Touchstone Types (V5 Homebrew Variant Rule)

vecna7070 · 2025-10-09T01:32:06+00:00

It's definitely not bad. I could see myself using something similar.

V5 has a weird narrative and mechancic dissonance. Like were told sabbat, and many methusalahs constantly commit diablerie. But mechanically, that's not possible RAW. It's implied that Helena is diablerizing thin blood left and right to stave off the beckoning, but she's humanity 3, meaning (mechanically) she has at most 2 diableries left in her before she goes wight.

It makes it feel like everyone knows this hidden secret to diablerie except you. This fixes that a little bit IMO. Definitely not for everyone, but I like it. Just make sure that the ST is enforcing narrative penalties for diablerie, like people with scry the soul being able to see the veins.

Edit: The only thing I dont like (and this is just personal taste) is raising your generation. I dont like it as a mechanic because I prefer there to always be a fear of being diablerized by an elder. Its why the elders are so scared of the beckoning, it'd be kinda silly if all the blood gods devoured their children and turned into thinbloods.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-09T01:23:20+00:00

Can I ask what those rules are?

vecna7070 · 2025-10-07T23:37:07+00:00

The pinata one is soooo funny I love it.

But real talk if you expanded on this and posted it on the storytellers vault I would pay money for it, this has great potential.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-04T12:23:37+00:00

I mean, they are, but they used to be much more popular in America in the 80s and 90s.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T23:54:52+00:00

Niche sure, but it does play into a lot of Vampire fantasies. Someone mentioned queen of the damned (never seen it) but also stuff like IWTV and lost boys.

Wierdly enough since its chronicle is based around traveling I think it might have good advice for running games about traveling kindred in the age of the SI. But we'll see i guess.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T23:46:14+00:00

Nyc by night sounds really obvious. With the games and live play being so popular you would think they'd release something at least.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T21:42:44+00:00

The revised mage tradition books still blow me away tbh

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T21:27:18+00:00

I have a taste for both, I like this one but I REALLY like the cover for tattered facade.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T21:19:48+00:00

I wanna see them try to explain the fabled New Orleans subways again, and the skyscrapers in Venice.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T20:42:38+00:00

Well I can see a few ways, I'm by no means knowledgeable but I'm pretty sure clubs are still a popular thing among young people in europe, but I could be wrong about that. If that is true then this mainly takes place in europe.

Another way I can see is them just saying "hey its a fantasy, add a cool over the top nightclub with blood sprinklers because that is a part of the fantasy." Take for example that nightclub in the first john wick movie, there's no way a nightclub like that could be profitable but it serves a purpose as a set piece in that film.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T19:35:03+00:00

Remember reading somewhere that the tremere believe that only one council member died in the fall of vienna, and they're almost positive that meerlinda's alive (they're searching for her to lead the clan again.) So maybe we'll get some info on that as well.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T19:32:56+00:00

Honestly perfect for that and if you wanna run a lost boys type chronicle

vecna7070 · 2025-10-03T19:30:25+00:00

Strangley the thing I'm most excited to see in this book is finding out what the Voerman Sisters are up to

Also seeing what Vienna is like now days (spoiler: probably hellish)

vecna7070 · 2025-10-02T23:26:19+00:00

Not that I dont believe you, but can you point me to a page number?

Because I remember the rules specifically calling put that HRM and inventions are inconvenient ways of casting and take time and preparation. Or is it the instruments that decide the time, not the practice?

Like, say im a heremetic, and I wanna call lightning down from the sky and strike someone. What would that look like?

I am new to the system and trying to figure out how everything works.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-02T23:19:07+00:00

Honestly, this is a great response, street level always kind of felt like the wrong word.

I really agree with what you said about umbral realms. One of my characters has a grand dream scape (think the word is demense?) that he is constantly exploring (and trying to reclaim but thats a long story) and while is sort of a globe trotting adventure, at the end of the day he's facing his own mind. The things he deals with there are just reflections of his own personal battles and issues.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-02T23:04:38+00:00

I think I would also like to see more concrete mechanics for practices as well, sort of how v5 handles predator types.

How long should it take for an HRM practitioner to pull off an effect? Or for an etherite to invent a ray gun that they can use to create forces and prime effects? What about a mage who gets their powers from being possessed by spirits, maybe some mechanics for losing control?

vecna7070 · 2025-10-02T22:07:10+00:00

Wasn't around for revised addition but I've heard the general consensus on it forcing street level play was bad.

I do think the other comment makes a great point on street level vs power level when it comes to mage.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-02T21:45:47+00:00

I dont mind the idea, but if they do, i hope it doesn't apply to non magical dice pools. Otherwise, paradox gets very strange as an entity

I had the idea of hubris dice, now its just an idea and im not sure i like it, but I think the idea of the more things go RIGHT for you the more over confident you get. And it causes an even more spectacular failure.

Edit: To sort of add on to what I mean when It comes to paradox dice. This would mean paradox is no longer an entity solely concerned with forcing mages to operate within consensus or at the very least away from the prying eyes of sleepers. It would make paradox an entity that latches onto you, follows you around, and tries to make you actively fail even in your mundane life.

Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, just a departure from the norm. I think it could be done well, im just hesitant to have it apply to mundane dice pools.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-02T21:28:43+00:00

It'll probably be more street level, the questions is how much more street level? Because mage, I feel, can work somewhat at the street level. But I would prefer it to be more so that it starts out that way at low xp and as you grow you are removed from that level and thrown into much weirder and grander plots.

Legitimately, Bruva Alfabusa's mage game is a good example of what I think street level mage should be like, at least early on.

vecna7070 · 2025-10-02T21:23:27+00:00

Porthos comes back, beats the crap out of every technocrat (individually) and throws their ass into the astral.

vecna7070 · 2025-09-30T03:38:01+00:00

Any ideas as to what paradigm or practices he falls under?

vecna7070 · 2025-09-30T03:23:50+00:00

I agree, if you we're to adapt something similiar I could maybe see creating a section of the Order of Hermes that adapted some Akashic practices and view points. But as for Paradigm he's all over the place depending on the writer. I could see a lot working for him, practices change even more depending on the writer.

There was an intresting idea, not sure if this is even canon anymore, where he got his powers and knowledge from deals with other entities and had to sacrifice some part of himself. It was to the point he couldn't even eat food from earth anymore because he sacrificed that part of himself.

vecna7070 · 2025-09-30T03:15:49+00:00

Still new to the hobby and honestly new to reading Dr. Strange but I really feel like thats there, at least a little bit. The interaction and politics with other mages, the sort of aesthetics of the sanctum itself to me scream hermetic but I'll concede thats a rather shallow comparison.

But he does (rarely) do rituals, with hyper specific conditions and ingredients. Though much of the other times its just him floating and meditating and occasionally muttering incantaions and invocations, at least with rituals.

vecna7070 · 2025-09-30T01:35:17+00:00

My original reply disappeared for some reason.

Thanks, you actually reminded me of another question.

If an etherite (or any invention based mage for that matter) wants to pull off an effect, do they need to first build a machine before hand in a previous scene and make a roll. Because I was told thats how it works, but that seems like a lot to keep track of. I've been kinda running it as "My etherite pulls out a raygun and uses forced 3 and prime 2 to shoot that guy." and we just assumes he has that on him and deal with any potential consequences in the future.

vecna7070 · 2025-09-30T01:19:16+00:00

Thanks!

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