Worlds of Darkness - playing by someone else's rules (Part 1)

 

This post is a reaction to a Facebook post where a Mage Storyteller queried how to make Mage: The Ascension less horror, and more urban fantasy. And, on the whole, the response was that Mage is probably the most urban fantasy of the classic World of Darkness series, what with schools of magic who wield the ability to shape reality.

But it got me thinking about the different flavours each game has, and how you might best replicate the particular type of horror from each of those games, in different game lines.

The game lines in brief

To start off with, here's my brief summary of each game. In particular I look at the elements that make each game unique, and at how they lean into particular types of horror. The aim of this is to identify how those elements could swapped around if, for example, you wanted to run a Vampire game as a more bleak and desperate, like Wraith, or more fantastic but nightmarish, like Changeling. Kindred of the East and Mummy: The Resurrection, are deliberately briefer entries, as they focus on creature types that were initially supplements to existing game lines, and cover smaller niche areas of the World of Darkness. 

Vampire: The Masquerade

In Vampire, player characters are mortals taken from their normal lives and thrust into a sunless world where they are frequently pawns at the bidding of others. Although they almost always belong to clans and sects, they are more often than not hierarchies of other vampires than are either seniors who can force you to do their bidding, or rivals for the senior vampire's praise. 

The horror lies both in the fact the characters are little more than pawns on what are effectively secret societies which often don't have your best interests at heart, and the fact that you are an undead parasite, that must drink blood from the living and lurk in the shadows. Although vampires may build allegiances, and earn the loyalty and trust of each other, they are also at the whom of their hunger and clan weaknesses, and in many ways are on their own against the dark. 

On the plus side, perhaps, the bulk of 'horrors' a vampire faces are elder vampires with a taste for vampiric blood, ravenous werewolves that have caught your scent, and perhaps the occasional determined psychotic hunter or vengeful ghost. A vampire who decides to go it alone may avoid the night to night stresses of vampiric society, but one vampire on their own is generally out of their depth against any of the other things that might come for them, especially if they come by daylight. In many ways the horror of Vampire is the most mundane and personal.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse

In Werewolf, player characters are members of secret bloodlines taken from their normal lives and thrust into a tribal society where they are taught that they are warriors fighting to protect Gaia, the spiritual embodiment of the planet. Although often at the behest of tribal elders (older, veteran werewolves) and spirits (abstract concepts and aspects of nature given personality), there is the basic understanding that they are trying to save the world, from real world pollution and spiritual corruption. There may be some differences in tribal outlook, and some families may really hate other tribes (or other races), but on the whole werewolves recognise they are on the same side. 

The horror lies in turning into something that is very much a monster, and having your eyes opened up to a totally alien reality that has always existed behind the world you knew, which although wonderful and magical and beautiful in many respects also contains in it terrors that show the corruption that literally bubbles under the surface, and that an all powerful Wyrm, the equivalent of the Devil, infects all of these things and threatens the world. Effectively, once you've seen this side of reality you realise that the mundane world you knew is a lie. Furthermore, anyone from the mundane world is unable to see you for what you are, a blessing on one level but also proving you to be now part of this mysterious 'other'.  

The 'horrors' a werewolf faces are a whole range of creatures: those werewolves corrupted to fight on the behalf of the Wyrm, other werecreatures that - for reasons you won't understand when you first meet them - hate werewolves, any people warped into monsters by being corrupted by Wyrm spirits (arguably vampires fall into this category, though they are much more subtle about it), the more terrifying spirits in service to the Wyrm (or its siblings the Wyld and the Weaver), and the multitude of nightmarish spiritual realms where corruption has taken over. Werewolves are physically difficult to fight toe to toe, so the horror is rarely based on being a victim of physical assault. Instead they are aware that the world is festering with a spiritual disease and that it is an uphill struggle to fight back. Werewolves can turn their back on their tribal heritage in an attempt to deny the monsters they now are, but that doesn't prevent them seeing the decay in the world around them, and there's a reason such 'lost pups' often become known as Lunatics.

There are similarities, perhaps, with the Cthulhu Mythos, where humans discover that humanity is barely noticed by the terrible godlike monsters that lurk behind the veil of reality. But in Werewolf the Earth is very much considered and being targeted, with the only bonus being that the player characters are also monsters and can fight back, and generally have the sense that the forces of nature are on their side.

Mage: The Ascension

In Mage, player characters are individuals who suddenly develop the ability to manipulate reality, sometimes because they have been pushed towards the realisation of that power but often spontaneously, instinctively, as a reaction to a somewhat dangerous or traumatic situation. Although generally each mage ends up joining a group that best reflects both their insight and philosophy they may end up being pursued in order to join another society. On the whole a mage is encouraged to have allies, because their powers usually rely on them being aware of circumstances which they can manipulate, and if they're on the back foot, alone and reacting to things as they happen, they might not get the chance to use their powers at all. 

The horror lies in recognising that the world is an intricate reality way beyond what they previously imagined. And whilst there may be horrors here they are, for the most part, overshadowed by wonders. However there are many more warring factions and philosophies in the real world fighting for reasons that may not always be clear. 'Traditional' magical societies fight against an oppressive Big Brother like technomagical society, whilst the technocrats see themselves as protecting the world from reality deviants, fantasy sorcerers and monsters alike. And furthermore there are bad mages who just want to tear reality down, and mad mages who don't see the world the rest of us see, and bring chaos in their wake.

The 'horrors' a mage faces tend to be individuals rather than opposed factions. This game is most like an urban fantasy, with some rivalries handled with civility, with words and sleight of hand and trickery. But some mages, or their agents, are more dangerous than others. Those mages who pay particular attention to you are likely to know exactly how to turn the tables on you, and may even delight in taking the time to torture you, to find out what you know and perhaps find new targets. And those mages who are insane and have broken all the rules, and tend to break a lot more along the way, can be very dangerous to stumble into the path of. Mages know there are vampires, werewolves, ghosts, changelings and hunters out there, and usually have methods to deal with them, but no plan is foolproof and anyone getting the upper hand can lead a mage to fear for their lives, or those who their care about. Any one of these, rival mage or monster, might have a reason to target your character. There are some, spurred by either their ambition or their beliefs, who will target a mage in order to extinguish (or steal) their power or remove a threat. And, finally, there are spirits. Those who the mage might meet whilst travelling, sure, but also those who turn up when a mage has pushed their luck, Paradox spirits who act like guardians of creation, vengeful angels, who have noticed you and must punish you for daring to push so hard against reality. These creatures, which may be truly terrifying or may be small and inscrutable, represent the very real force of reality striking back. They are something far beyond human. And now, little mortal, you have their attention.

Typically a mage might stumble across any sort of horror that might target an ordinary human, but their talents allow them to overcome them easily. The more terrifying horrors then are those that are drawn to the mage by their own actions and who are somehow resistant to their abilities.

Wraith: The Oblivion

In Wraith, player characters are probably those that, of all the World of Darkness player characters, are most rudely dragged from their old world and into a new one. It is difficult to interact with the world they once knew, and everything around them seems to be a decaying mirror image of what once was. Furthermore, there's another world just beyond this one, a hellish landscape of dark void wherein various empires rule over all those like you, and beyond that the hungry void itself, Oblivion, tries to suck down the final remains of your consciousness. To make matters worse you now have an inner voice that champions the cause of ending it all, that everything must die and that maybe you should drag yourself and everything that matters to you to that peaceful state of non-existence.

The horror lies in realising that the end was not the end, and that a whole ancient society exists in the shadows, not manipulating the world but ready to claim everyone who has fallen through the cracks. The world looks terrible from this side of the mirror, much like the werewolves view of nature being spiritually corrupted - Wraith, in many ways being a combination of Werewolves bleak reality and the rigid hierarchies of Vampire and Mage. There are suggestions of a heaven that you never reached, and all the more proof of an Oblivion that claims you forever, but between those empires that cling to existence, and those factions that fight for their versions of freedom or faith, there are monsters created from the darker side of Oblivion, ragged jagged shapes that cut and twist and torture your passage to eternal peace, rather than ease it in. And that suggests that maybe Oblivion isn't the solution to all your problems after all.

The 'horrors' a wraith faces are that the world they now inhabit looks like a literal hell, whilst there are people or creatures out there that literally fight for your soul, either to pull it into Oblivion, to warp it into a terrifying parody of all your worst traits as you become an agent of Oblivion, or to become a tool for the empire that tries to stave off Oblivion (indeed, possibly an actual tool, as you may be soul-forged into something else - a weapon, a coin, a hunting dog, whatever someone needs). Furthermore, in seeing what awaits beyond death, you will always be concerned for those you care about that are still alive, and this may present you with all sorts of terrifying scenarios, particularly once your enemies become aware of them and try to hurt you through them. Finally there are those in the real world who see and understand how to manipulate the dead themselves - certain vampires, werewolves, mages, and changelings (and the lesser known hunters, demons and mummies too) - they may do terrible things to you even though you're dead and away from their world. Horror in Wraith is very much about helplessness. Though they may have some powers to interact with the living much of their existence is just about clinging on while they still can, and trying to determine whether there is any hope of salvation. 

Changeling: The Dreaming

In Changeling, player characters are arguably those that find themselves least thrust into a default horror setting, awakening to the fairy nature in their blood, and being 'awakened' to a world of dream and imagination. Although there are monsters out there, most of the world now falls beneath a veneer of glamour and fantasy, and the Changeling if anything must struggle with a world that might be interpreted as vivid hallucinations. Changeling society, for all its swords and sorcery, is generally noble and forgiving of those who stumble upon it, although arguably the Unseelie fae are more monstrous and savage than their Seelie counterparts.

The horror lies in realising that the fantasy is real, and that it does contain its share of monsters too. Not only Unseelie monsters but also vampire, werewolves, mages and ghosts (some of which will prey on changelings for the special properties of their blood). There are also the Fomorians, evil proto-faeries who are stirring and will eventually mobilise to battle the fae. And then there are mortal hunters who, despite the changelings largely being innocent and noble (in the style of many of the protagonists of fairy tales), see them more as creatures that prey on humanity. And, to a lesser degree, there are parents and other parental figures who attempt to persuade the Changeling that they're delusional, much as Werewolves or Mages who are thrust into a fantasy world may struggle to accept that the fantasy is real. 

The 'horrors' a changeling faces then are those that challenge the magic and wonder they've discovered, the monstrous side to fantasy that targets the innocent. There's also perhaps the horror of addiction - Changelings, a little like vampires, rely on humans to give them their power, and it also puts them into an altered state that is immediately more uplifting and magical than the mundane world. When they lose that power, when they've not been able to soak up the emotions of people around them, they can crash, and crash hard. There is something of the loss of innocent, often explored in fairy tales, but to a Changeling to lose a friend, either to a monster or to the mundane nature of reality, is also a visceral loss in its own right.

Kindred of the East

In KotE, player characters are vampires that differ from their western counterparts by having died, gone to one of many hells, and dragged themselves back again. Rather than membership to a clan they follow a philosophy (not unlike the Roads or Paths some vampires follow as a substitute to Humanity), and like a Wraith they have an inner voice that tempts them towards darkness. Elder vampires still maintain power and order younger vampires around so, in many respect, the KotE have an existence much like the more familiar Vampire: The Masquerade protagonists, with a fear of/respect for their elders, and a concern over the monsters they have become, but additionally they have a very real sense of the hell that they escaped, and that there are countless monsters out there. Some of those monsters are tied into the spirituality of the eastern world - Stargazer werewolves and other shapeshifters, spirits, changelings and mages - and some of which are the western pretenders - vampires, werewolves and mages who've come to the east in search of mysticism or because of connections to old British domains. The Eastern horror is a mixture of fear for one's soul, but also for one's culture, history, family.

Hunter: The Reckoning

In Hunter, player characters are humans newly awoken to their powers by mysterious external voices that make themselves known through enigmatic messages and glimpses of the inhuman nature of people around them who are more than human. Immediately the hunters know these things are wrong, and that their powers can be used to confront them or redeem them. There is also an online community that has formed, the one link to a larger global community.

The horror is pretty much on the surface - the hunters see that there are monsters against us, and they are often in positions of power. Even worse than that is that most people cannot see them for what they are, and so hunters may find themselves questioning their own sanity, or find that their friends and families question it for them. 

The 'horrors' a hunter faces then are very real monsters, all very apparent. For the most part they do not know that you know what they are. If they learn that you can see them for what they are, they may try to manipulate you, they may try to kill you, they may try to corrupt you. And, aside from those in a similar situation, you're all alone against the darkness.

Mummy: The Resurrection

In Mummy, player characters are ancient mummies who routinely resurrected over the centuries due to the Spell of Life but, due to events in the underworld (the same ones that freed the demons from the Abyss), have ended up ejected from the underworld and into the bodies of humans they now share an existence with. In a similar fashion to demons they have become a person of two halves, though unlike demons they typically inhabit a body whose soul has already gone. The mummies were created long ago as a means to create balance and fight Apophis, a version of the werewolves enemy the Wyrm, and so most of the horror they encounter are the twisted monsters that it controls, including the bane mummies, imperfect immortals who are a parody of those ancient ones. That said immortality takes away much of the fear of death, and it is only the truly monstrous that terrifies the protagonists.

Demon: The Fallen

In Demon, player characters are demons, fallen angels that fell with Lucifer, and have spent most of human history locked away in the Abyss. They have been released and joined with humans who were spiritually weak (such as having a crisis of faith, drug addiction, depression or suicidal thoughts). Lucifer was not trapped in the Abyss with the other demons but, soon after they escape, he makes a very public appearance above Los Angeles, which many dismiss as a mass hallucination or a hoax, though many believe otherwise.

The horror is largely matters of faith and uncertainty, of things more powerful than the human-bound demons. There are those demons that have been summoned into forms without human souls. There is the fear of God and his angels perhaps delivering final vengeance on them, despite all appearances that they are absent. And there's Lucifer, who on the surface seems well-measured and rational, but is undoubtedly the most powerful of the fallen angels. Largely the demons have little to fear from vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, although their human form is frail. Mages and hunters, on the other hand, might be more of a threat to them. 

The 'horrors' a demon faces are generally not horrific to an ancient demon. The horror is largely existential, as they contend with their new found human frailty and and whether the greatest plans of God and Lucifer lead to their salvation, damnation or total destruction.

In Part 2 I'll be looking at Vampire in particular, and how you can reimagine the setting, to accommodate different types of horror.