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Mage Clarifications


  1. Magic is the power to bend reality.
  2. Magic can affect anything in reality.
  3. Vulgarity is bounded by normal understanding.
  4. Hidden magic can be vulgar.
  5. Magic is never vulgar because reality changes its mind.
  6. From understanding, magic. Hence, magic is never guesswork or random.
  7. You need the appropriate spheres for anything your magic will do.
  8. Witnessing magic must include methods, result, and the connection.
  9. It takes a LOT of sleeper belief to make a vulgar thing coincidental.
  10. There's only one reality.
  11. Paradigm is an interpretation of that reality.
  12. OOC, you invent paradigm's weird stuff and the try to RP convincingly.
  13. Foci are the necessary concrete expressions of paradigm.
  14. Paradigms should explain why not just anyone can use some foci.
  15. Spheres are natural segments of reality, but not obvious.
  16. Other people's paradigms look like warped versions of yours.
  17. Foci are internalized. They aren't crutches.
  18. Paradigm never limits magical ability.
  19. Magic is natural.
  20. Paradox is the (potentially dangerous) reaction to magic's action.
  21. Mages often won't do things, but that doesn't mean they can't.
  22. The things that make magic what it is can't be changed by magic.
  23. Mages can concieve of doing a certain set of things with magic.
  24. All innovation comes from Mages.
  25. This is not Vampire or Werewolf.
  26. Masters are rare.
  27. The ascension war is the struggle for the beliefs of mankind.
  28. Wishcrafting is sorcerery or a gloss for spirit and entropy.
  29. Crossing into the Umbra is handled like any other magic.
  30. Rotes are the 'legacy' of well-established traditional paradigms.


  • What is magic? back

    The word brings many things to mind. Here's my list:
    • Power
    • Wisdom
    • Wonder
    • The Archaic
    • The Occult
    • The Impossible
    • Trickery


    Mages naturally adopt some of these, and discards others. Trickery and the impossible are both out, for these purposes. The rest, one hopes, are all included.

    Magic: The ability to control reality through the understanding and will, necessarily glossed by a "paradigm," (see below) along with that paradigm's characteristic cultural, philosophical, and personal style and bias.

    There're three things to keep in mind about that:
    1. Magic deals with the whole of reality. Anything that lacks the potential to control even one small corner of reality is not magic, in Mage's sense. Other kinds of magic exist, that are really little bags of tricks, also known as Sorcery or "Hedge Magic."
    2. All "paradigms" in Mage, require specific, concrete methods for working magic, which are called "foci" (see below).
    3. Most "paradigms" are somewhat or extremely archaic, and as much as possible, should always be based on real-life, traditional magical systems, insofar as this doesn't contradict 1 or 2. They're mostly archaic because there's only room for one or a few "dominant" or "popular" kinds of magic, and usually the dominant form of magic isn't thought of as magic by most people. The current example is Science/Industry/Progress (aka the Technocratic Union).



  • Is there any limit to what can be done with magic? back

    No.

    But there are practical limits on individual mages. Mages must have adequate knowledge, access to their paradigmatically correct methods (foci), and deal with the consequences of doing magic clumsily, which is called "paradox" (see below), more severe with some applications of magic than with others-- vuglar, and witnessed.

    Also, magic itself, and the things fundamental to it, cannot be changed by magic (see below).

  • When is magic Vulgar? back

    Imagine describing, honestly and accurately, to a sleeper of average intelligence and education, the theory, methods, and result of a given effect.

    If they would be at least reasaonably certain it was impossible, the effect is vulgar. Otherwise, it's coincidental.

  • Does hiding methods prevent them from being vulgar? back

    No. It causes them not to be 'witnessed' (see below).

  • Does reality shift based on what "could be," to prevent things from being vulgar? back

    No. Reality consists of what is, not of what could be. Magic is itself the process of creating what could be, and reality will not do it for you.

  • Can a mage ask reality to do things for him, without being specific? back

    No. Magic is by nature about understanding through paradigm, from which understanding derives control.

  • Can magic do things outside the scope of the initiating Mage's sphere knowledge? back

    No. As per canon. A taxi-cab is more than a correspndence effect. It has real mass, a real driver, and a real route.

  • When is magic witnessed? back

    Magic is witnessed when it is vulgar (see above), and when the methods, the effect, and the connection between the two is observed by at least one person who is neither a Mage nor a supernatural creature.

  • Can friendly sleeper witnesses change whether magic is vulgar? back

    In very large numbers (100+), and in the absence of anyone with any inkling of doubt, yes.

    But consider the improbability of finding 100 unawakened perfect true believers, getting them to one place, and making sure nobody else gets in. Don't expect to pull this off any time soon. Even the Technocracy rarely manages it.

  • How many versions of reality are there? back

    Only one.

  • What's a paradigm? back

    An interpretation, of which there are many, of the sole reality. A set of familiar images and analogies that give reality meaning and coherence for a given Mage, and incorporate a characteristic cultural, philosophical, and personal style and bias.
    Dreamspeaker Unified Paradigm
  • What am I supposed to do with paradigm, as a player? back

    Invent it and roleplay it.

    However. You will never understand paradigm as thoroughly as your character, and you don't have to interpret everything. There are some things you will want to examine the whys and meanings of:
    • Awakening & the distinction from sleepers
    • Paradox
    • The Avatar
    • "Supernatural" things familiar to your paradigm, but rarely seen generally.
    • The 'purpose' of a person's existence.
    • The nature of death.
    • Foci (see below)
    • Etc.

    Don't try to explain very commonplace, scientific, or boring things. In other words, you do not need, and should not attempt, a mystical understanding of internal combustions engines, gravity, or earwax.

    You may also find it worthwhile to consider what cultures, histories, and segments of society, the paradigm is common to.

  • What are foci? back

    According to every paradigm, there are concrete methods used to work "the Art" (magic). There are no paradigms in which the foci are mostly or all "in your head." Paradigms can differ radically, but one thing they all have in common is that they dictate very specific methods, and therefore foci, to achieve certain effects.

    Consciousness, belief, and willpower are already all necessary to doing magic. Foci therefore, by definition, impose limitations on doing magic beyond these.(all basic mage players will be needing their foci. This was written for the novice mage and their player)  There are three major factors to this; a focus can be time-consuming, unreliable, or indiscreet. It should usually be some combination of these, in different degrees. Time-consuming is pretty self-explanatory. Unreliable foci are foci that, for example, aren't around on tuesdays, or isn't in the boonies, are hard to take with you, or require a skill roll. Indiscreet foci are obvious, in use, to everyone.

    The Storyteller may decide that some of your foci are SO much of all three, that he's going to give you a bonus of -1 or even -2 on all effects using that focus. For example, a cauldron in which special substances have to be brewed for an hour or two, is wildly time-consuming and indiscreet, and fairly unreliable.

    On the flip side, some foci, like "The tattoo on the roof of your mouth," are instantaneous, completely reliable, and pretty da,m discreet. As are undetectable cybernetic enhancements.

  • If it's real that a given Mage can use certain foci to do certain things, doesn't that mean that anyone should be able to do so? back

    No, and paradigms should account for why other people can't. Usually, the difference is some factor like exact knowledge, true faith, or the like.

  • What are the Spheres, in-character? back

    The spheres are the natural divisions of reality. They were not created, but merely described, by the Hermetics and other mages, when the Tradition of Nine was founded.

    Their existence is not readily apparent to any given mage who does not have at least one dot in at least seven or eight different spheres. Hence, generally students and disciples are unlikely to be able to see for themselves that there is a finite categorization of reality in the nine spheres-- and these spheres remain a theoretical abstraction that only masters talk about.

    Though doubtless differently-paradigmed mages can agree on the reference of any given sphere, the differences among paradigms in meaning and methods re: each sphere prevents almost any meaningful conversation about them from taking place except with others with very similar paradigms and magical education.

  • What do Mages think of other Paradigms, IC? back

    Without experience and direct observation, mages, upon hearing about an alien paradigm, will dismiss it as nonsense and hearsay. ("Talking to the sacred spirits on a radio? Bullshit!")

    However, Mages will notice a vital "something" in active Magic, to a degree matching their Per + Awareness, regardless of the paradigm. And they will know that this "something" is common to all the practitioners of their own art they've seen do magic.

    Careful observation of an alien paradigm's methods will tend to confuse and upset almost any mage, but will consistently tend to lead to the belief that the other guy's paradigm is a corrupt, degenerate, dangerously undisciplined, etc etc, version of one's own art.

    That is to say, Technocrats will watch Verbena healers and recognize the inklings of science, grossly misapplied. Hermetics will look at superscience, and recognize degenerate septirothic forms.

    Everyone always sees things, even other people's paradigms, in their own paradigm.

  • Do you realize your paradigm and foci are crutches, as you advance in Arete? back

    No, Foci are not a mental crutch. Speaking of "abandoning" foci is misleading. Use the terms "affinity" and "use internally."

    You have an affinity for a new sphere for every point of Arete after the first (in other words, for every seeking you go through). This is equally true of Technocrats and other Technomancers.

    • Affinity for a sphere gives you -1 on any effect (legitimately!) requiring that sphere.
    • Affinity for a sphere means you can use it "internalized," as well-- at +1 difficulty (net 0 difficulty), you can do the effect without the actual presence of the focus at that moment.


    NPC Masters do not believe, or wander around saying, that Foci are mental crutches. Your character can claim to believe they're just a mental crutch, but if he does, he's either insane, stupid, or a liar. Magic is always easier with the focus, and no-one ever experiences the slightest inkling to the contrary, when working with their tools, no matter how long and hard they tell themselves it's "all in their heads."

    • <>Does pardigm set limits on what can be done with magic? back

    No. A paradigm is an interpretation of reality as a whole. To awaken means to understand, or have the capacity to understand, the entirety of reality, and every possible magic is part of reality.

    Out of Character, it is ideal that, before we roleplay a character doing a magical effect, we come up with a sufficiently interesting paradigmatic explanation for it.

    In character, however, the limitations on a certain Mage's magic are strictly the limits of that Mage's current knowledge. A mage, by definition, can learn how to do anything.

    In charcter, this knowledge is convoluted and interesting. Out of character this knowledge is handled through the game mechanic of the spheres. The expression of it is the object of roleplay, and it will not be used as a mechanic for enforcing game balance.

    In other words, I will NOT require you to come up with paradigmatic explanations for every effect. In fact, if you have too much trouble with a particular effect, I'll simply narrate round it, or fade to black, so to speak. (Explanation-free effects will default to vulgar, though.)

    However, I WILL require you to meet some arbitrarily demanding standards re: how flexibly applicable your foci and views are, when you create your character.

    And, if you consistently fail to roleplay paradigm, as far as I'm concerned, you're failing to do the only thing that makes Mage interesting.

  • Is magic "natural," or "cheating?" back

    Magic is natural. Mentors will never tell you to do things the mundane way, because the magical way is phony, false, or cheating. They WILL tell you to do things the mundane way because your grasp of your form of magic isn't sufficient yet. Running is the most natural thing in the world, but you need to learn how to crawl first.

    Paradox, however, is a natural limiter on magic, and paradigm (see above) should always explain what what paradox (see below) is.

    • <> What is paradox? back

    Every action has a reaction. Ideally, every mage uses his magic well enough to avoid being stomped on by the reaction when he bends reality. But often, Mages DO get "bent back." This is called paradox.

    Paradox is measured by game mechanics in points, and manifests as annoying or dangerous effects called "paradox flaws." It manifests whenever you accumulate new paradox that takes you over five points.

    The nature of a paradox flaw will depend on the sphere(s) involved in the magic attempt that manifested them-- it's like a magical effect into which the paradox points put successes. Negation, pattern, correspondence, and entropy magics often manifest as physical trauma, which is called "backlash." Perceptual magics, Mind, and Spirit often manifest as various forms of insanity, called "quiets." Creation magics, especially including prime, entropy, life, and spirit, often manifest mysterious independent entities called "hobgoblins" or (in game-speak) "paradox spirits." Ultimately, paradox flaws are situational, and can manifest as anything the diabolical mind of the ST invents or approves.

    Ironically, paradox flaws manifest in ways suggestive of your own paradigm, and may themselves seem to violate "normal" reality.

    Some kinds of magic, such as vulgar magic (see above) and vulgar witnessed magic (also see above), are particularly dangerous, sharp ways to bend reality. They tend to accrue more paradox.

    Under the normal rules, paradox points accrue as follows:

    <>
  • You automatically get one point of paradox if you do any vulgar (see above) magic.
  • In addition, if you botch, you take paradox equal to the highest sphere rating you were using.
  • Finally, if it was both vulgar and a botch, you take twice the normal paradox.



    • Our St does, in fact, handle paradox on a case by case basis. So it may not accrue the same every time. She does not like the current WW system.


    You automatically lose one point of paradox at the end of every week.


  • Are you trying to tell me, Mages will do anything with magic at all, that comes to mind? back

    No. Mages will OFTEN refrain from doing certain things, because their paradigm and morals tell them it's a bad idea. Mages DO sometimes do bad things, things against their better judgement, however.


  • Is there any'thing' that can't be affected by magic? back

    Yes. Avatars cannot be created or destroyed, awakening cannot be caused or reversed, paradigm cannot be altered in an individual or as a concept, the laws of quintessence do not change, the structure of the spheres cannot change, whether magic exists, how potent it is, how paradox reacts to it, cannot change.

    Avatars, awakening, paradigm, paradox, quintessence, and spheres are all axiomatic to magic. They are the unalterable substructure of reality, have never changed, and never will. Magic could not exist without all of them, therefore, magic cannot change them.

    This includes such canon rotes as Gilgul, certain NWO brainwahsing techniques, and the notion that characters from Dark Ages Mage were True Mages. The Prime 5 effect for exchanging quitnessence for paradox is still permitted.

  • Does a Mage think 'Anything is possible with magic' ? back

    Players are free to say their characters "believe" anything they like. Because people sometimes believe things that are simply wrong, and for which there's no evidence.

    There's a narrow range of things a given Mage can do with magic, defined by his sphere ratings.

    There's a broader range of things that a Mage can realistically concieve of how to do, but may not be able to carry off himself, yet, due to insufficiently detailed knowledge. Any given effect will be conceivable to a mage, so long as: he has at least one dot in all the spheres necesssary to create the effect, and has an arete at least as high as the highest sphere necessary to create the effect.

    Also, a Mage may witness another Mage of the same paradigm, but with greater insight (arete) doing a thing. Which is valid evidence, but they still may not understand the methods fully.

  • How many of history's great innovators were Mages? back

    In fact, Mages are responsible for practically all true innovations. There's certainly a fuzzy line between excellence and innovation. But big ideas are the very stuff Mages are made of.

    HOWEVER. This is not to say that "regular humans are all just stupid." The thing to remember is that regular humans can all awaken. Hence, regular humans are all capable of innovation.

  • How many living Masters are there? back

    I don't use the Avatar Storms, but Masters are rare. Only about a dozen per tradition exist, perhaps 300 in the world, and only a handfull of archmages.

  • What's the Ascension War? back

    As described in the text, it is the whole of the struggle for External Ascension. There are Mages blowing each other up as part of the Ascension War, but most sane Mages consider the lives, fates, and beliefs of sleepers the most direct concern of the Ascension war.

    •
      • What about 'wishcrafting?'

        Some paradigms feel that there are forces in reality that they can call upon without explicitly controlling. Paradigms of awakened people, by definition give you an understanding of how the magic happens, and methods with which to exactly control it. Abandoning understanding and control is not, however, a way to make magic, coincidental (see above) or otherwise.

        When you hear about a 'paradigm,' whether someone's invention, or based on real life, in which it's possible to get what you want with little more than a wish, without the kind of careful knowledge and wholistic control an awakened Mage has, this can be one of two things, in Mage terms:

        1. The very shortsighted, but powerful, magics of Sorcerers.
        2. A paradigmatic interpretation of Spirit and Entropy effects.
        3. You could be dealing with A True Dreamer.
  • How do you get into the umbra? back

    Difficulty for crossing the gauntlet is as per normal magic-- IE, 6-8, depending on whether it's coincidental (unlikely), unwitnessed, or witnessed. The crossing itself involves no perils other than paradox.

    The gauntlet is thicker and thinner in different places. Some places it takes only one success to cross, some it may take a dozen.

    Only by magic can a Mage exist physically in the Umbra itself. Gauntlet-crossing has a duration like most other effects. When this duration is up, you must have crossed back into the main physical realm or some physical Horizon realm, or you will irreversably become a spirit in a matter of days.

    Umbral ships constitute their own miniature physical realms. Hence the concept of "containment," that translates across paradigms, for long deep umbral journeys, whether it be airtight spaceships, or carefully warded Hermetic platforms.

  • What are rotes? back

    Rotes are long-standing, traditional forms for doing certain magics. They are precisely, narrowly defined effects with strictly by-the-book sphere requirements. They cannot be situationally expanded or modified. Using a rote provides a -1 difficulty bonus.

    Rotes can be taught with relative ease between any two people with very similar paradigms (two house Shaea Hermetics), and with enormous difficulty between two people of modestly similar paradigms (a Greek vs a Hindu Thanatotic, a VA vs a Webslinging Son of Ether). Rotes cannot be taught to people of alien paradigms.

    Rotes are often bartered and traded among Mages within a Tradition, but are rarely given entirely freely.

    New rotes can be created, but this is a matter of years of development, and best handled by roleplay.

    You may start play with rotes by buying them for one freebie apiece. You cannot learn a rote until you have all the requisite spheres. IF you are a member of one of the nine traditions or 5 conventions, you get a second, "free" rote for every freebie you spend, up to as many freebies as you have Mentor + Library.

    Yes, out of character, you can invent rotes to your heart's content. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of whether they can be considered to already exist, and may also disallow any published rote he deems inappopriately rated for spheres.

  • What are the Traditions? back

    There are a couple things I wanted to make sure were clear, about the Tradtitions.

    • Yes, they the most significant single force in the world of Magic. However, they are not the only game in town, even forgetting about the Technocratic union. There are many, many, awakened, talented, idealistic people out there who don't belong to, or in some cases, who've never even heard of, them.
    • They don't have any inherent mystical significance. Sure, there are nine spheres, and there happen to currently be nine well-confirmed tradtitions. You don't have to take any particular spheres to belong to a given tradition.
    • The mere fact that there've been a lot of talented mages who believe in cross-mystic-tradition unity, and who spent their careers tweaking reality, means that the traditions do have some strange little forms of magical inertia. But those're up to the Storyteller.