Your takes on a magician detective

[Desert]

Alright, so after trying to figure out how to pulparize Harry Dresden, and coming up with multiple answers, I thought I would get some other people's take on a concept. An idea in the vein of Harry Dresden, and Blackstone the Magician.

 

The idea is basically: Pulp era detective with magician training.

 

So, a pulp era detective that has training as a stage magician. If you were to make, have made, or are making, such a character, how do you would you? What skills and talents? Any sort of secret abilities? Something that might just be silly (pulling flowers out everytime he meets a woman)?

 

Like to hear what you think.

[bubba smith]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

the character fro vibora bay max pendragon might be what you're looking for

[Spence]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

Need to get a better idea of what you are looking for.

 

Is it a Hardboiled Pulp Detective who happens to know some magic?

Is it a Pulp Magician who happens to work as a detective?

Is the magic 'Real Magick' or 'Stage Magic'

Is Magick in your world known and publically accepted, or unknown to the general public?

[Desert]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

the character fro vibora bay max pendragon might be what you're looking for

 

I'm not actively looking, just being curious on other people's ideas and such. I'm somewhat new to this all though, and only have about two books other than the core book. Quite a lot I need to learn.

 

Need to get a better idea of what you are looking for.

 

Is it a Hardboiled Pulp Detective who happens to know some magic?

Is it a Pulp Magician who happens to work as a detective?

Is the magic 'Real Magick' or 'Stage Magic'

Is Magick in your world known and publically accepted, or unknown to the general public?

 

Well the idea is that it's supposed to be a bit more open to interpretation to see what all people come up with. Since you're asking though, the idea is more like:

 

The character is a pulp era detective (chicago since it's Dresden inspired ), however he was raised by a stage magician, or among magicians. For the most part, it is set up around the use of stage magician skills in solving his cases. It's a realistic style world so no one really believes in magic. As for the "real magick" question, he could have it, he could NOT, or he could be so skilled, that no one is sure one way or the other

[Spence]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

 

Well the idea is that it's supposed to be a bit more open to interpretation to see what all people come up with. Since you're asking though, the idea is more like:

 

The character is a pulp era detective (chicago since it's Dresden inspired ), however he was raised by a stage magician, or among magicians. For the most part, it is set up around the use of stage magician skills in solving his cases. It's a realistic style world so no one really believes in magic. As for the "real magick" question, he could have it, he could NOT, or he could be so skilled, that no one is sure one way or the other

 

 

Let me think on it. Pulp is my Fav setting

 

I'm at work so I can only chat a bit. When I get home I'll work up something. I can always use him/her as a Villain

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

Well, looking at the Skills list there are a number of them that could apply to a person with a stage-magician background: Acting (to hide their real feelings and intentions), Concealment, Contortionist (the classic Escape Artist schtick), Conversation (entertaining audience patter), Disguise (creating a "stage persona"), Fast Draw (manual dexterity), Gambling (tricks with cards or dice), High Society (if he's famous), Lockpicking, Oratory (enthrall the crowd), Persuasion (verbally misdirect someone), Sleight Of Hand, Stealth (sneaking around a stage as part of an illusion), Ventriloquism. PS: Stage Magician and KS: Magic Tricks and Illusions (or however you want to name them) would be mandatory.

 

Applicable Talents could include Absolute Time Sense (useful for those "deathtrap" illusions when the magician has a set amount of time to escape), Ambidexterity, Double Jointed, Eidetic Memory (good for a "mentalist" act), Lightning Calculator (ditto), Simulate Death (another good technique for surviving "deathtraps").

 

For a pulp campaign allowing for a bit more weirdness, you could give your character some Limited Powers representing the classic abilities of pulp "psychics": Aura Reading (Detect Auras (Sight Group), Discriminatory), Psychometry (Clairsentience with Retrocognition, requiring an object), Tarot Reading (Clairsentience with Precognition requiring a tarot deck) [Clairsentience in this genre is usually Vague and Unclear], Medium (Mind Scan/Telepathy with spirits, or even Summon Spirit).

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

You know, I was just thinking of an old Thundarr the Barbarian cartoon episode in which the heroes ran into a villain who pretended to be a true magic-wielding wizard, but was actually using salvaged stage-magician props. He displayed such tricks as binding someone with silk scarves shot from out of his sleeve (Entangle), making someone "disappear" after covering them with a cloth (Teleport UAA, Requires Trapdoor), Levitating someone off a table (Flight UAA with IIF), and using distracting flare and smoke bombs (Flash or Darkness).

 

Your character might also use playing cards as throwing weapons, a la the Joker or Bullseye.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

The Shadow knows.

[JmOz]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

I could not help but think of Zatarra or Mandrake...

[Spence]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

I could not help but think of Zatarra or Mandrake...

 

Hmmm...wasn't Zatarra on Smallville last night?

[Narratio]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

Mandrake, Dr.Occult... there were many around.

 

But if you stick with the basic 40's pulp plot, then he is a famous stage magician who gets drawn into crime scenes at millionaires mansions. Then, using his intense deductive skills and knowledge of trickery and gimmicks figures out how the the dead rich guy managed to get shot inside a locked room with no windows. Oops, forgot the plucky (or 'spunky', but we can no longer say that I think) female assistant / secretary who may or may not be threatened but should play a pivotal role in the crime solving.

 

It's a tough plot to game out in champions.

[drfeh]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

Hey, I was directed to this thread by one of my fellow players in a former Pulp Hero game we were involved in a few years back. I created a very much Mandrake-inspired character who used ancient arts of meditation he learned on travels in the Middle East in order to perform astounding mental and physical feats.

 

He might be more "magical" than you want, but you can at least look at him as a starting template. Oh, and he did indeed have a plucky sidekick, although she was an aviatrix, not a secretary. Her sheet is in the attached text file right beneath his.

 

If you want any details on powers I'll try to check back to the thread later. Gestures were important for much of it... once Mandrake "gestured hypnotically" all sorts of crazy stuff could happen.

 

---------------------+

[Desert]

Small misunderstanding

 

While I seem to be getting some interesting answers and quite a bit of help, there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding.

 

I am not trying to create a pulp era stage magician style detective.

 

I am merely curious as to how others would create such a thing if they were. It's an open interpretation to see how others would and maybe compare the differences in between designs.

 

I have put a little thought in it myself, and have a bit of an idea. For the most part, were I to make such a character, he would have specially altered clothing that allowed him to hide various magician accessories and equipment on him. I have figured out about two so far.

 

One would be pockets hidden on the sleeves of his shirt or jacket around the cuffs. It could be used as a hiding spot for some items. It would also be of use to hold flash paper. That way he could pull out a sheet and create a small flash for a distraction or to temporarily blind.

 

The other would be small lock picks. I originally thought of having them hidden in the metal of his belt buckle, but they could also be made as part of a tie tack.

[csyphrett]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

Well there were some basic types of magician detectives working in the pulp era. There was the stage magician who did sleuthing on the side like Mysto. And then there was the detective who battled magic on the side like jules de grandin. And then there were some magicians who pretended to be stage magicians while fighting the forces of darkness like Zatara and his predecessors.

 

Personally I like the last choice myself.

CES

[Spence]

Re: Small misunderstanding

 

While I seem to be getting some interesting answers and quite a bit of help, there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding.

 

Well, everyone seems to be answering what you asked, whether or not it was what you meant.

 

How about this. Post your take on a magician detective in the format you are looking for. Once people actually see what you are aiming for they can post their takes on it. One thing you will not be short of is answers to character creation thoughts on these boards....

[JmOz]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

Hmmm...wasn't Zatarra on Smallville last night?

 

 

Did not see it, was the character you saw male or female, if female, then no it was his daughter Zatanna. Even if it was male, their is another Zatarra running around the DCU right now (something of a bratty kid in truth)

[Spence]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

Did not see it' date=' was the character you saw male or female, if female, then no it was his daughter Zatanna. Even if it was male, their is another Zatarra running around the DCU right now (something of a bratty kid in truth)[/quote']

 

You are correct, it was the daughter Zatanna. I'm not a DC'o'phile so I am not 100% on character ID

[Desert]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

Hm. I originally had not put much thought into it other than a vague general notion when I was working on Pulp version of Harry Dresden for Pulparize it, and decided to come up with a version where he had no magic powers.

 

On the most basic level, what I have is someone who knows the tricks of trade. He was raised by a magician and learned how the tricks were done. Much of that, such as the escaping hand cuffs or distracting a person, he figured out how to use it while trying to solve crime.

 

Were I to actually create the character, I suppose he would be influenced by the characters of Shawn Spencer from Psych, and Patrick Jane from The Mentalist. He would not pretend to have powers, but he would be quite skilled. Were I able, I would try to play it so that it was uncertain. As though, even though he says he does not, there is still something about it that leaves others wondering.

 

You know, he would probably have Hunted (watched): Magician's Guild. They would not want him to reveal their secrets after all.

 

If I end up thinking about it too much though, then instead of simply being highly skilled, he ends up more of a gadgeteer with numerous inobvious, inaccessible foci that he would have concealed on him at various points

[bubba smith]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

would chandu trhe mystic be the kind of character you wanted?

[Tom Carman]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

It's more Victorian than Pulp, but you might want to check out Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy novels. Lord Darcy is pretty heavily based on Sherlock Holmes, of course, but Dr. Watson is replaced with Master Sorcerer Sean O'Lochlainn who handles the magical end of investigations.

[Spence]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

It's more Victorian than Pulp' date=' but you might want to check out Randall Garrett's [i']Lord Darcy[/i] novels. Lord Darcy is pretty heavily based on Sherlock Holmes, of course, but Dr. Watson is replaced with Master Sorcerer Sean O'Lochlainn who handles the magical end of investigations.

 

Lord Darcy again.... maybe I ought to try them.

[Narratio]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

One thing abuot the Lord Darcy series is that the Magician sidekick almost goes out of his way to prove that magic isn't involved in some crime. Even in a locked room murder mystery.

 

Wow, last read them in the early 80's. Have some rep Tom, now I've got to go dig up some books when I get home.

[bubba smith]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

One thing abuot the Lord Darcy series is that the Magician sidekick almost goes out of his way to prove that magic isn't involved in some crime. Even in a locked room murder mystery.

 

Wow, last read them in the early 80's. Have some rep Tom, now I've got to go dig up some books when I get home.

he'd better be careful of folks will think HE'Sthe criminal

[Tom Carman]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

One thing abuot the Lord Darcy series is that the Magician sidekick almost goes out of his way to prove that magic isn't involved in some crime. Even in a locked room murder mystery.

 

Wow, last read them in the early 80's. Have some rep Tom, now I've got to go dig up some books when I get home.

 

I think that's when I first read them. I was in the Science Fiction Book Club at the time, and they had an omnibus edition: most of the short stories and books in a single volume.

[Shadowsoul]

Re: Your takes on a magician detective

 

You might find this character from the cult British TV series useful.

 

Jonathan Creek. A magician's assistant with an incredible insight into the workings of deception, trickery and stage magic which he uses to solve cases that seemingly defy the laws of reality.

 

The Wiki page you'll find through the link also notes other shows with similar themes.