PDA

View Full Version : Little Good Death (Mage the Ascension)



Silly Wizard
2010-08-01, 12:04 AM
Recently, I came across a copy of Mage the Ascension for six dollars at a local used book shop. After reading up on it a bit, my friends and I have decided to attempt to play this game. However, there are some things that elude me

One of the players is going to play a Euthanatos mage, and wants to use Little Good Death (Life 2 rote) in order to kill people. Later on, it talks about Rip the Man-Body, a Life 3 rote which does the same for complex patterns.

My question is, what is the difference between a simple and complex creature?

Leeham
2010-08-01, 11:59 AM
I think, and I very well could be wrong having never played Ascention, that simple and complex patters my be the same as median and higher life forms, respectively. So with your 2 dot rote you can kill like dogs and cats and chimps and things, but rip the man-form lets you kill people and other supernaturals. I think thats what it means, but again I've only played Awakening, not Ascension. hope this is helpful.

Shinizak
2010-08-01, 12:08 PM
I play this all the time and I'm still not clear on it. We treat the life sphere like this:

1:See what's wrong
2:harm/heal/affect chemicals in the body
3:damage armor/heal organs/ change your shape
4:Change other's shape.
5:Create new types of life.

Leeham
2010-08-01, 03:30 PM
A little off topic, but I personaly allow players with the Life sphere(?) to hurt people with it, like putting too much air in a baloon.

Reluctance
2010-08-01, 04:20 PM
It's listed in the descriptions for the sphere levels themselves. IIRC, simple life forms are plants, invertebrates, things like that. No, it's not generally a useful combat effect.

And you can already use Life to hurt people, assuming a high enough sphere level. This isn't D&D where you're filling them with positive energy, you're literally altering their body. You can do this to repair damage, or you can do it to tear them fresh new holes.

Project_Mayhem
2010-08-01, 06:37 PM
Dunno how well it translates, but with 4 in life in Mage the awakening you can do hilarious stuff like replace your enemy's lungs with gills. More accurately change their respiratory system into that of a fish's. But without gills. So they die no save unless the magic is countered

To be honest, I don't know why you'd attack with life magic, when you can be a shark mawed, toxic, armoured bear. Covered in retractable spikes. Yes, this happened in a game I played.

Talakeal
2010-08-01, 07:28 PM
To be honest, I don't know why you'd attack with life magic, when you can be a shark mawed, toxic, armoured bear. Covered in retractable spikes. Yes, this happened in a game I played.

Paradox maybe?

Sir_Elderberry
2010-08-01, 07:56 PM
I don't think turning someone's lungs into gills qualifies as subtle.

Oracle_Hunter
2010-08-01, 08:20 PM
My question is, what is the difference between a simple and complex creature?
If you read the Life Sphere description you'll see some description.


As a good rule of thumb, any invertebrate is considered a simple Life Pattern. All plant life, from algae to sequoia trees, possess Life Patterns simple enough for the mage to manipulate.
Everything else is Complex.

Silly Wizard
2010-08-02, 02:34 AM
Oh man, I feel like a dumby now. I didn't notice it was in the sphere rating descriptions, I was looking around the rotes

I think it's kinda funny that while fairly difficult, just transforming into an animal (although an armored, venomous bear might be a bit much) is just as helpful as using Rip the Man-Body, cause apparently Rip the Man-Body is vulgar no matter what anyways

Project_Mayhem
2010-08-02, 07:16 AM
Subtle is for wimps. You prep for the fight in your demesne, then charge in through a portal.

On the fly it's a bit harder. I try and avoid casting more than 2-3 vulgar spells in a fight, less if everyone else is chucking it around too. If you burn mana, use rotes, and use your tool, your unlikely to have to take more than 1 or 2 damage from paradox burn. A life mage can handle that.


although an armored, venomous bear might be a bit much

Nonsense:smalltongue:. The bear is for sheer power, the scales cover the probably low defence, and the venom is for getting through magic shields. You only need a scratch.