Legends of Today RPG

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.

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.

A dangerous and libelous pamphlet, Burn It Down is a radical guide for magicals and their mundane supporters in current-day society. Most people don't see physical copies of Burn It Down , although certain people have made a habit of printing copies out to be posted on public buildings, handed out in subversive meetings, etc. It is most commonly posted on Internet forums, circulated in email lists and social media. For those who have not read it, Burn It Down advocates a complete restructure of contemporary society in favor of giving rights to magical creatures and recognizing the existence of magic. It also insists that the mundane world needs to cede a portion of its governmental controls to the magical beings that have equal right to the world. It is condemned by every major government and religion as inflammatory and impossible. It is also routinely cited by magical firebrands and change idealists.

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 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, ...

The Seekers is a high magic, high action campaign concept. This team understands magic, embraces it, and actively seeks it out. The Seekers could be searching for magical power for themselves or trying to liberate magic for others. The Seekers campaign can focus around a Mission that defines why the team works together, as well as what they work towards. Where the Infiltrators campaign example is intended for a gritty, street-level play about a team making things happen, the Seekers is about powerful entities that stride across the world. This campaign might feel like a comic book superhero team like The Avengers , a TV show like Supernatural or an action movie/comic book series like Constantine/John Constantine.   Missions Stopping an Evil : The team might be trying to stop something evil. This could be a magical evil that only they know exist. It could also be a mundane evil that threatens the world they love. Finding a Great Good : The magical world is mysterious. Somew...

Last night on twitch.tv/time2tabletop I got the opportunity to start bringing Legends of Today to life! This was a first Open Legend game for all the players and one of the first RPGs ever for 2 of the players. With that in mind I simplified out the magical races and just focused on 'normal' characters. So this was a proof of concept for the modern setting, not the idea of including magic. I learned a few things: 1. Loose notes are good notes. I kept the things the players liked best and skipped anything they didn't. 2. Fights in Open Legend can be brutal! This might be luck, but last time I ran OL, the party ran right over the opposition. This time, I immediately exploded the dice in a big way against a PC. They were knocked unconscious immediately. 3. Unsurprisingly, there is a big difference between a Power Level 7 and Power Level 5. The attacks made at Power Level 7 proved unstoppable against Level 1 players. I took note of the names the players wanted to use bu...

Some places have drawn more attention than others. Big cities like New York, London, Seattle, Los Angeles, all are popular with the magical. especially those that want to learn about or benefit from the mundane world. Similarly, some wild places are very popular. The Amazon. The Rocky Mountains. The Pacific Northwest. There are greater concentrations of magical beasts there than elsewhere. Los Angeles You take the bus to work. Everyone in LA has a car, except you. As a college student, you just can't afford a car and rent. The bus is always full of magical people; most of them can't get a driver's license. Today there's an Orc dressed in a pretty traditional tribal getup. They might be attending a rally or protest; they may even be doing a television interview or acting in a movie as an extra. Orcs are always extras. There's a Halfling sitting in one of the seats at the front of the bus. If they weren't at ninety degrees to you, you wouldn't even see t...

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 ...

In ancient times, Atlantis was the most beautiful of cities. Across the Earth is was known for being a safe haven, a place where humans and magical people could interact and live in peace. Atlantis was the city of magic, art and beauty. The Fall of Atlantis When human civilization began to swell and grow, aggressively rolling across the world, Atlantis became a target. Being a center of learning and understanding, it cultivated an inclusive and liberal attitude among its people that encouraged peace and shared understanding. This was so contrary to the human views of the time that they sought to destroy it. Atlantis came under heavy attack from all sides. An island kingdom, it was attacked from the seas in every direction. Many people from Atlantis fled, hiding throughout the world and infiltrating the civilizations that feared it so. The Fall of Atlantis was near. This was the catalyst for the forming of the Veil. As the Veil was woven, the magical people plucked the city of...

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. 

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...

We all know what the world is like. There's the world we all wade through every day. Supermarkets. Shopping malls. Cell phones. But there's more to it than that. The world contains magic and magical beings. They live alongside us. Their numbers are small but significant. These people collectively are referred to as the Magical.  The mundane try to ignore it, force it to the corners of the world and make it go away. Magic has waxed and waned throughout history, but it’s swelling again. Things are getting weird. Creatures are reappearing that haven’t been seen in ages. The magical creatures of the world want their piece of the Earth again.  Once Upon A Time  In ancient times the Earth was awash in magic. People expected to see powerful beings and incredible beasts whenever they wandered away from their threshold. Many distinct magical races made the Earth their home, not alongside humans, but in their own territories. As time passed, these magical beings continued ...