Mage: The Podcast

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 WilliamsMark Jackson - Mage Illustrator Instagram Facebook  Phantasia - Retrospective workJesse Heinig working with cryptic studios on Star Trek Online - Former Line DeveloperBill Bridges Fading Suns Gameontabletop.com Bill-bridges.comTravis Williams, VP of game development at lightstorm entertainer - On the 1e Mage Team Technoobians He was DanteJackie 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 EditionJames 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  PatreonEcho Chernik - Artist and Illustrator Portfolio Web Shop Patreon

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 gamesMasters of the Art - On high Arete gamesBitter Road - On mid Arete games (Revised)Next Book: Spirit Ways 

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 compilationHollower/Goth books: Outcasts: A Players Guide to Pariahs  Tradition Book: Hollow Ones Orphans Survival GuideMage Storytime #2Play lists! Goth playlist #1 Goth playlist #2 Goth playlist #3 Goth playlist #4 Goth playlist #5 Goth music by not white people

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 episodeBook of MirrorsAppleseed manga  

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 zombiesRai'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 TwitterCommunity Works 9 Things I Like about Mage by Camak Players Becoming Characters by Undead Foodstuffs'  Remember: Modify it if it displeases you!

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 MageOther episodes: Horizon: Stronghold of Hope episode Destiny's Price episode Orphan's Survival Guide episode

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.

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 magicA picture of Adam's tantoean5c8sz

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 50sBooks 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

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