Spirit Lake - Discussion

Tat · Jan 8, 2019, 1:22 PM

Hi all! I'm excited to see so much interest in Spirit Lake!

As people are working on and thinking about concepts, I wanted to add a point of clarification. Spirit Lake is a game about discovering magic - and that discovery will be slow-paced.

For example, potion-making is a level 4 spell. You can only spend 1 XP per week on a spell, which means that the absolute fastest anyone will be able to learn potion making is 12 weeks. Familiars are a level 6 spell, so they won't show up until week 26.

I know that this slow pace probably isn't to everyone's liking, and that's okay. I just want to be sure everyone is clear that you need to be just as into the 'weird things happen to small town people' aspect (in fact, probably MORE into it) as into the 'I can cast magic!' aspect.

We'll be happy to workshop concepts and character specifics extensively when we open on Wednesday (ahhh, that's tomorrow!), and look forward to seeing you!

Lisse24 · Jan 8, 2019, 2:17 PM

@Tat You had me at slow-paced.

Arkandel · Jan 8, 2019, 2:21 PM

I'm thinking of a small town lawyer (STOP GLARING AT ME GANY). Not quite sure yet if he'd be the sleazy, young idealistic, ambitious or cynical type but someone who's looking at all this magic spell-flingin' going around and flinching about the class action lawsuit that's sure to come at the end of this all.

Probably a local.

Meg · Jan 8, 2019, 2:42 PM

@arkandel That's a bold move, Cotton. Especially if both @Ganymede and @saosmash are playing the game.

Let's see how it works out for him.

(I love it. You should absolutely do a lawyer and RP with them as much as possible.)

Arkandel · Jan 8, 2019, 2:45 PM

@meg said in Spirit Lake: An Original Modern Fantasy Game:

(I love it. You should absolutely do a lawyer and RP with them as much as possible.)

I have every intention of using TV tropes exclusively for this. Everything I know about law I learned from Matlock, L.A. Law and The Good Wife. That should do the trick.

I OBJECT YOUR HONOR.

Meg · Jan 8, 2019, 2:47 PM

#doyourthing #theinnocenceproject #raisingthebar

Ifrit · Jan 8, 2019, 2:48 PM

@arkandel said in Spirit Lake: An Original Modern Fantasy Game:

@meg said in Spirit Lake: An Original Modern Fantasy Game:

(I love it. You should absolutely do a lawyer and RP with them as much as possible.)

I have every intention of using TV tropes exclusively for this. Everything I know about law I learned from Matlock, L.A. Law and The Good Wife. That should do the trick.

I OBJECT YOUR HONOR.

The Good Wife is my current binge-watch show. SUSTAINED.

Three-Eyed Crow · Jan 8, 2019, 2:53 PM

Also highly recommend Better Call Saul for sleazy, semi-accurate lawyer fun.

saosmash · Jan 8, 2019, 2:54 PM

I'm playing a local deputy of the Grand County sheriff's office.

Tat · Jan 8, 2019, 3:02 PM

@meg This just in: HASHTAGS BANNED ON SPIRIT LAKE.

saosmash · Jan 8, 2019, 3:07 PM

Nooo. How will we know when @teathyme is trending??

scar · Jan 8, 2019, 3:54 PM

@cobaltasaurus No need to apologize! Unfortunately, the magic required to sustain such a curse will have been off. Much of the story we'll be telling is taking ordinary lives and making them magical. We can start workshopping ideas tomorrow! Happy to do it.

@Meg Hashtags are not banned.

Doozer · Jan 8, 2019, 4:15 PM

@saosmash +1 for local sheriffs types. Need more to keep this city safe from all the "oopsie magic just happened"

I'be been fleshing out a deputy concept that is very much like Barney Fife who's never rose in the ranks due to being wholly incompetent, accident prone with extreme paranoia. They're afraid of magic.

Arkandel · Jan 8, 2019, 4:07 PM

@Tat A couple of questions about theme in general if you don't mind:

How long has magic been around for in the modern age, at least as far as is commonly known by PCs? That is, are we talking months? Years? What's our time frame to compare 'veterans' and 'newbies'?
What is the non-magical public's awareness of it? Is there a 'masquerade' or do common NPCs expect to run into weird shit?

I also assume there's no IC organization (as in, leadership, etc) of any kind as the game opens since nothing about it was in the game files.

Tat · Jan 8, 2019, 4:12 PM

@arkandel

Magic has begun to just barely slip into the world as of mid December. Which is to say that at game start, there is no knowledge of magic in the world by PCs at all, except for some people going 'wait, what just happened?' to something they accidentally did.

See the post here and the note in the world intro for details.

scar · Jan 8, 2019, 4:16 PM

@arkandel said in Spirit Lake: An Original Modern Fantasy Game:

@Tat A couple of questions about theme in general if you don't mind:

How long has magic been around for in the modern age, at least as far as is commonly known by PCs? That is, are we talking months? Years? What's our time frame to compare 'veterans' and 'newbies'?

There is no magic in the modern age. PCs have no frame of reference for it. If they do, it's the same frame of reference we have in the real world. Myths, works of fiction, etc.

Magic has slowly begun to return as of mid-December. Here is a post regarding the current state of magic: https://spiritlakemu.com/forum/5/80

What is the non-magical public's awareness of it? Is there a 'masquerade' or do common NPCs expect to run into weird shit?

The public has no awareness of magic. It is a real-world setting. PCs will have to problem solve this themselves. There is no masquerade. We are not WoD.

I also assume there's no IC organization (as in, leadership, etc) of any kind as the game opens since nothing about it was in the game files.

There is no existing IC organization known to PCs in regards to magic.

Tat · Jan 8, 2019, 4:19 PM

@scar BEAT YOU.

scar · Jan 8, 2019, 4:20 PM

@tat WE'RE A TEAM.

Meg · Jan 8, 2019, 4:21 PM

@scar a team in which Tat is winning, you mean.

scar · Jan 8, 2019, 4:23 PM

@meg said in Spirit Lake: An Original Modern Fantasy Game:

@scar a team in which Tat is winning, you mean.

Thank you for the feedback!