CrossDox

This is just a guideline to how I, Cross' Player, handle paradox with Cross. You are welcome to join me or laugh at me.

When do you earn Paradox?

Follow the Mage Chart guide on coincidental, vulgar, vulgar with witnesses, and botches. It is exactly what I do. Sometimes, if I am doing -exceptionally- vulgar things, I will double the amount or increase it by some other variable that I see fair. (Example: Iron Avatar rote, or erasing someone from existence, etc.)

When do you get back lashed? Within a round or two of EVERY instance that you gain paradox. If you earn paradox, it hits you next turn. That is my rule. I don't two rounds unless its -dramatic-, in combat, I take paradox damage/backlash on the following round every time to avoid conflict with PCs. How does getting back lashed work? Damage If the paradox is below ten, +roll paradox vs 6. Take the result in soakable bashing. If the paradox is 11-15, +roll (paradox + -10) vs 6. Take the result in LETHAL. (I know it says it can't be soaked, but it follows with 'as usual'. If you can soak lethal, soak this) If the paradox is 16-20, +roll (paradox + -10) vs 6. Same as above. If the paradox is 20+, +roll (paradox + -10) vs 6. This specifies aggravated damage, and again states unsoakable. If you have a way to soak agg, I disagree. I've never reached this high.

So! Take the damage result. No matter what you soak, you LOSE the amount of successes on the damage roll in paradox. This means that when you get to around 11 paradox, that is VERY hard to get rid of. You only roll 1 dice! The other 10 sticks around and makes your life a living hell. Why is it a living hell you ask? Flaws. Flaws are the terrible, terrible crippling nemesis of Paradox. The damage sucks, but the flaws are what will end you.

Flaws The book is EXTREMELY inconsistent with the 'Trivial, Minor, Moderate, Severe, and Drastic' flaws description, as compared to what is on the Paradox Chart. Because the chart talks in hard numbers, I am taking that for determining what effects happen where, and taking some liberties with the below description. Because I am a player that likes to limit myself, I am always harder then the book says I need to be on myself, to err on the side of caution.

Minor Flaws (1-10 paradox) - Anywhere from a 1-3 difficulty penalty that will last for a number of rounds equal to your paradox. If its over 5, I'd consider making it a number of minutes equal to your paradox. - It can be a headache that makes it hard to think, shaky hands, uncontrollably shivering, chattering teeth that makes talking impossible, etc, etc. Not truly debilitating, but can add up. Moderate Flaws (11-15 paradox) - Like minor flaws, but 4-6 points in difficulties and can last for days or -weeks-. - Include bizarre things, like exuding waves of alternating hot then cold, unable to speak, struck dumb at random times, etc, etc. Severe Flaws (16-20 paradox) - Incapacitating flaws. Difficulty increases so high as to make certain acts impossible. Losing your face and all senses, for examples. Rendered into a coma. - These are strange, noticeable, and perhaps even dangerous to others. A forces Mage might find his skin burning with fire that doesn't harm him, but sets thing on fire. Drastic Flaws (21+ paradox) - You really shouldn't go here. You can permanently lose abilities and attributes, many tasks become impossible, changes can be permanent and character-altering. By the virtue of getting his high you are well into risk3 territory.

Some examples of how to handle paradox situations. Example: Cross rolls a