I e g a M e h T Credits Jim Comer, Richard Dansky, Lynn Davis, Stephen Michael DePisa, Ian Dunteman, Chris Early, Jaymi Elford, James Estes, Shanti Fader, Creative Director: Richard Thomas Beth Fischi, Roger Gaudreau, Leonard Gentile, Gary Glass, Owl Go- 20th Anniversary Development: Satyros Phil Brucato, with ingback, Andrew Greenberg, Daniel Greenberg, Christine Gregory, Bill Bridges Eric Griffin, Heather Grove, Marty Hackleman, Robert Hatch, Harry Authors: Satyros Phil Brucato (primary text), Brian Campbell Heckel, Heather Heckel, Jesse Heinig, David A. Hill Jr, Chris Hind, (Technocratic Union), John Snead (Appendix I entries), and R.S. Udell Kenneth Hite, Conrad Hubbard, Sam Inabinet, Mark Jackson, Tina (Disparate Allies) Jens, Steve Kenson, Ellen Kiley, Nancy Kilpatrick, Sian Kingstone, Additional Material: Bill Bridges (Society of Ether), Jackie Adam Koebel, Mur Lafferty, Jason Langlois, Steve Long, Ryan Macklin, Cassada and Nicky Rea (intro fiction for Chapters Four, Six, and Nine), Bill Maxwell, Angel Leigh McCoy, Tadd McDivitt, Matt McFarland, Jesse Heinig (Virtual Adepts), Deena McKinney (Sisters of Hyppolyta), Darren McKeeman, Deena McKinney, Judith McLaughlin, James A. and Allen Varney (Akashayana, Celestial Chorus, Order of Hermes) Moore, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Clayton Oliver, Derek Pearcy, Wade Racine, Andrew Ragland, Nicky Rea, Mark Rein•Hagen, Josh Roby, Editor: Lindsay Woodcock John R. Robey, S. John Ross, Rich Ruane, Kathleen Ryan, Malcolm Art Direction: Richard Thomas and Mike Chaney Sheppard, Ethan Skemp, John Snead, Lucian Soulban, Eric P. Taylor Book Design: Michael Chaney II, Scott Taylor, Aron Tarbuck, Richard Thomas, Robert Weinberg, Mage 20th Anniversary Edition Logo: Craig Grant Jeremy Tidwell, Rachelle Sabrina Udell, Allen Varney, Will van Meter, Ian A.A. Watson, David Weinstein, David Wendt, Stephen Wieck, The Mighty Mage 20th Anniversary Design Brain Trust: Sean Stewart Wieck, Alex Williams, Travis L. Williams, J. Porter Wiseman, Michael Argo, Ryan Todd Baker, Sherry Lynn Baker, Hope Basoco, Lindsay Woodcock, and Teeuwynn Woodruff Raven Bond, Bill Bridges, Allison Brown, Sandra Damiana Buskirk, Raven Nichole Silva-Barton Danger, Tristan Erickson, Antonios Rave-N Mage: The Ascension Creators: Stewart Wieck and Satyros Galatis, Valentine Graves, Inky Grrl, Jesse Heinig, James High, Mark Phil Brucato, with Bill Bridges, Brian Campbell, Sam Chupp, Chris Jackson, Jennifer Kellam, Thaynah Leal, Travis Legge, Emili Lemanski, Early, Andrew Greenberg, Robert Hatch, Jesse Heinig, Mark Rein- Ryan Loyd, Ben Lyons, Rafael Mastromauro, Lisa “Sid” McClaugherty, •Hagen, Kathleen Ryan, Stephen Wieck, and Travis L. Williams Eva Morrissey, Haris Odinsson, Michael Shean, Rhea Shemayazi, Mal- colm Sheppard, Bryan Syme, Dan “Khan” Treichel, Rachelle Udell, Special Thanks to: Amy Veeres, Coyote Ashley Ward, Ian A.A. Watson, Travis L. Williams, Sandra “Damiana Silverwitch” Buskirk, for life, love, art, and Lindsay Woodcock and magick. Character Sheets: Chris Leland and Mike Chaney Coyote “All The Things!!!” Ashley Ward, for shining light Interior Art: Aaron Acevedo, Andrew Bates, Dan Brereton, Echo and shadows. Chernik, John Cobb, Guy Davis, Darryl Elliott, Steve Ellis, Langdon Bryan “Master of Games” Syme, for reAwakening the spirit. Foss, Michael Gaydos, Anthony Hightower, Jeff Holt, Mark Jackson, Raven “Strong” Bond, for metaphysical consultations. Leif Jones, Michael William Kaluta, Matthew Korteling, Andrew James “Kin-Speaker” High, for walking the Road. Kudelka, Jeff Laubenstein, Brian LeBlanc, David Leri, Vince Locke, Antonios “Heart-Brother” Rave-N Galatis, Maria “Paint Larry MacDougall, Robert MacNeil, Matt Milberger, Matt Mitchell, & Paper” Archimandriti, Nina “Wolf-Witch” Galatis, Haris Steve Prescott, Alex Sheikman, Christopher Shy, Dan Smith, Larry “Blood-Brother” Odinsson, Ioanna “Flame-Knight” Vagianou, Snelly, Richard Thomas, Joshua Gabriel Timbrook, John Van Fleet and the rest of the Greek gang, for magick in the heart of Hellas. Based Upon the Work of: Justin Achilli, Bryan Armor, Leonard Richard “Oathkeeper” Thomas, Rose “Taskmaster” Bailey, Balsera, Emrey Barnes, Rachel Barth, Bruce Baugh, Aldyth Beltane, and Ian “Kickstarted” A.A. Watson, for forging the Path. Kraig Blackwelder, David Bolack, Deir’drei Brooks, Bill Bridges, Steven Brown, Satyros Phil Brucato, Zach Bush, Brian Campbell, Hope “Book Biter” Basoco, Andrew “Facep0lluti0n” McMe- Jackie Cassada, Mark Cenczyk, John Chambers, Scott Cohen, Lillian nemy, Paul de Senquisse, Oracle of Mind, Max D. Hammersmith Cohen-Moore, Sam Chupp, Jeff Cisneros, Ken Cliffe, Jennifer Cloduis, …and All of You, for keeping the faith. © 2015 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire, World of Darkness, Vampire the Masquerade, and Mage the Ascension are registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. Vampire the Requiem, Werewolf the Apocalypse, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Promethean the Created, Changeling the Lost, Hunter the Vigil, Geist the Sin-Eaters, V20 Companion, Children of the Revolution, Storyteller System, and Storytelling System are trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places, and text herein are copyrighted by CCP hf. CCP North America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CCP hf. This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters, and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised. Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com and check out the Onyx Path at http://www.theonyxpath.com 2 Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition Table of Contents Prelude: No Fear is There The Various Editions of Mage 21 for the Wide-Awake 8 Future Fates 22 How to Use This Book 22 Introduction: Pride, Power, Paradox 18 Lexicons 23 The Art of Change 18 Common Terminology 23 An Intimate Epic 18 Tradition Terminology 28 What is a Mage? 19 Technocratic Terminology 30 Horror and Hope in a World of Darkness 20 BOOK I: AWAKEN Chapter One: The Mage’s Path 37 Pride 58 Power 59 Of Gods and Men 38 Who We Are, What We Do 59 Sleepers, Awake 40 Skating on Thin Ice 61 The “M” Word with that Funny “K” 41 Consensus and Belief 62 Ascension and its War 42 Coincidental Magick 63 The Avatar 43 Vulgar Magick 64 The Will to Power 46 Nine Spheres and the Language of Reality 64 Awareness, Conflict, and Resolution 46 Juggling the Spheres 66 Awareness 46 A Brief Overview of the Spheres and Their Properties 67 Conflict 46 Do, or Do Not 71 Resolution 49 The Capital “T” Truth 53 Chapter Three: The Shadow World 73 Chapter Two: Magick - A Stroll in the Park 74 The Art of Reality 55 A Nightmare World 74 Your Art and Science 56 Poisonous Utopia 75 The Basics 56 Power and Sanctuary 76 The Paradox Effect 56 Table of Contents 3 Life-Blood of Reality 78 Midrealm and The Aelder Bole 102 Quintessence and Tass 79 The Mirror Zone 102 The Worlds Beyond 81 Paradox Realms 102 The Gauntlet 82 The Hollow Earth 103 To Go Beyond 83 The Digital Web 103 Chapter Four: The Worlds Beyond 85 Where Did This Come From? 104 Internal Access 105 Beyond the Barriers 86 Virgin, Formatted, and Corrupted Web 107 The Penumbra: Skin of the Realm 89 Sectors: Haunts, Constraints, and Grids 108 Infinity Given Form 90 The Horizon 109 Realm of Shadows: The Three Umbrae 91 Horizon Realms 111 The Astral Umbra, Realm of Ideas 94 S.R.: The Shade Realms 112 The Second Horizon and Etherspace 113 The Middle Umbra, Reflection of Life 97 Shard Realms: Fragments of Genesis 113 The Lower Umbra, Underworld of Death 99 Outer Space: The Deep Universe 114 Zones 101 Return to the Inner Experience 114 Maya, the Dream Zone 101 BOOK II: BELIEVE Chapter Five: Ascension Warriors 119 Part III: The Technocratic Union 166 Enlightened Potential 166 Familiar Enemies 120 Goals and Ideals: The Precepts of Damian 168 Part I: An Awakened History 121 Organization and Rank 173 The Awakening Era 121 Unconventional Operatives 180 The Classical Era 121 Mutuality and Unmutuality 181 The High Mythic Ages 123 Iteration X 186 The Sorcerers Crusade 126 An Age of Conquest 127 The New World Order (a.k.a. the NWO) 188 Cannons, Chains, and Churches 128 The Progenitors 190 The Triumph of Steam and Steel 131 To Dream Impossible Things 134 The Syndicate 192 Part II: The Council of Nine Mystick Traditions 136 The Void Engineers 194 A Legacy of Challenge 136 Part IV: The Disparates 196 A Proud Heritage 136 Practiced Subtleties 197 Common Goals and Ideals 137 A Silent Alliance 197 Organization and Law 140 Organization 199 Certámen: The Wizards’ Duel 143 A Vibrant Future? 143 The Ahl-i-Batin 202 Tradition Descriptions 147 The Bata’a 204 The Akashic Brotherhood (the Akashayana) 148 The Children of Knowledge(a.k.a. the True Solificati) 206 The Celestial Chorus 150 The Hollow Ones 208 The Cult of Ecstasy (a.k.a. the Sahajiya) 152 The Kopa Loei 210 The Dreamspeakers (a.k.a. the Kha’vadi) 154 The Ngoma 212 The Euthanatos (a.k.a. the Chakravanti) 156 Orphans 214 The Order of Hermes 158 The Sisters of Hippolyta (a.k.a. the Hippolytoi) 216 The Sons (or Society) of Ether 160 The Taftâni 218 The Verbena 162 The Templar Knights 220 The Virtual Adepts (a.k.a. the Mercurial Elite) 164 The Wu Lung 222 4 Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition Part V: The Fallen 224 Backgrounds 301 Overtures of Plague 224 Pooling Backgrounds 301 Predatory Shadows 224 Membership Has Its Privileges: Technocratic Backgrounds 302 A Diabolic Trinity 227 Background Traits 303 Fallen Sects 228 Arete/ Enlightenment 328 Nephandic Tactics 230 Game Effects of Arete 329 Dark Arts 232 Willpower 330 Part ?*!: The Mad 234 Game Effects of Willpower 330 Uncertain Principles 234 Quintessence and Paradox 331 In the Kingdom of the Mad, All Men are Sane 235 Game Effects of Quintessence 332 Fusions, Cabals, Confluxes, and Solitary Madness 237 Game Effects of Paradox 333 Mad Tactics 238 Health 334 Magick and the Mad 242 The Mad Masque? 243 Part III: Character Progress 335 Chapter Six: Creating the Character 245 Experience Points 335 Raising and Learning Traits 336 The Human Side of Power 246 Apprenticeship 337 Before We Begin... 246 Avatar and Genius 338 Traits 246 Changing Focus and Allegiance 339 Getting Started 247 Nature and Demeanor 339 Character Traits and Terms 248 Resolution 339 Character Creation Process 250 Chapter Seven: Telling The Story 341 Part I: Creating Your Character 254 At Play in the Fields of the World 342 Step One: Concept and Identity 254 The Game’s the Thing 342 Step Two: Attributes 255 Setting the Space 345 Step Three: Abilities 255 Building a Mystery 349 Step Four: Advantages 256 Brainstorming Your Concept 349 Step Five: Finishing Touches 256 Common Ground 349 Spark of Life 257 Bringing the Pieces Together 353 Sample Character Creation 260 Telling Your Story 354 The Prelude 262 Story Structure 354 Part II: Character Traits 266 Elements of the Story 355 Avatar Essences 266 Characters 355 Personality Archetypes: Nature and Demeanor 267 Setting 357 Conflict 359 Attributes 273 Resolution 362 Physical 273 The Deeper Level 363 Social 273 Elements of Mage 366 Mental 274 The Path 366 Core Abilities 275 Running With Magick 371 Talents 275 Paradox: The Hammer of Reality 373 Skills 279 Types of Chronicle 374 Knowledges 283 The Traditions Chronicle 374 Secondary Abilities 289 The Technocratic Chronicle 376 Secondary Talents 289 The Disparate Chronicle 377 Secondary Skills 295 The Orphan Chronicle 377 Secondary Knowledges 298 The Mixed-Faction Chronicle 378 Table of Contents 5 BOOK III: ASCEND Chapter Eight: The Book of Rules 383 Drugs, Poisons, and Disease 441 Part V: The Technological World 458 The Comfort of Rules 384 Vehicle Systems 458 The Golden Rule 384 Inventing, Modifying, and Improving Technology 463 Turns, Scenes, and Stories 384 Part VI: The Digital Web 465 Rolling Dice 385 Digital Web Systems 466 Dice Pools and Trait Ratings 385 Magick in the Web 469 Difficulties 386 The Digital Web and the Avatar Storm 473 Actions: The Various Types 388 Part VII: The Otherworlds 474 Action Complications 388 Means of Access 474 Teamwork 391 Travel Between Layers 481 Failure 392 Finding Your Way 481 Trying It Again 392 Magick in the Otherworlds 483 Botching and the Rule of One 393 Part VIII: Umbrood Spirit Entities 485 Success 394 Spirit Types 486 Chapter Nine: Dramatic Systems 397 Spirit Traits 488 Spirit Feats 489 Selling the Drama 398 Spirit Charms 489 Part I: Initiative and Movement 399 Roleplaying and Storytelling Spirit Entities 495 Action Turns 399 Atmospheric Powers 495 Movement 400 Chapter Ten: The Book of Magick 497 Part II: Dramatic Feats 401 An Extension of the Self 498 Physical Feats 402 Part I: Casting Magick 500 Art and Science 402 Here’s How You Do It 500 Social Occasions and Intrigue 402 Magickal Reference Charts 502 Part III: Health and Injury 406 Types of Injury 406 Part II: The Spheres 511 Psychic Trauma 407 Locking an Effect 511 Healing Damage 408 Correspondence 512 Part IV: Combat 409 Entropy 514 Forces 515 Ready to Rumble 409 Life 516 Initiative 410 Matter 517 Phase One: Attack 410 Mind 519 Phase Two: Defense 411 Prime 520 Phase Three: Damage 412 Spirit 521 Magick and Violence 413 Time 522 Combat Tactics and Circumstances 416 Data (Correspondence) 524 Ranged Attacks 418 Dimensional Science (Spirit) 525 Close Combat 420 Primal Utility (Prime) 526 Martial Arts 423 Optional Rule: Wild Talent 527 Do 426 Magickal Duels 430 Part III: Casting Magick, Step By Step 528 Old-Form Certámen 432 Step One: Effect 528 Environmental Hazards 435 Step Two: Ability 529 Step Three: Roll 535 Harsh Weather and Environments 435 Step Four: Results 543 Starvation and Thirst 435 Fire 436 Part IV: The Paradox Effect 547 Explosions 437 Sources of Paradox 547 Electrocution 438 The Paradox Backlash 548 Falls and Impact 439 Backlash Forms 549 6 Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition Part V: Quiet 554 Appendix I: Allies and Antagonists 618 Effects of Quiet 555 Supporting Cast 618 Types of Quiet 557 Bestiary 618 Quiet Manifestations 559 Among the Masses 620 Wisdom From Insanity 561 Extraordinary Operatives Part VI: Examples in Play 561 and Technocratic Creations 623 Part VII: Focus and the Arts 565 HIT Marks 624 Practice, Instruments, and Growing Beyond Them 565 Our Awakened Brethren 626 Belief: The Core of Focus 567 Awakened Enemies 628 Common Mage Paradigms 568 Spirits 631 Practice: The Shape of Focus 572 Appendix II: Odd Ends 642 Instruments: The Tools of Focus 586 Merits and Flaws 642 Common Instruments 588 Merits 642 Part VIII: Adjustments, Procedures, and Rotes 601 Flaws 646 Enlightened Adjustments 601 Genetic Flaws 648 Technocratic Procedures 603 The Toybox 651 Optional Rule: Social Conditioning and Reprogramming 605 Rules for Wonders 651 Mystic Spells and Traditional Rotes 607 Sample Wonders 653 Mystic Wonders 653 Part IX: Reality Zones 611 Technocratic Hardware 655 Reality Zones Biotech 657 Within the Game 611 Weird Science 661 Shifting the Zone 615 Afterwords 664 Change the Game and Change Your World 617 Table of Contents 7 N f o ear is T here for The W -a ide Wake If, with perceptions polluted, one speaks or acts, Thence suffering follows As a wheel the draught-ox’s foot. — The Dhammapada, Chapter I: The Pairs, Verse 1 J ohnny There’s a boy on a boat in a purple sky, where the air flashes like catastrophic dragons and a patch-eyed man lays a heavy hand on that boy’s shoulder and tells him This is where the world dies, son. …but this isn’t the way it happened at all… From the edge of the boat, I gaze into the Abyss. I’d like to think it gazes back, but all I feel is vast indifference. This, then, is the legacy of truth: Everything I have known, was a lie. “Johnny!” cries the Patch-Man, his black boots gleaming with the ending of our world. I refuse to answer him. If this is where it ends, or starts, I want to be alone when it does. But the Patch-Man grabs me by the arm so hard I feel things break inside. His familiar face ripples in the purple light, contort- ed to a waxy sheen where falling stars reflect their dying selves. He shakes me and my left arm stretches in some slow-mo- tion taffy-pull, then pops off suddenly, leaving floating globes of bright red blood behind. I howl butterflies as my jaws stretch out toward the corners of the clouds. The ship veers suddenly at an impossible pitch, tossing us into the flashing purple skies. “Here,” she says, reaching out her hand – a girl with eyes as old as time. From horizon to horizon, the sky goes dark, closing like the eye of God. “You’re still mine, Johnny!” yells the Patch-Eyed Man My Father as he drifts into the dark and is gone. E kstatikos Fuck, but my head hurts. All of me hurts, actually. Lee Ann dearest, perhaps you’re finally get- ting too old for this shit. That’s ridiculous, of course. You’re only as old as you think you are, the saying goes, and I realized a long time ago that that was true. Going by the calendar, I look younger than I am, feel older than I am, and stopped aging a long time ago. The play of years on human calendars is a trick of the light – one of the first tricks I’d learned to turn on its back. Like a stranded turtle, Time kicks its legs but goes nowhere Shutting my eyes, I let the pain ease back into my skull, unless I choose to pick it up and set it on its expected path then expand my senses out beyond that pain, beyond my again. skin, beyond Ryk’s sleeping body and our tent, out into the dirt and trees and coiled power of the forest and the moun- Every so often, though, that turtle knocks you down and taintop. The essence of the breeze and every dancing drop of tramples you flat with all four feet. I feel like that this morn- water in the mist. ing, and I’m not quite sure why. Oh. It’s not the dancing. I’m used to that. Or the hike – that’s my favorite thing in the world, except maybe dancing. It’s not Him. the sex, though gods know it was passionate enough. What’s HE doing here? The storm is in my bones. Then, now, and always. I guess I’ll go find out. Well, yeah. That would explain a lot. Slipping out from under Ryk, I savor the glide of skin Lightning flickers underneath my skin – needles, tongues, over skin, the little hairs across his arms and chest, the puff fingers, fists, a rush of stars exploding into nova to blot out the of living chemistry in this stranger’s morning-breath. The thrusting of my father’s cock – but all those eternal Nows are tent still smells like sex, like us, so powerfully that for an distant to the person in my skin today. We shed our skins like endless instant I fall back into the scratch and push of last serpents, washing through the molecules every seven years night’s rituals. It’d be nice to hang forever in those moments, until only memories hold the energy of what we are together but I’ve apparently got shit to do outside. So leaving a little in a construct I call Me. I can choose which Now I live in, and bit of dream inside his head, I push Ryk deeper into Maya’s so as much compassion as I hold for the little Me’s that I have domains. He’s still asleep, so I’ll leave him asleep. If I need been, I’m not that person anymore. Right here – this now, this Ryk later, I can wake him from a distance without making a Me – is the only one I want to be. sound. Although I could do without the headache… Right now, though, I think this visit’s just about me. A mental shrug, and it’s gone. C Still… huh. It was there for a reason, so… ouragE Time to check things out. She’s Awake. A miserable scrap of smack-addicted wreckage, IV XVII but the signs are obvi- ous. The smeared remains of what used to be her teacher attest to the ef- ficiency of his methods… and to their results. I had planned to dispose of him myself, but I can’t say I’m sorry to have been saved the trouble. The paperwork, though, will be a pain. Initial VDAS scans reveal a latticework of minor spells – blood-work, mostly, and a petty exam- ple of it too. Rats, a few alley-cats, no sight of the missing children our reports had spoken of. As usual, popular hysteria exaggerates the facts at hand. Still, our sources are The Emperor The Star expected to be more accu- rate. I make a mental note to emphasize reliable re- No Fear is There for the Wide-Awake IX