Walkabout Spirits

[vulpinoid]

Those who been looking at my blog () or who've been kind enough to send me their pictures will be aware that I've been revising my Walkabout game system.

I've nailed down a few concepts for the game, and now I'm shifting my focus to the virtually endless variety of spirits and creatures which inhabit the setting. I could go the traditional route and generate a 100 page "monster manual", but I think there's far more versatility in providing a mix and match system to create whatever you need for the story you are telling. It also makes sense that the antagonists would be created in a similar way to the protagonists.

So...why I am I posting this?

I'm looking for inspiration.

Here's my current list of templates (all creatures are made up of a manifestation, an agenda and one or more affinities).

You can see that there are a lot of gaps in descriptions...this is a work in progress.

Manifestation:
Cryptid – (Creature is one of many responsible for the myths and legends of the world)
Hybrid – (Creature appears as a blend between two “normal” animals)
Mythic – (Creature is humanoid but bears resemblance to a specific subject of a legend or myth)
Sapient – (Creature appears as a normal plant/animal but has human-level intelligence)
Transformative – (Creature has two or more forms and can shift between them)

Extraplanar – (Creature seems to belong to a reality far different to our own)
Alien – (Creature is small and grey [or green])
Celestial – (Creature bears resemblance to a traditional angel)
Infernal – (Creature bears resemblance to a traditional demon)
Xenomorph – (Creature appears as a horrific monstrosity from nightmare)

Possession – (Creature exists in our realm through a connection to a host body)
Animatory – (Creature animates the dead corpse of a mortal host)
Parasitic – (Creature fights with a living host for control of the body)
Symbiotic – (Creature cooperatively shares power with a living host)

Spectral – (Creature is caught between the dreaming and the physical plane)
Ghast – (Creature assumes the memory patterns of the recently departed)
Poltergeist – (Creature thrashes between the worlds causing chaos and destruction)
Shadow – (Creature exists only in the corner of your eye and just out of sight)

Affinity:
Conceptual – (Creature is linked to arcane and abstract concepts)
Death – (Creature is linked to the concepts of death, decay and disease)
Magic – ()
Technology – ()
War – ()

Element – (Creature is linked to the primal forces underlying reality)
Air – ()
Darkness – ()
Earth – ()
Fire – ()
Light – ()
Metal – ()
Water – ()
Wood – ()

Ephemera – (Creature is linked to aspects of reality only echoed in mortal thought)
Dream – ()
Fate – ()
Illusion – ()

Nature – (Creature maintains enough links to the natural order to control)
Animals – ()
Plants – ()
Stones – ()

Noble – (Creature follows the virtuous path and inspires others to do likewise)
Honour – ()
Justice – ()
Valour – ()

Passion – (Creature is linked to subconscious desires)
Anger – ()
Fear – ()
Love – ()

Weather – (Creature has links to the powers of the sky)
Rain – ()
Thunder – ()
Wind – ()

Agenda:
Controlled – (Creature somehow summoned and under the orders of someone else)
Bodyguard – (Protects a specified individual)
Scout – (Sent to explore an area)
Sentinel – (Stands in one place, guarding/protecting it.)

Selfish – (Creature has detached itself from the natural order and now has desires of its own)
X - (Unsure)

Selfless – (Creature has been detached from the natural order and only wants to rejoin it)
X - (Unsure)

[SheikhJahbooty]

I don't like Selfless and Selfish. You don't seem to know what to do with them, so just add a few aspects to the Nobility and Passion categories and leave Selfish and Selfless out.

I mean, I just kind of got the vibe back from Game Chef times that one of the themes of this game is that we aren't separate. Self is really an illusion. It might be really cool if every spirit, from the wisest guardian of trees and stone to the most terrifying serpentine bunyip of slithering obsidian, were all intimately aware that they are as separate from nature as a wave is from the ocean.

[bender42]

What about undead like Zombies/ghouls? other than that, none of the archetypes seem to be missing. I like the idea of being able to create your own monsters, however perhaps a small list of ten or so pre-made enemis wouldn't be a terrible idea. (though not necessary.)

[vulpinoid]

Ahh, but SheikhJahbooty, there lies one of the issues of the game.

Many of the spirits causing problems in the world are those which have been broken out of the natural order of things.

Spirits who no longer accept their place in nature develop an ego, and thus a selfish nature that must be confronted by the characters. These selfish spirits do not want to go back into the cycle and they are causing problem due to their rebellion.

Spirits who are "selfless" are the opposite. They want to return to the cycle and do good, but they don't realise that their attempts to get back into the cycle are causing more harm than good.

It still fits n with the original concepts of the game, but it expands things a little.

And Bender42, a zombie or ghoul would probably fit under the Possession manifestation of "Animatory", with a Conceptual affinity for "Death" or "Disease", and a Selfish Agenda of "Hunger".

As for making sure that I include some sample creatures...this will definitely be happening. With a few simple and regularly encountered spirits (and spirit possessed meatbags), and a few powerful beings of myth and legend.

[thedroid]

It's a very well-thought-out classification system and does seem to cover all the bases. I like the affinities. Small thing: the name "mythic" seems like it would apply more to what you call "Cryptid."

[vulpinoid]

I can see what you mean, thedroid.

What I'm aiming for among the "cryptid(mythic)" creatures is a group who have a generally human appearance, but there is "something" noticeably different about them. Pegasus, Chimera and Chupacabra might fit under the "cryptid(hybrid)" manifestation, since they are clearly an unnatural blend of two or more beasts. Werewolves under the "cryptid(transformative)", and Ents "cryptid(sapient)". But Minotaurs, Centaurs, Fawns, Sasquatch and various depictions o the Bunyip are part human and part something other. I wanted something different to the "hybrid" subcategory for these.

I can see how "mythic" is basically just giving us a tautology in this case, if you can think of a better term I'm open to it.