Game Concept - Metaphysicallity (Bad Working Title

Jan 5, 2016 3:41 am
Ok gang, I've had an idea for a game. I have no idea if this has ever been attempted before, though I know there are some games that come close. The concept is teams of players. I'll go into more detail below, but I really mean teams. One type of character cannot function optimally without a "partner" of the other type. So I would like some feedback on whether this is a game you would ever be interested in trying, or if you think I am duplicating a game I am unaware of.

So my game is set in a Modern Day Urban Fantasy setting. Player Characters(PCs) are fall into one of two groups; Mortals or Spirits. (Again, all titles, terms and keywords are working terms and subject to change.) Mortal characters are specially sensitive, or in-tune, with the magical world around them. They can sense and interact with all the supernatural stuff other people can't. The other group, currently referred to as Spirits are supernatural entities that can form bonds with Mortals in order to influence the game world.

Mortal characters have five traits; Body, Coordination, Instinct, Reason and Bond. When a mortal wants to take an action they look at the score of the appropriate trait and roll Xd6, where X is the score in that trait. A result of 4 or higher is a success. These traits are also the characters Hit Points(Hp). As a character takes damage they will take away from these 5 traits scores and reduce their effectiveness. If three scores ever hit 0 the character is severely injured, if all are 0 they are dead. Body is for tasks of strength and stamina, Coordination is speed and reflex, Reason is intelligence and problem solving, Instinct is for luck, defense and sort of a catch-all. Bond is a special stat for Mortals related to Spirit partners and will be explained below.

Spirits fall into one of several classifications(class); Familiars, Angels, Demons, Ghosts, Spirit Guides, Fairies & Tsukumogami are the current working class. Depending on which class of Spirit a PC belongs to they will have different abilities and traits. Each Spirit has Traits in Manifestation (the ability to affect the physical world), Essence (the ability to affect the metaphisical world) & Bond (related to the Mortal Partner and explained more below). The Spirit PC does not have a number in these traits unless their Mortal partner gives up their own traits to fuel the Spirit. Instead they have a die type assigned to each trait, either d6, d8, or d10. Familiars and Tsukumogami usually have higher Manifestations because they actually exist in the real world. Fairies and Ghosts tend to have higher Essence because they are more "magical" or metaphysical in nature. Angles, Demons and Spirit Guides typically have higher Bond traits because of their relation to their Mortals. The rub here, the reason that a mortal doesn't just give their Spirit all the dice is that every failure (3 or less) a Spirit rolls removes a die from that pool, weakening the Mortal.

Bond is a special trait. All Spirits have it but only Mortals who knowingly partner with Spirits can make use of the trait. The way this trait is used is dependent on the class of the spirit. The Mortal player defines the relationship with the spirit. Someone who partners with a Familiar might be a Wizard, Sorcerer or Witch. A Ghost might have a Psychic, Clairvoyant or Necromancer as their partner. Angels might partner with Paladins and Demons might sign a pact with a Demonologist. Spirit Guides usually talk to Shaman, and Fairies talk to pretty much whoever they feel like. The name is irrelevant though. Only the way the Mortal and Spirit see it. The Mortal uses Bond to manifest a supernatural power chosen at character creation. A Wizard might cast fireballs and ice walls. A Witch might lay a hex. A Paladin might heal wounds. The Spirit Partner uses Bond to help their partner. Bond dice can only be used to directly assist the Mortal partner.

Stories in this game will take on something of a "Monster of the Week" vibe. There will be some threat, like a vampire or werewolf or other monster that draws attention to itself and the PCs all go out and defeat it. The idea is that it is usually to much for the Mortals to deal with on their own, and the Spirits need a Mortal to fuel them.

I think that covers the basics of what you need to know. Like I said above I'm interested in people's thoughts. Is this a game you would try, one where you need another player at the "table" in order to be effective? Is this too similar to any other game out there? I have heard of "Monsters and other Childish Things" where PCs are children with pet monsters, but my understanding is that they are independent characters who have a relationship and sometimes the GM runs the Monster character. "Sorcerer" is another game that I have read where an entity (i.e. Demon) gives power to a mortal, but again, the GM runs that character. So any thoughts or questions?
Last edited January 5, 2016 3:52 am

You do not have permission to post in this thread.