The Safeguard

The Safeguard Version 1.
0 (Inspired by the astrological sign Libra from the prompt ‘zodiac’ for the 2020 Masks
Iron Chef Playbook Contest)
By Astigmatic Oracle
Your friends are like family and you can accomplish so much together. But everyone
seems to want to fight. To solve problems with their fists. Except you. You just want
everyone to get along. So if you have to keep playing peacemaker, that’s what you’ll do.
Hero Name:
Real Name:
Look:
Ambiguous, Man, Shifting, Transgressing, Woman
Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
Kind eyes, concerned eyes, joyful eyes, tired eyes
Comfortable clothes, conservative clothes, trendy clothes, pastel clothes
Fashionable costume, no costume, colorful costume, team uniform
Abilities:
Your abilities are defensive or protective in nature, but you can throw down in a pinch.
Choose 2 of the following:
● Invisibility
● Force Fields
● Shrinking
● Telekinesis
● Power Negation
● Regeneration
Labels
(at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose)
Danger -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
Freak -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
Conditions
☐ Afraid (-2 to directly engage a threat)

☐ Angry (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
☐ Guilty (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
☐ Hopeless (-2 to unleash your powers)
☐ Insecure (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)
Backstory:
Who did you once fail to protect?
Why are you so averse to conflict?
Why did you become a superhero?
Who, outside the team, have you protected?
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 were almost out for the count. How did we pull ourselves back together?
Relationships:
___________ is like a younger sibling to you, so you keep an extra eye on them.
___________ sometimes has trouble fitting in with the rest of the group, so you make
sure they are included.
Influence:
Your team is like your family and you care about what they think. Give Influence over
you to three teammates.
Safeguard Moves:
Choose three
○ Peacemaker When you mediate a heated argument between others, roll +
Mundane. On a hit, NPCs stop fighting for now. PCs may clear a condition if they
stop fighting. On a 10+, you may also clear a condition or shift your own labels.
On a miss, the argument escalates or people turn on you.
○ Talk, No Jutsu When you talk down a villain from fighting, roll + Savior. On a hit,
they listen to you at least for now, creating an opportunity for your allies. On a
10+, you may use the adult move Persuade with Best Interest on them until the
end of the scene.
○ Human Shield When you knowingly put yourself at risk to protect a teammate,
take +1 forward to Defend them. On a hit, they clear a condition. On a miss, you
Take a Powerful Blow.
○ Then you handle it! When you storm off to escape fighting teammates, remove
one Team from the pool and shift your labels.
○ There’s no ‘I’ in Team Whenever you choose to add a Team to the pool, add two
Team to the pool instead.
○ Team Parent When you Comfort or Support someone, on a hit take Influence
over them if they open up to you and shift your own labels if they do not.
Moment of Truth
You always try to play it safe, to keep things buttoned down and controlled. But now the
only way to protect those you care about is to let loose. And so you do. With you
around, no one else is going to get hurt. Of course, now that they know what you are
capable of there’s an expectation you’ll be playing offense instead of just defense...
Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, let them know how important
they are to the team and add one Team to the pool. If they already knew that, clear a
condition. If they didn’t, take +1 Forward on the next move you make targeting them.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them if you are holding
the team back or together. If they say back, mark Guilty, If they say together, add a
Team to the pool.
Potential: ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.
Advancement
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
● Take another move from your playbook

● Take another move from your 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
When you've taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list
below.
● Unlock your Moment of Truth after it's been used once.
● Change Playbooks.
● Take an adult move.
● Take an adult move.
● Lock a Label, add +1 to a label of your choice
● Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city.
The Playbook
Your friends are like family and you can accomplish so much together. But everyone
seems to want to fight. To solve problems with their fists. Except you. You just want
everyone to get along. So if you have to keep playing peacemaker, that’s what you’ll do.
Playing the Playbook

The Safeguard is inspired by the astrological sign Libra and their tendency to avoid
confrontations and keep the peace. As The Safeguard, you sort of a ‘Team Mom,’ trying
to keep the team together and cooperative. The Safeguard hates infighting and will try
to resolve conflicts between teammates, even when their teammates won’t appreciate it.
Unlike more aggressive characters, The Safeguard doesn’t see violence or
fighting as the first solution to a problem, even when confronting super villains. The
Safeguard’s powers are defensive or protective in nature, but with the proper application
could be very effective offensively. The Safegaurd must navigate wanting to use their
powers to protect people with the pressure to use them offensively.
Notes on Your Moves

For Peacemaker, on a miss if a PC is involved in the argument then the Player or
Players decide if they turn on you or escalate the argument. If they are both NPCs, the
GM decides. If you are a direct participant in the argument, this move does not trigger.
Don’t forget when you use Then you handle it! you might also be taking an
action to clear a condition.
There’s no ‘I’ in Team only applies if you make a move and have a choice
between adding Team to the pool and doing something else. If adding Team to the pool
just happens as a result of a move, this move doesn’t apply. For example, if you roll a
hit to Defend someone and choose to add a Team to the pool you instead add two
Team to the pool. But if you use your Team move for sharing a vulnerability or
weakness and they say together, you only add one team to the pool.
Suggested Moves from other Playbooks:

Won’t let you down, from the Beacon. Take this if you want to help more and use some
of the extra Team you generate.
I’ll save you!, from the Janus. Take this if you want to sacrifice to keep loved ones safe.
Martyr, from the Innocent. Take this if you want to emphasize your self sacrifice.
Inspirations for playbook:

Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), Fantastic Four
Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp), Avengers
Jean Grey, X-Men
Donna Troy, Teen Titans
Playbook GM Advice
● Give them arguments to solve
● Pit them against the team
● Give villains a reason to stop fighting
● Pressure them to use their powers offensively
● Incentivize cooperation
The Safeguard wants everyone to get along and for people to stop fighting. But this is a
superhero comic! Fighting and arguing are par for the course. Make sure you give The
Safeguard some arguments they can solve and some arguments that they can’t. Keep
in mind who is susceptible to their words, and thus susceptible to their pleads for
peace.
The Safeguard is at tension between using words and peaceful methods to solve
problems and using more aggressive means like their powers. Create perfect
opportunities for them to use their powers aggressively and let them decide if they take
the bait. But be careful about making it seem like words are useless; they aren’t. Both
words and actions should have a place in solving conflicts, but the Safeguard needs
the opportunity to decide which to try.
Because the Safeguard is so focused on being a peacemaker, they run the risk
of becoming a passive character. Don’t let them! Make sure you give them arguments
and fights to react to, but also create situations where they can be more proactive. Let
them try to stop some potential conflicts before they blow up into full on fights. Poke
them to meddle in the teams’ relationships.
How to use with The Joined

Take two moves from the Safeguard playbook: one your other half has and one they
don’t.

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The Safeguard Version 1.

☐ Afraid (-2 to directly engage a threat)

When our team first came together…

● Take another move from your playbook

Playing the Playbook

Notes on Your Moves

Suggested Moves from other Playbooks:

Inspirations for playbook:

How to use with The Joined

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