Mage: The Podcast

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 b...

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...

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 t...

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 fi...

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 Technocra...

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 Story...

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 s...

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...

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. B...

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 $...

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 avo...

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 an...

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...

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 Rul...

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 wan...

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. Char...

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 H...

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...

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 c...

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 awai...

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 Tradit...

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 betw...

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 s...

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 t...

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. Ma...