Hello all. This is going to be my first post, so I'll start off with some background about me which should also add some context to my question(Skip to the tldr if you want me to just get on with it).

I have recently began working on my first campaign as GM. I'm new to Genesys, in fact I've never really played any real roleplaying games before. I've read a few rule books, watched some games on YouTube, and participated in some online RP. But me and my roommates have been wanting to get something going and as a writer I figured why not just make it happen? After some research into my options I decided on running Genesys. I've always preferred the idea of narrative based games and I wanted something with extreme flexibility. I think I made the right choice.

I got the group together, asked what kind of genre and setting they wanted and horror was the top of the list by a mile. Wanting to narrow things down I went over some options. V ictorian horror was deemed to generic and has now morphed into steempunk horror titled "The Fantastic Tales of Lost and Broken Things"

During character creation it was also revealed that both my players want to be magic users.

TLDR:

I'm running a steampunk horror game with a magic using murder zombie and a druidic werewolf.

Looking over the book I'm thinking the core rules might undercut the horror themes somewhat. If everything can be solved by magic there isn't much of a threat to be afraid of. What kind of custom rules might be appropriate here?

I was thinking of removing all magic skills and adding two of my own. ("Spiritual Instinct" for werewolf and "Beyond the Veil"[?] for zombie). I also wanted using magic to come at the risk of insanity for the zombie but that would not be thematically appropriate for the wolf.

Feel free to add plenty of setback or upgrades to their checks due to potential terrifying events in any given scene. Then use any threat or despair to cause horrific things to happen. Such as the insanity you list above.

Yeah, the plan was to have the insanity added to the fear system. Threat in magic will lower sanity, but when fear gets high enough any threat lowers sanity. When sanity is low enough a despair on magic checks causes permanent psychosis.

The Realms of Terrinoth setting book could provide some context for how to layer style or fluff on top of the base magic system. The special abilities of some of adversaries, in particular the spells listed for the various magic users, are worth checking out. The Necromancer is a prime example.

You can create your own spell types, as some others on the boards have done for Enchantment, Illusion, Divination, etc. Or you might leave it to your players to reflavor the existing spells to reflect their characters' unique approaches to magic. As you say you picked Genesys for its narrative focus - this would be the perfect way to give your players some control over the world you are creating together.

For example, the werewolf's magic (working off of Primal) would call on ethereal spirits or the incarnate natural world to rip at their foes (Attack), empower their physical form (Augment), or bring forth allies to fight beside them (Conjure). The zombie (here perhaps Divine fits best) issues forth poisonous clouds and skittering swarms of insects (Attack), hardens their skin with rigor mortis (Barrier), or casts their vile gaze onto their foes to open oozing pustules (Curse).

Mainly, for your first game, I'd advise you to concentrate on flavor and mood without delving too deeply into rules crafting. The story you tell with your players and the fun you all have exploring the world you are creating together is what your group will remember.

2 hours ago, O the Owl said:

Mainly, for your first game, I'd advise you to concentrate on flavor and mood without delving too deeply into rules crafting. The story you tell with your players and the fun you all have exploring the world you are creating together is what your group will remember.

For sure, the mood was what I was largely concerned about. Thanks for the advice.

I don't have Terrinoth but I can base my magic skills around those two, with some slight modifications for flavor.

Any thoughts on rituals? Just make up the material requirements and difficulty of the check?

5 hours ago, arithine said:

Any thoughts on rituals? Just make up the material requirements and difficulty of the check?

You could build individual rituals by choosing effects from the existing spell tables, as those already have difficulty modifiers listed for you. Most base spells start as an Easy or Medium check, and then each added effect raise the difficulty. Those tables would serve as a good reference point for creating your own effects and assigning difficulty.

For materials you might look at the magic implements at the end of the magic rules as a reference. For instance if your player uses a cauldron for their ritual, the effect could be adding the XXX effect without increasing difficulty. Or possessing a lock of your target's hair might allow the caster to maintain the ritual from round to round as an Incidental rather than a Manuever.

You can create a list of materials and implements that have individual effects, or you can make those calls organically in-game. If your players have their own ideas, like a ritualistic dance, or self-bloodletting, or burning a picture of their target in a fire made from willow bark, you can give them an upgrade on their ritual skill check or downgrade the difficulty.

Instead of specific material effects I think I'll just have it be what would be thematically appropriate. If they want to locate someone in hiding they'll probably need something that means something to the individual (like DNA :P), and then have them decide how best to perform the ritual. The effect determines difficulty and special flavor and effort they expend in the ritual adds advantage.

This is gonna be fun.

On 4/16/2019 at 11:33 AM, arithine said:

Yeah, the plan was to have the insanity added to the fear system. Threat in magic will lower sanity, but when fear gets high enough any threat lowers sanity. When sanity is low enough a despair on magic checks causes permanent psychosis.

The fear system in the Genesis CRB is not that great as far as it goes.

ideally the sanity system should work like the critical hit system where the first hits are minor and additional ones stack up until your mind cracks. However, I don’t think anyone has composed one of those yet. Have you looked at the Call of Cthulhu insanity rules at all? Those are the best i’ve seen (a lot like what you describe) and I think someone even did a rudimentary conversion of them to Genesys.

Enjoy your gaming

2 hours ago, slope123 said:

The fear system in the Genesis CRB is not that great as far as it goes.

ideally the sanity system should work like the critical hit system where the first hits are minor and additional ones stack up until your mind cracks. However, I don’t think anyone has composed one of those yet. Have you looked at the Call of Cthulhu insanity rules at all? Those are the best i’ve seen (a lot like what you describe) and I think someone even did a rudimentary conversion of them to Genesys.

Enjoy your gaming

I have been thinking about making such a table. Once I create it and the rules for it's use I'll post here. You just gave me a thought to have it as the strain critical injury system.

9 hours ago, arithine said:

I have been thinking about making such a table. Once I create it and the rules for it's use I'll post here. You just gave me a thought to have it as the strain critical injury system.

I never even thought of a strain critical system until now. That gets the gears in my head turning in all the best ways.

Well, here's what I have in my notes for it so far. I decided to call it the Nerve system. It's been a while since I read the books, but I think it works kind of like the World of Darkness system. I just need to write a psychosis table, once I get that done I'll make a new topic with a more detailed writeup. What do you think? Any ideas for different psychosis and their effects, or how one might go about curing them? I'm also looking to make custom talents that fit into this system... this really blew up

Nerve typically starts at 9
One nerve lost per strain (+1 strain for every two levels of cool and/or discipline)
Magic threat adds nerve
Cool failure adds nerve
Healing two strain heals one nerve
Characters can take action to heal nerve (meditate, listen to music, a reassuring word)
Three nerve healed for sleep (up to ten)
Roll for psychosis or choose thematically appropriate, very difficult to remove

10 - Meditive (+2 boost on Intellect, Cunning, and will checks)
9 - Calm (+1 boost on checks)
8 - Uneasy
7 - Nervous
6 - Anxious
5 - Stressed (+1 setback on checks)
4 - Freaking
3 - Frightened (+2 setback)
2 - Panicking (Chance of psychosis on magic dispair)
1 - Hysterical (+1 challenge)
0 - Completely lost it (instant psychosis, return to level 4)