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

[Steve Dustin]

>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 
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.  
It's just an idea.  But while I'm out trying to twist apart canon UA, I 
might as well go whole hog.

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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