Insect KingThere is a move underway to work up a semi-complete version of the European Union Occult Underground or Occult Union (UK and EOU).
What’s required is a one or two pages of an UE country especially regarding the gun control laws, the attitude to the occult, and if any of the major UA players and cabals exist there.
A big part of the project will be a general OU history. Add what you think fits, except that it has to tie in to the official UA version of OU history.
Basically the UA consensus is that Old School magick is dead or limping along as Authetic Thaumaturgy.
Post ideas and suggestions below. I cannot promise your piece will be used or even intact, but you will be given credit if your material is woven into a bigger piece.
Keep it coming.
C.
rekylWell first of all all European countries have their own flavour and classic behaviours. Like Sweden, my home country, which has its own very specific ways to handle things like conflict and with laws and governemtn that is completely different to say… Norway (which is in many different aspects very similare to Sweden).
When me and my friends play UA here we usually set it in the US since there is allot of cultural information about the US via television and movies aswell as having a mythical quality of being a country with everything wierd going on going on.
The problem with European sourcebooks is that since the countries vary so much its impossible to grasp the whole continent just by spitting out plattitudes about the various countries and then you end up with some cliches about the Russian Maffia (if you want bad guys in the former east, try the neo-nazi’s who have a murder campaign right about now), AMsterdam potsmokers and drugfiends and French people with hair under their arms (again, something that I have never seen in France but wtf)
As an example: If I’d write a book about the US without being careful all the clichés in Europe about americans might come to life and in the end it would be a long text about either shit rich, or shit poor overweight people – which is complete BS of course.
The other problem is european history. the old phrace winners write the history books is comepletly true and that becomes kinda obvious when you check what kinda history children in various EU nations get taught. Its a very small area and all have at one point been at war with everyone else. THe Danish king Christian I (I think it was), is called “Christian the kind” in Denmark but in Sweden where he beheaded about 200 people during the 1500eds hes called “Christian the Tyrant”.
Lets not get into Napoleon whos in some countries still considered a saviour of Europe stopped by malovent forces and in some others considered a cruel little dictator.
The point is – you should contact people in all the various countries (there are RPG geeks everywhere) or atleast who have first hand knowledge of the various countries so that the actual flavour of it all comes to life instead of becoming a soup of plattitudes.
(this may sound like Im being a bitch about everything and a general skeptic. Im not an EU source book sounds really cool – Im just scared that the place I live in shall be described, yet again, as a place where sex comes easy, everyones blond and the vikings are still the talk of the town (A tshirt with a viking on it is something tourists have))
I hope I dont sound like a complete whiner or something….
/Jens
Insect KingUh no. This is exactly the sort of input I was looking for.
What you talked about is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about – Many smaller European countries versus the vast giant of the US. The cultural differences and histories should impact in the game.
I chose Europe because there is so much richness and the US is covered pretty well.
Thanks.
Give more. Contact me by email if you wish.
Cheers,
Chris.
Simon FostonI have some ideas for a general overview of the occult underground in the UK – GMCs, cabals, general history (vague on specifics) and rumours. Would anyone be interested in taking a look?
WrattsIronically, being players in Switzerland, our games take place in North America for the most part.
So far, I’ve been personally trying to stay away from involving Europe too much because I didn’t want to deviate too much from the canon of the game setting.
But considering that some of the next games in the campaign I’m running are going to take the troupe of player characters overseas as well, I’ll see what I can do – particularly the areas of France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and even parts of the Balkan area will be offering keystones in the campaign, and that means I’ll be coming up with original stuff just for the areas by jotting them all down.
My sketchbook is normally just one big mess of ideas and scribbled notes (can you say “Freestyler GM”?), but I’ll see if I can distill something worthwhile from the material over time.
Unfortunately may take me a while from now.
Is there a time limit for this project?
Insect KingNope. The project is pretty big as it is. It will take some time to put it together in between other commitments I have.
If you have something put it down. The project is short on country write-ups as it is. They would be appreciated.
C.
Insect KingI would like to see a two page write-up on some gun laws, police, weird history, and some local OU stuff.
If you could it would be great. We will also ask for some peer review later.
C.
BillionSixEven though I am an american, I still think this is a cool idea. I like the idea of adding things like gun laws and police stuff. Practical things. For americans who want to have games set in Europe, and want to know how things are different. Like, how would I go about getting a gun in France, for instance?
beghinreLike, how would I go about getting a gun in France, for instance?
Well, I still haven’t searched a lot on the subject but I can at least answer to this question :
it will be difficult and highly illegal !
In France, only hunters, professionals or “sport shooters” can own a gun. but they have to declare it and ammunitions are quite hard to get.
There is of course a possibility to get guns on the black market but they are extremely expensive and can get you in jail quickly.
BillionSixI figured it was something like that. But it’s not like characters in UA obey the law 24/7. 😉
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