Average customer rating:
- The best game in the World of Darkness
- I wish they'd reprint this game!
- My Favorite WoD Game, Hands Down.
- This is what the game always should have been
- Not for everyone...
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Mage: The Ascension (Mage)
Phil Brucato ,
Brian Campbell ,
Chris Hind ,
Kevin A. Murphy ,
Nicky Rea ,
John R. Robey ,
Kathleen Ryan ,
Teeuwynn Woodruff , and
Allen Varney
Manufacturer: White Wolf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Brucato, Phil
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Beyond the Barriers: The Book of Worlds (Mage - the Ascension)
ASIN: 1565044002 |
Customer Reviews:
The best game in the World of Darkness.......2003-05-21
This is the best game in White Wolf's game universe. I have never played a game with so many possibilities. This book is the core rulebook for Mage the Ascension Second Edition. The book contains everything you need to understand the Mage universe. Every aspect of the game is elaborated on fully or contains enough information for you to come up with the rest of the details. The book focuses on the Traditions but there is also a good amount of information on the Technocratic Union, Marauders, and Nephandi for you to use. The worlds beyond the Gauntlet and Horizon are also touched on along with sample umbrood. With this book any game is possible. You want to play a fireball-chucking mage? No problem. How about a hacker from the Matrix? There's a Tradition available just for that. Want to play a tough martial artist who can catch bullets? There are rules for that too. This is a great book that can stand alone without supplements, unlike its revised edition.
I wish they'd reprint this game!.......2001-02-20
I really do wish they'd reprint it! Mage 2nd edition has potential! Stories can *happen* in it! It's not a bunch of gaming execs trying to squeeze a few bucks out of Vampire and Werewolf players so they can have stupid little duels to prove which kind of supernatural PC is tougher, unlike some more recent stuff! Mage 2nd edition is the *total* modern fantasy game!
My Favorite WoD Game, Hands Down........2001-01-17
Let's face it, in the World of Darkness, hope is all too rare. Vampires are abberations of the natural order whose agelessness serves only to illustrate the beauty of death. Werewolves are fighting a losing battle against the Wyrm, the spirit of active destruction. Wraiths are dead souls wishing for Oblivion. Hunters are angsty mortals with nary a clue about their benefactors' identities ... but they kill the Outsiders anyway. (Changelings I don't know, sorry.)
And among all this chaos ... the Mage stands tall, looking to Ascend.
Oh, it's not all fuzzy bunnies, being a Mage. There's pain, and death, and the rest of the World of Darkness to contend with. But Mages have something to fight for other than survival. They have ideals. (Perhaps morbid ideals, but nobody ever said morbid is wrong ...) They have dreams. And, in the World of Darkness as in our own world, the perception of reality shapes reality itself. (Okay, I play too many Malkavians in Vampire. So sue me.) This is what it means to be a Mage.
It would take far more space than I have here to explain the worldview behind Mage. Suffice it to say that Mage (at least Second Edition) is positive in outlook, with a scope that encourages the imagination. This setting focuses on wonder, pain, and Ascension to a higher state. The group Storyteller will either love this game or hate it: love because of the openness of a magic system that's actually -realistic- (okay, you Christians are probably laughing at me now - oh well), or hatred because you've just spent twenty hours of preparation on Umbral Lords and now your players just want to use the spirit world to break into a Technocracy stronghold.
When I read this book for the first time, it was almost a spiritual experience. This is what a magical RPG is supposed to be like, in my view. However, hack-n-slashers can wreak havock on the system, mainly through over-use of Forces. I find that taking Forces away entirely is the best way to deal with this nuisance ... although with a group of powermongers, perhaps Werewolf would be a better game for you.
Warning: Revised Mage takes all the wonder and hope out of the setting and leaves you with the same old gloom and croon of the rest of the World of Darkness. The developers certainly did a wonderful job of making sure that the backstory fit the rest of the WoD, but I'm rather sorry to see hope go. (Life is painful enough without vicarously living through a rotting pile of bones, IMHO.) So, I proudly recommend Mage: The Ascension Second Edition to the Real Roleplayers and Loonies out there, Revised Mage to the Real Men among you (heaven help us all), and Harvard to the Munchkins that exist like worms at the heart of every gaming group...
This is what the game always should have been.......2000-12-20
Forget Revised, this is what the game is really about. A generic setting in which you can launch a game in any time, any where, with any who. The revisions made from visionary-but-glitchy First edition make it much clearer and smoother to run.
Has everything you need to start an Ascension War chronicle (whether you want to get involved in the War or not is another matter), including details on the Technocracy, governments, secret organisations, the Umbra, the Digital Web, and a little on history.
Magick is appropriately powerful, and the game flows much more than the "crunchier" games like Vampire or Werewolf. It's a harder game than those, requiring more in the way of maturity and intelligence, but far more rewarding. And you don't have to play some kind of freaky monster.
Not for everyone..........2000-11-27
yes, I gave it five stars, and I will get to the why. But I do believe, like other reviewers, that this game might not suit everybody, and it is certainly not easy to either explain nor play without running into some quite peculiar pitfalls. I started out with RPGs when I was 12. I have read, played and "directed" at least 10 different RPG systems. Fantasy, star wars, star trek, marvel superheores (anyone whot thinks I was waaay to deep into it is absolutely RIGHT, I was positively addicted). I even wrote a short monthly column on RPGs for an "alternative culture" magazine for a while. So when my best friend and companion in roleplaying introduced me to White Wolf games (with a copy of Mage as a birthday present), I was openly distrustful. (Mages with computers? you gotta be kidding me!). However, I overcame my first impression and read it, read it and re-read it. I was hooked! What was going on with this game was REAL MAGIC! All the other RPGs I have played and directed have the same problem: magic is a static thing, confined to the stereotypes which are known by all: wizened old men, reading out of musty old books, recipes including bat dung and frog eyes. Interminable list of spells, some of them useless, some inaccessible until the characters were incredibly powerful already, and the eternal problem of mages being weak and useless once their spells were spent. Mage: the Ascension is my favorite RPG (out of, like I've mentioned, many others I've met and struggled with for a while). But, it's not for everyone. It's not a game you can throw at the players out of the blue. It's a challenging game for the Storyteller. Yes, it's White Wolf as far as the basic system is concerned, but the Storyteller must do extensive homework ,and at least skim some of the reference works and recommended further readings given by the authors (some of which, BTW, are very good). Otherwise any chronicle will look and sound bland. I agree with other reviewers in that the designers reach out for much and leave a lot of spaces and gaps: I believe this to be intentional. The flexibility implied by a game where reality is "up for grabs" does not allow any hard-and-fast rules regarding the nature of the stories or the possibilities of what the players might do. For example: the Technocracy's struggle can (in my opinion) be seen as equally "noble" than the one from the traditions, in that they can be understood as seeing themselves as protectors of humankind from "what's out there". They can also be insane megalomaniacs out for world domination, will ye or nay ye, but it's another thing the Storyteller must decide beforehand. The Traditions are another kettle of fish: in my opinion they are more guidelines than models to build characters upon. For example: the Akashic Brotherhood is way too big, attempting to encompass many different real-world beliefs in one page of description. Again in my opinion, an Akashic can be fashioned after Indian yogis or Tibetan ascetics just as they can be made to look and act like your regular action-film martial arts master. I tell my players not to delude themselves into thinking that all Akashics are bald, and assume kung-fu stances, and that not all Dreamspeakers wear loincloths and beat drums. The Avatar is another thing that most people I know who've played Mage seem not to understand. It's a great tool for the players to relate to their character and for Storytellers to keep the pace of the story in moments when the players seem to lose track of everything that's going on under their noses, but, again, if the Storyteller is not consistent with the Avatar thing, it either gets left out altogether, or the players see through it and cry foul when the Storyteller turns their Avatars on them. As for the system: I believe it to be a blessing, through and through. White Wolf's system really lets you forgo dozens o dice rolls, and its by far more "realistic" than any other RPG system in my experience. All the White Wolf books insist on it: tell stories first, roll dice only if it helps the story. Because, despite the occassional confusion in interpreting this or that (or finding stuff in the index: I agree, it's dreadful), can anybody deny that a magic system like this would be flat-out impossible to run with any other set of RPG rules? It's a great game, folks, but in order for it to be truly enjoyable and all that it can be, it does require more careful attention and input than other RPGs. Take the contents of this book as GUIDELINES, to be greatly expanded upon, and more than any other RPG let a lot of you into it. Do not be afraid to innovate, to discard what you don't like, and I venture to say that it will prove an unprecedented, exciting experience for all RPG enthusiasts, players and gamemasters alike.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Best Tradition Books so far.......2003-07-22
As an ST, I've found the Hollow One Tradition the most difficult to explain to players. This book however eases that problem. I found this Tradition book to be very informative. The Rotes included are very useful and mostly subtle. This book has given me a newfound appreciation for the Hollow One Tradition.
More than a Tradion of Goth-Mages, the Hollow Ones are about survival. Their main means of survival is to remain as unnoticed as possible.
I highly recommend this book as a necessity for a well rounded Mage game.
One of the best Tradition Books I've read.......2003-03-09
This is definitely one of the best tradition books, if not one of the best Mage: the Ascension source books, that I've ever read. While many of the rotes and almost all of the templates are lacking, the background and depth this book gives the Hollow Ones more than makes up for it.
My main gripe with the rotes provided is that some of the spheres listed for them are woefully inaccurate. As for the templates, most of them(all but two, I believe) completely violate the basic character creation rules for Mage, in that they have spheres higher than their arete.
The rest of the content, however, is amazing. It gives you an excellent feel for who the Hollow Ones are, providing so much more depth than the listing in the Mage core book gives. It takes them from being two dimensional goth kid stereotypes to being a full, three dimensional group with real motivations and desires. A definite must have.
Guide to the Goth-Mages.......2003-02-13
This book brings together all the ideas surrounding the Hollow Ones and tries to expand them beyond the 'Goth-Mage' stereotype. The book has plenty of information on history, philosophies, and rotes for the group.
The book is a good resource for players and storytellers who want more information beyond the material provided in 'Outcasts: A Guide to Pariahs'. The information is useful and is presented in a clear fashion. The cover art is great and the new spells are useful. The only things I didn't like about the book are the templates. Most of them are based off of sci-fi characters.
Despite it's efforts to show that the Hollow Ones are more than Goth-Mages, the group still comes out looking more Goth than anything else.
Customer Reviews:
Very informative.......2003-07-22
Some have complained that this Tradition Book, like many of White Wolf's books about Eastern cultures tries too hard to group them all together.
Personally, I don't think they did such a bad job of it. They DID give a brief overview of various eastern religious and philosophical beliefs. And they gave a better picture than the Karate Kid, monks or ninjas. They explain the philosophy of the Tradition in a way that is interesting (and gave me quite a few plot ideas as a Storyteller).
The book itself is well written in a style that is both informative and entertaining. The details of the Himalayan War and information about Do alone have made this book well worth the price. My only complaint is the books many references to 'Dragons of the East'.
This book is absolutely necessary if you want to have any kind of Akashic character NPC or player in your game.
Bona Fide!.......2002-10-09
White Wolf has a mediocre track record with the non-european, and is particularly dismal when it comes to India, China, Japan, Korea.
But it is not damning by faint praise to say that the author of this book, and another superb book, "Dragons of the East," has single-handedly reversed this situation and given us a marvelous, fascinating, playable look into the far east.
This book is great. It has an intricate description of Do, it has really fun, playable factions with fascinating orientations solidly within the chinese philosophical framework-- not that you have to know chinese philosophy or history to get them.
Why only three stars? I have a couple problems with the book. For one, like so many White Wolf books, it includes a great deal of in-character fiction. In fact, a tremendous amount. If you want to read fiction, that's one thing, but this is a game book, and I'm tired of White Wolf doing things this way just because they have a bunch wannabe-fiction-writers, but lack the guts and coordination to say anything definitive. This book's fiction is actually good, but darnit, it's not why I spent money for it! Every word of fiction is a waste of space, as far as I'm concerned. As far as this goes, I've half a mind to reccomend Dragons of the East *instead* of this book, because it has a lot less of this sort of thing.
Secondly, I'm protesting the decision to lump all kinds of distinct movements into one group. There's the obvious problem of putting the Wu Lung in the Brotherhood-- patently absurd, but probably dictated by a committe. Then there's the fact that we're slinging Bonn, Jains, Hinayana, Zen, Moism, Legalism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, all into one group and then insisting, as the book does, that the Akashayana Sangha isn't just a motley of unrelated groups. Yes, Zen and Han Fei Tzu had heavy Taoist backgrounds. Yes, some of the other groups were synthesized together in popular movements, in later periods. But, come on. There's material for at least four major traditions here. Worse than the Dreamspeakers, this is. So why assert that they're all of one thought?
Also, as the prior reviewer pointed out, what's up with the incessant barrage of terminology? It's cute, I mean, but it's a major obstacle to understanding.
But honestly, the book is great. Don't play an Akashic without it!
Fascinating, but sometimes bewildering.......2001-02-24
The first of the revised Tradition Books for Mage: The Ascension, this book is simply overflowing with intriguing information on the Akashic Brotherhood. The Akashayana were somewhat shortchanged in the core revised rulebook for Mage: They are stereotyped as nothing more than bald-headed monks or super-ninjas. That falls far short of the truth.
This Tradition Book includes detailed descriptions of the sects within the Akashayana, including the Li-Hai (rebels who find the stereotype of robed monks to be laughable) and even the Roda d'Oro, a non-Asian branch of the Brotherhood. An excellent set of expanded rules for Do is included. Further, the views and goals of the Akashics are explored: Those who see only self-torturing ascetics are failing to understand the point. The goal of the truly enlightened is not to punish the body, but rather to cease to be distracted by it.
Best of all, most of this information is given in the format of a beautifully written story which fills the book from cover to cover. The prose is breathtaking, and seeing Akashic students and masters as they confront a crisis definitely gives greater insight into the Brotherhood. Further, within the story, a dark secret is revealed: A war begun a hundred lifetimes ago, and which rages even today; a war that could destroy the Traditions.
Unfortunately, this book is not always formatted in an easily understandable manner. The dialogue includes many specialized words used by the Brotherhood, but often the meaning of these words does not appear until halfway through the book. This maintains a sense of mystery in the story, but can also be extremely frustrating. Further, the book often refers to Dragons of the East; if you haven't read that sourcebook, you will probably be frustrated by the frequent appearances of "For more information, see 'Dragons of the East'."
All in all, however, an excellent book. Its strengths easily compensate for its shortcomings. This book might have earned five stars, but I give it four stars because of the confusing layout. Bottom line: If you play Mage and you intend to have even a single Akashic Brotherhood character, this book is a must-have.
Customer Reviews:
The best White Wolf has to offer..........2005-11-18
Not quite sure why this revision of Mage: The Ascension scored such a low rating, this is possibly the best revision of the game available. The game is a complicated one, but if handled with creativity and drive one can easily master playing one of the greatest role playing games ever made.
Originally modeled after Ars Magica the role playing game, Mage is a tale about wizards fighting in the modern world. While it bears only some "Tradition" names in common with Ars Magica it holds its own as a solid and unique role playing game. These mages are not the pointy hat, robbed fellows you find in Dungeons & Dragons; the mages in Mage are average people with a unique ability to manipulate reality. The revised edition also brings to light an abstract thing called Paradox - reality's way of snapping back and harming the Mage for creating something out of the ordinary.
The revised edition of this game is truly remarkable and explains in detail how such things as Paradox and magic Spheres work (the mage's magic powers so to speak). Many have accused the role playing game of being too convoluted but the intelligent role player will - perhaps with some effort at first - be able to understand how Paradox works and describe it either in text or words depending on what type of RP game he or she is playing in (the same applies to Spheres).
Paradox for all intents and purposes isn't a straight forward thing, instead if the mage creates something out of the ordinary or botches on a magic role he suffers the number of paradox points mentioned in the box - this is, of course, all subject to change as the GM of a game is the final authority in what is considered "breaking the rules." Paradox is then explained. It isn't merely a force which "hurts" the mage; it is a plausible, almost coincidental occurrence which can render the mage in quite a bit of pain or... in some cases, dead. One major struggle then in mage is trying to make your magic seem like mere "coincidence" so as not to upset the forces of reality.
The magic Spheres covered in this book are excellent - in no other revision has the magic in Mage been given so much creativity - unlike any other role playing game you now have the chance to make up your own spells and enchantments. Perhaps alone worth the price of the book, the Spheres section goes over each and every magic Sphere in the game and gives you detailed descriptions of what each and every level does.
Fireballs from fire and earth shaking spells from earth? Not a chance, in this game you actually get to make your own spells - mixing Forces and Prime for instance to summon something out of the blue (the Prime Sphere, a flame for example) and propel it (a decent mastery in the Forces Sphere), which can essentially make a fireball (if you want to risk getting the effects of Paradox).
It goes without saying that this role playing game was not made for small table top groups, instead it is better played on a "World of Darkness" game online in which other players play humans, vampires, and werewolves among other things - a world in which seeming "normal" is very important. More importantly magic can be explained in lengthily prose as too can be explained the effects of Paradox whereas in a tabletop game this might be difficult.
I've read a number of complaints in reviews on how little Nephandi, Marauders and the Technocracy are covered. This is more than intentional and the reason for it should be a little more than obvious: with source books on the way, it goes without saying that White Wolf should leave quite a bit of information out. I'm /not/ a fan of this either, but Dungeons & Dragons releases books where you have to buy every single source book in order to keep up with the game, I figure White Wolf is ahead of the game by putting out a playable system every time they release a core book but require individuals to buy additional sourcebooks. (Many of the sourcebooks in D&D are also quite useless - as many D&D fans know but also know they serve as essential references with information intentionally left out of the campaign books. White Wolf's sourcebooks typically cover everything in good detail.)
As a GM in a number of White Wolf systems I'd have to suggest readers to disregard comments telling them not to pick up the revised edition of Mage as a starting point. Many of the essential game components, such as Paradox, Magic Spheres, botch rules, and other die rules are covered poorly in previous editions - while I mean no disrespect to reviewers who feel otherwise, revised is essential to play in mostly any Mage game (especially online).
Lastly one of the major complaints about this game system is that it describes the Technocracy as winning the Ascension War. If you have a problem with it, like most GMs you should create your own source material to give to players telling them of any plot/epic level changes you made. Again, everything in this game can be changed and quite easily (the effects of Paradox are not the result of the Technocracy mind you, they are instead the result of a mindset which humankind has developed... disbelieving magic, believing more in technology, a mindset which makes this game realistic).
A /substantial amount of creativity is needed on the part of the player./ It is warned at the beginning of the book that this core book should be used as a guideline only - skip that in Vampire: The Masquerade if you'd like, but in Mage it is essential for proper game play.
Describing things in depth creatively comes before any and all die rules when playing mage (if you dislike this idea than perhaps the game system isn't right for you, if you like it though, give the game a try). That being said this game cannot be played properly after simply reading over the book, it takes a long time of practice with writing descriptively or speaking descriptively should you venture to play it at a tabletop. The rewards of playing this game system are amazing though as you will be able to play something creative and unique with magical powers in a realistic world.
The only downside with the game is that it is difficult to consistently think of creative ways to play your Mage (something which is essential). While I'm sure this game will provide the you - the reader - with months of entertainment, it is possible for the enthusiasm to die down after a few years (whereas D&D games can be adapted and revised by GMs for years of Friday night game sessions... so it might be more trouble than it's worth).
Superb game all in all! In my opinion this is certainly one of the best and most creative games White Wolf has to offer!
The Mage Tarot.......2004-09-13
This item is not the Mage book. ISBN #1565044401 is The Mage Tarot deck.
I couldn't wait to see a deck published after being teased with scattered images of tarot cards in the Mage books, and this is a full deck. All 78 cards!
In addition to the spreads, and interpretations for each of the cards, the booklet lists associations with the traditions, concepts, and creatures of the "World of Darkness". There are also ideas for using the cards to aid in character creation, suggest plotlines and subplots, and more.
This deck is meant as more of a storytelling tool than as a true tarot deck, but I like it both as a gamer, and as a tarot collector.
Not Better, Just different.......2004-05-02
I remember Mage: the Ascension from it's first edition way back when, and it was a really good tabletop RPG. Players were mystic (or even technomantic, in the cases of the Virtual Adepts and Sons of Ether) revolutionaries fighting for mankind's freedom of thought, misfits championing ancient and/or fringe beliefs that could make people's lives better, protectors of cultural diversity in the face of the Technocracy's homogenizing cultural influence.
I remember Mage Second Edition, which refined all this a bit and delved more into how Mages fit into the rest of the World of Darkness. This, too, was good, as Mages are as much a part of the world as anything else.
And now there's the revised edition, the one above. The Technocracy and the spirit worlds aren't really dealt with in this book to leave space for dealing with the core rules. Yes, those things are important, but they have long since had their own sourcebooks for players interested in them. The Umbra in particular isn't discussed because starting players, given the current (as of this book's publication) metaplot, can't get there. Mages have been cut off from their friends and places of power in the spirit worlds, and are now forced to do what they had been avoiding for so long: dealing with the rest of the world on a regular basis. How do you champion individuality for an apathetic populace? How do defend freedom of thought for people who don't want to think for themselves? Is it worthwhile to aspire for wisdom, enlightenment, and personal gain while the rest of the world goes to hell in a handbasket?
This edition of Mage: The Ascension is just as good as all the others, and brings up whole new themes for players and Storytellers alike to enjoy.
Well..........2003-07-22
I run a a Mage LARP, not a tabletop. However, I have still found this book to be a valuable resource.
Where the Laws of Ascension books skim over details, this book fills in the gaps. I have no experience with the previous incarnations of this game, but I like the direction this game is going in.
This game focuses on the small changes that characters can make to make bigger changes for the world. It gives storytellers more room to take the game in the direction they want it to go in.
The Best Revision yet!.......2003-07-18
This game is a descendant of an older White Wolf Game called Ars Magica. The basic concept of this game is to posit a "reality" in which various styles and traditions of magic and technomagic exist in a world much like our own (the World of Darkness). Imagine an RPG (role playing game) in which you play the equivalent of a character like Neo from the "Matrix" who possesses the power to bend reality to your will. This game offers such possibilities. While several editions of this game are available, this latest revision makes the game more playable than all the prior versions. In this new and improved system Mages (those who can work magic) are more restricted by the beliefs of humanity, less able to interact with powerful Mages who are exiled from Earth and more able to create a world of their own. The setting has evolved with the times, modernizing it, streamlining it and putting it in line with the other World of Darkness games such as Vampire and Mummy. The game mechanics are a vast improvement and make the game simpler and more enjoyable. This is truly one of the best RPG games in the market and as a long time storyteller and player it receives my highest rating.
Enjoy!
Customer Reviews:
Level 6+ Sphere Powers.......2000-04-06
Are the only reason I can think of anyone buying this Book. The Book describes extremely powerful Mages, (In a 2nd Ed format), and uses of spheres levels 6 and 7. These powers are kind of silly, (Forces 6 can used to destroy Planets), and then the book goes on to suggest ideas for Archmage campaigns. Ancient Vampires are listed as foes for a Cabal of Archmages, among a few others. There is another book - "Masters of the Art", or somesuch which has better material, but doesn't have the brief description of the Horizon Realm detailed in this book. Or the Level Six Sphere Powers.
A good book, but not terribly useful.......2000-03-30
I initially purchased this book as an aid to an umbra-based Mage game I was running. The book gave me a few ideas, but ultimately I found it was less useful than most of the other Mage books I own.
The book is, as its title suggests, all about the history, geography, society, and politics of the Horizon Realm. It also contains a good deal of information regarding "recent" events. This information is a story unto itself and unfortunately dominates a good portion of the content. This is not to mention all the hanging questions it leaves regarding the realm itself and the Mage universe in general. My curiosity was piqued in that regard, but still I found little that I was interested in working into my games.
Horizon's entire history is detailed here. It's an interesting read, but of dubious value. The biographical information on the archmages was admittedly well-written and interesting (if a little predictable), but I personally never use someone else's characters so it was also of little use to me. This goes double for the story they slipped in between the informative bits. On the other hand, the information about the secret societies of Horizon Realm was just enough to spark ideas for entire chronicles. The geographic information was very thorough as well, including maps and detailed descriptions. Again, not something I would bother using but useful for some Storytellers.
Overall, this is just a typical setting book with a cool underlying story. Storytellers who like to know where every little thing is located and who every one of the big players is will probably find this book very helpful. Those who prefer to create the majority of their games from scratch, like myself, might not have much use for about half the content. A better resource for such people might be The Book of Worlds. Still, Horizon is, if nothing else, a fun read.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent to Average.......2004-08-15
Here's a review that isn't tainted by grudges about the game from internet messageboards or Usenet and isn't inaccurate. In other words, a refreshing change from the other three reviews.
Ascension is pretty uneven, but it is certainly comprehensive. Contrary to what the first review here says, it includes stuff from the very first supplements of the game. I had to look at my old books to understand everything, and this might be a problem. Sometimes the writers just breeze through things that must be 9 or 10 years old.
I didn't get it all the first time I read it. Unlike the other end of the world books it has five scenarios. The first one is excellent and has something to do with nearly *everything* in the game. I liked the Tenth Sphere being a mystery that bound all the Spheres together. It also talks about what Ascension might be, but it's still a big adventure. It looks like it might take a year or more to run on its own and brings back some old characters from the very first Mage books ever published. Every time I've read it it adds some new revelation. I *think* the point that it makes in the end is that everything mages struggle for *is* Ascension, and that the struggle is *supposed* to be there. It's all predestined for humanity to Ascend, so it can divide itself and learn to Ascend again, etc, etc.
I didn't like the other four adventures as much. The "Technocracy wins" scenario is a loose plan of what could happen if the Technocracy reacts to an energency by wiping out magic. Two short scenarios are about an asteroid hitting the earth, which is wierd and cool (you can talk to the spirits of the planets to try and solve it "diplomatically"!?), and one about aliens stealing magic, which is . . . kind of lame.
The last scenario is about the Nephandi taking over the earth. It's well-written, but it introduces an "ultimate bad guy" who nobody can beat and doesn't have any metaphysical elements to it. A big evil guy just beats up the planet. However, it's got a great atmosphere and lots and lots of moments for the characters to shine in a hopeless but heroic struggle against darkness. The only thing really I hated was that they have a bunch of archmages hidden away who have supposedly been sitiing on their asses in Balador for yaers and years. It's sort of stupid.
The book closes with a great chapter on how to run final, epic games and some musings on what Ascension might all be about.
Oh yeah -- the book starts with the continuation of the "Amanda" stories that have been around since the very start of the game. So much for it "ignoring 1st/2nd edition."
A letdown.......2004-05-12
After reading Time of Judgment and Werewolf: Apocalypse, I was truly looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, this product is a letdown.
The scenario concepts themselves aren't too bad, but the scenario details are where things fall apart. In one, the Nephandi and the Marauders, formerly two of the great "bad guys" of MtA, are shoved to the background in favor of a creature that was mentioned once in one supplement. Another concept--the Psychopomp--wasn't introduced until the Manifesto: Transmissions from the Rouge Council book, and yet plays a huge role in these scenarios. The end result is a bit, as one gamer put it in a forum, like reading a murder mystery and finding that murderer is a character who was introduced in the last three chapters of the book.
The other reviewers have it right: don't buy this book if you're expecting to find out what "ascension" and "the 10th Sphere" are. There's no revelation, or even a lot of guidance to defining them. And make no mistake, these scenarios are Mage: the Apocalypse, not Mage: the Ascension. This is the end of the World in a desperate, painful fashion. If you thought that Ascension was union with the Universe/Nirvana/God/Whatever (and if you've been playing since 2nd ed, you can hardly be blamed for believing this), you'd better start working on your own definition.
My biggest complaint--and I admit that it's a nitpick--is that the book is written as though all the material that came out prior to Mage Revised didn't exist. I knew I couldn't expect my fondly-wished-for final throwdown between the Technocracy and the Traditions for control of Reality (admit it--that would've made a great scenario). But to give such short shrift to those early concepts that made the game great (and, by extension, the players who've supported Mage since it came out eleven years ago) is really sad.
The one saving grace of this book (and the reason it gets two stars instead of one) is Chapter Seven: Designing Ascension. It's a toolbox for for creating custom scenarios for the end of the universe as opposed to using the ones in the book. It includeds optional rules for large-scale combat, crossover ideas for other WoD games (except Changeling! another disappointment!), and storytelling tips on how to run epic, apocalyptic chronicles.
Bottom-line: only buy this if you're a completionist, or manage to find it for dirt-cheap someplace (a used copy in Amazon Marketplace, for instance). Otherwise, borrow it from a friend and read it first before you decide to pay full price for your own copy.
Mage: the Apocalypse?.......2004-04-26
Okay, I was aware that White Wolf wanted to kill off the World of Darkness with some spectacular and pricey hardcover books, but at least with Mage I expected *Ascension* as a theme as advertised in the title - and not a handful of merely apocalyptic scenarios with practically zero chance of success for any players who might dare to brave them.
The books contains some world-shattering events which - when played out like described - would be more or less railroading the players along very narrow paths. I'm an ST (and player) who believes in giving more choices, but with most of these scenarios one is forced to stay on a path that doesn't really allow for breaking out, so STing any of this would be out of the question for me withough rewriting the stuff completely.
Ascension itself is barely mentioned at all - only two or three pages in the end of the book give some hints, but they are mostly a cop out, too.
I was utterly disappointed by this book (as with most of the Revised setting, I have to admit - I am a 1st and 2nd ed fan ^_^), and if I weren't a Mage completist who owns every single book of that gameline, I would really consider getting rid of "The Ascension"...
So I have to agree with the former reviewer - buy this book only if you are a completist, or if you liked the mood of hopelessness that was already inserted into Mage with the Revised edition.
Disappointing.......2004-04-15
as·cen·sion n.
1. The act or process of ascending; ascent.
The authors of this book need to review this definition. Without revealing anything, the stories in this are flat-out poorly considered and lack continuity-checking. In one, for example, they take the excellent work previously done changing one 'adversarial' group into a three dimensional, believable group, and in this they revert to a one-dimensional 'We're sooooo evil' group.
Another disappointing thing about this book is that they hyped the so-called '10th Sphere' - going as far as to include mention not only on the cover, but in the introduction - then it turns out that there IS no revelation about it. Rather, the '10th Sphere' is danced around as plot points.
If you're a Mage or World of Darkness completist, get this book. If you aren't, you probably should consider giving this a pass.
Customer Reviews:
Limitless Adventures.......2003-02-08
This book is a must for Mage fans interested in dimensional adventures. Whether you're a Void Engineer, Son of Ether, Dreamspeaker, a sleeper etc, this book has something for you. The book is presented as a guide by a charismatic Daughter of Ether and her associates. Not only is it an entertaining book, it also provides a tremendous amount of information on various dimensions, worlds, starships, and creatures from the Void. Story possibilities are endless. Don't hesitate to obtain a copy of this book.
Expand your worlds!.......2001-03-12
A great book which explores the different places you can meet in the Umbra. I specially loved this book because it lets you get your Mages in whole new universes, where rules can be as twisted as you can devise. It also brings information about what Mages seem to know about more obscure subjects, such as the Dark Umbra (Shadowlands) and Maya (The Dreaming), and even information about the worlds beyond the Horizon, which can become a very interesting setting for a chronicle (a deep space etherite exploration vessel chronicle anyone?).
The style is also great, resembling a scientific article compilation made by Alexis Hastings, etherite extraordinare, with the colaboration of several of her contacts. Each section is written by an "expert" in that area.
Game Book, or snippets of bad fiction?.......2000-02-29
While the folks at White Wolf have always been a little guilty of playing hack-fiction-writer when they should have been writing a gaming book, the book of Worlds takes the cake. The artwork is mediocre as well. A large majority of the material therein is covered elsewhere better.
Just plain incredible..........1999-06-10
A note to players: This book is not for you. There is nothing, at all, in this book that it would benefit you to get. Unless you're a Mage storyteller, don't so much as TOUCH this book. Got it? Unless there's no chance you'll ever be involved in an Umbral campaign. Got it?
Beyond the Barriers: The Book of Worlds is an absolutely incredible Storyteller's resource for everything lying within the Umbra, for any of the WoD games, not just Mage. Unlike its partner Umbra: The Velvet Shadow for Werewolf, it actually covers the entirety of the spirit realms, not just one layer. Mages usually involve themselves most in the Astral/High Umbra and the Horizon Realm, and both these are described, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Shadowlands and Tempest of Wraith are in here (the Low Umbra), as are the Middle Worlds realms that the Garou are familiar with (but only those that mages have some business in, and from a willworker point of view; for example, the Abyss, Aetherial Realm, and the Cyberrealm are all presented, but they're known to mages as the Chasm, the Aetherian Reaches, and Dystopia), and even the Dreaming of the Changelings is put in its place among the other spirit realms. But in this book, you also find the Hollow Earth, Technocracy outposts on the moon (Darkside Moonbase), in orbit on the opposite side of the sun from earth (Autocthonia), and even a Dyson Sphere the Void Engineer's 'created' around one of the Centauri suns. Each planet in the solar system, the asteroid belt, and a bunch of moons are described, as are the Shard Realms they coexist with and the Shade Realms they reflect on earth's Horizon.
A very comprehensive, coherent, and in-depth work; absolutely fascinating material, and very useful. Between the Barriers is presented almost completely as an in-character narration from a bunch of different sources; there are two main writers (a Daughter of Ether and an Orphan Technomancer) who are compiling a traveller's guide to the Umbra, and they call in a bunch of other mages to write about topics in their specialty (a Euthanatos to talk about the Shadowlands; a Celestial Choruster
about the astral Heavens and Hells; an ex-Void Engineer to blab about Technocracy realms). The bulk of the book is flavor text and descriptions with very little rules (applying too much system to the spirit realms kills the mystique and bogs down the experience), and what rules are needed are presented in an appendix in the back. An awesome, awesome book.
Customer Reviews:
Fresh Gear For Technomancers.......2003-06-10
The Sons of Ether and the Virtual Adepts are two very interesting Traditions, but the material provided before this book barely touched on the gear they used to battle their former colleagues in the Technocracy. The first edition Technocracy books had a lot of neat gadgets included in them, which really gave players and storytellers a feel for what they do. One can learn a lot about a society by studying their tools. Though the Tradition books written for the Sons of Ether and the Virtual Adepts were entertaining to read, there was little mention of specific gear, thus there was a large hole in their cultural development. The Technomancer's Toybox remedied this problem. This is a no nonsense book about the devices (talismans) of the Virtual Adepts, Sons of Ether, Technocracy, and other technically inclined cliques (mostly Cult of Ecstasy). Split into their own sections and narrated from the viewpoint of a Virtual Adept, level 1 to 5 and unique devices for the groups were presented.
The whole hacker-mage angle of the Virtual Adepts was played up in their section. Most of their devices were centered on computer technology and compact gadgets. There was also an emphasis on being elite, which was expected. Overall, the Virtual Adepts have some nifty gear that would make any reality hacker proud.
The Sons of Ether section was very entertaining. The outlandish gear of the Etherites ranged from silly to deadly. They have many weird gadgets such as rollerblades that can go faster than most cars, death rays, soul-bonding suits, pulp hero lightning guns, and more. This is fantastic and enjoyable chapter.
The Technocracy chapter was unlike the Virtual Adepts or the Sons of Ether. The masters of Reality have gadgets that are often coincidental to the public. Most of the gear presented here were from the New World Order, Iteration X, and the Progenitors. There was a focus on equipment used by field agents on Earth rather than in alternate dimensions. The Void Engineers had a few gadgets detailed in the chapter but the Syndicate normally doesn't make high-tech gear so there was little mention of their devices. The equipment in this chapter was very interesting and further pushes the big conspiracy image of the Union. There were lots of spy equipment, weapons, vehicles, stuff Fox Mulder fears, and others. The gear featured here are very useful. There was an emphasis on usefulness over style.
The chapter that dealt with the other technomancers had gear used by other Traditions, Naphandi, and Marauders. There were some disturbing devices shown here. Even Dreamspeakers use devices and the one presented in this chapter deviated from their norms.
The Technomancer's Toybox is a very good book. Not only does it flesh out two Traditions and three Conventions of the Technocracy beyond their source books, it was also entertaining.
A great source of ideas (for stroytellers).......2000-11-24
This book is a great addition for the storyteller in general. Players may even use it, but you, the master of the world is the one to really explore it. In a few words, this book, and specially the rare artifacts in it, gave me great plot ideas, and not only for a technocratic based chronicle, but all kinds of ways. The weird item section is a great source for dealing with marauders, nephandi and some disconnected mages. Another good thing in the book is that, with it, you can control the "overpowered" kind of player, you know, the one that spends every xp he got on ways of busting .... Put a X-14 A Thunderhead on his face and see what happens... good to shut some mouths... In short, it's a great source book, note the best of them all, but a good one. But be wise to what you give to your players. And a recomendation: never ever let a player got the technocratic exo-skeleton. Believe me, you'll regret it.
This book ROCKS!!.......2000-10-02
This book has one of the most comprehensive list of Devices that White Wolf has ever made! Not only that, but It is written in the view piont of a Virtual Adept who rocks!
A Chicken In Every Pot, A Ray Gun In Every Bag.......2000-03-28
This book is perfect for the storyteller who wants to run a heavy technomancy chronicle. It contains great in-depth descriptions of sundry items of mass delerium and minor destruction. Hail the Void!
A great book, for those who love the Technomancers.......2000-03-26
This book gave me new faith in the enginuity of the Mage: The Ascension rpg. It helped me put my chronical back on track. It added the Villans that every one looks for in a chronical and did a good job at it. If you love the technomancers then this is the book for you. If you just starting Mage this is a must buy
Customer Reviews:
More than a bunch of religious fanatics.......2003-07-22
I have found this Tradion Book to be written in a style that is as entertaining as it is informative.
This book gives excellent information about the many factions and religions that comprise the Celestial Chorus. It also helps to despel the stereotype about the Choristers being a group of fundalmentalist Christians.
If you have any Chroisters in your game or even if you are considering having a Chorister in your game, I highly recommend acquiring this book.
Customer Reviews:
Some Nice Stuff for Second Edition.......2002-11-29
Another decent book written for second edition, but that could easily be adapted for revised, this book focuses on the Crafts: small (usually culturally connected) groups of Mages who choose to ignore all four sides in the Ascension War. However, unlike the Hollow Ones, many of these Crafts are pretty cool.
The first section covers the Bata'a, a small craft practicing Voudon, Santeria, Candomble, Hoodoo and other related religions. Based mainly in Haiti and other parts of the Carribean, they stood aloof from all outsiders. There is a nice glossary of Voudon and Bata'a related terms, so you shouldn't get too lost. Great detail is given to Voudon cosmology, including various Loa. There is also a bit of detail concerning the Bata'a's cultic organization, Voudon foci and symbolism, and the Bata'a's ongoing war with the Followers of Set. Sample rotes, Wonders and information on Zombis as Companions is included, and can easily be adapted for revised. The sample character, "Damballah's Daughter" is pretty cool, but not terribly original.
The next group, the "Sons of Knowledge" didn't particularly interest me. They are a group of alchemists formerly members of the Solificati, the "outcast" Tradition. This section goes into Mage history and metaplot, as well as giving a brief overview of alchemy, some alchemical foci and symbolism, sample rotes, Wonders and homunculi. Following this was a section on the Hem ka Sobk, an obscure Egyptian cult following the crocodile god Sobk. Unable to access certain Spheres, and united by a divine purpose, they stand alone in the world (although they do maintain some connections with the Ahl-i-Batin, Mummies and even Mokole). Of all groups, they are the most original, and most intended for ST use. Their section gives alot of detail on Egyptian thoughts on magic and such.
Another chapter covers the Kopa Loei, a Hawai'ian Craft made up of Ali'i (chieftens), Kahunas (priests and shamans) and enlightened adventurers, fishermen and explorers. Deeply connected to the land of Hawai'i, even maintaining relations with the Rokea (were-sharks) and Menhune (Hawai'ian fae), the Kopa Loei continue to carry a strong connection to the Gods themselves.There is a Hawai'ian glossary so you won't get lost in the front. Lots of details are given on Hawai'i's troubled history and continued exploitation by Haole, along with details on historical Hawai'ian society, common foci for all castes, descriptions of the Gods, sample rotes (pretty cool ones too), some Wonders and notes on animal Companions. The sample character, a reformed thug, is pretty decent, but not too surprising.
The Sisters of Hippolyta, modern amazons devoted to healing, were nothing too original. The section focused on their communal organization and matriarchal pagan magics. Some sample rotes, Wonders and animal companions are given, but nothing too new or interesting. They are followed, ironically, by the Knights Templar. YES! Another secret society for the World of Darkness. Exploring Christian mysticism, secret societies and modern day knights, this was a very unique chapter. The sample rotes are pretty martially oriented, as are the Wonders and animal companions. Neat chapter overall.
The next two chapters focus on warring Chinese Crafts. The first, the Wu-keng, are all-male transvestite shamans and peasant wizards who fell to infernalism long ago. Now, unknowingly led by demons, these "Subtle Ladies" practice their dark (but subtle) magics against their rivals the Wu Lung, imperial wizards of China. These proud wizards, almost akin to Chinese hermetics, draw on elaborate rituals, alchemy, ancestor worship and so forth. Unfortunately, like alot of other ancient Chinese customs, they have been displaced from modern Maoist China. Both sections are particularly unique, although I like the irony presented by the Wu-Keng myself, as they don't even realize they now serve demons. Probably the best written infernalist in Mage.
The one thing to remember if you use this book in Mage is that the revised setting has changed quite a bit. The Technocracy has eliminated most of the Crafts. The Children of Knowledge were forced to join the Order of Hermes as House Solificati. The Wu Lung threw their lot in with the Akashics to preserve China's culture. Many, though not all, of the Knights Templar joined their brothers in faith, the Celestial Chorus. The Hem Ka Sobk were corrupted by unknown forces. And the Bata'a and Kopa Loei joined with the shamans of the Dreamspeakers.
Over all, however, this book does an excellent job of providing organization and philosophy for these groups. Plus, some groups (like the Knights Templar, Hem Ka Sobk and Sisters of Hippolyta) can proove useful for Mummy (or other Mid-Eastern centered) games. I recommend this book, but only if you intend to focus heavily on one of the groups or beliefs in this book.
Possibly the Best Mage book.......1999-08-29
This is perhaps the best book in the entire series of Mage books-- makes one wish that the entire spectrum of factions within the Mage setting were handled this way. The depth of paradigm and the combination of innovation and accuracy in looking at mystic groups it portrays, including Alchemists and Imperial Chinese Sorcerers, makes it very worthwhile.
Well done, but of limited use........1998-11-04
Let me make this clear: I liked this book. I really did. But. Whilst the attention to detail and background on the magical groups within is, typically, lush, I can't help but wonder of how much use this book would be overall. A good half of the Crafts listed only operate within the specific national boundaries of their countries, and whilst getting the player magi out of the country once or twice isn't hard, they don't exactly have a lot of replay value. That aside, there is much to recommend this one. The Templars and the Eaters of Sins in particular make great adveraries or unexpected allies, and the wily GM could find much guidance in the formation of his own Crafts. If you're not desperate to buy anything else, give it a shot; it's worth a read.
The book of Crafts is an excellent expansion!.......1998-09-02
This book is one of the best in the Mage line; it's got lots of great background data, and really unique new character types based on various world mythologies and practices! The authors really did their homework on this one!!!
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