Urban Fantasy something or other? (1x1)

[Blackfridayrule]

I haven't done much in the way of urban fantasy but I'd like to play with it. Specifically, I've got a shapeshifter criminal character I'd love to play around with in a near/futuristic setting. He's a thief, a bit of an anarchist in a way (but only kind of), and more than kind of an arsonist. He's very much a 'grey morality' kind of character who often does a lot of the right things in not always the best ways.

As a shapeshifter, he's pretty powerful. Which is why it's way more fun if other characters (both allies and villains) are also really powerful in their own ways, either through magic type stuff, or tech. In other words, I'm looking to have a "big" vibe.

As far as "plot" goes, I like to be pretty open with things and begin with some little jumping off point, maybe a single short-term goal, or a chance interaction that leads us to kind of develop something more concrete together as we go. Some of my thoughts include:

Group/individual recruits him to help out with bounty hunting, monster hunting, or some other kind of activity that might benefit from a shapeshifting theif/arsonist/criminal.

Bouncing off the first idea, but more specific: My character gets himself caught by the law and a detective/agent cuts him a deal in exchange for help bringing in a particularly heinous and elusive criminal/crime group

Up-and-coming thief crosses paths with him on a heist and they wind up partnering (either to hit a really big job or maybe as a mentor/apprentice kind of dynamic)

I don't know, I'm just spitballing, here. I'd love to hear other ideas you might have, too, I'm really open!

[Meleck]

Greetings, I could get into this. I am reading [i]Peace Talks[\i] right now. I enjoy the Dresden Files and like the Noir Flavor of is. I like a character that has to overcome challenges that some times wins by skill, sometimes by luck, sometimes loses and things work out.

I have lots of character ideas in my head.

[Blackfridayrule]

Well, whatcha got?

[Meleck]

I am thinking a mid level mage, more of a generalist more towards fineness then raw power (automistake).

High concept: Criminay minded mage (Tryying to survive the easy way)
Trouble: Debts owed
All for the magic
Big tastes

Power: veils and ectomancy

[Blackfridayrule]

Can you elaborate on that a bit? I have no idea what those are.

Also I don’t think I specified but I’m looking for someone who can write high casual/advanced, so I do expect a good deal of characterization and development (though I don’t need to know all your secrets!)

[Meleck]

I am thinking a mid level mage, more of a generalist more towards fineness then raw power (Darn Automistake!).

High concept: Criminally minded mage (Tryying to survive the easy way)
Trouble: Debts owed
All for the magic
Big tastes

Power: veils and ectomancy

@Meleck

I can write at that level. I tend to write long posts when there is enough of a hook to do so. I was in Ph.D. program. I did not see that my autocorrect was being weird!

My concept is a mage who uses magic to “get by.” A little theft or a little con to make money. There is no real reason at a mage would be poor. My take is at magic is a little expensive to research (as there needs to be some game balance.) She is also not highly combative.

Name: Alexandra Eileen Scott
Age: 28
Description: Alexa has long black hair with brown eyes. She her complexion is from Mediterranean region of the south of France. She is tan and shows no tan lines. She is attractive, but not at the supermodel level attractive. She is actually more attractive when she dresses down and does not wear makeup. (Think cute nerdy Librarian). She likes to wear fashionable clothes and eat at trendy restaurants and have someone else pay for the pleasure.

Alexa is a mage whose main form of magic is focused on the art of illusion and creating things out of ectoplasm. As to her magic, she has the ability to cast other types of spells, but they tend to tire her and take more effort. Her approach to magic is to use finesse rather than brute strength. This means she could start an office on fire but not cause a building to explode (without a gas line).

Troubles are hooks that can be used to “compel” the character’s story. In short it is the how do we mess with the character. Alexa is a swindler and a cheat, odds are that there are entities that she needs to pay back favors to. In a Noir story, even when you win you lose. She may have pulled a con, but she did not get away clean.
All for the magic - Alexa always wanting to learn more about magic and make magical things. This requires resources which is a reason to take jobs. You could dangle a new spell in front of her, the components, or lab space to hook her.
Big Tastes - There is no reason that a mage would not live the good life. She like to live the good life.

As to the magic, there are different types of Magics. Anything you old put the ending -mancy could be used.

Veils are illusions. It is easy to hide with them if you don’t move much. It is like bending light around an object or people. Moving takes more magical and mental effort. You can also create the illusion of things being there. Like police cars pulling up outside a fence with lights on and radio sounds.

Ectoplasm is a mystical substance that can be formed into items and low intelligent creatures. These tend to be weak at her level of magic. The dissolve into nothingness after a period of time.

In the Dresden universe mages have problems with technology that is post 1940’s. Cellphones, computers, cameras explode when they are near mages. Mages also don’t travel by air craft for this reason. Mages also tend to live in older places with limited conveniences. Light bulbs burn out quick, hot water is iffy, no T.V., WiFi, no microwaves and the like.

There is also some rules of magic as well: https://dresdenfiles.fandom.com/wiki/Seven_Laws_of_Magic

Breaking the letter of the rule gets you killed. Breaking the spirit of the rule gets you hounded (and morning times killed).

Spell ideas:
Minor telekinetics - can flip a light switch or deflect something thrown, not going to stop a bullet.
Minor thermomancy - can heat a room for a while, cook a meal
Cleanse - can clean clothes.
Minor piromancy - light candle or start a small fire and put them out.
Ectomancy - She can create fashion and accessories that last for a day, could create an animal about the size of a large dog or a “minion” that is not incredibly smart.

Does this help would you like more clarification?

[Blackfridayrule]

Ah most excellent, it does. I’m not familiar with the Dresden files so if you’re intending to base your system off of that, you might have to bring me up to speed. But I like where this is going.

So question...my character, Rohaan, is a shapeshifter. The ability is somewhere between physiological and magical. Aka he is not human but ther is magic sort of in his blood, so to speak. Kind of how unicorns or sirens have inherent magic, so does he, but it only pertains to the shape shifting. He has no other magical abilities. In this system/universe of ours, how do we want to address that? Like...are there people who have “wild” magic, as well as spellcasters and inherently magical creatures (like a unicorn)? I’m imagining a highly specific one-trick-pony kind of thing, like someone’s magic could be speaking with animals, disrupting tech, etc.

Speaking of tech, what level are we going for exactly? Was leaning more toward modern but potentially more futuristic, even if only slightly.

And as far as game limiters go, we could also have magic be something of a “controlled substance”. Either highly regulated, or maybe those with wild/inherent Magic are not trustworthy/feared etc. plus I think there should be some device or substance that outright disrupts magic (for the sake of having some way to disable Rohaan’s shifting ability if the plot requires it/in a fight etc).

[Meleck]

Ah most excellent, it does. I’m not familiar with the Dresden files so if you’re intending to base your system off of that, you might have to bring me up to speed. But I like where this is going.

So question...my character, Rohaan, is a shapeshifter. The ability is somewhere between physiological and magical. Aka he is not human but ther is magic sort of in his blood, so to speak. Kind of how unicorns or sirens have inherent magic, so does he, but it only pertains to the shape shifting. He has no other magical abilities. In this system/universe of ours, how do we want to address that? Like...are there people who have “wild” magic, as well as spellcasters and inherently magical creatures (like a unicorn)? I’m imagining a highly specific one-trick-pony kind of thing, like someone’s magic could be speaking with animals, disrupting tech, etc.

Speaking of tech, what level are we going for exactly? Was leaning more toward modern but potentially more futuristic, even if only slightly.

And as far as game limiters go, we could also have magic be something of a “controlled substance”. Either highly regulated, or maybe those with wild/inherent Magic are not trustworthy/feared etc. plus I think there should be some device or substance that outright disrupts magic (for the sake of having some way to disable Rohaan’s shifting ability if the plot requires it/in a fight etc).

@Blackfridayrule

The trick with the Dresdenverse is Magic isn’t everything. What people believe has a lot to do with how magic works. If my character looked like a 8 year old skinny girl she could not pickup and throw a car! People could not rationalize that directly. The car may have hit the curb and flipped, not a girl throwing it.

Someone (mundane) seeing Rohaan change to a wolf could stop his change. It means that the magic has to be subtle and not blatant. That is the great limiter.

The shapeshifter is great! They are one trick (like a focused practitioner). There could be different thing for that: Magical handcuffs that disrupt a beings magic, a ritual spell that holds his shape, or even a mundane substance like garlic.

As to the tech level that is great also. Alexa won’t be able to use much of it. It will keep her balanced in power.

Supernatural beings would be feared by the mass of humanity. This is why it is important to protect the veil (keep mundane people in he dark). As to wild magic, I am not sure. I could see someone pushing a spell and having unexpected consequences. Push a fire ball an explode a building, push a telekinetic spell and break a lock or punch a hole in he wall, or something like that.

In the Dresden Files, the monsters have nature’s and humans have free will. This means that a vampire may play “nice,” but at some point he will want to feed. He could not chose to not feed forever. The other balance is the White Council and their wardens who police magic users and if you start to be to noticeable, they step in, warn you or end the problem.

Be back!

[Blackfridayrule]

Mmkay, I see. I should also clarify, I’m not looking to do a fandom. Borrowing a few ideas here and there is chill, but i don’t really want to follow a fandom to the letter, especially not one I don’t know. I’d rather mesh together some original ideas. It seems you might be looking for more of a fandom...

[Meleck]

It does not have to be to the letter. Just some of the rules seem to make sense to me to keep a balance. I am just suggesting things.

You have not provided much on what you are looking for. You can “counter offer” as this would be collaborative story telling.

Let me know if you wish to proceed or not.

[Blackfridayrule]

Fair enough, I haven’t been terribly specific.

Well, I feel like having Magic’s efficacy be based in perception takes the fun out a little. I’d rather see more hard counters (for Rohaan, magical cuffs are an excellent idea) plus with him in particular (and likely in general with other magic users) his shape shifting is very dependent on his physical condition. Shock him, stab him, etc, and he’s probably gonna lose the form. Same goes for just being super exhausted, malnourished, or sick/poisoned. Plus maybe things like magical wards that physically prevent magic (or magic users) from passing through them, or block spells, or something.

How do we feel about technomancy, or the general combining of tech and magic? More specifically, devices that work with a user’s magic. I’m thinking simple stuff. Like I had an idea for Rohaan to have a device that is worn that integrates with his inherent magic so that if he changes into, say, a dragon, he could use it to manifest a harness someone could hold on to if he had a passenger, or likewise a horse with a saddle, hawk with a hood, etc.

[Meleck]

I don't mind the magic working with or against technology. It is kind of nice for clothes to be able to go with you in a change also.

[Blackfridayrule]

My thoughts exactly. So how should these two meet? And what’s their goal? I’m cool with something basic that might flower into something more complex, or we can come up with something more concrete now. Do they bump into each other on a hit? Brought together by some clandestine organization to solve a problem? Have they been caught and help each other escape?

[Meleck]

I like the escaping idea, but that is the kind of day I had.

Let me recast Alexa a bit. I could see Alexa being a bit like Q(from James Bond) making magical gadgets for them with the changes. Unlike Q, her stuff could have side effects or quirks. I am not seeing her as a high combat character. Her idea of a job is get in, get it, get out without being seen. Something that rarely happens.

[Blackfridayrule]

Oh that would be fun, because Rohaan is aalllll action LOL. He can do stealth, but he is also very much not afraid to fight anyone haha. Cool. We’ll say that some lower level agency has them and is holding them while higher level teams are on their way to deal with them, as a shapeshifter and a mage would be formidable and difficult to manage. Then at least we can say there’s some element of containment that gets overlooked, or their tech is old, or some sort of something that will allow them to get out with a bit of cleverness and what have you.

I can start us off if you like, or if you’re itching to go, you can start. Either way I won’t get to it till tomorrow.

[Meleck]

That would be fine. I am working a ton of hours right now. If you want to start a game thread and drop a link in the forum that would be great!

[Blackfridayrule]

roleplayerguild.com/topics/183913-thi…

Here we are. Got a corny title but whatever, it was all I could think of at the moment.