Urban Arcana: Vote Evil Genius finalists

Evil Genius is running a competition for Urban Arcana, the reboot of the popular modern-day RPG.

Previously, Geek Native could reveal the ten semi-finalists; we can announce the three finalists in this post. The winner will be paid by Evil Genius, get full credit, and their setting goes into print.

You’ll get to vote for your favourite, which’ll be a factor in the competition. Evil Genius, who was at UK Games Expo this year, is the official publisher of titles like The Crow and Escape from New York RPG Cinematic Adventures.

Urban Arcana setting votes

You can vote now, and while you can edit your choice later, you might want to read all three pitches first. Voting happens on a Google Forum, and to be as fair as possible to the candidates, we are asking for one vote per reader and checking that against email addresses. Geek Native won’t send these addresses anything marketing; we’re not passing them on to Evil Genius.

Urban Arcana setting pitches

Sub Rosa

Author: Joseph Caddotte

Evil Genius Summary: 

Magic has always been with us but you must “wake up” to see its reality and access it. Once you do, it opens a door into a wider world of magic happening in the modern day. It is most powerful in sacred places of natural beauty. This is kind of a “delicate” setting of magical realism.

In the small town of Silver Creek, GA, it was a normal evening.

Brenda “@PinkyBly” Bly was in her motel room going over the video she’d recorded one last time before uploading it. She’d already added in the sponsor package, but there was something in those few frames she recorded in the basement. The building wasn’t haunted, they never were, but why did she feel so uneasy when she scrubbed that footage? Shrugging, she cut it out and uploaded it, yet another urban legend soundly debunked. Still, until the next full moon, every dream was filled with the hungry, miasmic grasping of an undulating thing hunting her in that old hotel.

Laia Reeves was slumming it in a motel, as the hotel she booked had been closed for filming, waiting for the inevitable attack. She could sense them out there, waiting until she was alone, the redcaps and bogarts sent by the Family of Light, the cult she’d been born into and vowed to destroy. Impatient, she jumped down off the balcony and sent forth a pulse of energy, making sure that the Mundanes would look the other way as she charged towards the bloody-headed fey.

Marcia DuBois, RN, was a big woman, powerful and impressive in pretty much every way, from her voice to her faith to her very presence. She kept her small clinic running almost single-handedly as doctors and other staff came and went. It had the highest success rate of any clinic in Northeastern Georgia, and she personally kept it that way. Everyone she ministered to either got better or if, God forbid, nothing could be done, she helped ease them into whatever afterlife was waiting for them. Everyone said she was a miracle, but she just knew that she did her best and prayed as hard as she could for each and every one of her patients.

Ashley Goswani was just a kid, but they knew for a fact that they had a higher calling. Their family had done a favor for a minor deva generations ago, and its blessing manifested in them. She donned the supersuit that their sister Melody had made for them and, after having finished their homework, they glided out of their bedroom window on ethereal wings, on patrol. There was a ruckus at the motel, and they looked forward to stomping out any evildoers in their path.

Duc Tran worked for the State Department as a clerk, before he died, funneling data to where it needed to go. Afterwards, as a sanguinarian, he’s still enjoying government benefits doing the same job at the Para- and Extra-normal Services Task force. Having been notified by the post-corporeals in intelligence, he forwarded their alert on to the agent he felt most able to handle it.

Jennie Warner normally didn’t take jobs involving kids, but their parents had reason to be worried and she needed the money. She tracked the teens to the woods, where they had just been led in some weird dance by the West Silver Creek High’s head librarian. This may explain their change in behavior, and definitely ruled out the illicit drug hypothesis the parents had brought to her.

Forest Ranger Diego Fisher, Maj. USAF, (Ret.), had finished setting up his Mac to run the wards around his station when he got a new notice from PEST that there was an infestation of the undead at the edge of town. Grumbling about teenagers reading books they shouldn’t, he tromped out with his spectral scattergun and holy water grenades to put down the zombie squirrels. Again.

None of this is unusual. It’s happening in towns and cities across the globe all the time. This is the world as it is now. This is the way the world has always been. You just haven’t been Aware of it.

Magic comes from life. More specifically, magic comes from the interaction of souls and the material world, much as the movement of a magnet through a conductive coil creates electricity. Magic is less present in the modern world, not because of technology—mad science proves they are more than compatible—but because gathering too many humans together cancels out the magic each produces. Magic can be brought into densely populated cities, but it can’t thrive there, while the wilderness, open water, towns, and small cities where folklore, legends, and myths have grown for millenia, are still fertile fields for the arcane and divine.

Those who aren’t Aware of the magical world, the Mundanes, aren’t wrong about what is happening. In fact, over 99% of what they see is correct, or as correct as it ever is. That last 1%, though, is hidden from them.

Brenda, Marcia, and Jennie are Mundanes slowly becoming Aware, which is odd, as none of them are wholly human. With her three-chambered heart, cool blood, and nictitating membranes, and other “medical anomalies”, Brenda is a typical saurian. Marcia doesn’t know that her strength and size, as well her skin’s greenish-gray cast, come from her orcish heritage. Jennie’s small stature and youthful appearance, despite her age, would never make her think that she was a gnome.

On the other hand, Laia covers the scars of her cropped ears with piercings, Ashley takes advantage of their extraversal gifts in cheerleading competitions, formerly human Duc loves the blood-pops he gets from the PEST commissary, and Diego’s dwarven hardiness aided him immensely in Afghanistan.

They all live among us and are us.

Journey to ruins of lost civilizations under the Rub al-Khali or the deserts of Antarctica. Infiltrate conspiracies spanning centuries. Recover artifacts looted from the Hagia Sophia. Tame dragons awakened by climate change. Protect rusalka from Russia’s Committee for Unreal Security (KNB) or France’s Direction des Horreurs. Bring down billionaires who enslaved kobolds to mine gold. Hunt the elusive bunyips preying on Aboriginal villages. Spend a night fighting fey feeding on the dreams and despair of club kids and barflies.

Explore the world as it is, and as you never knew it could be.

Shadows Surrounding (A semi-secret world)

Author: Sam Wamack

Evil Genius Summary: 

The world is like ours, but there is a hidden society of magical practitioners and creatures that hide themselves. In 2014 that secret was revealed, and magic practitioners have been coming out of hiding and as a result, magic is a growing force, including in the social realm.

Even before August 4th, 2014, there were strange shadows surrounding: people with strange features or curious talents, bizarre objects that didn’t quite fit the archeological record, places that didn’t go where they should. Most people managed to ignore it, one way or another, but even then the secrets were getting bigger, the magic getting stronger and more prevalent. No one wanted to be accused of being crazy if you called attention to it.

Nobody really knows who planned to detonate a dirty bomb on Concourse E at Atlanta International Airport. What would have been a horrific catastrophe was transformed into something else when a woman glowed with light and, somehow, squeezed the blast, holding it in place, and very slowly pushing it back. Ten minutes later, there was an unconscious woman sprawled beside a minivan-sized smoldering crater.

Pictures and videos flooded social media. Who didn’t have a cellphone? Soon news coverage of the Atlanta Incident was everywhere. Everybody asked the same question: what was that?

There was no ignoring the shadows after that.

—

Shadows Surrounding is a modern setting designed to offer campaign and adventure flexibility as well as a unique take on the traditional “magical masquerade” setting, where the masquerade has been abruptly shattered and our modern world has had just enough time to start getting used to the idea of strange powers and stranger people in our midst. Some things have changed – like how all the non-human people turned out to be immune to that novel coronavirus outbreak in 2020 – but this world is not unlike your world, along with an extra dimension of uncertainty and potential.

Many kinds of people walk the earth in this new age alongside humans. Census data from the last decade suggests that anywhere from 0.5 to 1 percent of people are a different species. Some species, such as elves, orcs, or goblins, are relatively common, while there are countless species that are for all practical purposes unique to themselves. In many places “human rights” have become “people’s rights”, legal recognition of non-humans has become the norm, and a gnome on a Vespa or a dwarf behind the restaurant counter might draw attention but rarely significant comments. Of course, people are still people, as heroic, caring, bigoted, or greedy as ever, and so ugly notions like bigotry and xenophobia are no more rare than they are in your world.

Most experts on the subject agree that there are one or more other worlds parallel to our own. It is still the best explanation for the Others – people, and especially non-humans, found with no memory of where they came from, strange clothing and occasionally stranger talents, since at least the late 1960’s. The prevailing theory is that the friction between a parallel world and our own could well be the source of magic, concentrating in “ley lines”; such an explanation neatly explains Penelope Cromwell’s efforts to squelch the bomb during the Atlanta Incident. Some believe this means that magical powers are key to moving between worlds, but no feasible method has been devised to even learn more about such parallel worlds, much less visit them. However, mysterious disappearances do happen, and who knows where people in those incidents might wind up?

Ten years later, the predicted societal upheaval magic was supposed to herald has failed to materialize. Certainly, Grandma’s strange little ritual that made everything work just right makes more sense now, as does the only farmer for miles with a bumper crop talking to his plants every day. People of faith that may have been dismissed as scammers now offer blessings and healing in their sanctuaries. Very talented individuals might even defy the laws of physics. The simple fact is, though, that no applications of arcane power have been found that can be produced as efficiently as existing solutions; a mage may be able to provide many conveniences, but extending such conveniences to a population of millions is simply impractical.

The world isn’t entirely mundane, of course. Secretive cults and lone hermits sequestered from civilization execute — or invent — eldritch rituals with dubious goals. Arcane spirits, fae or a dozen other names by local culture, give peculiar aid, relentless mischief, or wicked misfortune to the people around them according to their own alien morals. Celestial beings continue their secret war with infernal fiends, and both sides employ mortal agents to their causes. Incarnations of natural forces in the deepest wilderness lie in wait to ambush ever-encroaching civilization. All sorts of old folklore turns up suddenly, sometimes horribly, true; a large earthquake might be a waking dragon; or a hurricane caused a merfolk ritual attacking the source of climate change.

Any adventure suitable for a modern setting fits in Shadows Surrounding, and could be augmented with magical influence.

A group of recruits, freshly hired as agents in the Office of Supernatural and Paranormal Activities, is assigned to investigate a local gang. Rumor on the street is that this gang is dabbling in unknown magical rituals, and the heroes will need not only cunning and guile but nerve to stop what might be coming.

Diplomats are gathering for a conference celebrating the passage of new people’s rights bills with the first non-humans elected to public offices from several nations in attendance. A security team has been hired out to keep close eyes on the conference, as well as the after-party, to investigate suspicious activity and, if need be, protect the gathered dignitaries with their own lives.

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the small town of Adams, TN, and rumors abound of the new owners of the famously haunted Bell Witch Cave, especially now that tourism of the cave has been halted. Trespassing into a haunted cave after a freak earthquake sounds like a great night for the right group of thrill seekers.

—

Now more than ever the world needs everyday heroes. Will you answer the call to explore the truth? Will you find what waits in Shadows Surrounding?

Terra Arcana (Magic Integrated World)

Author: Trampas Whiteman

Evil Genius Summary:  

Earth got split into magical and non-magical worlds in ancient times. Each version developed its own history, ours in the technology oriented world, and another magical world with its own history. Recently, the worlds were merged, and their peoples forced to live again in one world.  

Twice upon a time, the gods created the First World, with flora and fauna both magical and mundane, as well as several species to serve as caretakers. The gods granted gifts to each of the species, from the passion of elves, the curiosity of halflings, the perseverance of dwarves, the inquisitiveness of gnomes, and the adaptability of humans. Yet the Trickster god gave one extra gift to each species – desire. Desire would turn into war, and the world was nearly destroyed by those chosen to be its caretakers. Thus, the gods intervened.

The gods split the First World into two separate worlds – Earth and Terra. Earth was a world of technology, where humans remained. Terra was a world of magic, where elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, and other species lived. Technology and magic remained separate for millennia.

Yet each world was slowly dying. One could not live without the other. The gods intervened once more, merging the twin worlds. The Merge would place the lost continent of Atlantis in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and the ancient isle of Avalon off the southwest coast of England.

Now technology and magic must co-exist, or the world is doomed.

The year is 2035. Welcome to Terra Arcana.

The World of Terra Arcana Today

Terra Arcana is different than the Earth we once knew. Magic has integrated into every facet of society, from education, to entertainment, to media, the workplace, and more. The following are but a few of the changes the world has faced.

Business and Technology

Every major corporation has adapted their business strategy to include magic, whether it be new product lines or teleportation shipping.

Atlantis Tech has emerged as the leader in magic technology. Mages across the world use spell phones, allowing them to download new spells, for a price.

The tourism and travel industries have found a resurgence with humans visiting Avalon and Atlantis, while the peoples of Terra venture forth into the rest of the world.

Law, Government, and Politics

As soon as magic reappeared, politicians sought to utilize it. Some used divination magic to expose their opponents’ lies, while others purposefully try to influence the electorate through illusion magic.

For now, these political games have become a distraction to the real issues affecting the world. With new people of several species re-entering the world, there are questions of resources, education, and the job market to contend with. The path to citizenship has become a growing concern.

Magic has created new questions for judges and lawyers alike. The citizenship of Terra’s species has become an entirely new field of law. Divination magic can be used in police investigations, so long as officers have a warrant. The police now utilize non-lethal tools in the apprehension of criminals.

The United Nations has recently recognized Atlantis as a sovereign nation, while Avalon has become part of the United Kingdom.

Magic

Magic is a gift of the gods, permeating the world. Magic can be classified as two different categories. Mages utilize the creative and elemental power of arcane magic while Mystics use the healing and life energies of divine magic. Magical items have re-emerged into the world as well and are highly sought after.

Medicine

Since the Merge, medicine has evolved to include both scientific medical methods as well as healing magic. These medical mystics can heal wounds in a matter of minutes, when they previously took days, weeks, or months. Mystics are also used in the operating room. Yet even divine magic can’t cure cancer, or any number of other advanced ailments. However, magic has shortened the path towards finding cures, some of which are a blend of magic and science.

Military

War magic is a staple of any of the world’s armed forces. Tanks on the battlefield stand little chance against a lightning bolt called down from the heavens. Fighter jets have found new enemies in the skies as they face dragons. Combat mystics are utilized as medics, quickly stabilizing soldiers until they can be treated in a hospital.

Religion and Faith

As the gods returned to the world, many found their faith challenged. While many people believed in a singular god, they have been challenged when other beings re-entered the world claiming divinity. Miracles, formerly thought to be the domain of ancient religious texts, were made manifest once more.

Religious scholars of both worlds conferred and have concluded that monotheism and polytheism are not mutually exclusive. The elves of Avalon produced ancient texts claiming that the gods were the children of a greater deity, often referred to as the All-Father. Whether priests worshipped the All-Father, one of the child gods, or followed other faith paths, they all are able to cast divine magic.

No one knows for sure how many of the lesser gods there are, but a few have been identified. They are the Sun Lord, the Earth Mother, the Forge Master, the Warrior, the Huntsman, the Healer, the Trickster, the Lord of Bones, the Conqueror, the Storm Maiden, and more.

Adventure Pitches

1. An archeology professor travels to an ancient Mayan temple, where she accidentally unleashes the power of an ancient magical artifact. You have been hired by a university to rescue the professor, retrieve the artifact, and return it.

2. Knight Force Zero is a black ops team tasked with slaying a dragon that has attacked soldiers from two warring nations. Yet as your unit prepares to attack, you discover that the dragon is protecting her eggs. Do you slay the dragon to avoid a diplomatic incident, or do you take the dragon’s side and protect her children?

3. As a part of the fey rock band Fey’ri, you’ve scored your first major gig. Unfortunately, a second-hand magical special effect goes off during rehearsal, sending you and your band mates to the Fey Realm. Can you find your way back home in time for the gig and make your rock n’ roll dreams come true?

Urban Arcana setting results

The final decision comes from Evil Genius Games but you can see the current public tally in (nearly) real-time data here.

If you’re still to vote, you can do so here on Google and with a recognised email address to register your vote.

You can read the competition rules over at Evil Genius and get the email address for questions regarding the process.

Evil Genius has a free quickstart for Everyday Heroes, and you can find more of their games on DriveThruRPG, including May’s Highlander Cinematic Adventure.

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