Wrapped up our three part Urban Shadows game set in Boston. I was able to take all the disparate elements introduced by the players over the first two sessions and actually break down a plot that tied everything together. The big showdown occurred at the run down night club The Full House where an Egyptian sorcerer-turned Lich had been devouring the souls of his descendants for centuries in an attempt to become permanently corporeal. He amassed a following from the Night faction to aid him.
Our Aware (a police detective) had teamed with a Hunter to solve the murders of residents in Beacon Hill with no visible signs of foul play. He run afoul of the Mages’ Cabal based in the neighborhood and our Wizard was pressured to encourage them off the case. The Wizard ended up in an avalanche of debt to our florist Fae who used her pull in the Boston PD to pressure the Aware. The Aware was a bulldog and wouldn’t let off though.
Our Specter was framed for murder during the 1883 World’s Fair in Boston but only had fragments of memory. He felt drawn to a young woman in the present day named Amy but didn’t know why. Our Fae ended up at The Full House to hunt down a victim tied to a business deal and ended up in the clutches of the Lich. He vowed he would owe her a debt if she would slit the throat of Amy, who he had abducted. She did and the Lich became a completely physical being. The Fae spent her debt to get released from the club without hassle.
The Wizard, Hunter, Aware, and Specter showed up at this point to solve the murders and ended up in a battle with the Lich’s assembled Night forces. The Specter was able to forcibly seize the Lich and with the Wizard’s Elemental magics they destroyed him and released Amy’s spirit. The Specter learned he had been an inventor and created a device that drew on a rare wavelength of energy. He inadvertently released the Lich from limbo and creature began its killing spree. The murders led authorities to the Specter’s lab, he was quickly convicted based on circumstantial evidence and electrocuted. He also saw the Fae was the one who spilled Amy’s blood.
Our characters had small epilogues and we ended with The Specter seeking out the Fae one dark night. He began to haunt her but she tricked him into completely manifesting and locked him in a hothouse while she escaped for parts unknown.
It was a great mini-campaign and I look forward to revisiting the system again soon. I think next up on my plate is a small Monsterhearts campaign that will let the players age their characters 10 years forward for a follow up Urban Shadows game.
Awesome! Thanks for the report. Sounds like you had a rocking story!
Any thoughts on mechanics that you can share? What works? What feels rough? 😀
Awesome stuff Seth! Thanks a million for posting!
Seth is leaving out all the best parts. xD
The smaller beats, like when the lady from the Mage Cabal who was working with the Lich showed up, tires screeching, with goons with guns and magic. My Hunter said, “Yeah, out the back. Go.” The Wizard said, “What? Oh, my compatriots! How useful! Interesting how she shows up just as I made a big deal of getting out from underneath her clutches in the Cabal. We can sure use that firepower if we’re going after a Lich. :D” And my Hunter says, “Dude. Grab your cat and let’s go.” The Aware, the cop says, “Yeah, that’s not back-up. That’s a death squad. Let’s stay and ask them questions.” My Hunter says, “What? Do I have to start busting heads? We need to get out.” And then the Aware calls in Debts to keep my Hunter there so we can try questioning the rogue Mage Cabal.
I may be paraphrasing some of the above.
For my part, I really enjoyed the game. I’d rank it on the shortlist of games I’d try to go out of my way to get in on, if I could.
As for “what feels rough”…. well, nothing felt “rough”. It all works together really well. However, it may just be because Debts weren’t something my character really feared, so they didn’t come up often or painfully (unless Seth was the one calling it in), but I do find myself wishing they were more painful the more someone racked up on you. It would give characters more incentive to clear Debts as soon as they could – or hold onto them. Is there a Move that can stack Debts somehow?
C. Reaves – Thanks for the feedback. 😀
Hey Seth, I just wrapped up a similar Monsterhearts into Urban Shadows game. Urban Shadows flowed on beautifully. We didn’t jump forward in time, however. The characters graduated high school to find themselves in the big world of supernatural politics.
Robert Vincent – OMG so cooooool.