Sep 3, 2020 9:29 pm
Edit: Recruiting new players! Check my latest post in this thread for more information!
Heya! :)
This is a very experimental idea that I wanted to try myself, but figured will be more fun with other people.
As a warning, it involves partially randomised character generation (for magical powers) and homebrew system.
The core idea is that player characters possess magical powers which they were't aware of until the beginning of the game. They don't know what their powers are, how to use and control them, and they have to figure it out on the go by trying various methods they can think of. They have absolutely no idea if simply waving a hand can have unforseen consequences, or if a random dream they had is result of their awakening clairvoyance.
Players don't know what their character can do either, at least in the beginning. When their character activates a spell by their actions, information for said spell gets revealed and then they can use it without describing the actions again. For understandable reasons, there will be no spells activated by specific words or runes, and most of them (depending on type of magic) are activated by simple gestures, strong emotions, thoughts, touch or specific actions thematically connected to the magic type. The spells themselves are partially pre-determined, partially improvised.
Magic types are mostly specialized and focused on one specific aspect. There are standard elemental types, but then there are electrokinesis, chronomancy, manipulations of clouds, ability to draw portals, etc. They will be randomized by character creation rolls, and only revealed when the character actually manages to activate them. There are also three magic stats that define how magic behaves for each character, also randomised.
Magic, of course, is not the only weapon. The setting of the world is vaguely steampunk-ish, so there is a variety of weapons and vehicles to use, and characters can theoretically ignore their powers altogether - or use them in creative ways to supplement their main skills. The goal is, essentially, to learn how to control the powers; whether to use them or not is another problem.
Main characters are a group of people who were detected to have powers and were consequently abducted by a secret initiative that hides existence of magic for its own purposes. However, during the transportation of this specific group, the convoy was attacked, most of its escort destroyed, and the captives are now freed. They don't know where exactly they are, but if they want to keep their freedom and return to their previous lives, they need to flee before the organization that captured them sends in reinforcements.
The system I will use for it is my own custom one that I used for another game on this site. It's not very crunchy, and primarily uses d3 rolls - the higher is the attribute, the more d3s you can roll, plus flat modifiers for skills and traits. It's not a very strategic one and is more of a vehicle for narrative. Players can choose their attributes, previous professions, any additional traits or skill as they please. The only random part are the magic powers.
I simply wanted to test out this premise, so it probably will be only an one-shot about the group evading initial reinforcements and reaching a way to escape the area. It can go beyond if the players would want to, of course.
Do tell me if you are interested! Or maybe want to observe? I'll probably play this myself if I don't find anyone else. (The element of surprise will be gone, but maybe it'll still work.)
Thanks for reading!
Heya! :)
This is a very experimental idea that I wanted to try myself, but figured will be more fun with other people.
As a warning, it involves partially randomised character generation (for magical powers) and homebrew system.
The core idea is that player characters possess magical powers which they were't aware of until the beginning of the game. They don't know what their powers are, how to use and control them, and they have to figure it out on the go by trying various methods they can think of. They have absolutely no idea if simply waving a hand can have unforseen consequences, or if a random dream they had is result of their awakening clairvoyance.
Players don't know what their character can do either, at least in the beginning. When their character activates a spell by their actions, information for said spell gets revealed and then they can use it without describing the actions again. For understandable reasons, there will be no spells activated by specific words or runes, and most of them (depending on type of magic) are activated by simple gestures, strong emotions, thoughts, touch or specific actions thematically connected to the magic type. The spells themselves are partially pre-determined, partially improvised.
Magic types are mostly specialized and focused on one specific aspect. There are standard elemental types, but then there are electrokinesis, chronomancy, manipulations of clouds, ability to draw portals, etc. They will be randomized by character creation rolls, and only revealed when the character actually manages to activate them. There are also three magic stats that define how magic behaves for each character, also randomised.
Magic, of course, is not the only weapon. The setting of the world is vaguely steampunk-ish, so there is a variety of weapons and vehicles to use, and characters can theoretically ignore their powers altogether - or use them in creative ways to supplement their main skills. The goal is, essentially, to learn how to control the powers; whether to use them or not is another problem.
Main characters are a group of people who were detected to have powers and were consequently abducted by a secret initiative that hides existence of magic for its own purposes. However, during the transportation of this specific group, the convoy was attacked, most of its escort destroyed, and the captives are now freed. They don't know where exactly they are, but if they want to keep their freedom and return to their previous lives, they need to flee before the organization that captured them sends in reinforcements.
The system I will use for it is my own custom one that I used for another game on this site. It's not very crunchy, and primarily uses d3 rolls - the higher is the attribute, the more d3s you can roll, plus flat modifiers for skills and traits. It's not a very strategic one and is more of a vehicle for narrative. Players can choose their attributes, previous professions, any additional traits or skill as they please. The only random part are the magic powers.
I simply wanted to test out this premise, so it probably will be only an one-shot about the group evading initial reinforcements and reaching a way to escape the area. It can go beyond if the players would want to, of course.
Do tell me if you are interested! Or maybe want to observe? I'll probably play this myself if I don't find anyone else. (The element of surprise will be gone, but maybe it'll still work.)
Thanks for reading!
Last edited March 30, 2021 5:09 pm
