Unisystem Mage

Tyler Dion
[email protected]
Version 1.4
February 27, 2008
Contents
1 Introduction 1
Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
So Whats in This Document? . . 2
2 Characters: It Takes All Sorts 2
True Mages . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Sorcerers (AKA Hedge Wizards) . 3
Sleepers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3 Qualities and Drawbacks: A Slight
Flaw in Your Character 3
Avatar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
True Mage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4 Skills: The Best At What You Do 4
Awareness (Special) . . . . . . . . 4
Cosmology, AKA Umbral or Di-
mensional Navigation (Special) 5
5 Metaphysics: By Your Will Be
Done 5
True Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Creating Magical Effects . . . . . 5
What Happened? . . . . . . . . . 6
Damage and Duration . . . . . . . 6
Paradox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
An Example of Play . . . . . . . . 7
Permutations of Magic . . . . . . 8
6 Summary Tables 8
7 Special Thanks 9
8 Document History 9
1 Introduction
This document presents an adaptation of
Mage: the Ascension concepts and mechan-
ics to Unisystem rules, with particular em-
phasis on the version of Unisystem presented
in WitchCraft 2nd Edition. Mage: the Ascen-
sion and the Storyteller rules systemare prop-
erty of White Wolf Game Studio. WitchCraft
and Unisystem are property of Eden Studios.
This conversion is purely an homage to two
very fun games and their respective authors
and publishers, written out of respect and ad-
miration. It is in no way intended as an in-
fringement on any involved properties. It
must be distributed freely and without charge.
1
Unisystem Mage
Goals
Our primary goal in this conversion is to
present a viable alternate rules set for play-
ers of Mage who are dissatised with some
of the more eccentric characteristics of the
Storyteller system the various botch rules,
the dice pool mechanic, etc. To that end, we
want to replicate the magic system presented
in Mage: the Ascension Revised as faithfully
as possible. With the baseline established,
we will present occasional sidebars on how to
tweak things to your liking. We also encour-
age readers to enact their own modications
to suit the needs of their individual games.
Entirely secondary to that goal is mak-
ing True Magic an option for those wish-
ing to incorporate its mechanics or ideas into
other Unisystem games and settings. Be fore-
warned: True Magic may not always bal-
ance properly with other Metaphysics, as
that was not the primary intention. As the
saying goes, try before you buy.
Thirdly, this is an evolving document. We
hope to improve the mechanics with testing
and suggestions from you, our readers. So
please feel free to make constructive com-
ments and criticisms.
So Whats in This Document?
Overall, Storyteller and Unisystem inter-
change pretty well. Stats use the same one
to ve scale, as do skills and metaphysical
abilities. If we havent mentioned some-
thing here, like a particular Storyteller-based
skill or ability, it probably ports to Unisys-
tem without any trouble. Also, we wont
get into the setting or concepts behind Mage.
There are so many interpretations of the game
that trying to insert our own into this conver-
sion would both be impossible and hinder our
main objective of providing alternate rules.
The essence of the game remains whatever
you choose to derive from the source mate-
rial.
What we cover in this conversion are those
things that dont cleanly travel from Story-
teller to Unisystem, or vice versa, such as
casting effects with the Unisystem mechanic
and certain sticky elements like Avatar and
Quintessence, respectively.
2 Characters: It Takes All Sorts
True Mages
True Mages possess Awakened Avatars,
which allow them to perform what has been
variously called True Magic, dynamic will-
working and Enlightened Science. An Avatar
is part spirit-guide and part catalyst. It en-
ables the Mage to bend reality to her will, but
also motivates and pushes her to attain her
ultimate potential: Ascension, whatever the
GM wishes to dene that as.
True Mage characters get 15 points to dis-
tribute among Attributes, 10 points for Qual-
ities (and up to 10 points in Drawbacks),
25 points for Skills and 30 points for Meta-
physics. For obvious reasons, Mages must
purchase the Gift and True Mage Qualities.
The Gift is what denes them, and is the ba-
sic prerequisite for their other metaphysical
abilities.
2
Unisystem Mage
Option: For high-ying super-mage action, you
may wish to consider using the Greater Gifted
character type and its higher point totals for True
Mages (see The Book of Hod or Armageddon: the
End Times 2nd Edition). Furthermore, the En-
lightened Human Quality would put True Mages
on par with the supernatural creatures presented
in Armageddon.
Sorcerers (AKA Hedge Wizards)
Sorcerers, sometimes called Hedge Wizards,
are characters who practice linear or static
magic. To make up for their lower occult abil-
ities, Cast Members who select this Type are
more accomplished in other areas. Although
they are weaker in the area of Metaphysics,
Sorcerers have higher Attributes and skills
than their more supernaturally-adept counter-
parts.
These characters are less likely to attract
the attention of supernatural beings except
when they actually use their special abilities.
They have a better chance of living a rela-
tively peaceful existence, although their pow-
ers will often lead them into trouble.
Sorcerers start out with 20 points for At-
tributes, 15 points for Qualities (and up to 10
points in Drawbacks), 30 points for Skills and
15 points for Metaphysics. Sorcerers must
buy the Gift Quality.
In WitchCraft terms, sorcerers are every-
day Gifted magicians. A game mixing True
Magic as another variety of magic in general
really doesnt need to make this distinction.
Sleepers
Sleepers have no supernatural skills whatso-
ever. They may nd themselves disadvan-
taged in the world of Mage, because they lack
the ability to face (and in some cases even
perceive) many of the dangers that hide be-
neath the shadows of reality.
Sleeper Cast Members should be extraor-
dinary individuals (perhaps with a few At-
tributes near or at the human maximum),
whose great physical or mental prowess al-
lows them to be of assistance to their Gifted
allies and friends.
Sleepers start out with 25 points for At-
tributes, 20 points for Qualities (and up to 10
points in Drawbacks) and 35 points for Skills.
They get no points to buy Metaphysics (and
cannot buy any with extra points gained from
Drawbacks), nor can they purchase many of
the Supernatural Qualities.
Note: Sleepers as detailed here are the same as
Mundane PCs in WitchCraft. They are extremely
capable, possessing both high Attributes and ex-
tensive Skills. GMs desiring Sleeper characters
more in line with those presented in Storyteller
Mage can start with the Sleeper guidelines pre-
sented here and removing 10 points from each cat-
egory, perhaps even 15 if Sleepers are particularly
less impressive than True Mages and Sorcerers.
3 Qualities and Drawbacks: A
Slight Flaw in Your Character
Some Backgrounds, Merits and Flaws are
best implemented as Unisystem Qualities,
while others would be better off as elements
of Metaphysics. As a rule of thumb, if
the Background/Merit/Flaw is a personal trait
that is always in effect that is, it isnt
turned off and on like a Metaphysical abil-
ity such as Arcane or even Dream, consider
3
Unisystem Mage
it a Quality or Drawback, as the details war-
rant. Storyteller Backgrounds and Neme-
ses, if using the option presented in Guide to
the Traditions cost (or grant, in the case of
Nemeses)) 2 points per level during character
creation.
Avatar
Variable Supernatural Quality, 1 level per
2 points Prerequisites: The Gift and True
Mage Qualities
The Avatar is the core of the True Mage.
Through her Avatar, the True Mage works her
will upon the world. It is also a measure of
her ability to do so. Every level of Avatar al-
lows the Mage to channel 1 point of Essence
per Turn for use in working True Magic; so a
Mage with Avatar 2 could channel 2 Essence
points in a Turn. True Mages automatically
gain Avatar 1. Mages may further buy up to
Avatar 3.
Resources
Variable Social Quality, see text on cost
Resources deserves special note as both
Unisystem and Storyteller have their own
versions of this trait. The difference is
Unisystem assumes characters are economi-
cally stable by default, while Storyteller starts
characters off as destitute. For comparisons
sake, Resources G equals Resources -3 Poor,
while Resources 0 (Average) comes in just
below Resources G G G.
The scale the GM chooses should depend
on what kind of game she wants to run. For
example, if it were the straight WoD setting
using Unisystem mechanics, then the Story-
teller Resources scale would be appropriate.
Either way, each level costs 2 points.
True Mage
5 point Supernatural Quality Prerequisite:
The Gift Quality
This Quality bestows all the abilities and
other characteristics of the protagonists of
Mage: the Ascension. Knowingly or not,
they exert their will over reality, inuencing
and causing events and actions. True Mages
initially rely on procedures and physical ob-
jects to focus their will; these are known as
foci. With time and personal development,
the Mage may learn to discard or internalize
her foci (see Abandoning Foci, pg. 203 of
Mage Revised).
4 Skills: The Best At What You
Do
As all Character Type point totals are taken
directly from Unisystem, we recommend us-
ing the skill list presented in WitchCraft 2nd
Edition. Those wanting to use the shorter
skill list of Mage should think about re-
ducing the number of skill points available
to all Character Types by an equal amount,
to maintain the proportions relative among
them. Consult WitchCraft 2nd Edition for the
complete list of available skills. Listed here
are a few skills worth special note.
Awareness (Special)
For those playing Mage with Unisystem
rules, this skill is as per Mage Revised, save
4
Unisystem Mage
that its considered a Special skill in Unisys-
tem mostly meaning it costs two points
per level. For those using True Magic in
a WitchCraft game, the Gifteds ability to
perceive magical workings adequately covers
this skill.
Cosmology, AKA Umbral or Dimensional
Navigation (Special)
As per Mage Revised. Its worth noting this
is distinct from WitchCrafts Occult skill and
sub-skills, in that it deals specically with the
realms and regions of the Umbra.
5 Metaphysics: By Your Will Be
Done
True Magic
Arete
Willworking depends on a trait of True
Mages known as Arete. It measures what
one might consider spiritual development, the
strength to bend reality or enlightenment. In
game terms, Arete controls a Mages high-
est possible sphere level, as in Storyteller
Mage, and forms the basis of True Magic
rolls. Arete behaves and is noted on the char-
acter sheet in a similar manner to Anchor for
the Tainted and Anguish for Disciples of the
Flesh (see Abomination Codex and Mystery
Codex, respectively).
A beginning Mage gains Arete 1 by virtue
of possessing the True Mage Quality. During
character generation, further levels of Arete
cost 5 points apiece, to a starting maximum
of Arete 3.
The Nine Spheres of Magic
The sphere system remains precisely as pre-
sented in Mage Revised. Use sphere lev-
els and their abilities as written. A sphere
level costs 4 points during character creation.
Tradition specialty spheres cost 3 points per
level. As their association bonus, characters
receive one free level of their Traditions spe-
cialty sphere. The rst level in a new sphere
during play costs 8 points; additional levels
learned during play cost the same as during
character creation.
Creating Magical Effects
By and large, the determination process de-
scribed on pg. 147-153 of Mage Revised can
be used as written. The altered elements of
casting effects are detailed below.
Designers Note: The scaling difculty of sphere
magic seen in the Magical Difculty Modifers
table, p. 6, is meant to put Unisystem mages
roughly on par with their Storyteller counterparts,
if slightly less powerful to compensate for Unisys-
tems Rule of 10. A typical starting mage with
Arete 3 and Willpower 4 has an 70% chance of
getting one Success Level (see What Happened?,
p. 6) on a coincidental level 3 effect, while an
Arete 3 Storyteller mage attempting the same ef-
fect has a 74% chance of getting one success.
Unisystems Rule of 10 doesnt put a roof on the
results of any one die roll. A Storyteller mage can
only hope to score as many successes as there are
dice in her Arete pool. Options to regulate magic
include capping the number of successes a mage
can accumulate in one turn to their Arete or Avatar
ratings.
5
Unisystem Mage
Rolling
In Unisystem Mage, a mages Arete rating
acts as a bonus to her effect roll. Speci-
cally, the formula for a magic roll is Arete
+ Willpower + modiers + 1d10.
Magical Difculty Modiers
Situational Modiers
Coincidental -1
Vulgar without witnesses -2
Vulgar with witnesses -3
Sphere Level Modiers
Level 1 (G) +1
Level 2 (G G) +0
Level 3 (G G G) -1
Level 4 (G G G G) -2
Level 5 (G G G G G) -3
Other Modiers
2 Essence Points +1
Every two running effects -1
Magical Difculty Modiers
Unlike Storyteller Mage, where an effects
base difculty is calculated according to
the circumstances and sphere levels of the
feat attempted, Unisystem has a target dif-
culty number of 9. Alterations to the dif-
culty typically come in the form of penal-
ties and bonuses included in the standard Stat
+ Skill + 1d10 formula. The related table
details common modiers in casting effects
in Mage altered to suit the 1d10 mechanic.
Other modiers which includes channeling
Essence via the Avatar Quality detailed in
Mage Revised work per usual, including the
total limit of plus or minus 3 to the difculty.
Designers Note: In the spirit of Mage Reviseds
comments that sensory magic should be easy, the
sphere level difculty scale starts at +1 to level 1
effects.
What Happened?
You added your stats and modiers, then
rolled your die. How do you know if your
mage succeeded, and how well? First, if
it all adds up to 9 or more, the effect suc-
ceeded. Determining the margin of success
uses Success Levels, as described in the Out-
come Table, pg. 129 of WitchCraft 2nd Edi-
tion. For the purposes of magical effects, one
Success Level in Unisystem equals one suc-
cess in Storyteller.
Damage and Duration
Success Levels are spent on damage and
duration just as in the Storyteller version.
Damage-wise, one Success Level inicts 9
Life Points of injury. Forces effects get one
free Success Level of damage. (This me-
chanic can be extended to determining injury
inicted by the Avatar Storm, if the GM uti-
lizes that setting element.)
Because Unisystem does not distinguish
between types of damage, all damaging ef-
fects reduce Life Points in the same way. The
exception is Mind-based magic, which re-
duces characters Endurance Points.
Option: To retain the randomized element of
Unisystem, each Success Level allocated to in-
icting injury adds 1d10 to the damage roll.
6
Unisystem Mage
Designers Note: To determine a ratio between
Storyteller Health Levels and Unisystem Life
Points, we took the weapons the two systems had
statted in common and compared their maximum
damage capability. For example, a .38 revolver
does a maximum of 4 HLs or 18 LPs. Since
magical effects inict whole health levels, with-
out a chance for soak, it seemed best to average
the maximum damage ratings. Of the ten rearms
in common other weapons were excluded be-
cause they rely in part on strength the ratio aver-
aged to 4.5 Life Points per Health Level. Double
that, because one Storyteller success inicts two
Health Levels, and you get 9 Life Points per Suc-
cess Level spent on damage.
Paradox
Paradox accumulates and dissipates at the
same rates described on pg. 194 of Mage
Revised. Paradox aws can be applied us-
ing the guidelines described in the same sec-
tion. In terms of inicting damage, when a
mage gains ve or more points of Paradox
see the bottom of the Creating Magical Ef-
fects sidebar, pg. 207 of Mage Revised the
GM makes a Paradox roll: total number of
points of Paradox the mage has + 1d10. Each
Success Level inicts magical damage as per
usual.
With regards to Essence, every point
of Paradox reduces the mages maximum
Essence capacity by one. So if a mage with a
normal Essence capacity of 20 were to gain 3
Paradox points, her capacity would reduce to
17.
An Example of Play
Suppose then we have an up and coming
young Hermetic mage named Jane. Janes
Option: Those incorporating True Magic into
WitchCraft games may wish to consider equating
Paradox with Taint. In this case, wielding True
Magic might be a result of having been touched
by one of the Mad Gods, or some other outside
inuence, for good or for ill. Paradoxical Taint
negates Essence on a one-to-one ratio, as usual in
the WitchCraft setting.
player wanted her to be pretty good at magic,
so she has Willpower 4 and Arete 3, as well
as Avatar 3, Forces 3 and Prime 2.
Exploring the bowels of a reputedly
haunted city tenement, Jane stumbles across
a group of pale, mis-shapen creatures that are
decidedly hostile to her unannounced visit,
going so far as to lunge at her, claws out-
stretched. In her defense, Jane uses a rote
to call upon the re elemental living in the
buildings furnace to strike out at her ene-
mies.
The GM rules this is a coincidental version
of the classic Forces 3, Prime 2 effect. Calcu-
lating Arete + Willpower + modiers + 1d10
yields the following, as shown in Example of
Casting Modiers on p. 5.
Example of Casting Modiers
3 (Arete)
+ 4 (Willpower)
- 1 (level 3 effect)
- 1 (coincidental)
+ 1d10
7 - 2 + 1d10
5 + 1d10
For the effect to succeed at all, Janes
7
Unisystem Mage
player needs to roll a 4 or better. Whether
the effect actually does anything depends on
how many Success Levels the roll garners.
Permutations of Magic
Acting in Concert
Mage Reviseds group magic rules apply
without alteration. As an option, or if
paradigmatically appropriate, the GM may
wish to incorporate Essence or difculty
bonuses for mystically signicant numbers,
as described in WitchCraft.
Countermagic
Countering another mages effects works just
as described in Mage Revised. Each Suc-
cess Level on an Arete roll with a -2 penalty
negates one of the opposing casters Success
Levels.
Multiple Effects
As described in Mage Revised: every two ef-
fects incur a -1 difculty penalty to further
Arete rolls.
The Crowd Effect
The thing to remember about WitchCrafts
Crowd Effect is that its written for a setting
in which magic freely exists. Disbelief, as
expressed by the Crowd Effect, is actually the
unconscious collective channeling of Essence
as a form of countermagic. In the Mage set-
ting, however, the current reality is actively
hostile to magic. Since the consensus be-
lieves magic does not exist, it is the mage
who pushes against that, and suffers Paradox
in due course. Applying the Crowd Effect to
mages workings as well as normal Paradox
rules would be a double whammy not appro-
priate for all games.
6 Summary Tables
Character Creation
Qualities
Avatar 2 points per level
True Mage 5
Skills
Awareness (Special) 2 points per level
Cosmology (Special) 2 points per level
Metaphysics
Arete 5 per level
Increasing Arete 8 x current rating
Sphere level 4
Specialty sphere level 3
Learning a new sphere 8
Magical Difculty Modiers
Situational Modiers
Coincidental -1
Vulgar without witnesses -2
Vulgar with witnesses -3
Sphere Level Modiers
Level 1 (G) +1
Level 2 (G G) +0
Level 3 (G G G) -1
Level 4 (G G G G) -2
Level 5 (G G G G G) -3
Other Modiers
2 Essence Points +1
Every two running magical effects -1
8
Unisystem Mage
7 Special Thanks
Thanks go to:
Redfox Whiteruff, of RPG.net, with
whom I initially began this project; he
created the outline from which every-
thing followed.
Frank Sronce, of RPG.net, for his sug-
gestion on incorporating sphere levels
into difculty modiers.
8 Document History
4/18/2005 Unisystem Mage v1.0 rst pub-
lished online as HTML document.
4/19/2005 v1.1 posted. Changes include re-
costing Avatar, True Mage and Paradoxs
Essence-reduction effect. Added sphere
level costs, sphere level difculty modi-
ers, an example of play and a trait sum-
mary table.
5/23/2005 v1.2 posted. Changes consist of
adding options for Sleeper characters.
7/2/2005 v1.3 posted. Fixed some HTML er-
rors.
2/27/2008 v1.4. Converted into PDF format
using L
A
T
E
X. Removed unncessary skills
High Ritual and Hypertech. Added cost
for learning new spheres during play. Re-
moved minor typos and claried sentence
structure.
9