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#1 Mage The Ascension (WoD1.0) - Whose up for it?
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:46 pm
by Dark Silver
So I'm gauging interest in a MtA (WoD1.0 setting) campaign, using 2nd Edition Rules (no Avatar Storm yet...)
Not certain what city to use yet for the game, I may make up a random city name. It'll be a "Low Level" Story, so no worries about Quilpotthic Archmasters of Life showing up anytime soon.
Vote on what you'd prefer the game to be, and I'll see about working on the campaign stuff.
The game will be utilizing dice rolls for parts (subject to GM decision), especially for things like Paradox, and difficulties. Otherwise I'll be utilizing a "Homebrew" ruleset for things like Health and damage.
Creation will be Mage the Ascension Standard, with a additional 20 Freebie Points thrown into the starting pool to build the characters. No Sphere higher thank Rank 4.
#2
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:58 pm
by rhoenix
Well, this certainly sounds interesting. What other ideas did you have in mind for plot and such? Are you going to use the Technocracy as the stock bad guys, or do something else?
#3
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:02 pm
by LadyTevar
*falls over laughing at her own personal choice*
Sorry, I never liked
Mage. Werewolves and other Changeing Breeds I understand better. But hey, who wants a (sex)kitty familiar that turns into a 10ft tall clawed killing machine? Or if you really want some fun, you could have an odd-colored mutt hanging about the place...
#4
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:05 pm
by rhoenix
LadyTevar wrote:But hey, who wants a (sex)kitty familiar that turns into a 10ft tall clawed killing machine?
I do!
...What? Everyone needs more good help.
#5
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:07 pm
by LadyTevar
rhoenix wrote:LadyTevar wrote:But hey, who wants a (sex)kitty familiar that turns into a 10ft tall clawed killing machine?
I do!
...What? Everyone needs more good help.
Whomever takes me may be required to take the Merit, depending on the GM's call. I think I'd need to take the "Mage Ally" merit.
#6
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:11 pm
by SirNitram
Virtual Adept... Etherite.... Virtual Adept.. Etherite...
#7
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:13 pm
by Cynical Cat
WoD doesn't crossover well . . . unless you're a power gaming munchkin.
#8
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:25 pm
by Dark Silver
And this....ladies and gentlemen, is why I added in the third option.
I knew of Tev's proclivity, and thus decided to indulge her. Mostly because the Bastet would be the best Changing Breed to hang around a group of Tradition Mages...
If the group decides to play Technocracy...well...she'll be screwed.
Not in the good way. Get your minds out of the gutter.
As for the campaign....keeping it simple. I won't be using Technocracy as the bog standard bad guys, especially if the group decides to go Technocracy. I'm not sure what exactly, I'll use for the "bad guys" just yet, but some basics:
*The Cabal all know each other. If the players decide to go Tradition, your affiliated in someway shape or form with a local Chantry. If the players decide Technocracy, then your all members of the local Department of Control.
* Tradition wise, your Chantry is run by a Hermetic master who is a NPC. The Chantry will have it's own Node, nothing extreme and great, but enough to fulfill the Chantry's needs for Tass and Quintessence. (Discuss with me concerning character accommodations in said Chantry).
* This isn't "High Fantasy", time setting will be late 1990's, early 2000's. I'm ignoring a good bit of WW Canon here, there will be no Avatar Storm, no Final Nights, no Antediluvian rising from their ancient resting places..basically no end of the world stuff in the near future of this game. Reality here isn't as grim and static as WoD, but neither is it all gumdrops and fairy tales. I'm willing to take suggestions on how "dark" the players want it, and can accomodate them.
#9
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:27 pm
by Dark Silver
Cynical Cat wrote:WoD doesn't crossover well . . . unless you're a power gaming munchkin.
Or the GM is willing to bend some rules and do his level best to mesh what he can.
I'm used to trying to figure out how screwed up things go together, I used to Admin a online WoD ChatRP. Adding in a Bastet to a group of Tradition mages will be cakewalk compared to that.
But I mean....you could always send the Bastet in as a meatshield...
#10
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:41 pm
by Dark Silver
LadyTevar wrote:rhoenix wrote:LadyTevar wrote:But hey, who wants a (sex)kitty familiar that turns into a 10ft tall clawed killing machine?
I do!
...What? Everyone needs more good help.
Whomever takes me may be required to take the Merit, depending on the GM's call. I think I'd need to take the "Mage Ally" merit.
Unless the Chantry's Primus decides to "adopt" Tev's Bastet as a honorary Chantry Member/Pet....yeah....any PC who adopts Tev's character will be required to take the appropriate Merit, which will of course cut into your Freebie Points.
Now aren't you all glad I'm giving you a extra 20 to play with...
#11
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:32 pm
by Cynical Cat
Its not that it can't work, its that it combines in very exploitable ways even after White Wolf made making all the non Vampires uber ghouls non viable. That's all I'm saying. Shape changers are death machines with easy access to spirit crack. It doesn't take a Nitram to milk that and I'm sure Nitram has thought of ways of exploiting that that would boggle even my mind.
#12
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:46 pm
by SirNitram
Who, little me?
*Radiates innocence*
#13
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:52 pm
by Cynical Cat
SirNitram wrote:Who, little me?
*Radiates innocence*
You deceit cannot fool anyone with 2 points in Auspex.
#14
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:05 pm
by SirNitram
I'm considering narrative ideas more than anything else so far. I'm leaning heavily in favor of Ex-Technocrat, perhaps just a little bit crazy for what he saw in the void.
'Tentacle check. Everyone, check for tentacles.'
#15
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:42 pm
by The Nomad
Well, I've only played a little Mage at my gaming club so far (Old WoD, though mostly in a custom Umbral pocket realm) and am wholly unfamiliar with New WoD mechanics. I'd still play a Hermetic mage, if given the opportunity.
#16
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:36 pm
by LadyTevar
Cynical Cat wrote:Its not that it can't work, its that it combines in very exploitable ways even after White Wolf made making all the non Vampires uber ghouls non viable. That's all I'm saying. Shape changers are death machines with easy access to spirit crack. It doesn't take a Nitram to milk that and I'm sure Nitram has thought of ways of exploiting that that would boggle even my mind.
Fuck Nitram's knowledge... *I* even know how to munchkin that much
And Nomad, he's not using the "new" WoD. This will be the original fun stuff
#17
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:39 pm
by Comrade Tortoise
If I join, Council of Nine. A Mage game might be fun enough for me to further break my usual rules...
#18
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 1:17 pm
by General Havoc
Never played much WoD, and Mage I know less even than the others. Don't have the time to get enmeshed in a new game right now anyway.
But I'd certainly read it.
#19
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 12:23 am
by frigidmagi
I wouldn't mind playing but someone would have to spin me up on the rules. I don't have books and never really played.
DS, favor questions, I'm assuming the Technocrats and the Traditionals are still at each other's throats?
The world's not ending, but is it at least quivering a bit?
Should I assume real world history or any differences for the setting?
#20
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 12:39 am
by SirNitram
Without the Avatar Storm or the Great Depowering, the Ascension War has not gone cold; it's still hardcore in the streets, one errant guy with a camcorder and access to a news channel from blowing the entire thing into the public view.
Kinda fun, realizing that. The Technocracy really doesn't like being on the news.
#21
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:07 am
by Dark Silver
frigidmagi wrote:I wouldn't mind playing but someone would have to spin me up on the rules. I don't have books and never really played.
DS, favor questions, I'm assuming the Technocrats and the Traditionals are still at each other's throats?
The world's not ending, but is it at least quivering a bit?
Should I assume real world history or any differences for the setting?
It's been ages since I played Mage myself, so I'll be dragging my own mind out of the basement and remembering alot of stuff for this game. So no worries, if you need books, B4 or I can get them to you electronically.
To answer your questions:
1) the Technocratic Union and the Council of Nine Traditions are indeed, still fighting each other. Their still "Enemy Number One" on each of the respective lists. Most of the major battles for the Ascension War occur off Earth, by tacit agreement between Control and the Council. (not to say things till don't occur on Earth between the two factions, but what good would it be Elevating Humanity when you'll end up blowing up most of the World and killing off 95% of the Sleepers...). But Nitram has a point, the Mages operate in the Shadows, and it's only a nut with a camera and a news channel from being shown on TV.
2) While the World isn't in immediate "Apocolypse" mode, yeah, it still quivers from time to time. Sleepers still Fear the Dark, Vampires still prowl the Street, the Wyrm still forces it's corruptive influence upon the world, and all, and there's still the possibility one of these groups will get their ultimate goals.........but the players and events worldwide will dictate how bad it goes down. It's not going to be a "Well, it's coming anyway, and theres shit all you can do about it" thing.
It'll be more like Nibbler from Futurama shouting "Holy shit! Everyone out of the Universe!" if it happens. That cool?
3) Assume Real World History, with the variations listed out in the Mage the Ascension source books. At first I wanted to set the game in the late 1990's.....but now I think about it, I'm thinking maybe just bumping it up to year 2000 would be interesting....
Ok, the game will definatly be a Tradition game. The setting will be a fictional city in the U.S. called Void City. Void City is a mid sized coastal city, approximate population 80,000 as of the last census. It has a seaport, a airport, train depo, and a nice beach. I'll work on fleshing out more of the setting.
The Chantry your Cabal belongs to is a Summer Chantry which has been in exsistence pretty much before the city. There are four "Senior" Chantry members (all are members or descendants of the original Cabal who founded the Chantry): Gren Grimnod (Male, Virtual Adept), Lady Rowin (Female, Verbena), Doctor Zoom (...Not quiet sure anymore..., Son of Ether) and the Chantry Primus (?, Order of Hermes).
I'll again, flesh out the Chantry and these NPC's more later before the game. The NPC's have their own major concerns, and are there to act as Mentor's to the "Younger Generation". They don't get much involved unless the situation arises where they HAVE to get involved. This is especially true for the Primi, who tends to remain locked in his personal quarters for 90% of the time.
You can start submitting your character's to me in however you want. Tev, you can play a Bastet....if you can't find someone to take you as a Companion (I'm not going to let you play as a familiar...that's just bloody munchkin), then you'll end up being LAdy Rowin's "pet".
Creation is basic WW Creation Rules, with a additional 20 Freebie Points to spend (as per creation guidelines). No Sphere Rank higher than 4 (even that is limited to one sphere), Resources are capped at Rank 3 also (for now). Any suggestions on other things for game balance, feel free to bring up in this thread.
Any futher questions reguarding character creations, submit to me via the thread, if I can't answer it, I'm sure B4, Cat or Nitram will be able to do so.
#22
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 9:14 am
by LadyTevar
Suggestion: Instead of "Void City", why not give it a good name...
Point Pleasant? (Generic enough that there's 5 across the US)
Huntington (after a RL railroad tycoon)?
Hico (Or "High Cove", and people just call it HiCo for short)?
Quinnmont (WV town made famous by XFiles)?
I mean, seriously, we can come up with better names than "Void City".
#23
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 9:23 am
by Dark Silver
We could call it Bluffington...
Don't care about the name, hell, will probably be it's nickname anyway ('This city is Like a void...nothing ever happens around here...' so the Sleepers used to say...).
I'll work more on the city when I get back from the movies, gonna go see Hellboy 2 at a early show today..
#24
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 10:10 pm
by SirNitram
For those interested, could I get a general idea of concepts and dominant Spheres? I'm having trouble trimming my ideas down, so I'm wanting to see what might be needed and see if I can't fiddle there...
#25
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 10:57 pm
by LadyTevar
I'm talking over my concept with DS via PMs.
I -am- taking a Gift that will let me heal your Mortal behinds when you get shot. All you have to do in return is feed my Gnosis. That's Quintessence to you Magi.
If I'm allowed to take HedgeMagic, I was thinking of Herbalism/Alchemy so I could brew potions and salves to do the same thing.