The Symposium was a WoD E-zine that disappeared many years ago, that I happened to have archived and will display some of their old entries here for archiving. All credits belong to the old staff of the Symposium.

by Kenji Bohlin
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The Symposium was a WoD E-zine that disappeared many years ago, that I happened to have archived and will display some of their old entries here for archiving. All credits belong to the old staff of the Symposium.

by Ken Conley

The man stumbled down the dark streets. It was late, how late he wasn’t sure. The tall and brooding tenements seemed alive with hidden life. The moon was barely visible through the smog filled with night sky and the air was cool, not too cold nor hot.

The man quickened to his pace and pulled his jacket tight around him, not providing any heat, but giving him a false sense of security. He wasn’t sure how he stumbled into this run-down part of the city, all he knew was that he had to get out. A scream filled the air, originating from somewhere in the distance. Sirens danced in the distant air, but the man couldn’t discern the direction.

He looked again at the tenements. Was that movement in the corner of my eye? Then, he noticed them…footsteps. They were soft but brisk, faster than his own. He quickened his pace again, and the footsteps perfectly followed his accelerated rhythm. They were getting louder and more numerous. The man broke into a run and looked back to scan for a source. Nothing. There was only darkness. He ran faster and faster, the footsteps became quicker and quicker. He tripped on something, a rock or trash, it didn’t matter. He looked back to see three men emerge from the darkness. Their black silhouettes against the whitish glow of phosphorescent lights.

That is what the World of Darkness is. In short, it is a world of extremes. “The bureaucrats are all corrupt, the rich are filthy rich, and the homeless clog the streets.” That quote from Mage gives a very basic view of the world.

What we as Sleepers of Kine or the Quick view as true is not, it is all just a facade. The government is controlled by the supernatural, whether it be Vampires or Garou or Mages, all are pawns all the way up to the highest position, the President.

Gothic is the part of the world that is most used and integrated into the game. In Vampire, this is very easy to distinguish. Political manipulations and power struggles, payoffs in darkened backstreets, and a sense that everyone, even most trusted friends, are conspiring against you, are all part of the game. In Werewolf, the Gothic sense is a little harder to see, but it surely is there. Just the idea of huge, hulking beasts who rule the untamed wilderness gives off the sense of ominous foreboding. The end is coming and only the greatest warriors will remain to fight in the final battle against the very essence of evil and corruption, the Wyrm. Mage is the least Gothic of all the games if you look at the way it is presented in the main book. With a little readjusting, however, you can make that Gothic as well. A mad scientist desperately trying to find the problem with his most bizarre “invention” in a basement labratory, rituals at midnight resound in the ancient forest, large scale magickal battles push the unsuspecting peasants further into their beliefs in superstition and witchcraft. So with a change of perspective, even Mage can be Gothic.

Punk is a very important part of the world, too. Punk deals with the ways of life in the World of Darkness. In the labryinth-like cities, gangs rebel against the aristocratic suppressors. Clothes, music, and attitudes reflect the Punk world, but it is more than that. The Anarchs rebel for a purpose and not just to cause anarchy as their name implies. The Punk Movement was not created for people solely to act strange or look strange, but to fight against the status-quo, to keep from being catagorized. Werewolf puts it nicely when saying,

The counterculture of the cities, sick of the oppresive physical and social tableau, rebel with words, dress, music, and often violence.

The World of Darkness exists everywhere, in all parts of the world. It is not just linked to the Western culture, but is found in Jerusalem, Cairo, and even China.

How does one achieve this atmosphere of dread and oppression? First of all, you must follow certain guidelines. Play in places that are quiet. If someone is sitting in the same room talking to someoneelse about how great her day was, then the atmosphere is shattered. Playing at night is also a good tool to use. Music does a lot, as well. If the scene deals with the huge, maze-like cities, then Industrial music like Thrill Kill Kult or Front Line Assembly is appropriate. Finally, the players have as much of an active role as the Storyteller in conveying the dark mook. If the players crack jokes or act rowdy, then it destroys the atmosphere.

In conclusion, the World of Darkness is a world of extremes. Everything is not what it seems and the air always tinges with excitement mixed with shear dread. Here is a passage from the back of the World of Darkness sourcebook to end this person’s thoughts on what exactly is the setting of the Storyteller system.

Throughout the world mortals walk, believing themselves in the light of civilization. But what happens when the darkness does not recede but stays, refusing to yield to the penetrating rays of light?

Voodoo cults in the Caribbean, lost tribes in the Middle East, hidden castles of Europe and Germany, in the boardrooms of Hong Kong. Everywhere the shadows flicker, but here they rule. From the Americas to Asia, from Jordan to Ireland, there are those places where light of reason and hope has never intruded. And here even the dark forces of night may meet their end.

submitted by Gavin Bennett, former White Wolf writer

This is an old WoD article which was published in a sadly defunct Irish RPG magazine a VERY long time ago.

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by Lars

The land of Khem was one of the first human civilizations to appear in the Skinlands, and their Underworld naturally appeared with it. Needless to say, the culture of the Egyptian dead is truly ancient, having existed for several millennia before the rise of Charon and the Hierarchy. Egypt is the land of immortals, and of the forever dead.

Amenti is the haven of the ancient Egyptian Restless and Reborn alike - an echo of the Nile valley hidden beneath the wrath of the Tempest. It is known by some as the Dark Kingdom of Sand, and it is the closest thing to paradise for those wraiths that still cling to the ancient mortuary beliefs, even though dwelling there is usually a captive existence. The wraiths of Amenti are intensely xenophobic, and rarely, if ever, leave their realm, out of fear of the outsiders and the Tempest alike. That Amenti is hidden from discovery by prying eyes is the greatest comfort to them, as well as on the surface being similar to the Egypt they knew in life.

Osiris has been the ruler of Amenti and king of the Egyptian dead for over 6000 years. The realm was first discovered when the Beautiful One set out to find the blessed fields of A’aru, and since then he has reigned unopposed from the throne in the great royal palace-tomb. He has not stirred, nor moved an eyebrow, since the Egyptian Shadowlands were conquered by Stygia, when Neter-khertet suffered the same fate as Khem did in life. His Corpus simply sits, with arms folded across his chest, unblinking and untouchable on the royal throne. The practical ruling of Amenti is handled by a High Council of priests and generals, some being former advisors to the king, but this council has had to adapt and change during the 2000 years Osiris has been dormant. The Council has been stable for the last two centuries though, and the (mostly) ancient wraiths have always had two forces to assist or oppose them as the needs of Amenti required - the Shemsu-heru on one side, and Anubis on the other.

The Shemsu-heru are as respected and revered as the High Council, and the only reason they are not the rulers of Amenti is that their cycle forces them to always return to the Skinlands, and thus leave their dead homeland behind. A few of them are utterly devoted to serving the Kingdom, and visit it even while they reside in the living world. Most Reborn are content to enjoy life while they have it though, and let their Underworld run itself while they are away. Only about 10-20 mummies are usually found in Amenti at one time, and the status of all 42 Shemsu-heru is legendary to the thousands of wraiths that reside there, so the period they spend there is usually an easy one. The accumulation of ba energy is slower when dormant though, so although whiling away the years by sitting quietly in Amenti is preferred by many Reborn, most explore the Underworld for extended periods instead.

Amenti itself is cut through by the River of Life, the Underworld counterpart to the great Nile, though in Amenti the river is stale - the Pathos of the living no longer feeds it like it used to. Despite Amenti’s wealth of smooth, angular fortresses, the buildings there are almost only tombs, and though their elaborateness and splendor used to be great many have crumbled or fallen slowly into Oblivion. Stone obelisks, sculptures and even pyramids can be found in the dunes and fields, all dedicated to the afterlife by the living back at the dawn of civilization. Almost nothing modern exists there though, few younger wraiths find their way to Amenti these days and the ancient souls are comfortable with the illusion of stone, bronze and wood. The charnel air in the valley is heavy, as the population slowly dwindles and progress is steadfastly refused. Only the Shemsu-heru are able to bring a wind of change to Amenti upon their arrival, and for this reason they are resented by many of the conservative elders that are loath to destroy their afterlife by letting heretical and modern thoughts into their safe paradise.

The legends concerning the mythical figure of Anpu, or Anubis, are many. He is told to be the first man who ever tasted death, the one who taught the Arcanoi to Charon and his people, the one who founded the Ferrymen and much more. What is known is that he is the spiritual patron of the Reborn, and, to an extent, all Egyptian dead. He is there when all mummies are born into death, again and again, and he is the one who guides them safely to Amenti if they so wish. His knowledge of the Tempest, which is known to the Egyptian dead as Tenemu, is supreme. He functions as emissary, ferryman and counselor for both Amenti and what used to be Neter-khertet, although his existence is very little known outside these realms. Certainly Stygia never recognized any rumors of this enigmatic being, deferring to the Lady of Fate on such mythical matters. There are certainly similarities between the stories and powers of the two, but since knowledge of one almost excludes any of the other, no relation between them has ever been suggested out loud in neither Amenti or Stygia. If anyone knows of one, it would be he who was Charon or the Ferrymen.

The figure of Anubis is unmistakable, unless he has chosen to appear in another form entirely. His head is that of a jackal, unmoving and appearing to have been carved from black stone, with traditional Egyptian headdress and costume to complete the classical temple-image, occasionally supplemented by white linen robes. He travels the Tempest in a crescent-shaped reed boat known as Mesektet, stitched together by the reeds found at the mouth of the River of Life. A long pole is his favored tool for charting the Sea of Shadows, and this image is the one he shows to the Reborn when their time has come to enter or leave the Underworld.

The mortuary culture of ancient Egypt was dominated by belief in the afterlife, and the ideas of the living world naturally carried over into that of the dead. The Khemrians believed that every Egyptian soul would be judged after death, and be found worthy of the afterlife or not. If the soul was deemed unworthy, its heart was devoured by a hybrid-beast, while worthiness meant the blessed fields of A’aru, or something similar, awaited. As always, legends of the Far Shores identify them with A’aru, and countless wraiths have been lost to Oblivion while questing for their promised paradise.

According to the ancient hieroglyphic writings, the world was created from a primal sea of nothingness, and if proper devotion was not paid to the gods, the world could be unmade once more. In the Underworld, this was very visibly the case - the rolling Tempest that surrounded Amenti was the topmost layer of this mass of unbeing, known to them in life as Tenemu. In death, only Anubis could sail the primal waters safely. The texts also spoke of a great serpent, an embodiment of Tenemu named Apophis, whose sole purpose was to devour the world once more. Ra, the sun, had to defeat this monster every day in his journey across the sky. Most denizens of Amenti see Anubis as having taken Ra’s place, as the sun continues its journey through the Underworld every night. Apophis is the name given to the most powerful servants of Oblivion, as well as other demonic entities that threaten the stability of Amenti.

by Enantiodromos@aol.com

Sleeper: Huddling in Listless Ignorance.

This book is a revision of Mage: The Ascension, 2nd Edition. It has a handful of useful clarifications on the working of spheres, and a new game mechanic for resonance. That’s all I have good to say about it– if you don’t like to read open criticism, stop reading here.

Mage Revised asserts that the Ascension War is over, and that magic is dying. (Why didn’t they retitle the game: "Sleeper: Huddling in Listless Ignorance" ??) To me, it’s a no-brainer that Mage is about magic, not about whether-or-not-there-is-magic. The crucial premise of Mage is "Many Magics in the Modern World, one of them being Science." Not only is the premise "Magic is dying" totally inappropriate to the genre of Willworkers, it’s also incredibly tired and lame– it makes Mage a cheap imitation of the fragile-dream feel of Changeling. Magic cannot die, any more than reality can die.

What can die, however, is the great majority of Mage Masters. The developers decided that Mage: Revised should have very few Masters. Forgetting for the moment that the wise, powerful elder is a staple of this genre, this isn’t so bad. But instead of simply writing them out of the revised setting, they trumped up a "natural disaster" in order to kill off most Masters. Pretty as you please.

There’s no real discussion of the Technocracy, Nephandi, Marauders, or the Umbra in the revised book. These materials were in 2nd edition. They were left out of revised.

Game mechanics changed. Now, one gets very nearly as much paradox from successful vulgar magic as from botched vulgar magic– mages will be half-hoping for simple failure when they try to shape reality. Talk about undermining a Willworker’s self-confidence!

Also, nowadays, the greater your Arete, the harder it is to get into the Umbra. Someone explained this to me as the "metaphysical blip" theory of Arete. Sort of like Arete is some kind of energy one stores up, in order to muscle reality around! So, in Revised, Arete goes from insight to "power." From an in-character perspective, this makes no sense at all. It is, however, how they "explain" the deaths of most of the Masters, who had very high Aretes and were "caught off guard" by this sudden change in a fundamental structure of reality. Wouldn’t you be?

One cannot help but wonder why Mage: Revised is so unconscionably awful. There is a reason, and it’s not that the developers are Evil, per se. Before the revision, Mage was a game of high-stakes epic adventure. Higher stakes by far than any other World of Darkness game line. Mage players’ characters were powerful, and Mages as a whole defined reality itself. The scope of the game was tremendous, challenging, and rewarding.

Mage: Revised was developed in order to minimize the Mage game and Mage players into the world of White Wolf’s more profitable "Vampire: The Masquerade" line– profitability is the reason for all the changes. Magic itself was crippled, the majority of living Masters were eliminated, and easy access to the umbra cut off, so that the wide world of Mage is a little less scary and incomprehensible to the average vampire– because, apparently, the highest level of creativity gamers can rise to is "Superman vs The Hulk." Words cannot express my contempt. When will we stop debasing everything in the name of short-term profit?

by daedaleus@lycos.com

"The Shadows are whispering again. They have followed me here, it seems. Even here…"

Throughout history terrible secrets have been hidden, only to be unearthed by brave, and sometimes, unwitting souls. And when kindred are involved their own history is a secret that is sought at great risk. Elders rally their young and clans martial their forces in search of a glimpse of truth.

In the case of Fra Niccolo giovanni, his own scholastic skills are in the service of his esteemed uncle. A humble monk, Niccolo, seeks knowledge, or more blatantly; he hungers to know. The taste of forgotten secrets and hidden lore sets upon the tip of his tongue maddening him with their bitter-sweet delight.

It is Niccolo who discovers an archaic tome. To his astonishment it is seemingly written by Caine himself, and obtains commentary by truly ancient kindred scholars. Unlike any other account it details from a view none other could, being the account of Caine himself.

The Erciyes Fragments is a delicious read. Like a fine wine you can wet your lips on it and the taste will linger on your tongue. The elders commentary replace separate annotation & explanation (as in the book of nod the revelations of the dark mother, the black labyrinth chronicles, etc.), making it much easier to read without shuffling through pages and check each notation. All in all it’s as if it’s three books in one. Just for the story of Niccolo it’s worth every penny. Included is the tales of caine in his own view as it were and the elders themselves own commentary blend in as if they were their own tale. The ending alone I won’t spoil but for the record it’s positively delightful. Even for readers unfamiliar with the world of darkness this is a wondrous and spellbinding book. The version of events detailed will un-doubtedly give most pause to think.

Enjoy the book, Delight in it’s exquisite horror, and Revel in the thought of how things could possibly be… If it truly were a World of Darkness…

I hope you find my humble service acceptable.
Daedaleus

by lerkanama@aol.com

Picture with me a young boy, just hitting his fifteenth year when he picks up a book that inspires his little brain to a great new level of fun.  An avid fan of the former monolith of RPGs, he picks up Vampire: the Masquerade Second Edition and enjoys it.  He and his friends eat it up, enjoying their pizza-and-Coke filled game sessions that are ritualistic in their natures.  So, after a while they decide to try out Werewolf.

The same occurs for our young boy.  He loves it, he becomes the storyteller of the small band.  And then he notices something, a slight trend, but he ignores it.   The trend is that the Malkavian became the Metis Get of Fenris, peaceful Gangrel became the Child of Gaia and the fun-loving Brujah becomes the fun-lovinger(bare with me on the word, it fits) Fianna.  They play, they love it, they have all sorts of fun, their ritual continues.

A year or three has passed and the coterie/pack has moved on to Mage, the Malkavin/Metis Get of Fenris becomes a Son of Ether only after 30 minutes of bitching about not being a Marauder, the peaceful Gangrel/Child of Gaia becomes a Dreamspeaker, the fun-loving-ing Brujah, Fianna, becomes a Cultist of Ecstasy.

Then it’s Changeling where the Malkavian/Metis Get of Fenris/Son of Ether became a Pooka, the peaceful Gangrel/Child of Gaia/Dreamspeaker became the Eshu and the fun-lover Brujah/Fianna/Cultist of Ecstasy became the Satyr.

The point to this long-winded and confusing introduction is that as the World of Darkness, while imaginative in itself, does not have a spark of imagination.  While setting is wonderfully crafted and written, the clan/tribe/tradition/kith are simply regurgitated and slapped down on a new book.

This problem is in a way a blessing, but it’s mostly a gross liability.  The only good thing is that the brain dead twits who have no concept of original characters can play the essential same thing through any system.  The gross liability is that brain dead twists with no concept of original characters play the essential same thing through any system.  This lack of thought leads to stagnation, apathy, dislike.

I appreciate everything White Wolf has done for us and brought us, but to create a bland character creation system(which is also very similar through the books) and then market it over and over and over and over and over is just lewd.  It exemplifies the quantity over quality theory that keeps movie sequels coming like men in a peep show booth.

-Jodoyushi Victim on a Hot Tin Roof
lerkanama@aol.com

by mirober@lascruces.com

“For millennia, the Empire has handed down its commandments to all of Gaia’s chosen. It claims that only through it’s actions and influence has the Apocalypse been held off for so long, and that only through it’s unity shall Gaia survive the coming time of darkness. This is a lie. The Empire has become corrupt, it’s structures weak, and it’s leaders insane. We can no longer afford to ignore the cancerous chain that the Empire has become, as it threatens to drag us all down into the mouth of the Wyrm. Any protection it once afforded is gone. The time has come to shred the net of humanity we have bound ourselves in. It is time to decide: will you be led like sheep, or will you stand up and reveal yourself as you truly are? No more lies. No more hiding. Show your true face to the enemy, and release your Rage!” -Daniel Hayden, Ratkin

The War of Extinction: To understand the beginnings of the Empire, one must know about the two great wars between the Changing Breeds. The exact cause of the first war is debated, though believed to have stemmed from resentment between those Breeds who knew the secrets of extending their life, and those who lived only as long as humans. Whatever the reason, the results of this disagreement are universally accepted: a civil war erupted between Gaia’s children in Europe and Africa. The war itself lasted nearly a century, not ending with a bang or any grand final battle, but as a slow, drawn out scattering and destruction of the losing forces. The survivors were those Breeds who allied with one another during the War, who were predisposed towards working in groups. These were the Garou, the Simba and Ajaba Bastet Tribes, the Corax, and the Ratkin.

The War of Dominance: Soon after the War of Extinction finally ended, a second war between the surviving Breeds came about. If anything, this one was even more brutal, as realization of what they had done during the first war settled in, and developed into accusations and recriminations against their former allies. For a time, it appeared that the results of the first war would become reality once again, this time for all participants involved. On the eve of what was likely to be the last great battle, however, something happened. Most legends refer to a great hero stepping forward, who spoke with the voice of Gaia, and who commanded all those involved to end their hostilities. Which Breed this individual came from is the most highly disagreed upon point, but in the end it doesn’t matter. Reason triumphed, a cessation of hostilities was declared, and the foundations of the future Empire were set down.

The Empire’s Beginnings: Of all the Breeds, the Garou came out of the two conflicts as the strongest race. They were at the forefront of efforts unite (some say control) the surviving Changing Breeds. Special Caerns were designated as places for several different Breeds to control jointly. These quickly became the diplomatic and leadership hubs of the formative Western Concordiat. Behind most of this effort was a single Silver Fang hero known in legend as The First, who is believed to be the inspiration behind many of the tales of King Arthur. He is generally recognized as the first Emperor, though at the time not called as such. Under his leadership, many of the hurdles that stood in the way of unification were crossed. Nonetheless, many Shapeshifters continued to work against old enemies, refusing to give up old grudges held from the time of fighting. Though circumspect, many members of the new Concordiat worked against one another, and passed down these hatred sand rivalries to future generations. Additionally, intermittent conflict between the western Breeds, the Hengeyokai, and many South African holdouts continued on, waxing and waning throughout the centuries.

[Amnesty - Occasionally, individuals or small groups of Breeds thought destroyed during the War of Extinction would turn up. In an effort to atone for past deeds, these shifters would be offered citizenship. Almost always this was accepted. Many find this somewhat suspicious, and wonder if some group (or groups) aided and hid the enemy during the War of Extinction, only to slowly bring their charges out of hiding later on. In any case, almost all of the Changing Breeds have a few members in the Empire, though they are not fully trusted.]

Establishment of the Church: Eventually, it became apparent that the greatest cause of strife within the new Empire would be due to disagreement over religious belief. In order to try and resolve this conflict before it could become an insurmountable rift, the Church of the Earth Mother was formed. Originally, it more resembled a Greek Forum than anything else, a place for the Breeds to argue and debate metaphysical matters. Over time, it became more regimented and organized, in response to the changes in human society. In order to protect those Changing Breeds and Kinfolk who worshiped Gaia from human religious purges, it was necessary to accrue influence and power over those self-same human institutions. The Church has become the main spiritual force within the Western Concordiat, and all Shapeshifters who concern themselves with spiritual matters are expected to pay homage to it, of one degree or another.

The Expansion: As the human populations and governments the Empire hid itself within spread to other countries, the Changing Breeds followed. In these new lands, it insisted on the indigenous shapeshifters swearing allegiance to it and it’s leaders. The natives declined, and once again Shapechanger fought Shapechanger. Unlike the previous wars, this conflict was made up of small-scale attacks and skirmishes between individual native communities and the forces of the Hidden Empire. Old hostilities and feuds kept the Natives from uniting with one another until the end of the 1800’s. By then, it was too late. They had suffered too many losses, and faced an enemy too well organized. Their Caerns were annexed, and had citizenship in the Empire forced upon them (though they were relegated to a lower social status, and regularly discriminated against).

The Current State of Affairs: Despite its efforts (some say because of them), the Empire finds itself on the doorstep of the Apocalypse. Hiding amongst the governments, religions, and corporations of the modern day, it still finds itself losing the struggle to try and curb humanities excesses. From without, the agents of the Wyrm continually maneuver against the Empire for control and influence over the human world. Within, ancient rivalries and factions oppose and undercut one another, which just serves to weaken the Empire as a whole. The Silver Fangs, seeking complete impartiality and balance so as to prove they truly are the greatest of Gaia’s leaders, have become removed, nearly-emotionless, and as hard and cold as the metal they name themselves by. The Black Fury and Shadowlord heads of the Church set plans in motion to assume control of the Empire, rationalizing that they are best aware of Gaia’s wishes, and as such most suited to leading the Empire through the coming Apocalypse. The Bastet are making motions towards secession, and are already forming a loose Coalition with the Ananasi and Mokole in Africa. The Ratkin have split into several different sub-factions, each with it’s own plans and vision for the future of the Earth. Finally, the descendants of those Shapeshifters native to the Americas form an ever-growing number of those openly rebelling against the Empire. The Apocalypse is looming, and in the face of it everything is falling apart for Gaia’s chosen.

[The Point - The alternate history presented above is intended as a background setting for a game in which the PC’s can build characters using any of the Changing Breeds. While the vanilla Werewolf setting requires quite a few story acrobatics to justify a Mokole, a Garou, a Ratkin, and a Gurahl forming a group, the above setting can easily handle such an alliance. It is also meant to add a different sort of conflict to a game of Werewolf, as the former stabilizing force of the Empire slowly crumbles away, just when unity amongst Gaia’s chosen is most needed. Politics beyond the Sept level become both more important and more pressing, as the ties that bind the Changing Breeds weaken and snap in ever increasing numbers. Most of the actual details for the organization of the Empire is left deliberately vague, up to the Storyteller to decide upon. Is the Empire run by a King, or a Council? The decisions made about this will largely be tied to how the ST wishes to present the Empire, and the level of darkness and corruption she wants in her Chronicle.]

by Kabael

And we’re back from a month-long commercial break. My personal life changes at its usual pace. I’m a manager at a KFC and a receptionist at an "assisted living house" these days, and I never have enough time to do what I want - sleep is to precious. But enough about me, joining us this time is the subject of crossovers - much loved, much hated.

There is some little voice deep inside each and every gamer out there that cries out "These two games are great, wouldn’t they be great together?" Sometimes they do, and sometimes they really, really don’t - most don’t, actually. It’s that problem that has given crossovers the mark of death in the role playing community, they have a reputation for being cheesy wank-fests of unrivalled scale. The dreaded crossover is where the Gangrel hang out with their Garou buddies, drinking beer - or where the Technocracy is revealed to be the source of all Banality. The problem with the "two great tastes" is less about what they are, however, than they are about than how they are actually used. Almost any game can be crossed over with another and still come out on top, it just doesn’t work that well most of the time.

The key to running a proper crossover game lies in realizing that it is, in the end, no different from any other kind of game. You simply need a broader base of knowledge and a stronger sense of control.

The simplest kind of crossover game usually escapes people’s attention - one in which none of the PCs actually cross over themselves. A story in which vampires are fighting for their lives against the ravages of maddened lupines is still a crossover story, it’s still drawing from another game for detail. Werewolf: the Apocalypse can be used to give further culture and detail to the "Lupines," making the story more than a combat game of survival. You can even stick with one set of rules for this kind of game, even if you use the setting information, you don’t have to bog yourself down with concerns like Rage and Gnosis and Gifts if you don’t want to.

Another kind of simple crossover that’s related to this is allowing a single character to come from another game. These are the stories of mages with a single vampire in their midst, or the changeling immersed in Garou culture. I got to be the player in one of these kinds of games once. I played an Orphan mage in a reasonably standard Mage: the Ascension game - except that my character was kinain, part fae. By the rules, I should have had a few special powers, some fae gifts, but since the game wasn’t about the fae, the Storyteller decided to keep it simple, and I used my fae heritage to explain an unusually high Arcane Background and some elements of my paradigm. That (and some fun plot hooks) was all, there were no wank-trips of gleeful cackling, just using another game (i.e. a crossover) to give added depth and detail to a character.

For those who want more "true" crossovers in the sense of using all the rules in various games and going will-nilly with characters (both player and not), there are a few things to remember. First off, and most important, have a mature gaming group who is interested in more than just powergaming otherwise you will fail, even if you stick to one game. They also have to be prepared to have lots of "off-screen time." Attention is hard enough in a normal game, but in a crossover, it can be downright impossible to ensure that it’s evenly spread. Second, be familiar as possible with both (or more) rules sets. You don’t need to know every rule and exception, but you do need to know enough to wing it when the need arises. It does bear mentioning, however, that while I talk about these when discussing crossovers, they are really general concerns about trying to run any game. Odd that, that a crossover is run just like any other game, and has the same pitfalls.

The last thing to remember when running a crossover is sometimes the most important, at least if your concerned about your game becoming what you envisioned it to be. Again, this is a general concern for all games, but it is also one of the biggest criticisms of crossover games (although often with no basis). When running a crossover game, you have to have a clear idea of why you’re running the game, and hold onto the theme/mood/neat thing with an iron fist. Do not feel bad about vetoing certain character ideas. This, as I said, is also important in a normal game, but it can come to the fore in a crossover. Many people complain that crossovers "ruin the point" of both games, but that’s just a little too narrow a view for me. If I want to run a game revolving around paranoia and secrecy, then I can do it just as well in a Vampire: the Masquerade and Mage: the Ascension crossover as I can in either game by themselves. Indeed, the feeling may even be enhanced if I can handle it properly (and have good players) as everyone begins to wonder what secrets the vampires are keeping from the mages, and vice versa. Cohesion and control are more important in a crossover game because the question of "Why the hell are we hanging out together?" comes up more often, and with bigger teeth. Mediocre pot conceits will often make for a mediocre game, in cases like that.

In the end, the two things that must be in the foreground when planning a crossover is cohesion and utility. Don’t be afraid to discard character ideas, rules, elements of the setting, plot ideas, or entire whole games if you have to. Again, these are all things that should be kept in mind in a normal "vanilla" game, but they jump to the fore in more cosmopolitan games, since more crossover games are much more fragile. Decide on what you want the game to accomplish, stick to it, and discard anything that gets in the way.

Obviously, some games are easier to mix than others. Some just seem like natural candidates for the big ol’ "plot blender" but others look like nightmares if you even consider doing it. There are three broad categories of crossover games that involve mixed player character groups (at least within the World of Darkness alone), I would say: the natural, the difficult and the impossible.

note: once again, the omission of Hunter: the Reckoning is not a mistake on my part. I don’t like the game, so I’m not going to consider it here. It doesn’t do well with crossovers anyway, considering it’s attitude of "kill ‘em all" about the other games. the Natural

These are the games that just seems to flow together, that you sometimes find yourself asking "Why aren’t they already meshed?" about. These are the games where it’s actually pretty easy to come up with reasons why the neonate vampire would be hanging out with the Euthanatos mage, so plot contrivances and party cohesion is only mildly more difficult than in a "vanilla" game. The problems that a natural game faces, however, are two-fold - screen time and rules debates. The former relies on either a brilliant Storyteller or a mature group to overcome (sometimes through troupe-play, giving everyone multiple characters), but it is still something that should be addressed. The rules, on the other hand, need something more. The Storyteller needs to be able to arbitrate on the fly between two different games that were not really designed to work smoothly together. Some enterprising people might want to come up with definite crossover guidelines and put some rules down on paper for easy reference. While this may take up a fair amount of time, it will also provide some kind of reference for the players, give them the feeling that the rules will be consistently applied. If you have the time, you should at least jot down some notes.

So which of the five World of Darkness games qualify as "naturals"? Especially with the release of Mage: the Ascension Revised Edition, that game seems the perfect mate for Changeling: the Dreaming (whether that is a good or bad thing is an exercise for the reader). There is a lot of legends about the fae and wizards, and both games share a strong link in almost identical overall themes. Crossovers can be either of a grand sort or smaller, more limited affairs, like the example I mentioned above. Mage: the Ascension and Changeling: the Dreaming are actually part of a trio of games that crossover quite well, the third being Werewolf: the Apocalypse.

All of the games share a common "high goal," a holy war against the forces of Badness and Boredom and Oppression, a unity of purpose that both Vampire: the Masquerade and Wraith: the Oblivion lack (not that that is a bad thing). Each side is in need of allies, and really in no position to refuse help offered. Mage: the Ascension and Werewolf: the Apocalypse further share a connection to the Umbra and Changeling: the Dreaming has a long history of interaction and binding pacts to the shifters of Werewolf: the Apocalypse. All three games blend easily into one another, you just have to be careful about losing sight of the point of the game and falling into "monster of the week" plots. The final natural game, and actually the least natural of them all, is a Vampire: the Masquerade and Mage: the Ascension crossover. Considering ’s (generally welcome) lack of focus, this crossover requires a bit more thought as to the motivation of those involved, but it can work out just as well as the other games in the end. Mages are known to tamper with dark forces, after all, and vampires are always looking for a new tool in their Jyhad - no matter how small and petty. the Difficult

The realm of difficult crossovers may actually be the largest, as it is home to nearly anything involving Wraith: the Oblivion. While each of the games has their own group of necromancers and mediums, wraithly crossovers are still incredibly difficult simply because of the nature of a wraith - insubstantial and hard to contact. The easiest ways around that - using Risen instead of wraiths or bringing the other characters into the Shadowlands - have their own problems. Vampire: the Masquerade and some stranger games of Mage: the Ascension may be the easiest to run, but they still have to face the same problems. Wraith: the Oblivion crossovers illustrate the major hurdles of difficult crossovers. It’s not the rules anymore, but rationale for sticking together and, more than ever, screen time. Difficult crossovers often involve one or more games that have an entire "secret world" that cannot be accessed by the other game. Take a Vampire: the Masquerade and Changeling: the Dreaming crossover (the other one in this category) for example. It will be extraordinarily difficult to run any sort of game involving the Dreaming or the more intricate secrets of chimerical reality - it’s just a realm that is usually completely cut-off from the blood-drinking vampires. There are ways around it, running a game centered around something other than those elements, or involving more "fae friendly" Kindred like Kiasyd or Malkavians, but those solutions often raise their own problems. Difficult games require a great deal more work and maturity than other crossovers, but such odd combinations can sometimes create spectacular stories. the Impossible Okay, so maybe these crossovers aren’t impossible, but they’re pretty damn close. This is where crossovers between Vampire: the Masquerade and Werewolf: the Apocalypse reside, pretty much all by their lonesome.

Here, it’s not rules or screen time that are the biggest obstacle (although they need to be resolved as well), it’s rationale that is the big problem. Why the hell would a vampire and a werewolf cooperate anyway? Considering the animosity between the two species of supernatural, finding a convincing answer is difficult. It can be done, but you have to be careful to not have anything as silly as a Nosferatu hanging with his new Bone Gnawer buddy, swapping clan and tribe secrets. These kinds of games, where the odds seems stacked against the different characters interacting without carnage, lend themselves best to short, simply "alliances of convenience" stories, but those can only go so far. The story of the growth of trust between two bigoted enemies can make for a brilliant game as well, but it requires really mature players to do right. A note of Jade

While most of the Year of the Lotus setting material is considered a subset of the above game lines, it does bear mentioning that they lend themselves to crossovers with a startling ease. The formal court systems of both the Kuei-jin and the hengeyokai, as well as the impassioned meddliness of the hsien, make for an environment when two mortal enemies may be bound together by honor and duty, allowing for truly memorable games. Many, if not all, of these games would fall under the natural category, as there are a plethora of rationale that would work for such odd creatures bound by Asian honor and customs. Fans of crossovers or those simply sick of the ignorant prejudice of the rest of the World of Darkness should check out Kindred of the East and Hengeyokai: Shifters of the East for more ideas. those Outside I should also say here that "crossovers" don’t apply only to World of Darkness games. I can pull in any other game in print and mess with that as well (although that’s not always a good idea). This is almost always more difficult, as other games don’t even have the common base that all the World of Darkness games have, but it can be done. I had a promising (if still-born) and low-key Trinity and World of Darkness crossover. The key here, more than in other crossovers, is the axe. Determine the point (and often the "primary game") and then chop away everything else. Crossovers don’t need to involve every element of each game, and with wildly divergent game lines, trying to do so would be downright impossible, and the attempt would likely ruin the game - beware. You probably found that a waste of time.

Oh well, I tried. I hope that helped someone to either rethink crossovers or to plan their own better. Do feel free to let me know if I was of any help - otherwise I’ll be left in the dark.

As for next month, I’m unsure of what I’ll be talking about, really. Hopefully by then I’ll have a great deal more time, as many of my projects should be wrapped up by then, but I don’t know. Perhaps I’ll talk about what I would have done differently in Mage: the Ascension Revised, even though that’s a dead horse, or maybe I’ll talk about Changeling: the Dreaming and my love-hate relationship with it. Who knows, but if people send in suggestions, I’ll listen. This month’s crossover idea came from a reader, and I’d like to thank everyone who has sent in comments, it really makes doing this worthwhile.

by Malcus Deroga

The release of Mage Revised has stirred up quite a hornet’s nest in the White Wolf community, and everyone seems to have an opinion. Since the book hit shelves, the newsgroups and mailing lists have been filled with commentary; some of it has been scathing, while others have been glowing with praise. Mage Revised is both vilified and exalted by the community, and the discussion is, I’m sure, far from over.

My column this month will NOT add my "two cents worth" to this duel of words; I fired my lone bullet way back in February when I reviewed it. Rather, I wish to examine the one absolutely new addition to Mage Revised that, in my humble opinion, isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on: the Resonance system.

Resonance is an idea that’s been around for quite some time in Mage, but was never fully capitalized on. Even going as far back as the simplistic concepts of "black" and "white" magic, there has always been a notion that magic has a certain feel to it, and that different types of magic have different "flavors", as it were. A calm priest would call upon the power of heaven, and the resulting effects would feel beatific. Meanwhile, the dark witch in her grove who uses blood and innocent flesh for his crafts would certainly feel palpably evil. This carried into Mage as early as first edition, but mechanics were always sadly lacking, as were explanations on which to base such mechanics. With the release of the revised edition, we were promised comprehensive mechanics and explanations for this long missing aspect of magic.

Sadly, what we were presented with in the new rulebook, to use a colloquialism… sucked.

The Problem
Here’s the new resonance system, in a nutshell. According to Mage Revised, all mages have a leaning toward one of three "metaphysical leanings": Stasis, Entropy, and Dynamism. It is this leaning, and the mage’s particular proclivity within this leaning, that determines how the mage’s work resonates. In game terms, each mage starts out with a single dot in one of these three traits. The more dots, the stronger the resonance.

Sounds simple, and something so simple should work beautifully, right? Guess again.

The first major problem with the system is its reliance upon an outside force for the effect. By tying mages to a "metaphysic trinity", the resonance system inevitably ties Mage to those Werewolf staples called the Wyrm, Wyld, and Weaver. The system takes no account of the mage’s avatar or nature whatsoever, tying it to an outside force and making the whole thing "stink of the Wyrm." Mage has always been good at avoiding the Triat as presented in Werewolf; now it is linked to it intimately, taking the feel of magic out of the mage’s hands.

The second problem is more practical. There are NO mechanics given for this supposed "new system." None, nada, zip, empty, non-existent. We are given a new trait with no mechanics on how it is raised or lowered or how it actually effectsmagic at all. The only solid mechanic we’re given is that a particular mage’s resonance can be detected as a "mystic signature" with a Perception + Awareness roll, and even then the book says it should be "immediately noticeable". The term "up to the Storyteller" seems to come up a lot, and yet these same Storytellers are given no way of making these decisions. The job of a new rulebook is to explain things such as this, and yet everyone is left floundering. Worse still, these flimsy resonance traits are now supposed to affect such major game mechanics as Quiet.

This is quite possibly the worst implementation of a new mechanic this writer has ever seen. The new resonance system is, in effect, a useless token. Players have dots on their character sheets that mean absolutely nothing, and Storytellers aren’t even given enough information, for the most part, to rectify the problem.

A New Mechanic
Far be it from me to just lay down and die, though. Knowing the problems we face with the new system, we can take the basic idea of resonance, and the possible utility of an actual Resonance statistic, and redirect it into something far more palatable and useful.

The alternate system I propose seeks to accomplish three major goals. The first is to shift the focus away from the Triat and back into the mage by centering on her avataric Essence and her inner Nature. Second, we create a solid, stable mechanic that aids players and Storytellers in flavoring magical effects. Finally, we give concrete rules for how such resonance affects the working of magic, including interaction with other magi.

A mage’s resonance should be primarily affected by her Essence, the inclinations and desires of the avatar. Dynamic essences tend to be wild and flamboyant, generating unpredictable effects and changing themselves at a moment’s notice. Pattern essences prefer predictable, orderly patterns in magic. Primordial essences "feel" like old magic, carrying an air of mystery and occasionally fear. Questing essences are focused yet creative, preferring effects that get the job done while still looking good. Thus, the mage’s Essence trait replaces the "metaphysic trinity" as the primary trait.

For the secondary trait, we plug in the mage’s Nature. Magic comes from the avatar, but is ultimately shaped by the will of the mage, and using Nature as the secondary trait reflects this. A visionary mage will be creative, yet centered on a goal, while a conniver will be far subtler and eventually overpowering.

The combination of Essence and Nature will result in some interesting combinations, but a properly created character should have no problems fitting the resonance in. Players and Storytellers should work together to come up with magical styles that fit the character concept. For example, a hermit with a Primordial / Loner resonance may call upon elementals and various world spirits that shun society, while another hermit with a Static / Loner resonance may use subtle effects that come only from concentration and discipline. Their magical effects would resonate far differently, but share the edge of being lonely magic. The resonance will radiate from the mage as well, making the Primordial hermit "the creepy guy in the woods" while making the Static one into "a disciplined survivor." The mage begins play with a single dot in this resonance trait, with the range being from one to five.

Resonance can increase and decrease, within certain parameters.
Resonance should increase or decrease in the following circumstances:

• If a mage succeeds at a Seeking, the Storyteller may wish to increase the resonance trait by one to reflect the increased Arete. This should only be done when the mage’s Seeking goes particularly well, and an increase in power is immediately evidenced.
• If a mage’s Avatar rating should ever increase, a single point of Resonance should immediately be given. The powering of an avatar is a tremendous event, and the new levels of power the mage can now tap should be reflected in her resonance. If the mage’s Avatar rating ever decreases, the weakened essence no longer pulses as strongly in the mage’s magic, and the resonance trait should decrease.
• If the mage suffers a Paradox backlash, the Storyteller may increase the resonance trait to reflect a side effect of the event. When reality snaps around you, it is liable to influence your power. Likewise, a strong backlash that truly harms the mage may actually decrease the resonance.
• If the mage’s Nature should ever shift, the resonance should drop severely, possibly back down to one point. The mage’s magic is taking on a whole new tone at that point, and the resonance will take some time to rebuild to reflect the new direction.

As a guideline, the mage’s resonance rating should never climb more than a single dot above the mage’s Avatar rating. Mages with weak avatars will simply not have the mystic wherewithal to resonate strongly; they cannot put enough resonant quintessence into the effect.

As a general rule, the higher the resonance trait, the more magic is affected. This becomes a matter of role-playing for the most part, requiring the player to incorporate how the mage’s magic "looks" into the mage’s background and paradigm. However, there are some tools players and Storytellers can use to help reflect resonance "in-game."

The idea that resonance can be used as a "mystic signature" is good, but the mechanic is a bit flawed. While Awareness + Perception should allow a mage to detect general tendencies in the resonance, true analysis should be far more difficult. Getting a true sense of this signature should require at least one level of one of the spheres used, and an Intelligence + Enigmas roll (at difficulty 10 - Resonance) to truly piece together the various feelings the resonance radiates.

A mage’s magic may be easier to work if she shapes the effect to match her resonance. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a mage that works their magic to fit their resonance should receive a one-point reduction of the difficulty for every TWO points of Resonance. Likewise, an effect that the ST rules is opposite a mage’s resonance should receive +1 to the difficulty per two points of resonance.

A mage may seek to smother her resonance so as not to leave a signature. For each point of resonance the mage seeks to hide, the difficulty of magic increases by one. Mages do not need to hide all their resonance at once, however, if they simply seek to subdue the effect.

Using Tass of a similar primary resonance as the mage lowers mystic difficulties by 1, while using Tass of a different resonance increases the difficulty by at least one. A priest is going to find using that jar of baby’s blood awfully difficult…

When working conjunctual magic, resonance should become a MAJOR factor. Mages with similar resonance (similar meaning same Essence) should perform joined magic at no penalty, while mages of different resonance should find their energies clashing, causing +1 difficulty. If two mages of exactly the same resonance work together, the energies flow together like water, causing a -1 difficulty drop. Stronger resonance should overwhelm weaker ones; for every point of difference between their resonances, the mage with the weaker resonance should gain a +1 penalty to her difficulties, reflecting the difficulty in adding weak magic to strong.

In Conclusion
The above is surely incomplete, and I encourage readers to add to this basic framework as they see fit. What I have sought to do is correct the major problems with the Revised mechanic and make resonance a viable option for gaming. Magic is powerful, and no one should walk into using it ignorantly…

…not even in a role-playing game

NEXT ISSUE: SAD NEWS - Well, it may be a while before I grace the halls of DViE again; I am taking a leave of absence from these pages to fulfill other duties and seek opportunities that have opened before me. I will occasionally come by for visits now and again, and I hope you’ll all be here waiting for me. Until then, may the power of the game take you beyond the Horizon! Feel free to write!