Why the "shadow"

[The Grumpy Celt]

Why did the d20 Modern designers place so much stress on the way “shadow” hides and cleans up everything?

I am not going to get into why the “shadow” bothers me on a moral or ethical level – this is not the place for that kind of discussion.

However, I am curious about the designers reasoning in this matter. The “shadow” was not an automatic feature – e.g. it was not something the setting required.

By comparison, in most comic book worlds the general population is depicted as being aware of the existence of super heroes. In the DC Universe, people “know” Superman exists. In the Marvel Universe, people “know” that the X-Men exist and not everyone likes them. So, those are two different fictional worlds where the general population is aware of the existence of the fantastic – one where the “heroes” are usually liked and one where the “heroes” are usually disliked. While d20 Modern need not have the heroes in spandex tone of comic books, it was immensely possible to create a world where every one, from the local green grocer to the lawyer in the office two streets over, all know that dragons, drow and demons genuinely exist.

Further, the emphasis on “shadow” robs the game of potential drama by making the situation too easy on the player character. Even in a world where the supernatural must remain a secret, the “shadow” cleans up messes for the player characters. Therefore, they can battle Neal-Bob the Puke Demon just to the left of Belvedere Castle in Central Park and no one notices. Further, the shadow will remove corpses and other signs of the supernatural after such an event. As such, player characters can be sloppy, even in a world where the supernatural is supposed to be a secret.

Yet, in the sample settings, the “shadow” is strongly stressed.

That individual game masters can change the setting is not really the point here. Game masters can always change a setting in any way they desire. However, a game book is most useful when its content has to be change the least. “Shadow” is presented as an essential part of the setting so if a game master want to run without it, they would have to make substantive changes to the material – which means the book is less useful than it could be if the shadow were not so strongly stressed.

So, why did the d20 Modern designers place so much stress on the way “shadow” hides and cleans up everything?

 

[Ranger REG]

Have you considered posting that queston on the Wizards' messageboards, either the d20 Modern or the Urban Arcana forums? Co-designer Charles Ryan usually post there.

 

[Skywalker]

I agree whole heartedly as I was disappointed with the use of "Shadow". It feels like a "cop-out" way of having not to deal with the real world (it just remains static) despite the magical goings on. It is a real loss of potential drama.

To give a comparative example, in Dark Inheritance the introduction of magic has shocked the world. It is true that very few people really know what's going on as speculations abound made worse by government enforced media black outs. I also really liked how scientists had latched onto magic as the potential missing link in the Unified Theory of Science and how corporations are beginning to wonder how to exploit the potential of the Ethereal Plane despite its danger.

Magic has effected the world and made it a more potent, darker and more dangerous place. IMO it is a much better game for it.

 

[Felon]

By comparison, in most comic book worlds the general population is depicted as being aware of the existence of super heroes. In the DC Universe, people “know” Superman exists. In the Marvel Universe, people “know” that the X-Men exist and not everyone likes them. So, those are two different fictional worlds where the general population is aware of the existence of the fantastic – one where the “heroes” are usually liked and one where the “heroes” are usually disliked. While d20 Modern need not have the heroes in spandex tone of comic books, it was immensely possible to create a world where every one, from the local green grocer to the lawyer in the office two streets over, all know that dragons, drow and demons genuinely exist.

Well, in both DC and Marvel most common folks are aware of the existence of heroes, but they don't make much of it, mainly due to their general ignorance about the scale on which superheroics operate. For instance, Galactus' appearance in downtown New York was written off as a Thanksgiving Day balloon gone astray. Notice how just about every major event (The Crisis, The Celestial's Coming, Thanos wiping out half the world's population, Beyonder tearing apart the planet) winds up being wiped from the memory of the general population. Also notice that geniuses like Reed Richards never seem to apply to their super-science in any way that makes our lives easier. Way to sit on that cold fusion, Mr. Fantastic! People's day-to-day lives are usually not affected significantly by the knowledge of the existence of superheroes (who are mainly just regarded as another type of celebrity). In short, the status quo is maintained.

Further, the emphasis on “shadow” robs the game of potential drama by making the situation too easy on the player character. Even in a world where the supernatural must remain a secret, the “shadow” cleans up messes for the player characters. Therefore, they can battle Neal-Bob the Puke Demon just to the left of Belvedere Castle in Central Park and no one notices. Further, the shadow will remove corpses and other signs of the supernatural after such an event. As such, player characters can be sloppy, even in a world where the supernatural is supposed to be a secret.

You've hit the nail on the head. The long and the short of it is that often the heroes will have to be sloppy. Not only due to lack of inclination (players enjoy killing things messily) but through lack of choice. I mean, what are they supposed to do when fighting a puke demon near Central Park? Bring squeegees? They wouldn't last long running around unsupervised blowing up boogeymen without some deux ex machina. They'd wind up in jail by the end of the second act.

Yet, in the sample settings, the “shadow” is strongly stressed. That individual game masters can change the setting is not really the point here. Game masters can always change a setting in any way they desire. However, a game book is most useful when its content has to be change the least. “Shadow” is presented as an essential part of the setting so if a game master want to run without it, they would have to make substantive changes to the material – which means the book is less useful than it could be if the shadow were not so strongly stressed. So, why did the d20 Modern designers place so much stress on the way “shadow” hides and cleans up everything?

My guess would be for the very reasons you've stated so succinctly. The designers figured the campaign needed something built in to it that allows all sorts of monsters to exist, and to allow the players to engage in hell-raising battles with them, and yet to keep the world analogous with the one we live in while that's going on.

 

[MThibault]

I agree, the Urban Arcana/Shadow Chasers campaign premises are just slight variations on D&D with guns. d20 Modern isn't geared exclusively to "kick in the door" play, but it is designed to facilitate that style of gaming if that's your bag.

Cheers

 

[Ranger REG]

Personally, the "Shadow" is akin to White Wolf's World of Darkness thematic device. Sometimes it is called the Masquerade, the Garou called it the Veil. This is the device in which the average people like you and me are not supposed to uncover or else we'll be freaking at the sight and end up in a padded room because we see "the truth."

The same device that is present in The Matrix. I mean who would want the thought of waking up in a liquid chamber connected to an AI that is being powered by your bio-electric impulses?

 

[Skywalker]

Personally, the "Shadow" is akin to White Wolf's World of Darkness thematic device. Sometimes it is called the Masquerade, the Garou called it the Veil. This is the device in which the average people like you and me are not supposed to uncover or else we'll be freaking at the sight and end up in a padded room because we see "the truth."

The same device that is present in The Matrix. I mean who would want the thought of waking up in a liquid chamber connected to an AI that is being powered by your bio-electric impulses?

All true. It is ofetn used but rarely satisfactorily. In WW it is often frustrating as it is often a poorly explained device to maintain the status quo. Matrix is an example of it being used well. After all the main story followed someone who did wake up in a liquid chamber connected to an AI that is being powered by his bio-electric impulses. I also get the impression that the sequels will focus more on the freeing of mankind to awareness. It is not used as a device to keep things static but as a motivation for an epci story. My problem with UA is that beyond preserving the real world as we know it I don't see any reason for the "Shadow".

 

[Ranger REG]

All true. It is ofetn used but rarely satisfactorily. In WW it is often frustrating as it is often a poorly explained device to maintain the status quo. Matrix is an example of it being used well. After all the main story followed someone who did wake up in a liquid chamber connected to an AI that is being powered by his bio-electric impulses. I also get the impression that the sequels will focus more on the freeing of mankind to awareness. It is not used as a device to keep things static but as a motivation for an epci story. My problem with UA is that beyond preserving the real world as we know it I don't see any reason for the "Shadow".

Perhaps I should re-read what little information presented in d20 Modern as to what the Shadow truly represent in the Urban Arcana world. I'm more a fan of Shadow Chasers, BTW, so I know what it is to maintain the secrecy of the Shadow.

 

[Felon]

Morrus commented in the thread he started about Unearthed Arcanna that there really isn't any detail to speak of about how shadow works. Without any game mechanics built into it, it wouldn't be too difficult to unplug it from a campaign.

Without Shadow things could be very interesting. I'm sure we've all seen Cast a Deadly Spell, and there's a popular book series where Vampires have been accepted into modern society. But realize how quickly things can get out of hand. Law-and-order types would come down on players like a ton of bricks the first time a battle gets out of hand and inflicts major collateral damage.

In the end, it would be way too much work for the average GM. You would have to constantly be on guard for players getting into some new situation where you have to re-invent how that little aspect of society functions. It's a lot harder than making a movie or writing a book where the creators have the luxury of sitting down and contemplating the matter at length.

And they certainly get a lot more slack from the audiences than your players will give you:

"What? We're trying to free humanity from VR chambers where they're being used as living batteries for a world-wide AI regime? But if we wake people up inside the matrix, won't they still be at the machines' mercy? Won't the machines just wipe their memories and put them back into the Matrix, or worse, dispose of them like garbage? And if the sky's scorched black, then doesn't that mean plants can't photosynthesize? No plants means no food chain, right? Oh, and oxygen would kinda start to run low too, huh? And why do we have to find a special phone to get out of the Matrix? I mean, if nothing in the world is real, then what's the phone supposed to be? I don't get why can't we just be unplugged without consequence? I mean, if our brains are just accepting packets of sensory information from a cyber-modem, then what's the danger? You do understand how modems actually work don't you, GM? Content from the Internet is transferred to your computer; your entire computer isn't downloaded onto the Internet every time you log on to AOL, you know. I dunno, buddy, this seems like too much for any intelligent person to accept on face value!"

 

[MThibault]

Morrus commented in the thread he started about Unearthed Arcanna that there really isn't any detail to speak of about how shadow works. Without any game mechanics built into it, it wouldn't be too difficult to unplug it from a campaign.

In Urban Arcana there are four or five proposed explainations for why no one, not even shadowkind, know anything about Shadow, but no proposed explaination for what it is.

You can leave it out or make it work differently to suit your tastes and it won't necessitate cascading effects throughout the system. Not in the mechanics anyway. It is up to you to account for the implications, but I'm sure we all knew that already.

Cheers