Legends of Today RPG

Working on a sci-fi game makes me think of scale. A starship is bigger than a person. A capital ship is bigger than a starship. I have 2 big influences in dealing with scale: Star Wars (esp. the Fantasy Flight Games version) and Blades in the Dark. The Star Wars games have always handled scale well. I've enjoyed the mechanics from both West End Games and Fantasy Flight Games versions. Blades in the Dark has a great system for understanding position and effect. As a system, it understands the difference between throwing a dagger at a person and at a brick wall, which is important and impressive for a system. This sounds like an unusual concept, but saying a system 'understands' scale is important to me. Some things like D&D have very abstract concepts of damage and resistance. Other games, like Fate, have a basic way of dealing with Armor or adding Aspects that reflect the toughness of a substance. The idea of a starship being disabled by a handheld weapon is really...

There are stories that told you this day would come. Over the ages, they mutated and changed, losing their original meaning. Now, you know the truth: this is the time of the second coming. Your distant relatives have come for you, because Earth has a part to play in saving the galaxy. Our species did not originate on our planet. Life as we know it was seeded and designed to reach its current shape. On many other worlds, similar processes took place with more or less oversight. Protectors, creators, stewards that once watched over humanity across the stars have retreated in the face of a looming challenge. Now, after all these ages, humanity is expected to save itself. It's time to learn how to pilot a starfighter. To explore unknown worlds. To unlock the secrets of the universe, hidden inside your DNA. To speak with ancient intelligences that can teach humanity to battle back entropy.

Having run Open Legend with a few different groups, I have some opinions on how to get character creation going and have fun playing at level 1. To really maximize character creation: Make it an event! Schedule character creation with your group (commonly called a Session Zero), especially if this is the first time the group is playing Open Legend. This works best as a face-to-face session, whether that's in person or over video chat. I have done this through Messenger as well, but time delays and message threads make cohesive campaign prep harder. Explain some of the rules and how they work. My quick list would be: All Attributes, no Skills. Everything is a roll, no modifiers. All dice explode! Explain Banes and Boons. No spell lists, more than just Attacks. Explain the game campaign concept that you have. Hopefully your players know what they are showing up for and are interested, but now take that large concept and allow players to contribute and add to it. Make it i...

A major benefit of Open Legend RPG over others is the way magical effects are constructed. There are no spellbooks! While I love reading RPG books, I dislike reading and comprehending spell listings. Open Legend gives easy tools to simplify this. The concept of a 'spell' in Open Legend can be one of a few things, generally referred to as 'Favored Actions' in the example Archetypes given in the rules. They can be damaging attacks, just like you would make with a sword or bow, Banes - which are harmful effects, generally placed on enemies, or Boons - helpful effects placed on oneself or an ally. These effects are also not limited by levels of power or slots, so you can use each of them as many times per day/game as you like! Most require a simple action to use, the same as an attack in combat. One of the most fun and creative things to do in Open Legend is take these general, mechanical game effects and transform them into unique actions that describe your character...

You're going to play Open Legend. Awesome! Here is a list of steps I used to have an Open Legend game prepped and played quickly. If you are a Player: 1. Go to openlegendrpg.com and learn how the game plays. Focus on the Introduction and Character Creation. Go through the Archetypes and see what you like. 2. Read the rules in Chapters 2 and 7. Look for examples of Perks/Flaws, Feats, Banes and Boons that interest you! 3. Think about how you want to play the game. This might be finding dice at a local game store, googling dice simulators, watching streams or listening to podcasts. You'll probably ask the GM some questions. If you are the GM: 1. Go to openlegendrpg.com and learn how the game plays. Focus on the Introduction and Character Creation. Go through the Archetypes and get them printed or build them at openlegend.heromuster.com That should help you get used to how your players will interact with the game. 2. Read the rest of the rules. Skim the Perks/Flaws,...

There are reasons to choose Open Legend as a Role-Playing Game. For new players and new groups, there are so many choices of game to play! In the interest of that, here are some things to think about when you consider Open Legend. For more about Legends of Today, check out What Kind of Game is This? Open Legend benefits 1. It's free and open-source! This gives you a chance to try a game with little up-front cost. You can find all of the rules for the game on the website openlegend.com . There are already good online tools for Open Legend ( openlegend.heromuster.com ) so you can create characters and track things without paper. That means all you need is dice! There are online dice simulators readily available for free, so you could play this game at no expense. But dice are fun! 2. The game encourages you to make the characters you want. You can generate pretty much any character and simulate any genre. The rules are light and consistent. There are no spellbooks and few list...

Monster Slayers use their abilities to keep the world safe from magical threats. Slayers tend to have a focus, a particular type of monster that they fight against. Their powers lend them exceptional strength and can protect them from some exceptional forms of attack. STRATEGY A Monster Slayer focuses on its foe above all else. Many monsters have exceptional defenses such as Aura, Barrier or Resistance. A Slayer uses its Cancelling Strike ability to destroy these defenses and leave its target vulnerable. Closing in for the kill, the Monster Slayer keeps its target from recovering, using powerful strikes and draining attacks. If the monster tries to flee, the Slayer can use its Exploit Weakness attack to deal a Lethal blow, making it easier to follow up in the future. The life of a Monster Slayer is difficult and often short; they tend to act quickly without thinking about the consequences. ***EDITED 6/13/17*** After watching this Archetype played in an Open Legend game, the foc...

Every city has sewers and storm drains. This dirty water drains out, leaving the city behind. In ancient times, people in China thought of dragons as the spirits of rivers. One of these mighty water spirits is Blackwater, the Polluted Dragon. It's hard to imagine the motivations of this powerful being that uses its abilities to remove pollution and waste. For some, this is absolutely a benevolent act; Blackwater intends to safeguard mundane society despite the fact that most mundanes fear and hate it. For others, this is a nefarious scheme. Blackwater must be receiving some benefit from his work. Blackwater is not explaining its goals and motivations. When magical or mundane forces interfere with its operations, Blackwater has a variety of techniques that it uses to protect its interests. Like all dragons, Blackwater can easily change its shape and appearance, taking the form of any humanoid or creature. Using the concentrated filth and corruption found in waste waters, Bla...

The words 'Heal the Divide' have appeared all over the world, especially in cities and places of high mundane population. It has been shortened to #Heal in many media. The Heal movement advocates bringing magic and the mundane world back in balance. It is one of the most popular social movements of the time, with many casual supporters but a large number of strong advocates that regularly appear on television, post to social media, form marches and walks and generally spread the message. Heal the Divide is a tenet of the World Tree spiritual movement. World Tree states that we are all part of the world, magical and mundane, like different branches on the same tree. World Tree is not a religion per se, but an awareness of the diversity of the world and the need for all beings to live together in balance. World Tree followers say that although the races/species diverge and separate, they all have a common need for a world to live upon and space to grow.

The diminutive gnomes are known for their positivity and energy. Other races may be more magical, more impressive, but the gnomes are known for being inquisitive and driven. Of the magical races, the gnomes have learned the most about the mundane world, because they are the most interested. They explore all aspects of the mundane. Just like a mundane person, they know the shows on TV, the popular apps, they text, they play video games. At the same time, they understand the magical world and have an innate connection to the magical peoples. Elves and tieflings rarely have the patience to deal with gnomes. For humans, their great curiosity can be overpowering.

The demonic appearance of tieflings has always informed other races' opinions of them. The mundane world fears tieflings and has always thought them kin to mythical demons. The truth of tieflings is that they are a magical race as old as elves and dragons. In days long past, their magical power was unparalleled. The dragons saw them as a true threat; as a race, the tieflings were considered vicious and cruel; their focus was the perseverance of their own race above all others. Their diet consisted of magic and the flesh of other humanoid races. A great sundering of magic was worked upon the tieflings, separating their magical auras from their mortal bodies. It was not a complete separation; there is still great power in tieflings. Their separated power is far greater though, and moves independently, giving rise to stories of demons, monsters, shades and so much more. Tieflings have binary genders but unhindered concepts of gender and sexuality. Their relationships vary and tiefli...

The children of dragons are born without fixed forms. Dragons themselves are powerful, immortal beings that change shapes effortlessly. Their children inherit a portion of this magical power but even that portion is significant. Dragonborn tend to adopt humanoid forms around other races. These are often human-like versions of classican dragon features with bright, shining scales and reptilian eyes. They may have human-like faces or snouts like lizards. Because their form changes so effortlessly, dragonborn may change appearances frequently. The strongest magical affinity for dragonborn is alteration. Many dragonborn adapt to their environment effortlessly, their bodies changing as needed. If they move through the water they grow webbing between their fingers and toes, gills opening along their necks. As they take to the air, wings form from their backs, bearing them aloft. To be a dragonborn is to be a child of magic. Being mercurial and fluid in form, dragonborn are excellent at u...

These creatures are born of ancient fae magics, timeless and noble. An average elf is human-like in appearance, with slender, supple builds and elongated ears that come to points. Only at a distance is an elf mistaken for a human. Up close they have a distinct presence that makes them seem foreign and otherworldly. Elves are effectively eternal. While they can fall into ill health or die from violence, most elves live hundreds of years before their demise. While there is a certain allure to this, most elves are at a disadvantage in dealing with human society. They truly do not understand the difference between the human culture of five hundred years ago and that of today. With the withdrawal of magic, elves had an understanding of human society. Upon their return to the world, they have been flummoxed by how much has changed. The response has been confusion and a reliance on the younger, more mortal and adaptable magical races in order to bridge the gap in understanding. The other r...

A previous post on Magical Creatures was very popular, so I  wanted to talk about how I did it. I focused on creating monsters according to their threat to a team of adventurers. I kept the Jackelope and Barbegazi as non-threatening level 1s while making the powerful Sphinx and Ent higher level. The one example of a boss I built is the Marshmallow Guy. The process for creating quick NPCs in Open Legend is so simple that I would generally focus on knowing the level of my player team and encounter difficulty. With these things in mind I would decide on the number of creatures I wanted them to encounter and stat accordingly. This means that I'm rarely focused on what creatures I need to build or intent on stat blocks. Some great things about monsters, NPCs or any other opposition in Open Legend: They don't give XP, so you don't have to worry about giving a certain number to hit session goals. Their definitions are loose. No skills, easy attributes and defenses. Y...

A great way to start a low-level (Level 1) game is to begin with a small setting and expand as needed. With magic in the world, urban landscapes can feel like four-color comic books, decorated with amazing happenings and fantastic beings. But in a rural, small-town setting, the feeling can be very different. You could have a bright, uplifting location that encourages the best in players, pitting their characters against old rivals, like Smallville. If you want something darker, more insular, you could have a setting like Seal Cove. Seal Cove is a small fishing village in the Pacific Northwest. At one time it was a company town where everyone who lived here relied on the Marion Family Fishing Company. The Marion Family is still prominent in the area but they sold their fishing boats and cannery long ago, which led to massive unemployment. Seal Cove shrank to a fraction of its size; the people who stayed behind were those who supported the town. These were the grocers, the mechanics, ...

Setting a power level for your campaign helps you tell players what the story will be about and how powerful their characters will be. The power level of a campaign can change over time and as characters level up. You can start your game at any character level. A level 1 'World level' game could be about heroes just learning about their powers and responsibilities. A level 3 'Steet level' game could be about poweful magical forces attacking a small community that the players defend using their considerable skill. Street Level Concepts Young adults learning to cope with magic and power in their normal lives. A neighborhood in Brooklyn has been targeted by a fiend that encourages deadly pacts. Local Level Concepts The small town of Nowhere, NM is beset by werewolves and skinchangers. Feister College has started studying magical beasts and is recruiting researchers for their dangerous work. Nation Level Concepts A team of magical people that seek to en...

New Perks Magic Resistant : You are exceptionally difficult to charm or affect with magic. Once per game session when someone targets you with an Extraordinary bane they have Disadvantage 1 on their roll. New Flaws Antiquated: You have trouble keeping up with the world of today. Things change so quickly, you  find yourself out of date. Doubting: You actively disbelieve in magic. The presence of magical creatures hasn’t made the world better; you would rather they all just went away. Mundane : You don’t feel the presence of magic in the world. Being without the spark that allows one to learn magic yourself, you find it difficult to comprehend. Magic passes you by without notice. Technically Impaired: You have difficulty working with technological devices. The more complicated things are, the harder they are for you to use. New Feats Minor Seeming Cost: 1 point Prerequisites  1 in any Extraordinary Attribute Description You have a minor ...

The AstralNet is a Dwarven creation that parallels the Internet. Using it magicals can communicate without crossing over mundane channels. There are a variety of apps and websites that link to the AstralNet for easy access. The AstralNet doesn't have the same information resources as the Internet but it does support a number of chat and messaging programs, bulletin boards and other information sharing resources. Magic spellbooks and reference guides have been scanned and shared online as well as guides to many beneficial and dangerous magical beasts. The AstralNet is also a source of jobs and tasks for entrepreneurs. These range from legal jobs that require magical skill to illegal black or wet ops. AstralNet servers are large, heavily enchanted computers. They are kept safely and securely deep within the Earth where only Dwarves go. 

Threats are everywhere. Legends of Today need Threats to face. Governments While it's simple enough to imagine that governments fear the magical, it's really specific segments of the government that may deal with magical threats. Department of Immigration The natural choice to control magical beings in the country, Immigration has suddenly become faced with beings it has no chance of controlling. Some magicals work with Immigration, especially Trolls who don't think of national politics as such. Bureau of Investigation The BI is in charage of threats to the nation. The sudden return of magic definitely qualifies. Some of its senior members may be magical, or advised by the magical, so this may be more of a targeted witch hunt or vendetta instead. Department of Defense/military Weaponizing magic and the magical would be an incredible coup. Scarier to contemplate is that this government is not the first to bring magic to the battlefield. Corporations Corpora...

Open Legend makes a fantastic, fast-moving story engine but the story that you tell is yours. This is a game setting that could be used to play at several different levels of influence and power. Power Levels A 'street' level game about young adults learning to cope with magic and power in their normal lives. (Stranger Things ) A 'local' level game where the players work to protect and understand their community of magicals, dealing with exotic threats and mundane predjudices. (Buffy) A 'nation' level game could have the players battling enormous magical threats while being chased by the government under the threat of jail or dissection. (X-Files) A 'world' level game pits the players against magical forces that will destroy the world if they are not stopped. The governments of the world seek to control and shackle the players at every turn. (Avengers) See more Campaign Power Levels Here are a few campaign concepts: Infiltrators The par...