User:West

This member plays Asa Clarke This member plays West (Mage) Former Mortal Storyteller Former Mage Storyteller This member was Player of the Month for December 2008. This member was Player of the Month for March 2009. This member killed another member's character. This member has been playing here for over three years. This member once played Argent This member created Dog This member once played Nightfall This member once played Rory Gordon

• Forum Profile
• If you're looking for the Mage character, that page is West (Mage)

History

Joined the site in December 2008, after leaving a play by post game called Mages of Baltimore, which also included Aeolus, Kai, Nightroad, sjones7060, and Soul. Shortly after porting over his Mage, West, he began playing Vampire: the Requiem for the first time.

After several changes of Awakening Storytellers, West took the position in mid 2009, and remains the MtA Storyteller. Around the same time period, the site founder, Frost, decided to leave Twilight Valley and transferred the site to West.

Favorite Scenes

• Our Last Summer, revealing Tyria & West's history

Storytelling

Character Death

Yes, it happens. No, I'm not trying to kill anyone.

Well... ok, that's a bit misleading. I am trying to kill you, but I am not shoehorning any deaths. If you make multiple bad decisions, you will die. There are some that think I should warn you when you're making on of those bad decisions -- and I will... if you have the Common Sense Merit.

I scale combat to fit the opposition. This is an important consideration for two reasons: first, if you are a 0-60 running around with 160s, it will be very difficult (but not impossible). Secondly, if you ask and choose to make an upper tier character, it is my assumption that is the level you want to play at.

I don't run Monty Haul games. Which isn't to say there are no rewards -- it just means you have to earn them. If you walk into a Scene thinking that you will win, simply because you're a PC and that's how it should be -- you will probably die.

I'm not a one-hitter*. To elaborate, I will give you chances to either retreat, or figure something out (if things have gone south). If a player dies, it's probably because they've made several mistakes, not just one.

I don't like killing characters. I really don't. The most precious thing to me, as a player and as an ST, is IC history. I cringe at the thought of destroying a character with RP'ed history. However, to play a challenging game, and be faithful to the setting and other characters, I won't 'save' you. If it comes time for that Killing Blow, guess what? No monologues here.

I love you guys. I really do. So if I kill your toon, please, please, please don't take it personally.

• I can be, if you want to tweak out a toon and see if you're a better power-gamer than I am, but that's not my 'normal' m.o.

House Rules

Yes, I change the rules. A lot of them, I've tried to do before the situation arises, so there are no surprises; unfortunately, sometimes the changes come up in play. If you've played nWoD --nay, most RPG systems-- for any length of time, you're aware that there can be discrepancies, editing errors, or flat out mistakes. My changes are intended to correct these, as best I can.

At times, this will mean what I tell you contradicts RAW, or takes a different interpretation of something unclear than others might have. I don't do this to piss you off. I don't do it to 'gimp' anyone, or favor someone else. When I look at things, I ask several questions of the judgment: Is this thematically appropriate? Does this establish conditional dominance? Does this infringe on another Arcana's purview, or extend one in a way that will have unwanted side effects? etc, etc.

I will admit that I tend to err on the side of caution rather than KOOL POWERZ. Most of the time, though, it's tempered by the fact that I am looking at the Proficiencies above the one in question, and attempting to protect the scope of power. Other times, it might be to 'keep it real', such as with Imbuing and Sympathy, and keep the game challenging.

One very, very important thing that I ask you all to remember is that we also play in a full cross-over setting. There are some rulings I may make (or have made) which may not make sense within the context of Mage, but were made based on the overall effect they might have on the site.

At the end of the day, what I'd like to say is this: trust me. You may not always be happy with what I decide, but please remember it's never personal. I do the best I can to keep the site fun, and the venue fun -- in that order. A lot of times, I'll also continue to consider something long after the fact, and may end up changing the decision. I'm not a guy who always has to be right.

Everyone so far has been super cool, patient, and understanding, and I thank you for that. Just wanted to give y'all some insight into the why.