My First WOD Campaign

I have decided for DM'ing a Core or Mage campaign in the future. And I am aiming for Horror/mystery feel for it. it will be low "level" and the lore will be rewtitten. I will exclude, vampires, werewolfs, changeling and most other thing if I find it interfering with my world. it will be set in within the late 1900's or early 2100. Certain part of ours world history will be rewritten aswell.

I have experience dm'ing D&D, so the basics of dm'ing. But I wonder if you guys could give me some help regarding how to set the mood for horror/suspense. And if there are anything special about the wod mechanics I should be aware of that D&D dm'ing dont cover?

Other type of help is also welcomed.

Beast King wrote:

Why keep mage if you are removing all the others? And what will you do for antagonists?

Cuz mage fit my campaing, but not sure if I will let the players be mages. Antagonists? telling you that would spoil the fun wouldnt it? I belive in purity when it comes to horror. to many dangers, or races would cause distractions and meta-game guessing..I want the players to not know whats out there. helps the mood when both the characters and players are in the dark.

Which would you like to play as Beasty? Human or Mage?

Mage.

You have to face the fact that players often, or always, knows most of the stuff you throw at them. Horror lies in how you present it, how knee deep in shit the players feel that they are, and how scared they might be of the horrors lurking around them, that they can't see.

Read the WoD corebook on the horror-element, there's an own section for it.

I will read it yes. Thats why I remove most of the stuff which appears in the books, I want to create new dangers, which is not the books. And if I decide to create for example, a vampire, I will tweek them untill they become a unknown threat themself, maybe the players never would understand that it is a vampire they met.

I will soon write a teaser text for the campaign. So the players can get a feel of what I am making for them. I also want more help regarding how to properly set the mood. I would also like to hear if the players would have any spesific wishes or have ideas I might implement.

So Lucky, Mool and Beasty. ask away and feel free to give me pointers.

If you don't want the players to know what they face, then you really shouldn't let them play as mages, since they can use various spells to detect auras. Alternatively, you can change the effect of these spells to suit you.

Mool wrote:

If you don't want the players to know what they face, then you really shouldn't let them play as mages, since they can use various spells to detect auras. Alternatively, you can change the effect of these spells to suit you.

I have not yet decided if I will let the players be mage or not, but you shouldnt be worried about the aura reading spells, since they only detect thing they already would have a chance to see, and the auras dont tell them what they saw. but if it would be a problem, I would ofcourse adjust it. also, have in mind that this is low power campaign, and mages in my world, wont neccesary be as the mages in the book.

Nemonomicon wrote:

Mool wrote:

If you don't want the players to know what they face, then you really shouldn't let them play as mages, since they can use various spells to detect auras. Alternatively, you can change the effect of these spells to suit you.

I have not yet decided if I will let the players be mage or not, but you shouldnt be worried about the aura reading spells, since they only detect thing they already would have a chance to see, and the auras dont tell them what they saw. but if it would be a problem, I would ofcourse adjust it. also, have in mind that this is low power campaign, and mages in my world, wont neccesary be as the mages in the book.

Dude, if you change too much, why would we play? If you change mages to be totally different from the book, why should we play as mages then? I for one don't want to play as a mage that is completely different than the one that stands in the book, if I wanted that I would rather play D&D. When I want to play WoD mage, I want to play WoD mage.
And about spells, if the ST starts changing even those, then its a bit too much changing I think. How will the players know what they can do and can't do if the St is changing everything?
No, I'm sceptical to the whole changing and leaving things out. Very sceptical.

Calm down dude, all information of eventual changes will be given to the players. I wont during the campaign tell you that spell is banned or not. What I will change is not so much mechanical as lore. I will alter only things which would do damage to the mood which I try to present. If you know to much about the world and its dangers, it would destroy the horror feeling. I want you and the character to constantly ask youself what you guys saw, what did it do, and how can we defeat/survive/flee from it.

IF I let you play mages, I will in advance tell you about all the eventual changes I will make. which is most likely be lore. I am not even sure if I am going to change anything yet. I'm just saying that I might have to, if I want this to work.

The only thing I am certain that I will change, is the multitude of races, since they wont be inmportant or beneficial to the campaign.

In conclusion: player options wont be much limited. important lore will be notified to the players if the characters would normally know of it. and finally, I havent decided if I will let you be mages.

I have to reply in general here. It is ok to ask for ideas, help, and thoughts. But to say " I'm going to rule that the other races does not exist" is... a hindrance to story. The players simply don't need to know this. Why? Well, because then you force the players to think like this:

"Huh, this looks like something a vampire might have done.. But, he said they don't exist. What then might it be?" - This might look like abuse of OOC knowledge, that you seem so afraid of. But really, it is not. If there is something that looks like a vampire could have done, then that's what it looks like. We, here in the real world might even think it, even though we know Vampires does not exist.

What you are missing out on here, is all the paranoia, which again helps build horror and suspense. Now, if one of the players screams "VAMPIRE", because of the clues, most people, including the other characters would think him crazy. Because, really, there is no such things as vampires...

What you should say instead, is: "Forget what you know, things will be different. SO try think outside the WOD box, ok?" - thereby, you won't set any hindrances for yourself as an ST, and you keep the vast mysterious and conspiratorial nature of the World of Darkness intact. I'm not saying that there SHOULD be vampires, werewolves or whatnot. What I'm saying, is, every WOD game should start out with the mindsett that, no supernatural enities exists. This is important for both players and ST's. Double so in low lvl play.

What is nice with Low lvl play is that it's easier for NPC's to hide their ture nature. The troupe of players might have done many favors to a, oh, let's say a Vampire without knowing it, in fact, they most likely will never know that their 'oh so friendly' contact was a vampire. That's the genious thing about the Masquerade.

If you want some general advice on story, mood and theme, read this: https://radioactive.forumotion.com/wod-f2/a-quick-storyteller-guide-to-a-sucessfull-story-t81.htm


As a side note, I have to agree to Beast Kings concerns when it comes to playing a non-mage-mage... It seems too much work to be worth it. As you say, it will be a low lvl game, hence power restrictions would not be a problem. In a RP sense you need a tutor to learn spells/diciplines/gifts or whatnot, in most cases anyway. So, I don't see the probem of actually using the mage mechanics. Lore is lore, and that is up to the ST, it's all a toolboks, built to help the ST create the background and lore he/she wants in the game. This is one of the reasons there are no true truth in WOD lore, and that is what makes it so interesting.

And yes, I read that Mage is not nessecary what you'll land on. I just think all of this is important.

Also, someone mentioned that one has to accept that the players know much of the lore and whatnot. That players know the lore is not a problem, bad role players/rule-rapers is the problem, however... Essentially that very knowledge is what separates a good role-players from the bad ones. The good ones know that there is no single truth. My reality is different from yours. No two games are the same. Besides, it is Role-play after all.

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I have to reply in general here. It is ok to ask for ideas, help, and thoughts. But to say " I'm going to rule that the other races does not exist" is... a hindrance to story. The players simply don't need to know this. Why? Well, because then you force the players to think like this:

"Huh, this looks like something a vampire might have done.. But, he said they don't exist. What then might it be?" - This might look like abuse of OOC knowledge, that you seem so afraid of. But really, it is not. If there is something that looks like a vampire could have done, then that's what it looks like. We, here in the real world might even think it, even though we know Vampires does not exist.

What you are missing out on here, is all the paranoia and, which again helps build horror and suspense. Now, if one of the players screams "VAMPIRE", because of the clues, most people, including the other characters would think him crazy. Because, really, there is no such things as vampires...

The reason I said that I rule out other races is so I can eliminate all the questions about their playability during character creation but yes, in retrospect I shouldnt have said it like that. I just wanted to underline the fact that they should forget all about the WoD they know of, since I most likely, work outside the box. They might exist.

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As a side note, I have to agree to Beast Kings concerns when it comes to playing a non-mage-mage... It seems too much work to be worth it. As you say, it will be a low lvl game, hence power restrictions would not be a problem. In a RP sense you need a tutor to learn spells/diciplines/gifts or whatnot, in most cases anyway. So, I don't see the probem of actually using the mage mechanics. Lore is lore, and that is up to the ST, it's all a toolboks, built to help the ST create the background and lore he/she wants in the game. This is one of the reasons there are no true truth in WOD lore, and that is what makes it so interesting.

the mechanical changes, as I said; if any, would not be more radical then the common houserules we already uses. and by non-mage-mage, I meant lore wise. and I say this to make the players understand, that I dont abide the book as a rulebook, but as a guide, lore wise.

On a final note of this post, I will reveal a synopsis about the game. You are humans, wanting to become mage's. This is the criteria for this campaign, why and possible how, is up to you.

Nemonomicon wrote:

On a final note of this post, I will reveal a synopsis about the game. You are humans, wanting to become mage's. This is the criteria for this campaign, why and possible how, is up to you.

Eh...what...?
Roy, no one can simply want to become mage in WoD. They become mages by chance, there is no training or anything, its just plain chance and circumstances present since birth. Some can awaken, some can't. Just like werewolves are born, not made, mages aren't humans trained to become mages. So us being humans wanting to become mages, that doesn't work, lore wise or game mechanical wise.

In my setting, it might work, that is what your characters belive anyhow. How, if any, is up to you to find out. Forget what you know about The World of Darkness so far. The books are guidelines, lore is not carved in stone. For you players, think about this as a human campaign, for you are humans, with ambitions to claim magic for your own. In my WoD, there are no clear line between can or cant.

Out of curiousity. How is your thing going?

Its on a hold for the moment, but have decided that the setting will be in the year 2078. It will be human campaign. Its on hold because its so many campaigns which is more realistic to be in the near future.

ahh, I see. In the future you say? I was toying with the idea to create a sci-fi chronicle. I think it might be cool. Even thought about shecking out the EvE pnp thingie. But that is way too far in the future than 78

my envision of year 2078 is that electronical devices like mirror interfaces, talking coffe machines are standard issue in most middleclass homes. modes of transportation, like cars and etc is slightly improved. but mostly, the design is what have changed the most. weaponary is largly the same as todays weapons. but those which are prototype in our time, is standard in 78. in the world of politics, USA is not the worlds biggest empire, its second to china. atleast economically. Netherlands is now an island and france is having a civil war.