Never played mage but always heard good things about it. I would be willing to learn the system

In reply to Nurgles_Rot (msg # 4):

Right, probably should have mentioned it in the original post, but I have no problem helping new people learn the system as long as they're willing to learn. Any White Wolf thing can usually be picked up pretty quickly by a PC anyway.

I do enjoy some M:TA

I'd be pretty flexible on most of the fiddly bits I think depending on what's most interesting/easiest.

Ive played vampire and others so I am familiar with white wolf in itself

If you've played vampire you won't have too much problem crossing over, WoD games are very similar to each other.

So, any particular ideas for a game tone or party goal? I'd be open to suggestions, though obviously they should be fairly general so I can still keep PC's on their toes. :)

I have this dual tradition SotE and Verbena guy I have been dying to try, and he would fit well in a Gen/Mature game... (Some Versions of him anyway...)

As for game focus I think something along the lines of a fairly standard Tradition V. Technocracy thing could be cool, never really gotten a chance to do one of those: but I am not so down with NYC as the setting, been done to death: how about Detroit, Las Vegas, or Seattle? Plenty of room there to put our own stamp on the place... (And no 'By Night' or 'Rage Across' books to worry about, if you, like me, are one of those people that bother with those things.)

Going into a bit more detail, since you like mysteries: Things have been rough for the city's supernatural community over the past few months: the Sabat and Camrela are clashing, BSDs have been sighted in the burbs, so the WWs are going nuts getting ready for an all out war, and just to throw gasoline on a pile of dry wood the local chapter of the Technocracy have a new boss who is way more hardline than the previous one: but that's all just window dressing to the bigger issue: Three members of the local tradition conclave have turned up dead, with the word 'Warlock' carved into their chest with a broken bottle. So far no one knows about it but our buddies in the 'community' of Tradition Mages: we falsified reports, forged signatures, made simulacrums and sent them on trips to cambodia and the congo, but someone seems to have set their sights on us and they are not playing by the informal code between the local Technocs and Traditions, this is violent, personal, and bloody; the question on everyone's minds are two: "Who?" and "Why?"

The PCs could be the ones tasked with answering that.

Interesting idea to begin a mystery plot, definitely could be fun. I think I'll probably make my own alterations if we go with that but it's a cool concept. As far as the city I was just using NYC to show that I meant a large city, Las Vegas actually could be a really cool way to go I think.

BTW, just to let you guys in on my preference with this if it gets off the ground, I'd like to keep it around 4-6 PCs, nothing too big so we can keep tight connections between them for cool RP. I'd also like to play out preludes, but do a time skip afterwards so we can avoid the awkward phase of getting to know the world as a character and cut to the WoD stuff, if no one has any objections.

Geographically I'm probably good with anything.  Detroit is fairly unique in terms of what it brings as a city, but also a bit of my bailiwick so some bias there.  A few ideas for a Vegas based game also come to mind, and I actually think that could maybe be the most flexible outside of NYC.

I've always been a fan of the sorts of games that invite strange bedfellows.  So something comes up that demands attentions of multiple denizens of the supernatural world as it's a threat to multiples as well.  So groups that may not altogether be friends, but also not enemies, are forced to at least acknowledge each other if not strike some sort of temporary accord.

It makes the WoD seem complete and connected vs a bunch of games running parallel in the world but separate.

This sounds like its going to be a lot of fun!

I have been waiting for this day since I joined rpol.  SIGN ME UP! What version are you thinking of running one, two, three or a home-brew?  This game might give me an excuse to increase my Mage Library, absolute favorite system ever. Any game that uses Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as it's inspiration gets my vote.  Let the Paradox begin...
This message was last edited by the user at 04:04, Tue 21 Apr 2015.

i would be so down for a vegas game (hopefully rated mature, i feel like it's hard to do WoD justice without at least that rating). has anyone looked over The Fallen Tower book? it goes into the history of Vegas in canon. obviously, nothing need be adhered to on that front, but the canon for it makes it a very interesting place, basically a supernatural Casablanca where every type of supernatural is there in force. since there's so many power players in the mix, everyone keeps things at cold war levels so there's no room for anyone to radically expand. one of the only places a technocrat and a traditionalist can reasonably expect to work together without immediately backstabbing each other... just eventually.

 Sons of ether/verbena? TThat's like a walking paradox magnet in itself. I'd love to see one in action, but only from a really big distance.

It is like a praying mantis mating with my cell phone:) I think it already happened with the last iphone update o0

Wow, a lot more responses than I anticipated. So, what goals would you guys be interested in pursuing as a party? If you don't have anything specific in mind I'll come up with something, just figured I'd let you decide the general kind of game you would prefer since I've yet to get into detailed development.

Though I have read up on some parts of the setting and have a grasp of the basics I am not comfortable enough with it to draft up a game plan for the group. My character's main thing in this situation would be what it is for all my characters: bost Prime and Life to the point that you can make yourself immortal, then you have time to delve deeply into everything else.

Although I love the entire world of Darkness, I think Mage is such a large game, that it doesn't need to get involved with vamps, shape changers, far or ghosts.  I find it best to find a common enemy or obstacle to overcome from the group, a rival Tradition that is taking over a particular city and shaping reality too much in one direction, like the the "Cult of Ecstasy" ruling San Francisco (which they are doing very well), or Sons of Ether taking over Seattle. This wouldn't rule out a player being from the rival cabal either it would really intensify the role-play of going against your tradition.

That or one of the factions of the Technocracy is a given.  I also like the Mage v.s. the Unknown, the game is about magic and mystery it is a good thing to not know exactly what you are up against.

I also am for bare min. power characters, it makes the group work together.  Having everyone maxed out in Spheres makes a character so powerful they don't need each other unless the enemies are over the top.  Plus room to grow is really what the game is about.

That is my two and a half cents.

Breaking my silence with answering this question.

I personally like starting level characters; while high-level mages are awesome, I'd rather build something closer to creation as it gives you a drive to go somewhere instead of just having all that cosmic power. It can make games about the unknown or the technocracy come across as scary does and not just other pawns in the world.

so, while i love the idea of starting low (even apprentices is super-fun) part of what makes that fun is actually getting some advancement and going somewhere, and that seems a bit rare on RPOL. that can also depend on how

there's a lot to be said for the aforementioned "mage vs the unknown" and as always, mage vs technocrat is fun. the part that always intrigues me the most is the philosophical aspect of the game, but that being said, some beat-'em-up, politics, and mystery are always fun, too. magi are particularly adept at finding clues with various spheres, so they can either enable or trivialize mysteries, but it usually means mysteries fit in as useful pieces of bigger plots a lot of the time.

I don't mind starting out new or maybe slightly experienced.

That sounds interesting, but I only have access to the M:tA first edition core book, as well as the supplement that adds the Syndicate to the Technochracy. As far as levels, I think beginner would be preferred, maybe with 10 or 15 exp added to represent past missions as a time and establish PC chemistry. As far as advancements, I'm thinking maybe we could do small time skips between arcs so that we could give characters down time as well as experience, and I don't plan to be particularly stingy with either. :)

Sounds amazing. I'm certainly keen to drop an RTJ 1st edition mage, beginner level. Easy to work with.

Alright guys, it looks like modestmouse will be Co-GMing with me, and we'll be ready to start accepting RTJ's on May 5th. Get on your wizard caps! :)

does anyone know how things are different in 1st ed compared to revised? i didn't get into mage til later.

I'll put a link on later to most of the addendums. tbf it's the same as the other WoD games. Revised just does some rebalancing of powers, the big picture doesn't change.

Game time, peoples! Got the mage game ready to accept RTJ's now, feel free to send one if this seems like the game for you:
link to another game