Mage LARP Rules

Mage Live Action Rules

by Gil Richard (g_richa@husky1.stmarys.ca)
Modified for Brevard Beastiary
By Daniel B Utecht.
Acknowledgments To the Original Version By Gil Richard
During the play-test of this mess, several people have been invaluable in the development of these rules. First of all, Paul Sirota probably knows these rules better than I do, and has turned the hellish process of a play-test into a moderately hell-bent one, Mike McPhee who had a ton of cool ideas (including the original idea for the no-math magical effect system based off arete), as well as all the sucker...brave folks who played mages and, besides putting up with the fact that the rules changed daily, brought the strengths and weaknesses of mages, as well as many of the boo-boos and inefficiencies to light, 'specially Andrew Aulenback who kicked me in the head about being anal about paradigms - the most important facet of any LARP mage. (The orange dove flies west at midnight...)
Acknowledgments To the Brevard Beastiary Version By Daniel B Utecht
Translating the Mage rules to live action must have been a real nightmare, so much so that White Wolf has decided that the project would be unworkable. Hats off to Gil for creating rules for mage that come extremely close to the original sit down game, but can play nicely with the other live action rules. Because I try to emphasize acting and tempo instead of rules, I have made some slight modifications to these rules for my game. Not the rules by Gil were lacking or deficient, but my storytelling style is different from his. These are essentially the unmodified rules, with some clarifications.

Table of Contents
Section 1 - Intro
        1.1 - Assumptions
        1.2 - Document organization
Section 2 - Basic game mechanics
        2.1 - Character creation
        2.2 - Avatar
        2.3 - Arete
Section 3 - magical System
        3.1 - Non-resisted effects
        3.2 - Resisted effects
        3.3 - magical effect power levels
        3.4 - Paradox
        3.5 - Paradox effects
        3.6 - Quintessence and paradox
        3.7 - Positive and negative influences on magical effects
        3.8 - Acting in convert
        3.9 - Rotes
        3.10 - Sigil Signals
        3.11 - counter-magick
Section 4 - Other Rules Affecting Casting
        4.1 - Willpower and Magick
        4.2 - Quiet
        4.3 - New Abilities
Section 5 - The Converted Spheres
        5.1 - Correspondence
        5.2 - Entropy
        5.3 - Forces
        5.4 - Life
        5.5 - Matter
        5.6 - Mind
        5.7 - Prime
        5.8 - Spirit
        5.9 - Time
Section 6 - Character development
        6.1 - XP costs
        6.2 - Foci for newly acquired spheres
        6.3 - Studying/teaching
Appendices
        A - Merits and Flaws
        B - Computer Influence
Introduction

1.1 Assumptions
For the entirety of this document, I will assume you to have a decent understanding of Mage: The Ascension. If the you does not have this, then you should proceed to get it. I'm not going to type in explanations of what all the terms and traits are because a) that's just rude, plagerizing someone else's hard work and b) OK, it's illegal too.
1.2 Organization of this Document
The character creation section is included first to provide a kind of hands-on table of contents. As you proceed to make a character, you'll run into the various aspects of MET Mages. There are explanations of all of the concepts elsewhere in the document, so just look for 'em. At the end, it is suggested you read the rest just to pass over anything you may have missed, as well as learning about the game mechanics of crafting magical effects.

Basic Game Mechanics
2.1 Character Creation
Step 1 - Character Concept
The first step in creating any character is a concept. Who is your character? What is their personality like? Do they have any particular quirks? You should flesh out your character as much as possible before you even consider applying traits to them, or else you will probably end up with a rather shallow character. A good rule of thumb is this - if you were forced to play your character with no traits, no powers, no anything - just as a personality, would you enjoy yourself if you had to play this paperless character for a week? If the answer is no, then you haven't finished fleshing out your character. Only when it is a complete person, without traits or anything like that, are you finished creating a character concept.
After that, you must decide your mage's magical style - how they view the process of magick, and how it interacts with them. This is used to generate your foci and magical re-test abilities.
Step 2 - Group
Normally, this section would be entitled 'Tradition', but allowing players to play the bad guys adds depth to a story, as long as you don't let it degrade into a munchkin-fest, so there are rules for both the Traditions and the Technocracy. Good and Bad should not be determined by a book, but by where you draw your own lines in the sand. Stuff for the Nephandi should be either taken from Demons rules, or by using Barrabi mages. Marauders, according to how they work in the Book of Madness (which I happen to like a lot IMHO) seems to be too much of a pain in the arse to work out, and applying rules that define a 'normal' marauder is, well, silly.
The Traditions

Akashic Brotherhood - Akashics may start with a free Brawl, Melee, or Meditation ability.
Celestial Chorus - Choristers may start with a free Religion influence or Occult ability or influence.
Cult of Ecstasy - Cultists may start with a free Street or High Society influence or Performance ability.
Dreamspeakers - Dreamspeakers may start with either a free Occult ability or influence or Awareness ability.
Euthanatos - Euthanatos may start with a free Brawl, Melee, Firearms, or Occult Ability.
Order of Hermes - Order or Hermes mages may receive either an Occult Influence or Ability for free.
Sons of Ether - Sons of Ether may start with a Science Influence or Ability, a Health Influence or Medicine Ability.
Verbena - Verbena may start with either a Medicine ability, Occult ability or Occult influence for free.
Virtual Adepts - Virtual Adepts start with one Computer ability or Influence for free.
Hollow Ones/Orphans - Hollow Ones and Orphans may pick their Sphere specialty for the purposes of the free sphere level at character creation, but do not gain the XP benefits of the specialty.

The Technocracy

Iteration X - Iteration X mages start with a free Science or Computer ability, or Computer influence and may have cyber-technological talismans ('devices') built into them.
New World Order - NWO mages may have a free Police, Bureaucracy, Computer, Military or Media influence, and are probably affiliated with some authority position, like police officer or secret agent.
Progenitors - Progenitors may start with a free Medicine ability, Science ability, Health influence or University influence.
Syndicate - Syndicate mages may start with one Finance ability or one Finance, Media, or Industry influence for free.
Void Engineers - Void Engineers start with a free Science or Computer ability or University influence.

Step 3 - Traits
Mages get Physical, Mental and Social traits as per MET, with a distribution of 7 primary, 5 secondary, and 3 tertiary. They also get 1 Influence and 5 Abilities (Note the new Abilities). Mages start with 3 willpower traits, 1 Arete trait and 1 Avatar rating for free. A mage's maximum physical, social and mental traits are 10 (unless they cheat, ie, use magick).
Step 4 - Spheres
First of all, each mage gets the Apprentice level in their group's sphere specialty for free (Note that Orphans and Hollow Ones get to pick this free level from any sphere they wish, but this does not count as a specialty for the purposes of XP). After that, they may choose a total of 4 more levels in spheres, with each extra level counting as one. (ie, Apprentice is 1, Initiate is another 1, Disciple is another 1). No starting player may start with a sphere rating higher than Disciple, and they must have sufficient Arete traits to learn that level sphere (ie, 1 Arete Trait for Apprentice, 2 for Initiate, and 3 for Disciple). You can buy extra Arete traits with negative traits (See later).
Step 5 - Foci and magical Style
Beginning mages require foci to assist them in manipulating reality. These foci must be chosen at character creation, and should tie in with a mage's magical style. As a result of this style and foci, the mage may also pick any appropriate Abilities and use these abilities to re-test failed magical effect tests. Each sphere can have at most one re-test ability, but this ability can carry over to more than one sphere. Foci should be something that the player can use a real item for if possible. However no weapons fake or real are permitted in the game. If you have any questions about foci, just ask your storyteller.
Step 6 - Negative Traits
Mages can get negative traits just like in every other MET game, and they can buy extra traits with them just like every other MET game.

Extra Arete trait 3 negative traits (Max 3)

Extra Sphere rating Apprentice - 2 negative trait

Initiate - 3 negative traits

Disciple - 4 negative traits

(Decrease the cost by one for sphere specialty)

Extra Willpower 2 negative traits

Avatar rating 1 negative trait

That's it! Nice and happy. Now read the rest of this document to learn how to use that crap you just bought ;> You should look up your mage's foci in the Mage book (or for the Technocracy, the appropriate Convention book, or just make 'em up.) and try your best to comprehend your mage group's paradigm, as it is the key to understanding how your character does magick, as well as how they organize may have influenced their personality.
2.2 Avatar
An Avatar determines how much Quintessence can be spent on any magical effect. Characters start with an Avatar rating of one, which may be increased by one to a maximum of 5 with one negative trait per level. This determines the size of an Avatar as well, with a rating 1 avatar being around dog sized, while a rating 5 avatar would be the size of a house. A mage's avatar also decides how much Quintessence their avatar can hold. A mage can store their avatar's rating in quintessence naturally, and begin the game with a fully charged avatar. Quintessence is restored to an Avatar using either the Meditation ability or with a Prime effect.
2.3 Arete
A mage's arete is determined by Arete traits. In game terms, before a Mage can learn any sphere at a given level, they must have enough Arete traits to allow them to learn that sphere level. All mages start with 1 Arete trait. Extra Arete traits may be bought at the beginning of the game with 3 negative traits, up to a maximum of 3.
Arete also governs how well a mage is at crafting magick. The power level of a magical effect is determined by the mage's Arete. As well, every Arete trait a mage possesses allows them to transcend the use of one of their foci for one of their spheres, permanently. If they wish to keep their foci, they may - this is only an option available to them.
Mages have 'titles', determined by what magical power they wield. These 'titles' represent the maximum level that a mage may buy any sphere level at. The five levels are Apprentice, Initiate, Disciple, Adept and Master, each of which has an arete trait requirement which a mage must have in order to attain that level.

Title Rating

Apprentice 1

Initiate 2

Disciple 3

Adept 4

Master 5+

Arete seekings should be performed whenever a mage wants to buy another arete trait, but this may require taking the mage aside and running a narrative in the old table-top style. Creative storytellers will bring other players into a mage's arete seeking, to increase player interaction and group dynamics. In general, the player's Epiphany should result in them being given a quest which, properly crafted, can run alongside any other plot-lines currently running in the game (or amalgamated into it, though this may make the Arete seeking harder, and as such, is only suggested for the Arete seekings of mages with higher levels of Mastery). The character must spend the experience point requirement before the seeking takes place. When the seeking is over, the mage receives their new Arete trait.
Arete Traits are gained in order.

Arete Rating Trait

1 Unschooled

2 Talented

3 Novice

4 Disciplined

5 Commanding

6 Aware

7 Understanding

8 Wise

9 Enlightened

10 Transcendent

Magick System

3.0 Casting magical Effects
Every magical effect must effect reality in some way. The principal thing to remember when crafting a magical effect is to first of all work the magical effect into your paradigm and magical style. If you cannot do this, then your mage should not believe it possible, and thus the effect cannot be cast. Secondly, if the effect is successfully cast, determine what the target or anyone witnessing the magical effect would see or experience as a result of the magical effect? This second part must also take into account the paradigm and magical style of mage. A Son of Ether casting a Mind effect would look drastically different than, say, a Verbena casting the same effect. When this is done, when you have determined all aspects of the magical effect, only then should you move on to the testing. This is truly the deciding factor as to whether your mage game is going to be a live-action mage game or a paper-rock-scissors festival.
3.1 Non-resisted effects
A non-resisted effect is a magical effect that does not directly effect another player. To cast one, the mage must risk an appropriate trait (mental. physical, or social) and win an Arete challenge vs the Sphere Level of the effect. If the mage wins, the magical effect is successfully cast with an effect rating equal to the mage's Arete, and may have any or all of the parameters as determined by the tables below. In the case of a tie, and the sphere rating of the effect is the same as the mage's Arete, then keep testing until there is a winner. The mage may spend a willpower to temporarily increase his Arete total by one for the magical effect, but this must be declared before the magical effect is tested. The difficulty of the magical effect may be influenced by +/- one with the magical effect influences listed below the tables, to a maximum or +/- two. If the mage fails the magical effect test, but is eligible to over-bid the magical effect test, an appropriate Ability may be spent to re-test the effect. If the mage succeeds the effect is successfully cast at an effect rating equal to the mage's arete. If the mage fails the second test, it is considered botched, and the mage accumulates Paradox as per the Paradox table below.
3.2 Resisted effects
A resisted effect is a magical effect that directly effects another player, who can try to resist the effects of the magical effect. The mage chooses whatever trait category would be the most appropriate to resist the magical effect test (ie, physical for direct damage, mental for mind control), and must defeat the target of the effect in an Arete vs whatever trait category was deemed most appropriate challenge, where the mage has four times their Arete in the case of a tie. Again, the mage may spend a willpower point to temporarily increase their Arete total for the magical effect, which must be declared before any testing is done. Each positive/negative magical effect influence influences the opponent's total in the case of a tie by two, to a maximum of +/- 4. Success has the magical effect casted at an effect rating equal to the mage's Arete rating, and the target may be effected with any or all of the parameters specified in the tables below. If the mage fails the magical effect, they may spend an Ability to re-test as described in the Unresisted Effects section above.
3.3 magical effect power levels
When a mage successfully casts a magical effect, the Effect Rating is compared to the below table to determine what power level the magical effect has, and the extent to which it affects the target. The magical effect can have any or all of the parameters listed in the table, and do not necessarily have to affect at the maximum level listed in the table.

magical effect power level table

Effect Rating Maximum Duration Max Area Effect
(#people/area/volume/mass (weight) Max Damage / Healing

1 1 challenge 1 person/1 ft rad/1 cu ft/1 lb 0

2 1 hour 1 per/5 ft rad/5 cu ft/5 lbs 1

3 1 day 1 per/20 ft rad/10 cu ft/50 lbs 1

4 1 week 2 per/300 ft rad/50 cu ft/1000 lbs 2

5 1 month 3 per/500 ft rad/300 cu ft/2000 lbs 4

6 1 year 4 per/1000 ft rad/500 cu ft/5000 lbs 6

7 permanent 5 per/5000 ft rad/1000 cu ft/10000 lbs 8

8 permanent 6 per/10000 ft rad/5000 cu ft/50000 lbs 10

9 permanent 7 per/50000 ft rad/10000 cu ft/100000 lbs 12

10 Whatever you damn well want 20

NOTES

When determining how much of a particular pattern is created for the Spheres of Life or Matter, use the weight rating of the area of effect by default.
Certain Pattern magicks are considered permanent regardless of the effect rating. These are called Immediate effects. They encompass all pattern effects that do not go against the static nature of the material being changed, so healing a person is considered immediate, or changing lead to gold is considered immediate, but changing the boiling point of lead to room temperature is not, as the resulting pattern conflicts with the static nature of the material (lead's natural boiling point is not room temperature, whereas the transmutation of lead to gold has the material actually being gold now.)
Damaging forces effects inflict one more level of damage, and damaging mind effects do one less level of damage as listed.
Vulgar life attacks, vulgar prime attacks, direct and vulgar entropy attacks on a living body, spirit magick that summons spirits to attack living beings, and natural weaponry of supernatural creatures cause aggravated wounds - all else causes normal. (Unless the effect was cast in a way that exploits a natural weakness of a creature)
The difference in area of effect when it comes to number of people affected and volume of the effect. When a mage elects to have a damaging effect affect more than one person, they either do an equal amount of damage to the number of people denoted by the #people column, OR divides the damage up between multiple people in the same cubic foot/square foot/etc of the effect's radius.
In the case of Mind effects that alter a target's actions, the duration of the magical effect is decreased by an effective rating of one if it goes against the better judgment of the target, but is increased by a rating of one if it goes along with the target's better judgment. As well, if the target is aware that they are being manipulated magically, they may elect to resist the effect by either beating the mage in a Willpower vs Arete challenge (no traits need to be bid), or spending a willpower to ignore the effect.

Correspondence Effect Table Gauntlet Penetration Table

Effect Rating Range / Connection Effect Rating Gauntlet Rating Penetrated

1 Line of Site
Blood Relation
Body Sample 1
2
3 2-4 (Node / Cairn)
5 (Deep Wilderness)
6 (Rural Countryside)

2 Very Familiar (home/office)
Best Friend
Prized Possession 4
5
6 7 (Most Urban Areas)
8 (Downtown)
9 (Technocracy Lab)

3 Familiar (local mall)
Co-Worker
Possession 10 Paradox Gauntlet

4 Visited Once
Acquaintance
Anything Used Once Time Effect Table
Effect Rating Effect Timespan

5 Saw or Heard of It
Stranger
Item Touched Casually 1
2
3 Within a Year
Five Years
Twenty Years

6+ Anywhere on Earth
No Connection 4
5
6
7
8
9
10+ Fifty Years
100 Years
500 Years
700 Years
800 Years
900 Years
1000+ Years

3.4 Paradox
Paradox is accumulated depending on the vulgarity of the magical effect and the result of the test. Note that 'Sphere rating' is the highest sphere level involved in casting the magical effect. (ie, Apprentice = 1, Initiate = 2, Disciple = 3, Adept = 4, Master = 5). Note that successfully casting a vulgar magical effect always results in the mage accumulating at least one point of paradox.

Vulgarity Test Won Test Tied Test Lost

Static or Coincidental none none Sphere Rating

Vulgar, no witnesses 1 1 Sphere Rating + 1

Vulgar, with witnesses 1 2 Sphere Rating x2 + 1

If the mage accumulates 6 or more paradox on one magical effect, OR accumulates a total of 10 or more paradox total, they will induce a paradox backlash (Explained later).
3.5 Paradox Effects
(stolen from Paul Strack (pfstrack@email.unc.edu) and modified by Gil)
The mage may no longer elect to burn off paradox themselves. Paradox will burn itself off, either over time, or as a result of a backlash, or whenever a member of game control is feeling bored. Paradox Backlash normally occurs when the mage gains at six points or more Paradox at one time, or the mage accumulates 10 or more points of Paradox total. The strength of the backlash is determined by one test.
Winning this test makes the strength 1/4 the total paradox of the mage. Tying this test makes the strength 1/2 the total paradox of the mage. Losing this test makes the strength the total paradox pool of the mage.
A number of paradox points equal to the strength of the backlash are expelled as a result of the backlash. If the mage wishes, they may expend a willpower point to escape the paradox backlash, but the paradox is not expended. This may only be attempted ONCE per effect. If the mage re-tries the same effect on the same day, and a backlash results, they may not spend a point of willpower to avoid the backlash.
Paradox Backlash will manifest in a physical, spiritual or mental form. This is chosen either by the first available game control or, if none are present, by another test. Winning the test makes it physical. Tying the test makes it Spiritual. Losing the test makes it mental.

Strength Physical Spiritual Mental

1 - 5 Flaws Paradox Minion Quiet

6 - 9 Damage Paradox Preceptor Quiet / Realm

10 + Explosion Paradox Lord Realm

Flaws - Paradox cause physical alterations in a mage or the immediate area. The stronger the backlash, the more severe the alteration. For more details on Flaws, see below.
Damage - The mage receives one Health Level of aggravated damage for every 2 points of strength of the Backlash. A backlash this severe can kill the offending mage, especially if she was already wounded. This damage cannot be healed with magick.
Explosion - A massive explosion results, inflicting Health Levels of aggravated damage equal to the strength of the Backlash, divided evenly amongst everyone within 3 paces of the mage. As above, the victims cannot heal the damage magically.
Spirits - A paradox spirit appears and plagues the mage. The level of power of the spirit depends on the strength of the backlash, while the nature of the spirit depends on the sphere of magick the mage was using. Paradox spirits are exceptionally resistant to magick; they may roll their Gnosis/Arete as counter-magick automatically. Usually there is some way a mage can appease a Paradox spirit so that it will leave her be. The mage can also try and destroy the spirit using non-magical means. Failing all else, most paradox spirits will eventually get bored, and wander off to harass some other mage.
Quiet - Quiet can be induced as a backlash. However, the strength of the quiet does not depend on the strength of the backlash. Instead, it depends on the total points of paradox the mage had immediately before the backlash. Quiet can be induced by other means, such as the overuse of perceptual magick, or psychic trauma (over-extended perceptions are detailed in the appropriate sphere description). The mage may expend a willpower trait to stave off a quiet for one day.
Realms - Truly horrendous backlash es can remove a mage from reality completely. Some mages view this as an advanced form of Quiet, in which the mage is physically locked in a hallucinatory Realm.
In the case of a paradox flaw, a paradox spirit, quiet, or a realm, this must be assigned by a member of game control.
If the mage has 10 or fewer points of paradox, and manages to go an entire day without gaining any paradox, one point of paradox drains away with no ill effects.
Below are a list of possible Paradox Flaws, organized by Sphere and Level, for your amusement. Some of them are "coincidental" and others are not. Note that the duration of a Flaw can also affect its severity. A Level 2 backlash could manifest as a Level 1 Flaw that lasts for days, or a Level 3 Flaw that only lasts for a minute or two. The "standard" duration for a Flaw is a few hours, this can be lengthened to days or shortened to minutes. Level 4 and 5 Flaws last longer; the standard duration is day, which can be shortened to hours, or lengthened to weeks.
Correspondence:

The mage can only see behind himself for a few moments.
The mage's perception of space is altered for a few hours (objects in this mirror may appear to be closer than they actually are).
Objects in the mages possession gravitate to his left. His watch appears on his left hand, his wallet in his left pocket, etc. More significantly, any effect he casts will manifest several yards to the left of where he targeted it.
The mage finds that he no longer can control direction. Anything she does will be targeted in a random direction. A spell she casts will have a randomly determined target, and she will walk in a strange sort of Brownian motion, with no control over her destination. The mage must be guided from one place to another.
The mage's body is turned inside out, flesh on the inside, organs on the outside, yet she mysteriously stays alive. This state is incredibly painful, and the mage can do nothing but writhe in agony until the effect passes.

Entropy:

The next feat the mage attempts fails automatically (don't bother to test).
Everything the mage sees is tinged with decay; not unlike the vision of wraiths. In addition to being rather depressing, it makes it difficult for mages to judge the mood of people, and must retest any successful social challenges, aura readings, etc...
The mage finds that material objects become rotten and brittle under his touch. His equipment may break, or he may fall through holes in the floor.
People in the vicinity of the mage will feel ill and out of sorts. Others will suffer a 1 trait penalty on any challenge they have to make. The effect never seems to extend to the mage's enemies.
The mage finds himself aging rapidly, at a rate of one year per minute. This continues for hours, yet the mage will not die, becoming a withered husk instead at about the age of 150 or so. The mage then returns slowly to normal, at a rate of 1 year per hour.

Forces

The mage's hair stands on end, as if he were subject to static electricity. It goes away after a minute or two.
The mage's perception of the world changes, so that he sees everything in black and white.
For the next few hours, electrical devices fail to function within about 5 yards of the mage.
The mage finds herself floating one inch off the floor. This makes it very difficult to get anywhere, since the mage must pull herself along the walls and furniture.
The mage is struck completely blind and deaf. Other forms of perceptual magick are ineffective as well. This can last for days.

Life

The mage suffers from a sudden, violent muscle spasm, throwing her off balance.
The mage catches a nasty head cold. Between sneezing, watery eyes and headaches, the mage is at a 1 trait penalty to most challenges.
The mage finds that nearby plants grow at an alarming rate, especially if he is in direct contact with the plant.
One of the mage's limbs ceases to function.
The mage suffers from a violent epileptic seizure, that lasts for hours. It will take him days to recuperate.

Matter

Whatever surface the mage is standing on becomes briefly slippery, causing him to fall.
One important piece of equipment (perhaps a Foci) breaks.
The mage finds himself unable to physically interact with some common substance (metal, wood, etc.); the material passes right through him. This can be quite embarrassing of the substance is clothes.
Any water the mage touches will freeze (large bodies of water only freeze within about a foot of the mage).
The mage's body crystallizes. He can only move at a rate of one inch per minute, and magick becomes impossible.

Mind

For the next few minutes, the mage speaks *exactly* what is on her mind, broadcasting her thoughts.
The mage receives a lot of psychic static, random impressions from the minds of those around her. There is too much "noise" for the mage to learn anything useful, and the effect is rather distracting.
The mage finds that he has become a mental chameleon. He involuntarily adopts the mannerisms and personality of anyone with whom he spends more than a minute.
The mage adopts some form of clinical insanity, such as a severe phobia of some nearby object, or paranoid delusions.
The mage's mental processes become completely jumbled, and he finds it impossible to form any coherent thought.

Prime

The mage briefly "flashes" of magical energy, so that his presence is easily perceived by any magically aware being.
One of the rotes the mage is currently maintaining ceases to function.
All the Quintessence in a mage's pattern bleeds away.
The mage becomes a "magick magnet", and any effect cast in her vicinity will target the mage in addition to its normal target.
The mage loses touch with her Avatar, and is unable to perform any sort of magick for days (or weeks).

Spirit
Most spirit paradoxes result in the manifestation of a Paradox spirit, or the spirit magick the mage is currently working goes horribly wrong. Other possibilities include having the mage shunt involuntarily into the Umbra, attracting malignant (non-paradox) spirits, or becoming a spirit herself for a period of time.
Time

All the timepieces in the mage's area stop.
The mage's perception of time becomes disjointed, so that he sees everything one second into the future. He starts to answer questions before people have finished speaking. Alternately, the mage sees things one second into the past. It becomes more difficult to target people in the present (must re-test any successful tests)
The mage suffers from time dilation, and can only act half as often as everyone else. Magick cannot counter this effect.
The mage looses his short term memory. He can only remember things that happened more than five minutes ago. He must act based only on his immediate perceptions.
The mage vanishes, only to reappear in the future, at some time of the storytellers choosing (though not more than a month or two later).

Paradox Rotes
Mages with a greater knowledge of Prime are able to control the Paradox in their pattern to a small degree, with the following rotes:
Induce Backlash (Initiate Prime)
Many mages choose not to wait for Paradox to strike, and deliberately induce a Paradox backlash on themselves, preferably while they are somewhere safe, like their sanctum. The strength of the backlash is still determined randomly. No matter what the circumstances, this Rote always counts as Vulgar, even in the Umbra or in a mage's Sanctum. Thus, the rote always adds at least one point of Paradox to the mage's total pool.
Controlled Backlash (Adept Prime, or Initiate Prime + Initiate Entropy)
A more advanced version of the above rote, the mage has a greater degree of control over how much Paradox energy is released. For each effect result rating beyond the first, the mage can increase or decrease the strength of the backlash by one point. However, the mage still has no control over exactly how the Paradox manifests. This rote is also always Vulgar.
3.6 Quintessence and Paradox
A mage can store a maximum of 20 points of quintessence using Apprentice Level Prime. Every point of paradox, however, lowers the maximum number of paradox storable by 1. So 1 point of paradox lowers the maximum number of quintessence stored to 19, 2 points lowers it to 18, etc. As well, if it should ever occur that a point of paradox lowers the maximum amount of quintessence below the number that the mage currently has, then the excess quintessence is lost due to the paradox overflow. SO, for example, a mage has 8 points of paradox and maximum quintessence, 12 points. If the mage were to accrue another point of paradox, they would lose a point of quintessence to paradox overflow, leaving them with 9 points of paradox and 11 points of quintessence.
3.7 Positive and Negative Influences on magical Effects
Positive Influences

Researching Lore on subject before using magick (using Occult Library)
Has item resonating with target's essence (sympathetic magick)
Spending two points of quintessence
Using tass with an appropriate resonance
Extra time spent on magick (10 seconds = -1, 10 minutes = -2)
In a node
Uses a unique focus
Uses a focus without needing it
Using a rote designed by your paradigm

Negative Influences

Using Tass with opposed resonance
Fast-Casting (responding to a challenge with a magical effect)
Every two magical effects "running' simultaneously
Distant or hidden subject (ie, Obfuscate/Arcane)
Mage distracted (ie, In a mass melee/on fire/etc)
In conflict with Avatar (I'll let you know)
Domino Effect (Casting more than one coincidental effect within 5 minutes of another)
Extending Perceptions (Lets someone else share a magical effect's perceptions. Automatically makes effect vulgar. Each extra person counts as a separate negative influence)
Using a rote designed by a conflicting paradigm
Bringing possessions with you when Piercing the Gauntlet

3.8 Acting in Concert
Multiple mages may combine their powers to cast one big magical effect. There are three different 'levels' of acting in concert, each having a different set of requirements.

A Concert of Peers - Each participant must have the equivalent sphere ratings necessary to cast the magical effect, and must be of the same paradigm. A ritual must be performed, lasting a span of time equal to 10 minutes per extra person in the concert. If this is the case, then each mage makes separate magical effect tests (and separate paradox results), and each effect result is totaled to generate the result of the acting in concert.
A Concert of Lackeys - Only one mage has sufficient sphere ratings to cast a magical effect, but has a number of lesser-powerful mages who still have some rating in all of the necessary spheres or all mages have the same rating in all of the required spheres, but are of a differing paradigm. In this case, the ritual is still necessary (extra 10 minutes per lackey), and each lackey in the concert who successfully casts the magical effect adds one rating to the leader's effect result rating.
A Sleeper's Concert - If the mage has a number of Un-awakened acolytes assisting the concert, the mage may increase his resulting effect result rating by one for every 5 acolytes in the concert. The 10 minutes/ acolyte rule still holds. The acolytes do not count as sleeper witnesses for this effect, however. If the number of paradox generated by the effect is greater than the total number of acolytes in the concert, they will all suffer some sort of mystical or psychic trauma as determined by the storyteller.

Unfortunately, if any mage botches the effect, the entire effect is botched, and all the paradox gained in the effect by any mage who botched the effect is totaled, with EACH member of the concert receives the paradox total. A mage may spend a willpower trait to avoid taking paradox.
3.9 Rotes
Rotes are a problem. Each one has the possibility of having a different set of rules. So, as a rule, game control must approve any rote to be used in game. If you do not know the rules for a rote, *DO NOT MAKE THEM UP*. Get game control to look over and approve the rote for you.
3.10 Sigil Signals
Now, how to let someone know that you are casting a magical effect? Well, you could just state the name of the magical effect, and describe the results of the effect to the target. This is a viable system, but lacks the subtlety of the MET system. So as an alternative, the equivalent to hand signals for magical effects are sigil signals. If you look in any of the Mage books put out by the folx at WW, you will notice that each Sphere has a sigil associated with it. Whenever you cast a magical effect, you should show the person to whom the effect is affecting the equivalent sigil signal (s).
A sigil signal is simply something that has a number of sigils inscribed on it, one for each sphere used in the effect. For example, I'm playing poker with someone, and I decide to cheat and use Control Probability on the deal to give me a wicked hand. Before I cast the effect, I show the dealer a sigil card with an Entropy sigil on it, as the effect is an entropy effect.
Another example; I want to nuke someone into pudding with the Ball of Abysmal Flame rote. It's a Forces and Prime rote, so I would show the poor fool a sigil card with a Forces sigil and a Prime sigil on it. (And it would probably be the last thing he sees). Last example, I want to cast the Curse of the Mayfly rote on someone. It required Adept level Entropy and Life, so the sigil card would have an Entropy and a Life sigil on it. The purpose of this is to let someone know that they can do counter-magick if they can see the card. As a general rule, anyone seeing the sigils can sense the magical effect and is eligible to perform counter-magick. So if someone slips you a piece of paper with a mind sigils on it, don't be a prick and hold it up for all to see - you got conned; be a sport. Of course, if they don't look at the paper, you have to hold up your sigil so that they can see it. They have to know that you are casting a magical effect to give them a chance to counter it, and this is done through sigils.
3.11 counter-magick
There are now 5 different types of counter-magick. The type of counter-magick must be declared before any tests take place.

Basic counter-magick has the countering mage engage the caster in an arete challenge. If the countering mage wins, the effect is canceled. You can only use basic counter-magick on yourself, however. The countering mage must have at least one rating in one of the spheres involved in the effect, and the mage must know the effect is coming, either by the Awareness ability, or through some other method.
Offensive counter-magick is when a mage tries to stop a magical effect cast at another target besides themselves. The countering mage must have at least one rating in one of the spheres involved in the casting, as well as one rating in Prime. To stop the spell, the countering mage must defeat the casting mage in two Arete challenges. To reflect the spell back at the target, the mage must defeat the caster in four Arete challenges. If the mage tries to reflect an effect, this must declared before any of the tests take place.
Sphere vs Sphere counter-magick is a variant of Basic counter-magick where the mage need not know any of the spheres involved in the effect, but rather uses a magical effect to disrupt the casting mage. The effect must be possible to cast, and must be tailored to distract the casting mage. The effect is countered if the countering mage defeats the casting mage in two Arete challenges. The countering effects do no damage to the caster, just distracts them long enough to cancel the effect.
NOTE : You may now use counter-magick on Vampiric Thaumaturgy, Faerie Glamour and Garou Gifts. It must be Sphere vs Sphere counter-magick. In the case of Thaumaturgy, you must defeat the casting vampire in three Arete vs mental challenges, where the mage has a total of three times their arete in the case of a tie (the mage may spend a willpower to temporarily increase their effective Arete by one for the purposes of the counter-magick). In the case of Fae Glamour, the mage must defeat the fae in two straight Arete vs Glamour challenges. In the case of Garou Gifts (or Wraith Arcanos, if it's ever converted), the Sphere being used to counter must be Spirit, and the mage must defeat their opponent in three Arete vs Gnosis challenges.
Anti-Magick has a mage use Quintessence to re-enforce reality around a casting mage, making it harder to cast the effect. The countering mage must be at least an Initiate of Prime. The countering mage gets to attempt their Arete rating in complex tests, with each success allowing the countering mage to spend a point of quintessence to give the casting mage a negative magical influence, not subject to the normal +/- two maximum for modifying the effect difficulty.
Unweaving involves removing an already-existing magical effect, such as a ward or ban, that has been placed on an area. Normal counter-magick will not work on a previously-existing magical effect unless the countering mage was present at the time of the casting, and attempted to counter the initial casting. Unweaving a magical effect required the countering mage have at least one rating in all the spheres involved in casting the magical effect, as well as one rating in prime. The tests for an unweaving are exactly the same as Anti-magick, except that each effect result rating lowers the rating of the ward by one. Each effect result rating generated from the unweaving requires the mage concentrate near the ward for 10 minutes per effect result rating. As well, the mage who casted the ward in the first place will detect the unweaving if they win a static challenge vs 7.

Countering the effects of a Talisman is handled in the same fashion as the above methods describe, with the exception of Sphere vs Sphere.

Other Rules Affecting Casting

4.1 Willpower and Magick
If a mage has a sphere rating higher than their willpower, they may not use the sphere ratings higher than their willpower until their willpower has been increased to a level sufficient enough to use the sphere rating. This holds true for Arete - if a mage has more Arete than Willpower, that extra Arete is not usable by the mage until they increase their willpower sufficiently.
4.2 Quiet
From time to time, a narrator may walk up to a mage and, after looking at their character sheet to determine how many paradox points they have, describe a hallucination the mage is experiencing to the mage and the mage must play this out - the mage's perception of reality has changed. These can be pretty free-form, but you should just describe the situation of their hallucinations, and let the player go bananas on their own instead of scripting the whole thing.
4.3 New Abilities

Meditation - This Ability reflects a mage's ability to concentrate and keep their mind free of distraction. If the mage is in an active node, they may recharge their avatar by meditating inside the node. For every 10 minutes they spend meditating in the node, their avatar retains one point of quintessence, no tests required. Lastly, a mage may meditate to regain lost Arete traits. For every 15 minutes a mage meditates without disturbance, they will regain one temporarily lost Arete trait.
Awareness - This ability allows the mage to sense magical energies in their vicinity and, at higher levels, quantify and qualify these energies. Each additional Awareness trait allows the mage to detect more arcane and esoteric energy.
1 trait : The mage can sense magical 'fields' as created by magical effects and automatically determine what spheres and power levels were involved in the casting. They can also sense Talismans with a static mental challenge vs 5.
2 traits : The mage can sense supernatural 'fields' as created by any type of supernatural bogeyman. This includes cairns, wards, freeholds, etc, with a static mental challenge vs 5. Note that this ability only allows the mage to sense them; the mage must have the appropriate Lore skill to identify any fields/wards/etc they come across. The sensing will let them know if the field is harmful towards them or not, however.
3 traits : The mage can sense the auras of other creatures. This works just like Aura Perception from MET:The Masquerade, except the mage may only check for diablerie if they have at least 3 Vampire Lore abilities.
4 traits : The mage can sense objects hidden through supernatural means. Consider this a larger version of Heightened senses, able to pierce any form of supernatural stealth. If the target being sensed is a being, they must be defeated in a mental challenge before they can be sensed. If the target is an object, then a static mental challenge vs the number of mental traits the obfuscater has must be won to sense the object.
As well, the mage now senses whenever a supernatural power is being used on them. The mage must have at least 3 or 4 levels of the appropriate Lore Ability to actually know what the power is, otherwise they just sense supernatural forces at work, as well as the source and target of this power. Note that if the force doesn't affect the mage directly, or is not readily visible, there is little chance the mage will sense the power.
5 traits : The mage has an innate precognitive sense that alerts them to any danger to their person. They have a brief flash of the future seconds before it happens, letting the mage react accordingly. The mage cannot be surprised, and is fully aware of the future when it comes to them being harmed. As well, the mage may sense the nature of another creature by winning a static mental challenge vs 5.
Cosmology - Allows a mage to navigate the Umbra, as well as successfully interact with umbral society and culture. ("How to Talk to Spirits and not get Eaten 101")
Research - Allows a mage to better use tomes and occult libraries, as well as researching an effect before it is cast (see positive influences on effects)
Instruction - Allows the mage to teach Sphere levels to another mage. Also allow the mage to be able to teach certain Abilities, allowing the student to purchase two of the abilities for the single XP.

The 9 Spheres

5.1 Correspondence
First off, as Correspondence is the sphere that deals with range and distance, a range table is needed, based on how familiar the mage is with the target. This familiarity can come from either personal knowledge of the target, or having something that belongs to or is somehow otherwise connected to the target. The general success table for determining the range of the effect is listed in the Correspondence Effect Table.
Apprentice
Immediate Spatial Perceptions - The Apprentice of Correspondence is taught how to sense 3-dimensional space with keen understanding. They can intuitively sense how objects relate to space, calculate the exact volume of objects, the distance between objects, and be able to sense objects in their immediate vicinity without having to perceive them through the normal five senses. The mage may determine, to any level of accuracy, any aspect of the targets dimensionality (size, shape, distance, location, etc). In addition, the mage may choose to just sense the range and dimensionality of an area, effectively giving them a kind of 'sonar' effect. The mage may give themselves the ability to sense and navigate their surroundings by sensing the shapes, distances, and sizes of their surroundings. They would see no colors, only the contours of faces. Note that this effect only effects the mage's immediate surroundings - this cannot sense outside of Line of Sight.
Initiate
Sense Space - The mage can now send his or her perceptions to any point in space by shifting their relationship to the Correspondence Point. They may re-locate any or all of their senses to another point in space. The senses function normally at this new point in space, but realize that their senses no longer sense the immediate vicinity around their person - they can only sense the new location. This power also allows the mage to sense if they are being spied upon by a remote observer through some sort of perception extension (binoculars/Sense Space/cameras).
Touch Space - The mage can, with conjunctional Disciple Life or Matter (or both) teleport small objects to and from themselves. The mage can shift objects up to a maximum size of a house cat. The mage must grasping the object during the teleportation.
Ward - The mage may prevent scrying or remote sensing an area of space by re-enforcing the tapestry of an area. Upon a successful magical effect casting, the area of space effected by the magical effect is protected by this ward for the duration of the effect. Whenever someone wishes to remotely scry this area, their general success rating is dropped by the numeric equivalent of the magical effect result. This effect may be cast cumulatively, with this number being increased each time the effect is successfully cast.
Disciple
Pierce Space - At this level of understanding, the mage has an in-depth, personal understanding of the Theory of Correspondence, and may change their own relationship to the Correspondence Point. The mage can teleport themselves and everything they are carrying to another area in space. This can be used to evoke the 'Fair Escape' rule in virtually any situation. Upon success, the mage states that they 'disappear' and walk to their new location in space, using an out-of-game hand signal, and tell the people in the new area that they re-appear, oriented in any way they deem fit. If there are not too many people in the vicinity, the mage may call 'Freeze', move to their new location, then call 'Unfreeze'. This effect is vulgar or coincidental.
Lastly, this power allows the mage to slide objects through space, simulating telekinesis or levitation. Again, objects being moved can be no bigger than a common house cat, but weight is no option - only size. This effect can be used cause damage, and is handled by the General Effect Result table. Vulgar or coincidental.
Seal Gate - The mage may also prevent others from remotely spying on an area with this power. Every Correspondence effect that involves opening or playing with the Tapestry of the area (ie, Remote sensing/Teleportation) has it's magical effect result rating lowered by the numeric equivalent of the magical effect result. This may be cast multiple times, with this number being cumulative.
The mage may also ban a certain type of pattern from an area of space by casting this power conjunctionally with the Disciple level powers of all patterns involved in the banned pattern, as well as having some connection to the target of the banning. If the mage accumulates a magical effect result rating of five or higher, it is impossible for the target pattern-type to enter that area of space. Note that this effect cannot effect magical effects or the incarnations of paradox.
Co-Locality Perceptions - Also, at this level of understanding, the mage may potentially perceive all points in space at the same time. While this may seem to be a stupid idea, it can be very useful, and also very trippy. The mage may 'stack' their perceptions, perceiving all the wanted points in space at the same time. The result is a convoluted landscape of many ghostly images. The mage may co-locate their perceptions as many times as they have mental traits, and differentiating between one scene and another requires a static mental challenge vs a number twice the total number of scenes being viewed. If the mage wishes to perceive more scenes than they have mental traits, they may do so by winning a complex challenge. If they succeed, the extra scenes. If they fail, they enter a Quiet of a rating equal to half the number of scenes being perceived.
Adept
Rend Space - A mage at this rank may extend their control of Correspondence to opening 'pathways' through space to join two areas of space via a 'doorway'. These pathways usually take the form of a two-dimensional 'window', showing what exists on the other side of the doorway, but can take on another appearance if the mage so desires. The mage may open a 'doorway' between two areas of space. Passage through this doorway is free as long as the doorway remains open. This effect is quite vulgar.
Reality Bubble - The mage may create 'pockets' of space that do not interact with the rest of space. This creates a pocket dimension within three-dimensional space which is cut off from the rest of space, roughly human-sized. Larger bubbles or moving bubbles require at least a result rating of four. This effect is quite vulgar.
Master
Mutate Localities - At this level of Mastery, the Mage is taught how to distort space. Mages can affect distances and sizes around them, stretching and shrinking them however they seem fit. The mass of the area of space or object being changed cannot change, but the size and shape is fair game to the mage. The mage may warp space about them however they desire.
Co-location - The mage may take two area of space and 'stack' them, having them both occupy the same 'area' of space simultaneously. Interaction is free between the two area. Nothing inside the areas of space is damaged - when two objects occupy the same area of space, they simply do not interact until they are separated.
Poly-appearance - The mage may exist at multiple areas at the same time. Read the effect on page 191 of 2nd Edition Mage:The Ascension. The part about extra damage levels for poly-appearance attacks applies - the numeric rating of a magical result is added to the base amount of damage caused by the attack.
5.2 Entropy
Apprentice
Sense Fate & Fortune - The beginning of all teaching concerning Entropy starts with being able to identify Entropy as a distinct phenomenon in reality. Apprentices of entropy can intuitively discern the weakness in any system, be it a person, or a group, or a concept. As well, the mage may also intuitively discern the strengths of a system, which parts are more favored or lucky. The mage ascertains where entropy would manifest naturally in the target and how much, or how little, the target has been subjected to the forces of Entropy already. The mage can identify any weak spots in anything, as well as the amount of decay, degeneracy, or corruption the target has been subject to. Conversely, the mage may also sense which aspects of the target will be favored in the future, where entropy does not manifest itself as strongly./ In game terms, the mage will be have the option to re-test a failed challenge IF that challenge is of a nature being sensed by the effect, for the duration of the effect (this is not cumulative). The nature of the challenge and target must be known at the time of casting.
Ring of Truth - The mage may use their sense of Destiny and entropy to discern if something being said to them is prophetic in some way, or is a falsehood. In the case of prophetic words, every level of the effect result rating will grant the mage a little more of a sense of understanding concerning the words that were spoken. For discerning the truth, the mage must achieve an effect result rating equal to or greater than the potential liar's total Subterfuge abilities.
Initiate
Control Probability - By starting small, the Initiate of entropy can affect very small events by manipulating random chance. The mage can affect who the waiter will serve first in a restaurant, which chamber houses the bullet in Russian Roulette, which cards are dealt where in a game of cards. Note, however, that the Mage cannot nullify or supersaturate an event with randomness - that would require the creation of entropic energy, or the immunization from the self-same energy, something even the Masters of Entropy cannot do. The mage can merely affect the probabilities involved with a single event that is only controlled by one instance of random chance. It can seem that this level of knowledge is pretty lame, but control over random chance can be very handy at times, and this level of knowledge can be used conjunctionally with other spheres to inject randomness and chaos into a system over and above what normally occurs. Every two effect result ratings allows the mage a re-test in any non-magical effect test in which the mage has 2 or fewer Ability traits (See "Beginner's Luck"). The mage can also dictate what the outcome of a single random event will be, as in all of the above examples. The event must be controlled by random chance. This is a coincidental effect, as all things are possible within a random system, but repeated uses of this in the same situation will eventually start pushing the boundaries of acceptable probability, and paradox may take notice. (See "The Domino Effect")
Disciple
Affect Predictable Patterns - At the disciple level, the mage learns how rates of decay are controlled and with this knowledge can exert their will upon reality to either speed up or slow down the natural entropic processes that degrade matter patterns. The Mage can increase or decease the rate at which metals rust, woods decay, fabric rots, etc. With any number of effect result ratings, the mage may make a complex piece of machinery break down. With 2 or more effect result ratings, an amount of physical matter as determined by the area of effect can be eroded. Conversely, any number of effect result ratings can cause a complex machine to function without flaw for the duration of the effect. With 2 or more effect result ratings, the rate of decay on a mass of matter as determined by the area of effect can be slowed considerably, with the physical matter not being affected from the natural entropic processes for the duration of the effect.
Adept
Affect Life - The Adept of Entropy has progressed beyond the scope of inorganic objects to the complex realm of Life. The Adept studies the multitudes of ways that living things wither and die as their bodies eventually break down and cease to function, as well as the many facets of heredity, and how it affects evolution and growth. From these processes, the Adept learns to control these random, degenerative processes, giving them immense powers to destroy life and control growth. They can age targets 5 years for every magical effect result rating, or reduce the probability for deformity and disease, with a effect result rating of 3 making a child insulated from any sort of disease, short of a massive plague, for life. Note that this only affects probability, not vitality or beauty. Note that direct and vulgar entropy attacks cause aggravated damage.
Master
Affect Thought - The Masters of Entropy expand their control over the forces of Entropy by studying the ways in which entropy affects ideas and thoughts. Unlike the physical aspects of Entropy, in which the outcomes are pretty straight forward, the effects of entropy upon the mind can lead to some pretty far-fetched ideas. Entropy's reach is very far, even to the Ivory towers of intelligence. Forgetfulness, Distractions, Short attention spans, even Deranged and damaged minds fall under this category. Some call dynamic growth of ideas the inverse of Entropy, that old ideas are cast aside to make way for the new, but the fact that ideas are cast away makes even progress the result of Entropy, of old concepts withering away and dying. The limit of the Master of Entropy is the individual - the Master can destroy the thought of an individual, not the base concept upon which the thought was formed. They cannot erode entire philosophies on a societal level, but it is rumored that the Oracles of Entropy can perform such feats as erasing entire towns from the collective conscious. The Effect Result rating necessary to destroy mental structures is thusly listed:
Thought
Idea
Train of Thought
Concept                      - 1
Ability
Add a derangement            - 2
Mental Trait
Rote/Ritual                  - 3
Philosophy                   - 4
Arete Trait                  - 5
Sphere ratings
          Apprentice         - 6
          Initiate           - 7
          Disciple           - 8
          Adept              - 9
          Master             - 10
Binding Oath - When cast, this effect ensures that a pact or promise is carried through. The mage administering or giving that oath may call down the force of Destiny to witness the proceedings and punish anyone who breaks the oath. Read the effect description on page 195 of 2nd Edition Mage:The Ascension for a full description of the effect.
5.3 Forces
Because Forces is a pattern magick, Initiate level Prime is required to create energy. If your effect requires in increase of energy, you must be an Initiate of prime.
Apprentice
Perceive Forces - The Apprentice of Forces first learns to understand the constructs that make up all of the Energies of Forces. As such, the apprentice of Forces first learns to perceive Forces, so they will know exactly what they are manipulating when they achieve higher levels of understanding. They may sense any energy they wish, or the lack there of, letting them see in the dark, perceive x-rays, sense motion, or hear the slightest of noises. Any degree of effect result rating will allow a mage to see a force that is not cluttered or jumbled with background noise. A 'noisy' background, however, will require a greater effect result rating as determined by the closest narrator.
Initiate
Control Minor Forces - With this level the mage can manipulate both the positive forces (sound, light, heat, etc), as well as the negative forces (silence, darkness, cold, etc). The mage cannot fundamentally change the force they are manipulating; the force must retain it's polarity (positive/ negative), the mage can merely change it's direction of force. A mage may disguise their voice, eavesdrop on a conversation occurring over a crowded room, cloak themselves in a field of silence, bend and refract light, displace their image, wrap themselves in shadow, create a mirage or focus a flashlight into a fine laser. Heat and cold may be shuffled about, gravity may be re-directed, etc. The amount of force that can be affected at this level is quite limited - a mage may short-circuit a car or house, but not an apartment block or power plant. A mage could black out a house, but not a city block. They could change the velocity and trajectory of a bullet or skateboard, but not a mack truck. The degree to which the forces may be manipulated are generated by the area of effect column of the General effect table. Remember that a force may ONLY be re-directed, not increased or dispelled, so darkening a room would make an adjacent room brighter by an equal amount. Living beings being struck by Electrical force will be stunned for a number of challenges (roughly 4 seconds apiece) equal to the damage rating of the effect minus one for every stamina-related trait they possess.
Disciple
Transmute Minor Forces - The mage may now change one force to another; flip positive to negative, or create or destroy forces at will. One force may be transmuted into another; Radiation can be transmuted to sound, kinetic energy to electricity, heat into cold or darkness into light. Unlike the Disciple level of this effect, a force may be dispelled instead of re-directed, and a force may be generated instead of concentrated. This effect may be casted conjunctionally with the spheres of matter or life to transmute the patterns of those spheres to a force, or vice versa. The amount of forces that can be manipulated is also determined by the General effect result table.
Adept
Control Major Forces - This sphere works like the Initiate level of this sphere, but the maximum amount of force controllable by that level of forces is the minimum for this one. The mage may focus the light of the sun onto a powerful laser, cloak football fields with prismatic illusions, re-direct missiles in mid-flight, melt glaciers, or throw around mack trucks like rag dolls. The mage may also erect protective wards against these self-same forces, fireproofing themselves or a building, protecting ships from storms, etc. The parameters of the effect are generated by the general effect result table.
Master
Transmute Major Forces - This level of forces master functions like the Disciple level of this sphere, but like the Adept level, it's maximum degree of control is this level's minimum. The amount of control at this level is almost limitless. Technomancers have used this level of control to create atomic explosions, leveling cities. A Master of forces can conjure (as well as dispel and guard against) hurricanes, firestorms, tidal waves, earthquakes, and nuclear blasts.
5.4 Life
Life magick is a pattern magick. If your effect requires the creation of life patterns, you must be an Initiate of Prime. As well, the Life sphere divides all life into 2 divisions - simple life patterns, such as plants, virii, bacteria, insects, shellfish, anything invertebrate, and complex life patterns, such as cats, rats, puppy dogs, people, duck-billed platypus ses, humans, bears, etc..
Apprentice
Sense Life - The mage can read the patterns of life, learning a lot about it - it's age, sex, race, etc. Any degree of success can be used with this level of Life, but the greater the degree of success, the greater the detail of the information.
Initiate
Alter Simple Patterns - The mage can alter, heal or destroy any simple life pattern. The mage may change the shape, health or form of any simple life pattern. The base structure of the pattern cannot fundamentally change - a tree will still be a tree, even if it has poisonous fruit now. Healing aggravated damage is considered vulgar, always. The number of health levels the mage can heal is determined by the general effect table.
Heal Self - The mage can heal damage to their own life pattern. The number of health levels healed by this effect is determined by the general effect table.
Disciple
Alter Self - The mage may now alter their own form. They cannot change their fundamental form (human) (hopefully), but they change their appearance, sex, modify themselves go give them fur, gills, or natural weaponry, or improve their stats. They may receive one new physical trait for every effect result rating of the effect, for the duration of the effect (any duration over one day causes aggravated damage due to Pattern Bleeding) (see below), but if this total goes over the maximum number of trait for their race, they gain a permanent point of paradox for each trait above their trait maximum. If this modification is nullified, the permanent paradox point goes away. If the mage gives themselves natural weaponry, and decide to make it permanent, they do not suffer from pattern bleeding, but still retain the permanent paradox points.
Pattern Bleeding is caused by imperfect modifications of a mage's Life Pattern causing it to 'leak' raw quintessence. Every full day that a mage's pattern is modified by a magical Life effect, the mage takes a level of aggravated damage which CANNOT BE HEALED THROUGH MAGICKAL MEANS. The mage may resist this damage if they are an Initiate of Prime and have some Quintessence to spend - spending a point of quintessence for every extra trait will nullify the effects of pattern bleeding for one day. If the mage uses experience to purchase the extra traits, they no longer suffer the effects of pattern bleeding, but if the trait total is over the normal race maximum for the mage's race, the permanent paradox points remain.
Heal Life - As with the Initiate level of this effect, the mage may heal (or harm) other complex life patterns. The number of health levels healed (or inflicted) on the target pattern is determined by the general effect table, and heal aggravated damage is still vulgar. As well, vulgar life effects cause aggravated damage.
Transform/Create Simple Life Patterns - The structure of simple life patterns are now at the beck and call of the mage. The mage can turn them inside out, change one into another, or create them from other patterns, using conjunctional Matter, Forces or Prime effects. Although nothing that the mage makes has a mind of it's own, but with most simple life patterns that is rarely a drawback. Instinctive reflexes may be imbued into the target, but that is the limit. The mass of the patterns the mage can alter or create is determined by the general effect result table.
Adept
Alter Complex Patterns - The mage can control complex life patterns, such as humans, dogs, rats, cats, elephants, and platypus ses. They can change their form, give them weird new organs, heal them, or kill them. They may be imbued with new physical traits or have physical traits removed for the duration of the effect (see Pattern Bleeding in Alter Self, for it applies here as well). See the Initiate Level of this effect for the game mechanics of modification. They may also completely change their appearance for the duration of the effect (see pattern bleeding).
Transform Self - The Adept of Life may also alter their form to resemble that of any other form of an equivalent size. They may become a deer, not a mouse. Special abilities also do not carry over without additional Life effects, and navigating in the new form does take some time to do.
Master
Transform Complex Patterns - The mage may now transform others in the same fashion as the Adept level of this power. These tests are considered resisted challenges. The same rules for Transform Self apply here.
Create Complex Forms - The mage can now create complex life forms like humans, dogs, rats, cats, and platypus ses. Their creations have no minds or souls, but can be given instinctive reactions that can fake some instances of instinctual intelligence, and if the pattern was created by transmuting one pattern into the complex life pattern, it will still retain the resonance of it's previous form. A handgun changed into a hamster will be a stupid, yet bloodthirsty, hamster.
Perfect Metamorphosis - The mage's control of transformation, however, is perfect when applied to themselves. There is no period of adjustment, and the mage retains their mind and magical abilities regardless of the form they assume. They also gain all the natural abilities of their new form without extra Life effects.
5.5 Matter
Like the previous two spheres, Matter is a pattern magick. If any effect you wish to cast requires you creating new matter, you must be an Initiate of Prime.
Apprentice
Matter Perceptions - The mage can sense the patterns of Matter, letting them know their composition, structure, if anything is hidden inside them, any property of matter. Any degree of success will elicit information about the pattern (s) in question, but more successes will merit more information.
Initiate
Basic Transformation - The mage may transform one base substance into another, without changing it's shape, temperature, or basic state (solid, liquid, gas). The more drastic the transformation, the greater the effect result rating must be. Changing water into wine would require a rating of one, changing water into sulfuric acid would require a rating of three. Turning sourdough into rye bread would require a rating of one, whereas turning bread into stone would require a rating of three. Casting this effect conjunctionally with the appropriate levels of other pattern magicks can transform one pattern to another, although this requires at least an effect rating of three. If the matter mage is an Initiate of Prime, they may create (or unravel) any simple, basic thing composed of one homogeneous substance. A boulder vaguely shaped like a woman is possible, but a dainty china shepherdess is not. Complex artificial substances such as plutonium are also not possible until Master. Elaborate creations cannot be created until Adept. Any matter created is considered at the ambient temperature of the surroundings unless the effect is cast conjunctionally with Disciple Forces and Initiate Prime. The mass of substance that can be created/Transformed is determined by the General effect result table.
Disciple
Alter Form - The mage can change the shape or other properties of matter patterns, such as boiling point, melting point, color, or density. These changes last for as long as the effect duration, then resume their normal configuration afterwards. Permanent changes are not possible until Mastery has been achieved. The degree of change is at the whim of the mage, but must still be within the realm of common sense. The mass of substance that can be altered is determined by the General effect result table.
Adept
Complex Transmutation - The mage may now perform radical changes to physical materials and craft complex and intricate items involving several common substances of a few rare ones, as well as moving parts. Any sort of regular matter may be changed into any other - a squirt pistol into a loaded zip gun requires an effect result rating of three, whereas changing a dumpster into a tank requires an effect result rating of five. The amount of mass that can be created or altered is determined by the area of effect chart. The complexity of whatever is created is still bound by the cutting edge of current technology.
Master
Alter Properties - The master of matter can make really weird stuff. The same as the previous levels of transmutation, alteration and creation, but the rules are out the window. Silk as strong as steel, Steel you can fold up like paper, pieces of asphalt that conduct electricity, etc. The mage can dictate the properties like density, surface tension, melting/boiling point, viscosity, electromagnetic response, the whole kit and kaboodle. (Yes, transparent aluminum, Scotty). The mage can make whatever they damn well want as determined by the General effect result table.
Pattern Disassociation - This is a cool effect. You take two matter patterns and, if this effect is successfully casted, those two matter patterns cannot interact with each other at all - they will pass through each other as if the other wasn't there. Both patterns must be matter patterns, and of a size equivalent to what is determined by the general effect result table.
5.6 Mind
Apprentice
Sense Thoughts and Emotions - The mage can sense the thought around them. They can not yet read them, but can get general impressions about the mind of those around them. If the mage obtains any effect result rating, they may read the target's aura to determine their emotional state. The mage may also be able to sense psychic impressions left on objects. By obtaining any level of success on an effect, they may sense 'good' or 'bad' vibes about an object or area. This includes the resonance of objects, like Tass or a Node.
Empower Self - The apprentice of Mind has a higher degree of control over their own mind. Eidetic memory, lightning-fast computation, mind-over-body control of biological processes, everything of that sort is available to the apprentice of Mind. They may change their emotional state of mind, trains of thought, speed up or slow down their rate of thought, edit their own memories, control biological processes, etc.
The mage may also form a mental barrier to prevent mental intrusion. The effect result rating of the mental barrier subtracts it's rating from any attempt to read the mage's thoughts or aura. This also affects non-magical aura perceptions, allowing the mage to add twice the effect rating of the magical effect to their mental trait total while the barrier is active.
This power can also be used to defend against non-magical mind effects, ie, Dominate, Presence, Obfuscate, etc, the mage must be at an equivalent power level to even attempt it. For example, the correlation between other supernatural powers and Mage spheres is Basic = Apprentice, Disciple = Intermediate and Master = Advanced. What this allows the mage to do is re-test a non-magical mind control power that succeeded against them, assuming the mage is of a suitable level of mastery, and has been under the influence of one of these powers before. The re-test is considered a magical effect, and so the positive and negative influences on a magical effect may be utilized, and the mage uses four times their Arete total instead of their mental traits for the purposes of the re-test.
Initiate
Subliminal Impulse - The mage may transmit a simple command to their target, which affects them in a very insidious manner. If the mage attains an effect result rating higher than their target's willpower, the mage may issue a subliminal impulse to them which they must obey. The need to go to the bathroom, the opinion of someone, a sudden idea, etc. The command cannot be obviously suicidal or go against the nature of the target.
Read Surface Thoughts - The mage can now read the surface thoughts of minds, as well as sense memories attached to objects (basic psychometry). By getting an effect result rating higher than the target's willpower, the mage may read whatever is on the surface of the target's mind. Note that the mage cannot form a mental link with this level of power - each reading requires a separate magical effect.
Window Dressing - With a successful magical effect, the mage may erect fake mental structures, such as changing their surface thoughts, or auras. Every effect result rating allows the mage to modify one aspect of their surface thoughts or color of aura to fool or confuse those attempting to read them.
Disciple
Mental Link - The mage may communicate freely with someone by establishing a mental link with them. Once the mental link is established, it can only be ceased by the casting mage, or by the effect duration running out. If the subject is willing, no test is required. If the subject is not willing, their willpower rating must be overcome with an effect result rating. Once the connection is established, the two parties may communicate freely to one another, using either words or mental imagery. The casting mage may try to read the mind of the target, and can do so by beating them in a mental challenge. The casting mage may also project perceptual illusions into the mind of the other party and, if they beat them in a mental challenge, the target believes that illusion to be true. Illusions may be of any perception that is deemed necessary.
Walk Among Dreams - The mage may also make journeys into the dreams of others. By getting a higher effect result rating than the target has willpower, the mage may enter the dream of their target and run amok. This may be dangerous, however, as the dreamer can affect the mage as well while in their dream, and nasty beasties sometimes live in the dreams of sleepers, and do like to be disturbed.
Adept
Control Conscious Mind - At this level, the mage can now control the thoughts of another. Once a mental link is established, the mage gains control of the target. They may send complex commands to the target which must be obeyed, even suicidal actions or actions that would violate the target's nature. The mage can also change the memory of target, or may implant mental barriers or blocks, cure or create mental imbalances, or alter the target's aura to display color and textures of the mage's choosing. Each change in the mind of the target is a separate magical effect. If the effect wears off from the duration expiring, the target mind re-asserts itself. The thoughts and memories remain intact, but their Demeanor will remain in the state the mage left it in.
Astral Projection - The mage may make short excursions into the penumbra by leaving their dream. Every effect result rating allows the mage to leave their body for 10 minutes. They may return to their body at any time.
Master
Control Subconscious - At this level of mastery, the mage may completely re-write an individual's personality, not only modifying their thoughts and memories, but re-writing their subconscious personality as well. A mental link must still be established, and each modification is still a magical effect, but any aspect of the target's mind may be modified at this level.
Untether - This level allows the mage to unattach their mind from their body and leave it an empty shell while they transcend to higher levels of intellectual existence. Read the description in the book for a description of what happens to the untethered mind (or the Book of Madness for a discussion on the High Umbra). Untethering your mind requires a magical effect result rating of at least three. Re-attaching yourself to an empty shell is the same. Invading another's mind and splicing the two cords together is a magical effect in which the rating of the effect must be higher than the targets willpower.
Forge Psyche - The mage may now create another conscious, rational mind from nothing, and implant it into another object. The mind will be whatever the mage wishes it to be. It has a number of mental and social traits equal to the effect result rating of the effect, to a normal human maximum. The mage themselves may add extra mental traits to themselves via the same process as the Life Effect Alter Self.
5.7 Prime
Apprentice
Etheric Senses - The mage can sense quintessence and the amount of quintessence that is being stored. The mage can sense the free quintessence whether it is stored in a talisman, stored in a pattern, stored in an avatar, coming out of a node, or in the form of tass) and the amount of quintessence that is there. Sensing Tass or a node is the easiest, only requiring an effect rating one one. Sensing quintessence stored in a talisman or prime stored using Store Prime requires a rating of two, sensing quintessence stored in any other pattern or an Avatar requires three.
Store Prime (immediate) - The normal amount of quintessence a mage can store without Initiate rank in Prime is determined by their avatar. The Apprentice of prime may use this Sphere power to store excess quintessence on the outside of their body. This allows the mage to store a maximum number of 20 points of free quintessence both on their body and in their avatar. The mage may store a number quintessence equal to the result rating of the magical effect, and may only use this effect once per quintessence source. This stored quintessence is not stored in their avatar, so this effect stores quintessence above and beyond their avatar rating.
Initiate
Weave Idyllic Force - The mage has not attained some level of control over the shifting patterns of prime, and may now infuse this magical energy into objects or divert small streams of the stuff. The mage may infuse a weapon with Primal force, allowing it to to aggravated damage to supernatural creatures if the mage attains a minimum effect rating of three. This enchantment lasts as long as the duration of the effect, and then wears off. Each time the weapon is used to inflict an aggravated level of damage, one point of quintessence must be spent. If the weapon enchanted is being used by a non-mage, then the casting mage may 'charge' the effect with a number of quintessence points by casting this conjunctionally with Channel Quintessence. In this case, the charged quintessence is used instead of the user's quintessence. Also, the mage may divert a small amount of a Life pattern's quintessence flow away, causing a great amount of pain and disruption to them, and they start to flicker in and out of reality. Upon successful casting, the target of the spell is stunned and cannot function for the duration of the effect, which is effectively one rating lower than normal. The target may spend a point of quintessence to smooth this ripple effect out (Or a Disciple of prime may spend it for them with any degree of success on their magical effect). The target may also spend a willpower trait to allow themselves to act for 10 minutes.
Fuel Pattern - This is needed to create any of the Pattern magicks: Forces, Life and Matter. If a mage wishes to create a pattern, the pattern magick must be casted conjunctionally with this level of prime, or else it does not work.
Disciple
Channel Quintessence - The mage may act as a conduit for free quintessence (for a discussion on the difference between Raw and free quintessence, read the description for this effect in Mage:The Ascension, 2nd Edition). The mage may channel up to five points of free quintessence from one pattern to either themselves or another pattern for every effect rating result they acquire.
Create Talisman (immediate) - The mage may now create talismans. To create a talisman takes time, a node, and usually a horizon realm.
First off, the talisman must have a pattern into which the power will be placed. This can be any pattern, but a forces pattern is not suggested (Unless it's been frozen in time, which is kinda cool, but anyway). As soon as the pattern is located, the pattern must be prepared to be able to contain magical effects. This is done with a vulgar Adept Prime Rote, which requires expending a *PERMANENT* point of willpower and accumulating a total number of effect result ratings of 10 or more, each magical effect taking a a day.
After this, the talisman is ready to receive it's capacity to work magick. This action is what requires Disciple-level Prime to do. The mage focuses 10 points of quintessence for every Arete trait the talisman is to have. Every 10 points of quintessence must be slowly focused in over a complete day. A mage cannot create a talisman with more Arete traits than they have themselves. After this, the mage can add whatever effects the talisman is to have. Each effect must be considered static in the realm the talisman is being created in, and requires one point of quintessence per Mastery level of the effect, and a complete days' uninterrupted work. At the end of the day, the mage does the tests that normally would be required to cast the desired effect. The mage must accumulate a total magical effect rating of 4 or more before the effect is successfully put into the talisman. Note that a talisman cannot have more effects than it has Arete Traits.
After all of the effects have been put into the talisman, the mage must initially charge it with an Adept level Prime effect, which mimics Channel Quintessence for game mechanics. The talisman can hold five times it's Mastery level in quintessence.
Adept
Expel Base Energy - The mage may pull raw quintessence out of static patterns, changing the degree to which they manifest in reality. The raw quintessence is recycled back into the Universal pool of quintessence, and cannot be captured by the mage. The mage may extract the quintessence from the pattern and have it fade into nothingness. This affect can be used conjunctionally with the Initiate level of the pattern magick to dissolve certain parts of a pattern, otherwise the entire pattern is affected. So solids could become insubstantial, a magnet could have only one pole, remove a chemical's ability to form nuclear bonds with other chemicals, or cause an object to lose it's weight while sill remaining solid.
Note that effects the recycle the raw quintessence of patterns is considered a damaging magical effect, which does damage as per the general effect result table, and if the effect is vulgar, the effect does aggravated damage.
Master
Alter Flow - The mage may control established flows of quintessence, such as those that flow between a life pattern and the pool of quintessence. As with Expel Base Energy, the quintessence is recycled back into the universal quintessence pool. The mage may attempt to extinguish the spark of life within a pattern, having it fall dead then fade into nothingness. The amount of damage done by this effect is determined by the general effect result table, and this damage is aggravated (if the effect is vulgar). A mage with Initiate level Life knowledge may cast this effect conjunctionally with Initiate level Life to affect only part of the Life pattern, otherwise the effect affects the entire pattern. As well, the mage may instantly recharge their avatar, whether they are in a node or not, but casting this effect vulgarly. The amount of quintessence gained is equal to the effect result rating. Lastly, a mage may channel a quintessence blast in a way that nullifies paradox energy not stored within a pattern. A number of free-floating paradox is dispelled equal to the effect result rating of the magical effect.
5.8 Spirit
Any effects which need to pierce the gauntlet must have an effect result rating sufficient enough to pierce the gauntlet of the area. See the Gauntlet Penetration table.
Apprentice
Spirit Sight/Sense - The initiate of Spirit may send their perceptions into the Umbra. By attaining an effect result rating sufficient enough to pierce the gaunt they can send their perceptions into the umbra. To have umbral excursions, go grab a narrator. Note that while your perceptions are in the Umbra, they are not in your body, so whatever perceptions you send into the umbra (you don't need to send them all) you cannot use in physical reality.
To move your senses in the Umbra, you have to move your physical body (or use Correspondence). The mage may also detect the auras of beings, and depending on the degree of success, the mage can read a target's aura to determine what type of creature they are. Spirits, ghosts and Wraiths require am effect result rating of one, Shapeshifters require a result rating of two, whereas anything else requires three. The mage may also determine the gauntlet level of an area by winning a simple test.
Initiate
Touch Spirit - The mage may briefly touch the other side of the gauntlet with this level. The mage can pick up a fetish stick dropped by a Garou, push a spirit out of a room, or hit one over the head with something from the Umbra. Objects may not be brought over the gauntlet yet, simply manipulated from the other side if the mage attains a sphere effect rating sufficient to overcome the gauntlet of the area.
Call Spirit - The mage may also send their voice through the gauntlet with the same game mechanics as Touch Spirit. If the mage succeeds, they may ask the spirit to come to them. The spirit does not necessarily have to come to the calling, however.
Manipulate Gauntlet - The mage may also change the level of the gauntlet in an area in a minor fashion. Every effect result rating will raise or lower the gauntlet rating of the area by one for the duration of the effect. The mage cannot lower the gauntlet below 4 with this effect, however.
Disciple
Pierce Gauntlet - The mage can physically transport themselves and their possessions to the Umbra. By achieving an effect result rating sufficient to defeat the gauntlet of the area, the mage may transform themselves and their possessions to ephemera, the stuff of spirit, but which will possess a kind of a glow which denizens of the Umbra will detect as belonging to a living being. After the mage reaches the penumbra, they can go wherever they like (assuming they have Cosmology or a spirit guide), up to the borders which mark the Horizon and the Deep Umbra. In other words, go grab a narrator.
Rouse and Lull Spirit - The mage may now also attempt to contact spirits that are 'asleep'. By defeating the gauntlet rating in effect result ratings, the mage may contact spirits that have been out of contact for extended periods of time. The spirit, however, may not appreciate this disturbance. The mage may summon angry spirits to attack a person, which does the mage's damage rating according to the General effect table. Note that this damage is aggravated.
Adept
Rend Gauntlet/Seal Breach - A larger version of Manipulate Gauntlet, the mage may now raise or lower the gauntlet rating of the area to whatever they want, determined by the effect result rating of their effect. Note that tearing holes in the gauntlet is quite vulgar and, in most situations, also quite stupid. This effect can be used to trap beings in the gauntlet. By pulsing the gauntlet of the ara, the mage may trap a being in the gauntlet. If the mage can obtain an effect result rating greater than the gauntlet level of the area, the poor fool will be trapped inside the gauntlet until they are released by some nice spirit traveler. Beings trapped in the gauntlet in this fashion appear as ghost-like images floating in mid-air near the area where they were imprisoned.
Bind Spirit - The mage may also compel a spirit to do the mage's bidding. if the mage can accumulate an effect result rating higher than the spirit's power, then the spirit must do the mage's bidding for the duration of the effect. Note that when this wears off, the spirit will be free, and will probably not be very happy. An angry spirit can be bound into a person, turning the person into a living fetish, doing the mage's damage rating as determined by the general effect table, and the pain it causes may stun the opponent if the amount of damage dealt is higher than the number of stamina related traits the target possesses. If this is the case, the target is stunned for a number of challenges (roughly 4 seconds) equal to the difference between the amount of damage done and their number of stamina-related traits. This effect may also be used to make fetishes. The mage must accumulate a total effect result rating of 10+, with each magical effect casting taking a day. When this is done, the item is capable of housing spiritual entities. A mage may also petition a spirit to inhabit them and give the mage access to the powers that the spirit has. If the mage succeeds in breaching the gauntlet, and either gains the spirit's consent to allow this, or defeats it in a Binding effect, the mage has access to all of the spirit's charms, and one or two of the spirit's abilities (water-breathing for nixies, plant- blooming for dryads, etc). As well, the mage effectively gains four Cosmology traits, and three extra physical traits appropriate for the spirit. While inhabited by the spirit, the mage cannot cast any magical effects. If the spirit does not wish to leave, the mage may attempt to banish the spirit from their body by spending a Willpower trait and winning a number of simple tests equal to the spirit's willpower rating.
Lastly, this effect may be used to Exorcize spirits. By spending a willpower trait and winning a number of simple tests equal to the spirit's willpower, the mage may banish a spirit back to it's point of origin. Disciple Prime can assist in this - every magical effect result rating in the Prime effect counts as one successful test against the spirit's willpower. Master
Forge Ephemera - At this level, the mage may create and destroy fields of spirit. The Master of Spirit may heal spirit's power (The number of Power healed is determined by the Healing category in the general effect table). They may also Fabricate Domains in the Umbra, which are described in the Book of Chantries and in the Mage book. Lastly, the dreaded Gilgul rite is possible at this level of mastery. A Master of Spirit may attack a mage's Avatar. This is always considered vulgar. A Master of spirit must inflict twice the avatars' rating in damage to destroy an Avatar. Scary stuff.
Outwards Journeys - The Master of Spirit can break through Gaia's horizon and can traverse the Deep Umbra. The Mage must be in the Horizon to do this, and they must accumulate a magical effect result rating of ten to pierce the Horizon and enter the Deep Umbra. If the mage uses an Anchorhead, the result rating need only be a five. In other words, grab a narrator. In order to travel in the spirit, the mage must first create a spirit field around them to keep them alive in the near Umbra. This is done using Fabricate Spirit, and as long as the spirit field exists (ie, it's effect duration). When it runs out, well, it's time to make a new character.
5.9 Time
Apprentice
Time Sense - The mage intuitively knows what time it is, regardless of where they are, and can sense 'weird stuff' with respect to time (Programmed events, slow time fields, etc.). The higher the magical effect result rating, the more sensitive the mage is to the time effects.
Initiate
Past/Future Sight - The mage can send their perceptions backwards and forwards in time. While their perceptions are not in the present, they cannot sense the present - only the past. When they send their senses back in time, they see what happened in that area in the past. When they send their perceptions into the future, they get what will *PROBABLY* happen in the future - the future is not set, and anything can happen. The length of time the mage can send their perceptions is determined by the Time Effect table. Note that some areas of time may be guarded or warded against peeping toms from the future, so time-scrying mages be forewarned. (Punny!)
Disciple
Time Contraction/Dilation - The mage can slow down time in an area. Everything in that area moves slower looking in at it from the outside, and looking outside from it, everything moves quicker. When someone is in a slow time field, they move much slower. Every effect result rating above the second of a time effect determines how many extra follow-up attacks the target of a Time Dilation effect gets or, in the case of a Time Contraction, how many challenges go by before the target of the Time Dilation gets to perform an action. A vampire may use Celerity to counter this, with each extra follow-up attack countering one rating of the dilation effect. The same holds for a Garou's rage. Lastly, the mage may also cast a dilation effect on a target to allow them to automatically pre-empt a physical action taken up against them. When compared to a Vampire's Alacrity Discipline, the effect rating of the mage is compared to the Discipline level of the Vampire. These lasts for the effect's duration, but extended use of them, as well as attaining 3 or more extra follow up attacks makes this effect vulgar.
Adept
Time Determinism (special) - The mage may make absolute shifts in the rate at which time flows in an area of space. (Or, if casted conjunctionally with a Disciple level pattern magick, a particular pattern). The mage may freeze time in the area affected for a length of time determined by the Time Effect table. The mage may freeze an event in time, such as a cup falling, or a magical effect, or a message, or a bucket above a door. Static reality, however, will interpose and cancel a frozen time field if something else affects it. If someone were to come up and grab the cup hovering in mid-air, the time field would return to normal. As well, the mage may increase the rate at which time progresses.
Master
Time Immunity - The mage can now pluck themselves out of time. Each effect result rating allows the mage to freeze time for 10 minutes, and during this duration, no one may do anything until the mage either calls 'Continue', or the time duration for the effect runs out. It may be more practical for longer durations to just remove yourself from the game and go tell a narrator what you did over the length of time in your stay. While outside of Time, he mage may affect reality in the normal sense, but reality is frozen. This effect can be cast conjunctionally with Disciple Life or Matter to bring objects of other people with you outside of time. Anything brought with the master of time cannot affect anything while outside of the time stream - only the casting mage can. If the Master leaves them there, two perspectives occur. From the abandoned person's perspective, they remain in that frozen point in time a length of time as determined by the Time Effect chart, trapped in a timeless hell. From the perspective of everyone inside the time-stream, they appear a moment later, having aged hundreds of years.
Future Travel (immediate) - The mage may move things into the future. The mage must achieve a magical effect result rating sufficient enough to jump the time-span desired. A rating of one skips the mage up to 10 minutes, two skips the mage up to an day, three skips the mage up to a week, four skips the mage up to a month, five skips the mage up to a year, six skips the mage up to a decade, seven skips the mage up to century, eight skips the mage up to 500 years, nine skips the mage up to 1000 years and ten skips the mage wherever the hell that want. This effect can be cast conjunctionally with a Disciple level pattern magick to skip the objects affected ahead in time that far. That area disappears in the current time, and re-appears in the future. The effect can be canceled at any time, 'pulling back' the item sent into the future back to the present.
Character Development

6.1 New Traits - XP costs

Mental/Physical/Social trait/New Ability - 1 XP
Willpower - 2 XP
Arete Traits - 4*current rating, plus an Arete Seeking
New Sphere Level - Apprentice and Initiate - 4 XP/1 Day
Disciple and Adept - 7XP/1 Week
Master - 10xp/1 Month
Lower the XP cost for a mage's sphere specialty by 1.
Note that Hollow Ones and Orphans do not receive the XP bonus for sphere specialty.

6.2 Foci for newly acquired Spheres
Any new sphere achieved by a Mage has a foci which is required by the mage to cast magical effects for that sphere. Even if the mage has enough Arete traits to ignore that foci, they are still forced to use that foci for the first 2 weeks of that new knowledge. After those 2 weeks pass, they may choose to ignore the foci. When casting a magical effect, act out how your foci is being used to create the magical effect. This has potential to add a lot of good cheese to the game, with Sons of Ether wearing funny goggles, dancing Euthanatos, chanting Order of Hermes mages. Ham it up.
6.3 Studying/Teaching
Study points can no longer be gained (although you can use any study points you have accumulated during the game). If you wish to study a tome or get another mage (with the desired knowledge) to assist your learning a new sphere level:
- The time required to learn the new sphere is increased by 1 week.
- This week must be spent with a daily 4 hours of solid reading/ teaching. If you are going to use your character during this timespan, you must study/teach for at least 1/2 hour of game play.
- You may cram, which lowers the time to learn to 3 game days, but you cannot bring your character in during that time.
-If this cycle is disturbed, the mage must immediate win a simple test or have to start over again from the beginning. A research trait may be expended to re-test a failed test in the case of studying a tome, or the teacher of the mage may expend an instruction trait to allow the mage to re-test.
- At the end of this timespan, the mage gets a number of complex tests equal to the rating of the tome they are studying, OR the teachers' rating in the topic sphere. Each success lowers the XP cost of the learning process by 1 to a minimum of 1.

Appendix

Appendix A: Mage-specific Merits and Flaws

Avatar (1 or 2 pt merit)
This merit gives the mage a more potent avatar, allowing them to work more powerful effects through channeling more quintessence into an effect, assuming the mage has the quintessence. Every point of this merit increases a mage's avatar rating by 2, to a maximum of 5.
Node (1-5 pt merit)
The mage starts the game in possession of a node whose rating is equal to the number of points spent in the merit. For a full description and discussion on nodes and what they do, see Mage:The Ascension. The conversion to LARP in terms of tass output is exactly the same.
magical Library (1-5 pt merit)
The mage starts with a body of information containing both occult and magical information. The mage may use this library to both research information and assist them in learning spheres. See the Assisted Learning section for more information on how to use this merit.
Talisman (variable pt merit)
The mage starts the game with a Talisman. Talisman creation must be done with a Storyteller at the time of character creation. First of all, the player must create a background for the talisman. Why it was made, who made it, when it was made, etc. After that, they must decide what effects the talisman is to have. It costs two traits per initial Mastery level. This gives the talisman the base number of Arete traits necessary for that level of Mastery (ie, Apprentice:1 /Initiate:2 /Disciple:3 /Adept:4 /Master:5). Any additional Arete traits may be purchased with an additional merit.
With that decided, a talisman cannot have more effects than it's Arete, and the talisman must have a sufficient Arete to cast the effects placed within it.
Only Awakened beings can use most talismans (normally only mages can operate talismans, but the storyteller may make exceptions at their discretion.) When a talisman's power is being used, a minimum of one point of it's internal Quintessence is spent, and it gets a magical effect test.
Paradox created by the talisman is passed on to the user.
Arcane (1-5 pt merit)
This merit makes it very difficult to track down a mage. Paper trails seem to disappear, no one remembers the mage passing, records of passing are destroyed in freak meteor showers, etc.. All tests involving tracking the mage down have their difficulties increased by 3. As well, the mage has a tendency to be ignored when not bringing attention to themselves. This power is analogous to the Werewolf gift 'Blur of the Milky Eye', and interested players should look the power up in Werewolf: The Apocalypse. For the purposes of seeing through the Arcane of a mage, the mage is considered to have twice their Arcane rating in traits.
Permanent Paradox flaw (2-6 pt flaw)
The mage starts the game with a permanent paradox flaw. This is assumed to have been accrued before the game started. The level of the paradox flaw determines the trait level of the flaw. See the section on Paradox for a description of Paradox, or look in Mage: The Ascension.
Sanctum/magical Lab (1-5 pt merit)
The mage starts the game with a magical laboratory. This laboratory is paradigm-specific, so a Verbena could not do research in a Son of Ether's lab, etc. As well, the lab's paradigm is tailored to the mage's paradigm at it's creation. In game terms, a one or two rating sanctum has all sphere effects of the mage's sphere specialty tailored to the mage's paradigm be considered coincidental. A rating three or four has all the effects of the mage's sphere specialty tailored to the mage's paradigm be considered static, and all the rest of the spheres being cast in the mage's paradigm be considered coincidental. Lastly, a rating five sanctum has all the magical effects of the mage's paradigm be considered static.

Appendix B
New Influence - Computer
The Computer Influence allows access to and control over the non-magical aspects of all global telecommunications, focusing mainly on the users and running of it.
                Computer Influence

Trait Requirement               Example Influence
        1               Contact anyone with Computer influence
                        Find out major trends in telecommunications/net.culture
        2               Find contraband information (anarchy files, etc)
                        Get pirate data
                        Modify individual telephone services (register a
                        residential phone as a pay phones, cut off services,
                        etc..)
        3               Arrange for fake phone calls/faxes/email/etc
                        Arrange for small-scale lags and crashes
                        Modify telephone services in a regional area
                        (register all residential phones as pay phones,
                        cut off all services, etc..)
        4               Bring down local network access
                        Disable city-wide telephone services
        5               Affect nation-wide telecommunication access
                        (Major TELCOS/net providers/satellite communications)
Well, that's it for my mage rules. If you like them, that's cool - please mail me and tell me why; I need the ego stroke. If you hate them, that's cool; please mail me and tell me why. Maybe we can fix them so you can gain instant fame and glory. (or not ;>).
Gil Richard (g_richa@husky1.stmarys.ca)
This page will be modified as I see fit and time permits. Good job, Gil.
Daniel B Utecht

Correspondence Effect Table		Gauntlet Penetration Table
Effect Rating	Range / Connection	Effect Rating	Gauntlet Rating Penetrated
1	Line of Site Blood Relation Body Sample	1 2 3	2-4 (Node / Cairn) 5 (Deep Wilderness) 6 (Rural Countryside)
2	Very Familiar (home/office) Best Friend Prized Possession	4 5 6	7 (Most Urban Areas) 8 (Downtown) 9 (Technocracy Lab)
3	Familiar (local mall) Co-Worker Possession	10	Paradox Gauntlet
4	Visited Once Acquaintance Anything Used Once	Time Effect Table Effect Rating Effect Timespan
5	Saw or Heard of It Stranger Item Touched Casually	1 2 3	Within a Year Five Years Twenty Years
6+	Anywhere on Earth No Connection	4 5 6 7 8 9 10+	Fifty Years 100 Years 500 Years 700 Years 800 Years 900 Years 1000+ Years

Extra Arete trait	3 negative traits (Max 3)
Extra Sphere rating	Apprentice - 2 negative trait
	Initiate - 3 negative traits
	Disciple - 4 negative traits
	(Decrease the cost by one for sphere specialty)
Extra Willpower	2 negative traits
Avatar rating	1 negative trait

Title	Rating
Apprentice	1
Initiate	2
Disciple	3
Adept	4
Master	5+

Arete Rating	Trait
1	Unschooled
2	Talented
3	Novice
4	Disciplined
5	Commanding
6	Aware
7	Understanding
8	Wise
9	Enlightened
10	Transcendent

	magical effect power level table
Effect Rating	Maximum Duration	Max Area Effect (#people/area/volume/mass (weight)	Max Damage / Healing
1	1 challenge	1 person/1 ft rad/1 cu ft/1 lb	0
2	1 hour	1 per/5 ft rad/5 cu ft/5 lbs	1
3	1 day	1 per/20 ft rad/10 cu ft/50 lbs	1
4	1 week	2 per/300 ft rad/50 cu ft/1000 lbs	2
5	1 month	3 per/500 ft rad/300 cu ft/2000 lbs	4
6	1 year	4 per/1000 ft rad/500 cu ft/5000 lbs	6
7	permanent	5 per/5000 ft rad/1000 cu ft/10000 lbs	8
8	permanent	6 per/10000 ft rad/5000 cu ft/50000 lbs	10
9	permanent	7 per/50000 ft rad/10000 cu ft/100000 lbs	12
10		Whatever you damn well want	20

Vulgarity	Test Won	Test Tied	Test Lost
Static or Coincidental	none	none	Sphere Rating
Vulgar, no witnesses	1	1	Sphere Rating + 1
Vulgar, with witnesses	1	2	Sphere Rating x2 + 1

Strength	Physical	Spiritual	Mental
1 - 5	Flaws	Paradox Minion	Quiet
6 - 9	Damage	Paradox Preceptor	Quiet / Realm
10 +	Explosion	Paradox Lord	Realm