Mage: The Ascension
20th Anniversary EditionCore Mechanic
Roll an Attribute-plus-Ability pool of d10s and count dice meeting the difficulty, usually 6. Each rolled 1 cancels a success. A roll botches only when no die meets the difficulty and at least one die shows 1. Magick instead rolls Arete, the mage's enlightenment rating, against a difficulty based on the highest Sphere used and whether the effect violates ordinary reality. Successes determine the effect's extent.
Best For
Groups who want long modern occult campaigns about conflicting beliefs and the consequences of reshaping reality.
Highlights
Nine Spheres combine into improvised magical effects beyond a fixed spell list. A mage's beliefs determine the practices and instruments that make those effects possible. Concealing magick within plausible events reduces the risk of reality's backlash.
Considerations
Improvised magick requires the group to agree on what an effect can accomplish before rolling. Accumulated Paradox can injure a mage or trap them in a distorted reality. Cabals need shared motives to keep incompatible faction loyalties from pulling the campaign apart.
Third-Party Publishing
Supplemental Mage: The Ascension content, including 20th Anniversary, sold exclusively through Storytellers Vault. Standalone core books, unauthorized new editions, outside-IP crossovers, new print submissions, and independent print sales are excluded.