House Rules

From SCMage

Disclaimer

The World of Darkness is a setting which deals with adult topics including, but not limited to, death, abduction, abuse and insanity. It is the responsibility of the player to notify the presiding ST if they become uncomfortable with any of the themes present in the game at any point. As a player, include these topics thematically, not excessively.

Rule 0

The Storyteller (ST) is always right. If there is a rules dispute, the ST's decision is considered to be correct. This is to ensure that the game flows smoothly. There can be a short discussion if the ST decides that it won't interrupt, or if it involves heavy consequences (e.g. player character (PC) death).

Card draws

We use the 10div3 system. That is, after adding the draw pool to the card drawn, 10 is 1 success, 13 is 2 successes, 16 is 3 successes, and so on. If the dice pool is reduced to 0 or lower (a chance draw) and a 1 is drawn, this is considered a critical failure.

Instant Contested Action

For instant, contested actions, if all that matters is one success, then compare draw totals directly. For example, if Chelebi is attempting to lie to Codex, and Chelebi has +4 to her Manipulation+Subterfuge draw, and Codex has +6 to his Wits+Subterfuge, and Chelebi draws a 6 and Codex draws an 8, Chelebi's total is 10, compared to Codex's 14. Codex wins the challenge and knows that Chelebi was lying.

Mass combat

A maximum of 4 characters can target 1 character of Size 5 in any given turn.

Character Creation

Start with 2 Dots in each of 8 Attributes, and 1 Dot in the ninth (your choice).
Now spend 190 Creation XP on the character. This can only be spent on Attributes, Skills, and Merits. We recommend 40-50 XP on Attributes, 90-100 on Skills, and 45-55 on Merits. Also, the Influence Merit is very important and will help you engage with plot and affect the world.
Standard characters start at Wisdom 7. You may choose to start at a lower Wisdom, though you risk gaining a Derangement as normal for losing Wisdom.
Add the Mage template:
1. Gain Gnosis 1.
2. Gain one Arcanum at 2 Dots, another Arcanum at 2 Dots, and a third Arcanum at 1 Dot. 2 of these 3 must be your Ruling Arcana, and none of them can be your Inferior Arcanum. Add 1 more Dot in any Arcanum, though this cannot be used to raise any Arcanum to 3 Dots.
3. New rotes cost an amount of XP equal to the level of the highest Arcanum in the rote.
4. New players start with the Merit "Common Sense" for free if they have the common sense to ask for it.
You have 20 more XP to spend.
1. If the player is retiring a previous character, the character gets an additional 40% of their previously earned XP (rounded to the nearest number), plus all previous RP Awards. For example, if James's character Sal has earned 59 XP for those games (including any XP earned for costuming and downtime) and James has 3 RP Awards, and Sal dies, then James's next character will start with 20 + (0.40*59=23.6 rounded up) + 3 = 47 XP.
2. New players are allowed to rewrite their character sheet once before their third game.

Inactive Characters

To save paper and effort, If a PC is absent for 3 games in a row without giving notice to the STs, their sheet will no longer be printed by the STs, and a copy will be retained in the archives. Starting with the 4th game, each of their Influences will be reduced by 1 dot per game, to reflect their lessened hold on the mundane realm and to free up Influence for taking by other PCs.

Items

Items like weapons, Magical Tools and other objects, and some other things are represented by index cards. These cards are signed by an ST and sometimes numbered. If you don't have the card and it's not on your character sheet, you don't have the item.

XP Gain

Characters will gain 5 XP per game.

XP is given for recruiting and retaining new players.
A written character history earns XP depending on quality and length. This backstory is very helpful for Storytellers to use for plot.
Roleplaying Awards: At each game, each player can give an RP ticket to 2 other players. If the player witnesses good roleplaying, the player should write that player's character name on their own character sheet. For every 4 unique RP Points (points from 4 different players), that character gets 1 XP, and this XP carries forward to every character that player brings into game.

Arcane XP

Arcane Experience is gained through encountering a supernatural phenomenon that is new to your character. If this happens, let an ST know, and you can get Arcane XP for this, with a maximum of 1 AXP per game. This XP can only be spent to raise Gnosis. This is to encourage exploration and mitigate the high cost of Gnosis.

Game Mechanics

Sanctioned Books

All rules and story content from Mind's Eye Theatre World of Darkness and MET Mage: The Awakening are in play.
All thematic material from Tome of the Watchtowers, Sanctum & Sigil, and all Order books are in play. Any mechanics (new Merits, Rotes, Equipment, etc) from these or any book other than the core books must be approved for use by these rules or a Storyteller. This is because these mechanics have not been vetted and tested for LARP play, and may not be appropriate for our game.

Optional Rules in play

These are rules that are listed as Optional in the books, and are active for this game. All other Optional systems are not used.

Morality Derangements (MET 103)
A Matter of Resolve (MET 174)
Character Flaws (MET 311)
Order Expulsion (MTA 123)
Modifying Spell Factors (MTA 147)
Don't Point That Thing at My Planet (MTA 150)
Relinquishing Control of Spells (MTA 151)
Special Spell Factors (MTA 152)
Paradox Mitigation (MTA 158)
Creative Thaumaturgy (MTA 194)
Rote Economy (MTA 199) -- Modified below
Permanently Altering Fates (MTA 229)

Rote Economy

Rotes now cost default as in MET Mage, 2 XP times highest dot, must find a teacher, or create it as a Master (takes time, effort, and a Willpower dot).
Order Status or the Mentor Merit can be used as teachers. If you have Mentor [x] or Order Status [x], then you can learn Rotes up to level [x]

Mana

Mana is recorded at the end of every game, and this is the Mana that a character starts with the next game. Downtime actions may be used to gain Mana, such as Pattern Scouring, Health Scouring, or harvesting from a Hallow. At the start of game, if a character has more Gnosis than Wisdom, then the difference is subtracted from the character's Mana at the beginning of game, as the Mana bleeds out of the character. This happens after downtime actions are taken to gain Mana.

Pattern and Health Scouring

You may spend a Downtime action, or do this in game, to Scour your Pattern for Mana. You reduce one of your physical attributes by 1, and you gain 1 Mana. You can also Scour your Health, taking 1 Resistant Lethal to get 1 Mana. This attribute or health damage lasts until the end of the game after the Scouring.

Willpower

Willpower is gained automatically at the rate of 1 Willpower per game attended. You can also spend 1 Downtime action to gain back all spent Willpower.

Hallows

There are a set amount of Hallows present in the Lansing area. This means that all the good ones may be taken, probably by cabals. An opportunity for conflict exists here :)

Hallows produce Mana once per Downtime period and once per game. If the Mana is not harvested, then it congeals into inedible tass by default, and is recorded by the STs.

Performing an oblation to gain Mana from a Hallow take 1 Downtime action or 15 minutes spent during game being out of contact.

Merits

Consilium and Order Status

Main Article: Status

We are using a very slightly tweaked version of the MTA MET rules for Consilium and Order Status. Basically, all of this status is controlled by players, in character. Every character starts with Order Status 1 if they are in an Order. See the main article for the detailed rules.

Additionally, Order Status can be used as Influence in that Order, to gain favors, information, etc.

Contacts

The Contacts Merit is replaced by the oWoD Contacts Merit. Each game, you have a number of Contact Points equal to your dots in Contacts. You may spend 1 Point of Contacts to make a Manipulation+Socialize+Contacts draw. You get information commensurate to the number of successes in any area of Influence you choose.

Influence

Main Article: Influence

The Status and Allies Merits are replaced by Influence, the system from old World of Darkness (Except for Order and Consilium Status, which remain). The available categories of Influence are Bureaucracy, Church, Finance, Health, High Society, Industry, Legal, Media, Occult, Police, Political, Street, Transportation, Underworld, and University. Each Influence is purchased as a separate graduated Merit (first dot costs 2, second costs 4, etc.).

There is a set amount of each Influence in the city. Once it is all claimed, to raise your Influence in that area, another PC's Influence must be reduced, or that aspect of society must be grown. You can work to do either of these by spending Influence points.

Using Influence

Each game and the following Downtime period, you have a number of Points equal to your Influence rating. You can spend these points to accomplish actions. Higher-level Influence actions cost more points than lower-level. In any of the oWoD MET books (Laws of Ascension, Laws of the Night, etc.), you will find tables for these Influences, giving sample actions and their costs. For example, Go'el has Influence: Industry 2. There is a Cost 2 action that states "Arrange small accidents or sabotage". He can spend 2 Points of Influence to accomplish this, but then he has no more Influence: Industry actions for the rest of the session or the following Downtime. He could also do two 1-dot actions.

Retainer

A retainer is an NPC created and controlled by an ST, with 10 XP per dot of Retainer. Skill/Attribute maximums are as follows: At 1 dot, Skill/Attribute Max = 3. At 2 dots, this increases to 4, and at 3 dots, the retainer can have 5 dots in something.

Sanctum Size

To support any of the following Merits (Hallow, imbued item, Artifacts, Library) you must maintain Sanctum Size such that Size*3>= Hallow+number of imbued items+number of Artifacts+Library. To do otherwise is to invite woogy stuff. Characters can and are encouraged to maintain separate cabal and personal merits. Recall: characters can pool dots in Sanctum Size, Sanctum Security, Hallow, and Library, given sufficient trust among characters.

Oathbound

From Adamantine Arrow

This Merit is completely in play as written in the supplemental book. See your local Storyteller :)

Rotes

Levels, Capabilities

A Rote can be used to achieve the level of effect that the level of Rote is. So, Life(●●) Self-Healing can heal the caster, while Life(●●●) Healing Heart can heal others or the caster. This extends to "touch vs. sensory range". So Matter(●●●) Transmute Earth can be used at touch range. The Rote notes that it requires Matter 4 to cast at sensory range. This would require the Matter 4 version of Transmute Earth. If you have Matter 3 Transmute Earth, then you can upgrade the Rote to Matter 4 at a cost of 2 XP. This allows Sensory range and does not require an additional teacher.

Mind (●●) Incognito Presence

The reflexive contested roll is actually (Gnosis + Composure + any bonuses from the mental protection).

Mind (●●●) Diplomat's Protection

From The Silver Ladder

This Rote is not in play, as we can't figure out how to word "threatening" in a comprehensive manner. How direct does the threat need to be? Etc. We're working on it.

Mind (●●●) Imposter

The spell affects anyone who witnesses the mage. It does not need special Target factors to affect more than one person. Those who possess some form of supernatural mental protection (such as a “Mental Shield,” below) are subject to a reflexive contested (Gnosis + Composure + any bonuses from the mental protection) draw upon first encountering the caster. If the roll’s successes equal or exceed this spell’s successes, the onlooker perceives the mage clearly.

Mind (●●●●●) Shadow Projection

This spell also requires Spirit 2, and the mage must overcome the Gauntlet rating of the area.