Mage Rules

NOTE: This page is a work in progress.

Spheres

20th Anniversary Mage: the Ascension takes some pretty serious liberties with their expectations of the environment that Mage players experience. We have a different set of expectations, chief among them just how much Sphere 'bloat' has cropped up between 2e (2nd Edition) and M20 (20th Anniversary).

Below is a collation of the various rules in M20 that do not exist on RetroMUX. There's... a lot here. A simpler way to look at it is to just play like we did back in 1995: use the 2e rules about what Spheres can do. Officially, here are the edits:

1. Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition
   1. 'Locking An Effect' section, pg 511-512: Strike the entire section, until the 'Sphere Specialties' section starts.
   2. 'Most Effects require touch or close contact...', pg 513: More a clarification than an edit, we consider 'close contact' to be 'about the size of a living room'. Also, any magicks which are purely sensory in nature (predominantly Rank 1 Sphere Effects) have a range of 'as far as you can perceive without assistance'.
   3. 'When combining Correspondence with other Spheres, however...' , pg 513: Strike that paragraph.
   4. 'Also, by combining Correspondence 3 with Forces..., pg 513: Strike the mention of Forces, Life, or Matter. Correspondence can do this on its own.
   5. 'In many cases, offensive Mind effects', pg 519: Remove the entire paragraph. Difficulties for Mind rolls are the same as any other Sphere. Storytellers may, at their discretion, assign additional penalties for pushing a target too far outside their regular behaviors.
2. How Do You Do That? -- Strike it. The entire book. It's a dumpster fire.

Wards

The way wards/bans are described in M20 SUCK ASS. These are the proposed rules on them. Keep in mind as we're in beta, this can change, but if people want to play test it and see how it works, do let me know.

Trigger Conditions - Wards and Trigger spells are confusing because the depend on something that is never given rules: sometimes spells need to be able to sense or determine or in some other way restrict themselves to their intended targets. Trigger spells need to be able to determine when the trigger conditions happen. Your ward needs to be set for Vampires.

This always takes the relevant spheres at rank 2. Setting triggers does not involve transmuting, altering, or in any way affecting a pattern so the rank doesn't vary with the target. Instead it functions like sensory magic. Rank 1 is sufficient to detect anything appropriate to the sphere. Rank 2 is sufficient to add that to a spell. Setting triggers against iron is Matter 2, against cats is Life 2, and against Vampires is Life 2, Matter 2.

Wards - By default Correspondence 2 can set wards that inhibit or enhance the actions of targets within the ward (difficulty modifiers, slowing the ability to cross a distance, etc) and Ward 4 can actually bar (completely disallow) entry or exit. Anything else requires adding that capacity. Because this does affect the relevant patterns it requires the Spheres at the appropriate level to cast the effect being added to the ward. SEP fields (Somebody Else's Problem) require Mind 2, for instance, and fire attacks require Forces 2 and an appropriate source of fire, or Forces 3, Prime 2.

So your vampire ward is Corr 2 (for the ward), Life 2, Matter 2 (to set it for Vampires), and Forces 2 or Forces 3/Prime 2.

Arete

This is how you must have your Spheres spread, depending on your Arete. It also dictates how long a ritual roll takes (usually). If you have questions, please feel free to ask.

Arete	Ritual Time	Sphere spread
1	3 hours	1, 1, 1 Note: the 3 remaining dots from character generation is held in reserve, and you get them for free upon Arete 2.
2	3 hours	2, 2, 1, 1, 1
3	1 hour	3, 3, 2, 2, 1
4	1 hour	4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1
5	30 minutes	5, 4, 3, 3, 2, 1
6	30 minutes	5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1
7	10 minutes	5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1

Justifications

We do not ask for a lot of justification, but on raising these things, we do ask the following:

Spheres: One paragraph on a quick story of how you did it. What happened? Who you learned it from and how you learned it is important to see if it affects your paradigm. The exception is if you are going for sphere ratings 4+. You will do it through epiphany (a mini seeking), so please schedule a time when you're available.

Arete: Give us dates on when you can play out a seeking, and describe your last successful and unsuccessful seeking. What did they look like? What is the overall goal(s) of your avatar for your character? What would your avatar like to achieve in this incarnation?

Focus (Paradigm)

Your character's Focus includes three things: Paradigm, Practices, and Instruments.

When casting a spell, you'll need to not only describe what combination of Spheres and Abilities make up the mechanics of the spell, but also how your character believes such a feat to be possible, and what they are doing to make it happen. We should see your paradigm, practices, and instruments involved in each casting of a spell.

Resonance

We now use the Book of Secrets 20th Anniversary's Resonance/Flavor/Synergy rules. Every mage should have a resonance trait (see pools) of 1. You can raise it ONLY via RP justification and potentially seekings/achieving mastery.

What does this trait do? It allows for bonuses on appropriate backgrounds and arete (YES ARETE) on things RELATED TO YOUR resonance description. In the end, the ST is the final arbiter if your resonance trait adds dice to your roll.

There are many bonuses to this, but also realize the following: The higher the resonance, the more detectable your magick is as your magickal signature becomes more discernable and concrete instead of just impressions and general things.

Also: Once you reach ADEPT level, you start manifesting your highest sphere in everyday life.

Forces - You might have extra static cling and start to zap people with light electrical charges; you might always run hot Life - You always seem in perfect health Prime - You seem more... REAL. Like you're more there. You shine bright and have an aura of authority. Correspondence/Spirit/Mind - You're kinda spaced out seeing/feeling something else. You might talk to the air (spirit). You might finish another person's sentence (mind). You might be one of those people who can just walk around, not paying attention and never stub their toe/fall/trip (correspondence). Entropy - You're either a center of calmness and order in the middle of chaos or shit breaks around you all the time. Time - You're always punctual/late/early. Time seems to just go by faster when you're around (having fun?)

Those are some examples, and poses should sort of reflect that. Vampires have their hunger. Shifters have rage. Mages have weirdness in the form of resonance.

Rotes

Rotes! They're spells that give you a little difficulty modifier. Mages can start with up to arete number of rotes, and then each rote will be purchased with 3 XP each.

What do you need in the rote?

Name: Spheres Involved: How it's cast: Be as precise as you can be with this. Once you've formalized a rote being done in ONE WAY, then that is the way you do it if you want the rote bonus. Effect: What the spell does.

Please setup each rote as its own note, and then submit a request when you want your rotes reviewed.

Rotes that exist in the various source books my be purchased so long as you have the Spheres to cast them. Small non-mechanical changes can be made to properly fit a character's paradigm. (ex: Wonka's Golden Ticket from Tradition Book: Euthanatos may be purchased by a Cultist, and redescribed to fit the Cultist's paradigm, so long as the Spheres required and the Effect itself are unchanged.) Creating entirely new Rotes that exist in no books requires that your character have the highest Sphere in the Effect at 4 (and still costs XP). Creating new Rotes, particularly ones that other Mages use, is a mark of honor in Traditions society.

Rotes listed in Dead Magic I, Dead Magic II, Book of Crafts, and Lost Paths cannot be purchased without heavy justification (IC research and likely a PRP).

Wait Times

Mages are limited to raising 1 sphere per month. Even if you have the XP, you've gotta wait for the next month to learn another sphere.

Fetishes / Talens

For Mages and Sorcerers who want to make fetishes and talens, we use the ruleset from FORGED BY THE DRAGON'S FIRE. If you don't know or have that book, it's fine. Pika can walk you through it.

However, from an IC standpoint, the fetish creation requires a job submission for a SPIRIT QUEST PRP to be run by Pika for Fetishes 3+, by any player willing to do it for Fetish/Talens 1-2.