Urban-Modern-Fantasy is a narrative-based table-top system. The game is a back-and-forth between the Game Master (GM) and the players. The flow of the game is roughly:
- The GM describes a situation ("You are in a dark room")
- The GM asks a player what they do ("What do you do?")
- The player describes what they do ("I punch the darkness")
- The GM determines if a move has been triggered ("Sounds like Melee, roll 2D6")
- If so, the player rolls and the outcome affects the story. ("I succeed, 2 damage to the darkness")
- Either way, we return to step 1.
This adventure will be set in a college located in the fictional town of Chesterwin, Arkansas. It will take place over the course of a single summer night. It will become obvious very quickly that you are trapped on the college campus until the conflict is resolved. There will still be people and electricity, but many strange things will start to occur...
The world your character grew up in has magic and supernatural elements, but they are rare and spoken of only in whispers. Science and technology is the dominant tool for manipulating the world, with most people dismissive of the possibility of mystical powers. You must decide if your character has any occult exposure prior to the events of our story.
The Urban-Modern-Fantasy system we are using is story-driven, flexible, and puts the players in control of the narrative. You have tremendous amounts of freedom to adjust your backstory, and the GM is expected to accommodate where possible. If you're unsatisfied with the default suggestions, work with the GM to make something more compelling.
Despite the setting, you are not limited to being a student, teacher, alumnus, or other member of the campus. You could be a local townie, or the owner of a local business, someone restocking the vending machines, someone driving through to a local national park, or even something else. You only need to present a plausible reason for why you are on campus that night.
All players start off with above-average abilities and will end up with fantastic powers. However, everyone has their own strengths. Choose one of the six core attributes to build your character around:
- The Charismatic: Charming social grace
- The Dedicated: Wisdom based on experience
- The Fast: Moves quickly and dexterously
- The Genius: Brilliant mind, very book-smart
- The Strong: Powerful and forceful
- The Tough: Able to take hits and stay standing
Each of the 6 core classes has 3 variants each. The first variant is the "true" path for the class, but the other 2 are equally valid takes on the core concept. For example, the Charismatic can alternatively be The Manipulator or The Celebrity, in addition to the basic Charismatic path.
The following sections give brief descriptions of each of the characters and their variants.
For more information, check out the PDF of actual character classes.
Attractive. Magnetic. Vivacious. The Charismatic knows people they can talk into making their lives easier, or talk into getting them what they want, either by calling in old debts or just by being charming. The Manipulator pushes buttons and manipulates to get their way; the Celebrity does it through being a literal celebrity.
The Dedicated is all about knowing people in an authentic way, unlike the Charismatic who is more about manipulation. They've been around the block a few times, are keenly empathetic, or are very well-trained. The Investigator is the quintessential detective, the guy in the rumpled suit or in the starched uniform. The Organizer is a neighborhood fixture who knows everyone, a streetwise paladin for the dark streets.
The Fast is all about being fast, whether that's sizing up a situation before it gets dangerous and then getting out of it unscathed or shooting first. The Rogue is the classic thief, with moves to stay unnoticed in a crowd and to sneak into places they shouldn't be. The Gunslinger is preternaturally good with a ranged weapon.
If the Dedicated figures things out by knowing how people work, the Genius does it by analyzing the situation with logic and deduction. The Field Scientist is about working in the field and leveraging their experiences as a scientist. The Hacker knows anything the internet does, as long as they have time to look it up.
The Strong is all about displaying strength, from a signature melee weapon to hitting obscenely hard to impressing people with their muscle. The Weapon Expert puts the signature weapon to good use, applying strength in a controlled fashion, while the Athlete is a twist leveraging experience and personality.
The Tough resists damage and powers through. The Bruiser's all about taking a beating and dishing it back out. The Daredevil takes advantage of dangerous situations to really shine.