From: bjb@primenet.com (Bill Bishop) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.storyteller Subject: Re: Changes in Mage 2nd. Ed. Date: 13 Dec 1995 19:35:10 -0700 Organization: Primenet Services for the Internet X-Posted-By: ip114.phx.primenet.com X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 He is what I have I figured out about what White Wolf has done to change the Spheres from 1st edition to 2nd edition. I don't claim it's perfect, but it's the best I could do. For the most part, the Spheres have become more powerful, while some have stayed the same or lost some some powers. Matter seems to have gotten the worst deal, but even it is a little better than 1st edition. Where I have starred (*) an effect, it is a conjunctional effect. I have also marked "(speculation)" someplaces. This is more or less me thinking aloud. I also added some corrections where I thought appropriate. This outline assumes you know the 1st edition spheres well or can look them up. Last, BUY MAGE 2D EDITION. I want people who have the book to know what was has changed at a glance, and those of you who haven't gotten the book should be encouraged to do so. Some of my comments won't make much sense unless you have Mage 2d in front of you. I. Correspondence A. Level 1: Immediate Spatial Perceptions 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: Can find true north, detect spatial anomalies 3. Lost Abilities: None B. Level 2: Sense Space - Touch Space 1. Old Name: Correspondence Perceptions 2. New Abilities: a) Teleport small objects to you (with Life or Matter)* b) Move small objects telekinetically (with Life or Matter)* c) Ward against scry attempts 3. Lost Abilities: None C. Level 3: Pierce Space - Seal Gate - Co-locality Perception 1. Old Name: Shift Through Space/Co-locality Perception 2. New Abilities: a) Telekinesis (with Life or Matter) b) Ward against specific creatures things* c) Create magickal bonds to lower distance for Corr. purposes. d) Stalking the Void rote (was level 4) e) Seal spatial rifts (such as those made with Corr.) 3. Lost Abilities: None. D. Level 4: Rend Space - Co-locate Self 1. Old Name: Conjoin Localities/Co-locate Self 2. New Abilities: Make pockets in space 3. Lost Abilities: None. E. Level 5: Mutate Localities - Co-Location 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: Improve perception to non-human levels 3. Lost Abilities: None F. Notes on Rotes: Polyappearance should be Level 4, not 5 II. Entropy A. Level 1: Sense Fate and Fortune 1. Old Name: Perceive Entropy 2. New Abilities: a) Detect lies, perceive "higher truths" when spoken b) In general, useful to get a sense of where Destiny is going. 3. Lost Abilities: None. B. Level 2: Control Probability 1. Old Name: Control Randomness 2. New Abilities: Beginner’s Luck 3. Lost Abilities: None C. Level 3: Affect Predictable Patterns 1. Old Name: Diffuse energy/Destroy matter 2. New Abilities: Bless/Curse object* 3. Lost Abilities: None D. Level 4: Affect Life 1. Old Name: Wither Life 2. New Abilities: Bless/Curse living being* 3. Lost Abilities: None E. Level 5: Affect Thought 1. Old Name: Intellectual Entropy 2. New Abilities: Administer binding oaths 3. Lost Abilities: None III. Forces A. Level 1 - Perceive Forces 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: None 3. Lost Abilities: None B. Level 2 - Control Minor Forces 1. Old Name: Control Lesser Forces 2. New Abilities: a) Can control all types of forces b) Telekinesis c) Walking on Water 3. Lost Abilities: Control is limited to "small" amounts of force C. Level 3 - Transmute Minor Forces 1. Old Name: Spawn Lesser Forces 2. New Abilities: a) Change positive force into negative forces (e.g. light to darkness) b) Change one type of force into another (e.g. light to sound) c) Transmute Force to Life or Matter* d) NB - as with Level 2, this is limited to "small" amounts e) Embracing the Earth Mother 3. Lost Abilities: None. D. Level 4 - Control Major Forces 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: Can use Minor abilities on larger scale. 3. Lost Abilities: None E. Level 5 - Transmute Major Forces 1. Old Name: Spawn Major Forces 2. New Abilities: a) Difference again is one of scale. b) Nuclear blasts possible. c) Weather control over vast areas. 3. Lost Abilities: None F. Notes on Rotes 1. Embracing the Earth Mother should be possible at Level 3 (create more gravity) or even Level 2 (redirecting gravity from elsewhere). The rote is listed at 4. Truly spectacular effects would need that level. 2. Call Lightning in the middle of a lightning storm would need level 2, not level 3. Creating lighting from nothing would require level 3. 3. Some effects, like Telekinesis, are possible at level 2, but work better at level 3 and above. IV. Life A. Level 1: Sense Life 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: None 3. Lost Abilities: None B. Level 2: Alter Simple Patterns - Heal Self 1. Old Name: Alter Simple Pattern 2. New Abilities: a) Heal or damage self b) Change simple creatures (e.g. make tree have poison fruit) 3. Lost Abilities: None C. Level 3: Alter Self - Heal Life - Transform Simple Pattern - Create Simple Pattern 1. Old Name: Alter Self/Create Simple Pattern 2. New Abilities: a) Change own pattern (e.g. grow gills) b) Turn simple creature into another simple creature c) Heal or damage complex patterns d) Transmute Life into Force, Matter, Prime or vice versa* 3. Lost Abilities: None D. Level 4: Alter Complex Life Patterns - Transform Self 1. Old Name: Alter Life 2. New Abilities: Take the form (not specials such as wings) of creature same basic size and mass as self 3. Lost Abilities: None. E. Level 5: Transform Complex Life Pattern - Create Complex Life Pattern - Perfect Metamorphosis 1. Old Name: Create Life Pattern 2. New Abilities: a) Turn complex patterns into other patterns b) Turn complex patterns into Matter, Force, Prime and vice versa* 3. Lost Abilities: None V. Matter A. Level 1: Matter Perception 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: None. 3. Lost Abilities: None. B. Level 2: Basic Transmutation 1. Old Name: Create Unified Pattern 2. New Abilities: a) Transmute one substance into another b) Transmute Forces, Life into simple substances 3. Lost Abilities: May not create some radioactive elements C. Level 3: Alter Form 1. Old Name: Alter Matter/Pattern Disassociation 2. New Abilities: None. 3. Lost Abilities: a) Matter Pattern Disassociation b) May not make permanent changes in state D. Level 4: Complex Transmutation 1. Old Name: Transmutation/Quilted Forms 2. New Abilities: Transmute Life, Forces into complicated Matter patterns 3. Lost Abilities: None E. Level 5: Alter Properties 1. Old Name: New Substances or Structures 2. New Abilities: a) Matter Pattern Disassociation b) Permanent changes in state 3. Lost Abilities: Nanotech applications not mentioned, but should be possible at this level or level 4. F. Notes on Rotes: Alter State should be possible with level 3 without Forces VI. Mind A. Level 1: Sense Thoughts and Emotions - Empower Self 1. Old Name: Empower Self 2. New Abilities: a) Sense basic outlines of thoughts and emotions b) Create mental shields c) Psychometry/Object Reading d) Sense Resonance of Tass e) Pathos and No Mind rotes f) Influence own dreams 3. Lost Abilities: While called Empower Self, there is no text supporting Brain Boost effects that give mental advantages. Strangely, Multi-Tasking is still available as a Rote with no textual support. Perhaps this was an oversight. B. Level 2: Read Surface Thoughts - Mental Impulse 1. Old Name: Mental Impulse 2. New Abilities: a) Change aura; create better mental shields b) Telepathy with other Mage with Mind 2 or better c) Good (not total) dream control d) Place impressions on objects 3. Lost Abilities: None C. Level 3: Mental Link - Walk Among Dreams 1. Old Name: Mental Link 2. New Abilities: a) Contact other dreamers while you're asleep or awake (more dangerous) b) Explore Dream Realms c) Detect Possession (speculation) 3. Lost Abilities: None. D. Level 4: Control Conscious Mind - Astral Projection 1. Old Name: Control Mind 2. New Abilities: a) May go to astral realms for short times b) Increase own Intelligence/Wits to human max. (speculation) 3. Lost Abilities: None. E. Level 5: Control Subconscious - Untether - Forge Psyche 1. Old Name: Untether 2. New Abilities: a) Increase own Intelligence/Wits to non-human levels b) Increase other’s Intelligence/Wits to human maximum c) Rewrite other’s personality d) Create artificial intelligence 3. Lost Abilities: None VII. Prime A. Level 1: Etheric Senses 1. Old Name: Store Quintessence 2. New Abilities: Take point of damage to gain one Quint. 3. Lost Abilities: None. B. Level 2: Weave Odyllic Force - Fuel Pattern 1. Old Name: Fuel Pattern 2. New Abilities: a) Enchant weapon to do Aggravated damage b) Create etheric/astral/spiritual plane item 3. Lost Abilities: None C. Level 3: Channel Quintessence 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: None 3. Lost Abilities: None D. Level 4: Expel Base Energy 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: None 3. Lost Abilities: None E. Level 5: Alter Flow 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: None 3. Lost Abilities: None VIII. Spirit A. Level 1: Spirit Sight - Spirit Sense 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: a) See auras b) Detect possession 3. Lost Abilities: None B. Level 2: Touch Spirit - Manipulate Gauntlet 1. Old Name: Call Spirit/Plumb the Deep Umbra 2. New Abilities: a) Touch/use objects or spirits on the other side of the Gauntlet b) Weaken or strengthen the Gauntlet 3. Lost Abilities: None C. Level 3: Pierce Gauntlet - Rouse & Lull Spirit 1. Old Name: Travel Spirit 2. New Abilities: a) Create objects from ephemera* b) Rouse or lull the spirits of objects c) Call Spirit works better d) Rouse or lull spirits in fetishes, etc. e) Can take goods with you while Stepping Sideways 3. Lost Abilities: None. D. Level 4: Rend Gauntlet - Seal Breach - Bind Spirit 1. Old Name: Fabricate Spirit/Control Gauntlet 2. New Abilities: a) Compel spirits to appear b) Channel spirit’s power through self c) Have spirits possess others d) Exorcism 3. Lost Abilities: None E. Level 5: Forge Ephemera - Outward Journeys 1. Old Name: Outward Journeys 2. New Abilities: a) Reweave or shred ephemera b) Perform Gilgul rite c) Heal spirit’s Power 3. Lost Abilities: None. IX. Time A. Level 1: Time Sense 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: None 3. Lost Abilities: None B. Level 2: Past Sight - Future Sight 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: See futures other than the most probable* 3. Lost Abilities: None. C. Level 3: Time Contraction - Time Dilation 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: a) Thicken time to prevent Time based scrying (speculation) b) With Corr., an object to gains speed w/o gaining momentum* 3. Lost Abilities: None. D. Level 4: Time Determinism 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: None 3. Lost Abilities: None E. Level 5: Future Travel - Time Immunity 1. Old Name: Same 2. New Abilities: a) Better described, but abilities seem to be the same b) Travel back in time "theoretically possible" now 3. Lost Abilities: None Bill Bishop, cms/am "It takes a brave man to be a coward bjb@primenet.com in the Red Army." - Joseph Stalin