What fiction is Urban Shadows trying to emulate, exactly? I’m trying to understand what the game is but failing. I can easily see what Masks, DW, MOTW, The Veil, and the Warren are emulating but this game eludes me.
What fiction is Urban Shadows trying to emulate, exactly?
What fiction is Urban Shadows trying to emulate, exactly?
“Above all else, Urban Shadows is a game about cities, the people who live in them, and the machines that make them run. It’s a political game, one that challenges our preconceptions about conflicts between communities, and asks us to navigate complex identities in a demanding social structure. It is personal and political for mortals and monsters alike. It drives hard toward these ideas.”
“Above all else, Urban Shadows is a game about cities, the people who live in them, and the machines that make them run. It’s a political game, one that challenges our preconceptions about conflicts between communities, and asks us to navigate complex identities in a demanding social structure. It is personal and political for mortals and monsters alike. It drives hard toward these ideas.”
Urban Fantasy fiction. I believe that Andrew Medeiros has specifically cited wanting to play Dresden Files in PbtA as an influence.
Urban Fantasy fiction. I believe that Andrew Medeiros has specifically cited wanting to play Dresden Files in PbtA as an influence.
The easy touchstones I can think of/point to are the Dresden Files books (in fact, the Wizard is a massive homage to Harry) and the entire World of Darkness line (but Vampire and new Changeling in particular).
The easy touchstones I can think of/point to are the Dresden Files books (in fact, the Wizard is a massive homage to Harry) and the entire World of Darkness line (but Vampire and new Changeling in particular).
Not that Harry, Hagrid, the other Harry!
Not that Harry, Hagrid, the other Harry!
Dresden Files, Lost Girl, Angel, etc
Dresden Files, Lost Girl, Angel, etc
Pop culture touchstones are one thing that my table struggles with too. The closest example that I could think of is Lost Girl; the city is filled with weird crap, faction politics color everything in the supernatural world, and the PCs, while still caught up in all that, are mostly free agents who do their own thing.
Didn’t help my table since nobody else had seen any of it, 😒 but maybe it’ll help you!
Pop culture touchstones are one thing that my table struggles with too. The closest example that I could think of is Lost Girl; the city is filled with weird crap, faction politics color everything in the supernatural world, and the PCs, while still caught up in all that, are mostly free agents who do their own thing.
Didn’t help my table since nobody else had seen any of it, 😒 but maybe it’ll help you!
I figure you can run a monsterhearts or monster of the week series like buffy/supernatural, then as they gain age and influence, transition into urban shadows
I figure you can run a monsterhearts or monster of the week series like buffy/supernatural, then as they gain age and influence, transition into urban shadows
I see! I guess that’s why I don’t “get” the game, I haven’t heard of or directly experienced any of the examples here. I guess I’m not the target audience of this one.
I see! I guess that’s why I don’t “get” the game, I haven’t heard of or directly experienced any of the examples here. I guess I’m not the target audience of this one.
The playbook inspiration sections have media ranging from Buffy to Blade and Once Upon A Time to American Horror Story, so almost any urban fantasy with more than one protagonist fits in. That said, Urban Shadows says “Do those, but with the diverse people and powers that actually live in cities, not just who we regularly see on TV”
The playbook inspiration sections have media ranging from Buffy to Blade and Once Upon A Time to American Horror Story, so almost any urban fantasy with more than one protagonist fits in. That said, Urban Shadows says “Do those, but with the diverse people and powers that actually live in cities, not just who we regularly see on TV”
Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks, a lot of Charles de Lint. There’s also a strong lashing of the political maneuvers of a full-on World of Darkness thing. Recently, Lost Girl is super. Dresden Files is super. It would be easy to envision any of Kim Harrison’s books/series in that context.
Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks, a lot of Charles de Lint. There’s also a strong lashing of the political maneuvers of a full-on World of Darkness thing. Recently, Lost Girl is super. Dresden Files is super. It would be easy to envision any of Kim Harrison’s books/series in that context.
What if the Wire had vampires and Werewolves and other things that go bump in the night?
What if the Wire had vampires and Werewolves and other things that go bump in the night?
I couldn’t recommend Dresden Files book series enough. You’ll be hooked, and have a better feel for what Urban Shadows is trying to replicate.
I couldn’t recommend Dresden Files book series enough. You’ll be hooked, and have a better feel for what Urban Shadows is trying to replicate.