Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter

[DSPaul]

I have to admit I’m also slightly disappointed by the uncoordinated, disjointed nature of what we’ve seen so far. It has the loose, “toolkit” feel of the early first edition CoD games. I prefer the tighter, more focused feel of the 2e revisions, so this feels like a step backwards. Beast had the same problem. (It’s not the ONLY problem Beast had, but let’s not get into that right now.)

I realize the dilemma the designers were in — they have twelve different game lines to coordinate, and finite time and resources (and page count!) with which to do so. Not to mention that each game has its own distinct themes and its own perspective on the common setting. It’s very difficult to do full justice to all of them without someone feeling left out. “Mage Supremecy” (or whatever) works for a book in the Mage line or a campaign where most PCs are mages, but if you try to apply it on a larger scale... well, there’s a reason why WoD fandom at its height was so prone to crossover-related flame wars, and why earlier CoD development took such a cautious attitude towards the issue. But you can’t be all things to all people, and at some point you’ve got to decide where to focus your attention.

I may be too pessemistic. We’ve still only seen a few short previews of the book, and it’s quite possible things will really start to click when we get more context. Even in the worst-case scenario, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of interesting material to borrow or adapt to my own games. But what we’ve seen so far doesn’t grab me quite as hard as I was expecting.

(I was harping about the Introduction earlier because, in my experience, that’s the best place for the “elevator pitch.” You know — “He’s a vampire, she’s a werewolf, they fight Cronenbergian mutants created by a mysterious virus!” Not necessarily a detailed summary, but something that gives first time readers a concrete idea of what to expect. Right now, the Contagion Chronicle doesn’t really HAVE that. I’d be a lot more confident if it did,)

[Primordial newcomer]

as you said in the 3rd paragraph, let's have patience. the contagion is supposed to have a number of forms and effects and the game is in a very young state right now. as we know, the mage supremacy thing may actually (or really, should be) be circumvented as the contagion can do things such as give normal humans the power of mages (going from a pastor's words having the same effect as mages spells)

[Leliel]

I'm getting the vague feeling I'm the only one whose main question is "Okay, let's see where this goes."

It's not just that Iufenamun's weird, it's that his presence seems warped towards a vampiric nature which mummies aren't quite inclined to crossing powersets with. What's more is that this is a pretty brazen display against the Law of Shadow, more brazen than even the White Jackal played at. Why the hell isn't this mummy afraid of what his peers will do?

There's something odd about all of this, something off kilter, and I wanna see where this goes, at least.

You aren't the only one. I just think the previews should have included a "What Does The Contagion Do" sidebar first.

[Mateus]

I feel that we might have been expecting the contagion to be something. But having read multiple of these books can you say that Vampire defines a vampire? Or Mage defines a mage?

Maybe this book is like all the others: freeform possibility of a conflict that would require a group of supernaturals to tackle, understand, use, stave off?

A new chapter to add to our many stories.

[tasti man LH]

I'm getting the vague feeling I'm the only one whose main question is "Okay, let's see where this goes."

Seriously.

We've been doing this for, how many KSs now? Why are we still making absolute judgement calls on only pieces of the work without having the full work available for context?

Calm down people.

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

This so far seems to be positing an iteration of the CofD world in which the supernatural splats are on the whole more clued in about each other than usual, and I like that. Though I suspect some of the smaller and more extreme groups would have trouble surviving in a more open environment.

...the Crucible is bothering me a bit, because all the other False faction writeups make it very clear how each of them is using the Contagion to get what they want, while the Crucible writeup seems to me to be making it very very clear that they would rather gnaw their collective arms off than do anything other than destroy or quarantine anything that might be contaminated. They don't fit with the Sworn, but they don't appear False either? Or am I missing something?

[nofather]

I think there's some irony in the fact that they are so vehemently against the Contagion that they're part of a coalition devoted to its existence (even if their goal is the end of its existence).

They would at least have knowledge of the Contagion, so they would be able to tell what to look out for. But they seem to exist in a pretty clear antagonist space. In the stories about a monster rampage, alien invasion, or some sort of disease, they are the ones pushing for the nuclear option, to get rid of everything, while the others are the people who would be pointing out that there's people in there who can be saved, there's so much to learn about it, that a nuclear option might not work, or even might make things worse. Though obviously there's always the chance in a specific situation that the Crucible's way is the only way, however horrible the circumstances may be for the PCs.

It looks like in the history chapter (and the settings) we'll see how some of the factions have butted heads in the past, and how deep their knowledge goes, or doesn't. While something like the Rosetta Society likely shares knowledge among its members, it's probably not something they spread to others in their y-splats (Order, covenant, whatever) freely.

[ArcaneArts]

Changeling Bridge Burners, but writ-large.

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

I think there's some irony in the fact that they are so vehemently against the Contagion that they're part of a coalition devoted to its existence (even if their goal is the end of its existence).

See, that's my problem. I'm not seeing any reason at all for them to be part of the False and not fighting them tooth and nail.

Absolute contradiction isn't irony, and the only thing I'm seeing is absolute contradiction.

[ArcaneArts]

See, that's my problem. I'm not seeing any reason at all for them to be part of the False and not fighting them tooth and nail.

Absolute contradiction isn't irony, and the only thing I'm seeing is absolute contradiction.

They're False for the same reason Bridge Burners are "loyalists"-they're not, really, but they're so damn destructive you can't easily claim them as Sworn. Reality has gotta be left standing for it to be a meaningful attitude, and the Initiative....kind of sucks at that.

Besides, some of this depends on what, exactly, Contagion can do as a Vector. THey might still utilize it in a way that is counter to Sworn perspectives even if it fulfills theirs.

[nofather]

See, that's my problem. I'm not seeing any reason at all for them to be part of the False and not fighting them tooth and nail.

The False isn't like an organized coalition. The different groups are, but it's not as if they've all signed a False Agreement. It seems more like the Left-Handed in Mage (or as ArcaneArts says, calling Bridgeburners loyalists), labeling them False is an easy way to say 'They're the people who don't do what we want.' Or 'they're wrong.'

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

Aren't the False organizations also defined as using Contagion directly? Because if they are, then I find the classification hard to swallow in light of their writeup. If not, then I can calm down.

Sorry about this.

[nofather]

Aren't the False organizations also defined as using Contagion directly? Because if they are, then I find the classification hard to swallow in light of their writeup. If not, then I can calm down.

It doesn't seem to be something they're defined by as much as something these groups can do. The history section will likely talk about past False organizations and delve more into origins for the terms.

'Vector: Contagion. All False wield dominion over the Contagion itself, each in their own ways.'

We have no idea what Vectors are (I think it's in next Tuesday's release) but you can see in the examples of 'Who We Are' how some of them already use the Contagion to find more ways to seek it out or help destroy it, specifically the alchemist and Ordo Dracul, and more implied by the angel and Insatiable.

No need to be sorry. Wanting to know more is great.

[wyrdhamster]

Crucible Initiative is also Cheiron Group - and we know why they work that way. They say they hunting monsters, saving world - but in reality, they take out monsters body parts, for themselves. To me that is majority of Crucible - they SAY they are saving world from Contagion - when, in reality, they gain knowledge and power. Even their best ‘virulogist’ is best in ‘taking care off of Contagion’, because, in secret, he want’s to know EVERYTHING about this thing. He is ready to infect people or monsters to understand it, as we seen in preview. Group started as Angels and Werewolves alliance, so they driven by destruction of target – but it’s not that they only do this to killing things. It’s EXACTLY as with Sacred Hunt in Werewolves themselves – they NEED to do this, but they make it from much more reasons than simple bloodshed. In that light - yes, Crucible are False in using Contagion as a tool - tool to better themselves.

[Dataweaver]

As I understand it, the False are defined more by what they don't have: they don't have Vectors. Which, when we finally get to see them (Monday?), I suspect will turn out to be rooted in the Contagion somehow. That would be why the Crucible doesn't have a Vector: they're so anti-Contagion that they reject even special anti-Contagion countermeasures as a form of the Contagion.