Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia vs Mage: The Ascension
Compare Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia and Mage: The Ascension side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia | Mage: The Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy, Modern, Horror |
| Tags | Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Exploration, Random Tables, Vancian Casting, Descending AC, Domain Management, Crunchy | Freeform Magic, Character Building, Crunchy, High-Power, Roll to Cast, Skill-Based, Lore-Heavy, Fear & Stress Mechanics |
| Core Mechanic | Characters make attacks by rolling 1d20, adding applicable modifiers, and meeting the target number for Armor Class. THAC0 offers an equivalent subtraction method. Saving throws are d20 class-and-level targets, and spellcasters memorize limited spells that are expended when cast. | Build a d10 pool from an Attribute plus an Ability and count each die that meets or exceeds the difficulty, usually 6. Each rolled 1 cancels a success, and a roll with no successes and at least one 1 botches. Magick uses Arete instead: the highest Sphere plus coincidence or vulgarity and witnesses establishes the base difficulty, with situational modifiers applied afterward. Successes determine the Effect, and vulgar casting risks Paradox. |
| Dice | d20 | d10 dice pool |
| Complexity | High | Very High |
| Accessibility | Medium | High |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | All Rights Reserved | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — Storytellers Vault |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $ | $$ |
| Publisher | TSR, Inc. | Onyx Path Publishing |
| Year | 1991 | 2015 |
| Languages | English | English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish |
| Best For | Groups who want a single reference for a long-running classic fantasy campaign that can move from dungeons to dominions. It suits readers comfortable learning optional detail alongside the baseline rules. | Groups who want long-form modern occult campaigns about reality-shaping power, ideological conflict, and the consequences of imposing belief on the world. |
| Highlights | Chapter 1 walks a player from ability scores through class, equipment, attacks, and saving throws. Separate combat procedures support personal fights, large battles, and sieges. Stronghold and dominion rules turn accumulated resources into rulership procedures. | Nine Spheres combine to build open-ended Effects, allowing the same capability to emerge through different paradigms, practices, and instruments. Coincidental and vulgar classifications make subtlety a tactical choice because conspicuous magick raises difficulty and accumulates Paradox. Focus ties belief to procedure, so a mage's worldview determines the tools and rituals used to alter reality. |
| Considerations | Character advancement reaches 36 levels before optional high-level paths add further decisions. Rules depth spans personal advancement, large battles, and domain administration, requiring a group to choose which procedures will matter. The game retains class-and-race restrictions and descending Armor Class rather than a universal skill resolution procedure. | Improvised Effects place frequent adjudication on the Storyteller, who must apply Sphere permissions, focus, required successes, and consequences consistently. Vulgar magick generates Paradox even on success, so overt power can punish a mage through injury or metaphysical breakdown. Faction choices can make a cabal internally hostile, so character concepts need shared motives before play. |