BtS-II: Arcanist; discussion/adaptation (draft Arcanist OCC)

[Hendrik]

Hey there,

yes, indeed, "classic" Lovecraftian horror would have to do without (most) player magic ... and likely necessitate to play only with (a) the "Ordinary Person OCC", (b) some unkillable elder entities that make a Vampire intelligence go pale in comparison as well as (c) very active use of the insanity rules.

Yet, I humbly suggest, there is a lot that can be played with BtS between Lovecraftian and splatterpunk horror. The latter can certainly be played with BtS, too, not that any of mygames have turned into that. I actually stand flabberghasted that your experience is that it gets to splatter most of the time you have seen it. Notwithstanding, I find that BtS lends itself most supernaturally to mystery horror (like X-files, Supernatural), a mix with hardboiled detective stories or Indiana Jones / Allan Quatermain type action horror, although you can play the classic "10 little Indians" horror movie type thing wonderfully as well. It boils down to that I think it depends on the GM and how he defines his world what kind of horror you face.

An excellent book that showcases how Lovecraft flair can work well even in the presence of "players" using magic, even when "organized" by the government and all that against a spy thriller backdrop is the Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross, which I should like to warmly recommend in any case.

The beauty of BtS for me is that you can play any kind of horror with it. I think the GM just has to define his world, "his" kind of horror and then decide on which OCCs (PCCs) and which magic/psi level he wants to allow.

Cheers
Hendrik

[gaby]

Well some Arcanist may need a magic item,to boost ther PPE some times,like a Spell Book.