The Invisible College OSR Occult Conspiracy RPG Q&A Thread

[RPGPundit]

So, as usual, I will make a question and answer thread for my new RPG. If you have a question for me about Invisible College, feel free to ask it here!

[RPGPundit]

 Someone asked if in The Invisible College #OSR #ttrpg you have secret societies controlling entire countries:


I will point out is that with very few exceptions (I could see a scenario of North Korea or Iran's governments being fully in control of the Gormogons, for example), almost all areas of our modern world are currently battle grounds between the factions. That is, no single faction has total control, and in most cases of the biggest institutions (governments, for example) has even got majority control.



(a comparison of the Drivethru B&W edition, the Drivethru Color edition, and the Amazon color edition)


So as the conspiracy mechanics in the appendix to the game try to convey, different factions' power will rise and wane, and groups will use their power to try to fight it out, while controlling smaller institutions and movements and moving them as playing pieces in the occult war.

So I could totally see, for example, the Peronista party in Argentina being totally controlled by the Typhonians, while other groups would still be trying to stop their total takeover of Argentina as a whole.
So the Invisible College would be trying to control the pro-democracy pro-liberty movements in Argentina (like Javier Milei's movement),
the Black Lodge the far-right Argentinian parties and the military that still has pro-Junta sentiments,
the Gormogons control most (but not all) of the Catholic Church and powerful Catholic Lobby,
the Rationalist Gormogons the Communists,
the Choronzon Club controls most of the drug trade (in deals with the Santa Muerte Negra) and human trafficking,
and of course the Order of Thule still has secret nazi bases in the border regions of the country.
The Nemites might control the powerful Psychiatric profession in Argentina (Argentines go to therapy per capita more than anyone else on earth, and yet they only seem to get crazier and crazier, so that might be because the Nemites are running it as part of a plan to eventually turn everyone into bug-people).



Check Out the Invisible College:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/359585/The-Invisible-College

https://www.amazon.com/RPGPundit/dp/B096TW85LY/?language=en_US

[igor]

At the moment I'm working on my first IC adventure. Something for an evening or 6. Takes place in Brussel/Bruxelles. Various factions fighting over a proposed EU directive that is uninteresting to us normal people, but highly significant for mages.

So.

This is going to be a Hall of pre-made characters who are not going to advance during this adventure. A couple of James Bond/Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath style templars and a few chaos magicians with distinctly different powers. They are nowhere near Secret Chief, but certainly not Acolytes either. And I don't want higher level npc's as part of the player's Hall.
Around what level does the game become a headache to play for first time players?
Are there specific magical theories/techniques I probably should not spring on first time players?

[RPGPundit]

At the moment I'm working on my first IC adventure. Something for an evening or 6. Takes place in Brussel/Bruxelles. Various factions fighting over a proposed EU directive that is uninteresting to us normal people, but highly significant for mages.

So.

This is going to be a Hall of pre-made characters who are not going to advance during this adventure. A couple of James Bond/Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath style templars and a few chaos magicians with distinctly different powers. They are nowhere near Secret Chief, but certainly not Acolytes either. And I don't want higher level npc's as part of the player's Hall.
Around what level does the game become a headache to play for first time players?
Are there specific magical theories/techniques I probably should not spring on first time players?

Good question. The best answer to that is to look at the Progression for the College Training.

The higher up that College Training a magical theory is, the more complex it's likely to be, and thus the more of a headache for the players. So I would say, probably about level 4. But it depends. If you carefully outline what the magical theories and rituals of how to them are (maybe with a reference sheet or something, to make up for the absence of lived experience of the player in a campaign gradually getting powers and learning each one at a time), then if your players are experienced they should get it OK.


Just remember to give each player a walkthrough of what their different practices and theories are, and how they can combine them.

If it's a one-shot, you can always wing it a bit with the magic and not be as strict about all the conditions and rules.

[igor]

o.k.

This most certainly is going to be one of those times where some people have 2 page characters sheets and others get handed 16 pages of stuff... 
I'll try to put together a character whose entire shtick is having mastered Abra-Melin magick and not much else that is of use in a rpg adventure and use that as a baseline for the rest.
So assuming they are level 6. (experienced players, copious hand outs, I'm winging bits of the fine print, etc.).
What level of crazy would be fun (and make sense) for magician player characters around that level?
How much crazier should their opposition be? I assume that non-IC magicians are less likely to remove levels of mental trauma by practicing Virtue at the very least.

[RPGPundit]

o.k.

This most certainly is going to be one of those times where some people have 2 page characters sheets and others get handed 16 pages of stuff... 
I'll try to put together a character whose entire shtick is having mastered Abra-Melin magick and not much else that is of use in a rpg adventure and use that as a baseline for the rest.
So assuming they are level 6. (experienced players, copious hand outs, I'm winging bits of the fine print, etc.).
What level of crazy would be fun (and make sense) for magician player characters around that level?
How much crazier should their opposition be? I assume that non-IC magicians are less likely to remove levels of mental trauma by practicing Virtue at the very least.

Well, please consider that Abra-Melin magick has a minimum level of Attainment required to even attempt. It's very powerful magick. If you look at the Abramelin stuff, not only does it give you a big attainment boost, it also has some of the most "obvious" magical effects of any in the game (granted, you have to take the time to make the Abramelin squares, but once you have them they are basically high-powered magic items with almost no limitations).

Someone having completed the Abramelin rite is an Adept, which is a very high-level magician, like the equivalent of a name-level character or something in old D&D talk.
On the other hand, if a character has Abramelin theory but hasn't completed the rite, Abramelin does nothing for them at all.  It's all or nothing, based on an investment that occupies a minimum of six months of your life.

Characters at level 6 in the game should be doing very high powered missions, that should get extremely weird, as they'll usually be dealing with very serious magical opponents. They could also be getting into the range of being more involved with the big-scale manipulations of non-occult organizations and movements and vying for power in these against the enemy factions.

[igor]

Well, please consider that Abra-Melin magick has a minimum level of Attainment required to even attempt. It's very powerful magick. If you look at the Abramelin stuff, not only does it give you a big attainment boost, it also has some of the most "obvious" magical effects of any in the game (granted, you have to take the time to make the Abramelin squares, but once you have them they are basically high-powered magic items with almost no limitations).

Obvious is fine, powerful is fine. Now, so complicated that my players can't use it effectively, that would be trouble. Abramelin stuff being much stronger than anything else also would be a problem.
Is Abra-Melin magick decidedly stronger than similar looking forms of supernatural power, like Qabalah en Tarot?

Characters at level 6 in the game should be doing very high powered missions, that should get extremely weird, as they'll usually be dealing with very serious magical opponents. They could also be getting into the range of being more involved with the big-scale manipulations of non-occult organizations and movements and vying for power in these against the enemy factions.

The Mcguffin of the scenario is going to be the shape of some continent spanning EU regulations. So that's the idea.
The EU Commission and Parliament are going to pass a tax directive that harmonizes some bits of tax law across the EU.
Mundane civil servants like this because it solves some headache inducing inconsistancies. The eurosceptics hate it for the usual reasons. The Social Democrats fear it will favor the rich and everybody else find it boring.
The Lodge and the IC fight over their 2 different versions.
The Black Lodge pushes a version that will subtly push the power of individual member nations into the hands of a small group of local billionaires. Turning all member nations into Berlusconi era Italy, or Orban era Hungary.
The Invisible College pushes a version that will slowly create a broader upper class. It will be harder to become/remain Soros level, or comic Batman level rich, but easier to become/remain 1960's Batman tv show level rich. The ideal level for an aspiring wizard.
I still need a third (and maybe 4th) faction who want yet another outcome. Any suggestions?

[Zelen]

Print quality on the Amazon looks really nice, very vivid colors.

[RPGPundit]

Well, please consider that Abra-Melin magick has a minimum level of Attainment required to even attempt. It's very powerful magick. If you look at the Abramelin stuff, not only does it give you a big attainment boost, it also has some of the most "obvious" magical effects of any in the game (granted, you have to take the time to make the Abramelin squares, but once you have them they are basically high-powered magic items with almost no limitations).

Obvious is fine, powerful is fine. Now, so complicated that my players can't use it effectively, that would be trouble. Abramelin stuff being much stronger than anything else also would be a problem.
Is Abra-Melin magick decidedly stronger than similar looking forms of supernatural power, like Qabalah en Tarot?

Characters at level 6 in the game should be doing very high powered missions, that should get extremely weird, as they'll usually be dealing with very serious magical opponents. They could also be getting into the range of being more involved with the big-scale manipulations of non-occult organizations and movements and vying for power in these against the enemy factions.

The Mcguffin of the scenario is going to be the shape of some continent spanning EU regulations. So that's the idea.
The EU Commission and Parliament are going to pass a tax directive that harmonizes some bits of tax law across the EU.
Mundane civil servants like this because it solves some headache inducing inconsistancies. The eurosceptics hate it for the usual reasons. The Social Democrats fear it will favor the rich and everybody else find it boring.
The Lodge and the IC fight over their 2 different versions.
The Black Lodge pushes a version that will subtly push the power of individual member nations into the hands of a small group of local billionaires. Turning all member nations into Berlusconi era Italy, or Orban era Hungary.
The Invisible College pushes a version that will slowly create a broader upper class. It will be harder to become/remain Soros level, or comic Batman level rich, but easier to become/remain 1960's Batman tv show level rich. The ideal level for an aspiring wizard.
I still need a third (and maybe 4th) faction who want yet another outcome. Any suggestions?

Well, to give you an example: a powerful qabalistic Invocation of the archangel Michael can have him give you +4 AC for a limited task (usually one single battle). The ritual must be performed beforehand, of course, though you can choose the moment.

Abramelin magic lets you make squares that could raise the zombies, make you fly on a cloud, cure illness or damage, appear in the visage of an old woman, turn someone into a donkey, destroy a large building, swim underwater for as long as you want, summon a brigade of soldiers, etc etc. etc.
To say nothing of the Abramelin squares that protect you from enemy magic, which is extremely important in the game.

Of course, you have to make magic squares for each of these, but after you make them you can keep using them forever; some of the powers have certain limitations, but most of those limitations amount to "you can't use this for selfish or evil reasons".

So yeah, Abramelin magic is a lot more powerful.

[igor]

If this wasn't a case of having to translatie a real magic system into game rules I would say this is a design flaw. 

Leading to the obvious question.
Can you give some sort rough power/versatility ranking for the various magic theories?


All of this is for an adventure with pre-made characters not a campaign. So if I were to fudge an Abramelin character to be just out of the ritual with only 50 attainment and only a few ready made squares.
How would I need to adjust a character who uses a more limited theory? Is it even worth the effort?

And I am still curious about the expected level of mental trauma in level 6 Black Lodge members and level 6 Invisible College members. 

[RPGPundit]

If this wasn't a case of having to translatie a real magic system into game rules I would say this is a design flaw. 

Leading to the obvious question.
Can you give some sort rough power/versatility ranking for the various magic theories?

Again, if you look at the list of College Advancement, that's probably your power/versatility ranking right there.

All of this is for an adventure with pre-made characters not a campaign. So if I were to fudge an Abramelin character to be just out of the ritual with only 50 attainment and only a few ready made squares.
How would I need to adjust a character who uses a more limited theory? Is it even worth the effort?

Not sure what this question means? But yes, I suppose if you're running a one-shot, having someone playing a brand-new baby Adept, who hasn't had time to fully process their powers or create a lot of Abramelin Squares, would work well.

And I am still curious about the expected level of mental trauma in level 6 Black Lodge members and level 6 Invisible College members. 

Based on Playtest experiences, I would say any of the above at level 6 would have between 0-4 levels of mental trauma in each of the three categories. The average would probably be 1.5 levels.

Of course, if you were talking about some of the lesser groups, the insanity levels could be higher. The Black Lodge would treat mental trauma quite seriously, because they want to be effective and they're authoritarians. On the other hand, the Typhonians are full of crazies.