Paradox, With a Vengeance, in RPM. - Page 2

Cato the Elder · 07-17-2014, 10:47 PM

I am having trouble deciding how to mechanically portray the metaphysics of the secret magic setting I am tinkering with. My setting's mages will use Ritual Path Magic, but must hide their powers from mundanes lest they fall victim to an impersonal force that inexorably pursues and consumes careless wizards. The idea is not dissimilar to the Calamities of Threshold-Limited Magic (Thaumatology 76), the Paradox of Mage: The Ascension, or even the suggested backlash produced by the Path of Daath (Ritual Path Magic 37), but different in practice.

I do not want mages to be doomed by a single critical failure (they will still have to deal with the usual RPM botches), nor do I want them to be stricken instantly with some horrible effect (like Calamities and Paradox both favour); I want to create a sense of foreboding as mages sense the approach of this hostile force in the dark places of the world around them over days, weeks and months, and offer them the chance to elude and delay the force if they are willing to resort to desperate and unsavory methods (the game Amnesia: The Dark Descent offers some ideas for this). It should be possible to keep the force at bay given enough effort, although it is always waiting in the wings for the moment that a mage drops their guard.

It seems impossible that there has not been a RPG that has done something similar to this; what systems could I cannibalize for ideas? Further, how might I model a way to depict this with GURPS mechanics? Thank you in advance for your replies.

07-17-2014, 10:47 PM	#1
Cato the Elder Join Date: Apr 2008	Paradox, With a Vengeance, in RPM. I am having trouble deciding how to mechanically portray the metaphysics of the secret magic setting I am tinkering with. My setting's mages will use Ritual Path Magic, but must hide their powers from mundanes lest they fall victim to an impersonal force that inexorably pursues and consumes careless wizards. The idea is not dissimilar to the Calamities of Threshold-Limited Magic (Thaumatology 76), the Paradox of Mage: The Ascension, or even the suggested backlash produced by the Path of Daath (Ritual Path Magic 37), but different in practice. I do not want mages to be doomed by a single critical failure (they will still have to deal with the usual RPM botches), nor do I want them to be stricken instantly with some horrible effect (like Calamities and Paradox both favour); I want to create a sense of foreboding as mages sense the approach of this hostile force in the dark places of the world around them over days, weeks and months, and offer them the chance to elude and delay the force if they are willing to resort to desperate and unsavory methods (the game Amnesia: The Dark Descent offers some ideas for this). It should be possible to keep the force at bay given enough effort, although it is always waiting in the wings for the moment that a mage drops their guard. It seems impossible that there has not been a RPG that has done something similar to this; what systems could I cannibalize for ideas? Further, how might I model a way to depict this with GURPS mechanics? Thank you in advance for your replies. __________________ Moreover, I advise that Carthage should be destroyed.