Mage: The Podcast

July 29, 2018July 3, 2021

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.

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 • Connor G • Cromwell The Archaeologist • Curtis H • Dan Svensson • Daniel C • Daniel S • Darren H • David M • David R • DrawnCap • Dennis O • Derek S • Ean R • 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 • Kevin F • Khris K • Larrendias D • Leroy B • Leslie W • Lexiconjurer • Lolzandstuff • Manel C • Maurice H • Matthew P • Melissa K • 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 • Simon S • SorcererSanguine • Sean Ryan K • St U • starfish • Stefan C • Steve Winyard • thatsrealneeto • Tyler • Tyler B • Vince H • Vincent • Walter • Warmstarter • William M • Wolf L • ZakRulz

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July 21, 2018July 3, 2021

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.

Join us again next week: Panos V Skordas joins us to talk about his Ahriman Chronicles: The Vile Nature of an Ascension War.

Executive Producers

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July 14, 2018July 3, 2021

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 Machine; transhumanism; the Order of Hermes; Caribbean magic; Virtual Adepts; Eclipse Phase RPG; coincidental magic; versions of Mage; examples of Paradox; the holy grail; August Strindberg; Longinus; Sven Hedin; Buddhism and the Nephandi; city spirits; Cities on the Edge!; the strengths and weaknesses of Mage: The Ascension; Neil 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.

Executive Producers

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July 7, 2018July 3, 2021

Thoughts on Paradox

On today’s show Adam Simpson talks about Paradox in Mage. Adam discusses why magick has limitations; playing Mage without Paradox; X/1999 manga; player knowledge versus character knowledge; how to get rid of Paradox; manifestations of Paradox; Paradox Spirits; Paradox Realms; the Quiet; Domino Effect; The Sorcerers Crusade; the Scourge; Wild Paradox versus Mundane Paradox; examples of Paradox; Marauders.

Join us next week when Adam interviews Anders Sandberg.

Executive Producers

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July 2, 2018July 3, 2021

Mage The Ascension: Refuge

On today’s show author Karin Tidbeck joins us to talk about Mage the Ascension: Refuge, a text-based interactive game for iOS and Android with a rich scenario full of plot twists, and the action takes place in a world at the dawn of a political revolution. We discuss how the game was developed; how she got involved with role playing games; Mutant; Lone Wolf; the challenges of writing a Choose Your Own Adventure-type of game; Twine; the difficulties of writing a game based on an intellectual property; Syrian refugees in Norway; accusations of political correctness; pan sexuality and polyamory; the sex magick controversy; LARPs; her books Amatka and Jagganath; the audio featured in Mage the Ascension: Refuge; what she found appealing in Mage: the Ascension; the difficulty of striking a balance in exploring dark themes in the game; freedom of speech versus safety is more important; why she chosen to portray the Technocracy agents holding anti-immigrant beliefs; her views of exploring yourself through role playing games; capturing dialogue; other intellectual properties she would like to write for; her latest novel, which has been acquired by Pantheon.

Join us next week when Adam Simpson returns to talk about Paradox.

Executive Producers

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Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments, and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.

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June 23, 2018July 3, 2021

Plot Hooks

Our guest on today’s show is Chris Zac, host of the excellent Twin Cities by Night and we talk about plot hooks you can use in your Mage Chronicles. We discuss the White Wolf RPGs Game Play and Media Facebook Group he moderates; Matthew Dawkins, The Gentleman Gamer; how he got into playing role playing games; Brazilian jiu-jitsu; Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Requiem; The Brian Diaries and The Brian Bookclub; internal monologues; characters embracing the consequences of their actions; using horror judiciously; Twin Cities by Night, Ultimate Evil and Juarez on Fire Chronicle; character creation; what to do when your Chronicle goes off the rails; what makes a good plot hook; their Victorian Age: Vampire Chronicle; magic as a horror device; H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Rats in the Walls;” Mage plot hooks; Mage 20; Last Podcast on the Left; Jim Jones; Rasputin; the influences of Stephen King, Clive Barker and Aleister Crowley; the sources he uses to develop his plot hooks; The Ultimate Evil: An Investigation into America’s Most Dangerous Satanic Cult and Aleister Crowley: Magick, Rock and Roll, and the Wickedest Man in the World; drink cold brew!

Join us again next week. Karin Tidbeck and I will talk about Mage: Refuge, a text-based interactive game that takes place in a world at the dawn of a political revolution.

Executive Producers

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June 20, 2018July 3, 2021

Themes in Mage

Adam Simpson discusses themes in Mage: The Ascension and how to use them in your games; Stewart Wieck‘s theme of Mage’s bringing change to society; Woodstock; Pi-hole; the Digital Web; Satyros Brucato’s theme of empowerment in Mage; HIT Marks; four themes in Mage: magic isn’t something you do but something you’re part of, needing to work with others who are different from yourself, transcending your limitations, and overcoming pride and self-centeredness to reach something greater than yourself; introdcuitng mystric weirdness into a Mage’s life after they have Awakened; giving players information they must keep secret from fellow Cabal members; riddles posed by AIs; aiding a security guard; let us know what’s stopping you from running a Mage Chronicle.

Join us again Satruday. Chris Zac, moderator for the White Wolf RPGs Game Play and Media Facebook Group, will talk about plot hooks you can use in your next Chronicle.

Executive Producers

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Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments, and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.

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June 16, 2018July 3, 2021

Jason Louv on Mage and John Dee and the Empire go Angels: Enchain Magicking and the Occult Roots of the Modern World

On today’s show were joined by Jason Louv, who is a real life magician and author. Jason’s most recent book is John Dee and the Empire of Angels: Enochian Magick and the Occult Roots of the Modern World. We discuss his first book, Generation Hex; Jason’s introduction to Mage: The Ascension; Mage artist Leif Jones; what is Magick; the relationship between Magick and postmodernism; clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson; the Frankfurt School; Enochian magic; John Dee and Edward Kelley; Francis Fukuyama and the end of history; President Trump’s use of Magick; Jason’s Ultraculture podcast; Jason’s School for Magick, Magick.me.

Join us again next week. Chris Zac, moderator for the White Wolf RPGs Game Play and Media Facebook Group, will talk about plot hooks you can use in your next Chronicle.

Executive Producers

Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast.

Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments, and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.

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June 2, 2018July 3, 2021

Mage Chronicles: Sorcerers Crusade

On today’s show we launch a new segment, Mage Chronicles, in which we talk to Storytellers and players about what made their Chronicle unique. We’re joined by Mage co-creator Satyros Brucato and Walking Away from Arcadia podcast co-host Victor Joseph Kinzer to discuss his Chronicle set in Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade.

Show Notes

How Victor got into role playing games and how that lead to playing Changeling and Mage
Why splat books are called splat books
What The Sorcerer’s Crusade is and why so many people love it but rarely play it
What it’s like playing a game in a less explored historical territory
Playing a game set outside of Europe
How Victor would have run his Chronicle differently
The Chronicle I’m running on Twitter.

Join us again next week: Myth in Mage with Josh Heath, host of Werewolf: The Podcast.

Executive Producers

Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast.

Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments, and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.

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May 30, 2018July 3, 2021

The Perils of Paradox

On today’s show we talk with Lee Webb about the perils of Paradox: every modern-day fantasy story has to confront a fundamental question—if magic is real where has it been hiding all this time? The answer to that question in Mage is Paradox.

Show Notes

We talk about Lee’s new baby, Leonora
How he became involved with role playing games, Werewolf and Mage: The Ascension
What is Paradox and how it might effect characters and reality
How to avoid Paradox and how to get rid of it; how Paradox effects Marauders and Nephandi
Examples of Paradox in movies and literature:
- Bruce Sterling’s Zeitgeist
- Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files
- Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
- Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland’ The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.
Dark Ages Mage and Victorian Mage
Museum of Jurassic Technology
Sons of Ether
Fermi’s Paradox
LARPing

Executive Producers

Become a supporter of Mage: The Podcast.

Contact us at magethepodcast@gmail.com with feedback and comments, and please help extend the reach of the show by sharing it with friends.

Listen

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Join our Discord server.