Mage: The Podcast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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:

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 Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/support

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 Obl

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

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 sometime

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  &n

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 Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mage-the-podcast/support

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 frac