Street Magic Notes
System: I’m Sorry Did You Say Street Magic Author: Caro Asercion Supplement: Easy Streets anthology Use Case: Collaborative building-scale worldbuilding
What Street Magic Solves for Western Horizon
The Core Problem
When Hexmancer generates a feature or when players enter a settlement district, you need specific locations with personality. Street Magic provides a lightweight, collaborative system for creating memorable buildings and NPCs.
The Three-Tier Structure
- Neighborhoods → Broad areas with reputation and vibe
- Landmarks → Specific buildings/locations within neighborhoods
- Residents → Individual NPCs associated with landmarks
Integration Points
1. Settlement Creation (02 - Settlements)
When Ex Novo generates a settlement with districts → Use Street Magic to populate 2-3 key landmarks per district.
2. Wilderness Feature Detailing (03 - Wilderness)
When Hexmancer generates temple/tower/castle → Use Street Magic Landmark procedure to detail it.
3. Notable Buildings
When Ex Novo establishes a settlement → Run abbreviated Street Magic for 3-5 landmarks.
Integration with Beak, Feather & Bone:
- BF&B provides roles and relationships
- Street Magic provides sensory details and specific locations
4. Key NPCs
Use Street Magic Resident procedure (collaborative vignettes) for contacts, quest-givers, recurring characters.
Street Magic Mechanics
Neighborhood Cards
- Title: What locals call it (“The Rookery,” “Saltmarket”)
- Reputation: General vibe in 2-3 sentences
- True Name: Sensory/poetic essence
Landmark Cards
- Title: Common name (“The Gilt Rose Inn”)
- Address: Location within neighborhood
- True Name: Unique sensory details (“sawdust floors smell of pine, firelight dances on copper mugs”)
Resident Cards
- Title & Pronouns: Common name
- Collaborative Vignette: Short scene establishing character in their element
- True Name: Created through vignette
The “True Name” Concept
A poetic, sensory essence that makes something unforgettable.
Examples:
- Neighborhood: “clockwork precision, chrome and glass, everyone’s in a hurry”
- Landmark: “velvet curtains thick with dust, stage lights barely flicker, ghosts in the balcony”
- Resident: “calloused hands, speaks in recipe measurements, smells of cardamom”
How to create: Ask: “What do you see, smell, hear, feel, taste?”
Practical Workflow
Quick Landmark Generation (10 minutes)
- Title: What do locals call it? (30 seconds)
- Address: Where is it? (1 minute)
- True Name: Close your eyes. What’s the first thing you notice? (2-3 minutes)
- Optional Resident: Does someone notable work/live here? (5-7 minutes)
Full Session Zero Settlement (2-3 hours)
- Run abbreviated Ex Novo (1 hour)
- Switch to Street Magic (1-2 hours) → 5-10 landmarks
- Add 3-5 key residents through collaborative vignettes
Reactive NPC Addition (5-10 minutes)
- Title & Pronouns
- Collaborative Vignette — “Let’s see them in their element”
- Write it down, add to wiki
What Street Magic Doesn’t Do
- ❌ Generate settlement-scale geography (use Ex Novo)
- ❌ Track faction relationships (use Ex Novo/Kingdom/Beak, Feather & Bone)
- ❌ Handle dungeon interiors (use Ex Umbra)
Key Insight
Street Magic’s strength is creating specific, sensory, memorable details through collaboration. The “true name” concept forces evocative description that sticks in everyone’s mind.
Use it to answer: “What does this place feel like?” rather than just “What is it?”