The Engines of Illusion and Dream-Crossover Conspiracy Actions and Projects

[ArcaneArts]

If I don't strike you as a giant fan of the way Deviant's conspiracy rules are also good for simulating the background activities and developments for other organizations in Chronicles of Darkness, particularly for the really big entities like the sects of Awakening, Guilds of Curse, or the Projects of the God-Machine, that's because I'm probably too busy being a curmudgeon in the corner. Regardless, I very much like the idea of using it for Courts, Elysium's, Pack and Lodge politics and more, and now that the Devoted Companion is publically out and it's expanded list of projects and actions is out, I wanted to put it out to the forum to see what sort of actions and projects they'd model with Deviant's Conspiracy rules in the other gamelines.

[21C Hermit]

I don’t have the Devoted Companion (yet…), but the machinations of archmages, Ascended entities (mostly the Exarchs), Rank 6+ ephemerals such as the Firstborn and the Aeons, and all their peers sound promising. Oh, and elder vampires.

[Jester-PFG]

I currently don't have the book yet, but reading this thread gives me hope for something I've been hoping to find: existing mechanics for modelling and tracking background political structures, because I want a way to do things like model the home fronts of warring factions.

Off the bat, I can think of many things I would use a way to model that for, such as a way to represent public support for the war effort, confidence in institutions, and the organization (or the nation's) willingness to continue supporting a war effort, the effectiveness of mass persuasion and the effectiveness of organizational leadership and its ability to keep pace with the chaotic nature of war. This doesn't just extend to things like public opinion of the war following victories and defeats or enduring hardship under occupation or transitioning to a wartime economy, but I also would want to figure out things like resource management. This could go on to include things such as third parties' willingness to trade or share resources with belligerents, or conversely the use of economic sanctions, arms embargos and asset seizures. All of this can really create big effects that add up quick create ripples that can reach down to every single soldier on the battlefield. It would be nice to have some way to track that objectively and introduce game and scoring elements to that process and allow me to gamify what's usually otherwise left to GM fiat.

I'm interested in this since some of my players had suggested turning their attention to home fronts which can present a much more accessible and engaging front to players that aren't war nerds, and it's also a big field where things can add up and create change and let them see the impact of their actions. Focusing in on the home fronts of the belligerents gives me more options for things to play out socially "behind the scenes" while a war is going on through intrigue and politics, which play to Chronicles' strengths. So naturally, something that I could use or even could build upon to do that could really go a long way towards this end.

So if this book sounds like it'll fit the bill, or it could be made to fit the bill if it were granularized and with enough house rules added on top, or you have any advice, please let me know.

[Second Chances]

I am going to put this on my list of things to start thinking about come July. Its a good idea.

[ArcaneArts]

I dunno when I'm gonna get some of my own ideas in here, cause I am busy, but I definitely have Occult Matrices and their Outputs as Projects roughly shaped in my head.

[BronzeDog]

I'm in the same bandwagon. I recently picked up the Devoted Companion and wrote up some of Buena Vista's organizations. The Seasonal Courts are a group of Standing 1 Conspiracies working together, The Panopticon is a God-Machine Facility searching for some fae saboteurs, and the Buena Vista Municipal Government is partially controlled by a Scorpion Cult. Doing the write-up helped me flesh out a few ideas about how they operate. I'm also considering writing up some unclaimed nodes for the various groups to fight over.

I previously wrote down some Surveillance Conditions for changelings who come under suspicion from the Panopticon, and might integrate them with the surveillance part of the Conspiracy mechanics.