Nobilis

[Spriggan]

Or you just play your paladins differently than the obvious presentation given to you in the book. Something I've noticed about EUOL is that he really only has one character idea.

you obvisly don't play with him much.  His current character is compleatly different from past ones.

[42]

No it's not, as far as I can tell. Plus I've read his novels where it becomes even more apparant.

[Fellfrosch]

Yay, a EUOL-bashing thread! Maybe if we insult him enough, he'll come back to defend himself.

[42]

I don't mean to be insulting. In fact, I've have clinical studies clearing showing I am incapable of malice or any sort of cruel intention. I'm just stating things as I percieve them.

[Fellfrosch]

You're free to be peaceful if you want, but I'm out for e-blood.

[42]

See what happens when you go to see the Matrix. A definite rise in aggressive behavior and violent tendencies.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Sure, blame it on time wasting.

[Entsuropi]

So, back on topic >.<

ElJeffe, what did you think of this then?

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Well its a beautiful book and the rules are innovative and fresh. I like the way it reads but I found myself frustrated by the layout which didn't seem to flow, and the ambiguity for creating a power. For example I wanted to make Gregory Gareth the Power of English Tea, but found myself hampered by the broadness of the game. Im not sure I "got" the limitations because they seem like they should give you more than just miricle points. I despised the term Hollyhock God, HG and some of the lamer Powers. Lord Entropy struck me as particularly stupid.
Still the Art and layout were neat as was the sample of play. The fiction was a lot of fun too. Im not sure how feasible it would be to get a player who doesn't have the book create a character and since its so expensive I wouldn't recommend my players buy it. In fact the book is so nice looking that I would have a problem with anyone else touching it.  I wish more time had been devoted to explaining the mechanics and putting them firmly in one place because they seemed a little spread out... All in all its an innovative game with the potential to be great. But not for beginners hack and slashers or occasional weekend warriors and while nothings wrong with that I'm not sure it will help the games audience grow.

[Entsuropi]

This, incidentially, is what the Nobilis mailing list came up with for running a Matrix game:

At 08:27 AM 5/9/03 +0000, Charlie Mitchell wrote:
>Any thoughts?

Well, IMHO you aren't running Nobilis if you aren't working with
the Restriction system to have PCs regenerating MPs.

I was thinking about it, and an amusing concept is whether Neo's
quest to free his mind is a growing Power, or just a Restriction
that keeps haunting him.  It would be amusing to have some
characters generating and storing MPs by spending their time
discussing the philosophy of the Matrix when they -should- be
kicking booty.  You also have more latitude than normal to
relate psychological Restrictions (Arrogant, Indecisive, etc.) to
in-game power.  Knowing your own mind -is- power in the matrix.

Also, I will recommend that you think carefully about whether
you -want- Neo's powers to be Domain, rather than Aspect.  It
seems a little counter to the theme of the movie... the whole
point (to my eyes) was that he -understood- that all of the phyical
actions were his minds interactions with the Matrix, and he just
stopped limiting himself that way.  "Do you really think that's air
you're breathing right now?"  Instead you could go with a single-stat
system and Gifts (Trinity's Perfect Timing, as an example), and
leave Domain/Realm for the type of "Recode from the outside"
tricks that they pull in the Loading programs (and in the
Deja-Vu scene where the Agents fiddle a building).

If it were me (and now that you've got me thinking about it,
I may try running a one-shot at a party I'm going to tomorrow)
I would say that the single stat ("There Is No Spoon")
represents how far your minds influence can bend or break
the rules of reality, as -precipitated- by your physical actions.

I would make the TINS miracle levels like this:

"There Is No Spoon" levels:
0 - Your previous abilities, without mistakes, doubt or hesitation
        Ex.: Trinity sprints across uneven rooftops without slowing
                or stumbling
        "Don't think you're faster... -know- you are."

1 - Jackie-Chan reflexes and acrobatics
        Ex.: Switch and Apok shooting coppertops through
                smoke and fog and every bullet finding its mark
        "Kung Fu.... I know... Kung Fu...."

2 - Impossibly fortuitous -sequences- of moves
        Ex.: Trinity's flip around one cop's attack puts that
                cop -between- her and the next one who
                fires on her.

3 - Gravity and inertia are less rules than... guidelines
        Ex.: Running up walls.
        "Some rules can be bent... others can be broken."

4 - Gravity and inertia are the tools you work with, not the
          rules you have to live by.
        Ex.:  Leaping a ninety foot chasm.
        "Nobody ever makes the first jump."

5 - You are an artist with the tools of the rules of physics.
        Anything they can do, you can do.
        Ex.:  Trinity leaping a ninety foot chasm in -order- to
                punch through a small window and tuck into
                a diving roll down some stairs.

6 - Reality is tissue paper that you tear through.
        Ex.: Agents punching through concrete, dodging
                bullets, delivering Mach-3 punch sequences.

7 - Reality is only what you perceive it to be.  Physics has
        sway on you only if you decide it does.
        Ex.: Neo's flight.
        "Because they live in a world of rules, they will never
                be as strong, or as fast, as you can be."

8 - Reality is... you.  Physics is your heartbeat, inertia is the
        blood that courses in your veins.  They do what is
        needful to obey your will.
        Ex.: Neo, at the end.  'Nuff said.
        "You mean I can dodge bullets?"  "I mean that when
                the time comes... you won't have to."

9 - There is no you... reality... is...
        Ex.:  You want an -example-?  Look to mythology...
                Buddha for instance.
        "Have a cookie."

                                -- Tony

[Entsuropi]

This is the second part:

> I'm currently preparing for a one shot matrix game. I was considering what
> rules to use - D20 is out the window, ditto for StoryTeller. I considered
> pure diceless, but i realised that Nobilis would work perfectly.

My very first thought when I got the book and started reading the Aspect
description was "This is what you use to run The Matrix."

> THe PC's have Aspect - 2/3, with lots of miracle points.

Sounds like... 10-12 character points to build with, one stat to buy if
you're someone who's "got holes" (Tony's recommendation is solid, but
doesn't apply to a True Child of Zion) with remainders going to a specific
list of Gifts you design and/or extra MPs.)  The thing to remember is that,
like any of the "(s)he is the One" movies and tv shows, the power balance
between characters is shot to hell -- people are making a Trinity, not Neo.

There's a good argument for giving them a few more points (maybe 16) and
also having them spend at least one point on Spirit -- there is another
perfectly logical argument (which I'm currently on board with) that says
"Can't be possessed" is a definition of a PC by default -- a free gift --
and that Spirit is something you only get if you're The One.

Anyway.

> The operator has aspect 0 but domain : matrix 2/3 with a few miracle
points.

I'd say about a 2, for lesser divinations... can't think of anything that
Minor Preservations would get you.
He should also be buying a good high Realm, maybe 4 (and might be an NPC, I
would think -- on the other hand, that's not necessary and there might be
players who would jones on that role.)

Reason I mentioned the Chancel (what's more of a 'secret place' than a
hovercraft flying through abandoned sewers?) and Realm is because of the
Construct's ability to load the characters up with all manner of toys that
they can take into the Matrix.  Considering that no one but the Operator has
Realm, you'd probably have to take some downsides to get things like
"mobile" and "Convenient" and being able to take good gear into the
Matrix -- but something tells me that penalties for the Chancel will present
themselves.  Banes are obvious, Important (to the bad guys), and how about
"we don't have our Aspect in the Chancel"?

Hmm, actually, maybe that's a Restriction on Aspect that lets you get back
MPs whenever you're faced with a dangerous situation in the "real world" and
have to rely solely on the 'lightning in the meat'.

Yeah, downsides.

> The Agents have aspect 3/4 with lots of miracle points, doman : matrix 2/3
> with a few miracle points. Maybe also durant. Maybe spirit level 1/2.
> Neo would probably have domain : matrix 5.

I wouldn't say Durant -- generally, they don't soak bullets -- if you can
HIT them, they react just like anyone else -- the problem is, of course,
hitting them.

The ability to spend points on Spirit when the PCs can't is devastating
enough.  They don't even need to get that many more points than the PCs with
that advantage.

Heh.  Funny:  Here's how Trinity kills the Agent on the top of the
skyscraper:  knowing she can't get through the Auctoritas and still hit, she
uses her Aspect Miracle for her turn to move up incredibly quickly/quietly,
then uses a Mundane action to shoot him at Very Close Range and bypass it --
even with Rite of Holy Fire (which I wouldn't use anyway), his Spirit's not
high enough to affect plain old pistols.