Mage Character Generation
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Application
Please use a new Bg section for each of the following.
SEE +bghelp
A few things mage staff expects in applications are:
1. A rather decent background. I don't expect a novel, but I do expect more at least a page and a half. If nothing else
having become a mage would warrant a rather good chunk of a background. App'ing a super requires a better background
then a normal mortal, as there is much more to go into.
2. A detailed bit on your Avatar. It helps out when we need to know such info for Seekings and so on.
3. Your Paradigm, what is it? See M20th Anniversary pg 568-572, and the write-ups for your tradition
4. What about your Resonance?
5. For any other current restrictions for the sphere please review the note to applications in the Mage room in the Sphere Information Room.
Mage Factions
Open: Traditions
Close: Disparates, Technocracy, Marauder, and Nephandi
Other: Factions from M20, and player created factions(PCF) may be allowed at later dates.
PCFs would require the writing of systems to handle them.
Tradition Names
See house rule on Tradition names. Make sure you choose the appropriate one at chargen
Arcane
Arcane is extremely difficult to monitor in MUs. Arcane will remain a buyable background in chargen.
However, Personal Arcane will only apply in regards to NPCs.
Personal Arcane and Venue Arcane will not stack. Only venue Arcane will be in effect in regards to PCs.
In regards to other backgrounds, Personal Arcane affects the levels you can buy when it comes to Allies, Influence and Contacts, and fame..
- Deduct your arcane rating from 6.
- That is the highest that:
- Allies, Influence & Contacts can go to.
- Deduct 2 from that.
- That's as High as your fame can get to.
- So, if you have Arcane 3?
You can have a Maximum Allies score of 3, maximum fame of 1. All clear? I'm sure you can see the
reasoning behind it.. all those Backgrounds rely on people knowing who you are. With arcane?
They can't recall specific details about you.
Instruments: The Tool of Focus
Called 'Foci' in revised.
'Mages don’t choose their tools based on convenience, but rather upon what they believe they
need to do in order to alter reality.
House Rule: You must start play with 8 "instruments.
In M20, you much choose an personalize, or personalize and Unique instrument for your Affinity Sphere. Otherwise, instruments are not tied to your other spheres.
+foci
This code needs to be update to mesh with M20 rules.
+req to have staff set them for you
You will want to establish both a Standard and either a Personal OR a Unique Foci for each sphere you know.
- To see your Foci: +foci
- To set a Personal foci (-1 to diff): +Foci/set <sphere>=<item>
- To set a Unique foci (-2 to diff): +foci/unique <sphere>=<item>
- To prove your foci (this will emit to the room): +foci/prove <sphere>
There are 3 types of Foci: standard, personal, and Unique
Standard Instruments
Standard instruments offer no benefit or penalty to die rolls. You might incur a penalty if you work without one, or receive
a bonus if you use one in an especially significant manner These are also considered "tradition foci". Things such as magic circles, sex,
martial arts, concentration or candles. They are non-specific items in which any representation of them will do. Think "ritual items".
There can be found in M20 Anniversary core book for each tradition.
Personalized Instruments
Personal instruments offer -1 to arete rolls. For your character’s affinity Sphere, choose one personal instrument that fits his
practice and that Sphere. Personal foci are specific tools that the mage acquires during the
process of learning a sphere. If a candlestick holder held a significant place in learning a sphere, it would be
considered personal. It has to mean something to the mage. The ruling between standard and personal is storyteller discretion.
Personalize and Unique Instruments
Unique instruments offer -2 to arete rolls. Unique foci are literally unique items. They are either handcraft, personally-invented
or individualized. They may also be items created to used in one ritual only. (Want to make a special candle for that life ritual?)
"Used-only-once-ever items" need ST approval as these can't/won't be set with the +foci/unique. +Foci/unique is meant for permanent
unique foci.
STARTING ROTES
Each mage is allowed 1 "fast cast rote" per dot of Arete out of chargen. These are rotes your mage knows so well that
fast casting penalties are ignored. This does not change the rote's status (coincidental/vulgar).
These rotes must not be higher than your Arete.
Example: You are approved for play with Arete 2, you are allowed 2 rotes.
- They must things you can do with your base chargen spheres.
- They must things you can do with your base chargen spheres.
These must be published rotes and must be approved by staff. Please list these in the job that is
submitted for your approval. Please include the reference where the rote can be found.
We may accept published rotes from previous version of Mage, however what the spheres can do has shifted some over the years, so older rotes will receive more scrutiny.
At this time "fast cast rotes" are not purchasable post chargen.
Sanctum / Sancti
Resources 0 - 1 Characters can only buy up to Sanctum 2. This may be raised if your
character ever raises their resources post chargen.
Primary Sphere
"Affinity Spheres: The Sphere most often associated with the group’s training and specialization. In the Council’s
old days, each Tradition held a seat based on that Sphere; given recent, intervening events, however, this may not be
true anymore. Training in the 21st century is more eclectic and personalized than it used to be, so the secondary
Spheres are also available as Affinity Spheres. In any case, a new character gets only one of these Spheres as his
Affinity Sphere." M20 Anniversary pg 147
Chargen doesn't currently allow Tradition mages to choose their primary sphere we are working to correct this, but
to be honest chargen code is a beast, it may take awhile
When you are done with your character and use +char-submit, add a note to the job that is opened for you and
state what you'd like your primary sphere to be. You will have the default free dot of sphere moved to your choosen
primary sphere. A +note will be added to you.
Affinity Sphere Choices
"Default" means this is the sphere Chargen defaults to due to it being coded back with Revised was new. We hope to correct this
but for now this is something easily handled with a +note and player honesty when submitting for spends.
In M20th, some traditions may be allowed another affinity sphere that is not listed there.
If you want a different affinity sphere than the default, contact staff to have this set and noted for you.
Akashayana: Mind(default) or Life
Celestial Chorus: Prime (default); Forces or Spirit
Sahajiya: Time(default); Life or Mind
Khavadi: Spirit (default); Force, Life, or Matter
Chakravant: Entropy(default); Life or Spirit.
Order of Hermes: Forces provides the core of Hermetic training. Certain Houses favor Life, Matter,
Mind, and Spirit as secondary pursuits, but Forces is always essential.
Society of Ether: Matter(default); Forces or Prime
Verbenae: Life (default); Forces
Mercurial Elites: Correspondence (default) as Data; Forces
