MAGICAL REALISM

SUBURBAN GOTHIC

I've been repeating this like a mantra: Suburban Gothic is where the supernatural and the mundane mix seamlessly. Suburban Gothic is when nobody finds the supernatural and the odd out of place or unusual. It's just there, like the utility bill. THIS IS THE PREMISE OF THE GAME.

When I was still living in the Lost Bay, I had a buddy who was going through a really shitty time. Working double shifts to pay off his debts. During the day he worked as a trash dude in the hospital, managing biological waste and such. During the night, he was (lousy) projectionist in a kinky cinema. On top of this, he had to deal with an old aunt, his only family, and his flatmate, who just didn't want to die. Actually, she had died. But she escaped from the morgue and came back home. She just couldn't believe she was dead, and as a result she was still roaming, her spirit unable to rest. That friend, let’s call him P, had to convince both his aunt and the social services that she was actually dead. P also had to deal with Auntie's increasing stank and hunger of meat, both of quick were quickly proving unbearable. (Oh, by the way, I've just spoiled an upcoming TLB official module. So sorry! I hope your interest has been piqued.)

There's a conflict there, a problem, and solving it doesn't involve slaughtering or killing (although feeding P’s Aunt just might.) That's the core of Suburban Gothic/Magical Realism: killing and hurting won't help, they only serve to complicate things and make the situation worse.

THEORY

1. It's about love and loss. Whatever the characters have to deal with is affecting a close one. Someone who still lives close to them. Here nobody is locked in a dark dungeon. The loved one is simply changing, mutating, slipping away. They’re becoming something else, someone else, in Weird ways. It can be happening fast or slowly, but it's happening before the character's eyes. They have to deal with it. The upcoming adventure by Watt, Heterogony of Ends, and the Urban Legend Bed Crawlers ride that vibe.
2. It can't be killed. The character's troubles can't be eliminated physically. Their source has either no physical form, or it has one and that form is just too overwhelming to be sentenced to death. It's a curse that plagues the Bay water, it's wildfires that consume all paper, it's realizing that everyone but you is an Alien. In a way it's similar to point 1, It's about love and loss, but on a larger scale. It's either too big or is affecting everyone, the entire bay... or both. Deep Water, the campaign framework included in the Urban Legends book, provides a tool to build this kind of gaming experience.
3. It won't bite. A third possibility that can be combined with the first two. If you don't want the adventure to be about killing, don’t introduce things that want to kill. Zombies only want to eat brains, and are inclined to kill you in order to get it. People who eat dirt and forget the names of things are harmless. But if dirt-eating and amnesia are symptoms of a highly contagious curse, this is still a huge problem (who catches the reference here?)

BUILDING BLOCKS

1. Here’s a life hack! If you don't know where to start, just outline the module as you would usually do it. Don't give it too much thought at first. Just pick the monster and the setting. Pick a pre-existing module if needed.
2. It's about love and loss. Build strong relationships between all the core characters, both NPCs and PCs alike. Family ties are a start, but you can go past this and build in shared experiences. Who has helped/saved/loved/taught/hurt who in the past? Who feels a bond because of this? You don't have to build complex background stories, most of the time simple statement works fine: X is bonded to Y because Z. Involve the players in the process. Play short intros dedicated to these relationships and watch as the bonds take shape.
3. It can't be killed. The antagonist can be tamed, stopped, or cast away, but it can’t be killed. If the Faceless God has breakfast in your kitchen every day, you'll have to find creative ways to deal with it. Sorrow and rot may spread and infect everyone, but stabbing pure evil won't work.
4. It won't bite. Tone it down. Once you think you’re finished, tone it down even more. There can still be daunting things to be dealt with in the adventure, even physical injury and death. But the more you tone it down, the more you'll lean into Magical Realism. Monsters can still be terrifying, but they won't hurt you. They might claim they'll do it just to scare you, they’ll make threats. They'll bark, but they'll seldom bite.

A FEW TABLES

BONDS

1. Hides a secret crush
2. Has a blood pact
3. Has a fierce-but-friendly rivalry
4. Has sworn an oath to protect
5. Owes their own life
6. Admires respectfully

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Roll 1D6 on each table, and answer the question.

WHAT/WHO IS AFFECTED

1. Water
2. Trees
3. The Dead
4. Pets
5. Relative(s)
6. Everyone

CAUSE

1. Relative(s)
2. You
3. Living Saint
4. Relic
5. Wildlife
6. TVs

EXTRA

1. Amnesia
2. Insomnia
3. Fear
4. Bad luck
5. Dehydration
6. Fever

I have a feeling that in the next few months we'll see more and more adventures and modules riding the wave of magical realism, one way or the other. If you are planning something of that sort, let us know in the comments, and join the All Flesh is Surplus game jam! Or you can join the community on discord and tell us everything about it. We’d love to hear what you’re planning.