A podcast for Mage: The Ascension players, storytellers, and World of Darkness fans.
In this spirited dive into Séance on St. James Street, Pooka and Josh Heath dissect the Victorian Mage jumpstart—what works, what misses, and whether it’s a fitting intro for new players. From ghostly redemption arcs to wonky stats and page-layout sins, they unravel the spectral threads of this quickstart. Is this séance a slayance, or should it be buried with a stake in its heart?
Adam and Bryce dive into Laws of Ascension, Mage’s guide to live-action roleplaying! They chat rotes, rubber rats, and rock-paper-scissors magic, with plenty of laughs and a dash of heartfelt critique. Whether you’re LARP-curious or just love mage lore, this one's for you. Also, Bryce shares news on a KULT: Divinity Lost deep dive over at Darker Days Radio. Truth until paradox, baby!
Writer, musician, and game designer James Curcio joins us for a warm, wide-ranging chat on magic, myth, and RPGs. From Dungeons & Dragons to Mage: The Ascension and Modern Mythology, we talk play, storytelling, and the mystery of it all. Oh, yeah, and we also shoot the breeze about goblins, game systems, and why magic might just be another name for imagination.
This is the final two-hander episode featuring the brilliant and sorely missed Terry Robinson, recorded with Pooka before Terry’s passing. In this deeply personal and intellectually rich conversation, Terry and Pooka dive headfirst into the mystic heart of the Syndicate , exploring its layered portrayal across Mage: The Ascension editions—from Mafia caricature to modern myth-makers of the market.
In this episode, legendary occult historian and ex-Blondie bassist Gary Lachman joins us to talk magic, Crowley, meme sorcery, and the reality-bending weirdness of the 21st century. From shared dreams in 1970s New York to egregores, astral hobos, and the dark gravity of Trump as a Tulpa, Gary pulls no punches.
What makes a great Disparate? Adam and Pooka crack open M20 Forgotten and Forbidden Orders to spotlight the most compelling crafts in Mage 20—from the dream-walking Noma to the sandstorm-riding Taftani. Along the way, they unpack what works, what doesn’t. Also in this episode: TryItCon 2, a listener review, and what happens when your RPG expectations go sideways.
Pooka and Bryce discuss M20 Faces of Magick. One of the final two books of Mage 20, a collection of NPCs, ideas and possibilities.
Arden Leigh shares her magical journey—from neuro-linguistic programming and trauma healing to chaos magic, sigils, and becoming Grant Morrison’s magical heir. We explore her concept of “repatterning,” her band Arden and the Wolves, the ethics of magical identity, and the risks and rewards of narrative magic in RPGs like Mage: The Ascension. A vivid, vulnerable, and powerful conversation on transforming belief into reality.
Adam and Pooka discuss Robert W. Chambers’ The King in Yellow mythos and other stories. Can they inspire Mage stories? Can these two stick to the subject?
Join Pooka, Josh Hillerup, and the late Terry Robinson as they explore World of Darkness: Hong Kong — a bold, flawed take on supernatural Hong Kong in the 90s. From cultural missteps to cinematic world-building, we dive into the setting’s triumphs, critiques, and lasting impact.