Mage: The Ascension

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Mage: The Ascension
Revised Edition cover
DesignersStewart Wieck, Christopher Earley, Stephan Wieck, Bill Bridges, Sam Chupp, Andrew Greenberg
PublishersWhite Wolf Publishing
Publication
  • 19 August 1993 (ed. 1)
  • December 1995 (ed. 2)
  • March 2000 (Revised Edition)
  • 23 September 2015 (20th Anniversary Edition)
GenresModern Mysticism
SystemsStoryteller System

Mage: The Ascension is an urban fantasy tabletop role-playing game first published on August 19, 1993, by White Wolf Publishing. It is set in the World of Darkness universe.

History[edit]

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 first chapter of the Mage series was launched by White Wolf Publishing at the Gen Con gaming convention[1][2] on August 19, 1993. 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. 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[edit]

Mage: The Ascension is set in the fictional Gothic-Punk World of Darkness, a dark reflection of contemporary Earth infused with magical abilities. The metaplot of the game involves a four-way struggle between the Technocracy, Marauders, Nephandi, and Nine Mystical Traditions. Players create characters who are members of the Nine Mystical Traditions.

Rules and continuity[edit]

The game's core rules are similar to those in other World of Darkness games and fantasy tabletop role-playing games. A rulebook outlines the game's setting and provides players with tips for managing a successful game.

Like other storytelling games, Mage emphasizes personal creativity and uses the game's powers and traits to tell a story. A key feature of Mage is its magic system, based on "spheres," which offers an open-ended approach to defining a character's magical abilities. A character's magical expertise is described by allocating points to different spheres. The various spheres' sigils are, 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 in-game effects and characteristics.

Reception[edit]

Mage: The Ascension received positive reviews for its deep narrative and innovative gameplay mechanics. The game is praised for its high-quality writing and emphasis on character development. Realms of Fantasy noted that "White Wolf has the best written manuals in the business" and highlighted the game's strong narrative focus and character-driven gameplay.[11] The review also commended the game's open-ended magic system, which allows for a high degree of player creativity.[12]

However, Mage: The Ascension also faced criticism for the lack of rules for normal human characters, which some players found limiting.[13] Despite this, the game's flexible magic system and rich storytelling have made it a favorite among fans of the genre.

Adam Tinworth of Arcane gave Mage: The Ascension 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 gameplay system itself would be easy to understand.[14]

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 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."[15]

Awards[edit]

  • In 1994, Mage: The Ascension was nominated for the Casus Belli award for the best role-playing game of 1993, finishing in fifth place.[16]
  • Mage: The Ascension, 2nd Edition, won the Origins Award for Best Role-playing Rules in 1995.[17]

Reviews[edit]

  • Dragon No. 202 (February 1994)
  • Shadis No. 27 (May 1996)
  • Pyramid for Second Edition Revised[18]
  • Rollespilsmagasinet Fønix (Danish) No. 12 (Mar/Apr 1996)[19]
  • Envoyer (German) No. 27 (Jan 1999)[20]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Varney, Allen (December 1994). "Role-playing Reviews". Dragon. No. 212. TSR, Inc. pp. 90–91.
  2. ^ McLaughlin, Tom (May 1993). "Get ready—here comes the 1993 Gen Con Game Fair!". Dragon. No. 193. TSR, Inc. p. 83.
  3. ^ "White Wolf". Casus Belli (in French). No. 91. Excelsior Publications. February 1996. p. 14.
  4. ^ "Mage : The Ascension (1-56504-400-2)".
  5. ^ "2000 Release Schedule". White Wolf Publishing. Archived from the original on 3 March 2000. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Gaming Industry Innovators CCP and White Wolf to Merge". GamesIndustry.biz. 13 November 2006. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions – Onyx Path Publishing". Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Now Available: Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition!". 23 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Mage: The Ascension (Tabletop Game)". TV Tropes. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  10. ^ Latin terms obtained from The alchemy website's copy of symbols from Medicinisch-Chymisch- und Alchemistisches Oraculum, Ulm, 1755. Accessed 15 December 2006.
  11. ^ "White Wolf Rewrites the Book of Magick". Realms of Fantasy. Sovereign Media Co. October 1996. p. 70.
  12. ^ "Mage the Ascension, 2nd Edition". Realms of Fantasy. Sovereign Media Co. June 2000. p. 74.
  13. ^ "Mage the Ascension, 2nd Edition". Realms of Fantasy. Sovereign Media Co. June 2000. p. 74.
  14. ^ Tinworth, Adam (April 1996). "Mage: The Ascension 2nd Edition". Arcane (5). Future Publishing: 62–63.
  15. ^ Pettengale, Paul (Christmas 1996). "Arcane Presents the Top 50 Roleplaying Games 1996". Arcane (14). Future Publishing: 25–35.
  16. ^ "Trophées Casus Belli 1993 du jeu de rôle". Casus Belli (in French). No. 80. Excelsior Publications. April–May 1994. pp. 16–17.
  17. ^ "1995 list of winners". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  18. ^ "Pyramid: Pyramid Review: Mage Second Edition Revised".
  19. ^ "Anmeldelser | Article | RPGGeek".
  20. ^ "Mage The Ascension". {{cite web}}: Text "Article" ignored (help); Text "RPGGeek" ignored (help)

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mage:_The_Ascension&oldid=1223909678#Council_of_Nine_Mystic_Traditions."