Vote up an Urban Fantasy Setting

[Cornelius]

Time period RANK 1-5
• 1980s (5)
• 1990s (1)
• 2000s (1)
• This decade/present day (5)
• Near future (1)

Present day is a good choice, but recently I've been watching some old rerun of Miami Vice and Magnum PI...

History: RANK 1-4
• Hidden weirdness: the supernatural stuff has always existed, under the surface, more so in recent centuries—textbook history and common knowledge match our world (4)
• Lost time: a significant chunk of the historical past is fabricated, centuries might be ‘’missing’’ (2)
• Small differences alternate: like the first category, but with some minor though potentially important differences in recent decades—wars, art trends, leaders, sports (1)
• Reality quake: a reality altering event has occurred, either recently or deeper in the past/further in the future but affecting the present. Magic bleeds into the world and lots of people are noticing… (3)


Distribution of weirdness RANK 1-3
• Tight, supernatural stuff concentrated in one city (1)
• Regional, one country or large region has more of the weird stuff going on under the surface, other places less (2)
• Diffuse, hidden spookiness and supernatural stuff exists all over the world (3)

The third option is better suited to the reality deluge, though.

Default player-character types RANK 1-4
• Mostly “regular” (from weak to very competent) folks who come into contact with weirdness (4)
• Ghost-breakers, badass detectives, occultists who have real power, etc. (3)
• Minor super heroes with mystical , magical, or gothic themes (1)
• monsters that might be sympathetic as well as scary (White Wolf did a lot of this) (2)

Normal people is always the best choice, though occultis with power (call of Cthulhu anyone?) and "nice" monsters can be interesting. Super heroes are lame, period.

Magic and weird powers, number of categories: RANK 1-3
• One (3)
• Two (2)
• Three or more (1)

Keep it simple. One power is enough, even if is called in several ways.

Categories of magic/weird powers RANK 1-6
• standard system, limited grimoire and secret (6)
• psi as magic (4)
• supernatural advantages and powers as magic (1)
• book/path of some kind (5)
• esoteric skills like alchemy and herbalism (2)
• fringe tech/weird science (3)

My choice would be or the "standard" system modded as in Cabal or Ritual path Magic. Path/book magic comes second for an hair breadth.


Number of monster categories, rank 1-6:
• One
• Two
• Three
• Four
• Five
• Six or more (6)

Clearly, the more the better

Monster types, RANK 1—10,
• Shapeshifters (4)
• Ghosts/Spirits (7)
• Vampires (9)
• Fairies (5)
• Witches, warlocks, evil magicians (10)
• Zombies (1)
• Demons and devils (6)
• Cryptids (8)
• Golems/constructs (2)
• Other types, including possibly some from Creatures of the Night (3)

[Tuk the Weekah]

Greater value number rank= greater preference.

Time period RANK 1-5
3 1980s
4 1990s
5 2000s
2 This decade/present day
1 Near future

History: RANK 1-4
3 Hidden weirdness: the supernatural stuff has always existed, under the surface, more so in recent centuries—textbook history and common knowledge match our world
4 Lost time: a significant chunk of the historical past is fabricated, centuries might be ‘’missing’’
2 Small differences alternate: like the first category, but with some minor though potentially important differences in recent decades—wars, art trends, leaders, sports
1 Reality quake: a reality altering event has occurred, either recently or deeper in the past/further in the future but affecting the present. Magic bleeds into the world and lots of people are noticing…

Distribution of weirdness RANK 1-3
3 Tight, supernatural stuff concentrated in one city
1 Regional, one country or large region has more of the weird stuff going on under the surface, other places less
2 Diffuse, hidden spookiness and supernatural stuff exists all over the world

Default player-character types RANK 1-4
3 Mostly “regular” (from weak to very competent) folks who come into contact with weirdness
4 Ghost-breakers, badass detectives, occultists who have real power, etc.
2 Minor super heroes with mystical , magical, or gothic themes
1 monsters that might be sympathetic as well as scary (White Wolf did a lot of this)

Magic and weird powers, number of categories: RANK 1-3
• One
• Two
• Three or more

Categories of magic/weird powers RANK 1-6
1 standard system, limited grimoire and secret
3 psi as magic
2 supernatural advantages and powers as magic
4 book/path of some kind
6 esoteric skills like alchemy and herbalism
5 fringe tech/weird science


Number of monster categories, rank 1-6:
1 One
2 Two
3 Three
4 Four
5 Five
6 Six or more

Monster types, RANK 1—10,
8 Shapeshifters
5 Ghosts/Spirits
3 Vampires
7 Fairies
6 Witches, warlocks, evil magicians
2 Zombies
1 Demons and devils
8 Cryptids
4 Golems/constructs
10 Other types, including possibly some from Creatures of the Night

[combatmedic]

Okay, it's past midnight here.

As noted above, I will tally all votes posted before this post and close the first round.

If you didn't get to vote (anyone reading this who hasn't already posted) , don't worry. there will be other stuff to vote on soon.

EDIT: RESULTS COMING IN
I have counted all votes, discarding only in cases of incomplete sections, or irregular votes that did not use the number ranks.
''0'' preferences are noted, but the actual rank number was used, Vicky.



Time period RANK 1-5
• 1980s 31
• 1990s 37
• 2000s 38
• This decade/present day 42
•Near future 52

Near Future is the clear winner. My vote will not affect the results, so I therefore abstain from voting.




History
• Hidden weirdness: 43
• Lost time: 28
• Small differences alternate: 29
• Reality quake: 30


Hidden Weirdness is the clear winner. My vote will not affect the results, so I therefore abstain from voting.



Distribution of weirdness RANK 1-3
• Tight 23
• Regional 24
• Diffuse 37

Diffuse is the clear winner. My vote will not affect the results, so I therefore abstain from voting.



Default player-character types RANK 1-4
• Mostly “regular” folks 37
• Ghost-breakers, badass detectives, occultists, etc. 44
• Minor super heroes, mystical/magical/gothic themes 34
• monsters 33


The second category wins. My vote will not affect the results, so I therefore abstain from voting.








Magic and weird powers, number of categories:
• One 25+2= 27
• Two 27+3= 30
• Three or more 28+1= 29

Two wins by a nose, with my vote. I like having some sort of innate magic or weirdness alongside something learned.


Categories of magic/weird powers

• Standard system, limited/secret 33+4=37
• psi as magic 44+2=46
• supernatural advantages and powers as magic 60+5=65
• book/path of some kind 55+6=61
• esoteric skills like alchemy and herbalism 56+3=59
• fringe tech/weird science 47 +1=48

Top two are: supernatural advantages & Book/Path magic
Given the strong support for esoteric skills, I suggest that the ritual mages use these sorts of skills in their magic. Not full-blown GURPS alchemy or herbalism, as in Magic, but skill in Religious Ritual, Thaumaturgy, and so on being important in various schools of magic. Working with the framework of Book/Path we can have multiple schools or traditions of magic, which should work for the guys who wants lots of different sorts of power.
Advantages are obviously flexible and customizable.








Number of monster categories

• One 21+4= 25
• Two 37 +5= 42
• Three 42+6= 48
• Four 43+3= 46
• Five 45+2=47
• Six or more: 42+1= 43

That makes three types the winner. But which three? See below…



Monster types I could affect these results with my votes, but I will abstain.

• Shapeshifters 78
• Ghosts/Spirits 59
• Vampires 60
• Fairies 85
• Witches, warlocks, evil magicians 104
• Zombies 40
• Demons and devils 76
• Cryptids 78
• Golems/constructs 66
• Other types, including possibly some from Creatures of the Night 81

We have these three broad groups: Witches/evil magicians, Fairies, Other/Creatures of the Night.

That last category is, right now, a bit blurry. We will define it in the next poll.

[combatmedic]

Other Monster category, please rank 1-4.
That means: 1, 2, 3, 4. Please don’t leave anything blank or skip numbers. Thanks.


• Creatures of the Night (If this one wins, we will do another poll to pick a set of specific monsters from the GURPS, Creatures of the Night books—including the one for 3E)

• Dragons (presumably they have some means of hiding from/among humans, unless they are all asleep)

• Enchanted beasts (e.g. witches’ familiars, magically uplifted/”awakened “animals)

• Other (please be specific. I this one wins, we will do one more poll with new entries based on your votes/comments)

[dataweaver]

2 • Creatures of the Night

3 • Dragons (GURPS Dragons has useful insights here, including an Edwardian Age setting with mostly hidden dragons.)

4 • Enchanted beasts

1 • Other (I’m using this as an “I don’t know” option.)

On the esoteric skills thing, I’d point to GURPS Chinese Elemental Powers as an example for incorporating esoteric skills into a powers-based framework.But yes, using esoteric skills as core skills for different branches of Path/Book Magic would be a reasonable option as well.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

2 • Creatures of the Night

3 • Dragons (GURPS Dragons has useful insights here, including an Edwardian Age setting with mostly hidden dragons.)

4 • Enchanted beasts

1 • Other (I’m using this as an “I don’t know” option.)

I don't know if legit if you just don't know.

Enchanted beasts and dragons both do seem to jive with fairies and witches.

Edwardian hidden dragons, eh? Sounds cool. I'll have to borrow a copy and check that out.
Something like the Lloigor of the expanded Mythos could also work.

We'll what other guys think as the votes roll in.

[vicky_molokh]

+1 for Creatures of the Night. When there are so few monster types, wasting on type on a single CotN creature looks . . . wasteful. (I would vote for inclusion of CotN in case of six or more monster types.)

+3 for Dragons. Means of becoming humanoid, and/or existence of non-sauromorphic dragons, is a definite yay. I suppose this technically takes dragons into the same category as Shapeshifters, which may or may not be legal.

+2 for Enchanted beasts. Not as fun as fully humanoid secret dragons.

+4 for Other. Preferably create a group of creatures that are not as cliché as the usual ISO urban fantasy groups.
E.g.: some weird group of people with access to subtle powers, such as the ability to seal agreements between people into destinies, trade in luck and fortune, see uncanny connections, influence the way organisations act in subtle ways without being able to mind-control individual humans etc.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

+1 for Creatures of the Night. When there are so few monster types, wasting on type on a single CotN creature looks . . . wasteful. (I would vote for inclusion of CotN in case of six or more monster types.)

+3 for Dragons. Means of becoming humanoid, and/or existence of non-sauromorphic dragons, is a definite yay. I suppose this technically takes dragons into the same category as Shapeshifters, which may or may not be legal.

+2 for Enchanted beasts. Not as fun as fully humanoid secret dragons.

+4 for Other. Preferably create a group of creatures that are not as cliché as the usual ISO urban fantasy groups.
E.g.: some weird group of people with access to subtle powers, such as the ability to seal agreements between people into destinies, trade in luck and fortune, see uncanny connections, influence the way organisations act in subtle ways without being able to mind-control individual humans etc.

It wouldn't be a single mosntrobe from CotN, Vicky, It would be a set of monsters, specific ones. Six or maybe more seems doable.


As far as shape shifting dragons, that's fine, so long as they are still dragons. Overlaps is going to happen sometimes.

[Phantasm]

2 • Creatures of the Night

4 • Dragons

1 • Enchanted beasts

3 • Other (looking at "impossible" things like ancient mythical beasts once thought slain by Herakles, Thor, Gilgamesh, et. al.)


Assuming here that 4 is most and 1 is least. Reverse if this assumption is false.

[combatmedic]

Yes, greater number=greater preference.

4>1