Mage Guild idea.

[Margrett]

Don asked me to help him with an idea for a Mage Guild, and that was a terrible, terrible idea. I had an idea for something, then it spiraled out of control and gave me this. I didn't want to just go with a classic "mage guild" or one that would have a stated goal that would align too closely to either Sentinel or Vanguard ideologies. I also wanted one with a bit of built-in plot and a few different reasons for character motivation should they join it, or have a backstory in it.

The Department of Thaumaturgical Affairs.

Or DTA for short. An ancient organization founded centuries ago by mages and magic users from all stripes and fonts of magic, the DTA is unbound by nationality, religion, race, or political affiliation. Part educational system, part research foundation, part disposal unit and part public awareness group, the Department oversees, maintains, secures, and advises anyone who would require its help when it comes to matters of magic. From voodoo practitioners to clerics of young gods to warlocks to sorcerers, no kind of extranormal power is turned away.

When a powerful wizard dies and his artifacts and creations are unwatched, the DTA steps in. When a child is born and flowers bloom in her wake, the DTA is there. When the undead rise from their graves and have existential questions, the DTA has a pamphlet for that. When a kingdom needs rain, the DTA is there to advise which kind of magic would be the most cost-effective to cause the downpour.

Spread out through all nations and lands, the DTA has many offices and vaults in various important places. Recently, reports have been coming in from a little border town, the town of Wistvale. Buzzing with an incredibly high level of magical phenomenon, a group is dispatched to set up a branch office and investigate...

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So magic-type players could "belong" to the DTA and be in that group, or just be associated with it through being trained in magic, or simply know of it because it is a big presence. Nonmagical characters could use it as a font of knowledge, official bits of lore could be associated with it, and leftover magical artifacts from adventures could be stored in a communal "vault" along with a pseudo-scientific "report" on what it is and where it came from.

Completely open to scathing criticism and complete rejection of the idea.

[Kiko]

Critisism 1: God moding. IMO. Especially this part of the description:

When a powerful wizard dies and his artifacts and creations are unwatched, the DTA steps in. When a child is born and flowers bloom in her wake, the DTA is there. When the undead rise from their graves and have existential questions, the DTA has a pamphlet for that. When a kingdom needs rain, the DTA is there to advise which kind of magic would be the most cost-effective to cause the downpour.

We state, quite rightly, that character design and play be modest. That such is much more entertaining to read than: "I am God and this and this happens because of it." If we ask this of those that play the game, they should expect the same of us. I am assuming, of course, that the DTA would be used in by a GM in the above stated capacity. And giving the players the answer or magick object to solve the puzzle or find the MacGuffin feels like god moding to me.

I'm not saying it would be used this way, of course. This is just my thoughts on it.

[Margrett]

That's a good point; I didn't think of it that way. I was mostly thinking that the players involved would be more researching any adventures or problems as a character motivation, rather than using it to godmod. Though I do agree it could be used that way.

[Margrett]

Also, as a note. The "base" of the DTA in Wistvale would be new and very small, and not have access to the comprehensive library of the whole Department. Players would fill it in as they go, and GMs could choose to dispense information on a very small case-by-case basis.

[Grayell]

Sounds like a bunch of old farts in a cigar lounge in funny hats.

[Serenity]

I like cigars, and Margrett likes funny hats

Well it's a lot more than what I had, which was essentially "Magic building for magic people and maybe magic things, that do magic."

[Ursine]

Lots and lots of magic happens, really. That's about it.

But I like Marg's idea. Where Kiko sees that it could be used for god-modding, I see an institution that, for various reasons, could hinder or even actively attempt to stop an adventure, adding a possible third party to conflicts involving magic. And I think that, as long as GMs don't go handing out the specific McGuffin that you need to finish this adventure or that every time, then it doesn't really qualify as god-modding. And maybe, every time a player receives help from the Department, it goes on a tab of some sort, and the Department could try to collect on that by asking for favors, or something along that line.

[Kiga]

To me? It sounds excessive and complicated. I think we're divided on it so a revisit to the drawing board might be in order. If only Alec would show up...

[Neko]

How about an Anti-Mage guild. Maybe or maybe not villians. They see magick as unnatural and extremists believe it should be outlawed under penalty of death. They would go on quests to destroy magickal items and such. Given the number of people here that use magick in one way or another, it could be interesting.

Think Civil War storyline and Mutant Registration Act from Marvel Comics, or Merlin from SciFi channel TV. (Yes I know its supposed to be SyFy, but I refused to acknowledge the change lol)

[Kiga]

We have the Noctis for the mages but anti mages might make for some interesting NPCs. I will leave that up to GMs though.

[Neko]

Cool. Sorry for bringing back a dead thread but my heads full of ideas and I had to get some out lol.

[Margrett]

No problem. Might make for a good site plot later on.