acts fool, or impede an opponent roll + Freak. On a
miss you’ve caught their attention but not as you
CONDITIONS of acrobatics within The Midnight World roll
+ Superior. On a miss, you land on your butt. intended. Expect reprisal. On a hit, you trick them
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) Mark a Condition or bring unwanted attention but not for long, gain an opportunity for yourself or
to yourself. On a hit, you end up somewhere new a teammate. On a 10+, they take the bait fully and
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask) or uncover a hidden but guarded treasure. On a you avoid further entanglement.
10+ add a Team to the Pool.
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers)
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)
LAUNDRY LIST
Society has distorted justice, that’s plain to see. ______________________ q q q
BACKSTORY From your own dust ups with the law placing you
on or close to probation you’ve seen first hand how
______________________ q q q
• What led you to being labeled a dangerous hoodlum? adults use the system to further their own ends. ______________________ q q q
• What is justice to you? You’ve collected some names, those who are truly
• Who, outside the team, is helping you now that you’re on thin ice with the law? distorted in their own methods, to make examples of. ______________________ q q q
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question. Pick five names for your Laundry List.
______________________ q q q
• Why do you care about the team? These are your Targets.
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then determine what
happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and your teammates, Heist: When you enter the Midnight World to change the heart of its Ruler and confront their crimes, roll +
and who has Influence over you. Superior. On a miss you’ve either alerted the Ruler, your actions have raised Heat, or you’ve otherwise provoked
them to paranoid action. Do not clear an Investigation Track and expect reprisal as the Ruler guards their
Palace. On a hit, you’ve left something behind that incriminates you, raise Heat by 1 the next time you enter The
WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... Midnight World, however mark an Investigation off the track. On a 10+, take +1 forward on your next Heist.
We helped someone escape a dangerous situation. Who was it and what were they in danger from? You may only do three Heists in total on a single Target even if you have not fully cleared the Investigation Track.

RELATIONSHIPS
_______________ stood up for me when I was being harassed about my past.
_______________ may well be as much of a delinquent as I am.
INFLUENCE
The world is set against you, your friends are all you’ve got. Give all your teammates Influence over you.
Calling Card: Once you’ve completed three Heists on a Target you can put out a calling card. Describe your
calling card and roll + the number of filled Investigation on the Target’s track. On a miss, their crimes are
exposed but the other Targets on your list have started to connect the dots. Take a -1 on your next Calling Card.
On a hit, the manner in which the Target confesses their crimes complicates your next Heist, take -1 the next
time you roll for a Heist but clear a Condition now. On a 10+, you and your friends remain undetected, take
+1 forward on your next Heist.
Once you’ve completed a Target and their Calling Card, either gain a Potential or shift labels, your choice. Once
all five Calling Cards have been given out and all your Target’s crimes have been exposed, change Playbooks
or retire from the life.
THE PRISONER
PLAYING THE PRISONER
You’re a delinquent, a probationer, someone the law is keeping an eye on and the worst part? You
didn’t do anything to really deserve it. Whatever actions you took to find yourself needing society’s
rehabilitation, it was a minor offense that has spiraled way out of control. You’re going to have to
watch yourself for a while, at least until the heat is off of you but in a world of super heroes you’re
at least afforded another identity to bring those who have kept you down to justice.
Justice itself is a big deal to The Prisoner and while their own definition may not align with others,
the pursuit of their ideals is more important to them than their own personal freedom. Helping
others who suffer under society’s inequities and constraints pushes them to be heroic, or at least
an anti-hero. Not for their own sake but for the sake of their friends and society as a whole. Society
may have failed the Prisoner but they’ll be damned if they’ll let it fail someone they care about.
As such the Prisoner relies heavily on the team both as a way to keep their head above water when
the world seems set against them while also needing their expertise to fulfill their own mission.
The Prisoner should know that they are not an island, that while they may be strong and true to
themselves, they’re not strong enough to do what needs to be done on their own. The Prisoner
should cultivate deep and lasting bonds with their teammates and many other NPCs that enter
their sphere of influence. A Prisoner that casually discards the Influence of others will suffer for
keeping everyone at arm’s length.
NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS
The Prisoner’s extra mechanic, Laundry List, provides the player a number of foes they wish
to see embarrassed and taken down. Most importantly this list does not need to be big named
villains or heroes and can just as easily be a local school teacher who is particularly harsh to
their students or a politician using campaign money to line their own pockets. More importantly
however is that the names on the Prisoner’s Laundry List do not need to be connected within the
narrative. While this will certainly help the flow of the narrative, all five could be as disparate and
disconnected as the player wishes. The GM should take the time to cultivate a particular modus
operandi for The Prisoner in these cases to justify the rising tension in the other Targets on their
list.
Laundry List’s mechanics are also different from other Playbooks in that its bonus relies on
teammates rather than a Label or Conditions. This allows the GM to spend as much or as little
time on the actual Heist as needed in the narrative. If the narrative requires the Heist to simply
take place off screen, all players involved can offer details that fit the role rather than spending a
scene or more when the time at the table can’t support it.
Additionally, the Calling Card move only adds a bonus for Investigations that have been marked
off. If you roll a miss on the Heist move, you do not add that to your Calling Card roll.
NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS CONT’D
Similarly I am Thou, Thou Art I triggers only when the person you are defending is suffering from
an unjustified social interaction. This is highly dependent on both the setting a GM is running and
the table in general. When in doubt, a GM should be lenient on the player’s interpretation on what
they consider unjustified.
The bonus from Baton Pass has no set time frame when it expires other than the next missed roll
by a teammate. In general the GM should apply the bonus either for a roll directed to the same
dangerous foe or foes in the scene or shortly after the scene depending on what they roll.
SUGGESTED MOVES FROM OTHER PLAYBOOKS
Go the @#$% to Sleep from The Shadow is a potentially fun move for a Prisoner who takes a
slightly more mature stance with the team, trying to help them avoid getting embroiled in trouble
that they might be familiar with. I am Become Death from The Psientist is useful for a Prisoner
who only sees their revenge and drive to punish as important, even above the team.
From the Masks: A New Generation Playbooks, The Scion’s They Don’t Deserve Forgiveness
is especially impactful for The Prisoner and its narrative. While The Legacy’s I Know What I Am
shifts a Label that is not vital for The Prisoner, the move allows the Player to affirm their convictions
at important moments and that is worth more than minding one’s relevant Labels.
GM MOVES FOR THE PRISONER
- Remind them of their past crimes
- Offer solace in unlikely places
- Contrast their justice with others
- Offer them redemption, at the cost of their friends
- Question their justice
INSPIRATION FOR THE PRISONER
- Joker, Persona 5
THE PRISONER CONT’D
PLAYING THE PRISONER OUTSIDE THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
When playing The Prisoner outside The Midnight Generation make the following changes.

REPLACE FACADE NAME WITH REAL NAME.

REPLACE THE ARCANA SECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING:

Abilities: Your abilities are a manifestation of your spirit, a shadow of your true self that
manifests as a phantom around you when you use its power. It is as much a part of you
as your own physical body. This manifestation of willpower coats you in durable armor and
heightens your physical abilities to peak human capabilities. In addition this manifestation
grants the use of several unique abilities. Pick two.
Elemental Control, A Powerful Weapon, Emotion Control, An Alternate Form, Impossible Thievery,
Supernatural Senses, Impossible Fighting Skills, Protective Magics, Gadgets and Hacking

REPLACE TRAPEZE ARTIST AND SKULK WITH:

Social Link: When you spend time with a teammate outside your heroic identities you may
spend a Team selfishly to clear one of their Conditions, their choice.
Spirit of Rebellion: When you Reject the Influence of an adult who is trying to use their
authority over you unjustly, you may cancel their Influence over you even on a miss.

REPLACE LIMIT BREAKS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOMENT OF TRUTH.

You’ve plotted, planned, and built contingencies so you could be prepared for anything. The
situation you find yourself in is just one of your foreseen outcomes. Get out of any trap, embarrass
any foe, the sky’s the limit for what you predicted. Tell how you were prepared for the events in
question and solve them with your usual stylish flair. Once you’ve done so, be prepared. Revealing
such careful planning is only going to increase the world’s scrutiny over you.
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you expose a link between The Midnight World and the real world.
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, tell them about one of your interests and ask for
one of theirs. If they share their hobby or interest, exchange Influence and Hold 1. You may spend this Hold
when you blow off steam together to clear an additional Condition. If they are reticent, shift their Labels. Either
way, add a Team to the Pool.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them what lengths they would go for the
truth. If they reveal something dark about their drive exchange Influence. If they do not share an answer, shift
Danger down and another Label up. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Psientist’s final Social Link by revealing a secret of the Midnight World they do not know.
You may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you
have Influence over them. In addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to allow them to use a Guide Post
they have not unlocked once in the scene. REAL NAME
FACADE NAME

LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative to reveal something unknown within the Midnight World, opening a hidden LOOK
path, powerful treasure, or a powerful tool against a Palace’s Ruler. • ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
• calloused hands, dirty hands, clean hands, battered hands
POTENTIAL q q q q q • stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT The Magician, The Priestess, The Hierophant, The Star
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q
q
Take your other Palace Move
Take a move from another playbook
+1 to a Label
q Take a Sanctuary from The Doomed Playbook
SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook q Unlock your Limit Break (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from
your Arcana The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
q Choose another Playbook The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city
q Take an adult move The Hierophant qqqq | q The Hanged Man qqqq | q The Sun qqqq | q
q Take an adult move The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
LABELS PSIENTIST MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)

DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q The Definition of Insanity: When you would use q It’s Alive!: When you confront a living oddity from
a Basic Move after having missed with the same another realm of existence roll + Superior. On
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Basic Move, take +1 Forward on its roll. If you a miss, your research is inadequate to give you
miss, take +2 on the next roll of the Basic Move. information on the creature. On a hit, tell the GM
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 On a hit, mark a Condition. what you know about the creature and they’ll tell
you how it doesn’t quite match up. On a 10+, mark
q Monkey See: When a Teammate rolls a miss
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 on a Basic Move, you may spend a Team from
Potential.

MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 the pool for them to re-roll it. They must take q I Reject your Reality: When you would be the
the second result even on a miss. If the second Leader when Traversing a Palace you may mark a
result is a miss, you also mark a Condition. Condition to choose an additional option, even on
CONDITIONS q Demon Core: When someone Pierces your
a miss.

q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) Mask you may roll + Freak. On a miss, you q Disgruntled Engineer: When you would cause
share more than you mean to. They may ask an collateral damage or reshape your environment
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask) additional question. On a 7-9, you may ask a while in a Palace you may take -1 to your next
question in return. On a 10+, you may ask two. Unleash roll to add a Team to the Pool when you
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
Traverse the Palace as the Leader.
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers)
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence) PAPER TRAIL
Your research is not just your own, you stand on the shoulder of giants. You uncovered work done by another
BACKSTORY which set you on this path, someone that has helped you along up until now. For whatever reason, your Guide
is no longer pursuing their research. Pick one:
• When did you first uncover the existence of The Midnight World?
• What do you hope to use the knowledge of the Midnight World for? q They simply retired, their work undone q They became lost in the Midnight World
• Who, outside the team, would your research benefit most? q Someone dangerous scared them off q They were driven mad by their research
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question. q They died, that doesn’t bode well q They continue to work on their research and do
• Why do you care about the team? not appreciate your drive.

Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then determine what BREAKTHROUGH qqqqq
happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and your teammates,
When you would turn to your Guide’s research, roll + Superior. On a miss, whatever impacted their
and who has Influence over you.
research comes screaming into your life. Prepare for the worst. On a hit you get closer to a Breakthrough,
mark 1 on your Breakthrough track. On a 7-9, the knowledge comes at a cost. Something dangerous is after
WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... you or the truth is too much for your mind. Mark a Condition. On 10+ mark Potential or clear a Condition.
We shaped The Midnight World to our own design, what is our major center of safety? When your Breakthrough track would fill, clear it and choose one of the following Guide Posts. When you would
clear your track and cannot choose one of the following Guide Posts, change Playbooks or Retire.
RELATIONSHIPS q The Abyss Stares Back: When you confront an q Undiscovered Country: When you Take a Powerful
_______________ is a mystery to you, one you aren’t sure you’ll figure out opponent who chases the same research, you may Blow, on a miss you may choose an Ability from another
take +1 to Pierce their Mask. They may ask you a Playbook. You may use it for the duration of the scene.
_______________ is a constant roadblock with their concerns over your safety. question as well, even on a miss. You may not clear Conditions until the next scene.

INFLUENCE q Uncertain Fate: When you mark a Condition you may

shift your Freak up and your Mundane down to ignore
q Pierce the Veil: You may mark a Conditions to ask
the GM a single question in regards to the scene. They
the Condition marked. You may do this once per must answer you honestly. You may use this once per
You give a little too much credence to your research, looking at your team less as people and more like guinea pigs scene. The next time you would roll a hit when taking scene. Take +1 forward when acting on the answer.
and a collection of cognitive choices. It makes you a little hard to reach. Give two Teammates Influence over you. a Powerful Blow, mark an additional Condition.
THE PSIENTIST
PLAYING THE PSIENTIST
Something drives you, something beyond the human world. Your research sits at the center of that
drive but there’s more to it than that. You just don’t like having questions without answers, when
you see a hole you want to fill it. This drive, this consuming desire, may make you a bit intense or
cold but people just don’t see it like you do. The world is one big mystery and that just can’t abide.
You’re not so detached that you can’t see the worth of other people however. Even if they’re just
test subjects or ways to get at information easier, you exist in a society and relationships are
social lubrication if nothing else. These same people are a danger however, some wanting to
steal your research, others might just want to bar you from studying your interests out of fear or
misunderstanding. Not to mention, depending on your choices for your Extra, these people may
want you hurt, dead, or worse... keep you to themselves for their own nefarious purposes. Being
cold and stand-offish is a defense. One you need to keep about you.
That is, until it comes to your friends, the Team. The Team may not always get what you’re trying
to accomplish but all of them should generally see the benefits of your work and what you bring
to the table. The Midnight World is strange and even those who might dwell within it aren’t going
to have all the answers. But you should, or at least you should act like you do. The more answers
you have, the more they’ll keep you around and they serve as protection from those that might
want to hurt you.
NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS
The Psientist’s Paper Trail sets up the general drama and fiction of their research. Depending on
their choices their Guide may be an NPC for the GM to control or a non-issue, or even serve as a
way to introduce a threat to the Team at large. Guides do not need to be friendly to the Team or the
Psientist either if introduced, and possibly serve in an antagonistic role as well.
For the purposes of Demon Core, the player must overshare with something important or
meaningful to the character. Coming up with something minor or something that would not impact
the fiction is not enough for this move.
The GM should inform you if a creature or occurrence does not belong to the real world for the
purposes of It’s Alive!
GM MOVES FOR THE PSIENTIST
- Show them parts of their research
- Threaten them
- Give them hope through their discoveries
- Teach them about their Guide
- Make them choose a different path
SUGGESTED MOVES FROM OTHER PLAYBOOKS
The Navigator’s The Old Switcheroo is a no brainer for The Psientist as is The Best Laid Plans.
There is slight overlap with both Playbooks as “the brainy” one and these two choices enforce that
quite well. Sniffer’s Clogged from The Shadow can easily be reflavored to fit your knowledge of
The Midnight World.
From the Masks: A New Generation Playbooks, any choice from The Brain is going to further enhance
your capabilities as an expert on The Midnight World with little reflavoring. Been Reading the Files
can also easily be reflavored to encapsulate The Midnight World rather than the Superhero world.
INSPIRATION FOR THE PSIENTIST
- Sakura Futaba, Persona 5
- Kirijo Mitsuru, Persona 3
- Takuto Maruki, Persona 5 Royal
PLAYING THE PSIENTIST OUTSIDE THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
When playing The Psientist outside The Midnight Generation make the following changes.
REPLACING THE MIDNIGHT WORLD AND PLAYER ADVICE:
The Psientist is heavily invested in the lore and worldbuilding of The Midnight World playset and its
rules. Replacing The Midnight World and The Psientist’s ability to warp the world around them with
another plane of existence would work quite well but it would still require a great deal of tweaking.
Talk with your GM if you wish to use the Psientist outside The Midnight Generation with their own
campaign or to bring aspects of The Midnight Generation and The Midnight World in along with
the Playbook.
Change the first question of The Psientist’s background with:
How did you first uncover the phenomena you study?
REPLACE THE ARCANA SECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING:
Abilities: Your abilities come from your keen intellect and your capacity to build outlandish or
futuristic devices. Along with your regular gadgets, hacking abilities and intellect, you have
two devices you use most often. Pick two.
A High Tech Machine, Robot Aids, A Portal Generator, Shape Change Device, Mechanical Limbs,
X-Ray Goggles, Omnitool, Phasing Device, Gravity Manipulator
THE PSIENTIST
REPLACE I REJECT YOUR REALITY! AND DISGRUNTLED ENGINEER WITH:
1.21 Jigowatts: When you would dangerously hack one of your gadgets to extend your senses,
expand your powers or overcome an obstacle you may roll + Superior instead of + Freak.
In the 40 Watt Range: When you would engage a dangerous opponent alone, you may shift
your Danger up and your Mundane down to select an additional Ability from your list for the
duration of the scene.

REPLACE THE PSIENTIST’S WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER

QUESTION WITH:
We discovered the villain was tapping into dangerous phenomena. How did this help their plan?

REPLACE LIMIT BREAKS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOMENT OF TRUTH.

All your research has led you to this moment. All the heartache, the danger, those you had to leave
behind. It may not have seemed worth it while you struggled to find the answers you’re looking
for but here and now, as you stand above it all, it all worked out for the best. Answer a single
unanswerable question, solve a single unsolvable problem. You’re the only one who can. Once you
do,know that others will take interest in your research and that things may well become even more
dangerous than ever before.
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you rely on your knowledge of The Midnight World to clear an obstacle or overcome
a dangerous foe.
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if they see you as human. If they say
yes, give them Influence over you and add a Team to the pool. If they say no, mark a Condition.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them if they feel as if they aren’t truly who
they believe themselves to be. If they open up to you about their insecurities, exchange Influence and add a
Team to the Pool. If they say they are comfortable in their own skin, ask how they do it and take +1 Forward
when trying to put their words into action. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Shadow’s final Social Link by accepting their non-human nature at face value. You may
mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as you have
Influence over them. In addition, you may spend a Team from the Pool to allow you to shift your Confidence up
REAL NAME
and another Label down, your choice.
FACADE NAME

LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative to break the barrier between The Midnight World and the Real World.
LOOK
• ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Monstrous, Humanoid, Animalistic, Fae, Alien
• sad eyes, multi-color eyes, animal eyes, fly eyes
POTENTIAL q q q q q • stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, no clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT The Star, The Moon, The Magician, Strength
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q Take your other Palace Move +1 to a Label SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook q Take The Bull’s Heart from The Bull Playbook
q Take a move from another playbook q Unlock your Limit Break (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from
your Arcana The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Become Human, choose another Playbook q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city The Hierophant The Hanged Man The Sun
qqqq | q qqqq | q qqqq | q
q Take an adult move
The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
q Take an adult move
LABELS SHADOW MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)
DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q L’appel Du Vide: When you take a Powerful q Go the @#$% to Sleep: When a teammate
Blow from someone’s harsh words you may flings themselves into easy relief, they may clear
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 roll + Freak instead of Conditions marked. On an additional Condition if they bring you along to
a hit, in addition to any other effects, remove be a moderating influence. If they would mark a
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 their Influence over you. Condition at any time during the following scene,
mark one as well.
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Every Day’s Great At…: When you use your
inhuman form in public to blend in to the q Citroën H: When you are not the Leader when
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 scene, roll + Freak. On a miss people notice Traversing the Midnight World you may mark a
you’re out of place. Tell the GM how you’ve Condition to give the Leader another choice from
raised the alarm. On a 7-9, people buy it for the list.
CONDITIONS now but their suspicions are aroused, take -1
Sniffer’s Clogged: When you extend your Shadow
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat) ongoing. On a 10+ you blend in perfectly. q
senses within The Midnight World, roll + Freak.
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask) q Très Magnifique: When you compliment or On a miss you gain no new information. On a hit,
support a teammate’s brilliant take down of you sense a treasure or hidden route forward in
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation) a dangerous opponent you may roll + Freak the Ward you are currently in. On a 10+ take +1
instead of + Mundane to Comfort/Support them. Forward when acting on the information.
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers)
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)

BACKSTORY EGO TRIP

• When did you first glimpse the Real World? You are a being from The Midnight World with no parallel in the Real World yet still you’ve developed a
• What form do you take in the Real World? Facade. Your search for truth, the search for what is human, the search for yourself is what drives you.
• Who, outside the team, has helped you discover the truth about your nature? In this search you look to your companions for answers and attempt to model yourself off their exam-
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question. ples. You have a sixth Label, Confidence. Confidence behaves like any other label and can be shifted by
• Why do you care about the team? NPCs and Teammates as usual.
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then determine what
happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and your teammates,
and who has Influence over you. CONFIDENCE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... When you seek out the truths of your existence, roll + Confidence. On a miss, you are not prepared for
the answers you’ve found. Roll to take a Powerful Blow and shift your Confidence down and another Label
We uncovered a difficult truth together, what was it and what does it mean for the future? of the GM’s choice up. On a hit, shift Confidence up by 1 and lower another Label of your choice down by 1
and the GM will tell you what you’ve uncovered. On a 10+, gain Potential and ask a follow up question to
RELATIONSHIPS the GM, they must answer honestly.
I have no place of my own so I’m bumming it with _______________ . When you would lose Influence over someone, shift your Confidence down by 1 and another label up by
_______________ and I are like oil and water. 1. When your Confidence shifts below 0, lose control of yourself or your powers in a dangerous way for the
duration of the scene.

INFLUENCE Is This Where I Belong: When you would leave The Midnight World without learning of your true self, lower
Confidence by 1 and raise another Label of your choice. When you would leave the Midnight World having
The team, their opinions of you, their opinions of each other, and how they each see the world is vital to you. learned of your true self, mark Potential and raise Confidence by 1 and lower another Label down.
Give your whole Team Influence over you.
THE SHADOW
PLAYING THE SHADOW SUGGESTED MOVES FROM OTHER PLAYBOOKS
The Shadow is a Playbook whose drama centers squarely in the existential questions people often While it might play up the comic relief angle, Troll Engine from The Golem would make a perfectly
contemplate quietly with themselves. The Shadow is a being born into a world without answers, fitting narrative move for a more lighthearted Shadow while I Have No Strings can showcase how
without a sense of self, and one who relies on their friends and close allies to tell them how the dangerous your inhuman abilities really are. SatNav from The Navigator is especially good for
world works. Shadows more fond of leading by example and using their knowledge as an asset to the team in a
direct way.
As a being of The Midnight World The Shadow has more in common, at first blush, with the denizens
the team will most often be struggling against. This tension should be apparent to The Shadow as From the Masks: A New Generation Playbooks many choices from The Transformed and The
they are, in essence, fighting against their own kind even if they don’t recognize they are one and Newborn make a great deal of sense for The Shadow. I Am Not My Body and Wish I Could Be
the same. Their familiarity with The Midnight World will make them a powerful companion when from the former and Not From Around Here from the latter are especially good choices.
exploring the Palaces the team are confronted with, and while they may be a fish out of water in
the human world a player should play up the inverse whenever they can. They may rely most often
on the team but in the Midnight World they are at least guides if not the experts on the changing GM MOVES FOR THE SHADOW
cognitive landscapes that spawned them.
- Question the Truth
The Shadow, for all these reasons, should stick close to the team even when on their home turf. - Make them feel hollow
The uncertainties of a new life or one without memories is a scary one and having friends helps. - Uplift their human aspects
Your dependence may rub some the wrong way, you may conflict with others who don’t quite
- Question what a human really is
understand you but those are perhaps the people you should stick closest to. If they don’t know
what you are, then wouldn’t it be better to find out together? - Show them their Shadow

NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS INSPIRATION FOR THE SHADOW

The Shadow’s Confidence is central to their Extra, ping ponging between finding out more about - Teddy, Persona 4
themselves while contending with crushing rejection or harsh truths they may not want to face. It - Morgana, Persona 5
is up to the Player to determine when they are attempting to seek out the truth of their existence
but GMs are encouraged to ask leading questions, highlight certain characters, or lay out why they
might think a particular instance fits this move.

L’appel Du Vide only applies to the damage caused by words. The GM is the final arbiter on if a
person’s words would affect you. This move does not apply to physical damage caused by attacks.

For the purposes of Go the @#$% to Sleep, the Player must take their job as a moderating
influence seriously by doing their best to keep the other player out of trouble. Failure to do so does
not negate the move, so long as the effort was made.

A brilliant take down as laid out by Très Magnifique does not require that the opponent is taken
out of the scene. So long as the other player rolls a hit against the opponent, that is enough for
the move. The hit does not need to be a physical one, take downs can be done just as well with
words as fists.
THE SHADOW CONT’D
PLAYING THE SHADOW OUTSIDE THE MIDNIGHT GENERATION
When playing The Shadow outside The Midnight Generation make the following changes.

REPLACING THE MIDNIGHT WORLD AND PLAYER ADVICE:

The Shadow does not need to be from an alternate world when played in a regular game but they
should be some new kind of lifeform or a lifeform that defies the norms of the regular humans
around them. In this way there is some overlap with The Newborn and The Transformed when
playing The Shadow outside The Midnight Generation. There are elements of The Outsider for The
Shadow as well; if the Player or GM still wishes to maintain that The Shadow hails from some
region beyond the human world, all three Playbooks are a good place to look for concepts to apply
to The Shadow.

REPLACE THE ARCANA SECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING:

Abilities: Your powers are a part of you or came with you from wherever you’re from. Pick
two.
Elemental Control, A Powerful Weapon, Radical Shapeshifting, Supernatural Senses, Impossible
Fighting Skills, Natural Weapons, Interdimensional Pockets, Willpower Manifestation, Supernatural
Charm

REPLACE CITROËN H AND SNIFFER’S CLOGGED WITH:

Meet Thy Maker: When you are confronted by someone who knows what you are roll +
Danger. On a miss, their intent is not friendly. On a 7-9, they raise the alarm over you but let
a crucial detail slip. The GM will tell you what that is. On a 10+, they want to help you in your
task at least for the time being.
Trivial Pursuit: When you confront an easy lie told by a hero, roll + Freak. On a miss, you
open yourself up to ridicule. On a 7-9, you sway those in hearing distance with your words.
Expect the hero to dig in. On a 10+, you expose a critical flaw or weakness in the hero.

REPLACE LIMIT BREAKS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOMENT OF TRUTH.

The truth has been obscured to you for some time now as you live in a world you’re not familiar
with or comfortable in. But that feeling of unfamiliarity and discomfort isn’t new, you’ve felt that
way in your skin all this time. In this moment though, that itch is gone. You know who you are.
You’re you and that’s all that matters and the you you are can do anything. So do it. Once it’s done
people are unlikely to be as sympathetic to your existential concerns and perhaps worse, expect
you to repeat your performance more often now they know what you’re capable of.
 CONFIDENCE
Add 1 Team to the Pool when you respond to situations with a cool head.
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask what passions drive them. If they open up,
clear a Condition if you indulge their passion then and there. If they are reluctant to share, take Influence over
them. Either way, add a Team to the Pool.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them if you’re in danger of self-destructing.
If they say yes, and offer help, exchange Influence. If they say no, or do not offer help, clear their Influence.
Either way, add a Team to the Pool.

UNLOCK
You may unlock The Unruly’s final Social Link by helping them come to terms with why they lash out at the
world. You may mark a Condition or spend a Team from the Pool to use either of their Arcana moves so long as
you have Influence over them. In addition, you may select one of their Will Seeds. When Heat would raise in a
Palace, you may use your selected Will Seed, and all its other effects. REAL NAME
FACADE NAME

LIMIT BREAK
You may take control of the narrative to break the scene. Move you and your team anywhere, bleed your Palace LOOK
into the Real World, shape a Ruler’s Palace as you see fit. • ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
• soft eyes, friendly eyes, angry eyes, steely eyes
POTENTIAL q q q q q • stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing
• simple costume, casual costume, no costume, inspiring costume
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

ARCANA
ADVANCEMENT The Tower, The Devil, The Emperor, The Chariot
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
q Take another move from your playbook q Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
q Take your other Palace Move +1 to a Label SOCIAL LINKS
q Take a move from another playbook q Take the Damaged Condition from the Newborn
q Take a move from another playbook q Unlock your Limit Break (cross your Arcana off the list)
q Your Facade evolves, choose another ability from
your Arcana The Fool qqqq | q The Chariot qqqq | q Temperance qqqq | q
The Magician qqqq | q Justice qqqq | q The Devil qqqq | q
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below. The Priestess qqqq | q The Hermit qqqq | q The Tower qqqq | q
The Empress qqqq | q Fortune qqqq | q The Star qqqq | q
q Unlock your Limit Break after it’s been used once q Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice The Emperor qqqq | q Strength qqqq | q The Moon qqqq | q
q Choose another Playbook q Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city The Hierophant The Hanged Man The Sun
qqqq | q qqqq | q qqqq | q
q Take an adult move
The Lovers qqqq | q Death qqqq | q Judgment qqqq | q
q Take an adult move
LABELS UNRULY MOVES
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose) (Pick two, select a Palace Move from your Arcana)
DANGER -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q When You Play With Fire: When you take q Down in Flames: You may shift your Labels when
foolhardy decisions without consulting your rolling to Take a Powerful Blow to roll as if you had
FREAK -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Team, clear Insecure as usual at the end of the two fewer conditions marked.
scene and roll + Danger. On a miss, you land
SAVIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 in hot water. Expect reprisal soon. On a hit, q Fanning the Flames: When you Provoke a Teammate to
clear an additional Condition. On a 7-9, take -1 act on their impulses or throw caution to the wind, roll
SUPERIOR -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Forward when Provoking a Teammate. On a 10+, + Freak instead of + Superior.
gain Potential.
MUNDANE -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 q Firebase: When you are the Leader when Finding
Shelter, you may add a Key to your Pool on a hit.
q Rain of Fire: When you cause significant
collateral damage when you Directly Engage an
q Walking on Coals: When you increase Heat from a miss
CONDITIONS opponent, you may clear Angry at the end of the when Traversing the Palace, you may mark a Condition
scene even on a miss. to grant the Leader of the next Traverse a +1 Forward.
q AFRAID (-2 to directly engage a threat)
q ANGRY (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
WHILE ROME BURNED
q GUILTY (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
Your emotions are a chaotic mess. In the Real World, this merely causes you to lash out, to push others away.
q HOPELESS (-2 to unleash your powers) In The Midnight World however, your strong and unchecked emotions have a more physical effect. You are a
q INSECURE (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence) Seed of Distortion, the start of a Palace, and you warp The Midnight World just by your mere presence. This
makes you a threat not only to Rulers but your Teammates as well.

BACKSTORY Will Seeds: When the Heat rises in a Palace, trigger one of your Will Seeds. You do not suffer the typical
maluses associated with Conditions within The Midnight World. Instead, each Will Seed provides maluses
• Why do you lash out at the world, and how do you keep yourself under control? you suffer instead. You suffer the usual maluses for Conditions in the Real World.
• What does your nascent Palace look like?
• Who, outside the team, manages to keep you from blowing up? Seed of Anger: Provoke a Distortion and add a Team to While you have Insecure marked, when a Teammate
• Answer your Arcana Backstory Question. the Pool. You may mark a Condition to add another Team would shift their Labels, you must shift yours as well. This
to the Pool. replaces the maluses from Insecure while you are in the
• Why do you care about the team? Midnight World.
While you have Angry marked, you must be the Leader
Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then determine what
when Traversing the Palace. This replaces the maluses
happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and your teammates, Seed of Fear: Provoke a Distortion and add a Key to your
from Angry while you are in the Midnight World.
and who has Influence over you. Pool. You may spend a Team selfishly to add another Key
to your Pool.
Seed of Despair: Provoke a Distortion and add +1 when
WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST CAME TOGETHER... Returning Home. You may spend a Team selfishly to add
another +1 to the Returning Home roll. This replaces the
While Afraid is marked, take -1 Forward when an opponent
gains an Opportunity, danger escalates or you’re exposed
We uncovered a difficult truth together, what was it and what does it mean for the future? maluses from Angry while you are in the Midnight World. to danger. This replaces the maluses from Afraid while you
are in the Midnight World.
While you have Hopeless marked, choose a Teammate.
RELATIONSHIPS This Teammate selects your Labels whenever you would
shift them. This replaces the maluses from Hopeless while
Seed of Guilt: Provoke a Complication and clear a
Condition on a Teammate. You may spend a Team selfishly
I have no place of my own so I’m bumming it with _______________ . you are in the Midnight World.
to clear a Condition on another Teammate. You may only
_______________ and I are like oil and water. spend as much Team in this manner as Conditions you
Seed of Doubt: Provoke a Distortion and roll a d6. You may
have marked.
substitute this result for another Teammate’s roll after you
INFLUENCE know the outcome. You may spend a Team selfishly to roll
another d6. You may only have one such roll banked at any
While you have Guilty marked, you must take any
Conditions the Teammate you chose would mark instead.
The team, their opinions of you, their opinions of each other, and how they each see the world is vital to you. one time, but you may choose which roll to keep. This replaces the maluses from Guilty while you are in the
Give your whole Team Influence over you. Midnight World.
 THE UNRULY
PLAYING THE UNRULY
The Unruly is one of extremes. You do not feel things in half measures, you do not take actions with deliberation or in
WHILE ROME BURNED, CONT’D moderation. You are owned by your distorted feelings, swayed by the Palace growing inside of you. Your passions are
a flame that burns brightly, but always risk to burn you with their intensity. You can count the number of people who
stand on the other side of the river, bridges burned from your crossing.
Actualization: If you have all Conditions marked while in a Palace, your own Palace overrides the Midnight
World. Create a Distortion and choose one. Don’t be afraid to go all out while playing the Unruly. Show the intensity of the passions your character holds. Burn
through Influence as often as possible, reject Label shifts even when it makes no sense for you to do so. Fling yourself
– Gain access to an Ability of your choice. You have it for the duration of the Palace. at problems as if you won’t have to mark Conditions and double down when you do have those Conditions marked.
– Grant a sixth Condition to your Teammates. This Condition is called Shadow. Teammates may mark Shadow
Remember however that no one is an island. You still have a team, a team of friends or at least those that you trust
and create a Distortion to take +2 when spending Team Selfishly from the Pool. While they have Shadow
and while you may not care about the people you’ve hurt or pushed away thus far, these ones are special. No one has
marked, they take +1 to Take a Powerful Blow. They cannot clear Shadow until they leave the Palace.
seemed to want to help, some have even seemed to want to enable your more destructive elements but these people?
– Your Shadow guides you through your Palace, you may choose an additional option when Traversing a They seem to want what’s best for you. If only you could stop lashing out long enough to let them close.
Palace even on a miss.
– Your Shadow Overrides you, choose three Conditions. You may mark them a second time. When you mark
NOTES ON MOVES AND EXTRAS
all three Conditions on your Shadow, you and your Team are ejected from your Palace into the Real World. Will Seeds provide boons and other maluses to your character while in play. These malus override the regular -2’s
that Conditions typically provide though these effects only occur while you are in the Midnight World. While you are in
the Real World, you incur the regular -2’s to the indicated moves.
Distortions: Your mere presence within the Midnight World warps and bends the fabric of the collective
unconscious. When prompted to Provoke a Distortion, choose one of the following or work with your GM to To reiterate the point, Distortions are merely a list of suggestions. The mechanical effects, any maluses or bonuses
create an option that fits with the narrative: awarded, or even the list itself is up to the player and GM to discuss. As always, the GM has final say in any
arbitration. We encourage GMs and players to come up with their own Distortions and how they effect play at the table.
– A new threat appears – You and your team are returned to a previously
– A defeated Shadow returns explored Ward The dice you roll for Seed of Doubt replaces the dice roll of another Player. For example, if you roll a 1 on the dice, you
– The Palace’s Heat resets, but so do all the Wards may replace a 7 rolled by a Teammate when they roll for a Powerful Blow. If your Teammate rolls a 1 on a Move and
– The palace shifts, impeding your Travels
you’ve explored. you’ve rolled a 6, you may replace it and change their roll to a success. Additionally for Seed of Doubt, you do not
– A route to the Real World closes need to shift the same Labels your Teammate has shifted while you have Insecure marked.
– Your Shadow takes over the Ruler while you remain
– A Shelter is no longer safe. in the Midnight World. Significant collateral damage for Rain of Fire must cause damage to something important, or put others at risk as if
– A Shadow of a Teammate stalks you – Your Distortion acts as a bridge between the you’d tried to clear Angry.
– Something from the Midnight World follows you to Palace you are in and another’s.
the Real World Down in Flames only lowers the number of marked Conditions when you have Conditions marked. You do not gain
the benefits of Down in Flames when you have no Conditions marked. If you would only have one Condition marked,
you would effectively roll + 0. The GM shifts your Labels.
Controlled Burn: When a Teammate offers Comfort and Support in a Palace, you may clear a Condition even
on a miss if you’ve not been the Leader for Finding Shelter or Traversing the Palace. Walking on Coals still triggers even if the Ruler could not raise Heat due to As The Palaces Burn.

As The Palaces Burn: The Heat of a Palace cannot raise higher than the number of your marked Conditions
GM MOVES FOR THE UNRULY
+ one. If the Heat of a Palace would increase higher than this limit, create a Distortion. - Push them to their limit
- Show them their fate
Self-Destruct: When you lower a Social Link in the Midnight World, you may Provoke a Distortion to inflict - Give them something to sympathize with Rulers
a Condition on whichever Social Link you lowered. In the Real World, you may mark a Condition to inflict a
Condition instead. - Give them safe release valves
- Validate their feelings

INSPIRATION FOR THE UNRULY

- Shadow Selves, Persona 4
- Tohru Adachi, Persona 4
 BACKERS WHO WISHED NO REWARD THE ADVANCED PLEDGE CONT’D
TOM “DADDOO” HANNIS ISAAC CALDERWOOD THE WIZARD BURKE MALVOES
MYSHADE1973 PIDGE JENS BROUWER FINITE STATE
SONHUI MASON THE CREATIVE FUND BY BACKERKIT GREG D B ALEX VILLEMURE
AUSSIEWREN NOX UMBRE DOMINIK PINTERA
JORDAN ROBERTSON ORION ANDERSON
NAME PLEDGE FLINT PAPER ADAM D
GABRIEL TENAGLIA MAHIMA
VICKI CASS BEN THOMAS-MOORE BENJAMIN WELLS
KEVAN FORBES
THE BASIC PLEDGE
ILKHAM IVAN RADANOVIС́ THE STRETCH GOAL PLEDGE
COLIN DYSON HTEPH
THEO BRINKMAN TOMI SARKKINEN LUCAS J. CIFRANIC ANDY BROWN
T.P. HUTH ŁUKASZ MATYLLA GANTOLANDON ENRIQUE ESPARZA III
PREDICATED JOSH MEDIN CORVYN APPLEBY SARAH JACKSON
KEELIN RATTERMAN DARREN F. D. VAN DE RIJT FIADH “SWEET POTATO” DEAN
CHARLES A. WARREN GWATHDRING DANIELLE MUELLER KRISTEN MACLEAN
JAY WROBEL ANNA SKARR J. GULDE ERIC ALTMYER
KLAGADA GRANT P. SCOWDEN TERRY L GILBERT JR DEADLYREED
BEN K. ROSENBLOOM MARK GEORGE SETH THE OUTSIDER MYKAL WANE
JONAH LADNER TSEASHELL CHRIS HENNING SEAN HOLLAND
JOHN TABER CHRIS FRIEDLANDER CHRIS ANGELINI ZETT
JACOB A. ROBERT KENNEDY PAUL-THOMAS L. PARNELL - THE RPG EMPIRE NATHAN BEAL
STEPHEN BRETALL JOE CURETON BRENNAN NORMAN CHASE R. SANDERS
AJA LEE JUOLA JON SILVESTRI JARED “GNOME” KNIGHT ROGUEWOLVEN
ED MORLAND BRIAN WOODS NICKLAUS ENDICOTT
DANILO JARA JON MEI
TOM COLEMAN BEN PINKERTON
JACKIE AUER VICTOR WYATT
THE ADVANCED PLEDGE DEBBIE AND JOHN JACKSON STEVEN MARWICK
WOUTER VAN STRAALEN JOAN JULIA TRIAS BRIAN MIRANDA RUBY “SEVERIN” WHITWORTH
GABE DARLING ROSS HUNTER HARLAND BRANDON TESSA TEIXEIRA
TREVOR HANNON CHRIS MORAN ELLEN CHURCHILL RYAN KOZIEROK
JOHN M. CAMPBELL TRICKY DAVE & JEN NOTAR THANIAL KING
SVEND ANDERSEN ARIC “EXPERSPROBI” HORST OLAV MÜLLER TIMOTHY CHAPMAN
 THE STRETCH GOAL+ PLEDGE THE STRETCH GOAL+ PLEDGE CONT’D
MAXIMILIAN H. NAGATA ELLIOT PETERSON DAVID WALKER JD MAYNARD
UNENTHUSIASTIC_ CODY BLACK MACALYS READERS LIKE YOU
FOREST BROWN KACIE SHELTON DARREN KAIN NICHOLAS ORCHARD
ALEX D. KRIS GIERE JONATHAN LESLIE DEREK BARNES
RILEY HOOLEY STEVEN ORENSHAW METHOS6277 GAMEDEV ADVENTURER NIGHTINGALE
PELLIGRINA EVAN SAFT MATTHEW COWAN JON ROBERTSON
NATHAN CHANEY NATHAN RAJ TRIP SPACE-PARASITE ERICA “VULPINFOX” SCHMITT
CHANCE PROSSER WOLFE HUDDS MAGRUDER CHRISTIAN SERRANO
RUSS LEBAR OREN LEIFER N. SAVAGE GAGE PATTERSON
H. RASMUSSEN JOEL G YES JAMES FOLKERTH
ELISSA K YRI DAVIES GEORGE H GREMLINHOURS
MATT PENN CHARLIE NEAL JOHN M. PORTLEY KAT COLLINSON
MARK DIAZ TRUMAN SWIFTONE SATYA AMIRA OMER NOAH SALADY
KATIE QUINN MATTHEW J. MCPHERSON BENJAMIN “BLACKLOTOS” WELKE FASTCART B. CORPORATION
CONI APABLAZA LEONARD PETIT-BREUILH SAM MESSOR SAM “SAMARITAN” FOKKER
CHARLIE SMITH-MCMAHON BRANDON MARSHAL FRANCISCO “BLACKHALO” FONSECA JR. JOHN RADVAK
XAN ETHAN WOODMAN EMPERORINYELLOW
ALEX GIESSMAN MICHAEL ‘RONIN’ SCHIEDEL NEERJA MOZEN SONGCO
ROBERT “JEFEPATO” DALL TIM GONZALEZ GLENN SEILER DANII GOLDSTEIN
BRANDON BENES MICHAEL MCDOWELL JESSE J MASON NICK FAVIA
DAVE JONES TALES ACROSS MARCH4FUN FERLÚDICO
NAVEED ANA “NEXUS” SILVA EEYORE! PAGE OSCAR ORTIZ
ADAM KRUMP ADAM RAJSKI BRANDON H. MILÁ PROJECTMATRIX
KAITIE LIDA.M.B- EXASPERATED DM DARKELFLX CATACAT
JAMES SHANNON MERLIN NIESBOR AARON BOLYARD KATE MALLOY
DAVE SHRAMEK DIEGO “ENTONCESRAWR” TORRES JP O’C DEREK SEMSICK
JONATHAN “BUDDHA” DAVIS RYAN J RANDALL WALL WYATT LANDERS
JASON CORLEY TOIR MACCARRICK GARY ANASTASIO EMILEE MADISON
RAS ALEX KIMBALL KARL ‘THRILLSEEKER’ MAURER JEFF H
AMANDA EVERSONG STEFAN WARICK JOSHUA SOMMERFELD
JAY BATSON HOLLY RENNEX R BRIAN “ANTLERS” SCOTT CONNODORECRUNCH
MORGAN PARDUE VEE MOOFAHDROME GABRIEL BÉLANGER ALICE KYRA
JOSH “NINJACAT” BRINING PAN NARRANS S.A. YOUNG MANUEL LORTIE
KYLER HANSEN JORGE ALONSO-COLMENARES GUALDA THE ARCANIST AIDAN O’HARA
NOAH ABEYTA ROSS HARKIN K. D. SCOTT MICHAEL SCHWARTZ
 THE STRETCH GOAL+ PLEDGE CONT’D
MONICA LINNELL BLUE HANSEN
GRAN_DANÉS GREY JAFFE
SAOIRSE HELTON BRANDON MARSHALL
S. SEHI JUSTEN JESS
SEAN WALSH
CECILIA P
HACKLEMONSTER
ETHAN SIMS Kyle Rawlings
THE CONTRIBUTOR PLEDGE &
JASPER BESA
LILLIANA
JANNE ANDSTEN
SYLVA Sam Hannis
IRVEN MANALO NOAH D.
DOOMSPEAKER TYLER LALLY
DIANA VANESSA HAAS

fi5
THE BENEFACTOR PLEDGE

points games
FREDERICK MILDERS & KAIDEN HANNIS KAMIZUKI AOI
MICAH ZIMMER NETHERARCANIST
MALLIUM NOBLE

THE IDOL PLEDGE

DANIEL CUSTANCE FLURAR HENDERSON
RYAN M. DALE THOMPSON
STEVE “DROP BEAR” WORTMAN KATIE “FLUFFY HORROR” SULLIVAN
STACEY CARVER D.JAE JOHNSTON “MENDER”
LUIS-MIGUEL ABREU ALEX FEBY