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Old 10-01-2017, 10:46 AM   #11
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: M:tA chantries

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Originally Posted by baakyocalder View Post
The Chantry system in Mage has always been wonky, even when the Book of Chantries was the rules set used.

I can see Chantry as having two functions not covered by other Backgrounds:

1. Access to other mages who are not mentors but who could provide assistance. These could be Allies or Backup or other backgrounds, but the power of a chantry is based on its membership. So, like being part of a squatter's chantry with a few weak mages is worth little but being part of an ancestral chantry like the one connected to Second World of the Dine, an old Dreamspeaker chantry, is worth a lot.

2. As noted by whwhs, you could also be buying real estate. Since there are merits for Property and Safehouse in Mage 20: Book of Secrets, which are similar to those in the Book of Shadows, real estate isn't a bad thing for chantry to buy. Sanctum, where the mage's paradigm works, might also be part of this background.
I found the Book of Chantries problematic enough so I didn't hang on to it. It seemed better suited to running a LARP-style campaign that might have a dozen or a score of players who could pool their points to buy a decent chantry. Just buying a bare minimalist chantry is really costly for mages in a campaign with half a dozen players.

I've never liked Merits and Flaws; I find the "buying dots" structure elegant, and having a bolt-on addition that doesn't work that way is unappealing. Both my Mage campaigns have used "negative backgrounds" with values reckoned in negative dots, such as Enemy or Obligation. So I would want either to have a background worth dots for owning real estate, or to fit that into an existing background.
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Old 10-02-2017, 01:56 AM   #12
ak_aramis
 
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alsea, OR
Default Re: M:tA chantries

Let's see:

Chantries provide
  • easy access to the other planes
  • A site for easier (reduced paradox) magic
  • A research lab.
  • A research library.
  • Nodes connected for a source of Quintessence
  • Security Systems
  • Magical Wards
  • Guardians
  • Flunkies.
  • Communications, possibly transplanar
  • Fortification

If you are going to proceed without using Book of the Chantry...
I'd suggest each dot be used to provide 2-3 dots in subcategories above, which get resolved much like similar backgrounds.
I would consider having them each get 3 tokens per dot, and each, one token at a time, puts one token on a component of their choice...

Book of the Chantry drives its construction based upon disadvantages paying for the advantages... for example, location inside a town is 10 points more to build with. Many are in the 5 to 10 point range.
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Old 10-02-2017, 07:22 AM   #13
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: M:tA chantries

Quote:
Originally Posted by ak_aramis View Post
Chantries provide
  • easy access to the other planes
  • A site for easier (reduced paradox) magic
  • A research lab.
  • A research library.
  • Nodes connected for a source of Quintessence
  • Security Systems
  • Magical Wards
  • Guardians
  • Flunkies.
  • Communications, possibly transplanar
  • Fortification
Of those:

Easy access to the other planes seems to be at least partly included in Node.
Reduced Paradox magic seems to be Sanctum.
Research lab can be included in Sanctum.
Research library is Library.
Nodes are Node.
Guardians might be Allies or even a Mentor.

I hesitate to include those, as the rules seem to say that they are to be bought separately. That leaves fortifications and security systems; wards, which I think would be set up by casting spells of protection; communications, which are either mundane or magical, with transplanar communications involving opening portals to the spirit realm, most easily done at a Node; and flunkies.
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Old 10-02-2017, 04:06 PM   #14
ak_aramis
 
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alsea, OR
Default Re: M:tA chantries

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
Of those:

Easy access to the other planes seems to be at least partly included in Node.
Reduced Paradox magic seems to be Sanctum.
Research lab can be included in Sanctum.
Research library is Library.
Nodes are Node.
Guardians might be Allies or even a Mentor.

I hesitate to include those, as the rules seem to say that they are to be bought separately. That leaves fortifications and security systems; wards, which I think would be set up by casting spells of protection; communications, which are either mundane or magical, with transplanar communications involving opening portals to the spirit realm, most easily done at a Node; and flunkies.
The chantry only protects those inside. Giving the chantry those backgrounds means they're available only for those in the chantry... and the mechanics on BotChantry grants the same benefits as the relevant background.

Taking Nodes, Library, or Sanctum personally are just that, personally. Others cannot use them, or do so at penalty. A chantry's ratings can protect all inside it.

A personal node is not easily accessed by by others. A chantry node is a shared resource, one which might have been used by others in the chantry. And probably much easier to access.
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Old 10-05-2017, 09:58 AM   #15
Apollonian
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Shoreline, WA (north of Seattle)
Default Re: M:tA chantries

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Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
All of that looks good. I had been thinking of somewhere south of the Thames, but an area further west than the West End could work, and might be less built up. A look at Google Maps makes Fulham look fairly green even today; I don't think a house with trees and an herb garden would be ridiculous.

Obviously the Technocracy would be pushing for power and communications grids to be developed!
Regarding maps, you may find this helpful: National Library of Scotland map images, overlaid on modern maps. It's been a real help for my Victorian London campaign.
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