Kuzunoha Yukari 死徒二十七祖 The Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors member is offline
"I'm not here."
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 680 Location: Lovely, Overcast Seattle
Mage's Association RPG! « Thread Started on Aug 18, 2004, 4:19am »
EDITTO~!: I'm going to use Mage: The Ascension. Why else would I go through the trouble of transcribing the character creation process? ^_^
And remember: It's called the "Mage's Association RPG."
EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!:
Things you must remember: You are not a candidate for the game until you have sent a Concept! You don't need to send a full-fledged Character Sheet--just a Concept!
We will work on your Character Sheet once you AIM or MSN Messenger me. My profile has all the information you need. A Character is "Registered" once we Chat about it in an IM program.
It's in the Downloads section! This will help you visualize what your character needs and how to arrange you Character Sheet!
We Still Need A Character With A Good Reason For Building A Mage's Association!
We need someone who can convince a skeptical and Ancient Mage that allowing the party to build a Mage Association is a good idea! Remember: The Director of the CWSA has the best interests of the entire City in mind, as well as that of the entire nation! What reason can you think of (pragmatic, idealistic, and so on) might convince her to relenquish control over one of the City's Oases to a young group of Sorcerors?
We need someone who is a Native Of Baymoon City. This person needs to be able to say "I have an ideal and a vision for the future! I have the drive and the motivation to make that vision a reality! I'm going to assemble a group of sympathetic and like-minded individuals, and we're going to found a Mage's Association!"
The Director of the CWSA will accept nothing less.
When chatting with Banquo on the Fate Chronicles post, I came to a realization:
It's possible to play an RPG concerning Magi and other supernaturals of the Nasuverse using two systems I'm quite familiar with: Mage: The Ascension and Ars Magica.
First off, I'm gonna ask whether or not anybody's interested. Second, I'm gonna ask if anybody has open schedules? I mean, honestly, we've got stuff to do in real life, too.
One can look over the rules for Ars Magica. Actually, I can even put it up for download at my personal "dumpload" site. Mage, while simpler, would require explanation, likely in an .rtf file distributed to each player candidate. Or going through the rules via a forum thread.
I've got some old story ideas from the height of my storytelling career, and they'd all translate nicely to the Nasuverse.
Any takers?
EDITTO~!: Well, Banquo asked me for more specifics, I figured I might as well answer here.
Setting: Non-canon Mage's Association. Likely not an established one, and one that is just being assembled, maybe in a palce with no previously mentioned Mage Associations, like a fictional city in America? I have a stock one I use, and it'd work just fine: A Historical Anomaly, an Island city off the coast of north California with, strangely enough, a group of influential Japanese families who've lived there for about a century. Half of the city is Japanese-influenced, half is American-as-we-know-it, and there are pockets of Chinatowns, all of which are poor, dirty, and filled with Chinese.
[Many Chinese children are often picked on by the Japanese kids...]
It replaces Vancouver as the most "Asian" city in North America.
Quest: The trials and tribulations of forming a Mage's Association in the city, with urban problems--mundane and not-so-much-so--rival Magi, a pestering government agency, and greater supernatural threats on the horizon, all wanting a piece of the City's abnormally abundant "magical zones," where Mana is quite plentiful and exceptionally malleable. And why is the City such a nexus of Magic and Mana, anyway?
For what reason the Mage Association is formed--research, clandestine and magical community service, or even for safety from somebody else--is to be decided upon by the players. Information on possible enemies will come both from player backstories and from my own devious machinations. Allies will treated similarly.
I have many old resources from many different RPGs that I'm itching to use. Everything's already framed, and now I just need some players willing to put their own personal spin on it all.
When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt, Run in little circles, wave your hands and shout
Kuzunoha Yukari 死徒二十七祖 The Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors member is offline
"I'm not here."
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 680 Location: Lovely, Overcast Seattle
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #2 on Aug 18, 2004, 4:37am »
Both Mage and Ars Magica have the equivalent of "Mage Associations" built into the rules. They're "Chantries" and "Covenants," respectively. Both are basically the same game, but with differeing systems. GURPS fans might like Ars Magica. White Wolf's Mage is more streamlined, with much less problems for me if I should need to summon up the skill to crunch numbers.
However the Mage Association is treated and percieved as a plot device is entirely up to the players. I can provide aid for ideas and suggestions, if asked. Atlas? Sure. Clock Tower? Gah! Hogwarts? ..... Let's not, unless you all want to... [>_<"]
Is the Association housed in a public Library with a few secret rooms designed to aid in the study of Sorcery, with plentiful tomes concerning the meaning of " "? Or is it a boarding house, in a seedy and poor side of the City, housing Sorcerors, Magi, and other supernaurals (Demon-Hunter-in-training, random psychic who needs a place to stay?) all intent on helping the residents clean up the town? Or are they a secretive group hiding from a Dead Apostle in a Hermetically sealed cordoned-off subway branch that's been converted into a veritable fortress, for the Magi's own safety?
["Hermetic" was a pun. It's actually a real term, but it was also a poke at both Ars Magica and Mage!]
Opportunities for which quests I use will be determined by player choices and input.
Does that help? ^_^
EDITTO~!: Got rid of a typo. And another note:
Both Mage and Ars Magica depend heavily on player input. It's not just about a GM tossing encounters at hapless characters, it's about a group of players and their GM collaborating to create an immersive and enjoyable experience. Of course, if more people are itching to hand more power over to the GM, then I can direct most of the NPC and Environment creation.
So give me input.
--What kind of story do you want told? Epic? Gritty? Suspenseful? Lighthearted? Action-filled? Dramatic?
--What sort of tones and themes? Power and Responsibility? That Which Man Was Not Meant to Know? Rivalling Powers?
--Again, what do you want the Mage Association to be? Purely researchers? Neighborhood helpers? Territorial enforcers? Assemblage on a mission?
--What role will your character play and what sort of connections to the outside world does he or she have? Combat type (magical or mundane?), Sneaky type (criminal or just plain playful?), Healer type (doctor, house matron, new age quack?), Broker type (gets things, people, or info for the group?), Tinkerer type (machinery, magical artifacts, other-people's-magic-circuits?), The Face (smooth talker, diplomatic type?)
The only constants are that the story takes place in the City and all of the characters must be new--or fairly new--to the supernatural lifestyle, with plenty of room to learn. Mage's Associations tend to have their own infrastructures for education and logistics, but your characters have to rely on a few helpful individuals (old tutors from anothe Association? Independent Sorcerors willing to lend a helping hand or two?) and your own wits and personal resources.
As it is with normal Mage and Ars Magica, the players definitely get a lot of say in the matter compared to more widely circulated RPGs.
Also food for thought:
--Has your character ever been involved, directly or otherwise, in a Grail War?
--Has your character ever met, seen, touched, or sniffed an Aozaki?
--Is your character connected to an important family line, and, if so, is he fat, lecherous, and/or devoid of any hybrid powers?
--Do you have a familiar? Is she pedolicious?
--How old is your character, chronologically and/or biologically?
--What is your character's hairstyle and color?
--Why is your character estranged from a more prominent Mages' Association? How about child welfare?
--Is your character literate? And, if so, does he or she wear any pants, whatsoever?
--Though your character is supposed to be fairly new to things like vampires, the church, demon hybrids, how much, precisely, does he know? Was he ever sexually harassed by a mobile, blood-drinking pig-tailed corpse?
--Is your character a dog person, a cat person, or an alligator person?
--Exactly what is the nature of your character's talents? Sorcerous, Hybrid, Psychic, Trained, or Viagra-Induced?
--In what sort of manner do your powers make themselves manifest? Classical Clock Tower Sorcery, Atlasian Alchemical Psychology, Peyote Vision Quests, Exceptionally Long Endowment?
--Does your character have a prominent scar or injury? And if so, is it because he sniffed an Aozaki?
I never thought something so wrong could be so.... appropriate..... (I'm going to run out of little dots '.' at the rate I use them....)
CaptainOverkillwork Guest
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #5 on Aug 18, 2004, 11:03am »
I'd be interested, especially since the Fate RPG is moving rather slowly (due to unavoidable constraints of many members living in different time zones, sadly).
As a caveat, however, I have to warn that I'm vastly inexperienced with these kinds of RPGs and Ev's Fate one is the first RPG I've played that's seriously gotten off the ground (and he's said more than once that he's kept the game system fairly simple). Also, as I move into my last semester as a grad student, I'm going to have to start preparing for my comps (thousands of pages of reading) so there may be some time constraints as well. I may not be the ideal candidate to be a player, in other words I want to emphasize that in no way would I be offended if you suggested I get more experience first before attempting something like this.
Oh, and one last problem - my irrepressible urge to fic the RPG sessions or at least parts of them
Also, I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to the GM doing environment and NPC creation. Some of the fun of the Fate RPG, at least for me, has been seeing what kind of surprises Ev has in store for us. So far, as I hope the Chronicle has shown, they have been pretty good.
As for what kind of character I'd play, err... I'll get back to you when I've had time to think about it
Cade 死徒二十七祖 The Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors Bushcraft Sage Ninja member is offline
...what a pain.
Joined: Jun 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 1,578
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #6 on Aug 18, 2004, 11:41am »
Hmmm...I'd have to read over Mage and Ars Magica first (never been a stat fan) but it sounds really interesting. Hell, if I could I'd like to tie it into the end of my fic...but that's questionable on if it would be allowed. But, hell, I'm not in the Fate RPG and I'll give it a go.
Joined: May 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 233 Location: San Diego
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #8 on Aug 18, 2004, 12:12pm »
Yea, I'd love to join in, this sounds pretty awesome. I've got a few character concepts floating around because of the Fate RPG, and a couple of them could easily fit well in here. Now all I have to do is decide on which ones to use and pick a backstory... ah decisions...
And as for scedules, I work usually from 12midnight - 5am or 8:30am. My sleep schedule varies a lot, but I'm sure I'll be able to tweak it to fit...hopefully.
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #10 on Aug 18, 2004, 1:21pm »
Quote:
Second, I'm gonna ask if anybody has open schedules? I mean, honestly, we've got stuff to do in real life, too.
Ahaha, I don't.... *cries*
Anyway I think this is a great idea and I'd definately love to join in on such thing regardless of what mechanics would be used simply because as long as I can sqeeze in a magical character equivalent to the classic brute force barbarian I'll be happy... XD
Edit:Wow your only 33 posts lower than me...
« Last Edit: Aug 18, 2004, 1:23pm by Somethingclever »
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #11 on Aug 18, 2004, 1:43pm »
Well, I'd be interested (the tabletop Ars Magica rpg I'm in has just gone on hiatus for a year...), but unfortunately (as with the last RPG) I really don't think I'd be able to spare the time for such a comittment. -_- Sorry....
Kuzunoha Yukari 死徒二十七祖 The Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors member is offline
"I'm not here."
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 680 Location: Lovely, Overcast Seattle
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #12 on Aug 18, 2004, 4:00pm »
Well, that's a lot of interest!
[Same here with my Exalted game, tjm. Don't look at me funny--a well-run Exalted game can be even more dramatic and immersing than an angsty-pants Vampire game!]
You can download the entire Ars Magica 4th Edition book legally--it's an ongoing special offer from Atlas Games--at http://www.rpgnow.com. You just have to register and then you can put it in your shoppong cart and go to the "checkout." They send the link to the .pdf file in an e-mail to your account.
Since Mage: The Ascencsion is now an obsolete title in the face of the newly revamped World of Darkness, I don't think too many will have a problem with me posting the rules in-depth. However, if somebody wants me to take these down, I will.
Kuzunoha Yukari 死徒二十七祖 The Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors member is offline
"I'm not here."
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 680 Location: Lovely, Overcast Seattle
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #13 on Aug 18, 2004, 5:10pm »
RULES
Basic Mechanics:
Everything relies on d10's.
To accomplish something (most non-White Wolf roleplayers are used to combat rolls as the "paradigm" for rolling, so I'll use that), one rolls a certain number of dice. The roll has a "difficulty," roughly the same thing as a DC, and every die that matches or exceeds that difficulty is called a "Success." [This means that an increase in stats is not simply incremental, but also exponential! But that'll be explained later]
The number of Successes determines the degree of success.
One Marginal success--you accomplished what you needed to do, though barely. Two Moderate--You did well, and managed to avoid embarassing yourself. Three Complete--Like fixing something so that it's good as new. Four Exceptional--Like writing a New York Times best-selling novel that's in its third re-print. Five Phenomenal--Like giving a performance that people will remember for the rest of their lives, cementing your place in showbiz history.
Example:
Akamine Yukita, the legendary "Wolfhound," attempts to slash his would-be assassin with a cane sword.
He rolls two things: An Attribute (roughly equivalent to Ability Score) and an Ability (same as in Ars Magica, these are the same as Skills in d20).
Yukita's trying to hit something physically, so he rolls Dexterity as his attribute. He's using a melee weapon, so he rolls Melee as his ability.
[Each "o" is one stat point] Dexterity oooo + Melee oooo = 8 dice
The difficulty for using a Cane Sword is 6. All d10s have to meet or exceed that number. [Note that a oooo or higher in nearly any stat is extremely high!]
He rolls a 1, 2, 2, 4, 6, 7, 7, 9. That's four successes.
The Assassin rolls Dexterity ooo + Dodge oo (Ability).
Difficulty for a basic dodge is 6. He rolls a 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. One success.
His one Dodge success negates one Melee attack success for a total of Three net successes.
The Wolfhound hits. (And that's only a basic attack, devoid of any magical or supernatural augmentation).
Now he would roll Strength + Weapon + Net Melee successes to roll damage, but I'll go over combat more in-depth later. - - - - - - - - - - All tasks are accomplished in this manner. Roll Attribute + Ability vs. a Difficulty. Some rolls are extended, meaning that you make multiple rolls over time. Some are assisted, meaning that you and another character add together your net successes. Some rolls are opposed, meaning that one character's successes detract from another's, like in combat with a Melee vs. Dodge roll.
The only exceptions to these are special rolls involving special traits. Like Backgrounds, Willpower, and Arete [air-uh-TAY; it's Latin].
RATINGS (For Attributes and Abilities) o Poor (Attribute)/Novice (Ability oo Average (Attribute)/ Beginning Professional (Ability) ooo Good (Attribute)/ Trained Professional (Ability) oooo Exceptional (Attribute)/ Top-Notch Professional (Ability) ooooo Superb (Attribute)/ World-Class Champion (Ability) ooooo o Legendary [superhuman]
[Willpower and Arete operate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being weakest, 10 being highest.]
9 Exceptionally difficult--picking a masterwork lock with a toothpick.
9 + Threshold Obscenely difficult--attempting to cast a high-ritual sorcery without supplying any enviromental Mana ["Quintessence" in Mage].... in a snowstorm while on the back of a grumpy polar bear.
THRESHOLDS: Every dot in Threshold negates one Success. A 9 + Threshold 1 is roughly the equivalent of a difficulty 10, while a 9 + Threshold 3 is like a difficulty 12. Thing is, d10's only go as high as 10 (0), and Mage makes it so that a 9 or 10 (0) is always a success, so each die always has at least a 20% chance of making it.
MULTIPLE ACTIONS:
Usually, you can only do one action per turn (in combat or high stress situations, a turn is three seconds. In relaxed situations--or when casting ritual Sorcery [Nasu term, not Mage term], a turn can go from three minutes to an hour, or more!)
However, one might need to attempt multiple actions, either because of combat or an equally time-intensive situation. In that case, declare the number of actions you are taking!
[Making an attack is an action. Actively Dodging or parrying is an action. Attempting to pick a lock is an action. Yelling a cuss word is not an action. Neither is breathing.]
The number of actions you take in a turn becomes the dice pool penalty for the first action, and every action following that takes on a cumulative -1 penalty.
A dice pool penalty reduces the number of dice you roll. If a penalty reduces a pool to 0 [zero], then you cannot take that action. Note that you cannot Attack and Defend in the same turn without declaring a multiple action! However, if attacked before your initiative, you can abort your action and attempt to only Dodge or Parry (with the abilities Melee or Brawl). Dodgning is often better, unless you're encumbered or wearing movement-restricting armor. I'll explain later.
[That's why getting the first in initative can be such an advantage! You can declare to make three actions: An attack and two readied Dodges, while your opponent is forced to either abort his turn to a defensive roll or take the hit! ]
EXCEPTION: Powers and magic can give you free multiple actions. These are not penalized, but these also cannot be subdivided into separate groups of multiple actions.
FAILURE If you roll no successes, then you fail. If you roll an 1s and no successes, then you botch! That's called a critical failure in d20. And it's a doozy! Bad thigns will happen, like shooting your own foot in combat, or dodging your way straight into a punch in the face.
ROLLING 10s
Every 10 (0) you roll counts as two successes. [This is an Exalted and Aeon Continuum rule, not a World of Darkness rule. But it works for me.]
STUNTS AND WELL-DESCRIBED ACTIONS
If an action is cool, creative, and well-described, it'll recieve bonuses. (And you'll recieve Experience bonuses...) In combat, you'll recieve a bonus to your rolls associated with your stunt (think up instances from martial arts movies or action anime for ideas). Outside of combat, depending on whether or not your stats are high enough, you might just plain succeed without need for a roll!
And those are the basics. I'll go into Character Creation next, with information on all the traits. Then I'll go into Mage's magic system, one of the most versatile in existence. (Ars Magica was the base of the system. Remember, the creator of White Wolf actually made Ars Magica first. But Mage is easier for me to run, since number-crunching becomes less of a chore!)
After that, I'll go deeper into Combat. - - - - - - - - - EDITTO~!: Remember, I'll be the Dice Maven. That way, you won't know whether or not you succeed until I tell you many successes you roll. Mostly, the number-crunchign will be all on me. I'll also fudge in your favor and when it's dramatically appropriate.
Worry less about rolls and power-gaming, and keep your mind on the story you're getting involved in. Don't do anything stupid, and you'll do just fine. [Common sense is a good thing in this sort of game!]
Re: Mage's Association RPG? « Reply #14 on Aug 18, 2004, 5:23pm »
And here I've only read RPG rulebooks to enhance the quality of my fanfiction. For example, Tatsuya's "fear aura" comes directly from Dungeons and Dragons: The Complete Book of Necromancers.
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I want to emphasize that in no way would I be offended if you suggested I get more experience first before attempting something like this. 
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