Prevalence of the Supernatural
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Once a GM decides to introduce supernatural elements into a game, several aspects of the supernatural are worth considering. First, how prevalent is the supernatural? In general, the mystical can be divided into two broad categories: overt and subtle. Note that a given game session or campaign could include both at different times, if it suits the GM’s story to do so.
The Overt
When the supernatural is an overt presence in the story, it is obvious and features prominently during gameplay. Supernatural elements constitute major story and plot points, and supernatural beings may figure as important allies, antagonists, or both.
An example of a game with overt supernatural elements could be one set in a forest, such as the Shinomen Mori. In the forest, the PCs could encounter numerous spirits and strange, mystical phenomena, any of which might prove helpful to them, might hinder them, or might simply enhance the otherworldly atmosphere of the setting.
It is important for the GM to remember that if supernatural elements are overt, then this has implications for the PCs. A party that contains no shugenja, for example, may have difficulty unraveling a mystery that requires specialized knowledge of the elemental kami. Likewise, the GM should consider whether any aspects of the supernatural they plan to include are ones the PCs cannot deal with, at least without assistance. Some otherworldly creatures may be problematic for the PCs to handle if the PCs possess no means of overcoming those creatures’ particular supernatural resistances or other mystical qualities.
The Subtle
In the case of a subtle supernatural presence in the story, mystical beings and effects are rare or obscure, or do not seem to figure prominently during play for some other reason. This is not to say they are unimportant; indeed, crucial plot points may revolve around them. However, most of the story has—or at least appears to have—little to do with the supernatural or otherworldly.
An example of a game with subtle supernatural elements might be one that is—or appears to be—solidly rooted in the mundane. For example, the PCs could be magistrates investigating a murder in a daimyō’s court amid a variety of viable, and very much ordinary, mortal suspects. However, the PCs are alerted to sightings of what appears to be the ghost of the murder victim, and they choose to follow up as a potential way of learning more about the case.
It remains important for the GM to consider the PCs’ ability to interact with the supernatural, even if it has only a subtle presence in the story. If the party is expected to interact with a ghost, and help it resolve whatever is keeping it bound to the Mortal Realm, then they should possess appropriate knowledge, or have access to it in the form of, for example, an NPC, scrolls they can acquire or find, or something similar. Obtaining access to such assistance could, of course, become a quest for the players on its own.
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Celestial Realms · Chapter 3: Power of Worship › The Nature of Supernatural Encounters › Prevalence of the Supernatural · p. 127 p. 128
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Once a GM decides to introduce supernatural elements into a game, several aspects of the supernatural are worth considering. First, how prevalent is the supernatural? In general, the mystical can be divided into two broad categories: overt and subtle. Note that a given game session or campaign could include both at different times, if it suits the GM’s story to do so.
The Overt
When the supernatural is an overt presence in the story, it is obvious and features prominently during gameplay. Supernatural elements constitute major story and plot points, and supernatural beings may figure as important allies, antagonists, or both.
An example of a game with overt supernatural elements could be one set in a forest, such as the Shinomen Mori. In the forest, the PCs could encounter numerous spirits and strange, mystical phenomena, any of which might prove helpful to them, might hinder them, or might simply enhance the otherworldly atmosphere of the setting.
It is important for the GM to remember that if supernatural elements are overt, then this has implications for the PCs. A party that contains no shugenja, for example, may have difficulty unraveling a mystery that requires specialized knowledge of the elemental kami. Likewise, the GM should consider whether any aspects of the supernatural they plan to include are ones the PCs cannot deal with, at least without assistance. Some otherworldly creatures may be problematic for the PCs to handle if the PCs possess no means of overcoming those creatures’ particular supernatural resistances or other mystical qualities.
The Subtle
In the case of a subtle supernatural presence in the story, mystical beings and effects are rare or obscure, or do not seem to figure prominently during play for some other reason. This is not to say they are unimportant; indeed, crucial plot points may revolve around them. However, most of the story has—or at least appears to have—little to do with the supernatural or otherworldly.
An example of a game with subtle supernatural elements might be one that is—or appears to be—solidly rooted in the mundane. For example, the PCs could be magistrates investigating a murder in a daimyō’s court amid a variety of viable, and very much ordinary, mortal suspects. However, the PCs are alerted to sightings of what appears to be the ghost of the murder victim, and they choose to follow up as a potential way of learning more about the case.
It remains important for the GM to consider the PCs’ ability to interact with the supernatural, even if it has only a subtle presence in the story. If the party is expected to interact with a ghost, and help it resolve whatever is keeping it bound to the Mortal Realm, then they should possess appropriate knowledge, or have access to it in the form of, for example, an NPC, scrolls they can acquire or find, or something similar. Obtaining access to such assistance could, of course, become a quest for the players on its own.