New Goutheim

[Zeus Kabob]

The answer is a bit more complicated than whether it's acceptable.
A hitman or spy would be accepted in the campaign, but there's one thing to know about the setting.
1: Morality. Killing people severely affects morality, and a person who reaches 0 morality goes insane and becomes unplayable. As your character loses morality, they gain Derangements that force you to roleplay them (examples include a fixation on your failures, a severe phobia that induces hysteria, and severe depression). If you want to avoid this, it's best to avoid making a character that relies on murder for their ends..

Alright, I was going to shoot for something along the lines of organized crime if the hitman was no go, but I would probably end up struggling to keep morality high enough to enjoy the campaign. I'll have to think a bit more on the concept. But just as a thought for going forward; what are women's rights like in this setting? If were basing it off technological and political 1900's America then can we assume the social structure is similar?

Not quite. Women hold more rights than men in this society. Below are the reasons.

More women have magical potential than men.

In marriage, the wife is given the rights to the house, and only she can file for divorce. She also submits the family ballot, and the family unit is referred to in her name. Men are expected to work to keep up the family, but in cases where the wife is more skilled or capable of holding a job than the man, he stays at home and is called a "weak husband".

More women hold political office than men (about 80-20 split). They're considered smarter and more capable, and a large part of that is due to their lower libido. Men are criticized for having high libido, as it's thought to interfere with their work.

More young women attend school than young men, partly due to their increased enthusiasm and partly due to the fact that they are considered smarter.

Single men are often criticized for being "satyrs", or very lusty men. Brothels exist, and men that take advantage of them are considered weak-willed.

[lilbooth]

What about a gunsmith or a mechanic? Electric and gasoline powered automobiles exited as early as 1861. And your list of guns is a bit sparse, bolt action magazine fed rifles were common by 1895, and Winchester has been doing lever action repeater style rifles and shotguns since 1866. But you hit it on the head for revolvers, there where only two or three semi-automatic pistols on the market by 1903. I'm probably way over thinking this but I'm really trying to justify a character. I might end up just playing some full time student at the Mage school. My concept before was do a long rang combatant, great with a rifle and then use the darkness and stasis (sound?) element magic to hide the mussel flash and gunshot noise. Silent assassin. The only other way to keep with those core elements would be like a hunter or designated marksman, but they don't really seem friendly to the hole city setting.

[That_One_Guy]

I forgot to add, I don't have any weapons or equipment cause i didn't know how much stuff I could have grabbed or what I could have grabbed i nthe first place.

[Zeus Kabob]

What about a gunsmith or a mechanic? Electric and gasoline powered automobiles exited as early as 1861. And your list of guns is a bit sparse, bolt action magazine fed rifles were common by 1895, and Winchester has been doing lever action repeater style rifles and shotguns since 1866. But you hit it on the head for revolvers, there where only two or three semi-automatic pistols on the market by 1903. I'm probably way over thinking this but I'm really trying to justify a character. I might end up just playing some full time student at the Mage school. My concept before was do a long rang combatant, great with a rifle and then use the darkness and stasis (sound?) element magic to hide the mussel flash and gunshot noise. Silent assassin. The only other way to keep with those core elements would be like a hunter or designated marksman, but they don't really seem friendly to the hole city setting.

For other equipment, choose things that would be relatively inexpensive in 1900. If you're not sure, pass it by me first.

My decision making process wasn't based on the weapons that existed at the time, it was based on the weapons that would be affordable for young mages. A 20 year old mage who never worked wouldn't be able to afford a M1895 Lee Navy, let alone manage to find one for sale. The weapons available during character creation would be old weapons in disrepair, not brand new shiny bolt action rifles. Of course these aren't the only weapons in existence at the time, but they're the ones you are capable of acquiring.

You've mostly got carte-blanche on your character. Mechanics or gunsmiths would work off of the "crafts" skill.

Stasis would suppress the gunshot, but it wouldn't reduce the muzzle flash.

[lilbooth]

My concept before was do a long rang combatant, great with a rifle and then use the darkness and stasis element magic to hide the mussel flash and gunshot noise.

Stasis would suppress the gunshot, but it wouldn't reduce the muzzle flash.

If all the player characters are Mages, and schooling is optional, then are all Mages self aware? How does one acquire or unlock magical potential? Is it inherited via some magical gene or just a "random" occurrence?

[Zeus Kabob]

My concept before was do a long rang combatant, great with a rifle and then use the darkness and stasis element magic to hide the mussel flash and gunshot noise.

Stasis would suppress the gunshot, but it wouldn't reduce the muzzle flash.

If all the player characters are Mages, and schooling is optional, then are all Mages self aware? How does one acquire or unlock magical potential? Is it inherited via some magical gene or just a "random" occurrence?

It's incredibly unlikely that someone would be unaware of the existence of magic, and in general people would know if they were capable of magic. Magic ability is not genetic. Scientists of the time suspect it's not random, but don't know how it comes to be.

[lilbooth]

It's incredibly unlikely that someone would be unaware of the existence of magic, and in general people would know if they were capable of magic. Magic ability is not genetic. Scientists of the time suspect it's not random, but don't know how it comes to be.

OK, sry about all the questions btw. I tend to be very nit picky about lore and setting. I'm rather unfamiliar with WoD, my experience is caped at one rough play through of Vampire- The Masquerade. Are there any character builds that focus on party support?

[Zeus Kabob]

It's incredibly unlikely that someone would be unaware of the existence of magic, and in general people would know if they were capable of magic. Magic ability is not genetic. Scientists of the time suspect it's not random, but don't know how it comes to be.

OK, sry about all the questions btw. I tend to be very nit picky about lore and setting. I'm rather unfamiliar with WoD, my experience is caped at one rough play through of Vampire- The Masquerade. Are there any character builds that focus on party support?

I'd rather not answer that. I'd like for you to come up with a character first and consider mechanics later. A politician would be very helpful to his team when dealing with matters of politics, and a policeman would be very helpful to his team when dealing with the police or when investigating crime scenes. Try to think up a character concept that interests you, and once that's done you can move on to consider your powers, strengths, and weaknesses.

[lilbooth]

I'd rather not answer that. I'd like for you to come up with a character first and consider mechanics later. A politician would be very helpful to his team when dealing with matters of politics, and a policeman would be very helpful to his team when dealing with the police or when investigating crime scenes. Try to think up a character concept that interests you, and once that's done you can move on to consider your powers, strengths, and weaknesses.

I think I'm going to shoot for something along the lines of a doctor, or a nurse if pc's are too young to be doctors.

[Zeus Kabob]

Player characters can be old or young. I personally stick to younger characters because it's much harder to flesh out the backstory of an adult than a teen or kid. On the other hand, older characters give you more flexibility and can have good plot tie-ins. If you want to make a 30 something doctor, I think that would be nice. If you'd rather make a doctor in training or a nurse, that would also be nice. I can tell you right now that a doctor would be very helpful to a team, and that your skills mesh well with the WoD framework.

[lilbooth]

Player characters can be old or young. I personally stick to younger characters because it's much harder to flesh out the backstory of an adult than a teen or kid. On the other hand, older characters give you more flexibility and can have good plot tie-ins. If you want to make a 30 something doctor, I think that would be nice. If you'd rather make a doctor in training or a nurse, that would also be nice. I can tell you right now that a doctor would be very helpful to a team, and that your skills mesh well with the WoD framework.

I'll go with an older character, any major events happen within the past thirty years of the setting? Like a depression, or the opposite?

[Zeus Kabob]

Player characters can be old or young. I personally stick to younger characters because it's much harder to flesh out the backstory of an adult than a teen or kid. On the other hand, older characters give you more flexibility and can have good plot tie-ins. If you want to make a 30 something doctor, I think that would be nice. If you'd rather make a doctor in training or a nurse, that would also be nice. I can tell you right now that a doctor would be very helpful to a team, and that your skills mesh well with the WoD framework.

I'll go with an older character, any major events happen within the past thirty years of the setting? Like a depression, or the opposite?

The past 60-odd years have been a "golden age" of this country. Prosperity and technological advancement have swept the nation.

[lilbooth]

The past 60-odd years have been a "golden age" of this country. Prosperity and technological advancement have swept the nation.

And is magic relatively new? Say perhaps near the start of the 'golden age', or is this some ancient stuff just experiencing a rare increase in normality.

[Zeus Kabob]

The past 60-odd years have been a "golden age" of this country. Prosperity and technological advancement have swept the nation.

And is magic relatively new? Say perhaps near the start of the 'golden age', or is this some ancient stuff just experiencing a rare increase in normality.

Magic has existed for longer than any oral or written record. The "golden age" is essentially a time during which Phoris has been part of no wars and therefore money has been allocated to research, science, education, and the arts rather than war. Because of this people's living conditions have improved, many technologies have accelerated, and infrastructure has been built rapidly.

[Zeus Kabob]

I posted the character creation process that I use. Read that to understand more about the character creation process.

[lilbooth]

Are there any mechanical differences between race, or are they purely aesthetic?

[Zeus Kabob]

Are there any mechanical differences between race, or are they purely aesthetic?

All humanoid races are mechanically identical at the moment. Quadrupedal races will likely have less size and more speed, and avian races will have less size and the power of flight. On a case by case basis, I may give humanoid races like the Ailouro keener hearing, or Ipedons increased speed.

[Nobudi]

What's the law like if Magic was used in the defense of one's self or family?

[Zeus Kabob]

What's the law like if Magic was used in the defense of one's self or family?

If a mage is protecting himself or herself from an assailant, they're charged with Magical manslaughter in self defense. It's treated like a justifiable homicide case, but the sentence tends to be longer because of the assumption that the mage is more capable of stopping the assailant without lethal force.

[lilbooth]

Do most people in the city walk from place to place, or is there a common source of public transportation?