Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

[Shadowsoul]

While I have my own Urban Fantasy setting I think it would be interesting to see what was developed from a group effort, since there seems to be a number of people interested in UF on these boards.

 

The rules are as follows.

 

You can post one statement at a time. These can be.

 

A rule of magic/the supernatural or how it is viewed. E.g. An immensely powerful spirit is manipulating the consciousness of the entire human race in order to suppress knowledge of magic, its motives are unknown.

 

Description of a standard race/creature. E.g. Vampires are split into two types. The living 'leeches' who drain life from the target but do not necessarily have to kill them. And the undead 'revenants' who can only sustain themselves by killing a victim and feeding on the deathly energies thus released.

 

A note that a particular race/creature is non-existent or unimportant in this setting. Such a statement must be followed with a description of an original or unusual creature. E.g. Lycanthropy was purged from the civilised world by the Eighteenth Century but America is still haunted by Wendigo. Wendigo are etc etc.

 

A note that a particular trope is banned from this setting. Preferably followed by a new trope.

 

 

Having posted one statement you must wait for at least one other person to post before adding a new statement.

[Shadowsoul]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

I'll start us off.

 

'Magic' is the result of intelligences capable of reaching into another 'higher' state of being or aspect of the universe. By tapping into this realm magic users are capable of defying the laws of of this realm of the universe. It takes considerable self belief and imagination to do this however and many practitioners follow a particular belief system in order to tap in the 'other-realm'. If they didn't then they would be unable to maintain their mind's integrity within this alien realm.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

The "Werewolf" as it appears in common usage actually refers to several relatively unrelated phenomena (which accounts for the general confusion found in reports.)

 

• Hereditary lycanthropy - an innate shapeshifting ability runs in some families. Most commonly it involves a shift to one animal form (most commonly, but by no means exclusively) a wolf. In some bloodlines only males or only females are affected. Not every family member necessarily inherits the trait and it may seem to skip generation (as with red hair or blue eyes). Hereditary lyncanthropes tend to turn into "true animals", although with some human cognition retained and are rarely feral or excessively violent unless other factors are in play. They may be obliged to shift shapes on a schedule, but tend to have a fair level of control.
  
• Generational lyncanthropy - although this mimics hereditary lycanthropy, it is more properly a curse rather than an innate ability. It tend to affect only one individual member per generation (and often only after the previous afflicted person passes on). The alter form is most often a wolf and slightly less often one of the great cats (with other animal forms being much less common.). Unlike hereditary lycanthropes, generational lycanthropes rarely have control over their transformation and are almost always feral or violent. They are also more likely to retain their human mass, making unusually large examples of their animal form.
  
• Contagious lyncanthropy - another variety of curse. The afflicted rarely transform fully, rather come to a sort of "beast man" form, maddened with pain or rage. Persons who are mauled and survive (although survival is rare) will usually find themselves suffering from the curse in turn. In one of the more common variations of this curse, an afflicted person can be cured if (a) someone higher in the chain of the curse is killed and ( he or she has not yet committed murder under the influence of the curse.
  
• Skinwalking - In this variation, a sorcerer skins and prepared the skin of an animal and can then wear it to take that animal's form. Depending upon the skill with which the sorcerer enchants the skin, he or she may retain human cognition while transformed or be able to bind the skin to unwilling victims. As this technique is closely related to blood magic, very few consider practitioners to be benign.

[Markdoc]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

The "higher state" that magic taps is merely the vast unconscious of all humans: as such it reflects the current cultural state of the population: that state varies from place as the population generating it does and what can be drawn from it reflects - to some extent - their cultural biases.

 

Normal humans touch this state when dreaming: mages can tap it while awake. In some circumstances (generally involving a magical breach to that realm) it can spill over into the waking world, resulting in monsters or people with abnormal powers.

 

There are no "magical races" - the different types of vampires, werewolves, Yuan-ti, chupacubra, etc are all manifestations of the dream state or people who have been altered by some connection. That's why monsters have traditionally been area specific, even if some primal fears are found everywhere and why (for example) western magic like Alchemy is different from Kabbalism and they are both different from Feng Shui, both in methods and in goals and philosophy.

 

There: that incorporates the two previous posts

 

cheers, Mark

[Curufea]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Collectors are a group of specialised mages and alchemists that harvest supernatural creatures - the dreamstuff creations of the collective unconscious. The are a particularly amoral group that supply the upper and lower echelons of mage society as some of these manifestations are quite benign and not monsters at all.

 

However, the quintessence of dreams is powerful for all types of alchemy and magic use.

[csyphrett]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Ghosts are the action of mental energy remembered by the environment. Some are just echoes left over by repetition. Some are bodiless minds roaming their old haunts, depending on the area to remain the same to keep existing.

CES

[Old Man]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

There is no inherent talent or genetic requirement to cast magic; in theory anyone could become a Mage with appropriate instruction and practice. In practice, however, certain personalities are better suited to access the outer planes. Daydreamers, artists, musicians, eccentric scientists, outcasts, and the insane are all more likely to be able to see beyond and accept dimensions other than the mundane.

[Shadowsoul]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

The principle of Tribute is vital to many forms of magic. It occurrs whenever someone focuses their own belief, worship or some other strong emotion on something else and thus charges it with potential energy. Such energy is not always recognisable as magic. It is the charge that a rock star feels when the crowd roars their name, it is the force that empowers some people to become mighty heroes or terrible villains. Unfortunately those who are not prepared for this potential energy can become unbalanced by it, this is the reason why so many celebrities have chaotic personal lives or burn out quicker than they should.

 

Mages can harvest such energy to increase their own power. Beware of the sorcerer who controls his own cult of personality.

 

However, much of this tributed energy is actually absorbed by places or items. Years and even centuries of belief serve to make a stone circle a place of magic or turn a once mundane sword into a powerful artefact. With modern mass communication such artefacts can be created much more quickly than before. Although areas tend to gain power in their own right many artefacts absorb energy from the belief directed at their owners.

As an example a cane used by Alice Cooper in several of his music videos would have some use in certain rituals and would count as a magic weapon. However a truly famous item, such as Excalibur, (or something that many, many people believed was Excalibur), would be far more potent. Other examples. Davy Crockett's cap can make you a better marksman. Props from Lord of the Rings will eventually gain magical properties. A hand from Big Ben will grant powers over time. A ring once worn by Marilyn Monroe will increase one's powers of seduction.

[Curufea]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

There is no inherent talent or genetic requirement to cast magic; in theory anyone could become a Mage with appropriate instruction and practice. In practice' date=' however, certain personalities are better suited to access the outer planes. Daydreamers, artists, musicians, eccentric scientists, outcasts, and the insane are all more likely to be able to see beyond and accept dimensions other than the mundane.[/quote']

 

I'd like to modify this as it being a latent ability - but ingesting dreamstuff (ie whatever supernatural creatures are made of) will unlock it, and possibly improve a humans connection to magic. It is possibly to overdose as well - which either means the magic consumes the person, or the person becomes a supernatural creature themselves (and thence a target of the Collectors they have probably been a member of).

[Spence]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Some sorceries need blood (sometimes in quantity) to complete/empower their dark rituals, the fresher the better. This gave rise to rumors which became legends of blood drinking but non-existent Vampires. What other creatures of folklore and legend trace their genesis back to sorcerous ritual?

[Curufea]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Some sorceries need blood (sometimes in quantity) to complete/empower their dark rituals' date=' the fresher the better. This gave rise to rumors which became legends of blood drinking but non-existent Vampires. What other creatures of folklore and legend trace their genesis back to sorcerous ritual?[/quote']

 

Incubus, Succubus and the modern Alien Abductions are just half-remembered memories from sorcerous practices. Notoriously the harvesting of sex-dreams by particular sorcerers specialising in harvesting the energy involved from living victims.

[Spence]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Incubus' date=' Succubus and the modern Alien Abductions are just half-remembered memories from sorcerous practices. Notoriously the harvesting of sex-dreams by particular sorcerers specialising in harvesting the energy involved from living victims.[/quote']

 

Good ones.....

 

*steals ideas for use later*

[Old Man]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Regardless of who can and cannot invoke magic, there are countless superficial ways for people to achieve the proper effect depending on their background or training. Seances, voodoo sacrifice, Goth candle magic, tribal chanting, rock music, arcane mathematics, etc. Any of these is as likely to be effective as any other, though obviously certain spellcasting methods are more commonplace than others. The main similarity is that all forms of spellcasting tend to be ritualistic in nature and relatively subtle in effect--no fireballs here.

[Curufea]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

And to deny one of the tropes-

Religion works and is a valid defence against the other kinds of magic mentioned above. Rituals, trappings, etc - much like other forms of magic.

 

Gods are also supernatural creatures hunted by the collectors

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Just like in the non-magical world, there are those who plunder resources much faster than its ability to renew. However, there are the rare few, that make much magic then they use and invested in people, places and things in the hope to make the world more magical.

 

However, unbeknown to them, too much magic can be as deleterious as too little. Far too little, is easily known, lack of hope becomes despair and perhaps even lead to depression and death. Too much, and the body becomes lost in wonder, delusion and grandeur. Unlike other addictions, magic overdose is rarely fatal by itself but the loss of judgment and intellect can be.

[The Weapon]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

One of the most important rules of magic is "The limitation of banality" that holds that you can't do something "normal" people can't do unless you're in some way special. The system of belief knows what "normal people" can do and won't let somebody normal do "magic". Minor supernatural effects are still possible but nothing obvious, major or unexplainable by coincidence. Normal people can't deflect bullets with their hands so if you do it you have to be, do or have something you don't have. This special thing is called an "Exception". The greater the difference between it and normality the greater the power. You could solve arcane alchemical equations that take years to master, acquire and read the Book of The Unnameable, live a holy life for over a month, be born in a werewolf family, believe intensely in the ritual you perform or be willing to rip the still beating heart out of a virgin. None of these automatically grant magic but and or all be part of someone's magic system. Not all magicians consciously know this principle, but all of them are aware of it on some level and act upon it.

 

Many atheist magicians consider religion to be just another way of avoiding this Limitation and see extreme belief in God as just another Exception. It is considered bad manners to debate this with anyone who actually uses God this way.

 

Magicians who overcome this limitation by doing things normals would find morally repugnant (e.g. the virgin example above) are known as Transgressors.

[The Weapon]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Skullmen, magicians whose main or sole Exception* is that they have killed at least one Transgressor**. The name comes from the habit of many Skullmen of using parts of Transgressors Skulls as a hat. This habit makes those Skullmen somewhat Transgressors themselves because it's an Exception* that most people would find horrific. Others keep a vial of a Transgressors lifeblood, the last thing they touched when alive etc., others don't carry any such trophies. Nonmagical PCs may become Skullmen without even realizing it.

 

Typical Skullmen powers are enhanced ability to resist magic (especially when powered by morally evil acts), increased physical prowess, combat skills, alertness and ability to survive damage or just plain luck. Anything is possible though and these guys have all killed at least once. So maybe you should call them by their preferred nickname "Conans". Just a suggestion.

 

* Unusual thing about them that allows them to practice magic, see my previous post.

** Magicians whose Exception is their evil acts which most people wouldn't do.

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

A smart demon rarely, if ever, possesses people these days; there's just too may holy men and other assorted do-gooders running around who know how to perform exorcisms for it to be practical. When possessions are done at all, it's usually little more than a quaint parlor trick or a prank. Thus, most will instead inhabit fake human and/or animal bodies that have been created for them via secret magical processes. Since exorcism can only drive a spirit out of a body that isn't rightfully theirs, demons inside their own "vessels" are immune and can confidently scoff at whoever is performing the ritual.

[The Weapon]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Scare Tactics, the conscious or unconscious use of other people's fear to boost one's capabilities by magical means. People being really scared of someone is an Exception*. Typically scare tactics increase stealth, resilience to damage, destructive magic or combat abilities depending on why people are afraid of the person. Paradoxically those who use scare tactics are more likely to leave people alive and even relatively undamaged to show how easily their opponents were defeated and to allow the tale to spread. Transgressors** who use this will often still kill, but in slow and elaborate ways after explaining their horrifying plan to their victims. Yep they think they're to good to read the evil overlords list.

 

* Unusual thing about them that allows them to practice magic, see my previous post.

** Magicians whose Exception is their evil acts which most people wouldn't do.

[The Weapon]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Bargainers, a.k.a. Ghost Wranglers, Goblin Grabbers, Fairy Farmers

Bargainers are mages who gain power by getting supernatural creatures to do what they want, often by negotiation but sometimes by somehow coercing them. The power of Bargainers varies greatly depending on the number and power of the creatures they have contact with and how often they help. Even a single low-level Gremlin can be quite helpful though, particularly if you don't want to stay in that police car and pair of handcuffs.

 

Some supernatural beings are quite evil and will expect those they help to do destructive and vindictive things in return. Bargainers must ask themselves what they're prepared to do for power.

[Markdoc]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

I'm liking this.

 

cheers, M ark

[5lippers]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

There is no inherent talent or genetic requirement to cast magic; in theory anyone could become a Mage with appropriate instruction and practice. In practice' date=' however, certain personalities are better suited to access the outer planes. Daydreamers, artists, musicians, eccentric scientists, outcasts, and the insane are all more likely to be able to see beyond and accept dimensions other than the mundane.[/quote']

 

Boy, I want to play this one already!

 

Okay here goes:

 

Whilst anyone can effectively learn and perform magic, there is a myth/conspiracy perpetrated by several extremely powerful and secretive magical houses/schools that magical ability is hereditary and only those with a natural magical talent can harness magic. The houses are in competition with each other and will do anything to sustain the myth that “only certain people can perform magic”.

 

The Houses pick “talented” youngsters (who are usually from influential/useful backgrounds), training them in magic, whilst indoctrinating them into the ethos of the House.

 

5.

[The Weapon]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

The Society for Neutrality.

These guys run around trying to stop political parties or nations from developing magical ability or magicians, adepts, etc. joining the police/military/insurgency. If they find magically gifted ability individual in a government or rebel army they will attempt to harass this person until they quit or die. They are a worldwide organisation but their strength is questionable. In their opinion war with mages on both sides will be even more devastating to society than "the current barbarities" as they put it. They're afraid the combination of destructive technology and destructive magic could end them world. Once upon a time it's said mages were mostly politically neutral, at least in Europe and places run by Europeans. This has become less so ever since the Haitian revolution, which had Houngans and Mambos than you could shake a stick at. It did not have any deals with Satan, sorry Reverend Robertson.

 

Any cop using what appears to be mystical powers is somewhat likely to be annoyed, inconvenienced or even put in danger by these guys, but quite frankly the days when they were the ones to worry about are long gone.

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

Emotions and passions can be a source of great power, and anger in particular can be a potent if volatile reserve to tap into. The ultimate expression of this principle is a phenomenon widely referred to simply as "The Tempest," in which certain rare individuals-- "Stormers" or "Stormies" as they are called-- can become nightmarishly powerful for a short period of time whenever someone or something arouses their ire. This is something that goes far beyond a mere berserker trance; people in the throes of The Tempest become one-person wrecking crews armed with rage-fueled supernatural powers. The exact manifestations of these powers vary widely based on personality, though fire- and lightening-based effects seem to be somewhat popular. Generally, these Tempest powers are highly destructive and are sure to cause massive collateral damage anytime they stir.

 

It is theorized by many in the magical world that for some such persons their extreme anger management issues are their Exceptions.

[Beast]

Re: Building an Urban Fantasy Setting

 

A well trained human is very deadly

and an army of them can be just about anybodies bane