Manifesting as a Magicker, or keeping it quiet?

[Riev]

I know we've always done it both ways, but with the subguilds in place and having a more robust mundane skill set, how have people handled manifesting? Are we, in general, keeping to a similar ratio of "I'm a magicker and I want to use spells!" over "Nobody must know my terrible secret"?

Related:
How would you feel if you were an unmanifested magicker who never got to cast a spell before you died? I know this DID happen with full guild magickers but that was often times a particular challenge (The No Skills challenge)

[Lizzie]

I know we've always done it both ways, but with the subguilds in place and having a more robust mundane skill set, how have people handled manifesting? Are we, in general, keeping to a similar ratio of "I'm a magicker and I want to use spells!" over "Nobody must know my terrible secret"?

Related:
How would you feel if you were an unmanifested magicker who never got to cast a spell before you died? I know this DID happen with full guild magickers but that was often times a particular challenge (The No Skills challenge)

Related answer: If I were an unmanifested magicker, I would manifest ASAP. If I weren't allowed to, I'd store, and roll up a ranger or merchant. I played mages because I wanted my characters to use magick. When I didn't want my characters to use magick, I didn't waste time applying for a mage.

[John]

Are we, in general, keeping to a similar ratio of "I'm a magicker and I want to use spells!" over "Nobody must know my terrible secret"?

I'm not a good sample size due to how few magickers I have played (my favourite element has been removed from the playable game, although if I ever get karma for Whiran Illusion I could probably be as just as able to ruining plots with a burglar). But I've mostly been playing the "already manifested" mages. Now some have been "keep my secret from everyone" while others have been "gotta get a gem immediately/already have one). In that regard I'm probably playing the same ratio.

How would you feel if you were an unmanifested magicker who never got to cast a spell before you died? I know this DID happen with full guild magickers but that was often times a particular challenge (The No Skills challenge)

I'd be okay with it. I always see it as the responsibility of a mage player to give PCs a reason to fear mages. Part of that fear should be "anyone can secretly be a mage". I use to play against type mages (big and brawny, with strength prioritised over wisdom) and probably will in the future. My goal with unmanifested mages is to always foster strong relationships with other PCs so that they're hit on an emotional level when I manifest. I want them to feel bad about ostracising me.

[Rathustra]

Often players set up situations that will 'trigger' their elementalism - perhaps an intense encounter with their element or a period of extreme stress. They'll go through their PC's life unmanifiested until they're pushed into manifesting.

Others will build up relationships and an in-game story around their PC first before smashing it all with an unwanted manifestation - losing friends, prestige and their hopes and dreams in an often staff-assisted crescendo!

I think the subguilds provide a way to make manifestation more dramatic - before, while people would build up their character pre-manifestation, their limited skillset made them targets for guild-sniffing or forced them into particular niches. Now PCs from a much wider section of society might lose control and be outed, creating a variety of crushed dreams.

I've played PCs that have started with knowledge of what they are and who have manifested through play. Both appeal - but as staff, seeing someone build a life and then smashing it is much more interesting to follow.

[Inks]

I always start manifested in my bio or at least knowing something is up. Which was the same before.

[Feco]

I always start manifested in my bio or at least knowing something is up. Which was the same before.

I don't really have experience with magicker sub-guilds, but this is how I did it before.

[Lizzie]

I will add that I did have one PC who was unaware of her abilities when I put her into the game. She had no clue, and no reason to suspect. She manifested either due to staff intervention or a mindbender - to this day I have no idea, and it doesn't matter, it was an awesome experience. I had been wondering how/when I was going to encounter something traumatic enough that'd trigger the manifestation and was getting frustrated because life was pretty decent for her, there really wasn't anything "traumatic-worthy" going on at the time. I was getting impatient, so it was pretty good timing, whoever did that thing that they did.

That was the only PC mage I played who didn't start out knowing they were a mage.

[Synthesis]

I've tried staying unmanifested for dramatic effect or whatever, but I usually get bored and go ahead and manifest without any particular fanfare.

[Cind]

I've played one main guild water witch who manifested a month or two after chargen, and that was because I based half my story around it. I've played three main guild unmanifesteds in Tuluk. I tried to play an unmanifested krathi in nak who was going to stay unmanifested, but people were bothering me so much about it that I stored to get away from them.

All others were manifested before chargen, and usually had a body of magick knowledge equal to my own, so I can solo rp, the crutch of gemmed witches.

It is much easier to play an unmanifested now, I'll tell you that much.

[solera]

I love slow development from a fully formed PC life.  Being a hidden witch, or a hidden anything, is a very compelling story line for me. Because of this, the  deaths have been hugely disappointing, and it takes me years to crank out another.

I've had two, one main guild, one sub guild. Both had their day jobs, (which killed them)

First one never knew, and she had bigger internal issues to face. She was a quel user, but her particular element hadn't caught her attention, she loved her kruth cards which I thought might lead her . She was east-side breed,  I was hoping to find out if being an elementalist would give her favor or death.
I hadn't got round to working out triggers to push her over the edge, or aliasing a protective spell.
She died totally untouched by her gickery 

Number two,  was a bit stupid to know. I did alias a spell, had two definite trigger (Grief, and threat of fire, or sight of a Krathi) and was feeling my way to others.
My first spell ever, in a moment of grieving and I'd aliased the wrong one!
Again, her death was very disappointing.

Their story arcs were too slow and ginka lost patience.

[Riev]

I remember playing in Tuluk and my Salarri Boss (who definitely wasn't a mage) had an alias/macro set up where he burst into flame and "gouts of fire" came from his hands or something. He then OOC'd to please disregard that as a macro.

We were standing in public I was never so afraid for 5seconds of my life.

On topic, I just don't play that many magickers, and I had always felt that the 'simple' progression of a mage lent towards my skill-based nature. The idea of manifesting even as something like a Ruk Protector, and falling into a pit/off the shield wall but surviving due to some rocky protrusions or something would be great. I also like the breakdown of losing all your friends, because now they realize they've been close to a filthy witch their whole lives.

[gotdamnmiracle]

I can never manage it. Granted I've never been SUPER into magick. That said holding off just kind of feels like a shameless way to train and become survivable (like in the Byn, kurac, or AOD) before you out yourself as unhireable. It makes a good narrative and I understand the idea, but wow is it boring being gimped because you decided to do that rather than just taking the gem at char gen. Plus the aftermath is also tough for me to RP. I hate playing the whole whiny Gemmed thing. It's also the reason I'm not a huge fan of breeds.

[Riev]

Well, not every mage is gemmed, either. I was thinking it'd be nice to be an "established" person who then has to become rogue, and live out of Storm or some random cave somewhere. Especially if the fact that you HAVE magick becomes a "I'll probably never use it again, but now that I have, I'm fucked" situation.


The struggle is, as interesting as it may be, its like throwing away a fun character, for a couple interesting moments.

[Marauder Moe]

Others will build up relationships and an in-game story around their PC first before smashing it all with an unwanted manifestation - losing friends, prestige and their hopes and dreams in an often staff-assisted crescendo!

I've done this twice.  This is the best way.  It can also be really interesting how those old relationships can sometimes come back to help or haunt the character.

[Bogre]

I usually play manifested magickers from the get-go.

[Erythil]

As a powerful wizard IRL, I can attest that it is a difficult secret to keep.  My dreams must not be crushed.   

[Cind]

Playing a rogue in civilization is the only role I just don't enjoy. Everyone assumes you are out to get them specifically, among other things, and worse, they're subtle about it. I guess also its just a very iso role, and I'll try it every few years to see if I like it any but no.

Gemmed play is so much fun though, and I feel it is good for quiet times of the week. There's a combo of characteristics with being a gemmed being a part of it that is my favorite role. I was actually told to try to broaden my horizons a bit because I hadn't played anything else for a long time, ever since the witch subguilds got introduced. (I think that's what they said; it is something someone should have told me, anyway.)