Interest in mage?

[David Price]

I've been tossing around the idea of possibly running a Mage game at some point, and I thought I'd see if there was enough interest in the possibility to be worth applying for the SBC sphere to exist again.

Given that I still play Arlo, I'd want to be running mage along the lines of Justin's running of changeling- starting earlier than game (7 PM?) and running until 10 PM, with possible individual scenes when vampire gets slow or after game or through the week or whatnot.

If I do end up running mage, I'd be interested in running a game from pre-Awakening. As such I'd have interested players create mortal characters and we'd go from there. If there's enough interest and the other STs will have me I'll go into more detail about what I'd like to accomplish.

So... if you'd be interested in playing in a Mage game of this format and time and such, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know or respond in this thread so I can get an idea of what I'm getting myself into.

[Kenneth Ashland]

I'd be interested.

[Ivaret]

I dunno how to play them. But I even might be interested!

[David Price]

Hopefully the "everybody start as pre-awakened" will have the game be easy for people who are new to mage.

Actually, considering I haven't been in a Mage game for two years and have never read any of the side-books, this game might be easier on new mage players than old-hat mage players, since my "style" of a mage game is likely completely different than most.

[B_Movie_Babe]

I currently play changeling... But I might be interested in playing Mage on occasion... Unless I get the job I've applied for.

[David Price]

I'm trying to avoid stealing players from changeling, since I suspect that'd just end with both Justin and I having a set of "maybe" players, but I appreciate the interest. We'll have to see what happens.

[carlogiovanni]

I'm up for it. I'd actually love it. Played Mage before I played a Vampire game

[carlogiovanni]

Does "pre-Awakening" meand that we don't get to pick our order? or do we get to design our character with the idea that "He/She is perfect for *insert order here*" and is Awakened as such?

[David Price]

The game concept I had in mind would strongly prefer that you write up mortals as just mortals and don't keep any mage concepts in mind while designing them and let the roleplay take it where it will. I'm more interested in characters existing that can function in the real world, have a real job (you're a mortal, you have a job), have real dreams and goals, and carry on without the "I need a Verbena RIGHT NOW!" plotlines. There also might not be convenient ways to join certain orders, too- The plot I've got planned might be rather weak in the Akashic Brotherhood NPCness, just for a theoretic example, and so a character designed specifically to be one might end up being awkwardly handled if they were built specifically for the Akashic brotherhood. That said, depending on what you're looking for I might have a plotniche for you, so we'll have to talk.

In any case I think this is enough of an interest that I'll send a formal request to the current STs to evaluate my application for adding a sphere. I'll be happy to talk to you about more details at game, whether the application gets approved or not (I'd still want to run the game, it just wouldn't be an SBC game). I won't be there early this week since I don't expect to be running anything and have only had a day's post-worth on the boards so far about it.

[O'Keefe]

I would be interested. We could use a little mage action in game.

[Lady Dagger Rose]

You have peeked my interest....I think I'd be willing to try it out.

[carlogiovanni]

This will be quite interesting. I've always wondered how a Pre-Awakening would look like. I'm gonna enjoy, now all I have to do is fix my work schedule.

[Janet]

Well, I might be interested, but later down the line. Likely after CascadiaCon. Too much to get done between now and then.

[The Aquarian]

I could get into mage, although I'm not sure how easy it would be for me to show up as one character, run off... somewhere... and then change into clothes for another character. Is there any down time in between games?

[Lady Dagger Rose]

If things run the way Changeling has been....and if there's enough player want, I think it would...yes, there would be time to run off and change. And if you can pull it, have the costuming be a simple change, like a shirt or some such. I know I will be.

[The Aquarian]

Hmmmm... Well I don't know what kind of person I'll be playing, but as you can see from Brenn, Domani, and Amara most of my characters tend to look pretty different. Do you know if there is any place to obscond to in order to change, preferably with a mirror?

I live over in Bellevue, so driving alone I know will take me about 30-40 minutes let alone changing out of my clothes, and doing whatever needs to be done to acessorize the character. * ponder *

I do know a couple people who live in the U District I could potentially swing by to make use of their bedroom or restroom... but that would be wierd. Hmmm... It's a pitty Amara is Toreadoresque. If I were still playing Domani it'd be easy because her costume was basically PJs and a silver-white unisex spring Kimono unless she was feeling saucy.

[The Aquarian]

It seems like most people are really in favor of the idea of running a pre-awakening game It can be interesting to role play through the process of a first change, embrace, awakening, death, or what have you, but in Mage it is a particularly demanding process.

For one, not just anyone can do it. Vampires are pretty indescriminate. Ya put the bite on someone, ya drink the juice, ya put it back. Presto! You have a new vampire. Were-things go through their first changes because of WHAT they are. They were born that way. No matter how they live, if they are gonna change then they are going to change.

Mages however? Uh uh. In order for a mage to awaken they have to have FAITH. Almost fanatical faith in what ever they are doing in order to make real things happen. Joe Schmoe isn't going to just wake up one day and be like "Roxxorz! I gotz l33t powerz!" unless of course Joe Schmoe happened to watch the matrix a few hundred too many times and began truely seeing the real world as The Matrix as it is in the movie.

That being said, the probability of 3+ people from different walks of life in the WoD who all know each other spontaneously awakening together is slim to none. Especially if they are not of common paragidm. Hunter maybe, as the imbuing (which is very much like Awakening) often comes in a time of crises when they need that internal resolve, but not Mages. The awakening is essencially that moment of time when belief in that person's ideas becomes true faith, and everything frinking makes sense and locks into balance. This is why having WP 5 is a requirement for any mortal to awaken. You have to have nerves of steel to throw off the bindings of conventional reality.

The traditions, factions, and dispirates I feel serve as a means to bring people together that wouldn't ordinarily come together as mortals due to the eclectic beliefs between them. I just kinda feel like by requiring everyone to be pre-awakened, it herds, lassos, and railroads the players a bit as in order for them all to awaken a fairly rigid set of conditions have to be met. If not everyone awakens then... what's the point of playing in a mage game?

Also, another problem I see is that... part of why I adore Mage is that it's fluid and requires you to think outside of the standard role playing box, develop an entire system of beliefs that explains the way the world works, and then create effects that operate on the laws that make up these beliefs. If we're starting as mortals... It will take years to get to the point where that part of mage really has the chance to flourish because the going rate for experience is monsterous for Arete, and spheres. In order to have a starting character (ignoring background and abilities, only focusing on the supernatural stuff) we'd need to have 60 EXP for spheres alone, plus... I can't remember how much Arete 1 is and my book is at home. That's ALOT of game time invested just to be able to pull of measily perceptual level one effects. It hampers the innate innovation of the game that makes it wonderful. We might as well be playing an x-files type of game with ordinary mortals for the first year or so of game play.

Also, if new players are a concern... and some people may disagree with me on this... I personally feel it's better to have em jump in with two feet giving them more power than start from the very bottom up. This enables them to sample different aspects of the supernatural character type to see what they like, and makes the gaming experience most rewarding for them so they can keep it in mind for future characters. Starting with 0 mage power and building up from there, I feel is disvalueable for new players because they aren't really sampling the vastness of the game, and thus do not have the opportunity to say for example "Hmmm I really like what the time sphere is all about. I think I have an idea for my next character" because the sphere of time will virtually never be used (especially at levels higher than one).

[David Price]

With the methods I intend to be using, starting characters will not be exp screwed. I still have to figure out how to balance mage-only merits and flaws and backgrounds, but I've already figured out how to deal with the arete and spheres.

I am of the opinion that people starting with mortals are more likely to think about their backgrounds and goals and relationships in order to make the character an interesting part of the world of darkness. Everybody knows that they start with willpower 5, so they will be desigining their characters with that in mind. I want to see how those characters then attempt to fit their "Wait, I can change the world!" into any of the varied philosophies of the traditions. If people start with "I need to build a Virtual Adept!", 4 times out of 5 you'll get the generic "I'm a l33t haxor." computer whiz. That's neat and all, but how'd they get there? Cult of Ecstacy members didn't necessarily start as drugged-out hippies, but have discovered that that's how they can unleash their powers. Yes, I know most of you are mature enough to not write that kind of one-sided characters and would have real backgrounds, but I want to be able to watch it happen. I've never seen a game that has focused on the "real lives" of the people waking up to the supernatural world, and that was my focus in applying to be Mage ST.

In regards to many people awakening all at once- the reasoning behind that's part of the plot, and something I expect to come into question repeatedly. I do intend to stagger the awakenings, so some people may go some time without being aware of their powers, but thanks to some of the neat tricks in Mage that don't get much screen time (for example, just because you're still a sleeper doesn't mean your Avatar isn't getting antsy), I am confident that players won't feel entirely shortchanged.

[kevinz]

I have only played vampire but am interested in expanding my horizons. Honestly, I know nothing about Mage but I'm all for learning! Count me in.

[Paige Fairchild]

I don't get on the boards often enough to post earlier, but I am definately interested. I've been waiting to play Mage at SbC for 2 years. ;_;