The Red Perdition VSS

BASIC INFORMATION

Organization: Games Without Borders

Domain: Ames, IA

Genre: Mage: The Awakening (2nd Edition)

Venue Title: The Red Perdition

VST: James Manning, GWB2016010024 (godmachineawakeningvst@gmail.com)

Game Dates: 1st Saturday of each month (God Machine Chronicle start: June 2015)

Website: http://www.redqueensrace.com/index.php

VSS Publication: 07/12/2016

VSS Update: 08/13/2016

STYLE OF PLAY

• Physical: 3
• Mental: 4
• Social: 4
• Action: 3
• Character Development: 4
• Darkness: 4
• Drama: 3
• Intrigue: 5
• Manners: 3
• Mystery: 5
• Pacing: 2

Each of the above operates on a scale of 1-5. 1 means that the element in question will rarely be present, 3 meaning it will regularly be present, and 5 meaning it will always be present.

VENUE DESCRIPTION

Mood: Darkness Encroaching, Overcoming Reality

Themes:

• The Hunt for Truth
• Hooked on the Rush
• Know One’s Self to Know Anything

Media Inspirations:

• Television: The X-Files, Doctor Who, Fringe, American Horror Story
• Music: Jefferson Airplane- Comin’ Back To Me, Gary Jules- Mad World, Zola Jesus- Tower
• Film: The Sixth Sense, Seven, Shutter Island, Inception

HISTORY

Some bad things stalk the fields in Iowa…animals that appear to be human, the abominations that are the damned, and other unsavory things. That being said they generally keep to themselves and don’t cause too much trouble, but when they do cause trouble they do it well. As of late though it’s not been either of them causing problems for us. They don’t salt and corrupt the earth, they don’t make groceries spoil before they get to the ice box. They also don’t make regular animals attack unprovoked, or if they can I sure as hell didn’t know. There’s a folk tale though, one about this thing that couldn’t quite be killed. No one is sure what happened to it though. But then again it’s just a folk tale, so don’t put too much stock into it. Some other things that have been happening as of late is in the easternish part of Iowa, near this little Amish place, spirits have been manifesting…in droves. They don’t ever go to the road, but when you drive on 22 at night you’ll damn sure see them. Then there’s the matter of the murders down the road in Riverside. Terribly terrifying from what I hear. Not much of a corpse left from what I hear, almost like the people exploded, or exploded after becoming a corpse. But, this is just more to investigate right? Have fun out there…and stay safe as you can…

Setting of Game

Before the first game everyone finds a letter addressed to them. Could be in the mail, on your doorstep, on the ground while you’re out on a walk. The letter reads as follows:

“Howdy, glad you decided to read this. No, you don’t know me, but I know of you. You’re like me, you’ve woken up. And no, you’re not the only one who got a letter like this. Meet me at the little pond south of 22, off of Poplar Boulevard. This is of the utmost urgency, our entire state could be at risk.

~Jekt”

Having received the letters the players then may decide what to do themselves, do they go investigate, do they call trap on it and try to counter, or do they ignore it?

New players may choose to receive the letter, or be introduced in a different manner

OTHER THINGS OF NOTE

• The Free Council has a hidden Subway connecting to most major cities that they allow Mages to use.
• Most Mages outside of the big cities are fairly solitary, and may look at outsiders with suspicion.

Especially anyone who is; or who they assume to be, Mages with mind or fate.

• A rumor has been making rounds that a fringe group of Mages have been experimenting on sleepers to try to make them walk, and on sleepwalkers to try to make them Awaken.
• A group of researchers have unearthed something interesting at Hawkeye Point, but haven’t announced what it is yet.

~Odd markings have been found on several buildings in the town of Redfield, local authorities suspect a tagger to be at work.

MECHANICS/ODDITIES

• Starting mana will be your willpower plus any merits, items, or modifiers you have
• If you wish to precast have your total dice pool ready, including the negatives from reach and such so that I can make it quick and we can get to the good stuff.
• Base firearms are low approval for this vss unless a greater approval is noted elsewhere (such as military weapons) in the universal addenda

Allowed characters as per addenda

• Banishers – not available as PC
• Liches – as per antagonist approval
• Proximi – Myrmidons (Dark Eras) as per antagonist approval
• Reapers – as per antagonist approval
• Scelesti – not abailable as PC
• Sleepwalkers and other Proximi should be easy enough to do.
• Beast are sanctioned
• Mortals and Sleepers are sanctioned

Optional Rules Beaten Down & Surrender (M:TA pages 216 – 217)
Any character who takes more than his Stamina in bashing damage or any amount of lethal damage is Beaten Down: He’s had the fight knocked out of him. He must spend a point of Willpower every time he wants to take a violent action until the end of the fight. He can still apply Defense against incoming attacks, can Dodge, and can run like hell, but it takes a point of Willpower to swing or shoot back. Before that happens, he can surrender, giving his attacker what she wants according to her declared intent. If you give in, you gain a point of Willpower and take a Beat, but you take no more part in the fight. If the other side wants to attack you, they’ve got to spend a point of Willpower to do so, and probably suffer a breaking point. If everyone on one side has surrendered, the fight’s over and the other side gets what they want. If one side’s intent involves violence, the other side can’t surrender — not without being killed. If that’s the case, their intended victims don’t get Beaten Down, and gain no benefit from surrendering. When someone wants to kill you, the only thing you can do is to try to stop her, whether you run like hell or unload a shotgun at her. These rules only apply to people who would incur a breaking point or act of hubris for committing (or attempting) “murder.” Creatures that don’t have a problem killing people in general can ignore surrender without penalty and don’t have the fight beaten out of them like normal folks.

Downtimes

• Resolve + 1 downtime actions
• EXP spending can all be done in 1 downtime action so that you can still have full resolve worth of downtime

Travel Risks

Getting here is not difficult, leaving isn’t difficult either. Just mind your business and don’t cause a ruckus

To visit The Red Perdition VSS, players are required to contact the VST and provide the following information:

• A character sheet with XP Log and Approvals.
• A description of how the character is traveling to and from the domain.
• The intended time frame of the visit.
• A physical description of the character, and other important information
• The nature of the visit (combat, social, influence, etc.) and a description of planned events.
• Contact information for the Primary VST of the character (who should be copied on the e-mail.)
• Proxies: Player must clarify whether they wish to Proxy as hard or soft RP

EXP and Beats

• 2 EXP will be given at the end of each game.
• Players will gain beats from Aspirations and Conditions individually.
• Sending in a Downtime will also give 2 EXP
• Arcane beats will be used M:TA pages 83 and 84
• Arcane Experiences: Arcane are not subject to the Incremental Maximum for general EXP. Rather, it is subject to its own Incremental Maximum, which is calculated at a rate of 1 EXP per month since the chronicle began.