Mage: The Podcast

Mage is a game of hope, action, and hubris in a world that is dark. Sometimes the darkness wins and we go from punk and gothic to horror. Bryce Perry from the horror game podcast Darker Days joins Terry to talk about how to add horror to your mage game. Just a note, this episode contains discussion of body horror, family terror, harm to children and family conceptually and a number of other things. Look below to get an idea of what we go over. The Baali - Group of vampires who do terrible things to keep dark things asleep. Friday the 13th - Archtypal slasher film where kids are killed off in revenge. Consent Checklist - One method of verifying and checking what game types and themes players are or are not ok with. Consent in Gaming - A Monte Cook Games publication on how to tackle adult themes. The Lottery - Short story about a community that practices an annual sacrifice ritual. The Wicker Man - Movie about an out of towner brought in as sacrifice to a dark thing 10 Candles - A gothic horror game (rather tha

The Umbra is explored by many Night-Folk with wraiths in the Shadowlands, changelings in the Dreaming, and Werewolves in the Velvet Shadow. What about mages? Adam and Terry provide a tour of the Tellurian and the Realms of limitless potential full of warring gods, metaphors made real and more than one set of dinosaurs in Beyond the Barrier: The Book of Worlds. Umbral Map - A translation of the French map of the Umbra Mars Trilogy - Sci fi books by Kim Stanley Robinson where a central theme is "how much should we leave a place unchanged? Anders Mage Page Realms - Realms you can insert into the Umbra of your Chronicle. Anders Mage Page Umbrood - Umbrood you can use in your Chronicle. The Sandman comics by Vertigo - listed in Book of World's recommended reading list and Adam seconds that opinion.  You can not only get great ideas for realms large and small but also see different ways to travel between them. Episodes Mentioned:  Tomes of Magick: Digital Web - Adam and Terry discussion the t

The world of Mage is one where characters have great power which must be exercised carefully or Paradox will strike. On the other side of the subtly coin is Exalted where whose tagline is "What legends will they tell of your deeds?" Exalted's 3rd edition is out and Chazz Kellner, Exalted author and cohost of The Story Told tells Terry about the high energy energy world of Creation and the systems and settings you can steal from it for your Mage game.  Notes! Graceful Wicked Masques -  2e book about the Fair Folk Walking Away from Arcadia's episode on the Fair Folk The Compass of Celestial Directions, Vol. VI - Autochthonia - The best cyborg supplement you never knew you needed The Fair Folk - 1e reference on the Raksha Manual of Exalted Power: Sidereals - Information on the Loom of Fate and the Sidereals Laws of Ascension Rulebook Sidereal letter - A letter from a Sidereal now Avatar saying how the world's connect Terry's growing list of ways to mis-say Chejop Kejak Croptop Carjack&nb

Mage defaults to the Traditions, Technocracy, Nephandi and Marauders, but what about mages who've stepped away from the Ascension War? Crafts are groups of mages who often work tightly tied to a paradigm and culture and Book of Crafts dives into eight of these. Terry and Adam talk templars, dragon wizards, mambos, righteous crocodile gods, kahunas, and more. White Wolf Magazine - Magazine that ran through the mid 90s. Dragons of the East - Revised book that update the Wu-Keng and Wu Lung Midnight Express episode on Hem-ka Sobk Dark Ages Mage Pillars and Foundation - Alternative to Spheres The Fragile Path - The Crafts ignored the call of the Grand Convocation Mummy episode - Discussion about Mage and Mummy: The Resurrection Seven Sisters - Historical US women's colleges   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/support

Vikings! Runes! Thor! Woven anti-spear magic shirts! The Norse culture is a perennial favorite source of inspiration in the West but what was their magic like? Josh Heath of the Open Halls Project explains to Terry how to introduce Norse magic and supernatural elements into your Mage game. Open Halls Project - Josh's project to help serve Heathens in the armed forces Ghost Court - a ridiculous party game for 6 or more players about ghosts and the people who sue them. Heathenry - a reconstructed set of beliefs based on pre-Christian beliefs from Germanic Europe and north. Reconstructionism - Attempts to re-establish a religious movement rather than to modify a contemporary practice to include new beliefs. Scandanavian countries - Region in Norther Europe The Sámi people - an indigenous Finno-Ugric people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway and Sweden, northern parts of Finland, and the Kola Peninsula. Taking Up The Runes - Book on runic divination SEO HELRUNE

Mage games aren't always at the gritty front lines of the Ascension War or hardscrabble games of survival, it has its places of wonder and hope. Horizon, the Stronghold of Hope is the seat of the Council of the Nine Mystic Traditions and there the nine Primii of the nine Traditions plan, argue, and often scheme in a rich fantasy setting with over 120 other mages. Adam and Terry give a scenic tour of Horizon from Posht, to sword eating contests, to why you should never wear white in November, also the keys to eternal life and the first guidelines on the 6th dot in each sphere. Notes! The logo for the Traditions or possible just Horizon Josh Heath and Terry will be at 1d4 Con! The nine Primii as of 1997 A cut of various Scooby Doo "I would have gotten away with it too" moments Destiny's Price - A gritty book about cities on the other end of the fantasy spectrum Masters of the Art - More detailed book on the life and times of an Archmaster Next up! Book of Crafts: Whispers of Dissent --- Send in a

The early Nephandi were introduced as a tie in for Werewolf: The Apocalypse but over time they've gone from slavering cultists to the Wyrm to something more insidious. Satyros and Jax talk with Adam and Terry about the state of the Nephandi in M20 as revealed in Book of the Fallen and the heartache and tragedy in which the book was forged. 1d4 Con. Community convention in Shephardstown, West Virginia May 15-17th, 2020 Jax author of Safety Rules for Vampire 5th Edition and Changeling the Lost Early Nephandi were just a werewolf tie in, they worshiped the Wyrm Fallen companions - Future book of cut material from this book (not yet released) Kult - Horror game posited on the demiurge guarding humans from reality has gone away Amanda Johnsson - Possible example of a de-inverted Avatar Book of the Wyrm - Book on Entropy and its embodiment in Werewolf  LessWrong - Community blog and forum with particular following among some in Silicon Valley. Roko's basilisk  Fucking Magick by  Cl

Mummies, to quote the Euthanatoi "Are mummies stuck on the Wheel, or do they ride it like experts?" Originally stuck at no more than 42, a new breed of the immortal walk the earth. They fight the Wyrm in the form of Apophis but also fiercely contest the Web of Faith. Where did they come from, what can they do, and how can you use them in a Mage chronicle? Joel Cotton, veteran Mummy and Mage storyteller shares how to integrate the undying into your game. Tales from Dreaming Spires - A Technocracy game in Oxford, UK on Saturday Jan 18th, 2020. More info on Facebook Ascension's Landscape - Made copper in its first week. Kiths of Arcadia - Book of seven new kith Mummy the Resurrection Core Rulebook (get it and we get a cut) Mummy the Resurrection Players Guide (this is a beefy one) Mummy Terms! Amenti or Dark Kingdom of Sand - Where the mummies recoup between cycles  Anubis - First to taste death. Kind of like Egyptian Charon. Apophis - Corrupted version of Apep, embodiment of Oblivion or the

The Cult of Ecstasy explores the liminal spaces between the magickal and mundane and between the emotive and cerebral to return with wisdom.  Plus sex, drugs, and various musical genres not exclusively rock. Adam and Terry discuss the Cult's varied methods of exploring outer and inner spaces of experience, their history, and their magick. Show Notes: Ascension's Landscape is free on the Storyteller's Vault until Jan 9th. Terry wrote this walk-through of setting up the metaphysical world of Mage. It's sold 150 copies already and getting yours now will include all future updates. Josh Heath and Charles Siegel are attempting restarting Paradigma as a community magazine. They're looking for short pieces of about 500 to 2000 words about lore, rules, systems, and reviews. Contact info@hlgcon.com for questions or to submit content. Anders Mage page for the Cult of Ecstasy Kithbook: Satyrs Nuwisha Breedbook  Corax Breedbook Euthanatos Tradition Book Revised Cult of Ecstasy Tradition Book Destin

Two interviews!!! Why aren't old books available in PoD? What's next for RPG book publishing? Where does your $45 for a hardback go? Matt McElroy answers these questions and more in a sit down with Terry Robinson from PAX Unplugged.  Then, Travis Legge gives a short sneak preview of Technocracy Reloaded, as well as how to make the ST Vault work as a creator and a year in review of the Onyx Path's Twitch Channel. Astral Tabletop - Free Virtual Tabletop Software Pugmire - A game where you're a dog! Scion phone version System Resource Document (rulebook) for Bllades in the Dark Ultra Deluxe kickstarter for Changeling the Dreaming https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath schedule listed every Monday Meeting Notes and Legendlore Join our Discord! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/support

Patriarchs or pariahs? Servants of the One or Sactimonious willows? All, none? The Celestial Chorus has morphed considerably from harbingers of armageddon to crypto-Catholics to egalitarian home of all religions. Find out how Chorus has changed over its multi-millenium history and where it's trying to go with Adam and Terry. Traditions Gathered 3: Swords of Faith Useful conversation on religion in Mage  with James Estes Ars Magica, precursor to Mage notable for a list of things you can't do Undoing the Embrace with magick, discussed in Blood Treachery and The Red Sign Is a hot dog a sandwich meme Mithraicism - Roman mystery cult Bhishma - Character in the Mahabharata. Know as a warrior, archer, and celibate. Council of Nicaea - Early gathering of Christian bishops rumored to be influenced by Choristers Additional Books for Celestial Chorus Read the poem at the start of G.K. Chesterton's book The Man Who Was Thursday.  An epic example of Chorister worldview. Father Brown Stories by G.K. Chesterton T

Two interviews this week! First, World War II shook the mortal world providing example upon example of how no dark forces in the shadows are required for there to be atrocities. But how did the Awakened respond? Matt Webb of Jackalope Live Action Studios talks about the setting and process for Mage Noir, a boutique LARP set in 1940s America. Second, so why does Mage look like it does? Rich Thomas, artist, creative director, and head of Onyx Path Publishing talks with Terry at PAX Unplugged about the early history of Mage and how RPG art has changed since 1e. Interview with Matt Webb Mage Eclipse - Matt's sample M5 setting Mage Eclipse MtP episode Cast a Deadly Spell Movie - Noir TV movie in a world of common magic Mage Noir Facebook group Mage Noir Casting Call (application) Jackalope Live Action Studios Jackalope Twitter Nelly's By Night - Toronto Boutique LARP College of Wizardy - Three night immersive LARP in a 13th century Polish castle Interview with Rich Thomas Richard Thomas's CV

The mystery and mood of Mage are heavily informed by the art and artistry on the Mage tarot deck. Every edition of the Mage Core Rulebook has featured The Magician. and almost every book leads with a card or spread. What are these cards? Why are they special to Mage? What can they add to your game? Terry sits down with occult instructor and author of Nothing But a Pack of Cards, S Rune Emerson to talk about what these 78 cards can do for your table. Mage Tarot on Drivethrucards  Anders Tarot Game Mage Tarot Art Pack on STV Jodi Blake as Queen of Primordialism Kevin Andrew Murphy and the Penny Dreadful Novel  Truth Until Paradox  and Truth Beyond Paradox  Caeron Mustai as the Emperor Jet Boy on The Chariot Raging Eagle as Justice Saulot as Temperance Pre modern Koran cards meditation tool Duke of Milan Procession of the Triumphs ANtoine do something something Secret book of Thoth celtic cross Medea, Marauder Oracle The Game of Triumphs by Laura Powell Last

Mage is often an intimate game revolving around neighborhoods, a small cast, and the hopes and perils of magick. But sometimes, Mage is about making sure space dragons don't eat your voidship and that may take depleted uranium and some Accelerated Force Cannons. Void Engineers is very much for that second type of game. Adam and Terry dive into the first real look we have of mages in space and far beyond the protections of the Horizon. Where is the COP? Who's Tychoides? What's the difference between a LERMU and a GENES? Listen and find out! Dyson Sphere Relics Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode Autochthonia in Mage Autochthonia in Exalted Chthonic deities Plural of apparatus Ka Luon Mathematics Research Group Doctor Robert Hill, Void Engineer  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/support

RPGs have changed over time and one new family of play options involve handing players ways to change the story outside of the actions of their characters. Matthew Dawkins is an in-house developer for The Onyx Path and talks with Terry about ways to bring metanarrative tools into your games as well as some healthy speculation about what M5 should be. Also, if you see this before December 5th, another Matthew Project Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition is on kickstarter. If you like what you hear, go back it! Guidelines to submit on the OPP  He Man and Skeletor team up to fight Hordak  Green Ronin Age System  Adventures of Baron Munchausen    Fiasco RPG  Paranoia RPG  THe Truman Show  Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker  John Scfalzi's Red Shirts  It Came From the Late, Late, Late Show  They Came From Beneath the Sea  Redmoon Roleplaying Live Play of Mummy: The Curse 2e  The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers  Storypath Nexus&nb

The Council gets their Tradition books, the Technocracy gets their Convention books, but what about the Hollow Ones? Not necessarily Orphans, not quite a craft, these creatures of modernity claim to go back to at least the Jazz Age but how do you play one? Outcasts: A Players Guide to Pariahs was the first supplement to give more information on this collection of goths and romantics along with information on the Caitiff of Vampire and the Ronin of Werewolf. Adam and Terry talk about the Hollow Ones changing story and the role of Orphans in Mage: The Ascension. References! Lord Dunsany - Writer of works that sound an awful lot like someone visited the Umbra Teratology - The monster manual for Invisible Sun Other Books! Tradition Book: Hollow Ones - probably the best text on the group and published in Revised Book of Crafts: Whispers of Dissent - 2nd Edition's big book of entities not aligned in the Ascension War Orphans Survival Guide - Expands on non-Hollow Orphan groups in Mage Next Book! Void Eng

James Estes, former Mage writer and current professor and library director, takes some time to talk with us about religion in Mage. Can it contribute something to our Chronicles and how should we handle it? He also shares his experiences about writing for Mage and offers advice for those thinking of contributing to Storytellers Vault. James Estes bio James Estes Web site Wesley Theological Seminary Celestial Chorus Tradition Book Halls of the Arcanum Guild Encyclopedias --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/support

Mage's Second Edition Core Rulebook had a strict page count and clocked in at fewer pages than First Edition. So what were these missing pages and where did they go? Hidden Lore was the collection of all the materials that ran over the page count and for the Second Edition Storyteller it's your best source for additional rotes and systems as well as an entire cabal.  Terry and Adam discuss what to take from it and what to leave behind. in this episode of Tomes of Magick. Troupe play from Ars Magica Dice for gaming on Discord Inphobia Magazine Alternative play styles in Mage A trip to Pike Place Market in Seattle Theater of the Mind Chantry Mages of Note Enlightened Grimoire list of all rotes Sphere handouts for M20 Umbral ships --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/support

Not every rule makes sense in every Mage game, but how do you figure out what to change and know when to change it? Monica Speca, developer and writer for Onyx Path Publishing walks through the design considerations for making the rules of the game fit the game you want to play. Learn about mechanics like momentum, stunts, investigation, stress, and relationship tension Jenga towers. Bonus Experience podcast - Monica's podcast along with cohost Rai Cole.  BXP episode 2 on House Rules "house ruling is basically just micro game design for an audience of like six people" Age system - Game with an investigation mechanic and the generic version  Gumshoe games - Game centered around investigation in different settings like: Ashen Stars - Sci fi investigation game Trail of Cthulhu - dark horror investigation game Star Crossed  - Two player Jenga Love Game Stunts in Exalted - a run down of stunts in Exalted Invisible Sun  - A somewhat pretentious but surreal game by Monte Cook t

Second Edition's intimacy and depth is sometimes viewed as a radical departure from First Edition's cosmic stories but what are the nuts and bolts of the differences? Was the change sudden or gradual and how was Brucato's vision implemented in a core book? Adam and Terry talk about how mechanics, mood, setting, and metaplot changed and what you should remember when looking back on Second Edition's groundbreaking release and what got left behind from 2e's strict page count. Changes: Mechanics Difficulties change for vulgar from rolling sphere to rolling arete in all cases Focuses opened up and focus-specific time requirements dropped  Orphans progress at same rate as other mages but require focuses Bonuses for being near a node no longer swing as wildly, capped at -3 instead of -5 Can now re-try failed effects without blowing willpower Damage chart unified and one-off modifiers listed for Spheres (Mind does bashing, etc) Coincidental now process Much of the content of Book of Shadows is bak