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Urban Fantasy Races or Classes

Started by GeekyBugle, August 07, 2023, 12:17:15 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

GeekyBugle

As some of you might know I've been working on and off on an Urban Fantasy RPG for a while, it has evolved from being Humans hunting monsters only to having other things you could play as.

Now, Vampire and Werewolf are things you're not born into but become, so those should be classes IMHO.

Dhampir and totally not Frankenstein's Creature are things you're "born" as. So those should be races, but a Damphir becomes more powerful with age (in my lore at least) and besides Brute what other class could the Creature be? So maybe Race as Class?

As for the Cambion/Nephilim those are races and I see no reason to have them be classes.

Other classes include:

The Heir (totally not Van Helsing)
The White Witch
The Nahual
The Investigator (Totally not Kolchak)

One other I can't decide if it should be race, class or race as class is The Avatar (Descendants of the native american spirits: Wolf, Coyote, Crow, etc).

FYI I don't really like Race as Class, never had and never will but necesity is the mother of invention (or something like that), so I could live with it.

Thoughts? Ideas?
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

― George Orwell

BoxCrayonTales

Have you read Urban Arcana? It's basically D&D crossover with modern Earth. D&D races and monsters appear on Earth for centuries but are hidden behind a global illusion generated by the shadow plane. The human heroes are some of the few who can see the truth.

Greywolf76

Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 07, 2023, 12:17:15 AM

One other I can't decide if it should be race, class or race as class is The Avatar (Descendants of the native american spirits: Wolf, Coyote, Crow, etc).

FYI I don't really like Race as Class, never had and never will but necessity is the mother of invention (or something like that), so I could live with it.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Hi, Geeky Bugle!

I like the idea of the Avatar for an Urban Fantasy RPG. I'd use it as class, but the specific totem or spirit could change some characteristics of this class (advantages, skills, spellcasting, etc.)

For instance, descendants of the Wolf or the Thunderbird would be more combat-oriented, while a descendant of Coyote would rely on his cunning and wits, a descendant of the Bear would be a guardian, healer or teacher, while a descendant of the Raven would have magic aptitude.

Hope it helps a little.

BadApple

i don't really do the Urban Fantasy thing but I think if I did I would have regular professions as PC classes.  I love the idea of regular people making it in a hostile world.  Imagine an EMT, a cop, and a plumber fighting off a tribe of goblins pouring through a trans-dimensional gate. 
>Blade Runner RPG
Terrible idea, overwhelming majority of ttrpg players can't pass Voight-Kampff test.
    - Anonymous

GeekyBugle

Quote from: Greywolf76 on August 07, 2023, 01:05:49 PM
Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 07, 2023, 12:17:15 AM

One other I can't decide if it should be race, class or race as class is The Avatar (Descendants of the native american spirits: Wolf, Coyote, Crow, etc).

FYI I don't really like Race as Class, never had and never will but necessity is the mother of invention (or something like that), so I could live with it.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Hi, Geeky Bugle!

I like the idea of the Avatar for an Urban Fantasy RPG. I'd use it as class, but the specific totem or spirit could change some characteristics of this class (advantages, skills, spellcasting, etc.)

For instance, descendants of the Wolf or the Thunderbird would be more combat-oriented, while a descendant of Coyote would rely on his cunning and wits, a descendant of the Bear would be a guardian, healer or teacher, while a descendant of the Raven would have magic aptitude.

Hope it helps a little.

Hi Greywolf! Yes, I had thought that different avatars would have different abilities/apptitudes, thanks it does help.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

― George Orwell

GeekyBugle

Quote from: BadApple on August 07, 2023, 01:09:37 PM
i don't really do the Urban Fantasy thing but I think if I did I would have regular professions as PC classes.  I love the idea of regular people making it in a hostile world.  Imagine an EMT, a cop, and a plumber fighting off a tribe of goblins pouring through a trans-dimensional gate.

I hadn't thought of that, not hard to implement those classes though, but now I'm up to my ears in classes...

Maybe divide them by "genre"?

Monster Hunters: Heir, Witch, Investigator, Damphir
Monster Peacekeepers (Good monsters fighting evil ones to protect humanity): Avatar, Nahual, Chemist, Creature, Werewolf, Vampire.
Monster Invasion: Blue Collar, First Responder (choose one), Soldier, Schollar

Subject to change by the GM of course.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

― George Orwell

GeekyBugle

Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on August 07, 2023, 09:16:25 AM
Have you read Urban Arcana? It's basically D&D crossover with modern Earth. D&D races and monsters appear on Earth for centuries but are hidden behind a global illusion generated by the shadow plane. The human heroes are some of the few who can see the truth.

That's the classic Monster Hunter trope, humans vs monsters. It's something I think you will be able to do with my game, plus other tropes of Urban Fantasy, see above.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

― George Orwell

BadApple

The idea of urban fantasy is a pretty broad.  Can you give some description of the game you're trying to create?

Rule system: 
Is it going to be an OSR product or are you looking at another system?
What makes you need another system rather than you making a supplement for an existing system?

Nature of play:
Are you looking for big sweeping epics, urban exploration, low level adventuring, or something else?
Is the supernatural going to be front and center or is it going to be a "hidden world" type of thing?

Setting:
Is this going to be a normal city with a few exotic fantasy elements or are you going full on Eberron?
Is it a time of war, a pre-war build up of tensions, a post calamity, a new horizons, or some other kind of setting?

>Blade Runner RPG
Terrible idea, overwhelming majority of ttrpg players can't pass Voight-Kampff test.
    - Anonymous

weirdguy564

#8
Like you said, they should be things you're born as, not be converted into.  Since we're talking urban fantasy, which is more mystical versus less technological.  Still, let's try.

1.  Immortal human come of age.  Either thru dumb luck, or the offspring of one or both parents being one, you are an immortal being and have just reached adulthood when you're nature has now gone into effect.

2.  Alternate Reality.  You are not from this dimension.  Why/how/when you left your home dimension is another story, but you are now here.  You have abilities that everyone around does due to differences in your origin.

3.  Immaculate conception.  You have a mother, but she promises that you have no father.  She just became pregnant all those years ago for some reason, probably supernatural.  Either way, you have powers and abilities normal people do not.  Don't laugh, but walking on water and a healing touch might be two of them. 

4.  Time Traveler.  Either deliberately or accidentally, you are from the past or potential future.  You now have the opportunity to change the world using knowledge that nobody but you possesses. 

I'm glad for you if you like the top selling game of the genre.  Me, I like the road less travelled, and will be the player asking we try a game you've never heard of.

GeekyBugle

Quote from: BadApple on August 07, 2023, 02:54:27 PM
The idea of urban fantasy is a pretty broad.  Can you give some description of the game you're trying to create?

Yes, I can try.

Quote
Rule system: 
Is it going to be an OSR product or are you looking at another system?
What makes you need another system rather than you making a supplement for an existing system?

OSR with a few modern things added (Advantage/Dissadvantage), maybe some type of skills and almost sure Feat Dice (there are NO feats, instead you get a dice tied to your attributes that increases depending of your attribute score, from d4 to d12 IIRC).

Quote
Nature of play:
Are you looking for big sweeping epics, urban exploration, low level adventuring, or something else?
Is the supernatural going to be front and center or is it going to be a "hidden world" type of thing?

The first part will depend on the GM, but the game will not get in your way whatever you choose, it's gonna be a sandbox.

It's a sandbox, but I'll try and include as many things as I can to facilitate both.

Quote
Setting:
Is this going to be a normal city with a few exotic fantasy elements or are you going full on Eberron?
Is it a time of war, a pre-war build up of tensions, a post calamity, a new horizons, or some other kind of setting?

It's modern day (current year), how gonzo you want to make it will depend on you, the tools will be there ( what I want is to facilitate a more subdued kind of play (Kolchak) and Buffy, Underworld, Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson, and others.

It will be left to the GM, with the tools to build all of those, but the defaul settings I'll include will be:

Invasion! Something happened and suddenly there's monsters, humans have to fight them off.

Hidden world: Monsters have always been around but there's a secret war to keep them at bay.

Monstrous Protectors: Monsters were always around, now it's become public knowledge they exist, some paranormals are hunting down the ones that don't want to hunt/enslave humans.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

― George Orwell

GeekyBugle

Quote from: weirdguy564 on August 07, 2023, 03:04:13 PM
Like you said, they should've things you're born as, not be converted into.  Since we're talking urban fantasy, which is more mystical versus less technological.  Still, let's try.

1.  Immortal human come of age.  Either thru dumb luck, or the offspring of one or both parents being one, you are an immortal being and have just reached adulthood when you're nature has now gone into effect.

2.  Alternate Reality.  You are not from this dimension.  Why/how/when you left your home dimension is another story, but you are now here.  You have abilities that everyone around does due to differences in your origin.

3.  Immaculate conception.  You have a mother, but she promises that you have no father.  She just became pregnant all those years ago for some reason, probably supernatural.  Either way, you have powers and abilities normal people do not.  Don't laugh, but walking on water and a healing touch might be two of them. 

4.  Time Traveler.  Either deliberately or accidentally, you are from the past or potential future.  You now have the opportunity to change the world using knowledge that nobody but you possesses.

Those are interesting, some easier to implement than others. I like them a lot!

So Highlander meets Van Helsing, yes I like it.

Extradimensional... Not bad, this opens up a lot of possibilities for new races. I like it.

The Chosen one... It has posibilities, I have my Nephilim race, this could be a perfect way to have one in the party. Or go the other way around and use a fallen angel as the father, so my Cambion race.

Time Traveller... This is the one that will be harder to implement if it's someone from the future, are you thinking of Doctor Who?
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

― George Orwell

BadApple

#11
Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 07, 2023, 03:12:23 PM
Quote from: BadApple on August 07, 2023, 02:54:27 PM
The idea of urban fantasy is a pretty broad.  Can you give some description of the game you're trying to create?

Yes, I can try.

Quote
Rule system: 
Is it going to be an OSR product or are you looking at another system?
What makes you need another system rather than you making a supplement for an existing system?

OSR with a few modern things added (Advantage/Dissadvantage), maybe some type of skills and almost sure Feat Dice (there are NO feats, instead you get a dice tied to your attributes that increases depending of your attribute score, from d4 to d12 IIRC).

Quote
Nature of play:
Are you looking for big sweeping epics, urban exploration, low level adventuring, or something else?
Is the supernatural going to be front and center or is it going to be a "hidden world" type of thing?

The first part will depend on the GM, but the game will not get in your way whatever you choose, it's gonna be a sandbox.

It's a sandbox, but I'll try and include as many things as I can to facilitate both.

Quote
Setting:
Is this going to be a normal city with a few exotic fantasy elements or are you going full on Eberron?
Is it a time of war, a pre-war build up of tensions, a post calamity, a new horizons, or some other kind of setting?

It's modern day (current year), how gonzo you want to make it will depend on you, the tools will be there ( what I want is to facilitate a more subdued kind of play (Kolchak) and Buffy, Underworld, Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson, and others.

It will be left to the GM, with the tools to build all of those, but the defaul settings I'll include will be:

Invasion! Something happened and suddenly there's monsters, humans have to fight them off.

Hidden world: Monsters have always been around but there's a secret war to keep them at bay.

Monstrous Protectors: Monsters were always around, now it's become public knowledge they exist, some paranormals are hunting down the ones that don't want to hunt/enslave humans.

Solid, knowing this makes it easier to give a clear response.

First, I do think that making races and classes distinct is a good idea.

Second, hold on to your hat, have a series of basic classes like tradesman, police officer, and businessman.  Then have a series of traditional D&D type classes they can become as they level up due to experience, finding artifacts, and their play style.  Change fighter to magic swordsman and that unlocks the use of magical weapons as well as granting proficiency in weapons use.  Otherwise, thief, wizard, cleric, and such are all on the table for a mundane character to become at lvl 4.

Also, you need guns, lots of guns.

Anyway, just my thoughts.  Hopefully it gave you a grin if not some ideas.
>Blade Runner RPG
Terrible idea, overwhelming majority of ttrpg players can't pass Voight-Kampff test.
    - Anonymous

GeekyBugle

Quote from: BadApple on August 07, 2023, 03:40:14 PM
Quote from: GeekyBugle on August 07, 2023, 03:12:23 PM
Quote from: BadApple on August 07, 2023, 02:54:27 PM
The idea of urban fantasy is a pretty broad.  Can you give some description of the game you're trying to create?

Yes, I can try.

Quote
Rule system: 
Is it going to be an OSR product or are you looking at another system?
What makes you need another system rather than you making a supplement for an existing system?

OSR with a few modern things added (Advantage/Dissadvantage), maybe some type of skills and almost sure Feat Dice (there are NO feats, instead you get a dice tied to your attributes that increases depending of your attribute score, from d4 to d12 IIRC).

Quote
Nature of play:
Are you looking for big sweeping epics, urban exploration, low level adventuring, or something else?
Is the supernatural going to be front and center or is it going to be a "hidden world" type of thing?

The first part will depend on the GM, but the game will not get in your way whatever you choose, it's gonna be a sandbox.

It's a sandbox, but I'll try and include as many things as I can to facilitate both.

Quote
Setting:
Is this going to be a normal city with a few exotic fantasy elements or are you going full on Eberron?
Is it a time of war, a pre-war build up of tensions, a post calamity, a new horizons, or some other kind of setting?

It's modern day (current year), how gonzo you want to make it will depend on you, the tools will be there ( what I want is to facilitate a more subdued kind of play (Kolchak) and Buffy, Underworld, Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson, and others.

It will be left to the GM, with the tools to build all of those, but the defaul settings I'll include will be:

Invasion! Something happened and suddenly there's monsters, humans have to fight them off.

Hidden world: Monsters have always been around but there's a secret war to keep them at bay.

Monstrous Protectors: Monsters were always around, now it's become public knowledge they exist, some paranormals are hunting down the ones that don't want to hunt/enslave humans.

Solid, knowing this makes it easier to give a clear response.

First, I do think that making races and classes distinct is a good idea.

Second, hold on to your hat, have a series of basic classes like tradesman, police officer, and businessman.  Then have a series of traditional D&D type classes they can become as they level up due to experience, finding artifacts, and their play style.  Change fighter to magic swordsman and that unlocks the use of magical weapons as well as granting proficiency in weapons use.  Otherwise, thief, wizard, cleric, and such are all on the table for a mundane character to become at lvl 4.

Also, you need guns, lots of guns.

Anyway, just my thoughts.  Hopefully it gave you a grin if not some ideas.

That's a solid advice, thanks.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

― George Orwell

Effete

Quote from: BadApple on August 07, 2023, 01:09:37 PM
i don't really do the Urban Fantasy thing but I think if I did I would have regular professions as PC classes.  I love the idea of regular people making it in a hostile world.  Imagine an EMT, a cop, and a plumber fighting off a tribe of goblins pouring through a trans-dimensional gate.

Would these really be "classes" though, or just more akin to Backgrounds? What abilities would a plumber gain over 10 or so levels that make it significantly different to an electrician or machinist? Seems like you can just have an generic "Engineer" class, and let the player fill in the specifics of their specialty. GMs can then just ad hoc bonuses as they pertain. "Oh, you're an electrician? Okay, Target Number for defusing the bomb is slightly lower."

You would only need a handful of these generically defined classes to encompass a whole slough of professions. "Wheelman" can cover anything from bus driver to NASCAR. "Medic" can be an EMT (specialist in first aid) or a brain surgeon (specialist in head trauma).

BoxCrayonTales

The concept of character classes doesn't really make sense for a game set on modern Earth. We know real life doesn't work like character classes in a ttrpg. d20 Modern tried building its base classes around the six ability scores instead. You can argue how well that worked, but I don't think there's anything better they could've done.