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Revelations
Many thanks to everyone who voted, and commented on the last post and in the satellite discussions on our forums, rpg.net, SomethingAwful and 4Chan. And even the one person posting on Giant in the Playground (like the Eye, I’m always watching). It’s exciting to see how many people are taking an interest in the Fallen World Chronicle, and I look forward to talking to any of you who come to GenCon. Don’t be shy – I’ll have as much of the book as exists with me for you to leaf through.
To keep you updated on our progress – drafts are starting to roll in for both the Chronicle Book and the attendent fiction Anthology. We’ll see increasing amounts of mechanics in these blog posts – and the choice this week is between two things I have a draft for, so we’ll really start to dig into the details.
That’s this week, though. Last week’s choice ended up closer than I thought it would, but Mage Sight won out.
—
In a game about mysteries, Mage Sight represents searching for clues. It’s the mechanics of a Mage character’s insight into the world, and one of the ways a player’s choice of Path affects her character.
Mage Sight is now also tied up with the Supernal World — while the “Supernal Realms” have been described as other dimensions in the past, we’re going to be much clearer in this edition that the Supernal is everywhere. The Aether is in every thunderclap, every wire, and every time a human approaches the divine.
Mages call the world of magic they unveil with Mage Sight “The Supernal World”, and reserve “The Supernal Realms” for the experience of interacting with symbols devoid of Fallen Reality, something which only happens in Awakenings and, in theory, Ascension. The Fallen World lacks magic, but is a Lie. Under that Lie is the Supernal World, where the concrete and abstract mix. The abstract by itself is the Supernal Realms.
Mage Sight comes in three levels of awareness.
Peripheral Mage Sight is the default—the baseline awareness of the strange all Awakened have. It used to be called Unseen Senses, but as that continually caused confusion with the Supernatural Merit of the same name, we’re changing it. Every mage experiences her Periphery in a different way, linked to her Path and Nimbus. Many don’t experience it through literal sight, but as one of the other senses.
Under Peripheral Mage Sight, a mage can sense the presence of any supernatural effect that is not masked. Any form of concealment magic defeats it without a Clash of Wills, but any other power or ability alerts the mage. The mere presence of supernatural creatures doesn’t trigger it, only the use of powers—a ghost will go unnoticed as long as it stays in Twilight form, but as soon as it spends Essence or uses a Manifestation, mages in the vicinity know that something just happened. Mages sense the presence of continuing effects like magical wards or spiritual possession until the effect ends or they leave the area.
Active Mage Sight is the next level, the mage deliberately opening her senses to the Supernal World. By default, this allows a mage to perceive the symbols of everything relating to her Ruling Arcana, and any other Arcana she knows at a cost of 1 Mana each.
The experience is interpreted and filtered through the Mage’s soul into her mind as hallucinations and sensory effects – an Obrimos using his Mage Sight might see electricity glittering in the wall cables, see a halo of authority around the leaders of groups, and feel the burning, life-giving power in sunlight. The result is confusing or even overwhelming for new mages not used to it, and presents such an overload of information that it’s hard to make out details.
What active Mage Sight does do is make glaringly obvious what was only a feeling of something strange in Peripheral Sight, as long as it can be seen in the Arcana used. A Mage using her Sight can see the Nimbus of other mages when they cast spells, active spells (both those being cast and those already in effect – the old edition had only vulgar spells visible, but it’s all magic now), and the presence of supernatural entities and inactive items and Merits that are covered by the Arcana used, even if in Twilight. For example, Fate Sight will pick up on the presence of destinies and fate-cursed objects even if those curses haven’t triggered.
Concealment magic only works against active Mage Sight if it protects against the full battery of a mage’s senses — an invisibility spell that warps light will not mask a living human from a Thyrsus’ Life senses, but a vampire’s mental “ignore me” field, or a spell that uses Prime to hide its signature, will work. Even then, a Mage whose Sight includes the appropriate Arcanum for the concealment power (such as a Mastigos for the vampire or an Obrimos for the cloaked spell) gets a Clash of Wills roll.
The downside of Active Mage Sight is the distraction factor – it imposes a -2 dice penalty on attribute and skill rolls – and how wearing it is, requiring a willpower point per scene after the first if it’s kept up.
The next level is Focused Mage Sight, where the mage concentrates her awareness on a particular subject. The hallucinations and sensory artifacts deepen and become more obvious, which mages describe as seeing into the Supernal World. The Obrimos isn’t looking at the world interpreted through the Aether any more, he’s looking at the Aether in the shape of the world — the walls are straining, barely holding back the power coursing through the cables, strange mandalas are visible in the heart of the sun, and the leader is decked in chains of office.
Mana and other sources of magical power are now visible, and the Nimbus of other mages (as well as the mage using Mage Sight) are visible all the time. Supernatural powers including attainments are visible, where only their effects were if covered by the Arcana earlier (for example, a Fire Spirit using its Influence to start a fire will show up under Forces in Active Sight, and both Spirit and Forces in Focused Sight). Clash of Wills rolls to see through concealment effects of the Arcana involved now grant the rote quality to the mage’s roll.
Once focused, a mage can scrutinize the subject of his Sight for information, and spend Mana to assist the attempt. Mages have discovered that when Mana is released rather than used, it doesn’t simply vanish but dissipates along invisible lines and whorls like blood in water. A mage using Focused Mage Sight can spend Mana and watch the shapes it makes – shapes that magical runes are based on, and which can provide details about the phenomena at hand. Mechanically, Scrutiny is an instant dice roll, with Mana spent adding successes after the main roll is successful the same way weapons do for damage. This allows players to “bid for clues”, knowing that it won’t be a waste of time.
We’ll give Storytellers advice on how much information to give out in Scrutiny rolls, including a mechanic whereby if information is necessary for the plot to move forward, all but one point of Mana spent on Mage Sight is refunded at the end of the scene.
Focused Mage Sight increases the penalty for nonmagical dice pools to -3, and every Turn after the mage’s Gnosis in Turns requires a Willpower point, but going this deep into the Supernal World is dangerous. Every so often, mages catch sight of one of the Supernal’s inhabitants while Focusing – our Obrimos might see an Angel – and keeping Focused too long increases the risk of a hostile entity taking an interest. While a mage is focused, Supernal beings don’t need to be summoned into Fallen reality to use their powers on him, even if they still can’t physically touch him. Once you notice them, they notice you.
—
Next week, we’ll take a detailed look at one of two major sections of the magic system. Both have been semi-spoiled already, but we’ll show specifics, including things that we’ve danced around (what does constitute “safe” for a spell?) or not spoken about at all ([redacted]). Both are significant areas of change from the current edition.
If you choose Yantras we’ll look at all the ways magical style impacts the game – from High Speech to Dedicated Magical Tools, and more besides. Mages can cast spells by thought alone, but usually only do so in extremis.
If you choose Paradox we’ll look at how mages’ reach for power exceeds their grasp, how and where they push past what’s Wise, and what the consequences are for them and the Fallen World around them.
Comments
147 responses to “Revelations”
Awesome stuff! I think putting different types of mage sight into the game will definitely help with the investigatory themes, and he sneak peek as to how you’re approaching the Supernal in terms of the Fallen.
It’s a difficult decision, but I think I’ll have to go for Yantras
Yantras
Another great post !!
I just cannot wait to get this book… Well, I guess I have to wait a while 😉
I vote for Paradox
I’m definitely liking the dangers of Focused Mage Sight. Don’t look to close at the Aether, Icarus. Your wax pattern may melt. I’m going to have to vote for Yantras.
I’m really loving how Mage Sight is basically an embodiment of two of the Mysterium’s defining maxims: Knowledge is Power & Knowledge Has a Price.
Gonna have to vote for Yantras. Magical Style is one of my favourite things in Mage, and a topic that I feel is also very important for FWC’s reintroduction to the line.
You forget about the most important maxim of modern Mysterium:
“Magic is Alive”
Releasing mana to gather clues by studying their whorls and whirls… That’s a stroke of genius!
Cool stuff.
I vote for Paradox.
Am I the only one who would like to know more about Supernal beings? Regardless, this post gives a really good idea of the “feel” and visual for Mage – I’m stoked!
You’re definitely not the only one. This article makes me want more about the Supernal Realms proper.
Firstly: you implied Angels as Supernal inhabitants. Are these the Angels of the God-Machine or some other entity that I’m not familiar with? (I only read Mage core, so it’s possible I’ve missed something)
Secondly: Paradox!
“Angel” is also a term for inhabitants of the Aether, the patron realm of Obrimos.
In short, they’re really moralistic elementals.
And I’ll go for Paradox too.
The inhabitant living symbols of Aether have been called “Angels” since the Mage corebook, long before God-Machine Chronicle was a glint in Matt McFarland’s eye.
Much as the inhabitants of Pandemonium are called “Demons” but aren’t Demon: The Descent’s Unchained, Supernal Angels have nothing to do with the God-Machine, and don’t use the same version of the ephemeral entity rules.
You can find the fullest treatment of Supernal Entities in the Mage sourcebook “Summoners”. In Fallen World Chronicle, Supernal beings have their own seperate version of the ephemeral entities rules (they use Mana and have Arcana, rather than Essence and Numina).
Speaking of Supernal Entities getting coverage in the FWC, will summoning and using pacts to circumvent usual limits of magic be something covered in these new core rules? (i.e. will Summoners be updated into core mechanics)
Thank you for the details, Dave! Also I vote Yantras!
Mana and Arcana, huh? Cool — although Arcana seem a bit broad for this sort of thing. Arcana instead of [i]Influences[/i], perhaps; but I’d expect the Supernal Entity’s replacement for Numina to be more along the lines of Spells or Attainments: discrete magical effects rather than broad categories.
It also makes me wonder how (or if?) “ghost mages” will be handled.
Loving the new Mage Sight. This is a tough call, but I’m voting for Yantras.
Paradox!
Paradox
Oh wow this is good stuff! I really love this presentation of Mage Sight, though the thought occurred to me while reading this that Awakening might be thought of by some (probably Banishers, some Free Councilors, and most anyone that’s not a Mage) as a weird mental illness with magic as a side effect, with the added complication that sometimes the hallucinations become real and want to mess things up. That is…just so damn creepy, I love it!
I’ll cast my vote for Yantras. I’ve never really used any magical styles for my mage characters, so I’m very interested in how they work.
Super cool teaser! And for this week’s vote…. gah! So hard to pick! But gotta go with Yantras, I think.
Voting for Paradox yet again.
Was that a Secret World reference?
Yantras. I love the thought of having some sort of crunchy bits to go with flavorful casting. I used free spell aspects in my old game, but not enough people took advantage of it.
Great teaser. Question though: I get that adding Arcana to your active mage sight costs one mana apiece, but does it cost 1 mana to use just your ruling arcana for mage sight? Thanks.
I vote for Yantras.
No, it’s free.
That makes sense. Thanks!
I liked the implications in previous posts that mages, once Awakened, on some level can’t cease to sense the Supernal World (great distinction to draw with the Realms, by the way) thrumming underneath the Lie. This writeup looks to dial that back some to a state similar to “vanilla” Awakening, but there’s still hints of it in the feeling of “something strange.” Would I be right to expect a little more on that subject in the final book? It doesn’t really need more than one or two sentences, really, but I quite like the idea that even the Periphery has an impact on the lives of the Awakened, rather than being taken by players as “something that happens when somebody uses a power around you.”
Focus is great, especially with the ability of the Supernal World to reach back.
I didn’t cast my vote for Paradoxes, but somehow it ended up with them anyway. Ominous.
Yantras.
And I like the changes to Mage sight, I wanted to impose a penalty for using it all the time but my players pitched a fit.
Simply beautiful! Mage Sight is one of my favorites of MtAw and is now even more wonderful!
I vote por Yantras. Can’t wait for see what details we can get about it!
Very cool stuff. I love the steady increase of risk as the mage scrutinizes deeper into the supernal nature of things.
I vote for Yantras.
I’m going to vote for Yantras. Magical styles are probably by favourite part of Mage.
Pretty much every actual play I’ve ever read mentions how Mage Sight is by far and away the skill Mages use the most often. Like shapeshifting for werewolves, it’s almost an inherent skill, key to every Mage.
So it’s really great to see it get this kind of attention, with systems for various levels, drawbacks, and even a system for “Look, if you don’t find this out you’re not going anywhere”.
I have to go with Yantras. I’ve been long fascinated in seeing how the tools and accoutrements are going to affect magic now. I like accoutrements
Can I vote for both.
It is nice to see that mage sight is now its own thing and not a suped up unseen sense.
But want to see how mages approach magic more than overextending so going to have to say Yantras
It’s a tough choice for me, but ultimately I’m going to have to vote for Paradox.
We’ve seen what stuff looks like under scrutiny when they’re working as intended; I want to see what happens when things go wrong.
Paradox. Also, I believe it would be very important for there to be a handful of examples for each Arcana Mage Sight, otherwise it will be very hard for new players and storytellers to adjudicate. Other than that, I like the mechanic.
Hmm…learning about yantras might be nice because it’s presumably going to neatly tie in to what the blogs we voted for have been about: they’re how Mages utilize symbols to affect the Fallen with the Supernal and vice versa.
On the other hand paradox will reveal a bit about Wisdom so…
Hmm…I think the [redacted] bit is connected to yantras, so I’ll vote for Yantras
Yantras
I’d like to hear about Paradox, please.
Also – will there be clearer guidelines, at least for what material can fit into the book, over what attainments have a masked effect?
This sounds like an amazing system. Flavorful and useful.
I gotta vote for Paradox. It’s one of the major things that make this game horror and not modern fantasy and I wanna see what’s become of it.
Superb. Love that the way Mage Sight functions is now getting the more detailed treatment it’s needed.
My vote is for Paradox.
Paradox please!
Really difficult this time… Still,
P A R A D O X
Yantras!
Yantras, please.
i vote for Paradox
Yantras!!!
Yantras
Paradox, please!
Yantras please
paradox
Awesome stuff.
Question: Does Peripheral Mage Sight give you anything more than ‘something is happening’ now? That is, do you get a sense of direction or where the power is coming from, if it’s more than one power in the area, things like that, or is it still just the on/off of before? (I ask because I dislike the simple ‘on/off’ approach)
Vote: Paradox, but I don’t care too much either way.
This is a good question. As described it *seems* like it would show actor, target, and/or effect based on which sights are active, but this isn’t particularly certain.
-N
(I think “Yantra” sounds more interesting)
Yantras (or Mantras?)
Yantras!
Yantras, please.
Yantras. Definitely yantras.
Yantras, please. Supported M20 because i love the magical philosophies and toys.
I have to say, a lot of FWC has stood out to me compared to original Awakening for how much magic is being put as the forefront issue rather than Atlantis. And the Gnostic occultism being spelled out a bit more for folks who didn’t knwo that as much before. This and previous posts have made me much more interested in nMage than I had before.
As for the vote, I’m picking Yantras since I feel they’ll a bit of context to Paradox.
And stuff.
Yantras.
Juicy, juicy, crunchy.
Id like to know a bit more about the changes in casting so i vote for Yantras.
I love how Peripheral Mage Sight is basically “I sense a disturbance in The Force.”
My vote is for Paradox!
Is Mage Sight a merit, or is it a spell like I think it was in 1st edition? So Mage Sight is like a detective examining a crime scene with a magnifying glass? This definitely helps to reinforce the theme of mysteries in my mind. Is Mage Sight something that mages rely heavily on, almost like it’s a pair of glasses? They can see well enough without their glasses, but things become so much clearer while they have them on? And it must make the mage feel almost blind when a supernatural manages to slip by their sight.
I’ll vote for Paradox because I voted for it last time.
It’s what we call an Attainment, which is a broader term than what “Attainment” means in the current edition. It isn’t a spell – you just get the ability to add an Arcanum into your Sight when you buy the first dot of it.
Yantras
I’m loving the revised take on the Supernal World, it now feels more akin to how the “State of Twilight” is presented without all the confusion that came along with it.
As excited as I am for FWC, I’m going to have to be a voice of dissent on this one. I don’t quite like Focused Mage Sight, in particular.
I really love Mage’s gnostic themes, and in particular I like the distance of the Supernal. You get one taste of it, one and only, when you awaken. Everything past that point is trying to find the road back. I actually really love the idea of Mage Sight being colored through the lens of that singular experience, the symbols of that memory shining the brightest.
Just… I feel like the Focused Mage Sight takes you a little TOO close to home, like peering through the window back into your Realm. Not quite there, no, there’s still that pane of glass keeping you out… but it seems like it cheapens the momentousness of Awakening, somewhat.
That’s my only objection. Its different, a slight change to the themes of the game to me. I can live with it, and it opens some fun doors of its own (though I’m not particularly a fan of Supernal creatures, so I hope there might be other drawbacks).
My vote is for Yantras.
I feel there’s been a huge shift in what the supernal is. The world we *really* live in is alive with symbols, and that’s what mage sight can see. The world we seem to live in is inert, and that’s the Lie. Mage sight doesn’t show you the supernal *realms* however – the place where there are pure symbols, unchained from phenomena. Unless I’m wrong?
Loving the different types of Mage Sight, especially the Peripheral.
I want to hear more about Yantras, so there goes my vote.
And with that, i’m even more pleased and confident in the new Mage. So, when a Mage studies and understands new Arcana, her Mage Sight goes broader and broader to finnaly encompass all the angles of creat… ahem, all the angles of the material Lie, i want to say.
Awesome.
I’m torn between this two new options, but now that i know how to look, i want to know more details about when and how my actions will lead to the waste of the world. Paradox is my vote.
Paradox
Oh… oh *stars above* this look beautiful.
The different levels of Sight look to allow some really interesting things… The implications of Supernal Entities looking back alone opens up a great deal of possibilities.
—
I for one can’t stand to wait longer for Yantras to get shown off in, preferably, great detail.
I’m gonna stop saying I couldn’t be more excited about the Fallen World Chronicles because you keep proving me wrong week after week…
This tiered Mage Sight is way more than I could have imagined.
I love the surreal vive of both wonder and danger it inspires. The leap away from that murky “resonance” that was (more than a little) confusing, especially with Essence and spirits having something almost identical but somehow (?) different and into the realm of the symbolic is a stroke of genius.
That sensation that the Supernal is everywhere, just a step away, is a great change and the fact that it messes with your head big time… yeah, I can see how some mages go Banisher because of that.
Particularly since the average mage in the process of Awakening has much less context what’s happening to him than we, as players who have read the books, do. Imagine going about your daily routine and suddenly finding that the bottom has dropped out of the world and dumped you into a place of Wonders And Horrors, Numinous Glory And Blasphemous Monstrosity, Strange And Beautiful Phantasmagoria And Otherworldly Beasts. And so much of what you see is not at all friendly to human existence.
And there’s no escaping it, no turning your back on it: even after you get back to a semblance of “normal” reality, that alien and terrifying otherworld is hiding beneath the facade of your normal, everyday life. You can sense it. You can feel it. You *know*, bone-deep, that you might find yourself back there at any moment.
And then you meet these other guys who went through what you did, saw the things you saw, are haunted by the same certainty that it’s always there, just past the edges of their mundane lives…and these nutcases liked what they saw. They want more of it. These fleeting glimpses aren’t enough for them: they want life to be like that *all the time*. And not just for them, for *everyone*. They want the whole damn world to be plunged into that inhuman majesty and terror, all day, every day, for the rest of time.
…Yeah, it’s REALLY easy to see why some mages go Banisher.
Ops, with all the entusiasm and the living symbols dancing in front of my brand new Sight I forgot to vote (that -3 penalty…)
Let’s take a look at Paradox.
Interesting so far, though I’m not sure how enthused I am by the idea of Supernal Entities prowling around, just beneath the surface of the lie. Honestly ruins a bit of the Gnostic feel for me.
I vote Paradox because I want to see how you plan on making them actually relevant for a change.
Definitely my favourite one so far. Does Peripheral Mage Sight go “that person just cast a spell”, or merely “A spell was just cast”? Also very excited to see stuff like magical runes being based on patterns seen in Mage sight. Also very excited to see the Supernal brought closer. Also, if an angel might see you using your focused mage sight, does that mean that supernal beings are immanent? ALSO ALSO can you use peripheral mage sight to detect a mage using focused mage sight?
Yantras. Very excited. Excited.
Nice.
Gonna say…paradox. Lets see that Abyss.
Interesting so far, I’m not sure how much I approve of the implication that the Supernal is ‘right there’ or ‘in all things’, it sort of ruins the Gnostic atmosphere for me, as a big part of Gnosticism is that the ‘spark’ is only really present in humans because Sophia specifically breathed it into them, so it’s my belief that Mages, who have awakened, should be the extent of the Supernal’s presence in the fallen world, and it doesn’t belong there.
I vote Paradox because I want to see if they’ll actually be worth worrying about for a change.
I really like how this new system brings the Supernal that much closer to the everyday mage’s reality. The old description of mage sight just didn’t have that mysticality and oomph to it. Fluff besides the new rules seem very interesting, I really look forward to testing it all out.
Also: Yantras please.
Hm. interesting. Mage Sight is being refluffed as literally seeing the Supernal World, rather than just seeing the magic of the Supernal in the Fallen World? strange. but it fits the cosmology. I wonder if it means that Awakening is the first use of Mage Sight? which would mean that your bringing your perceptions into better sympathy with the Supernal, changing them to be more alike.
I vote for Paradox.
Looks like you are pulling similar ideas from FATE (or channeling them unconsciously, at least). Mage sight looks an awful lot like “The Sight” from FATE’s Dresden Files, just with more mechanics tacked on to it. Is that an intentional parallel? I would think so, since such similarities keep cropping up (Conditions being the most obvious parallel from GMC). Honestly, such similarities are why I shy away from the Chronicle Books, even if the writing is exceptional.
Yantras, Please…
I have honestly never read the Dresden Files game. I have read the books, though – and… Not really. Butcher’s Sight works by linking the souls of the wizards who look at one another. We’re drawing from the same things Butcher is drawing from.
Mage Sight is like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL8Kl-8H9k8
Or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBgbQSAImkE
Or, yes, even this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhS96GwI2Ps
Point of order: the soulgaze and the Sight are not the same thing. The Sight is what happens when Harry ‘opens his third eye’, as he puts it in the narration. (Those videos you linked to do an excellent job of getting across what this is like, which leads me to believe that Mage Sight is actually very similar.)
The soulgaze happens whenever he locks eyes with someone who a) has a soul, and b) he hasn’t soulgazed before. This happens whether or not he’s opened his third eye.
Dresden-style Sight does have one significant downside that Mage Sight doesn’t (unless you just didn’t mention it yet) which is that things seen with it *never* fade from memory; they’re always as fresh and vivid as if you were seeing them for the first time.
Just a thought, it might actually be really cool if related video clip(s) were presented with each post where possible, like how for the werewolf posts drop inspirational music with each one.
Provides an interesting contrast between the two games in terms of exploring them using different sensory information. Not sure how smell or taste would carry across through the internet though…
What you’ve disclosed about the new Mage Sight seems to follow a theme you detailed earlier: that the symbolic (Supernal) came first, and the Lie is a veneer of imperfection that covers it and hides it from the Sleeping masses. I like it.
But, following on Mr. Mattox’s and Mr. Kaufman’s comments above, I get the impression that the Supernal Realms in this edition are a lot closer than they were previously and I’m concerned about how this affects the Abyss – one of my favorite elements of the game, and an excellent menace to hold over the heads of the characters. Are the heavens really so close by that they can be seen? Has my favorite menace, my void of nothingness, disappeared?
What if, while using Focused Mage Sight, our Obrimos is just as likely to catch sight of a non-being as an Angel; who could then take form (in accordance with the mage’s Path of course, quite probably looking like said angel when it’s done) and give our mage reason to wonder if such deep scrutiny is truly wise. The Abyss is still definitely there (or not there, as you like) and threatening, but the temptation to look through it would be as strong as ever.
While I want to know how the Abyss factors into this new edition, and I think that voting for Paradox would bring me step closer to that, the Masigos in me feels the need to subvert my own desires, and the desires of those who are voting for Paradox again after last week’s failure. And so I cast my lot with:
Yantras!
The Abyss is *also* more immediate and visceral. We have Abyssal verges as well as Supernal ones, and the Paradox system… Well. Let’s see if it wins the vote.
Haven’t voted so far, and as with the other choices we’ve had, I won’t be disappointed with whatever gets picked. But I want to hear what you have to say about Yantras. Magical styles sound really cool.
Yantras!
See, I was all set to vote on Paradox again… and then you go and make me have to choose between it and Style. Well, Form over function, show me your Yantras!
So a mage can sense a supernatural effect, but cannot pinpoint it without the right Arcana?
…is there a reason for that, besides provoking the mage to frothing madness, like an unreachable itch?
Also, Yantras.
My interpretation of this is that everything in the fallen world can be seen in terms of its representation by the ten arcana. Mage sight isn’t something magical that makes everything obvious–it’s like a tool that somebody can use to look at the world in a different way, picking out how that arcana is represented in a specific situation. So, say that a mage looks upon a particular vampire who, based on a prophecy, was destined to destroy an important figure in the city. A mage using fate and looking upon the vampire might see how the strands of fate assemble around him, while a mage using death would see exactly how dead the creature truly is, cluing him into the fact that what he’s seeing is one of the undead.
That’s rather lengthy, so I hope that made sense (and that my explanation isn’t completely… off).
You’ve got it. It’s putting different filters on the world.
This is awesome! Either one sounds great, but I think I’m going to have to vote for Yantras.
Loved the teaser for Mage Sight, but one thing in the description confused me. Active Sight says that you can perceive the presence of supernatural entities, even those in Twilight, with it, but in the description for Focused Sight it sounds like you need to use Focused Sight to see the fire spirit with the Spirit Arcanum. Hopefully the final text will make the intent clear.
I vote for Yantras
Sorry, should have said “sense” – you don’t *see* anything in the Periphery, and you can’t tell different sources of supernatural power apart, just that Something happened. As using your main Mage Sight is free, most mages then immediately look into their Path. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to add other Arcana or break out the specialised unveiling spells.
Looking good–these mechanics are a nice departure from the original separation between mage sight/unseen sense/scrutiny under mage sight while really driving home how differently you can see the world based on your personal vision of the supernal. I really like the added touch with focused mage sight. I think that it really drives home how taxing, and how dangerous it can be to look that deeply at the world (tough when you’re a mage obsessed with discovering the truth).
I like both the options you’ve offered for next week, but I’ll have to put my vote with Yantras. I’m excited to see the next post!
My vote is for Paradox, and I’d be super-appreciative if there was a note about what happens when mages try to cast spells above their Arcana
Above their Arcana? Like, casting a master-level spell when you’re a disciple? That’s easy – you can’t.
If a spell is within your dots but would be *better* if you had higher Arcana dots, though, like all those spells saying “with +1 dot you can…” in the current edition, using a rote will get you those benefits.
Paradox, please.
A fine informative post.
For the next subject, I’ll say Yantras.
I really like the idea that the Supernal is directly intertwined with all of reality now instead of a supposed “more true” reality. That does make me wonder about the Abyss’s interaction with the Supernal World.
I vote Paradox
I vote for yantras
On start I must say I really like changes to Mage Sight – now it feels as discovering ancient truths it should from start. I just have one problem with it – Nimbus should be observable ALL THE TIME ( i.e. in Peripheral Mage Sight ). I know this is made to make t harder pinpoint “here is mage”, but if Peripheral Mage Sight already is saying “here is power activated, in that direction” just cool would be to see hosts of angels coming from Obrimos when he is chanting, or everything around alchemical Moros is coming in to lead. The PC alredy is knowing that “Something comes this way”, and showing “background magic” of character would only add fun and color to the game. If you stay with Focus Mage Sight for this, it will be waste of Mana and Willpower for characters to saw only “FX effects” of they enemy. Beside, as I think, Sleepwalkers will have Peripheral Mage Sight only – so they also should be able to see “this shaman is circled with handful of demons doing his biding”. Nimbus is mostly “special effects” that make a mage character really magical – I don’t see the need to hide it with very high level of Mage Sight.
As to my vote today, I will go with Paradox – I want to see the gnostic horror in new edition of Mage. }:->
Can Peripheral Mage Sight let mages see God-Machine Infrastructure and gears like Unseen Sense (God-Machine) can, bypassing Concealment Infrastructure? How about Occult Matrices?
I vote Paradox.
“Any form of Concealment power masks it”: so not Concealment projects. Any other tupe of Project will ping when it achieves Output.
I should explore this further on the forum.
Color me intrigued. Yantras, plz. :3
Yantras please, I’m interested in the High speech.
Yantras Please!
Very intriguing,
Paradox
A very fine piece of exposition so far, which gives the mythos of the Mage story a very fresh and clear presentation!
I will vote for Yantras, please.
When you say “like the Eye, I’m always watching,” is the Eye a Seers of the Throne thing?
He’s the Exarch of Surveillance and Paranoia, one of the two ruling Exarchs of Pandemonium.
Iron Seal of Space, in fact, the other Daemonic Iron Seal is the Unity, Exarch of Conformity and Obedience.
Would new divide of Exarchs based on Arcana of Paths mean that all Seers Ministers are now equal, and there aren’t “Great Ministries” and Archgenitors? Because with Unity, Eye, Father and General being Exarchs of Pandemonium and Aether it would make logical step that Mastigos and Obrimos are most popular in numbers Path in Seers, with other Paths playing minor role in they society.
I love the new rendering of the Mage Sight and the way the Supernal Realms are now depicted closer to the Fallen World. The magical styles sound interesting, but I really want to know what happens when a mage messes with the Abyss.
My vote is for Paradox.
I love the idea that the Supernal World is literally everywhere. The idea that Mages are just able to look deep enough to see it. The idea that Supernal entities can see back, and effect the Mage, is even better.
I vote Yantras.
-Kcinlive
Pair of ducks please! … wait, Paradox. That’s the one.
Wow that was totally cool, but now i have a question: how the mage sight will work with prime arcana? In the core book “supernal sight” was the most complete sight, prime still working in the same way?
I vote for paradox!
Paradox! I Realy want to know how it will work in the new system
I vote for Yantras.
Absolutely voting for Yantras. Aside from Rote Factors in Tome of Mysteries I don’t remember a Mage’s personal magical style actually *doing* much.
Everybody pretty much cast spells the same way, which some people in my group really disliked.
Looking good. Voting for Yantras.
Absolutely fantastic! I never was a fan of the old extended rolls for scrutinizing resonance so I’m glad that it’s now an instant action. Not only that, but finally Mage Sight looks a bit more “magical” than the old “I look for clues that happen to be magical” (not that the descriptions couldn’t be evocative before, but to me it didn’t really appear like the Supernal was everywhere like the books implied). Now I just hope you have the page count to include some samples of how Mage Sight is perceived depending on which Path you belong to or which Arcana you’re using.
And the fact that really looking into the Supernal World can attract all kind of things is a really good way to bring home the fact that sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong isn’t exactly a good idea in the World of Darkness (not that Mages listen to that advice, ever :P)
Now let’s hear about Paradox! ^^
I like. Yatra’s next time please.
Paradox for me.
Tough choice, Yantras! 🙂
Paradox please!
“A Mage using her Sight can see the Nimbus of other mages when they cast spells”
Is this for any spell? Or only spells that are of the same arcana being used in the sight?
My vote is on Yantras.
Yantras!
Amazing post, my hype levels are quickly approaching 9000 and will soon exceed it.
Yantras!
The use of magic is more interesting to me than the potential downsides of doing so, so I’ll vote Yantras.
Voting for Paradox.
I talked it over with my brother, and after he started with, “What the hell is a Yantra?”, we decided to stay with what we know and vote for Paradox.
Well, I’ll have to vote Yantras. Paradox is already well defined (sort of) and I prefer the narrator defining lasting effects according to the narrative of the story anyway.
Although both sound snazzy, I’mma go Yantras here.
Paradox it is.
Not unless 20 more people vote for it. 🙂
I won’t be one of those twenty. While I would like to see the new Paradox rules, I already have a general sense of what you’re doing there. I have no clue what you’re planning for Yantras; so please enlighten me.
Paradox
ParaDOX.
Yantras if you please.
I would very much like to hear about Yantras.
I am curious if there will be any changes to high speech.
Now that we know the runes are designed to mimic the patterns of mana dissipating I wonder where the spoken language originates.
I like the idea of Focused Mastigos mage sight revealing the world as a blasted hellscape Constantine (one of the best things in that movie next to Lucifer) style and the idea of demons pouncing on you out of it.
Though I can’t say I find the idea of seeing the world as a jungle with primal beasts wandering about as evocative.
A Thyrus Supernal realm would work wonderfully with the dreamspeaker legacy though…
Much as I want to see paradox, I gotta go Yantras.
Paradox after that, though, promise(unless it doesn’t come up for vote)
Paradox, sil vous plais.
Yantras
Yantras
or… you know… more about the Supernal Beings 😀
This is really awesome, guys. Keep up the fantastic work!
With that said, I vote PARADOX! 🙂