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03:49, 9th May 2024 (GMT+0)

Discussion Thread.

Posted by StorytellerFor group 0
Storyteller
GM, 6 posts
Tue 26 Mar 2024
at 19:10
  • msg #1

Discussion Thread

Lets talk a little more about this campaign.

I visited Glastonbury, (or in welsh Ynys Wydryn, the Isle of Glass) many years ago.
It is a magical place steeped in ancient folklore and myths, a fair number of them related to the Arthurian tales.
You can find there the grave of Arthur and Guinevere, the Chalice well, Cadbury hill which may have been the location of Camelot, Stonehenge and other stone circles, Gog and Magog, the most ancient trees in Britain.
It is a place to this day visited by mystics, historians, new age hippies and music lovers who are lured there by the yearly festival.
History is palpable throughout the southeast of England.
Its history goes back very far and is still visible in the landscape.

So that's the real world. Now for the Dark World.
In our setting of 450AD the romans have all but left save for a few legions and leaving behind many roman-britons who were born there. The roman empire was shrinking and a series of usurper emperors further weakened the empire that was once the beacon of civilization. One such usurpers was Constantinius who declared himself emperor of Britannia but was ultimately defeated in Gaul (France) and executed.
The romans didn't try to convert  people from the Celtic faith but were tolerant of other religions, and sought to equate their own gods with those of the local population. The relatively new Christians were less so inclined and became a religious power in Britannia around 400-450AD. This makes the setting a hotbed of intrigue, power struggles and change. Christianity struggled for relevancy (and had internal battles between various sects), Saxon mercenaries brought norse beliefs and all of them had their own magic systems. No traditions, no technocracy but a whole lot of religions and cults, each fighting for dominance.

And in this time practically everyone believed in magic. So Paradox is less of an issue for traditional magic.
And there are others who benefit from this belief in the supernatural. the Masquerade that protects vampires from discovery in modern nights does not exist: everyone believes vampires exist and some of them rule openly through fear and dominance.
Shapeshifters likewise are assumed to be real and people stil have a reverent respect for the Fair Folk who still retain their old forms rather than the Changeling guises they adopt in later years. Monsters hide in the wild rather than having fled Earth because Unbelief isn't killing them yet.

Christianity in a way acts as the Technocracy, seeking to banish the supernatural from the world but they are nowhere near powerful enough yet to do so. Not for lack of trying of course, the supernatural and all the priests of the other faiths are servants of Satan in their minds. All of Britannia must convert, voluntarily or by force. The power of the church is slowly but steadily growing.

Politically Britannia post-roman occupation is in turmoil. Britannia fragmented into numerous petty kingdoms and territories. Former Roman cities and settlements often continued to exist, but their political and economic significance declined as power shifted to local chieftains and warlords. Around this time we also see the arrival of Anglo-Saxons, some mercenaries for local lords, some invaders in their own right.

So for an enterprising group of mages and their allies there is plenty to do. There is so little known historically for hundreds of years after the romans depart that we're very free to write our own histories. Fight the Church, protect the locals, side with one lord or another, become kingmakers, fight monsters, vampires and shapeshifters, or become kings and queens for however long you can hold on to power.

Who are you in this chaotic landscape? Anything you want. But I think we'll focus on the local cults and religions. We may see the first tenuous alliances  form between disparate faiths divided by local customs and beliefs, a proto-Traditions movement, fragile and centuries away from the strong alliance it wil one day become. And with them their allies and servants, the Fae, Shapeshifters, Sorcerers, Bygones and Familiars.

Expect to run into mortal invaders, ruthless rulers, rival priests and mages, manipulative bloodsuckers as old as the land itself, shapeshifters, unseelie Fae, wraiths, monsters in the wild long forgotten in modern days.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:16, Tue 26 Mar.
Marigold
player, 1 post
Thu 28 Mar 2024
at 01:20
  • msg #2

Discussion Thread

Popping in to say Hi :)

Character wise, I’d like to play a vampire… or a ghoul, if vampires are deemed non playable.  I haven’t decided on a clan yet.

I think the church makes a good bad guy.

Should we pick a place and try to develop/protect it against other mortals and supernaturals?  Maybe it has a node for the mages that makes it worth protecting?  Then we get diplomatic opportunities to deal with other groups, kingdoms, etc.

Just get the ball rolling…
Brandon
player, 1 post
Thu 28 Mar 2024
at 12:57
  • msg #3

Discussion Thread

Judging from what I'm reading here the game was primarily envisioned as a Mage one with the chance at something tangential working with them.

Vampires, with only a few exceptions, find it hard to act during the day not to mention go out during the day.  I know of two ways to circumvent it and one you could do with a starting DA vampire through advanced levels of Dominate (which limits what Clan you choose), namely Possession, where they take control of a mortal (likely a ghoul retainer) and could act during the day and night.  The other you couldn't start with and would take more XP in game than we've gained in all of the other mage game.  Both options highly curtail the normal vampire focus just to act with other day walking people.  Ghouls are nice just remember that as one the benefits you get in a non-vampire focused game will be limited.  I'll leave details for PM's rather than filling this thread up.


Don't let that previous paragraph saying they suck in the context of this game I wouldn't enjoy playing something too (I love me some vampire and am in a DAV:20 game right now) it just sounds difficult under the current game thrust.
Carl
player, 1 post
Thu 28 Mar 2024
at 20:22
  • msg #4

Discussion Thread

I suppose the most important question is are we using the Traditions equivalents in the Mage: Dark Ages stuff or just going with Spheres to model the effects and build the backgrounds as appropriate? That determines a lot for what characters might or might not be suitable since Dark Age Mage's various groups tend to limit options a bit, you need to have a think around that when coming up with a concept.

Are you looking to set it near Glastonbury, in a fair-sized settlement or is all that sort of stuff still up in the air? I believe the Fosse Way between Lincoln and Exeter was near Glastonbury so it's on a relatively major route to two fair sized settlements that survived the Roman departure though later ended up under Danish rule, though not till the 6th century.

The church as the enemy is fairly unsurprising from a White Wolf game. It's odd occurring only a centuryish after the Diocletianic was finally officially paused and about a century and a half before the faith really took off amongst the Anglo-Saxons but that's World of Darkness. If memory serves Roman-Christianity ended up largely focused in Welsh territory following the collapse of the empire but that's foggy in my memory of lessons of that chunk of history. Of course if we go near Glastonbury then even when pushed to Wales we'd still not be far.

As regards your suggestion of looking at finding a place and protecting it Marigold I'm fine with a bit of a local mages for local people. It's definitely a time when lots of locations are in a tenuous situation given the many invasions as the Romans pack up shop and go home. Having a home location in some ways expands the options, some concepts work far better with a place to rest their head and while it does make it harder for others generally speaking it opens up more choices than it closes off others. It'll be interesting to hear what others are considering as well.
Embie
player, 1 post
Fri 29 Mar 2024
at 04:07
  • msg #5

Discussion Thread

I don't have Dark Ages, and (as I said) I'm not terribly familiar with the time period... so for the time being I'm happy to listen and learn.
Storyteller
GM, 7 posts
Mon 1 Apr 2024
at 00:19
  • msg #6

Discussion Thread

Having issues with internet. Had a whole wall of text and the stupid internet ate it ..

Ghoul is fine. Unless everyone else is somehow night-bound as well vampire gets a bit tricky. Check Sorcerer for Hedge magic.
Vampires will likely be a semi-common occurrence.
'Demons are also a possible player option. They were around but didn't escape on their own from the Abbys.

Probably Modern Mage system but with paradigms, instruments, backgrounds appropriate for the era.

In short politically:
Before 44AD: Pre-roman Britannia was ruled by chieftains of the Britons, who themselves were composed of numerous tribes fighting each other.
44AD: The romans conquer Britannia up to Hadrian's wall beyond which live the picts and later the Scotti.
400AD: The romans retreat from Britannia and dozens of kingdoms fill the power vacuum, with chieftains becoming petty kings.
435AD: Under pressure from invading irish and picts king Vortigern invites Saxon mercenaries who eventually declare war on the east britons, swiftly creating kingdoms of their own and expelling the local Britons. They are stopped at Aquae Sulis (Bath). East Britannia remains in the hands of the Saxons.

In short religiously:
*The britons worshipped the celtic pantheon.
*The roman introduced their own pantheon but rather than convert syncretized  their gods with local gods. Christianity established a foothold as the romans converted but they form a distinct Celtic Christianity.
*The romans wipe out the druid stronghold of Anglesey Isle.
*While Christianity grows in popularity among roman Britons living in cities villagers still worship the Celtic pantheon as well.
*The Saxons arrive with their own Germanic and norse pantheons and wipe out east Britannia's Christianity.
Marigold
player, 2 posts
Mon 1 Apr 2024
at 02:50
  • msg #7

Discussion Thread

Are there any ethnic groups you don’t want the PCs to descend from…. Romans, Saxons, etc?

And happy Easter all.
Embie
player, 2 posts
Mon 1 Apr 2024
at 04:13
  • msg #8

Discussion Thread

Right now I'm imagining someone more commonfolk -- basically the kind of person who lives her life trying not to draw attention from lords and other big folks.... but who also has a knack for growing plants and herbs and being able to help heal folks. If they knew what she could do, some folks might think she's touched by the fae, and others might think she's gifted to become a Saint. Either way, she doesn't really want the attention.

Thinking she'd have a focus on Life, with maybe smatterings of a few other spheres?
Marigold
player, 3 posts
Mon 1 Apr 2024
at 15:33
  • msg #9

Discussion Thread

Sounds good, Embie :)

My proposed PC would be Alana, a Toreador ghoul.
As a native Breton, she grew up poor and took to busking for food & coin... to support her family.  A vampire took interest in her raw talent and sought to refine her into a proper singer.  Alana was expected to carry messages, entertain guests, and spy for her Lord.  Of late, she has been charged with visiting Celts and other peoples to absorb their musical knowledge... something her Regnant has an interest in but cannot do himself.  Alana is also waiting for opportunities to really distinguish herself and one day hopes to join the Toreador clan.

Alana has no magical talents, but her vampiric disciplines will help make a difference.  While she needs to keep in contact with her Master in between journeys, she is able to travel and adventure.  She has no prejudices towards mages or other ethnic peoples.
Brandon
player, 2 posts
Mon 1 Apr 2024
at 19:10
  • msg #10

Discussion Thread

Sounds good both of you :)

Just remember Mari that ghouls advance uber slow cause of the massive xp investment when it comes to disciplines and they are dot capped depending on their Domitor's generation.  A powerful Vampire nabbed by the Domitor background will open up more levels but 20 for an initial level and x15 for in clans and x25 for out after that is hella killer.

I still haven't found an idea that I like yet.  I'm trying to come up with a paradigm that fits the times for a mage.  Back-falling on a vamp/adjacent is easy but I don't want to go that route unless I can't find something else I like.
Carl
player, 2 posts
Mon 1 Apr 2024
at 20:13
  • msg #11

Discussion Thread

In reply to Marigold (msg # 7):

Happy Easter.

Still chewing around ideas, got a few in my head but not nailed down any firmly enough yet. From what people have been thinking about it might be an idea to be part of either a small settlement or large Roman household who have largely headed home with those left behind doing what they can to keep things going.
Embie
player, 3 posts
Mon 1 Apr 2024
at 20:44
  • msg #12

Discussion Thread

Carl:
Still chewing around ideas, got a few in my head but not nailed down any firmly enough yet. From what people have been thinking about it might be an idea to be part of either a small settlement or large Roman household who have largely headed home with those left behind doing what they can to keep things going.


I do kind of like the idea of us all being associated with either a household or a small settlement; it would provide a basis for knowing each other, even if we didn't know each other well. I think my concept is flexible enough to fit into this kind of structure, so if you (or someone else) would be willing to flesh out the broader details of the settlement/household, I'd be happy to figure out a way to fit within it.
Marigold
player, 4 posts
Tue 2 Apr 2024
at 00:16
  • msg #13

Discussion Thread

Carl:
Still chewing around ideas, got a few in my head but not nailed down any firmly enough yet. From what people have been thinking about it might be an idea to be part of either a small settlement or large Roman household who have largely headed home with those left behind doing what they can to keep things going.


I can also fit Alana into this.  Her Master is probably Roman and I was leaning towards having him be a Historian type.  ST has final say on who and what he is.
Carl
player, 3 posts
Tue 2 Apr 2024
at 08:11
  • msg #14

Discussion Thread

Based off the GMs headless horseman thread the possible location was near what's now Exeter in the UK. I had a quick search online and found this as a possible timeline of the location named there, as ever it's WoD so historical accuracy is not needed but it might help with ideas for a location that if not the one we're at might have been a major factor in terms of regional politics.

quote:
54 and 55BC: Julius Caesar lands in Britain but does not conquer. The Dumnonii tribe occupy Devon and Cornwall.

54 and 55BC: Julius Caesar lands in Britain but does not conquer. The Dumnonii tribe occupy Devon and Cornwall.

41AD: Claudius becomes Emperor and orders invasion of Britain which begins in AD43.

50-55: Roman Second Legion reaches Devon and fortresses are established in what will become Exeter, then known as  Isca .

60: Second Legion fails to provide help to other legions fighting Boudicca.

75: Second Legions leaves Exeter. The Roman town Isca Dumnoniorum starts to develop.

100: Exeter public baths are built.

180: Work on new stone walls for the town is carried out.

337: Roman Empire’s frontiers come under attack as emperors fight for power.

360: Isca Dumnoniorum starts to shrink.

410: Roman legions have left Britain and Isca Dumnoniorum is all but abandoned as it begins to decay.

476: The Roman Empire falls when the last emperor, Romulus Augustus, resigns.

Fifth century to ninth century: Few pottery shards are found but little evidence of extensive occupation of the area. There are several Saxon invasions.

928: King Athelstan repairs the walls of Exeter and occupation begins again.


The other reason I mentioned the possibility of being associated with a Roman household of one type or another is that it opens up character options, however I won't rush on too far on committing to anything like that since others might have ideas. I'll give people chance to remark.
Embie
player, 4 posts
Wed 3 Apr 2024
at 22:28
  • msg #15

Discussion Thread

In reply to Carl (msg # 14):

Interesting -- maybe the lack of evidence of occupation isn't because no one was there, but but because the people who were there didn't want to be found. I can imagine both Romans and non-Romans who might have reasons to prefer a place that was somewhat protected from outside influence... I can imagine that it could be an interesting place, full of intrigue and politics, especially if it's in the midst of making the transition from someplace that exists to someplace that does not.

On the other hand, even the idea of being based in a region that is slowly dying non-deliberately (or, at least as non-deliberate as social, cultural, and economic issues can sometimes be); again, it strikes me as the kind of place where interesting questions and conundrums might come up.

Just a few thoughts that came up from reading your historical review.
Carl
player, 4 posts
Fri 5 Apr 2024
at 20:33
  • msg #16

Discussion Thread

In reply to Embie (msg # 15):

Truthfully the main reason is that most remains of occupation faded away fairly easily after the Romans left. It's why we still get news stories about remains of a possible settlement being found in the headlines now and then even today with no prior knowledge they were there. Very little survived the combination of time, archaic material and building methods and periodic raids/minor warfare.

But for WoD purposes your ideas work much better.

Need to start looking at the Dark Ages books for things to clarify about building characters. Two quick questions for the GM. Are you planning anything for the White Wolf skill bloat where it ends up with half a dozen additional skills/talents/knowledges every book, and shall I add them to the OC thread whenever I find them, and are you planning to have Craft skills treated as separate skills? I believe across the various WoD stuff there's about three different ways they do those those;

Each Craft is an entirely different skill and has to be bought separately
Each Craft is a different speciality and you buy access to a new Craft as a new speciality
Craft is a catch all like Academia, Science etc. and you can focus via specialities
Marigold
player, 5 posts
Sun 7 Apr 2024
at 02:59
  • msg #17

Discussion Thread

Seems like the settlement/household thread has legs.

Was there anything else we needed to chat about as a group?

I’d like to petition a map marked with main settlements.  It will pay dividends later when we want to travel, propose alliances, etc :)
Carl
player, 5 posts
Sun 7 Apr 2024
at 07:06
  • msg #18

Discussion Thread

This map seems quite neat

https://archaeologydataservice...iew/romangl/map.html


I didn't find a comprehensive summary of all sites but this has a fairly extensive list;

https://www.roman-britain.co.u...es-of-roman-britain/

And if you go to specific examples as well as the history there's a mini map showing nearby sites;

https://www.roman-britain.co.u...oniorum-exeter-town/
Marigold
player, 6 posts
Mon 8 Apr 2024
at 11:27
  • msg #19

Discussion Thread

Thanks Carl :)

Any map doesn’t have to extravagant, distance and common places of game relevance will do fine.

So far we have a shy healer and a Toreador ghoul.  Any ideas about who your PCs would be, Carl and Brandon?
Storyteller
GM, 8 posts
Mon 8 Apr 2024
at 15:48
  • msg #20

Discussion Thread

I like the idea of a household. I'm thinking of starting out a little more up north.

https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/roman-bathing-complex-0

Aquae Sulis sort of fits the parameters, it is a roman bathing complex with a temple to Sulis-Minerva. Sulis-Minerva was a goddess of healing which fits with Embie's character concept.

There could also have been a shrine to Mercury, patron deity of travellers, messengers and thieves, as the settlement was near the fosse Road. The Order of Mercury happens to be a forebear of the Order of Hermes in later centuries. Plenty of concepts to be had from that combination of traits.

Minerva was also the goddess of music and poetry so musicians wouldn't be out of place making it a good spot for Mari's character to hang around. Perhaps one of the buildings was a Taverna (inn) for travellers and pilgrims. Hospitality was a moral obligation for the romans.

Other possible character concepts, just to give some ideas:
*a druid who is seeking asylum. While the romans destroyed the power of the druids they still held respect among the local population. A shapeshifter, a blood mage, a weather controller. With the romans abandoning Albion he has to rethink his life.
*The bastard roman-Briton son of the roman Precept who used to oversee the settlement and who left his son in Britannia while he returned to Rome and his roman family. Maybe his magic is subtle, based on sacrifices to various deities. Luck favours the bold, an authoritive voice carries far and a blessing or a curse can turn the tide of battle. Maybe his father left him an ancient Wonder.
*An Oneiromancer half-fae with one foot in the Fae world. Dreams and oaths, a traveller of the Otherworld.

It was the religious settlement, rather than the road junction further north and the residential area now known as Walcot, which was given defensive stone walls, probably in the 3rd century. The area within - of approximately 23 acres - was largely open ground, but soon began to be filled in. There is some dispute as to whether these new buildings were private dwellings or were associated with servicing the pilgrims to the temple.
From the later 3rd century on, the Western Roman Empire and its urban life declined. However, while the great suite of baths fell into disrepair, some use of the hot springs continued. After the end of Roman rule in Britain around AD 410, some residents seem to have remained, but violence seems to have taken root.

So by the time our story begins the baths have fallen in disuse, the settlement is in ruins following an attack by Saxon raiders and only the temple settlement was saved to due to its defensive stone walls. The old guard has died or has left with the legions and travellers and pilgrims have have gone down.

For the Chantry I would suggest investing in:
*A Node. Maybe it's the sacred hot springs, maybe it's the gilt bronzed statue of Sulis-Minerva.
*A Library. A good sized library will have many benefits.
*A Sanctum: A ritual space that eases magic.

Other options: Cult, Retinue. Backup, Allies. Contacts. Wonder.
Embie
player, 5 posts
Tue 9 Apr 2024
at 02:42
  • msg #21

Discussion Thread

Random Thoughts:

* How long has it been since the Saxons destroyed the settlement?

* Maybe the Baths could have fallen into general disuse, but there are still ways to get into a room or two where water from the hot springs still pool and gather -- one that requires winding so far into the crumbling (and now maze-like) building complex that most folks haven't bothered finding it. I could see my character -- tentatively named Croía -- using such a room as a sanctum.

* She'd definitely have sympathy and respect for the druids and for the Fair Folk (she'd revere Brigid -- especially the healer), but living within Roman Brittania would mean that she definitely wouldn't be obvious about that, and could code-switch to stay out of trouble (she'd also revere Sulis-Minerva, as the Roman name of Brigid). So she might contribute to a Cult, depending on what it's teaching...

* Wouldn't be against supporting a Node (either in the statue or the springs), but in my experience Nodes tend to become targets.

* I'm guessing that she wouldn't be able to read -- how prevalent was that ability then? -- so she probably wouldn't contribute to a library.

* Would Avatar and/or Destiny be inappropriate?

* Leaning toward Life, Mind, Prime, and maybe Time for spheres. How are we tackling character creation?
Brandon
player, 3 posts
Tue 9 Apr 2024
at 17:11
  • msg #22

Discussion Thread

No, I haven't latched onto an idea that has struck my mind as the one.

Without even bringing into the conversation what they might be mechanically probably the closest I've come to a concept is a merchant of some kind.
Storyteller
GM, 9 posts
Tue 9 Apr 2024
at 18:11
  • msg #23

Discussion Thread

quote:
* How long has it been since the Saxons destroyed the settlement?


5 years ago

quote:
* Maybe the Baths could have fallen into general disuse, but there are still ways to get into a room or two where water from the hot springs still pool and gather -- one that requires winding so far into the crumbling (and now maze-like) building complex that most folks haven't bothered finding it. I could see my character -- tentatively named Croía -- using such a room as a sanctum.


The baths still exist in modern days. You can find photos, a fair bit is still intact. They were only rediscovered in the Victorian era. In the era we're playing in they're probably largely intact. Just mostly, but not fully, abandoned by a population that didn't have the protection of the roman legions. Something to remember is that much of Britannia was covered by vast primeval forests. Most societies that are in decline tend to leave behind civilization for a more rural lifestyle. The bath and temple complex was protected by defensive walls, not so the settlement though which was wrecked in the attack. There could definitely be a secret underground section that acts as a Sanctum though.

quote:
* She'd definitely have sympathy and respect for the druids and for the Fair Folk (she'd revere Brigid -- especially the healer), but living within Roman Brittania would mean that she definitely wouldn't be obvious about that, and could code-switch to stay out of trouble (she'd also revere Sulis-Minerva, as the Roman name of Brigid). So she might contribute to a Cult, depending on what it's teaching...


Brigid is an Irish goddess and the Irish are invaders in this era, pirating the west coast of Britannia. So yea you'd have to be cautious about using that name in public. It isn't quite roman Britannia anymore, more like the left-behind remnants.

quote:
* Wouldn't be against supporting a Node (either in the statue or the springs), but in my experience Nodes tend to become targets.


This is the problem with any power structure. On the one hand it gives you more power, and on the other it is coveted by others. which is also part of the reason why declining civilizations make way for a more pastural lifestyle.

quote:
* I'm guessing that she wouldn't be able to read -- how prevalent was that ability then? -- so she probably wouldn't contribute to a library.


The average person had little to no formal education. But given Sulis-Minerva (and brigid too) was also a goddess of poetry and wisdom it is likely the priesthood was taught in writing.

quote:
* Would Avatar and/or Destiny be inappropriate?


As personal backgrounds? Yes.

quote:
* Leaning toward Life, Mind, Prime, and maybe Time for spheres.


Sounds good. Could also consider Matter, what with the water connection.

quote:
How are we tackling character creation?


Standard build rules. I might assign some extra points but have to think about it.
Carly
player, 1 post
Thu 11 Apr 2024
at 13:44
  • msg #24

Discussion Thread

Yo look what the cat  dragged in.

Did i see a mention of Demon characters?
Embie
player, 6 posts
Thu 11 Apr 2024
at 15:21
  • msg #25

Discussion Thread

In reply to Carly (msg # 24):

"A demon, a ghoul, a Life Mage, and a Roman Centurion walk into a bar..."

[10 blank lines suppressed]

"You'd think one of them would have ducked."
Carly
player, 2 posts
Thu 11 Apr 2024
at 22:25
  • msg #26

Discussion Thread

btw in most games where we had vampires and others we simply pulled the game into the evening night a bit and only the real through the day stuff was skipped and we had vampires just play one of their ghouls with strict orders not neccecary the whole dominate path just a retainers 4 or 5 one that somehow always managed to debrief to its master in the 10 seconds it took for them to switch places. Maybe less 'true' but it allowed for the vampire player to enjoy a mixxed game to the max. But for us it was wolves and vampires not sure if thats a thing. We just said everyone has his dayjob and in the evening we 'play"
Marigold
player, 7 posts
Fri 12 Apr 2024
at 10:15
  • msg #27

Discussion Thread

Welcome Carly :)
Storyteller
GM, 10 posts
Sat 13 Apr 2024
at 12:46
  • msg #28

Discussion Thread

A demon is possible, within the post-roman setting they are either seen as servants of Satan (by Christians), nature spirits (by adherents of the celtic faiths), or gods or messenger spirits by roman-britons.
I must note that because the belief in demons and spirits is widespread, the presence of those familiar with the exorcism of such entities are likewise. Not just the church but the other religions too have their way of dealing with demons.
Having a mage friend who can re-summon you should you be sent back to the Abbys would be recommended if you choose to go this route.
Brandon
player, 4 posts
Sat 13 Apr 2024
at 19:43
  • msg #29

Discussion Thread

Well I know from Sorcerer it takes one with Summoning/Binding/Warding at 5 to call up a Demon.  Just readying Mage spheres it looks like it would be somewhere around a Spirit 4 effect.  And of course knowing your true name, yipee!

But if it's a whole lot easier than that then I could certainly tweak my idea enough to allow such a connection.
Carly
player, 3 posts
Sat 13 Apr 2024
at 22:24
  • msg #30

Discussion Thread

I really have nothing solid right now. After a good year of prep therapy i just started PTSD therapy which is taking a lot of my focus and of coarse its also the moment my grandfather has decided to develop dementia and skin cancer which brings back the whole stress around my moms cancer trails just when i learned to break down my emotional walls to let my theraphy actually achieve something so i am here but just bobbing along right now. I for example missed the entire link to this game its why i took so long to return to the flock. No complaining but just letting you know why my mind isn't really in it right now.
Marigold
player, 8 posts
Sat 13 Apr 2024
at 23:14
  • msg #31

Discussion Thread

Best wishes, Carly and no rush.  You can always catch us up.

As for myself I’ve tweaked my initial concept but am still a ghoul.  I’ll share more once I get some ST feedback.
Storyteller
GM, 11 posts
Sun 14 Apr 2024
at 17:08
  • msg #32

Discussion Thread

Yea no rush, you're always welcome, Carly. Real life comes first.
Carl
player, 6 posts
Sun 14 Apr 2024
at 18:55
  • msg #33

Discussion Thread

Still chewing ideas, in the absence of an answer on the Crafts question I'm going to assume it's the Dark Ages revised which also adjusts some other Abilities. I'd considered an auxiliary who's made his way home as the Empire starts to go under (the Romans tended not to have their auxiliary forces serve in their home countries), a labourer who'd been part of the road constructions or similar artisan sort, aging teacher who wasn't deemed worthwhile taking home as the Romans left and a few others. Just debating what works best within the context of the other PCs.
Storyteller
GM, 12 posts
Mon 15 Apr 2024
at 13:38
  • msg #34

Discussion Thread

I'm still working on the Ability set we'll be using.

Talents: Alertness. Athletics (also used to Dodge). Brawl. Expression. Intimidation. Leadership. Legerdemain. Subterfuge
Skills: Animal Ken. Archery. Etiquette. Commerce. Craft. Melee. Ride. Stealth. Herbalism. Survival.
Knowledges: Academics. Cosmology. Enigmas. Investigation. Law. Linguistics. Medicine. Politics. Theology.
Hearth Wisdom.

But this is not definitive yet.

What was your question about Crafts, Carl? May have missed it.
Carl
player, 7 posts
Mon 15 Apr 2024
at 13:52
  • msg #35

Discussion Thread

In reply to Storyteller (msg # 34):

Easily happens boss, here it is;

"are you planning to have Craft skills treated as separate skills? I believe across the various WoD stuff there's about three different ways they do those those;

Each Craft is an entirely different skill and has to be bought separately
Each Craft is a different expertise and you buy access to a new Craft as a new expertise
Craft is a catch all like Academia, Science etc. and you can focus via specialities"

Looking at Dark Ages in there it's different expertise for each type but at that same value as the ability. So you don't have to buy multiple different abilities but do have to have different expertise.
Academics is similar where there's a pair of expertises for it, you can buy both but most people will be an either or for the ability. Didn't get chance to do a full check of all of them.
Storyteller
GM, 13 posts
Mon 15 Apr 2024
at 14:03
  • msg #36

Discussion Thread

Yea, these are some examples why I'm still looking at it. We can discuss it.
Marigold
player, 9 posts
Fri 19 Apr 2024
at 09:59
  • msg #37

Discussion Thread

Marigold:
As for myself I’ve tweaked my initial concept but am still a ghoul.  I’ll share more once I get some ST feedback.


 My ghoul would be called Alena, is in service to a Roman Malkavian Scholar who (obsessively) collects books, and performs spy type duties on his behalf.  Alena prefers her friends to be unusual, exciting, or clever… I think most PCs will fit into those categories :). Her Malkavian master is a (mostly) benevolent fellow who wants to see the community survive the crumbling of Rome, while retaining its old influences and embracing new ones where needed.
Brandon
player, 5 posts
Fri 19 Apr 2024
at 12:00
  • msg #38

Discussion Thread

The Dark Ages revised Vampire Academics mentions if you were embraced within 300 years of the standard start date Academics has the two distinct fields.  Older vampires obtain academics as a single skill.  With us starting in the 400’s we are well before that caveat so at least in academics it should be considered a single skill with no fields.

Commerce is the same as Crafts in having multiple potential fields but Commerce also doubles as a dark ages version of streetwise.
Storyteller
GM, 14 posts
Fri 19 Apr 2024
at 13:44
  • msg #39

Discussion Thread

Mentioned it to a few people already but you get +10 freebie points to build your character.
Brandon
player, 6 posts
Tue 23 Apr 2024
at 00:40
  • msg #40

Discussion Thread

Another question, I'm full of them.

M20 uses Avatar to denote quintessence that can't be taken from you, the 'strength' of your Avatar and how many quintessence you can spend in a round (0 spend at 0 and an increase of 1 for each dot).  Dark Ages: Mage uses Fount for quintessence spent in a round and maximum number of quintessence you can hold (at 0 you can still spend 2 quintessence a round and hold up to 10 with the dots increasing it to 12/14/16/18/20 total hold possible and expending 2/3/4/5/6).  Which are we using?
Carl
player, 8 posts
Tue 23 Apr 2024
at 05:52
  • msg #41

Discussion Thread

In reply to Brandon (msg # 40):

In a similar vein I believe Dark Ages Sanctum background functions differently to 20th
Storyteller
GM, 15 posts
Tue 23 Apr 2024
at 09:42
  • msg #42

Discussion Thread

Bit indecisive about the ability set .. these are probably the abilities we want to use but then there is also the question of how we use it, which exact system.

Talents:

Alertness
Athletics (also used for Dodge)
Brawl
Empathy
Expression (poetry. singing. orator.
Intimidation
Leadership
Larceny (black market. sleight of hand. lockpicking. forge documents. misdirection)
Subterfuge

Skills:

Animal Ken
Crafts (smith. carpenter. architect. stonemason. potter)
Etiquette
Melee
Performance (instrument. singing. drama. comedy. ritual)
Ride
Stealth
Survival

Knowledges:

Academics (latin. theology/mythology. history. philosophy. mathematics)
Investigation
Law
Medicine (herbalism. poultices. humours. midwife. surgery)
Occult (metaphysics. cosmology. astrology. alchemy. divination)
Politics
Lore (vampires. magic cults. fae. garou. demonology)
Linguistics (each dot is an extra language)

Languages spoken in postroman Britain 450ad:
Latin: Latin remained the language of administration, education, and the church, particularly among the Romano-British population and the clergy.
Brittonic languages: These were spoken by the indigenous Britons and included languages such as Welsh (Cumbric and Old Cornish in some areas). These languages evolved into what is now known as Welsh, Cornish, and Breton.
Old English (Anglo-Saxon): With the arrival of Anglo-Saxon settlers from the 5th century onwards, Old English began to be spoken in parts of Britannia, particularly in the east and south.
Gaelic: Though primarily spoken in Ireland and Scotland, Gaelic may have been spoken in parts of western Britannia due to migrations and interactions with Gaelic-speaking peoples.
Pictish: The language of the Picts, an indigenous people of northern Scotland, may have had some influence in northern Britannia.

quote:
Which are we using?


We'll use modern systems where possible, simply because we're most familiar with it. So that goes for Avatar and Sanctum as well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:41, Mon 06 May.
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