(TLDR: BTVS with a bunch of kids as portagonists)
(Shadows chasers; D20 modern: D&D meets BTVS Sunnydale Syndrome)

Children of Shadows


(Image credit: Arcane Nights)

Premise:

Children of shadows builds on the Shadows premise in the d20 modern urban arcana with a unique twist:

-The player characters are a rag tag group of kids in a small town invaded by the supernatural. Or have they been here all along?!
-I'll be adjusting the horror/comedy/parody levels based on where players take the game. It might get dark but worst case: Grim Bright.

To even see Shadows as they are, one must have a certain amount of acceptance of the wondrous and the terrific. To see the monsters hidden in plain sight and the wonders they guard you need a certain amount of acceptance, a sense that there is a bit more to the world. You cannot be shown The Layers Of Shadows. You are either born of the Shadows, come across something too unusual for your mind to explain away and shatter the illusion that was your reality.

Or you must be one of those rare people naive and innocent enough to expect it.

To be a human in the Shadows is to be a rare, exceptional survivor of an attack. Or a child, discovering that you were right all along.

This will be modified based on what the players end up doing. Grim Bright slough through blood an guts to let your classmates and families sleep safely at night? Navigating supernatural politics? Exploring distant shards of reality for fun and profit? (Narnia effect can be pretty handy to let one stick to their curfew)

Some details:

Kids when exposed to the supernatural either get eaten or survive and thrive though ridiculous personal growth. I expect your characters to be precocious geniuses in their fields if you want them to be. Yes this means you don't have to roleplay a drolling, snotty idiot. (Unless of course that's the archetype you are going for.)


Player selection:

You'll be workin with me to create a character and then we'll play a 1 on 1 game.The goal is to ensure we can all get along.

Requirements:
-Be willing to have your character write a journal entry after each session and before the next. (Min 500 words that describe what happend from your point of view. Will be made public.)
-Have an email and an thus be able to make an account on roll20.net
-Be content to keep things PG 13.
-Have a Microphone
-Be willing to have recorded sessions available online.

For the player selection (A short-ish 1 on 1 session with me) you'll be playing a small sized sized Level 1 human with any standard d20 modern class. 20 point buy (You will be allowed to reduce stats to 5 to get a few more points but excessibe minmaxing is discouraged) you will gain enough expirience to level by the end of the player selection.

To compensate for the low starting scores you will be getting liberal, rapid and drastic impovements as the game progresses.

-Double XP from normal (You'll need it to pay for all the improvements. :p )
-Enhanced attribute impropvement
-Optional Feat Purchases each level at 1/10 of XP cost to reach that level.
-Optional Modified Gestalt with a second class of your choice. (Requirements waived, though you have to have at least 1 rank in any needed skill and a vague promise to eventually get feats. )

How to Apply:
Post below with a basic archeotype or idea. We'll PM me here, or ping me on discord (JadeCriminal#0282) about details and arrange a good time for a 1 on 1 game to see if we can work together.

Stats:

Level 1 character of base d20 modern class. Point buy 20, you can bring one stat down to 6 for extra points. (More than one will need my specific approval)

For a kid? You are exceptional in one or more areas.
 
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I am interested in this and would like to join in.

Child bully doing what he does best to try and survive and maybe learn a few life lessons.
 
That's nice. What kind of character popped into your head when you saw this? Just the basic premise. No numbers or anything. (Take your time, I'm going to sleep now)
Basically a sort of conspiracy loving cloud cookolander who always believed in the supernatural but doesn't really think of the danger.

Basically Luna Lovegood now that I think about it...
 
I am interested in this and would like to join in.

Child bully doing what he does best to try and survive and maybe learn a few life lessons.

How is the ability to give an atomic wedgie and pummel people half your size when no one is looking going to help against, oh, I don't know... A tribe of cannibal goblins or Der Kindestot?

I'm not saying no (Against my instinctive reaction to basically erase any bullies and their equally obstinate fat headed loud mouthed asshole fathers from my life and refer them to my compettitors for service) but defining yourself as a bully isn't a really good start.

What else would this potential character do/love/want out of life?

Basically a sort of conspiracy loving cloud cookolander who always believed in the supernatural but doesn't really think of the danger.

Basically Luna Lovegood now that I think about it...

That sounds interesting, if you can pull it off. . As long as you aren't Haruhi Suzumiya. :p

PM me with a few sentences that'd let me get a feel for the tone you are aiming at and we'll go through detailing and possibly even some preliminary mechanical stuff. (Few sentences, like someone describing her or maybe a theatrical trailer type thing.)
 
How is the ability to give an atomic wedgie and pummel people half your size when no one is looking going to help against, oh, I don't know... A tribe of cannibal goblins or Der Kindestot?

I'm not saying no (Against my instinctive reaction to basically erase any bullies and their equally obstinate fat headed loud mouthed asshole fathers from my life and refer them to my compettitors for service) but defining yourself as a bully isn't a really good start.

What else would this potential character do/love/want out of life?
Well who else will play the role of meat shield and general rough and tumble brute. /meta Normally I'd play as a rather brainy guy and want to challenge myself with a role vastly different from my go to archetype.

He self identifies as a bully because that is the label that society put on him. His councilor has said to be proud of his body and you don't have to hit someone for saying you're fat. Just cause he likes to cook good food is all, and has to eat it alone. His peers in the automotive club would think less of him for bringing in some bagged lunch in anycase.
 
PM me with a few sentences that'd let me get a feel for the tone you are aiming at and we'll go through detailing and possibly even some preliminary mechanical stuff. (Few sentences, like someone describing her or maybe a theatrical trailer type thing.)
What kinds of supernatural creatures will we be dealing with? Are we talking ghosts and vampires, goblins and elves, or just basically everything?
 
Well who else will play the role of meat shield and general rough and tumble brute. /meta Normally I'd play as a rather brainy guy and want to challenge myself with a role vastly different from my go to archetype.

He self identifies as a bully because that is the label that society put on him. His councilor has said to be proud of his body and you don't have to hit someone for saying you're fat. Just cause he likes to cook good food is all, and has to eat it alone. His peers in the automotive club would think less of him for bringing in some bagged lunch in anycase.

See that's just a kid with anger issues who gets into trouble. What I heard was: Bully, noun. A person who uses strength or influence to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. (Usually for pleasure or profit)

What kinds of supernatural creatures will we be dealing with? Are we talking ghosts and vampires, goblins and elves, or just basically everything?

Yes. And no.

Yes, because you'll have a chance to encounter pretty much anything that's in a monster manual somewhere.

And no. Because a lot of those things won't come to you.

I won't say more because it'd be spoiling things. And because I prefer having a world and then let players discover things as they steer the course to fun.
 
See that's just a kid with anger issues who gets into trouble. What I heard was: Bully, noun. A person who uses strength or influence to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. (Usually for pleasure or profit)



Yes. And no.

Yes, because you'll have a chance to encounter pretty much anything that's in a monster manual somewhere.

And no. Because a lot of those things won't come to you.

I won't say more because it'd be spoiling things. And because I prefer having a world and then let players discover things as they steer the course to fun.
In that case, just tell me if my backstory doesn't really mesh with your plan. I'll change it if you want.
 
What's the reason for making recorded sessions and game logs publicly available?

Expressing interest with a Dinosaur-fear into Eldritch Monstrosities-fright Investigative, off-putting kid.
 
What ages are we looking at? What sort of story would a child at the start of their lives really have in terms of motivation? A hedonistic motivation for enjoying life is really all the child has to go on. This is the beginning of their story starting point of the Hero Journey. If I had a age for the character that we are expected to create I might be able to create a more complete backstory or motivation for why you would want to hang around with the people in the group.

Edit: Think of Bulk from the Power Rangers as the kind of character I am going to make.
 
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Interested. Since school is about to get out, this is probably perfect timing!

For a character idea, I'm thinking about a high school prankster with no real motivations after getting out of high school.
 
In that case, just tell me if my backstory doesn't really mesh with your plan. I'll change it if you want.

Basically you can't be supernatural before the game starts. But a heritage coming to life after exposure is certainly possible.

What ages are we looking at? What sort of story would a child at the start of their lives really have in terms of motivation? A hedonistic motivation for enjoying life is really all the child has to go on. This is the beginning of their story starting point of the Hero Journey. If I had a age for the character that we are expected to create I might be able to create a more complete backstory or motivation for why you would want to hang around with the people in the group.

Edit: Think of Bulk from the Power Rangers as the kind of character I am going to make.

Well... What i had in mind is a quiet little, mostly self reliant town that's just close enough to the freeway to not be stuck in the 40s but far enough that any crazies just don't come there.

Polite townsfolks, modern day amenities and outlooks but still living in the good ol days when the streets were considered safe. Packs of kids roaming the streets unsupervised after school lets out is nothing unusual or considered unsafe. You'd learn more about the town as you play, including the territories that belong to various kid groups and an occasional roving game of cops and robbers that transcends those territories.

A less crude version of southpark (which is basically a cartoon about super filthy and over the top adventures of the cast) a slightly more sane version of Sprigfield (Some of the simpsons children shenanegans are nuts) or a less evil version of whatever that town in the "precocious" webcomic is called (Here when the parents hear about a fire or an explosion they check if the kids are at home or not and have the police on pre-dial. XD)


Interested. Since school is about to get out, this is probably perfect timing!

For a character idea, I'm thinking about a high school prankster with no real motivations after getting out of high school.

I'm planning to cap the ages at above eight and below thirteen or so but there's no reason for why your character can't be attending highschool anyways. Mischievous prankster does sound fun, if you can pull it off without turning into a monster. :p

PM me with a basic description of your character or an outsider's look at your character. Just a few sentences so that I can get a feel for the character and help you built them as a person.
 
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I'll be having a day off on Thursday and Friday so I'll probably be able to run a few intro test games for those wanting to participate.

Remember to post a basic premise here, if it's not instantly rejected I'll ask you to PM me and we'll go from there.

Do post any general questions as well.

What's the reason for making recorded sessions and game logs publicly available?

Expressing interest with a Dinosaur-fear into Eldritch Monstrosities-fright Investigative, off-putting kid.

I'm sorry for not responding to this one. remember typing out a response but I don't see it.

-I personally enjoy listening to a good game session on occasion, especially if doing any necessary but mindless tasks and I'm sure other people would enjoy it too.
-It's a good tool to keep things in perspective.
-Recording, along with the journal of adventures would help any new players jump in or even inspire others to run such games and then share them.

I'll see where and how they'd be uploaded once I get the idea of general file size of an average game because hosting ain't cheap. Hopefully links to google drive might do. :)
 
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For the first time in my life I am in public school. Taken away from my fathers home and put into a foster home. The state says he is crazy, maybe he is. This world isn't like the one he raised me in.I don't know what they call sanity. They have magic lights and glowing screens some inter-nets thing. My father was a wilderness man, I was raised with him in a log cabin, hunting and chopping wood. They say I'm sort of Amish,though the word means nothing to me. They say I need to learn of this technology and science. I say I learned a lot, I know how to hunt, how to fight with a knife sword or axe. I know how to skin and cook my hunts. I know how to survive. Yet they say those skills don't apply in the "Real world" are the trees not real? Are the deer fake? Is the cabin and bear skin bed I slept in fake? Of course not. Yet the state with their 'guns' and police came and took me from that world to force me into this one.

Now to survive in it. Because I know how to survive.
 
For the first time in my life I am in public school. Taken away from my fathers home and put into a foster home. The state says he is crazy, maybe he is. This world isn't like the one he raised me in.I don't know what they call sanity. They have magic lights and glowing screens some inter-nets thing. My father was a wilderness man, I was raised with him in a log cabin, hunting and chopping wood. They say I'm sort of Amish,though the word means nothing to me. They say I need to learn of this technology and science. I say I learned a lot, I know how to hunt, how to fight with a knife sword or axe. I know how to skin and cook my hunts. I know how to survive. Yet they say those skills don't apply in the "Real world" are the trees not real? Are the deer fake? Is the cabin and bear skin bed I slept in fake? Of course not. Yet the state with their 'guns' and police came and took me from that world to force me into this one.

Now to survive in it. Because I know how to survive.


Nice. I wasn't expecting that sort of idea. It might be interesting. PM me. if possible write down a few sentences from an outsider's perspective as well.
 
Ok, I might be interested enough to join this, but the last time I joined an RP with a similar tone/theme, the GM, co-GM, and several of the players absolutely hated me. I think their reasoning was that my playstyle "destroyed the tone" or "messed with the story" too much for their liking, and so, they basically kicked me out via ganking my character. If I do join, I hope I'll do better here then I did on Depths.
 
Ok, I might be interested enough to join this, but the last time I joined an RP with a similar tone/theme, the GM, co-GM, and several of the players absolutely hated me. I think their reasoning was that my playstyle "destroyed the tone" or "messed with the story" too much for their liking, and so, they basically kicked me out via ganking my character. If I do join, I hope I'll do better here then I did on Depths.

Well it sounds rude. If I have to kick a player, which is quite rare I do it without in game shenanigans.

I simply tell them there's an issue and politely explain what it is and then we talk. If eventually agreement can't be reached we go our separate ways, politely. Though to be honest that guy usually doesn't get through my preliminary screening.

I'm curious

-What was the character and what part did they not like? What part of the game you didn't like? (Yes, basically: Storytime :) )
-How would you describe your playstyle?

As for this game:

What kind of character premise did you have in mind?
 
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There is still room for two more, and I have time to do evaluations next thursday between 6 PM and 7AM CDT based on availabilty. (Which will also be the slot from which we derivate the regular game time. Four hours somewhere in that time slot for the regular games. )
 
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