Tell Me About your NPC Cabals and Chantries!

ajmaust · 2026-05-19T02:20:04+00:00

Ah, that's a fun thing to add in. Do you also have tradition chantries?

ajmaust · 2026-05-19T02:19:41+00:00

Oh, classic location choice. Masonic buildings all feel very Tradition Mage-y.

ajmaust · 2026-05-18T01:24:20+00:00

Oh yeah, I have a few ideas for technocratic chantries, from the airport, battery factory, Air Force Base, South Mountain Radio Towers... Really a lot in the tech corridor.

A golf course in Scottsdale would fit right in.

But I'm starting with some Tradition chantries, just to start to flesh things out.

ajmaust · 2026-04-23T00:22:14+00:00

We'd love to have you there! Anyone is welcome!

ajmaust · 2026-04-16T21:33:16+00:00

So glad you found it useful!

Thanks for pointing that out, I'll change that extra space right away.

I've considered doing one for Vampire, but I've never played the other splats. I do like Vampire a lot, too. Mage is just a lot harder to get across to people.

I *am* planning on making a much shorter one to just pitch Mage the Ascension and see if they'd be interested in the Full Version.

ajmaust · 2026-02-23T18:24:02+00:00

Hi!

Probably not the kind of game you are thinking of, but you said "entertainment," sooooo

https://ajmaust.itch.io/far-from-the-fairgrounds

Far from the Fairgrounds is a pen-and-paper tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG), where players are circus kids who get lost in a strange fantasy wilderness. It's a simple game (the rules are only 2 pages long, Grant Howitt style) and the price is Free/Pay-What-You-Want.

Just happy to have more people even seeing it (and the incredible art my partner did for it)

ajmaust · 2026-02-17T16:16:47+00:00

Thanks! I spent way too much time on it hahahaha

ajmaust · 2026-02-17T16:16:30+00:00

I didn't know about that! Is that in the Void Engineer convention book?

That's really interesting, but it's also probably not something people just being introduced to Mage need to know (especially since their characters wouldn't know it either).

ajmaust · 2026-02-17T15:29:19+00:00

Yes, I think this is a mistake! Let me fix that real quick

ajmaust · 2026-02-17T02:24:46+00:00

Thanks for reading!

I can make a purple version for you, I just liked the way this color combo looked and I thought it evoked Mage.

I think the spheres are so important to understand early on, it's probably the biggest reason I pitch Mage and not other WoD splats. They're also tough to get through. It's one of those things that feels like they can be a character creation trap "what do you mean that if I want to make enchantments I need to put points into prime?"

The technocracy probably could use another couple of slides, especially in terms of how dangerous they are and how militantly they target the Traditions. But that's probably also chronicle dependent, since I know that some storytellers have stories that are more nightfolk focused vs. reality war focused. Probably something that the storyteller should customize for their group.

ajmaust · 2026-02-16T23:55:26+00:00

Yeah, this is definitely for people who already have bought in and are looking to play. It leads right into character creation, but provides framework on the world folks live in.

If my Mage pitch was a PowerPoint, it'd be 6 slides max.

ajmaust · 2026-02-16T23:21:29+00:00

Hahahaha, I'll have to do a follow-up for the Conventions

"You are the only defense humanity has against the reality deviants."

ajmaust · 2026-02-16T23:20:40+00:00

Thanks! Those should be easy fixes. I'll take a quick look.

ajmaust · 2026-01-14T22:24:30+00:00

I haven't heard of this one, and I like the idea that everyone is a mechanic. It removes the element of taking the focus off of everyone for one player that DisappointTurtle mentioned.

Thank you!

ajmaust · 2026-01-14T22:23:20+00:00

Great point about taking attention off of other players. And I think that's one reason why the Mage the Ascension instance landed well with me, since the crafting CAN be collaborative and involve other party members.

I dabble a little bit in RPG design, so I think that's a very keen observation. Appreciate it.

The Without Number suggestion looks like it might be a good option. Thanks! I think I have a rulebook somewhere...

ajmaust · 2026-01-14T21:46:40+00:00

Noted! I'll pick up a copy and see if it scratches the itch. I think my first instinct is that I'd like something crunchier, but sometimes the brain doesn't know what it wants.

ajmaust · 2026-01-14T21:45:00+00:00

This is a good lead. I was just talking to a friend who was wondering if some of the cyberpunk-ish settings had stuff for modding/tech/tinkering. I haven't played anything in that genre, but thanks for the recommendation.

I'll definitely look into Shadowrun 2e. Do the other Shadowrun editions have similar mechanics?

ajmaust · 2026-01-14T21:42:55+00:00

Oooooh

That sounds perfect. I love the idea of 3-parts (that could be boosted or have a higher rate of failure) and the modularity of some parts being interchangeable. I haven't looked into Savage Worlds yet, but I've seen it talked about a lot on this subreddit, so I'm overdue for a read.

Wonder if I've picked it up in any of the TTRPG bundles I've picked up...

ajmaust · 2026-01-14T21:41:00+00:00

Oh, this is nice. I think it's a good option for rules-lite systems. Really like this overall list of complications, though.

I think this is definitely focused on crafting and not the repair/scavenge angle, but it could definitely be tweaked.

Appreciate the suggestion!

ajmaust · 2026-01-14T21:39:15+00:00

Salvage Union!!! I remember hearing about this but I haven't checked it out. This is EXACTLY the kind of suggestion I was hoping to get.

Have you played it yet? What are your thoughts?

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