So, about a month ago, my regular gaming group played the first session of a Monsterhearts game. We used the Monsterheartless co-GM hack and the High School is Complicated Dude background sheet. Here's what went down:

Location:

We decided to set the game in Westfort, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. According to the interwebz, Westfort has buildings dating back to the 1600s, and is part of Thunder Bay city, which has a harbour and a railway. Sounds like the perfect place for stormy teenage monsters to reside!

We decided that the characters would all be juniors at Westfort High, so around 17 years of age. We didn't want there to be any issues with characters having under-age sex with their classmates, so that was largely the deciding factor for their age.

Character Creation

Shen Chang, the Mortal (played by me): 

• quiet, sad eyes, a nobody. 
• believes Deanna is his True Love, has Excuses Are My Armour, and Sympathy is My Weapon
• apparently acing all the tests and has a stable home life (parents are both immigrants who don't speak much English). 
• is unpopular (and wants to be part of the popular group), and was just unceremoniously dumped by his now ex-girlfriend, Ophelia. 
• in a spot of trouble with the school authorities - he hacked the school database to change his grades and it's only a matter of time before the school figures out he did it.
• caught Deanna rummaging through Ander's stuff (and took 2 Strings on her)
• assists Anders in his hunt for monsters in Westfort.

Deanna Merville, the Witch (played by Shy):

• edgy, playful eyes, shamanic
• has Bide My Time and knows the Ring of Lies and Watching hexes
• doing well academically and not in trouble with the authorities.
• seems to have a troubling home life and her love life is non-existent. 
• not particularly popular, but doesn't seem to care.
• sympathetic tokens: has a dophin charm from Brittany's charm bracelet and a childhood teddy bear from Horace

Horace Snow, the Ghoul (played by Chris):

• stiff, hollow eyes, sent
• has The Hunger for chaos, Short Rest for the Wicked, and..?
• fine academically and family life is stable
• was a star player in the Westfort Warriors, the high school football team, but during a risky play, slipped and broke his neck on the field. Miraculously (?) survived the fatal accident. The popular coach, Jason (?) Wendigo, was held responsible and suspended on full pay. As a result, is shunned by the rest of the Westfort Warriors, and desperately wants back in.
• romantic life is non-existent.
• in trouble with the authorities, but no biggie.
• Anders reminded him what love was, when he thought that death had stolen it away from him forever (gave him 2 Strings)
• Brittany watched him die on the field and come back to life (took 2 Strings on her and gave her 2 Strings)

Brittany, the Queen (played by Kirsteen):

• stuck up, captivating eyes, most popular kid in school
• her Clique are talented cheerleaders (Chloe, Tiffany and Trixie), and has Streaming
• very popular and the authorities have no beef with her
• in danger of flunking her classes - thinks everything's about looks and cheerleading
• boyfriend Jackson just dumped her for a preppie brunette - how could he!?!
• family life is unstable but it doesn't phase her
• has a String on each of her cheerleaders
• finds Deanna threatening because she can't control her - (gave her 1 String and took 2 Strings on her)

Anders J. Karlsson, the Chosen (played by Michael):

• stubborn, blue eyes, destined
• has Come Prepared and Take the Blow
• has a stable, multi-lingual family and adoring cheerleader girlfriend Rowen
• left the Westfort Wolverines, the ice hockey team, for no apparent reason and doesn't want back in - but Coach Duncan Macgregor wants him back. He's ostracised because of this.
• the school principal, Principal Chalmers, is an insane monomaniac and wants him dead. Chalmers considers Anders beyond his control and Chalmers cannot abide that
• is barely passing academically but doesn't really care
• Shen and Horace are his friends that he relies on for monster-slaying support (Takes a String on each)
• Principle Chalmers knows he's the Chosen One and wants him dead (gains 2 Strings on Anders)

The Homeroom:

[Ms Silva]

[Deanna (PC)] [Brittany (PC)] [Tiffany*] [Ophelia (Shen's ex)]

[Shen (PC)] [Chloe*] [Trixie*] [<Vacant>]

[Franklin (Bullies Shen)] [<Vacant>] [Jackson (Brittany's ex)]

[Anders (PC)] [Rowen (Ander's gf)] [Victoria (mysteriously absent)]

Play Begins...

Recently, two students from from the PC's Homeroom in Westfort High have died. Peter died  a few months ago of leukaemia. Vanessa died three weeks ago at Crystal's (freshman) house party on the lake of a drug overdose. She jumped off the roof saying that she thought she could fly. Some witnesses say that she did fly briefly, but what would they know, they were all clearly high.

This morning, Victoria didn't show up to class. Something is going on.

Ms Silva gave Brittany a hard time in the Homeroom. Shen tried to pass a note to Deanna but she refused to accept it - cold! (she Shut Shen Down - took a String on Shen, Shen gained the "rejected" condition, and Deanna gained the "annoyed" condition). Brittany mocked Deanna.

Out of class, Anders tried to talk Shen into hacking the school computers again so Anders could find out if there are any clues about Victoria. Shen agreed to do it on one condition - that Anders would put in a good word for him with Deanna. Anders agreed.

In chemistry class, Anders approches Deanna and tells her "a friend" is interested in her (Turn Someone On). Anders means Shen, but Deanna interprets this that Anders is interested in her! Deanna rather likes this idea (Anders takes a String on her). Oh dear. Anyway, Deanna manages to steal a sympathetic token from Anders as well.

In the caffeteria, Brittany spots her ex-Jackson with Carrie, his new girlfriend, and decides to win Jackson back by ruining Carrie's reputation. She starts a rumour that Carrie is a tease and is frigid (Shut Someone Down), but it backfires. The rumour spreads like wildfire through the caffeteria and Carrie hears it, becomes incensed, runs over and upends her lunch all over Brittany!

Horace, watching this unfold from across the caffeteria, decides to distract his classmates by hurling his lunch at another student, Ichabod (Lash Out Physically). However, his throw is off and his lunch kinghits Jackson instead. Jackson, who is still playing with the Westfort Warriors and blames Horace for Coach Wendigo's suspension. Jackson flips out and flips the entire table over in his rage. A foodfight ensues...

Some Observations

The Highschool is Complicated Dude sheet really helped flesh out the PCs as teenagers with teenage problems. It worked really well to quickly set up what was bothering the PCs.

The Monsterheartless co-GM rules worked well, too. It was fun to suggest alternate Hard Moves for a miss, and have the player of the unlucky PC pick the one he/she liked best.

My group is used to playing together as a team overcoming obstacles, so playing as petty teenage monsters with petty issues is a bit of a gear change for us. But I think we're getting it.

Overall, an enjoyable session and I hope we keep playing this game next time.