Anyone else interested in settings like RWBY, FF15, or Pokemon that operate via standard fantasy tropes but also have modern or advanced technology and culture?
Is there an official genre or subgenre for settings like this? What are some of your favorite examples?
Also feel free to post images related to this subject.
It generally fits under the umbrella of Urban Fantasy, I should think
Shadowrun is basically the poster child for science fantasy. Gurps could also work with it.
Urban fantasy is typically our world with magic. I was think more like fantasy world with science and technology.
Would anyone know of any settings that could be described as "modern day/sci-fi by way of pure magic, with primarily fantasy trappings"?
I am looking for settings where the mundane technology level is, at best, late 18th century. However, magical talents and magical items are so advanced that people are living in a modern day or sci-fi society.
The key here is I am looking for primarily fantasy trappings. I do not like Shadowrun's mainly cyberpunkish near-sci-fi trappings, and something like Final Fantasy XV leans too much towards outright "modern day" trappings. Trappings are key for setting a tone. Does anyone have suggestions for something like this? For example, here are some ideas I have been considering:
• People use bracelets, rings, and bulkier stationary crystals that produce holographic interfaces by means of interactive illusion. Through potent divinatory magics, these connect with similar items and act as internet-capable smartphones and computers.
• People carry figurines that can transform and un-transform into pegasi, griffons, wyverns, and other aerial steeds. These act as the equivalent of motorcycles. People also carry figurines that transform and un-transform into "cloud ray pups," telekinetic, flying manta rays of great size; they create telekinetic domes around passengers and also create telekinetic seats and cushions.
• The equivalent of airplanes and space ships are spelljammer-like Age of Sail ships, outfitted with potent force shields and mystic cannons.
• Advanced magical techniques facilitate bio-augmentations, cloning, body switches, mind transfers, genetic engineering, and similar feats of transhumanism. Just like in D&D 3.X.
• Much like the Society of Sensation in Planescape, people can upload their memories into "sensory stones/recorder stones" and share those exact memories with others. Recording videos has never been the same. People can also create artificial and/or interactive memories, like whole virtual worlds.
>Shadowrun is basically the poster child for science fantasy
That's Star Wars ya dingus
Science Fantasy is the disparaging term for scifi that goes HAM on the Fi and neglects the Sci
Nah, Shadowrun's cyberpunk fantasy.
Or post-cyberpunk fantasy, depending on which edition you go with.
Science still functions on scientific principles, Magic just likes to stick its dick in science's drink and cockslap people dead if they get too many augmentations with its holistic bullshit.
Only for scientists to realise, hey, fuck Magic, and build increasingly complex, and over-processed materials because that makes it harder for Magic to affect them.
To be honest, I recommend just running Pathfinder for this. Tell your players you are running an Eberron-like setting and that they need Use Magic Device, so no 'Melee Only, Final Destination' players
Eberron is, at best, very early 20th century. It is hardly modern-day in terms of magic.
Your looking for "The New Weird" .
Superheroes
Yes
Final Fantasy 12 and 15 pretty much encompass the way I like having technology and magic in the same setting with 12 being on the more fantasy side and 15 being on the more modern side.
It's a shame there's so many faggots who think this sort of thing is too anime to build a game around.
Using the phrase:
"It's like Shadowrun, but..."
Has been very good for me.
Another thing to do is rename magic and psionics to something even vaguer, like Fold Manipulation. Tie it in with 'Dark Energy', something understood but difficult to use, and you should get a few takers.
>"It's like Shadowrun, but..."
I'd refuse to play that.
Yeah but we're talking about settings that don't take place in our world but magic. I mean, you don't have to call it just magic per sey because what you name it could be anything.
It's just that in some people's minds they can't accept certain concepts mingling together. I don't think you're the type to think that way but for instance just calling it psionics is an example of this
>It's a shame there's so many faggots who think this sort of thing is too anime to build a game around.
Can you really blame the faggots it does sound very magical girl anime hell OPs picture practically screams that. Aside from that, it sounds interesting provided someone could build a world around it that didn't bleed anime everywhere.
Even if you could finally play as a cloned Gryphon?
I get you bruh. I think I got lucky and managed to watch shows like Inuyasha, Yuyu Hakusho, GitS SAC, and Beast Wars, with all these out of place elements working properly together.
However, I've seen players who don't want to leave their comfort zones that would react in the way you've seen them. Best thing I can offer in that case is to run a few games. Once they trust you to GM for them what they know, they're more willing to trust you on new things
I don't know, what sounds anime about going to a village and having the local mechanic work on your bike in exchange for you going out and hunting the spiders that have started nesting around their generator?
What's so anime about being an acetic assassin that has magic powered augmentations that let you go invisible?
What's so anime about having a magic A.I that has gone insane with lonliness and wants to re-write reality to it's own whims?
The people who concern themselves with how anime something is are cancer
When you break it down really how it's presented is all window dressing. How is trapsing around an abandoned spaceship all that different from stalking around a dungeon? I guess people get all pissy if you're not using the ye ole European fantasy setting because they can't accept anything else but dungeon crawling is dungeon crawling regardless if your wizard does jazz hands or powers up their magic generator with magic energy.
lmao what more like Naruto then?
>"It's like Shadowrun, but..."
you mean how shadowrun is "It's like Cyberpunk 2020, but..."?
The person I ran the "It's like Shadowrun, but..." campaign has gone on to run an actual, straight Cyberpunk 2020 campaign.
Orion is a good example of this.
Asian mysticism alongside science and technology summoning gods and traveling through space using wizards to fold space with the aid of brains in jars to help them do magic.
There's always going to people people who go autistic if their fantasy isn't done with medievel european asthetics but opinions are like assholes and they all can get fucked.
>The people who concern themselves with how anime something is are cancer
Thanks for that, but this needs correcting
The people who do not concern themselves with how anime something is are cancer
There now it has been fixed.
>People who care about how anime something is are cancer at all
NOW it is fixed
There's no official standard term, but honestly this genre has the best aesthetic.
I just noticed the beam collapsing on that poor guy's shoulder as she bends the spoon.
>"It's like Shadowrun, but with different rules and a different setting"
I would love to play this.
WTF I hate psionics now