Mage: The Podcast
By Mage: The Podcast
Mage: The PodcastJul 04, 2020
Strange Peoples in Mage: Space Squids, Umbra Squids, and Mantis People
Strange peoples lurk at the edges of the World of Darkness. How do we add them to our games? Pook and Terry talk the Sekrana, Chulorviah, The Watchers in the Deep, the Wyck, and other early humans.
BOOKS!
- Last Days of New Paris - A novel that imagines a surreal Paris overrun with manifestations of surrealist art.
- The City & The City - A detective story set in two cities that occupy the same space but are perceived separately by their residents.
- Perdido Street Station - A fantasy novel set in the sprawling city of New Crobuzon, filled with bizarre creatures and arcane technologies.
- Psionics Handbook - A resource book for the Dungeons & Dragons game, detailing psionic powers and characters.
- Teratology - An exploration of monsters and mythical beings from Invisible Sun
- Book of Gehenna - A dark fantasy book exploring the mythologies of the end of the world.
- Nim Chimpsky - A chimpanzee raised as a human child to test language acquisition
- 2001: A Space Odyssey - A classic science fiction novel that explores themes of evolution, technology, and consciousness.
- Sphere of Gun - A book that probably shouldn't exist
Reality Deviant Book Club: Books of Magic
Mage draws upon sources both ancient and modern, what can they teach us about our games? Pook and Adam talk Books of Magic, the four-part series by Neil Gaiman for DC Comics in this installment of Reality Deviant Book Club.
[FIXED] Strange Peoples in Mage: Fae Beings, Djinn and Robots
The World of Darkness has all sorts of non-human peoples, how do we add them to Mage? Pook from Changeling the Podcast joins to talk about the Fomorians, Tuatha de Danaan, the Goro, Dero, Firstborn and the Djinn.
Sphere of Gun book
Types of Conspiracies in the World of Darkness
The World of Darkness is full of supernatural conspiracies, but who falls in with them and how can we use them in our games? Jordan Etherington joins to talk methods and pitfalls when adding creeping conspiracy to your game.
RPGs at PAX Unplugged with Mike A and Pooka G
How do we crack D&D's hegemony? What would a better World of Darkness convention experience be? What fun stuff did we find? Mike A of Darker Days Radio and Pooka G from Changeling the Podcast talk PAX Unplugged
Games we mention:
Tomes of Magick: Mapping Werewolf's Umbra
Werewolves see the Otherworlds differently with different senses, different passages, and possibly different places. Adam and Terry talk Umbra, Umbra Rev and W20 Umbra from the Scar to the planetary court.
Axis Mundi - A big book of spirits for Mage and Werewolf
Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - First Werewolf Umbra book
Umbra (Revised) - Revised edition Werewolf Umbra book
W20 Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - W20 Werewolf Umbra book
Tomes of Magick: Werewolf Umbra Books
Werewolves guard against mages raiding their caerns for quintessence but no one can stop us from raiding Werewolf books for story ideas! Adam and Terry talk Umbra, Umbra Rev and W20 Umbra from Chaos Stones to the Kami.
Axis Mundi - A big book of spirits for Mage and Werewolf
Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - First Werewolf Umbra book
Umbra (Revised) - Revised edition Werewolf Umbra book
W20 Umbra: The Velvet Shadow - W20 Werewolf Umbra book
Planetside: The Void Engineers on Earth
The Void Engineers get pigeon-holed as the Convention of space marines and voidships, but that's just one part. Bryce and Terry talk about what the Void Engineers do on Earth and how to run planetside VE stories.
Making Sense of Paradigm, Practice, and Instruments
M20 was a leap forward in how a character does magick with focus but how do we bring instrument, practice, and paradigm alive at the table? Charles Siegel walks through optional systems, high level explainers, and his reference work, Prism of Focus.
Tomes of Magick: M20 Victorian Mage
M20 Victorian Age describes a world on the cusp of modernity steeped in gaslit mystery. Pook and Terry talk the perils of the straits, the intrigue of empire, and odd magicks re-emerging after centuries.
M20 Victorian Age Mage - This book
The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War - Book that discusses the rise in standard of living in the Western world
Changeling the Podcast's Discord - Organizing spot for the C30 project
Changeling the Podcast page - Their podcast!
Shakespeare's Magick England after the Sorcerer's Crusade with Nathan Foxgrove
What does magick look like in Shakespeare's England with Dee as Elizabeth's court astrologer and Walsingham's spies everywhere? Nathan Foxgrove joins to talk Navalon, the last skyriggers, and the Book of Oberon.
Book of Oberon - Reconstructed grimoire
The Fairie Queene - Looooong poem dedicated to Elizabeth
Monas Hieroglyphica - John Dee's glyphs
Real World Magic Texts with Brian Johnson
Kurt Andersen's Fantasyland - Book about why America is weird
Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, Vol. 1 - Book on settlement of the British in the US
Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650 - Big book of reformations
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - Tom Stoppard play
The Sultan and the Queen: The Untold Story of Elizabeth and Islam
Dark Eras: Requiem for Regina (Vampire: the Requiem, Changeling: the Lost) - Chronicles Dark Eras setting in Elizabethan England
John Dee and the Empire of Angels: Enochian Magick and the Occult Roots of the Modern World
Dreamcatchers book for Hunter - Discussion, not the text
Advice for First-Time Storytellers with Walking into Shadow
Mage is an intimidating game to run, so besides the rules, what to keep in mind when you start? Simon from Walking into Shadow and Terry talk recommendations to get a game a Mage that won't fall apart in one sitting.
Links!
Exploring the Deep Umbra in Werewolf and Mage with Hal Case
The Deep Umbra is vast and dangerous but full of wonders. So how do you get there? Hal Case, author of Umbral Pilots for W20 and M20, talks spirit-powered spaceships, plasma klaives and Garou/Mage relations.
Umbral Pilots - This book
The Shipyard - The expansion for the book
Dead Ends - Book of liches
Convention Book: Void Engineers - Rev resource on Mage Space
Arcanum House on FB
Arcanum House on Instagram
Rage across the Heavens review on WtP
Reflections and Plans: 2023 in Review
WEIRD EPISODE! First a little bit on how 2023 went for Mage the Podcast then a lost conversation with Noah H of The Story Told on Chronicles of Darkness and RPG art.
Noah around places:
Reality Deviant Book Club: Sandman
Sandman is one of the most highly lauded comic runs to have ever been published, what can we take from it for our games? Pook and Adam discuss mood, inspiration, and TS Eliot in this edition of Reality Deviant Book Club.
The Annotated Sandman, which was a late 90s/early 00s passion project to capture as many internal connections and external references as possible, issue by issue.
TXT archive from an earlier version of the website
Vertigo released their own very expensive series with the same name, with "proper" annotations, but... using the power of the early internet to situate and discover the series' intertextuality felt a lot more magical.
Tales of Hungry Ghosts: Updating Kindred of the East for Mage
What dies may not stay dead. Driven by hunger, vengeance or piety the Hungry Dead have rare knowledge and potent powers mages be drawn to. Hsien joins to talk their work in rewriting Kindred of the East.
Kindred of the East: The Relentless Age - This book
Kindred of the East - The original
Hsienfan on RPGnet - The author
Tomes of Magick: The Quick and the Dead
When death isn't the end, what strange things can Sleepers get up to? Adam and Terry talk cauls, fennel swords, weird death tech, and more in the surprisingly useful-for-Mage The Quick and the Dead
Quick and the Dead - This book!
Bards, Bog Mummies, and Book of Days with PookaG
Want to have bards in your game, preserved guardians that uphold the Gauntlet, a weird holiday, or some minor Spheres? Pook and Terry talk STV books you can get right now for as little as pay what you want.
Tale Singers - Book on Bardism
Bog Bodies - Book on Guardians of the Gauntlet
Book of Days - Book on holidays and the calendar for Changeling but also good for Mage
Book of Fragments - Minor Spheres!
Tomes of Magick: Mummy Second Edition
Apophis rises, Horus prepares, and mages go "this could get interesting". Adam and Terry talk the ka, khaibit, Cabiri, Ishmaelites and the vastly expanded landscape of Mummy in its Second Edition printing.
Mummy 2nd Edition - This book!
Mummy the Curse 2nd Edition - CoD book!
Religion in Mage with James Estes - Previous episode with the author
Explaining Mage to New Players with Jen Peters (Fixed)
Jen Peters of Dork Tales joins to introduce the Paradox podcast. A well-researched right series geared towards explaining Mage to completely new players. Does it succeed? Listen and find out! An entire episode of Paradox is included.
M20 Visions and Vistas call for writers
Tomes of Magick: A World of Darkness: Mummy
Finally Adam and Terry talk deathless supernaturals in an unending war that stalk the night, mummies! A World of Darkness: Mummy contains strange creatures with strange ancient magic and we talk adding it to your Mage game.
A World of Darkness: Mummy - This book
US Route 666 - One of several
Mage/Mummy Crossover - previous episode on Mummy the Resurrection
Mummy the Cursed - Previous episode on Mummy the Cursed
Idea Generation Methods for Mage
How do you brainstorm plot threads? How do you come up with Umbrood names, McGuffin descriptions or outline NPCs? Adam and Terry walk through their processes for coming up with plot and creating Mage-sounding non-sense.
John Cleese spoke about creativity for Video Arts in January 1991.
Creativity: A Short & Cheerful Guide (book) by John Cleese
A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech, 1983 / 2008(newer)
A Kick in the Seat of the Pants by Roger von Oech, 1986
Electric Bastionland by Chris McDowall
Tome of Adventure Design by Matt Finch
The Dungeon Dozen by Jason Sholtis
Far Side Collection (newspaper comic strip)
Legends of Tono
The Classic of Mountains & Seas
Kojiki (I recommend the Donald Philippi translation)
Charles Dickens
G. K. Chesterton
Tomes of Magick: Project Twilight
Does the NWO control the CIA or the FBI? How entwined in the NSA are the Virtual Adepts? Adam and Terry talk NSA, CIA, FBI, what mages know about them and other weird 90s conspiracies in Project Twilight.
Project Twilight - This book
Mummy 1st Edition - Next book
Now, with corrected syncing!
Matching Effect to Paradigm with Satyros and Walking into Shadow
Join Satyros and Walking into Shadow for a wide-ranging discussion on matching effect with paradigm, emulating other games, minimal and maximal interpretations of the rules, and Terry just yelling about things.
Otherworlds Illuminated: A "Mage Made Hard" Guide to the Umbra is out! If you want a version without AI art, that's available here: Generative AI Art-Free Version of Otherworlds Illuminated
Tomes of Magick: Dark Ages and Sorcerers Crusade Q&A
What books do we wish Sorcerers Crusade had gotten? What do we pull from these historical settings? Should we be using pillars in the modern era? Terry and Adam answer your questions!
Chaos, Carnivals and Clowns - The Midnight Circus
What strange things exist at the intersection of Night-Folk? Why a creepy circus! Mage the Podcast is joined by Werewolf the Podcast and Changeling the Podcast to talk ancient terrors, thirsty gods...and clowns.
Midnight Circus - This book!
World of Darkness: Hong Kong - Another generic WoD Book
Mage at 30: The First Year of Supplements with Satyros Phil Brucato
Mage First Edition was a bold vision of game, but how to follow it up? Satyros provides an oral history of how Mage changed over its roughly first year from Book of Chantries to Book of Shadows.
Missions, Mysteries, and Magick: Paranormal Investigation in Mage
How do you run paranormal investigation with access to Time 2? Does anyone besides the Technocracy do this regularly? Bryce and Terry talk weird artifacts, team dynamics and investigations that make sense in WoD.
There Is No Antimemetics Division
Tomes of Magick: Blood-Dimmed Tides
Have you ever said “My game needs more boats?” World of Darkness: Blood-Dimmed Tides talks new fae, blood-sweating vampires, Hermetic boats and aquatic systems for days. What side are you on in the war between Dagon and Vatea?
World of Darkness: Blood-Dimmed Tides - This book
William Hope Hodgeson - Author of boat stories
Naval institute press copy of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Adam's recommended translation
Desperation, Drive, and Despair: Using Hunter 5th Edition in Mage
In a world rife with supernatural threats how do mortals take back the night? How do we add these actors and agencies to our games? Terry talks Hunter 5th, desperation, SAD post glow-up, and avatar lineages.
Project Twilight - Another mortal game book
The Second Inquisition - V5 book on powerful mortal groups
Hunter the Reckoning 5th - This book
Victorian Scandals & Fisticuffs and One Giant Leap for Inhumankind with Satyros Phil Brucato and John Beckwith
John Beckwith joins to talk fiction involving the Technocratic Union and the Garou Nation in One Giant Leap for Inhumankind and then Satyros talks things that didn't make it into Victorian Mage in Scandals & Fisticuffs.
One Giant Leap for Inhumankind - Fiction
Scandals & Fisticuffs - Satyros' work that didn't make it into Victorian Mage
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Wall by Pink Floyd
Minisode - Reality Deviant Book Club
Who is John Constantine and why is he in the Mage recommended reading list? Does he look like Sting? Can he help your Mage games? Pooka and Adam discuss what Hellblazer can offer us.
Tomes of Magick: Right of Princes and Darkening Sky
Dark Ages: Mage received only two formal books but Right of Princes tells how to run a Chantry and Darkening Sky provides an adventure. Adam and Terry talk domains, pooled backgrounds, eclipses, the Holy Land, and Frederick II.
Right of Princes - Dark Ages book on ruling and relating to mortals with some information on building a Chantry
Darkening Sky - A set of adventures for Dark Ages lines
Blood-Dimmed Tides - NEXT BOOOOK
Mage at 30: Early Umbra and Development with Harry Heckel
What was the early vision of the Digital Web? What was the difference between the Dreaming and the High Umbra? What's it like writing the 2nd Tradition book? Harry Heckel, early may author joins to talk early Otherworlds.
Jack Heckel Novels - Harry's writing duo
Harry Heckel on the White Wolf wiki - Other things he's worked on
Preview of Mage Made Hard: The Umbra - Preview of the next Mage publication.
Tron - Inspirational for the Digital Web
Shadowrun - Lil more inspo
Cyberpunk 2020 - The original Cyberpunk RPG...that was popular
What is Mage: The Podcast?
Welcome to Mage: The Podcast, a show dedicated to exploring the arcane depths of Mage: The Ascension! Prepare to embark on a spellbinding journey through a world where magic and reality intertwine, where mages wield unimaginable power!
🔮 Lore, Mechanics, Strategies - The Complete Mage Experience! 🔮
Venture into the vast realms of lore as we peel back the layers of Mage: The Ascension. Discover the hidden histories, the ancient cabals, and the cosmic tapestry that shapes the destiny of mages. It's a tale of mystique, intrigue, and unbridled potential!
⚙️ Master the Esoteric Mechanics! ⚙️
Delve into the profound mechanics of the game, where players take on the mantle of awe-inspiring mages. Unleash your imagination and command the Spheres of magic, altering the very fabric of existence. But beware the delicate balance of paradoxes and the fickle nature of Quintessence!
💡 Unleash Your Mage Strategies! 💡
Harness the wisdom of ages as we share battle-hardened strategies to ascend above your peers. Whether you're a diplomatic architect of peace or a volatile storm of magical fury, our insights will aid you on your journey to transcendence!
🤝 Join the Covenant of Mages! 🤝
No mage stands alone in the face of arcane wonders. Embrace the camaraderie of the Mage community, a gathering of fervent practitioners from every corner of the world. Engage in spirited discussions, exchange arcane wisdom, and forge lasting bonds with fellow seekers of enlightenment!
🔥 Ignite Your Imagination, Embrace the Mage Within! 🔥
If you yearn for a realm where reality is a canvas waiting for your sorcery, where the lines between possible and impossible blur, then subscribe to our channel and ring the 🔔 icon for all the latest enchanting episodes.
🌟 Unravel the Mysteries, Embrace the Journey! 🌟
Uncover the mystical prowess of Mage: The Podcast and immerse yourself in the enigmatic world of Mage: The Ascension!
Solstices and Seasons: Using Dark Ages Fae in Mage
The Fae of the Dark Ages differ markedly from their contemporary counterparts. Who are they and how could they exist in the modern world? Victor and Terry talk courts, re-emergence, church bells, and chaos as contract.
Dark Ages: Fae - This book!
Medieval Warfare and Dark Ages Night-Folk with Jacob Klunder
What were the Garou doing in the Dark Ages? How many vampires were there in the cities? Was warfare just knights hurling insults? Jacob Klunder of the World of Dark Ages joins to prove Terry knows nothing about history.
The World of Dark Ages Podcast - Jacob's podcast where he says things he knows
Places of Mystery and Power - Jacob's newest Dark Ages Mage publication about places where thar be magick!
Island of the Dead God - A book outlining an island, containing a dead god!
Tomes of Magick: Dark Ages: Devil's Due
The Awakened want power in a world slipping from their hands but what cost are they willing to pay? Devil's Due outlines infernalism in the Dark Ages and Adam and Terry talk investments, taints, and strange ancient evils.
Dark Ages: Devil's Due - This book
Demon: The Fallen - Contemporary Demon line
Dark Ages: Right of Princes - Next book
Dark Ages: Darkening Sky - Next book
The Vibes of the Ascension War: Affect Theory with Jordan Etherington
All factions wage a war of both magickal truth but also of vibes. How do feelings shape experiences and how does that influence magick? Jordan Etherington joins to talk affect theory, description, a subtle war and Mage.
Tomes of Magick: Dark Ages Grimoire
Dark Ages Mage peaks into a world before the modern ascension war and Dark Ages Grimoire acts as tour guide in this strange land. Adam and Terry talk Certamen, Fellowship descriptions, Familiars and so much more on Pillars.
Dark Ages Mage Grimoire - This book
Dark Ages: Devil's Due - Next book!
Conspiracy, Corporations, and Coffee Breaks: Triangle Agency RPG with Sean Ireland
Mage has space for paranormal investigations overseen by vast supernatural conspiracies, but how do build out strange events in our games? Sean Ireland joins to talk Triangle Agency, a game of superpowers, intrigue, and pathos.
Triangle Agency on Kickstarter Triangle Agency Delta Test - Pay what you want beta documents
SCP RPG - (Wasn't 5e based, my bad!)
Control by Remedy Entertainment Wiki
Tomes of Magick: Dark Ages: Mage
The Sorcerers Crusade takes place during the opening shots of the Ascension War but what came before? Dark Ages: Mage takes place in 1230s Europe. Adam and Terry talk Fellowships, Pillars, and a very strange Umbra.
Show Notes- Dark Ages: Mage - This book
- Dark Ages: Mage Grimoire - Next book
- Conversation with Stephen Michael DiPesa on writing Dark Ages: Mage
- The Portable Medieval Reader
- Amulets and Superstitions on Amazon
- Amulets and Superstitions on Abebooks
- The Canterbury Tales
Minisode - Reality Deviant Book Club: Kid Eternity
Mage lists legion inspirations; what are they are what do they inform our games? First Edition core even says, “But for pure ‘manliness,’ you can’t beat Kid Eternity.” Pook and Adam see what Kid Eternity offers us.
Show Notes- Buy the Kid Eternity Deluxe Edition on Amazon
- Kid Eternity Wikipedia entry
- Kid Eternity in the DC wiki
Running Sorcerers Crusade with Victor Kinzer
We've finished talking Sorcerers Crusade books but how do you actually run it? Seasoned Storyteller Victor Kinzer walks through his SC chronicle and the choices he made in running the game.
Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics - school of mathematics and astronomy founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala, India
Tantrasamgraha - a major treatise of the era also available here
M20 Victorian Mage - Victorian Mage core rulebook
Victor Kinzer - Victor on Twitter
Satire and Superfauna: Mystery Flesh Pit National Park with Christopher Neglein
The horrors of the World of Darkness are generally hidden but what if that weren't an option? Christopher Neglein joins to talk about The Mystery Flesh Pit National Park RPG and how to blend the cosmic with the bureaucratic.
Mystery Flesh Pit National Park RPG Kickstarter
Tomes of Magick: Witches & Pagans
What is the state of the children of the wyck across a changing Europe? Witches and Pagans is the last Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade entry and Adam and Terry talk nature magick, sacrifice, and skyclad mysticks.
Note! This one can get a little explicit.
Witches and Pagans - This book
Dark Ages: Mage - Next book!
Fearful Symmetries: The Cosmology of William Blake with Steve Dempsey
William Blake forged a dense cosmology full of spirits, emanations and proto-gods. Steve Dempsey, author of Fearful Symmetries, guides us through Blake's life, mythology, and magic societies that you can drop into your game.
The Dying Earth - The RPG Steve didn't write
Urban Shadows: Dark Streets - Expansion for Urban Shadows
Blood on the Snow - An expansion for Hillfolk
Fearful Symmetries - This book
Bob Schnoblin's Pyramid of Satanic Power - Greatest single page in White Wolf
Night of Enitharmon's Joy - Creepy painting
Ancient of Days - Baller painting
The Folklore Engine generator - What it says on the tin
Shotguns v Cthulhu - Another Steve publication
Mechanic Workshop Minisode: Magick Merits with Monica Speca
In this mechanics minisode, Monica Speca, Exalted, Scion, and Trinity Dev joins to help Terry workshop some ways to make magick in Mage a little bit quirkier. Regular episode will be out this Saturday!
Tomes of Magick: Order of Reason
Order of Reason posits a bold and inventive direction for treating the pro-Technocracy in the Sorcerers Crusade era. Adam and Terry talk 50 guilds, the labyrinth of the Order and cutting edge kite technology.
Order of Reason - This book
Witches and Pagans - Next book
ST Toolbox: Game, Chronicle, and Character Tenets
How can you quickly establish mood and tone in a world new to the players but familiar to their characters? Victor and Terry talk chronicle and game tenets and how to use them to dial in the game your table wants.
Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition - a game with coterie and character principles
After the War - A game where principles are hit points
Urban Shadows - A game with very clear game tenets
Root - MURDER