Greywind Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 Looking to start a game for a couple of friends. Game will be 5R. First proposed to me was horror. My problem is that horror, to be effective, requires atmosphere and a certain amount of reality separation/denial that personally I've had a hard time ever feeling in an RPG. Even games made for it like Chill. So, discussing characters and type of campaign X-Files was brought up by one person and Dresden by another. She's thinking Mulder and he wants to play a wizard. Also looking at this being heroic is scope. I've got 4 seasons of Supernatural plus various movies to reference. I'm going to see about borrowing a copy of WW's Hunters. Maybe a copy of Chill. If this goes the way the talks were I can see the wizard's staff being a magical END battery. Maybe a lot of his points/spells wrapped up in charms/trinkets. I don't have a problem with him having a VPP as it would be a matter of us building things before hand, maybe some of the really heavy spells being rituals, requiring foci/specific locations and whatnot. I'm really thinking urban fantasy/pulp type here. Thoughts? Ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Democracy Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Re: Source Search These always sound like fun games. I think the problem with them is often the translation of the books/TV shows into a game reality. Gamers use stuff that characters in stories do not and in ways they do not, so there has to a difference in the start. I think it is really important to find out exactly what it is about the genre people want - the urban fantasy idea can be cut several ways. Are the players going to be into things being secret? Do they want things being an open secret among the illuminati but not the press etc or do they want the reality known by everyone. Just been reading the Demon trilogy by Peter V Brett - a present from Sean Watters of these boards - and there is an interesting situation where magic kind of exists but only as far it affects demons. The demons rise from the ground each night and have a seemingly mindless desire to kill people. But they can be kept out by wards, and the story is about people who begin to discover ways to fight back after a long retrenchment where humanities numbers have been reduced, communities live during the day and are behind warded buildings at night and only brave individuals travel between communities that are further than a day's travel apart. In this instance, everyone knows about the magic but most do not seek to use it beyond the normal bounds. We 'know' player characters would and therefore this is a great scenario to pitch players into - they can stretch and break the rules everyone else lives by and do things that everyone else would applaud (except those in power, who may fear for their positions if such heroics become widely known). I am only half way through the second book but I think this scenario could be transplanted to any time period. I do not yet know the provenance of the demons but there are some hints in the books that they may be of human origin in the distant past. You could have a high tech game that is fighting against the beginnings of such an invasion. The post-apocalypse of an invasion. The rebirth of civilisation after the invasion. Or any one in between.... Doc PS: public thanks to Sean. I no longer embark on trilogies voluntarily as I refuse to make the commitment unless I can be sure it is worthwhile...this one and his other gift - first book of the First Law trilogy, The Blade Itself - have both been worthy reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted November 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Re: Source Search Thanks, Doc. The work schedule involved with the one player is driving things right now, making f2f time to sit and discuss the basic premise problematic. I'm waiting for a phone call or an email. I want to see what they have in mind before going too deep into planning. I don't have a problem with something like X-Files, but with a mage in the offing, I don't know if I want to go with government. I do like the idea of two people involved in the fringes of society doing, similar to Sam and Dean. Just not sure I'd want to dive into the "Heaven and Hell" aspects of Supernatural. The ex left her urban fantasy books when she left. I've been looking at those, but a lot of them seem to be "the world knows". I'm not sure about how I feel about the public-at-large knowing about things that go bump in the night. The reason I'm looking at heroic level is that it is something that I haven't done in a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John T Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Re: Source Search Well, based on the discussion at hand, I'd certainly second a recommendation for The Dresden Files as source material. Another more obscure bit of bookery that I'd recommend for a "magical/demonic invasion" theme would be Alan Dean Foster's Into The Out Of, which has the advantage of being one book long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted November 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Re: Source Search Thanks, John. I'll have to see if I can find a copy. I've been meaning to pick up the first Dresden omnibus but money might be an issue. I might have to drag myself to the library and see if my card is still good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spideydave Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Re: Source Search First of all the Horror genre requires buy in by the participants. Everyone around the table needs to be on the same page for tone and atmosphere for the game. I think once you have decided the tone and atmosphere go from there. Dresden Files is less horror and more action horror like Buffy the vampire slayer. There are quite a few urban fantasy style TV series out there. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dresden Files, Supernatural, Being Human, Blood ties, Vampire Diaries... It seems you are in between deciding if the public at large knows that the things that go bump in the night exist. Dresden Files handles it quite well. Some regular non supernatural people are "in the know" because of expierences they have. But this "in the know" group is small for two reasons. One, human beings by and large can`t handle the reality of monsters. So we rationalise to find excuses for the actions and things the monsters do. We miss remember, forget or even make up stuff that we want to believe other than the truth. Added to this the Monster communities keep a tight lid on letting the regular population see and know about them because they are out numbered. If the normal population at large were to find out about the monsters we could eliminate them because we out number them. In my opinion it is more fun to have the players squirm from time to time trying not to tell the truth to the NPCs because they need to keep the monsters a secret. You can also give them some NPCs "in the know" so that they can discuss various strategies on how to kill the local sparkly vampire. The Delta Green source book for Call of Cthulhu is basically X-files with a Cthulhu twist. It is well known and also a very good supplement. The slight twist on the genre is that the players are part of a conspiracy that hunts the alien and monster conspiracies. It also has a great section on US law enforcement agencies. Really good stuff for background material. The new WoD Hunters Hunted as you mentioned is also a good place to look. There are several free introductory adventures and quick play scenarios that outline how the world works from their point of view. They are also organised into cells that hunt the monsters. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Re: Source Search I believe you would find the HERO 5E sourcebook Urban Fantasy HERO to be useful for your proposed game. It covers several variations on the urban fantasy genre, with considerable source material -- magic spells, creatures, even some mini-settings you might adapt to your needs. And like all Fifth Edition books in Hero Games's online store, it's now half its original cover price. I also recommend the following 5E campaign sourcebooks from our own Michael "Susano" Surbrook, using some of the conventions and inspirations you mention: The Phenomena Department Shadows Angelus Silent Mobius Zeta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted November 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Re: Source Search Urban Fantasy doesn't appear to be one of the books or PDFs I have access to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Re: Source Search Anyone familiar with the Supernatural episode Bad Day at Black Rock? I'm thinking of stating up the rabbit's foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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