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

[rex monday]

>Message: 14
>From: "Steve Dustin" <yetiseti at hotmail.com>
>To: ua at lists.uchicago.edu
>Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 04:37:06 GMT
>Subject: [UA] Cliomancy/Dipsomancy house rules (was Pacific NW Clio sites)
>Reply-To: ua at lists.uchicago.edu
>
>
> >My friend Alexai describes the existance of a certain white knowledge 
>that
> >everyone has, but doesn't know where they got it.  That's what Cliomancy 
>is
> >really about, that white knowledge.  This isn't official, but this is how 
>I
> >rule it.
>
>I think, as written, you are right.  According to the book, Bluff Creek
>would only give a minor charge, once a day.  Unfortunately, I feel that
>makes Cliomancy specifically the magick of Famous Places, and not history. 
>I
>feel Cliomancy should be tied to events and the movement of time.  As

I feel that Cliomancy is the magic of common knowledge. Not real history, 
see, but of fame. The more people know about a site, the juicier it is for 
the Clios. If there were some classical, modern school (read: old scool) of 
history magick or if old Papa Forsythe really had gotten the ideas from the 
Atlanteans, then I'd agree with you that Cliomancy should be about history 
and time. However, UA takes place in a postmodern world where what people 
think about a subject is often more important than what is true (arguably 
true for any time period). And this is reflected in the spells given to 
Cliomancy. They alter the common knowledge pool of the collective 
unconscious.

Of course, if you want to alter it for you campaign, have at it. In that 
case, though, I'd suggest making a few slight changes to the spells 
themselves. I'm not sure how you'd go about getting the desired
feeling from them. If I had my rulebook with me, I'd take a look at them and 
try to come up with some examples.



>written also, I don't think it goes well with an idea I had running through
>my mind while I've been brainstorming my first UA campaign: two rival
>Cliomancers, one who reaps rewards from morbid locations along the West
>Coast (murder locales, such as Sharon Tate's house, the Green River near
>Seattle, or where the Black Dahlia was found) and another one centered 
>about
>paranormal-conspiracy events such as UFO landings, Bigfoot sightings, lake
>monsters, etc.  I really want to give my game a pop-culture/craziness feel
>and think these two would be a good addition.
>
>So I've been brainstorming new house rules concerning Cliomancy (and
>Dipsomancy too, but I'll explain that in a minute).  Here's a brief go-over
>how I think I'm gonna change it for my game.  It's just an idea I've been
>brainstorming and isn't perfected.  Feel free to tear it down and poke 
>holes
>in it.
>
>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.
>
>I don't know if this really works.  I'm sure it needs to be balanced more.

The way to balance this would be to alter the parameters of what is possible 
with Cliomancy. It seems much easier to gain charges using this system, so 
make sure to scale back the power of the spells themselves. As for gaining 
charges from items, there was a fairly involved thread a couple of weeks ago 
about just that thing. I personally would disallow it.


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