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Ignimortis
2018-07-24, 02:12 PM
So I'm going to run a cyberpunk campaign with magic at some later point, probably next year when my current campaign is over. It's not gonna be Shadowrun, since I want to make a custom setting for that sort of thing, which would be somewhat influenced by players' actions in the current game (which is early 18th century tech-wise, mostly, with some magipunk elements hidden away to be discovered).

Basically, I'm asking for more sources for this kind of thing to get inspiration and some ideas from. So far I've read or played or watched:

William Gibson's Neuromancer trilogy
Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash
Deus Ex games
Shadowrun games/books, CRPG and TTRPG
More magitech/modern-styled Final Fantasy games like VI, VII, VIII


What other good stuff for cyberpunk/magitech worldbuilding inspiration would Playgrounders recommend? I'm open to any medium, be it book, music, film, anime, or game.

Hunter Noventa
2018-07-24, 02:38 PM
So I'm going to run a cyberpunk campaign with magic at some later point, probably next year when my current campaign is over. It's not gonna be Shadowrun, since I want to make a custom setting for that sort of thing, which would be somewhat influenced by players' actions in the current game (which is early 18th century tech-wise, mostly, with some magipunk elements hidden away to be discovered).

Basically, I'm asking for more sources for this kind of thing to get inspiration and some ideas from. So far I've read or played or watched:

William Gibson's Neuromancer trilogy
Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash
Deus Ex games
Shadowrun games/books, CRPG and TTRPG


What other good stuff for cyberpunk/magitech worldbuilding inspiration would Playgrounders recommend? I'm open to any medium, be it book, music, film, anime, or game.

You'd be hard pressed to skip over the game that invented the word Magitech, Final Fantasy VI.

Magic Myrmidon
2018-07-24, 06:04 PM
Maybe take a look at other cyberpunk RPGs? My personal favorite is Interface Zero, which is a cyberpunk setting for Savage Worlds, but has also been ported to Pathfinder and FATE.

Otherwise, cyberpunk has been having a kind of reawakening recently. Both Blade Runner movies would be worth taking a look at, and Altered Carbon has a pretty unique central conceit for a cyberpunk story. There are some other shows that have a semi-cyberpunk mentality, without actually being cyberpunk, like Mr. Robot.

As for magitech, there's Eberron. Might be perfect if your setting's tech level will be around the 1800s.

Andor13
2018-07-24, 06:11 PM
Eclipse Phase (http://www.eclipsephase.com/) is a free RPG that encompasses all the themes of dystopian fiction from Cyberpunk to (negative singularity) Transhumanism (the earliest instance of which is of course Frankenstein.)

Magic as technology has endless sources of ... source material. Eberron is a good one, if you want some comedy with it I recommend The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump by Harry Turtledove (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_of_the_Toxic_Spell_Dump). If you can find a copy of the HBO movie "Cast a Deadly Spell" I highly recommend it.

The obvious parallel between Cyberpunk cyberspace and Magic would be something like Astral space. Be warned that the problem in a TT game with both cyber-space hackers and astral projecting mages is that suddenly one person has the spotlight, and every one else gets to watch them play until they have finished their sidequest. Shadowrun, which allowed both of these things, was particularly prone to this spotlight hogging.

The game Cybergeneration worked around this by pitfall by moving from virtual reality to Augmented Reality, where the Computer realm (or magic) operated as an overlay on reality, and thus while someone could opt out of the cyberspace encounter by taking off the google glasses, there was much less of a spotlight problem. Something to think about if you're going to do a 'world inside the crystal'.

There was is an ancient TSR Magitech game you might peruse, if you can find a copy.

The Jack
2018-07-24, 07:12 PM
Deus Ex games


I hope you mean the original. Jensen's games are nice and all, but it doesn't compare well (when I finally watched a let's play of MD, I was really conflicted, because it had so many story problems but so many wins. MD's augs are interesting, though they honestly do seem more like magic than +10 years technology.)

X-COM. Psyionic awesome.
Mage the Ascension. Specifically, the sons of ether, the virtual adepts, and the technocracy. . You could have a field day with the technocracy, but the SoE are the guys with the mad science, some magic approach. I think a hermetic house gets into it, but I mostly read mage to better my other WoD games, I've yet to find a game.
Metal gear solid seems a solid choice for very-fantasy sci-fi inspiration.

Oh, Psycho pass was a pretty good anime.

Ignimortis
2018-07-25, 12:36 AM
You'd be hard pressed to skip over the game that invented the word Magitech, Final Fantasy VI.

Oh, I somehow forgot to mention FF. Yes, I've played VI several times, as well as VII and VIII, got some ideas there (Magitek knights, officially vertically structured cities with higher-ups literally controlling the lives below them, gun-weapons, etc.), absolutely love the series.


Maybe take a look at other cyberpunk RPGs? My personal favorite is Interface Zero, which is a cyberpunk setting for Savage Worlds, but has also been ported to Pathfinder and FATE.

Otherwise, cyberpunk has been having a kind of reawakening recently. Both Blade Runner movies would be worth taking a look at, and Altered Carbon has a pretty unique central conceit for a cyberpunk story. There are some other shows that have a semi-cyberpunk mentality, without actually being cyberpunk, like Mr. Robot.

As for magitech, there's Eberron. Might be perfect if your setting's tech level will be around the 1800s.

Will check that out, thanks! Eberron has the right idea (magic is a commodity, magitech robots and etc.), but I'm aiming at 20xx in style.


Eclipse Phase (http://www.eclipsephase.com/) is a free RPG that encompasses all the themes of dystopian fiction from Cyberpunk to (negative singularity) Transhumanism (the earliest instance of which is of course Frankenstein.)

Magic as technology has endless sources of ... source material. Eberron is a good one, if you want some comedy with it I recommend The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump by Harry Turtledove (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_of_the_Toxic_Spell_Dump). If you can find a copy of the HBO movie "Cast a Deadly Spell" I highly recommend it.

The obvious parallel between Cyberpunk cyberspace and Magic would be something like Astral space. Be warned that the problem in a TT game with both cyber-space hackers and astral projecting mages is that suddenly one person has the spotlight, and every one else gets to watch them play until they have finished their sidequest. Shadowrun, which allowed both of these things, was particularly prone to this spotlight hogging.

The game Cybergeneration worked around this by pitfall by moving from virtual reality to Augmented Reality, where the Computer realm (or magic) operated as an overlay on reality, and thus while someone could opt out of the cyberspace encounter by taking off the google glasses, there was much less of a spotlight problem. Something to think about if you're going to do a 'world inside the crystal'.

There was is an ancient TSR Magitech game you might peruse, if you can find a copy.

Yeah, I'm aware of the Shadowrun problems with those things... I'll check out all of these, then, thanks!


I hope you mean the original. Jensen's games are nice and all, but it doesn't compare well (when I finally watched a let's play of MD, I was really conflicted, because it had so many story problems but so many wins. MD's augs are interesting, though they honestly do seem more like magic than +10 years technology.)

X-COM. Psyionic awesome.
Mage the Ascension. Specifically, the sons of ether, the virtual adepts, and the technocracy. . You could have a field day with the technocracy, but the SoE are the guys with the mad science, some magic approach. I think a hermetic house gets into it, but I mostly read mage to better my other WoD games, I've yet to find a game.
Metal gear solid seems a solid choice for very-fantasy sci-fi inspiration.

Oh, Psycho pass was a pretty good anime.

I meant both the original and the HR-MD line. Haven't played MD yet (since my PC is a toaster nowadays), but I really liked how HR's augmentations felt and looked. Nanoaugs of the original are sweet, but aren't too showy compared to Jensen's chrome.

I might check out X-COM - is there a lot of psionics and all that? I kinda dislike the flavor, so I'm wondering if it's useful as general info.
MGS is on the list, yes, thanks for reminding me!

I've got a friend who's very knowledgeable on MtA, might get some pointers there then. And I'll get Psycho-Pass of my backlog at some point!

Psyren
2018-07-25, 01:37 AM
Starfinder is closer to space opera than cyberpunk, but there's a lot there you can use in a cyberpunk game - hacking rules, corporations, cybernetic augments, vehicle rules, magitech, etc. As with Pathfinder, the whole thing is OGL, so you can head to the nearest SRD (https://glasstopgames.com/sfrpg/rules/) and check things out free of charge.

Eldan
2018-07-25, 02:19 AM
You're missing in the anime department. I suggest starting with Ghost in the Shell, any of it. Still think that's the best Cyberpunk. Though people actually call it things like Anti-Cyberpunk, or Neo-Cyberpunk. Mostly because the protagonists all have a military or law-enforcement background and work for the government, so they are disqualified from the "punk" part of the name.

Serial Experiment Lain, if you're up for weirder than that. But then, eating the internet to turn into god in your dreams may not be your thing. (That's not an actual plot summary :smalltongue:)

More Neal Stephenson. Of what I read, I actually thought Snow Crash wasn't his best by far. Try The Diamond Age. It's nice and short, near future, a bit less punk, a bit more... uh. Neo-victorians, nanotechnology and Alice in Wonderland?

Wraith
2018-07-25, 02:59 AM
Full Metal Alchemist from various studios - a collection of anime series wherein magic and technology have sort-of evolved side by side and, while there is some crossover, there's no specific statement that one is better than the other until the main plot begins and breaks the status quo.

Howl's Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli - anime movie about a wizard living in a pseudo-1900's era, living in a magic-punk home and being conscripted to go to war because his magic is explicitly more rare, but also far more effective than technology.

The Discworld series, by Terry Pratchett - some 50 or so novels set in an era that progresses between medieval and Victorian, with magical analogies to technology appearing along the way. There's a magical 'thinking engine' (a nigh-sentient computer) named HEX, cameras are made by trapping a little demon in a box with paints and an easel, and Leonardo Da Vinco builds a functioning spaceship out of wood, canvas and really big slingshot in order to prevent "Mount Olympus" from getting blown up.

Feng Shui by Atlas Games - Role-Playing Game set in a version of 1996 Hong Kong with portals to other time periods. Players can take modern-ish technology back to 996AD and fight fantastical Chinese monsters, or travel forward in time to 2496 when evil corporations have enslaved said-monsters and augmented them with magic-powered cybernetic weaponry.

Disney's Atlantis - An ancient civilisation reached the point where technology and magic intersected, and then catastrophe plunged them into a 'Dark Age' where it's only thought of as a kind of lost magic.

Ignimortis
2018-07-25, 05:21 AM
Starfinder is closer to space opera than cyberpunk, but there's a lot there you can use in a cyberpunk game - hacking rules, corporations, cybernetic augments, vehicle rules, magitech, etc. As with Pathfinder, the whole thing is OGL, so you can head to the nearest SRD (https://glasstopgames.com/sfrpg/rules/) and check things out free of charge.

Since I'm gonna run it with PF as a base, that's very much appropriate. Might backport a lot of stuff, then. Thank you!


You're missing in the anime department. I suggest starting with Ghost in the Shell, any of it. Still think that's the best Cyberpunk. Though people actually call it things like Anti-Cyberpunk, or Neo-Cyberpunk. Mostly because the protagonists all have a military or law-enforcement background and work for the government, so they are disqualified from the "punk" part of the name.

Serial Experiment Lain, if you're up for weirder than that. But then, eating the internet to turn into god in your dreams may not be your thing. (That's not an actual plot summary :smalltongue:)

More Neal Stephenson. Of what I read, I actually thought Snow Crash wasn't his best by far. Try The Diamond Age. It's nice and short, near future, a bit less punk, a bit more... uh. Neo-victorians, nanotechnology and Alice in Wonderland?

Another thing off my backlog, then! Though from what you're saying about SEL, doesn't seem like it's close to what I have in mind, but...we'll see, thanks!


Full Metal Alchemist from various studios - a collection of anime series wherein magic and technology have sort-of evolved side by side and, while there is some crossover, there's no specific statement that one is better than the other until the main plot begins and breaks the status quo.

Howl's Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli - anime movie about a wizard living in a pseudo-1900's era, living in a magic-punk home and being conscripted to go to war because his magic is explicitly more rare, but also far more effective than technology.

The Discworld series, by Terry Pratchett - some 50 or so novels set in an era that progresses between medieval and Victorian, with magical analogies to technology appearing along the way. There's a magical 'thinking engine' (a nigh-sentient computer) named HEX, cameras are made by trapping a little demon in a box with paints and an easel, and Leonardo Da Vinco builds a functioning spaceship out of wood, canvas and really big slingshot in order to prevent "Mount Olympus" from getting blown up.

Feng Shui by Atlas Games - Role-Playing Game set in a version of 1996 Hong Kong with portals to other time periods. Players can take modern-ish technology back to 996AD and fight fantastical Chinese monsters, or travel forward in time to 2496 when evil corporations have enslaved said-monsters and augmented them with magic-powered cybernetic weaponry.

Disney's Atlantis - An ancient civilisation reached the point where technology and magic intersected, and then catastrophe plunged them into a 'Dark Age' where it's only thought of as a kind of lost magic.

Watched both FMAs a long time ago, might want to redo that for more rural areas outside of big cities. Haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle but I guess that fits well with my current setting and I might draw some inspiration from there, thanks.

Checked my bookshelf, and Discworld is right at 40 novels! While I appreciate the series (very much so), most of the things that happen in the series before we get some solid focus on Ankh-Morpork with Moist von Lipwig novels and the Watch cycle are usually fantasy satire. And it's just entering its' own magipunk era of about 1850 - no guns, but someone tried, trains, newspapers, etc. A bit too far away from what I have in mind.

I've seen Atlantis as a kid, but I can't recall there being much focus on ancient tech? I mean, yeah, there was the McGuffin that powered absolutely everything in there and which the villains tried to steal, but that's about it? Of course, it's a Disney movie, so nobody expects much focus on that.

I've heard Feng Shui mentioned at some points, but I'd never imagine it to be about time-travelling cybernetic monsters. That's a bit on the nose, but I'm sure I could crib something off there!

Wraith
2018-07-25, 08:07 AM
Checked my bookshelf, and Discworld is right at 40 novels! While I appreciate the series (very much so), most of the things that happen in the series before we get some solid focus on Ankh-Morpork with Moist von Lipwig novels and the Watch cycle are usually fantasy satire. And it's just entering its' own magipunk era of about 1850 - no guns, but someone tried, trains, newspapers, etc. A bit too far away from what I have in mind.

If you can get hold of them, try the Science of the Discworld quartet that was co-written with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen?
They're half novel, half academic discussion of real world equivalents to things that are described in the previous chapter. Particularly in the first book, the novel part exclusively focuses on the wizards as they use their computer to invent sustainable fusion, virtual reality and physics all by using spells and artifacts in the place of machines, all the while complaining about how stupid our civilisation is because we've had to make do without magic. A lot more focus on the magic and tech in particular, in other words.


I've seen Atlantis as a kid, but I can't recall there being much focus on ancient tech? I mean, yeah, there was the McGuffin that powered absolutely everything in there and which the villains tried to steal, but that's about it? Of course, it's a Disney movie, so nobody expects much focus on that.

There's the flying bike-things, the 'shields' which protect the city and the giant squid-robot things close to the beginning. I suppose it's technically closer to steampunk in most regards, but for the fact that everything is powered by the 'magic' crystals.


I've heard Feng Shui mentioned at some points, but I'd never imagine it to be about time-travelling cybernetic monsters. That's a bit on the nose, but I'm sure I could crib something off there!

In 996AD there's wizards, demons, spells and all the Fantasy stuff. In 2496 there's robots and cyborgs and all the Cyberpunky-stuff. In the 3 periods in between the two where those things meet, and interact with contemporary people and tech, it gets.... interesting. :smallsmile:

Hunter Noventa
2018-07-25, 11:36 AM
I might check out X-COM - is there a lot of psionics and all that? I kinda dislike the flavor, so I'm wondering if it's useful as general info.


The new X-COM games have fairly extensive psionics. The first one's expansion also has the MEC...where you amputate a solider's arms and legs so you can put them into a huge power suit to wreck face. They're very satisfying to use.

Morghen
2018-07-25, 11:57 AM
The movies Bright (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5519340/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) and Strange Days (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114558/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) are worth looking into. Bright isn't really cyberpunk, but has a ton of magic/magical critters in modern LA to inform some of your world-building (but there isn't any crazy tech), while Strange Days has zero magic but does have a strong "20 years before Shadowrun happens" vibe.

A couple of my friends know I love Shadowrun so they keep yelling at me to watch Elysium (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535108/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_17). I don't know anything about it, but they say it's good. YMMV.

Akira (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094625/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) is dope. Also a book.

I'll echo the recommendation for Ghost in the Shell. The original movie is so damn good.

Warren Ellis wrote a comic series called Transmetropolitan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmetropolitan)that is zero-magic but very struggle-against-the-corrupt-power-structure in a cyberpunk 200-years-in-the-future US.

Here's a subreddit for lots of visual and musical stuff to make your brain go: https://www.reddit.com/r/outrun/


If people in your group are familiar with cyberpunk games, you should probably be familiar with the Black Mirrorshades vs Pink Mohawk split if you're not already. In a nutshell, it's this:
Black Mirrorshades games are way more "wear black mirrorshades and trenchcoats, plan everything out, steal an ID badge, hack into security, cut the cameras, only shoot if we have to, we're probably going to die anyway, omg we survived to fight another day" kind of feel. The Matrix, John Wick, the Jason Bourne movies. Deadly and gritty.
Pink Mohawk is more like the party is all 1980's action movie heroes. Kick in the door, the guards turn around and pop their eyes at you, you open up with your minigun. An electric guitar solo starts up. Toss a couple grenades for good measure. Light a cigar as you walk from the burning building. Say your catchphrase in a husky voice. Bollywood action movies feel like this pretty frequently. Leroy Jenkins if everybody had survived.
But it's your game and it may be that neither of those is what you're going to do. But if your party has played a bunch of Shadowrun or whatever, they may come in with some expectations.

Ignimortis
2018-07-25, 12:57 PM
If you can get hold of them, try the Science of the Discworld quartet that was co-written with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen?
They're half novel, half academic discussion of real world equivalents to things that are described in the previous chapter. Particularly in the first book, the novel part exclusively focuses on the wizards as they use their computer to invent sustainable fusion, virtual reality and physics all by using spells and artifacts in the place of machines, all the while complaining about how stupid our civilisation is because we've had to make do without magic. A lot more focus on the magic and tech in particular, in other words.


Huh. I think I have the first one of those, and there was a period of time where I could only read one book, and it was that book. Even stranger is that I don't really remember it. Gonna read it again and then see if I wish to/can scrounge up the other three.


The new X-COM games have fairly extensive psionics. The first one's expansion also has the MEC...where you amputate a solider's arms and legs so you can put them into a huge power suit to wreck face. They're very satisfying to use.

That's...useful to know, I guess. I'll take that into consideration when designing the police force of the upper elite :P



The movies Bright (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5519340/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) and Strange Days (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114558/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) are worth looking into. Bright isn't really cyberpunk, but has a ton of magic/magical critters in modern LA to inform some of your world-building (but there isn't any crazy tech), while Strange Days has zero magic but does have a strong "20 years before Shadowrun happens" vibe.

A couple of my friends know I love Shadowrun so they keep yelling at me to watch Elysium (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535108/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_17). I don't know anything about it, but they say it's good. YMMV.

Akira (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094625/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) is dope. Also a book.

I'll echo the recommendation for Ghost in the Shell. The original movie is so damn good.

Warren Ellis wrote a comic series called Transmetropolitan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmetropolitan)that is zero-magic but very struggle-against-the-corrupt-power-structure in a cyberpunk 200-years-in-the-future US.

Here's a subreddit for lots of visual and musical stuff to make your brain go: https://www.reddit.com/r/outrun/


If people in your group are familiar with cyberpunk games, you should probably be familiar with the Black Mirrorshades vs Pink Mohawk split if you're not already. In a nutshell, it's this:
Black Mirrorshades games are way more "wear black mirrorshades and trenchcoats, plan everything out, steal an ID badge, hack into security, cut the cameras, only shoot if we have to, we're probably going to die anyway, omg we survived to fight another day" kind of feel. The Matrix, John Wick, the Jason Bourne movies. Deadly and gritty.
Pink Mohawk is more like the party is all 1980's action movie heroes. Kick in the door, the guards turn around and pop their eyes at you, you open up with your minigun. An electric guitar solo starts up. Toss a couple grenades for good measure. Light a cigar as you walk from the burning building. Say your catchphrase in a husky voice. Bollywood action movies feel like this pretty frequently. Leroy Jenkins if everybody had survived.
But it's your game and it may be that neither of those is what you're going to do. But if your party has played a bunch of Shadowrun or whatever, they may come in with some expectations.

Wow, that's a lot of stuff I was unaware of beyond the general level (I knew Akira and Transmetropolitan existed, but had very vague idea of what they're about). Thank you!

And I know about Shadowrun style split. I lean towards more Pink Mohawk, although with less camp - something along the lines of Equilibrium or the second half of the first Matrix movie, where the heroes are very, very competent even if outnumbered and outgunned, clearly above normal humans.

Most of my players haven't touched Shadowrun, though, so that should be easier to steer.

The Jack
2018-07-25, 01:32 PM
Nah, X-com's awesome. I was really disappointed in the premise of the last sequel, I think there would have been leagues of potential if they'd done a "and if we'd won..." scenario where the invasion had been defeated but the aliens retreated into hiding among earth's populace and the world was going mad with various takes on the recovered and diverse alien technology. (cloning, genetic enginering, psionics, vehicles and weapons... so many advances to misuse.)

It was pretty different psionic stuff from the usual DnD fare. The psionic stuff was impressive rather than the -weird not-normal-magic- kind of thing it usually gets.

Andor13
2018-07-25, 06:25 PM
Nah, X-com's awesome. I was really disappointed in the premise of the last sequel, I think there would have been leagues of potential if they'd done a "and if we'd won..." scenario where the invasion had been defeated but the aliens retreated into hiding among earth's populace and the world was going mad with various takes on the recovered and diverse alien technology. (cloning, genetic enginering, psionics, vehicles and weapons... so many advances to misuse.)

At least they didn't redo "Terror from the deep." I would like to see a playable remake of X-Com Apocalypse though. The Mega city, the corporations, the factions, the alien infiltrators, trying to figure out the whacky alien life-cycle and how it factored into the invasion. There was SO MUCH cool stuff in that game hidden behind a terribly inadequate UI.

Rynjin
2018-07-26, 03:28 AM
If you're using Pathfinder as the system, check out Thunderscape - World of Aden (http://paizo.com/products/btpy96ow?Thunderscape-The-World-of-Aden).

It doubles as a setting book and has a lot of really good crunch for magitech and steampunk classes and options, it's one of my favorite 3rd party supplements, and I make frequent use of it in certain styles of games.

Arbane
2018-07-27, 12:21 PM
To approach from another angle:

Check out China Mieville's books - Perdido Street Station is set in a fantasy world that's advanced to the Victorian period, and it is STRANGE.
About 20 years agom, I read Michael Swanwick's The Iron Dragon's Daughter, which was 'fairyland hits the Industrial Revolution'.

Both of these are fairly dark, as 'Steampunk' times SUCK for anyone not in the upper class.

Also, do you expect the PCs to be fighting against The Man, or doing odd jobs for him? (One of my annoyances with Shadowrun.)

Ignimortis
2018-07-27, 01:16 PM
If you're using Pathfinder as the system, check out Thunderscape - World of Aden (http://paizo.com/products/btpy96ow?Thunderscape-The-World-of-Aden).

It doubles as a setting book and has a lot of really good crunch for magitech and steampunk classes and options, it's one of my favorite 3rd party supplements, and I make frequent use of it in certain styles of games.

Cool, bookmarked that, thank you!


To approach from another angle:

Check out China Mieville's books - Perdido Street Station is set in a fantasy world that's advanced to the Victorian period, and it is STRANGE.
About 20 years agom, I read Michael Swanwick's The Iron Dragon's Daughter, which was 'fairyland hits the Industrial Revolution'.

Both of these are fairly dark, as 'Steampunk' times SUCK for anyone not in the upper class.

Also, do you expect the PCs to be fighting against The Man, or doing odd jobs for him? (One of my annoyances with Shadowrun.)

That's also interesting, even if it's not exactly what I plan to run.

To be honest, I intend to run a sandbox with various backgrounds and player options available. It's quite possible that a few players will be fighting The Man, and others will be right-hand lackeys, like Darth Vader, or, less maliciously, Adam Jensen. Then again, I don't know what concepts my players will give me, and I'll start with those for personal arcs, I don't really have an overarching narrative in mind — at least at first, players will be dealing with personal causes and advancement.

Cosi
2018-07-27, 03:54 PM
The Milkweed Series (Bitter Seeds, The Coldest War, Necessary Evil) is a WWII/Cold War alt-history series with super-powered Nazis fighting demon summoners.

The Laundry Files shows some signs of going in this direction, but it hasn't done so yet.

Shadow Ops is a modern world with basically-magic superpowers setting. Kind of like a Shadowrun prequel.

Various flintlock fantasy books might be a good fit if your starting point is roughly 18th century technology. The Powder Mage trilogy is the best I've seen. Shadows of the Apt covers some similar stuff and is supposed to be good.

There's a Turtledove series which is "World War II, but with magic", but I've heard it's pretty much just a swap from science to magic that doesn't change much substantive stuff.

Hell's Gate and sequels has a magic or magictech civilization fighting one with WWII tech plus psychic powers.

Looking at magic-from-technology post-apocalypse series might be vaguely interesting. Empire of the East, Prince of Thorns, stuff like that.

The Ravirn series seems like it might be a good match. Greek gods reimagined as hackers with technology blending with magic.

It's not really magitech at all (though it does share some similar themes to cyberpunk in places), but Brust's Taltos novels do a better job of having magic actually be used in society than most books I've seen.

Rynjin
2018-07-29, 01:31 PM
The Ravirn series seems like it might be a good match. Greek gods reimagined as hackers with technology blending with magic.

Ah, the count of people I know that read that series rises to two! Including myself. =/

Kitten Champion
2018-07-29, 02:55 PM
The Shin Megami Tensei franchise - excluding the Persona spin-offs - is mostly about modern technology bleeding into the world of the occult, usually to horrifying results. The most recurring concept is using computer script as the basis for demonic summoning rituals, which, once uploaded and spread across the world causes Armageddon -- more or less.

For the player/main character, the computer becomes a conduit with which they form pacts with demons and can then with that acquire and modify their own supernatural powers. SMT basically blends animism with technology for an individual to hack reality.

It's usually more post-apocalyptic horror than a Shadowrun or the like, but the Cyberpunk and Magitech elements are there and very Japanese.

Cosi
2018-07-29, 08:46 PM
Ah, the count of people I know that read that series rises to two! Including myself. =/

Hate to let you down, but I haven't actually read it. I intend to, but there are something like 700 other books I also intend to read.

Cespenar
2018-07-31, 06:49 AM
Check out the Numenera system if you can, or its CRPG, Numenera: Tides of Torment. It's really close to a magitech cyberpunk/post-apo setting.