[UA] Cliomancy/Dipsomancy house rules (was Pacific NW Clio sites)

[Cassady Toles]

At the risk of bringing in a total non-sequitor, I don't care if you play
tekumel with machineguns.  But I never will.  I understand your criticism of
cliomancy.  But by your logic I have seven significant charge items between
my apartment and my mother's house, meanwhile, I could get one significant
dipsomancy charge ever.  My problem is that I think dipsomancy as written is
well balanced and I feel the same way about cliomancy.  I'm always willing
to give up a portion of my metaphysical beliefs for game balance...
  
I also think that the whole point of Major charges is that if you're lucky
and good you get one-maybe two in a lifetime.  They're waay too common with
your new cliomancy mechanics.  But again, it's your game, do what you like.

  Cliomancy charge-building
  
  Minor charge: visit a location where an historical event took place.  The 
  place doesn't have to be famous, just the event.  The more famous an
event, 
  the more charges it gives up, depending on when the last time the site was

  "harvested".  A place written about in last week's newspaper probably will

  only give out one charge ever. Roadside markers give out charges once
every 
  few months.  Bluff Creek probably hands out one charge a week.  Graceland 
  hands out several charges a day (but only one per Cliomancer).
  
  Significant charges: possess an historically significant object for 24 
  hours.  What *possession* means depends on the object's size and GM's 
  personal opinion.  John Dillinger's penis would fit comfortably in a coat 
  pocket (well, maybe).  The Enola Gay would have to sit in a hanger you 
  legally owned.  Depending on how famous something is, depends on how often

  it divies out significant charges.
  
  Major charge: be the first Cliomancer to own or arrive at a historical 
  object/location.  In my campaign, the number of adepts won't be very high
(a 
  few dozen on the West Coast), so there still might be some areas worth the

  risk.  Maybe.  None would be easily accesible though.  The Titanic might 
  have a major charge attached to it.
  
  Dipsomancy
  
  I've never been totally satisfied with the charge building for Dipsomancy.

  It makes little sense to me.  I don't think dipsomancers should gain
charges 
  from anything historically important--that should be the domain of 
  Cliomancers.  So here's my changes to that school:
  
  Minor charge: same as canon UA
  
  Significant charge: I have 2 ideas for this one.  I like the first best,
but 
  I'm not sure. 1* Drink from a vessel at least 200 years old.  You can only

  gain one charge from that vessel then it becomes useless.  2* Drink from a

  vessel handed down at least 4 generations of your family.  Becomes your 
  vessel, and proves you came from a family of drunks ("son, your 
  great-great-grandfather cherished this shot-glass").  Only you can drink 
  from it, otherwise it loses power.
  
  Major charge: drink an alcoholic beverage at least 2000 years old (ok,
maybe 
  it should be dating from the beginning of agriculture).  You must be drunk

  before you drink, so therefore you never get to *appreciate* its age.  Or 
  whatever.
  
  >Things more famous than Bluff Creek:  Besides the aforementioned
locations:
  >Death Valley, (not CA but close to the border), Donner Pass (again
close),
  >Hollywood and Vine (southern, not northern).  The Golden Dragon
Restaurant
  >in San Francisco (legendary in California at least--a Tong gunfight
killed
  >eighteen there in the seventies, first place I ever had dim sum).  The
  >Transamerica Pyramid, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Bay Bridge, The Nut
Tree
  >is fairly famous, and known by more run of the mill people than Bluff 
  >creek,
  >though I don't know why.  All a good bit more famous than the Paul Bunyan
  >statue as well.
  
  I think your pick of places is very debatable.  Especially since I don't 
  consider any of them to be in that Pacific NW-Northern California I was 
  striving for.  I've never heard of Golden Dragon, Transamerica Pyramid,
Bay 
  Bridge, the Nut Tree.  Donner Pass, I'm not sure where that's at either.  
  Death Valley is in California, I use to live near there.  That's Southern.

  Southern is full of sites you'd gain significant charges from (not using
my 
  new rules).  Hollywood, I would think, would be the west coast Mecca of 
  Cliomancy.
  
  Anyway, take it with a grain of salt.
  
  Steve Dustin
  yetiseti at hotmail.com
  
  
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