Well, I posted this over at GO but Im thinking it might be better to talk about it here at Heph's.

The game is set in a modern American High School and is based upon films like Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles and the Breakfast Club.

PC's will be one of the following cliques and yes, this game will have levels (most characters will be between level 1 and 4 -- aka Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior -- kids who skip a grade might only advance to level 3...those who stay back might be level 5 or 6).

Each clique has Wants and Needs -- Wants are what they want at this point in their life...it represents their "temporal wealth" -- Needs are what they really want but don't have. The goal is to fufill your Needs before Gradutation Day. You acquire your Wants and use them to "buy" modifers/re-rolls (or something). It's all very squidgy at this point.

The cliques, of course, are taken from the 5 characters of John Hughes' "The Breakfast Club."

Brain
Wants: Grades
Needs: Friends, Confidence

Freak
Wants: Solitude
Needs: Friends, Acceptance

Princess
Wants: Status
Needs: Friends, True Love

Jock
Wants: Victory
Needs: Friends, Self-Expression

Punk
Wants: Freedom
Needs: Friends, Help

Anyone have any suggestions, comments, questions, anything? The focus on the game is obviously one of growth and emotional development, despite the constraints placed upon ourselves by others AND by ourselves (by identifying with a certain group).

J-

I wish I had seen this post a few days ago - I could have saved myself some time and not been working on rules for a High School variant of InSpectres (I mean cripes, what kind of person steals not one, but two game ideas from a person!:) Anyway, since I've already got most of it done, I might as well pitch it to everyone and see what they think.

My inspiration comes not from John Hughes, but from 'Buffy', 'Carrie', and a recent Canadian film, 'Ginger Snaps!'. The idea is that high school is a difficult time for kids; flush with puberty, these kids are often strangers even to themselves. They're looking for one thing: Acceptance...someone, anyone, to tell them they're cool, attractive, worthwhile. To get this, they'll pretty much do anything.

Enter the Supernatural. It turns out that monsters are real, and they want our teenagers. Why? Who knews. But being young and impressionable, the teenagers are easy prey.

For the typical high school student, the lure of the occult is nearly irrestible. It's the thing your parents most want you not do, so of course, you have to do it. It's the greatest thrill, the ultimate rebellion. And it makes you feel special, which is what you really want.

The cool thing about the game is that the paranormal stuff is more an afterthought than a motivating plot point - exotic set-pieces and scene dressing really. The rules focus on Peer Pressure, and balancing the needs of the group versus those of the individual (Acceptance versus Good Grades, to be precise).

Okay, so this is quite a bit different than Jared's idea. It's not nearly as serious; here you get to do things like toilet paper the local vampire's coffin and see if you can be the one to throw the werewolf in a locker. Still, the timing is a bit inconvenient...

Hi, Moosey...nice to see you in Da Forge.

For those of you who don't know, "Hardcoremoose" is writing/wrote a fantastic supplement (called Nightwatch) to my horror/comedy game InSpectres. Characters are a news teams for a supernaturally-themed "Hard Copy"-esque syndicated tv series. It's good. :smile:

Anyway, I'm satisfied to sit on the Breakfast Club idea and let it simmer for a few months/years before working on it. I really like the idea of a "Horror High" kinda of game that tackles with serious issues -- not to say that it can't be funny (whoa, InSpectres is supposed to be funny...Nightwatch is supposed to be kinda funny...is it possible to switch moods like this within a single game thing?)...

Yeah, but I like the idea. And I like the angle that the supernatural forces aren't necessarily out for the kids' blood...

I don't Ducky is in a clique. That's what makes him a real person...

Coincidentally, I was leaving work one Friday evening and I was wearing my shades and by beret and my co-workers thought I looked like Ducky. Pretty funny.

I love the CD changer idea. That's pretty cool. :smile: