JeenLeen
2010-05-07, 09:32 AM
In oWoD Mage: The Ascension:
How have your groups handled a character's knowledge of how to manipulate the Spheres? I guess I'll give how my GM and group is handling it and ask for comparison.
Depending on our paradigm, and sometimes on Tradition or presence of a mentor, one of our abilities is linked to our focus. For example, a Hermetic would need Occult to have studied the different spellbooks or know the runes or whatever he needs to do a rote. A Son of Ether would need Science and possibly Technology, whereas a Virtual Adept could probably get away with just Computers. My current character focuses on ancestor worship and spirits, so he uses Culture to know the spirits or ancestors to pray to and the proper conduct to use towards them.
We all have at least 2 dots in our 'magic' ability, so the DM has said that we know pretty much how to do any basic thing. If we wanted, let's say, to transmute some matter into a inchworm (Matter 2/Life 5), or anything else incredibly bizarre, we may have to roll our ability to see if we know how to.
The GM told me that Hermetics are further limited in that their House largely determines their paradigm and thus that might make there be some spells they simply do not know. (House Xaos Ex Miscellania being an exception to this.) None of us have made a Hermetic yet, though.
Thoughts, comments, or comparison?
NOTE: There's a houserule that you don't become able to stop using foci until Arete 6. Other than that, the Spheres, Arete, and other metaphysical mechanics work like the core book.
How have your groups handled a character's knowledge of how to manipulate the Spheres? I guess I'll give how my GM and group is handling it and ask for comparison.
Depending on our paradigm, and sometimes on Tradition or presence of a mentor, one of our abilities is linked to our focus. For example, a Hermetic would need Occult to have studied the different spellbooks or know the runes or whatever he needs to do a rote. A Son of Ether would need Science and possibly Technology, whereas a Virtual Adept could probably get away with just Computers. My current character focuses on ancestor worship and spirits, so he uses Culture to know the spirits or ancestors to pray to and the proper conduct to use towards them.
We all have at least 2 dots in our 'magic' ability, so the DM has said that we know pretty much how to do any basic thing. If we wanted, let's say, to transmute some matter into a inchworm (Matter 2/Life 5), or anything else incredibly bizarre, we may have to roll our ability to see if we know how to.
The GM told me that Hermetics are further limited in that their House largely determines their paradigm and thus that might make there be some spells they simply do not know. (House Xaos Ex Miscellania being an exception to this.) None of us have made a Hermetic yet, though.
Thoughts, comments, or comparison?
NOTE: There's a houserule that you don't become able to stop using foci until Arete 6. Other than that, the Spheres, Arete, and other metaphysical mechanics work like the core book.