Mage: The Podcast

Adam talks about Emmy Allen’s Stygian Library, the library that doesn’t end. Will your players find the knowledge they’re looking for? Can they evade the mysterious librarians and their super computer? The sister volume to Gardens of Ynn is full of ideas that may find a place in your Mage games. Just watch out for the ink blots. They stain.Show Notes Stygian Library overview (DriveThruRPG) - A strange old place, part haunted mansion, part endless library tucked outside the world. Coins and Scrolls - OSR procedural dungeon design basics Mage: The Ascension (White Wolf overview) - At its heart, Mage is all about the long road to Ascension. Nt just for one soul, but for all of humanity. Trouble is, nobody’s pinned down exactly what that means or how you get there. Umbral Realms & High Umbra concepts - Folks also call it the Spirit World, the Shadow, or the Velvet Shadow, one of those places that’s right there beside our world, even if you can’t quite touch it. It runs alongside the everyday, separate but clo

Pooka and Lee discuss Such Pain, the first Mage novel published in 1995.  Can novel-length stories help you envision the world of Mage?  Did the author hit it out of the park with this one?  Hear Pooka and Lee’s review of the book.  Their commentary highlights how the World of Darkness was a little different during Mage’s first edition.Mage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

Adam and Pooka discuss the weird fiction of Arthur Machen, Welshman extraordinaire. Do turn of the century horror stories offer anything to modern Mage games? Is this a boon to Victorian Mage Storytellers? Do the powers of darkness really want to redecorate your office? Tune in & hear story ideas, horror commentary and hermetic code names.Show Notes The Great God Pan and ”The White People”, both tied to Machen’s reputation in weird fiction. Machen’s ties to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a hush-hush British magic club from back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, where folks mixed Rosicrucian ideas, Masonic style, and occult study in hopes of climbing a little closer to the spiritual stars. Reality Deviant Book Club: King in Yellow - Adam and Pooka discuss Robert W. Chambers’ The King in Yellow mythos and other stories. Video on ternary computers - Ternary computing is a 3-state system (−1, 0, + 1 or "trits") offering higher information density, faster processing, and greater energy effic

Adam, Jenna, and Pooka take a gleeful ride through The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, celebrating its pulpy charm, wild 80s style, oddball science, and Mage-ready Etherite energy. They cover what works, what wobbles, how to “Mage-ify” it, and why this messy cult classic still sparks game ideas, big laughs, and deep affection.Show Notes The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) — brain surgeon, rock star, test pilot, alien-fighting chaos agent. The Hong Kong Cavaliers — Buckaroo Banzai’s loose but capable inner circle: a half rock band, half super-science/adventure team built around gifted oddballs, runaways, scholars, hackers, and fighters. They include veterans like Rawhide, Reno Nevada, Perfect Tommy, Pecos, New Jersey, Billy Travers, Big Norse, plus close Institute allies like Professor Hikita, Mrs. Johnson, and Pinky Carruthers. Dr. Emilio Lizardo — Brilliant but doomed physicist who, in 1938 at Princeton, tested an early Oscillation Overthruster and brief

Truth Until ParadoxPooka and T.L. Webb crack open Truth Until Paradox, Mage’s first fiction anthology. They chat why tie-in stories matter, then speed-tour 17 wildly uneven, very ’90s tales—Technocracy vs Traditions, Nephandi schemes, HIT-Marks, odd Wonders, and fan-fic energy.Show Notes Truth Until Paradox (Mage anthology, Feb 1994) - Tucked inside are seven tales from the World of Darkness, a place that looks a lot like our own, except the supernatural is real, and shadowy forces are always moving just out of sight. They’ve been chosen and edited by Stewart Wieck, the creator of Mage: The Ascension and co-creator of the World of Darkness. Key faves: “Silver Nutmeg, Golden Pair” + “Grim Reminders” (Penny Dreadful) Concepts: Ascension War vibe, coincidental magic, backstabbing, Wonders, Paradox oddities T.L. Webb on Bluesky and Tumblr

The most powerful skill in Mage is uncovered at last.  Join Adam and Pooka as they lay bare the stone cold facts about Stone Lore.  The mystic qualities of malachite, how to use Stone Lore in your games and the merits of marrying Spanish dancers are all discussed as your hosts try to penetrate the deepest secrets of Ascension.Show Notes Geologist’s Primer⁠ - A friendly, picture-packed guide that mixes myth, folklore, old-school magic, crystal lore, and real science, giving writers and game masters everything they need to make rocks, metals, and gems feel alive in fantasy worlds or modern tales alike. ⁠Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones⁠ - Told through art, myth, power, and a bit of hard science, this wide-ranging tale follows sixty unforgettable stones to show how rocks shaped human history, and how our hopes, work, and wants shaped those stones right back. ⁠Amulets and Superstitions⁠ - This old-school, picture-filled classic by Egyptologist E. A. Wallis Budge shows how folks across the ancient

Once again, we’re going back in time to PAX Unplugged 2024 and a series of interviews conducted by Terry Robinson. This installment features five conversations with various folks in the gaming space. We hope you get some joy and wisdom out of these chats. Perhaps they’ll inspire you to jump into writing and creating as well, and we’ll see you behind a table at PAX this coming December…The interviewees, in order:Eloy Lasanta (Third Eye Games): https://www.thirdeyegames.net/Chris Pramas (Green Ronin): https://greenronin.com/Eric Portney (Alexandria RPG Library): https://alexandriarpg.org/Jason Cordova (Gauntlet RPG, Brindlewood Bay): https://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/brindlewood-bay.htmlSpencer Campbell (Gila RPGs): https://gilarpgs.com/Mage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

Adam talks about bringing the Ananasi into games of Mage the Ascension. Ananasi are the were-spiders of Werewolf the Apocalypse. Where do they come from? How do they operate? What can they bring to your Mage games? Whether enemies or allies, the spider folk have much to offer. This is the first in a series of crossover episodes.https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/12/ananasiMage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

This episode travels back in time to PAX Unplugged 2024, where Terry Robinson captured interviews and loose, late-night conversations with creators and friends. This first installment (of two, or possibly three) features interviews with folks from AED Publishing, The Bodhana Group, and a rambling roundtable with Pooka and Mike from Darker Days Radio. We hope these final recordings from Terry are a fitting addition to his memorial and a little gift for the end of your year. Go forth, Mage strong!Show Notes PAX Unplugged – A tabletop gaming-focused convention specifically tailored to lovers of board games, RPGs, miniatures, cards, and more. AED Publishing – An independent and privately owned publishing company focusing on the creation and distribution of character and story driven games founded by Stephen Koontz. 5th Conspiracy (RPG) – Urban fantasy where belief shapes reality published by AED Publishing. The Bodhana Group – Therapeutic tabletop gaming nonprofit. Darker Days Radio – Premier horror rpg podcast

Adam and James walk you through the Digital Web books. Then James discusses topics to consider when taking your players to the digital realm.  Where is it in the Mage cosmos? How do you get there? How do you move around and work magick? What might you meet there? How does Augmented Reality really work? These topics and more are laid out to help you make the Digital Web a part of your Mage games.Mage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

What hath Empire wrought? Pooka and Jenna poke at that question today as they open up the supplement Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magicks for Victorian Age Mage. The book features dozens of items, rotes, and story hooks, and while your mileage may vary with how much use you get out of them, there's no shortage of ideas to enrich any historical game.Show Notes Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magicks Victorian Age Mage

Ever wandered into a garden so beautiful you forgot the way out?

Howdy, Mage fans! Adam and Pooka are back with big news, a new Changeling magic book, and invites to TryItCon2: TerryCon and PAX Unplugged. This time they dig into The Crow, from comic grief to film justice, goth rain, Brandon Lee, and Mage-style ideas. A quick stop with Philip K. Dick, a chat about sanity and Quiet, and a reminder that it cannot rain all the time. Tell your friends, because madness loves company.Show Notes Pooka’s A Book of Gramarye (Storytellers Vault) launch Philip K. Dick’s Clans of the Alphane Moon: sanity, Quiet, and Mage editions James O’Barr’s The Crow (graphic novel vs. film): grief vs. justice, myth vs. grit Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Alex Proyas, and goth-punk aesthetics Mage-adjacent hooks: Euthanatos vibes, coincidental magic effects Destiny’s Price Orphans Survival Guide Tradition Book: Hollow Ones The Book of Secrets Wraith: The Oblivion’s The Risen Using NPC relationships and “human moments” to anchor grim settings Soundtrack as mood tool for tabletop scenes W

Today's episode is a memorial to our departed friend and co-host, Terry Robinson. Join Adam, Bryce, Charles, Josh, and Pooka as they share some memories, followed by a series of messages submitted from our community and some words from Joseph. We also invite you to download the free PDF of the Book of Tributes, a collection of written tributes from our Discord that was produced for Terry's memorial. We hope that this episode will help you to keep Terry close at heart, and remember that Ascension is the friends we made along the way.(Thanks to Brian Grossman, Brian Johnson, Hal Case, Harry Heckel, Jacob Klünder, Jonathan Fii, Justin Achilli, Kim Godwin, Kris Newton, Lauren Roy, Leonardo Rezeda, Matthew Dawkins, Matthew Webb, MJ, Panos Skordas, Satyros Brucato, Sebastian Yūe, and Stefan Carton for your words shared in this episode. And thank you to all of our listeners for your continued support and dedication.)(Now go change reality. <3)Mage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatr

In Part 2 of our Mage Zero Edition deep-dive, Adam and Pooka sift the fun esoterica—early Tradition names (Parmenidians, Initiates of the Invisible World), a clearer Celestial Chorus, Dreamspeakers’ true remit, quirky rituals, big willpower walls, Paradox wrinkles, the dream magic that never was, and share their thoughts on what was best left behind and what is ready to drop into your games. Missed Part 1? Start there, then mosey back for secrets, laughs, and table-ready takeaways.Special thanks to Stewart Wieck for permission to discuss the Zero Edition.Show Notes Early Tradition names: Initiates of the Invisible World, Parmenidians, Order of the Cosmic Stream How Dreamspeakers, Verbena, and the Celestial Chorus first appeared Forgotten mechanics: Threads, General Resistance, Auspiced Damage, and “Armageddon Effect” Missing Dream Magic supplement and LARP crossover notes Discussion of Essence Families vs. Traditions and dynamic vs. static forces Reflections on Mage’s earliest themes of enlightenment, technol

Adam and Pooka crack open a lost treasure — Mage: The Ascension, Zero Edition, a 1993 manuscript that shaped the game’s future. They share laughs, lore, share their thoughts on what was best left behind and what is ready to drop into your game, and a few “what were they thinking?” moments, from cosmic origins to dream magic and immortal mages. Don’t be a Copernicus.Show Notes Stuart Wieck’s original cosmology: The Prime, Quintessence, and Dynamic Force Dream magic, the Near Umbra, and Dream Lords Early lore links to Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Ars Magica The origins of Avatars (“Gift Spirits”) and Essence Families The role of Pure Ones and their echoes in later Mage editions Differences between Zero Edition and Mage: The Ascension (First Edition) The concept of Evolutes — the five stages of Ascension Technocrats as self-aware mages upholding the “cold lie of science” Copernicus and the cosmic betrayal that started the Ascension War Early versions of Quiet, Mindscapes, and the origin of Boogeymen and Dark Bir

Pooka and Bryce crack open Victorian Mage: Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters. From ghostly X-ray photos to occult artists and Umbra conspiracies, what stories and characters wait around the globe for your players to discover? Plus, TryItCon 2: Terry Con Edition is set for Nov 7–9 on Discord & Zoom, honoring Terry Robinson with games and a Twitter Pig charity auction.Show Notes TryItCon 2: Terry Con - online convention dedicated to the idea that there are great games yet to try, great people yet to be met, and great ideas yet to be learnedVictorian Mage: Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters Expanded adventures: “Wee” Brazil’s vanishing island, Le Fleur du Mal’s decadent occultists, “Voice of God” cosmic horror Umbra exploration: conspiracies in the Fortress of Government, the River of Language, Victorian values embodied in the Spire of Modern Virtue

Adam and Pooka explore the wild world of Paradox, those cosmic smackdowns that keep Mages humble. They chat about realms where magic bites back, share tales from the table, and review Never-Real Worlds, a Storyteller’s Vault toolkit full of roll tables to spark your own strange Paradox adventures. Grab a seat, pour a drink, and join the ride toward Ascension (without all the headaches).Show Notes What Paradox is and how it shapes the Consensus. Paradox Realms as teaching tools, not just punishments. Inspiration from Groundhog Day and TTRPG history (like the Dread Gazebo). ⁠ShadowCity: Blood and Neon - A gothic punk roleplaying game with a ShadowDark-inspired approach that throws players into instant action and drama.

Welcome to Reality Deviants Movie Club! Pooka, Adam, and Jenna dive into Sneakers (1992), a techno-thriller packed with heists, hacker mages, and Mage: The Ascension plot seeds. From Virtual Adepts vs. Technocracy to teamwork and codebreaking wonders, we break it all down—plus ideas for running this as a chronicle.Show Notes Sneakers - This flick is a ready-made low-Arete chronicle or intro arc to a Virtual Adept campaign. Sneakers Trailer on YouTube. Cosmo’s quote: “It’s not reality that counts—it’s the perception of reality” is textbook Mage philosophy. Some Tips for New Storytellers - Adam pullsa bundle of helpful tricks and tips out of his Storyteller’s saddlebag for veterans and folks just starting out running Mage games.

Adam and guest Amena dive into Laws of Ascension Companion, the last Mage live action role-playing game (LARP) book. From Technocracy quirks to oddball factions, wild rotes, and Umbra adventures, they cover what works, what’s weird, and what’s worth borrowing for your Chronicle. Plus, Amena shares how she built a thriving local LARP scene from scratch.Download the transcript for today’s show here.Show Notes Overview of Laws of Ascension Companion — content, factions, rules, rotes. Technocracy chapter breakdown and faction quirks New groups like Wu-Nung; merits, flaws and LARP-usable skills Standout rotes and optional rules for PvP, paradox, crossover play Locations on Earth and in the Umbra for LARP use Amina’s journey from online LARP to running live Sabbat and Mage games Tips for starting and sustaining a LARP community One Word by Night Amena’s game