I can buy that because they’re living in a World of Darkness and there is some crazy stuff going on there. The implied argument being that though we’ve raised the standard of living for individuals since the Middle Ages, it hasn’t made anyone happier and the Technocracy exploits people much more than the Traditions ever did. All of the traditions are groups who reject the mainstream way of thought, because that’s what being a mage in this modern world means. There is a sub-theme in the game of the stagnation of the corporate, developed world: anti-modernism, if you will. Eventually this Technocracy wins in convincing the world that these new beliefs are better than the old ones and they continue progressing science, but this being the World of Darkness, things go horribly wrong. When a group of people who could bend reality to their will (ie: mages) decided to instead build a new set of rules not based on the traditions of older cultures, the scientific movement was born. So in the High Middle Ages, the supernatural existed because of the belief in them. Mage the Awakening was written to be Ars Magica in the modern age, with the added idea that human paradigms actively shape reality. Magic, sorcery and alchemy work and supernatural creatures like faeries, djinni and angels exist. Mark Rein-Hagen (Vampire: the Masquerade) and Jonathon Tweet (Everway, D&D, 13th Age) published Ars Magica in 1987, the setting was a historically based version of Europe in the High Middle Ages where the common beliefs and superstitions were literally true. And its essential theme of modern mages working within society to achieve a higher plane of existence is still 100% in tact and central to the premise.īefore there was even a World of Darkness, the game that would become Mage was in its infancy. That’s not an un-fair assessment, but just because Awakening is a much different game doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Many critics of Awakening complained that while the other two “main” lines of the World of Darkness got a re-vamp (pun intended), Mage got a re-imagining. The switch to the new World of Darkness was contentious as well. Players who liked Second Ed were upset by the changes, though there are many people who prefer Revised.
The change to Revised Edition got rid of a lot of the archmages and horizon realms, cut back the war with the Technocracy and re-focused the game on the daily life of mages.
Second Edition Mage (the Ascension) was pretty wacky, with alternate dimensions and hidden astral planes and onieronauts.
By Luke Turpeinen 4 Guide to the World of Darkness, Part Three (Mage)Ĭhoosing which version of Mage to play is probably the most contentious argument you can have with fans of the World of Darkness. While the split between classic and new Mage is a large one, the divisions existed before as well.
0 kommentar(er)
