Mage: The Ascension
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 Revised Edition cover | |
| Designers | Stewart Wieck, Christopher Earley, Stephan Wieck, Bill Bridges, Sam Chupp, Andrew Greenberg |
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| Publishers | White Wolf Publishing |
| Publication |
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| Genres | Modern Mysticism |
| Systems | Storyteller System |
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.
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 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[edit]
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 continuity[edit]
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 ultimately, 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, 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[edit]
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]
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[edit]
- Dragon No. 202 (February 1994)
- Shadis #27 (May 1996)
- Pyramid for Second Edition Revised[15]
- Rollespilsmagasinet Fønix (Danish) (Issue 12 - Mar/Apr 1996)[16]
- Envoyer (German) (Issue 27 - Jan 1999)[17]
See also[edit]
References[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.
- ^ "Trophées Casus Belli 1993 du jeu de rôle". 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".