Inspirational material for Mage: The Ascension

Alkey42

I had a roommate in college who had a Mage book I would read on occasion. I really loved the setting, the whole metaphysical modern magic dystopian relative interpretation thing really sings to me. I have never encountered a group who plays it though. I might be able to sell it to some friends as the next setting, but I need a campaign, or at least campaign ideas.

So, anybody have some experience in this setting that can recommend some books/movies/comics/websites anything that might inspire something that would work in the Mage 1st ed setting? I have read through some of the source books but not sure where to start.

NVB

Alkey42 wrote: »

I had a roommate in college who had a Mage book I would read on occasion. I really loved the setting, the whole metaphysical modern magic dystopian relative interpretation thing really sings to me. I have never encountered a group who plays it though. I might be able to sell it to some friends as the next setting, but I need a campaign, or at least campaign ideas.

So, anybody have some experience in this setting that can recommend some books/movies/comics/websites anything that might inspire something that would work in the Mage 1st ed setting? I have read through some of the source books but not sure where to start.

First off are you talking WoD? Like Ascension or Awakening?

Alkey42

Yes The Ascension. I will change the thread title for clarity. I hated the changes they made with Awakening, to me the strength of the setting was in the relativity, that opened it up for creativity. But it is difficult to know where to start.

Edith Upwards

There's a WoD thread you know. And if you don't like nMage there's always Genius.

Doctorstrongbad

Erich Zahn wrote: »

There's a WoD thread you know. And if you don't like nMage there's always Genius.

You could also play old school Mage BA, before Atlantis.

cj iwakura

Even if you're not fond of Awakening(which I am), you can still use its reference material for ideas, as it's basically the same subject matter. To name a few, it suggests Carnivale(the HBO series), American Gods and the Sandman novels by Neil Geiman, and the Cthulhu Mythos(naturally).


As for campaign ideas, I guess it depends on what kind of campaign you want to run. Will it be more about learning and practices of magic, or going up against much worse threats?

Doctorstrongbad

Maybe you can mix up old world and nWod, pick and choose what you like from each system?

Edith Upwards

I personally think that Awakening's cosmology makes more sense because they keep shit vague and don't devote ten pages to the super epic foozle who resides here and who your dudes will likely never meet unless the players are metagaming. Also, evil screwdrivers from beyond time and space is an actual, workable concept.(Intruders is the best book ever.)

In fact, the [insert preferred elements here.] are even cooler because they're not just the Technocracy/Pentex's bitches anymore.

Doctorstrongbad

Isn't the Machine the nexy generation of Pentex?

cj iwakura

Doctorstrongbad wrote: »

Maybe you can mix up old world and nWod, pick and choose what you like from each system?

Since NW's rules are much easier to work with, that's best regardless of setting.


The Machine?

Xagarath

The (somewhat flawed) Clive Barker film Lord of Illusions is the closest I've seen to Mage's philosophy elsewhere.
Try that.

Doctorstrongbad

The Machine is a spirit that prety much ate the Weaver and acts like Pentex.

Helix09

Alkey42 wrote: »

I had a roommate in college who had a Mage book I would read on occasion. I really loved the setting, the whole metaphysical modern magic dystopian relative interpretation thing really sings to me. I have never encountered a group who plays it though. I might be able to sell it to some friends as the next setting, but I need a campaign, or at least campaign ideas.

So, anybody have some experience in this setting that can recommend some books/movies/comics/websites anything that might inspire something that would work in the Mage 1st ed setting? I have read through some of the source books but not sure where to start.

'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison is a great inspiration for the Technocracy vs the Traditions conflict. For the general theme of freedom vs invasive control I have no mouth and I must scream, also by Ellison is a great inspiration, but not directly translatable into a oWOD plot.

I'd recommend picking up Technocracy the Player's guide, Book of Madness (featuring the two real villains of the piece, the Nephandi and Marauders), and whatever Tradition guidebook strikes your fancy. The latter range from middling quality (Verbena) to very good (Order of Hermes).

Odd as this might sound, I consider quite a bit of the later Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more specifically Angel tv series decent examples of Mage: The Ascension campaign ideas. The themes of a cabal or alliance of secret societies fighting a shadow war is really all you need.

Heck if you want old school inspiration, watch The Maltese Falcon for how to evoke a feeling of conspiracy.

In my view, oWOD had more depth to its villains and asked more interesting questions than nWOD.