cWoD without any Supernaturals?

[Tytalus]

What would happen to the cWoD if, say, circa 1945, the end of WW2, something happened that wiped out about 99.9% to 99.999% of all supernatural* beings in the cWoD?

I was only ever an M:tA and V:tM player back in the day, and am not sure what kind of repurcussions would be felt over time. The reason I ask is I want to run a Mage game set about 1990, where the PCs are a group of precocious young teenagers who are dealing with "monsters" of some type or another in their small town.

My general feeling is that over time, spirits and other nasty critters from Umbral realms would make their way to the world and cause, well, problems.

In terms of what actually got rid of the supernaturals, I'm not sure what could be justified in terms of actual in game rules. I'm strongly leaning towards some kind of plot macguffin and mystery that the PCs will solve later on.

*Supernatural definition: Changlings, Dhampir, Ghouls, Kinfolk, Mages, Mummies, Revenants, Shifters, Sorcerors, Vampires - anything with physical form. I'm not sure if it's too much of a stretch to say Spirits, Umbroods and Wraiths that were on earth during "The Event."

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions welcome.

[Aleph]

Any war or event that could wipe out the supernatural would also wipe out most of humanity.

Unless it's targeted against the supernatural in a way that can only affect them, and can't be related to humans in any way.

Like the ToJ: Ascencion plot where the Ka Luon steal all the Avatars of Mages, sending them to their own dimension where they can't return thus effectively ending Mages on Earth w/o anyone noticing (even mages notice this too late, that's how subtle they were)

You would need to make a "targeted threat" that's targeted to every splat rather than just mages, though. Or perhaps a combo of different treaths. Maybe the Ka Luon attacked mages and the same day Caine awoke and decided he doesn't like what vampires have been doing, and went all "withering for everyone"...and so on.

[Iguazu]

Any war or event that could wipe out the supernatural would also wipe out most of humanity. I've ST games in which all the players were mortals and only a few had psychic-powers from the HH & VtM:PG. Most of my players, sadly, were already indoctrinated on the powers of a vampire and did not fully appreciate the edge they had in mortal-society by simply having a few psychic-powers.

Edit: Also, a game without supernaturals is like playing NWoD, corebook.

[Tytalus]

As stated up thread, it could be an interesting low power thread. Something along the lines of Stranger Things. Also as pointed out up thread, this probably leaves the Wraiths as the dominate splat in the setting. And as for most of the other splats have been Thanos-vanished, the probably did leave a lot of things behind and unattended. Such as vampire havens, werewolf klaves, mage books, etc.

Yes, I was thinking much more along the lines of Stranger things. Also you are correct, that vamp/mage/WW/etc/ *magic items* are still around, and may be empowering mortals and causing problems.

Let me submit some thoughts for your consideration:

1 Did whatever happened to cull the Supernaturals happen specifically on Earth, or could it have been a larger scale phenomenon?

2 It the event was focused on Earth, did it also reverberate through the Umbra to affect other worlds and realms?

3 Could something as alien as Threat Null or the Ka Luon be headed toward Earth in response to what they assume was an attack?

4 Could such an alien invasion be the main focus of a chronicle at first, with the reveal that this is the World of Darkness withheld for a dramatic reveal later?

1. Possibly, might make sense if it was.

2. Possibly

3. no idea

4. Interesting, though I wasn't thinking of going that direction...

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

As stated up thread, it could be an interesting low power thread. Something along the lines of Stranger Things. Also as pointed out up thread, this probably leaves the Wraiths as the dominate splat in the setting. And as for most of the other splats have been Thanos-vanished, the probably did leave a lot of things behind and unattended. Such as vampire havens, werewolf klaves, mage books, etc.

[Reasor]

Let me submit some thoughts for your consideration:

Did whatever happened to cull the Supernaturals happen specifically on Earth, or could it have been a larger scale phenomenon?

It the event was focused on Earth, did it also reverberate through the Umbra to affect other worlds and realms?

Could something as alien as Threat Null or the Ka Luon be headed toward Earth in response to what they assume was an attack?

Could such an alien invasion be the main focus of a chronicle at first, with the reveal that this is the World of Darkness withheld for a dramatic reveal later?

[Tytalus]

I'm bumping this for further information, as I might actually run this game soon.

[Matt the Bruins fan]

Wraiths only really care about the things they cared for in their real lives. What you should worry about is the fact that the Wyrm gets free reign of that setting. It's probably a postapocalyptic wasteland ruled by Fomori and materialized Nexus Crawlers.

In a WtA game, maybe. In a Mage or Vampire-centric game where every box of breakfast cereal doesn't come with a massive bane spirit as a gift with purchase I'd imagine interaction with the spirit world would get very quiet, what with basically everyone capable of summoning spirits to this side of the Gauntlet gone.

[Ajax]

2004 - "The Year in Which Nothing Really Memorable Happened." The 20th century equivalent of 1493 or 1067.... Or SO THEY THINK!

Also, back to the OP, no reason not to get rid of the wraiths as well, Orpheus-style. In fact Orpheus seems to tackle what you're talking about on some level. People keep dying so there are new Wraiths, but all that's left in the Shadowlands is the rising Specter threat. Much like a world without Garou might have some darker Spirits crawling in through the cracks. Are all the vamps in torpor gone too or might a few be waking up... maybe the weakest made it through and the strongest got fired in situ. Are any Kinfolk having future Garou babies? Are any pre-Change Garou Kinfolk having their First Change? Etc.

[von Lyttenburgh]

What would happen to the cWoD if, say, circa 1945, the end of WW2, something happened that wiped out about 99.9% to 99.999% of all supernatural* beings in the cWoD?

I was only ever an M:tA and V:tM player back in the day, and am not sure what kind of repurcussions would be felt over time. The reason I ask is I want to run a Mage game set about 1990, where the PCs are a group of precocious young teenagers who are dealing with "monsters" of some type or another in their small town.

My general feeling is that over time, spirits and other nasty critters from Umbral realms would make their way to the world and cause, well, problems.

In terms of what actually got rid of the supernaturals, I'm not sure what could be justified in terms of actual in game rules. I'm strongly leaning towards some kind of plot macguffin and mystery that the PCs will solve later on.

*Supernatural definition: Changlings, Dhampir, Ghouls, Kinfolk, Mages, Mummies, Revenants, Shifters, Sorcerors, Vampires - anything with physical form. I'm not sure if it's too much of a stretch to say Spirits, Umbroods and Wraiths that were on earth during "The Event."

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions welcome.

The concept is really... weird.

1) Mummies will, probably, just "respawn" after a short stint in Duat. Which, surpsisingly, will make them the only powerful supernatural group in this strange new WoD.

2) What about perfectly normal fols, that were just "tagging along" with supernaturals? I mean, "Blood Dolls" and Masquarade breaking significant others, who knew about the supernatural? What about perfectlly normal Custos/Prols, who were servants/technicians for Traditions/Technocracy? What about members of Hunter organizations, both "mundane" and with some "goodies"?

Actually, I had an idea for "Project Twillight" (turned up to 11 to resemble Taskforce: Valkyrie more) chronicle, set in alternative 2008, 4 years after Red Star's sudden disappearance. The fun thing - it appears that no mortal can remember this year well. Strange weirdeness and news reports of 2003-04 are dismissed as "hoaxes" - even a temporal decrease in the births of girls. Rare supernaturals encountered by the governmental hunters are either too young and rootles, without real knowledge of previous enevts, or really unrealiable narrators.

And meanwhile US of A are having a presidential campaing for re-election of Arthur Palatine in the full swing...

[Asmodai]

Wraiths only really care about the things they cared for in their real lives. What you should worry about is the fact that the Wyrm gets free reign of that setting. It's probably a postapocalyptic wasteland ruled by Fomori and materialized Nexus Crawlers.

[Tytalus]

This could be an interesting setting for a very low-powered sort of setting. A handful of rare possessed and maybe the odd Risen popping up, but other than that, no vampires, werewolves or willworkers.

The idea I'm going for is that New Awakenings are happening - and the Orphans are starting to cause Problems. There have been a FEW surviving members of other Supernatural groups, but the organizations they used to belong to are completely gone.

So... Wraiths and whatnot really wouldn't be creating some kind of new world influencing level conspiracy?

[The Laughing Stranger]

*Supernatural definition: Changlings, Dhampir, Ghouls, Kinfolk, Mages, Mummies, Revenants, Shifters, Sorcerors, Vampires - anything with physical form. I'm not sure if it's too much of a stretch to say Spirits, Umbroods and Wraiths that were on earth during "The Event."

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions welcome.

If that is the criteria, the world belongs to the wraiths and their Hierarchy/Hierarchy equivalent. Few ghosts are active in the skinlands at any given time, and a lot of the older ones spend all or almost all of their time in the underworld. Wraiths aren't supposed to stumble back into the living world anyway. Spirits (and umbrood, same difference, really) are probably not going to take much interest in humanity, but some of the less pleasant ephemeral creatures are likely to keep possessing people and making Mockeries/Fomori.

This could be an interesting setting for a very low-powered sort of setting. A handful of rare possessed and maybe the odd Risen popping up, but other than that, no vampires, werewolves or willworkers.

[atamajakki]

World of Darkness without the supernatural is just a vaguely shittier version of reality. I don't see the point; it's like asking for a latte without milk.