/cofd/&/wodg/ Chronicles of Darkness and World of Darkness General

ST=Seers of the Throne feels a little arbitrary, considering the other 2 are both one-letter-one-word.

Technically it's also God-Machine, and no one would call it a G-M.

I do

And where are they?

You know what that made me think of.

>Order: Adamantine Arrow
>Path: Moros
>Arcana: Space
They use Space+Matter to make increasingly bigger guns by grabbing smaller guns with Space and then bolting them onto the ones they are currently holding with Matter. Also they use Death to make arms out of ectoplasm so they can hold more guns.

So you made Reaper from Overwatch, but as a Mage.

The only part that even vaguely feels like Reaper is using Death. Not even the effect of it, either.
Reaper just teleports around and fires his two shotguns. He doesn't grab more guns and stick them together to get more dakka like an ork.

...

You'll be surprised to hear that one of my inspiration was that Serious Sam game that let you stack guns on top of each other.

Also the gun you are actually holding can only have (Gnosis) other guns you own attached to it, that's the entire first Attainment in a nutshell.

I mean with the hyphen. It's just GM.

Also, did I already ask how to run an Uncharted/Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones inspired globe hopping Mage game?

Not gonna lie, I'm very much down for a Serious Sam inspired Legacy.

So do I
I call it the G-M a lot of the time

So. I’ve been thinking. Since the revelation in Beast that all monsters are related, via the Dark Mother, I’ve been thinking about how that’d work. I think I have a hang of most of it, and I think it’s something like this: She is the Astral embodiment of Monster, and thus has a hold of every lesser monster in the setting.

>Vampire
Obvious, the Crone

>Werewolf
Just as obvious, Luna. Or Wolf, now that 2e did the gender-swap.

>Mage
This one is a bit harder, but probably it’s something like this: Mages have to travel through the Astral to Awaken, and only those who are fitting according to the Dark Mother can are allowed through to the Supernal.

>Promethean
Women are prominent in the creation of four of the five lineages. Twice as Demiurge, once as a Progenitor, and once as a chronicler of it all. All obviously aspects of the Dark Mother. It then stands to reason that it was the Dark Mother who tore the first Ulgan apart.

>Changeling
Not directly related; as Beast says, the True Fae are much closer, but since we don’t know much about them, it’s hard to tell. Most likely, she’s the source of the Keepers though.

>Geist
No coherent backstory. Hard to tell.

>Mummy
Most likely Fate

I've left out Hunter and Demon because they aren't related to the Dark Mother.

>Or Wolf, now that 2e did the gender-swap.

It's less a gender-swap and more like "powerful enough spirits don't really give a fuck about gender if it's not part of how they get Essence."

I really wish that Beast was an earlier game, it'd be easier to work them in as the proto-monsters of all these game lines.

Doesn't Beast straight-up say that Demons and Prometheans aren't considered 'kin', since they were never human to begin with?
Mages, also, are barely family, iirc, because they're "basically human, but--"

>Since the revelation in Beast that all monsters are related, via the Dark Mother, I’ve been thinking about how that’d work.
The Dark Mother is a proto-Pangaean metaphysical concept. She was the progenitor for all of the first supernaturals, not directly the cause of them. Acolyte vampires worship the Crone, but as far as I'm aware she didn't actually create any Vampires, other than The Unholy (Although The Unholy as "Vampire-with-a-Horror-instead-of-a-Beast" might be a neat concept to explore). You could also say that the Strix are Horrors or descendants of Horrors who fled into the world's dark places.

I feel like you're mostly misinterpreting Beast beliefs, though. They don't believe the Dark Mother directly created any of them, just that she was the originator. Beasts are the closest to her. One rung down the geneology chart, instead of six or seven.

Also, for Mages, she's clearly the source of the Dragons (and there is clearly some kind of connection between the Dragons and the Pangaeans, as the later are capable of Supernal Magic without being Awakened or Human). The True Fae may likewise be cast out Arcadian Gods.

The Deathlords are likely to be Cthonians, the native Denizens of the Underworld, and that's a good place for Sin-eaters to be related, through their Geists. Could also be that the Strix are Cthonic in origin, as they are the Owls of Dis.

I don't know much about Mummy. I figure the Judges stole some Atlantean knowledge or something.

Although I *could* see The Dark Mother as being another aspect of Luna

>Although I *could* see The Dark Mother as being another aspect of Luna

Considering that Luna has an Abyssal aspect, that wouldn't surprise me in the least.

>Acolyte vampires worship the Crone, but as far as I'm aware she didn't actually create any Vampires, other than The Unholy

There is one vampire, mentioned in Shadows of Mexico, who is similar to the Crone, but with a few differences: She is white, rather than black, and a snake, rather than a bird.
So the Crone might have more childer.

This pretty openly ignores stuff that Beast actually establishes, namely that a) the Dark Mother is related to werewolves because she created Wolf, Luna, Helios, and all the other first spirits and b) that her connection to Promethean is nebulous, but has more to do with her and the Principle rather than her and the Demiurges.

Fuck that, I like to thing that instead Beasts are just connecting their Lair with the Astral representation of the other splat, something they do through time, effort and personal interaction.

The concept of the Dark Mother has no actual power, Beasts just like to make up stories about that to assure them that they come from some actual grand heritage of monsters, rather than horrible parasites that mankind has outgrown the need for.

I think it's just Demons that aren't kin.

I do like to think that the Demons think of the DM as Daddy's estranged ex.

>People talking about one of Beast's more contentious aspects without misquoting the first draft
Amazing

Does she?

I don't remember anything about her directly creating the first Spirits.

This is also a possibility, and a reasonable one. Beasts are like Lorwyn Changelings, in that they reflect the things around them.
>The concept of the Dark Mother has no actual power
Disagree here, though. Beast is after all about spooky concepts that may not have really existed but are still powerful. The Astral too is about how things have power whether or not they exist. Also, I need to read up on it, since one of my Mage concepts involves the Primordial Dream and the Dark Mother and Horrors, but weren't Horrors not originally bound to people?

It is just Demons that aren't Kin.
And oh God, if the Principle and the God-Machine are connected they really would be the Ex

>Does she?

Looks like it at least. The Crescent Moon aspect is at least slightly tainted.

Guys, one of the players in my Hunter campaign took the merit Contacts (Paranormal Forums). I need some good screen names for the kind of people who would take stuff posted on /x/ seriously.

Hrmm...

TruthIsOutThere
ExThrall

Check out the old WoD hunter.net's users.

theanarchstate.wikidot.com/hunter:list-of-hunter-net-posters

>
>Mr.Mysterioso
>Dedmangwalkin
>GreyHat
>SacGeoMaster
>Lady Lightbulb

Card names. "NineofSpades", shit like that.

ButtSmasher6969

He made the account when he was 12 and doesn't want to have to make a new one.

Rad, thanks guys!

Hey WoDbros.

I am... curious. Does anyone have a copy of Vampire: Undeath, that funky NOT WHITE WOLF SRS GUYS thing?

What level of Mind magic is required for Freaky Friday body-swapping shenanigans?

Does the existence of the Supernatural work as a trigger for Dissonance?
Say you see a Ghost created using the Death Arcanum. Even though Ghosts are entirely natural and it is not obviously Supernal, would this trigger Dissonance? The Supernal is in no way evident, and it may be entirely possible that the individual knows fully about Ghosts to such an extent that he wouldn't be surprised or shocked by them?

If this trigger did occur, it would mean that Dissonance occurs regardless of individual awareness of the Supernal's existence, which seems to be counter to the concept of Dissonance. However if it didn't, then this would mean that if you could convince individuals your telepathy was entirely natural or that Ghosts normally cannot travel outside of (magically constructed) barriers drawn in chalk, then it wouldn't be subject to Dissonance, which seems absurd.

Suggestions?

I don't think anyone actually has a copy. Anyone at all.

So a Pistol has a three dot cost. If my character has one dot in resources that means he needs three successful rolls to buy one right? How much time between roles?

Probably Mind 5 with the practice of making.
I mean, that's what you need for possession, and that's just mutual possession.

Yeah, it's just Possession with multiple targets.

OK SO! Question!

This is for nWoD 1E, VtR

If a vampire is using Majesty to control another vampire, and a ghost successfully possesses the vampire that's being controlled, does the ghost now assume control, wresting it away from both vampires?

Yes. Counts in 2e too. Majesty makes someone WANT to do things. After possession, what the host wants doesn't matter any more.

Dominate would be iffier. In 2e I'd say it's a clash of wills, to see who is in control, but I have no idea how to do that stuff in 1e.
(Also, why do you play 1e?)

...

Are there any good oWoD literary approachs? I don't have people to play with. I've read most of the 20th anniversary manual, played VtM: Requiem and Bloodlines and I'd love to see more about the setting. It's a shame the MMO got canceled.
I really like street level vampires in street level quests that can go to ancient evil tier with the right storytelling.

A bunch of VtM books. Most are pretty meh tier. Not terrible but not amazing.

I play 1E on a MUSH lol, surprisingly enough they still exist. But this is good to know! My vampire has a rival that loves to use Majesty, but he's also got a Ghost familiar with posession. So I think if she ever tries to control him, his ghost-buddy will be able to take control right out from under her.

>It's a shame the MMO got canceled.

Not really. It was a directionless clusterfuck. Anyhow, it wouldn't have been a Masquerade game. It would've been a new iteration of WoD.

NOT ENOIUGH PSSSSSSSH!!!!!!

Seriously, it would've been a clusterfuck. Blood as MMO currency was a horrible idea.

It was a clusterfuck throughout.

Still, will be interesting to see what Vampire Grand Strategy will look like.

Any particular recomendation?

What makes you say that?

I had a character I don't use. Transgirl nerdo who likes photojournalism and urban exploration named Simon Pascal Dresden. Goes by Pascal, and her handle is @GodsWager (as in Pascal's Wager). Her character quote was from Haruhi: "if any of you are aliens, time-travelers, or espers, please come see me." and her "faceclaim" was Swedish J-pop star Yohio. I was just going to link the character page, but apparently the MUX I was going to play her on died and the Wiki is gone except for one of those "I can't afford to host this shitty WoD game so I apologize" messages.

No. They have to be aware of the magic, and that only works if the Abyss knows it's Supernal. I actually made a 2e homebrew version of Magical Tradition based on that fact.

People have made very good arguments that Possession should be a lower practice. Weaving, I believe, would allow mind swapping.

Take it to the /srg/, you Humanis freak.

>They have to be aware of the magic
So it's entirely possible to use Mind Magic (as it was in 1e) to make everyone completely rationalise all spells as terestrial coincidences, meaning no spells will trigger Paradox or Dissonance from observation as Obvious Supernal effects?

Wouldn't the Ghost have to deal with the Majesty?

>Availability and Procurement
>The dot cost of a piece of equipment relates directly to the Resources cost if your character wishes to purchase it (or the components, for some things). It also reflects the level of Allies or other Social Merit required in order to find the item and the Skill level required to procure it with a single dice roll. For example, if a Party Invitation has Cost •••, a character with Larceny •• should not be able to find and steal an invite without a roll, but a character with Politics •••• might be able to get one by virtue of saying the right words to the right organization. If your character wishes to obtain higher Availability items with her Skills, it requires a deeper effort.
Honestly if you've got like 50$ and some Streetwise, you can probably get a gun without a serial number.

>Humanis freak
Fuck you, the land of Saints and Scholars shall be free once more!

No, because I'm talking about 2e.
Their mind isn't the problem, the Abyss is. Although in 2e it's less "you have a piece of the Abyss in your soul" and more "that scene from They Live where he puts on the glasses".

>What makes you say that?

Wisdom Gifts in Signs of the Moon. The final one gives forbidden knowledge from beyond this world, and causes Resistant damage.
This knowledge is explicitly given by Crescent-Moon aspected lunes.

>Wouldn't the Ghost have to deal with the Majesty?

If they apply it again, sure. But that's not the mind that got struck with the mind-whammy, no?

>I actually made a 2e homebrew version of Magical Tradition based on that fact.
Speaking of which:

>Traditional Magic (•)
>Prerequisites: Techne in the tradition in question
>Sleeper society has many occult traditions, some members of which are able to perform magic of their own, even if they can only use the occulted secrets of the Fallen World. While Diamond Mages may say these are nothing more than shallow, blurred reflections, the Free Council knows better.
>By "hiding" her Supernal magic in the occult practices of a Sleeper magical tradition such as Vodoun, Catholicism, or even stage and street magic, a Libertine may avoid Paradox. When you purchase this merit, choose a Rote with a spell and skill that fit your magical tradition. When using that Rote, consider it to be a Dedicated Tool in addition to its skill bonus. If the Paradox dice pool is less than 1, you don't risk Paradox at all, and if no successes are rolled, your spell doesn't suffer Dissonance and the effects of Quiescence are lessened. The spell won't cause a Breaking Point, but Sleeping observers will still find it hard to accurately recount the specifics of your spellworking. You may purchase this merit multiple times for different Rotes or traditions.
>Drawback: While a Mage can hide her light in a bushel to keep the Abyss at bay, it's a trick that requires carefully treading the line. Sleepers still add to the Paradox pool, and if there is a Paradox roll that succeeds, this Merit's effects are negated and the Paradox gets one free success. If that light of the Supernal shines through the symbols of the Fallen World, the Abyss perverts them that much more, like a bright light to eyes used to the dark.

The other Attainments include creating bullets that home in one people and cause either Tilts or Persistent Conditions, using matter to convert your clumps of small guns into bigger guns, giving your guns infinite ammo with Space and Matter, and a final Attainment which lets you unlock Enuff Dakka.

These are in no particular order and only one of them has the optional Death thing that lets you form (Gnosis) additional arms from ectoplasm, I'm not sure what effects the other optional Death things should have.

>Have you ever made your own setting?
Like, from what perspective? I'm assuming you mean "...that involves WoD/CoD." Like, have I ever made my own city? Or have I ever made my own cosmology that explained why I leave out or outright change the fluff of certain games in the line (like Mummy, Beast, or Demon)?

I suppose yeah. I've done a game that took place in a world that was just straight-up a Gotham-like city. It was a sort of "twenty minutes into the future," thing where it was straddling the lines of light cyberpunk. The City was huge. And pretty much all of the books took place (except Mummy--because I just couldn't explain it and haven't read all their books because I thought the idea was meh--and Beast, because it hadn't come out yet).

The players liked it enough. Almost all the more generic fluff of each book was still involved. But it's still something I use. There were some occasional moments of going into the suburbs or small country-side around the City, but it was hardly ever necessary.

I've also played a game without Demon involved as well, because I wanted to approach the thing from an actual "All Religions Are Real," Supernatural-style approach. And Demon's fluff really clashes with that, in my opinion. I'm tempted to use its mechanics to represent people as actual Fallen Angels hiding from God.

I dunno, it's a bit hard to do.

>I'm not sure what effects the other optional Death things should have.
5th Attainment: Reaper's Scythe
Spend 1 mana and make a Firearms attack. If you hit the target they take a Potency 7* Making Death spell Withstood by Stamina that instantly kills them if any of it's Potency gets through.
Free Reach spent on Instant, and I figure 1 mana should cover making it "reflexive". If you prefer, you can treat it as a Ritual to make the bullet ahead of time. You can autofire if you add more mana for each target (or more boolet if you make them in advance).

.

*or depending on how you read "When required, the Attainment is also considered to have acquired additional spell factors that would incur a penalty (if cast as a spell) equal to the Attainment’s lowest prerequisite Arcanum (rounded down)", Potency 10

I can dig, also checked.

In case you hadn't guessed, this Legacy quickly gets rather ridiculous.

Checked?

And yeah, even without your silly gun on gun action, most Mages get ridiculous quickly. I realized that my Whipping Boys write up could have had [Life] healed in Lethal damage every scene. Like a regen. For a fucking week.

Indeed, I even have the perfect quote for a member of this Legacy, who has gone off the deep end.

>"I am the scales of justice! Conductor of the choir of death! Sing, Brother Heckler! Sing, Brother Koch! Sing, brothers! Sing! SING!"

So if I hate how stupid powerful Mages are, what are my alternative options?

How are Second Sight thaumaturges or the rules in Witch Finders?

Limit them to their Ruling arcana and reduce the dots they can learn to

Gnosis 1-2: 1 dot
G3-4: 2 dots
G5-6: 3 dots
G7-8: 4 dots
G9-10: 5 dots

This puts them closer to other splats in terms of power, but Mages are still broken because of their unfettered access to the astral

>tfw people only ever discuss the core Hunter groups
>those from the supplements are only ever mentioned when they get bashed

feels bad

Nobody ever bashes the hippies who consider wolves and mages eco-terrorists for using loci and hallows

That guy from last thread has me thinking. How would you handle Alchemy in 2e?
I'm thinking Create Gross Matter as an Attainment at Matter 3.

Depends on why you feel they're too powerful. You could make Paradox worse, you could limit the Practices, or you could... just not play wizards and leave them as mysterious NPCs to aid or be conquered by your players. There's no way to tell you an alternative if we don't know what you want. If you're looking for things for players, you could probably tweak Mages to be less powerful by doing things like turning all spells into rituals, or things like that. But if your players want to be wizards, then you should let them be wizards and roll with the punches.

If you're looking for antagonists or NPCs, then you don't need Mage in the first place, you should make things up with whatever splat you're using (the Mage's mental domination is just Dominate, their lightning fingers is the Blast Numina, their miraculous powers are the Miracle Dread Power, etcetera).

I don't think most people even use the Astral at all, and I'm not sure how it's all that powerful. It's just a neat thing to explore.

People routinely talk about the other groups. Hell, between me and Amatajakki there's plenty of talk about Maiden's Blood Sisterhood, The Knights of Saint George, Utopia Now, and Habibti-Ma.

I'm not sure "man, I really like these groups" counts as "plenty of discussion."

MODS ARE ASLEEP

POST FURSONAS

You actually make a pretty good point, and I suppose at that point if I were DM I would rule that they only generate dissonance if they can see the Supernal on it. So say, they can see the ghost because they have death sight on and thus can scrutinise the spell. Oooor for instance if they witness a ghost gate in action.

I would really like you to elaborate on how strong you think their access to the astral is. Like don't get me wrong, it's DECENT, but its not a place you can bring anything useful back from unless you get deep enough for it to be lethal as all fuck.

No.

Iunno, I've at least talked about my groups a lot. I love 'em. Although it's been ages since I talked about the Dragonslayers. Not since Mortal Remains came out, I think.

If I ever get off my ass and work on it again, All Along The Watchtowers is definitely gonna have Division Six and the Keepers of the Source as antagonists.

God, I wish Hotel Mascaron could be made canon somehow.

I don't see why it would need to be made canon. You can still use it.
You should use my Magical Girls

Although I have no idea what All Along the Watchtowers is. I think I saw it on the forums but didn't actually read the thread.

It's my 1960s America Mage setting that I work on while I wait for OPP to finally decline my submission

>Have you ever made you own setting?

Yes, by changing the main lore of V:tM since the event at the Convention of Thorns and changing other parts of the lore to account of the strength of certain nations.

Tremere don't go to Ventrue for alliance, but to the stronger France/Toreador. This makes the Ventrue uneasy, since they were unquestioned power and they can't rally a fractured empire to attack France or try again their strength against Tzimisce. They need another ally - Salubri. The Convention of Thorns is set to not only stop the ever growing force of the Anarchs, but also conflicts between clans due to the alliances (Tremere want to kill Salubri, Tzimisce want to kill Tremere). During the Convention the major parts of Tzimisce and Lasombra come back to the fold, while the Warrior Salubri leave to form the Sabbat. The Concept of High Clan and Low Clan stays. A new and different Camarilla forms. The High Clans rule the cities and form Primogens, while the Low Clans are mainly seen as advisors/seneschals. Always five pairs Toreador and Tremere, Ventrue and Salubri, Brujah and Settites, Tzimisce and Nosferatu, Lasombra and Malkavians. Assamites are granted a place in the Camarilla as peace keepers and justice (Justicars), like Haqim was in the past. Most of the Children of Haqim agree to the terms, wanting also to keep Alamut safe. Ravnos are made Mediators, but not part of the Camarilla. Gangrel went independent, so did Giovanni. Nobody cared about Cappadocians.

The High Clans: Ventrue, Lasombra, Tzimisce, Brujah and Toreador
The Low (Seneschals) Clans: Salubri, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Settite, Tremere and Assamite

Ventrue and Salubri? This is explained before. Their bond forms because the Ventrue need a powerful ally to guard them. Why not have those that can heal your wounds with greater ease than with Vitae? People who can save your brightest and best soldiers and generals? This gave them an edge above the Toreador/Tremere, especially at the time of Black Death. The Salubri that went with Ventrue were of the Healer caste, while the Warriors grew weary of their machinations, wanting to find a better way (they found it in Sabbat). Watchers were few in numbers to mean anything. The Ventrue part of Sabbat was those Crusaders that didn't want peace and found their Warrior Salubri a better option.

Toreador and Tremere? The Tremere needed a strong ally to fight with them. The Ventrue failed in their conquest of Tzimisce lands and were seen as too weak. France was an ever growing power and the mages predicted that the HRE will fall sooner or later and France might be their ticket to ensure their existence. Toreador didn't see a problem with betraying the Salubri and allying themselves with Tremere.

Lasombra and Malkavians? The Malkavians during the Convention went mad saying that "history went a different way", "this shouldn't be like this". Yes, they went mad because the metaplot/history was changed by the ST. Some 4th Wall breaking. The main part of the clan was devastated by this. They couldn't find any peace, until the Lasombra came to them. The Magisters needed allies and prophecy seeing madmen was the only option they had. They took them to the New World, where Malkavians found their "peace" and started working with Lasombra. Their goal now isn't to cry in bed about the change, but to amend it. Change it back to the way it should be. This also made them more in tune with their prophetic skills, but at a cost - during their sleep, their minds peer into the Abyss. Not quite a good trade off.

Tzimisce and Nosferatu? This alliance comes later, when the Nosferatu get attacked by an unknown force (Niktuku) and almost gets wiped off, before being saved by Tzimisce, their old lords. Because of that the two full of secrets clans decide to work together to keep their secrets secret and stand against other forces.

Brujah and Settites? This comes back to Carthage. The Brujah and Settites were friends, but once Baali came to the picture, the Philosopher Kings started to trust the satanists. Settites warned them that they are going into a more dark path, but the Brujah didn't listen. Carthage fell and the Brujah's status also. Maybe some regarded them as a High Clan, but without their own place, why would anyone keep them as one? Here comes Constantinople. The fall of Michael made the Byzantine Empire weak and ripe for the taking. The Brujah came and took over, with the help of Settites. A bond formed between those clans. One full of emotions and the other that was willing to bring new emotions and feelings to the table. The Sabbat Brujah are those that didn't want the rule of High Clans over others, so not much change there.

Where are the Gangrel? During the Convention of Thorns, they saw Camarilla for what it was - another way to control people. They didn't find their place in that sect nor the new forming one, the Sabbat. Misplaced in politics, they decided to opt out and went to the North. The Scandinavian countries were wiped, no other clans than Gangrel were found there. The Country Gangrel and City Gangrel worked together to guard this place as their own. The unforgiving winters were too much for more than one clan to prosper, so the Gangrel grew strong and became independent from the politics of the sects.

Assamites? The main body of the clan saw the Camarilla as a good way to stop bloodshed and when they were asked to help to keep justice, they were more than happy to oblige. Of course, the Baali curse was substituted by the Tremere one, but it wasn't that severe. The Children of Haqim found themselves in a new political power. Justicars. Their goal is to defend the Camarilla and destroy those that break the laws. As true keepers of Justice, like Haqim would have wanted.

Ravnos? Almost nothing changed here. They still didn't join the Camarilla, but found themselves in more power than they would otherwise. The High Clans were a peaceful sort and the Camarilla needed to keep them in check, so they wouldn't eat each other apart like before. So a new position was created - the Mediator. When two vampires feud and it starts to become increasingly deadly or at the point of breaking the Traditions, the Prince appoints a third party and that's mainly someone outside of the Camarilla politics - in this case a Ravnos. His job is to find a compromise and if the parties don't agree to it, he chooses what the compromise should look like and tells the Prince, which finally decides the punishments. Not only as part of the compromise, but also for not agreeing to what the Mediator wanted. Many Kindred die because they can't find a peaceful way to settle their differences.

Giovanni? Nothing changed here. They are still the creepy, incestful necromancers.

Cappadocians? Nobody stood for them. Sorry.

Sabbat and Salubri? The idea is from DAV20. A Sabbat that's more philosophical and nice. Their goal is to save the "soul" of Kindred, because they believe that Camarilla is steered by Antediluvians. They prepare for the coming of Saulot that will save their "race" as a Messiah. Antitribu Lasombra and Tzimisce aren't big in numbers here, making the Salubri Warriors the spiritual and war leaders.

So now that 2e mage is basically out, how do I work up the energy to get into it? I ran a few 1e games and enjoyed them, as did my players, and they have been asking to go again. But I just can't get into the new ruleset. Subnet going down didn't help my enthusiasm, either.
Any advice for getting the passion back or advice on how to slog through the rulebooks?

>just realized that the Skinchangers setting in Dark Eras gave them a 2e patch
>meaning there's a slight chance that the Second Sight setting in the Companion will update Thaumaturges

I'm excited for damn near everything in that book.

I still need to figure out what to say about myself and send in my submission...

Read the book.

>1960s America Mage setting
Noice.

Fuck off.

Can a Mage form a pact with a Fallen?

yes.

what changed when it became CoD?

Rules for Social Combat. Because the system needed more rules.

But doesn't the pact work by using the Faith of the mortal in the demon? I would think a mage has too much faith in their own Paradigm and convictions to actually empower the Fallen.

demon storytellers guide pg 65 has a whole section on mage-demon pacts.

short of it is, they can.

More story-based XP system, combat overhaul, formalised buffs and debuffs, social interaction system, fixed morality.