Mage: The Ascension vs Superpowered
Compare Mage: The Ascension and Superpowered side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Mage: The Ascension | Superpowered | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy, Modern, Horror | Modern, Superhero |
| Tags | Freeform Magic, Character Building, Crunchy, High-Power, Roll to Cast, Skill-Based, Lore-Heavy, Fear & Stress Mechanics | Rules-Light, Superpowers, Beginner-Friendly, Fast-Paced, Theater of the Mind, Character-Driven |
| Core Mechanic | 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. | Roll 2d6 + skill level vs. a difficulty number (4+ easy to 10+ formidable). Characters have 7 broad skills, Endurance (stamina), and Lifeblood (health). Superpowers are defined by a Power source (from 36 options like Fire, Cosmic, or Speed) that grants themed Abilities. Weaknesses grant bonus Abilities. D66 tables generate random powers and origins. |
| Dice | d10 dice pool | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Very High | Very Low |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Low |
| License | All Rights Reserved | OGL 1.0a |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — Storytellers Vault | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Onyx Path Publishing | Stellagama Publishing |
| Year | 2015 | 2020 |
| Languages | English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish | English |
| Best For | Groups who want long-form modern occult campaigns about reality-shaping power, ideological conflict, and the consequences of imposing belief on the world. | Quick superhero campaigns with a simple 2d6 engine: build any hero from 36 power sources, take a weakness, and leap into four-color action without heavy rules. |
| Highlights | 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. | Simple 2d6 rules, 36 diverse power sources with unique ability lists, quick character creation, OGL-compatible with Cepheus Engine material, includes heroes, villains, and creatures ready to play |
| Considerations | 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. | Very niche, limited advancement system, superhero genre only, lacks the depth of crunchier supers games |