Revue Starlight PbtA Playbooks
Hello, everyone! I've moved stuff from the Revue TTRPG onto its own blog, to keep everything neat and orderly.
You might guess from all of the updates I've been writing that I've been really excited to work and think about this RPG. I hope that everyone can look forward to it, and that I can create a system that can allow everyone to create their own Revue Starlight stories with friends, whether with existing or original characters.
The TTRPG will be a Powered by the Apocalypse system, following a long and storied legacy of narratively-focused RPGs that enable robust collaborative storytelling. To help facilitate the portrayal of unique characters, it utilizes what are called Playbooks. (You might consider them an analogue of "classes" from other RPGs, whether on the tabletop or on a video game.) However, these Playbooks don't represent how you look on the outside, or what your weapons of choice might be. Instead, they define a character archetype, highlighting your character's core emotional conflict. For this TTRPG, the question they ask is: "Why did your character become a Stage Girl?"
Playbooks can shift between sessions as your character advances, signifying your character's growth and how a new core emotional conflict may come into focus for them. Stage Girls are too varied and complex to be defined by any one thing, after all.
Here's some examples of some Playbooks I've written up so far! (Everything subject to change.)
The Challenger
The path to becoming a Stage Girl wasn’t handed down to you in your youth. Maybe you discovered it later in life, or your family expected you to tread a different path. You seek to defy those forces who seek to dictate your life’s path for you so that you can take hold of the reins of fate yourself.
You might have a variety of different opinions on the world of theater you’ve found yourself in based on your unique outsider’s perspective. Maybe you aspire to be just like the greats, hoping to, one day, fit in with all of the people you looked up to when you started this journey. On the other hand, you might see the flaws in the restrictive, antiquated system, and aim to prove by example that it can be changed for the better.
Examples of Challengers are: Aijo Karen, Hoshimi Junna
The Exile
You’re running away from something. You were already smitten with theater back then, too, but you were in a different troupe, or maybe even a different country. However, one day, something changed: perhaps tragedy struck, or you failed at the moment when it mattered most. Whatever may have happened, you’ve spirited yourself away somewhere else where no one remembers your greatest shame.
You’re still working to pursue your goals no matter what, but your past haunts you. You’ve found new friends and family, but the fact that the people you left behind are still living their own lives scares you. You might hope to one day reconcile with the people in your past, or perhaps prove once and for all that you don’t need them to live your life.
Examples of Exiles are: Takachiho Stella, Yumeoji Fumi
The Guardian
Though it is you who stands upon the stage, you know that there are better reasons to act than just your own self-interest. You have taken on a Charge, which consists of the people or things you’ve sworn to protect—perhaps the members of your class, a childhood friend, or a memory that’s on the verge of fading away.
If your Charge consists of people, you may sometimes stand behind them to support them. Other times, you may stand by their side to work alongside them. Other times still, you may stand against them—because no one else will help them realize the errors of their ways.
If your Charge is a thing or idea, you’re likely one of its last bastions. It needs protecting—otherwise, you wouldn’t be a Guardian, after all. It’s your reason to be a Stage Girl, and you won’t hesitate to sacrifice yourself to protect it… or, perhaps, others.
Examples of Guardians are: Daiba Nana, Ogami Shiro, Tomoe Tamao
The Trailblazer
Forget what anyone else says about being a Stage Girl—you’ve become one just because it’s fun! Others train day in and day out to be at the top of their field, but compared to them, you live more in the moment. What’s wrong with that? Those stuffy girls with all of their high standards never catch a break, while you spend your time expressing yourself and having fun with the people you love most. It’s certainly more exciting than whatever you were doing before!
However, being a Stage Girl isn’t always fun and games. When hardships arise, you might find yourself questioning why you chose this life without much of a strong external force to tie you to it, relying on only your fickle whim and motivation to drive you forward. You may be searching for such a reason to stay—or, rather, pushing back against those who try to tell you that you need a better one. At times, however, you might ask yourself the most difficult question: is your personality the true you, or just a glib facade?
Examples of Trailblazers are: Otsuki Aruru, Otonashi Ichie
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Give me Claudine being basically another sibling to Fumi and Shiori
I was thinking about this all night during work, but give me Claudine coming back from France during school break and she’s in peak Workaholic Mode and she’s not listening to anyone about resting, not even Maya because she’s in hardcore tunnel vision
And Maya goes to do a collab play performance with Siegfeld they’re practicing after school hours and Fumi is there because Shiori wanted her to be there to observe her practicing and add any feedback. Akira comments about Maya being distracted more than usual and Maya apologizes and says she’ll focus more. Both Michiru and Mei Fan bring up how it’s unusual and if there’s anything specific on Maya’s mind and Yachiyo lightheartedly says something like “I hope you’re not overworking yourself because Shiori has gotten onto all of us at least once for that”
They then all begin to recount their tales of being lectured and taken care of Shiori and Maya then brings up Claudine working herself to the bone to the point where she’s only seen Claudine doing nothing for a half hour max, if that, outside of sleeping
Cue both Shiori and Fumi freezing and going “is that so” with scary, sickeningly sweet smiles and Fumi proceeding to pull out her phone and calling Claudine on the spot with the speaker on
Such interaction goes as follows:
Claudine: …Oui? Fumi?
Fumi: When was the last time you took a break?
Claudine: …
(Claudine proceeds to hang up without a word and this time, Shiori calls with the speaker on)
Claudine: …Yes?
Shiori: Saijou-san?
Claudine: …Oui?
Shiori: Come to Siegfeld
Claudine: …
Fumi: We need to have a talk. Now
Claudine: *sigh* …Fine, I’m on my way
Claudine then shows up and is brought to the practice room, while looking both exhausted and apprehensive, by a snickering Yachiyo
When she gets there, Shiori and Fumi make her sit on the floor as they both lecture her about working and Claudine just looks at the floor as her eyebrow twitches in embarrassment
At some point, I want either Shiori or Fumi or both to slip up and call Claudine their sister at the end of this tirade
Because yes
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Playbook Preview: The Exile
Here's another preview for the Revue Starlight tabletop RPG! This playbook draws upon the character arcs of Stella, Fumi, and Hikari to create a core character concept based around "past lives," themes of prophecy and tragedy, and the cyclic nature of living with trauma.
(Text not final.)
This playbook draws somewhat from aspects of TSL's Infamous and Seeker, but tying it more around the central theme of fate within Revue Starlight. Where other playbooks like the Challenger represent more of an classic "hero" archetype, the Exile is perfect for those who wish to play a more tragic character who is currently in the throes of fighting back against the cyclic nature of fate.
One of the ideas that I want to push with the design of this TTRPG is that "sometimes, your character losing is more interesting and entertaining than your character winning," which might be familiar to you if you're played other Powered by the Apocalypse titles, or perhaps Call of Cthulhu. The tragedy of the Exile is one way to enable that, but it also gives you just as much of an opportunity to fight for a better future for your character.
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