Mage Charts
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Base difficulty and Paradox

Type Base difficulty Paradox (non-botch) Paradox (botch)
Coincidental Highest sphere level + 3 none Highest sphere level
Vulgar without witnesses Highest sphere level + 4 1 Highest sphere level + 1
Vulgar with witnesses Highest sphere level + 5 1 (Highest sphere level * 2) + 2

For rituals and acting in concert, see '+rules mage rituals'.

Modifiers

  • Total of all modifiers is capped at +3/-3
  • Some of these are house-ruled clarifications
Condition Modifier
Personalized (specialty) instrument -1
Unique instrument* -1
Unfamiliar instrument +1 to +2
No instrument** +3
Unneeded instrument (mystics with Arete 3+) -1
Personal item from target (sympathetic magick) -1 to -3
Appropriate resonance -1
Opposed resonance +1
Manipulate Mythic Threads / hypernarrative*** -1
Spend Quintessence -1 each, max 3
Spend extra time (combat) -1 per turn per roll, max -3
Fast-cast (combat)**** +1
Reverse time (not just scry) +3
Research lore about subject -1 per N successes (N = highest sphere level)
Near node -1 per three dots
Distant/hidden target/subject +1
Ongoing effects +1 per two
Distracted +1 to +3
In conflict with Avatar +1 to +3
Domino Effect +1 per two coincidences after first
Outlandish/godlike feat +1 per 10 successes already achieved

* Also counts as personalized
** Also requires spending a Willpower just to try (M20 566-567), can spend a second Willpower for auto-success
*** Cannot also make the effect coincidental (M20 588)
**** Does not apply if the mage uses martial arts as practice, weapons as instruments, or rolled for the ritual before the combat

Allocate successes

  • M20 502 lists total successes required for some examples
  • M20 508-510 and HDYDT list sphere(s)/level(s) needed for many types of effects
Aspect Successes
Base effect 1
Correspondence/Data range +1 or more, see below
Damage/healing +1 per 2 levels
Quintessence transfer +1 per 2 units
Teleportation +1 to +6
Targets +1 per target other than yourself
Gauntlet +1 or more, see below
Time scrying +1 or more, see below
Time feats +3 or more, see below

Correspondence

Successes Range Connection
1 Line of sight Body sample
2 Very familiar Close possession/companion
3 Familiar Possession, casual friend
4 Visited once Object used once, casual acquaintance
5 Described Object briefly touched, person briefly met
6 Anywhere on Earth Anything on Earth

Data

Minimum sphere level Successes Length of procedure Connection
1 8 4 hours Subject's presence or body sample, full source code, government ID database info
2 6 2 hours Treasured possession, intimate companion, sample code, personal e-mail or social media account
3 4 1 hour Casual possession/associate, legacy code, Internet sock puppet, throwaway e-mail or social media account
4 3 1 minute Acquaintance, item, derivative code, IP address
5 2 1 minute Person briefly met, item briefly touched, code from same language, rerouted IP string

Gauntlet

  • See also: +help +gauntlet
  • Dimensional Science treats Technocratic labs as level 3
Level Successes
4 or less 1
5 2
6 3
7 4
8 or more 5

Time scrying

  • Time scrying is only as clear and reliable as the ST wants it to be (M20 522)
Successes Time span
1 1 year
2 5 years
3 20 years
4 50 years
5 100 years
6+ 500 years
10+ 1,000+ years

Time feats

  • Almost always vulgar
Successes Remove from normal time flow Aging
3 Yourself Minor
4 Someone else Noticeable
5 Group or 10' x 10' area Severe
8 25' x 25' area Decrepitude
10+ Larger area Brink of destruction
20+ Freeze/isolate large/dynamic area Out of existence

Paradox backlash

  • Spend a Willpower to delay until end of scene
  • Roll Paradox vs 6
  • Permanent Paradox is just that, it is never lost until/unless a relevant circumstance (e.g. Enhancement) goes away
  • Damage bypasses the mage's external armor
  • 10+ successes = explosion (M20 437)
  • Shedding Paradox
    • 1 to 4: 1 per week of nothing but perception magick
    • 5 to 9: 1 per month of no magick at all
  • Nullifying Paradox: Prime 5 + Quintessence (1:1)
Successes Discharge Effect
Botch All None
Fail None None
1 to 5 1 per success 1 level bashing per success and trivial flaw (M20 551)
6 to 10 1 per success 1 level bashing per success or minor flaw
11 to 15 1 per success 1 die lethal per 2 successes or significant flaw or Paradox Spirit or mild Quiet
16 to 20 1 per success Lethal as above and 1 permanent Paradox, or two of (severe flaw, Paradox Spirit, moderate Quiet, Paradox Realm)
21+ 1 per success 1 level aggravated per 2 successes and one of (2 permanent Paradox, drastic flaw, Paradox Spirit, severe Quiet, Paradox Realm)
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