Objective of the Game

Mage: The Ascension is not a traditional board game, but a role-playing game (RPG) where players take on the roles of mages living in a world full of magic, secrets, and conflicts. The aim of the game is to shape and influence the characters' stories through storytelling, decision-making, and strategic planning.

Game Materials

• Rulebook: Contains the game rules, various magic systems, and descriptions of gameplay. The "Mage: The Ascension" rulebook is typical here.
• Character Sheets: These sheets track the attributes, skills, and abilities of the players' characters.
• Dice: Particularly ten-sided dice (D10) are used to overcome various challenges.
• Narrative Components: These can include cards, handouts, or other visual aids that contribute to the story.

Gameplay

Character Creation

1. Create a Concept: Players choose a concept; this could range from a "scientist mage" to a "natural shaman."
2. Choose a Tradition: The character should belong to a tradition, such as the "Hermetics" or the "Virtual Adepts." This affects how the character performs magic and develops.
3. Distribute Attributes and Skills: Players allocate points to various attributes (e.g., strength, intelligence) and skills (e.g., combat, knowledge) of their character.
4. Select Magical Powers: Players decide on "Spheres," which determine what types of magic their character can perform.

Game Mechanics

• Story Structure: The Game Master (GM) describes the world, the environment, and the challenges. Players narrate what their characters want to do.
• Dice Rolls: To overcome challenges, dice rolls with D10 are conducted. The difficulty is set by the GM; players need to roll at least as many successes as the difficulty (e.g., successes are interpreted as numbers that exceed a certain threshold).
• Using Magic: Magic is central in "Mage" and can alter the world at will, but is subject to the "Paradox" mechanic, meaning excessive or inappropriate magic use can have negative consequences.

Strategies

• Cooperation: Teamwork with like-minded or differently oriented mages can be useful in achieving goals.
• Resource Management: Players should wisely manage their resources like raw materials or blood points, to avoid being unprepared in combative or constructive situations.
• Paradox Avoidance: If magic deviates too much from reality, Paradox can occur. Care should be taken to perform magic "close" to reality so as not to disturb the game world too much.

Winning Conditions

There is no win in the traditional sense. Instead, the successful development of the story and the advancement of the characters lead to a satisfying gaming experience.

Mage: The Ascension requires creative thinking, readiness to lead, and teamwork under the function of restrictive yet freely formable gameplay rules.