Mage/Backgrounds

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The following Backgrounds are available for Mage PCs:

All Mages

Allies Demesne Legend Past Lives Retainers

Alternate Identity Chantry Destiny Fame Library Rank Sanctum Wonder

Arcane Cephalomorph Contacts Dracomorph Familiar Companion Mentor Requisitions Sauromorph

Avatar/Genius Cetaceomorph Cult Dream Influence Node Resources

Traditions Only

Demesne Legend Past Lives Retainers

Blessing Chantry Destiny Sanctum Wonder

Arcane Contacts Familiar Companion Mentor

Avatar/Genius Cetaceomorph Cult Dream Influence Node Resources Secret Weapons

Technocracy Only

Backup Demesne Enhancement Legend Past Lives Retainers Spies

Alternate Identity Chantry Destiny Fame Library Rank Sanctum Wonder

Arcane Cephalomorph Dracomorph Familiar Companion Mentor Requisitions Sauromorph

Genius Cetaceomorph Cult Dream Node 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

"Alternate Identity (background)" Fake driver's license One supporting document Reasonable set of supporting documents Established identity Fully supported identity with history, government documentation, alibis and witnesses

The Alternate Identity background (1 to 5 dots, The Bitter Road 113) is for presenting an alternate identity to mortal society. Mundane research into the supporting paperwork requires Intelligence + Investigation vs (3 + background level) to identify it as fake. Note: If you are a supernatural (i.e. a Vampire/Immortal) that changes identities every 20 years or so, you are not required to purchase this background. This background IS required for EVERY PC that is trying to support more than one mortal identity at the same time. To take this on your sheet in chargen, you must use this syntax: +selfstat Alternate Identity (background)=# Otherwise you will get on your sheet what is below. The Alternate Identity merit (3 dots, Guide to the Camarilla 76) is for presenting an alternate identity to a supernatural faction. (House rule: 2 dots to pass as a different clan/etc. within your actual faction, 1 dot if passing as something low-status like Caitiff/Pander.) This is NOT GUARANTEED to hold up under the scrutiny of other PCs, and if it doesn't then you will not receive a refund of any sort. Some factions, including but not necessarily limited to the Camarilla and Gaian Garou, pro-actively investigate every single new PC as a matter of course. To take the merit on your sheet in chargen, you must use this syntax: +selfstat Alternate Identity=3 You may not need either of these. See Alternate Identity house rules for full details.

Arcane

• WW4600 Mage: The Ascension (Revised) pg. #118
• 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
• See +rules Arcane for more details.

Avatar/Genius

• Avatar: WW4600 Mage: The Ascension (Revised) pg. #118
• 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
• Requires a +note to say what Avatar appears to your Mage as
• Technocrats call it "Genius", otherwise works the same.
  • Genius: WW4014 Guide to the Technocracy pg. #176

Backup

• Guide to the Technocracy pg. #179-180
• Restricted to Technocracy. Approved at Staff Discretion.
• Represents a # of low-level nameless operatives at your disposal.
  • Generally last-minute assault squads, lab techs, media personnel, co-pilots, drivers, office staff, servants, even prostitutes. Whatever it is, it should be described in a +note.
  • What type is available depends on the Convention/Methodology of the PC.
    • All: Students, drivers secretaries, couriers, lab techs, political activities, emergency medics, simple thugs.
    • Iteration X: Manual laborers, machinists, cyborg "temps," mechanics, soldiers.
    • NWO: Un-Enlightened constructs, cops and detectives, commandos, reports, hookers, clean-up crews.
    • Progenitors: Basic clones, gang members, doctors, dioconstructs, and slightly Enhanced humans (count as "temps").
    • Syndicate: Personal assistants, gofers, hookers, gang members, corporate toadies, body-dispoal specialists.
    • Void Engineers: Space marines, pilots, technicians, SF fans.

Backup
	2 basic sympathizers
	4 basic sympathizers, or 2 skilled "temps"
	6 sympathizers
	8 sympathizers, or 4 "temps"
	10 sympathizers

Blessing

• Guide to the Traditions pg. #212-213
• TBA

Cephalomorph

• Progenitors Revised pg. #76
• TBA

Cetaceomorph

• Progenitors Revised pg. #78
• TBA

Certification

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

Chantry

• Guide to the Traditions pg. #215
• Generalized to Home Base for other types of PCs. See +rules home base for full details.
• Adding New Members: Adding a new member requires a majority of the current members to agree, it should not be unilateral.

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 pg. #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 pg. #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

• Mage: The Ascension (Revised) page 121
• A +note is required to list where it is kept.

Your character has access to a great wealth of information. This "library" may take the form of books, old scrolls, computer databases, or even of friends who have it al lin their heads and who are happy to share it with you. Most importantly, you character can access this information whenever she wants and study it at will. The knowledge contained in your character's library can include both mundane and occult elements.

Libraries are especially useful in unearthing new lore. Sphere knowledge or specialized information. Use a Mental Attribute + Library roll to look up information regarding an arcane or obscure topic. Success helps your character in such an endeavor (which could justify spending on other traits).

Library
	You've got some New-Age paperbacks.
	Your library is 90% pulp and 10% substance.
	You have numerous useful texts.
	You have an enviable collection, both occult and mundane.
	You can access lore, lost secrets, common wisdom and obscure facts.

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