Mage Chronicler's Guide

blackhatmatt:

edicts about how these rules should work, people would still find holes to poke their fingers into.

The issue is that we don't need a perfect set of rules, just a set that any player can find heinous problems with and which breaks game balance by default.

Like the "fix" in the "errata" where activating an imbued item gave you the same number of successes as the spell stored in it. Every time. Which combined with rituals becomes very nasty indeed.

Would have been awesome to have a unified, playtested set of rules. Even if it had holes in it. Heck, I loved "Forged by dragon's fire" simply because it had consistent and comprehensive rules, even if many of them were rather.....iffy.

Then again, perhaps we'll just have to hope for a "Book of Magic Items" for Awakening, dealing with alchemy, imbuing, awakened alloys and all that stuff, rather than trying to push it into any old book that comes along.

When MCG should appear on shales? Thirded Quarter of this year?

Lankin:

Then again, perhaps we'll just have to hope for a "Book of Magic Items" for Awakening, dealing with alchemy, imbuing, awakened alloys and all that stuff, rather than trying to push it into any old book that comes along.

That'd be a fun book, yeah.

blackhatmatt:

I really did think about doing that, but I decided against it, because I am just a freelance developer.

But a capable and admired one. I see where you're coming from, though.

blackhatmatt:

Besides which, the errata's available online, and at least some of the things you mentioned are addressed.

The rules are self-contradictory whether or not you include BB's apparently off-the-cuff rulings in the Q&A thread. I know that perfect rules are impossible with a world as open as the WoD... that's not a problem, we can deal with it. I'd like rules that weren't self-contradictory, though. I think you could have given them to us, so I'm a little disappointed that you backed off from it.

I'm still buying the book for all the other good stuff you included, of course.

blackhatmatt:

Microkindred:

Has the subject of follow ups to the alternative backgrounds ever come up?

Not sure what you're meaning, here.

I meant as in "I like this new idea for an alternate setting/background *points to the second idea from the top on list of ideas* so much that we should consider writing a couple of scenarios/SAS for it"; or again:  "detail it with say a pdf supplement", or whatever further official use of said ideas, due to enamorement.

I have to say I'm really looking forward to this book.

haven't been this excited by an rpg book for some time now.

Any news about when this book is going to be published ?

Irioth:

Any news about when this book is going to be published ?

I assume it's a fourth quarter release, but I can't tell you anything beyond that.

blackhatmatt:

I assume it's a fourth quarter release, but I can't tell you anything beyond that.

Veeerrryyy nice to know. I shall wait for this release with the outmost eagerness. I harbored doubts that it was scheduled for 2010 since it has been so far non-existent in the release chesdule.

Does it have any alternate histories (non-Atlantis)? I've heard that there are some in the Free Council book but I have been unable to get a copy. Is there any merit to my assumption?

Koryonos:

Does it have any alternate histories (non-Atlantis)?

Yes, though I don't promise that they'll be exactly what you're looking for, obviously.

It's funny, though. I've run an awful lot of Mage, and I've never felt that the Atlantis backstory has taken center stage. Does it feel that way on a read of the books?

Not in all of them, but definitly in some books... Even magical traditions.

It's not that I dislike the Ancient city design. In fact I plan on using just such a structure in my game, except that there were several of them and they were more Stonehenge or Easter Island than Atlantis. I just feel that the Atlantis theme is overly prevalent and somewhat forced. I'm of the oppinion that if there is an Atlantis that it should be flavor in the background, not a defining feature of the entire game.

Koryonos:

It's not that I dislike the Ancient city design. In fact I plan on using just such a structure in my game, except that there were several of them and they were more Stonehenge or Easter Island than Atlantis. I just feel that the Atlantis theme is overly prevalent and somewhat forced. I'm of the oppinion that if there is an Atlantis that it should be flavor in the background, not a defining feature of the entire game.

Fair enough. My experience has been that in actual play, it's not that defining of a feature, but that might just be how I run my games.

Thanks. This'll be at the top of my b-day list.