Team-Up Moves

Let’s do some talking about S. Donnelly and Hannah Rogers’ Marvelous!

Our guests, Emily Buza and Jay Edidin, who you know from their respective podcasts Whelmed: The Young Justice Files and Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men, are with us to talk character creation, what makes this game tick, and give some comic book recommendations that fit with our characters and the kind of deconstructed superhero narratives of Marvelous.

Marvelous is a Belonging Outside Belonging game of teen heroes, villains, and mundane friends. Find out more and get the game: https://sdonnelly.itch.io/marvelous

• STARMAN by James Robinson and Tony Harris (DC Comics, 1994)
• X-MEN: EVOLUTION (animated television) (2000)
• SEANCE TEA PARTY (graphic novel) by Reimena Yee (2020)
• SNAPDRAGON (graphic novel) by Kat Leyh (2020)
• MAMO by Sas Milledge (Boom! Studios, 2021)
• DC SUPERHERO GIRLS (animated television) (2019)
• SABRIEL (novel) by Garth Nix (1995)
• RUNAWAYS by Rainbow Rowell and Nico Leon (2017)
• THE WEE FREE MEN (novel) by Terry Pratchett (2009)
• JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS by Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell (IDW, 2015)

Emily Buza (she/her, Twitter, Instagram) — Beatrice “Trixie” O’Neill

Jay Edidin (he/him, Twitter, Tumblr, Linktree) — Alex North

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Thalia Mews (“Amphitrite”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Brethyn Beachum

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Email: [email protected]

Tumblr: teamupmoves.tumblr.com

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

It’s time for the 2nd half of our actual play of S. Donnelly and Hannah Rogers’ Marvelous!

This is a Belonging Outside Belonging game of teen heroes, villains, and mundane friends.

We’re fortunate to be joined by two powerhouses of comic podcasting: Emily Buza, who you know from Whelmed: The Young Justice Files, and Jay Edidin, who you know from Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men.

Find out more and get the game: https://sdonnelly.itch.io/marvelous

Emily Buza (she/her, @emilyofarden) — Beatrice “Trixie” O’Neill

Jay Edidin (he/him, @NotLasers) — Alex North

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Thalia Mews (“Amphitrite”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Brethyn Beachum

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

We are kicking off our second year with a phenomenal run, playing S. Donnelly and Hannah Rogers’ Marvelous, a Masks-inspired Belonging Outside Belonging game. This is a game about super teens, but not necessarily a super team. Our characters are two heroes finding their powers and their voice, a villain struggling to come into his own, and Brethyn.

We’re fortunate to be joined by two powerhouses of comic podcasting: Emily Buza, who you know from Whelmed: The Young Justice Files, and Jay Edidin, who you know from Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men.

Find out more and get the game: https://sdonnelly.itch.io/marvelous

Also! We’re an Official Selection at Minnesota WebFest 2023!

Emily Buza (she/her, @emilyofarden) — Beatrice “Trixie” O’Neill

Jay Edidin (he/him, @NotLasers) — Alex North

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Thalia Mews (“Amphitrite”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Brethyn Beachum

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Email: [email protected]

Tumblr: teamupmoves.tumblr.com

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

We’re celebrating a year of podcasting with an annual episode (never not using comic book metaphors)! Hosts Fiona and Stephanie answer some listener questions, talk about what we’ve learned in a year of superhero RPGs, and talk about a few things we’re excited about for the next year.

Will we find the best superhero business RPG? Will Fiona be able to play as Squirrel Girl? Which of Stephanie’s characters does she most resemble? All these and more.

• Lowell Francis’s History of Superhero RPGs on his Age of Ravens blog
• Stan Lee on who would win in a fight

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Email: [email protected]

Tumblr: teamupmoves.tumblr.com

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

Cyphers! Pools! Adjectives, nouns, and verb phrases! Armaan and Ian are with us to dig into Cypher and discuss how it handles superheroic characters and stories.

Cypher System is a setting-agnostic RPG from Monte Cook Games. We’re using their Claim the Sky add-on book to inform how to adapt it to superheroic characters and settings.

Find out more about Cypher System and Claim the Sky at https://www.montecookgames.com/

Want to hear us discuss something during our Annual Episode, coming in June? E-mail [email protected]!

• UNCANNY X-MEN 122-25 (1979), by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and others
• DREADSTAR (1982-1992), by Jim Starlin and others
• MACHINE MAN 1-4 (1984), by Tom DeFalco, Herb Trimpe and others
• MURDERWORLD (2022-23), by Jim Zub, Ray Fawkes, and others
• X-FORCE (2020-2023), by Benjamin Percy, Joshua Cassara and others
• X-TERMINATORS (2022-2023), by Leah Williams, Carlos Gomez and others
• SINS OF SINISTER (2023), by Kieron Gillen, Lucas Werneck, Paco Medina and others

• Old Gus’ Cypher System Reference Document: https://callmepartario.github.io/og-csrd/

Armaan Babu (he/him, @ArmaanBabu) — Karma Jain (“The Games Master”)

(You can hire Armaan to be your actual game master at https://startplaying.games/gm/pathwaysyetunexplored!)

Ian Gregory (they/them, @fissionmale) — Exo-Unit Layer Ipsilon Seven

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Sheila Remy (“Songwolf”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Game Master

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Newsletter: https://buttondown.email/teamupmoves/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

It’s the 2nd half of our Cypher System / Claim the Sky AP. We’re re-joined by Armaan Babu and Ian Gregory as three heroes unlock the secrets of The Zephyr’s underground puzzle dungeon in order to save their friend.

Cypher System is a setting-agnostic RPG from Monte Cook Games. We’re using their Claim the Sky add-on book to inform how to adapt it to superheroic characters and settings.

Find out more about Cypher System and Claim the Sky at https://www.montecookgames.com/

Want to hear us discuss something during our Annual Episode, coming in June? E-mail [email protected]!

Armaan Babu (he/him, @ArmaanBabu) — Karma Jain (“The Games Master”)

(You can hire Armaan to be your actual game master at https://startplaying.games/gm/pathwaysyetunexplored!)

Ian Gregory (they/them, @fissionmale) — Exo-Unit Layer Ipsilon Seven

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Sheila Remy (“Songwolf”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Game Master

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Newsletter: https://buttondown.email/teamupmoves/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

Two of our Team-Up Moves All Stars are back to play Cypher System and the Claim the Sky setting book!

Our heroes are delving into a supervillain’s death trap in search of a lost friend. What dangers await them there? What amazing technology will they find? And who else might be doing their own scavenging?

Cypher System is a setting-agnostic RPG from Monte Cook Games. We’re using their Claim the Sky add-on book to inform how to adapt it to superheroic characters and settings.

Find out more about Cypher System and Claim the Sky at https://www.montecookgames.com/

Want to hear us discuss something during our Annual Episode, coming in June? E-mail [email protected]!

Armaan Babu (he/him, @ArmaanBabu) — Karma Jain (“The Games Master”)

(You can hire Armaan to be your actual game master at https://startplaying.games/gm/pathwaysyetunexplored!)

Ian Gregory (they/them, @fissionmale) — Exo-Unit Layer Ipsilon Seven

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Sheila Remy (“Songwolf”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Game Master

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Newsletter: https://buttondown.email/teamupmoves/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

It’s time to talk about Masks: A New Generation with two of our favorite Masks GMs: James Malloy of Protean City Comics and Indi Tan of Dice Comics are with us to share their perspectives on this game, what makes it tick, and what parts they actually… kind of ignore.

Listen as we talk about character creation, the labels mechanism, and share some of our favorite stories in the back issues.

Find out more about Masks: A New Generation at https://magpiegames.com/

• Teen Titans (2003), written by Geoff Johns, art by Mike McKone, Tony Daniel and others
• Scrubs (TV; 2001), created by Bill Lawrence
• Champions (2016), written by Mark Waid, art by Humberto Ramos and others
• New Mutants (2019), written by Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brisson, Vita Ayala and Charlie Jane Anders, art by Rod Reis, Alberto Albuquerque and others, especially the Vita Ayala issues, #14–24.
• Marvel's Midnight Suns (video game, 2022), developed by Firaxis Games
• Marvel Pride (2022), “Permanent Sleepover,” written by Charlie Jane Anders, art by Ro Stein and others
• Young Avengers (2005) written by Allan Heimberg, art by Jim Cheung and others
• Young Avengers (2013), written by Kieron Gilen, art by Jamie McKelvie and others
• New Teen Titans (1980), written by Marv Wolfman, art by George Pérez and others; esp. “The Judas Contract” (New Teen Titans 42–44 and Teen Titans Annual 3)
• New Mutants (1984), nos. 13–73, written by Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson, art by Bill Sienkiecwicz, Bret Blevins, Mary Wilshire and others
• Legion of Super-Heroes (1973), nos. 289–294 (1982), “The Great Darkness Saga,” written by Paul Levitz, drawn by Keith Giffen and others
• Legion of Super-Heroes (2004), written by Mark Waid, drawn by Barry Kitson and others

James Malloy (he/him, @AndTheMeltdowns) — Artie Book (“The Page Knight”)

Indi Tan (they/any, @itsmrmask) — Eka Lanyon (“Gekko”)

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Cara Rathers (“Braid”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Gamemaster

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Newsletter: https://buttondown.email/teamupmoves/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

We’ve got the second half of our Masks: A New Generation AP! James Malloy of Protean City Comics and Indi Tan of Dice Comics are back to finish out this delightful story.

Things heat up as Artie tracks down the mysterious figure in the library and discovers she is his missing princess pal, Ness, but she’s not happy to see him. Meanwhile, Gekko unwisely ventures back into the Warehouse District.

Find out more about Masks: A New Generation at https://magpiegames.com/

James Malloy (he/him, @AndTheMeltdowns) — Artie Book (“The Page Knight”)

Indi Tan (they/any, @itsmrmask) — Eka Lanyon (“Gekko”)

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Cara Rathers (“Braid”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Gamemaster

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Newsletter: https://buttondown.email/teamupmoves/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead

It is time for the modern classic, the best superhero TTRPG there is, darling of the podcast scene, Masks: A New Generation by Brendan Conway and published by Magpie Games.

We have been saving this game for some very special guests and we found them. James Malloy of Protean City and Indi Tan of Dice Comics came through for a phenomenal AP and insightful discussion.

Join a Janus, a Transformed, and an Outsider as the city championship for girls’ varsity basketball (our own New Arcadia North High School Iron Maidens vs. the Bishop Academy Sirens) is interrupted by adorable, violent creatures from the Outsider’s storybook home. What strange magic has brought them into this world, and why?

Find out more about Masks: A New Generation at https://magpiegames.com/

James Malloy (he/him, @AndTheMeltdowns) — Artie Book (“The Pageknight”)

Indi Tan (they/any, @itsmrmask) — Eka Lanyon (“Gekko”)

Stephanie Burt (she/her, @accommodatingly/@[email protected]) — Cara Rathers (“Braid”)

Fiona Hopkins (she/her, @fionawhim/@[email protected]) — Gamemaster

Website: https://teamupmoves.com/

Newsletter: https://buttondown.email/teamupmoves/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @teamupmoves

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Theme Music: “Play” by Sleepyhead