GuildHunter game? (Angels, Vampires)
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For those who have read the GuildHunter series by [http://nalinisingh.com/extras/guild-hunter-behind-the-scenes/ Nalini Singh], would anyone be interested in a game based off of it? It would either end up using FATE, or freeform, or potentially some other really simple system (FAE is pretty good).
For those who don't know the series. While, yes, it is a paranormal romance series the world building is fucking awesome.
It's set in a slightly different world from ours.
- Angels exist. They aren't heavenly beings. They've been around for an extremely long time. They can, theoretically, live forever. They come in two flavors: Angel, and Archangel. The Archangel's are the rulers of the world. There are, usually, only 10 Archangel's active at any time. However, shit is going pear shaped right now. One Archangel is dead, so there were only 9 for a time. And two 'Ancient's' have recently woken up. There was another angel on the verge of becoming an Archangel (potentially bringing us up to 12)-- but I think they died in Archangel's Engima, not positive. Since she kinda kept that person secret from us.
- Angels have powers. One Angel has the power to return the pain to a person that they caused to other people. Another has the ability to create light, and see through illusions. One has the ability to use "glamour" on objects on his person. Glamour is typically an archangel power that lets them be invisible. Uh, there are others.
- Archangel's have more power. Archangel's typically have: glamour (invisibility), angelfire (kills even angels). One archangel has the ability to cause harm via telekinesis kinda. Another has the ability to heal people. I think one can cause earthquakes now. Etc.
- Vampires exist. Vampires are fast, strong, and almost-immortal. (Meaning they can theoretically live forever, but are more fragile than vampires). Vampirism makes you prettier, usually. They don't usually have powers. But there are some 'special' vampires.
- There are people who are called 'hunters' who are born with the special sensory ability to track vampires-- vampires smell different. Some vampires have the ability to manipulate the way they smell (in so far as to strengthen it).
- There are the rare humans who have abilities too-- one has what is kinda a mix of psychometry and telepathy.
- Angel's create vampires. Vampires have to serve the angel that creates them for 100 years, then they are free to do as they please. Not every one is biologically compatible with becoming a vampire. Becoming a vampire can cure pretty much anything done to you, including spinal injuries.
- Angel's effectively rule the world. The world is split up into 10 territories (might be 11 now that Caliane and Alexander are awake).
There's a bunch more but I gotta eat and go to work.
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I've read her Psy/Changeling series, and this one is somewhere in my giant TBR pile, but this sounds like a pretty cool setting for a game. I'd give it a shot.
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This sounds like it would be fun.
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I can play an Angel? I play your game. I don't really care about the details.
I can haz Angel means u can haz ixokai.
That said, you'd need to write up a lot of theme information because I really don'ot want to read a book.
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Information about the different Archangel's:
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Raphael, Archangel of North America-- base is in New York. The only Archangel in remembered history to ever make another Angel. His abilities are angelfire, glamour, wildfire (via his linked with Elena), and healing people. Also telepathy. And mind control of mortals (maybe vampires?). He's around two thousand years old, I think? Known to be incredibly ruthless and cold. He's become a lot more fair but no less ruthless since taking Elena as consort-- the angel he made.
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Elijah, Archangel of Central and South America. He's the only other Archangel in a "steady" relationship, with Hannah another angel. He can control cats and birds of prey. But I assume otherwise that he has glamour, angelfire, telepathy, and mind control.
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Titus, Archangel of South Africa. He's a big dude. Got a warrior culture thing going on. He's developed the ability to control the earth.
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Lijuan, Archangel of China-- presumed dead but uncertain if she was actually killed this time or is just hiding and rebuilding. She was the oldest archangel. An ancient. She has the ability to bring the dead back to "life". e.g. she makes zombies. She's creepy as hell, and was bent on being worshiped as a goddess.
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Michaela, "the bitch goddess". Archangel of Central Europe. She's considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Her noteable power is that she can hurt people without touching them. Cause cuts. Squeezing their hearts. Etc. But she doesn't have angelfire.
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Neha, Queen of Snakes. Archangel of India. She has the ability to call and control snakes. She can enhance their poisons. She also has the ability to secrete poisons. I think instead of angelfire she has poison that is just as deadly that she can use as a whip. As of Archangel's Storm, she was developing ice powers as well. She had a husband for a long time but kept him locked up because he cheated on her. She made Venom, one of the "special" vampires in the world-- a vampire who has fangs, poison, and eyes that can hypnotize.
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Favashi, Archangel of Persia-- She's seen as delicate and weak, but has a cruel streak to her. She has developed powers over wind.
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Charisemnon, Archangel of North Africa-- He has the ability to cause birds (and sometimes angels) to fall from the sky. And also the ability to create diseases inside of vampires.
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Astaad, Archangel of Pacific Isles-- He has the ability to control bodies of water.
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Alexander, Ancient Archangel of Persia (likely to take his territory back from Favashi). Has power over metals.
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Caliane, Ancient Archangel of Sumeria. Now rules the secret city of Amanant which is in Japan somewhere. She is the mother of Raphael and is older than dirt. Seriously. She was an ancient when Raphael was born. She has the ability to control people through song. And a host of others.
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Uram, former Archangel of Russia. He came one of two known Angels of Blood. He thought he could control himself. Let the "toxin" that Angels must verge (this is what creates vampires) build up until he went insane. He was killed by Raphael in a battle that almost destroyed New York, and would have killed Elena Devourex-- a GuildHunter tasked with finding him --had Raphael not fed her "ambrosia" and turned her into an Angel. (The only currently known time this has happened.)
Notable Vampires:
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Dmitri: One of Raphael's Seven, said to be powerful enough that he could hold territory on his own under an Archangel-- something reserved for strong Angels. He's around a 1000 years old. He can manipulate his "scent" to affect Hunter-born.
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Venom: Real name unknown. He was created by Neha, Queen of Snakes and is the only one of his kind. He has the ability to mesmerize people. Has fangs, and poison.
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Nazir: A vampire who was turned as a boy. He is a Chimera. The last of his kind. Technically, you are not supposed to be able to turn children into vampires. Things go horribly wrong when you do. Chimera's, however, given they were magically created by an insane angel (brother of Alexander), were already immortal. So instead of things simply going "wrong". Nazir grew until a certain age and then the vampirism "settled" in. He eats meat. I believe he can grow claws. Sometimes has the stripes of a tiger.
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Sorrow: Not ... really a vampire, but a human who was tainted by Uram's blood. She know has to drink blood herself. Has vampire speed and urges. And she has the ability to mesmerize people.
There a crap ton of different angels all with different abilities. There are also the rare human with different abilities-- and it should be noted, if you become a vampire you keep your abilities.
There are also the "hunterborn". Those humans who can scent and track vampires.
Any game I did would likely be set somewhere in the US-- as we see the most of Raphael and how his territory is run. But it would be set far enough away from New York that the characters from the novels would not be a problem. We wouldn't take "feature" characters. Given the world building they would exist but they wouldn't likely affect the usual progress of the game.
So obviously:
No one could play an Archangel. But people could play angels of any power they want (strong, average, weak), same with vampires, hunterborn, and humans. We'd come up with some guidelines on humans with special powers. It'd likely be things like telepathy, empathy, etc. Nothing extremely flashy like telekinesis or pyrokinesis, etc. Maybe. I don't know.
Anyone interested? Anyone interested in helping?
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More on the characters and their abilities:
Warning there are spoilers there.
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Oh another note:
Angel's have no uniform appearance other than wings and usually being pretty. Some angel's might have dove grey wings. Others might have black. Others bright red. Illium, one of the Seven, has startlingly blue wings that are tipped with gold. Elena has black wings that fade toward purple and indigo.
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@ixokai said in GuildHunter game? (Angels, Vampires):
I can play an Angel? I play your game. I don't really care about the details.
I can haz Angel means u can haz ixokai.
That said, you'd need to write up a lot of theme information because I really don'ot want to read a book.
Yes, you can play an Angel. XD
I gotta go back to work. But I'll write up some coherent theme stuff when I get home tonight.
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This sound really cool. I might have to move these books to the top of my TBR pile now.... Very much interested in playing in this world.
As for helping, I have no real experience in any sort of game building/running/etc., but I could try to help where able? I'm very much willing to learn things on the fly, or read things, or whatever could help
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I've not been the most reliable person lately on helping, but depending on what you need, I might be able to pitch in.
Its been a very, very, very long time since I've played an angel. Angels are my thing. I don't even mind if these aren't heavenly angels.
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I want to vote for taking out the 'feature' Angels and such and go a little more custom there instead. Mostly because I always feel like 'canon characters' tend to take from original types.
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@icanbeyourmuse That is the plan. No feature characters for staff or players.
I'm thinking fictional Washington city (because I can), with the city leaders be NPCs. Angel in charge, human mayor, city guild leader, etc.
If the game stays small enough we will let players take that role.
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Theme Info:
Angel's Legacy - Saka'am City
The City of Saka'am was gets its name from an old Salish village. In 1808, the Angel, Mariska, left the Archangel Raphael's court to establish a territory for him in Washington. Located on the very Western coast, Mariska set up what would become Angel's Homestead. This was built not too far from a Salish village, Saka'am. Over time a settlement built around Angel's Stead and slowly crept into Saka'am. Until eventually it became one unified city. Now, in the heart of the City is Angel's Homestead. Set aside for the Angel that rules over the territory of Washington for Raphael.The city itself is somewhere on the verge of a metropolous. The right economic pushes and it could experience a vast boom. The wrong ones and a bust might hit instead. Life is not idyllic but neither is it as gritty as a large city. Still, there are plenty of "big city" activities going on. And on the outskirts plenty for rural and farm land.
The current ruling city is Marya, the daughter of Mariska. Marya was only a hundred years old when they moved out to create the territory. And thirty years ago she took over ruling the territory from her mother. Mariska, herself, has gone into a sleep. Having been very old. Marya is not nearly as strong as her mother was, but neither is she weak. Still, she experiences challenges often-- both from Angels and Vampires alike. She has a small trusted court that help fend off these challenges when it isn't appropriate for her to have an outright duel in the city.
The city is home to perhaps a hundred or two hundred Angels, with more incoming as the city appears to be on the verge of becoming a power in the area. It is home to a score more vampires. And a population-- when one includes the cities that are not incorporated, or are perhaps half an hour drive away --the size of Seattle.
Life In Saka'am
Angels: If you're an Angel you have some sort of job. Perhaps you are a member of Marya's team. You might look after the security of the city. Help repel those who would try to take it. You might help fight against the enemies of Raphael, hoping to strike him where he isn't looking-- so far away from New York. Or maybe you are an archivist. Or maybe you are an artisan. As an Angel you can be almost anything you want to be. From warrior to scholar to creator. Considered an adult at around a hundred years of age you are immortal. The only thing that could kill you being Angelfire, having your heart and brain removed, or being completely incinerated. You are beautiful, powerful, and you can fly. You are the top of the food chain. All angel's carry within their blood a toxin that must be purged. Purging it requires a human with compatible biology. When this is purged into them, they are made into a vampire.Vampires: The Made. The almost-immortals. Very little can kill you once vampirism has settled in. A strong enough vampire would survived even being dropped from the sky far enough to hit terminal velocity and have every bone in their body shattered. However. Decapitation. Fire. Angelfire. And severe enough dismemberment can kill you. If you are a vampire you will have served an Angel for 100 years for this gift. That servitude might be mundane affairs. An accountant. A housekeeper. It might be more extraordinary. A body guard. Or it might have been worse. Angels are not always nice. Some vampires attempt to run and escape their 100 years of service. Hunterborn of the Guild, or non-hunterborn of the Guild, will track these vampires down and bring them back. The guild even has collars (or arrows) that can be put onto a Vampire that will paralyze the vampire and render them "harmless" and docile. Vampires feed on blood, have unique scents to the hunterborn, cause bliss with their bites, and are more than able to walk around in sunlight. Crosses and garlic do nothing to them. Some vampires keep households of people that they feed from. Others frequent clubs that are set up so that humans who want to be fed from can hook up with vampires. Most vampires who have served out their 100 years are rewarded with enough money that they can do whatever they want. Some, however, end up with little. There are the rare vampire prostitutes. If someone is a victim in life before vampirism ... they could stay that way for eternity.
Hunterborn: Most hunterborn join the Guild. It isn't much of a choice. You have the ability to track vampires. Your senses are assaulted by the scents of them whenever they are around. Without training it could send you mad. Once you are trained you become the best at tracking down wayward vampires. Or those vampires who have gone bad, and are killing people. A vampire that goes bad is extremely dangerous and can kill many in a very short amount of time. The hunterborn are also stronger than normal human beings. Not as strong as a vampire or an Angel by a long shot, but they would have the ability to break bones of other people on accident. They also tend to have faster reflexes, and better eye sight.
Gifted Humans: Some humans have gifts. There are those who might see the future in glimpses. Or those would read thoughts and/or emotions through touch. These are rare. And usually caused by an anomaly in the brain. Vampirism "freezes" the growth of these abilities but does not destroy them.
Humans: Humans are humans. They live their lives as they would anywhere else. They are cops. Teachers. Grocery store clerks. Anything and everything. Humans are the most populous beings on the planet. Fragile but with numbers.
Angel Struck: A small population of the human race becoming "Angel Struck". When they see an Angel in flight they become enraptured. Paralyzed and full of bliss. Unable to react to the world around them. Many of the Angel struck do not want this condition "cured", as they feel such intense pleasure at seeing Angels in flight.
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Interesting,
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Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Yes, Interested. I might be a book or two behind, but I've read most of that series and enjoyed it immensely.
What sort of system were you thinking of using, if any? I'd mostly be interested in playing but this is just tantalizing enough I might be able to do more.
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Sounds interesting. I too am wondering at the system, though you mentioned FATE or the FAE iteration (personally I prefer FATE, but FATE is hardly a single system and more a toolbox for making a system, ISTM).
Only meh is gee, yet another game in the PNW.
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I would certainly given this a go if made, I recently read House of Shattered Wings which definitely has me on an angel kick though mentally.
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@ixokai said in GuildHunter game? (Angels, Vampires):
Only meh is gee, yet another game in the PNW.
If someone else wants to do the grid (and actually have it done XD), I could be convinced to move somewhere else in the US.
@chime: Probably FAE, as all I'd really have to do is go get the code from WildCard and shove it into my Darkwater box. If someone else wants to code actually FATE, and will actually do it in a somewhat timely manner, I'd be cool with going with another system as well. But what I have access to is FAE, and CoD. CoD ... is just too codified. I'd have to make a lot of changes for the angels, guild hunters, and vampires. And that's a lot of work and I don't have that much time.
@Packrat: I'll have to check that one out. I also really, really loved the Samaria series by Sharon Shinn. They were fantastic from beginning to end.
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A note one player characters:
I'll likely allow pretty much anything. Angels, vampires, hunter-born, humans w/ gifts, regular humans. The only things off limits would be Archangel's, or those on the verge of being Archangel's (in the current timeline the Cascade really messes with anyone who is even 500 years close to becoming an Archangel.). However, given that there IS a cascade going on. Many "normal" angels are gaining different powers. So people would be able to come up with whatever kinda thing they want.
The Cascade is a time were the world is thrown into chaos, and Angel's gain power, Archangel's become even more powerful, and shit goes to tell really fast.
Oh, also off-limits would be members of The Legion. Given that they are in New York and have a hivemind and stick to protecting Raphael and Elena.
I'm currently on the fence about whether or not to allow special vampires. Because I want all character types to be "all" or nothing. Either everyone can play a special vampire if they want, or no one can. Special vampires are really, really rare. So I'm thinking no-- but people can play vampires with powers that a gifted human might have-- since gifted humans converted to vampires keep their abilities.
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@Cobaltasaurus said in GuildHunter game? (Angels, Vampires):
I'm currently on the fence about whether or not to allow special vampires.
I'm still unclear what constitutes "special vampires".
