Post by carnackiArdent on Jan 26, 2017 11:06:18 GMT
So me and my overactive plotbunny farm have finally decided to start planning to *run* one of the like five ideas I have.
The main idea is one of those urban fantasy melting-pot settings - you know, the kind with vampires and wizards and whatever all running around pulling the strings of society from the shadows - something influenced by things like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, White Wolf's World of Darkness games, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere or half a gazillion other occult detectives, paranormal romances, et cetera. Given that my angle on the genre is most heavily influenced by those first two it would end up at least somewhat noir.
Most likely what would happen is it would start off with a mystery that the characters (ideally from various different supernatural groups, possibly including ordinary folks) get involved in, entangling them together. They may have superiors who encourage them into the alliance for their own ends, or who want to try to break it up. After an initial plotline it might evolve into more of a sandbox kinda deal with plot hooks scattered around - where the characters could focus on loose ends from the initial mystery, work to climb the ranks of their supernatural society or manipulate the mortal world, or spin off in other directions.
The setting would be a canon Pokémon city, probably one of the big ones so as to have more and deeper shadows - Saffron or Celadon in Kanto, Castellia in Unova, places like that. I'm kind of leaning towards Saffron City, because it's got funky institutions like rival gyms, an established psychic population, and a big corporation, and also because "Shadows of Saffron" has a nice ring to it, but if someone feels particularly strongly about another city they're welcome to lobby for it.
The big point of the setting (besides the mystery) is, of course, the supernatural society. Characters might be one of several sorts of supernatural creature, or a vanilla mortal. The choice would be represented by a bonus edge at chargen - either Elemental Connection, Mystic Senses, or trade it out for a skill edge. Most of the actual nature of the abilities would be narrative stuff - "The vampire's in trouble, we need to get them under cover before dawn!" - though perhaps each supernatural might have a weakness they take SE damage from.
The main categories I have in mind right now are:
Critiques are welcome, as are suggestions! Either for changing what I've got so far or for expanding on it with things like additional categories of critter, keeping in mind that when this thing gets going I'm almost certainly not going to be running it for more than three or four people.
The main idea is one of those urban fantasy melting-pot settings - you know, the kind with vampires and wizards and whatever all running around pulling the strings of society from the shadows - something influenced by things like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, White Wolf's World of Darkness games, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere or half a gazillion other occult detectives, paranormal romances, et cetera. Given that my angle on the genre is most heavily influenced by those first two it would end up at least somewhat noir.
Most likely what would happen is it would start off with a mystery that the characters (ideally from various different supernatural groups, possibly including ordinary folks) get involved in, entangling them together. They may have superiors who encourage them into the alliance for their own ends, or who want to try to break it up. After an initial plotline it might evolve into more of a sandbox kinda deal with plot hooks scattered around - where the characters could focus on loose ends from the initial mystery, work to climb the ranks of their supernatural society or manipulate the mortal world, or spin off in other directions.
The setting would be a canon Pokémon city, probably one of the big ones so as to have more and deeper shadows - Saffron or Celadon in Kanto, Castellia in Unova, places like that. I'm kind of leaning towards Saffron City, because it's got funky institutions like rival gyms, an established psychic population, and a big corporation, and also because "Shadows of Saffron" has a nice ring to it, but if someone feels particularly strongly about another city they're welcome to lobby for it.
The big point of the setting (besides the mystery) is, of course, the supernatural society. Characters might be one of several sorts of supernatural creature, or a vanilla mortal. The choice would be represented by a bonus edge at chargen - either Elemental Connection, Mystic Senses, or trade it out for a skill edge. Most of the actual nature of the abilities would be narrative stuff - "The vampire's in trouble, we need to get them under cover before dawn!" - though perhaps each supernatural might have a weakness they take SE damage from.
The main categories I have in mind right now are:
Vampires
“Vampires. Honestly, they're like children sometimes."
Undead blood-suckers who can't face the light of the sun. Come on, you know what these are. Vampires live a long time - some claim they're immortal, but no one's been around long enough to see one never get killed - and older ones tend spend much of their time manipulating mortal minions, because everyone needs a hobby. Generally you get to be a vampire by being bitten and then drinking some of their blood, but given how long they hang around, most vampires don't go around making others willy-nilly.
Most Common Connections: Ghost, Dark, and Poison (because the iconic bat Pokémon is Poison-typed)
Weakness: Fire
Pokéthropes/Were-mon
I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic's, and his hair was perfect.
These guys can switch form between a human and a Pokémon's form. At the moment I'm planning on modeling this with Arcran's Pokéthrope class, but another option is simply taking a class that grants you similar moves (for instance, a were-Growlithe could take the Pokéthrope class, or they could just be a Fire Bringer and fluff using their moves as transforming). They tend to be close to nature and share a strong bond with Pokémon, especially those similar to their Pokémon form. The most common Pokéthropes around Saffron City are obviously Kanto-native ones, especially those who turn into Pokémon like those found on Routes 5, 6, 7, and 8, but trainers passing through means just about any sort is possible. Generally you have to be born one of these; if it was just being bitten everyone would be one by now.
Most Common Connections: Mystic Senses or matching one of their Pokémon form's types.
Weakness: I'll admit I'm a little stumped here. Fairy maybe, for the moon connection? Or leave this out since the Pokéthrope class eventually inflicts all of the Pokémon form type's weaknesses.
Mystics
Every little thing she does is magic...
These are kind of a catch-all group of ordinary humans with some sort of inborn supernatural power. Unlike vampires, Pokéthropes, and faeries, who tend to try to keep their existence under wraps to some extent, mystics are at least partly public, at least in their most common forms - psychics and Aura users. Even these are relatively rare, but they are around; quite a few specialists in Psychic-type Pokémon have powers themselves, including of course the Saffron City gym leader, Sabrina. Other types of mystics exist but are less well-known - for instance, some of the ancient Draconid tribe of Hoenn could harness the power of the dragons. Generally mystics are born with the potential for their powers, either as a random mutation or inheriting them from their parents, and most frequently start using them in their adolescence, though a traumatic event can cause them to awaken their power early or develop a mental block until later.
Most Common Connections: Psychic and Fighting, as well as Mystic Senses, since Channelers and Oracles fall into this category too.
Weakness: Not sure here. Possibly they don't have a unified one and it depends on their powers. (A psychic being weak to Dark, a Draconid to Ice or Fairy, etc.)
Fae
Oh my love, don't forget me, when I let the water take me!
Various nature spirits and fairy-tale critters who enjoy messing with people's heads and making deals. They've got a particular amount of natural power and mystic-ness. They probably aren't actually unable to lie but they almost certainly can't break a promise... which isn't to say they can't twist the terms almost to the breaking point. Some powerful fae can access a sort of parallel dimension, and some of the nastier sorts have been known to abduct mortals as playthings or servants as part of a deal. Sprightly elves, seductive sirens, and big ugly trolls are all in this group, though to people not in the know their glamour makes them look pretty much human. Generally you have to be born one, though the child of a human and a fae, called a changeling, will also have faerie power.
Most Common Connections: Fairy, Grass, and Water
Weakness: Steel
Mortals
Vampires, mummies, and the Holy Ghost, these are the things that terrify me the most.
All the rest of us ordinary suckers. Usually mortals don't know about the supernatural things going on right under their noses until something smacks them over the head. The most common ways for a mortal to come across the supernatural is to acquire some Occult knowledge (like Sage blessings or Ninja training), or, unfortunately, to be victimized by a supernatural being (either having their manipulations meddle in their life, or just being bitten by a hungry vampire). Most supernaturals (aside from mystics) tend to try to keep themselves under wraps, so they'll frequently either do their best to discredit (or disembowel) a mortal who knows too much, or offer an alliance on the condition that they keep their big mouth shut - as a result, most mortals who are in the know are either working for a supernatural being or working to counteract their manipulations. (I'm probably going to ask that nobody go full-on monster hunter, at least not one that can't work with the monsters in the face of a bigger threat. When you're playing Dracula, nobody wants to deal with Van Helsing.)
Most Common Connections: Generally none. Mortals can't take Mystic Senses at all, and if they take Elemental Connection they can only use it to qualify for Type Ace, not an elementalist-type class. Mortals' bonus edge always goes towards a skill.
Weakness: Also none! Being ordinary has its upside.
“Vampires. Honestly, they're like children sometimes."
Undead blood-suckers who can't face the light of the sun. Come on, you know what these are. Vampires live a long time - some claim they're immortal, but no one's been around long enough to see one never get killed - and older ones tend spend much of their time manipulating mortal minions, because everyone needs a hobby. Generally you get to be a vampire by being bitten and then drinking some of their blood, but given how long they hang around, most vampires don't go around making others willy-nilly.
Most Common Connections: Ghost, Dark, and Poison (because the iconic bat Pokémon is Poison-typed)
Weakness: Fire
Pokéthropes/Were-mon
I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic's, and his hair was perfect.
These guys can switch form between a human and a Pokémon's form. At the moment I'm planning on modeling this with Arcran's Pokéthrope class, but another option is simply taking a class that grants you similar moves (for instance, a were-Growlithe could take the Pokéthrope class, or they could just be a Fire Bringer and fluff using their moves as transforming). They tend to be close to nature and share a strong bond with Pokémon, especially those similar to their Pokémon form. The most common Pokéthropes around Saffron City are obviously Kanto-native ones, especially those who turn into Pokémon like those found on Routes 5, 6, 7, and 8, but trainers passing through means just about any sort is possible. Generally you have to be born one of these; if it was just being bitten everyone would be one by now.
Most Common Connections: Mystic Senses or matching one of their Pokémon form's types.
Weakness: I'll admit I'm a little stumped here. Fairy maybe, for the moon connection? Or leave this out since the Pokéthrope class eventually inflicts all of the Pokémon form type's weaknesses.
Mystics
Every little thing she does is magic...
These are kind of a catch-all group of ordinary humans with some sort of inborn supernatural power. Unlike vampires, Pokéthropes, and faeries, who tend to try to keep their existence under wraps to some extent, mystics are at least partly public, at least in their most common forms - psychics and Aura users. Even these are relatively rare, but they are around; quite a few specialists in Psychic-type Pokémon have powers themselves, including of course the Saffron City gym leader, Sabrina. Other types of mystics exist but are less well-known - for instance, some of the ancient Draconid tribe of Hoenn could harness the power of the dragons. Generally mystics are born with the potential for their powers, either as a random mutation or inheriting them from their parents, and most frequently start using them in their adolescence, though a traumatic event can cause them to awaken their power early or develop a mental block until later.
Most Common Connections: Psychic and Fighting, as well as Mystic Senses, since Channelers and Oracles fall into this category too.
Weakness: Not sure here. Possibly they don't have a unified one and it depends on their powers. (A psychic being weak to Dark, a Draconid to Ice or Fairy, etc.)
Fae
Oh my love, don't forget me, when I let the water take me!
Various nature spirits and fairy-tale critters who enjoy messing with people's heads and making deals. They've got a particular amount of natural power and mystic-ness. They probably aren't actually unable to lie but they almost certainly can't break a promise... which isn't to say they can't twist the terms almost to the breaking point. Some powerful fae can access a sort of parallel dimension, and some of the nastier sorts have been known to abduct mortals as playthings or servants as part of a deal. Sprightly elves, seductive sirens, and big ugly trolls are all in this group, though to people not in the know their glamour makes them look pretty much human. Generally you have to be born one, though the child of a human and a fae, called a changeling, will also have faerie power.
Most Common Connections: Fairy, Grass, and Water
Weakness: Steel
Mortals
Vampires, mummies, and the Holy Ghost, these are the things that terrify me the most.
All the rest of us ordinary suckers. Usually mortals don't know about the supernatural things going on right under their noses until something smacks them over the head. The most common ways for a mortal to come across the supernatural is to acquire some Occult knowledge (like Sage blessings or Ninja training), or, unfortunately, to be victimized by a supernatural being (either having their manipulations meddle in their life, or just being bitten by a hungry vampire). Most supernaturals (aside from mystics) tend to try to keep themselves under wraps, so they'll frequently either do their best to discredit (or disembowel) a mortal who knows too much, or offer an alliance on the condition that they keep their big mouth shut - as a result, most mortals who are in the know are either working for a supernatural being or working to counteract their manipulations. (I'm probably going to ask that nobody go full-on monster hunter, at least not one that can't work with the monsters in the face of a bigger threat. When you're playing Dracula, nobody wants to deal with Van Helsing.)
Most Common Connections: Generally none. Mortals can't take Mystic Senses at all, and if they take Elemental Connection they can only use it to qualify for Type Ace, not an elementalist-type class. Mortals' bonus edge always goes towards a skill.
Weakness: Also none! Being ordinary has its upside.
Critiques are welcome, as are suggestions! Either for changing what I've got so far or for expanding on it with things like additional categories of critter, keeping in mind that when this thing gets going I'm almost certainly not going to be running it for more than three or four people.