[Mage: The Ascension] Backgrounds

[chaosgirl]

Hello All.

I've recently been invited to play in an "over the top crossover" Old World of Darkness game. The story teller made a point of telling me that she was allowing backgrounds such as "age" from Vampire: the Masquerade, offering (a lot) of starting experience points, but with altered rules for what those points can buy.

I'm curious, is there a similar background for Mage?

Thanks

[Oracle_Hunter]

Not AFAIK.

However, if she homebrews some sort of "age" Background for Mage, make sure you get (in order of priority)

(1) Higher Arete
(2) More Sphere Dots

Remember that "Transmute Pants to Fire" is only a Force 3 / Matter 2 Effect

[Caliphbubba]

There is an entire book especially for playing Archmages as "starting" characters. This might be what you are looking for. I believe that the name of the book is "Masters of the Art".

among the perks of creating an Archmage as a starting character are: starting with an Arete of 6, and having 12 dots in Spheres (6 of which MUST be in the same sphere, usually the specialty sphere of the tradition), higher starting Atributes/Abilites, and 30 Freebie points.

If you get approved to use this you'll probably utterly dominate some silly leeches using the "age" background, if you don't self-immoilate in a flash of horrendous paradox.

Have fun :-)

[JeenLeen]

The book "Horizon: Stronghold of Hope"... or some title like that, titled at least on the Horizon Chantry... has some backgrounds and things specific to archmages.

I don't know what the Age background gives, but mages can be as long-lived as a vampire. At least in the modern era, they get 1 permanent Paradox per every 50 years old they are after 100 (so 1 at 150, 2 at 200, and so on.) I don't know if that would be in effect in the middle ages, but I imagine it would to a lesser degree. That'd be the downside of being very old but living on earth.

Also, looking young is easy (Life 3, I reckon), but I think it's a convoluted rote to actually refresh your mind and body metaphysically so that you do not go insane/senile. I think I heard "Masters of the Art" has that rote described.

Note: as the Mage books contradict one another in some of the specifics, all of the above might be contradicted or done slightly differently in another book.

[Smeggedoff]

If you get approved to use this you'll probably utterly dominate some silly leeches using the "age" background, if you don't self-immoilate in a flash of horrendous paradox.

Have fun :-)

Some of the best stories end with someone self-immolating in a flash of horrendous Paradox... or a robotic Paradox spider lasering their legs off.

Check "Guide to the Traditions" There are a load of new and expanded Backgrounds and Merits in there including the Sanctum background (you have a space where your magic accrues no Paradox, always wanted an invisible sanctum zeppelin) and the immunity Merit (goes up to 20-30 points at which point you can only be killed by a single legendary weapon like Excalibur)

Granted, your ST would be nuts to let you take the full version of that second one but *shrug*

[Caliphbubba]

[QUOTE=Smeggedoff;10159394]Some of the best stories end with someone self-immolating in a flash of horrendous Paradox... or a robotic Paradox spider lasering their legs off.\[QUOTE]

I am in total agreement :-) That is the best reason for the ST to let yo play an Archmage lol