From: Anders Sandberg Subject: Mage: the Acsension War I joked about writing up the Mage collectible card game before WW, but my creative subconscious didn't let me get away with it. Here is a sketch for my take on such a game. The players are two different groups seeking to become the dominant paradigm, using mages, sleepers and various magick acts. Each has a Paradigm Score, which tells how successful he has been, and a Paradox Score, which is accumulate Paradox. When Paradigm reaches 20 (or perhaps 100?) the player Ascends, but if Paradox ever becomes larger than Paradigm, he looses (this makes it possible to win either by becoming the dominant paradigm, or by making the opposition gain too much Paradox). Each player starts with 10 (50?) Paradigm points and no paradox. The cards are divided in three main groups: Mages: These represents mages, cabals, groups or whole traditions. They are able to perform magickal acts, but need the belief of sleepers or Quintessence of nodes. Each card can use magick from certain spheres, and usually have certain bonuses or penalties. Examples: "Dante, Virtual Adept. Correspondence and Time. By spending his action, he can hack into the computers of the enemy and look at his hand ", "Salvatore, Euthanatos. Entropy. As a small "gardener" of his tradition, he can remove a unworthy sleeper from life as his action", "Amalgam 111, Iteration X. Forces, Matter and Prime. This military amalgam mainly deals with the total destruction of Tradition Chantries, and has an automatic +5 bonus against any such chantry". Sleepers: These cards represents individual sleepers or organizations. They usually cannot act on their own, but are linked to mages (as acolytes, believers or hangers-on) which are empowered by their belief. They are not unlike the landscapes of M:tG. Examples: "Jonathan Green, mailman", "The Goldfish Fanciers (unable to help any destructive magick)", "IBM Corporation (As its action, it can remove one point of faith in the Virtual Adepts)" etc. Magick: There are several kinds of magick cards: Rotes: magickal effects, requires the action of a mage to work and usually some belief/quint. To be cast, the player need to use mages with the necessary spheres and belief from a number of sleepers, but also produces a certain amount of Paradox Example: "Using the Gaze of Luna, a mage can seduce any sleeper to his or her side. Requires Mind and 1 point of belief. Produces 1 point of paradox if the sleeper is from the enemy, otherwise none", "The Ball of Abyssmal Flame destroys anybody it hits unless countermagicked. It requires Forces and Prime, 7 points of belief. Produces 5 points of paradox.". Nodes: These empowers mages, rotes or artifacts. Examples: Stonehenge, Silicon Valley (only helps technomancers), sacred cave. Artifacts/Talismans: These help mages, sleepers or a player. Examples: "The Ring of Solomon protects the wearer (link this to any mage or sleeper individual) from all Spirit magick", "Crystal Ball: gives a +3 to any Correspondence magick" or "Sacred ground: Link this to a chantry and a node. Makes it invulnerable to Entropy magick". Paradox cards: These may be played both by the player and by the enemy, and releases accumulated Paradox as some kind of backlash (flaw, backlash, realm or spirit). "Backlash: for each paradox point spent (to a maximum of 5), decrease the Paradigm of the victim", "Terra Firma: This card can function as a Mage with Matter on your side. Requires 2 points of paradox each turn", "Wrinkle: Remove any mage card from play and all his or her sleepers. Costs 10 Paradox points". Plots: These are the nefarious plots and gambits the different groups use against each other. Example: "Recession: The Syndicate can temporary make the Masses worried about their jobs and economy, forgetting about spirituality. All sleeper belief is halved this turn", "Revival: A sleeper of a mage may recruit one extra sleeper as his action", "Awakening: One sleeper awakens and become an orphan mage", "Tradition Loyalty: All mages on your side can cooperate in one attack or one defense". Play: Each player has a number of cards on his hand. Each turn he can play one sleeper and one mage, in addition to any number of magick acts from his hand. Sleepers are either placed in in front of a mage (they are his supporters and gives him belief), or be independent (they usually cannot help magick, but give protection). In order to do something, the mages use the belief of their sleepers (which are tapped until the next turn). A mage may create any number of magickal effects as long as he has active sleepers left. All untapped sleepers at the beginning of a turn add to the Paradigm score. In addition, mages may make attacks against the enemy mages (or their sleepers) or the enemy paradigm. In an attack, the mage uses his power against the enemy mage, who has to resist it using his own power. This power may be increased by belief from the sleepers, and shielded in the same way (note that sleepers not linked to any mage can protect any mage on their side, but not help him). If the attacker wins, the defeated mage and all sleepers linked to him which are tapped are removed. Otherwise nothing happens. Attacks against sleepers work in the same way, but may be initiated by sleepers. If the attacker (or defender wishes) their controlling mages may involve themselves. Attacks against the Paradigm works in the same way, but are not directed against any mage or sleeper, just the other side in general. The looser of such a struggle will loose some Paradigm. From: Mark Kilfoil How about a progressive border around each sphere? Triangle: Disciple Square: Adept Pentagon: Master Circle: Oracle (why circle? It's the symbol of all sides, and none...)