Mage/Backgrounds

The following Backgrounds are available for Mage PCs:

Allies Backup Certification Demesne Enhancement Legend Past Lives Retainers Spies

Alternate Identity Blessing Chantry Destiny Fame Library Rank Sanctum Wonder

Arcane Cephalomorph Contacts Dracomorph Familiar Companion Mentor Requisitions Sauromorph

Avatar Cetaceomorph Cult Dream Influence Node Resources Secret Weapons

Allies

• One NPC per dot, or fewer but more powerful NPCs. Allies can have influence, besides jobs/hobbies/nefarious things that they can do. You should list them with following in a +note:

1) Who are they?

2) What do they do for a living?

3) What do they do that is specifically of interest to you? List any specific abilities.

4) How did they become your Ally?

5) How do you keep them as one? (i.e.: Do you pay them by the job? Do you have leverage? Were they your sister's brother's cousin's ex-roommate? Were you on the same t-ball team for 3 years? Did you save them from drowning once?)

6) Do they have a specific influence and what level?

**DO NOT MAKE HUGE PARAGRAPHS TO NOTE YOUR ALLIES. Just the bullet points with relevant details.**

• Only one Ally can be called upon per month. Allies cannot be set for watch actions.
• When you wish to engage one of your Allies to do something, please list in the +request which Ally, and how you will approach them/pay them/make the ask to do what you need done. Depending on that, staff will decide whether a +roll will be needed.
• Unlike Retainers, Allies can just refuse to do something, and can be lost. Use of their actions can also be caught by others, if engaging in some sort of influence back and forth.
• What happens when using an Ally is subjective to the situation and is all up to Staff Discretion.

Allies
	One ally of moderate power
	Two allies or one more powerful ally
	Three allies or a combination of more powerful allies
	Four allies or a combination of more powerful allies
	Five allies or a combination of more powerful allies

Alternate Identity

• The Bitter Road page 113
• TBA

Arcane

• Add dice to your Stealth rolls
• Subtract dice from Perception or Investigation rolls against you
• Can be consciously dampened
• Does not apply while you're directly involved in combat or otherwise acting conspicuous

Avatar

• Can hold Quintessence up to this level without Prime
  • Holding more requires Prime 1
  • Taking more on your own requires Prime 3
• Can gain Quintessence up to this level by meditating at a node
  • Perception + Meditation vs 7 once per hour, gain 1 per success
  • Limited by the strength of the node
• Can spend up to this many dots of Quintessence per effect roll

Backup

• Guide to the Technocracy pages 179-180
• TBA

Blessing

• Guide to the Traditions pages 212-213
• TBA

Cephalomorph

• Progenitors Revised page 76
• TBA

Cetaceomorph

• Progenitors Revised page 78
• TBA

Certification

• The Bitter Road pages 113-114
• We use the "License to..." merit (Guide to the Technocracy page 165) instead

Chantry

Guide to the Traditions page 215. Generalized to Home Base for other types of PCs. See '+rules home base' for full details.

Contacts

• One major NPC per dot, plus some minor NPCs. You should list them with following in a +note:

1) Who is it?

2) What can this major NPC do for you?

3) What do you need to do in return for this?

4) What sort of minor NPCs come with it?

5) How are those minor NPCs connected with the major NPC?

**DO NOT MAKE HUGE PARAGRAPHS TO NOTE YOUR CONTACTS. Just the bullet points with relevant details.**

Cult

• When purchasing this background, it is required to set a +note stating what sort of people are members of your cult. This can be as generic as "Mechanics" or "Members of the local YMCA", etc. No need to name names, or stat them out. Just what attracts them to YOUR Cult to be a benefit to YOU.

Cult
	3-7 people
	8-12 people
	13-17 people
	18-22 people
	23-27 people

• When casting a ritual with the entire cult gathered, add one success per dot.

Demesne

• Guide to the Traditions pages 216-217
• TBA

Destiny

• When facing death that goes against your destiny, roll Destiny vs 8 and regain 1 Willpower per success

Dracomorph

• Progenitors Revised page 79
• TBA

Dream

• Once per day, meditate on a subject
• Roll Perception + Dream to determine the strength of your insight
• Once per day after meditating, on an ability roll pertaining to that subject, substitute Dream for the ability

Enhancement

• Guide to the Technocracy pages 180-182
• TBA

Fame

• The Bitter Road pages 114-115
• TBA

Familiar Companion

• Forged by Dragon's Fire
• Familiar Companion stats

Influence

TBA

Legend

• Guide to the Traditions pages 219-220
• TBA

Library

TBA

Mentor

• The more dots, the more powerful they are. Please set a +note for your Mentor with the following:

1) Who is it?

2) What do they mentor you about?

3) How did you find them/get them as your mentor?

4) Where are they generally located/found?

Mentor
	Knows little of import
	Noteworthy information
	Significant secrets
	Extraordinary knowledge
	If they don't know it, probably no one does

Node

Node
	1 Quintessence per week, 1 Tass per month
	3 Quintessence per week, 2 Tass per month
	6 Quintessence per week, 3 Tass per month
	10 Quintessence per week, 5 Tass per month
	15 Quintessence per week, 8 Tass per month

• A mage may have access to multiple nodes.
• Large nodes (4+) are limited and subject to staff discretion.

Past Lives

• Guide to the Traditions page 220
• TBA

Rank

• The Bitter Road pages 115-117
• We do not allow this background

Requisitions

• Guide to the Technocracy pages 182-183
• TBA

Resources

TBA

Retainers

• One NPC per dot
• See +rules retainers, and Retainers for all the details for writing them up in a +note.

Sanctum

• Guide to the Traditions pages 220-222
• All effects following your paradigm are coincidental
  • If a normally vulgar effect reaches outside your sanctum (e.g. Correspondence), it suffers Paradox normally, though you do not
  • If a normally vulgar effect is cast and then moved outside your sanctum, it erodes quickly
• All effects following a conflicting paradigm are vulgar
• Does not further reduce difficulty
• Each dot provides either size or location-specific Arcane, not both

Sauromorph

• Progenitors Revised page 80
• TBA

Secret Weapons

• Guide to the Technocracy pages 183-184
• TBA

Spies

• Guide to the Technocracy pages 184-185
• TBA

Wonder

TBA