A Clockwork City

The city hold many mysteries, and for the mundane folks, any strange occurrences tend to be washed over with an equally mundane veneer. The shroud ensures that Drabs don't see the Spark world. This is not to say there aren't times when they do see it, because there are plenty, its just that, even then, after the incident has gone, they forget, and their mind creates a rational explanation. The times when they do see the Spark world, is referred to as 'Evoking The Weird'. This is when something occurs that even The Shroud would have trouble covering up. When these displays occur, The Shroud is lifted, not just for the effect, but in the whole area. This can be dangerous as Drabs tend to react with fear. Because The Shroud is lifted, every Spark in the vicinity is seen for how they truly look, and augmentations are visible. This can lead to Drabs attacking them, fearing they are some kind of machine. Also, coppers or gangsters could end up shooting at the offending effect...

Early on in development I needed a system that needed to mould to the characters and their unique designs instead of the other way around. I wanted a system that enabled players to write a detailed background and have that actually translate into the game. The only way this was possible was to ditch traditional RPG tropes, no stats, no skills, no XP. These had to go in order to allow for meaningful advancement and the use of skills without needing to label them, but instead ask the question "can you do it?", If you can, then "is it done on a daily basis, or is it something you have learned in the past?". This method of determining how well you can perform an action is not only fast, but also makes each character unique, bulls from your background and also allows for in game and down time advancement through training and hobbies. It is the difference between a professional boxer and someone who boxes on occasion. The pro will always have an advantage. The non pro wou...

The City, full of life, the hustle and bustle of everyday folks trying to carve out a living for themselves. The taxis, trams and trains doing their rounds, people bustling about with Fedoras, Trilbies and the odd Flat-cap. From the news stand on the corner to the city courthouse, people busy themselves with their lives. In the evening the restaurants, bars, and clubs offer a break from the pressure of work, a time for folks to wind down, have fun, drink and build romance. Pulling back the curtain reveals a world unlike anything these folks could ever imagine. Oblivious, blinded and blissfully ignorant of the real world, the Drabs live their lives only wishing there was more, not realising it has always been right in front of their faces. We are the unveiled, those who see the truth behind The Shroud. We are the ones responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly, and we are more than just aware, we are Sparks. We are those imbued with the power to shape the world however we see fit...

The Good The City is a strange place; On the surface it is just like any city in 1930s America, be it Chicago, New York, or any other. The Veiled, those who are blinded by the truth, continue with their lives blissfully ignorant of what is truly out there. We refer to these people as Drabs. Drabs are completely blinded by The Shroud, a force which clouds their minds and makes them see what they want to see, and keeps them in the dark about the truth of this city. We are The Unveiled, we call ourselves Sparks. The Shroud does not affect us, and it doesn't hold us back back from doing great things. We ignite our Sparks and bring our visions to life through technology and art. We are the bastions of this city, the only ones standing in line to uncover the truth. The City is a living, breathing thing, and Sparks are the last light before the darkness. The Bad The Half-Veiled, those who can see through the veil, but can not craft or creating anything of their own. We refer to these Spar...

There is a case to be solved around every corner. The Case of The Drown Man, a mysterious case where someone is found drown in their bed, drenched from head to toe, lungs full of water, yet no water anywhere else in the room, what make it even odder there is no access to water in the room and the communal bathroom is down the hall, yet the window and door were locked from the inside with no possible way of entry, and the victim had the only key on his corpse. A that is just the start. A Clockwork City is full of intrigue from the get go. Nobody knows exactly where they are, the city has landmarks, but nobody can place where they are from, and the city has no name, whenever asked, the answer is all the same. This is The City. Visitors from outside the city can never explain where they have come from, the answer are usually just as vague, "I'm form the Country", "We are from the Coast", yet when asked where that is or what it is called they can't remember, the...

When I first set out developing the system for A Clockwork City, the first thing that was needed was a system that did away with classic mechanics. The use of stats, then need for a skill tree or even the need for a damage system became an encumberment to the need for the system to be fluid. the easiest way to do this is to focus on the narrative, to allow your system to feed from the background and profession and personality of your character, not the other way around. This allowed for the use of anything that has a description to be pulled from. A monster that is a acid slime creature can do the kind of damage that is as visceral as it sounds, and suddenly combat and armour, cover and evasion are all part of how the narrative works. Because damage is narratively described, it became the most visceral and realistic combat i've ever experienced in an RPG. I found myself feeling a bit sickened by one attempt to stop a foe with a fire axe. Swinging the axe at his head as he tried to ...