View source for Archetypes

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__TOC__
Books or other References: 
:M20 Anniversary, p268-272 (M20)
:M20 Book of Secrets, p14-17 (M20 BOS)

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=== '''Activist'''===
''' You fix a broken world.'''
:Strength: '''Action''' "You’re not one to sit things out. There’s no time to waste on mindless self-indulgence and no room to stay scared of what might happen."
:Weakness: '''Outrage''' "There’s never room to sit back and enjoy life. As far as you’re concerned, complacency is a sin. Your fury’s justified, of course, but it gets old all the same. Before you can truly Ascend, you’ve got to balance righteous pyrotechnics with calm acceptance. Life never has been – and never will be – perfect. Finding a place of serenity within your storm is an essential part of your transcendence."
:– Regain Willpower when you successfully confront abuse, right wrongs, or reveal an actual conspiracy and, by doing so, bring it down. (M20)
			   
==='''Architect'''===
''' It’s up to you to provide stability and create things that endure. '''
:Strength: '''Purpose''' guides your designs. You’ve got one eye on your tools and another on the legacy you’ll leave behind.
: Weakness: '''Obsession'''  As far as you’re concerned, your way is the best way, and that fixation sometimes interferes with your ability to see the world in any way other than your own. For Mages: To Ascend, you’ll have to learn to accept imperfections, diversity, and designs that differ from your own.
: – Regain Willpower when you create or provide something with lasting value or importance. (M20)
			  
==='''Artist'''===
''' Guided by inspiration, you reshape the world in accordance with your vision of the Truth as you see it.'''
:Strength: '''Expression'''  Through art, you channel feelings and observations into a form that other folks can recognize.
:Weakness: '''Stuck in Your Own Head''' Your vision can become so self-focused that no one else can understand what you’re trying to express. At worst, this can lead to egotism, disconnection, depression, and insanity. Artists have a long tradition of going bugfuck nuts, and the Path of Artistry runs dangerously close to the Path to Marauderdom/Insanity.
:– Regain Willpower whenever you create a work of art in your chosen medium that communicates a sense of sublime Truth to your intended audience. (M20 BOS)
			
=== Bon Vivant === 
''' Grabbing hold of all the fun you can find, you’re a devotee of excitement and experience.''' 
:Strength: '''Joie de vivre (“love of life”)''' Nothing gets you down for long. 
:Weakness: '''Superficiality''' Not only do your fun-seeking ways bring you into risky situations, they also trivialize things that really do need to be taken seriously. Pleasure in itself is not wrong. For mages: to Ascend beyond such superficial concerns, though, you’ll need to face whatever pain you’re hiding beyond that party-hearty façade.
: – Regain Willpower whenever you have a truly awesome time and bring other folks along for the ride. (M20 BOS)

=== '''Caregiver'''===
''' When people need you, you’re there. Although you might lack the resources of a Benefactor or the vision of an Architect, you give time, work, and compassion to folks in need.  '''
:Strength: '''Kindness''' provides a wellspring for your strength. It keeps you going and provides the emotional reserves you’ll need in such a fucked-up world. Because kindness often 
:Weakness: '''Insecurity'''  Maybe you feel as though folks will ignore you unless you make yourself valuable to them. People also take advantage of you at times… which, in turn, fuels your insecurities. 
:– Regain Willpower when you successfully protect, comfort or nurture someone who really needs it. You’ve got to actually help that other person in some way, but whether or not they acknowledge your assistance, you still feel good about yourself. (M20 BOS)
				
=== '''Conformist'''===
''' Every team needs players. That’s what you’re there for.'''   
:Strength: '''Cooperation'''  Your reliability stands as an example for others to follow.  
:Weakness: '''Compliance'''  Sure, it’s great to provide support for other people’s work. If you want to reach toward Ascension, you’ll need to know when and how to become your own boss. As long as you choose to be a cog, you’ll never leave the factory floor.
: – Regain Willpower when you support an effort that goes according to plan because you were there to back it up. (M20 BOS)
			   
===''' Contrary'''===
'''You invert order to reveal greater truths. (i.e, Devil's Advocate)'''
:Strength: '''Insight''' Your inversions succeed because they point to a deeper truth. If you’re serious about this path (that is, if you’re an actual Contrary, not simply an asshole), then you’re a jester with a clue. That ability to see beyond appearances is extremely useful in the Awakened realm.
:Weakness: Your perpetual '''Subversion''' can be annoying, intrusive, and outright destructive. Certain assumptions really are true, and inverting them doesn’t provide any particular wisdom. If you seriously want to reach beyond appearances, you have to realize that your own contrariness can be its own limitation. True wisdom comes through a balance between rejection and acceptance.
:– Regain Willpower whenever your inversion of expectations leads folks to realize how false those expectations had been. (M20)
			   
=== '''Crusader'''===
''' People need a hero, and you’re there to fill that role. '''
:Strength: '''Zeal''' propels you through every challenge you face. Lesser souls might falter, but you will not.
:Weakness: '''Fanaticism''', though, is the mark of a Crusader. Your convictions leave little room for compromise. When everything looks like a nail, it’s hard to stop hammering. Until and unless you learn to temper your enthusiasm and question your own assumptions, you’re just chasing shadows of your own extremism.
:– Regain Willpower when you accomplish some great deed in the name of your higher goal. As a player, you need to define what that higher goal is, and then follow it even when it hurts you. A true Crusader’s beliefs are not governed by convenience. (M20 BOS)
				  
=== '''Director'''===
'''You’re here to sort things out, lay down the law, and make sure that people follow through on things that must be done. ''' 
:Strength: '''Leadership'''  While other folks stand around dithering, you know what to do, how to do it, and what will happen if things aren’t done properly. 
:Weakness: '''Intolerance''' The real world never does run smoothly, and you can drive yourself (and everyone around you) crazy trying to implement your vision. For mage: In order to Ascend, you must integrate other possibilities into your approach. Collaboration might sound like a bad word to you, but a truly  great leader learns how to accept compromise.
:– Regain Willpower when you lead a group to accomplish a challenging task. (M20 BOS)
			  
==='''Entertainer'''===
''' Life sucks. Good thing you’re here to brighten things up!'''
:Strength: ''' Fun and Entertaining'' to be around – important gifts when folks are fighting for their lives. Beyond that, you inspire people to look past despair and find beauty and humor even in ugly situations.
: Weakness: '''Ego''' Doing what you do, it’s pretty easy to get lost in your own illusions of importance. Now, you need a strong ego in order to put yourself out there day after day; unless you learn to balance it with authentic self-reflection and restraint, however, you’re just setting yourself up to be a punch line somewhere down the road. Ascension demands more than artistic sensibilities. To transcend your limitations, you need to swallow your ego and accept that you can’t always be the star.
:– Regain Willpower when your work makes some significant change in the lives of people around you. (M20 BOS) <br>

===  '''Guardian'''===
'''Shepherding the weak through the Valley of Darkness, you are truly your brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.'''
:Strength: '''Courage''' is your calling card. It takes guts to do what you do, and by all the Gods, you’ve got fortitude to spare.
:Weakness: '''Self-Sacrifice''' could be your Achilles’ heel. Lots of would-be Guardians wind up ground into mulch by constant conflict. A knight needs battle, true enough; but until she learns when to stop fighting – to step aside, perhaps, and let people defend themselves or else make their own decisions – a Guardian can become a martyr, a bully, or just one more monster in a world already full of them.
:– Regain Willpower when your actions directly save a weaker group or character from assured destruction. (M20 BOS)
    
=== ''' Hacker'''===
'''You upgrade things by taking them apart.'''
Strength: '''Imagination''' is your greatest strength. You see things not as they are, but as they could be once you get done with them! Driven to dismantle existing systems and then put them together in interesting new shapes, you tend to pepper your compulsions with sincerely-held philosophy. You’re not a vandal, for crying out loud – you’re a visionary who refuses to accept shit sandwiches handed out as lunch.
: Weakness: '''Perversity''' leads you to tear apart things that weren’t broken… things that may, in fact, have been better left alone.
: – Regain Willpower when you detect a flaw in some important structure, system, or device, or else when you puzzle out a way to improve something that was supposedly designed well to begin with. (M20)			
	
 ==='''Heretic''''===
'''Grab your chainsaw and line up the sacred cows! Whatever your companions regard as “orthodox” and proper is, to you, anathema. '''
:Strength: '''Integrity''' drives you. After all, if you did not possess immense (often dangerous) degrees of integrity, you would simply go with the flow, not resist it the way you do.
:Weakness: '''Iconoclasm''' could get you… and other people… killed. That is, after all, what often happens to heretics. Folks don’t like to have their cherished beliefs overturned, and so as you run through life’s market flipping over tables in the name of your belief, remember that one of those tables could very well land on top of you.
: – Regain Willpower whenever you challenge a commonly held conviction and manage to change people’s minds about that belief. <BOS20>

===''' Idealist'''===
''' A greater Truth awaits us, and you know what it is.'''
:Strength:  '''Conviction''' is your life’s blood. You possess near-unshakable faith in your ideal – the kind of faith that shapes reality.
: Weakness:  You’re '''Dogmatic''' to a fault. Blind to any potential flaws, you’ll fight – sometimes literally – to assure the truth of your beliefs. All mages are idealists to a point; in your case, though, this devotion seems stifling. When reality falls short of your ideals, you might wind up depressed, violent, or – as with many Marauders – insane.
:– Regain Willpower when your beliefs are tested to the breaking point yet do not fail (M20)

===''' Innovator'''===
'''Your imagination drives progress forward.'''
:Strength: '''Creativity''' is your strong point. Let other people follow the established paths – you’re busy drawing up the next road toward a goal most folks don’t even know exists.
:Weakness: Your '''Restless Unorthodoxy'''' though, can get you in trouble. Especially if you belong to a sect or faction based on established results and protocols (the Technocracy, the Hermetic Order, the Akashayana, and so on), your innovations might be someone else’s heresy. Many mages have been burnt at stakes both literal and symbolic for doing the things you do, and a missed step could make (an) ash of you.
:– Regain Willpower when your inspiration leads to a helpful new breakthrough. (M20)

===''' Kid'''===
'''Innocent and playful, you inspire others to take care of you.'''
:Strength: There’s a kind of '''Innocence''' to you, and it provides the source of your strength. 
:Weakness: The extreme of innocence, though, is '''Immaturity'''. Trusting too easily, acting too rashly, jumping into things without considering their potential consequences… you’re guilty of all these things and more. You can slide from charming child to spoiled brat in the space between two heartbeats, and the traits that inspire people to take care of you can become infuriating as well. If and when you want to reach a higher state, you’ll have to put certain childish things aside.
: – Regain Willpower when you bring out the nurturing side of someone who doesn’t normally care much for other people.(M20)

=== ''' Loner – You need no one else. <BANNED>'''===

===''' Machine'''===
''' Weakness is for lesser beings.'''
:Strength: A '''Diligent, Stoic''' creature, you push yourself to the limits of endurance. Everything you do is done to exacting standards, without complaint or hesitation. The Technocratic Union loves operatives like you.
:Weakness: You’re '''Creepy and Prone to Burn-Out'''. Whatever illusions you harbor about your perfection, you’re as flawed as any other mortal thing. 
:– Regain Willpower when you transcend the limits of mere flesh, bone, and steel, accomplishing something that no one else has managed to do.(M20)

===''' Mad Scientist'''===
'''True science knows no bounds!'''
:Strength: You do, in fact, have '''Vision'''.
: Weakness: Problem is, you are '''Batshit Insane'''. The Technocracy, Virtual Adepts, and especially the Etherites might depend upon minds like yours, but they also keep a wary eye out for the times when you’ll go too far – because you will.
:– Regain Willpower when you successfully bend the rules of your technomancer sect while still applying something that seems oddly like science and manage to avoid invoking Paradox. This feat should feature a bizarre stroke of ingenuity that shouldn’t work and yet somehow does.(M20)

===''' Martyr '''===
'''It’s your pleasure to serve.'''
:Strength: '''Sacrifice''' is a mighty thing.
:Weakness: '''Self-Deprecation''' can have unfortunate consequences far beyond simple hazards to your health.
:– Regain Willpower whenever you manage to make a noticeably positive difference in someone else’s situation by giving deeply of yourself.(M20)
			  
==='''Mentor'''===
'''You’ve got knowledge and experience that can benefit other people, so you share it as freely as you can. '''
:Strength: '''Dedication'''  It’s important to you that other people share in what you have to offer. Because you care about the results, and probably about the students too, you’ll put yourself out there  in surprising ways. 
:Weakness: '''Pedantic'''  Lecturing becomes a habit, with every circumstance providing an opportunity for more lessons. Occasionally, even the most accomplished teacher must step out from behind the podium. Your potential for Ascension depends in part upon humanity, and that’s a hard thing to hang on to when you’re always in the Professor role. 
:– Regain Willpower when your guidance helps your pupil(s) accomplish something that had been beyond their reach before.<BOS20>

=== ''' Monster <RESTRICTED> '''===
'''You’re the unapologetic shadow in the mirror of your world.''' 
:Strengths: You '''Reveal Dark Truths''' that many people are afraid to face. When you show up, Pollyanna runs screaming for the hills. Your existence undercuts the comfortable lies of polite society. Anyone can play a hero, but a memorable villain is worth his weight in blood.
:Weakness: You’re '''Depraved'''. There might be a heroic heel-turn in your future, but that’s unlikely. Chances are, you’re headed for the Cauls; if you haven’t Fallen with the Nephandi already, you probably will soon enough.
:– Regain Willpower by performing spectacular acts of heartlessness and ruin.(M20)

===''' Prophet'''===
'''Speaking truth to power is your life’s work.'''
:Strength: '''Insight''' is your greatest strength. Prophets tend to see things that are hidden to most people: secrets, omens, visions of the future, and so forth. Even if you lack the blessing/ curse of prophecy, few mysteries escape your sight.
:Weakness: '''Ruthlessness''' is the traditional flaw of prophets. Driven by their vision of Truth, such people tend to be impatient, fanatical, and defiant of mortal power. You’ll probably score lots of points for guts, but you might find those guts roasting on a spit in some ruler’s torture garden. True  prophets often meet unhappy ends… and they tend to take their followers down with them when they go.
: – Regain Willpower when you speak Truth to power and inspire a successful change.(M20)

===''' Rogue'''===
'''Rebellion is your gospel and your fame.'''
Strength: '''Defiance''' is your life’s blood, the pillar of your soul
:Weakness: '''Selfishness.''' So dedicated are you to your own individuality that you’ll ignore the concerns of other folks.
:– Regain Willpower whenever you manage to score a victory against the forces of oppressive authority. (M20)
		   
==='''Romantic'''===
'''In a world filled with ugliness, you seek and find beauty.'''
:Strength: '''Passion''' When other folks hesitate, you plunge in, reveling in the raw excitement of life’s dance.
:Weakness: '''Careless''' Like the original Romantics, your excesses hurt a lot of people. Eventually, you’ll need to develop a greater sense of responsibility and moderation if you ever wish to Ascend.
:– Regain Willpower when you throw yourself into a gloriously ruinous affair or reveal life’s howling beauty to a previously hesitant soul. (M20 BOS)

 ''' Sensualist – Sensation is your drug of choice.'''
                Strength: '''Receptiveness''' is your gift. Your devotion to sensuality inspires you to challenge yourself. 
                          You’re not shy about sharing, either, and your delight in even the most painful stimulations
                          can get other people to explore them with you too.
                Weakness: '''Hedonism''' is your curse. Those indulgences can drive you to do stupid, reckless, selfish things. (M20)

 ''' Survivor – No matter what happens, you endure.'''
              Strength: '''Perseverance''' is your defining trait.
              Weakness: '''Callousness'''. You’ve shut down so much in order to keep going that folks often wonder if you feel 
                         anything at all.
              – Regain Willpower whenever you survive a difficult situation through stubborn cunning and a refusal to give in.(M20)

 ''' Traditionalist – As far as you’re concerned, the old ways are best.'''
                    Strength: Your '''Consistency''' is a virtue. 
                    Weakness: '''Rigidity''', though, can destroy you. Stasis tends to lead to Entropy, especially where mages 
                              are concerned. 
                    – Regain Willpower when your efforts prove the value of old-fashioned ways.(M20)

 ''' Trickster – You make the world your toy.'''
               Strength: '''Cleverness''' is your claim to fame. Your tricks display considerable flair. 
               Weakness: '''Untrustworthiness''' is your crown of thorns. Charming as you might be, there’s an 
                         edge to you that smart people perceive.
              – Regain Willpower when your clever plans result in a big gain for you and your companions or a big 
                loss for your enemies.(M20)
			   
 '''Tycoon - Money makes the world go ‘round, and you’re at the controls for that particular ride. '''
           Strength: '''Resources'''  You're probably wealthy. Power is your drug, influence your bread and butter.
                      Sure, you like the money and all the goodies it can bring. It’s the game, though, not the prize, 
                      that provides your true reward.
                     '''Savvy''' Calculating enough to get things done, you’re a master manipulator and an asset to 
                     your cause. You know how to shake up your world, bringing good things to everyone concerned. 
            Weakness: '''Greed''' “Enough” is not part of your vocabulary. It’s been said that gold blinds those who 
                     love it most, and in your case that’s probably true. Before you can Ascend to greater things, 
                     you’ve got to love more than money, power, and the game of winning both.
            – Regain Willpower when a long-shot plan of yours pays off in grand style. Not simply with money – that’s 
              too easy – but with influence, love, or other marvelous achievements. (M20 BOS)
			   
 '''Vigilante - True justice comes only from those willing to take it up themselves.'''
              Strength: '''Retribution'''  This dedication keeps you going long after other folks would have given up.
                         Delay is acceptable, but compromise is not. Extremism in pursuit of justice is no vice at all.
              Weakness: '''Ruthlessness''' poisons both your cause and your soul. Tangled up in the idea of beating 
                         whomever you’re after, you can’t look yourself squarely in the mirror. If you could, you’d
                         see how little difference there is between you and your enemies. To rise beyond this sort of 
                         thing, you’ll have to leave the warpath and cultivate compassion beyond vengeance. 
                         True Justice is more than simple punishment.
            – Regain Willpower when you inflict major suffering on your target of choice. This target must be larger 
                and more powerful than a single person. It could be an organization, a mage-sect, a government conspiracy, 
                or an aspect of the underworld. Whatever it is, it’s big enough to consume your entire life… or end it. 
                Such vigilance is an endless task. (M20 BOS)

 ''' Visionary – You see beyond the obvious and chase a greater vision for us all.'''
               Strength: '''Inspiration''' guides your steps, inspiring you to see what others can’t or won’t perceive.
               Weakness: Your weakness, though, is '''Pride''' in your stubborn search for truth. To Ascend, you must 
                         learn humility, seeking visions that other people can enjoy as well.
             – Regain Willpower when you convince folks that your vision is worth their devotion too, or when your 
                 actions turn your vision into practical reality.(M20)
				 
 '''Zealot - A flipside to the ```Heretic```, you pursue your beliefs with extreme enthusiasm. '''
           Strength: '''Conviction'' is your armor, shield, and sword. That steadfast confidence in your beliefs will 
                    stand with you when no one and nothing else will do. 
           Weakness: '''Extremity''', however, can inspire abhorrent acts in the name of your beliefs. A zealot, after 
                     all, is by definition someone who will sacrifice anything and anyone for the cause. A zealot 
                     mage, in particular, can be a terrifying force. The Fallen, Mad, and Technocracy have plenty of 
                     uses for such people, and even the supposedly moderate Traditions and Disparates have members 
                     who’d sooner kill a busload of kids than step back on their convictions.
         – Regain Willpower whenever your deeply held beliefs are  proved right through your behavior.