Mage Dark Sun - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Mage Dark Sun

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Jul 06, 2004 22:25:33 All this talk of using alternate systems for Dark Sun has got me thinking. I am thinking of a new region, not connected to the Tyr region at all based off the MtA rules. It will be every bit Dark Sun with a SK, merchants, oppression, death, etc. However, my thinking for this world will be more Mage like. I am posting this here because it is escenntially a Dark Sun world, just with WoD rules. My philosophy is that whatever rules a group uses in a gaming world should be decided by the DM and players. If I should ever post this world on the internet, I would not be offended at all if someone else converted it for the D&D system. In fact, if a group would have more fun playing it that way, then I would encourage it. Anyways here is the region. I have two competing ideas for it. The world is limited on what graphics I can use to make the map with.

1. A region where all the other city states have been conquered by one SK that lives in a giant City-State with many monuments mimicing the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The other city-states will either be ruins or run by a high ranking templar. Instead of the city-state vs. city-state theme, it will be the civilization vs. barbarians (those not part of the city-state). The down side is the city and terrain graphics will look very Sim-City2000ish. I found a cool looking tile-set that just screams Dark Sun.

2. Region with three city-states and lots of villages and outposts of these city-states. One will be Muslim-like, Italian-like and Oriental-like in design. I will be using the Eastern/Western Front /Rising Sun graphics. I can do the terrain very well and I might make a few small terrain maps for other DMs to use in their games. However, the building graphics seem too modern and not fantasy enough.

I have numerous other tile-sets like Caeser-3, AOE, AOE2, 1503AD, and Rise of Nations that would be great for such a world. However, they are large and would take a rather long time to build any sort of map.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?
#2
nytcrawlr
Jul 06, 2004 22:39:36 Sounds like a good idea, though I'm not familiar with the Mage Ascension rules much, let alone the World of Darkness version (if it is indeed a different version).

Remember in the days of yore when we just had a DS mailing list that someone suggested to me to try using the Mage Ascension rules for DS magic though, mainly cause I have always hated how D&D magic works, and have always preferred magic systems like those in Rogue Swords (which I have now, mwuahahaha) and Mage Ascension, etc.
#3
darkbard3
Jul 07, 2004 1:41:25 Very cool concept. It may also be interesting to just take Dark Sun as is, and run it under WoD rules. I always liked the story-driven, less dice aspect of those games. Given your 2 choices, though, I would probably go with the single capital with several satellite communities.
#4
xlorepdarkhelm_dup
Jul 07, 2004 2:06:00 I'm personally holding out until the new rulesystem is released, before I consider making a conversion. From the stuff I've seen at worldofdarkness.com, I'm getting very impressed with the rulesystem changes they are making. But, of course, the new Mage rules are gonna be a bit - after all, there's the World of Darkness Rulebook, Vampire the Requiem, then Werewolf: The Forsaken then finally Mage: The Awakening. I always liked their free-form magic system, and of course, am extremely fond of a non-class/level based gamesystems. With the old WoD, I had developed my own type of creature/game for it which I ran some players in before - and I'll probably translate over those rules into the new system. I might even migrate my DS campaigns over to it.
#5
Kamelion
Jul 07, 2004 4:08:10 I would go with option #2 - the three city states. This leads to greater cultural diversity, which in turn leads to the differing paradigms that are at the heart of Mage's metaphysics. You can represent this in DS by having the templar magics of SK #1 be coincidental in his own city-state but vulgar in the others, where SKs #2 and #3 do not welcome foreign casters.

For the muslim-like city state you can mine the Ahl-i-Batin and Taftani for ideas. Maybe represent the Taftani as followers of an older way and the Batini as the bringers of a new order. Maybe the Batini are the local SK's arcanamachs and the Taftani an underground Veiled Alliance?

The oriental city-state is equally full of possibilities. From the core Mage setting you can lift ideas and inspiration from the Akashic Brotherhood, Euthanatoi, Wu Lung and Wu Keng, not to mention the Five Metal Dragons. In the Akashics you have ready-made monastic orders and you might be able to use elements of their Himalayan Wars with the Euthanatoi to set up inter-sect struggles. Perhaps the Euthanatoi are wizards linked to the Grey (necromants). The Wu Lung fit very well into the roles of rulers and nobles and the Five Metal Dragons make a sinister backdrop that might be used to represent the agents of the SK.

For the italian city-state, you can use the entire Sorcerer's Crusade setting, if you have access to it. It captures the Renaissance thing pretty well. Intrigue and politics are more the order of the day here, so that cries out for the Hermetics and the Celestial Chorus. The Arcanum make a very interesting secret organisation for this kind of setting too.

You can use other Traditions and Crafts to represent less civilised sorceries external to the city-states. Dreamspeakers might represent simple shamanism or elemental cults, for example.

How would you handle defiling? Could you use Paradox somehow to represent it? Maybe vulgar spells defile but static spells do not. Paradox then becomes a taint - you could use the rules for Jhor to represent this. Maybe the taint affects different defilers in different ways - thus Jhor, Quiet and Clarity can all come into play. If you use the vulgar/static option for foreign templars as well, this ensure game balance as all classes should suffer from the vulgar/static divide in some way.

The elements are best represented through Mage's umbrs system. If you have access to Werewolf material you can find large numbers of elemental creatures. Spirit and Forces or Spirit and Matter combined are good ways to represent elemental magics but the magic system in Dark Ages: Mage is even better suited to representing Athas' elemental casters. Check that out if you have the time. It literally breaks magic down into the classic elements common in D&D games.

So what about Marauders and the Nephandi? Could you use these as extremely corrupt or insane defilers? Maybe they are a way to represent the DS advanced beings? The nephandic Rebirth in a Caul could be a way to incorporate draconic transformation, for example.

Psionics? Ensure that the Mind sphere is an integral component of all psionic "magic". Forces represents psychokinesis, Prime plus the pattern spheres for metacreativity, Correspondence for psychiportation etc.

Hmmm, just a few dram of ideas. Mage is the god-game.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jul 06, 2004 22:25:33	All this talk of using alternate systems for Dark Sun has got me thinking. I am thinking of a new region, not connected to the Tyr region at all based off the MtA rules. It will be every bit Dark Sun with a SK, merchants, oppression, death, etc. However, my thinking for this world will be more Mage like. I am posting this here because it is escenntially a Dark Sun world, just with WoD rules. My philosophy is that whatever rules a group uses in a gaming world should be decided by the DM and players. If I should ever post this world on the internet, I would not be offended at all if someone else converted it for the D&D system. In fact, if a group would have more fun playing it that way, then I would encourage it. Anyways here is the region. I have two competing ideas for it. The world is limited on what graphics I can use to make the map with. 1. A region where all the other city states have been conquered by one SK that lives in a giant City-State with many monuments mimicing the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The other city-states will either be ruins or run by a high ranking templar. Instead of the city-state vs. city-state theme, it will be the civilization vs. barbarians (those not part of the city-state). The down side is the city and terrain graphics will look very Sim-City2000ish. I found a cool looking tile-set that just screams Dark Sun. 2. Region with three city-states and lots of villages and outposts of these city-states. One will be Muslim-like, Italian-like and Oriental-like in design. I will be using the Eastern/Western Front /Rising Sun graphics. I can do the terrain very well and I might make a few small terrain maps for other DMs to use in their games. However, the building graphics seem too modern and not fantasy enough. I have numerous other tile-sets like Caeser-3, AOE, AOE2, 1503AD, and Rise of Nations that would be great for such a world. However, they are large and would take a rather long time to build any sort of map. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?
#2 nytcrawlr Jul 06, 2004 22:39:36	Sounds like a good idea, though I'm not familiar with the Mage Ascension rules much, let alone the World of Darkness version (if it is indeed a different version). Remember in the days of yore when we just had a DS mailing list that someone suggested to me to try using the Mage Ascension rules for DS magic though, mainly cause I have always hated how D&D magic works, and have always preferred magic systems like those in Rogue Swords (which I have now, mwuahahaha) and Mage Ascension, etc.
#3 darkbard3 Jul 07, 2004 1:41:25	Very cool concept. It may also be interesting to just take Dark Sun as is, and run it under WoD rules. I always liked the story-driven, less dice aspect of those games. Given your 2 choices, though, I would probably go with the single capital with several satellite communities.
#4 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Jul 07, 2004 2:06:00	I'm personally holding out until the new rulesystem is released, before I consider making a conversion. From the stuff I've seen at worldofdarkness.com, I'm getting very impressed with the rulesystem changes they are making. But, of course, the new Mage rules are gonna be a bit - after all, there's the World of Darkness Rulebook, Vampire the Requiem, then Werewolf: The Forsaken then finally Mage: The Awakening. I always liked their free-form magic system, and of course, am extremely fond of a non-class/level based gamesystems. With the old WoD, I had developed my own type of creature/game for it which I ran some players in before - and I'll probably translate over those rules into the new system. I might even migrate my DS campaigns over to it.
#5 Kamelion Jul 07, 2004 4:08:10	I would go with option #2 - the three city states. This leads to greater cultural diversity, which in turn leads to the differing paradigms that are at the heart of Mage's metaphysics. You can represent this in DS by having the templar magics of SK #1 be coincidental in his own city-state but vulgar in the others, where SKs #2 and #3 do not welcome foreign casters. For the muslim-like city state you can mine the Ahl-i-Batin and Taftani for ideas. Maybe represent the Taftani as followers of an older way and the Batini as the bringers of a new order. Maybe the Batini are the local SK's arcanamachs and the Taftani an underground Veiled Alliance? The oriental city-state is equally full of possibilities. From the core Mage setting you can lift ideas and inspiration from the Akashic Brotherhood, Euthanatoi, Wu Lung and Wu Keng, not to mention the Five Metal Dragons. In the Akashics you have ready-made monastic orders and you might be able to use elements of their Himalayan Wars with the Euthanatoi to set up inter-sect struggles. Perhaps the Euthanatoi are wizards linked to the Grey (necromants). The Wu Lung fit very well into the roles of rulers and nobles and the Five Metal Dragons make a sinister backdrop that might be used to represent the agents of the SK. For the italian city-state, you can use the entire Sorcerer's Crusade setting, if you have access to it. It captures the Renaissance thing pretty well. Intrigue and politics are more the order of the day here, so that cries out for the Hermetics and the Celestial Chorus. The Arcanum make a very interesting secret organisation for this kind of setting too. You can use other Traditions and Crafts to represent less civilised sorceries external to the city-states. Dreamspeakers might represent simple shamanism or elemental cults, for example. How would you handle defiling? Could you use Paradox somehow to represent it? Maybe vulgar spells defile but static spells do not. Paradox then becomes a taint - you could use the rules for Jhor to represent this. Maybe the taint affects different defilers in different ways - thus Jhor, Quiet and Clarity can all come into play. If you use the vulgar/static option for foreign templars as well, this ensure game balance as all classes should suffer from the vulgar/static divide in some way. The elements are best represented through Mage's umbrs system. If you have access to Werewolf material you can find large numbers of elemental creatures. Spirit and Forces or Spirit and Matter combined are good ways to represent elemental magics but the magic system in Dark Ages: Mage is even better suited to representing Athas' elemental casters. Check that out if you have the time. It literally breaks magic down into the classic elements common in D&D games. So what about Marauders and the Nephandi? Could you use these as extremely corrupt or insane defilers? Maybe they are a way to represent the DS advanced beings? The nephandic Rebirth in a Caul could be a way to incorporate draconic transformation, for example. Psionics? Ensure that the Mind sphere is an integral component of all psionic "magic". Forces represents psychokinesis, Prime plus the pattern spheres for metacreativity, Correspondence for psychiportation etc. Hmmm, just a few dram of ideas. Mage is the god-game.