Feng Shui Magic Cop Source
From: Tequila_Yuen Posted on: May-5 7:25 pm
To: ALL
Message: 629.1
I'm pretty familiar with the sources for most of the standard templates, but I can't find any kind of Magic Cop in my Hong Kong film library...can anyone give me the name of an HK film that has a contemporary Magic Cop?
From: DarrinBright Posted on: May-6 12:16 am
To: Tequila_Yuen
Message: 629.2
in reply to: 629.1

Well... there's the 1990 flick "Magic Cop". Which I think is supposed to be part of the "Mr. Vampire" series.

http://www.nixflix.com/reviews/magiccop.htm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098150/

I'm sure there are several other films with a similar theme that are mentioned specifically in the main rulebook, but unfortunately I'm not much of an expert on Hong Kong films (although I do know that Deathmask of the Ninja contains no deathmasks and no ninjas).

From: Tequila_Yuen Posted on: May-6 9:49 am
To: DarrinBright
Message: 629.3
in reply to: 629.2
D'oh...should have checked my copy of Hong Kong Cinema first. It's listed there.
From: IronJester76 Posted on: May-10 9:14 am
To: Tequila_Yuen
Message: 629.4
in reply to: 629.1

Yeah, 'Magic Cop' is the obvious reference for the Character. I haven't seen it either, but it is Lam Ching Ying if i remember the trailer, who was in Mr Vampire. The sourcebook illustration even looks a bit like him....
I also thought about Magic Cops in various junctures. I haven't got a book to hand, but i figure they are OK for all junctures except 2056 (cant remember) and the other thing which i thought may be a suitable source for some magic cop-styled action would be the anime 'Wicked City'. A great anime film anyway, but the heroes are a kind of 'men-in-black' for the supernatural. Spiritually sheilded safe-houses, bodyguard duty for important spirit folk, massive handguns for dealing with demons, etc.

Hope that helps a bit.

From: Tequila_Yuen Posted on: May-10 11:15 am
To: IronJester76
Message: 629.5
in reply to: 629.4

Funny thing is that I have the first Mr. Vampire movie.

It occured to me that another source for a Magic Cop is the movie Constantine, Not an HK product, but a good example of modern-day magic.

There's also a series of novels by Jim Butcher about a Wizard/Private Eye in modern-day Chicago. Again, it's not HK, but it has a great setting with how magic works and how the everyday world interacts with the secret world of vampires, zombies, werewolves and the politics of the different factions. With a little more artillery and mayhem it'd be a perfect Feng Shui setting. The first novel is titled Storm Front


Edited 5/10/2005 11:16 am ET by Tequila_Yuen
From: IronJester76 Posted on: May-11 3:31 am
To: Tequila_Yuen
Message: 629.6
in reply to: 629.5
I've not seen Constantine, but i never worry too much about source material or inspiration being HK based. Luckily for me, my friends and I were into HK cinema long before we had heard of FS, so it wasn't a great leap of imagination to describe a wire-fu fight or some John Woo gunplay, but i got other people into the game who had never been fans of that type of action. Instead, a lot of their inspiration and references came from western action movies. I say take what you need from wherever as long as you and your players enjoy yourselves.
Back to sources for contemporary Magic cops, my wife owns about 14 books in a series called 'Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter'. I've read about four or five of them. It's basically a grown-up Buffy, without the gang of friends along and with more 'adult' themes. The hunter of the title is actually an 'animator' who has a special talent for raising the dead (often to settle legal disputes!)but who works alongside the police, get's wrapped up in vampire society, messing with voodoo priestess',fighting werewolves and vamps and zombies, etc. The interesting thing is it's just a job for her. she hates her boss, her hours of work (nightime usually), some of her colleagues and customers. It's an interesting twist for it not to be a calling or a birthright or destiny. Instead she's working out of an office, paying the bills.
From: DarrinBright Posted on: May-20 2:07 pm
To: IronJester76
Message: 629.7
in reply to: 629.6

I haven't read any of the Anita Blake books, but I've heard they have a large following. Sounds like she'd qualify as a type of Magic Cop. Constantine would probably work, too.

Some other Western versions of a Magic Cop might include:

Blade
Hellboy

Although for both of these I'd strongly suggest using Benjamin Baugh's most excellent Supernatural Cop archetype:

http://www.innocence.com/fengshui/house-rules/supernatural-cop.html

You already mentioned Wicked City, but some other Anime references spring to mind: Vampire Princess Miyu, Miroku from Inu Yasha, Witch Hunter Robin.