Edgar Allan Poe Legacy Challenge
created by @maydaysims
Hi! I’m maydayplays and this is the first Sims challenge I’ve ever written. I’d love your feedback and to answer any questions you have. I’d also adore being tagged in your stories if you’re playing this challenge. Ask questions here.
Welcome to the Edgar Allan Poe Legacy Challenge! I took his macabre, melancholy, and tormenting work and devised this challenge across ten generations. If you prefer the google doc version, click here!
This challenge is to be a guide or starting point for your storytelling but I encourage you to adapt your play as you see fit! Don’t beat yourself up for missing a generation’s goals or having your story deviate. That’s part of the fun.
Trigger Warnings
Please keep this mind that this is a Rated R legacy challenge. Poe’s work is a reflection of the tragedies in his life as well as the rejections he’s experienced and the addictions he struggled with.
That being said, I am not responsible for your health, well-being, or actions you take due to this challenge. By playing this challenge, you assume full responsibility for what happens and how it affects you.
I have also tried my best to note triggers before each generation but I’m human. There will always be triggers that are missed.
Mods (completely optional):
Basemental Drugs fits the vibe because Poe was known for his alcoholism and substance abuse.
MCCC is a mod that allows you to manipulate aspects of the Sims such as no occult, having pregnancies happen, etc. I often use it to move my plot along or improve quality of life.
Wonderful Whims enhances storytelling by giving Sims “first impressions” and noting whether they find another Sim attractive or not. It also includes menstrual cycles, polyamorous relationships, disabling jealousy, and much much more. If you want the smut, you can try Wicked Whims instead.
Control Any Sim allows you to turn household Sims into “household NPC’s” if you don’t like playing multiple Sims in a household.
Generation One: "The Raven"
Triggers: heartbreak, isolation, depression
While the other kids played in the sun and splashed in the mud, you spent your time happily clacking away on your typewriter and playing sonnets on your violin. Your parents worried that you weren’t socializing so they encouraged play dates.
You begrudgingly went to them until one day, you met Lenore, your raven-haired muse. (You don’t have to stick to the name Lenore).
Love blossomed quickly for you, until Lenore was suddenly gone from your life. This manifested your parent’s worst fear: you no longer socialized. They tried their hardest to get you to leave your room but they were met with haunting violin songs and frantic typing. As soon as you could, you moved out from their home to have even more isolation.
Aspiration: Bestselling Author
Traits: Gloomy, Creative, and Loner
Skills: Writing. At least level 4 in Painting and Violin.
Start off in a grungy, dirty home. The only item you’re allowed to cheat is your computer so you can start writing.
Get a computer and join the Freelancer (Fighting Words) career as your sole source of income. Even odd jobs should be avoided unless you can do them from home. Remember, you want as little interaction with other people as possible.
Buy the Creative Visionary reward.
Write at least one book named after Lenore in some way.
Marry someone who reminds you of Lenore (doesn’t have to be the negative/sad/depressing parts- unless you want it to be!) Get creative with how you meet them.
Have only one child (unless you get twins, etc.)
If you use cc’s, you can decorate your home raven-themed.
Generation Two: "Annabel Lee"
Triggers: emotionally distant parent(s)
You learned how to love your (Gen 1) unconditionally, even if it meant being the parent of your parent at a young age. When you began to have romantic relationships, you always wore your heart on your sleeve. After graduating high school, you kissed your parents goodbye because you couldn’t deal with the gloom and doom of your childhood home anymore.
You can inherit money from your Gen 1 depending on how Gen 1 did with the writing career.
Aspiration: Soulmate
Traits: Romantic, choose/randomize the other two.
Skills: Parenting and Charisma.
Have several relationships throughout your teenage and young adult life. They can be as casual/loving/serious/etc. as you’d like.
Your career is completely up to you.
Meet the love of your life and move to somewhere by the sea.
Have at least two children. Be as present as you can in their lives, throwing incredible birthday parties, reading them to bed, and showering them with love.
Have your partner pass away before your first child reaches young adulthood.
Have a bedroom specifically dedicated to your Annabel Lee that no one is allowed to go in but you. You can leave the urn there if you’d like.
If you remarry, they cannot know about the secret room.
Generation Three: "The Tell-Tale Heart"
Triggers: elderly abuse and murder
You grew up with a parent who wore their heart on their sleeve. You saw it as a blind spot that you could take advantage of. It started off with tiny white lies and as you got more confident, you began to steal from your family and then your neighbors. When people asked about what you wanted to be when you “grew up,” you always made something up. The truth is, you have no idea.
Aspiration: Public Enemy
Traits: Kleptomaniac, Paranoid, choose/randomize the third. If you don’t have Paranoid, you can use Genius.
Skills: Mischief and Charisma. Anything that’s required for your aspiration/career.
Join the Criminal or Secret Agent career depending on how you want to play your character. You can choose whichever branch you’d like!
When your charisma is high enough, ask to borrow money from at least 3 Sims. It’s up to you if you’d like to pay them back or not.
Have no more than one child. You don’t have to marry the other parent.
Achieve notoriety and become at least a three-star celebrity with a bad reputation.
Optional: Move an Elder Sim into your basement or a room in your home. Leave them there with no way of letting them out. Keep them a secret from your family.
Generation Four: "The Cask of Amontillado"
Triggers: a really messed-up way to kill someone, sociopathy
You were never sure what exactly your parent did for a living but you knew that you always got what you wanted. All you had to do was ask. Your parent made sure you were cultured, a little piano here, a little art there. You felt contempt for anything not to your standards.
Aspiration: Master Mixologist
Traits: Snob, Perfectionist, and choose/randomize the third.
Skills: Mixology. At least level 5 in Cooking. Anything that’s required for your aspiration/career.
Join the Culinary career and the Mixologist branch.
Marry someone who is of high society, whether they are extremely wealthy or at least 3-stars famous or both!
Brew a unique Amontillado drink.
Buy Money Tree reward to continue generational wealth.
Become mortal enemies with another mixologist whether they’re plain annoying or a threat to your business, get creative!
Create a wall in your bar with no exit. Put your mortal enemy in there and let them die in the wall.
Be extra petty by leaving your signature drink in the wall with them.
Be at least a three-star celebrity, famous for your Amontillado.
Generation Five: "The Masque of the Red Death"
Triggers: murder, mass murder, murder-suicide
You grew up being that kid who always had an endless supply of booze, thanks to your Mixologist parent. You were free to do as you wanted so naturally, you drank, you partied, and you spent money like it was your job. Everyone either wanted you to wanted to be with you. You feel immortal and that you can get away with anything.
Aspiration: Party Animal
Traits: Outgoing, Noncommittal, and choose/randomize the third. If you have Get Together, you can sub one of those out for Dance Machine.
Skills: Dancing.
Join whichever career you’d like OR switch it up and live off of your family fortune (inherit OR use the money cheat).
Throw the most extravagant parties complete with a caterer, entertainer, and mixologist! There’s no such thing as doing too much so have as much food, drinks, and gluttony as you’d like.
Always wear red to parties and have at least one outfit with a red mask.
Have a black room in your party house that no one is allowed to go into but you and whomever you invite. Murder them in that room but don’t forget your red mask!
Have random kids with random Sims.
Buy Seldom Sleepy reward.
Optional: For the full masque of red death experience, lock yourself and your party guests inside during a party. Don’t have any food, bathrooms, or any means of staying alive. Die together. You can also use a house fire for this.
Generation Six: "The Black Cat"
Triggers: emotional neglect
You were raised by other people (nanny/grandparents/foster/etc.) because your parents were never around. The person/people who raised you gifted you a kitten and you immediately fell in love with it. For once, you felt like you had someone. You two were inseparable. But as you neared adulthood, the cat passed away of old age. This drove you a bit mad and to fill the hole in your heart, you got more and more cats. But none of them were your first cat.
Due to Gen 5, change this Sim’s last name to Usher to protect them from Gen 5’s scandals.
Aspiration: Animal Affection
Traits: Gloomy, choose/randomize the second and third trait.
Skills: All skills required for your career and aspiration
Join the Detective career.
Marry as a young adult.
Have a cat named Pluto that is an all-black cat.
Always have the maximum amount of cats.
Keep all the urns from every cat that’s passed away and put them all over the house. Never release any of the cats to the netherworld.
Have a distant relationship with your child(ren). They remind you too much of your childhood and you prefer the company of cats.
Buy the Independent reward trait. Because cats are independent!
Generation Seven: "The Pit and the Pendulum"
Triggers: PTSD, disassociation
You learned from an early age that (Gen 6) wasn’t going to be around. It made you sad that they loved their cat(s) more than you but as you got older, you just felt bad for them. To get away, you made friends on the internet through gaming tournaments and chat rooms. You also entered the world of logic and puzzles. But this also meant that you prioritized escapism and often found yourself disassociating.
Aspiration: Nerd Brain
Traits: Loner, Genius or Ambitious, choose/randomize the third.
Skills: Video gaming. Logic level 5.
Graduate high school early or as an A student.
Join any tech-based career (esports, tech guru, etc)
Marry someone who shares your genius or ambition (they don’t need to have the trait, only the personality!) in a passion of your/their choice.
Buy the Needs No One reward trait.
Don’t have cats. Just the idea of it triggers your childhood experience.
Help your children with homework and encourage them to follow your logic-based path.
Never let your children meet your parents (at least, the Gen 6).
Generation Eight: "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"
Triggers: malpractice
Your (Gen 7) never talked about your family history. You were able to trace your lineage back to (Gen 6) but it cuts off. There’s no more Ushers before that. You think there was a scandal in your family history but you had no way of proving it. If only your family was more open and self-aware, perhaps things would’ve been different. Instead, (Gen 7) spent their time lost in videogames and being semi present. You learned to find inner peace to get through your childhood, which set you in the direction of wanting to work in wellness… but maybe you’re a bit too passionate about it.
Aspiration: Zen Guru
Traits: Good, Erratic, and choose/randomize the third trait.
Skills: Up to your career. Logic level 5 (from Gen 7 upbringing).
Fall in love with one of your wellness clients or someone who found inner peace through you.
Have a non-traditional family.
Have one extreme way of practicing wellness that can be considered malpractice. Perhaps you lock other Sims in a sauna to detox them? Make them starve too long as a form of fasting?
Have as many or as few children as you’d like with as many or as few Sims as you like. You like to live life to the fullest with minimal restrictions!
Buy the Carefree reward trait.
Generation Nine: "Hop-Frog"
Triggers: bullying
Your (Gen 8) was… eccentric, to say the least. You had a happy childhood, but as you grew up, you learned that your family dynamic was different. It made you insecure. As a teenager, you coped through making jokes and writing material. When you made people laugh, they stopped judging you… or did they?
Aspiration: Joke Star
Traits: Socially Awkward, Vengeful, choose/randomize the third trait.
Skills: Comedy. Mischief level 2.
Join the Entertainer career.
Achieve at least three-star celebrity status.
Marry someone who is “out of your league”. Up to you whether they are “using” your Sim or if it’s a legit love.
Have either twins or two children back to back who are close enough in age to be considered twins. No more than those two.
Your friends are also in the entertainment industry or celebrities of sorts… but they don’t get you.
Make constant jokes and prank others because that’s the only way you know how to show affection.
Buy the Money Tree reward and make as much money as you can to give to your heir(s).
Beat up one of the people who bullied you.
Generation Ten: "The Fall of the House of Usher"
Triggers: manipulation and potential abuse
This story is about twins. You can choose to play the “solo heir” mode or the “twin heirs” mode.
You (Gen 9) had no idea but you and your twin were snooping when (Gen 9) beat that bully up! To be honest, this was the first time either of you respected them. You grew up watching that parent be a pushover, unaware that everyone was always laughing. You and your twin vowed to never let anyone treat them that way. With the wealth you inherited, your charisma, and your twin’s observant and cutthroat nature, you and your twin set off to be the most powerful family in the world.
This is the last generation. Per the Fall of the House of Usher story, there are no heirs but if you want to play a looser story, go for it!
Twin 1 (based on the story, this would be the “official” heir):
Aspiration: Mansion Baron
Traits: Social, Workaholic, choose/randomize the third trait.
Skills: Charisma.
Spend your time making as much money as you can, however you can.
Make friends with as many celebrities as you can and throw lavish social parties.
Start a retail business of your choice. This is what you and your twin want to build up.
Meet the love of your life as a Teen or Young Adult. Lose them because you chose money over them.
“Get rid” of any Sim that gets in your way– but don’t get caught!
Buy the Money Tree reward trait.
Make friends with all the powerful and influential families.
Twin 2:
You always thought (Gen 9) was pitiful, even when your twin was compassionate about them. But when you saw them put their fists at one of their bullies, you felt a sense of satisfaction. This is what the Usher name should be about. You swore that people would shake in fear every time they heard the Usher name.
Do not have any heirs, for whatever reason that fits your story.
Aspiration: Mansion Baron (same for both twins)
Traits: Perfectionist, Evil, choose/randomize the third trait.
Skills: Mixology (because she’s always watching and observant)
Never marry. You don’t have time for that.
Black Widow any romantic partners you have. Keep a memento to remember each one.
Whenever your twin runs into trouble, whether with people disrespecting them or getting in their way, take care of the problem– be creative!
Rub shoulders with the elites of elites but always stay one step ahead.
Never get drunk or impair your judgment.
Buy the Brave reward trait.
Optional for your grand finale:
Move into Generation One’s lot. Decorate with eerie paintings.
Have a private room from Twin 2’s victims. (from Generation Two).
Kill at least three Sims and steal their money (from Generation Three).
Eat and drink only the finest– you both deserve it (from Generation Four).
Have a black room for activities of your choosing (from Generation Five).
Have at least one black cat (from Generation Six).
If your last name changed at all during the generations, change it back to Usher (from Generation Seven).
Have a hobby irrelevant to wealth (from Generation Eight).
Avenge the Usher name (from Generation Nine).
For the Epilogue, check the google doc.
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