Magic in Hawaiian Noir

    So I've been working on the magic for Hawaiian Noir. I definitely wanted ritual magic which takes a while. I kinda want the fast slam bang like D&D magic. At the same time I don't think that fits. I have figured it out though. Finding what I think is a good solution.

    Magic is all about summoning, binding and commanding spirits. Some times that works out well, sometimes it is disastrous for the summoner. Spirits can be summoned and commanded. They even might be set on people to possess them. Even though commanded, spirits may act in strange of unpredictable ways.

    Summoners can channel spirits through themselves. So say for example the summoner, summons a fire spirit and channels its power through them self. They can shoot fire from their hands for example. Giving them control of what happens as opposed to sicking a fire spirit on someone, and hoping for the best. But there is a draw back. Channeling a spirit can also leave them open to be possessed by the spirit. Which could have dire consequences. It might be welcome as well. You might channel an ancestor, who was a samurai. Who fights off a pile of attackers with a sword taking control of your body. Spirits can also be sent to possess and take people over. Obviously people get a grit roll to resist being possessed, and such.

    Not just anyone can summon spirits. One must have a knack for it. Characters must select Summoning as an ability during character creation.

Hawaiian Noir

    So I've been thinking a lot about my Hawaiian Noir setting. Well more than thinking about it. I've been doing some writing, and editing. Using my Mens Adventure rules for it. I will be making some more posts on the subject as I more forward.
    For those who have forgot what Hawaiian Noir is about, a little primer.

Hawaiian Noir is a hard boiled, cynical world full of crime, betrayal, and murder. Taking place in an exotic paradise. Where the world's weary veil grows thin and darkness creeps over.

Hawaiian Noir is focused on the Hawaiian Islands. The year is 1952. The war is over in europe and the pacific. But war continues as a police action on the Korean peninsula. Most consider the greatest threat to the western world to be communism. But truth be told, the greatest threat to all the world is the darkness oozing from the over side of the veil. Creatures of myth, and magic crossing over, hiding in the shadows, growing stronger.

But how did this come to be? Well everyone knows how the war went, and how it ended. Even if you were not one of the brave men and women fighting the Germans, the Japanese, or their allies. American civilian life was alight with newsreels, and propaganda. Germany smashed and overrun into submission. Europe now split between the allies in the west and the reds in the east.Then the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan effectively ensuring their capitulation.

But there's a secret history. A history not recognized by the world. Not because of some great spell or otherworldly power. But simply because it's fantastic, and people can not believe that it could even be real.

Hundreds upon hundreds of years ago. Magic existed in the world. This is before the written word. Only passed by the oral traditions of people since then folded and assimilated into different cultures and tribes. During these fantastic times medicine men, shamans, sages, thermagists, wizards and their gods (Extra dimensional beings of great power) came together to lock out the evil supernatural. The things that reacted in strange ways as their perception of reality, order and such were so alien as to be dangerous to the people that exist for a mere speck of time, in the cosmic swirling realms. They were successful in this, but their success was greater than anyone expected. It completely locked out the gods and magic from our reality.

Early on the veil between realities was relatively weak. Things, creatures, and beings still were able to transit between worlds. These transits are where we gain our legends in history. As time passed the veil grew stronger and ultimately impenetrable. Magic, and the supernatural was exiled from our reality.

A great deal of wars and tragedy have befallen the world in the hundreds of years of its history. These things cause weaknesses in the veil. Places where things could and would occasionally slip through. The phrase "War is hell" has more truth to it than most people will ever know. The Second World War was no exception to this. But what ended it was. Atomic explosions split not only the atom. But broke seals and restrictions. Creating permanent holes across the world in the veil. Letting magic and beings back into our world. But they slunk into the shadows, keeping low profiles.

The vast majority of people do not know this. They wouldn't believe you if you told them. Hundreds upon hundreds of years of these things being fairy tales, and superstition have conditioned people to not believe. So now a darkness creeps back into our reality. Mostly unseen, seething, and penetrating our world, our lives.

Hawaiian Noir Antagonist

    I present an example of a villain I plan on using in a session. Though villain is probably a strong word. Everyone is a bit grey hazy. It depends on how look look at them, and or the situation. But the following antagonist definitely is not a good person by any stretch.

Kupu Kahuna

S2 C2 Q2 W4 H9 D6 Mv20 
SK Dodgy (clever) 2, Lore (Clever) 3, Negotiate (Clever) 2, Intimidate (Strong) 3
Talents: Sorcery
Spells: Create Zombie, Confusion, Fear, Create Revenant, Charm, Summon

A Rethink

    So I've been rethinking my choice of system for Hawaiian Noir. It's not that I don't like it. Its just, I don't know, blah to me. Is it a momentary thing? I don't know that either. But I think I want to go another direction. Old, and new school smashed together. More importantly simple. The KISS principle is something I keep coming back to in most things. For example, back in the day I loved me some 3.5. Now if I look at making a character I just feel the sense of ugh. So tedious, and level plotting bullshit. I also look at classes (in any edition) and think man, that really can lock one into a mind set. I want something more malleable. So a character isn't just a Cop. But they could be a dirty cop, a gunslinger cop, or lovable neighborhood cop. All with little tweaks that while they are cops, their are some differences that separate them.
    Then armor. Not that its gonna come up much in such a game. But how to handle it. Standard "harder to hit", damage reducing, ablative? My mind runs in circle back and forth over that.
    Then vehicles. Treat as creatures so to speak? Or some other way.
    Then bennies. Some people hate them, some love them. I personally don't care either way. At first I though, hey that would be an ok thing. I love pulp action and think bennies are great for that. But the more I think about it, its wrong for noir. Way wrong. Oh, your about to be shot. Tough, that's how life goes in the big city, chief.
    So a lot of revamping in my head. Trying desperately to put it down on paper so to speak. But life has had a ton of psychotic episodes plaguing me. Cursed nightmares of true fact reality. Pummeling my free time and will. Leaving me is a malaise. But I'm trying to work that out. Cast out the destructive demons in my reality. Forge ahead, boldly, with positive attitude in all things.

Sample

Hawaiian Noir is a hard boiled, cynical world full of crime, betrayal, and murder. Taking place in an exotic paradise. Where the the weary world's veil grows thin and darkness creeps over.

A little Sample,

Horror/Fear/Sanity check

Sometimes people encounter an act of violence, or entity that floors them. Something truly horrific, weird, or strange. So seeing an angry savage dog wouldn't require it. But seeing an angry savage dog foaming at the mouth, the fur on its head slicked back by blood and gore, yes. Seeing someone shot, no. Finding a pile of corpses that have been machine gunned, yes. A group of people walking at night, no. Encountering the "Nightmarchers", yes. Reading about Kahōʻāliʻi, no. Encountering Kahōʻāliʻi, yes.

When making a check the character must roll over a target number. The roll receives a bonus from willpower. If successful, they have pulled themselves together and operate normally. If they fail they must run away or stand frozen in horror. They also temporarily lose 1 willpower point till they have slept. Characters regenerate one point of temporarily loss will every time they sleep. So if they lose more than one in a day it takes days to regain them. Now if they a roll a 1 it is an automatic failure. In addition to the effects of a normal failure they also permanently lose one point of willpower, and gain a mental disorder.

Been working on the Hawaiian Noir project. Still not ready for public consumption. But is coming along alright. A very small sample of what I've been doing. This is still very rough and is not final by any means.

Colt M1911

Damage: 1d8 Magazine: 7rd box mag Range: 30 yd

Menehune

Natural AC: 11

Hit Points: 1d6

Attacks: 1 by weapon (Spear, Adze, or Leiomano)

Damage: By Weapon (1d4)

No. Appearing: 2d6

XP: 5

Menehune are a mythical people of small stature. They live deep in the forests and hidden valleys of the islands. They are superb craftspeople. They build temples, fishponds, roads, canoes, and houses. Its thought that only one small tribe of these diminutive people still exists.They are good at hiding in their jungle habitat. (+4 to sneak when in jungle)

Adventures of the Space Force

I was cruising youtube today and found something amusing. Its a short film called Adventures of the Space Force. Its a goofy spoof of 50's sci-fi movie/tv serials. It was produced by Gaucho Pictures. They have some other films but I have not gotten a chance to veiw them. But the space force amuses me. :-)