Help With My Mortal/ Mage Campaign

[Chaos Child]

Hey. I'm running a nWoD game for my friends, and have got the first story prettymuch planned out. it involves them going to an isolated town, and as they investigate, things get progressivly wierder. At the end, things don't quite add up - shadows only lead to more shadows.

The whole theme/ mood of my chronicle is that of fluid reality. I want there to be a strange, uncertain aspect to everything. The PC's should always question what's happening, and nothing should be crystal clear - everything very ambiguous. Perhaps I could occasionally break it up with an easy resolution or a sub-plot to make them feel they've accomplished something. But always, there should be something larger and deeper behind the sub-plot - they only scratched the surface.

Eventually, I want to turn it into a Mage game, blending both Ascension and Awakening material (When awakening comes out). Any ideas/ suggestions?

[OrphanGrinder]

Don't blend it with ANY oWod mage material...unless you've already played straigt nWoD mage...

It's a personal thing...I wouldn't put any oWoD into my nWoD since the worlds are very discreet. I leave the old world in the past...I'll take elements like Technomages...but in general...I'd leave out old WoD from New Wod...

on the bright side...I suggest reading HP Lovecraft's work...mostly the shadow over innsmouth or the dunwitch horror for inspiration.

[Chaos Child]

Ia! Ia! R'lyeh Cthulhu Ftagn!

[OrphanGrinder]

exactly

[Anatole_serial]

OrphanGrinder

I'll take elements like Technomages...

Who's to say they aren't there already?
Heck, I am 100% sure we'll get at least one Tradition of technomancers. Why? Because it's a game about Mages in the modern world... As Arthur C. Clarke put it:

Quote:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Word.

[Chaos Child]

bump

biggrin

[OrphanGrinder]

serial_experiments

OrphanGrinder

I'll take elements like Technomages...

Who's to say they aren't there already?
Heck, I am 100% sure we'll get at least one Tradition of technomancers. Why? Because it's a game about Mages in the modern world... As Arthur C. Clarke put it:

Quote:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Word.

very much agreed

[A_L_R]

serial_experiments

OrphanGrinder

I'll take elements like Technomages...

Who's to say they aren't there already?
Heck, I am 100% sure we'll get at least one Tradition of technomancers. Why? Because it's a game about Mages in the modern world... As Arthur C. Clarke put it:

Quote:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Word.

Here's hoping there's a new incarnation of a SoE-type group. Maybe moved more towards the "mad", Tesla-style science: those things where the theory internally checks out, and the machine works - but really, really shouldn't. "Scientists" who are quite certain that "magic" is nothing but silly superstition - it's just that their work is so advanced that modern man cannot yet grasp the genius of it!

Hell, that might even get me to buy nMage.

[reality_deviant]

First of all, kudos for even attempting to run a Mage game. Second, good luck, you'll need it. Mage is a bit of an undertaking to play, much less run.

I myself am quite taken with the notion of "belief shapes reality", and it sounds like you have some decently solid concepts. I really haven't heard anything about Mage: the Awakening, so I couldn't compare/contrast it with the old.

Don't be afraid to do a little research into different systems of belief. Find out what Hinduism has to say about reality, pick up a book that supposedly debunks all paranormal phenomena, read a magazine about Bigfoot sightings or about awakening human consciousness. Our own world has many strange and wonderful literary treasures to offer, if you just look for them. Do what you can to get a diverse array of perpectives; it will help you as an ST, and as a person.

[Arc Vembris]

A_L_R

serial_experiments

OrphanGrinder

I'll take elements like Technomages...

Who's to say they aren't there already?
Heck, I am 100% sure we'll get at least one Tradition of technomancers. Why? Because it's a game about Mages in the modern world... As Arthur C. Clarke put it:

Quote:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Word.

Here's hoping there's a new incarnation of a SoE-type group. Maybe moved more towards the "mad", Tesla-style science: those things where the theory internally checks out, and the machine works - but really, really shouldn't. "Scientists" who are quite certain that "magic" is nothing but silly superstition - it's just that their work is so advanced that modern man cannot yet grasp the genius of it!

Hell, that might even get me to buy nMage.

Kinda off topic, but there's an Advanced class in d20 Past that does just that. Scientists that create strange inventions that actually run on spells dressed-up as technology.

[Chaos Child]

Thanks for the ideas/ help so far. By the way, the game is not set exclusivly in a rural town, it just starts there (I'm still waiting on my player's backgrounds so i can figure out how to get them there). The campaign will eventually move to the city. When it does, has anyone got any ideas for storylines or anything?

[Stormydoom]

Go with evil fighters with tons of anti magic. It'l cripple them to the dust.

[Anatole_serial]

Stormydoom

Go with evil fighters with tons of anti magic. It'l cripple them to the dust.

stare

Chaos Child:
Just look around in a city. It's a chaotic, living entity, where danger lurks in every corner. The storylines you may want to use will be influenced by your player's actions and motivations. It is their story, after all, so I say you wait 'til after they have played in the small town for some time.

[reality_deviant]

serial_experiments

Stormydoom

Go with evil fighters with tons of anti magic. It'l cripple them to the dust.

stare

Chaos Child:
Just look around in a city. It's a chaotic, living entity, where danger lurks in every corner. The storylines you may want to use will be influenced by your player's actions and motivations. It is their story, after all, so I say you wait 'til after they have played in the small town for some time.

Yeah, definitely let the players' actions flavor the game with their own brand of Resonance. Be warned, though; one can find (or lose!) almost anything in a city, and some gamers will use this as an opportunity to commit wanton acts of crime and violence. Hopefully your group is better than that, but I've seen it happen before. Try to make sure they really have an understanding for the mood of the game.

[OrphanGrinder]

if it's nWoD....Cult....Cults are funn....

if it's oWoD...Set the Technocracy after them...let them fight and do intrigue or however they want to deal with this threat...then let a single marauder loose in the city...yeah...