Following the success of Vampire: The Masquerade, Mage: The Ascension was released as the second of four games within White Wolf's shared universe. The inaugural edition was launched by White Wolf Publishing at the Gen ConGaming Convention[1][2] on 19 August 1993, marking the first chapter of the Mage series. A second edition followed in December 1995,[3][4] with a revised edition released in March 2000.[5] In 2005, White Wolf Publishing merged with CCP Games, and following company layoffs in October 2011, White Wolf's Creative Director, Richard Thomas, founded Onyx Path Publishing to continue publishing tabletop role-playing games.[6][7] Onyx Path Publishing later introduced the 20th Anniversary Edition of Mage: The Ascension in September 2015,[8] representing the game's fourth iteration.
Game settingedit
Mage: The Ascension is set in the fictional Gothic-Punk World of Darkness, a reflection of contemporary Earth with the inclusion of magical abilities. The metaplot of the game involves a four-way struggle between the Technocracy, Marauders, Nephandi, and Nine Mystical Traditions. The playable characters are a part of the Nine Mystical Traditions. The plot is based on a violent war directly between factions.
Rules and continuityedit
The game's core rules are similar to those in other World of Darkness games, and similar fantasy tabletop role-playing games. A rulebook outlines the game's setting and provides players with tips on managing a successful run.
Like other storytelling games, Mage emphasizes personal creativity, and that the game's powers and traits should be used to tell a satisfying story. One of Mage's defining characteristics is its system for describing magic based on spheres. It is a relatively open-ended 'toolkit' approach to using game mechanics to define the bounds of a given character's magical ability. A character's magical expertise is described by the allocation of points in the spheres. The various spheres' sigils are, in whole or in part, symbols taken from alchemical texts.[9][10]
The game organizes magic into nine spheres: Correspondence, Entropy, Forces, Life, Mind, Matter, Prime, Spirit, and Time, each with different affects and characteristics in-game.
Receptionedit
Adam Tinworth, of Arcane gave Mage: The Ascension's second edition an 8/10, calling it "good for those who enjoy involved and challenging games." He noted that while it could be difficult for new players to grasp the game's background, develop their style of magic, or figure out how the magic worked, the game-play system itself would be easy enough to understand. [11]
Mage: The Ascension was ranked 16th in the 1996 reader poll of Arcane magazine, which determined the 50 most popular role-playing games of all time. The magazine's editor, Paul Pettengale commented: "Mage is perfect for those of a philosophical bent. It's a hard game to get right, requiring much of thought from players and referees alike, but its underlying theme – the nature of reality – makes it one of the most interesting and mature role-playing games available."[12]
Awardsedit
In 1994, Mage: The Ascension was nominated for Casus Belli's awards for the best role-playing game of 1993 and ended up in fifth place.[13]
Mage: The Ascension, 2nd Edition, won the Origins Award for Best Role-playing Rules of 1995.[14]
^"Now Available: Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition!". 23 September 2015.
^"Mage: The Ascension (Tabletop Game)". TV Tropes. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
^Latin terms obtained from The alchemy website's copy of symbols from Medicinisch-Chymisch- und Alchemistisches Oraculum, Ulm, 1755. Accessed 15 December 2006.
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This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in universe style Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non fictional perspective June 2008 Learn how and when to remove this message This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources Mage The Ascension news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2008 Learn how and when to remove this message This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Mage The Ascension news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2009 Learn how and when to remove this message This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia s inclusion policy June 2019 Learn how and when to remove this message Learn how and when to remove this message Mage The Ascension is an urban fantasy tabletop role playing game first published on 19 August 1993 by White Wolf Publishing Set in the World of Darkness it was influenced by the mechanics of another game from the same publisher Ars Magica Mage The AscensionRevised Edition coverDesignersStewart Wieck Christopher Earley Stephan Wieck Bill Bridges Sam Chupp Andrew GreenbergPublishersWhite Wolf PublishingPublication19 August 1993 ed 1 December 1995 ed 2 March 2000 Revised Edition 23 September 2015 20th Anniversary Edition GenresModern MysticismSystemsStoryteller System Contents 1 History 2 Game setting 3 Rules and continuity 4 Reception 4 1 Awards 5 Reviews 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory editFollowing the success of Vampire The Masquerade Mage The Ascension was released as the second of four games within White Wolf s shared universe The inaugural edition was launched by White Wolf Publishing at the Gen Con Gaming Convention 1 2 on 19 August 1993 marking the first chapter of the Mage series A second edition followed in December 1995 3 4 with a revised edition released in March 2000 5 In 2005 White Wolf Publishing merged with CCP Games and following company layoffs in October 2011 White Wolf s Creative Director Richard Thomas founded Onyx Path Publishing to continue publishing tabletop role playing games 6 7 Onyx Path Publishing later introduced the 20th Anniversary Edition of Mage The Ascension in September 2015 8 representing the game s fourth iteration Game setting editMage The Ascension is set in the fictional Gothic Punk World of Darkness a reflection of contemporary Earth with the inclusion of magical abilities The metaplot of the game involves a four way struggle between the Technocracy Marauders Nephandi and Nine Mystical Traditions The playable characters are a part of the Nine Mystical Traditions The plot is based on a violent war directly between factions Rules and continuity editThe game s core rules are similar to those in other World of Darkness games and similar fantasy tabletop role playing games A rulebook outlines the game s setting and provides players with tips on managing a successful run Like other storytelling games Mage emphasizes personal creativity and that the game s powers and traits should be used to tell a satisfying story One of Mage s defining characteristics is its system for describing magic based on spheres It is a relatively open ended toolkit approach to using game mechanics to define the bounds of a given character s magical ability A character s magical expertise is described by the allocation of points in the spheres The various spheres sigils are in whole or in part symbols taken from alchemical texts 9 10 The game organizes magic into nine spheres Correspondence Entropy Forces Life Mind Matter Prime Spirit and Time each with different affects and characteristics in game Reception editAdam Tinworth of Arcane gave Mage The Ascension s second edition an 8 10 calling it good for those who enjoy involved and challenging games He noted that while it could be difficult for new players to grasp the game s background develop their style of magic or figure out how the magic worked the game play system itself would be easy enough to understand 11 Mage The Ascension was ranked 16th in the 1996 reader poll of Arcane magazine which determined the 50 most popular role playing games of all time The magazine s editor Paul Pettengale commented Mage is perfect for those of a philosophical bent It s a hard game to get right requiring much of thought from players and referees alike but its underlying theme the nature of reality makes it one of the most interesting and mature role playing games available 12 Awards edit In 1994 Mage The Ascension was nominated for Casus Belli s awards for the best role playing game of 1993 and ended up in fifth place 13 Mage The Ascension 2nd Edition won the Origins Award for Best Role playing Rules of 1995 14 Reviews editDragon No 202 February 1994 Shadis 27 May 1996 Pyramid for Second Edition Revised 15 Rollespilsmagasinet Fonix Danish Issue 12 Mar Apr 1996 16 Envoyer German Issue 27 Jan 1999 17 See also editList of Mage The Ascension books Sphere Sigils from Mage The AscensionReferences edit Varney Allen December 1994 Role playing Reviews Dragon No 212 TSR Inc pp 90 91 McLaughlin Tom May 1993 Get ready here comes the 1993 Gen Con Game Fair Dragon No 193 TSR Inc p 83 White Wolf Casus Belli in French No 91 Excelsior Publications February 1996 p 14 Mage The Ascension 1 56504 400 2 2000 Release Schedule White Wolf Publishing Archived from the original on 3 March 2000 Retrieved 27 December 2020 Gaming Industry Innovators CCP and White Wolf to Merge GamesIndustry biz 13 November 2006 Retrieved 16 March 2024 Frequently Asked Questions Onyx Path Publishing Retrieved 16 March 2024 Now Available Mage The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition 23 September 2015 Mage The Ascension Tabletop Game TV Tropes Retrieved 26 April 2024 Latin terms obtained from The alchemy website s copy of symbols from Medicinisch Chymisch und Alchemistisches Oraculum Ulm 1755 Accessed 15 December 2006 Tinworth Adam April 1996 Mage The Ascension 2nd Edition Arcane 5 Future Publishing 62 63 Pettengale Paul Christmas 1996 Arcane Presents the Top 50 Roleplaying Games 1996 Arcane 14 Future Publishing 25 35 Trophees Casus Belli 1993 du jeu de role Casus Belli in French No 80 Excelsior Publications April May 1994 pp 16 17 1995 list of winners Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Archived from the original on 4 May 2009 Retrieved 14 January 2014 Pyramid Pyramid Review Mage Second Edition Revised Anmeldelser Article RPGGeek Mage The Ascension Article RPGGeek External links editOnyx s Path s Mage Page Wayback Machine archive of White Wolf s Official Mage page GURPS edition Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mage The Ascension amp oldid 1222838555 Council of Nine Mystic Traditions, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
