Urban Fantasy: Warnings

[Shadowsoul]

With the Urban Fantasy Hero Sourcebook still on the horizon I thought it might be amusing for people with some or any experience of the genre to post some hints and warnings to Player Characters who may find themselves in an Urban Fantasy situation.

 

I'm not actually an expert on this genre but here's what I've picked up from my reading and my wandering through book shops.

 

1. You will probably encounter Vampires. If they don't want to eat you straight away they may want to unleash your darkest hidden desires, so that they can sleep with you.

 

2. You might encounter Werewolves. If they don't want to eat you out of hand they may try to unchain or get in touch with your inner beast, so that they can sleep with you.

 

3. You might also encounter Fay, who will want to sleep with you.

 

4. If people don't want to believe in magic then you can be attacked by a giant centipede demon in broad daylight while standing in front of a major landmark and they still won't believe you when you try to open their eyes to the real world.

 

5. I know that people like Dracula, Merlin, or Cronos are supposed to be dead or locked away for a good stretch of eternity, but they might make an exception in your case and turn up anyway, just to cause you grief.

 

6. If you are a supernatural investigator I can guarantee that for the most part your group will be the only one in your area, no matter how weird things get. On the plus side it's a sellers market when it comes to supernatural investigations.

 

7. Despite the facts noted in point 6 you will probably be short of money quite often if you make your living off the supernatural. If this is not the case your love life will probably be pretty terrible, see points 1-3 if you really, desperately need to expand your pool of potential dates, (note that this is far more likely to work if you are a woman).

 

8. Never trust an antiques store. There will always be something really weird and possibly dangerous hidden on the mouldering shelves.

 

9. There are various other worlds hidden inside this one. If you spend any length of time in any of them someone will almost certainly try to kill you for reasons that you don't immediately understand. Running back into your own world won't help much either. They'll find you. They always do.

 

10. Oh and you may bump into a few demons. They don't always want to kill you though. See points 1-3.

[tkdguy]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Interesting. I GMed a game years ago that included the Highlander, Forever Knight, and Wolf (the Jack Nicholson film). I hadn't collected the World of Darkness books yet, although they were around. It was set in the modern world. I had planned to run a similar game set in the Middle Ages, but I never got around to it.

[mayapuppies]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

With the Urban Fantasy Hero Sourcebook still on the horizon I thought it might be amusing for people with some or any experience of the genre to post some hints and warnings to Player Characters who may find themselves in an Urban Fantasy situation.

 

I'm not actually an expert on this genre but here's what I've picked up from my reading and my wandering through book shops.

 

1. You will probably encounter Vampires. If they don't want to eat you straight away they may want to unleash your darkest hidden desires, so that they can sleep with you.

 

2. You might encounter Werewolves. If they don't want to eat you out of hand they may try to unchain or get in touch with your inner beast, so that they can sleep with you.

 

3. You might also encounter Fay, who will want to sleep with you.

 

4. If people don't want to believe in magic then you can be attacked by a giant centipede demon in broad daylight while standing in front of a major landmark and they still won't believe you when you try to open their eyes to the real world.

 

5. I know that people like Dracula, Merlin, or Cronos are supposed to be dead or locked away for a good stretch of eternity, but they might make an exception in your case and turn up anyway, just to cause you grief.

 

6. If you are a supernatural investigator I can guarantee that for the most part your group will be the only one in your area, no matter how weird things get. On the plus side it's a sellers market when it comes to supernatural investigations.

 

7. Despite the facts noted in point 6 you will probably be short of money quite often if you make your living off the supernatural. If this is not the case your love life will probably be pretty terrible, see points 1-3 if you really, desperately need to expand your pool of potential dates, (note that this is far more likely to work if you are a woman).

 

8. Never trust an antiques store. There will always be something really weird and possibly dangerous hidden on the mouldering shelves.

 

9. There are various other worlds hidden inside this one. If you spend any length of time in any of them someone will almost certainly try to kill you for reasons that you don't immediately understand. Running back into your own world won't help much either. They'll find you. They always do.

 

10. Oh and you may bump into a few demons. They don't always want to kill you though. See points 1-3.

 

This looks like the random table the writers for Buffy used to generate each episodes plot.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Corollary to 1,2 and 3:

 

If you run into any animals that seem to be smarter than normal, they probably want to sleep with you. But make them change into human form first so you don't violate any local statutes.

 

 

I will note, that all of the above applies if you're experience with Urban Fantasy is Laurrel K Hamilton and her peers.

[Shadowsoul]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Interesting. I GMed a game years ago that included the Highlander' date=' Forever Knight, and Wolf (the Jack Nicholson film). I hadn't collected the World of Darkness books yet, although they were around. It was set in the modern world. I had planned to run a similar game set in the Middle Ages, but I never got around to it.[/quote']

 

Hmm, Forever Knight. I looked it up and I guess it must have been the first vampire detective series ever. And possibly the first supernatural series with a superhuman protagonist. Intriguing.

 

Apparently though there was a short series that was loosely based on Vampire: The Masquerade.

 

Wolf versus Highlander. Now that would be fun. Brief, but fun, I'm sure McCloud would like a nice wolf fur cloak. Although a classic werewolf would have given him a real run for his money.

 

Quick update. I wandered through the Wikipedia entries for Urban Fantasy and discovered a book called 'Heart of Stone' which involves a Gargoyle who, yes you've guessed it, wants to sleep with the other protagonist, a human woman.

[Maur]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Kindred: The Embraced (1996)

Vampire clans definitely sound like those from V:tM as well as the hidden behind the veil kind of thing.

 

Forever Knight (1989-1996)

[ghost-angel]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Kindred: The Embraced (1996)

Vampire clans definitely sound like those from V:tM as well as the hidden behind the veil kind of thing.

 

That's because they ARE V:tM clans. The show was more than loosely based off the game.

[Curufea]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

My one warning would be (because White Wolf is only a small part of the genre) :-

 

Treat all myths, superstitions and fairy tales with a lot more care than you would otherwise.

[tkdguy]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Hmm, Forever Knight. I looked it up and I guess it must have been the first vampire detective series ever. And possibly the first supernatural series with a superhuman protagonist. Intriguing.

 

Apparently though there was a short series that was loosely based on Vampire: The Masquerade.

 

Wolf versus Highlander. Now that would be fun. Brief, but fun, I'm sure McCloud would like a nice wolf fur cloak. Although a classic werewolf would have given him a real run for his money.

 

Quick update. I wandered through the Wikipedia entries for Urban Fantasy and discovered a book called 'Heart of Stone' which involves a Gargoyle who, yes you've guessed it, wants to sleep with the other protagonist, a human woman.

I used Wolf as a basis, although I modified the rules so that the werewolf became stronger and more bestial as the moon's phase waxed, then grew weaker and more human when the moon waned. So the werewolf was at maximum power at full moon and couldn't shapeshift during new moon.

 

I had originally thought of using Kindred: The Embraced, but I didn't know much about the WoD vampires, and the show ended too abruptly (My questionnaire for the players included some of the V:TM clans). And since one of the cable channels showed Highlander and Forever Knight back to back, I got more exposure to it.

 

Edit: I almost forgot. Other available character types included psychics, bionic men and women, ninjas, Shaolin priests, and paranormal investigators. One of the players asked what special abilities the investigators had. Since Mulder and Scully regularly got backsides handed to them in the early episodes, I said they get beat up a lot, but they're very hard to kill. The player, who had chosen to be a paranormal investigator, was less than thrilled to hear that.

[Basil]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Thank you for one of the best laughs I've had in a long time.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Warnings;

 

• Corporations in Urban Fantasy are always corrupt. Usually this corruption is from some fantastic source like Demons or some other magical origin.
  
• The government is not your friend either.
  
• New Orleans is the absolute center of the setting. Everything happens there; voodoo, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, demons, etc. Mardi Gras is the cover for arcane rites that draw upon the combined spiritual energy of the party goers to fuel whatever nefarious plans the bad guys have.
  
• Expect your character to be morally strong and socially challenged. They know right from wrong, but just can't get some from somebody who does not fit Shadowsoul's points 1-3.
  
• Scientologists really are a freaky cult seeking to take over the world. Oh, to avoid lawsuits, the serial numbers are filed off. But it is still Scientology.
  

[Karmakaze]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

• Expect your character to be morally strong and socially challenged. They know right from wrong, but just can't get some from somebody who does not fit Shadowsoul's points 1-3.
  

 

Sometimes they start out normal, but because of contact with your character, get turned into something from 1-3...

[ghost-angel]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

I think my favorite is quickly becoming:

 

-If the protagonist is female they will either be, or become, a nercomancer. And no matter how powerful they become, no bad guy will ever take them seriously.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Stay out of basements, unless you want to find an entrance to the hidden realm of the dark fae. Or possibly Hell.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Always carry a large backpack with you. Getting lost is always an adventure.

[tkdguy]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Always carry a large backpack with you. Getting lost is always an adventure.

And don't forget your towel.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Stay out of basements' date=' unless you [b']want[/b] to find an entrance to the hidden realm of the dark fae. Or possibly Hell.

"I think I see your problem. You gotta portal to another dimension in there."

 

-House II: The Second Story.

[Markdoc]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Always carry a large backpack with you. Getting lost is always an adventure.

 

And you can get lost walking to the Kwikee-Mart on the corner for milk....

 

cheers, Mark

[DEFCON Clown]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

I guess my take on urban fantasy is ALOT different then everyone else. I might make a thread just to detail it.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Everyone on the planet has some kind of supernatural connection, except for one poor normal schmuck in Cleveland. The entire masquerade or whatever that everyone goes through is aimed entirely at keeping him from finding out.

[Curufea]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Everyone on the planet has some kind of supernatural connection' date=' except for one poor normal schmuck in Cleveland. The entire masquerade or whatever that everyone goes through [b']is aimed entirely at keeping him from finding out.[/b]

 

White Wolf is a bit like the Marvel Universe - everyone is a mutant

[sinanju]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Stay out of basements' date=' unless you [b']want[/b] to find an entrance to the hidden realm of the dark fae. Or possibly Hell.

 

But remember--if you DO get trapped in a basement and there's a dryer, there's a possible way out.

 

Remove your shoes.

Remove your socks.

Discard one (1) sock.

Tie remaining sock firmly to your wrist.

Turn on the dryer.

Climb in. (Admittedly, this is considerably easier using large, commercial dryers, which is where the player I'm shamelessly cribbing from first tried this).

You now have a 50% chance of being dragged into another dimension somewhere.

This IS a rather drastic solution, so be sure J. Random Alternate Dimension seems like a better idea than facing whatever is lurking in those dark corners....

 

Other rules of Urban Fantasy

 

X. Every supernatural POAS (Person of Appropriate Sex) you meet will be hotter than the last.

X+1. Each and every one of them will want you badly (but not as badly as you want them) no matter how your beauty pales compared to their supernatural POAS acquaintances.

X+2. Alas, neither of you will give in to desire for any of numerous reasons. For a while.

X+3. When you do give in, the sex will always be indescribably* exciting and you will achieve never-before-experienced levels of ecstasy. EVERY. TIME.

X+4. Your magical Hoohah OAG (of Appropriate Gender) will endow you and/or others with additional superpowers on a regular basis.**

X+5. Whatever you used to do for a living is irrelevant. You will spend all your time having indescribable sex and acquiring new magical superpowers.***

 

*It will nonetheless be described in excruciating detail, at least if LKH is writing it.

**Ditto.

***Ditto.

[sinanju]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

Everyone on the planet has some kind of supernatural connection' date=' except for one poor normal schmuck in Cleveland. The entire masquerade or whatever that everyone goes through [b']is aimed entirely at keeping him from finding out.[/b]

 

Earl to Val, as they're digging up the first Graboid they've killed. "This is incredible! Have you ever heard of anything like this!?"

 

Val to Earl: "Oh sure, Earl. We all know about them. We just never told YOU..."

 

--TREMORS

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

I've not read much Urban fantasy - I never watched Buffy, I skipped World Of Darkness. About my only exposure to it is F Paul Wilson modern stuff (which could be horror), Harry Dresden and Rachel Morgan.

 

I find the subgenre interesting and fresh at this point.

[Curufea]

Re: Urban Fantasy: Warnings

 

You could easily have an Urban Fantasy campaign based on nothing but "The Lost Room" - and you don't have to have any supernatural creatures of any sort.