Updating the Mobius from Mystic Masters

[Mark Rand]

The Mobius from the 4E book Mystic Masters is a pretty cool place.  I'm thinking of updating it and turning it into something like The House of Mystery from DC Comics.  Any ideas?

[steriaca]

I say do nothing but change the name.

 

In DC, the House of Mystery and it's brother home House of Secrets have odd caretakers (Cane and Able). They are not a part of Justice League Dark, oddly enough. Room layout changes to suit the House, not the users.

[Mark Rand]

This idea came to me.  The house has more floors, and more rooms, than the published plan indicates.  All floors, though, have an identical hallway.

 

A woman named Lilith Morgan is the housekeeper.  She's has a small owl as a companion.

[steriaca]

Well, only the more mystical members of the Outsiders visit it. It is the home base of Justice League Dark after all.

[Mark Rand]

16 minutes ago, steriaca said:

Well, only the more mystical members of the Outsiders visit it. It is the home base of Justice League Dark after all.

Agreed.

 

Lilith Morgan's owl friend is a female Northern Saw-whet Owl named Amber.

[Lord Liaden]

I would suggest taking a look at the campaign mini-setting/adventure, "The House that Jack Built," in Adventurers Club #16. It's full of various haunting spirits, demonic influences, dimensional portals, and malevolent magicks. Its detailed write-up includes maps of two floors of the House. Blending elements of this with Mobius would create a truly interesting and diverse base/adventure location.

 

There is also a pretty clear analogue to the House of Mystery in the Champions source book, Hidden Lands. Sunday Pond, Maine, is an area long known for unusual phenomena. Very few mystics are aware that the source of those phenomena is a multi-dimensional "convergence," a portal to many other dimensions. It's located in the graveyard behind the abandoned St. Julian's Church, home base for the powerful, mysterious sorcerer called the Witness (a Phantom Stranger analogue), along with his assistants Peale and Hardy, the ghosts of the church's former caretakers. The location is described in fair detail but not mapped; however, you do get a full write-up for the Witness.

[Mark Rand]

45 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

I would suggest taking a look at the campaign mini-setting/adventure, "The House that Jack Built," in Adventurers Club #16. It's full of various haunting spirits, demonic influences, dimensional portals, and malevolent magicks. Its detailed write-up includes maps of two floors of the House. Blending elements of this with Mobius would create a truly interesting and diverse base/adventure location.

 

There is also a pretty clear analogue to the House of Mystery in the Champions source book, Hidden Lands. Sunday Pond, Maine, is an area long known for unusual phenomena. Very few mystics are aware that the source of those phenomena is a multi-dimensional "convergence," a portal to many other dimensions. It's located in the graveyard behind the abandoned St. Julian's Church, home base for the powerful, mysterious sorcerer called the Witness (a Phantom Stranger analogue), along with his assistants Peale and Hardy, the ghosts of the church's former caretakers. The location is described in fair detail but not mapped; however, you do get a full write-up for the Witness.

I have The House That Jack Built.  In fact, I once tried to make it into a benevolent house.  I might try again to do so. 

 

I had Hidden Lands, but I may've sold my copy.  I'll have to look around more for it.

 

Edit: Just bought the Hidden Lands PDF.

[Mark Rand]

Unlike DC's House of Mystery, this one is close to Gotham University, which is based on the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Amber is a wild owl, not a pet.  She was originally attracted by a pan of water left out for her by Lilith.  The house's magic let her mind-link with Lilith and sense that she was friendly.  She now lives in the house's living woods and drinks from the brook that flows through it.

 

There is a ballroom on the first floor, just off the living room.  It has a ghostly band, clad in tuxedos and evening gowns, complete with a singer who looks like Rose from Titanic.

 

One window looks like Dr. Strange's round one.

[steriaca]

Who technically owns the House? Cain the Able Caretaker? Elvira (yes, THAT one)? The rat bastard?

 

My bote is basically the House of Mystery is owned by...The House of Mystery. Cain takes care of the house parts inside The Dreaming. John and others believe they take over caretakership from time to time. But the house actually takes care of them...

 

Spoiler

And yes, Elvira Mistress of the Dark is officially a DC Comics character. Or at least a dream shadow version of her. The House itself ordered her to find Cain when he became missing, but she was more intrested in replacing him. Check out Elvira's House of Mystery comic book series.

 

[Mark Rand]

According to county records, Jason Blood owns the house.  He pays all the utility and tax bills.

 

Edit: He also pays Lilith's salary.

[DShomshak]

I doubt this is useful, but Mobius helped inspire me in designing a base for the Ultimate Supermage playtest characters. Wetchley House exists simultaneously on Earth and in Babylon. Two sets of floors; some doors are Gates between the two halves. Also an attic floor that exists in neither place.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Mark Rand]

19 minutes ago, DShomshak said:

I doubt this is useful, but Mobius helped inspire me in designing a base for the Ultimate Supermage playtest characters. Wetchley House exists simultaneously on Earth and in Babylon. Two sets of floors; some doors are Gates between the two halves. Also an attic floor that exists in neither place.

 

Dean Shomshak

Cool, Dean.  I'd love to see the floor plans you created.

[Steve]

3 hours ago, DShomshak said:

I doubt this is useful, but Mobius helped inspire me in designing a base for the Ultimate Supermage playtest characters. Wetchley House exists simultaneously on Earth and in Babylon. Two sets of floors; some doors are Gates between the two halves. Also an attic floor that exists in neither place.

 

Dean Shomshak

Wetchley? That name must have quite a history to it. I presume it’s a family name?

[Mark Rand]

The floors alternate between the real world and an alternate reality.  The floors are linked by the mobius staircase which, on each floor, is surrounded by a hall.

[Mark Rand]

The first floor, which is almost identical to that of Mobius in Mystic Masters, has two gates, each leading to other gates.

 

The porch's east gate leads to two others, one going to a motorhome in the parking lot at Gotham Park, a thoroughbred and harness track.  The other goes to a motorhome in a parking lot at Gotham Raceway, a motorsports racing facility.  Both are owned by one of Bruce Wayne's companies.

 

The other gate is in the kitchen and leads to the pantry.  Gates in it lead to the wine cellar, larder, and the kitchen garden.

 

The second floor is identical to the one in the book.  The third floor has six portals, plus the hall bathroom.

[DShomshak]

On 6/28/2021 at 1:57 PM, Steve said:

Wetchley? That name must have quite a history to it. I presume it’s a family name?

Someone's family, probably, but I have no information since they would be in Babylon.

 

 

On 6/28/2021 at 10:31 AM, Mark Rand said:

Cool, Dean.  I'd love to see the floor plans you created.

Okay, I'll post them.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Mark Rand]

One portal goes to a hotel floor.  Looking out the windows, one sees an ocean of sand.  The maid, a ghost, can make herself solid.

 

One portal goes to the base of a spiral staircase  inside a stone tower. 

 

One portal goes to the ballroom where a ball is taking place.  Sometimes, one of the ghosts becomes solid for a short time.

 

One portal goes to a staircase going up.

 

The other two portals go to bedrooms.

 

Edit: I might make the kitchen gate going just to the pantry/wine cellar, and larder/cool room with the east gate going to the kitchen garden and the last two second floor gates going to the motorhomes at the tracks.

[Mark Rand]

Maybe it's not The House of Mystery.  Maybe it's Jason Blood's house.  In the DCU, he lives in an apartment.  He might not in the DCAU.

[steriaca]

2 hours ago, Mark Rand said:

Maybe it's not The House of Mystery.  Maybe it's Jason Blood's house.  In the DCU, he lives in an apartment.  He might not in the DCAU.

Maybe it is the House of Mystery. But it might not be the ONLY House of Mystery. There might be more than one, after all.

 

Or not. That is the game master's call after all 

[Mark Rand]

In my Outsiders campaign, it'll be Jason Blood's house, and it's close to Gotham University,  Gotham Planetarium, and several hospitals in the University Medical Center.

[Opal]

22 hours ago, steriaca said:

might not be the ONLY House of Mystery. There might be more than one, after all...

There's The Winchester Mystery House, for instance.

www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

 

[Mark Rand]

1 hour ago, Opal said:

There's The Winchester Mystery House, for instance.

www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

 

True.

[Mark Rand]

I've moved the campaign to Pittsburgh.  The house, owned by occult expert Thomas Lindmer, is on Beacon Street near the Beth Shalom synagogue.

[steriaca]

1 hour ago, Mark Rand said:

I've moved the campaign to Pittsburgh.  The house, owned by occult expert Thomas Lindmer, is on Beacon Street near the Beth Shalom synagogue.

Someone might miss the Doctor Strange tv movie reference. I sure did the first time Mark mentioned Lindmer.

Spoiler

He is the Ancient One in the tv movie. 

 

[Mark Rand]

According to the Wikipedia, Sir John Mills played Thomas Lindmer, Dr. Strange’s mentor and the original Sorcerer Supreme.  Michael Ansara provided the uncredited voice of the Ancient One.