u/rogthnor

I feel like most examples of premodern societies I know of are patriarchal, but I've hardly done an exhaustive survey and also I might be wrong about which ones are. Was hoping for some clarity.

Going to be running an episodic, mission based campaign where players are special operatives on the front line of the ascension war, traveling to strange, mystical locales to overthrow governments, assassinate high value targets, and set up military resistances. Think the magical equivalents of The A-Team, or Hogan's Heroes. Experienced, powerful, but not grand masters.

Trying to decide what XP value to give my players to make their characters. Any suggestions?

I am getting the "slow connection to pc reduce your bitrate" message. My MBS is set to 10 so it can't go much lower. Trying to understand what determines what my bitrate should be. This feels low as I have decent internet and specs. My internet plan through Xfinity is meant to give me an upload and download speed of 1000 Mbps each.

The Scepter of Impossible Dreams (Artifact N/A)

The Scepter of Impossible Dreams  appears as a siderite rod the length of a forearm, stained black  and capped at both ends by adamant starbursts. A faint white flame burns within the head of that starburst - a piece of Beyond made impossibly real and trapped for the Distant Eden’s use. The light this flame sheds burns with all the colors that exist and many that don’t. The strength of the flame and the light it sheds waxes and wanes with the scepter’s own use. 

In battle, the Scepter of the Distant Eden may be used as a heavy melee or archery weapon with the following stats. Its ranged attacks take the form of blasts of opalescent 

Essence.

Ranged: Lethal, Archery (Long), Crossbow, Piercing, Powerful, Slow

Melee: Bashing, Melee,, Smashing, Two Handed

Evocations of the Scepter of Impossible Dreams 

The Scepter contains within it a shard of the Beyond, the terrifying un-light of which warps and changes the world. It spreads madness and mutation to all it touches. 

Mental Flaws are always counted as Major Intimacies supporting social rolls by the wielder of this scepter. 

Flawless Transmutation Technique

Cost: 6m

Mins: E3

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite: None

Rainbow light springs from the head of the Scepter, transforming all it touches in shape and substance.

This charm supplements a Feat of Demolition by the wielder. She may use "Intelligence + Craft" when making this roll. On a success, rather than destroying the object the wielder may choose to instead change the object into any non-magical material (or combination of materials) that she wishes. The shape of the object is unchanged.

Dreams-As-Resources Methodology

Cost: 6m

Mins: E3

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Combo-OK

Duration: One Task

Prerequisite: Flawless Transmutation Technique

This charm supplements a single craft project the wielder is performing. For the duration of the project she is considered to have access to all mundane resources needed to create the project, transmuting them from air and ground as needed. 

Meeting the Alternate Self

Cost: 7m

Mins: E3

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: Decisive-Only

Duration: Instant

Prereqs: Flawless Transmutation Technique

As the charm Wyld-Flame Crucible* (Lunars p.g. 339) save that the transformations are permanent barring their reversal via other magicks. 

Keys

Malleable Mind Methodology: The wielder may alter the context of a minor or major intimacy in lieu of dealing 1 or 2HLs of damage respectively. Intimacies can have their context changed from positive to negative, or have their target altered, but not both at once. 

*Weirdflame Errata - It's transformations are also permanent by default. 

Madness-Poisoned Words

Cost: 1m

Mins: E3

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: -

Duration: Instant

Prereqs: Meeting the Alternate Self

This charm allows the wielder to inflict purely mental Flaws or transformations granted by Meeting the Alternate Self as if they were Major intimacies.  

Is there a good source of various NPCs, creatures and other things so I don't have to make my own? My Cabal is about to head into Warhammer Fantasy to assassinate the Emperor and the technocrats are ing to try and stop them so I need a wide variety of different NPCs

Played my first mage game in years (schedules and such). We had:

1. Bruce Wayne

2. The Ghost of Shakespeare

3. A Necromancer

4.Some other guy who I did not understand what the hell he was doing.

Their mission: Produce a fantasy movie which grossed 1.25mil in the opening week.

Complicated by the fact that most major movie studies and actors work for the technocracy. (Further complicated by the fact that I threw in an NPC Mage in their cabal who was an etherite who had strong opinions about their movie needing more robots as a roadblock NPC. They had him do the practical effects and did a science vs fantasy thing)

They ended up making an independent fantasy vs science movie (dragons vs robots) funded by and staring Bruce Wayne, billed as his passion project and playing only for one week in a bunch of old drive in theaters Bruce Wayne bought and renovated for this showing. (That was the cover, in reality they were zombie movie theaters raised by the necromancer)

Since they couldn't get any mainstream actors they took a bunch of theatre kids and had them possessed by the spirit of true art. When The Technocrats tried to kill the project by signing all the main actors for films which would turn off the indie audience the group was courting, that same spirit cursed them to be typecast so people would only ever think of the character and not pay attention to the actor.

The War in Iran meant the Technocrats could drive up gas prices to keep drive in attendance low, but the group got good word of mouth and made piracy easy so while they didn't actually make the money they wanted they did achieve the actual goal of making fantasy more popular in the zeitgeist and so this was treated as a success, if not an unqualified one

I have a hankering to play me some more planescape. Anyone have some modules they would recommend?

Getting a hankering for a proper Planescape Adventure. Anyone have recommendations for their favorite?

I've always been interested in Eberron, finally going to have the chance to DM in next month. Anyone have some recommendations for a module? Length doesn't matter.

Any system, any game. Give me the best of the best

I want to introduce some new players to mage. Any ideas for good starter adventures?

Looking to run a series of episodic one shots following the basic story of a western movie. Crucially, I'm looking for a game who's mechanics incentivize this sort of story structure. Does anyone have recommendations?

It says its based on a real world castle but not which one

The Kaleidoscope of Radiant Emotion is a lunargent scepter about a 4 handspans long capped by an adamant sunburst. A pure, unwavering flame burns within, it's hue and intensity changing with the emotions of it's wielder. 

The Kaleidoscope was constructed by an Infernal Exalted, The Accretion of the Distant Eden. Beloved of Hegra, he learned to externalize the maelstrom of his passionate heart and enshrine it on his staff, there to act and be acted upon by the world. 

In battle, the Kaleidoscope may be used as a heavy melee or archery weapon with the following stats. Its ranged attacks take the form of blasts of iridescent essence.

Ranged: Lethal, Archery (Long), Crossbow, Piercing, Powerful, Slow

Melee: Bashing, Melee, Smashing, Two Handed

Evocations of the Kaleidoscope

Characters attuned to the scepter may render any of their Intimacies obvious to others. This renders inapplicable any and all social actions rooted in the belief these intimacies are false. 

Additionally, the wielder may make the scepter shed light as a torch as a reflexive action with no mote cost. 

For the purposes of the Scepter’s Evocations, treat all Emotions as Major Intimacies. 

Unwavering Hearts Everlasting

Cost: 5m

Mins: E1

Type: Standard

Keywords: -

Duration: Indefinate

Prereqs: Unwavering Hearts Everlasting

This charm can be activated in response to any Emotion the wielder is currently feeling. As long as this charm lasts, so too does that emotion. This renders the wielder immune to non-magical Inspire actions and raises her Resolve by Emotion against magical ones. 

Bleeding Hearts Inspiring

Cost: 3m

Mins: E2

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: -

Duration: Instant

Prereqs: Unwavering Hearts Everlasting

The obvious sincerity of the wielder adds weight to her impassioned words. Even the most cynical of peoples find themselves charmed by her beliefs. 

This charm functions as the Solar Charm Impassioned Discourse Technique save the target is automatically made aware of whatever Intimacy is bolstered by this charm. 

Passionate Hearts Overflowing

Cost: 4m

Mins: - 

Type: Standard

Keywords: -

Duration: Indefinite

Prereqs: Bleeding Hearts Inspiring

The wielder makes a special (Charisma + Presence) Inspire roll and selects a single Emotion Based Intimacy she has. The first time in each scene a character interacts with the wielder, they gain this intimacy as an Emotion if their Resolve is lower than the results of this roll. 

Fiery Hearts Inspiring

Cost: 4m

Mins: - 

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: -

Duration: Instant

Prereqs: Bleeding Hearts Inspiring

This charm may be activated immediately after a Read Intentions action targeted at the wielder, allowing the wielder to make a Reflexive (Appearance + Presence) Inspire action.  

Beating Hearts Enchanting

Cost: 4m

Mins: - 

Type: Standard

Keywords: -

Duration: One Scene

Prereqs: Mesmerizing Ideologue Ideology

The wielder makes an (Appearance + Presence) Persuade action. All targets with a Resolve lower than the result are compelled to stay and listen to the wielder without interrupting for the rest of the scene. Positive Emotions always count as supporting this roll. Mundane animals automatically fail this roll. 

Adoring Hearts Distracting

Cost: 7m, 1 WP

Mins: - 

Type: Standard

Keywords: -

Duration: Indefinite

Prereqs: Beating Hearts Enchanting

Characters with a positive Intimacy towards the wielder subtract (intimacy’s strength) 1s from their rolled successes when attempting to attack the wielder, either socially or physically. Emotions are treated as Intimacies for the purpose of this Evocation. 

Wild Hearts Rejoicing

Cost: 7m, 1WP

Mins: E3

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: -

Duration: One Scene

Prereqs: -

The wielder raises their scepter high, revealing a dazzling psychedelic light.  

As the charm Terrifying Apparition of Glory save targets are overcome with a mad joy  which breaks formations and scatters them to the winds. 

Maddened Hearts Confounding

Cost: 7m, 1 WP

Mins: ???

Type: Standard

Keywords: -

Duration: Instant

Prereqs: Wild Hearts Rejoicing

The light which spills from the Scepter is madness itself, those in her presence find themselves overcome with Rabid Anger, Undying Hope, Paralyzing Despair, Unfeeling Apathy, Overpowering Terror, Overwhelming Greed, or Mad Hope. Such a potent mix of emotions is death to formation. 

The Wielder doubles 8s when attacking Battlegroups.

Hopeful Hearts Invincible

Cost: 5m, 1wp

Mins: E3

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: -

Duration: One Scene

Prereqs: Blinding Bacchanal Revelry

The rainbow light of the scepter inspires with a hope beyond all fear. 

As Authority-Radiating Stance (core, p.210). 

Compassionate Hearts Unfeeling

Cost: 5m, 1wp

Mins: E3

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: -

Duration: One Scene

Prereqs: Blinding Aureole of the Faithful

The compassionate aureole of the wielder shields his allies from pain, even if it is unable to protect them. Allies within medium range of the wielder can ignore wound penalties. 

For battle groups, this is represented by increasing their Drill by 1 step and removing the once-per-scene Rally for Numbers Action as warriors push their bodies long past the point of death. 

Wyld Hearts Fracturing

Cost: 7m

Mins: E1

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: Decisive-Only

Duration: Instant

Prereqs: Blinding Aureole of the Faithful

This charm is activated after a successful Decisive attack against a target, but before rolling damage. As a shaping effect, the wielder may inflict mental flaws or mutations in lieu of rolling damage, at a rate of one die per dot of flaw/mutation. 

Keys

Fickle Hearts Changing: Minor and Major Intimacies are counted as 3 and 4 point flaws respectively. At E5, the wielder may create a Defining Intimacy in lieu of killing the target.

Potent Hearts Reshaping: The wielder may now inflict physical mutations in lieu of rolling damage, at a rate of one die per dot of flaw/mutation. 

I was riding the train yesterday and needed to use the restroom. Which meant getting off and finding the nearest McDonalds buying a coke and getting the code to theirs. Which is a pretty common problem. So why aren't there ever any public restrooms and how do we fix this?

I'm a frequent runner who's developed some chronic pain which is perfecting me from running. Anyone have recommendations for physical therapists in the area, preferably ones who focus on running?