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[OOC] Mage: The Awakening | Higher Education
cj iwakura
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
Mage: The Awakening is a storytelling tabletop game focused around modern sorcery, a magic-ignorant populace, and a dabbling of political intrigue.
I'm currently accepting character concepts for a Northern Florida chronicle, tentatively titled Higher Education.
Details on creation fundamentals here.
Some initial setting details here.
Nifty character sheet creator: here.
Characters can have whatever sort of history you feel is appropriate, but at very least decide whether or not they've already Awakened. The character does not need to be a Mage yet, in fact, it's perfectly fine if they're still a Sleeper.
If they've Awakened, Path is crucial, as well as whatever Order they're a part of or are likely to fall in with, if applicable.
Either way, the more background that comes my way, the better. I like details.
There's no set deadline or first-come first-serve basis. The more thought-out concepts are the ones more likely to be integrated should a storyline come into play.
With that in mind, here's some history.
As with most recent White Wolf games, Mage takes place in the World of Darkness:
The modern world as we all know it, only worse. Alleys are more dangerous, crime is more rampant, politicians and law enforcement are less reliable, and there's all manners of unseen entities operating in the shadows to prey on the innocent.
Awakening is the second incarnation of the Mage series. It was originally begun as The Ascension, and was among one of WW's most popular titles, in addition to being ridiculously complex.
Awakening's made the plot a touch easier to grasp for newcomers.
Once, magic was common in society, and its benefits were used for the widespread good of magicians and the unknowing alike. The standard belief in Mage lore was that magic originated in Atlantis, from which the golden age of mage originated, but there are those who feel differently.
Eventually a few Atlantean Mages become more powerful than the rest, and ascended to a higher realm; the Supernal World.
In the process, these mages cast down the rest of humanity into the world as we know it; the Fallen World, shattering the mystical ladder that binded the two worlds.
Separating the two is a space known as The Abyss, within which all manners of unpleasant entities reside to punish mages who tinker with magics best left untouched.
As a result of this division, humanity as a whole have become what Mages refer to as 'Sleepers': humans ignorant of their greater potential.
All humans have the potential for magic, they need only be awakened to it.
To counter the actions of those who put humanity to sleep(the Exarchs), another group known as the Oracles fight within the Supernal Realm to awaken humanity to their dormant abilities, and take the Exarchs down from power.
They are responsible for the Watchtowers, assorted beacons within the Supernal Realm that can guide a sleeper with adequate potential to awaken to their true abilities.
Every Mage awakens through a Path, each of which is linked to one of the Supernal Watchtowers, and allows specialty in certain varieties of magic.
All things can be possible through the different Arcana, each of which is attributed to a specific type of magic.
They are as follows:
Acanthus
(Fate, Time Magic)
Enchanters on the Path of Thistle work with luck, intuition and destiny.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn in the Realm of Arcadia.
Generally associated with the Fae, and the Tarot of 'The Fool'.
Mastigos
(Mind, Space)
Warlocks on the Path of Scourging work with perception and inner demons.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Iron Gauntlet in the Realm of Pandemonium.
Generally associated with manipulation, subversion and the Tarot of 'The Devil'.
Moros
(Death, Matter)
Necromancers on the Path of Doom work with death, mortality and material things.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Lead Coin in the Realm of Stygia.
Generally focused on the study of transition and decay, and associated with the Tarot of 'Death'.
Obrimos
(Prime, Forces)
Theurgists on the Path of the Mighty work with the divine energies infusing the world.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Golden Key in the Realm of the Aether.
Generally associated with the pursuit of power, and the Tarot of 'Strength'.
Thyrsus
(Life, Spirit)
Shaman on the Path of Ecstasy work with all aspects of the natural world.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Stone Book in the Realm of the Primal Wild.
Generally associated with the wilderness, and the Tarot of The Moon.
While all Mages have a Path that determines their foundation, there are also five primary Orders or factions that one commonly takes up the cause of, whether for the greater good, or to aid their own ends.
The Adamantine Arrow
Spiritual warriors and masters of conflict, who claim a heritage going back to the defenders of Atlantis. Currently, the Order of the Arrow could perhaps be described as something akin to a knightly sect, though bushido and other warrior codes find a place in The Arrow. These mages conduct intensive physical and mental training, honing the minds and bodies of order members into deadly weapons which magical society may then wield against its enemies (such as vampires, werewolves, Seers, and so on).
Guardians of the Veil
Spies and conspirators who claim their descent from the intelligence officers and enforcers of Atlantis' laws. Currently, they bear a resemblance to a combination of many occult conspiracies, such as the Thule and others. Many obscure their activities and identities even from other mages, and act as a check on humanity's dangerous curiosity for "that which man was not meant to know". To this end they falsify and obfuscate information through an elaborate honeycomb of lies and mis-directions known as "the Labyrinth".
The Mysterium
Dedicated to pursuit of magical lore and the acquisition, cataloguing, and study of mystical and occult knowledge and artifacts. They continue the ancient heritage of the scholarly and intellectual of Atlantean society. Their internal structure often resembles the academic structures of the part of the world in which they reside. The Mysterium gathers, catalogues and maintains items of all types of magical and historical significance. These are stored in museum-libraries known as "Athenaea", which vary in size from private collections to massive storehouses that must be physically hidden by magical means.
The Silver Ladder
Dedicated to ruling and reshaping the world, the viziers and senators of Atlantis remain in force. Politicians and authoritarians, the Silver Ladder believes in creating a perfect hierarchy (with themselves at the top, of course) which will seize control of reality, subjugating it to the will of mankind. Many would say (justifiably) that the Ladder is only interested in power, but this dream is not without its altruistic appeal. As a member of the Ladder might point out, control over reality could bring an end to human suffering in all its forms.
The Free Council
Modernists who wish to create new forms of magic, a union of mages who have discovered ways of using magic that do not adhere to the Atlantean methods. According to Council members, mankind is subconsciously aware of metaphysical truths, and thus all of human society carries the potention for mystical wisdom. The 'Libertines' as they are also called, possess a strong belief in democratic process and anti-authoritarianism.
Belonging to any of the prior sects is completely optional for a character, though belonging to one can provide a safe haven and access to otherwise inaccessible information, both very valuable commodities in a world of darkness.
There's even a few groups of antagonists out there to take up arms with, if you're feeling particularly daring.
A sampling of the key antagonists:
The Seers of the Throne
Servants of the Exarchs, the Seers would rather serve those in power than strive to bring them down. The Seers want to keep the sleepers sleeping and undermine the actions of Mages at any opportunity.
The Banishers
Those who awakened to their potential and regard it not as a blessing, but a curse. They don't believe that magic is a wondrous thing, but unnatural, and that only evil stems from its use.
Banishers actively strive to destroy Mages, their sanctums, and their works at any opportunity, for no reason but to see their influence wiped off the face of the earth.
So if you've made it this far, you're probably wondering what's required of you for character creation.
For purposes of creating a sheet, you will at very least need access to the (New) World of Darkness sourcebook for the basic stats.
It offers details on the available Skills, Merits, Flaws, Attributes, Virtues/Vices, etc. for a typical character of any sort, as well as fundamentals on gameplay mechanics.
Then you would need the Mage sourcebook for the appropriate Mage characteristics: Path, Order, Rotes, Arcana(for varieties of available magics), etc.
The reason for a Mage's existence can vary from game to game. Some may focus on studying and pursuing new forms of magic, some may want to help guide humanity along to their reawakening, and some may just want to rule the world.
While NWoD allows for incorporating all kinds of supernatural entities in one game, the focus here would ideally be on Mages, or mortal/Sleepwalking types at most.
So yeah, if there's enough interest for some modern sorcery shenanigans, perhaps we can get something going.
Otherwise, feel free to discuss magical happenings in your local chantries.
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Fair warning if you've never read it, there's a lot to take in. The magic section takes up almost half the book.
If something gets off the ground, I'm thinking smaller scale, say four players or so.
Do you want character concepts etc to choose between interested players, CJ?
I'm pretty new to pen and paper RPGs, and I have a group of friends who want to run a game. Is it cool if you use like multiple sourcebooks? Like maybe if two of the players are Mages and the other is a Promethean, would it be totally okay to utilize both sourcebooks? Or is it usually just one?
Nothing is stopping you from doing it, they're technically compatible. Although I've heard Prometheans don't work that well with other, uh, races? The trio of Mage/Vampire/Werewolf work a little better together.
And for our first foray into pen-and-paper RPGs, I think we're doing pretty good! I'm doing a sort of horror story for them, and they all say they're pretty effectively scared. Playing this shit is so fun and much more liberating than a computer RPG. Setting it in your hometown just makes it that much more enjoyable, I guess.
As for the Promethean, it's true that the way they are don't make them as permanent party members as the other "races," and that's fine. In the story, the Promethean character and the others haven't even met yet, but when they do, we're gonna play it by the rules and do the whole disquiet schtick that they do. It makes for an interesting and flavorful story I think.
By all means, feel free to conjure up some ideas in the meantime. If enough concepts come my way, a chronicle of some sort is bound to follow.
Characters can have whatever sort of history you feel is appropriate, but at very least decide whether or not they've already Awakened. The character does not need to be a Mage yet, in fact, it's perfectly fine if they're still a Sleeper.
If they've Awakened, Path is crucial, as well as whatever Order they're a part of or are likely to fall in with, if applicable.
Either way, the more background that comes my way, the better. I like details.
The setting will likely be in the southeastern US, Northern Florida(Gainesville vicinity).
I'll see if I can find a character sheet for an example of what you'll need stat-wise, so that'll reduce the need for a WoD Sourcebook. The Mage one would be the most important, if anything.
Still, there's no hurry, so take all the time you need. There's no first-come first-serve basis.
The more thorough concepts would be the favorable ones.
I'm not that familiar with it, but if I had to guess, it's because it seemed a lot more complex.
Some of the core fundamentals are still around for Awakening, like Paradox and interactions between conflicting Orders.
All a mortal would need are the fundamental stats:
Attributes
Five Primary, Four Secondary, Three Tertiary
Skills
Eleven Primary, Seven Secondary, Four Tertiary
A specialization costs three points.
Merits
Seven points.
Buying the fifth dot in an Attribute, Skill, or Merit will cost two points.
Health = Stamina + Size. Standard size is five.
Willpower = Resolve + Composure.
Defense = Lowest of Dexterity or Wits.
Speed = Strength + Dexterity.
Starting Morality(or Wisdom for Mages) is 7.
In addition, this is what you will need for a Mage character(from this website)
* Acanthus - The path of Thistle, epitomize the tarot trump of "The Fool", relying on luck and intuition to guide their way. Arcana is Fate and Time. Favored attribute: Composure
* Mastigos - The path of Scourging, epitomize the tarot trump of "The Devil", exulting in unfettered will. Arcana is Mind and Space. Favored attribute: Resolve
* Moros - The path of Doom, epitomize the tarot trump "Death", remaining steadfast during change. Arcana is Death and Matter. Favored attribute: Composure
* Obrimos - The path of the Mighty, epitomizes the tarot trump of "Strength", pursuing divine mandate. Aracana is Forces and Prime. Favored attribute: Resolve
* Thyrsus - the path of Ecstasy, epitomizes the tarot trump of "The Moon", following the allure of passion and impulsive action. Arcana is Life and Spirit. Favored attribute: Composure
2. Choose an order. This is the mystical society that your character belongs to, and the Order teaches their members how to cast rotes more efficiently when using certain rote specialties (see page 75 for these specialties, MtA). It is not necessary for your character to join an Order, and if you choose not to, then just write "Apostate" where Order is. (pp 38-52) Joining an Order gets you the merit High Speech (1 dot) at no cost.
* The Adamantine Arrow - defends sanctums and cabals with combat magic, rote specialties: athletics, intimidation, medicine
* The Free Council - seeks to modernize the craft of magic and escape the traditions of the past, rote specialties: crafts, persuasion, science
* The Guardians of the Veil - seeks to protect the mysteries from any who would ruin them or reveal them to the unenlightened, rote specialties: investigation, stealth, subterfuge
* The Mysterium - searches for valuable hidden lore throughout the physical and spiritual worlds,
rote specialties: investigation, occult, survival
* The Silver Ladder - desires to establish a proper hierarchy of mages with its own members at the head, rote specialties: expression, persuasion, subterfuge
3. Beginning Arcana is determined by putting 2 dots in one Arcanum, 2 dots in a second Arcanum and 1 dot in a third Arcanum. Two of these Arcana must be from your character's Ruling Arcana, which is determined by the path you chose. Finally, put 1 more dot in any Arcanum, either in the first three or into a new Aracanum completely (for a total of four).
* Death - Ghosts, decay, the Underworld
* Fate - Luck, chance, oaths and curses
* Forces - Fire, gravity, storm (energy in all it's forms)
* Life - power over the organic world (including plants, animals and even humans)
* Matter - Stone, metal, plastic (all the inorganic material substances)
* Mind - power to read and control thoughts and emotions
* Prime - Mana, illusions, enchantment
* Spirit - communication with and control of spirits
* Space - command of distance and space (teleportation and scrying)
* Time - Clairvoyance of the past, divination of the future, control over the passage of time
4. Next, spend 6 dots in rotes. The rote's rating is equal to the highest Arcanum dots needed to cast it. Choose any rote from any of your Arcana, though no rote can be rated higher than the amount of dots in that Arcanum. The example the book uses is this: "if the character has Mind 3, Space 2 and Forces 1, he could choose one Mind 3 rote, one Space 2 rote, and one Forces 1 rote. Alternatively, he could choose three Mind 2 rotes and/or Space 2 rotes, or two 2 dot rotes and two 1 dot rotes, or six 1 dot rotes, from Mind, Space or Forces in any combination."
Note: this is the stuff you will need the Mage book for.
There are dozens upon dozens of Rotes, and there's no brief way to summarize the wide variety available to a Mage.
5. Gnosis represents your characters enlightened will, and begins at 1. However, merit points can be spent to increase it, at the rate of three to one. So by spending three (of your seven) merit points, you can increase Gnosis to 2, and by spending six (of your seven) merit points, you can gain Gnosis 3.
6. Starting Mana is equal to Wisdom, and is usually 7.
In addition to the regular merits found in the WoD rulebook, Mages can also choose from the following merits: Artifact (3 dots or higher), Destiny (1 to 5 dots), Dream (1 to 5 dots), Enhanced Item (1 dot or higher), Familiar (3 or 4 dots), Hallow (1 to 5 dots), High Speech (1 dot, and is gained at no cost if a member of an Order), Imbued Item (2 dots or higher), Library (1 to 5 dots), Occultation (1 to 3 dots), Sanctum (1 to 5 dots), Sleepwalker Retainer (1 to 5 dots), Status (1 to 5 dots, Consilium or Order), Thrall (3 dots)
Feel free to post or PM any questions, but you will at very least need access to the WoD Sourcebook for info on Virtues, Vices, and Merits.
(Or failing that, I'll see if I can find a listing somewhere.)
I strongly advise looking into the Mage book before committing to a Mage concept.
That looks a little different from the character sheet we have, for some reason. Ours has the Arcana dots right where the Protective Spells are. That and ours has two pages, the other being dedicated to listing your rotes and paradox marks, and other assorted stuff. Weird.
I am starting to hate the Fate arcana. One of our Mages has like two dots in it, and he is all "I cast a spell that takes away two of the dice penalty if I wait for ten minutes." What the hell man? And then there's one he used one time where basically I had to nudge him in the right direction through something spontaneous happening if he succeeds in the roll, like maybe he spots a sign that gives him a clue or something like that. Argh! It's a good thing most of that bullshit requires mana, or else he'd be doing it all the time.
Or a condensed single-page version, but you can still use a two pager for extra rotes and what not.
Despite appearances, he is actually quite quick both mentally and physically. He lives his life from moment to moment, relying on his wits and his unassuming appearance to get him through whatever comes his way, falling back on fate and time magic to ensure that most negative things pass him by, and talking his way out of the rest. He certainly doesn't seem to have noticed the recent advent of technology- he's continued to live his life without the aid of digital devices or computers, and thus far his facility with people- and his meddling with time and fate- have allowed him to get along just fine without messing with computers in specific and technology in general.
As a member of the Guardians of the Veil, he is frequently employed (deployed?) to ensure that hints to dangerous information are taken out of the wrong hands, or to throw people who are close to finding out the wrong things are deflected onto a safer path.
Ever a pacifist, Joshua seeks to resolve all differences through the use of words or magic- rarely does a situation come up where he is forced to defend himself, and he usually finds it rather easy to avoid these situations, or to simply get away from them.
Currently, Joshua's successes in the field have placed him on the cusp of being able to rise higher through the ranks of the Guardians; He hopes this will grant him access to real secrets- and real power.
http://wodindex.wikispaces.com/
http://wodindex.wikispaces.com/Spells
Not quite a substitute for the book, but it's a start.
For WoD stuff, like character traits and Virtues/Vices, give these a look:
http://wiki.white-wolf.com/worldofdarkness/index.php?title=Character_Creation_(World_of_Darkness)
http://wiki.white-wolf.com/worldofdarkness/index.php?title=Virtue_and_Vice_Matrix
http://www.freewebs.com/shoatm/
http://www.devermore.net/VoD2/
CJ seems fine either way, Cheeseliker
But they are not playable in all campaign types.
It was Thus Spoke Zarathustra, with shotguns, cyborgs, and fireballs.
Also, a billion million demons lurking outside reality biding their time.
And New Mage still has its fair share of demons in the Abyss.
Geist is based on hobos who would take communion for dead guys as a symbolic action.
And nMage don't have the Men in White, the Sons of Ether, or the Euthanatos, who were quite awesome.
Every other line has been great, they even managed to make Hunter badass.
Maybe not, but Awakening has the Seers, Free Council, and Necromancers which are all easy and good substitutes for those things. Plus, there's still plenty of the old pulp style stuff with clockwork robots and even weirder stuff now.
EDIT: About Geist, from what I've read and heard, it is more like Mummy than Wraith, with normal people who die, merge with a ghost, and then return to life.
Still working out the specifics based on the feedback I get(and brushing up on the source material). It will be present time, Northern Florida(Gainesville) setting.
Feel free to send whatever you've come up with my way, and we'll go from there.
I won't put anything into actual motion(re: an IC thread) until I have at least four characters.
The Chronicle will tentatively be titled Higher Education.
As may have been expected, the primary setting will be the University of Florida(Gainesville) campus, and the surrounding area.
Awakened characters not from the area would likely be drawn there due to the strong foundation of Ley Lines reportedly in the region.
Additionally, it is known to have strong ties to Mysterium Mages, who almost certainly have a vast array of information and Demenses at their disposal.
While Mages from all cabals and Orders are known to work together for greater goods as a result of the scholarly atmosphere, it is also considered a competitive region, since there's only so much of value to go around.
Again, there's no deadline, but the sooner concepts start coming my way, the sooner more IC details will follow.
How much activity are you looking for?
I was tentatively considering a Mysterium Obrimos with a physics/chemistry background. A forces/matter primary sort.
I'm not that strict on activity. It'll likely be determined by current events. If something major is going down and the players contribute repeatedly in one day, that's fine by me, and I'll adjust accordingly. If not, day to day contributions are acceptable.
He needs to Awaken, and quickly before he finally self-destructs completely.
There. Is that decent? This is also my first foray into NMage, though I have played NWod a bit, and OWtA.