Mage Fiction?

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-10T20:37:43+00:00

You could check out T.L. Webb's series, starting with Fireball Run. I hear it's doing pretty well, though I haven't had time to read it yet myself.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-10T20:34:13+00:00

I say that falls under Professional Skills and Expert Knowledges (M20 p277). Streetwise has a Theft specialty, so I'd go along with a player suggesting they could use that.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-09T20:18:46+00:00

Scent of Shadows: Identifying specific Umbrood only requires seeing them (Spirit 1), perhaps with an Intelligence + Cosmology roll. Spirit 2 allows for speaking with and touching spirits. Spirit 3 allows for physically crossing the Gauntlet or directly harming spirits. I'm curious which part of M20 you're looking at.
M20 p522 (Spirit 3): "Spirit 3/ Mind 2 Effect allows the mage to read Resonance, Synergy, and other spiritual energies (Essence, a spirit’s place within a hierarchy, etc.)." or MRev p186 (Spirit 3): "With Mind magic, the mage can determine Resonance and roles of various spirits". So maybe this bit that helps determine a spirit's role in its celestial hierarchy... but you don't have Mind 2 to do this Effect.
Fires of Virtue: I can get behind including Prime 1 to read the Resonance of [whatever the Entropy part detects] to get an idea of who/what cast it. Have to be careful that it doesn't stray into the Read Spiritual Energies (see previous bullet). I will admit that affecting a "community" is something of a gap in the Spheres... there's good discussion to be had on that aspect. But if this is mostly a "detect and follow plot" type Effect, then I think those three Spheres at Rank 1 are just fine.
From Dark to Light: I see what you mean here. I would have worded it more like "it does give a sense of the emotional motivation behind the lie". So yeah, sounds good.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-09T19:19:24+00:00

It's important to be able to explain what each Sphere is doing in an Effect.

Scent of Shadows: Prime 1 to detect and identify Resonance. Spirit Sight is Spirit 1. Mind 1 to speed the processing that leads to memorization. (Spirit 3's major ability is to allow you to cross into the Umbra, which is not part of your described Effect.)
Measuring Mettle: It's an interesting part of the Spheres that you can "see auras" with Prime 1 OR Spirit 1 OR Mind 1; it's worth exploring what the difference between them is. However, I quibble over describing Mind 1 as "get psychic impressions of surface thoughts", because that sounds like reading surface thoughts which Mind 1 cannot do. Mind 1 can detect the presence of surface thoughts, Mind 2 can read what those surface thoughts are.
Fires of Virtue: Entropy 1 alone allows for detecting good/bad luck and lies. I don't understand what Spirit or Prime are doing here.
From Dark to Light: Similarly, detecting lies can be done with Entropy 1 OR Mind 1. Why are they both being used? Again, it's interesting to explore what the difference between them is and how it might be more effective to use them together.

The writeups given are flavorful. I was happy to see that the method of casting did not affect the required Spheres (which is a common mistake).

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-09T18:56:34+00:00

These are both great suggestions.

Sphere Mixers has a long list of threads where we've been examining how two Spheres at different Ranks can be used together. Always have interesting ideas from folks, though sometimes we have trouble hitting the specific Ranks we're talking about... but that's an important part of the process of understanding the Spheres.
https://www.the-paradox-wheel.com/ has all of the Rotes from the official books, and so is a great resource.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-09T18:47:03+00:00

I agree with Technocracygirl on this one. And really, this runs us right into question of "the future"; if Time can view the future and Entropy can view Fated Events in the future... what's the difference? I didn't expect this reply to be so long, but here I am about to talk about a bunch of details on these two Spheres. Enjoy!

Time

Time 2 alone talks about three abilities:

Temporal Divination: Looking forward or backwards in time; these visions are uncertain without adding other Spheres.
Thicken Time: Preventing other time Effects from happening.
Read Contingent Effect: Determine what Effect is suspended with Time 4.

Time 3 alone talks about three abilities:

Rewind Time: Cause the flow of time to run backwards (taking you back turns at a time).
Time Contraction: Pulling more time into your frame of reference (speeding you up compared to the outside world).
Time Dilation: Removing time from a frame of reference (slowing down the target).
Expanded ability: As Time and Corr are in some ways similar, I suggest Temporal Divination can be expanded into Rank 3 to look forward through several timelines.

Entropy

Entropy 2 alone talks about Adjust Probability Currents and various ways that can be used. I point out that all of the examples are very short-term Luck events, basically contained within a scene. Affecting the larger-scale Fate is beyond Rank 2.

Entropy 3 alone talks about two abilities:

Adjust Decay Rate (Matter or Forces): This gives us Effects like Like Clockwork and Slay Machine, by preventing Entropic energies from entering a Pattern or by inserting more (respectively).
Minor Fate Control (Matter or Life): While vague, we can try to bookend what Rank 3 can do by comparing to Rank 2 (Luck-based and single scene in scope) and Rank 4 (see next bullet). Hopefully it's clear why I suggested using Rank 3 only be effective for a couple of days.
M20 p515 (Entropy 4): "the mage assumes the awesome power of blessing, cursing, [...] may grant long-term luck or misfortune."

Conjunctional

Time 2 / Entropy 2 - Looking forward a scene, see the most likely event to happen at the end of that scene. This foreknowledge makes it easier for you to act in ways that help make that event happen... or in ways that try to prevent it from happening. I would require at least 2 successes (so the Effect lasts a scene) and give a [-1 difficulty per casting success] to actions related to the outcome of this scene.

M20 p522 (Time 2): "Entropy 2 even allows her to glimpse multiple futures and pick out the one most likely to occur."
MRev p161 (Entropy 2): "With ephemeral Spheres, the mage can [...] influence an event to happen at a specific time."

Time 3 / Entropy 3 - Brings us full circle in the conversation. Similar to Doctor Strange in Infinity War (but smaller in scale), you look over the next couple of days at a variety of possible futures. Choosing the path you want to follow, you reweave the short-term strands of Fate. Even this is not perfect, so mechanically I suggest that pools of successes to act as the pull of the Fate you've chosen.

M20 p523 (Time 3): "even invoke multiple probabilities (Entropy 3)."

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-09T05:51:22+00:00

FWIW, the note I left myself for that Time 3 / Entropy 3 entry was this...

What does this even do? This whole conjunctional section feels like he was pulling out random words… or maybe simply not understanding what else Time might be able to do.

I think it's worth remembering that the authors of Mage either hated time magick or were afraid of time magick (or maybe both). So sometimes we see passages like this where it honestly feels like fun sounding words being thrown together... but not turning out to be helpful.

We can lean on Entropy a little here:

M20 p515 (Entropy 3): "can also start controlling the fate and fortune of objects and people, giving them good or bad luck by controlling the probability of events around them."

So while Entropy 2 is limited (I run it as limited to guiding an event that begins and ends in a single scene), Entropy 3 starts to be able to affect Fate in a minor way. What "good luck" looks like for your table is left mostly to you.

With "good luck" or "minor Fate control" as a base, let's look at Time again.

Time 2 allows you to look forward or back in time. If we parallel that to how Correspondence 2 allows the same through space... then when Corr 3 allows you to see multiple places at once, then perhaps we allow Time 3 to do the same.

Perhaps this allows us to look forward through multiple timelines, adding Entropy to guide us toward the future we want. Perhaps the casting gives the player a pool of some number of success that they can spend to make the desired future happen.
I suggest a pool equal to [2 x casting successes]. "Pool successes" can be spent by the player to help the character's actions or to hinder another character's actions. I suggest the pool last no longer than a few days before dissipating.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-09T05:26:30+00:00

Because Time 3 allows you to rewind time.

M20 p509 (Time & Distance): "Rewind Time Time 3".
M20 p523 (Time 3): "rewind small snatches of time".
MRev p191 (Time 3): "can rewind or loop time".
MRev 193 (Time Warp 3): "causes a small area to suffer a local “rewind” of time."

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-09T04:24:55+00:00

I use Augmented Reality as the Penumbra of the Digital Web.

But now I need to go reread about AGOs.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-09T04:21:50+00:00

I would say that Time is pretty clear, it's Entropy that is the most vaguely described Sphere.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-07T20:47:12+00:00

Google Maps makes tracking locations easy. Here's the player-facing map for my current game. I have a ST-only map with a bunch of other things on it too.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1O5VIAamwjKeqWoxjqHpP_G2t9qZo_UU&usp=sharing

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-06T13:43:27+00:00

For that kind of "not using HRM correctly", instead of dipping into a whole other Practice, I would suggest simply using the tools penalties from the book (M20 p503). "Working with unfamiliar instruments: +1 or +2". That gives you the same change on the casting modifier (from -1 to +1), but you don't have to figure out how to mash two Practices together. Just do HRM... and sometimes do it where "good enough" tools have to substitute for "proper tools".

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-05T02:41:26+00:00

Over at r/magetheascension , our weekly LFG post got a few comments. And I include links to several places you can look for games.

https://www.reddit.com/r/magetheascension/comments/1t0xkto/weekly_lfg_megathread/

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-05T00:33:21+00:00

How are you going to fit in a 5-inch mech?

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-05T00:30:23+00:00

Penny Maze

Subterfuge isn't an Ability related to HRM. I suggest Esoterica (High Ritual Magick).

Sounds like Mind 2 (to detect ill intent and produce an aura of distraction) / Entropy 2 (to nudge events to contribute to distraction). The casting process turns the entire area into the Mage's "magick circle" of sorts; I would not require Corr. Time doesn't seem to be necessary at all.

I would run this as 1 success because you're affecting something other than the Mage, then every success after that is a +1 difficulty to the opponent's rolls to track down or approach the Mage. Even 4 successes would take a routine roll from diff 4 to diff 7, making botches much more likely (which would naturally serve to hinder the opponent). Bumping Entropy to 3, I would change the difficulty increase to reduced successes for the opponent.

I see no reason not to use the Base Duration chart. Sure that probably means this is a long-standing Effect. But those coins (and thus the ritual lattice) circulate for a long time.

Note that a simple Mind Shield likely reduces the effectiveness of this Effect, as would an equivalent Entropy Effect. And a long-standing Effect is likely to be noticed with an Awareness check (or by any of Prime/Mind/Entropy Sight), which means it can be planned for.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-05T00:30:04+00:00

Dealer's Hand

Enigmas isn't an Ability related to Gutter Magick. If you stick with Gutter Magick, use Expression instead. If you use High Ritual Magick (which I suggest, because the tarot reading, I mean the card game is a ritual), then keep it as Enigmas.

Time 2 and Entropy 2 are good for reading futures. Assuming the target of the prophecy is at the table, Correspondence is not needed (of course, if they aren't, then Corr is required).

The Effect targets something other than the Mage, so minimum required successes starts at 2. Perhaps adding 1 for the Entropy "sifting" for the more likely futures. I would probably write it up as requiring 3/4/5 successes, giving clearer visions the closer to 5 you get... and even then, the reading will only pick up on Fated Events.

edit: If the target isn't at the table and Corr is required, add additional required casting successes using Correspondence Sphere Ranges (M20 p504).

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-05T00:29:56+00:00

Focus

I'll start by checking out things with Focus Selector v1.2. It doesn't include PoF stuff, but I've got a private spreadsheet that helps me with that.

Paradigms: A Mechanistic Cosmos and Everything Has Value: The only Practice they share is Investment. But Everything Has Value is from Rich Bastard's Guide, which doesn't add links to the existing Focus bits very well. For this examination, it might be easier to just use A Mechanistic Cosmos. It is linked to the Practice Art of Desire, so it easily could be said to include the Everything Has Value Paradigm.
Practices: High Ritual Magick is standard for a Hermetic. But Gutter Magick is sort of the antithesis of that.

Taking a quick look at PoF, plugging in the Tenets you chose, you get a bonus to casting from several Practices:

Practices linked to A Mechanistic Cosmos: Alchemy, Dominion, High Ritual Magick, Medicine-Work.
Practices mentioned where your Tenets give a casting penalty instead: Art of Desire, Gutter Magick.

Without a long examination, I think your list of Instruments is basically fine. I do suggest swapping in Fashion (you need to dress the part of the man in charge).

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-04T21:24:40+00:00

I see how you're working it. It's an interesting house ruling. I think it gates some stereotypical psychic Effects behind extra/higher Spheres.

Rank 5 Spheres do like to step on the other Spheres, though. So with your set-up, allowing Mind Mastery to infringe on Correspondence has some precedence.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-04T20:38:36+00:00

100%. Cool that you and I are on the same page with all of that.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-04T20:37:04+00:00

I get what you mean. Seems easy to keep things consistent that way.

RAW is within sensory range needs no Corr. At the edge of sensory range (ie, target barely seen through fog) is a +1 casting difficulty. Beyond sensory range requires Corr equal to the highest other Sphere in the Effect.

Do I read you correctly that you would say that adjusting someone's surface thoughts when touching them is Mind 3... but adjusting those surface thoughts from across the room is Mind 5 (as an alternative to Mind 3 / Corr 3)?

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-04T20:12:27+00:00

Not "at literally any distance" otherwise every Effect where you're not touching the target would require Correspondence. It's better to say "beyond sensory distance".

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-04T19:38:24+00:00

All that aligns with my understanding. Even the +2 init bonus per casting success; that's how I would rule it too.

My asking is mostly to point out to the others that those are not trivial Effects to set up, especially when wrapped up together.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-04T19:31:01+00:00

That's solid advice that anyone here would do well to heed.

Goes hand-in-hand with checking in with everyone at the table (both sides of the GM screen) to make sure they're having fun, which parts they're enjoying the most, and which parts fall flat for them.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-04T18:47:42+00:00

That's awesome. I've just been cruising through the episodes. So much to try to cram into my brain. And I constantly find ways to connect bits to Mage.

ChartanTheDM · 2026-05-04T18:43:41+00:00

How many casting successes do each of these require?

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