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Tomes of Magick: Loom of Fate

Adam Simpson discusses Loom of Fate, one of the earliest supplements for the first edition of Mage: The Ascension; the order of the supplements; line developer Satyros Brucato; the “clockwork” construction of the Loom of Fate story; examples of challenges and solutions; styles of game play; Marauders and the Book of Madness; the Technocracy; moral quandaries; shortcomings of Loom of Fate; faction play; Book of Chantries.

Razors and Thunderbolts: The Ksirafai

On today’s show Travis Legge joins us to talk about his release for the Storytellers Vault, Razors and Thunderbolts: The Ksirafai. We discuss my locksmith who plays Dungeons and Dragons; how Travis got into role playing games; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness; the Satanic panic; how he became a game publisher; the shows and games he releases on YouTube and Twitch; the tools he uses to manage his career; what are the Ksirafai; the appeal of Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade; Serenity; some of the characters featured in Razors and Thunderbolts: The Ksirafai; the Scroll of Firearms book he wrote for Exalted, Bloody but Unbowed and Clanbook: Nahema for Vampire: The Masquerade; advice for writing for the Storytellers Vault.

Tomes of Magick: First Edition

Adam Simpson discusses the four editions of Mage: The Ascension and which ones are the best; Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition and Basic Expert; Satyros Brucato; Anders Mage Page; the Traditions and the Technocracy; Sleepers; Quintessence; Nodes; Talismans; the Umbra; power and politics; making Mage personal; people who become Mages; the Society of The Burning Wheel; Neil Gaiman’s Vertigo The Sandman comic book.

Lesson from the Windy City: A Mage Chronicle

Adam Simpson discusses his Windy City Mage Chronicle he ran online; expectation of characters and Storytellers; side plots run amok; minor villains who become major villains; allowing players to shape the Chronicle.

Storytellers Vault

On today’s show we chat with Josh Heath, Chief Operations Officer at High Level Games and host of Werewolf: The Podcast, joins us again to talk about the Storytellers Vault. We discuss camping; his Rage Across Australia podcast episode; my Marvel Universe theme park dream; what is the Storytellers Vault; the Dungeon Masters Guild; guidelines for the Storytellers Vault; adult content; Black Dog; submitting artwork; High Level Games 5 Reasons to Write for Storytellers Vault article; High Level Games editing services; Dark Shores: Lineages of the Great Lakes; Chronicle Guidelines Or Jumpstarts and why they are so difficult to write for Mage; submitting novels to the Storytellers Vault; Word, Google Docs, Dropbox Paper and Ulysses; Enlightened Grimoire; Dark New England Regional Sourcebook; Razors and Thunderbolts: The Ksirafai; Watch the World Burn; Island of the Dead God; the Onyx Pathcast episodes on freelancing and the Storytellers Vault; the High Level Games Convention in October.

Adventure Writing Ideas, Part 2

Adam Simpson continues to wax eloquent on writing adventures for Mage: The Ascension. Adam discusses why he prefers to use the term “adventure” instead of “story;” globetrotting adventures; chantries; Neil Gaiman’s The Books of Magic and the synchronicity highway; traveling by ships, blimps and a Deep Umbra craft; collaborative story writing in adventures; jungle adventures; the Hierophant Altar.

Adventure Writing Ideas, Part 1

On today’s show Adam Simpson discusses Paradox; Anders Sandberg and Anders Mage Page 2.0; Mage: The Ascension, 1st edition; the Loom of Fate adventure; Samuel Haight; the Chaos Factor adventure; the Book of Chantries, Digital Web, Digital Web 2.0 and Manifesto: Transmissions from the Rogue Council supplements; Adam’s subtractive method of writing adventures; settings and locations; enemies and allies; themes and mood; opening scene; creating characters and assessing their strengths and weaknesses; tailoring your adventure to the characters in your story; ethical dilemmas.

Executive Producers

Alexia • Aleksandra J • Alexander G • Alexander P • Ambiversion • Andrew E • Anders S • Andrew • Andrew E • Andrija J • Anon Ibid • Bdurfy • Benjamin B • Berto • Blaise H • Blake R • Bo • BoogersBoogersBoogersBoogersBoogersBoogers • Brad M • Brandon • Bryce Perry • Bubba, The Pale One • Buck Farmer • Chris B • Chris Z • Christopher P • Cinshadis • Dan Svensson • Daniel C • Daniel S • Darren H • David R • Dennis O • Derek S • Eli l • Entropy_Prime • Eric S • Fragarach • Freddy • FriedrichOwl • Gabriel P • Garga L • George L • Gray -Trilug- H • Guy Conan S • GuyWithPuns • Henry Craft • HugoTheBogPerson • I Jaye S • Ian • Illara S • Ira Grace • Isabel CL • J Gatsby • Jason B • Jason D • Jason K • Jason V • Jason Vines • Jeffois • Jenna F • Jervis Johnson • jj225000 • John • John Hillerup • jj225000 • John Magnuson • John W • Jolyne A • Joshua Hillerup • Justin • Karl H • Kathleen H • Khris K • Larrendias D • Leroy B • Leslie W • Lexiconjurer • Lolzandstuff • Manel C • Matthew P • Michael C • Michael Parker • Mikael S • Morgan A • Nathan W • Nebero • Neil P • Nikita K • Oliver S • Patrick M • Patrick Mc • Paxcow • Pooka G • Rachel G • Ralf S • Regina O • Ren M • Ricardo • Richard “Bat” Brewster • Rob D • Rob H • Ruben J • Ryan H • Ryan K • Ryan S • Samuel T • sbloyd • Schnabeltierkrieger • Sean G • Sev Nessus • SorcererSanguine • St U • starfish • Stefan C • Steve Winyard • Tyler B • Vince H • Walter • Warmstarter • William M • Wolf L • ZakRulz

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Mage Chronicles: Ahriman Chronicles: Vile Nature of the Ascension War

On today’s show Panos V. Skordas joins us to share the Ahriman Chronicles: Vile Nature of the Ascension War. We discuss how he got into role playing games; LARPs; what he enjoys about being a Storyteller; what he has learned in 19 years of Storytelling; the influence of authors Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker and J.K. Rowling; how his players changed his Storytelling; the tools he uses to run his Chronicles; how long it takes him to prepare his Chronicles; John Constantine, Hellblazer; how his Chronicle tied into the Ascension War; what made Ahriman Chronicles: Vile Nature of the Ascension War so special; how his Chronicle took a life of its own; orgies as a meta Chronicle; what he learned researching orgies; slut-shaming; the Blue Whale online game; American Gods; Arete.

Myth in Mage

On today’s show we chat with Josh Heath, Chief Operations Officer at High Level Games and host of Werewolf: The Podcast. We discuss Onyx Path’s Storytellers Vault; why he loves Werewolf: The Apocalypse; how he got into RPGs; Robotech and AD&D; his duties and responsibilities as Chief Operations Officer for High Level Games; Josh name dropped on last week’s Onyx Pathcast; the 25 Years of Vampire: The Masquerade podcast; what Josh has learned re-visiting Werewolf: The Apocalypse; Joseph Campbell’s myth cycle and hero’s journey; the forthcoming Gods, Monsters and Familiar Strangers WoD book Josh worked on; modern mythology and the why of the universe; Roy Scranton’s Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of a Civilization; Richard Wagner and Norse mythology; Roy Thomas’s The Mighty Thor comic book series; fairy tales; using myth in a group game; myth in Star Wars; mythological creatures, concepts and magic in the modern world; Neil Gaiman’s American Gods; Mage: The Sorcerer’s Crusade and Dark Ages: Mage; Comic-Con.

Anders Mage Page

On today’s show Adam Simpson interviews Dr. Anders Sandberg of Anders Mage Page fame. Adam and Anders discuss building Mage pages for the early web; being a Research Fellow for the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford; how Anders discovered Mage: The Ascension; the similarities of Mage in science and academia; the movie WarGames; emails and message boards; the Internet Archive and the Wayback Machinetranshumanism; the Order of HermesCaribbean magicVirtual AdeptsEclipse Phase RPG; coincidental magic; versions of Mage; examples of Paradox; the holy grail; August StrindbergLonginusSven Hedin; Buddhism and the Nephandi; city spirits; Cities on the Edge!; the strengths and weaknesses of Mage: The AscensionNeil Gaiman’s The Sandman; World of Darkness crossover games; Time Bandits; how role playing games can help your career; using idea lists in your Chronicle; ending a Chronicle.