Authors: White Wolf
Release Date: 2005-08-25
On Sale: Yes
Price: 34.99
ISBN: 1-58846-418-0
Product Type: Core Book
Product Style: Hardcover
Page Count: 396
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Review by: Steve J. Larson II
Rating: 9/10
The Core book to the reincarnation of Mage from the old WoD.
Outer Appearance: Spectacular. Pure and simple. The fusion of imagery with the greenish-blue coloring really makes a great first impression.
Prelude: An entertaining story, if somewhat stereotypical. Why do Goths always have to be involved in Mage? It does, however, do a good job at conveying the Awakening and that is the most important aspect of the prelude. But enough of the prelude, let's dig into the rest of this massive book.
Introduction: Quick, painless and precise. Just what I like in an intro. The brief overview of the setting and the themes that Mage: the Awakening examines offers what I believe to be a good measure of the book. If I was not familiar with this game or the Mage that had come before, I would probably buy the book based on the packaging and introduction alone. One thing I find informative is the Lexicon of a book if one is present. A good scan of the Lexicon can reveal lame concepts and rehashed ideas. The Lexicon of Mage: the Awakening is intriguing and inviting.
Chapter One: Arcanus Mundus (The Secret World): This is the mood and theme section. Here we find about Mage existence and all that is involved with being a Mage.
First there is the story of Atlantis and the beginnings of Mage culture. I have to be honest and say that I was somewhat skeptical when I read that the new Mage was to be based off some kind of Atlantean Diaspora. That could go wrong in so many ways. As I read the history/mythology of the origins of Mage society I was rather impressed. Although the book centers on the concept of Atlantean mysticism, it does not bind one to it. Almost every culture on Earth has myths of men and women of power who come from far away and the concept of Atlantis plays perfectly into that common cultural theme. Equally, they also employ the universal sins of hubris and the attempt of foolish mortals to become Gods. As usual, the potential Utopia falls to the corruptible nature of the human spirit. The battle between the Exarchs (those who wish to be Gods) and the Oracles (those who oppose their designs) brings down the Celestial Ladder and severs the tie between Creation and the Supernal Realms.
From the Fall of Atlantis we go to the establishment of the five Watchtowers. These are great props to use in the Awakening of the characters if the storyteller wishes to play them out or the players wish to stretch their writing talents to describe their Awakenings. A Mage gets his or her flavor of magic from the Watchtower they scribe their names into. It is an extremely important part of a Mage's development.
After the history lesson, we learn of the need for Mages to go underground and undercover. The universe is no longer their friend as the expansion of the Abyss creates a mystical backlash known as Paradox. No longer can Mages bring the masses of Sleepers under their control through sheer feats of magic. The Five Orders of the Atlantean Mages establish rules and laws governing the secrecy and use of mystical power in order to protect what is left of Atlantean lore. Not to mention the need to protect the lives of the Mages themselves.
Then comes an explanation of the Awakening and the theoretical mechanics of it. Not much different from the old Awakening except you always end up at one of the five Watchtowers. The one you end up at determines your Path.
Paths. These are the five groups that Mages divide themselves into according to Supernal Realm their Watchtower resides in. The Path determines what Arcana you begin with and to what level of power you can rise within those Arcana. If you wish to break those barriers and learn higher levels within restricted Arcana, you must get your character a teacher. I like this idea as it creates a very real reason for Mages to interact with, and become indebted to, each other. In the old Mage it seemed as though all mystical knowledge could be found within through one's Avatar. Now your character must seek out the teachings of others if you wish for them to be fluent in all the Arcana. A very welcomed change.
Orders. One change I am absolutely in favor of was the move away from a centralized command structure. Mage: the Awakening centers on the Cabal, the small group of like-minded Mages. Combine this with the concept of the Orders and you have a loosely controlled society of Willworkers. The Orders are ancient organizations that claim establishment in the mythic period of Atlantis. Each one has a central task and your character can choose to join one depending on their view of the world. Some Orders are militaristic (the Adamantine Arrow) and some are scholarly (the Mysterium). Each one has a set of precepts that bind their members to a common cause. Any of the Paths can join any of the Orders. Your Path is chosen at Awakening while you have to be initiated into an Order. Combine this with the Legacies and you can create an infinite variety of characters and NPCs. I think they did pretty well in with this idea although the Free Council struck me as a way of imposing a couple of the writer's liberal mindset onto the game. The Free Council struck me as sort of the Air America of Mage society. Oh well. On with the review...
The rest of Chapter One talks about the loose confederation of Mages and how they work with each other politically. As I said before, I like the minimized importance of the Consilium. The Storyteller can easily use the Consilium as much or as little as they wish to. Even the laws of Mage society, the Lex Magica, revolve around the greatest crime a Mage can perpetrate: exposing the existence of magic to Sleepers.
After Mage society and its governance, the rest of the chapter gives a brief explanation of magical landmarks. It’s the usual stuff about ley lines and demesnes. Nothing much new.
Chapter Two (Character): This is the Mage template to add to the character template found in the World of Darkness Corebook. Only three things need to be commented on: Gnosis, Mana, and Wisdom. The chapter also talks about the Paths and Merits but those are already spoken of or are self-explanatory.
Gnosis is a Mage's understanding of mystical theory. The more potent the Mage's Gnosis the more Mana he or she can hold in their pattern. Gnosis also determines the number of spells the Mage can have concurrent, how many spells they can combine, and how high their attributes can become. Gnosis also determines how easy the character can create their own Rotes. As all things, Gnosis has its downside. Mages of high Gnosis stand out amongst Sleepers and attract mightier backlashes from Paradox as a result. I am a fan of Gnosis for its good and bad points. The more potent a Mage becomes the more careful one must be in their magical dealings. Fireball throwers will never become Archmages. That is a bonus in my book.
Mana. Mana is the Quintessence and Tass of the old Mage. Mana is required to create certain effects (aggravated damage, pattern healing) or to make the casting of improvised effects easier. Mana in its crystallized form is Tass. Not much new with this concept.
Wisdom. Wisdom replaces Morality in the World of Darkness template. Mages are constantly at war with their own arrogance. When a Mage "sins" it is called an act of Hubris and a degeneration roll is made according to the degree of Hubris displayed.
Chapter Three (Magic): This is the nuts and bolts section of the magic system. Although I have not been able to play test these rules, I believe them to be better thought out than the old Mage system (which I loved). A great attempt was made to close the holes in the mechanics of the magic system and it shows. I must have read through them about ten times and I have even rolled out a few scenarios by myself to test the ease of use. Although the rules were daunting at first, they became easier as I used them more. If I ever table top a Mage game I will be sure to buy the Mage Storyteller's Screen or at least have a cheat sheet in front of me and one for each player. Like the old system, I am sure that it gets to be intuitive after a few sessions.
The only thing I don't know about is using experience points to purchase Rotes and the extremely difficult lengths a Mage needs to go through to create a Rote. Since I have not had the chance to play out this particular aspect of Mage I am uncertain how I feel about it. Shouldn't a Mage have the ability to create a Rote if they have some downtime and the skill to cast it? You can still cast on the fly but to cement the attempt, as a Rote will cost you. Jury is still out on this one.
The greater portion of Chapter Three is Rotes. Lots and lots of Rotes. This I like very much as it gives the players a sense of what each level of power in each Arcana is capable of as well as how a Rote is constructed. A very nice feature and one that would have saved a lot of explaining if it had been a part of the original Mage game. Bravo to the writers on this.
After the Rotes comes the Paradox system and how to manage it. This system is exact and explained in a satisfactory manner. They made Paradox something to fear for those players who like their characters. I know many of the old-school Mage players who scoffed at Paradox. I would like to ST them with this new system. It actually seems like punishment.
The rest of the chapter is an examination of the metaphysical nature of Mage reality (if it can be called that). The nature of the Soul, Resonance, Demesnes, the Duel Arcane, and the worlds beyond are discussed and explained.
There is fundamental difference between the old and the new here. The Soul is now the center of the Mage's power and the Avatar is left behind. The loss of one's Soul is magical death. The care, protection, and feeding of one's Soul becomes a genuine concern for a Mage, not to mention the mortals that live around a Mage. The Soul, if properly manipulated, can be used to create a Soulstone. The major use of a Soulstone is to create a Demesne. However, a Mage's Soulstone in the wrong hands can spell big trouble and potential servitude to the one who holds it. I like the concept of splintering your Soul as well as the concept of the Soul being the seat of magical power.
The information on the Realms Invisible is great as well. The concept and mechanics of moving to and from Astral Space, the Underworld, the Shadow World, and the Gauntlet have been trimmed down and streamlined. A good job at keeping it simple while allowing for great expansion. That was definitely one part of the old Mage system that needed an overhaul. Happy to say that the mission was accomplished.
Another simplification I am grateful for is the Duel Arcane. I read it once and understood it perfectly. If I played in a game I would definitely want to give it go. That is quite different from the years I played the old Mage and never played out a single duel. Once again a pat on the back to the writers.
The magic chapter ends with some helpful guidelines on how to create magical effects of your own. A nice guide for those unaccustomed to the free-form magical style portrayed in Mage games.
Chapter Four (Storytelling and Antagonists): This section goes into great detail about the concepts and issues that Mage deals with: power and its uses, hubris, freedom, etc. Beginning STs could stand to read this a couple of times before they whip out a Mage "Adventure". Not that there is anything wrong with High Adventure in Mage but the overall flavor of Mage is secrecy and its maintenance.
Once you get past the Storytelling tips you come to the Antagonists. Who do the Mages fear? Well, as usual, there is no end of those who oppose the designs of your Willworkers.
The Seers of the Throne. Agents of the Exarchs and their pawns in Reality. In the battle for Reality, these are a Mage's biggest threat. I like them somewhat.
Banishers. These guys I absolutely love. Mages who see their Awakening as a curse. Many turn against their own kind in order to cleanse Reality of their tampering. Awesome concept and great presentation. If I were to ST a game these guys would most likely be the player’s worst nightmare.
The Mad. These are Marauders 2.0 and the upgrade was welcomed. William Angle is a great representation of the Mad and would be fun to play.
After these Mage Antagonists is a brief example of familiars that quickly moves into Spirits. The creation of these beings is clearly outlined and defined. Although they can be easily used by themselves, if you combine the Mage Spirit section with the Werewolf: the Forsaken section on Spirits and you will have a pretty solid grasp of what Spirits are and how they act. I am a big fan on the World of Darkness's handling of Ghosts and Spirits. At the end of the Spirit section are some nice examples of Spirits in the World of Darkness.
The Acamoth. These Spirits are Cthulhu-esque beings that were spawned in the Abyss and are willing to traffic with Mages in return for passage back to the Abyss. Similar to an infernal pact, the Soul of the Mage is put on the auction block with a return of investments granted by the Acamoth.
The Goetia are a concept I find refreshing: the embodiment of your inner emotions as spiritual beings. I like the thought of a Mage attempting to control his inner demons by giving those emotions form.
Another interesting concept is Ghost Mages. Being quite a fan of the World of Darkness: Ghost Stories book I find this concept to be a good addition to a Mage's list of adversaries (or allies).
Temple Guardians are pretty standard fare. Spirit watchdogs.
Ananke. Now this is a great concept that can drive an entire story. They are the embodiment of prophecy and destiny created long ago by Atlantean Mages. Many are the attempts of Mages to influence future events or to prevent a certain event from happening. They will appear to a Mage and draw them into their designs whether they like it or not. Perhaps your character is the reborn Soul of a potent Archmage from the days of Atlantis who wishes to prevent his rivals Soul from attaining an Awakened state. The possibilities are endless for situations of this sort. Once again I must pat the writers on the back.
Genius Territorialis. Simply put: the Spirit of a place or location. The Spooky House. The Peaceful Glen. The Dark Alley. All of these places could possess a spirit that has a vested interest in keeping things the way they are. A good anchor for a story to be sure.
After the Spirits come the mortals. Thralls and Witch Hunters. Nothing new here.
A brief description of artifacts and cursed items follows. Very brief but not a problem since most STs I know prefer to create their own anyway.
The rest of the chapter deals with Verges and Cryptids. Verges are those places where the Gauntlet is weak and mortals can stumble into Spirits, Ghosts, or other nasty situations. Cryptids are your normal, everyday Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster, or Jersey Devil. Nothing new but they put the idea out there.
Appendix One (Legacies): Legacies are a cool addition to the Paths of the Mages. By joining a Legacy a Mage commits himself to craft his Soul into an ideal. Through such devotion the Mage, at certain milestones, attains the ability to affect Reality without the conscious implementation of magic. This allows the ST to create any sub-Path they wish to see. The Ahl-i-Batin and the Akashics (Perfected Adepts) can be found amongst the Legacies. Included in the Legacies are the "Left-Handed" Legacies of the Tremere Liches and the Scelesti (Nephandi). These are outlawed legacies that the other Mages would destroy if given the chance. I am sure a WW book is in the works outlining several more Legacies.
Now I am going to step out on a limb here and proclaim the inclusion of the Tremere as certifiably lame. Let them go people! If we Mage fans let go of our beloved Technocracy, which I admit some have not, then we can let go of the Tremere. I for one will not be using them... ever.
Appendix Two (Boston): This is the description of the official Mage city. It gives a Storyteller, and player, a good idea of a well-constructed social setting for Mage stories. It was a good read although I will most certainly use a different city. I liked it because it shows a well-constructed base from which to launch a myriad of plotlines that seem to be generated in a Mage: The Awakening game.
Conclusion: After pouring over everything in the book I have given the Mage: the Awakening Core book a 9 out of a possible 10. The writing is clear for the most part and the concepts and structure solid. The book loses a perfect 10 due to some utterly disappointing artwork and some weakness in storylines. Not to mention the inclusion of the Tremere... Anyway, I think WW hit the ball out of the park with Mage: the Awakening and I would definitely say it rivals Werewolf: the Forsaken for the top spot in the nWoD.
