LHK’s House Rules for Mage

Do you use the permanent or temporary values of traits for rolls and difficulties?

Permanent. A few powers specify temporary under their description, so use temporary only when it is specifically called for.

Yes. Both Mage: The Ascension 2^nd Edition (p. 135) and Vampire: The Masquerade 2^nd Edition (p. 178) say they cannot, however, they have a tough enough time in the World of Darkness as it is.

Mortals are the same as everyone else OK, -1 -1, -2, -2, -5, Incapacitated.

No, soak is a REFLEXIVE roll and not part of the dice pool.

Yes. If you spend a Willpower point then roll 9, 3, 1, and 1 on a difficulty 7 roll, that's still a failure.

No. There are certain Effects, Gifts, etc. that ALLOW for winning of initiative.

Optional:

For every extra action add one to the initiative roll (using Vampire Revised Wits + Dex + 1d10 system). That applies to multiple actions that are in effect at the start of the turn, including those gained from spending Rage, Demon Chi or using Celerity, where the stuff is spent before the roll, or the previous turn. If actions are gained during the turn through powers such as Magic or Cantrips then it doesn't effect initiative that turn, but will in subsequent turns for as long as the power lasts.

Opposition is when two or more supernaturals are using their powers against something, but trying to achieve different things. Often the thing in question is one of the supernaturals. In some cases this occurrence is covered in the description of one of the powers being used (e.g. a vampire tries to dominate a Garou with the Mindblock Gift). In such cases always use the rules given under the description of the power.

At its most basic it can be resolved in the following way:

• Compare the power levels of the two opposing supernaturals.
• If a supernatural has a power level equal to or greater than their opponent does, then they simply roll as normal.
• If the opponent has a higher power level, then deduct one success from the roll for every level of difference, to a minimum of zero successes, providing the user of the higher level power doesn't fail or botch.
  This can reduce a success to a failure, but can never cause a roll to botch.
• If one power was already "activated" then the opponent has to beat the number of successes scored when it was first used. If the power does not normally require a roll, or the number of successes can not be remembered, then both parties will have to roll.
• If a power simply modifies a normal roll then add all the modifiers to the required roll and roll it as normal.
• Whoever scores the most successes wins. Ties go to the defender, just like in the Risk boardgame. The power takes effect with the number of success that the winner scored.

For example a Mage with an Arete rating of 3 uses a Forces 3, Prime 2 Rote to throw a large object at a 4th rank Uktena Garou. The Uktena uses the Gift "Hand of the Earth Lords" to telekinetically redirect the object. The Mage rolls Arete and scores 4 successes. The Garou rolls Dexterity + Occult and scores 1 success. The Mage deducts one success for the Garou's higher level, and one for the Garou's success. This means that the effect has succeeded, with two net successes, and damage is calculated accordingly.

Extended rolls follow the same pattern. If the opponent has a higher power level, then the successes are deducted from each roll. If this causes the roll to fail, this may increase the difficulty for subsequent rolls (if a failed roll would normally do so).

Sometimes supernaturals have powers that do not normally require rolls. If the use of such a power is contested, things can get a bit tricky. Here are some suggestions on who rolls what, when no roll is normally required. Ultimately use common sense and the Storyteller's discretion.

• Garou - Roll the Garou's permanent Gnosis
• Vampires - An Appropriate Attribute + Ability e.g.

1. Obfuscate - Wits + Stealth
2. Chimerstry - Manipulation + Subterfuge
3. Protean - Stamina + Survival

• Magi - Always have to roll Arete for effects anyway
• Wraiths - Appropriate Attribute + Arcanoi
• Changelings - Permanent Glamour rating
• Spirits - Arete for True Magic, Gnosis for Charms

If in doubt, permanent Willpower is always a good default.

Alternatively if the power doesn't have a roll, use the Mystic Power rating (see below) of the supernatural as the default number of successes.

The power rating of the supernatural ability is judged from the following table:

• Vampires - Discipline rating
• Magi - Arete
• Garou - Gnosis
• Wraiths - Pathos rating
• Changelings – Glamour rating
• Undying - Magic Skill rating
• Psychics - Psychic Phenomena rating
• Sorcerers - Willpower rating
• Beautifics - Faith rating
• Gypsies - Blood Affinity rating
• Fomori – Point cost of power
• Consors and Bygones - Point cost of power
• Spirits are rather tricky. See the article "Unclean Spirits" in the Face of Rage Archive of ELN to find out about how to create and empower Spirits. PCs shouldn’t be playing them as characters.

For some things, like creatures with innate powers, like Monsters and Kami, it may be simplest to give them and arbitrary power level, this works well for spirits or Banes, too.

A vampire with Auspex 5 is looking for a Rank 2 Ragabash using the gifts Blur of the Milky Eye (3 successes) and Blissful Ignorance (2 successes). The vampire uses Auspex 1 - Heightened Senses and rolls Perception + Alertness to try to see the Garou. She rolls 6 dice (Perception of 3 and Alertness of three), adding +3 to the difficulty due to the Blur of the Milky Eye gift, and subtracting 5 for her Auspex. She needs at least three successes. Since both powers modify the dice roll, just apply both sets of modifiers.

A Rank 3 Garou attacks a Mage with the Gift Summon the Flame Spirit. The Mage has Arete 4 could use Forces 3, Prime 2 to create cold to nullify the heat. The Garou gets one success on the Manipulation + Occult roll, the Mage gets zero on his Arete roll. Although the Mage has a higher Mystic Power, his power didn't go off at all, so the Garou deducts no successes from her roll and the Mage takes the normal damage from the Gift.

A vampire employing Presence 5 (Majesty) encounters a Mage with an active mind shield (Mind 1). The Mage has an Arete on 4, and scored two successes when activating it. Both powers are already 'on' when the two meet each other. Majesty does not normally require a roll, so the ST decides that Charisma + Intimidation would be an appropriate roll, and sets the difficulty as 6. The vampire rolls and scores 4 successes. The Mage decides to employ Mind to countermagic, so rolls his Arete difficulty 7, getting two successes and reducing the vampires success to two. Now both parities have two successes, so the defender, in this case the Mage, wins.

Damage is calculated by the following formula:

As always, Forces adds one success, Mind deducts one success. For conjunction Magic, take the highest Sphere level. Alternatively, to cut down on dice rolls, just halve the number of damage dice and round up, and take this as the number of health levels inflicted.

If a target can dodge an attack, then it makes logical sense that the Mage can miss the attack. It is also rather unfair that the Mage has only their Arete pool to hit with, where the target has their Dex + Dodge. In a situation where the Mage could miss the target, the Mage rolls Perception + Sphere as their dice pool to hit. This happens at the same time as the Arete roll and does not require a split dice pool, or another action.

It the Mage is using a Foci that must hit the target, she can substitute an appropriate Attribute + Ability roll for the Perception + Sphere roll, with the same rules applying. Typical rolls might be Dex + Do for a punch or Perception + Technology for a death ray.

If the focus is also doing damage itself, such as a melee weapon or a firearm, then the accompanying Magic will be fast casting with an appropriate penalty. This only applies if it is happening in a fight where the opponent is active, as the Mage will have to quickly pick their moment to strike.

The target may roll Dex + Dodge, the difficulty will depend on the availability of cover for ranged attacks, just like a firearms attack, or 6 for brawl or melee combat.

Any power that directly affects the Mage. The Mage ATTEMPTING THE COUNTERMAGIC must have certain Spheres however. Generally, the Mage attempting to counter must have at least one point in each of the Spheres that would be required to duplicate the effect being used AGAINST her in the same way. Without knowledge of the Spirit Sphere (or Dimensional Science for Technocrats), all attempts to counter Gifts, Arcanoi and Charms are at +1 difficulty.

Hedge Magic and Thaumaturgy can be countered with basic countermagic, with no special Sphere requirements. Cantrips can also be countered without any special Sphere requirements.

For the record, Obfuscate does not affect the vampire using it, but the minds of those around it. Mind Magic WILL counter Obfuscate, but will only make things clear to the Mage using the Mind Magic, not reveal the vampire to anyone else in her group. For Cantrips are two different systems; one in the Mage book and one in the Book of Lost Dreams for Changeling: The Dreaming. Use the ones in Mage: The Ascension 2^nd Edition, p. 234 - the Mage can roll either Willpower difficulty 7, or Arete difficulty 6 but not both.

If the Mage cannot use basic countermagic she may still be able to oppose an effect by using Magic. If the Mage can interfere with the power, or create the opposite effect then use the normal rules for opposition to determine who wins. Any power can be opposed if the Mage if she has the right combination of spheres. Often more than one combination will do the job. However, this is a normal magical effect and therefore brings with it the normal risks of paradox. Against Gifts that get a spirit to do something - or Ghostly Arcanoi - Spirit Magic can often be used to raise the Gauntlet or Shroud rating. Although this might in theory increase difficulty numbers it is often easier just to treat this as a normal, contested roll. Creating opposing effects should be treated as opposition.

Nothing, its replaced by opposing effects. The Mage creates an effect that will disrupt his opponents Magic, and it is resolved by standard opposition rules. This does require the Mage equal or beat the opponent’s initiative to pull it off in time.

Hedge Magicians may counter True Magic ONLY if they have the Counterspell Ritual (World of Darkness: Sorcerer p. 87). The roll is Wits + Occult difficulty 8.

Mummies with a Buckle of Isis Amulet (Mummy 2nd Edition, p. 93) receive 5 dice countermagic. Other Amulet Wards will deduct success from magic is they protect what the magic is targeting. So an Ab Ward will deduct success from Mind magic and an Ujat Ward will deduct success from Life magic, or Entropy magic which targets the Mummy's body.

Vampires can use the Thaumaturgical Countermagic (Guide to the Camarilla, p. 108).

Changelings may counter magic with Glamour difficulty 7, but gain 1 point of Temporary Banality for doing so.

As presented in the Mage: The Ascension 2^nd Edition rules, Rotes are just example effects. Any Mage with the correct Spheres can perform the effect for the first time as easily as a Mage who has practiced the effect a hundred times. Also Rotes are described as being teaching tools, a way for Magi to practice and learn new powers.

A Mage may buy a Rote with experience. The cost is equal to the number of Sphere levels in the Rote. So the Spirit Blast Rote (Force 3, Prime 2, Spirit 2) would cost 7 experience. Once bought a Rote is at -1 difficulty to cast, provided it is cast in the way learned. This means that the Mage must use the same set rituals and foci in the same manner (i.e. do it by Rote). If a Mage learns a Rote with a foci, and that foci later becomes unnecessary, he must still use it with the Rote to gain the difficulty modifier, although nothing stops him performing exactly the same effect without using the foci. The Rote could always be bought a second time, this time without foci.

Rotes were designed as ways to teach Magi, and that is their real benefit. If the Rote is learnt from a teacher or library, one level in one Sphere of the Rote may be one point higher than the Mage possesses (still limited by Arete). This represents the Mage slowly learning about the higher levels of Magic. When the Sphere in question is actual bought, one experience point is deducted from the cost, as the Mage has already had some practice with the Sphere. Rotes that contain a Sphere higher than the Mage possess are at +1 difficulty, as the Mage is trying to use something he has not yet fully mastered.

For example, Bloodoak the Verbena has Arete 3, Mind 1 and Life 2. He wants to learn the Stirring the Blood Rote (Life 3, Mind 1), and provided he has a source to learn from, may do so for 4 experience. Later, when he increases his Life sphere to 3, it costs him one less experience point.

• Vampire - requires Life and Matter. You need both spheres at the required levels to do the effect you want. So healing would require Life 3 (to heal) and Matter 3 (to reshape).
• Kuei-jin - Balanced Kuei-jin are affected like western vampires. Kuei-jin of Yin Aspect are affected by Matter with only one point required in Life, and Yang Aspect Kuei-jin are affected by Life with only one point required in Matter
• Spirits and Wraiths - Spirit replaces Life in the Umbra when used on them (so healing a Spirit would be Spirit 3, transforming them into another shape Spirit 5). If they Materialize they are effected by Life as normal, but the Mage must have at least on point in the Spirit Sphere (or Dimensional Science for Technomancers)
• Risen - Matter effects them as instead of Life
• Shapechangers - are part spirit. They are effected by Life, although at least a point of Spirit is required.
• Changelings - their physical bodies are affected by Life, their Fae selves are effected by Spirit

These are described as unsoakable because they cause Aggravated damage, which under the standard Mage rules cannot be soaked. The official ruling is that creatures that can soak Aggravated damage can soak these attacks. Under these house rules everyone (with the exception of Mortals) can soak Aggravated, including Magi w/ the use of Prime 2, under most circumstances including these attacks.

Any effects that do damage give soak (unless the target has a specific weakness). Direct effects that don't do damage can be resisted with Willpower, difficulty 8. Indirect effects may usually be dodged, although this requires the target be aware of the attack. All Mind Magics may be resisted with Willpower, difficulty 8 provided the target is aware of the Magic.

Remember, supernatural creatures get a Perception + Alertness (or Awareness, Primal-Urge or Kenning if they have it) roll to sense incoming Magic.

Up to her rating in either Avatar or Prime, which ever is highest. The difficulty of a Magic roll can never be reduced by more than -3, but more than 3 points can be spent to offset positive modifiers.

Quintessence is always spent before the dice are rolled. Willpower may be spent either before for one automatic success or afterwards to negate a botch, but not both.

Yes, but there are some problems. The only Disciplines they can learn are Potence, Celerity and Fortitude, which are purely physical. The others are beyond them due the inability of Magi to work static magic. Prime 1 can turn one point of ingested vitae into Quintessence, as it can with normal blood.

Beats me, add them together and let the spirits use Power as Quintessence. Spirits don't have Avatars as such, so spending Power for Magic is limited by Prime. Remember no modifier can reduce the Magic by more than -3.

No, the ST can always award more for spectacularly vulgar effects. For extended effects 1 Paradox point per roll made is not unreasonable.

Tradition Magi may drop one focus for every point of Arete after the first. Magi normally drop Arete for the Spheres in which they are most advanced.

Tradition and Orphan Technomancers may drop one focus at Arete 5. They then drop two foci per point of Arete until they reach Arete 8. At Arete 9 and 10 they drop just foci. Technomancers may never drop foci. Craft Magi may drop foci purely at the ST's discretion. With exposure to other magical styles a Craft Mage could drop foci as quickly as a traditionalist. On the other hand an isolated Craft Mage who remains locked in his own paradigm might never lose a foci.

Use the rules from the Book of Worlds. It effects Spirits (and Wraiths) as life and objects made of ephemera (or plasm) as Matter. So a Spirit could be healed with Spirit 3 and ephemeral object created with Prime and Spirit.

Crossing the Gauntlet is resolved at the normal difficulty, determined by the Sphere level. The Gauntlet rating determines the number of successes needed.

The presence of a Node can reduce or increase the number of successes needed. Most Nodes reduce the difficulty for Spirit, but increase it for Dimensional Science. Technocratic nodes do the opposite.

With Spirit 3, taking basic clothing and small items requires an additional success, taking large or bulky items require 2 additional successes. With Spirit 4 each additional person requires an extra success.