You become a Mage (WoD)

[query]

Hm, so we have 7000 mages that will spring up if this is accepted.
Hard choice really, you get a chance to be a god essentially (If you study hard enough.) but other people with differing ideals do as well.

An Arcana 5 Forces mage can create devastating storms (They can wipe cities off the map.) and even set them to trigger later with a domino effect.
An Arcana 5 Life mage can turn people into horrific beasts, create plagues and even clone themselves (Not sure if the clone inherits the magic ability or if you need Mind and Prime for that?)
An Arcana 5 Mind mage can turn a city's residents into brainless followers...

That's a lot of upheaval you would be releasing on the world with no paradox to keep in check.

 

[Widowmaker]

Life.

Then work my way through a decent level of proficiency.

Then I make Axe Cop the movie!

 

[query]

This concept would make a good quest now that I think about it.

 

[EarthScorpion]

This concept would make a good quest now that I think about it.

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No. It really wouldn't.

 

[query]

No. It really wouldn't.

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Sure it would!

Just gotta tweak a few things.
-Make mages slowly awaken over time rather then 7000 popping up immediately.

-You still need to study your Arcana to get better at it, dots 4 and 5 would be a pain, I mean a PHD(4) and World Expert(5)!

-Make the player one of the first to awaken, hence he/she can have that initial amazement over what they can do. Only for dread to start setting in when you hear of others start manifesting similar powers. Then you start realizing that the more you learn the more powerful your getting and it isn't stopping.

-The world is on a bit of a death-clock as you know that sooner or later some genius level guy will get access to Arcana 5 and disagree with how things are.

-Of course the worlds reaction to this will be interesting.

Doomed or not, imbalanced or not. You just got to make it fun.

 

[MJ12 Commando]

No. It really wouldn't.

Click to shrink...

"You become arbitrarily omnipotent"

"I take Forces 5 and pelvic thrust the world to death. The universe will fear the reign of terror of the WORLDFUCKER!"

As a person actually running a mage quest, I have found that 90% of my back-end annoyances are when people don't remember that paradigms are actually a very important thing and often are necessary to give people limits.

 

[query]

"You become arbitrarily omnipotent"

"I take Forces 5 and pelvic thrust the world to death. The universe will fear the reign of terror of the WORLDFUCKER!"

As a person actually running a mage quest, I have found that 90% of my back-end annoyances are when people don't remember that paradigms are actually a very important thing and often are necessary to give people limits.

Click to shrink...

I'm taking it from the OP's post that you make a paradigm and have to use self study (or studying everyone's else's made up Paradigms) to progress up the ranks.

The amount of effort in studying up to five dot's would require the equivalent amount of effort as becoming a world renown doctor.
Not exactly quantifiable but whatever.

Can you become a world renown doctor MJ12 Commando?
I can't.

 

[TheNewGuy]

Sorry query, but I was the one who made the thread and even I think this wouldn't work as a quest. It would probably eventually end with "And then some genius idiot pelvic thrust a hole through the planet." Can you legitimately see no one in the quest doing that?

I have actually selected the "Decline" option because I don't feel like dying. If you want to running a quest about this then I would take a look at it. Rejoice SV, for your wish has been granted!

 

[query]

orry query, but I was the one who made the thread and even I think this wouldn't work as a quest. It would probably eventually end with "And then some genius idiot pelvic thrust a hole through the planet." Can you legitimately see no one in the quest doing that?

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Unbelievers! Unbelievers all of you!
As I said it would need tweaking but the goal is fun not balance and the whole point of this hypothetical quest is you're on a Doomsday timer.
Players have to figure a way to stop that from happening or surviving(with their family) the end result.

I had written down a watered down scenario using Mage the Ascension's system called Arcana Roulette.
But it had way less nascent mages and a hunt or be hunted vibe as the only way to increase your power was through the blood of other mages.
When I finish reading Scion I might get back to worldbuilding it.

As for choices?
I picked time mostly because if by some chance (miracle) I managed to get to Mastery I could take refugee in an alternate timeline.
Since after this choice I would have a head-start because nobody else would have a clue what is happening.

 

[TheNewGuy]

Unbelievers! Unbelievers all of you!
As I said it would need tweaking but the goal is fun not balance and the whole point of this hypothetical quest is you're on a Doomsday timer.
Players have to figure a way to stop that from happening or surviving(with their family) the end result.

Click to shrink...

Unfortunately, I am worried that the players would be the ones to metaphorically (or literally) pelvic thrust the planet in half.

 

[query]

Unfortunately, I am worried that the players would be the ones to metaphorically (or literally) pelvic thrust the planet in half.

Click to shrink...

I believe tone usually will dissuade silly votes. If the tone is serious:
"We have to group up and find Doctor Horthington before he makes another breakthrough in his Arcana or the destruction of Manhattan will be just a footnote!"
Most players will feel the tenseness of the situation and know that it's not the time to vote on stupid things.

But if the tone is humorous and the situation is relaxed:
"Hey Cynthia watch this-"
Walks on top of the ocean freaking out crowds of tourists.
"I AM BLACK JESUS, PRAISE ME BITCHES."
---
Players want to be entertained so if there is a lack of conflict they will want to create their own.

At least that's how I see it.
If they're invested in the protagonists journey to survive or save the world they're not going to want to blow holes through the planet with their hips.

 

[sebsmith]

Fuck that, you could have your paradigm be "I cast things by pelvic thrusting" and hip-thrust your way to omnipotence. Being a mage is already a ludicrously sweet deal with Paradox and the worries of paradigm.

"Oh no, I might just have to use things people don't think are totally bullshit!"

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Silly MJ, there are already characters whose paradigm is "I'm to sexy for my clothes."

Right, and I choose entropy because, as I understand, entropy one lets you know how games of chance will end. (Entropy two lets you decide how they go, and Entropy three lets you break the game.) This means the first thing to do is buy a lottery ticket.

Better quest idea (since we already have a story with arete 5 mages): have the character awaken in the first story post. Let the players choose the two spheres they start with, their background, gender, and similar. Make the quest about discovering finding a paradigm, the 'joy' of paradox, and all the 'interesting' things in the classic World of Darkness.

 

[MJ12 Commando]

I'm taking it from the OP's post that you make a paradigm and have to use self study (or studying everyone's else's made up Paradigms) to progress up the ranks.

The amount of effort in studying up to five dot's would require the equivalent amount of effort as becoming a world renown doctor.
Not exactly quantifiable but whatever.

Can you become a world renown doctor MJ12 Commando?
I can't.

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So they also take Mind 1 instead. "I use Mind 1 to make myself super fucking motivated" is like, one of the canonical powers of Mind 1, and anyone can pick that up.

 

[query]

So they also take Mind 1 instead. "I use Mind 1 to make myself super fucking motivated" is like, one of the canonical powers of Mind 1, and anyone can pick that up.

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Yep but that's all you have.
If you wanna power thrust humanity to its doom your going to need to study up on your own arcana and then mind control some poor Force Master.

 

[MJ12 Commando]

Yep but that's all you have.
If you wanna power thrust humanity to its doom your going to need to study up on your own arcana and then mind control some poor Force Master.

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No it's not. You can learn Forces 5 just fine even with the OP restrictions and that's all you need.

Also, spheres. Not arcana. This is oWoD.

In fact because this is oWoD spheres are entirely arbitrary game balance. I start with the sphere of omnipotence, which is a valid sphere because they're all artificial constructs with artificial definitions.

 

[query]

No it's not. You can learn Forces 5 just fine even with the OP restrictions and that's all you need.

Also, spheres. Not arcana. This is oWoD.

In fact because this is oWoD spheres are entirely arbitrary game balance. I start with the sphere of omnipotence, which is a valid sphere because they're all artificial constructs with artificial definitions.

Click to shrink...

Huh my mistake, I was under the impression that the OP had it so you could only learn and advance one sphere.
Seems that's not the case.

 

[kestrel404]

In fact because this is oWoD spheres are entirely arbitrary game balance. I start with the sphere of omnipotence, which is a valid sphere because they're all artificial constructs with artificial definitions.

Click to shrink...

Nice! Unfortunately, Omnipotence 1 only allows you to SEE omnipotence and the effects of it, which automatically causes you to the universe's most incredible inferiority complex.

Worse, Omnipotence 2 just lets you change omnipotence a bit which, being omnipotent, notices and removes you from existence. Same thing happens at Omnipotence 3 and 4.

You don't actually get to BE omnipotent until Omnipotence 5 - but once you get there, watch out!

 

[MJ12 Commando]

Nice! Unfortunately, Omnipotence 1 only allows you to SEE omnipotence and the effects of it, which automatically causes you to the universe's most incredible inferiority complex.

Worse, Omnipotence 2 just lets you change omnipotence a bit which, being omnipotent, notices and removes you from existence. Same thing happens at Omnipotence 3 and 4.

You don't actually get to BE omnipotent until Omnipotence 5 - but once you get there, watch out!

Click to shrink...

Nah, Omnipotence is like Entropy. You get Omnipotence at 2, it's just limited in what you can affect with it until 5.

"But MJ!" you might say. "Doesn't that make you not omnipotent?"

And my response is shut up, I'm the one making up the rules here.

 

[NonSequtur]

And my response is shut up, I'm the one making up the rules here.

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The one sentiment common to all Mages, to a greater or lesser degree.

 

[TheLastOne]

Nah, Omnipotence is like Entropy. You get Omnipotence at 2, it's just limited in what you can affect with it until 5.

"But MJ!" you might say. "Doesn't that make you not omnipotent?"

And my response is shut up, I'm the one making up the rules here.

Click to shrink...

But we do have rules for how to build 'new' spheres, with an example being given for 'fire.'

Though I forget in which book.

I'm totally certain that broader spheres cost extra (because I half remember it being so, which leaves no room for doubt). Clearly you're sabotaging yourself - the appeal of being able to do everything with one sphere can't equal the hassle of higher experience point costs.

The munchkin proper way is actually to define more limited spheres that get you Control Thought sooner. This plan can have no flaws.

 

[Aldrin]

The one sentiment common to all Mages, to a greater or lesser degree.

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Hell is being an Etherite living in a house full of Hollow Ones and owned by a Hermetic. So many animals. Everywhere. Getting in the wiring. Messing up experiments.

Goddamn hippies.

Anyway. The only sensible option in this scenario would be to decline the offer. I'd give it a month before some genius decides they need a cult. But I'd totally go with Matter otherwise.