The Janus

Wake up. Breakfast. School. Work at the coffee shop. Home to
make dinner for your brother. Homework. Sleep. Repeat. Day in,
day out.
It burns you up. You could get out there and make a real difference.
Help people. But instead you're stuck, here in this life. Trapped in this cage.
That is…until you put on the mask. And then, you're free. Or at least,
so you pretend.

Hero Name:
Real name:

Look:
● Ambiguous, Man, Shifting, Transgressing, Woman
● Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
● Boring clothing, elegant clothing, formal clothing, upscale clothing
● Iconic costume, concealing costume, distracting costume, flashy costume
● Featureless mask, helmet, character mask, small mask, hood, full disguise

Abilities:
Your appearance is unchanged by your abilities, and you can keep your powers hidden. You have heightened physical abilities (strength, agility, toughness), and choose two unique abilities.

□ Rodent/insect control □ Bone generation, venom, or webs □ Energy absorption
□ Supernatural senses □ Impossible mobility □ Substance mimicry

LABELS
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose)
Freak -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
Danger -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
Savior -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
Superior -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
Mundane -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

Backstory
- Why do you keep a secret identity?
- Who (outside of the team) knows about your secret identity?
- When did you first put on the mask? Why?
- Who thinks the worst of your masked identity?
- Why do you care about the team?

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.

When our team first came together…

We saved the life of someone important, either to the city, or to us. Who was it? Why
are they important?

Relationships
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ knew you from your civilian life first.

You refused to tell _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _your secret identity when they asked.

Influence

You look up to your teammates; they seem to have this superhero thing figured out.
Give two of them influence over you.

CONDITIONS:
□ Afraid (-2 to directly engage)
□ Angry (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
□ Guilty (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
□ Insecure (-2 to stand in defense or reject what others say)
□ Hopeless (-2 to unleash your powers)

Janus Moves: (Start with The Mask and 2 more)
■ The Mask:
You wear a mask and hide your real identity. Choose what Label you try to embody while wearing your mask:
□ Freak □ Danger
□ Savior □ Superior

Once per session, you can affirm either your hero or secret identity to switch your Mundane with your mask's Label.
The first time you reveal your true identity to someone, mark potential.

□ Game face:
When you steel yourself in the calm before the storm, roll + Mundane. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1:
- Shift 1 Label up and 1 Label down, your choice.
- Make someone lose Influence on you.
- Clear a condition.

On a miss, you can't shake your feeling that the worst is about to happen. Mark Afraid and say what you most fear will happen during the storm.

□ I am what I seem to be:
When you accept what someone tells you about yourself, take +1 forward and either mark potential or clear a condition.

□ Mild-Mannered:
When you try to use your civilian identity to deceive, trick, or slip past someone, roll + Mundane. On a hit they buy your facade. On a 7-9, choose one:
- You're still under observation.
- You leave something incriminating behind
- You're forced to make a fool of yourself to sell it

On a miss, one of your civilian obligations rears its ugly head.

□ I'll save you!:
You're willing to pay high costs to keep your loved ones safe. Reveal your secret identity to someone watching or mark a condition to defend a loved one as if
you rolled a 12+.

□ Dangerous Web:
When you reveal a trap you've left for someone using your powers, roll + your Mask Label. On a hit, your opponent trips into it, and you get an opening or opportunity against them. On a 10+, take +1 forward to pursuing it. On a miss, the trap inadvertently leads to a dangerous escalation.

Other Moves:


Secret Identity
Your mundane life comes with a series of obligations. Choose a total of 3 obligations.

Jobs:
Barista, intern, host/ess, salesperson, delivery boy/girl, fast-food worker, babysitter, dishwasher, tech support, waitress/er

School:
Schoolwork, athletic team, chess club, photography club, student government

Home:
Caring for someone, household chores, paying bills, surrogate parenting

Social:
Significant other, best friend, popularity, close relative, coach/teacher

When time passes, roll + your Mundane to see how you're managing your obligations. On a 10+, things are going okay—-you have an opportunity or advantage thanks to one of your obligations.

On a 7-9, you've lapsed on one obligation, your choice. On a miss, you haven't given your normal life anywhere near the attention it deserves; the GM chooses two obligations that are going to bite you in the butt.


Moment of Truth
The mask is a lie, and some piece of you has always known that. Doesn't matter if others can see it. You're the one that can do the impossible. Mask off. Costume on. And you're going to save the damn day. Of course, you better hope nobody nasty is watching…


Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if they see you as the person wearing the mask or the person underneath. If the former, mark potential and clear a condition. If the latter, take Influence over them if you reveal yourself.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them a secret about who you really are. Give them Influence, and shift your Mundane up, and your mask's Label down.


POTENTIAL

Every time you roll a miss on a a move, mark potential.

Advancement
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below. When you've taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below the line.
__ Take another move from your playbook
__ Take another move from your playbook
__ Take a move from another playbook
__ Take a move from another playbook
__ Someone permanently loses Influence over you; add +1 to a Label
__ Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add +1 to a Label
__ Unlock your Moment of Truth
__ Change your Mask Label and add +1 to it


__ Unlock your Moment of Truth
__ Create a second character
__ Change playbooks
__ Take an adult move
__ Take an adult move
__ Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
__ Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city

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