RPG Pundit's New Real-World Magic System

GeekEclectic · July 30, 2020, 01:02:15 AM

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;1142204World of Darkness is real-world?

Pretty much. It's an urban fantasy setting built on top of a crapsack version of the real world. "Real-world magic game" sounds like it takes the real world and . . . builds some kind of urban fantasy on top of it. There are literally no other details given, so speculation's all I got. I already have 2 different Mage games, Urban Shadows, 2 different editions of Unknown Armies, the Dresden Files, CJ Carella's Witchcraft, Ghosts of Albion, Buffy & Angel . . . you get the idea. Curious how this compares to those.

spon · July 30, 2020, 04:38:56 AM

Quote from: Brad;1142296I actually have come to really appreciate FW quite a bit. I am certain the game is actually extremely playable, it's just written in a way that makes it difficult to figure out. The next game I run is going to us FW just to see how it works.

I played it for a while back in the 80s, so it is playable. But only just and I'm not sure it's worth the effort. But if you do get a game going, I'll be really interested to hear how it goes.

Ghostmaker · July 30, 2020, 08:13:49 AM

Quote from: GeekEclectic;1142335Pretty much. It's an urban fantasy setting built on top of a crapsack version of the real world. "Real-world magic game" sounds like it takes the real world and . . . builds some kind of urban fantasy on top of it. There are literally no other details given, so speculation's all I got. I already have 2 different Mage games, Urban Shadows, 2 different editions of Unknown Armies, the Dresden Files, CJ Carella's Witchcraft, Ghosts of Albion, Buffy & Angel . . . you get the idea. Curious how this compares to those.

One of the funniest things I ever saw come out of the WoD/CoD fandom was the fangame Princess: The Hopeful, because part of it involves a magical city that was trapped in Hell (or someplace similar) and the only reason it was still alive and functional was because it had been sucking all the hope and positivity out of the 'real' world. Hence why WoD is a crapsack world.

Manic Modron · July 30, 2020, 09:50:07 AM

Quote from: GeekyBugle;1142291Only if you take it literally, I bet he means the same as his magic on Lion & Dragon, true to the way people from the time think it works.

Considering he has said multiple times in his blog that magic is really real and he is a practicing magic user, he might mean it is a gameable version of things he already believes.

Armchair Gamer · July 30, 2020, 11:14:49 AM

Quote from: Manic Modron;1142353Considering he has said multiple times in his blog that magic is really real and he is a practicing magic user, he might mean it is a gameable version of things he already believes.

In which case, I hope it never happens and he breaks free of the spell eventually.

DocJones · July 30, 2020, 12:24:43 PM

Am I gonna have to start writing Jack Chick tracts after this comes out?

GeekyBugle · July 30, 2020, 12:30:18 PM

Quote from: DocJones;1142372Am I gonna have to start writing Jack Chick tracts after this comes out?

You better start right now, one can never be too soon to prevent the children from turning into satanists.

RPGPundit · July 31, 2020, 03:42:17 PM

Quote from: Rithuan;1142115Hi Pundit,

Quick question: Are you considering to use "real" magical traditions and cults, or just use them as inspiration? Thank you!

All the magick system will be based in modern concepts of western magick, with a tiny bit of creative license.

I'm not sure what you mean about "real magical cults", do you mean magical orders in the real world? I mean, most of them are pretty useless in the real world. So they would of course exist in the game, as useless organizations.

But all the real magical groups will be based on either organizations or movements that existed in history or at present.

RPGPundit · July 31, 2020, 03:43:45 PM

Quote from: Red Death;1142132Hi Pundit,

So will this system be closer to D&D-based OSR like Lion & Dragon, i.e. using 6 stats and d20 resolution die? Or are you looking at something more like d100 or d6 resolution mechanic?

Personally I'd also love to see something informed by real/traditional magic(k)al systems, like John Dee, the Golden Dawn, Chaos Magick, etc.

And I'm guessing the magic system will be decidedly not Vancian?

It is going to be an OSR game, the rules derived from L&D, but an adaptation that I think works well for the modern setting. It will have the standard six stats and d20 resolution.

The magick will be informed by all the systems you mentioned, among others.

It will have no relation whatsoever to D&D vancian spells.... or to made-up Cthulhu mythos stuff.

RPGPundit · July 31, 2020, 03:44:39 PM

Quote from: VisionStorm;1142175The real question is: Will we be able to make crystal gazing New Agers and Fluff-Bunny Wiccans? *big think emoji*

You could make one that got accidentally red-pilled, I guess.

RPGPundit · July 31, 2020, 03:47:23 PM

Quote from: Mistwell;1142212I'd love to see something in I Ching. Tarot would be nice as well.

Both will be in the game.

RPGPundit · July 31, 2020, 03:48:24 PM

Quote from: arcanuum;1142292Are there going to be a faction based on the crazy Cthulhu Satanists?

Yes there will. Just like there was in real life.

RPGPundit · July 31, 2020, 03:51:58 PM

Quote from: GeekEclectic;1142335Pretty much. It's an urban fantasy setting built on top of a crapsack version of the real world. "Real-world magic game" sounds like it takes the real world and . . . builds some kind of urban fantasy on top of it. There are literally no other details given, so speculation's all I got. I already have 2 different Mage games, Urban Shadows, 2 different editions of Unknown Armies, the Dresden Files, CJ Carella's Witchcraft, Ghosts of Albion, Buffy & Angel . . . you get the idea. Curious how this compares to those.

None of those are based on real occultist concepts or history. I mean, Witchcraft had some stuff, but it fails completely in one of the most important truths about occultism: 90% of all occultism is total crap, and 100% of wicca is.

RPGPundit · July 31, 2020, 03:57:42 PM

Quote from: DocJones;1142372Am I gonna have to start writing Jack Chick tracts after this comes out?

Maybe, yes.

This is the closest thing I've ever done to a "propagandist" game, but it's practically nothing of right/left propaganda or culture-war propaganda. It's propaganda for "Rosicrucian Enlightenment" Illuminism.

But of course, that probably won't matter to any gamer who isn't a magician; and won't even notice. On the other hand, anyone who is will probably end up pissed off about it. They'll all think I did it wrong and was biased. Even the people I'm biased in favor of will think I wasn't biased enough.

RPGPundit · July 31, 2020, 03:58:49 PM

I'll remind everyone reading that I am still shopping for a publisher for this game.