Addicted to Mystery: What do you want to see in the Fallen World Chronicles?

[proindrakenzol]

My group had an interesting idea when discussing how to actually make Orders unique. In addition to the "Order Status" merit you keep track of political clout, there would also be an "Order Affinity (whatever order)" merit, which gauged the level of dedication you had to the Orders Teachings. It would be capped at "Order Status" +1-2 dots (we couldn't decide), to reflect that the greatest secrets of an order would be hidden from those who didn't have at least a modicum of good standing, while also making it so that you didn't have to be the regional head of the order to be fully invested in learning its skills. The merit would start at 1 dot, maxing out at 5 (except maybe for Exemplar Archmages of that Order). Each dot would carry a bonus or unique merit/ability, or maybe a boost to certain existing merits. You could never have a total of more than 5 of any Order Affinity, with going any higher requiring you to give up dots in one affinity or the other. So while a high level Arrow with Order Affinity(Adamantine Arrow) 4 who was kicked out could still use all his training, he would not be able to go above the Order Affinity of 1 in any other Order (we did this so as to story wise reflect that each order shapes your thinking, and if you hold on to your old order, you can't really move up in the new one. Mechanically, balance).

So a Silver Ladder mage may gain may have the first dot be "Cryptology" which allows the Silver Ladder mage to utilize the orders influence to gain +1 Status in a particular organization for a scene, and an additional +1 at dots three and 5 of affinity (so +3 at level 5 affinity). To activate this, the mage must spend one mana or offer up another resource, to reflect the favor being paid to whoever in the Order pulled the strings, and would not be able to boost there status in organizations that weren't under the Silver Ladders influence. The next dot would give another ability, such as allowing the Silver Ladder to use "Lex Magica" to their adavantage, reflected in a +2 for all persuasion attempts based on compelling other Orders based on the laws (Obviously not effective on Scelesti or Seers, and maybe not always on FC per storyteller discretion). Each additional dot would give new abilities or skills, each reflecting the perks of the order and the training in becoming a member. So, an Arrow may start at dot 1 as gaining access to Oaths (with the maximum value of an Oath=Order Affinity), offset paradox in combat situations at dot 2 (-1 paradox at dot 2, -2 at dot 4 only in combat) by using the symbols in the conflict to reinforce their imago, learn how to channel spells into physical attacks and weapons at dot 3, etc. A mysterium mage may gain basic access to the local atheneum at 1 dot (Atheneum dots=Order Affinity), at 2 dots be able to cast unveiling and knowing spells with +2 potency (+4 at 4 dots), be able to "take out" artifacts from the atheneum at dot 3 for the cost of favors/mana/etc., and so on.

None of these would drastically change the magic system, but it would make both the orders purposes clerer and make their reason for guarding their trade secrets so important. It also means that those who get to high Order Affinities would become reflections of what their orders are supposed to be. Obviously, the above are not exactly balanced or exactly what we are going with, but I feel that it would be a simple thing to implement (which we might do anyway).

I think something like Changeling's Court system would actually make more sense. The Order Status Merit itself would grant you access to the abilities of that Order (and the Status would be readjusted so 5 was "fully inducted" and not "grand poo-bah," such things should be purely roleplayed, not bought with merit points, imo) and Order Friendship would allow you limited access to other Order's teachings, representing the fact that the Pentacle Orders are allies.

[Freemind]

I think something like Changeling's Court system would actually make more sense. The Order Status Merit itself would grant you access to the abilities of that Order (and the Status would be readjusted so 5 was "fully inducted" and not "grand poo-bah," such things should be purely roleplayed, not bought with merit points, imo) and Order Friendship would allow you limited access to other Order's teachings, representing the fact that the Pentacle Orders are allies.

That is a good idea. I remember one of the game lines did that, but the player who had the changeling books left our group a while back. Though I thought that Court Status 5 was essentially the King or Queen of the local court...

Anyway, I definitely agree about the roleplaying for status. In my game, I only let you by Order Status merit points after sufficiently roleplaying a rise in rank (which GMC rules make even easier to put into effect, to some extent). The Order Affinity was just because we still wanted something to reflect rank as well, but I definitely wouldn't mind it being completely based on roleplaying (maybe giving a title for the player to put down on the sheet).

[Foolish Milex]

With the attention given to Supernal entities in this book, I'm wondering how their summoning is going to look from an in-character perspective. I see the Arcana requirements are the same, but will they be more widely known and easier to call (albeit still harder than equal-rank spirits)?

[Errol216]

I finished the consolidation and formatting. I'll start culling the RPGNet stuff soon. I need a break first. I read the two AMA's today and I am reminded of how much I hate Reddit's GUI.

This consolidates all Dave B posts from this thread through this point.

http://lunavoco.com/RPGs/MtFWCNotes.docx

Could I persuade you to upload that to Google Docs or something?

[Freemind]

Basic principes of nuParadox -


* While Sleepers witnessing obvious magic adds Paradox dice, we don't have a distinction between vulgar and covert in the spell descriptions any more.

One question about this: If I disguise my spells in such a way that it isn't obvious, will I be able to cast them in front of sleepers without incurring additional paradox? So if an Obrimos carries around an empty flare gun, can he use it to shoot small but extremely hot fireballs at his leisure without having to worry about sleeper induced paradox, because to the surrounding sleepers just think it is some crazy person firing flares?

[lunavoco]

Dragon's breath shotgun rounds FTW.

[Isator Levi]

One question about this: If I disguise my spells in such a way that it isn't obvious, will I be able to cast them in front of sleepers without incurring additional paradox? So if an Obrimos carries around an empty flare gun, can he use it to shoot small but extremely hot fireballs at his leisure without having to worry about sleeper induced paradox, because to the surrounding sleepers just think it is some crazy person firing flares?

Personally, I think the hiding in plain sight rules are liable to go, since they're really in the same boat as Disbelief in terms of holdovers from Ascension that don't really fit the theme or cosmology.

If you go around shooting fire out of a shotgun, it doesn't matter what the Sleepers think they're seeing; all that matters is that your Supernal magic will resonate with the fragment of the Abyss in their soul, creating a feedback that increases the chance of Paradox. That resonance isn't being filtered through their conscious mind. That it is sometimes plausible for a shotgun to shoot stuff that looks like fire will just be something that their Quiescent minds will be able to latch on to to translate what their sensory data is telling them that goes anywhere other than "it's magic", since that's a conclusion they are barred from forming.

Cloak of the Mundane might be servicable as a form of ritual based around obfuscating the magic, just... it's not the Sleepers that you're trying to conceal it from.

[Isator Levi]

Something I'd like in the book:

A bit more clarity regarding the matter of soul stones, including a stronger sense of how they're made and what's actually at work in the whole Thrall deal.

[Grunt]

Concerning that

Cloak of the Mundane might be servicable as a form of ritual based around obfuscating the magic, just... it's not the Sleepers that you're trying to conceal it from.

Wouldn't that make for an interesting prime attainment. The ability to hide the supernal nature of your spells from the abyss inside sleepers. For a master of Prime, at a reasonable mana-cost and maybe requiring an action prior to casting like high-speech. you'd still get paradox for going beyond your limits, but sleeper witnesses could be ignored if you have the mana and the time.

[Aermas]

I would like to see Rotes being things that help a Mage cast spells Instantly while non-Rote spells take longer. Ways for two Mages to come together & weave something powerful using knowledge they each know. & More Orders or at least sub-Orders. I hate being pigeonholed as much as I do when envisioning a character. An Adamantine Arrow that swaps Intimidation for Persuation, because he is a battlefield leader, not some drill sergeant.

Also can we get some more rules for interesting items? Not items that just mimic a rote. Items that have truely interesting abilities

[Ashenrogue]

I would like to see Rotes being things that help a Mage cast spells Instantly while non-Rote spells take longer. Ways for two Mages to come together & weave something powerful using knowledge they each know. & More Orders or at least sub-Orders. I hate being pigeonholed as much as I do when envisioning a character. An Adamantine Arrow that swaps Intimidation for Persuation, because he is a battlefield leader, not some drill sergeant.

Also can we get some more rules for interesting items? Not items that just mimic a rote. Items that have truely interesting abilities

It's been brought up before and like then, I still think this is the worst thing you could possibly do to the mage line. Instant cast creative thaumaturgy is the heart and soul of this game line. Taking it away, or heavily penalizing it would completely kill mage for me. A complete and total deal breaker the likes of which could never be reconciled.

[Aermas]

Don't get me wrong, I still think a Mage should cast quickly. Without a Rote the could spend one action creating the temporary spell & the next action casting it. I'm not super attached to the idea anyhow. I'm just throwing out suggestions

[Errol216]

lunavoco put together a document with all the Words of DaveB we've gotten so far back on post #1051. You should take a look at what has already been said about how rotes will work. It won't address your ideas directly, but it'll give you some idea of what the plan is.

[Claire Redfield]

"In your hands, the world. In your eyes, the stars. In your soul, the universe. You Awakened to the truth: limitations, barriers, failure, they're all a Lie. With knowledge comes power, and you now have knowledge of your power to change the world. Mysteries abound. Obsessions await. God does not play dice with the universe, but you play God with dice."



You know, I think you'll all be happy with how things work. Of course, I can't tell you, because then I would have to send in the Guardians to clean up the mess.

[That Other Guy]

"In your hands, the world. In your eyes, the stars. In your soul, the universe. You Awakened to the truth: limitations, barriers, failure, they're all a Lie. With knowledge comes power, and you now have knowledge of your power to change the world. Mysteries abound. Obsessions await. God does not play dice with the universe, but you play God with dice."



You know, I think you'll all be happy with how things work. Of course, I can't tell you, because then I would have to send in the Guardians to clean up the mess.

Ok, ive managed to find out some stuff - you see, the secret about Paradox is...

No!

No, wait!

WAIT STOP PLEASE I ONL

move along nothing to see here.