Metropolis of Myth

23 Jun, 2026

Several years ago, before I cared about rpg blogs, I unsuccessfully tried to run a game of City of Mist. There are many reasons why it didn't work out and they all have little to do with the book or system. The premise stuck with me though. It's just a really good setup: mythic concepts incarnated into ordinary people who live in a city.

Recently, I picked City of Mist up again because I thought why not give it a try. I will save my strong opinions for a rainy day but the book left me wanting to play something else.

So here is how I play it.

None of this is particulary innovative or new. It's just 2d6 with tags and hits.

It's neither complete nor unfinished.¹

Urban fantasy set in a nameless city. Players are heroes, living incarnations of Myth. They pursue their ambitions, scheme and live their lives. The city is their sandbox.

Touchstones: 
Folklore, Fairytales, Mythology, 
Fables, American Gods (fuck that terrible author), Hellboy, The City We Became, Percy Jackson. 

Mythos and Logos

The world consists of two overlapping realms separated by a thin veil. Mythos is the realm of the fantastic, of folklore, and of legend.  Logos is the realm of the mundane, of the normal, and of the mortal. Mythos and Logos are two sides of the same coin.

The Veil

A cosmic force that hides the mythic from the mundane. It makes people forget the things they saw and come up with explanations for them. However it has its limits and will not conceal every action heroes take. Certain factions on both sides of the Veil work towards keeping it in place. 

Heroes

Heroes live in both realms and don’t fully belong to either. Just as much as they are mundane people embodying Mythos, they are legends lost in the Logos. New heroes are new arrivals to the city, people whose myth freshly manifested, or legends who crossed the veil into the world of humans only recently. 

Aspects

Every hero encompasses two aspects. They are 

Mythos: 

A persona, concept from mythology, folklore, history, or the realm of ideas.

Examples: 
King Arthur, Faerie, Hanuman, Cleopatra, Death

Logos: 

A profession, personality, or role from everyday life.

Examples: 
Detective, Journalist, Rich Kid, Drifter, Bureaucrat 

Mythos and Logos are in a state of delicate balance within heroes. If they lose one aspect they lose themselves fully to the other. Should Logos take over they can no longer see beyond the veil, should Mythos dominate they leave humanity behind; the player creates a new character. 

Sometimes the aspects within a Hero complement each other and sometimes they contrast each other. 

Example Heroes:  
Cinderella/Maid, Napoleon/Mercenary, Ares/Football Coach, Siddharta Gautama/Catholic Priest, Witch/Witch, Leviathan/Bus Driver, Dracula/Mayor, Angel/Butcher, Grim Reaper/Doctor, Sinbad/Insurance Salesperson, Pillaiyar/Teacher, Rumpelstiltskin/Pop Star 

Resources

Aspects of heroes are defined by resources. They can be skills, powers, relationships or items. Every hero has a total of 4 resources. Each hero begins with 1d3 Logos resources and the corresponding amount of Mythos resources. Resources can be used in whatever way makes sense in the fictional world. When rolling dice, resources act as +1 modifiers. A resource can take 3 hits before being lost (see below).

Example resources: 
_Patrol Car, Art Degree, Biker Gang, Phone, Restaurant, Lockpicking, Dog, Wings, Legendary Sword, Ageless, Spellcasting, Loyal Cult, Fire Breath  

Weakness

Every hero has a weakness that in a way represents both their aspects. When rolling dice it acts as a -1 modifier. Whenever a hero takes a hit for failing a roll they may add it to their weakness instead (see below).

Example weaknesses: 
constant glow, always hungry, disliked by nature spirits, on the run from the law, clumsy with technology

If a weakness takes a total of 3 hits it escalates. The player and the referee define the new weakness together.

Examples for escalated weaknesses: 
shines a bright light, cannot resist food, hated by nature gods, actively hunted by the law,  technological gremlin

Geas

Heroes are ambitious people. Every player chooses an ambition at the beginning of the game. A geas can be generic or specific. They may change it whenever it makes sense. The only consequence of failing to work towards their goal is the disappointment a hero has to live with.

Nemesis

Every hero has an antagonist, someone or something that opposes their very being. Define or invent a nemesis.

Additional Details

All other details about a hero’s appearance, demeanor, private life, etc. can influence the success of their actions or the consequences in addition to their resources. 

Rulings and Resolution

The game is a conversation between the players who say what their characters do and the referee who decides how the world responds. Whenever the fictional world as understood by the referee and the players doesn’t provide a clear answer to the outcome of an action and if there is a significant risk, dice are used. The referee takes on the responsibility of making the final call.

Dice

Roll 2d6 
Modify by  +1 or -1 for applicable resources, weaknesses, and situational factors.
8+ succeeds. 
7 or less fails.

A Hero might still accomplish their goal on a failure but at a cost.

The cost for failure is taking 1-3 hits to a resource. Usually, the resource used or involved in the action is affected but another might be chosen if it makes sense.

Hits and Loss

Heroes aren’t mortal but there are fates just as bad or worse for them. Whenever heroes suffer a wound, a setback, or a loss, they take a Hit to one of their resources. What this looks like depends on the fiction. If a resource takes a total of 3 hits it is lost. Recovering from hits takes time in the world to replenish and take care of the affected resource. 

Example hits: 
A car gets damaged, a relationship starts breaking apart, a spell starts acting up, shape changing becomes difficult

Instead of taking a hit to the resource a hero may mark it on their weakness instead. When a weakness takes its third hit, it escalates (see Weakness).

When a resource takes 3 hits it is lost. Lost resources are replaced by new ones from the other aspect. A lost Logos resource is replaced by a new Mythos resource and vice versa. What this looks like is decided in a conversation between the player and the referee. If a hero loses their last resource from an aspect they fade, either becoming wholly mundane or legendary.

Example losses: 
The Dragon/TV Host loses the Mythos resource Fire Breath and gains the Logos resource Late Night Show. The Parcival/Biker loses his Logos resource Gang Member and gains the Mythos resource Holy Grail._

Growth and Crisis

Sacrifice

Heroes can sacrifice their resources to turn any task into a success. If they do, they lose the resource immediately.

Change

Heroes can change outside of taking hits. Resources can change, evolve or diminish as a consequence of a Hero’s actions.

Playing the World

Heroes set their own goals in the world. The city is a tangled web of relationships, conspiracies, power plays, and secret wars. What is demanded of their Mythos and what is asked of their Logos might differ but neither can be neglected without consequence. Heroes have to master the mundane and the legendary parts of their lives. 

Fate has a way of upheaving a hero’s world.