Mage House Rules

Arete And Resonance
There's no Change to starting Arete. However, do note: While you could start at 3, going through the story and doing the seekings in game will result in a free sphere, and they don't take much time to rank up to 3.

We employ the resonance system. Your first resonance will be your Avatar Type (Questing, Dynamic, Static, Primordial). Questing Opposes Primordial and Dynamic opposes Static. Each point of Arete gives a resonance with it. You're free to make your own magical fingerprint.

Belief & Paradigm
The book tells us that there's a set of 'main' paradigms that most mages follow. We will not be using that. A paradigm, for this mage game, needs to consist of a few parts. What your character believes magic is. How your character believes someone does magic. Why can't sleepers do magic? Why can other mages do magic? For example, A progenitor doctor would have a paradigm similar to: "As a doctor, I know magic is just the uneducated man's word for science. I am not casting a spell, but using inbuilt chemical formulas and designs to create tools that do what I need. Most sleepers aren't educated enough to do my trade, but with enough, practice and training would be able too. Other scientists study branches of science that I do not understand, but if given the time, I would be able to understand." A hermetic would have something like: "All magic is based on runes and formulas. By knowing the correct formula and circles, one is able to invoke natural powers. Sleepers are not trained nor educated on how to use these formulas. Other mages just so happen to stumble upon it." Of course, these two aren't the only ones you're allowed to use -- having a paradigm unique to your mage is the most important thing. But remember, each of your traditions shapes your mage's paradigm, and while you can be unique, please follow the general theme of your tradition/union.

The four questions are


 * 1) What your character believes magic is.
 * 2) Why can your character do magic?
 * 3) Why cant sleepers do magic?
 * 4) How are others doing magic if they don’t follow your paradigm?

Fundamentally, this isn't much different from what the book wants; the idea is presented underneath Belief: The Core of Focus. A lot of the issue with common paradigms is the fact that it comes from the old editions of Mage: The Ascension, where Paradigm was an incomprehensible mess of Gibberish. The common paradigms are keynotes to what a typical mage would believe, and if you were to read them, each of them do answer the four questions.

 Belief 

Belief, fundamentally, is how you think the world works. It's deeper than paradigm, as it sums up the core idea of what constitutes what works. This can be anything, and to take from literature and movies, within The Series The Matrix the fundamental belief of Neo (and the people who are unplugged) is 'The world is a computer program'. This doesn't necessarily have to be your paradigm, but it should be the basis of it. Going into other Traditions, it summarizes how they see how the world was created, and how anything actually works. This is something akin to "There is no electricity going through the light house, but there's a light spirit being tortured by machines and being forced to give off light."

The reason I bring up belief once more is to start the phrasing of how I want spells for a mage to sound like. As players, I do understand the easy way of doing something is "I want to cast a sleep spell" on the target, but fundamentally, that's not how the mage sees it. They, if the think the world is a computer program, would be doing something like 'uploading a sleep virus to the enemies simulation'.

Belief in that sense is something that would inherently sound insane to sleepers; from a benign conspiracy theory (The special people have reptilian blood!), to worshipping the Witch Sisters and making a covenant with Satan (Power comes from the Devil).

 Paradigm 

Paradigm is not belief. Paradigm is how you interact with your belief, and thus, you need a solid belief core to make a paradigm. A paradigm is the tool you use to start shifting that belief around; in the sleeper paradigm, that just means science and technology can harness the fundamental forces of the world.

In the Matrix, this is when Neo realizes there is no spoon, and thus, you can do anything you really want. By realizing the world is a computer, and them being unplugged, they can act as free agents and upload viruses.

Within something more 'tradition' oriented, a Wiccan harnessing the raw power of the earth isn't doing anything weird by her account. She believes that harvesting a poisonous mushroom with a blessed silver knife is how you 'change' the world, just as much one believes that acid can melt paper or oil can lubricate a machine.

The reason this is brought up is to make the connection between the belief, the paradigm, and the sleeping world. If a witch believes the world is of raw energy, but currently, she's being chased by a hulking ghoul, how does she react? She's not going to be casting a 'sleep spell', as much as she's finding the roots of the sleeping plant she harvested at the right time to do the only thing it's meant to do.

Casting Reform
Magick (With a K!) is done in 4 steps.

Step One: The Spell

Step Two:  Can You do it?

Step Three: Roll

Step Four: Result

Step One: The Spell

The spell, fundamentally, is the OOC explanation of what you're trying to accomplish. The reason it's meant to be said in the OOC is to give no grounds for error, and to explain what you, as the player, is trying to do.

Remember, simple is best: "I want to use my forces 2 to harm this Ghoul" or "I want to use my mind 1 to protect myself from being hypnotized" or "I want to use Spirit 1 to activate my spirit sight."

Step Two: Can You Do It?

After discussing the spell in Step 1, it's time to bring that OOC spell into IC methodology. This is the step that moves the OOC intent, into the lens of Belief and Paradigm, alongside using your Instruments.

"I want to use my forces 2 to harm this Ghoul" Is an ooc intent. Bringing this into the IC realm means understanding what the character sees, thinks, and would do at the moment. To bring back our wiccan from before, her instrument, Brews, Potions, Powders, and Other Concoctions is used to release a vial of an unknown substance that ignites in flames. This is something that fits in her belief and paradigm (her vial of substance was harvested and prepared by her, after all!).

This is also the step we determine if this is actually going to be coincidental or vulgar.

Ultimately, what determines if something is coincidental or vulgar is a mixture of 'causation' and 'result'. Someone throwing a vial at someone that explodes is coincidental -- a sleeper is unaware of what was in that vial, and explosive substances are a part of every world belief. However, a witch pointing their wand at someone and a fire ball appearing is infinitely vulgar; something like that JUST doesn't happen. Both of these however are the same Force 2 Effect, but the way its done manages everything. The gray area is when you mix the results; pointing a wand at someone as the gas main underneath them explodes is coincidental... the first time. Repeated suspension of disbelief triggers something called the Domino Effect.

In this server, the Domino Effect is increasing severity. "The first time you do something where the causation makes a weird result that's just unlikely, people can let it pass as it being freak luck. The second time strains it. The third time, it's clearly vulgar."

Or simply put, 'don't push your luck on being blatant'.

You might note that I haven't mentioned Practise at all. Practise is irrelevant in a properly done Paradigm, Belief, and Foci set. You having a practise of 'Faith' should be obvious as you pray to God/Allah/The Moon to save you. However, this really does call in the importance of Instruments. In the practise of Faith outlined a line before, prayer is the instrument, and with each spell cast you should aim to use an instrument (Or not as your Arete increases). Your instrument  is the core focus of your spell casting, since until you get experienced in your paradigm, your character doesn't think they're changing reality. They just think they're doing their equivalent of 'science' right.

Step Three: The Roll

Note: We use the Revised Paradox System in this server. Vulgar spells always give you 1 point of paradox per dot in the highest sphere. That means try to keep your spells coincidental.

Okay, time for the math, time for the crunch. After the RP sections of before, you should be glad we're going straight into the actual numbers now.

First, let's begin with the simple, straight up statement. All Magick rolls is Arete/Enlightenment vs Difficulty ((Minimum 3)). The base difficulty is determined by the type of spell your casting.

Coincidental is 3 + Highest Sphere.

Vulgar Without Witnesses is 4 + Highest Sphere.

Vulgar With Witnesses is 5 + Highest Sphere.

Note: A Witness is defined as a Non-Supernatural character. (Acolytes count as witnesses if they're not of your paradigm.)

That's the easiest part.

Now comes the modifiers.

Many of the modifiers on Page 503 are accurate, except for these changes:

Appropriate/Opposed Resonance: Resonance is only on the characters themselves, and not on the instrument or ritual. These bonuses can range from -3 to +3, and are also affected by Reality Zones. (Life magic in the realm of the dead doesn't work well, but casting an ability to fly in the world of birds is easier -- and may not even be vulgar).

Fast-Casting: Unless you have an appropriate rote, you are always fast casting IF the spell needs to be done now. A ritualized spell (one that takes hours to prepare) Is not fast casted even without the rote. But an impromptu 'entangling roots' or 'summon a taxi' (Events that happen instantly, or need to happen RIGHT NOW) are under the realm of 'need a rote'.

Turning Time Backwards: Just not allowed outside of scene use.

Lore about Subject: This is actually meant to be defined as knowledge about the target. Your character should reasonably know how their own spell works, but do they know how a ghoul works to give it a heart attack?(edited)

Domino Effect:  Changed on this server; It increases a coincidental spell to vulgar if you strain belief too much.

Note: After final adjustments, you can't ever increase (or decrease) the difficulty beyond +/- 3. Meaning, a Vulgar With Witnesses Sphere 2 spell (5+2=7), can only be lowered to a minimum of 4, or increased to a maximum of 10.

If the DC moves beyond 10, you will need an additional success (For each +1 above 10) before you're considered to gain 'bonus successes'. For example, if your DC becomes 13 (Somehow), you would be rolling at TN 10 and need 3 successes to consider having passed (with 1 successes. A 4th success would mean your total is 2, and 5 is 3, etc.)

Step 4: The Result

Most 'narrative' results need more than one success (The chart can be seen in Page 502). Normally, I will tell you the Range of successes you need (1, 2, 3, 4, 5-10, 10-20, 20+) but never the exact number itself.

If you don't get enough successes in the first roll, you turn finishes, and you move back to Step 3 With a +1 to dc (Which counts to the +3 modifier).

Combat results, healing, or things like that  require more in depth interaction (Mostly, Telepathy, Healing, Damage, Mind Control, Counter magic) Are generally used Right away. A fire main exploding underneath someone's foot can't be 'held off for the turn to get more succesess'. It's done immediately, and uses the chart at page 504. This applies to things like healing, clairvoyance and all that.

Step Appendix: Paradox, Botching, Failing

Once again, Vulgar Spells always give you a point of paradox per dot of highest sphere. A vulgar spell with witnesses is highest sphere + 1.

If you fail, nothing happens (Besides the spell fizzing out if it's a damage spell). You're allowed to try again if its a narrative spell at +1 DC.

If you botch The spell immediately ends and you receive Paradox. The "On a Botch" in page 502 is accurate for this server as well.

Whenever you receive paradox, the Storyteller can tell you to roll for backlash. Have fun with that.

Seeking's
Seeking's on this server are Narrative-Drive and require no dice. In that sense, you may never ask 'can I roll to know x', as you're being tested (by your avatar). Usually, this means something personal to the mage itself as they try to discover a fundamental truth and move up the next rung of Arete.

However, you may Ask your avatar for a hint, a guiding push as many times as you have dots in your Avatar Rating. This is phrased as "I'd like to ask my avatar, [question]." Be smart about this: This is a question on your character's world view changing, and asking something dumb like 'how do I succeed at this seeking' is rude to your avatar -- and will still count as a question even when it tells you 'By doing it'. When you run out questions you can ask, you're on your own.

Moving from Arete 1 -> 2 will generally happen quickly, and 2 -> 3 happens when you finish your first proper storyline. Going up higher is... well, find out!

When you succeed in a seeking, you will be moved up your Arete Ranking for free. You will also receive either a dot in your Affinity Sphere to match your current (new) Arete, or any other sphere to a maximum of Arete-1 (Aka, a life mage who just hit Arete 3 can get their life sphere moved to 3 for free, or any other sphere one rank up that isn't 3). This is done instantly, and doesn't require the learning time the other spheres do.