Mage is one of the most freeform systems, if not the most freeform system in the World of Darkness. It’s a game of belief, because for the Awakened Mage, her own beliefs about how the world works, and how she wants the world to work, determine just what she can and cannot do. Think of Neo in The Matrix when he discovered that he no longer had to play by the rules of the system, that he could surpass them, even break them if he truly wanted to. This is the truth that the Mage discovers at his or her Awakening – nothing is truly impossible.

If you do not already own the Mage: the Ascension 3rd Edition corebook (WW 4600, copywright 2000), we recommend that you buy it as soon as possible. It sells for about $30.00 retail, but you can probably get a copy for a cheaper price on eBay. In truth, the only way to really understand the system and play a believable character is to buy the book and read it. I personally recommend that you read the book in small doses, as it’s likely to give you a headache (I got a migraine the first time I read it. lol). This creation section is in no way a substitute for having the book on hand.

<> getting started  <>

Here are some things to keep in mind while creating your character:

• You may create a character of any race, sect, or creed. However, we ask that you do not create child Magi. Awakening can often drive a child insane, and even if it does not, there are myriad difficulties to being a child and a mage at the same time. We also require that beginning (Type I) characters be limited to an Arete of 2 max.
• We do not allow Technocracy or Nephandi characters at this time.
• The Ascension War is over, and the Traditions lost. Most magi are cut off from their mentors and the Umbra itself. Horizon has fallen. As far as anyone knows, there are no more Masters (Arete 5) on earth, and most of the Adepts (Arete 4) have disappeared as well. Some of the most powerful magi on the planet are Disciple-level (Arete 3).
• Players have a set number of creation points, but you also get freebies.
• A score of 1 in a category is poor, a score of 5 is amazingly good, i.e. you know everything there is to know about this particular thing. Most characters will fall somewhere between the two. Having 4’s and 5’s in everything does not necessarily make you the best. What it will instead do is give you very few things that you are very very good at.
• It is the player’s responsibility to make a character that is not, at the core, detrimental to the game. Magi are forced together out of necessity, out of a need for human contact. Never forget, however, that they are generally paranoid, secretive people who are being hunted down one by one by an enemy they can’t defeat.

<> character concept  <>

Concept is the beginning of your character. It’s who your character is…is she a doctor? A hippie who never quite got away from the sixties? Is she an Eastern Mystic? A hide-bound researcher of ancient lore? The concept you choose for your character will help you determine where you go from here.

<> the traditions and factions*  <>

Akashic Brotherhood - Philosophical martial-artists, the Warring Fists espouse a union of mind, body and spirit through personal discipline.

• Factions – Shi-Ren, Li-Hai, Kannagara, Jnani, Vajrapani, Qu Lung.
• Common Foci – Chimes, incense, meditation, prayer sashes or flags, purification rites, weapons.
• Concepts – Action movie star, athlete, explorer, martial arts student, sage, wandering hero.
• Speciality Sphere - Mind

Celestial Chorus – The schismatic Singers desire a renewal of the original One, restoring the world to a whole and perfect form with their dogmatic faith.

• Factions – Anchorites, Septarian, Latitudinarians, Monists, Alexandrian Society, Sons of Mithras, Children of Albi, Nashimites, Knights Templar.
• Common Foci – Song, candles, prayer, bells, inscense, holy symbols.
• Concepts – Archaeologist, diplomat, kindergarten teacher, knight errant, orator, Salvation Army worker, street preacher, theology student, seeker.
• Specialty Sphere – Prime

Cult of Ecstasy – Seeking an altered consciousness through entrancing music, dance and experience, the Ecstatics pursue liberation of the flesh and soul.

• Factions – Aghoris, Acharne, Hagalaz, Fellowship of Pan, Dissonance Society, K’an Lu, Klubwerks.
• Common Foci – Music, dance, drugs, meditation, fasting, sex, exercise.
• Concepts – Deadhead, extreme athlete, exotic dancer, musician, nature boy, transcendentalist, yogi.
• Specialty Sphere - Time

Dreamspeakers – The Spirit-Talkers embody the harmonious – although sometimes dangerous or terrifying – ways of primal existence in concert with nature and the spirits. They follow the paths of shamans and medicine men.

• Factions – Keepers of the Sacred Fire, Solitaries, Ghost Wheel Society, Red Spear Society, Baruti.
• Common Foci – Drumming, chanting, fire, mandalas, sand paintings, bones, amulets, herbs.
• Concepts – Animal trainer, burned-out city girl, channeler, dream interpreter, ecologist, naturalist, shaman, techno-fetishist, wanderer.
• Specialty Sphere - Spirit

Euthanatos – Drawing inspiration from Hindu beliefs and responding to the suffering of an overcrowded, uncaring world, the Deathmen (and women) bring release to the pained and death to evil.

• Factions – Natatapas, Madzimbabwe, Pomegranate Deme, Aided, Lhaksmist, Golden Chalice, Knights of Radamanthys, Albireo.
• Common Foci – Weapons, dice, scales, ashes, mantras, mathematics.
• Concepts – Assassin, gambler, medic, police officer, priest, social worker, surgeon.
• Specialty Sphere - Entropy

Order of Hermes – Rational and studious, the Wizards of the high Order of Hermes practice carefully refined formulaic magic handed down over centuries. Their magic derives from a set of forms built through rigorous application of mystical principles.

• Factions – House Bonisagus, House Ex Miscellanea, House Flambeau, House Fortunae, House Janissary, House Quaesitor, House Shaea, House Solificati, House Thig, House Tytalus.
• Common Foci – chanting in Enochian and other obscure languages, pentagrams and circles, Seals of Solomon, specific numbers, staves and wands, swords.
• Concepts – Arcanist, businessman, diplomat, Federal officer, historian, linguist, politician.
• Specialty Sphere - Forces

Sons of Ether – Laboratories of weird science and fringe technology embody the lunatic inspirations of the Mad Doctors, who pursue the cast-off remnants of discredited science and cutting-edge alternative systems.

• Factions – Ethernauts, Utopians, Cybernauts, Progressivists, Mad Scientists, Adventurers.
• Common Foci – Computers, ether goggles, engineering schematics, hand tools, mathematical constructs, mental disciplines, scientific meters, specialized alloys, timepieces.
• Concepts – Astronaut, gadgeteer, medic, natural philosopher, social scientist, theoretical engineer, trucker.
• Specialty Sphere - Matter

Verbena – Primal and deadly, the misnamed Pagans of the Verbena delve into the primal nature of life, birth, blood and sacrifice in their communion with potent forces.

• Factions – Gardeners of the Tree, Twisters of Fate, Moon-Seekers, Lifeweavers.
• Common Foci – Altars, athame, blood, cauldrons, chants, cups, dance, herbs, incense, ordeals, pentacles, runes, sacrifices.
• Concepts – Artist, biologist, craftsman, diver, healer, herbalist, political activist, priest(ess), ranger, rune-wise.
• Specialty Sphere - Life

Virtual Adepts – The pioneers of a new vision for reality strive to open up the minds of the Masses with their renegade actions as Hackers and virtual world-builders.

• Factions -- Cyberpunk, Cypherpunks, Chaoticians, Reality Hacker, Nexplorers.
• Common Foci – Computers (of course), cybernetic implants, hacking rituals, mathematics, programs, sensory gear, surveillance equipment.
• Concepts – Anarchist, cracker, explorer, musician, punk, scientist, techno-weenie, writer.
• Specialty Sphere - Correspondence

Hollow Ones – Drawing from the nihilistic corners of a dying culture, the Soulless use a hodge-podge of their own making in the pursuit of escape while the world crumbles toward Armageddon.

• Factions – Councilor, Revolutionaries.
• Common Foci – Arcanology, blood, crystals, grimoires, poetry, runes, séances, spirituality, Victorian ritual…just about anything, actually.
• Concepts – Clubgoer, faux vampire, Goth band member, medium, occultist, poet.
• Specialty Sphere – None

*Note: The Factions listed here are the ones listed in the main corebook. There are other Factions, but if you do not possess the Tradition books it’s probably best if you stick with one of the Factions in the corebook. Remember, many mages are not a part of a Faction at all.

<> archetypes (nature and demeanor)  <>

• Architect – You want to leave a lasting legacy.
• Autocrat – You desire control.
• Bon Vivant – Pleasure and joy are your hallmarks.
• Bravo – Rule stems from strength.
• Caregiver – You are a wellspring of compassion.
• Celebrant – Some cause gives you new passion.
• Child – You never grew up.
• Competitor – Always struggling for the top.
• Conformist – You are the heart of a group.
• Conniver – Why work when you can get others to work for you?
• Curmudgeon – Nothing’s ever good enough, so you point that out often.
• Deviant – You defy conventions and “normalcy.”
• Director – You take charge and bring order.
• Fanatic – A cause consumes you.
• Gallant – The lights shine brightest for you, the center of attention.
• Judge – Balance, truth and justice are your quest.
• Loner – You make your own way.
• Martyr – Through your sacrifice, others survive.
• Masochist – Only pain can teach you your limits.
• Monster – Magic is damnation, so bring Hell to Earth.
• Pedagogue – Knowledge is the fruit of wisdom, passed on to the worthy.
• Penitent – Until you atone for your sins, you are unworthy of salvation.
• Perfectionist – Your accomplishments are never enough.
• Rebel – Rules? What rules?
• Rogue – You plan to be on top, by whatever means necessary.
• Survivor – Nothing can keep you down.
• Thrill-Seeker – Existence is best lived on the edge.
• Traditionalist – The old ways are good ways.
• Trickster – Laughter is the best medicine.
• Visionary – The world is greater than what everyone else sees.

<> avatar essences  <>

• Dynamic - The most common Essence.
• Pattern
• Primordial - The least common Essence.
• Questing

For more information on Avatar Essences, see the Essence section in the Mage resources.

<> attributes and abilities  <>

Attributes define your mage as far as physical, social, and mental talents are concerned. In this category, a 2 is average, while a 5 is close to supernatural. You are given 7/5/3 starting points to prioritize in your Attributes section. Note that you may only have a score of 4 in one Attribute per category. i.e. You cannot have a 4 in Perception and a 4 in Intelligence, but you can have a 4 in Dexterity and a 4 in Intelligence. At this time there is also a cap on Appearance. Your character may have a max Appearance score of 3.

Abilities define your mage as far as what her talents, skills, and actual knowledge go. You are given 13/9/5 points to prioritize in your Abilities section. Again, you may only have a score of 4 in one Ability per category. Note also that at this stage in character creation (before Freebies are distributed), you may only have scores up to a 3 in each Ability.

<> spheres  <>

You are given 6 points to distribute in Spheres. One point must be assigned to the Specialty Sphere of your character’s Tradition. In addition, no matter how high your other Spheres become, no Sphere can be higher than your character’s Tradition’s Specialty Sphere. The only exception to this is when your character’s faction within their Tradition focuses on a different Sphere. Examples of this include the Order of Hermes House Fortunae, which specializes in the Sphere of Entropy, and the Knights Templar faction of the Celestial Chorus, which specializes in the Sphere of Forces rather than the Tradition Specialty Sphere of Prime.

It cannot be said enough times that no matter how high your character’s Sphere levels rise, they can never surpass the level of Arete your mage possesses. This means that eventually, in order for your mage to advance to higher levels of Sphere magick, your character will have to raise her Arete.

Only the most cursory explanation of Spheres will be placed here. In order to truly understand the way Awakened magick works, I cannot say it too many times that you must purchase and read Mage: The Ascension 3rd Edition.

• Correspondence – Understanding of connections and distances.
• Entropy – Study of chaos, decay and randomness.
• Forces – The power of the flashing elements: fire, electricity, light and sound.
• Life – Influence over living, growing things.
• Matter – Power over base materials and objects.
• Mind – Empowerment, telepathy and mental communication and control.
• Prime – Understanding of the fundamental power behind magic.
• Spirit – Sensitivity to the Invisible World, to places beyond the material.
• Time – Control over the perceptions of and flow of the ticks of the clock.

<> advantages  <>

• Backgrounds - You are given 7 points to distribute in Backgrounds. It is advisable for you to place at least one dot in Avatar, as this helps determine how strong and active your mage’s Avatar is. In addition, the Backgrounds Destiny, Wonder and Node are highly restricted at this time. You must get management approval if you want to use these three Backgrounds.

  At this time, there is a cap of 3 on all Backgrounds without management approval. I will consider higher in the mage-oriented backgrounds, but those of the mundane world (i.e. Resources, Allies, Contacts, Influence, etc) must be approved through other systems.

  • Allies – Aides and friends who help in tasks.
  • Arcane – A mystical ability to move about unnoticed by the masses.
  • Avatar – The strength of the mystical soul.
  • Contacts – Information sources and rumormills.
  • Destiny – Some greater purpose that drives the mage.
  • Dream – A tie to the primordial subconscious.
  • Influence – Pull over the mortal world.
  • Library – Access to metaphysical knowledge.
  • Node – A place of magical power.
  • Resources – Cold, hard cash.
  • Wonder – A magical Talisman or Device.

  There are Backgrounds, including Adversarial ones, listed in other books, but those must be given specific approval by management.

• Arete - Every mage starts with at least one dot in Arete. Additional points can be purchased with Freebies for at a cost of 4 Freebies per dot of Arete up to a max of 3. For more information, see the Arete section of the Mage resources.

• Willpower - Mages start off with a base Willpower of 5. Additional points may be purchased with Freebies at a cost of 1 Freebie per dot of Willpower up to a max of 7. For more information, see the Willpower section of the Mage resources.

• Quintessence - Mages start off with a Quintessence score equal to their Avatar rating. Additional points may be purchased with Freebies at a rate of 1 Freebie for every 4 dots of Quintessence. THESE EXTRA DOTS ARE TEMPORARY! Once spent, they will not refresh. For more information, see the Quintessence section in the Mage resources.

• Paradox - Most mages start off with a 0 in Paradox. For more information, please see the Paradox section of the Mage resources.

• Resonance - You are given one dot to start off in Resonance. You must choose a trait that describes your mage's resonance (i.e. electric for Dynamic, smothering for Pattern, etc).
  • Dynamic
  • Entropic
  • Static

  For more information, see the Resonance section of the Mage resources.

<> freebies  <>

You are given 30 Freebies to distribute in your character sheet. Freebie costs are as follows:

Trait	Cost
Attributes	5 per dot
Abilities	2 per dot
Sphere	7 per dot
Background	1 per dot
Arete	4 per dot (Max. of 3)
Willpower	1 per dot (Max. of 7)
Quintessence	1 for 4 dots

<> restricted/banned merits and flaws  <>

Insensible to Pain, Diminished Attributes, Mayfly Curse, True Love, Child, Iron Will, Sleepwalker, Parlor Trick, Medium, Unaging, Oracular Ability, Manifest Avatar, Natural Channel, Stormwarden, Unbondable, Fae Blood, Lucky, Shapechanger Kin, Twin Souls, Ghoul, Legendary Attribute, Shattered Avatar, Dual Traditions, True Faith, The Bard’s Tongue, Devil’s Mark, Echoes, Dark Fate, Claws/Fangs/Horns/Hooves/Barbed Tail, Anachronism, Personal Talisman, Nine Lives, Resistant Pattern, Immunity, Cast No Shadow or Reflection, Touch of Frost, Vulnerability, Beast Within, Bedeviled, Nephandic Taint, Fresh Meat, Rogue Apprentice, Folk Hero, Drahma’s Voice, Judge’s Wisdom.

These Merits and Flaws are not necessarily banned, but they are restricted. If you wish to use these Merits and Flaws, you must have a background supporting the use and you must run this by management. Just because a Merit or Flaw is not listed here does not mean it is automatically approved. Management reserves the right to refuse the use of any Merit or Flaw.

<> character types  <>

Please note that when you submit a character for approval, we prefer it be done over the online character registry. If you prefer NOT to do this, send all characters to : mage@atlantabynight.net.