tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77835746732486568312023-06-29T05:01:22.145-07:00R. B. LeMoyne's BlogWriting, Gaming, and Writing About GamingR. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-50954298400023086402018-04-02T10:00:00.000-07:002018-04-02T10:00:52.056-07:00Session Summaries of the Traditions Ascendant Chronicle, or "Start the Opening Crawl!"Recaps of the previous session are a time-honored tradition in my games, and in many of the games I've played in over the years. Sometimes these are done by the GM, to remind the players of details they may have forgotten since the last game session and to reestablish a mood or scene that they ended on last time. Sometimes they're done by the players, which informs the GM of what the players found most memorable or relevant in the previous session.<br />
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Before I handed over recap duties to my players, I wrote out brief Opening Crawl summaries, named after the informative establishing text crawl at the start of most major Star Wars movies. These summaries, enhanced by giving them <a href="https://brorlandi.github.io/StarWarsIntroCreator/" target="_blank">the ultimate Opening Crawl treatment</a>, were collected in a Word document so I could keep track of story arcs and how much XP was rewarded in a session. The first one is pretty lengthy due to establishing the game with new players, but as time passed, I got better at keeping them brief but relevant to the progression of our chronicle.<br />
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I never really intended for others outside of my gaming group to see these summaries, but in this post, I figured I'd share with all of you my chronicle in brief. Maybe this will help inspire you with your own game summaries. At the very least, you'll get a peek at what my players saw at the beginning of each game session to get them ready to play!<br />
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SESSION ONE: KICK THINGS OFF<br />
It is a new era for the NINE MYSTICK TRADITIONS. After suffering a series of tragedies at the turn of the century, commonly referred to in mage society as the RECKONING, the future of these misfit mystics looked bleak. Defying the odds and pulling together in a show of unity not seen since the First Convocation over 500 years ago, the Traditions scored a decisive victory against the forces of darkness.<br /> However, ghosts of the past still haunt the Traditions. Theirs is but one faction vying for the fate of humanity and their sworn enemies, the TECHNOCRATIC UNION, have renewed their ages-long war. MARAUDERS, lost in their own twisted realities, continue to drag other mages into madness with them. And the NEPHANDI, corruptors beyond compare, are still out there, waiting in the shadows for the right moment to drag reality into the Abyss with them.<br /> There is hope, though. The end of the AVATAR STORM, considered by some to be the Reckoning's way of restructuring the boundaries between spirit and flesh, brought with it a surge of Awakenings the likes of which the Traditions had never seen. Across the globe, more and more people discovered the truth about magic and reality, and all factions rushed to claim these new mages.<br /> In a world of darkness, the Traditions fight a renewed ASCENSION WAR to bring a guiding light to the world. And it is now a new generation's turn to join the battle for reality...<br />
<br />SESSION TWO: FEAR & LOATHING IN USELESS, KANSAS<br /> After rescuing a young courier from two suited thugs, our Tradition mages ended up with a rare and powerful item in their possession. The item in question? A fragment of the SAXUM OCULORUM, once an ever-present feature above the Council of Nine's meeting table in Horizon for hundreds of years, now shattered by war and scattered to parts unknown.<br /> The sympathetic magickal ties binding this piece of the shattered crystal orb to its counterparts pointed them to their first destination: ULYSSES, KANSAS.<br /> Now, our mages embark on their first quest together, one that has far greater importance than they realize...<br />
<br />SESSION THREE: A GRAVE MATTER<br /> Road trip! Our Tradition mages hit the road in search of a piece of the shattered Saxum Oculorum, an artifact of the NINE TRADITIONS. Already in possession of one piece of this rare crystal sphere, they pooled their talents to discover the probable resting place of the nearest fragment.<br /> When they stopped midway on their journey to rest, however, our mages discovered they were not alone. SHADOW SCRYERS, used by some as spies, were discovered and dispersed, though who or what sent them remains unknown.<br /> Now, our mages find themselves at their destination: MOOSE JAW CEMETARY in Ulysses, Kansas, where the local avians take issue with visitors to their corner of the world...<br />
<br />SESSION FOUR: ONE DOWN, ??? TO GO<br /> Success! Our mages discovered a fragment of the Saxum Oculorum in the ruins of the LACHESIS PORTAL, one of the few paths to the lost realm of Horizon. Though the portal had been closed off for many years, the fragment remained hidden and under the watchful eyes of KAKRAW, the portal's guardian. Now reunited with the piece already in their possession, the artifact is one step closer to being made whole again.<br /> As our mages returned to their vehicle, however, several unmarked black vehicles appeared. The TECHNOCRACY pursued the fleeing mini-van, but were successfully deterred with some quick creative decoys and obstructions. Unfortunately, the van sustained heavy damage in the course of the chase, and the magickal momentum speeding them to safety has dispersed...<br />
<br />SESSION FIVE: 9PM<br /> Success with their hunt for the first piece of the Saxum Oculorum came with a price as our mages' vehicle suffered heavy damage to the engine block. Without reliable transportation, their quest was stalled in Ulysses, Kansas.<br /> While the van is at the shop to find out if their ride is salvageable or if they should look for new transportation, our mages holed up in the nearest motel and wait for the news. Absent any spirit spies, they did discover a business card slipped under their door for a local diner, the CORRAL CAFE, with 9:00 PM written on it...<br />
<br />SESSION SIX: BETWEEN A BOULDER AND A HARD PLACE<br /> Trapped in Ulysses, Kansas with no easy way out, our mages discovered opposition from all sides. Vhara chatted with MR. GUY STOCKMAN of the Technocracy, who explained that a renegade branch of his faction is acting against them both. He then offered a deal: He'll keep the Technocracy away from them so they can pursue the remaining SAXUM OCULORUM fragments, if they'll thwart a cult that is working against the best interests of humanity and reality. Vhara agreed.<br /> Meanwhile, Stockman's associates engage Technocrats in front of the motel our mages were staying at. While heading for the CORRAL CAFE, one black unmarked vehicle provided cover for them, and a woman from Alina's past offered to help them escape the area. Alina declined, and once reunited, our mages rented a car and left town with all due haste.<br /> Now, our mages are on the road to BOULDER, COLORADO where they had arranged to meet with their mentors and find out what's really going on...<br />
<br />SESSION SEVEN: MISERABLE MYSTERIOUS MISSOURI<br /> Mentor meet-up! After finally leaving the town of Ulysses behind, our mages and their mentors met in BOULDER, CO to discuss recent events and figure out how best to proceed. Joining them in their discussion was THEORA HETIRCK, Herald of the Chakravanti, who confirmed the importance of the artifact they were slowly putting together. She also imparted to the gathered mages another fact of its importance: Locked away in the broken artifact is evidence of a threat to the Nine Traditions that must be brought to the attention of the NEW HORIZON COUNCIL.<br /> Warned of the Technocracy and its attempts to manipulate them, our mages ventured out to find the next piece of the SAXUM OCULORUM and uncover the information that it contains. Their next destination: ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI...<br />
<br />SESSION EIGHT: TECHNO TROUBLE<br /> On their epic quest to reassemble the shattered SAXUM OCULORUM artifact, our mages travelled to the location of the next fragment: ST. LOUIS, MO. Unfortunately, this piece was under lock and key at The Grant Agency, an apparent front for THE TECHNOCRACY.<br /> Infiltrating the building, NATHAN PERAZA found himself deep in enemy territory, surrounded by boxes and boxes of magickal items. Between car fires raging outside the building and gunfire from within the building, time is running out for our mages, but help may not be far off...<br />
<br />SESSION NINE: HIT (Marks) AND RUN<br /> Captured! Before he could locate the Technocracy's piece of the Saxum Oculorum, Nathan Peraza was discovered and subdued. Using our mages' own distraction to their advantage, AGENT GRANT moved Nathan to one of his vans in the chaos.<br /> Our heroic band of mages pursued the van and, with mysterious and knowledgable outside assistance, intercepted them before they could take Nathan to the airport. Their combined efforts subdued the Technocracy long enough to free their friend and flee the scene, but the Technocracy is not so easily thwarted...<br />
<br />SESSION TEN: ON THE MOVE<br /> On the run after a daring rescue, our mages seek an opportunity to switch vehicles to throw the Technocracy off their trail. Unfortunately, the Technocrats intercepted them with a devastating cybernetic weapon: A Hyper-Intelligent Tactical unit, better known and feared as the HIT MARK.<br /> As they flee the wreckage of another vehicle, their escape is covered by the source of their mysterious help, WILDKAT. Providing them a portal to her safe haven, the Time-savvy Virtual Adept provides them a space to plan another infiltration of the Grant Agency, this time to liberate all of the magickal equipment stored within...<br />
<br />SESSION ELEVEN: KEEP ON TRUCKIN'<br /> The Technocracy is on the move! After Nathan's infiltration of the Grant Agency, AGENT GRANT has ordered the construct abandoned and moved to a new location. This includes the fragment of the Saxum Oculorum sought after by our mages.<br /> After tracking down the truck, our mages seize their opportunity to take the vehicle. There's just one problem: The best mage to drive the 18-wheeler is stuck in their truck, leaving VHARA MISRA to clear out the cab and get things moving while Agent Grant and his team are closing in...<br />
<br />SESSION TWELVE: TRICKS OF THE TRADE<br /> After stealing the Technocracy's truck and sending them on a low-speed chase, Agent Grant sent in air support to bring the chase to a close. In desperation, Nathan activated a SPIRIT DOOR wonder and sent himself, Vhara, and all of the confiscated magickal items into the Spirit Wilds.<br /> Vhara and Nathan found their way out of the Wilds with the guidance of native spirits, ending up on the outskirts of INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. Far from both the Technocracy and Kai, but with the crystal fragment "in hand," our mages must group up and decide where to go next...<br />
<br />SESSION THIRTEEN: NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE...<br /> Another Mage captured! Though Vhara and Nathan escaped the Technocracy, Kai was not so lucky. GUY STOCKMAN presented our mages with a new deal: Eliminate a cult that will doom the world, and he'll return Kai to them. Refuse, and they doom their friend and humanity.<br /> Investigating the North Carolina address he gave them, they find an old textiles factory under observation by Nathan's mentor, INEZ LELLOUCHE. But Stockman said he captured her along with the other mentors. But Stockman arrived at the factory with Kai. What is going on?!<br />
<br />SESSION FOURTEEN: RITUAL SACRIFICE<br /> Outnumbered but determined to recover their fellows, Vhara, Nathan and Inez prepare to infiltrate ACE TEXTILES. The plan is simple: rescue Kai and the other mentors, then deal with the strange cultist activity in the factory.<br /> Backed by potent ritual magicks and a couple new artifacts, our mages stealthily retrieve Kai and set the stage for the rescue of their mentors. But all is not what it seems under the watchful eye of GUY STOCKMAN and the factory's current occupants...<br />
<br />SESSION FIFTEEN: ACE IN THE HOLE<br /> The infiltration of ACE TEXTILES has begun! While Nathan's mentor lures as much of the opposition away as she can, our mages are left to liberate the other mentors and deal with the highly unorthodox Technocratic procedure now underway.<br /> Now that KAI is back in the action, they're close to uncovering the truth of the strange situation they find themselves in. However, a new complication arises that will threaten both mages and Technocrats...<br />
<br />SESSION SIXTEEN: IT DEVOURS<br /> The infiltration of ACE TEXTILES has begun! While Nathan's mentor loops back after losing much of their opposition in the woods of North Carolina, our mages are left to liberate the other mentors and deal with the highly unorthodox Technocratic procedure now underway.<br /> To that end, our mages have struck an uneasy alliance with AGENT GRANT against the forces led by Stockman within the factory. Will this truce help them liberate their mentors, or have they invited the enemy in to stab them in the back?<br />
<br />SESSION SEVENTEEN: THE SAXUM OCULORUM<br /> The mentors have been rescued. The vat wyrm has been defeated. Agent Grant's Technocrats honored the truce given to our mages, and both sides witnessed the return of a villain from the Traditions' past - VOORMAS, THE GRAND HARVESTER.<br /> Finally, the last crystal shard of the Saxum Oculorum has been recovered, making this historic wonder whole once more. Our mages have achieved a lot of good in a short amount of time. The question now is: What will they do with this artifact?<br />
<br />SESSION EIGHTEEN: SAVING THROW VS. MADNESS<br /> With the Saxum Oculorum handed off to the NEW HORIZON COUNCIL, our mages are known and celebrated as the cabal that recovered a valuable fount of knowledge for the Traditions. For their deed, they were gifted periapts by the Council as a token of their thanks.<br /> Home now and settling back into a routine that doesn't involve vat wyrms and Technocrats, our mages enjoy returning to the routine of their work and studies. Such quiet, however, is not long lived when you're a mage...<br />
<br />SESSION NINETEEN: THE GAME MASTER'S LAMENT <br /> Reality is in peril! The Valley is being converted into a high fantasy wonderland by a mysterious cloaked figure, THE GAME MASTER. Wherever he goes, wild magick lashes out and transforms everything around him, including the hapless Sleepers.<br /> Nathan and Vhara confronted this marauding mage at the bombed-out remains of the LDN STUDIO, until he summoned a white dragon to distract them. The dragon banished, our mages must find the Game Master and deal with him before fantasy becomes reality.<br />
<br />SESSION TWENTY: THINLY VEILED THREATS<br /> Tradition mages are not solitary creatures. Even solo practitioners gather with their fellows from time to time for either protection or learning. In Los Angeles, the HEINIG HOUSE CHANTRY is a place where mages can congregate with others of like mind.<br /> Our mages may soon learn that there is safety in greater numbers, as the past refuses to let go of some Traditionalists...<br />
<br />SESSION TWENTY-ONE: BEES?!<br /> Increased attention from the TECHNOCRATIC UNION has led the mentors of our mages to pursue a chantry merger with one of the larger Los Angeles chantries. To that end, they journeyed to HEINIG HOUSE and entered into talks with the cabal leaders there.<br /> Accepted into the chantry on a trial basis, chantry members old and new gather to discuss what they each bring to the table and what the chantry's future may hold...<br />
<br />SESSION TWENTY-TWO: BLOCK PARTY<br /> The Technocracy is at it again, tapping the node that was to be contibuted to Heinig House as part of the chantry merger. <br /> Without that node, our mages will have to find another offering to their new chantrymates, or find a way to recover their node from under the Technocracy's nose.<br /> Fortunately, our mages have a plan...<br />
<br />SESSION TWENTY-THREE: PARTYUS INTERRUPTUS<br /> Success! Our mages not only saved their node from the Technocracy's tap, they also mobilized the neighborhood to stall Good House International's plans to build on the node's land.<br /> This calls for a celebration at Heinig House!<br />
<br />SESSION TWENTY-FOUR: PRELUDE TO THE PATH<br /> The celebration at Heinig House is interrupted by a summons from the NEW HORIZON COUNCIL. The artifact they recovered has been misbehaving, and they hope that the cabal will provide insight.<br /> What they get instead is a vision, imparted by the Saxum Oculorum, showing what can only be the path to its previous resting place: HORIZON, former stronghold of the COUNCIL OF NINE. This vision, however, requires some verification from our mages, should they be willing...</blockquote>
R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-69421930031089692502018-02-12T20:53:00.002-08:002018-02-12T20:53:58.547-08:00So Much New, All At OnceGreetings, magelings! Today's usual blog post is missing due to a whole lot of life happening all at once, and I apologize for that. I moved back to Los Angeles, started a new job, and my writing routine for the past few months is in chaos. I'm also going to be on a cruise next week, which means this place will look pretty sparse for the rest of the month.<br />
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But fear not! I expect to have a lot of writing time by the pool for 7 days, so I'll have blog posts galore when I return. Hang in there, mages, it's only for a few more weeks!<br />
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In the meantime, hit me up with your Mage questions in the comments below, and check out my previous posts for any Mage tidbits that you might have missed. Also, if you like what I do here and want to see me continue to feature more awesome Mage stuff on my blog, a small donation through my Ko-fi button on the right would make my day and help me afford a new keyboard for my desktop computer. The shift key has been sticking, making writing very interesting of late...<br />
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See you in a few weeks!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-38186846211336374832018-02-05T11:46:00.002-08:002018-04-01T19:01:22.515-07:00The Traditions Ascendant Chronicle, or "Hey, Let Me Tell You About My Game"<b>WORD OF WARNING TO MY PLAYERS: THERE BE SPOILERS HERE!</b> If you're a player in my Traditions Ascendant Chronicle, close this page and go work on your character playlist or something!<br />
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I'm serious! Don't make me summon an army of Black Suits to scare you off!<br />
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Alright, you asked for it: IT'S BLACK SUIT TIME.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roll Willpower, difficulty 10.</td></tr>
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Good, now that my players have been scared off, here's a little peek behind the curtain of my Mage game, beyond the few hints I've offered in previous posts.<br />
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The Traditions Ascendant Chronicle is my take on the status quo of the current Mage setting, informed by the years of Mage games I've run for other groups. There have been some changes and updates to the history of Mage, mostly to reconcile my own Mage storyline with the official Mage metaplot, but a number of events are similar enough that anyone with even a passing knowledge of Mage's previous editions can jump right in. The Horizon War happened, the Avatar Storm happened, the Second Massasa War happened, the Rogue Council transmissions happened. The end of the world scenarios outlined in Ascension, however, have never come to pass. No calamity happened in 2012 that wasn't averted by the Traditions.<br />
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Major events in my Mage setting that might be a bit different from the Mage status quo: The Avatar Storm has dissipated, as have the transmissions from the Rogue Council. The latter is because the New Horizon Council has been around for the better part of a decade, formed shortly after the Los Angeles Convocation. At that convocation, the Traditions banded together and purged the Traditions of Nephandic influence, including the Nephandi who had impersonated Jeremy Case and led the Hollow Ones and various renegade mages on a campaign to destroy Horizon. Also different, the barriers between the living world and the realm of the dead almost vanished completely thanks to the efforts of the Orphic Circle, but their scheme was discovered and disrupted, and a sizable contingent of Spirit-savvy Traditionalists worked to restore that part of the Gauntlet and return the dead who had invaded when the barriers were at their thinnest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, no zombie apocalypse today.</td></tr>
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So, Traditions Ascendant is named because the Traditions are looking better now than they have in the past 15-20 years. They're reclaiming their old power, bit by bit, and adapting to a world that is not nearly as apathetic as some would think. Awakenings are on the rise, the Technocracy is in turmoil, and elections for the New Horizon Council seats are coming up soon. It's a good time to be a Traditionalist... at least, on the surface.<br />
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Unbeknownst to my players, not all is as it should be. As noted, the Technocracy is in the midst of great turmoil, divided between a Union that wants to protect humanity from supernatural evils and a sizable contingent that want to bring the world low under their brand of order. This is due to a great deal of Nephandic influence spreading through the Technocracy from the top down thanks to the Syndicate's Special Projects Division, and they're looking to reestablish their foothold in the Traditions. Add to that the reemergence of Voormas and the House of Helekar, the greatest threat that exists within the Traditions, and my players will soon have more to worry about than restless dead and newly rediscovered spirit paths.<br />
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The theme of this chronicle is "Preserve the past, save the future." This is at the core of most of my campaign's major conflicts at the moment. The players are recruited to help rediscover Wonders and protect nodes, all in service to protecting the Traditions and their power, or acquiring the tools and people necessary to survive and grow into the future. The mood in this chronicle is "Hope and wonder." The World of Darkness is a terrifying and dangerous place, but the Traditions bring hope to those who don't fit into neat little Technocratic boxes. The Traditions are given hope, as well, with each new mage who joins their ranks and every discovery that helps them to avoid making the mistakes that plagued them in the past. And through it all, from the hidden sites of nodes among their city to the newly rediscovered Horizon realms beyond their world, a sense of wonder and awe permeates each story in this chronicle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean, there's a reason she's called Wonder Woman, right?</td></tr>
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And that's the foundation of my Traditions Ascendant Chronicle. While I've hinted at my chronicle in previous posts as they relate to the game I'm running, future blog posts will tackle individual sessions and the subject matter that comes up within them. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the Traditions Ascendant Chronicle, pop them into the comments below and I'll tackle them in short order!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-84828987544826292642018-01-31T16:55:00.000-08:002018-01-31T16:55:05.357-08:00Mage and the World of Darkness, or "Vampires and Werewolves and Wraiths, Oh My!"Shared universes are becoming a big thing in movies these days (thanks, Marvel!) but they've been around for a long, long time. Comic books are the most prolific form of the shared universe, but this concept also extends to books, TV shows and, yes, even tabletop games. So, let's talk about Mage: The Ascension and its place in the shared universe known as the World of Darkness.<br />
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Established in its flagship game, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/94815/Vampire-The-Masquerade-20th-Anniversary-Edition?" target="_blank">Vampire: The Masquerade</a>, back in good old 1991, the World of Darkness (hereby abbreviated as WoD) came to be known as the collective setting that united White Wolf's various supernatural-themed game lines. Flavored heavily as gothic-punk urban horror, the WoD is commonly described as being a dark mirror reflection of our own world, one where supernatural creatures lurk in the shadows, preying on humanity while warring with each other. The animosity between vampires and werewolves was established early on, with additional game lines contributing much more to the fabric of that setting. Put another way, Vampire established the cityscape, <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/112871/Werewolf-The-Apocalypse-20th-Anniversary-Edition" target="_blank">Werewolf: The Apocalypse</a> explored the wilderness and spirit world, Mage added a lot more layers to the spirit world and fundamental underpinnings of reality, <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/1/White-Wolf/subcategory/1_43/Wraith-The-Oblivion" target="_blank">Wraith: The Oblivion</a> expanded on the underworld, and <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/210616/Changeling-The-Dreaming-20th-Anniversary-Edition" target="_blank">Changeling: The Dreaming</a> explored the fae connections. Other game lines filled in the details of certain specialized areas like historical eras, other creatures such as mummies and demons, and the few humans who worked with or against these creatures.<br />
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So, how does the World of Darkness figure into a Mage game?<br />
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That's entirely up to you, really. There's nothing that says that you have to include vampires, werewolves, or anything beyond the spiritual denizens and realms described in the core rulebook. For that matter, the vampires you use in your game don't have to line up with those featured in Vampire, nor do your werewolves, fae, ghosts or any other supernatural type that has its own gameline.<br />
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Conversely, you can pick and choose how much of the WoD beyond Mage is applicable to your game. Maybe vampires as presented in Vampire don't fit your game, but you like the idea of Wraith's Shadowlands denizens and Changeling's Dreaming realms. Maybe you don't want to use Werewolf's Garou Tribes, but you want to pepper your game with the other Changing Breeds. Maybe the vampire interactions in your game begin and end with the Tremere, fallen Hermetic House that they are, or maybe none of that happened in your Mage. The possibilities to mix and match are endless!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or maybe your Mage game just has mages. That's cool, too!</td></tr>
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These days, I keep things firmly focused on Mage in my own campaigns, only lightly touching on the other supernatural types populating the World of Darkness. Thanks to <a href="http://rblemoyne.blogspot.com/2018/01/marauders-as-antagonists-or-this-is-all.html" target="_blank">integrating Critical Role's Vampire one-shot into my setting</a>, my players have briefly encountered vampires due to the Geek & Sundry tragedy, and they're aware that other supernatural creatures are out there as well. My Chakravanti player has crossed over to the Shadowlands with his mentor and interacted with the wraiths who populate that realm, but wouldn't know a Deathlord from Steve, and I intend to keep it that way. Clans and Tribes and such have not been mentioned, and likely won't be, to avoid cluttering my game with non-Mage lore that has no real bearing on my players or the story we're telling.<br />
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Additionally, the flavor of my World of Darkness has evolved beyond the "gothic-punk" of White Wolf's heyday. It borrows far more from urban fantasy than anything else, with more psychological types of horror and a touch of cinematic flair. Mage in my World of Darkness is filled with wondrous things, sometimes frightening, sometimes awe-inspiring, and always crawling beneath the surface of the mundane. Spirits are everywhere, if you know where to look, and mages can venture into realms beyond imagining where they can interact with thought given form. My Mage is one of infinite possibility, but also infinite danger, and a careless misstep could spell disaster for even the most skilled master.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And sometimes, I throw something really creepy at my players...</td></tr>
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When it comes down to it, your World of Darkness might not look anything like mine. It might be more of a futuristic dystopia, or a medieval wonderland, or might omit the "darkness" part altogether. Mage can be whatever you want it to be. The only question you have to ask yourself is, how does the World of Darkness figure into YOUR Mage game?<br />
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I'm primarily a Mage Storyteller, but I've run Vampire, Changeling, <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/639/Hunter-The-Reckoning?it=1" target="_blank">Hunter: The Reckoning</a>, and <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/2676/Dark-Ages-Vampire?it=1" target="_blank">Dark Ages: Vampire</a>, and played in all of the others except for <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/636/Demon-The-Fallen?it=1" target="_blank">Demon: The Fallen</a>. If you've got questions on how to integrate them - or any other World of Darkness game - into your Mage game, drop them into the comments below and I'll tackle them as soon as I can!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-35457299377580648242018-01-22T12:52:00.002-08:002018-01-22T12:52:53.419-08:00Player Departures, or "Teach Them How to Say Goodbye"Breaking up is hard to do. It does happen, sometimes, that a player has to leave a particular game/group for any number of reasons. Maybe their work schedule changed. Maybe they're moving away. Maybe a conflict came up with another activity. Maybe they're not a good fit for the game or the group. Maybe two players were dating and now they're not seeing each other. Maybe someone just ghosts and gives no indication on why they left or if they're coming back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon Snow: Pro at saying goodbye without actually saying goodbye.</td></tr>
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<br />Player departures in a game already in progress can be awkward even in the best of circumstances. Here's a few tips on how to smooth things over based on my own experience running games:<br />
<br /><b>Don't Pry If They Don't Want to Give a Reason</b><br />If a player leaves, but they don't want to get into the specifics of why, it's not your job to pester them until they tell you. Sometimes reasons are personal and have nothing to do with the game, and badgering the exiting player isn't going to get them to open up or feel better. On the contrary, it can quickly make for a terrible situation for the player. If they want to tell you, they will. Just be understanding and empathetic, and don't try to guilt trip them into staying. It'll be better for all involved.<br />
<br /><b>Let Them Decide If or What They Want to Tell the Group</b><br />Some players have no trouble announcing their departure, while others don't want to make a scene. Either situation is just fine, but it should be the player's choice how they want to tell the rest of the group. Don't try to steal their thunder if they want to make the announcement themselves, and don't force them to say goodbye if they don't want to. Give them the option to do so, absolutely, and offer to say something to the group after the player departs if that would make things easier for them.<br />
<br /><b>Don't Do Anything With Their Character Without Their Approval</b><br />GMs: Just because the player is leaving, doesn't mean you suddenly get an NPC to do with as you please. Talk it over with the player and try to find an agreeable fate for the character together. Maybe they want to have the character go off and learn or find something, to leave the door open for a return. Maybe they're okay with having the character NPC'd to avoid depriving the group of a valuable party member. Maybe they want the character's story resolved with finality, to close the door on that aspect of the chronicle. Whatever the character's future (or lack thereof), it should be the player's call, not yours.<br />
<br /><b>Don't Give In to Pressure</b><br />Players: Your group may try to get you to give up your valuable gear, or the GM may ask for your character sheet to run your character in your absence. Don't feel obligated to give in to their demands if you don't want to. If you worked hard to get that legendary artifact, don't just give it up because another player wants to keep it in the game. Likewise, if you're not comfortable letting someone else play your character, you're under no requirement to hand them over. Your character is yours, and you get to decide what that means to you, not someone else. You do you, boo.<br />
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<br />Saying goodbye is never fun, but the tips above should at least help make that departure a little less awkward for all involved. Got any questions about how to gracefully exit a gaming group? Ask them below and I'll get to them as soon as possible!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-63300375164433683542018-01-15T14:32:00.000-08:002018-01-15T14:32:17.763-08:00New Players in an Ongoing Game, or "The More, The Merrier, Right?"Let's set the stage. Your game has been booking along for a few months now. Your players have developed a rapport with each other, in and out of character, and they've finally started working together as a group and not just a bunch of individuals in the same scenario. You're more or less conversant in the rules, you've hit your stride, and things are running smoothly. Then someone says, "Hey, I've always wanted to play Mage, can I join in?" And then someone else chimes in, "Oh, you're adding players to your group? I have a friend that'd like to join, too." And suddenly your gaming group gets upgraded with additional members!<br />
<br />There are a few concerns to address when adding new players to a game already in progress. Here are a few I've encountered over the years, and how I've addressed them in my own gaming groups.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's not how you make a new player feel welcome, Mike.</td></tr>
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<br />First off, make sure your new players are a good fit for your game/group. Since my current group of players are all over the LGBT+ rainbow and play characters who are of a similar mindset, any new players to my game should at least be tolerant of those views. The last thing I want to do is bring in someone who will butt heads with the rest of the players on a personal level. Despite the World of Darkness setting that we play in, my games are a space where my players can be free to express themselves in ways they can't outside of the game. Drama should stay between characters, not the players. (It also helps if they can commit to the established game time.)<br />
<br />Next, work with new players to fit them into your game as smoothly as possible. If a new player to my game wants to play a Progenitor in my Traditions chronicle, I'd suggest alternatives to help them fit into the game better. Maybe that player is simply drawn to the Life Sphere and making new life forms, in which case a Verbenae character would fit well with the other players. If it's the tech aspect they're going for, maybe the Society of Ether or Virtual Adepts would appeal to them. It also helps to boost that character with XP close to, if not exactly at, the level that the rest of the characters are at.<br />
<br />Finally, make sure the original players have valid in-game reason to bring the new player into the fold. Sure, you and your group can hand-wave any suspicions or mistrust to immediately accept a new character into their cabal, but for story cohesion, it's much better to give them valid motivation to accept them. In my game, the players' cabal and their mentors visited a new chantry and were greeted at the door by my new player's character. While the mentors talked with the chantry leader in private, the new character gave the others a tour of the chantry (with informational assistance from me). Since this was a new location to all of my players, they were already on equal footing and were able to experience something new together right off the bat. At the same time, they were given ample opportunity to learn about each other and bond that a random encounter might not provide.<br />
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<br />At the end of the day, adding a new player and making them feel welcome requires little more than clear communication and maybe a little extra planning than usual. To that end, check in with your new players after the game to see if they have any questions or concerns, and be open to adjusting the way things have always been in your game to accomodate feedback. The ultimate goal, after all, is to have fun with your friends. As they say, the more, the merrier!<br />
<br />Do you have any specific questions about working new players and their characters into an ongoing game? Drop them in the comments below, and I'll answer them as soon as possible!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-47851333887452121172018-01-08T12:54:00.000-08:002018-01-09T14:28:54.694-08:00Building A Marauder, or "The Secret Origin of the Game Master!"Quick, if you haven't read last week's blog post, <a href="http://rblemoyne.blogspot.com/2018/01/marauders-as-antagonists-or-this-is-all.html" target="_blank">read it here</a> before continuing on!<br />
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While designing the Marauder known as the Game Master for my chronicle's tribute to <a href="https://geekandsundry.com/shows/critical-role/" target="_blank">Critical Role</a>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTOGH6M6INE&t=1s" target="_blank">Thursday By Night one-shot</a>, I was very conscious of walking a fine line between being entertaining and being aware of how I was treating mental illness. I didn't want this NPC to be a cartoon character, but I also didn't want him to drown my game in pathos. To my players, our few hours of Mage each week are an escape from whatever fire (metaphorical or literal) is currently raging in the world, and I try to evoke an emotional connection without getting too real.<br />
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Bringing a tragic example of mental illness into a game as an antagonist was going to be tricky but not impossible, as long as I could continue to strike that balance.<br />
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When creating a Marauder NPC, one of the most important things to keep in mind is what type of mental disorder(s) affects this character, as that will shape the landscape of his madness. Don't just settle on a bad Joker knock-off. Mentally ill doesn't automatically mean psychotic. Take the time to look up various mental disorders to find one or more that fit the type of character you're trying to build. Aside from the list already presented in the Mage corebook on pages 649-650, there are many online resources you can use, starting with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mental_disorders" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>.<br />
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For this Marauder, I chose a mix of fugue and megalomania from the list in the corebook, not necessarily in equal parts. This fit the origin I had in mind for this character - a die-hard Critical Role fan who had just Awakened to his power. Upon learning that the cast of his favorite show were apparently killed in an explosion on set, a mage who was already having issues coming to grips with his new reality suffered a mental breakdown and emerged on the other side of it with a new, if twisted, sense of purpose. Within the throes of a magickal disassociation from reality known to mages as Quiet, he retreated into the game world of his favorite show, seeing the world around him as the land of Exandria. Dubbing himself the Game Master, his first act was to wander Exandria and find the last known location of Vox Machina, which is how my players first came into contact with him.<br />
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Marauders are generally agents of chaos, and they have a number of ways that they go about screwing with mages and reality in general. One of them is a localized "sanity sink" in which the Marauder's view of reality overrides "normality" in an area, dragging Sleepers (and sometimes other mages) into the chaos mage's Quiet. In this instance, the game setting of Critical Role known as Exandria existed in an ever-expanding radius around the Game Master, and the poor hapless Sleepers caught in the path of his madness became part of the fantasy world that was at the heart of his Quiet. My players ran into children who had become goblins, police who were now city guard, and streets which now ran alongside castles and taverns.<br />
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Another tool Marauders use to sow chaos is called zooterrorism, the practice of dropping a mythical creature into a mundane setting and watching as mayhem ensues. As the self-styled Game Master, my chaos mage's response to the player characters approaching him was to present them a challenge in the form of something that the players of Critical Role might have to face... such as summoning a white dragon in the middle of the city to distract them while he tried to find Vox Machina's base of operations (AKA the LDN studios). As it happens, stats for all kinds of mythical creatures, including dragons, can be found in the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/50/Bygone-Bestiary?it=1&" target="_blank">Bygone Bestiary sourcebook</a>.<br />
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Finally, as chaos mages, Marauders are able to pull off feats of magick that are otherwise beyond their capability. Officially, this is called Wild Talent, but you can call it Plot Device, Storyteller Fiat, or Rule Bending since that's exactly what it does. Since the Game Master believed he was traveling the high fantasy land of Exandria, his powers manifested accordingly, which is to say they were all very flashy and highly vulgar. Upon reaching the bombed-out remains of the LDN studios, he tried to bring Vox Machina (or at least, the cast of Critical Role) back to life with a Resurrection spell by praying to his deity (AKA his Avatar) to give them a second chance. The results, as befitting any act of Wild Talent, were not quite what he expected as Matt and Marisha were revived as their recently vampirised selves. Oops!<br />
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Altogether, this makes the Game Master a very dangerous and unstable antagonist, one which my players survived after nearly giving themselves over to his Quiet toward the end of the encounter. They reported back to their mentors, informing them of his last known location and direction of travel, hoping that others might be able to save this poor young mage before he's truly lost.<br />
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Want to bring the Game Master to your own World of Darkness game? I've provided his stat block below. Please note that these are stats befitting a relatively new Marauder for a "low level" chronicle, and you should feel free to change up his stats to fit your own game. Need to feature a more experienced Game Master whose Quiet has fully consumed him? Bump his listed stats up by 2 ranks and let him drop a piece of Exandria into a populated area to see who heeds the call to adventure. Let me know if and how you use him, and if you have any questions about Marauders in general or the Game Master in particular, post them in the comments section below and I'll address them lickety split!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Attributes:</b> Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 1, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3<br />
<b>Abilities:</b> Academics 2, Alertness 2, Art 2, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Computer 2, Cosmology 1, Crafts 1, Enigmas 3, Etiquette 1, Expression 3, Intimidation 2, Melee 1, Stealth 3<br />
<b>Willpower:</b> 5<br />
<b>Health Levels:</b> OK, -1, -1, -2, -2, -5, Incapacitated<br />
<b>Armor Rating:</b> 0 (three soak dice, total)<br />
<b>Arete:</b> 3<br />
<b>Spheres:</b> Entropy 3, Forces 2, Life 2, Mind 2, Prime 1<br />
<b>Equipment:</b> Crown Royal bag filled with assorted dice, TTRPG rulebook, mechanical pencil<br />
<b>Image:</b> See below.<br />
<b>Roleplaying Notes:</b> Matthew Mercer set a high bar for your ideals, and you're determined to live up to the legacy he and Vox Machina left behind. Mind helps you find "adventurers" best suited to your style of "play," and Entropy is useful for random encounters along the way. Life helps you survive those encounters, while Forces provides a powerful weapon to fell your foes. Prime provides the building blocks to create what you need for a given encounter. Remember, you are the Game Master, and your word is law.<br />
<b>Focus:</b> All the world's a game, it all depends on how you play.</blockquote>
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<br />R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-64828556883497169022018-01-02T13:04:00.000-08:002018-01-09T00:48:17.280-08:00Marauders As Antagonists, or "This Is All Critical Role's Fault"If you'd asked me a month ago if I've ever used Marauders in my game, I would have said, "No." I primarily run Tradition games, so I make gratuitous use of the Technocracy as antagonists and Nephandi as villains. Hell, thanks to the Mage Revised era of the setting, I would frequently use the Traditions themselves against my players as antagonists, to highlight how flawed and messed up the Traditions can be.<br />
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But now if you ask me if I've ever used Marauders, I'd say, "Yes. Yes, I have, and it's all Critical Role's fault."<br />
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Maybe I should give some backstory on that, and what Marauders are in the world of Mage: The Ascension.<br />
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To quote the <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149562/Mage-The-Ascension-20th-Anniversary-Edition" target="_blank">Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition</a> core rulebook, Marauders are "Metaphysical schizophrenics whose impressions of reality are so disconnected from the Consensus that they effectively exist in their own reality wells." But what does that mean? In simpler terms, they're mages with strong mental illness. When you can reshape reality with the power of your will, a disconnect from the reality that everyone else can observe - where up is down, the sky is blue, and the laws of physics rule - is a very dangerous thing. Putting that power in the hands of someone who sees reality differently than others, whose mind works very differently from those deemed "normal" around them, can warp reality into something unrecognizable, and that's something that both the Traditions and Technocracy do not want.<br />
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Mental illness is a touchy subject, and it's part of the reason why I've never used Marauders in my game before. Personally, I've struggled with mental illness in the past, and some of my friends and loved ones are dealing with their own illness as I write this. In some media, the presence of mental illness in a character automatically classifies them as a villain (see just about every Batman villain ever), and while I do lean on some archetypes in my game more than others, I tend to avoid using mental illness in such a way. Marauders just seemed like something I'd never tackle in my games.<br />
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And then Critical Role came into my life.<br />
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For those unfamiliar with Critical Role, it's an online show that streams on <a href="https://geekandsundry.com/shows/critical-role/" target="_blank">Geek & Sundry</a>'s <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/geekandsundry" target="_blank">Twitch</a> and <a href="https://www.projectalpha.com/browse/#svod?method=show&showId=5Wi_DFu4AyGabym6pIuSKAW5h5M19KEk" target="_blank">Alpha</a> channels every Thursday night at 7PM Pacific. In its 3-4 hours, a bunch of nerdy voice actors get together, roll dice and play D&D in a campaign that started off-screen years before they decided to add cameras and mics to the mix. They're a group of amazing players who use their platform to show how much fun TTRPGs can be, but also to support a number of charities and causes. Most recently as of this writing, Matthew Mercer, the group's GM, joined a stream on Patrick Rothfuss' <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/patrickrothfuss" target="_blank">Twitch</a> channel to <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/207909181" target="_blank">talk about mental illness and how he deals with it in his life</a>.<br />
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What does all this have to do with Mage? Well, their campaign ended recently and, in the space between making new characters for a new campaign to begin on January 11th, Critical Role has been featuring one-shots of other game systems, with each player running a different sort of game. Taliesin Jaffe was the first to step up to the plate, and he ran a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTOGH6M6INE" target="_blank">two-part Vampire: The Masquerade adventure</a> where the players themselves were turned into vampires and unleashed on the World of Darkness version of the Geek & Sundry studios (AKA the Legendary Digital Network studios). By the end of their adventure, the LDN studios had exploded and a number of names that G&S diehards would recognize were revealed to be some flavor of supernatural entity.<br />
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It was a weird, wild, sometimes silly but often thrilling romp through the World of Darkness played out to an audience of tens of thousands of viewers, something that I'd dare say is a first for my favorite game setting. It was so much fun, in fact, that I incorporated their one-shot into my own game:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, Taliesin RT'd me, so I guess you could say I've arrived.</td></tr>
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Throwing their game into the background of my own chronicle was one thing. Setting up a true homage that played off those events from a Mage perspective was another, and it was something I wanted to tackle after wrapping up a long story arc with my players. I didn't want to get into the nitty gritty of vampire clans and such, but I did want to pay tribute to Critical Role and their Thursday By Night adventure in some way.<br />
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Then it hit me. What if a newly Awakened Mage was also a diehard fan of Critical Role? What if the demise of the G&S studios and the apparent death of the Critical Role cast drove that new mage mad with sorrow? What if that Marauder-in-the-making decided he was going to carry on their work and bring the world of TTRPGs to life, quite literally, by reshaping reality itself?<br />
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I finally had a Marauder concept worth creating: the Game Master!<br />
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(<a href="https://rblemoyne.blogspot.com/2018/01/building-marauder-or-secret-origin-of.html" target="_blank">Continued here!</a>)R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-74172091447005272542018-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:002018-01-01T00:01:10.191-08:00HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2018!Happy new year, folks! This is not my weekly post, it's coming on Tuesday so I can take a day to recover from NYE. I'll give you a teaser for tomorrow's post, though: Marauders.<br />
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Here's to 2018, may it be ever so much better than 2017!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-69564874207637189252017-12-26T01:01:00.002-08:002017-12-26T01:01:21.079-08:00End of 2017 Holiday BreakHi, all! No blog post this week, I'm spending time with family and getting ahead of my 2018 posts. Enjoy the holidays, and I'll be back with more Mage goodness in the new year!<br />
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<br />R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-62825277379299602672017-12-18T13:15:00.000-08:002017-12-18T13:15:24.420-08:00Gladius of the Defender, A Homebrew Mage: The Ascension WonderWonders that instruct or help with mundane tasks are great, but sometimes you need something you can count on in a fight, am I right?<br />
<br />Below is a Wonder I made for just such a purpose. Created for the mentor of one of my players, it may get passed on to him in the course of our gameplay, should anything dire happen in the course of the chronicle. (Dire? In the World of Darkness? Bwahahahaha!) Feel free to use it in your own Mage game, along with <a href="https://rblemoyne.blogspot.com/search/label/stats" target="_blank">any of the Mage creations I've posted previously</a> and will likely post in the future. And if you do use any of them, please tell me all about it!<br />
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<br /><b>Gladius of the Defender</b><br /><i>4-point Artifact</i><br />
<i></i><br />When Inez Lellouche first joined the Knights of Radamanthys in the Chakravanti shortly before the Reckoning, her mentor Aramus gifted her with a remarkable Wonder that she has used as both focus and weapon in the course of her duties. This blade, a classical gladius, was passed on to Aramus from his mentor, and Inez will pass it on to her student when the time comes. In the meantime, it is an essential part of her arsenal as bodyguard to her chantryleader, and as mentor to her young charge.<br />
<br />In the hands of a Sleeper, this is just a short, wide-bladed sword that does Strength+2 damage. However, when the blade is unsheathed by a mage, it guides the wielder's sword arm to block, parry, and/or deflect any incoming physical attack, whether from melee or ranged, bullet or energy weapon, up to a number of times equal to their Dexterity rating each round of combat. The mage may make a free reflexive defense action to roll Arete (difficulty 5) and add each success to any roll used to dodge or block a direct attack. If all successes of the incoming blow are negated, the attack is deflected harmlessly, but scoring additional successes means the sword deflects the incoming attack back at the attacker. Damage for the counterattack is rolled as normal, adding each success beyond those necessary to negate the original attack roll as extra damage dice. However, failing the Arete roll does not trigger the artifact's counterattack effect but still permits the free defense roll, and botching the roll prevents the free defense roll entirely.<br />
<br />Use of this weapon can become vulgar depending on the attack being deflected. While it is ineffective against non-targeted attacks such as fire, smoke or falling debris, it can potentially deflect attacks from military-grade weaponry, up to and including guided missiles. Care should be taken in regards to when and where the blade's power is used.<br />R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-1169943963679145382017-12-11T17:30:00.000-08:002017-12-11T17:30:24.466-08:00The Magick System of Mage Part 2, or "Wait, There's MORE?!"I could spend a blog post a week writing about the Mage: The Ascension magick system for two full months, and still not cover every facet of that magnificent free-form system. There's so much good stuff that <a href="https://www.patreon.com/philbrucato" target="_blank">Satyros Phil Brucato</a> put into M20 and its books that it would be impossible to do them all justice here, but there are key components that might not jump out at you when faced with chapters of rules crunch. Here's another piece of the magick system that you should know when choosing Spheres for your character.<br />
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Last month, I posted <a href="http://rblemoyne.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-magick-system-of-mage-or-what-do.html" target="_blank">a breakdown of the Sphere system</a> at the core of the magick system. And last week, you may have noticed that <a href="http://rblemoyne.blogspot.com/2017/12/nates-avatar-trance-club-mix-homebrew.html" target="_blank">the primer I posted</a> listed one of those Spheres (Time) with a number next to it (1). But what does Time 1 mean in the context of the magick system? I'm so glad you asked!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, Bill, what are you- THAT WAS MY KEYBOARD!!!</td></tr>
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Each of the nine Spheres listed on a character sheet has five dots next to them. Each dot represents one rank in that Sphere, a measure of how skilled your mage is at manipulating that facet of reality. Max ranks denotes mastery of that Sphere, and no ranks means your mage hasn't learned how to do anything with it yet. The more Spheres you have ranks in, the more versatile you'll be in casting magick.<br />
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But what does each dot signify? Is this like Starfleet or something, where the more pips you have, the higher your rank? Well, yeah, kinda. The breakdown looks something like this:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Rank 1: Extrasensory Perception</b> - Considered a "sight beyond sight" rank, the first dot in a Sphere lets you perceive it in an enhanced manner. For example, Time 1 would let you see exactly what time it is without a watch or sun/moon position, Spirit 1 would let you see un-manifested ghosts around you, Forces 1 would reveal the source of sound or lightwaves, etc.<br />
<b>Rank 2: Minor Manipulation</b> - Once a mage can see the Spheres in a different way, they can start interacting with them in small ways. Life 2 would let you heal yourself, but not others. Forces 2 would let you direct sources of light and sound to aid in stealth. Correspondence 2 would let you affect something that is nearby but not in your immediate field of vision.<br />
<b>Rank 3: Greater Control</b> - Rank 3 is when a mage learns how to affect those Spheres in more obvious ways, effecting other people, places and things. Forces 3 would let you transform heat into cold and light into sound. Entropy 3 allows you to throw around blessings and curses. Matter 3 would let you convert copper into gold.<br />
<b>Rank 4: Major Command</b> - This is when magick starts to get big and noticeable, affecting the Spheres in profound ways. Mind 4 allows for mind control, or astrally projecting yourself elsewhere. Prime 4 would let you drain a place of power of all its magickal energy. Forces 4 can affect weather patterns, either clearing up clouds or turning them into rainclouds.<br />
<b>Rank 5: Ultimate Mastery</b> - The pinnacle of the Sphere ranks, mastery of a Sphere means you know that facet of reality inside and out and can use it to miraculous effect. If you can imagine it, you can do it. Everything from creating duplicates of yourself to pocket realities falls within the rank 5 effects, including time travel... though ultimate power also comes with ultimate consequence if it's abused.</blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a hell of a paradox backlash, Genie.</td></tr>
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And that's how the Sphere ranks work! Using the above guide, you can form your own magickal effects for whatever best fits your character. For example, if you have a mage who wants to teleport himself between his home and his chantry, you would use Correspondence 3 to jump between those two locations, or Correspondence 4 to create a stable portal that others could also use to travel between those locations instantly. If you just wanted to pull your keys from one location to another, however, you'd just use Correspondence 2, and maybe Matter 1 to make sure it was keys that came through instead of something else.<br />
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Got any questions about Sphere ranks and how they work? Ask them below and I'll be happy to answer them!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-15372289616163217792017-12-05T14:35:00.002-08:002017-12-05T14:39:48.623-08:00Nate's Avatar Trance Club Mix, A Homebrew Mage: The Ascension WonderOne of the fun bits of Mage: The Ascension is creating magickal items that your character and others can use in-game. Collectively called Wonders, these include everything from minor charms and primers to powerful talismans and artifacts. They can be purchased at character creation through the Wonder Background trait, or acquired through the course of the game. Some mages specialize in Wonder creation, and your character can either seek them out to have one made especially for them or become a crafter of Wonders yourself.<br />
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There are whole Mage sourcebooks dedicated to magickal items. <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/462/Technomancers-Toybox" target="_blank">The Technomancer's Toybox</a> and <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/132/Forged-by-Dragons-Fire" target="_blank">Forged By Dragon's Fire</a> contain some cool (if technologically dated) stuff, and the more recent <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/214133/M20-The-Book-of-Secrets" target="_blank">Book of Secrets</a> has a chapter with up-to-date Wonders and the rules associated with them. Below is a homebrew Wonder created for my chronicle, presented for inclusion in your own Mage game or as inspiration for your own Wonder. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Nate's Avatar Trance Club Mix (Primer)</b><br />
<i>2-point Wonder (Arete 1, Time 1)</i><br />
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Traditionally, when one thinks of a grimoire, the image of dusty tomes of forgotten lore springs to mind. One might even consider the oral grimoires of Traditions who pass information down verbally instead of written record. Very few mages, if any, would think of a mix tape as a grimoire, but that was exactly the inspiration behind Nate's Avatar Trance Club Mix.<br />
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An Ecstatic of some renown, Nathaniel "Nate" DeLaurentis was a musician and DJ who traveled the world and beyond until he met his end in the Horizon War. Before the Reckoning took him, however, he crafted a CD of his life's work, a legacy left to his chantrymates in San Francisco. Every week, the new chantryleader plays the full collection at the nightclub connected to their holdings and watches the crowd for those who are stirred to Awakening by the eclectic mix.<br />
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Lovingly mixed by Nate as a compilation of original works that blend from one song into the next, each piece of the club mix was inspired by his own Awakening. The first track hooks a listener with a simple but catchy beat, and the tracks that follow lead them through the chaos of discovery, the shock of Awakening, and finally the joy of ecstasy. Through each track, the bassline evokes the Lakashim, the divine pulse that thrums through all of Creation. And as a bonus track, Nate added a curious piece that imparts a unique way of perceiving Time through music with creative use of looping and repeating rhythms from earlier tracks.<br />
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Any musically-inclined mage may benefit from the primer, but the Sahajiya have a special connection to its usage. For obvious reasons, mages who are hearing impaired are unable to make use of this primer.R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-23965211845082489452017-11-27T15:40:00.000-08:002017-11-27T15:48:43.373-08:00Shadow Scryers, A Homebrew Mage: The Ascension SpiritOfficial supplements are great, but they're not comprehensive. Sometimes you need a creature or NPC that doesn't exist in available books, or you need to tweak something that exists to fit your chronicle better, or maybe you just want to throw something unexpected at your players. In that case, you might just need to build something new to drop into your game.<br />
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That's how I ended up with the Shadow Scryers.<br />
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Below is the information I wrote up for the homemade spirit I created for my latest Mage chronicle. Feel free to use it in your own games, or tweak it for your own purposes. Enjoy!<br />
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<i>"Look, shut up a second and listen to me. I'm not safe here. Call it paranoia or whatever, but I swear, when I left Blake's hidey-hole with the relic, something followed me and I can't seem to-"</i><br />
<i><br />Malcolm whirled, certain he saw something moving at the edge of his vision. The motel room was empty of anything that shouldn't be there, other than himself, the cell phone he was using to check in with his pal, and his bag by the door, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was watching him.</i><br />
<i><br />"...I have to go. If you don't hear back from me in one hour, get to the chantry and get help."</i><br />
<i><br />He hung up his cell phone, then opened up his custom camera app and scrolled through the different filters. First Material, then Flora/Fauna, and on and on. When he cycled to Spiritus, Malcolm nearly dropped his phone. Standing in the far corner was a tall, slender, shadowy humanoid figure staring at him with milky white eyes.</i><br />
<i><br />Swallowing his fear, Malcolm moved slowly, cautiously, toward the door, silently praying that whatever that thing was, it wasn’t easily provoked. He glanced away only for a second to grab his bag, the one hiding the stolen relic, the spirit's empty eyes following him all the while.</i><br />
<i><br />Unlocking the door made the spirit's head tilt ever so slightly, but it made no movement to intervene. That was fine by Malcolm. He opened the door just wide enough to slip through, then sprinted the rest of the way to his car and peeled out of the parking lot.</i><br />
<i><br />And still he felt as though he was being watched.</i><br />
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Much like their close Sendings cousins, Shadow Scryers are spirits compelled to serve a specific purpose. Where Sendings are messengers – disembodied communications with images and voices but no set form to speak of – Shadow Scryers are spies, intended to quickly locate and quietly observe a person or place and report back their findings.<br />
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Spotted easily enough by mages well-versed in the spirit ways, those with only a heightened awareness of their surroundings might catch fleeting glimpses of movement in their peripheral vision. When discovered, a Shadow Scryer continues observing until action is taken against it. When attacked, it defaults to the flight category of "fight or flight" reactions, sometimes instilling sudden and crippling terror prior to fleeing, to better avoid being pursued.<br />
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Shadow Scryers vary in appearance, taking the form of urban legends, mythical creatures, ghostly figures, even aspects of long forgotten gods and mages. Despite their name, they are not formed from shadow, although they do prefer darkened corners when spying. Although these entities appear to have some form of sentience and survival instincts, their silence makes discerning their true purpose all but impossible.<br />
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In game terms, Shadow Scryers can be summoned and compelled to act by any mage as per the Spirit/Dimensional Science Spheres. These spirits make ideal eyes and ears for those who wish to avoid direct attention, but still want to gather information from afar. It should be noted that these entities are not fighters, but their instincts strongly deter those from following the spirit back to its mage master.<br />
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Willpower 3, Rage 4, Gnosis 10, Essence 25<br />
Charms: Flee, Influence, Soul Reading, Terror, TrackR. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-38398003731088701482017-11-20T16:36:00.000-08:002017-11-20T16:36:18.321-08:00The Magick System of Mage, or "What Do You Mean, There's No Spell List?!""Mages are supposed to have spell lists, right? Where's the spell list for Mage?"<br />
<br />The short answer is, there is no spell list. At least, not like you'd find in a game like D&D.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jareth is totally a D&D sorcerer multiclassed as bard.</td></tr>
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<br />The long answer is, Mage's magick system is so robust and versatile that a simple spell list really wouldn't do it justice. Since this game assumes you're playing a mage, there's no need to call attention to whether you're playing a sorcerer or a cleric as you might in other games. There's no spell slots to keep track of, no daily limit to the amount of spells you can cast, no need to mark down which ones you can use for the day... in short, Mage is all about making your mage a badass who can cast a wide variety of spells, not just a short list of them.<br />
<br />Instead, Mage's freeform magick system revolves around two important mechanics: Spheres and Arete. The Spheres embody the nine spheres of influence (get it?) that mages can use in their magick. These are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Correspondence - the Sphere of spatial location. Any spell that you want to cast over a distance greater than line of sight will use this Sphere, such as scrying, teleportation, or co-location.</li>
<li>Entropy - the Sphere of probability and decay. Any spell that affects chance or fortune will use this Sphere, from curses and blessings that affect people's luck to affecting the health or decay of a person or thing.</li>
<li>Forces - the Sphere of energies and elements. Any spell that incorporates fire, electricity, radiation, wind, gravity, light or sound will use this Sphere, from invisibility to cones of silence to changing the weather.</li>
<li>Life - the Sphere of organic patterns. Any spell that affects a living creature, person or animal, will use this Sphere, including healing magicks, shapeshifting, or altering someone's apperance or physical attributes.</li>
<li>Matter - the Sphere of inorganic patterns. Any spell that affects non-living material, from chairs to buildings (even corpses, for you necromancer types) will use this Sphere to conjure and shape them as you please.</li>
<li>Mind - the Sphere of mental prowess. Any spell that affects the mental faculties, either yours or someone else's, will use this Sphere, from creating simple illusions to outright mind control and manipulation.</li>
<li>Prime - the Sphere of raw magickal power. Any spell that creates something from nothing will use this Sphere, in addition to enchanting people or items, fueling magickal attacks, and powerful countermagick defenses.</li>
<li>Spirit - the Sphere of the Otherworlds. Any spell that affects spirits, ghosts, and the realms outside of and beyond the physical will use this Sphere, in addition to travel to other worlds and realities.</li>
<li>Time - the Sphere of temporal location. Any spell that you want to send forward or backward in time uses this Sphere, which is useful for precognition, speeding up your reaction time, and even freezing another spell to go off under special circumstances.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aang excels at the Forces Sphere.</td></tr>
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<br />
Any time a mage casts magick, they'll use the above Spheres to figure out if they can pull it off. If you're lacking ranks in a particular Sphere, you may have to get creative to come up with an alternate way to pull it off, pending Storyteller approval. Fortunately, the Spheres overlap with each other in significant ways, and a truly creative player can do a lot with just a few ranks. While it's tempting to throw a lot of points into Spheres so you can do crazy things with them, there IS a game mechanic in place to make sure players don't go too wild with power. That mechanic is Arete.<br />
<br />Arete is like the "cast magic" trait of Mage. The higher the score, the more your mage understands how reality works and how it can be shaped by the Spheres. As a result, you can't have more ranks in a Sphere than you have dots in Arete. If your Arete is 3, none of your Spheres can have a rating higher than that. That's also the highest rating you can have as a beginning character, and it's the most expensive trait to raise with experience points as the game goes on. Sorry, power gamers.<br />
<br />Arete is also a rolled trait. Unlike the Spheres, which are primarily a way of tracking what your character knows, Arete is a reflection of what they can do. If we're going off of the aforementioned Arete 3, that's 3 dice you'll roll to cast an effect, versus a target number of the Storyteller's determination. The more dice you roll that meet or exceed that target number, the more successes you'll be able to put toward making a strong magickal effect.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's because Willow needs to raise her Arete instead of her other traits.</td></tr>
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<br />For example, one of my players wants to scry into a nearby building. He wants to look beyond his line of sight and through the walls blocking his vision to get a better idea of the layout. Correspondence is used in this effect for sensing beyond his immediate area, and Matter is used to get a measure of the physical structure itself. If he wanted to take note of how many people are inside, he'd throw Life into the mix, but he doesn't have that Sphere yet, so he'll settle for the building layout. To cast the effect, he'd roll his Arete of 2 and hope for at least one success if he's in a hurry, or take his time with it to roll multiple times and accumulate successes for the effect.<br />
<br />There's a bunch of other smaller things that go into casting magick in Mage, but those two elements are at the center of it all. Once you wrap your brain around those, the rest is gravy.<br />
<br />Do you have any questions about the core of Mage's magick system, or how it's used in actual play? Post them in the comments below and I'll jump on those lickety-split!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-59401644431492303222017-11-13T14:33:00.001-08:002017-11-13T14:33:42.084-08:00Street Level Mage vs. Epic Fantasy Mage, or "This Is Gonna Get Weird."If you've been playing/running Mage: The Ascension for as long as I have, you may have noticed a sharp tonal shift between <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/1/White-Wolf/subcategory/1_6530/Mage-The-Ascension-2nd-Edition" target="_blank">Mage 1st and 2nd Edition</a> (or pre-revised) books and <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/1/White-Wolf/subcategory/1_6531/Mage-The-Ascension-Revised" target="_blank">Mage Revised</a> (AKA 3rd Edition) books. There's even a slight tonal shift between Mage's 1st and 2nd Editions, but it's not nearly as abrupt or impactful on Mage's overall setting. And for those who have never played any of those editions, or only played one of them, let me nutshell this shift for you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"...Not quite what I meant, but close."</td></tr>
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<br />In Mage's pre-revised editions, things were weird. 1st Edition kicked it off with the <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/40/Book-of-Chantries" target="_blank">Book of Chantries</a>, which introduced some pretty "out there" concepts such as animate castles housing a cult of assassins and a proto-Hogwarts of politics and power stationed on a realm tied to Mars (the planet, not the Greek god), and the first <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/115/Digital-Web" target="_blank">Digital Web</a> book that introduced us to a realm where the internet was a virtual cyberpunk world unto itself. Mage 2nd Edition continued that trend with <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/156/Horizon-the-Stronghold-of-Hope" target="_blank">Horizon: Stronghold of Hope</a>, <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/62217/Beyond-the-Barriers-The-Book-of-Worlds" target="_blank">Beyond the Barriers: The Book of Worlds</a>, and <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/841/Digital-Web-20" target="_blank">Digital Web 2.0</a>, all of which threw open the doors of possibility and invited players and Storytellers alike to take their games out of the familiar and into some truly weird worlds where anything is possible. Want to throw your mages into a video game? How about an epic battle on the deck of a spaceship against alien horrors? How about an old-fashioned trek through mystical lands filled to the brim with creatures that you've only heard about in myths and legend? All of that is doable in Mage, and more!<br />
<br />Then Mage Revised came along and slammed those doors shut with a heavy gust of wind from the Avatar Storm. This plot element, designed to make crossing over into these fascinating and bizarre worlds more difficult, was part of an effort to ground the game in the same gritty, vicious streets of the World of Darkness' flagship game, <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4261/Onyx-Path-Publishing/subcategory/8329_20632/Vampire-20th-Anniversary" target="_blank">Vampire: The Masquerade</a>. As a result, Mage Revised only gave us one book on the worlds beyond, <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/166/Infinite-Tapestry" target="_blank">The Infinite Tapestry</a>, and that tome was not nearly as extensive as the Book of Worlds was.<br />
<br />Now, I like Vampire just as much as the next WoD fan, but Mage is so much more than just the cityscapes and the wilderness between them. Forcing that narrow view on longtime fans of the game felt insulting, as if we were being told that our style of play was wrong and that surviving the mean streets was the only way to really play Mage.<br />
<br />I'm here to tell you, both playstyles are valid.<br />
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<br />Street level Mage is a great way to introduce those new to RPGs and/or the World of Darkness to the setting. Starting off in the familiar is not nearly as jarring as throwing players immediately into a bizarre high fantasy setting that is completely foreign to them. There can still be weirdness in the dark corners of familiar cities, and as the players become more comfortable with their surroundings, you can gradually build up to the unique and wondrous vistas that Mage is known for in 2nd Edition. Or, you can choose to ignore those other worlds. If the gritty, urban fantasy-style focus of Mage Revised is your cup of tea, that's valid, too. There's plenty of story to be told on the earthly plane without taking your player's characters out of the world they know, and the concerns of humanity are much more relevant to mages than those in worlds beyond.<br />
<br />Likewise, there's nothing wrong with the fantastical approach to Mage, so long as everyone understands that this is not D&D and you can't just run screaming at a dragon and expect to survive thanks to oodles of hit points. Even in its most high fantasy settings of gryphons and airships and floating castles, there's an element to Mage that drives home how human these characters really are. Despite their reality-bending powers, mages are still mortals who can be felled with one well-placed bullet, or one careless step on a rickety bridge, or one tragic encounter with the wrong creature. But they are also capable of amazing feats of resourcefulness and invention, and for centuries have crafted otherworldly vistas beyond the earthly plane. It's a tragedy not to showcase, even just once, the worlds that mages can make possible.<br />
<br />In the end, this should be an agreement made with your players as to what sort of Mage game they're going to be playing. It'd be upsetting to players who want to focus on earthly goals if they spend all their time exploring alien civilizations, and the same is true of those expecting a true wizard's journey into unknown worlds if they never leave their city of origin. Talk it over with them and try to accommodate their expectations.<br />
<br />And remember, there's no harm in letting things get a little weird for a few sessions.<br />
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<br />Do you have any questions about street-level Mage vs. epic fantasy Mage? Post them in the comments below and I'll happily answer them all!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-85500043093671243672017-11-06T10:00:00.000-08:002017-11-06T13:09:09.509-08:00And Now For Something A Little DifferentMy talented partner, SB, is planning on running a tabletop game set in the World of Warcraft, and I've already made my character. I haven't played <a href="http://wowwiki.wikia.com/wiki/World_of_Warcraft:_The_Roleplaying_Game" target="_blank">World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game</a> in many, many years. It was my introduction to WoW, strangely enough, and the game that got me interested in checking out the MMO to see what it was all about and to explore the world that I was only imagining around a table. While I've played off and on since the days of the Burning Crusade expansion and the introduction of blood elves, it'll be nice to jump back into that world with more creative freedom than an MMO typically allows.<br />
<br />
While we don't have a start date for the first game yet, I've started preparing for our eventual first session by writing up a short bio/intro for my character, Cynlan Dawnstrider. Inspired by the character vignettes that used to open every episode of <a href="https://geekandsundry.com/critical-role-episode-1/" target="_blank">Critical Role</a>, I decided I was going to hit the highlights of who my character is and what major events shaped him into the character the other players will eventually meet. I've also decided to share that intro with you all below, along with an image of the character I'll be playing, generated from in-game assets with the help of <a href="http://www.wowhead.com/dressing-room#Va0M0zJ8VRRco9m87T" target="_blank">Wowhead's dressing room</a> feature.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<i>Like most blood elves, Cynlan was once a high elf born into a magister family - House Dawnstrider, to be exact - to parents who had mastered the magical arts. Unlike most blood elves, Cynlan had no talent for the arcane and quickly earned himself a place of ridicule in the family. He did, however, discover a knack for working with metal, and soon grew that talent into a skill for engineering. Little did he know just how valuable that pursuit would be once Arthas set his sights on Quel'Thalas on his path to becoming the Lich King.</i><br />
<i><br />His family dead and his home in ruins, Cynlan eagerly joined with the United Blood Elf Engineers' Union and pledged his services to their surviving ruler, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider. In the process, he was swept up in an unfolding chain of events not of his making, events that severed the newly renamed blood elves' ties to the Alliance who wrongfully imprisoned them... events that allied them with Lady Vashj and Illidan Stormrage in Outland.</i><br />
<i><br />Ill-prepared to deal with the hardships of Outland and slowly falling under the sway of the fel energy needed to stave off a crippling mana addiction, Cynlan was desperate for a means to return home and regain some semblance of normality. He found the perfect opportunity as part of the unit that delivered a captured naaru to Silvermoon City as a source of power to curb their addiction. With the bulk of the city's reconstruction handled already, Cynlan languished without a purpose... until one day, the call went out to recruit for a new organization to protect the Quel'dorei from the forces of darkness: The Blood Knight Order.</i><br />
<i><br />Now having discovered an affinity for divine magic that rivals his parents' talent for its arcane counterpart, Cynlan Dawnstrider rose through the ranks, first becoming known as a dragon slayer, then becoming renown as a Champion of the Order. Augmenting his combat training with engineered wonders, Cynlan puts the "knight" in Blood Knight, and stands ready to protect his people from any evil that dares threaten them.</i><br />
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<br />R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-85959112930725536342017-10-30T15:27:00.000-07:002017-10-30T16:25:15.750-07:00Running a Technocracy Game, or "Are We Bad Guys or Good Guys?"The World of Darkness, despite its name (or maybe because of it) is not black and white. There's no clear-cut good and evil like you have in D&D. Quite the opposite, there's a whole spectrum of gray that exists in the WoD, and within every Mage faction. The Traditions can be bad guys, and their longtime adversaries can be the heroes. This blog entry is going to look at how to flip the expectations of a Mage game to run a Technocratic Union chronicle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You didn't know about level 7? There's a lot you don't know about the Union."</td></tr>
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<br />
To start, the Technocracy has noble origins that carry over to its modern incarnation. Their core mission statement is simple: Protect humanity from the evils of the world. This is commonly defined as supernatural creatures such as vampires, werewolves, ghosts, spirits, faeries, and anything that seeks to harm or dominate humanity. Unfortunately, that also includes mages.<br />
<br />
"But wait, aren't Technocrats mages? They use Spheres to create effects just like the Traditions, right?" Yes and no. While the Mage game system is the same, the Technocracy has its own non-magickal terminology. They don't gather in chantries or cabals, they organize themselves by construct and amalgam. Technocrats don't belong to Traditions, they are a part of a Convention of like-minded people. They don't cast magick, they enact procedures. And so on and so forth, separating themselves from anything potentially mystickal about who and what they are.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Except for the Harbingers of Avalon, but that's a whole other story.</td></tr>
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"But how do you reconcile the fact that they've been the bad guys in Mage since first edition?" Here's where we get into those shades of gray. Like any large organization, the Union has good people and bad people within it. Most of those bad people are commonly encountered by the Traditions, and that's okay. The Technocracy also has good people with enough common sense to realize that an open hand can be just as effective as a closed fist. And even the actions of good people can be viewed as horrible to those on the wrong side of their acts. I'm pretty sure the vampire caught feeding on a hapless mortal is going to paint the Technocracy as the bad guys when they rush in to save that person. Just be careful if you start getting lenient with the things that go bump in the night. Control keeps tabs on every agent in the Union, and excessive breaches of their protocols will earn an agent a quick trip to Room 101 for conditioning to bring them back in line with the Technocracy's goals. (But even then, local protocols can be amended for special circumstances.)<br />
<br />
And hey, sometimes it can be fun to play the bad guys. If you want to embrace the ruthless, faceless side of the Technocracy and steamroll the Traditions, go for it! There's nothing saying you have to be a goody two-shoes in a suit, and cutting loose against those hated Reality Deviants may be just what you're looking for. There's no wrong way to play the Technocracy, as long as you keep their core concept of "protectors of humanity" front and center.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More like protectors of the status quo, amirite?</td></tr>
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A Technocracy game might be a good place to start a group that doesn't want to buy into the whole metaphysical mumbo-jumbo of esoteric pratices and "magick with a k" style of gameplay. If your group likes unofficial government agency stories like S.H.I.E.L.D., Kingsman, and the like, the Technocratic Union might be just what they're looking for. Aside from the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149562/Mage-The-Ascension-20th-Anniversary-Edition?" target="_blank">Mage 20 corebook</a> and <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/214133/M20-The-Book-of-Secrets" target="_blank">Book of Secrets</a>, I'd recommend the Guide to the Technocracy and the assorted original and revised Convention books for this type of game, <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/187968/Technocratic-Union-BUNDLE" target="_blank">bundled together conveniently at DriveThruRPG</a>!<br />
<br />
Got any specific questions about running a Technocracy-centric Mage game? Drop 'em in the comments section below, and I'll answer them in detail!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-62393371110959415732017-10-24T16:03:00.001-07:002017-10-24T16:10:23.138-07:00Running a Nine Traditions Game, or "What's Our Goal Here?"Considered by some as the "default good guys" of Mage, the Nine Mystick Traditions are the most prominent faction and the one which most (but certainly not all) sourcebooks are written for in general. But what should you know when running a game that focuses exclusively on the Traditions?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ooK0hMSZnYQ/We_FWLeDdGI/AAAAAAAABCk/-sB-yW7KPVEpmp-szcMOnU3UIXNOuiXaQCLcBGAs/s1600/not%2Bsavages.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="245" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ooK0hMSZnYQ/We_FWLeDdGI/AAAAAAAABCk/-sB-yW7KPVEpmp-szcMOnU3UIXNOuiXaQCLcBGAs/s1600/not%2Bsavages.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, yes, but let's go deeper than that, Mordo.</td></tr>
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For starters, let's take an abridged look at their reason for being. The Nine Traditions came together back in the 1400s because the Order of Reason (the precursor to the Technocracy) saw how humanity lived in fear under certain mystickal practices and sought to do something about it. The Order went on a sorcerer's crusade to dispel superstitious thinking with reason and science, and to break the hold that wizards and druids and the like held over the populace. In so doing, they waged war on anyone who even looked like they were influencing communities with magick. In desperation, some of these magickal traditions reached out to others of like mind across the world, and they banded together to protect each other from the Order of Reason and to maintain the wonders of the world.<br />
<br />
How does that translate to your game? Well, the Traditions and the Technocratic Union have been fighting a war for the fate of humanity over the past 500+ years. That makes them natural antagonists to spur your mages to action. Whether they're moving against your mages directly in the form of Black Suits and cyborgs, or indirectly in the form of financial or bureaucratic manipulation, the Technocracy is always looking for ways to eliminate the presence of "reality deviants" in their area.<br />
<br />
Technocrats aren't the only threats to the Traditions, however. Marauders wreck havoc wherever they roam, endangering lives with their very presence and weakening the stability of reality itself. Nephandi actively work to destroy the world, and have a reputation for working with independent cults and infiltrating organizations like the Traditions to achieve their goals. And there are always spirits, ghosts, demons, and other unspeakable horrors that slip through the cracks of reality to threaten the world.<br />
<br />
All that aside, maybe the greatest threat to the Traditions is humanity itself. There's a reason that the Nine Traditions keep themselves and their magicks secret from those who have not yet Awakened, even as they struggle to help enlighten them, and that's because humanity has always feared the power that mages wield. You only have to look back through history at the various real-world inquisitions and witch hunts to know that there will always be those who will attack any openly-practicing mage because they don't fit humanity's narrow definition of normal. This threat can be non-Awakened authorities, religious leaders, landlords, neighbors, even their friends and family. Anyone could cause the Traditions a lot of trouble if they're properly motivated, despite a mage's best intentions. Anyone could be an antagonist.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jkJCeiKGHos/We_FWanCNrI/AAAAAAAABCo/-kYXwh1ViF8p0nuo6on4MftWtIqkYftKACLcBGAs/s1600/mob.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="407" height="235" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jkJCeiKGHos/We_FWanCNrI/AAAAAAAABCo/-kYXwh1ViF8p0nuo6on4MftWtIqkYftKACLcBGAs/s320/mob.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because every World of Darkness game pits a fearful populace against your character.</td></tr>
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<br />
Beyond antagonists, the <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149562/Mage-The-Ascension-20th-Anniversary-Edition" target="_blank">Mage 20 corebook</a> and the <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/214133/M20-The-Book-of-Secrets" target="_blank">Mage 20 Book of Secrets</a> contains ample and current information on each of the traditions, their structure, justice system, areas of influence and more. The Mage Revised sourcebook <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/3046/Guide-to-the-Traditions" target="_blank">Guide to the Traditions</a> also offers a wealth of information on the Traditions around the time of the turn-of-the-century Reckoning, and there are the various <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=traditions+gathered&cPath=1_6529&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=" target="_blank">original</a> and <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/134717/Mage-Revised-Traditions-BUNDLE?cPath=1_6531" target="_blank">revised</a> Tradition books that offer a more in-depth look at each individual Tradition and their history, practices, and goals.<br />
<br />
Got any specific questions about running a Tradition-centric Mage game? Drop 'em in the comments section below, and I'll answer them in detail!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-64907699028060350062017-10-17T13:35:00.000-07:002017-10-17T13:35:39.832-07:00Following Up That First Session, or "Where Do I Go From Here?"Congrats, you've just run your first Mage game and things didn't go horribly wrong! The next game session is planned, the group goes home, and... now what?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lx-uFtQxv2M/WeZlwkCuSSI/AAAAAAAABB8/U-yX7MayGJk01laBeYj7NKEdOm9mx5HHACLcBGAs/s1600/stranger-things-end%2Bof%2Bgame.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lx-uFtQxv2M/WeZlwkCuSSI/AAAAAAAABB8/U-yX7MayGJk01laBeYj7NKEdOm9mx5HHACLcBGAs/s320/stranger-things-end%2Bof%2Bgame.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yay, we finished the first session and still like each other!"</td></tr>
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<br />First of all, before anything else, take notes on how the game session ended so you can pick up from where you left off at the start of the next session. Where the characters are, which NPCs are involved in the scene, and any other details that will be relevant to reference when you run the game again. Unless you have the world's best memory, jotting down a few notes will help you maintain continuity between sessions and helps to avoid disagreements, especially if you had to end in the middle of an encounter.<br />
<br />Not everything has to remain exactly the same between sessions, however. Learn from the first session to address areas that might need some work. If you're trying to go for a political plot, but your players are itching for a fight, it's time to revisit your game notes and adjust accordingly. Pay close attention to the things your players latched onto in the first session. If a player wants to learn more about a particular piece of lore, find a way to make that happen. Giving the players a path to achieve their goals will help keep them invested in the game. Be careful not to give them everything all at once, though. Don't overwhelm your players. Moderation is good for longevity.<br />
<br />Likewise, make sure your players are happy with the characters they want to play. If something need to be fixed on a character sheet, it's better to do that early on than it is after several sessions have passed. Let the players shift points around if they want so they can play the character they want to play. There's few things players hate more than feeling as though they're locked into a character that doesn't feel like it measures up to what they imagined.<br />
<br />
Also, some quick tips regarding rules:<br /><ul>
<li>Are there certain rules bogging the session down as they're referenced again and again? Bookmark the ones you need to consult most often so you can skip straight to them instead of having to remember if they're on page 353 or 535.</li>
<li>Do your players ask for the book every few minutes to figure out how the magic system works? Print out a copy of the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/131409/Mage-The-Ascension-20th-Anniversary-Edition-Quickstart?" target="_blank">Mage Quickstart</a> for them, specifically the rules bits so they can have their own quick reference.</li>
<li>Are there any rules that seem needlessly complicated to you? Change 'em, or ditch 'em completely. House rules are common fixes at any game table to tailor things more to your group's play style. Just make sure you stay consistent with them.</li>
<li>And always remember the Golden Rule: <b>The rules are what you want them to be.</b> No more, no less. They're a guideline to telling an awesome story with your players, but if they get in the way, change them or ignore them. You're the Storyteller. What you say, not some rulebook, is what matters.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MrL3_Wx3ov4/WeZnq9nBllI/AAAAAAAABCA/IeHc7a04frQo0Vfd4afWBvk8XBO1SchvQCLcBGAs/s1600/rules%2Bguidelines.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="500" height="132" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MrL3_Wx3ov4/WeZnq9nBllI/AAAAAAAABCA/IeHc7a04frQo0Vfd4afWBvk8XBO1SchvQCLcBGAs/s320/rules%2Bguidelines.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listen to Barbossa, folks, he knows what's what.</td></tr>
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<br />Now that we have the basics of game prep hammered out, it's time to step it up a notch and get into the details of Mage: The Ascension with the next entry. If you have specific questions about any elements of Mage's sprawling setting or rules system, drop them in the comments below or over at my <a href="http://shadownessence.org/index.php?/topic/36691-traditions-ascendant-a-mage-20-game/" target="_blank">chronicle thread on the Shadownessence forum</a>!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-55578641888676968722017-10-09T13:36:00.001-07:002017-10-10T12:58:41.187-07:00The First Game Session, or "Herding Cats is Hard!"OK, you've got your players, and they have their character sheets. You're all gathered 'round the gaming table (virtual or actual) and you're ready to start them on their grand adventure. You get their attention from behind your ST screen and the conversation quiets so the game can begin. All eyes are on you. No pressure.<br />
<br />
HAHAHAHAHAHA who am I kidding? Have ALL THE PRESSURE.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1zJ21hvFh8s/WdvW93hFw9I/AAAAAAAABBU/_dSTZq_0qmYRfxQaC3dnCmeHMw-9TGTzwCLcBGAs/s1600/pressure%2Bpressure.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="498" height="158" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1zJ21hvFh8s/WdvW93hFw9I/AAAAAAAABBU/_dSTZq_0qmYRfxQaC3dnCmeHMw-9TGTzwCLcBGAs/s400/pressure%2Bpressure.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You said it, Jen.</td></tr>
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<br />
The first game session sets the tone for everything that follows. You're introducing the players to your style of running games, they're getting to field test how well the dots on their sheet translate into the character they want to play, everyone's getting a feel for the setting and the rules and maybe even each other if you've never gamed together before. That's a lot of first impressions to balance, and we haven't even factored in everyone's play style and player personalities, let alone character personalities and how all of this clashes in the moment.<br />
<br />
Running a Mage game can feel like herding cats sometimes. So, here's some tips on how to bring your gaming catnip to the table:<br />
<ul>
<li>Have a "cheat sheet" of minor story ideas (AKA subplots in the writing parlance) to throw at your players. Not everything in Mage has to be world-shaking horror. Smaller, street-level problems and moral quandries are especially good for the first few games, building up to the bigger stuff later on. My very first game with this new Mage group started with helping a kid who was being chased by two suited thugs, and escalated from there.<br /> </li>
<li>Encourage your players to form their own bonds of friendship. If your mages are in the same chantry like mine are, odds are good they've seen each other at least once, and may at least know each other as acquaintances prior to game start. Who knows who, and for how long? They don't need to be the best of friends right at the start, but they don't have to be perfect strangers, either.<br /> </li>
<li>Set the atmosphere. Don't forget to throw in a little something for all 5 senses. What does the night air smell like? What sounds fill the air, both near and afar? Perception and Alertness checks aren't just for what the characters see. Important clues can come in any form, from the coppery taste of blood to the squish of something under their shoes. For Awareness checks, describe that feeling of hair standing up on the back of their neck, or the power emanating from something or someone.<br /> </li>
<li>Don't have your players roll for every little thing. The rules are there to help move the story along, not to get in the way of a good time. Simple or obvious tasks don't need a roll unless there's some circumstance that would cause them to otherwise fail. For example, unlocking a car door normally doesn't need a roll, unless that player is unlocking their car door in a hurry before a Nephandi descends on them with death and terror.<br /> </li>
<li>When the rules get in the way of telling the best story possible, fudge 'em. That's why there's a screen for those running games - all your players need to know is that you're rolling dice. That doesn't mean you have to stick to that result. If you just rolled all successes on a damage roll, and that result would kill that character, scale it back to just incapacitating them.<br /> </li>
<li>And while we're on the subject of killing characters, this should never be your goal. Put the characters through hell, absolutely, but character death just because of a bad roll is anticlimactic and punishes the player for something beyond their control. Fudge those rules, or at the very least, check in with the player to see if they're OK with the character dying. Offer to have them go out in a blaze of glory, or make one last proclamation (or death curse!) before their character passes into the Great Beyond. Character death should have impact, either in-game or, even better, emotionally with the players. I still tear up thinking about the "last will" I wrote and read aloud to the group my character sacrificed himself to save.</li>
</ul>
Last but certainly not least, don't forget to have fun! Games should be fun, whether you're playing or running. Mage is a storytelling game, so as long as you and your players are enjoying the story and having a blast, that's a win!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eQMOlWqFgR8/WdvZVJgzy5I/AAAAAAAABBY/XX8QujZ_J0YBAKQPMbFWFObr_21nWTVDgCLcBGAs/s1600/cat%2Bherding.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="500" height="193" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eQMOlWqFgR8/WdvZVJgzy5I/AAAAAAAABBY/XX8QujZ_J0YBAKQPMbFWFObr_21nWTVDgCLcBGAs/s400/cat%2Bherding.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now you, too, can herd your own cats - er, players!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next up: How do you follow that first session? Where do you go from there? If you have specific questions, and I mean <u>any</u> kind of questions about running a Mage game, drop them in the comments below or over at my <a href="http://shadownessence.org/index.php?/topic/36691-traditions-ascendant-a-mage-20-game/" target="_blank">chronicle thread on the Shadownessence forum</a>!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-46732179017210028092017-10-02T12:47:00.000-07:002017-10-02T12:47:22.164-07:00Consent and Gaming: A "How to Run Mage" InterludeBefore the first game session, before any dice are rolled, it's important to establish a place of safety and trust for your players. That means establishing boundaries.<br />
<br />Back when I first started playing tabletop games, consent was not ever discussed. We were young teens playing <a href="http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade" target="_blank">Vampire: The Masquerade</a>, a World of Darkness game by White Wolf Publishing. We were playing monsters in a setting that's supposed to be dark and deadly. This character is draining blood from this hapless mortal! That character just frenzied and ripped that NPC's limbs off! Rawr, edgy and dark and what monsters we are, rawr! No boundaries, this is totally a mature game setting, grow a pair and get to being a tortured soul in an evil and dangerous world!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/65/6b/1e/656b1ecd92c51fa7fb3ac484c2719569--sabbat-blood-moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="195" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/65/6b/1e/656b1ecd92c51fa7fb3ac484c2719569--sabbat-blood-moon.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And that's not even getting into the Sabbat vampires like this one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />As we grew older and matured, however, we understood that there are some topics that are off-limits to some people. Everyone's threshold for tolerating adult subject matters is different, and this should be taken into account by everyone around the table, especially the person running the game.<br />
<br />One of the first questions I asked my gaming group before we even started the first Mage session was, "Are there things I should know to steer clear of in this game, things that might make you super uncomfortable or pull you out of the enjoyment of the moment?" It's a simple but important question. What are the "hard pass" topics among your group? What would they like to avoid confronting even in a safe, controlled fictional environment? Which messed up scenarios are OK, and which are off the table? Knowing the answer and respecting your group's boundaries goes a long way toward making game night a safe and trusted place to relax and really get into each session.<br />
<br />If the discussion of consent isn't initiated by anyone else, speak up. Lead the charge. Make sure that your voice is heard and that your limits are respected. Failing to respect your fellow gamers in that regard can derail a game session real fast, and could cost you a player (or a friend) in the process.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.askideas.com/media/79/Group-Of-Care-Bears-Facebook-Timeline-Cover-Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="670" height="128" src="https://www.askideas.com/media/79/Group-Of-Care-Bears-Facebook-Timeline-Cover-Picture.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your game does not need to be Care-A-Lot, but it does need consent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />GMs, if you find that someone is starting to feel very uncomfortable with something happening in-game, it costs nothing to call for a quick break to check in with them. If someone is deliberately making someone else uncomfortable, call for a break and take them aside to ask them to knock it off. If they persist in making others uncomfortable, it's time to ask them to leave.<br />
<br />Players, you have no obligation to stick it out if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable in a gaming group. That goes double for your GM. What do you do if the GM is forcing you to confront something in the game that is a hard pass for you? Remove yourself from that situation and find a gaming group that is more respectful of your comfort zone.<br />
<br />In the end, running tabletop RPGs isn't a job, it's a hobby. A game. And shouldn't the gaming table be a place where everyone can come together and have fun?R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-84480402588178824892017-09-27T14:08:00.000-07:002017-09-27T16:15:33.576-07:00Mage Character Creation, or "What cast of characters am I working with?"So you've got players, and you've got an idea of what kind of game you're going to run for them. Grab those character sheets and pencils, it's time to crack open the rulebook and get to character creation!<br />
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<br />
My intent here isn't to rehash what the rulebook says about creating a character. Point allocation is covered pretty well within those pages. No, my goal here is to dip into the deeper meaning behind all those dots, to get to the core of what character creation really is, especially in regards to Mage: The Ascension.<br />
<br />
In D&D, you don't really have to get deep into who a character is, beyond picking a race and class and rolling up stats. Your elven ranger doesn't need to have an epic motivation to go dungeon-delving, and if all you want to do is roll dice and kill monsters, more power to you. But the heart of Mage is the idea that their magic powers are borne from belief and the strength of will to turn an idea into reality, and that kind of information lives in a character's concept and backstory.<br />
<br />
Now, that isn't to say that you need an essay from each player on who their character is (although the rulebook does provide several questions for the players to answer if they want to deep dive into what makes their characters tick). It does help if they can give you a brief character concept as a basis for what they want to play. They don't necessarily need to know exactly which Tradition they want to play right at the start, so long as they know what kind of character they want to play. Does one want to play a mad scientist type? Does someone want to play a Harry Potter type mage? Does another want to play a shaman, or a neo-pagan, or a martial arts master? Once they figure out what they want to play, you can help each player figure out the details of what allows them to use magic in the game.<br />
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Once concept is in place, point allocation becomes less of grabbing stuff that looks cool and more of what supports the vision of that character idea. Not that grabbing cool stuff should be denied! By all means, permit your Hollow One player to have a raven familiar and let your Etherite adventurer have his ray gun weapon. But don't allow your Dreamspeaker player to get Requisitions or Alternate Identity just because. There should be a reason behind every dot on that sheet, even if that answer is "My DJ Ecstatic has 2 dots in Firearms because her father owned guns and made sure his teenage daughter knew how to use them."<br />
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I was lucky - even though my Mage game is online, I was able to help half of my players with character creation in person. The other two who couldn't complete this step in person created their characters over voice chat with the book on hand. This took a little longer to do, what with scheduling and all, but it all worked out and each player was able to email me a PDF copy of their character sheet for reference, along with a brief history of their character. In the end, we ended up with (below, from left to right) Vhara, an Akashayana yoga instructor; Nathan, a Chakravanti photographer; Kai, a neo-pagan Verbenae; and Alina, an ex-military Virtual Adept.<br />
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And just like that, the characters assemble and we're ready to game! If you have any questions about specific parts of the character creation system, post them below or over at <a href="http://shadownessence.org/index.php?/topic/36691-traditions-ascendant-a-mage-20-game/" target="_blank">my chronicle's Shadownessence thread</a>! Next up, the first game session!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-53981249980117842882017-09-21T15:08:00.000-07:002017-09-21T15:08:33.920-07:00My Thoughts on the Comic Book Adaptations of the 21st Century<div data-contents="true">
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<span data-offset-key="29ae0-0-0"><span data-text="true">In the wake of the flood of superhero TV we're getting from ABC, the CW, Netflix and soon more, I've come to a decision - I'm not going to watch anything and everything comic book related anymore.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4ijdp-0-0"><span data-text="true">There once was a time when I absolutely would. Gleefully. Hungrily. I'd devour comic book movies and TV show to support what used to be a very niche market, and the better of them I'd rewatch to help support putting better comic book fare in multimedia. In my teens, I watched the crappy Judge Dredd movie, then watched the far superior Dredd of a few years back several times. I've watched every Marvel movie for years, even before the MCU was an idea. I've watched every Batman and Superman movie for years, even when they were utter crap.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="d006m-0-0"><span data-text="true">Now, here we are. For the most part, comic book movies are far better than they've ever been. They're not an afterthought to appease a rabid fanbase that just wants to see Spider-Man swing across a New York skyline, or mutants waging war with crazy superpowers. There's still some bad ones out there, but now they're the exception, not the rule. Video game movies still need to get there, but at least comic book movies have arrived. They're mainstream. They're everywhere, in movie theaters, on TV shows, and there's only going to be more.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="o0tn-0-0"><span data-text="true">So, yeah, given the glut of comic book adaptations making their way to screens big and small, I don't feel like I have to watch them all. I can choose which ones I want to put my money and time toward, to show support for the best of them as opposed to all of them. No more dragging myself through stories like Iron Fist just because I feel like I have to, a sentiment I've felt with the upcoming Inhumans show. I can watch The Flash without having to follow along with Arrow and not feel bad about it.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="890v1-0-0"><span data-text="true">We'll see if others follow suit, and how comic book adaptations fare from that.</span></span></div>
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R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7783574673248656831.post-19367506141399821882017-09-18T16:59:00.000-07:002017-09-19T22:43:15.548-07:00Mage Game Planning, or "I should probably figure out what my game is about, huh?"Running a game isn't just a matter of having a rulebook, some players, and lots of dice. A good GM screen helps, too, amirite?<br />
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But seriously, it helps to know what sort of game you want to run, and what your players are interested in playing, before you start your first session.<br />
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Mage: The Ascension is a multi-layered Black Forest Cake of story possibilities, with several playable factions, diverse character concepts, and a multiverse of settings and time periods to use as the backdrop of a game. From gangs to gods, back alleys to alien worlds, and whatever else your imagination can conjure, Mage has you covered. Add to that the flood of rules, both standard and optional, provided in the 20th Anniversary Edition and you have everything you need to run any sort of game you could imagine. So, where does an enterprising Storyteller begin?<br />
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First, you should have some idea of what you're comfortable running. If all your players want to play <a href="http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Technocratic_Union" target="_blank">Technocratic Union</a> agents when you're more comfortable keeping the focus on the <a href="http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Council_of_Nine_Mystic_Traditions" target="_blank">Nine Mystick Traditions</a>, your game is going to have problems. Which factions are off-limits? Are you keeping things street-level, or going for more of an epic scope? Starting level characters, or more powerful characters? Are there any areas/powers that you would mark off-limits? Are there any game ideas that your players would prefer over others, or places they don't want to go in their games?<br />
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For my Mage game, I knew I wanted to run a chronicle firmly within the rules and setting established in the Mage 20th Anniversary rulebook. I also knew I wanted to use the wealth of Mage material I had collected over the years, and to introduce my players to both rules and game world gradually so as not to overwhelm the new players with everything at once. The ultimate goal, to give the game an ever-widening epic scope that the players could fall into easily, with each session pushing their characters deeper into events that would determine the fate of reality itself.<br />
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I was flexible as to faction - traditionally (heh), I've run games using the Traditions and the <a href="http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Disparate_Alliance" target="_blank">Disparates</a>, but I've always wanted to run a Technocracy chronicle. I left that decision up to my players, some of whom were new to the idea of Mage, with these two options:<br />
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<b>* M:tA - Traditions Ascendant</b>: Mage is a game of urban fantasy, where magic is real and changes the fabric of reality itself. In Traditions Ascendant, you would play a mage of the Nine Mystick Traditions, sworn to keep the fire of ancient magic alive in a world growing increasingly tech-centric. Be careful how you work your will in public, though, lest you attract all the wrong sort of attention!<br />
<b>* M:tA - Technocracy Ascendant</b>: As above, but instead of playing a Tradition mage, you would play a newly recruited agent of the Technocratic Union. The Technocracy has sworn to protect humanity from supernatural threats, and it'll take every ounce of your considerable will - not to mention advanced scientific Procedures - to get the job done. Just don't call what you do magic or you might end up on their list of Reality Deviants, too!</blockquote>
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My players unanimously voted for the Traditions option, which helped to shape the direction of my epic game narrative. I opted for basic character creation rules, no merits or flaws to complicate things, and from there, it was just a matter of settling on a date for game.<br />
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I had my players, I had the general gist of the game I wanted to run, now it was time to flesh out more of those details with player characters! We'll delve into that in the next installment. Post any questions you might have below, or over at my <a href="http://shadownessence.org/index.php?/topic/36691-traditions-ascendant-a-mage-20-game/" target="_blank">chronicle thread on Shadownessence</a>, and I'll be happy to address them all!R. B. LeMoynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15948612848495591090noreply@blogger.com0