Mage: The Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mage: The Podcast
A podcast dedicated to exploring the Mage: The Ascension, a role-playing game (RPG) based in the World of Darkness.
In Part 2 of our Mage Zero Edition deep-dive, Adam and Pooka sift the fun esoterica—early Tradition names (Parmenidians, Initiates of the Invisible World), a clearer Celestial Chorus, Dreamspeakers’ true remit, quirky rituals, big willpower walls, Paradox wrinkles, the dream magic that never was, and share their thoughts on what was best left behind and what is ready to drop into your games. Missed Part 1? Start there, then mosey back for secrets, laughs, and table-ready takeaways.
Special thanks to Stewart Wieck for permission to discuss the Zero Edition.
Show Notes Early Tradition names: Initiates of the Invisible World, Parmenidians, Order of the Cosmic Stream * How Dreamspeakers, Verbena, and the Celestial Chorus first appeared * Forgotten mechanics: Threads, General Resistance, Auspiced Damage, and “Armageddon Effect” * Missing Dream Magic supplement and LARP crossover notes * Discussion of Essence Families vs. Traditions and dynamic vs. static forces * Reflections on Mage*’s earliest themes of enlightenment, technology, and the human spirit
Adam and Pooka crack open a lost treasure — Mage: The Ascension, Zero Edition, a 1993 manuscript that shaped the game’s future. They share laughs, lore, share their thoughts on what was best left behind and what is ready to drop into your game, and a few “what were they thinking?” moments, from cosmic origins to dream magic and immortal mages. Don’t be a Copernicus.
Show Notes Stuart Wieck’s original cosmology: The Prime, Quintessence, and Dynamic Force * Dream magic, the Near Umbra, and Dream Lords * Early lore links to Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Ars Magica * The origins of Avatars (“Gift Spirits”) and Essence Families * The role of Pure Ones and their echoes in later Mage editions * Differences between Zero Edition and Mage: The Ascension (First Edition)* * The concept of Evolutes — the five stages of Ascension * Technocrats as self-aware mages upholding the “cold lie of science” * Copernicus and the cosmic betrayal that started the Ascension War * Early versions of Quiet, Mindscapes, and the origin of Boogeymen and Dark Births * TryItCon2: TerryCon – Online convention honoring Terry Robinson, November 8–9, 2025
Pooka and Bryce crack open Victorian Mage: Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters. From ghostly X-ray photos to occult artists and Umbra conspiracies, what stories and characters wait around the globe for your players to discover? Plus, TryItCon 2: Terry Con Edition is set for Nov 7–9 on Discord & Zoom, honoring Terry Robinson with games and a Twitter Pig charity auction.
Show Notes TryItCon 2: Terry Con - online convention dedicated to the idea that there are great games yet to try, great people yet to be met, and great ideas yet to be learned * Victorian Mage: Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters * Expanded adventures: “Wee” Brazil’s vanishing island, Le Fleur du Mal*’s decadent occultists, “Voice of God” cosmic horror * Umbra exploration: conspiracies in the Fortress of Government, the River of Language, Victorian values embodied in the Spire of Modern Virtue
Adam and Pooka explore the wild world of Paradox, those cosmic smackdowns that keep Mages humble. They chat about realms where magic bites back, share tales from the table, and review Never-Real Worlds, a Storyteller’s Vault toolkit full of roll tables to spark your own strange Paradox adventures. Grab a seat, pour a drink, and join the ride toward Ascension (without all the headaches).
Show Notes What Paradox is and how it shapes the Consensus. * Paradox Realms as teaching tools, not just punishments. * Inspiration from Groundhog Day and TTRPG history (like the Dread Gazebo). * ShadowCity: Blood and Neon - A gothic punk roleplaying game with a ShadowDark*-inspired approach that throws players into instant action and drama.
Welcome to Reality Deviants Movie Club! Pooka, Adam, and Jenna dive into Sneakers (1992), a techno-thriller packed with heists, hacker mages, and Mage: The Ascension plot seeds. From Virtual Adepts vs. Technocracy to teamwork and codebreaking wonders, we break it all down—plus ideas for running this as a chronicle.
Show Notes Sneakers - This flick is a ready-made low-Arete chronicle or intro arc to a Virtual Adept campaign. * Sneakers* Trailer on YouTube. * Cosmo’s quote: “It’s not reality that counts—it’s the perception of reality” is textbook Mage philosophy. * Some Tips for New Storytellers - Adam pullsa bundle of helpful tricks and tips out of his Storyteller’s saddlebag for veterans and folks just starting out running Mage games.
Adam and guest Amena dive into Laws of Ascension Companion, the last Mage live action role-playing game (LARP) book. From Technocracy quirks to oddball factions, wild rotes, and Umbra adventures, they cover what works, what’s weird, and what’s worth borrowing for your Chronicle. Plus, Amena shares how she built a thriving local LARP scene from scratch.
Download the transcript for today’s show here.
Show Notes Overview of Laws of Ascension Companion* — content, factions, rules, rotes. * Technocracy chapter breakdown and faction quirks * New groups like Wu-Nung; merits, flaws and LARP-usable skills * Standout rotes and optional rules for PvP, paradox, crossover play * Locations on Earth and in the Umbra for LARP use * Amina’s journey from online LARP to running live Sabbat and Mage games * Tips for starting and sustaining a LARP community * One Word by Night * Amena’s game
Adam chats with 4 guests about 3 projects. Mage 20 system reference document, Book of Common Magicks and Darkness Over Dallas fiction series.
Mage 20 SRD
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_GzPNZoPabVMAKxk_y1aBpl0jic5QD8Y1TyLpCQUuKg
Book of Common Magicks
https://www.storytellersvault.com/product/462226/Book-of-Common-Magicks
Darkness Over Dallas
https://www.storytellersvault.com/browse.php?author=T.L.Webb
Mage the Podcast social media links
Website
http://magethepodcast.com
Patreon
https://bit.ly/MagePatreon
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.social
Mastodon
https://dice.camp/@magethepodcast
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@magethepodcast
Discord
https://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz
In this spirited dive into Séance on St. James Street, Pooka and Josh Heath dissect the Victorian Mage jumpstart—what works, what misses, and whether it’s a fitting intro for new players. From ghostly redemption arcs to wonky stats and page-layout sins, they unravel the spectral threads of this quickstart. Is this séance a slayance, or should it be buried with a stake in its heart?
Show Notes Séance on St. James Street: A Victorian Age Mage Jumpstart * M20 Victorian Age Mage* - Josh didn’t back the Kickstarter * Praise for Gene Gaydos’s surreal photomontage art * Mendoza the Sahajiya gunslinger and Birgit the Sámi shaman stand out * Hopepunk works best when it’s not yelling at you.
Adam and Bryce dive into Laws of Ascension, Mage’s guide to live-action roleplaying! They chat rotes, rubber rats, and rock-paper-scissors magic, with plenty of laughs and a dash of heartfelt critique. Whether you’re LARP-curious or just love mage lore, this one's for you. Also, Bryce shares news on a KULT: Divinity Lost deep dive over at Darker Days Radio. Truth until paradox, baby!
Show Notes Adam and Bryce take on Laws of Ascension, Mage's core LARP rulebook for the Revised era. * Bryce shares LARP anecdotes and kicks off the show with news on his KULT: Divinity Lost 4th Edition deep dive on Darker Days Radio. * LARP 101: Mind’s Eye Theater* system explained—no dice, lots of rock-paper-scissors, and many index cards. * Safety rules, public play etiquette, and why dressing up as your mage shouldn’t get you arrested. * Adam reflects on Nordic LARP vs. Laws of Ascension’s American-style sandbox. * Bryce volunteers to LARP in his backyard… as a ghost.
Writer, musician, and game designer James Curcio joins us for a warm, wide-ranging chat on magic, myth, and RPGs. From Dungeons & Dragons to Mage: The Ascension and Modern Mythology, we talk play, storytelling, and the mystery of it all. Oh, yeah, and we also shoot the breeze about goblins, game systems, and why magic might just be another name for imagination.
Show Notes Generation Hex - Editor Jason Louv brings together a batch of wild and thoughtful voices from the edge of things—a generation of young folks dreaming up bold new paths for spirit, soul, and what it means to grow as human beings—including an essay by James Curcio. * Blades in the Dark - A tabletop role-playing game about a scrappy crew of daring scoundrels chasing fortune and stirring up trouble on ghost-filled streets. * Fate Accelerated - Folks just call it FAE—is a slimmed-down, easy-to-learn version of Fate Core that still packs all the punch and flexibility of the full game. It’s quick as a whip to pick up, and before you know it, you and your pals can be off adventuring in the world of your favorite book, movie, or show—or cookin’ up a brand-new world of your own. Best part? Setup’s a breeze. You can go from idea to dice-rollin’ in just a few minutes. * Alan Moore and his latest book, The Great When, a spellbinding new series full of murder, magic, and mayhem—set between two Londons: one picking up the pieces after World War II, and the other a hidden world brimming with mystery and wonder. * Grant Morrison and his comic book series, The Invisibles, a scrappy little cell of The Invisible College—a secret bunch fighting the good fight against all kinds of oppression, using time travel, magic, meditation, and (when needed) a good ol’ fashioned scuffle. * The Expanse - a role-playing game brings the big, bold world of James S.A. Corey’s hit sci-fi books right to your tabletop. Built on Green Ronin’s trusty Adventure Game Engine—the same one that powers Fantasy AGE, Blue Rose, and Modern AGE—this game drops you into a future where Earth folks, Martians, and Belters are all jockeying for power and resources out in the stars. But something old and alien is waking up, and the story of humanity’s future is fixing to take a wild new turn. * Modern Mythologies, a podcast exploring mythmaking and mechanics in RPGs. * You can find James’ work at: + jamescurcio.com + fallencycle.com + modernmythology.net * Operation Watchtower - a podcast rooter in Kult: Divinity Lost*, set in the wake of 9/11 and launches September 11, 2025.
This is the final two-hander episode featuring the brilliant and sorely missed Terry Robinson, recorded with Pooka before Terry’s passing. In this deeply personal and intellectually rich conversation, Terry and Pooka dive headfirst into the mystic heart of the Syndicate , exploring its layered portrayal across Mage: The Ascension editions—from Mafia caricature to modern myth-makers of the market.
- Revised & M20 era implications:Syndicate in charge—but how and when did that happen?
- Bourdieu’s Capital Theory: Economic, social, cultural, and linguistic capital in Mage terms
- Roland Barthes & Jean Baudrillard: Semiotics, simulation, and consumer ritual as hyper-sigil work
- Pierre Lévy’s Anthropological Spaces: Syndicate mages as avatars of the Commodity Space
- Control, Blindsight & Data Visualization: Facial recognition as magical parsing; the uncanny art of market faces
- Tate Modern installation: A stock ticker + Greek lament = sublime Syndicate paradox realm?
- The Syndicate as potential chaos magicians of the Technocracy
In this episode, legendary occult historian and ex-Blondie bassist Gary Lachman joins us to talk magic, Crowley, meme sorcery, and the reality-bending weirdness of the 21st century. From shared dreams in 1970s New York to egregores, astral hobos, and the dark gravity of Trump as a Tulpa, Gary pulls no punches.
Show Notes How a hit Blondie song was inspired by psychic experiences * Colins Wilson’s books The Outsider and The Occult * His involvement with Ordo Templi Orientis * Why Crowley’s followers creeped him out * Gary’s book, Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump * The occult revival of the 1970s (and how it compares to today) * Why reality itself is up for grabs—and what that means for Mage: The Ascension players * The movies Dark City, The Matrix and Forbidden Planet * Gary’s forthcoming memoir, Touched by the Presence: From Blondie’s Bowery and Rock and Roll to Magic and the Occult, scheduled for release on November 18, 2025, by Inner Traditions. * Plus: what happened when he contradicted David Bowie at a party*
What makes a great Disparate? Adam and Pooka crack open M20 Forgotten and Forbidden Orders to spotlight the most compelling crafts in Mage 20—from the dream-walking Noma to the sandstorm-riding Taftani. Along the way, they unpack what works, what doesn’t. Also in this episode: TryItCon 2, a listener review, and what happens when your RPG expectations go sideways.
Show Notes TryItCon 2: Tarragon Edition – Now recruiting Storytellers and GMs for this online convention (June 13–15) in memory of Terry Robinson, $20 donation-based, proceeds go to charity * Night Rangers fiction series ready — Technocratic Texas Rangers fiction * M20 Forgotten and Forbidden Orders - Final NPC-focused supplement for Mage 20* * The Noma - Reimagined Order of Hermes parallel with African roots * The Templars - formerly Christian male militants, now inclusive and post-Christian * The Taftâni - Strongest faction presence in Dubai, though questioned for realism * The Hollow Ones - Introduces five internal “cliques” (e.g., Moles, Sound Wave Masters) * The Kahu - Formerly Kopa Loei; modernized, open to diverse recruits
Pooka and Bryce discuss M20 Faces of Magick. One of the final two books of Mage 20, a collection of NPCs, ideas and possibilities.
Show Notes M20 Faces of Magick * Final NPC-focused supplement for Mage 20 * Originally a stretch goal from Lore of the Traditions* Kickstarter * TryItCon 2: Tarragon Edition – Now recruiting Storytellers and GMs for this online convention (June 13–15) in memory of Terry Robinson
Arden Leigh shares her magical journey—from neuro-linguistic programming and trauma healing to chaos magic, sigils, and becoming Grant Morrison’s magical heir. We explore her concept of “repatterning,” her band Arden and the Wolves, the ethics of magical identity, and the risks and rewards of narrative magic in RPGs like Mage: The Ascension. A vivid, vulnerable, and powerful conversation on transforming belief into reality.
Show Notes The Repatterning Project - reprogramming life through self-directed ritual and psychology; course includes weekly lectures and group calls, focusing on assessing and resetting patterns for personal growth * Witch blood and how it relates to her own experiences and magical practices * The growth of magic culture with the internet, making it more accessible and efficient to learn and practice * Competitive nature of magic today and the challenges of maintaining control over one's practice * Bringing magic into role-playing games * Arden’s upcoming album with her band, Arden and the Wolves, titled The Bourbon Room Sessions* * Arden’s plan to launch her own podcast and write a book, all related to her magical practices and the Repatterning Project
Adam and Pooka discuss Robert W. Chambers' King in Yellow mythos and other stories. Can they inspire Mage stories? Can these two stick to the subject?
Yellow Signs: The Decadent Movement and its Influence on Weird Fiction
Blog article on The Yellow Wallpaper, 1892
Free stories online
Cosmic vs. Abrahamic Horror
Mage the Podcast social media links
Website
http://magethepodcast.com
Patreon
https://bit.ly/MagePatreon
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.social
Mastodon
https://dice.camp/@magethepodcast
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@magethepodcast
Discord
https://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz
Terry and 3 other hosts discuss World of Darkness Hong Kong
Mage the Podcast social media links
Website
http://magethepodcast.com
Patreon
https://bit.ly/MagePatreon
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.social
Mastodon
https://dice.camp/@magethepodcast
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@magethepodcast
Discord
https://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz
Adam’s riding solo on this one, and he’s pulling a bundle of helpful tricks and tips out of his Storyteller’s saddlebag—especially for folks just starting out running Mage games. If you’re a veteran, you might hear some familiar ground, but if you’re new to the Storyteller’s seat, this one’s a gold mine.
Show Notes 🔍 Mysteries in Mage
How to prep, run, and avoid dead-ends in investigative stories using the Three Clue Rule, leads vs. evidence, and flexible scene design.
* 📉 Failing Forward
Why a botched roll doesn’t have to mean failure. Let the players move forward with consequences instead of slamming the brakes.
* 🎲 Let It Ride
One roll covers an entire scene—less stress, more fun. A simple rule to keep the tension without constant dice-checking.
* 🏙️ Portraying Cities with Flavor
Bring your setting to life! Split the city into districts, add landmarks and “scenic encounter” tables to make your urban Mage game sing.
* ⏰ Faction Clocks
A slick little tool to track what NPC factions are up to, using clocks to show progress and raise stakes in the background.
* 😈 Villain Advice
Three time-tested tips:
+ Let worthy foes emerge from play
+ Keep villains offscreen and safe until the big showdown
+ Don’t be afraid to let bad guys run away when things go south
* 📚 Source of Inspiration
Much of this wisdom comes from Justin Alexander’s book So You Want To Be A Game Master and his legendary blog The Alexandrian, with Mage-friendly tweaks and examples sprinkled in.
* 🎧 Related Episode*
Missions, Mysteries, and Magick: Paranormal Investigation in Mage - Using weird artifacts, team dynamics and investigations that make sense in the World of Darkness.
Adam and Terry discuss Mage20 Sorcerer. What do the sorcerers and psychics of the World of Darkness get up to when they can't learn Sphere magick?
Mage the Podcast social media links
Website
http://magethepodcast.com
Patreon
https://bit.ly/MagePatreon
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.social
Mastodon
https://dice.camp/@magethepodcast
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@magethepodcast
Discord
https://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz
Adam interviews Jiba Anderson, author of the Bata'a chapter in Forbidden and Forgotten Orders.
Griot Enterprises
Rocbottom Studios
Mage the Podcast social media links
Website
http://magethepodcast.com
Patreon
https://bit.ly/MagePatreon
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.social
Mastodon
https://dice.camp/@magethepodcast
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@magethepodcast
Discord
https://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz
Terry and Michael Mercere discuss six of the Houses of the Order of Hermes.
Michael's book Riddle of the Sphinx
Check out OoH Tradition Book and OoH Tradition Book Revised.
Mage the Podcast social media links
Website
http://magethepodcast.com
Patreon
https://bit.ly/MagePatreon
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.social
Mastodon
https://dice.camp/@magethepodcast
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@magethepodcast
Discord
https://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz
Pooka G interviews Atalanti Evripidou on her Sisters of Hippolyta chapter Forbidden & Forgotten Orders.
We Are Island, published in Luna Station Quarterly issue 060. In Greek, this story was published in issue 37 of "Φανταστικά Χρονικά" magazine.
Shanties of the Sunless Vast, published in the anthology "Star Maidens", by MacKenzie Publishing. This is only available on Amazon for now, as far as I know.
The Macabre Dance of the Fiddler and Kore, featured in Gallery of Curiosities, can be found on Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms for podcast. It was also reprinted recently in the second issue of Skull and Laurel magazine.
Crystal Ash, featured in StarShipSofa no634 and reprinted in Speculative North magazine, issue 4.
Shadow Play, published in Flame Tree Fiction Newsletter issue 19.
The Pink Casket, published in 34 Orchard, issue 1.
In Greek, my short story collection, "Εκείνοι που δεν έφυγαν", was published in Autumn 2024 by ΠΟΛΙΣ.
Mage the Podcast social media links
Website
http://magethepodcast.com
Patreon
https://bit.ly/MagePatreon
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.social
Mastodon
https://dice.camp/@magethepodcast
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@magethepodcast
Discord
https://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz
Adam interviews Satyros Brucato on his Solificati chapter in Forbidden & Forgotten Orders.
Brucato's Recommendations:
The Magician's Reflection by Bill Whitcomb
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
The Alchemists of Kush by Minister Faust
Maynard James Keenan biography
Gary Lachman books:
Aleister Crowley: Magick, Rock and Roll, and the Wickedest Man in the World
A Secret History of Consciousness
Turn Off Your Mind
Occulture
Coyote Wallace's book
Red Shoes
Valhalla with a Twist of Lethe
Mage the Podcast social media links
Website
http://magethepodcast.com
Patreon
https://bit.ly/MagePatreon
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.social
Mastodon
https://dice.camp/@magethepodcast
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@magethepodcast
Discord
https://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz
Adam chats with longtime contributor Rachelle Udell. Rochelle shares her journey through Mage projects—from her early days to her favorite, The Fallen Tower: Las Vegas—and dives into her hefty chapter on the Ngoma in Forbidden and Forgotten Orders. With wit and warmth, she unpacks magical lore, quirky pronunciations, and rich traditions that keep the Mage universe alive. Enjoy this friendly ride through mystical realms!
Show Notes Forbidden and Forgotten Orders. * Rachelle’s work on DriveThruRPG + Chicago By Night (Vampire: the Masquerade 5th Edition) + The Fallen Tower: Las Vegas + Bitter Road + Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition + Orphans Survival Guide + Crusade Lore* * The Disparate Alliance
Hey folks, we’ve got something special for you—a new podcast series featuring our dear friend Terry Robinson, recorded before his passing. With the blessing of his loved ones, we’re rolling out these episodes alongside some fantastic guest co-hosts.
In this first installment, co-produced by Pooka (Changeling: The Podcast) and Josh Heath (Werewolf: The Podcast), we explore World of Darkness: Tokyo. We chew over everything from wraith politics to supernatural factions and Japan’s eerie, mystical underbelly. There’s plenty to love and plenty to scratch our heads over—some parts don’t quite hold up, and there are missed chances here and there. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of gold to dig up for your own storytelling!
Show Notes World of Darkness: Tokyo * World of Darkness: Hong Kong * Wraith: The Oblivion * Dark Kingdom of Jade * Kindred of the East * Land of Eight Million Dreams* * Melissa Uran
Adam sits down with Kim Godwin to chat about about her chapter inForbidden and Forgotten Orders, an upcomingMage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition book. Kim shares her love for TTRPGs, her experience with Mage, and how she reworked the Kahu faction with a stronger cultural foundation. She highlights the importance of preserving traditions while adapting for survival. Kim also shares insights on her horror fiction, webcomics, and a pile of exciting TTRPG projects. Lots of fun, magic, and creativity in this one!
Show Notes Kim’s writing credits * How Kim reworked the Kahu to better reflect Polynesian culture and history * Kim’s experience writing forScion,Trinity,Cursebourne, and other tabletop TTRPGs. * Kim’s other projects, including her horror short stories, webcomicTouching the Abyss*, and upcoming TTRPGs.
Today we’ve got something special—two deep dives into the world of magic and role-playing!
We sit down with Douglas Rushkoff—media theorist, writer, and host of the Team Human podcast—to explore how RPGs, especially Mage: The Ascension, serve as tools for reality manipulation and self-discovery. We talk about the changing face of magic in society, its impact on public figures, and how Storytellers can weave magical sensibilities into their campaigns.
Then, we chat with Richard Metzger, lifelong explorer of the occult and host of the Magic Show. He takes us on a journey through the cultural evolution of magic, its place in pop culture, and intriguing ideas like radionics that could bring a whole new layer to modern RPGs.
Show Notes Douglas Rushkoff + Vampire: The Masquerade, GURPS, and Magic: The Gathering. + Genesis P-Orridge and Psychic TV. + Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea and Taoist philosophy + Douglas’s book,Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires + Donald Trump, Norman Vincent Peale and The Power of Positive Thinking. + Douglas’s Substack newsletter. * Richard Metzger + Bewitched and mythical figures like Merlin. + Aleister Crowley’s magick as act of willpower + Radionics: electronic devices believed to manipulate reality, as explored by figures like John W. Campbell and William Burroughs (search on Etsy). + The Magick Show, featuring interviews with 55+ magicians, witches, and scholars! + Arden Leigh, chaos magician and Grant Morrison’s magical heir * Alan Moore’s The Great When * Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles*
Adam sits down to talk with Bill Bridges, developer and author for Mage the Ascension. Bill talks about the early days of White Wolf, his work on Werewolf & Mage, his thoughts on Mage's directions over the years and Mage the Awakening. Check out his work on Fading Suns.
Twenty one years after the last Tradition Book, Lore of the Traditions gives an update to the Nine Traditions. Adam and Pook walk through where each Tradition is in the 2020s, their favorites, and what they wish they saw more of.
Lore of the Traditions on DriveThruRPG
Mage isn't the only game with weird metaphysics. Frank and Tormsen from 33.3 FM join to talk the metaphysics of Unknown Armies, their favorite supplements and magic types, and of course the Comte de Saint Germain.
33.3FM on Soundcloud
Unnatural Phenomena - Unknown Armies resource site
Atlas Games - Official purveyor of Unknown Armies
Break Today - Supplement about Mak Attax
Unknown Armies 2e Core
One Shots for Unknown Armies 1e
Unknown Armies Discord
The hsien of Changeling sat oddly with their cousins, how else could they be imagined? Sebastian Noh, author of grand In the Realm of Gods and Dreams joins to talk Half-Devils, Living Prayers, and their interactions with the mages of The Golden World.
In the Realm of Gods and Dreams on Storyteller Vault
Kindred of the East: The Relentless Age Sebastian's previous work
Curseborne is Onyx Path's new urban fantasy game powered by Storypath Ultra now on Kickstarter. So what can steal from it? Eddy Webb and Matthew Dawkins join to talk curses, liminalities, epochs, dread powers, and magic.
Curseborne Ashcan - Prelim version of game
The game's Kickstarter page
The Curseborne webpage
Eddy Webb's webpage
Matthew Dawkin's webpage
Want more systematic magick, Hermetic houses, options for the divine and infernal, new types of duels and ways to build chantries? Try Ars Magica! David Chart joins to talk the Backerkit for the new Definitive Edition.
Ars Magica Definitive Edition on Backerkit - Back it here
Preview of first three chapters - Get a peek
Previous MtP Ars Magica Episode
What would it be like to wrapped in occult weirdness in the 1930s? Trail of Cthulhu 2e answers and we talk with the authors about Azathoth, veal prices, dancing, and weird science in Oklahoma! On Backerkit October 15!
A nice Trail of Cthulhu settting bundle on DRTPG
Trail of Cthulhu on Backerkit - Register to get the free Quickstart
Gar's Website
Ken Hite on Twitter
Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff - Lovingly known as KARTAS
Previous Trail Episode
New Lovecraft God - Where Ken and Robin create Qotha-Nhur’rin, the Destruction at the Heart of Creation
Borellus Connection - Giant Delta Green Campaign
Not every bit of lore persists through a game's history and today we're talking the things shed after first edition and how to bring them back like active Oracles, node-seeking spiders, Nephandic pure forms, and more.
Masters of the Art episode - Where we talk about Exemplars
Infernalism: The Path of Screams episode - Talking about demons' special hate for some religious figures.
Mage: The Ascension 1e - the book that started it all
One shots give you a taste of another game but what can we take from them? Terry and Pook talk choice bits from Cyberpunk, Through the Breach, Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast and more.
Cyberpunk Red
Through the Breach
Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast
Everyday Arcana
Stealing Stories for the Devil
Twilight Inscription
Changeling the Podcast
What would you change in Mage? Today we asked Darker Days Radio's Bryce Perry, Jackalope Live Action Studio's Matthew Webb, Plastic Age Production's Travis Legge, and author James Sambrano what they'd change.
Dark Days Radio
Jackalope Live Action Studio
Plastic Age Plays on Patreon
James on Patreon
Travis on Startplaying.games
Gulag Archipelago
Mages are human. Love and romance are parts of their lives, so how do we add them? Friday Stout and Sebastian Yūe join to talk their project How to GM Romance which gives systems for romance plus plenty of ST advice.
How to GM Romance on Backerkit
Sample Pamphlet
Sebastian's InfoTwitter: http://twitter.com/sebastianyue
Website: http://sebastianyue.ca/ttrpgs
Friday's Website: https://www.dollarsanddragons.com/
What would you do if you knew the world were in its last days? Our Brilliant Ruin from World of Darkness writers Justin Achilli and Rachel J. Wilkinson asks this question and we talk tools, methods, inspirations, and ideas for gaming in a world that's dying.
Our Brilliant Ruin site
Our Brilliant Ruin on DTRPG
Rachel J Wilkinson's site
Studio Hermitage site
The Hsien are said to be the changelings of East Asia...but that's...a stretch, so why not use them in your Mage game instead? Adam and Terry talk Shinma, hanumen, suijen, and tasty tasty dragon's nests in Land of Eight Million Dreams.
Changeling the Podcast's Land of Eight Million Dreams episode
This book
Sources run the gamut for how many mages are running around the World of Darkness, how should your game change based on their commonality? Terry and Bryce talk low mage counts games and how to run them.
Ascension's Landscape - Terry's book of storyteller advice
Hidden Lore - 2e overflow book with mage count
Malcolm Sheppard's Distribution - Former writer's opinion on how many mages
Metaplot can be hard to approach, so how do pick what to add? How do you fill in what happened since Avatar Storm? Terry and Michael talk Avatar Storms, the Sphinx, STV supplements, and many many factional plot hooks.
The Riddle of the Sphinx - Michael's book on adding plot between Revised and M20
Strange Yesterdays - Alternatives to the 2e/Revised metaplot
The Year of the Lotus added East Asian elements to many gamelines, what can Mage players take from the supplements for other lines? Adam and Terry talk the Shih, the Shen, and ass tattoos in World of Darkness: Demon Hunter X.
World of Darkness: Demon Hunter X - This book
Land of Eight Million Dreams - Next book
Mages can live centuries with minds both powerful and fluid, how do we feature memory as a central story idea? Bryce and Terry talk the Mind Sphere, strategic forgetting and There Is No Antimemetics Division.
There Is No Antimemetics Division (CC) - One of the inspirations for the episode. Also available in dead tree form
SCP Foundation - Wiki that also contains information on some of the memetic entities mentioned
Nibiru - Billed as a science fiction game of lost memories
Mummy the Curse - Another game heavily featuring memory
M20 still has several releases in queue and Hiromi and Travis talk about them including two for M20 Victorian and two for M20's contemporary setting. This is an edited recording of the Oppcon 2024 M20 panel.
Travis Legge on DTRPG
Hiromi Cota on DTRPG
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
What if reality were even more malleable than Mage lets on and conspiracies existed to incept some new truth into existence? This is the world of The Department of Truth and we talk how to bring it into a Mage game.
The Department of Truth omnibus - First 17 issues. On sale as of this posting
Types of Conspiracies in the World of Darkness - Previous episode on a similar topic
Babalon Working - A working involving a prominent figure in Crowley's Thelema
Jack Parsons - He...he did some stuff
Splashin' Around - The song that got stuck in my head
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage can be tuned to a lot of different play experiences but knowing how to do that is hard. This episode addresses just three things: who call for rolls, when to call one, and how to look at the results.
Finite and Infinite Games - Philosophy book on the nature of play
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The Hedge serves as both a strange place with its own denizens and border between Arcadia and the mundane world in Changeling the Lost. How can we use it in the World of Darkness? Lauren Roy joins to explain how!
The Hedge - This book!
Damnation City - A darn good book on city building
Changeling: The Lost 2e
SNL Well Skit
Lauren works
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Gnosticism has ancient roots and is mentioned at across various WoD lines. How can we reflect Gnosticism and Gnostic magick in Mage? Pook joins to talk Sophia, Yaldabaoth, the Pleroma, and the Cainite Heresy.
Nostradamus's Cherry Jams
World of Darkness Books
Cainite Heresy - Dark Ages Vampire book with a wild take on Gnosticism.
The Paradigm's Progress - Pook's book on Paradigm advancement
Other Books
- Michael Baigent - A British author known for his works on the historical Jesus and conspiracy theories.
- Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch - A science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick that explores themes of reality and illusion.
- Valis - A science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick that delves into Gnosticism and reality.
- Current Gnostic churches - Modern religious movements influenced by ancient Gnostic traditions.
- The Thunder, Perfect Mind - A Gnostic poem discovered among the Nag Hammadi library texts.
- The Gospel of Truth - A Gnostic text that provides a unique interpretation of Christian teachings.
- The Gospel of Judas - An ancient Gnostic text that presents Judas Iscariot in a positive light.
- Voight-Kampff test - A fictional test used in the Blade Runner universe to distinguish humans from replicants.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The Maya and Dreaming are only lightly described in Mage, where can we look to for more options? Why Changeling! Terry and Adam read Dreams and Nightmares with an eye to using it in Mage with all its trods, mists, and chimera.
Dreams and Nightmares - This book
Changeling the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition - The most recent core book
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
So what's everyone else makin'? This week Terry talks to Kris Newton of Megadumbcast, Mike Diamond of the Ascension of Babylon actual play and TL Webb's latest fiction, Crushing Depths.
Crushing Depths - Latest Hollow Earth fiction
TL Webb's Other Works
Megadumbcast Patreon - Get the megasodes
Ascension of Babylon -The Old Ways podcast
The Old Ways Patreon
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Strange peoples lurk at the edges of the World of Darkness. How do we add them to our games? Pook and Terry talk the Sekrana, Chulorviah, The Watchers in the Deep, the Wyck, and other early humans.
BOOKS!
- Last Days of New Paris - A novel that imagines a surreal Paris overrun with manifestations of surrealist art.
- The City & The City - A detective story set in two cities that occupy the same space but are perceived separately by their residents.
- Perdido Street Station - A fantasy novel set in the sprawling city of New Crobuzon, filled with bizarre creatures and arcane technologies.
- Psionics Handbook - A resource book for the Dungeons & Dragons game, detailing psionic powers and characters.
- Teratology - An exploration of monsters and mythical beings from Invisible Sun
- Book of Gehenna - A dark fantasy book exploring the mythologies of the end of the world.
- Nim Chimpsky - A chimpanzee raised as a human child to test language acquisition
- 2001: A Space Odyssey - A classic science fiction novel that explores themes of evolution, technology, and consciousness.
- Sphere of Gun - A book that probably shouldn't exist
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage draws upon sources both ancient and modern, what can they teach us about our games? Pook and Adam talk Books of Magic, the four-part series by Neil Gaiman for DC Comics in this installment of Reality Deviant Book Club.
Reading List for Hollow Earth Inspiration
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The World of Darkness has all sorts of non-human peoples, how do we add them to Mage? Pook from Changeling the Podcast joins to talk about the Fomorians, Tuatha de Danaan, the Goro, Dero, Firstborn and the Djinn.
Sphere of Gun book
Episode on Dark Ages Fae
Episode on Beyond the Barriers: The Book of Worlds
Colorized Revised prints
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The World of Darkness is full of supernatural conspiracies, but who falls in with them and how can we use them in our games? Jordan Etherington joins to talk methods and pitfalls when adding creeping conspiracy to your game.
- The Crying of Lot 49
- They Live
- The X Files
- Ahti (Control)
- Delta Green
- Unknown Armies
- Over the Edge
- Inside Job (Netflix)
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
How do we crack D&D's hegemony? What would a better World of Darkness convention experience be? What fun stuff did we find? Mike A of Darker Days Radio and Pooka G from Changeling the Podcast talk PAX Unplugged
Games we mention:
To Serve Her Wintry Hunger
The Electric State
Mr Gone's Character Sheets
The Walking Dead RPG
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Werewolves see the Otherworlds differently with different senses, different passages, and possibly different places. Adam and Terry talk Umbra, Umbra Rev and W20 Umbra from the Scar to the planetary court.
Axis Mundi - A big book of spirits for Mage and Werewolf
Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - First Werewolf Umbra book
Umbra (Revised) - Revised edition Werewolf Umbra book
W20 Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - W20 Werewolf Umbra book
Umbra Revised on Werewolf the Podcast
Umbra high-level overview
Spirit high-level overview
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Werewolves guard against mages raiding their caerns for quintessence but no one can stop us from raiding Werewolf books for story ideas! Adam and Terry talk Umbra, Umbra Rev and W20 Umbra from Chaos Stones to the Kami.
Axis Mundi - A big book of spirits for Mage and Werewolf
Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - First Werewolf Umbra book
Umbra (Revised) - Revised edition Werewolf Umbra book
W20 Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - W20 Werewolf Umbra book
Umbra Revised on Werewolf the Podcast
Umbra high-level overview
Spirit high-level overview
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The Void Engineers get pigeon-holed as the Convention of space marines and voidships, but that's just one part. Bryce and Terry talk about what the Void Engineers do on Earth and how to run planetside VE stories.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
M20 was a leap forward in how a character does magick with focus but how do we bring instrument, practice, and paradigm alive at the table? Charles Siegel walks through optional systems, high level explainers, and his reference work, Prism of Focus.
Prism of Focus on Storytellers Vault
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
M20 Victorian Age describes a world on the cusp of modernity steeped in gaslit mystery. Pook and Terry talk the perils of the straits, the intrigue of empire, and odd magicks re-emerging after centuries.
M20 Victorian Age Mage - This book
The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War - Book that discusses the rise in standard of living in the Western world
Changeling the Podcast's Discord - Organizing spot for the C30 project
Changeling the Podcast page - Their podcast!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
What does magick look like in Shakespeare's England with Dee as Elizabeth's court astrologer and Walsingham's spies everywhere? Nathan Foxgrove joins to talk Navalon, the last skyriggers, and the Book of Oberon.
Book of Oberon - Reconstructed grimoire
The Fairie Queene - Looooong poem dedicated to Elizabeth
Monas Hieroglyphica - John Dee's glyphs
Real World Magic Texts with Brian Johnson
Kurt Andersen's Fantasyland - Book about why America is weird
Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, Vol. 1 - Book on settlement of the British in the US
Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650 - Big book of reformations
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - Tom Stoppard play
The Sultan and the Queen: The Untold Story of Elizabeth and Islam
Dark Eras: Requiem for Regina (Vampire: the Requiem, Changeling: the Lost) - Chronicles Dark Eras setting in Elizabethan England
John Dee and the Empire of Angels: Enochian Magick and the Occult Roots of the Modern World
Dreamcatchers book for Hunter - Discussion, not the text
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage is an intimidating game to run, so besides the rules, what to keep in mind when you start? Simon from Walking into Shadow and Terry talk recommendations to get a game a Mage that won't fall apart in one sitting.
Links!
Hellblazer
Fiasco
Band of Blades
Beating the Plot
Hamlet's Hitpoints
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The Deep Umbra is vast and dangerous but full of wonders. So how do you get there? Hal Case, author of Umbral Pilots for W20 and M20, talks spirit-powered spaceships, plasma klaives and Garou/Mage relations.
Umbral Pilots - This book
The Shipyard - The expansion for the book
Dead Ends - Book of liches
Convention Book: Void Engineers - Rev resource on Mage Space
Arcanum House on FB
Arcanum House on Instagram
Rage across the Heavens review on WtP
Totem list
Set design of Alien
Rimrunners
Agon RPG
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
WEIRD EPISODE! First a little bit on how 2023 went for Mage the Podcast then a lost conversation with Noah H of The Story Told on Chronicles of Darkness and RPG art.
Noah's Wraith 20 overview
Noah around places:
- Noah on Instagram
- Noah on Artstation
- Noah on Facebook
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Sandman is one of the most highly lauded comic runs to have ever been published, what can we take from it for our games? Pook and Adam discuss mood, inspiration, and TS Eliot in this edition of Reality Deviant Book Club.
The Annotated Sandman, which was a late 90s/early 00s passion project to capture as many internal connections and external references as possible, issue by issue.
TXT archive from an earlier version of the website
Vertigo released their own very expensive series with the same name, with "proper" annotations, but... using the power of the early internet to situate and discover the series' intertextuality felt a lot more magical.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
What dies may not stay dead. Driven by hunger, vengeance or piety the Hungry Dead have rare knowledge and potent powers mages be drawn to. Hsien joins to talk their work in rewriting Kindred of the East.
Kindred of the East: The Relentless Age - This book
Kindred of the East - The original
Hsienfan on RPGnet - The author
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
When death isn't the end, what strange things can Sleepers get up to? Adam and Terry talk cauls, fennel swords, weird death tech, and more in the surprisingly useful-for-Mage The Quick and the Dead
Quick and the Dead - This book!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Want to have bards in your game, preserved guardians that uphold the Gauntlet, a weird holiday, or some minor Spheres? Pook and Terry talk STV books you can get right now for as little as pay what you want.
Tale Singers - Book on Bardism
Bog Bodies - Book on Guardians of the Gauntlet
Book of Days - Book on holidays and the calendar for Changeling but also good for Mage
Book of Fragments - Minor Spheres!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Apophis rises, Horus prepares, and mages go "this could get interesting". Adam and Terry talk the ka, khaibit, Cabiri, Ishmaelites and the vastly expanded landscape of Mummy in its Second Edition printing.
Mummy 2nd Edition - This book!
Mummy the Curse 2nd Edition - CoD book!
Religion in Mage with James Estes - Previous episode with the author
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Jen Peters of Dork Tales joins to introduce the Paradox podcast. A well-researched right series geared towards explaining Mage to completely new players. Does it succeed? Listen and find out! An entire episode of Paradox is included.
Paradox Podcast on Podbean
Dork Tales on Youtube
Dork Tales on Twitch
M20 Visions and Vistas call for writers
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Finally Adam and Terry talk deathless supernaturals in an unending war that stalk the night, mummies! A World of Darkness: Mummy contains strange creatures with strange ancient magic and we talk adding it to your Mage game.
A World of Darkness: Mummy - This book
US Route 666 - One of several
Mage/Mummy Crossover - previous episode on Mummy the Resurrection
Mummy the Cursed - Previous episode on Mummy the Cursed
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
How do you brainstorm plot threads? How do you come up with Umbrood names, McGuffin descriptions or outline NPCs? Adam and Terry walk through their processes for coming up with plot and creating Mage-sounding non-sense.
John Cleese spoke about creativity for Video Arts in January 1991.
Creativity: A Short & Cheerful Guide (book) by John Cleese
A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech, 1983 / 2008(newer)
A Kick in the Seat of the Pants by Roger von Oech, 1986
Electric Bastionland by Chris McDowall
Tome of Adventure Design by Matt Finch
The Dungeon Dozen by Jason Sholtis
Far Side Collection (newspaper comic strip)
Legends of Tono
The Classic of Mountains & Seas
Kojiki (I recommend the Donald Philippi translation)
Charles Dickens
G. K. Chesterton
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Does the NWO control the CIA or the FBI? How entwined in the NSA are the Virtual Adepts? Adam and Terry talk NSA, CIA, FBI, what mages know about them and other weird 90s conspiracies in Project Twilight.
Project Twilight - This book
Mummy 1st Edition - Next book
Now, with corrected syncing!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Join Satyros and Walking into Shadow for a wide-ranging discussion on matching effect with paradigm, emulating other games, minimal and maximal interpretations of the rules, and Terry just yelling about things.
Otherworlds Illuminated: A "Mage Made Hard" Guide to the Umbra is out! If you want a version without AI art, that's available here: Generative AI Art-Free Version of Otherworlds Illuminated
Episode on One Dot Sphere Effects
Onyx Path Twitch Channel
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
What books do we wish Sorcerers Crusade had gotten? What do we pull from these historical settings? Should we be using pillars in the modern era? Terry and Adam answer your questions!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
What strange things exist at the intersection of Night-Folk? Why a creepy circus! Mage the Podcast is joined by Werewolf the Podcast and Changeling the Podcast to talk ancient terrors, thirsty gods...and clowns.
Midnight Circus - This book!
World of Darkness: Hong Kong - Another generic WoD Book
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage First Edition was a bold vision of game, but how to follow it up? Satyros provides an oral history of how Mage changed over its roughly first year from Book of Chantries to Book of Shadows.
Mage book list
Satyros on Patreon
Satyros on Amazon
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
How do you run paranormal investigation with access to Time 2? Does anyone besides the Technocracy do this regularly? Bryce and Terry talk weird artifacts, team dynamics and investigations that make sense in WoD.
Control (Video Game)
Twin Peaks
Psychic Self-Defense
Warehouse 13
The Rivers of London
Supernatural TV
Laundry Files
Dresden Files
X-Files
SCP Podcast
There Is No Antimemetics Division
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Have you ever said “My game needs more boats?” World of Darkness: Blood-Dimmed Tides talks new fae, blood-sweating vampires, Hermetic boats and aquatic systems for days. What side are you on in the war between Dagon and Vatea?
World of Darkness: Blood-Dimmed Tides - This book
William Hope Hodgeson - Author of boat stories
Naval institute press copy of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Adam's recommended translation
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
In a world rife with supernatural threats how do mortals take back the night? How do we add these actors and agencies to our games? Terry talks Hunter 5th, desperation, SAD post glow-up, and avatar lineages.
Project Twilight - Another mortal game book
The Second Inquisition - V5 book on powerful mortal groups
Hunter the Reckoning 5th - This book
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
John Beckwith joins to talk fiction involving the Technocratic Union and the Garou Nation in One Giant Leap for Inhumankind and then Satyros talks things that didn't make it into Victorian Mage in Scandals & Fisticuffs.
One Giant Leap for Inhumankind - Fiction
Scandals & Fisticuffs - Satyros' work that didn't make it into Victorian Mage
The Thing from Another World
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Deep Rock Galactic
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Wall by Pink Floyd
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Who is John Constantine and why is he in the Mage recommended reading list? Does he look like Sting? Can he help your Mage games? Pooka and Adam discuss what Hellblazer can offer us.
- John Constantine on DC Comics Wiki
- First volume of Hellblazer on Amazon.com
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Dark Ages: Mage received only two formal books but Right of Princes tells how to run a Chantry and Darkening Sky provides an adventure. Adam and Terry talk domains, pooled backgrounds, eclipses, the Holy Land, and Frederick II.
Right of Princes - Dark Ages book on ruling and relating to mortals with some information on building a Chantry
Darkening Sky - A set of adventures for Dark Ages lines
Blood-Dimmed Tides - NEXT BOOOOK
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
What was the early vision of the Digital Web? What was the difference between the Dreaming and the High Umbra? What's it like writing the 2nd Tradition book? Harry Heckel, early may author joins to talk early Otherworlds.
Jack Heckel Novels - Harry's writing duo
Harry Heckel on the White Wolf wiki - Other things he's worked on
Preview of Mage Made Hard: The Umbra - Preview of the next Mage publication.
Tron - Inspirational for the Digital Web
Shadowrun - Lil more inspo
Cyberpunk 2020 - The original Cyberpunk RPG...that was popular
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Welcome to Mage: The Podcast, a show dedicated to exploring the arcane depths of Mage: The Ascension! Prepare to embark on a spellbinding journey through a world where magic and reality intertwine, where mages wield unimaginable power!
🔮 Lore, Mechanics, Strategies - The Complete Mage Experience! 🔮
Venture into the vast realms of lore as we peel back the layers of Mage: The Ascension. Discover the hidden histories, the ancient cabals, and the cosmic tapestry that shapes the destiny of mages. It's a tale of mystique, intrigue, and unbridled potential!
⚙️ Master the Esoteric Mechanics! ⚙️
Delve into the profound mechanics of the game, where players take on the mantle of awe-inspiring mages. Unleash your imagination and command the Spheres of magic, altering the very fabric of existence. But beware the delicate balance of paradoxes and the fickle nature of Quintessence!
💡 Unleash Your Mage Strategies! 💡
Harness the wisdom of ages as we share battle-hardened strategies to ascend above your peers. Whether you're a diplomatic architect of peace or a volatile storm of magical fury, our insights will aid you on your journey to transcendence!
🤝 Join the Covenant of Mages! 🤝
No mage stands alone in the face of arcane wonders. Embrace the camaraderie of the Mage community, a gathering of fervent practitioners from every corner of the world. Engage in spirited discussions, exchange arcane wisdom, and forge lasting bonds with fellow seekers of enlightenment!
🔥 Ignite Your Imagination, Embrace the Mage Within! 🔥
If you yearn for a realm where reality is a canvas waiting for your sorcery, where the lines between possible and impossible blur, then subscribe to our channel and ring the 🔔 icon for all the latest enchanting episodes.
🌟 Unravel the Mysteries, Embrace the Journey! 🌟
Uncover the mystical prowess of Mage: The Podcast and immerse yourself in the enigmatic world of Mage: The Ascension!
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The Fae of the Dark Ages differ markedly from their contemporary counterparts. Who are they and how could they exist in the modern world? Victor and Terry talk courts, re-emergence, church bells, and chaos as contract.
Dark Ages: Fae - This book!
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
What were the Garou doing in the Dark Ages? How many vampires were there in the cities? Was warfare just knights hurling insults? Jacob Klunder of the World of Dark Ages joins to prove Terry knows nothing about history.
The World of Dark Ages Podcast - Jacob's podcast where he says things he knows
Places of Mystery and Power - Jacob's newest Dark Ages Mage publication about places where thar be magick!
Island of the Dead God - A book outlining an island, containing a dead god!
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The Awakened want power in a world slipping from their hands but what cost are they willing to pay? Devil's Due outlines infernalism in the Dark Ages and Adam and Terry talk investments, taints, and strange ancient evils.
Dark Ages: Devil's Due - This book
Demon: The Fallen - Contemporary Demon line
Dark Ages: Right of Princes - Next book
Dark Ages: Darkening Sky - Next book
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
All factions wage a war of both magickal truth but also of vibes. How do feelings shape experiences and how does that influence magick? Jordan Etherington joins to talk affect theory, description, a subtle war and Mage.
- Ashlands: M.E.R.C.s game
- Soulbound: Dark Industrial Fantasy
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Dark Ages Mage peaks into a world before the modern ascension war and Dark Ages Grimoire acts as tour guide in this strange land. Adam and Terry talk Certamen, Fellowship descriptions, Familiars and so much more on Pillars.
Dark Ages Mage Grimoire - This book
Dark Ages: Devil's Due - Next book!
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage has space for paranormal investigations overseen by vast supernatural conspiracies, but how do build out strange events in our games? Sean Ireland joins to talk Triangle Agency, a game of superpowers, intrigue, and pathos.
Triangle Agency on Kickstarter Triangle Agency Delta Test - Pay what you want beta documents
Ea-Nasir complaint tablets
Haunted Table's Discord
SCP RPG - (Wasn't 5e based, my bad!)
Control by Remedy Entertainment Wiki
Esoterrorists
Liminal Horror
Blackwater D&D Twitch page
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The Sorcerers Crusade takes place during the opening shots of the Ascension War but what came before? Dark Ages: Mage takes place in 1230s Europe. Adam and Terry talk Fellowships, Pillars, and a very strange Umbra.
Show Notes * Dark Ages: Mage - This book * Dark Ages: Mage Grimoire - Next book * Conversation with Stephen Michael DiPesa on writing Dark Ages: Mage * The Portable Medieval Reader * Amulets and Superstitions on Amazon * Amulets and Superstitions on Abebooks * The Canterbury Tales
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage lists legion inspirations; what are they are what do they inform our games? First Edition core even says, “But for pure ‘manliness,’ you can’t beat Kid Eternity.” Pook and Adam see what Kid Eternity offers us.
Show Notes Buy the Kid Eternity Deluxe Edition on Amazon * Kid Eternity Wikipedia entry * Kid Eternity* in the DC wiki
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
We've finished talking Sorcerers Crusade books but how do you actually run it? Seasoned Storyteller Victor Kinzer walks through his SC chronicle and the choices he made in running the game.
Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics - school of mathematics and astronomy founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala, India
Tantrasamgraha - a major treatise of the era also available here
M20 Victorian Mage - Victorian Mage core rulebook
Victor Kinzer - Victor on Twitter
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
The horrors of the World of Darkness are generally hidden but what if that weren't an option? Christopher Neglein joins to talk about The Mystery Flesh Pit National Park RPG and how to blend the cosmic with the bureaucratic.
Mystery Flesh Pit National Park RPG Kickstarter
The Mystery Flesh Pit blog
NPS Rawlinson and Frutiger Fonts
Esper Genesis RPG
Action Park
The Laundry Files
Delta Green RPG
Defunctland Youtube channel
The Esoterrorists RPG
Ganza Gaming Patreon
Ganza Gaming blog
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
What is the state of the children of the wyck across a changing Europe? Witches and Pagans is the last Sorcerers Crusade entry and Adam and Terry talk nature magick, sacrifice, and skyclad mysticks.
Note! This one can get a little explicit.
Witches and Pagans - This book
Dark Ages: Mage - Next book!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
William Blake forged a dense cosmology full of spirits, emanations and proto-gods. Steve Dempsey, author of Fearful Symmetries, guides us through Blake's life, mythology, and magic societies that you can drop into your game.
The Dying Earth - The RPG Steve didn't write
Urban Shadows: Dark Streets - Expansion for Urban Shadows
Blood on the Snow - An expansion for Hillfolk
Fearful Symmetries - This book
Bob Schnoblin's Pyramid of Satanic Power - Greatest single page in White Wolf
Night of Enitharmon's Joy - Creepy painting
Ancient of Days - Baller painting
The Folklore Engine generator - What it says on the tin
Shotguns v Cthulhu - Another Steve publication
Fearful Symmetries Actual Play
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
In this mechanics minisode, Monica Speca, Exalted, Scion, and Trinity Dev joins to help Terry workshop some ways to make magick in Mage a little bit quirkier. Regular episode will be out this Saturday!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
Order of Reason posits a bold and inventive direction for treating the pro-Technocracy in the Sorcerers Crusade era. Adam and Terry talk 50 guilds, the labyrinth of the Order and cutting edge kite technology.
Order of Reason - This book
Witches and Pagans - Next book
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mage-the-podcast/message
How can you quickly establish mood and tone in a world new to the players but familiar to their characters? Victor and Terry talk chronicle and game tenets and how to use them to dial in the game your table wants.
Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition - a game with coterie and character principles
After the War - A game where principles are hit points
Urban Shadows - A game with very clear game tenets
Root - MURDER
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Dark Fantastic often requires not just a steady blade but often a keen wit at court. Adam and Terry talk fencing, Ars Cupiditae, and the hidden machinations of the High Guild and Ksirafai in The Swashbuckler's Handbook.
Swashbucklers Handbook - This book
The Order of Reason - Next book
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
This week we talk to Charles Siegel about big money Traditions corporations and minor Spheres for Night-Folk allies, Jenna Flohr about running adventures in the Hollow Earth and TL Webb on Mage fiction in North Texas.
Five Room Dungeons - A template for dungeon encounters
Gathering Shadows by TL Webb
Adventure to Hollow Earth by Jenna Flohr
Book of Fragments - Another work on Minor Spheres by Pooka G
Magickal Capital by Charles Siegel
Improved Word Template by Charles Siegel
Foreign Magicks by Charles Siegel
Charles's Patreon
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The world of the dark fantastic is another country and Sorcerers Crusade Companion is your guide. Adam and Terry talk the Aztecs, the enchanted dragon islands, culture and the detailed fencing rules you've been craving.
Sorcerers Crusade Companion - This book
Swashbuckler's Handbook - Next book
Paradigm Deep Dive: Jewish Mysticism
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Why do some mages chant in Latin or Enochian, while others compose contracts to talk to spirits? Brian Johnson joins to talk about magick and language from demon-trapping incantation bowls to chaos magic's autohypnosis and how to use them in our games.
Brian Johnson's Freelancer Web Page - See what Brian has worked on
Snowcrash - Book by Neal Stephenson
Real World Magic Texts with Brian Johnson - Our previous episode with Brian
Adjudicating Magickal Effects
Outline for this episode - A pretty complete script of what we said
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What happened in the world of Mage: The Ascension this year and what is planned for 2023? Terry gives his end of the year thoughts on what Mage: The Podcast has done so far and what we plan to do and why we hope to do it.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What’s the state of Enlightened technology in the 16th century? How do Craftmasons view Artificers? Adam and Terry talk sacred geometry, Ars Preclarus, and SC-era submarines in The Artisans Handbook.
Show Notes The Artisans Handbook - This book * Sorcerers Crusade Companion - Next book * Book of Days - Changeling book of holidays and events * Bog Bodies - MOAR MUMMIES * Paradigms Explored: Fairy-Faith - Another paradigm book! * Kithbook: Dullahan - Book on headless horsefolk * Magickal Capital* - Mage corporations
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Mythos crawls with cosmic horrors but what of the smaller ones? Can we add the Yithians or Shuggoths to the World of Darkness? Bryce and Terry talk Bokrug, Mi-Go and Deep Ones and how to add them to your games.
Dark Days Radio - Bryce's other podcast
Monster Man Podcast
Michael Shea
The Egg by Andy Weir
S. Petersen's Field Guide to Creatures of the Dreamlands
S. Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors
Petersen's Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters: A Field Observer's Handbook of Preternatural Entities
Lovecraft wiki
Delta Green, Agent's Handbook
Esoterrorists 2nd Edition
McSweeney's Olive Garden Menu
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Werewolves have caerns, vampires have havens, what do magi have in the Renaissance? Adam and Terry talk Order strongholds, Doissetep, Horizon, and strange other places in Tomes of Magick: Castles and Covenants.
Castles and Covenants - This book
Trilemma Adventure Maps - Detailed period maps
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
How have Bygones changed across editions, where do they come from, and how can we use them in our games? Josh and Terry talk theories, dealing with Paradox, how to make your own, and a hearty helping of plot hooks.
Show Notes Myths and Legends of Our Land - Book of NA folk lore * Esoterrorists - Gumshoe game on the odd things that can sneak through reality * Book of Unremitting Horrors - Esoterrorist monsters * Magimundi Bestiary 5th Edition (5e) - Folklore inspired monsters * Gods and Monsters -M20 book of building your own monster * Tomes of Magick: M20 Gods and Monsters - Our review of Gods and Monsters * Bygone Bestiary* - Book of Bygones for World of Darkness
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Technomancers have a strange relationship with paradox, so what of their tech is likely near and what's far off? Dr. Steven Novella, author of The Skeptics' Guide to the Future discusses telepathy, AI experts, and pet chupacabras.
The Skeptics' Guide to the Future - The book this conversation is based on
Skeptics' Guide to the Universe Podcast
2d20 Fallout - Modiphius's licensed Fallout RPG
Genesys Star Wars - Fantasy Flight RPG
Time perception as we fall experiment
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Renaissance world crawls towards the light of enlightenment but shadows lurk with infernalists, demons, and horrors. Adam and Terry talk the Absolute, Aesfotedia, and Ahrimanites in Infernalism: The Path of Screams.
Infernalism: The Path of Screams - This book
Castles and Covenants - Next book
M20 The Book of the Fallen - A large contemporary version
The Garden of Adompha - Story by Clark Ashton Smith
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
World of Darkness has varied views on the divine while In Nomine is clear: A distant god and a bitter lucifer brood while their angels and demons pursue their agendas. Griffin and Terry discuss how to jam that into Mage.
In Nomine - Core Rulebook
The Story Told - Podcast where Griffin runs the Promethean actual play
Promethean MtP Episode - Also with Griffin!
Demon the Descent
Demon the Descent Quickstart
Demon the Fallen Core
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The World of Darkness has mere than mere vampires and werewolves in the shadows. Bygone Bestiary describes the dragons, unicorns, firebirds, and stranger creatures in it and Adam and Terry talk the hits and misses.
Bygone Bestiary - This book
M20 Gods & Monster - Another big book of beasties
Infernalism: The Path of Screams - Next book!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Tarot, Ouija, runes, and trances receive heavy play in RPGs but what about using lightning, fire, coffee grinds and roosters? David Whitworth author of Eye to the Void joins to talk historical divination in RPGs.
Eye to the Void Kickstarter - Where you can get it
Drunken Storyteller Podcast - David's podcast!
Ouija and Japan's Satanic Panic - Episode on Ouija's Japanese analog
Halloween Episode: Kokkuri Spirit Boards and WTF?! - Another show it
Thoth tarot - Tarot variant informed by Uncle Ali
Paradigm Shift - Introductory game on the God Machine
Wikipedia page on divination
Darker Days Radio -Show where David is a periodic guest
https://thedrunkenstoryteller.podbean.com/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Can we use clocks to track finding a True Name? What if the Technocracy used Heat? Can we come up with good systems to represent flashbacks using Spheres? Charles and Terry talk systems to steal from Blades in the Dark.
Blades in the Dark SRD - The Blades rules online for free
Magickal Capital - High Resource firms for Mages
Blades on DRTRG - The PDF
Scum and Villainy - Sci Fi Forged in the Dark
Various Forged in the Dark games
Blades in the Dark Score generator - Make a score...NOW!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Crusade Lore is full of the bits that didn't fit into Sorcerers Crusade core with information on scourgelings, and town layout. Adam and Terry talk port logistics, gabled hats and war balloons in Tomes of Magick: Crusade Lore.
Crusade Lore - This book
Sorcerers Crusade core - The core book
Bygone Bestiary - Next book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What if the Dreamlands replaced the Maya, Innsmouth had wraiths, and Miskatonic University were the reality bubble of a Marauder? Bryce and Terry talk adding Mythos locations to Mage the Ascension.
No forests on flat earth - it's real weird
The Lovecraft wiki - Really powered this episode
The Control Wiki - Enter the Oldest House
Pnakotus - Australian city where people write down their memories while cones
Cover image designed by Dorchadas, thanks!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
1466 is a world where faith, science, and magick mix together in an uneasy brew. Sorcerers Crusade Core kicks off the first historical period for Mage and Adam and Terry talk balloons, Batini, and battle armor.
Sorcerers Crusade core book - This book
Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff - a podcast featuring Ken Hite
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What do you ask during chronicle planning? How do you set up for a first or tenth session? Victor and Terry talk how they prepare for a new chronicle as well as what session prep looks like at each stage of a story.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What's a Marauder do with billions in the bank? What's the richest Tradition? Adam and Terry talk the treasures of Doissetep, private towns, nanotech clouds and cold hard cash in M20 The Rich Bastard’s Guide to Magick.
M20 The Rich Bastard’s Guide to Magick - This book
Rich Bastard’s Guide to Magick with Lauren Roy - Conversation with the developer and Josh Heath about the book
The Midnight World on DTRGP
The Midnight World on itch.io
Joe Versus the Volcano - Adam movie recommendation #1
Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Adam movie recommendation #2
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
How many successes to lift a monastery? When do you need dots in Medicine to kill someone? Can Spirit 2 just do everything? Charles and Terry talk their methods for determining what a magickal effect needs.
The Nine Spheres - A guide to Spheres on the Storyteller Vault
Sphere clarifications Google Docs - A document that seemingly compiled most of the Sphere stuff from M20
Charles Siegel’s Patreon
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Great Old Ones may sit outside of reality, Horizon, or merely our front doors but how do we use the Cthulhu Mythos in our games? Bryce and Terry talk space gods and investigation systems from Trail of Cthulhu.
Things mentioned!
- Bubblegumshoe - Teen Detective game
- Night's Black Agents - Jason Bourne vs Dracula
- Cthulhu City - Gumshoe game where you're stuck in a Mythos-riddled city
- Cthulhu Confidential - A one on one gumshoe game
- Esoterrorists - A game of modern supernatural horror
- Guide to the Traditions - Adversarial backgrounds!
- ST Joshi and Robert Price - Lovecraft scholars
- Common Mythos features - Pelgrane Article
- KARTAS make your own entity - The origin of Qotha Nhur’rin
- Red Sign book - Introduces the King in Yellow formally to WoD
- Last Exit by Max Gladstone
- Prior episode on Lovecraft
- Michael Shea - Lovecraft author
- Dark Day Radio - Linktree
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
How does terranorming work? Why are there so many wormholes in the Antarctic? What's the Enlightenment level of a Brown Paper Bag? Adam and Terry dive into the zany goodness of The Operative's Dossier.
M20 The Operative's Dossier - This book
M20 Technocracy Reloaded - The big volume
Guide to the Technocracy - Previous omnibus book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Charles Siegel walks us through creating linear magic effects for M20 Sorcerer from start to finish. He explains aspects, rituals, dice pools, and complications and what makes Awakened magick different.
M20 Sorcerer - This book
Magickal Capital - Charles book on sources of high resources for Traditionalists
Paths of Power - An STV take on M20 Sorcery
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Are the Star Council and Thal'hun still an "it's complicated"? Is there still just one member of the Nephite Priesthood? What affiliations hate vampires? Drew K and Bek join to walk through every affiliation in M20 Sorcerer.
Occultists Anonymous Youtube
yeetinto.space - OA Discord
Bek Andrew Evans other DTRPG products
- M20 Sorcerer - This book
- Hunters Hunted II - V20 book with True Faith
- Sorcerer: Paths of Power - STV book by the mechanics developer
- Project Twilight - Book on Project Twilight
- Mage Chronicles 2 - Book containing Halls of the Arcanum
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Sorcerers boast centuries long lineages and unique abilities while largely avoiding the Ascension War. So how do you play one? Travis Legge joins to talk M20 Sorcerer, the latest addition to the M20 line.
- Books!
- Welcome to the Rock - Technocracy Jumpstart
- Scarred Lands - Grittier D&D and Pathfinder setting
- Odysseys and Overlords - OSR game
- M20 Sorcerer - This book
- Hunters Hunted II - V20 book with True Faith
- Ars Magica 5e - Another big book on magic
- Sorcerer: Paths of Power - STV book by the mechanics developer
- The LIbrarians - Franchise of artifact seeking historians
- Pyramid of Satanic power
- Sorcerer Lodi
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What if Tesla had discovered a way to time travel and this caused Martians to attack? What if Sleepers knew about hyperscience and were split on its use? Kim Godwin joins to discuss using Trinity Continuum: Aether in Mage!
M20 Sorcerer on DriveThruRPG
Aether Kickstarter - Where it's all happening
Festival of the Steel Phallus - Yup, the one we talked about
Kim Godwin on Twitter
Kim Godwin's author webpage
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Technocratic Union started as unabashed antagonists but in M20 are they the heroes? Satyros Phil Brucato, Tyler of Vorpal Tales, and Terry join a panel hosted by Simon of Walking into Shadows on heroism and sacrifice in Mage.
Satyros
Red Shoes - Fiction by Satyros in dead tree and audio
Tyler
Vorpal Tales - Long running AP network with regular Mage games
Simon
Walking into Shadows 9pm ET, 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the Month - M20 explainer show
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Technocracy sometimes seems to be a conspiracy to save and enslave the world, so how's that going? Adam and Terry talk zombie plagues, yet more HIT Mark types, and octopus suits in Tomes of Magick: Technocracy Reloaded.
Technocracy Reloaded - This book
Guide to the Technocracy - Previous big book o' Technocracy
Operative's Dossier - Next book!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What is a soul in M20? How do mysticks see Arcane? Do all technomantic Wonders have batteries? Charles and Terry talk some of the squirrelier questions of the Mage setting and their answers.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
How do you play a grog in troupe play or build a Covenant? What would magick look like if it had firm limits and Quiet brought wisdom? Thrice Great joins to talk Ars Magica and what we can take from Mage's cousin.
- Tomes of Magick: Order of Hermes - Episode on the 2e Tradition book
- Tomes of Magick: Tradition Book: Order of Hermes - Episode on Revised Tradition book
- Project Redcap - A large Ars Magica wiki
- Lion Rampant - Early game company that produced Ars Magica
- Atlas Games - Current publisher of Ars Magica
- Order of Hermes Revised - Revised Tradition book on the Order of Hermes
- Songs of Science - Includes 2e Order of Hermes Tradition book
- Ars Magica 5e Core Book - All you need to play Ars or learn about its world
- Most of the books for Ars Magica 5th Edition in digital form
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
M20 introduces the Crafts coming together to be a new player in the Ascension War. So where did the Crafts come from and how are they organized? Victor and Terry talk how the Disparates may cooperate...and how they don't.
Book of Crafts - 2e book outlining the Crafts
Book of Secrets - M20 book outlining how the Disparates mete out justice
Dragons of the East - Revised book of East Asian Crafts
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
In M20 Book of the Fallen, the Nephandi receive their most detailed presentation to date. Adam and Terry talk plot options, infernal axes, the Caulborn, shells of creation, and Fallen schemes.
Revised Book of Madness - Previously most detailed presentation
Book of Madness - First detailed presentation
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Movies inform much of culture, why shouldn’t they inform our games? How do we use the Kuleshov effect, Formalism, and mise-en-scène at our tables? Yui joins to talk movie terms, ideas, and inspirations that we can use in our Mage games.
Show Notes * Comrade Yui on Letterboxd * Comrade Yui on Twitter * Movies mentioned! + What Dreams May Come + Assault on Precinct 13 + Constantine + Patlabor 2: The Movie + The Art of Self Defense + Army of Shadows + Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain + No Country for Old Men + Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark + I Heart Huckabees + The Last of the Mohicans + Stranger than Fiction + Grosse Point Blank
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Hermetic, Batini, Taftani, and Chorister magick often invokes concepts in Jewish mysticism but what beliefs and practices do they draw from? Charles Siegel talks Jewish mysticism and how to use it in your games.
Books and sources Charles mentioned - The text references wouldn't reasonably fit so they're listed here as part of the show outline
Charnel Houses of Europe: The Shoah - Wraith book on the Holocaust that's well done
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The shadowy upper echelons of the Technocracy have shifted over time but Control is its best known incarnation. Control has been shrouded in secrecy and Victory and Terry walk through its possibilities.
Books!
- Book of Mirrors - 2e walkthrough of Technocracy organization
- Technocracy Assembled Volume 1 - First set of Convention books
- Technocracy Assembled Volume 2 - Second set of Convention books
- Guide to the Technocracy - Biggest walk through prior to M20
- Ascension - Possible interpretation of the Technocracy
- Technocracy Reloaded - M20 update
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Gods and Monsters delivers a broad range of characters and creatures from down and out Sleepers to incalculably powerful godforms. Adam and Terry talk Loa, HIT Marks, Talos, and a whole lot of Merits and Flaws.
Mage Chronicles Volume 2 - Book that contains Ascension's Right Hand
M20 Gods & Monsters - This book
Listen to our interview with Satyros Phil Brucato, Hiromi Cota, James Sambrano and Isabella Price about M20 Gods & Monsters
Book of the Fallen - Next book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Different lines produce different cosmic beings so how do we use the lion-faced serpent Ialdabaoth, Gaia, the August Personage of Jade, and the Triat in our games? Josh and Terry talk cosmic beings where they can fit into Mage.
Books referenced:
- Book of Madness - Ialdabaoth!
- Book of the Wyrm - A discussion on the nature of the Triat
- Rage Across the Heavens - A lot on the Werewolf Celestines and Incarnae
- Book of the Weaver - Information on Stasis spirits
- Book of the Wyld - Gorgons!
Opcast - Josh's Trinity podcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Does Ascension kill you? Do mortal spacecraft enter the Umbra? Are the Spheres real and if not what are the Shard Realms? Charles and Terry talk some of the squirrelier questions of the Mage setting and their answers.
Books mentioned:
Bog Mummies - MORE MUMMIES!
Book of Fragments - Book on Minor Spheres
Imperial Mysteries - Book on Archmastery for Awakening
Convention Book: Void Engineers - Tegmark Lensing!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What goes into a kitting out an actual play? What equipment do you need? How do you balance the books? Patrick McNamara from Dogfood Studios joins to talk Mage of Sail and how to make it as an actual play.
Patrick McNamara on Twitter
Patrick McNamara on Patreon
Patrick McNamara on Twitch
Equipment discussed:
Shure SM7B - High quality desktop mic
Shure SM58LC - A more manageable XLR
Yeti Blue - A perfectly fine mic
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What's a bloc tribunal vs a Wise Heart? Who protects the Yazidi, how does hacking work? Book of Secrets adds as a lot to M20 and Adam and Terry talk secondary abilities, merits and flaws, and Developer Q&A.
This book - Book of Secrets
Next book - Gods and Monsters
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Should higher levels cost more? How often should Arete go up? How can I make players drive advancement? Chazz and Terry talk character arcs, arcane beats, milestone XP, free Arete and additions to the MtP drinking game.
Games mentioned:
- Blades in the Dark
- Invisible Sun
- Your Best Game Ever
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant
- Mage the Ascension
- Apocalypse World
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mages may be unleashed human potential but the Imbued see warlocks who should be leveraged, healed or fought. Ranae joins to talk powers, strange allies, Heralds, killer spoons and Hunter: The Reckoning.
Ranae on Youtube, Twitter, and Discord
- Hunter the Reckoning Core - Where to start
- Hunter: The Spellbound - The Hunter view of Mage
- Hunter: Urban Legends - Weird creatures
- Hunter: Storytellers Handbook - Covers Q&A and some crossover
Seasons 1 and 2 of Supernatural
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
So what can one dot in a Sphere do, even at low Arete? Quite a lot, turns out. Charles and Terry walk through every 1 dot effect in Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition (M20) they could find and how to use them in your Mage game.
- Initiates of the Art - Low Arete guide for Mage (listen to the Initiates of the Art episode)
- The Nine Spheres - A quick reference of Sphere abilities for M20
- How Do You DO That? - M20 ability reference (listen to the I How Do You DO That? episode)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Freeform effects can be a lot and How Do You DO That? provides guidance on Necromancy to Nanobot reconstruction. Adam and Terry talk shapeshifting, storm control, stealth, scrying, and psychic powers.
How Do You DO That? - This book
Book of Secrets - Next book
Enlightened Grimoire - Just all the Rotes (community content)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Before the Council and the Technocracy formed, the world of Dark Ages Mage was ruled by Fellowships. Who were they and what was their world like in the 13th century? Jacob K from World of Dark Ages joins to explain!
Mage and Dark Ages Books
- Jacob Klunder's canon White Wolf work
- Jacob Klunder's Storyteller Vault content
- Dark Ages Mage Core - The core book explaining most of the Fellowships
- Island of the Dead God - Dark Ages Mage story that works in many fellowships
- Dark Ages Rules - Free rules for Dark Ages
- Gloria Mundi - Inexpensive bundle containing much of Jacob's work
- Dark Myth and Legend - Book of Dark Ages beasts
- Of Northern Twilight - Add Draugar and Jotuns to your game!
Other
- Muktuk Wolfsbreath Hard-Boiled Shaman
- Dr. Jackson Crawford - Norse expert
- The Cadfael Chronicles - Historical murder mystery series
- Lindybeige - History Youtuber
- Tod Cutler - Maker of replica knives
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
How do we go beyond quests given my mentors, pursuit by Technocrats, and missions from Traditions? Josh and Terry talk better plot hooks from the Umbra, Avatar, backgrounds, abilities, and character arcs.
Character arcs: Your Best Game Ever - an alternative to regular XP
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
With a PDF just shy of 700 pages, Mage 20th Anniversary Edition Core is around a half million words of Purple Mage goodness. Adam and Terry talk new rules, new themes, new history and how to navigate it.
M20 Core Rulebook - This book
How Do You DO That? - Next book
Adam's notes on The Classic of Mountains & Seas (old Chinese book)
Adam's M20 Core notes
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mages across paradigms harness life and inspiration to create strange servants but sometimes they take on a life of their own. Kim and Griffin join to talk Victorian monsters, alchemical elements, and Promethean the Created.
Opening notes
- The Body Electric on Twitch - The twitch channel for the AP
- The Story Told Podcast - The podcast Griffin is on
- Professional Mage ST - Contact me if you're a professional ST
- Lore of the Traditions interview on Society of Ether - Elias gets an update
Boooooks
- Promethean: The Created 2nd Edition core - All the lineages in one volume
- Dark Eras book - Books describing various lines at various times
- Dark Eras companion - Yet more periods
- Dark Eras 2 - Yet yet more more periods
- Book of Fragments - Book on Minor Spheres
- Tale-Singers - PWYW Craft book
- Mage Storyteller Handbook - Outlines the Promethean Plague
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Marauders have shifted from Golden Age zealots to the mad mages in on the cosmic joke with shades between. Where have they been and where can they go? Travis Legge shares his thoughts on using and updating the Mad.
Books:
- Book of Mirrors - 2e book on Marauders
- Book of Madness: Whispers Within Chaos Without - Original expanded writeup of Marauders
- Book of Madness Revised - Revised book including the best writeup of the Nephandi
- Truth Beyond Paradox - Fiction Compendium containing Travis's work
Travis's Work:
- Weighing the Cost - A Mage story
- Toxic Mutant Zombie Mayhem - For Savage Worlds
- Clanbook: Nahema - Book of a new type of reality-bending vampires
SAMHSA - Part of US Dept of Health and Human Services dealing with substance abuse and mental health
National Institute of Mental Health - A second listing
National Suicide Prevention Healthline - Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255); En español 1-888-628-9454
Crisis Text Line - Text “HELLO” to 741741
Lewy body dementia - Type of progressive dementia from which Robin Williams suffered
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Changelings and mages fight to save passion but what about the Lost who return from Faerie changed? Chazz joins to talk courts, contracts, titles, and other things to steal from the Chronicles of Darkness game Changeling the Lost.
Books!
- Changeling the Lost 2e Core book - What you'll need for most of what we talked about
- Dreams and Nightmares - Changeling the Dreaming book on the Dreaming
- Book of Lost Dreams - Changeling the Dreaming book with the lightest of Crossover rules
- Changeling the Lost 1e compilation - All the 1e lost books, it's a lot
Pain in the Dice - Chazz and mine other project
Entitlements Book and Chazz's other community content - A kick ass sword, a sticky monster, some entitlements, and more!
Fall of Jiara - Part of The Story Told, an extended Dragon-blooded AP
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition is here! It’s core rulebook is nearly 700 pages and they haven’t finished reading it yet so Adam and Terry start with the Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition Quickstart. Also, Adam and Terry answer listener questions about Revised.
- 1d4Con - A online convention the weekend of March 4-6
- Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition Quickstart - This book
- Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition core - Next!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Victor interviews Terry about getting to write the Celestial Chorus and the Virtual Adepts, and the emotional rollercoaster that is going from fan to fan who got to write canon for Lore of the Traditions.
Lore of the Traditions kickstarter - go back it plz!
Victor's Shadowbound Podcast - Wraith!
Strange Yesterdays - Terry's book on alternatives to the Revised metaplot
Ascension's Landscape - Terry's book of setting considerations
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Lore of the Traditions updates the Council Tradition by Tradition. We talk with Rachel Judd about the Verbena, Tyler Middleton about the Order of Hermes, and Theanos Thrax about the Society of Ether.
Lore of the Traditions Kickstarter
Rachel's stuff:
- Rachel's books on DTRPG
- Rachel Judd on Twitter
Tyler's stuff:
- Vorpal Tales' Mage Kult game
Theanos's stuff:
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Lore of the Traditions updates the Council Tradition by Tradition. We talk with Hiromi Cota about the Akashayana, Satyros Phil Brucato about the Sahajiya, James Sambrano about the Kah'vadi and Travis Legge about devving it.
Lore of the Traditions Kickstarter
Hiromi's stuff:
- Hiromi’s Amazon Author Page
- Hiromi's webpage
Travis's stuff:
- Travis's Patreon
- Travis's work on Storytellers Vault
- Slarecian Vault for Scarred Lands
Satyros's Stuff:
- Satyros's Patreon
- Valhalla with a Twist of Lethe
- Red Shoes Indiegogo
- War in Heaven
James's Stuff:
- James's Patreon
- Transformers roleplaying game
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Eight years after Ascension, convention books NWO, Progenitors, Syndicate, and Void Engineers completed the splatbooks of Revised. Developer Ryan Macklin talks their origins, themes, and Katanas and Trenchcoats.
- Ryan Macklin's webpage
- The Forge archives - a popular 2000s RPG forum
- Fate - Complete system SRD
- Primetime adventures - TV emulation RPG
- Cortex Plus - RPG system powering Smallville
- Dresden files RPG
- Michelson and Morley
- Mythender
- Katanas and Trenchcoats - An RPG love letter to the 90s
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Terror lurks beyond the Gauntlet. Threat Null will co-opt any agent who's been Processed leaving the Void Engineers as earth's sole defense. Adam and Terry talk time travel, guns, spaceships, and guns for spaceships.
Convention Book: Void Engineers - This book
Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition Quickstart - Next book
Action Scientist shirt - Enlist today.
Max Tegmark's levels of the multiverse - A theory that posits mathematical objects as quite real.
Usurper of the Sun - Manga Adam mentioned
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mikaela Sims, ST of As Above, So Below shares advice on improving actual plays and hopes for the World of Darkness streaming community then Terry and Josh answer listener questions in a year end Q&A. Onward to 2022!
Mikaela Sims Twitch stream - Where the show is being streamed
As Above, So Below episode 01 - Where it starts
Ko-fi for the Stream - Chip in if you'd like the participants to get scale pay
Books Josh and I mention:
- Chronicle Builder's Guide for Vampire: The Masquerade - Recent book Josh edited
- Strange Yesterdays: Alternatives to the Revised Metaplot - Terry's book on the Revised metaplot
- World of Darkness Central Florida - Recent big book of setting
- First Team Dossier - Run down of teams Pentex uses to do their dirty work
- Kithbook: Ghille Dhu - An entire kithbook for the Ghille Dhu
- Paradigms Explored: Number and Shape - Book on hypermath and Platonism
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Syndicate tried to fund the Union to success but the Financial Crisis crashed the Cash-or-Credit Convention. Adam and Terry talk Primal Utility, the current board, and Technocracy civil war in Convention Book: Syndicate.
Hypereconomics and Primal Utility with Victor Kinzer - Episode talking hypereconomics
Convention Book: Syndicate - This book
Convention Book: Void Engineers - THE LAST ONE
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage is full of conspiracies but what about hypercompetent assassins for hire? Monica Speca joins to explain how to add assassins and assassin societies to the World of Darkness from Trinity Continuum: Assassin
- Trinity Continuum: Assassin - The book we're talking about
- Trinity Continuum Core - Core book for Trinity Continuum
- Crazy 88 (Youtube Clip) - Killer society from Kill Bill
- Leverage (TV Series) - TV show that inspired flashbacks in a number of games
- The Warriors (Video game based on a movie based on a book based on a poem) - The DJ announces where the Warriors are
- Gunpowder Milkshake (Movie) - One of the inspiring movies
- John Wick (Movie series) - One of the inspiring movies
- Jianghu - Community of martial artists common in wuxia films
- Fallen Tower: Las Vegas - A setting book with weird radios
- Manifesto: Transmissions from the Rogue Council - A setting book with a weird figure stirring stuff up
Find Monica on:
- Systematic Understanding of Everything - Exalted podcast
- Bonus Experience - General gaming podcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Progenitors grab at a perfect deathless future but with great moral peril. As the Ethics Council replaces the Administration, Adam and Terry talk action scientists and hyperintelligent whales in Convention Book: Progenitors.
If you’re listening to this before December 21st, applications are still open for the Jackalope Live Action Roleplaying event Mage Noir set to happen in Austin, Texas, the weekend of April 2nd. It’s a LARP game set in the 1950s, and I’ll be there as a sage bartender...possibly.
Show Notes * Apply for Mage Noir Here * Original Progenitors book * This book: Convention Book: Progenitors * Next book: Convention Book: Syndicate
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Four guests! Charles Siegel talks about adding sorcerers to M20, the Hermetic Hipster talks new Tradition Backgrounds, TL Webb talks mages in Texas, and Thrice Great introduces a persistent text Mage game you can go join.
Strange Yesterdays - My book on alternatives to the Revised metaplot
Liberation Mush - An online persistent text game you can join
Mush Clients - Software required to play
Liberation Wiki - A great introduction to Mage and the world of the Liberation MUSH
Hermetic Hipster - Youtube channel explaining Mage
Hermetic Hipster's Guide to the Traditions - Their book adding backgrounds and merits with short fiction
Number and Shape - A Paradigms Explored book on hypermathematics
Sorcerer Paths of Power - Charles's book updating Sorcerer to M20
Cyberfunk - TL Webb's newest fiction piece
Fireball Run - TL's previous release
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Ascension may have come but we have Conventions to update and Convention Book: N.W.O. is the first of the early 2010s books under CCP Games. Adam and Terry talk the Data Sphere, the Greylocke Incident, and ATLAS units for the N.W.O..
Show Notes * Convention Book: N.W.O. - This book * Convention Book: Progenitors - Next book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage the Ascension contains all sorts of magickal books, but how do magic texts in our world go from unearthed to on a bookshelf? Translator and RPG writer, Brian Johnson talks paradigms, spells, and library adventures.
Brian's freelancer webpage
Forged by Dragon's Fire - Book containing books
Brian's References:
Sophie Page has studied a whole collection of magical texts from the 14th-century library of St. Augustine's abbey, Canterbury; her PhD thesis on the topic is here (access with free registration): https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.340649 see also her published volume, Magic in the Cloister: https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-06033-0.html)
For a humongous and very colorful example of what a real medieval grimoire could look like, see the Summa Sacrae Magicae
Finally, one that we did mention, theFasciculus Rerum Geomanticarum, at the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (some translated excerpts of which I recently published as Necromancy in the Medici Library, available at all good booksellers)
Greek Magical Papyri
Picatrix
Corpus Hermeticum
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
All things come to an end but Mage and Ascension, the last Mage book for eight years, provides five such endings. Adam and Terry talk the death of Senex, the return of al-Aswad, asteroid impacts and the Zigg'raugglurr.
This book: Ascension
The next book: Convention Book: N.W.O.
World of Darkness: Time of Judgment: The book that provided end time scenarios for the other lines
Note! Our current plan is to read the four Revised Convention books then review Sorcerers Crusade before reading M20
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Rich Bastard's Guide to Magick adds magick for movers and shakers and two of the authors join us! Lauren Roy as developer and Josh Heath as author talk hypercars, Porthos' grimoire and rich-ass Templars.
Get the book
Lauren M Roy's other books
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Terry ran a Mage one shot for some players with mostly D20 prior experience. The session highlights the power and morality of what a mage does in the hands of new players.
Mage 1-page per Sphere references by Mark Hope - You likely need to be a member of the FB group to grab them.
The Nine Spheres by Charles Siegel - A more expansive coverage of the Spheres
Support the show on Patreon
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Mage: The Ascension Revised take on the Virtual Adepts mixes fashion, modernity, and a bit of 1e kookiness in with the last published Tradition Book. Adam and Terry talk the Turing virus, the Tesla vaccine, and mid-2000s clothing choices.
Show Notes * This book: Tradition Book: Virtual Adepts * Next book: Ascension
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Technocracy is a staple of the Mage canon but it brings along with it assumptions on how science works. Victor and Terry discuss Occupy Horizon, crowd effects, and six new technomagick Crafts.
Executive producers! Check the Patreon or the Discord to vote on which group should receive a write up. Poll runs through November 15th.
Shadowbound - Victor's Wraith project
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Verbena Circle introduced in the 90s is now grown and tackles the contemporary problems of some very old practices. Adam and Terry talk deadly healing, the limits of Merlin, and the Paths of the Wyck in Tradition Book: Verbena.
Tradition Book: Verbena - This book
Tradition Book: Virtual Adepts - Next book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Jason Pitre is a writer and developer whose games often focus on beliefs and the fight to change them which really sounds like Mage. Jason is also a big Mage fan and talks how to adapt his work for your table.
Genesis of Legend Publishing - Jason's firm
RPG Design Panelcast - A podcast Jason rights on game design
M5 Hack - From our Patrick McNamara interview plus what Terry put together.
Jason's Game
- Spark Roleplaying - a game of shifting beliefs
- Spark Roleplaying on DrivethruRPG
- After the War on DrivethruRPG
- After the War in hardcopy on Indie Press Revolution
- Sig: Manual of the Primes on DrivethruRPG
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Seeking to reverse the Curse of Caine, vampires say "dare we spit in God's eye?" while mages grab a hose and say "hold my beer". Adam and Terry talk forbidden texts, Cold War Technocracy, and so many NPCs in The Red Sign.
The Red Sign - This book
The Yellow King RPG - A Pelgrane Press book including four time periods
The King in Yellow - The short story collection containing the stories that contains references to the play....the King in Yellow
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Chaos magic seeks to boil ritual to its essence and change the world while discarding the baggage of previous movements but how to add it to a Mage game? Yui joins to talk egregores, servitors, sigils, and Speed posters.
Penny Dreadful Mage Novel
Grant Morrison on Sigil Creation - Note, this video starts with him literally screaming
Liber Null & Psychonaut: An Introduction to Chaos Magic - One of the popular texts on chaos magic.
Condensed Chaos - Phil Hines' chaos magic book
Yui on Twitter
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Tradition Book: Sons of Ether gives a sneak peak of what the end times in the World of Darkness could be but first it shares much more. Adam and Terry talk Ethics Councils, missing archmasters, and some crackpot science.
Next: Tradition Book Verbena
Flash Gordon - On The Planet Mongo - Titan Books
The Shadow Out of Time by HP Lovecraft
Some Thomas Dolby
She Blinded Me With Science
Flying North
I Live In A Suitcase
Windpower
One of Our Submarines
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage can often provide surreal moments but how do you run a game with the surreal baked in without breaking everything? Chazz and Terry talk surrealism in Mage, references, and things to steal from Invisible Sun.
- Invisible Sun Preview - A free preview of the game
- Invisible Sun - The whole game
- Itras By - A surreal game in a strange town
- Dreamhounds of Paris - Game of surrealists discovering the dreamlands
- Lacuna - Surrealism of strange agents fighting things they don't quite understand
- Teratology Preview - Free peek
- Teratology - Monster book for Invisible Sun
Works
- Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening- Dali painting
- The Gone Away World - Nick Harkaway's book about a strange sci fi book
- The Last Days of New Paris - China Miéville book on destructive surrealism
- Cicero - A print Terry finds inspiring
- Afro Surrealism Pinterest
- The Guardian article on modern Afro Surrealism
Artists
- Kay Sage - Surrealist who did haunting studies of depression.
- Alberto Giacometti - Surrealist sculpter
- Leonora Carrington - Long-lived vibrant Surrealist
- Yves Tenguey
- Max Ernst
Other
- Private Language/Beetle in a box
- Surrealist game book
- Exquisite corpse examples
Chazz's Stuff
Systematic Understanding of Everything - Exalted explainer
The Fall of Jiara - Chazz's actual play
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Wonders trace back to 1e but in Forged by Dragon's Fire they are completely fleshed out. Adam and Terry talk Wonders Artifacts, Inventions, Talismans, Devices, Periapts, Matrices, Fetishes, Grimoires, Principiae, and Familiars.
Books
- Technomancer's Toybox - 2e Technomancer book
- Mage Storytellers Companion - Previous book on new Wonders
- M20 Gods and Monsters - Big book of familiars
- Forged by Dragon's Fire - This book
- Tradition Book: Sons of Ether - Next book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Patrick McNamara ran a Mage hack based on Vampire the Masquerade 5th edition for Club Penny Arcade and shares his tweaks, hacks, ideas, and what it's like running Mage the Ascension for one of the most widely known groups in tabletop play.
Key Books:
- Vampire the Masquerade 5th edition - Foundation of the system
- Mage the Awakening 2nd edition - Foundation for Reach used to determine Paradox dice
- M20 Quickstart - a pretty good run-down of the M20 rules
Animal House Podcast
Animal House Video
Animal House Rules Quick Reference (Must be Club PA member on Patreon)
Patrick McNamara Twitch
Adam Neely's 24 Hour Album project
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Order has lost Doissetep, waged a questionable war against vampires and lost many masters but the Hermetics are far from defeated. Adam and Terry talk new houses, new praxes, new rotes, and new chantries in Tradition Book: Order of Hermes.
Things mentioned!
- Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica - Rare book library
- The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast - A podcast that covers much of the corpus hermeticum
- Embassy of the Mind - Hermetic documents
Books!
- Tradition Book: Order of Hermes - This book
- Forged by Dragon's Fire - Next book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Sleepers wildly outnumber the Awakened but a few know something about the supernatural and use it to their own ends. Josh and Terry talk the Orpheus Group, Pentex, the NSA, and the Arcanum, what they know, and how to use them.
Sources:
Pentex
- W20 Book of the Wyrm
- W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook
- Subsidiaries: A Guide to Pentex
Arcanum
- Mage Chronicles 2 - Includes both Halls of the Arcanum and Ascension's Right Hand
- Halls of the Arcanum
The Orpheus Group
- Orpheus: End Game - Lots of info on Grandmother and some previously unanswered questions
- Orpheus Core
- Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition - Also contains a condensed but complete version of Orpheus without the Grandmother metaplot
Government Groups
- Project Twilight - Contains Bob Schnoblin's Pyramid of Satanic Power
- V20 The Hunters Hunted II - a massive update to mortal groups and mortal-ish groups
Bob Schnoblin's Pyramid
Music: Ukulele - Bensound https://www.bensound.comSupport by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Umbra contains mysteries and wonders enticing to mages seeking wisdom and power. But how to navigate the Otherworlds and secure their boons? Infinite Tapestry answers this in spades and Adam and Terry talk patrons, realms and planets.
Books mentioned:
Infinite Tapestry - This book
Beyond the Barriers: The Book of Worlds - Previous Umbra book for mage
W20 Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - Werewolf book that outlines the Middle Umbra
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage has many strange places and the Umbra doubly so but how can we use them in games? Charles and Terry talk Autochthonia, The Fortress of Government, The Far Shores, and the Copernicus Research Station
Books mentioned:
Beyond the Barriers, the Book of Worlds - The first book about the Umbra
Infinite Tapestry - Revised book about the Umbra
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Dead Magic II tells of magicks rare or hidden but not yet gone, some ignored by the major players, and some that lay in wait. Adam and Terry talk rune magick, the Dreamtime, lightning divination, tikis, and of course the Salmon of Wisdom.
- Dead Magic II: Secrets and Survivors - This book
- Licensed Mage Tarot deck - Reasonably priced version of the Mage tarot for less than the infinity dollars of the 90s one.
- Tarot Art Pack - Just the pictures, free!
- Tarot Sleeves - Sleeves for tarot cards
- Storyteller's Thesaurus - Book listing types and variants of objects.
- Sooth Deck - Divinatory and gameplay aide for Invisible Sun
- Fantod Deck - A gloriously weird pack made by Edward Gorey
- Mage Books
- Dead Magic - The first volume in the series
- Paradigms Explored: Wyrd and Weft - Another view of Norse magick
- Scion Second Edition - Revised version of Scion setting
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage is a big setting with big questions and M20 provides a set of Future Fates to help a Storyteller build their setting, but how do you use them? Victor and Terry walk through the options presented and share their experience building Mage worlds.
Books discussed:
Ascension's Landscape - Terry's Storyteller Vault title on the topic.
Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary - Contains all the Future Fates
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
With Fallen Tower: Las Vegas, Revised brings the total number of Mage city books....to one! Vegas is a city where money and magick flow freely and Adam and Terry talk questionable Nodes, neat rotes, and an Awakened mime.
This book - Fallen Tower: Las Vegas
Next book - Dead Magic II: Secrets and Survivors
Above Las Vegas
Support us on Patreon
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Kathy Ryan was on the Mage train since almost the beginning and she shares her experiences adding Amanda and Senex, shifting the Marauders and the Nephandi, and some of her notes for what her M20 metaplot would have been.
The Show
Our Patreon!
Rich Bastard's Guide to Magick - Preorder for M20 high power book
Books mentioned
- Book of Worlds - Book where we get information about Amanda's Avatar and the twice-born.
- Swords of Faith - The compilation of the Euthanatoi, Celestial Chorus, and Akashayana of which the first contains much of the Amanda plot
- M20 Core - The big book
- Book of Chantries as part of Mage Chronicles 1 - The big dose of setting that needed to be steered
Other References
- Wolf 359 podcast - Sci fi podcast
- Magnus Archives - Horror podcast
- Cordwainer Smith - Sci fi author
- The War of the Worlds album - Jeff Wayne's reinterpretation of War of the Worlds
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The mysterious Rogue Council calls on mages to again pursue the Ascension War in the face of despair and the Technocracy responds. Adam and Terry talk the Sphinx, Annunaki, and Panopticon in Manifesto: Transmissions from the Rogue Council.
Manifesto: Transmissions from the Rogue Council - This book
Fallen Tower: Las Vegas - Our next book
Anders Mage Page Egypt Chronicle - So much sphinx, so so so much sphinx
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Greg Stolze, prolific author of RPG books for Hunter, Demon, A Dirty World, and Mage fan favorite, Unknown Armies, talks Invisible Clergy, obsession fueling magic, writing game fiction, how he'd write WoD angels and crowdfunding projects.
New Stories of Unknown Armies Indiegogo - The project discussed at the end
Greg's Projects
- Greg on Twitter
- Greg's web page
- Free fiction
- Unknown Armies Book 1: Play - Core book to play the game, player's guide and rules
- Unknown Armies Book 2: Run - GM guide
- Unknown Armies Book 3: Reveal - More weird, great inspiration
- A Dirty World - A Noir game of hard choices
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
How do you run a game without Paradox? How about during a game where the Roman empire never fell? What if the Ministry of Swords still existed? Adam and Terry talk the Mage Storytellers Handbook and what you can take to your table.
Mage Storytellers Handbook - This book
Manifesto: Transmissions from the Rogue Council - Next book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
B Dave Walters talks the Technocracy in 2021, Cassandra Complex, Friends of Courage and introducing players to Mage and Tanya DePass talks the Into the Mother Lands afrofuturist setting and game design in a multitopic episode.
Into the Mother Lands Kickstarter
Technocracy Reloaded Pre-order - Still get it on release day!
Tanya's other projects
Dear America From a Black Guy - B Dave Walter's current documentary project
Other ParticipantsVanessa “PleasantlyTwstd” B. - Lead artist @PleasantlyTwstd –Twitter / Twitch / Instagram
Gabe Hicks - Developer @GabeJamesGames –Twitter/Twitch/Instagram
Jasmine Bhullar - Developer @ThatBronzeGirl –Twitch/Twitter/Instagram
Sharang Biswas - Contributor @sharangbiswas – Twitter/Portfolio
LaTia Jacquise - Contributor @LaTiaJacquise –Twitter/Twitch/Instagram
Rest of the team
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
So far, the Hollowers were presented as American, urban, and gothic in and now with their own Tradition Book new light shines on their varied ways. Adam and Terry talk elemental cliques, oneiromancy, and wraiths in Tradition Book: Hollow Ones.
Books!
- Tradition Book: Hollow Ones - This books!
- Outcasts: A Players Guide to Pariahs - Closest previous book
- Orphans Survival Guide - Urban and orphan guide book for Mage
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
History teems with strange events and stranger claims that beg to be added to our Mage games, but how? Luckily, Darker Days Radio does regular segments on it! Chris and Terry talk the Pope Lick Monster, the Dyatlov Pass incident and more.
Darker Days Radio
Gehenna Gaming schedule
Warhammer Fantasy Youtube series
The Secret Frequency Files bundle on DTRPG
Children of the Blood - VtM book Chris worked on
Age of Sigmar - Warhammer Fantasy book
Cubicle Seven - Publisher of Warhammer Fantasy
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Euthanatoi draw from those who do the work others won't, and now that includes purging the Ksirafai and possibly cleansing reality. Adam and Terry talk Senex, necromancy, and the Good Death.
Books!
- Tradition Book: Euthanatos - This book
- Guide to the Traditions - A more expansive view of the Traditions and their groups
- Swords of Faith - Book containing original 2e Euthanatos book
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Before you convince someone to play 30 session of Mage, maybe show them one? Josh and Terry give their recommendations on running a Mage one-shot. Also, an interview with STV fiction author, Lee Webb about their Etherite short fiction Dead Reckoning.
TryItCon Event Schedule - Come play a thing! Weekend of May 14-16th
Other books:
Another STV short fiction collection: Darkened Streets
Dead Reckoning - Etherite short story
Manifesto: Transmissions from the Rogue Council - It's got a short adventure in it!
The Nine Spheres - A quick reference to the Spheres
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Many counted the Kha'vadi out after the Avatar Storm but such claims were premature. Adam and Terry talk new sorcerous paths, spirits on the mundane side of the Gauntlet, and a bigger Tradition in Tradition Book: Dreamspeakers.
Related Books:
- Tradition Book: Dreamspeakers - This book
- Spirit Ways - book on shamanic variants
Related episode: Paradigm Deep Dive: Indigenous Magick
Next up: Tradition Book: Euthanatos
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Games are often set in the places we know by adding a layer of magick or horror, but how do you do that? Griffin from The Story Told and Terry talk about how they Mage-ify their hometown, Philadelphia, and how to make any major city magickal.
References:
- Atlas Obscura
- SS United States Plans
- Figure-Ground Diagram
TryItCon 2021
- Get a badge: https://tabletop.events/conventions/tryitcon-2021/badgetypes/attendee97
- Play a game: https://tabletop.events/conventions/tryitcon-2021/schedule#?query=
- Submit an event: https://tabletop.events/conventions/tryitcon-2021/submit-events
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Clockwork Convention has been cut off from Autochthonia and many of its cyborg minions have gained terrifying freedom. Adam and Terry talk new HIT Marks, the Cult of the Machine, and Alanson hardsuits in Convention Book: Iteration X.
Books references:
- Convention Book: Iteration X - This book
- Iteration X - The previous version
- Guide to the Technocracy - Essential reading to run Technocrats-as-protagonists
Next Book: Tradition Book: Dreamspeakers
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Let's steal from Powered by the Apocalypse! Mark Diaz Truman is the CEO of Magpie Games and World of Darkness fan. He an author of Urban Shadows, a PBtA urban fantasy game and shares what WoD players can take back to one of the games that inspired it.
Magpie's Curated Play program - Try a game with a two-shot!
Urban Shadows 2e kickstarter - Grab it during the late pledge period.
Urban Shadows 2e quickstart - 26 pages which are enough to start playing.
Urban Shadows 1e - The first edition
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Ecstatics find liberation and possibly Ascension through potent sensory experiences in both agony and ecstasy so how have they met modernity? Adam and Terry talk a plethora of new groups, expanded history, and very practical magick in Tradition Book: Cult of Ecstasy.
Next book: Convention Book: Iteration X
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The mechanics for raising Arete are easy, but how do you play out a Seeking where a mage may make a self discovery or learn about the fundament of the cosmos? Josh and Terry share how Seekings changed across editions and some ways you can run them.
Dusk Wiki - Large wiki with house rules on Seekings
TryItCon Links:
If you have a game you’d like to try, ask for it: https://forms.gle/mt5eY3QRQhY3WXD26
If you’d like to help storytell/guide for the bonanza, ST applications are here: https://forms.gle/URAagdGn7rnaufgr6
References:
Mage Style Guide - Comparison of Mage across Editions
Mage Made Easy - STV supplement with recommendations on Seekings
Book of Shadows - 1e book including Seekings advice
Mage the Ascension 1e - The book that started it all where Seekings are external and given by the Avatar
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
In a world going mad how do the Marauders manifest? How have the Nephandi cope with the Avatar Storm? How do I barter my (character's) soul? Adam and Terry talk the dark whisperers in the Ascension War in Book of Madness Revised.
This book: Book of Madness Revised
Next book: Tradition Book: Cult of Ecstasy
Previous Book of Madness
Book of the Fallen - 20th anniversary update to the Nephandi
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Three different interviews with three different liveplays! Terrifying Tales nods to Kult, Ombligo Del Diablo is an M5 hack in a strange Southwest, and Technogate explores the 90s, one Umbral Realm at a time and what 2d10 and Guldan Age Stories are up to.
Terrifying Tales - A run of Mage with hints of Kult added for good measure run by Vorpal Tales.
Technogate 1999 - Exploring the goings on an Umbra-hopping Amalgam by Guldan Age Stories.
Ombligo Del Diablo - Adventures in an eerie Southwest by the Odd Troupe.
Crossing Darkness - An old World of Darkness informational podcast about the full breadth of oWoD gaming
2D10 Podcast - A broad gaming podcast by Nate of Utility Muffin Labs
Other links!
Victorian Mage Indiegogo - For each person who comments that I should write on the Victorian Umbra, I'll add 250 words to an STV supplement on the Victorian Umbra. (Min 5k, max 20k)
Sorcerer: Paths to Power - Sorcerer updated to M20
Tradition Rotes Project
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Guide to the Traditions lifts the curtain on the thousand ways the Traditions work with and against each other. Adam and Terry talk high-ritual shamans, hidden Cathars, Asthika technomancers and stranger magicks in this broad look at the 21st century Council.
Books:
Guide to the Traditions - the one we're talking about
The Bitter Road - Another big book of group and plot options
Book of Madness (Revised) - Next up!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The 19th century saw the West push to conquer the world but what were mages up to? The Technocracy rises, the American frontier closes and dozens of societies resist colonialism in Onyx Path's newest crowdfunding campaign, M20 Victorian Age now on Indiegogo.
The crowdfunding campaign for Victorian Age Mage
Victor Kinzer on Walking Away from Arcadia
Technocracy history
Books references:
Guide to the Technocracy - Technocratic History
Mage Storyteller's Companion - Giant timeline
Victorian Age Vampire - The first VIctorian age book
W20 Wyld West Expansion - Update to the Wyld West setting for werewolf
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
This minisode is with Max from Saga Experience which is trying to create a new type of virtual tabletop with a kind of built in game engine. We talk about our favorite numbers, virtual tabletops, and outcome distributions. Regular episode will be out Saturday!
Saga Experience - Their webpage
Saga Experience Discord - Talk to 'em! Tell them you want a freeform magick system. :3
Saga Experience Youtube - See it in action
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What does faith look like as the End Times approach? What is the role of shepherds when monsters walk the earth? Adam and Terry talk how the Chorus as broadened even as theology seemingly declines in Tradition Book: Celestial Chorus.
Next up: Guide to the Traditions
Our discussion of the previous Celestial Chorus book
Swords of Faith which includes the prior Tradition Book and two others
Tradition Book: Celestial Chorus on Drivethrurpg
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage is a game suited for many genres from pensive journey to space opera but the rules don't always give us fast-paced action. Bryce Perry of Darker Days Radio talks with Terry about things to steal from games like Torg and how to speed up combat.
Games to steal from:
- Torg - Game geared towards action and adventure with group leveling and dramatic build-up system.
- Unknown Armies - Urban fantasy game where broken people save the world.
- Blades in the Dark - The best game
- Ars Magica - For when the Order of Hermes isn't enough and you want all the hermetics.
Our episode on Tales of Magick: Dark Adventure
Darker Days Radio mailing list
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
In the 21st century, the Ahl-i-Batin quietly invoke the Khwaja al-Akbar while the Taftâni fight druj and pursue Asha with explosive ferocity. Adam and Terry talk math, carpets, figs and other goodies from Lost Paths: Ahl-i-Batin & Taftâni.
Show Notes * More information on the Entelechy in Ascension * Previous information on the Ahl-i-Batini in Book of Shadows
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Traditions claim to represent all of mystick magick but may were left out of the Grand Convocation. So what is a Tradition and what makes them special? Victor and Terry talk Traditions over time, areas to explore, and how to build your own.
The Hermit Hipster's Patreon
Video on Tradition Book
Garou Nation - Werewolf explainer by the team of Juarez by Night
Books mentioned:
- Guide to the Traditions - Revised guide to mystick politics
- Lost Paths: Ahl-I-Batin and Taftani - Two groups that maybe could be Traditions
- Dark Ages Mage - Game that uses Fellowships instead
- The Fragile Path - Book on the founding and betrayal of the First Cabal
- Book of Crafts - Book of well, Crafts
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
No longer lead by monastic ascetics the Akashayana are ready to bury old ways but can they hold together long enough to change? Adam and Terry talk new sects, new rotes, new wonders and a whole lot of Do in Tradition Book: Akashic Brotherhood.
This book: Tradition Book: Akashic Brotherhood on Drivethrurpg
Next book: Lost Paths: Ahl-I-Batin and Taftani on Drivethrurpg
Fist of the North Star
Theravada - Type of Buddhism discussed largely in this book.
Mahayana - More popular branch of Buddhism
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The world of Mage is teeming with strange creatures so why not add dragons? Scion: Dragon explores the powers and agendas of the mythic creatures and their heirs and developer Danielle Lauzon shares how dragons can go in your Mage game.
The Kickstarter campaign!
Scion core books:
Scion: Origins - Book outlining starting Scions and the storypath system
Scion: Hero - Book on more powerful Scions
Danielle's author page
Danielle's Twitter account
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The grip of Paradox has tightened but sorcerers, psychics, extraordinary citizens, and practitioners of limited or codified magick are unhindered. So what are they up to? Adam and Terry talk new groups, new paths, new systems, and PSYCHIC POWERS in Sorcerer Revised.
Next Book: Lost Paths: Ahl-i-Batini and Taftani
World of Darkness: Sorcerer - Prior Sorcerer book which was less free-form and overall smaller
Prior Episode on Sorcerer
Hunters Hunted II - Another book on antagonists including some magickal and semi-magickal societies as well as numina.
True Faith was not in this book but it's expanded in Tradition Book: Celestial Chorus
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What games did you play in 2020, and more importantly, what hacks, mechanics, settings, and ideas can we take from them to bring into Mage? Mike from Darker Days Radio talks Sanity from Call of Cthulhu, quick stats from the Pip system, focus from Soulbound, and more as we review the games we played in 2020.
Games mentioned
- Wrath and Glory - The story of eight systems cut off from the rest of the Warhammer world
- Pip system - A simple stat system that's kid-friendly
- Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition - Recent edition of one of the oldest RPGs
- Tomb of Dreams - Exalted 3e quickstart game
- Soulbound - Another Warhammer game which is where the Focus discussion comes from
- Mork Borg - Black metal d20 RPG
- Genesys generic system - Fantasy Flight's house system where each die roll tells a story
- Revised Mage Quickstart - Simplified version of Mage Revised
Podcasts mentioned
- The Story Told - Generic RPG podcast which also does a recurring Exalted liveplay
- Gehenna Gaming - Horror gaming rpg group
- Darker Days Radio - Horror RPG podcast
- Systematic Understanding of Everything - An Exalted explainer podcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
A bonus episode to go with our episode on Dragons of the East.
Adam Simpson offers some ideas for bringing East Asia into your Mage Chronicles.
Seven Branch Sword
- https://michael-chen-mg2n.squarespace.com/news/2017/10/12/legendary-7-branched-sword-of-japan
- https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/seven-branched-sword-mystical-ceremonial-sword-japan-003185
- http://nihonshoki.wikidot.com/scroll-9-jingu (look for Death of the King of Baekje)
Books
- Religion in Contemporary Japan by Ian Reader. University of Hawaii Press 1991
- Japanese Religions Past & Present by Ian Reader, Esben Andreasen & Finn Stefansson. University of Hawaii Press 1993
- Ninja Attack! by Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt. Kodansha International 2010
- True Path of the Ninja by Antony Cummins & Yoshie Minami. Tuttle Publishing 2011
- Taiko by Eiji Yoshikawa. Kodansha International 1967 (1992)
- Yokai Attack! by Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt. Tuttle Publishing 2008
- Kojiki by Donald L. Philippi (translator). University of Tokyo Press 1968
- The Classic of Mountains and Seas by Anne Birrell (translator). Penguin Classics 1999
- The Journey to the West by Anthony C. Yu (translator). University of Chicago Press 1977
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Dragons of the East vastly expands Mage Revised’s territory by outlining the Awakened world in large parts of East Asia. Adam and Terry review the major points like the mysterious new groups ranging across Mongolia’s steppes to the dense forests of Vietnam and an ancient conspiracy of the Dalou’laoshi that lurks in the edge of the Technocracy....maybe.
Show Notes * This book: Dragons of the East * Next book: Sorcerer Revised
Notes
- Book of Crafts episode
- Midnight Express Episode on the Wu-Keng
- Ailon Rouge's Chantry Project
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
For over twelves centuries the Order of Hermes has pushed will as the key of magick, where do they stand in the 21st century? Stephen Michael DiPesa authored Tradition Book: Order of Hermes and Blood Treachery and shares where he thinks the Hermetics would be today.
Stephen's written for a number of other games and White Wolf lines and shares his experiences as an RPG writer.
WoD Books:
- Blood Treachery - Revised book outlining the Wizards March declared against Clan Tremere
- Tradition Book: Order of Hermes - Revised Tradition Book
- Infinite Tapestry - Revised book on the Umbra
- Mage Storytellers Handbook - Handbook outlining a dozen dozen directions to take a Mage game
- Ascension - The last book of Revised
- Mage the Awakening: Second Edition
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Order of Hermes is cut off from the Horizon Realms that form the basis of its power and struggling to find its footing after realizing they can no longer destroy the Technocracy. What's a Tradition to do? Decvlare war on the Tremere to try and get their stuff back! Blood Treachery advances the Revised metaplot with a bang weaving a tale of magick, blood, hubris, and guncotton in an exploration of what the Order has become but might yet be. Adam and Terry walk through what's changed from the Hermetic magick that makes your blood explosive to the new Astral Courts and the revelations as to the true reason Mistridge fell.
This book: Blood Treachery
Next book: Dragons of the East
Others references:
- House of Tremere - Information the historical Tremere
- Clanbook: Tremere - Revised book outlining the hierarchy
- Tradition Book: Order of Hermes - Revised book on the Tradition written in the wake of the Wizards March.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
JFK was just been inaugurated as president, Patrice Lumumba is assassinated the Berlin Wall is built, Elvis returns, Motown is founded, and the Cold War is in full-swing but what's going on in the Awakened world? Mage Developer Satyros Phil Brucato walks through ideas in using the 1960s as a chronicle setting, how it's informed by what came before, and how it sets the stage for our modern Ascension War.
References:
- The Avengers - British espionage TV show
- Get Smart - American spy parody
- James Bond - British secret agent movie series based on books by Ian Flemming
- Gojira - 1954 kaiju film introducing Godzilla
- The Warmth of Other Suns - Book about the internal Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
- Sun Ra - American composer and experimental musician with a cosmic philosophy
- Parliament-Funkadelic - American funk collective headed by George Clinton
- Baader-Meinhof Group - Far left German militant organization about which numerous films were made
- Velvet Underground - American rock band headed by Lou Reed
- The Drowned World - J.G. Ballard book set in an earth rendered largely uninhabitable
- Slaughterhouse-Five - Book by Kurt Vonnegut
- Music: A Subversive History - 2019 book on the cultural importance of music
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Tarantino film set in 1969 LA
- The Prisoner - British avante garde science fiction film
- The Doors (movie) - Film about the music group the Doors through the 60s and 70s
- Malcolm X (movie) - Documentary based on Malcolm X's autobiography
- Standing in the Shadows of Motown - Documentary on the story of the Funk Brothers
Satyros
- Valhalla with a Twist of Lethe - Satyros' book of short fiction
- Satyros Patreon
- Mage Made Easy - Satyros' guide to simplifying M20
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
With the master's gone, how is an Adept to achieve Mastery? By learning the secrets of the ancients through a mix of cultural outreach and maybe a little grave-robbing. Dead Magic explores the magic of the cradle of humanity, the ruins of Babylon, the forbidding tracts of North American of Arctic, and the visceral practices of Greece. Adam and Terry tour through the ruins of past magick and give recommendations on how to bring the contents into your game. Warning! This is a Black Dog Game Factory supplement and is a bit more gorey and bad-touchy than most Mage books.
This book: Dead Magic
Next book: Blood Treachery Rework of Giant’s Playground by Adam
Shaping up the Giant’s Playground should remain within Revised Edition’s parameters of keeping things on Earth so no portals to the Umbra or Horizon Realms. Making it mystically interesting goes against Revised Edition’s rich character development but I swear I’m going to print some T shirts with the message “Rage Against the Rich Character Development”. Yes, this is a reference to page 81 of The Bitter Road.
The Giant’s Playground is a popular destination for visitors to Namibia although very few suspect its true significance. Mages who venture beyond the most popular rock formations and explore the interior will eventually reach a point where their mystic senses are aroused (Awareness + Perception or Wits, diff 6). Those who score 3 or more successes get a sense that space is stretched and wound differently than normal. Those with less successes get a feeling the place is special somehow and are free to try their first level Sphere senses. Those who botch become convinced someone has set a trap for the Awakened and will want to leave.
The first level of Correspondence is enough to let mages perceive an entrance to the Playground’s true interior. The first level of Spirit should also be enough to let a mage open their senses to the spirits of the land who will guide the mage to the entrance. Once inside the true Giant’s Playground the visitors disappear from the view of aerial observers and Sleepers. The old, squarish rocks loom higher and closer as the visitors walk and form a labyrinth. Visitors will need an excellent sense of direction or the favor of the local rock spirits to find their way out safely. Correspondence magic is more difficult to use here, as if normal notions of space, volume and distance don’t apply.
There is a palpable sense of power here. Old designs scratched into the stones hint at forgotten rituals. Those with Spirit magic will find it markedly easier to communicate with rock spirits here (Axis Mundi pg. 122).
Some passages of the labyrinth, always open to the sky, lead to chambers that surround low, flat rocks roughly 10 feet in diameter. It isn’t hard to imagine the mages of long ago conducting rites here but information on what was done or who did it is lost to time. All Sphere magic used to scry here is blocked. The mage sees an image of an enigmatic stone idol.
Members of the Ngoma claim the site is sacred and forbid others to visit. However, they do not guard it or interfere with anyone who has visited. The members of the Mad Zimbabwe sect of the Euthanatos will not speak of it at all.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Rusted Icon is the licensed provider of World of Darkness glassware, badges, decals, and LARP tools other neat stuff including a full line of Mage Sphere glasses, and Tradition and Convention decals. Khris talks about running a small business, working with White Wolf, and his love of roleplaying. Between now and December 1st, use the code 'MTP20' to get 20% off of your entire order.
Rusted Icon's web page
Rusted Icon on Instagram
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
World War II stands as a pivotal and maybe the pivotal event in the 20th century, but how did it change the Awakened world? Matthew Webb of Jackalope Live Action Studios talks through the war and post-war period from the war within the Technocracy, the split in the Traditions, the fallout for the Crafts, to how it set up the revolutions of the 60s.
Media Mentioned
- The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich - Title says it all
- The Book of the Five Rings - Book on the five elements of proper battle written in about 1643
- Come and See - Movie where actual footage is used to create a creepy and effective anti-war film
- Hardcore History Destroyer of Worlds - Episode on the ramifications of humans having access to nuclear weapons
- Nuclear Shadows - Images left by objects destroyed during the nuclear blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- The Stranger on the 3rd Floor - Early noir film
- The Asphalt Jungle - Later Noir film
- Blitzed - Book that argues that much of the military success and then failure of the Nazi's could be attributed to amphetamines
- The Manhattan Project - Book composed mostly of first hand sources discussing the building of nuclear weapons
- Gods and Beasts: The Nazis and the Occult - Again, the title kind of tells you
- Unholy Alliance - Another book on the ties between the Nazis and the occult
Mage sources
- Dragons of the East - Supplement to outline the war and its effects on East Asia
- Charnel Houses of Europe: The Shoah - Wraith supplement on the war dead
- Virtual Adepts Tradition book - Gives information the VAs during WWII
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
In the wake of the Avatar Storm, Mage Revised refocused on earthly chronicles. What kind of games can you run there? How do you set a game at a college or office park? What's does Node 4 mean when your chantry is mobile? The Bitter Road sets up the world of Revised and gives a dozen ways to run games in it. Adam and Terry share the best and worst parts.
This book: The Bitter Road
Next book: Dead Magic
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage has a history that spans millennia and the entire globe, so how can we explore it in a modern game? Correspondence magick can take a mage anywhere and Time magick can bring a mage to any when but there are options well beyond that. Charles Siegel joins to discuss ways to bring your game to wherever or whenever you want using the tools given across all of the World of Darkness books.
Night-Folk references:
- Temporis - True Brujah power of time manipulation
- Chronos - Changeling power of time manipulation
- House Criamon - House of seers and prophets within the Order of Hermes
- Shade Realm of Time - Realm where moving through it causes you to move through time
- Time Archsphere - Big Time Travel
Books references:
- Infinity Tapestry - Contains Courts that may help with time-appropriate Realms and time travel.
- Book of Mirrors - Storyteller guide that includes bits on previous time periods.
- Digital Web 2.0 - Lots of Sectors that are restricted creating a type of time travel
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Revised created a whole new world for Mage but not everything could fit in the core rulebook. How do I make Charms or Periapts? Who are the Taftani? Can I have more deets on the Avatar Storm? Adam and Terry talk what you need to know and what you can skip in the Mage Storytellers Companion.
Books mentioned in the intro:
Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials - Illustrations created for various non-Earth species
Barlowe's Inferno - Illustrations of what a hell could look like with few touchstones to Christian thought
Next up: Bitter Road
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Today we tackle two vital questions: How could you make a Mage the Ascension video game and how would go about dating an archmage. Kris Newton of the MegaDumbCast joins to help tackle these questions and more. Also, Kris gives us some tips on how to steal things from Palladium's over-the-top trenchcoat horror classic Beyond the Supernatural.
- MegaDumbCast on Twitter
- MegaDumbCast on Podbean
- Beyond the Supernatural, MegaDumbCast's current project
- Masters of the Art - Archmage Book!
- Masters of the Art episode - Mage the Podcast talking about archmages
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage Revised is often called a seismic shift in the world of the Awakened with a directionless Technocracy, confused Nephandi, and shattered Traditions but what really changed? Adam and Terry walk you through the lore, tone, theme, and rules changes for the book that set the stage for everything to come until Ascension.
Wayne Peacock Letter - A letter from one of the early playtesters for Mage of the new system.
Revised Storyteller vs Revised Edition - Revised can me two things in World of Darkness. This explains the difference.
Next book: Storyteller Companion - Everything that couldn't fit into the core book.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mortals may lack Spheres in investigating the ghostly mysteries of the World of Darkness but they do have technology, grit, numbers, and some wisdom to make up for it. World of Darkness Ghost Hunters outlines how to add mortal ghost hunters from the celebrity skeptic to the trained necromancer to your games as players or as NPCS. Matthew Dawkins talks numina, the Orpheus group, mummies, and a dash of M5.
World of Darkness Ghost Hunters Kickstarter
Matthew Dawkins Author Page
Matthew Dawkins Patreon Page
Recommended books:
- Wraith 20 - You want ghosts, it's got ghosts and Matthew's favorite
- Vampire 20 - the simplest of the X20 core books
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What lies beyond mastery? Mage has provided tantalizing hints of archmages capable of leveling mountains with a thought but Masters of the Art gives rules and setting for these walking demigods. Adam and Terry walk through arch-allies, arch-nemeses, and of course archspheres as well as some alternatives to archmastery.
Next book: Mage the Ascension: Revised Core Book - NEW EDITION!
Other books in the series:
Initiates of the Art - book on newly Awakened mages
Bitter Road - book on disciples
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Paradigm deep dive time! Occultist and author S Rune Emerson talks North American Witchcraft and outlines the paradigm, practice, and instruments for naturalistic and supernatural witchcraft that follow North American traditions.
More on Rune!
- Patreon
- Blog
- Book
- Etsy Store
Other links!
- Jmag's Demon the Fallen to V5 conversion - Rules for Demon the Fallen demons in V5
- The Feri Tradition - a NA witch group
- The Return of Witches as a Symbol of Feminism
- STONE LOOOOOORE
- Statement from the American Council of Witches
Books Mentioned:
- Truth Beyond Paradox - a Mage short fiction collection
- Tradition Book: Dreamspeakers - Revised Tradition book
- Tradition Book: Verbena - Revised Tradition book
- Tradition Book: Order of Hermes - Revised Tradition book
- Witches and Pagans - Sorcerers Crusade book on witch magick
- Traditions Gathered: Blood and Dreams - 2e collection of Dreamspeaker, Verbena, and Cult of Ecstasy Tradition books
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The World of Darkness is teeming with spirits and things yet stranger and shamanic mages practitioners from all corners of the globe act as messengers and defenders. Spirit Ways is a book on some types of shamanic practice and Adam and Terry walk you through it.
Previous similar episodes:
Tomes of Magick: Dreamspeakers
Tomes of Magick: Axis Mundi
Related books:
Dreamspeakers - The 2e Tradition book for the most shamanic Tradition. Also available as part of Blood and Dreams.
Axis Mundi - The 2e crossover book with Werewolf
Next book: Masters of the Art
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage has changed a lot over the past 25 years but what was it like being on the inside as an artist, developer or writer? Find out from the people who were there with two artists, two developers, five writers, and the guy responsible for the Sphere system (who's also Dante). Full panel is Bill Bridges, Satyros Phil Brucato, Jackie Cassada, Echo Chernik, Jesse Heinig, Mark Jackson, Nicky Rae, James Sambrano, and Travis Williams
Mark Jackson - Mage Illustrator
- Phantasia - Retrospective work
Jesse Heinig working with cryptic studios on Star Trek Online - Former Line Developer
Bill Bridges
- Fading Suns
- Gameontabletop.com
- Bill-bridges.com
Travis Williams, VP of game development at lightstorm entertainer - On the 1e Mage Team
- Technoobians
- He was Dante
Jackie Cassada and Nicky Rea - Long time White Wolf writers, heavily involved in Changeling and Kindred of the East
- Tradition Book: Dreamspeakers
- World of Darkness: Hong Kong
- Changeling 20th Anniversary Edition
James Sambrano - 20th Anniversary Edition Writers
- Patreon
- Truth Beyond Paradox
- Gods and Monsters
Satyros Phil Brucato - Longtime Developer and Writer
- Patreon
- Valhalla with a Twist of Lethe
- Patreon
Echo Chernik - Artist and Illustrator
- Portfolio
- Web Shop
- Patreon
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mages can reach levels of power that can level mountains and carve Realms in the Horizon that follow their every whim, but where do they start, what can you do with an Arete of one, and how do you not get accidentally launched into the Umbra? Adam and Terry talk Initiates of the Art, the first in a series of books that outline mages at various steps on the Path of Thorns.
Series:
Initiates of the Art - On low Arete games
Masters of the Art - On high Arete games
Bitter Road - On mid Arete games (Revised)
Next Book: Spirit Ways
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Hollowers have gone from tragically hip Orphans to post-modern alternative to the Traditions, but how do they do magick? Life-long Goth and Mage writer, James Sambrano, talks paradigm, practices, and playlists for one of the newer paradigms in Mage.
Books James worked on:
- M20 Core - Helped plan the Disparate Alliance
- Gods and Monsters - Concept behind Big Owl
- Truth Beyond Paradox - The M20 fiction compilation
Hollower/Goth books:
- Outcasts: A Players Guide to Pariahs
- Tradition Book: Hollow Ones
- Orphans Survival Guide
Mage Storytime #2
Play lists!
- Goth playlist #1
- Goth playlist #2
- Goth playlist #3
- Goth playlist #4
- Goth playlist #5
- Goth music by not white people
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Technocracy has been presented as both a monomaniacal terror and the only thing saving humanity from itself and other things. So how do you play one? Adam and Terry talk through the Guide to the Technocracy which takes a normally antagonistic Ascension War faction and gives players and storytellers everything they need to run a game within the Union.
Tomes of Magick Technocracy books
- Technocracy - Iteration X episode
- Technocracy - NWO episode
- Technocracy - Progenitors episode
- Technocracy - Syndicate episode
- Technocracy - Void Engineers episode
Book of Mirrors
Appleseed manga
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Some RPGs are swashbuckling sagas, others are intimate dramas, and others are simply about surviving a brutal world. Mage can be all those things, but how? Professional game and fiction writer Rai Cole of the Bonus Experience podcast gives solid advice on how to build your Mage setting, how to change the stock World of Darkness, and things you can steal from other games that work well in the Storyteller System.
Games Mentioned
- Monster Care Squad - A game where you serve as vets for sick monsters
- Americana - A supernatural game about a greaser era that never was. BXP interview about it.
- Blades in the Dark - A game of stress and choices with a free public SRD
- Last Blood - Comic about vampires protecting humans against zombies
Rai's Other Work
- A Light Extinguished - Scion Quickstart
- Bonus Experience - Rai and Monica's podcast about game design
- Cult of the Blood Gods - Book on blood cults in Vampire
- RaiWCole on Twitter
Community Works
- 9 Things I Like about Mage by Camak
- Players Becoming Characters by Undead Foodstuffs'
Remember: Modify it if it displeases you!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage can be a game of cosmic chess or one of gritty urban realism, but what about something in between? Tales of Magick: Dark Adventure guides storytellers in how to make a high action, not just adventure, but dark adventure chronicle without leaving the World of Darkness. Adam and Terry go through the systems, themes, and tools, what you should include and what you can probably leave out.
Other setting books:
- Horizon: Stronghold of Hope - a guide to an otherworldly and high mage count game
- Destiny's Price - a first edition-ish Black Dog publication for a very gritty urban game
- Orphan's Survival Guide - the other "city" book for Mage
Other episodes:
- Horizon: Stronghold of Hope episode
- Destiny's Price episode
- Orphan's Survival Guide episode
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Chronicles of Darkness has their vampires, werewolves, and changelings, but what are their mages like? More importantly, what can we steal from them? Occultists Anonymous, a Mage: The Awakening liveplay explains what they think makes the game so special and what the coolest bits of the game are.
Books referenced:
- Mage the Awakening 2e - Current edition of Mage the Awakening
- Chronicles of Darkness 2e - Core rulebook that also includes information for the default Chronicles setting.
- Mage Translation Guide - An explainer on how to move a game from Ascension to Awakening and back. Also does a good explainer of the metaphysics of both games.
- Mage Translation Toolkit - 1e Awakening, Revised Ascension, the Translation Guide, and 1e Chronicles of Darkness. A bit outdated but a very good price.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Ascension War is an epic struggle for control of reality but not everyone wants to be part of that war as some fight just to survive. How can a faction-less mage make it in Mage's urban fantasy setting while staying safe and independent? Orphan's Survival Guide picks up and expands where Destiny's Price and Outcasts: A Players Guide to Pariahs left off and Adam and Terry walk you through it.
Books mentioned:
- Destiny's Price - A book on hard-scrabble life in the city with a few locations and set pieces and rules for swarms and drugs.
- Initiates of the Art - A book on playing a newly Awakened mage.
Other books:
- Travels with Lizbeth - book on traveling and surviving while homeless
- Down and Out in Paris and London - semi-autobiographical account of being homeless by George Orwell
- Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman book on the trials of a young wizard discovering magic
A picture of Adam's tanto
ean5c8sz
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The World of Darkness is full of supernatural horrors, demonic entities, subterranean monsters, and bygone creatures, but how about aliens? In the second episode celebrating weird stuff from space, Charles and Terry talk about the Ka Luon, the Zigg'raugglurr, the Hui:xa, and the Watchers in the Deep and the mortals who love them.
Also! There's a 25% sale on DTRPG right now, if you order at least $100 in stuff using our affiliate code and we'll do a shout out to you.
Pages Referenced:
- Hui:xa - possible super advanced aliens of which Khuvon is a member
- Zigg'raugglurr - Time-hopping reptilian quintessence thieves
- Ka Luon - Greys that have been either in a war with the Zigg, the Technocracy, or both since the 50s
Books referenced:
- Ascension - Final book in Mage series, also contains scenario Whimper Not a Bang where aliens ruin everything
- Beyond the Barriers - Book that details the Watchers in the Deep
- Infinite Tapestry - Give information on the Hive Dwellers and other maybe aliens
- Mage 1st Edition - Original reference of the Zigg
- Sorcerer Revised - Update on sorcery for Revised including the new Star Council
- World of Darkness: Sorcerer - Original book on sorcery, when the Thal'hun were their own thing
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Digital Web is a Zone that cuts across all layers of the Umbra and is rare for being accessible my mortals. So what does it look like, how do you get there, and how has it changed in the five years since the original Digital Web supplement was launched? Adam and Terry walk through the state of the Digital Web after the Great Whiteout, the difference between a troika and a Bogie, and how to avoid getting derezzed in their discussion of Digital Web 2.0.
First Digital Web Tomes of Magick episode - Adam and Terry talk....at length about the still entirely usable book.
Other Books Mentioned:
- Tales of Magick: Dark Adventure - Our next Tomes of Magick book
- Mage Chronicles, Volume 1 - Reprint book that includes the original Digital Web book as well as Book of Chantries
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
We've talked about changelings, and we've talked about Technocrats, but we've never talked about body snatching space changelings and the Void Engineers who love them...and by that we mean shut them down. Changeling: Countless Dreams is a 176 page supplement detailing how to introduce creatures powered by humanity's dreams and nightmares about space to your chronicle. Author Simon Eichhörnchen and editor Victor Kinzer break the book down and provide power ideas and plots for your game.
Changeling: Countless Dreams - Includes custom character sheet, Countless logos, the text, and a mobile version
Walking Away from Arcadia - The podcast that Simon and Victor do on Changeling the Dreaming.
Additional STV releases from friends of Mage the Podcast:
- Past is Prologue - A Dark Ages: Fae supplement by Radio Free Arcadia expanding on the setting including new abilities, lore, and a new Dominion.
- The Second Transmission - The Second Transmission: The Secret Frequency Files 2 is collection of story hooks, settings, antagonists and rules updates, for use with Chronicles of Darkness 2nd edition, including Vampire, Mage, Werewolf, Changeling, and more.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Legends are full of magic wands, enchanted slippers, and sacred artifacts of immeasurable power, but what kind of Wonders to console jockeys, ethernauts, and mirrorshades get? Technomancer's Toybox answers that question in spades and Adam and Terry do a rapid tour of what techies and their friends use instead of cauldrons and potions picking out their favorites and those that should have stayed on the drawing board.
Other Books with Wonders:
- Mystic Armory - Storyteller Vault title with all published Wonders in them
- Forged by Dragon's Fire - Big book of mystick items
- Guide to the Technocracy - Vastly expanded rules for Technocratic Wonders and focuses
- Book of Secrets - M20 series book with expanded Wonder rules
Other Books:
- World of Darkness: Combat - Generic WoD supplement with vastly expanded weapons
- Tales of Magick: Dark Adventure - Next in our review series!
Other References:
- Pineapple Army - Manga featuring a grenade launcher mentioned in this book
- Neuromancer - William Gibson novel involving using a slow virus to infiltrate a protected system
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Where did the Unofficial White Wolf Wiki come from? What's the state of RPG technology? How does the Trinity Continuum work? Ian AA Watson, developer and community manager for Onyx Path answers all of these in a wide-ranging conversation.
- The Wiki Update Event on Facebook
- The Mage the Podcast Discord
Things Ian has worked on:
- Guide to the Traditions - Ian's first credit
- Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook - The core book for the Trinity Settings
- Trinity Continuum: Aeon - Future setting for Trinity
Other things mentioned:
The Scion phone edition
Post Human Studios - The publisher behind the Eclipse Phase RPG
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
What does an NWO science museum look like? Why did the Tremere frame House Diedne for diabolism? What's it like to have an Arcane of 7? All of these questions are answered in the curious Isle of the Mighty, a crossover book for Mage the Ascension and Changeling the Dreaming. If you do not speak Changeling, do not fear, this episode features note faeinmageologist, Victor Kinzer.
Books you may want for crossover:
- Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition
- Book of Lost Dreams - Includes crossover books for the Prodigals
- Changeling Storytellers Guide - Earlier book that also includes crossover rules
- The Enchanted - Book on how to introduce the Enchanted to your games. Mortals who can see changeling magic and for whom the Mists have parted
Changeling: Countless Dreams - Victor's latest project as editor with writer Simon Eichhörnchen about changelings from the dreams of science fiction. Contains amazing crossover potential with the Void Engineers.
Adam's links - These are fixed links from the back of the book
- Stats Wales
- Edinburgh College
- Elementary Course Gaelic
- Glasgow Herald
- National Museum of Scotland
- Online Scotland
- Stirling College
- Bagpipe Web Directory
- The Book of Taliesin: Poems of Warfare and Praise in an Enchanted Britain
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
We talk with two creators about their Storyteller Vault creations. Charles Siegel, discusses Sources of Magick, a book on Nodes, what they could be, and how to use them. The second interview is with Secrets of the Masquerade on their Major Arcana Optional System which is a system to make magick dynamic during a game of Mage with changing rules to reflect the ebb and flow of the Spheres.
Charles other works:
- Rite of the Spring - A small adventure for Mage
- The Nine Spheres - A set of handouts on the nine Spheres and how to use them
- Enlightened Grimoire - All the Rotes!
- Mystic Armory - All the Wonders!
Secrets other works:
- 2019 Trick or Treat - A Halloween special
- Bordeaux by Night Players Guide - An introduction to France and to Bordeaux as a city, and Bordeaux as a domain, foreigner-friendly.
- Bordeaux by Night Storytellers Guide - Contains the true history of the city and all sorts of bits to drop into a game.
- Guide to Dying - Dive into the causes of deaths and their effects on given lives to fuel your Wraith creation process.
- Guide to Grouping - An April Fools Event
Secrets of the Masquerade blog
Pavillion Noir
Les Lames du Cardina
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Some vampires have Thaumaturgy, some changing breeds have sorcery, but what about unAwakened mortals? World of Darkness: Sorcerer vastly expands the systems and options for linear or hedge magic beyond what previous books present. Adam and Terry walk through the world of sorcery and those who employ it and how to include sorcerers in your game.
Previous books with hedge magic:
- Ascension's Right Hand (part of Mage Chronicles 2) - Book about mage Acolytes and custos
- Project Twilight - Book on the government and what they may or may not know about Night-Folk.
- Hunters Hunted and Hunters Hunted II - Books on mortals dealing with vampires. (The second one is better)
- Vampire Inquisition - Yet more info on people who stake vampies
- Bob Schnoblin's Pyramid of Satanic Power - The best summary of the World of Darkness ever
Future books that mention hedge magic:
- Sorcerer Revised - Revised-era book updating paths and what happened to various societies.
Current links to resources in the back of the book:
- https://www.facebook.com/orishalist/
- https://www.ifafoundation.org/
- http://gnosis.org/library.html
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
People say it's "just money" but money can turn into seemingly anything but how about turning into the very stuff of magick? Hypereconomics is a paradigm where practitioners manipulate reality and desire itself with tools no mystick would recognize. In addition, they also have access to the Primal Utility Sphere, pulling quintessence out of businesses and practicing some of the most subtle magick of any mages. This toolbox isn't just for Technocrats and Victor Kinzer, Mage writer, and host of Walking Away from Arcadia tells you how to use it.
- Mage 20 Core - Has all the alternative Spheres
- Convention Book: Syndicate - The book that best explains hypereconomics
- Swashbucklers Handbook - Ars Concupidae, the precursor to hypereconomics
- Book of Secrets - Contains guidelines for Union discipline
- Mage Made Easy - Satyros' guide to getting people started in Mage
Other!
- Collective Action Problems - Class of problems where acting is in everyone's best interest
- The Logic of Life - Book on economics in non-monetary situations
- Pi - A film that interrogates reality
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Fighting the Ascension Conflict isn't all about daring and fighting for principles. Someone has to pay for the Devices, the Sanctums, the cleaning crew, and that's hoping there's enough coin left over to get a vacation every now and then. Enter the Technocracy's Syndicate. Adam and Terry talk about the last 2e Convention book and what makes the shine, as well as the skeletons they have in their closet as they make millions while making billions.
Books mentioned
- Technocracy Assembled 2 - Convention book containing this and Void Engineers
- Guide to the Technocracy - the book that make the Technocracy playable
- Rite of the Spring - a Spring Dash submission from Charles Siegel
- Convention Book: Syndicate - Revised book that better explains hypereconomics
Sapiens and Homo Deus - Books that describe alternative versions of economies based on information processing type.
John Wick movies - Movie series with a guild that controls criminal activity
Next: Technomancer's Toybox - Big book of Wonders/Devices
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mages are often behind the scenes in the war for reality, but what's behind the veil of reality itself? What if reality were just the visible part of some impossibly advanced program? Who's the programmer and what happens if you get access to the code? The God-Machine Chronicle gives a twist on the classic tales of god, angels, and demons. and developer Danielle Lauzon gives us a tour of what awaits those who plot against them.
- Demon: The Descent - You get to play the demons unchained from the God-Machine
- Chronicles of Darkness Core 2e - Contains God-Machine core plot and rules update
- Danielle Lauzon author page - Facebook page
- Demon: The Fallen - the other demon with the like regular not necessarily computer god.
Other
- The Primogen's Mage Lore Intro Video
- Juarez by Night Spanish-Language Podcast oWoD in Spanish!
Selections from the Play It Forward Event
- By Banner Bound - A Changeling book about banner houses
- Enlightened Grimoire - All the Mage rotes
- Sources of Magick - Noooooodes
- Mystic Armory - All the Wonders/Devices
- A Phoenix Rising - Chronicle Jumpstart for Mage
- Ascension's Landscape - Setting considerations for Mage
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Drawing their roots back to ancient Greece and Egypt, the Order of Hermes claims access to hidden knowledge only available to those willing to learn dead languages, find lost tomes, and push their cognitive and physical capacities almost to a breaking point, but it seems to work. Asshat or academics par excellence, schemers or savants? Adam and Terry discuss the storied history of a pivotal Tradition in Tomes of Magick: Order of Hermes.
- Order of Hermes Tradition Book - 2e book discussed
- Songs of Science - The collected Tradition Books that Order of Hermes was part of
- The Story Told - Terry is on deck to run a Mage the Ascension liveplay with the actual play group on this general RPG podcast.
- Redbubble Shirts for Mage the Ascension - Onyx Path's Print on Demand provider
- Ars Magica - a Lion Rampart game that preceded Mage designed by Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein*Hagen
- Ars Magica books on DTRPG - All Ars Magica books (mostly 2e & 3e) available on DTRPG
- Current Ars Magica - Current run through Atlas Games
- Revised Tradition Book - The Revised Tradition Book for the Order of Hermes
- Houses of Hermes by Jonathan Tweet - Full information on all founding houses. Ars Magica setting but easily ported.
- Order of Hermes on Anders Mage Page 2.0
- Alchemists on Anders Mage Page 2.0
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
It's been almost 7 years since the last Technocracy-only book came out. So what are they up to now? Technocracy Reloaded, the upcoming M20 release on Kickstarter starting April 28th answers that question in spades. Developers Danielle Lauzon and Travis Legge sit down with Terry for a wide-ranging conversation on how the Technocracy has been updated for the 21st century. Has there been a civil between the Syndicate and the NWO? What's it like having a family in the Technocracy? Can one of the Fallen possess a HIT Mark? Listen and find out!
M20 Technocracy Reloaded Kickstarter will come online on Tuesday, April the 28th, at 2pm Eastern US time! Keep an eye on http://theonyxpath.com/ to see when it goes live and please consider backing this wonderful book!
Prior Technocracy books:
Guide to the Technocracy - 2e Update on the monolith
Technocracy Bundle - All the Technocracy texts at a good price
Travis has worked on: All the Scarred Lands
Danielle has worked on: All the CoD and Scion
Onyx Path's Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage is a sprawling game and while it has dozens of supplements, how do you put them together into an actual game? Book of Mirrors: Mage Storytellers Handbook was written to provide ideas on alternative chronicle settings, some basic how tos, and an invaluable survey of the Ascension War. Adam and Terry walk through what it has to offer and provide recommendations for the parts that haven't aged so well.
- Book of Shadows - the player guide for Mage for 1e and 2e
- Book of Madness - a fuller look at the Nephandi and most aspects of the Marauders
- Wraith the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition - A comprehensive summary of all of Wraith for people looking to explore the Labyrinth/Labyrinth connection.
Gaming Resources:
- Bonus Experience - a podcast on game design and operations from two industry professionals
- Geek and Sundry's genre how tos - Geek and Sundry has published many guides on how to storytell by genre
- High Programmer Guides - Advice columns from a while ago
- The White Wolf subReddit - A WoD/CoD/Storypath subreddit with a fair amount of Mage advice
- Mage Onyx Path forums - Onyx Path's forums with regular ST Q&As
- The Angry GM - A GM advice series.
- Basics of Improvisation for GMs
- Guide to Providing Clues
- Notes on Railroading
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage has the Marauders, Nephandi, and Technocrats as default antagonists, but what about something a little off the beaten path? In Enemies of Ascension, we look at antagonists Storytellers can introduce and NPCs players can encounter from the wider World of Darkness. Charlie Cantrell, Changeling the Dreaming: 20th Anniversary writers talks to Terry about the Adhene, Thallain, and Dauntain from the world of the Changeling and how to add them to your game.
Charlie's Books:
- Changeling the Dreaming: 20th Anniversary Edition - Big book o' Changeling
- Kiths of Arcadia - Book adding the Kiths from the Arcadia card game
- Fragments of the Lycian Dream - Overflow material from Changeling Players Guide
- Changeling Players Guide - More Changeling!
- Changeling V5 Conversion Guide
Other Changeling Books:
- Denizens of the Dreaming - Outline the dark-kith from the Dreaming
- Book of Lost Dreams - One of the books containing Changeling crossover rules
- Changeling Storytellers Guide - The other book containing crossover rules
- Dreams and Nightmares - a listing of Chimerical creatures
- Autumn People - Original reference for the Dauntain
Radio Free Arcadia - Charlie's imprint
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The first Mage Storytellers screen came out in 1993 and is a late entry for Tomes of Magick. This screen had a player-facing image that has caused a lot of talk over the years. Angel of Mercy is an adventure that was included. Hear all about what's in it and what it can do for you. Adam Simpson also adds some material to his earlier discussion of published adventures for Mage the Ascension.
Mage ST screens at Dragons Trove
Mage ST screens at eBay
Storytellers Vault
Our executive producers are:
- Richard “Bat” Brewster
- Ira Grace
- Michael Parker
Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and TuneIn.
Join our Discord server.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Dreamspeakers were assembled during the Grand Convocation by the Eurasian mages who weren't quite sure to do with the varied practices and paradigms of their indigenous peers. Indigenous magick is a varied topic with rich gaming opportunity, but how do we add it to our games while being respectful? James Sambrano, Mage writer and scholar of North American and African Indigenous practices provides some best practices, pitfalls, resources, and recommendations to adding these paradigms and practitioners to your Mage game.
A Tribe Called Red's tracks "Before" and "Soon" from We are the Halluci Nation
Resources
- James' Patreon where he writes stories and provides commentary
- Gods and monsters show - Previous episode on M20 Gods and Monsters
- Creating Indigenous Stories in Werewolf - interview with James on Werewolf the Podcast
- Blood and Dreams - 2e Tradition book collection containing Dreamspeakers, Verbena, and Cult of Ecstasy
- Tradition Book: Dreamspeaker - Revised book on the Dreamspeakers
Other Books
- Atlas of a Lost World - Book about what Ice Age North America was like and how the peoples of the era likely dealt with it
- 1491 - Book on what the pre-Columbian Americas were like
- Standing Rock protests - Protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline going through sacred territory
- Debt: a 5000 Year History - A book on how the notion of economy and exchange have changed over time
- The Island at the center of the world
Notable People
- Joy Harjo - First Indigenous Poet Laureate of the United States
- Joseph Boyden - Canadian author who writes novels about the First Nations.
- A Tribe Called Red - Canadian music duo that incorporates First Nations musical elements
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The World of Darkness is inhabited with all manner of creatures and some are not unique to one line. Ghouls and and chimera are associated with vampires and changelings, but what about spirits? Spirits are associated with mages and werewolf alike and Axis Mundi: The Book of Spirits explores both sides...but mostly werewolf. Adam and Terry walk through how to expand the Mage side, adapt the werewolf side and explore what strange and wonderful creatures you can add to your chronicle.
Other Books Mentioned
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition - Current Werewolf core rulebook
- W20 Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - Best resource for the Vidare Spiritum and the Midrealms
- Bygone Bestiary - Collection of physical entities that have fled to the Umbra who may sometimes pop onto this side of the Gauntlet from time to time
Other Notes
- Menger Sponge - 2-dimensional object in 3-space that firebirds live in
- Anders Mage Page 2.0 Spirits - A big collection of spirits from Anders and co.
- Rising Fortune: NYC - A Discord chronicle for Mage run by Charles Siegel
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage has mechanics for injury to the body with health levels and injuries to your grip on reality with Quiet, but what about anxiety, PTSD, and other debilitating conditions? James Davey is a long time World of Darkness fan who's designed a game with that question in mind where characters glimpse the size of the multiverse granting both great power but with great stakes. The game emphasizes rapid character and story creation, and a core clock mechanic that drives plot, character advancement, tension, and possibly personal doom. Learn what you can steal!
The Midnight World on Kickstarter
The Midnight World on Facebook
The Midnight World on Twitter
The Dark Archive Podcast on the World of Darkness
Mage the Podcast Episode on Quiet, Madness, and Morbidity
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Dreamspeakers were initially presented as the ragtag band that has been spoken to by Gaia but in Second Edition their draw and depth expanded considerably. They are the travelers through the Dreamtime, warriors of the visionquest, and keepers of the balance but what does this mean? Adam and Terry talk about their practice, history, and paradigm as they discuss The Dreamspeakers Tradition Book.
Midnight Express Wu-Keng episode - BK and Terry talk Wu-Keng
307 RPG Podcast - Terry talks about Spheres, Adam talks about factions
Domain level play - RPG play at the level above troupe play
Book of Crafts episode - Dreamspeakers are listed as reaching out to some Crafts but their invite is refused.
The Mohawk Ironworkers - Group of indigenous construction workers behind the trope of First Nations skyscraper builders
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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 than survival horror) where everyone dies at the end.
Betrayal at the House on the Hill - Board game of discovery then action where tension builds with an omen mechanic.
The Expanse RPG - a Green Ronin game, variant of AGE with a number of interesting mechanics like Churn to create tension and Fortune to replace Health.
Dark Heresy - Game set in the Warhammer Universe with purity and sanity mechanics
Jacob's Ladder - 1990 film about someone recovering from trauma and it not going well. Psychological horror.
Faculty of Horror podcast - a non-scary discussion of horror movies and how they work.
Cosmic Horror in Mage - Our episode on cosmic horror
Sins Washed Away - the latest CoD publication from the Darker Days folks
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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 technomancer's favorite Zone, the Digital Web.
- Verbena Tradition Book - The Seasonal Realms are discussed as mysterious places where no one quite knows where they came.
Books Mentioned :
- The Infinite Tapestry - Revised edition guide that expands many Umbral locations
- Umbra: the Velvet Shadow - Werewolf 20 guide to the Umbra
- Wraith 20 - Core book outlining life as a Wraith
- Book of Oblivion - Wraith 20 guide to areas beyond Stygia and the Shadowlands
- Orpheus Rules - Game were you are mortals projecting into the Underworld
- Scion: Origins - Scion 2e guide to characters and introducing the pantheon and such
- The Primal Order: Pawns - Worth a look for ideas on Umbrood.
- Chessboards: The Planes of Possibility - Adam highly recommends this book for ideas on Umbral realms and how to travel between them.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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
- Flat Top Keyhack
- Chop Shop iMac
- Hot Pot Flapjack
- Cheops Kayak
- Drug Stop MacAttack
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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
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 - Elves and Witchcraft, Seidr and Grimoires
- Wolves of the Sea -
- Sunstone - Possible navigation aide that allowed for finding the sun on cloudy days.
- Thing - type of assembly involving a lawspeaker
- Werewolf the podcast - Josh's Podcast!
- Josh Heath on STV
- Renegades of Mercury - a Wraith the Great War supplement on delivering lost love letters.
- Rokkrtru - Norsephandi
- High Level Games
- Seidr - Form of Norse magic
- Orlog - Moral momentum
- Nålebinding - Type of fiber work
Intro snippet from https://www.bensound.com/
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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 voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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 Clementine Morgan - Author recommended by Jax
- Robert Green - Author on topics like strategy and seduction.
- Techgnosis - Work by Erik Davis that inspired Mage
- Satyros Phil Brucato on Patreon
- Powerchords: Music, Magic & Urban Fantasy - Game about music by Satyros
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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 Wyrm
- Capacocha - Immortals of South America.
- Hekau - Mummy powers (Spheres/Disciplines)
- Horus - Leader of the Shemsu-Heru.
- Isis - Wife and sister of Osiris. Maybe first mage.
- Judges of Ma'at - 42 entities that enforce the cosmic principle of balance (Ma'at)
- Osirian League - Society dedicated to fighting Set.
- Osiris - Brother of Set, cut up into 14 pieces
- Sekhem - Mummy Quintessence
- Set - Worshipper of Apep the Destroyer.
- Shemsu-Heru - First round of mummies. Limited to 42
- The Week of Nightmares - Time when a lot of things go sideways set off by the death of
- Web of Faith - Network of sacred sites and Nodes
- Wu T'ian - Asian counterparts to mummies.
Other things!
- Mister Immortal - Immortal member of Great Lakes Avengers
- Pillars of Ma'at - Supplement on how to run Mummy without the Sixth Great Maelstrom
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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
- Destiny's Price
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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
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
These short fiction stories have been published in different collections over the years. Each story is a detective tale about a Catholic priest who, while ordinary-looking and easily ignored, nonetheless proves to be intelligent and perceptive enough to see through the clues and help the authorities solve the case. A good example of a Chorister who uses the theology and compassion he learns from his religion to help shepherd the flock.
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
A book explaining the reasons for Christian beliefs. Despite the austere title, it's full of wit and humor. A good peek into the mindset of the Messianic Voices.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
A short apologetics book that reads quickly. It starts at simple observations and builds towards a Messianic Voices view on life. Also shows other worldviews that are contained within the Celestial Chorus.
For Show Notes:
Celestial Chorus page at Anders Mage Page 2.0
http://mage.gearsonline.net/anders/factions/chorus/
Sandberg's expanded piece The Gnostics is just the thing to show a very different face of the Celestial Chorus in your games. Culture Clash shows a more typical Chorister.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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
- White Wolf Magazine
- Scion 2e cover, Scion 1e cover - Showing Eric
- Flip Book of Doom Segments - Fight between Mari Cabrah and Jonas Albrecht
- Josh's interview about Werewolf
- John Cobb
- Christopher Shy
- Rat Guy Storyteller Screen
- Lief Jones
- Alex Sheikman
- Ron Spencer
- Richard Kane Furgeson
- RK Post
- Planescape
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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 Call by Tim Powers
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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
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
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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 Engineers - Fascinating group with a questionable narrator
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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
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
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 that Terry loves a bit too much
- Planescape for Dungeons and Dragons 2nd edition - The best 2e setting
- Through the Breach - A game Monica likes, not all characters in the game are swol/skinny bitches
- Apocalypse World - gm doesn't touch dice system
- Blades in the Dark - A tight system with hard tradeoffs
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
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 baked in
- More difficulty modifiers introduced
Mood
- Game less cosmic interaction of avatars for the metaphysical trinity to something more personal
- Mage less might-makes-right with mages delivering sleepers from Technocratic control. Technocrats no longer fighting for strict rigid equality.
- 1e was "conflict between utopias". Utopia not visible in 2e.
Setting
- Pure Ones no longer believed in by all mages
- Void Engineers no longer viewed as infected by the fae and no longer wish to destroy space
- Continuum dropped as a term
- Marauders no longer universally fighting for a return of the Mythic Age and in 2e are generally less sane
- Fight for Nodes and Quintessence less front and center
- Penumbra established, no longer just Near Umbra
- Nephandi no longer strictly star-squid cultists
- Oracles no longer those near Ascension but those who've stepped back from it
- No longer one Chantry per Tradition
- All nine spheres now used in metaphysical cycle rather than just six
- Essence de-emphasized
- Rotes change
Metaplot
- Syndicate un-disappeared
- Amanda revealed to share avatar with former Sennex apprentice who went barabbus
- Fors Collegis Mercuris evacuated to Cerberus after Nephandi and Technocratic attack
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
How do you do The World of Darkness in the happiest places on earth? What's magick like when the sun doesn't set for weeks at a time? How does the Syndicate deal with social democracy? What are trolls really like and what is a well-pisser? Karl Erik Larsen Hoftaniska of the Symposium Podcast answers these questions and more.
Correction! Erik corrected himself to say that the Nordic countries were Social Democracies but the sound for that portion was garbled.
Notes!
- Kurt Anderson's Fantasyland- Book on how America has always been a little bit crazy
- Scholastic movement
- Sami People - Culture of the way north
Mage things!
- Difficulty of being a necromancer - Every line does it a little differently
- Mage: the Awakening arcana fate vs death
- Werewolf the Forsaken - Chronicles of Darkness game
- Exarchs - Possible big from Mage the Awakening
- A giant discussion of Sorcerer's Crusade
- Valdaerman - Fellowship from Dark Ages: Mage
- Itarajana - Magickal fellowship
- Spirit-Talkers from Dark Age: Mage
- Gabrielites or the Cabal of Pure Thought, the precursors to the New World Order
- Seiðr - Shamanic sorcery
Other!
- Trollhunter movie - They can smell Christians
- Vices and Virtues - Album by Panic! at the Disco
Creatures!
- Trolls - Not the ones from Changeling
- Elves
- Fossegrim - Water spirit
- Brunnmigi - Well Pisser, yep, that's what they do
- Draugr - Pretty well the same in lore
- Mare or Nightmare - They sit on your chest
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Council of the Nine Mystick Traditions in response to the nascent Technocracy over 450 years. After nine years of squabbling, the Council sent out the First Cabal to spread the message of the Council and counter the Order of Reason but it fell to betrayal from within. Was Heylel a traitor, savior, or insane? Victor and Terry discuss the rise and fall of the First Cabal in reviewing The Fragile Path: Testaments of the First Cabal, Mage's in-world book on those who were there.
The Fragile Path - The book we're talking about
Sorcerer's Crusade - Historical setting for Mage
The Order of Reason - Flawed book about the founding of the Order of Reason
Ascension - Where we finally learn the identity of Heylel's twins
Fishmalk - Problematic types of crazy
Further details on Heylel
Further details on Eloine
Further details on Akrites
Motet - French musical form
Worf just getting beaten up
Victor's other work:
Walking Away from Arcadia - The definitive Changeling: The Dreaming Podcast
A Phoenix Rising - a chronicle quickstart built around the reconstruction of the New Horizon Council
The Symposium - a rambly podcast sometimes about Mage
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
You've introduced vampires, werewolves, demons, ghosts, and even changelings into your chronicle, now what? How about a fellow who learned to electrocute people by watching electric eels or if that's too subtle a psychic madman who's gotten their powers from an ancient meteorite? If those sound good, listen to Kris Newton of the MegaDumbCast go through ways to jam the lore, mechanics, and mood of Street Fighter into your Mage chronicle.
Kris's Podcast - MegaDumbCast
MegaDumbCast Twitter
Penny Arcade Over-the-top Comic Song of the Sorcerlator
Palladium Books RPGs
Penny Arcade Over-the-top Comic part II
Straker - Bullet gun thing
Knud Thorsen from Wiki World Warriors, audience-aided character creation
Character Sheet for Stree Fighter RPG
Vice Story on Street Fighter RPG -
World of Darkness Combat
Hunters Hunted II why sorcery works
M Bison
Shadaloo, evil Technocracy
The Perfect Warrior - Planned campaign
Fan Site sfrpg.com
Escrima combat system ("stick fighting")
Fight! The Fighting RPG
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage is a game of Urban Fantasy in a gothic punk setting and Destiny's Price helps turn a city from merely a backdrop into a character in the story. Adam and Terry discuss how cities and city life has changed in the 25 years since this book came out under the Black Dog Imprint and what has and hasn't aged well regarding drug use, organized crime, and violent crime in the United States.
- Dropping homicide rate in the US
- Dropping property crime rates in the US
- Dropping poverty rate in the US (The poverty rate in the US is pretty cyclical and unlike in most countries is tied to an estimate of what it takes to feed a family vs provide basic amenities)
- Narconomics
- Income of low level drug dealers (Income varies by drugs and location. If you're providing cocaine to Wall Street types, you're probably living comfortably, but by the numbers, very few dealers are making that kind of money.)
- Black Dog Game Factory, the Pentex subsidiary
- Other Black Dog Books
- World of Darkness: Mafia
- Midnight Express Mafia Episode
- Overview of Organized Crime
- Gangs in America
- Largest Rat in New York
- Sources of heroin in the US
- How to Run a Street Level Game
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage is a game of infinite possibilities and for some players, at least to start, that's too much. Sebastian Freeman, Onyx Path Contributing Author has written two publications for starting cabals, one Believe in Magick (it's free!) is an introduction for players on the adventures you can have in Mage. The second is The Hallean Effect a first chapter for adventures in Hollow Earth, the realm of conspiracy and pulp fiction.
Sebastian's Work:
- Believe in Magick! - A pay what you want introduction for players
- The Hallean Effect - An adventure getting to Hollow Earth
- Pillars of Ma'at - Bringing Mummy in line with the other M20 books
Works Including Hollow Earth:
- Book of Worlds - 2e reference
- Infinite Tapesty - Revised reference
Join our discord server here!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Ascension's Right Hand was all shotguns and robots in dive bars, but maybe some brandy in a high-leather chair while discussion psychic phenomena or an ether frolic after some reading about vampyres*? If this sounds more your speed, get ready for the intrigue, investigation and interior design in Halls of the Arcanum. Adam and Terry guide you through the operations of the Arcanum, a secretive mortal research organization from the London Foundation House house to the lodges dedicated to finding Damcar, secret city of Arabia. Just don't get caught in the war between the White Priests and the Red Priests....that is if there is a war.
*-(Mage the Podcast strongly supports the use of dedicated drivers. Consume responsibly and in accordance with local laws and paradigms)
References!
Year of the Hunter - A year where White Wolf produced mortal or hunter guides for each line.
- Vampire: The Masquerade
The Inquisition * Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Project Twilight * Mage: The Ascension
Halls of the Arcanum * Wraith: The Oblivion
The Quick & the Dead * Changeling: The Dreaming
The Autumn People
The Rosicrucians - European esoteric order
Thule Society - German Occultist group
Occult episode
Cheap maps on DriveThruRPG
Call of Cthulhu Chaosium
Lost Continents by L Sprague De Camp
Next up!
Destiny's Price
Mage 2nd Edition
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The second and final Gencon interview show, but first some updates on Mage: The Podcast projects!
Duplicity, the Mage the Podcast Twitter Chronicle has finished its 3rd week and you can read it here. Talk to Ira Grace @magestoryteller if you want to get involved or follow the action.
Join the conversation on our Discord Server
Friend of the show Charles Siegel has released Sources of Magick, a supplement which gives you way more than you ever thought you wanted about nodes.
Mage the Podcast is starting to record instructional audio/video for how to play Mage through winter of 2020. Stay tuned for more information.
Interview with Victor Kinzer of Walking Away from Arcadia
- Politics introduced in Changeling Players Guide
- Noam Chomsky and Anarcho-Syndicalism (all structures of power must be continually justified)
- Haymarket Affair (bombing that took place during a labor demonstration
- Bedlam in Changeling, a kind of fae madness
Interview with Carol Darnell, game editor who's worked on Mage: The Ascension
Hire Carol
Interview with Matt Webb of Jackalope Live Action Studios
Elysium Chronicles a Jackalope Prestige LARP
Jackalope studios on Facebook
LA by Nights - popular V5 actual play
Mage: Eclipse. Options on how to advance the Mage metaplot
"Changelings are the dreams and nightmares of it, werewolves are the anger of the world, and vampires are death. Mages are the Hope of the world."
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage can be a game about the inner journey towards Ascension through self-perfection. But someone still needs to take out the garbage...and shoot invading Technocracy cyborgs and mutants while that's happening. Ascension's Right Hand brings to light the unsung heroes of the Ascension War who work side-by-side with mages, knowingly or not to protect, aide, and serve our playing characters. Adam and Terry guide you through consors, acolytes, familiars, and creatures stranger in Ascension's Right Hand. Also, Terry sings briefly.
In the Mage the Podcast World!
- Terry has produced a World of Darkness Image Pack containing 240 photos for $9.00
- Mage the Podcast will be at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia from Dec 6 to 8th
- Come talk to us on our Discord Server
Adam's further recommendations:
- Fill out your numina roster with World of Darkness Sorcerer
- Yet more familiars with yet more superpowers Bygone Bestiary
- A splash of M20? Gods and Monsters
- Generic and sometimes problematic WoD book: World of Darkness Gypsies
- Vampire's "Yes mortals can fight back" book: Hunters Hunted II
- Werewolf's mortal book: Kinfolk
- Wraith's Mortal book: Wraith Medium
Other things we talked about:
- Cats the Musical Movie
- Louis Virtel on Cats
- Live's "Selling the Drama" from Throwing Copper
- Bitch eating crackers effect
- Halo effect
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The first of two episodes collecting interviews done at Gencon 2019. Josh Heath, the newest member of the MtP team, talks about running Scion, Aeon, and Mage (Gods and Monsters) one shots and advice for your first game convention. After are four short interviews Terry did at Gencon with Nathan Siever of 25 Years of Vampire the Masquerade about their community chronicle, Matt McElroy of DrivethruRPG, Buckle from the Hunter the Vigil liveplay Uncanny Valley and the Geist writer Mike Tomasek.
Josh Heath
- Ran a Gods and Monsters-based Mage One-shot
- Ran a game for Aeon 2e (Not yet released)
- Ran two Scion adventures
Terry Robinson
- Played Promethean the Created and called people Huguenots
- Played Microscope
- Played Fiasco
- Played in Josh's Scion game (You Make My Dreams Come True Video)
Interview with Nathan Siever
- Utility Muffin Labs
- Curse of Caine Chronicle
- UML Discord
Interview with Matt McElroy
- Matt on Twitter
- Flames Rising
- Storyteller Vault
- Onyx Dice app
Buckle from Uncanny Valley
- Uncanny Valley on Twitter
- Uncanny Valley Podcast
- Hunter the Vigil on DTRPG
Mike Tomasek
- Geist the Sin Eaters
- Book of the Dead
- Mike's web page
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Some factions consider the Ascension War a metaphor for the fight for reality. Others consider the War to be internal. Some factions consider it a full on total war and the New World Order is one of them. Propaganda, manipulation, strategic violence, and sometimes a chaingun are all appropriate focuses in the procedures required to bring about Safety and Security for the Masses. When your enemies are this bad, what methods could possibly go too far? Adam and Terry walk through the Convention book that gave us the SPECTRE limousine, mindscaping, and Room 101, how their tools work, and how to use them in your chronicle.
Get NWO as part of Technocracy Assembled Volume I on DriveThruRPG
Top Secret RPG
Spectre clip "we have people everywhere"
The Prisoner (BBC Series) or on Amazon
Magickal Fiasco (Terry's Mage supplement)
MIB "I make this look good"
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Many world cultures refer to servants of greater powers who guide humanity and other servants of darker powers who tempt us. What if the latter started out as the former? Demon the Fallen builds a world where a war occurred in heaven where those who fought for the right to reveal themselves to humans were banished from creation...until now. Demon as a system plays very well with Mage and Terry Robinson and Charles Siegel will guide you though adding those who saw paradise lost to your chronicle.
Notes:
- The mythos laid out in this game don't quite follow any specific tradition and hew to Paradise Lost.
- If you want to follow a world tradition of angelology, pick one of the big ones and run with it: Angels in Judaism, Angels in Christianity, Angels in Islam, Angels in Hermeticism, Angels in Zoroastrianism
- Angel powers can be quite potent
- House rule that Pacts forged with low-torment demons do not mark the avatar and those with high-torment demons/the Earthbound do
- Early demon history posits a fractured cosmos where one thing could be multiple things at once
- Demons have highly variable memories of creation
- Demon lores appear as magick to mages and magick appears as a lore to demons, each can detect what the other is doing.
Books:
- Demon the Fallen core rule book. Outlines all the basic powers.
- Demon the Fallen Storytellers Companion. Gives additional background material and explains more how demons created the world.
- Earthbound. A guide to the dark entities that have no mortal half to balance them. They make good antagonists even if indirectly.
- The complete Demon the Fallen collection. Because we know you want everything.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Sons of Ether are seen as crazy technomancers but the true history of these explorers go back far farther. Adam and Terry explore their history and ideas from Greek philosophers to the last modern remnants of Victorian explorers and pulp actions heroes. Along the way, find out how the nature of scientific discovery has changed across editions and as always Adam's story ideas.
Notes:
- We're more than half way through the original Tradition books, yay!
- Etherites have no consistent history at least up to the Renaissance and House Golo
- Gentlest induction so far. Give em' a book and see if they get a new idea from it
- No necessity for them to be scientific. Their belief is in the power of human creativity
- Acts of wonder that don't aid the Consensus are merely magick and not True Science
- Anders Mage page on the SoE
- Anders Mad Scientist page
- Superceded Theories of Science
- Pathological Science
Books:
The Smokey God
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Puffin Classics
Etherspace - Lensman series by E E Doc Smith, Skylark series by E E Doc Smith
Victoria Station - The War of the Worlds by H G Wells - Penguin Classics, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne - Naval Institute Press (the edition is important!), Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne - Signet Classics updated translation by Jacqueline Rogers
Hollow Earth - At the Earth’s Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Gernsback Continuum - The Complete Works of Stanley Weinbaum, The Best of Edmond Hamilton, If you can find them, check out The Collected Edmond Hamilton from Haffner Press
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Joseph Aleo started Mage the Podcast because no Mage podcasts existed. That was almost a year ago and only now has he actually gotten to play. How did it go? What was his character? Is "Joseph" just a front for something more sinister? Also find out how Joseph got his start in broadcasting and some ways in which you can roleplay the apocalypse.
- Grant Morrison's the Invisibles
- SoundCloud Rap Scene
- 6ix9ine
- XXXTentacion
- Pirate radio
- Fresh Air with Terry Gross
Other Podcasts
- 25 years of VTM
- Walking Away from Arcadia
- Mage the Ascension Facebook group
Other Books
- The Road by Cormac Maccarthy
- Soft Apocalypse by WIll Mcintosh
- Neuromancer by William Gibson
Other Systems
- Fate
- Powered by the Apocalypse
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Akashic Brotherhood has a storied history both in game and out of game. These experts in the Mind sphere were also inspired by the Hong Kong action films of the 70s through 90s and turn their bodies into Awakened weapons. Find out how this Tradition was brought to life as Adam Simpson brings his expertise and Terry Robinson brings his ignorance to the question of "how do the Akashics line up with actual East Asian practices?" Adam also provides a reading list that the book didn't all the while Terry nods faking like he knows what's going on.
Notes!
- Zen koans
- Daoism
- Akashic Brotherhood section of Anders Mage page
- Deleted content from the Akashic Brotherhood
- Hand cheese with music
- Wuxia fiction
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- The Book of Five Rings
Adam's Reading List
- Te-Tao Ching by Lao-Tau translated by Robert G. Henricks - The Modern Library 1993 ISBN 0-679-60060-4
There are many translations available but this one makes use of more recent archaeological finds in the 1970s and has a nice commentary. A good place to get an overview of Akashic thinking. Please don't confuse with the Taoist folk religions and Taoist magical traditions that came later. * Chuang Tzu The Inner Chapters translated by David Hinton - Counterpoint 1998 ISBN 1-887178-79-1
A short book and rather cryptic. This is later Taoist thought than the book above. A great place to find odd quotes to put in the mouths of older Akashic NPCs. * The 3 Pillars of Zen by Roshi Philip Kapleau - Anchor Books 1989 (1965) ISBN 0-385-26093-8
As good a book as any to get an overview of Zen thought. If you don't have time to read the whole thing you'll still get some mileage out of the 10 Oxherding Pictures w/ Commentary at the back. * Orion by Masamune Shiro - Dark Horse Comics & Studio Proteus 1994 ISBN 1-56971-019-8
Not really a good example of Akashic thought or practice but a great book for Mage and full of East Asian flavor. If you get inspired to create an alternate technomagick based on "psycho science" you wouldn't be the first.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mages fight for Ascension but other Night-Folk fight for the survival of the planet in the face of the corrupting Wyrm. The warriors of Gaia are the Garou or werewolves and they consider themselves the chosen to remove rot and corruption but what do they think of those that can rewrite reality? Are they slavering murder hounds, Gaia's chosen or the best lacrosse players on the earth? Well, Terry had no idea so he called in Josh Heath of Werewolf the Podcast and storyteller for both Mage and Werewolf to discuss the basics of how werewolves work and how they can fit into a Mage Chronicle
Josh Heath Projects
- High Level Games - A firm that will help you take your ideas and turn them into games
- Josh on DTRPG
- Werewolf the Podcast
- Specifically, Archons of Niku - Anthropomorphic animals fighting over things!
Werewolf Terms
- Tribes - Group of werewolves with similar totems, agendas, and worldviews
- Forms - Different things a given Garou can turn into
- Fera - Other changing breeds
- Rage - The primal anger that werewolves use to power their abilities
Boooks!
- Werewolf Core Book 20th Anniversary - Learn to play!
- Rage Across the World - Whole bunch of locations plus info on the supernatural activities in each
- Book of the Weaver - Outline of how technology play out in the Umbra
- Axis Mundi - Big book of Umbral spirits
- Rage Across the Heavens - Book outlining the celestines and incarnae of the planets and the angry planet that was the asteroid belt
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Nephandi, Marauders, infernalists, and dark Umbral entities are spoken about in hushed whispers at meetings of mages but, well, how do you use them in a chronicle? Adam Simpson and Terry Robinson walk through The Book of Madness which vastly expanded the details and systems for the main Mage antagonists as well as the slippery concept of paradox. Also included: an handy dandy appendix for quick reference. NOOOOOTES:
Get the Book of Madness on DTRPG and support the show Terry's book A Magickal Fiasco: Full Tilt Story Creation for Mage is out on Storytellers Vault. It's pay what you want! Terry used the term G*psy in the Euthanatos episode. He found out it was derogatory later and says he's sorry. Redbubble Technocracy shirts are marked as adult probably because they have guns on them Terry cuts loose on why barrabus shouldn't be italicized We learn Adam's second law of storytelling: any worldview where the phrase "we need to go kill those babies" probably requires reflection Al-Aswad the Nephandic Oracle The diaeresis in zöoterrorism Nephandi
The Architect of Doom
Qlippothic Magick Marauders Temple of the Raging God The Ruby Labyrinth Umbrood Umbrood Page
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage: The Podcast with launch a Twitter Chronicle, Mage: Duplicity, in August and is headed by our teammate, Ira Grace. How do you run a Chronicle by Tweet? We’re not entirely sure but we have some ideas! Ira outlines his vision for Mage: Duplicity and how he plans to run the Chronicle.
Want to play Mage: Duplicity? Of course you do! Tweet @MageStoryteller or send and email to invertedavatar@gmail.com and Ira will get you started or follow the Chronicle on Twitter by searching #DPLCTY.
Show Notes * Terry’s A Magickal Fiasco: Full Tilt Story Creation for Mage on the Storytellers Vault * Hacking Dungeons & Dragons * Exarchs * Tweetstorms and threaded Tweets * Mage the Ascension: Refuge as inspiration (listen to our interview with Refuge’s author, Karin Tidbeck) * Asynchronous Storytelling * 25 Years of Vampire: The Masquerade – A Retrospective’s Curse of Caine Chronicle (listen to our interview with the co-host, Robert Batton) * The theme and setting of Mage: Duplicity in Washington D.C. * Marcus Vitel, Anarch King of Washington D.C. * Council of the Nine Mystic Traditions * Roling up a character for the Chronicle * Nordic LARPs * How Twin Cities by Night’s Chris Zac runs an online Chronicle (listen to our interview with Chris Zac here and here) * Powered by the Apocalypse and
Robert Batton, co-host of the 25 Years of Vampire: The Masquerade - A Retrospective podcast, has been running Vampire Chronicles from the intimate tabletop environment to the grand LARP for nearly 25 years. Recently, he’s added Mage: The Ascension to his offerings. Hear this veteran podcaster and Storyteller’s advice for your Mage Chronicle, reminders of what makes the game unique, and find out what really makes Mage the sexiest game involving wizards.
Show Notes * Time-Life Books’ Mysteries of the Unknown series. * Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - The current tome of Vampire. * HoL: Human Occupied Landfill - If you’ve played this, then you're officially a WW fanperson. * Fiasco - One end of the “how structured is your game” spectrum. * Shadowrun - A cybermagic future where people are actually out at night. * The collected works of Stephen King - Guy’s written a loooooot. * Shadowguiding. * Wraith: The Oblivion - Listen to our Worlds of Darkness: Mage/Wraith Crossovers episode. * Call of Cthulhu RPG. * Cthulu prop guild, Propnomicon. * The Baali - Demon worshipers of Vampire. * The Beast. * Mage does not need a morality system as the world functions as a morality system. * Mage is the game where you get to be the genie. * The idea of a power structure is daunting, if you can change reality, why would you listen to anyone? * If you run into a character that doesn’t know what to do, work through it with them, ask what their options are and help them pick one. If they can’t and it keeps happening, maybe it's not their game. * One of the most terrifying things you can do as a Storyteller is just let a player do what they want, even if it’s overpowered without batting an eyelash and giving them the subtle knowledge that something is going to come stomp their face in.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Among the Traditions, the Verbena most understand the cycles of power of sacrifices required to keep them going. The Verbena also may know best the sting of the Inquisition and what was lost at the end of the Mythic Ages but the wheel turns and what was old is new again. Listen in as Adam and Terry talk about where the Verbena got their start, their understanding of the founding cosmology of the World of Darkness, and how little they've changed over time.
Show Notes * The “mature” shirts of the Redbubble store for Mage: the Ascension * Comparison to first edition in ignoring Sleeper concerns * Wheel of the Year and a shared Google calendar of them * List what your character can’t do * Once the player has proven they've done their homework, lean on them to fill in your ignorances * Cutting off the top of the roast * Magic doesn't need to follow real world practice * The Egyptian Book of the Dead * Valdaermen from Dark Ages: Mage * Cernunnos as mentioned in Adam’s Adventure Ideas * Tradition Book: Verbena (1st Edition) * Traditions Gathered: Blood and Dreams * Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade’s Witches and Pagans * Big Book o' Lilith Revelations of the Dark Mother * The Asatru * Baphomet * Anders Mage Page 2.0 Verbena
Our executive producers a
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mark Hope discusses street level games: what street level games are, how to make your game a success and resources you can use to bring your game to life. Show Notes Hidden Lore’s alternate combat system and sample setting. Destiny’s Price’s use of street life, street culture, crime, gutter magick, settings, characters and gear. Initiates of the Art’s exploration of the Awakening, day-to-day life, rote, merits and flaws. Tales of Magick: Dark Adventure’s high-octane, high-adventure. Bitter Road is great for newly established mages. M20 Gods & Monsters is perfect for kids you might meet on the street, Umbrood, Night Folk, etc. Orphans Survival Guide is the one book you should read for your street level game and is chock full of useful information! Outcasts: A Players Guide to Pariahs explores the outcasts of the World of Darkness such as the vampire Caitiffs, werewolf Garou Ronin and the Hollow Ones. Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition Quickstart includes information not in M20 such as the Bridge Troll Cabal. Damnation City which details real-wold cities, how cities grow, NPCs and hot pursuit flowcharts. The Technocracy Convention books have great sample locations. The Laws of Ascension LARP guide has information you can use jet never appears in the Mage RPG. Book of Mirrors: Mage Storytellers Handbook. Photo by Muhammad Nafay. Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast. Our executive producers are: Richard “Bat” Brewster Ira Grace Michael Parker Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends. Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Adam Simpson interviews Mage fan Paul Strack about his involvement with the early online fan community for World of Darkness, an example of tiered play and blending Mage: The Ascension with Mage: The Awakening rules.
Show Notes * World of Darkness news groups and moderators * “The Umbra” by Paul Strack * Anders Mage Page 2.0 * Demographics in Mage * Tiered play * Playing one’s self in the World of Darkness * Early days of the World of Darkness online fan community * Writing for Anders Mage Page * What makes Mage: The Awakening rules appealing * Playing a Chronicle set in Mage: The Ascension using Mage: The Awakening rules * Mage Translation Guide
Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast.
Our executive producers are Richard “Bat” Brewster and Ira Grace.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
The Euthanatoi have been with the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions since its founding but are they misunderstood tenders of the wheel or death dealers with alien morality? Claimed by some to be half-Nephandi and others to be the Fallen's greatest enemy, Adam and Terry discuss the tension within the Euthanatoi and between it and the rest of the Council.
Show Notes
Why do the Traditions use a standard court setup What is a Hunga Munga? ...and what is a garrote? What happened to the House of Helekar and the Consanguinity of Eternal Joy? Who is Senex? Who hates the Nephandi the most? How much does this book rewrite Euthanatos in first edition Mage? How do the Thuggee Cults bear on the Tradition? How about world traditions of Metempsychosis and Gilgul? Book of Chantries episode Book of Chantries Madness, Denial, and Morbidity episode Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand V20 The Black Hand: A Guide to the Tal’Mahe’Ra Ends of Empire
Our executive producers are Richard “Bat” Brewster and Ira Grace.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
We’re told that the fae and changelings are, well, just fairy tales, but in the World of Darkness dreams made manifest are very, very real. Join Terry Robinson and Walking Away from Arcadia's Victor Kinzer for a guide to adding Changelings to your Chronicle as friends, foes, or something simply strange.
Show Notes * Victor and Simon Eichhörnchen’s excellent podcast, Walking Away from Arcadia * Simon’s book, Kithbook: Faun * Shows that evoke Changeling: + Gravity Falls + Legion + Star vs. the Forces of Evil + The Little Prince * Changeling Crossover books: + Isle of the Mighty + Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition * Other books mentioned: + Graceful Wicked Masques - The Fair Folk * Concepts: + Fomorians + Adhene + The Dreaming + Kiasyd
Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast.
Our executive producers are Richard “Bat” Brewster and Ira Grace.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Rachelle Udell has been the author on such diverse Mage titles as The Bitter Road, Revelations of the Dark Mother, and to the Disparate Alliance section of the Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition core rulebook. On today’s show, Rachelle and Terry talk about how Rachelle got into writing for Mage, where she sees the Ahl-i-Batini in the 21st century and, of course, why buying Neiman Marcus collard greens is a cry for help.
“It’s worth noting that Revelations of the Dark Mother was written by me and my longtime Mage collaborator Rachelle Udell/Mara Elkheart, with the intention that it's essentially a Vampire/Mage crossover ‘gospel.’”
—Satyros Brucato
Show Notes
The Mage Cookbook Revelations of the Dark Mother The Bitter Road Fallen Tower: Las Vegas Chicago By Night Ahl-i-Batin Lost Paths: Ahl-I-Batin and Taftani The Foxfire books The Nephandi Dervish The Bata’a The Kopa Loei Patti Smith The remarkably long Tartine Croissant recipe Butterhorn Cookies Tea Siphon
Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast.
Our executive producers are Richard “Bat” Brewster and Ira Grace.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes,
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Adam and Terry discuss the sometimes over-the-top mechanical horror of first edition Technocracy: Iteration X. The Clockwork Convention gave us the unfeeling malevolent robots in the form of HIT Marks but what else can they bring to the table? To what extent was Iteration X just a response to the killer robot phase of the early 90s? How did the first convention to explicitly say it has non-Western origins get its start?
Show Notes * Technocracy Assembled * Technocracy: Progenitors * Primal community sphere * William Smith as a Tholidomide victim * Interview with Matt Webb on how the Technocracy can never truly be the good side * Harry Potter * Terminator movie! * Possible Easter Egg in the 1953 movie, Robot Monster * I, Robot by Isaac Asimov * Convention of the White Tower * Exalted’s Autocthonia * Psychohistory and the Foundation books * The myth of Procrustes * Taylorism * “Blindsight” * The Happiness Hypothesis * Daoism and Confuscianism * Anders Mage Page 2.0 on The Core
Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast.
Our executive producers are Richard “Bat” Brewster and Ir
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Mage’s premise assumes humanity and the characters matter. What if the universe doesn't care? Terry Robinson and Josh Heath, COO of High Level Games and host of Werewolf: The Podcast discuss cosmicism, the belief that there is no divine presence and that humanity is particularly insignificant. How to combine the epic and indifferent?
Show Notes * The deeply problematic H.P. Lovecraft and his best critic, S.T. Joshi * “The Call of Cthulhu” * “The Dunwich Horror” * At the Mountains of Madness * “Herbert West–Reanimator” * “The Colour Out of Space” * “Dagon” * “The Horror at Red Hook” * The Shadow over Innsmouth * “Pickman’s Model” * The Whisperer in Darkness * The Void * Event Horizon * Pandorum * Life * Nietzsche on nihilism * Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff * Harlem Unbound by Chris Spivey * Heirs to the Mountains of Madness by Josh Heath * Mage: The Podcast Myth in Mage interview with Josh Heath * Nephandi * Werewolf: The Apocalypse * The Triat of the
We live in a world full of gods and monsters: spirits, creatures, Paradox entities, Avatar aspects, vampires, beast-folk, godheads, primordial legends, and other creatures too strange for the average mind to conceive. On this episode, Adam Simpson and Terry Robinson talk with the authors who brought these entities to life in Gods & Monsters, the latest supplement for Mage 20 from Onyx Path Publishing. The authors share their experience researching, selecting, and writing about the entities in this compendium.
Discussed:
- The status of Satyros' car
- How 20,000 words in art description made sure every entity in the book was pictured
- Research difficulties for folklore
- Gamer-proofing lore
- How culture provides tools to deal with adversity
- Listener questions
Guests:
- Hiromi Cota
- Dear High Elves podcast
- Isabella Price
- Nocturnal Emissions pod cast
- Nocturnal Emissions Youtube channel
- Nocturnal Emissions on Facebook
- Nocturnal Emissions on Twitter
- James H. Sambrano
- Presenting at Norwescon
- Satyros Phil Brucato
- Satyros Phil Brucato on Patreon
- Powerchords: Music, Magic & Urban Fantasy RPG
- Telesterion (his band!)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Adam Simpson discusses Tradition Book: Virtual Adepts by Darren McKeeman. The youngest magical Tradition is the most vibrant and the most irreverent. Virtual Adepts dont waste time delving into ancient grimoires or contemplating their navels. They’re too busy surfing the razors edge of the next zeitgeist. They dont follow trends, they make them. By the time the mainstream catches up to their latest idea, they’ve moved on to new frontiers of space and mind.
- Where is Dante now?
- Demon Seed Elite
- What is a Tradition book supposed to do?
- Transhumanism
- Ideal future of the Virtual Adepts (VA) vs. Iteration X
- Hacker culture
- Virtual Reality movies of the 1990s
- VA attitude
- Four Legions of the VAs
- How did the VAs stay hip so long?
- Are trinary computers all that?
- Virtual Adept Koans
- Listen to our interview with Bill Maxwell, co-author of Tradition Book
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Terry speaks with Charles Siegel, author of Mystic Armory about the magickal things mages of all stripes make like wonders, devices, artifacts, inventions, charms, gadgets, grimoires, and principiae. Also discussed are the “gadget” of nuclear weapons introduced in Fallen Tower: Las Vegas, the best-ever-charm Unbullets, and more importantly, how to introduce wonders and devices into your chronicles.
Other texts mentioned:
- Forged by Dragon’s Fire, a big book of non-technological wonders
- Technomancer’s Toybox, a big book of technomagickal wonders
- Charles’ bestseller, the Enlightened Grimoire, a compendium of all known rotes mentioned in Mage: The Ascension
- Listen to our previous episode on the Enlightened Grimoire
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play and TuneIn. Now listen on Spotify!
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
In this episode, Terry Robinson interviews Matthew Webb of Jackalope Live Action Studios about Matt's thoughts on revising Mage LARPing and how to bring the metaplot forward to what an M5 world may look like under the Eclipse LARP system.
Also discussed, LARP types and the move from competition to cooperation in storytelling, where Laws of Ascension failed, how the Traditions are less organized groups than Mythic Threads, how the Virtual Adepts are heirs to eliteness from the Hermetics, what a more active Order of Hermes would look like, how to introduce metaplot change into your own chronicle. Follow developed about Eclipse LARP on its Facebook page or follow what Jackalope Live Action Studios is doing.
Additional mentions: The Night in Question, Beckett's Jyhad Diary, Karen Armstrong's The Battle for God, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Adam Simpson and Terry Robinson discuss The Chaos Factor, the (almost) end of the cross-line exploits of Sam Haight, the kinfolk ghoul mage that we all wanted to play as kids but just weren't bad ass enough to do....also he ends up as an ashtray. Included are discussions of early 90s supplements, the difficulties of game maps, how hard it is to run a crossover chronicle, ways of dealing with them, the power differential between nightfolk, why you shouldn't mess with a Baali Methuselah, and why bad guys just seem to cooperate better some times. Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends. Now listen on Spotify!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Chris Zac from the Twin Cities by Night podcast talks about how to run a Chronicle when the table everyone’s around is virtual using Google Hangouts, and other tools. Chris issues a call to creators to make their stuff and promote it shamelessly (and provides some place to do so).
Also discussed:
- The importance of vetting players. If you're an ST on-line you’ll have your pick of players
- Ways to take notes.
- Ravnos vs Changelings.
- How your players shouldn't let you fail.
- Constantinople by Night is amazing, other city guides…questionable.
- Cutting out problematic players.
- The difficulty of being a creator.
- Reddit Looking for Group (to find play groups).
- Discord Dice Bot (to roll dice in Discord).
- White Wolf and Onyx Path RPGs Game Play and Media Facebook Group - A Facebook group of just WW and Onyx Path content.
- Twin Cities by Night on Twitter.
- Twin Cities by Night on Youtube.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with questions, comments, or feedback.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Terry Robinson chats with Josh Heath, COO of High Level Games and host of Werewolf: The Podcast discuss the occult; how different game lines in World of Darkness handles the occult; the Eldritch horrors of H.P. Lovecraft; Aleister Crowley’s Thelema and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn; the Yazidis; Neo-Paganism; occult understanding vs occult knowledge; Orders within the World of Darkness most associated with the occult; secrets and mysteries; initiatory magic; expressions of the occult in Vampire: The Masquerade; the Sabbat; the Cain and Abel/vampire paradox; the Tremere; Vaulderie and Quintessence; Nephandi; Guide to the Sabbat: A Sourcebook for Vampire the Masquerade; Mudang; RPGs as storytelling and LARPs as theatre; “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law;” yoga as an occult practice; hidden knowledge; wisdom passed down in lineages; mystery cults bearing the hallmarks of the occult; Jack Tripp; Opus Dei; Sufism; Kabbalah; the Wyrm; Gnosticism; street level occultism; the Arcanum; rituals in society and rituals in occult; Snowhaven.
Books to read to further your occult knowledge:
- The Mystery-Religions
- Three Books of Occult Philosophy
- *---
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message*
Today's episode is a discussion of Quiet, the state where a Mage's grip on reality has begun to slip. Quiet has gone through a number of interpretation and this episode focuses on the Revised and M20 rule system where Quiet is broken into Madness, Denial, and Morbidity. Our guest is Darling Rose of the Midnight Express podcast. Rose brings broad knowledge of World of Darkness to the table as well as experience with remote and asynchronous chronicles.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Hosts Adam Simpson and Terry Robinson discuss “The Book of Shadows;” Players Guides in World of Darkness games; additional abilities, Merits and Flaws; min-maxing in games; Sanctums (and their abuse); Joseph Campbell and the Hero's Journey; a day in the life of Tradition Mages; flavoring magick; the schism in the Technocracy; vampires into lawn chairs; 3 ways to view the book.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with questions, comments, or feedback.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
David Herman from The Geekly Oddcast discusses how to introduce Wraith to your Mage chronicle, mechanics, powers, crossovers, and metaplot. Wraith is a game of horror and passion set in the underworld of the World of Darkness. Mages can dip into this realm and find anything ever remembered and much much more. Get started with Wraith 20th Anniversary or Orpheus
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with questions, comments, or feedback.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Hosts Adam and Terry discuss Digital Web for Tomes of Magick; a call for help with example play sessions; the book Gödel, Escher, Bach; a place where all mages can experience digital magick; Mount Qaf and ancient conspiracies; Spy's Demise, the ultimate neutral ground for trading information; tips for passing rumors to players; ipdating details to 2018; "information wants to be free;” how technical should you get; story ideas in the Digital Web. Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play and TuneIn. Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Victor Kinzer discusses "A Phoenix Rises", an exploration of the world on the cusp of a New Horizon Council. Are you ready to make history? Listen to the episode at: Pick up a copy of A Phoenix Rising
Victor is part of the creative team behind Walking Away from Arcadia about Changeling: The Dreaming
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Carrie Kube joins us to talk about her Mage adventure, “The Babel Center,” available on the Storytellers Vault. We discuss the adventure she wrote Vampire: The Masquerade, “Bloodlinebook Deava” and for Dungeons and Dragons Ravenloft; the artifact and characters featured in “The Babel Center;” tips writing for the Storytellers Vault; setting her adventure up for various editions of Mage and for crossover for other World of Darkness games; Spellfire: Master the Magic; how she discovered role playing games and Mage; Roll20.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Adam discusses Anders Mage Page 2.0; introduces our new co-host, Terry Robinson ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show we announce the winner of “The Enlightened Grimoire” and Adam Simpson discusses ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Bill Maxwell joins us to talk about “Tradition Book: Virtual Adepts,”; his gran ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today's show Charles Siegel joins us to talk about the Enlightened Grimoire, a book that con ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Adam Simpson discusses Loom of Fate, one of the earliest supplements for the first edition of M ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Travis Legge joins us to talk about his release for the Storytellers Vault, Raz ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Adam Simpson discusses the four editions of Mage: The Ascension and which ones are the best; Du ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Adam Simpson discusses his Windy City Mage Chronicle he ran online; expectation of characters a ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Adam Simpson continues to wax eloquent on writing adventures for Mage: The Ascension. Adam disc ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show we chat with Josh Heath, Chief Operations Officer at High Level Games and host ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Adam Simpson discusses Paradox; Anders Sandberg and Anders Mage Page 2.0; Mage: ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Panos V. Skordas joins us to share the Ahriman Chronicles: Vile Nature of the A ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show we chat with Josh Heath, Chief Operations Officer at High Level Games and host ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Adam Simpson interviews Dr. Anders Sandberg of Anders Mage Page fame. Adam and ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show Adam Simpson talks about Paradox in Mage. Adam discusses why magick has limitat ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Karin Tidbeck talks about Mage: Refuge, a text-based interactive game with a rich scenario full ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Our guest on today’s show is Chris Zac, host of the excellent Twin Cities by Night and we talk ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Adam Simpson discusses themes in Mage: The Ascension and how to use them in your games; Stewart ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show were joined by Jason Louv, who is a real life magician and author. Jason’s most ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show we launch a new segment, Mage Chronicles, in which we talk to Storytellers and ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show we talk with Lee Webb about the perils of Paradox: every modern-day fantasy sto ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s On today’s Mage: The Podcast hosts Mark Hope and Adam Simpson break down their top f ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today's Mage: The Podcast we talk with author Antonios Galatis about his short story, "Life, ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today’s show we’re going to do something different. Instead of talking about Mage were going ...
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today's show Mage: The Ascension co-creator Satyros Brucato and Darker Days Radio co-founder Mark Hope join us to to discuss metaplot in Mage.
- How Mark got into RPGs and Mage
- What is metaplot and how does it relate to Mage
- The House of Helekar and the beginning of the metaplot
- The cautionary tale of Vormaas
- If Amanda will return to Mage
- Should you check in with your players regarding the metaplot
- The Year of the Reckoning
- The Avatar Storm
- The Horizon War trilogy
- Porthos Fitz-Empress
- The Whiteout
- How Ron Perelman wiped out 30% of the comic book and gaming industry in the 90s and how it effected the metaplot for Wraith and Changeling
- Will there be future Sorcerer's Crusade-related releases
- How to use Threat Null as antagonists but still keep the Umbra open for player exploration
- What elements didn’t make it into the Mage metaplot
- What happend to the Jade Demon
- Big Trouble in Little China
- What the main difference in game mechanics between Victorian Age: Mage and Mage 20 is.
Join us next week when Antonios Galatis reads his short story, “Life," from the Truth Beyond Paradox anthology.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with questions, comments, or feedback.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
On today's show co-host Adam Simpson shares how he discovered role playing games and Mage: the Ascension.
- The lexicon of Mage
- Arete
- Seeking,
- Avatar
- Arcane
- Ascension
- The Ascension War.
Next week Mage co-creator Satyros Brucato returns to the podcast and we are joined by Darker Days co-founder Mark Hope will talk about the metaplot of Mage: the Ascension.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with questions, comments, or feedback.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
Welcome to the first episode of Mage: The Podcast! On today’s show we’re joined by Mage: The Ascension’s co-creator, Satyros Brucato.
- What the Mage role playing game is; how the game has changed in nearly 25 years
- How Mage has been updated for the 21st century
- If Gods and Monsters and Book of the Fallen will be released by Onyx Path Publishing this year
- How have the themes in White Wolf have changed in the last 20 years
- Will the rest of the World of Darkenss related games be updated
- What was the experience was like taking over Mage
- How Mage has changed some people’s lives
- A look back at the Traditions in Mage and how they have been updated
- Erik Davis’ book, TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information
- Are there any plans to make Mind’s Eye Theatre available for Mage
- How to prepare a three-act structure for Mage
- If the Traditions have been balanced
Please support Satyros on Patreon.
Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with questions, comments, or feedback.
Subscribe to Mage: The Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and TuneIn.
Follow us on Twitter @magethepodcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/message
