Post originally by Matt Snyder at 2003-08-19 12:10:55
Converted from Phorums BB System

The game is set in modern times. Humanity exists on earth largely ignorant that the reality of their universe is much more akin to the cosmology of ancient astrologers. There are nine worlds: Earth, Hades, the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. Characters can visit all these places, and each is unique. The Sun, for example, is a golden-domed city over the whole of the sphere. The moon, on the otherhand, is like a wildlife refuge, including for mythic beasts.

Characters do not gain "new" abillities as you might expect from playing other RPGs. From the outset, all characters possess two virtues (Arete and Hubris) as well as four Urges (Chaos, Cosmos, Metamorphosis, and Stasis). This is all they will ever have. However, these are very powerful and also abstract affinities to change and affect the world. Everything characters do boils down to these four metaphysical abilities. You want to turn a car into a dragon? Use Metamorphosis. Want to turn that car to rust? Use Chaos. Etc. Magic is defined by whether you use Arete (non-magic) or Hubris (magical/supernatural) to fuel those Urges.

I have not read Nobilis, but I am at least slightly informed of how it works. I would say the abilities in this game seem to me (again, based on my fairly limited knowledge) to be closer to that than a supers game.