Mage: The Ascension CYOA JumpChain Revised Edition

v1.2

by (a) Poor Dick Revised by The Vale

Introduction

‘And trust me that you can do something. You are not as helpless, as much a pawn, as they would have you believe. Each of us can effect change... You can move the world.’

An Edge in My Voice, Installment #10

Welcome to the World of Darkness

It is a world very much like your home world, but viewed through smoke-tinted glass. On the surface, everything seems much the same; but bleaker and more cynical. Gothic style buildings loom ominously over rain slick streets. Gruesome and violent crimes seem to happen on a daily

basis in every poorly lit alley, and people seem to turn a blind eye to it.

However, if you dive under the surface of this world, you will find true darkness. Vampires, werewolves, and far worse lurk in every shadow. They wage ancient wars and weave elaborate conspiracies to the woe of humankind. If this world is left to its own devices, it will inevitably

spiral down into Oblivion; torn apart by petty, secret power struggles and long forgotten antediluvian horrors reawakened.

I offer you power to change the fate of worlds.

Unlike the humans of your home reality, the humans of the World of Darkness are special.

Almost each and every one of them contains within themselves the potential to bend and shape reality to their will. In fact, to one degree or another, they are constantly, subtly, and

unconsciously shaping the world around them. But some of them... some of them can consciously change the world by will alone.

And you are now one of them.

It's dangerous to go alone! For the next ten years, you will be living in the World of Darkness. It is a huge place full of powerful beings and factions fighting for control of the world from the

shadows. Among Enlightened will workers alone, at least five major factions struggle for power. And that isn’t even beginning to scratch the surface on all the other supernatural entities lurking in the shadows, such as vampires, werewolves, ghosts, fairies, demons, and more.

Enjoy.

+1000cp

True Magick In the World of Darkness, both science and mysticism function under the same operating principles: because people believe it works. There is no fundamental difference between a wizard throwing fireballs and a scientist wielding a flamethrower, other than aesthetics and the number of people who believe it is possible. Almost every human being (and a few human-made constructs) have the capacity to warp reality. However, most have no conscious ability to do so. Instead, their unconscious minds quietly push reality to resemble their desires. These people are known as Sleepers, and are ignorant of this effect. On their own, individual Sleepers can’t do much to reality. In large groups, Sleepers’ collective unconscious consensus of what reality should act like will reshape reality to reflect those desires. However, some individuals are different. They’ve started to Awaken to the their ability warp reality and begin to do so consciously. Initially, these individuals channel their ability through the lense of their preconceived beliefs, or paradigm. When an Awakened individual needs to heal someone, an occultist may cast a spell, an animist may invoke spirits, a martial artist may manipulate chi, and a scientist may utilize advanced medical techniques; but they are all doing the same thing, even if they believe they are all doing different things. They are all warping reality to heal the person in need. Over time, some Awakened individuals come to realize that they themselves are directly changing reality by force of will, instead of using magic spells or advanced technology. These individuals can drop the tools and trappings they previously used, and change reality by Enlightened will alone. While being able to change reality at will may sound great, there is one little snag: Paradox. While an Awakened will worker may want to change reality to fit her desires, there is the collective weight of the unconscious beliefs of the other seven billion people on Earth working against her. If an Awakened will worker changes reality in a way that is conducive to the prevailing belief of the surrounding area, the unconscious minds of the surrounding Sleepers are generally accepting of the change and it typically occurs without incident. If an Awakened will worker attempts to perform a feat that violates the collective belief of surrounding Sleepers

however, the collective disbelief in what the Awakened will worker is doing makes the change significantly harder to enact. Further, regardless of her success, the local consensus may reject her and her change. This is typically called Paradox and can be expressed in a wide variety of ways. They include, but are not limited to, the following: ● The complete reversal or unmaking of the Awakened individual’s change ● Negligible to life threatening physical damage ● A temporary or permanent alteration to the Awakened individual’s body, mind, and/or surroundings (such as glowing eyes, sudden dyslexia, or a chilling aura) ● Mild to complete temporary or permanent disconnection of personal reality from consensual reality ● A visit from, and potential punishment by, a disgruntled embodiment of an aspect of consensual reality that was violated ● Confinement in an extra-dimensional prison/hell for a variable or indefinite period of time, and/or until a particular task or puzzle is completed ● Ejection from consensual reality entirely There is no way for an Awakened individual to know what form Paradox will take (if any) whenever she warps reality. Typically, the more acceptable the change being made is to the local consensus of sleepers; the lower the chance of Paradox, and likely the lower intensity of any Paradox effect if it occurs. However, even when acting subtly, Awakened will workers should be careful to avoid Paradox. A long series of believable changes to reality may end up being rejected by local sleeper consensus for being unbelievably convenient.

Time Period Roll 1d8, or pay 50cp to select your time period. Unless otherwise noted, you may pick any

specific date in the time period.

1 Any year of your choice before 1980.

2 1980s

3 1990s

4 2000s

5 2010s

6 Any year of your choice after 2019.

7 J-Day - You jump into the World of Darkness at the exact year, month, day, hour, minute, second you left your home world for your first jump.

8 Free Choice from the above

Location

Roll 1d8, or pay 1 FP to select your location. You may pick any specific area within that location.

1 North America

2 South America

3 Europe

4 Africa

5 Asia

6 Australia

7 Any Off-World Location of your choice

8 Free Choice from the above

Origin

Awakened Drop In (Free) Arete: 1

Starting Spheres: 5 ranks Want to reshape reality at will without having any memories of a life in the World of Darkness cluttering your mindscape? This option is for you! You enter with no new memories of this world, no identification or government records, no social network, and no other in-world assets. Further, you are literally dropped in from a height sufficient to cause minor injury. For your paradigm, pick the the set of beliefs (or worldview) in which you most deeply believe (or adhere). This could be your religion, science, high magick, esoteric philosophy, etc. The important part is that you, jumper, truly believe in it.

Sleeper Drop In (+200cp) Arete: 0

Want to experience the World of Darkness without any memories of the world or any of the hope and change of Enlightened will working? This option is for you! You enter with no memories of this world, no identification or government records, no social network, and no other in-world assets. Further, you are literally dropped in from a height sufficient to cause minor injury.

Apprentice Will Worker (-200cp) Arete: 1

Starting Spheres: 5 ranks (+1 rank in each of your Affinity Spheres) Someone(s) belonging to a faction of your choice raised you, triggered your Awakening, or approached your shortly after you Awakened on your own. This person (or persons) took you on as an apprentice, inducted you into their social order, and provided you with a thorough education on the nature of Enlightened will working as seen through the lense of their paradigm. Additionally, you may select one (Affinity) Sphere with which will working comes to you more easily than the others. This will typically be associated with your mentor’s faction and paradigm. However, you do owe your mentor(s) a deep debt for providing such an education to you. The debt may be monetary or moral, but eventually you will be called upon to make good on what you owe.

Orphan Will Worker (-100) Arete: 1

Starting Spheres: 5 ranks (+1 rank in your Affinity Sphere) Unfortunately for you, you Awoke alone. No one noticed your potential ahead of time, and you had to figure out your abilities mostly through trial and error with only the aid of your Avatar, and possibly other Orphans like yourself. You may cobble together any sort of patchwork paradigm that you want and would make sense given your background. Pop-culture magic and/or deeply held religious believes are likely to be common components. You may select any one Sphere with which will working comes to you more easily than the others.

Sleeper Mortal (+200) Starting Arete: 0

Want to experience the World of Darkness without any of the hope and change of Enlightened will working? This option is for you! You get a mundane, slightly below median identity of your choosing, complete with all the records, memories, and social connections you need to function. Take “Sleeper” drawback for no extra points.

Awakened Construct (-100cp) Starting Arete: 1

Starting Spheres: 5 ranks You start the jump as a newly created construct in some Awakened Will-Worker’s sanctum. Your new form is literally brought into being (consciousness) at the start of the jump, and you immediately Awaken. You may be any manner of construct you so desire; anything from a human clone or metal robot to a clay golem or wooden puppet. Normally, constructs that violate consensual reality suffer from Paradox, and have very short lifespans. Fortunately, you seem to be immune to this particular threat to your existence. For the remainder of this jump, you may change your body (or have it changed by others) without worrying about being subject to Paradox. On the downside, Awakened constructs are exceedingly rare. While the individual who created you may be of any faction you choose, the majority of Awakened humans of all factions (including your creator) view you as extremely valuable property, and will ultimately treat you as such. This doesn’t mean they will be cruel to you, but it does mean that you have very limited (if any) rights and that Awakened humans (typically your creator/owner) are allowed to make decisions for you without your consent. If you import any companions into this jump as Apprentice Will-Workers, you may choose any or all of them to be your owner.

Soulless Construct (Free) Arete: 0

You start the jump as a newly created construct in some Awakened Will-Worker’s sanctum. Your new form is literally brought into being (consciousness) at the start of the jump. You may be any manner of construct you so desire; anything from a human clone or metal robot to a clay golem or wooden puppet. Normally, constructs that violate consensual reality suffer from Paradox, and have very short lifespans. Fortunately, you seem to be immune to this particular threat to your existence. For the remainder of this jump, you may change your body (or have it changed by others) without worrying about being subject to Paradox. On the downside, soulless constructs are typically disposable. While the individual who created you may be of any faction you choose, the majority of Awakened humans of all factions (including your creator) view you as property, and will ultimately treat you as such. This doesn’t mean they will be cruel to you, but it does mean that you have very limited (if any) rights and that Awakened humans (typically your creator/owner) are allowed to make decisions for you without your consent. If you import any companions into this jump as Apprentice Will-Workers, you may choose any or all of them to be your owner.

Age Constructs: Less than a minute old.

All other Origins: Roll 1d8+20 to determine your age in years. Alternately, you may pay 50cp to choose set your own age to any age you desire. Choose extremely young or old ages at your own peril.

Sex You may keep your current sex, or pay 50cp to change it to anything you choose.

Companions For this jump, you may create and/or import up to a total of 8 individual companions at the cost of 50cp each. All created or imported companions may choose an Origin, and gain all benefits from that origin, including a pool of 1000cp, minus the total number of points you spent on Timeline, Location, and Companions. If you have any existing companions, you may choose to import them. Alternately, you may create a new companion who already exists in the World of Darkness. Should you import any companions into either Construct option and you are an Apprentice Will Worker, you may be their owner.

Familiars For 50cp, you (and/or any companions) may take a familiar - an intelligent being that shares a two-way emotional bond with an Awakened will worker. You will both always know how the other feels, and you will be unable to lie to one another. Familiars may be a natural animal, a machine (for example, a robot), a clone, a homunculus, undead being (zombie), an unawakened construct (golem), a high mythic being (fairy dragon), an alien (Roswell grey), an imp, a spirit (small god), a virtual entity (AI), etc. You may pretty much pick anything smaller than a winged unicorn, so long as it fits your origin or paradigm (if any). Regardless of form, familiars typically have human levels of intelligence, are slightly more physically adept than normal animals or humans for their size, and are immune to the passage of time. Additionally, familiars have oracular abilities of perception and a deep, innate understanding of every reality they visit. Should a familiar feel so inclined, it may share that insight with you from time to time. Perhaps most importantly, familiars can absorb the energies and effects of Paradox around them. However, this is not something that they enjoy. A familiar that is constantly abused as a Paradox sponge will likely act out against you, or break your bond completely - and at the worst time. If you so choose, you may import an existing companion, pet, or similar being into the role, or create a new one from scratch. Familiars only count as companions if you import an existing companion into said role (Familiars do not get cp). You (and/or any companions) may only have one familiar (each). Oh! I almost forgot. There is a downside to having a familiar. You have to feed it. In addition to any mundane feeding requirements, you’ll need to feed it Quintessence in the form it finds appealing (typically a form of Tass) every week. More powerful familiars tend to eat more. Should you fail to feed enough Quintessence to your familiar, it will lose any abilities (such as increased intelligence) provided here.

Enlightened Will Working Arete/Enlightenment (100cp each) Arete measures how close an Awakened individual is to Enlightenment, and is a major factor in how powerful an Awakened individual is at will working. You can purchase it up to a total of 10 ranks, each purchase giving you +1 rank. Most Awakened individuals slowly discard their beliefs as they become more Enlightened, requiring less artifice between their will and the working. At 10 Arete, you can shape reality through will and enlightened understanding alone; no trappings of mystic or scientific belief required. Spheres (100cp each) Each of the nine Spheres represents an aspect of reality, and the total ranks you have in any given Sphere represents your understanding of that aspect of reality. You may not have more ranks in any individual sphere than you have ranks in Arete, and ranks in spheres must be purchased in successive order. If you want to increase your understanding of (rank in) a Sphere, it will take a significant amount of time and dedication. You may only work towards increasing your understanding of one Sphere at a time. Improvement times for Affinity Spheres is halved. Assuming you have access to a more experienced tutor who shares your paradigm and you train, study, meditate, etc. eight hours a day, five days a week; you can improve your understanding of a Sphere as outlined below. If your tutor does not share your paradigm, double or triple the following times, depending on the degree of disparity between your paradigms. If you do not have access to a tutor at all, multiply the below training times by five: ● From rank 0 to rank 1, 1 month ● From rank 1 to rank 2, 6 months ● From rank 2 to rank 3, 1 year ● From rank 3 to rank 4, 5 years ● From rank 4 to rank 5, 10 years Avatar/Genius (Free) Congratulations! Like basically every other Enlightened will worker in the setting, part of you exists as a more eidolon-esque conduit that will try to guide you to greater Enlightenment and help you shape reality. Avatars/Geniuses can be as subtle as a feeling, instinct or whisper at the back of your mind, as overt as full-fledge beings (like spirit animals or daemons), or somewhere in between (such as creeping shadows or psychedelic visions). It’s form and nature can be whatever you choose, but will define what form the Avatar/Genius is for all those in this world.

Echoes (Free) Both actively and passively, every will worker shapes reality in a way unique unto themselves, and the ripples of this activity pervade into the surrounding environment. For some, they leave no more of a the trace than the equivalent of fingerprint left at a crime scene. Others leave huge, unmistakable wakes in their passing. At will, you may dial up or down the intensity of this effect. On the low end, you leave no more of a signature of yourself when warping reality than aforementioned metaphysical fingerprint. On the high end, you and your will working are constantly surrounded and infused with uniquely identifiable marks and effects based on your personality and tendencies. As an example of the higher end of this perk, imagine your paradigm is that of magic, that you have a penchant for fire spells, and that you love horses. Even when you are not ‘actively’ using magic, you may find smoke trails you, sparks fall from your hair, and you may even (accidently and unintentionally) start fires merely by touching flammable objects. Further, spells you cast may tend to take the shape of horses. If you hurl a fireball, it may take the form of charging nightmare in flight. Should you live or work in a place long enough, you may discover that your house constantly smells of smoke, the wood that makes your home is largely charred, and that horses have a habit of finding their way into your yard.

Spheres

Correspondence Of the relationships between things, and space.

1 Immediate Spatial Perceptions Regardless of whether or not you can observe them with your senses, you can be aware of any objects in your immediate area, know their dimensions and volume, and determine the exact distances between them. Further, you will always be able to determine your orientation (North/South, Up/Down, etc), and you may detect spatial instabilities and anomalies, such as warps and wormholes.

2 Sense, Touch, Thicken & Reach Through Space You may now extend any of your senses across space to sense distant locations, though doing so does create a spatial anomaly that could potentially be detected. In conjunction with other spheres, you can create small (up-to house cat), holes in space that last just long enough to pull, push, or touch items through them. Conversely, you may strengthen or solidify an area of space to make it harder to observe or open portals to or within.

3 Pierce Space, Seal Gate, Co-locality Perception You may now create holes between spaces that are about your size and that you can hold open just long enough for you alone to slip through. Alternately, you may also now try to seal holes in space. In conjunction with other spheres, you may alter how or if certain types of things can move through a space. Additionally, you may now also extend your senses to multiple locations at once. Further, in conjunction with other spheres, you move things through space without touching them, such as you would through telekinesis or remote teleportation.

4 Rend Space, Co-locate Self You may now open substantial holes in space through which other individuals and large objects may be moved. Further, you can potentially keep holes in space open permanently. If you wish, you may even move objects outside of the concept of space all together. While Correspondence effects can be used to locate and interact with such items, they are not connected to normal space, and normal reality cannot interact with them. Additionally, you may now manifest in multiple locations at once. However, in order to think or act separately in each location, you will need to incorporate Mind and Life effects respectively.

5 Spatial Mutation, Co-Location Upon mastering Correspondence , you can distort space; easily stretching it, bending it, and shrinking it to meet your needs. In conjunction with other spheres, you may change the dimensions, and only dimensions (not mass, etc) of objects as well. Further, you may stack, superimpose, or otherwise connect two or more locations or objects together.

Entropy Of probability, change, and decay.

1 Sense Fate & Fortune While you can’t control probability, you do understand it. You can predict the outcome of seemingly random events. Further, you can detect and identify the weak points in most things: objects, people, ideas, etc.

2 Control Probability Building upon your knowledge, you may now control the outcome of seemingly random events. Small, singular events (such as ensuring you are dealt a good poker hand) are

easier to control than larger or more complicated ones (such as ensuring you are dealt the exact same good poker hand ten times in a row).

3 Affect Predictable Patterns Matter and forces are especially susceptible to entropy, and you may alter how fast or slow they decay. Further, in conjunction with other spheres, you can alter the general probability potential of objects made of matter or forces; changing the likelihood of said objects encountering positive, negative, or other events.

4 Affect Life As per Affect Predictable Patterns, but with living beings. Additionally, in conjunction with other spheres, you may produce hereditary and generational effects.

5 Affect Thought, Shape Memes Mastering Entropy brings with it the very ability to strengthen or weaken ideas and concepts themselves. While this sphere provides no insight into what any individual (or group of individuals) are thinking, you can easily cause others’ thoughts to fall into chaos, or present arguments that will guide them to the conclusion you desire. Further, you can alter the probability potential of specific thoughts or ideas, such as an oath; changing the likelihood of said ideas encountering positive, negative, or other events. As an extension of that, you can create and destroy memes, which may themselves be used to alter beliefs or as vehicles for other effects.

Forces Paradigm is especially important with this sphere. While a Scientist may believe darkness is the absence of light (and not a force); a Mystic may believe darkness is a force that exists besides light. Similarly, while a Scientist may believe in types of ‘light’ that are not normally visible to humans, such as ultraviolet and infrared; a Mystics may not. In such cases, a Scientist may be able to detect and control types of ‘light’ Mystic may not, but the Mystic may be able able to detect and control darkness, which the Scientist may not.

1 Perceive Forces You can perceive the flow of any forces in which you believe; potentially including ‘negative’ forces such as darkness, silence, stillness, cold, etc.

2 Control Minor Forces While you cannot create forces at this level, you can control existing forces of lesser intensity. The larger the force you are attempting to control, the harder the force will be to control. Radically altering the velocity of fast-moving heavy industrial transport

vehicle, or fully blanketing a city block in darkness are likely beyond your abilities at this point. Combined with other spheres, you may cause objects to attract, repel, or otherwise influence certain forces.

3 Transmute Minor Forces You may change any force of minor size into any other force, or forces, of sum equal proportion. In conjunction with other spheres, you may transmute forces into other things and vice versa.

4 Control Major Forces This level of understanding works identically to Control Minor Forces, but at a much grander scale. You can control (but not create) forces on par with tsunamis, earthquakes, and nuclear explosions.

5 Transmute Major Forces This level of understanding works identically to Transmute Minor Forces, but at a much grander scale. This is the level of ability that Technocrats used to create nuclear weapons. With your mastery, you may choose to create exotic forces, or just really powerful ‘mundane’ ones.

Life Like Forces , your paradigm is very important for this sphere. What people tend to consider ‘alive’ can vary greatly. Typically, anything containing the ‘essence’ of life (or living cells) is covered by Life , such as fresh fruit and viable transplant organs. On the other hand, objects that no longer contain the ‘essence’ of life (or no living cells) are typically covered by Matter, such as cut hair or wood. However, there are some gray areas depending on your beliefs, such as vampiric blood (which may contain living energy) and viruses. Also, this sphere is only concerned with life, and not the mind (or spirit). Any life created through use of this sphere alone will be mindless (and soulless), but not necessarily bereft of instinct. As for where the line between instinct and mind exist, that will vary from paradigm to paradigm.

1 Sense Life You may detect the presence of life around you, and determine any living being’s age, biological sex, and all other aspects of its current health.

2 Alter Simple Life, Heal Self At this level of understanding, you may alter any simple living being, so long as it retains the essence of what it was originally. While you may force an apple tree to bear fruit, or make its fruit contain poison; it must still fundamentally be an apple tree to

you. While you may give an ant a few extra legs, or make it the size of a house cat; it must still fundamentally be an ant to you. Though the definition of simple organism may vary depending on your beliefs, this category typically applies to practically every living non-vertebrate; from single-celled organisms up to arthropods, and including all plants and fungi. Further, you may choose to heal (or harm) yourself at this level. You may close (or open) wounds, or rid yourself of diseases. Some minor alteration to your form may be possible, such as adjusting your weight or the amount of pigmentation in your skin to mimic or remove the effects of tanning. If your form has been altered, you may return it in whole or in part to any of your base forms.

3 Transform & Create Simple Life, Heal Others, Alter Self You can now make drastic changes to simple organism that fundamentally change the core of their being. You can turn simple creatures inside-out, heal them, or change them into completely different (simple) creatures; such as turning flowers into bees. In conjunction with other spheres, you can create simple life from inanimate objects or raw forces - or vice versa. Further, you have gained an even greater ability to manipulate your own form. While you must still remain within the bounds of whatever you consider your current base form, most human will workers would be able to change their gender, or even form claws or gills.

4 Alter Complex Life, Transform Self This level of understanding works just like Alter Simple Life, but on all more complex life. Additionally, You can transform yourself into the shape of any other creature of similar size and mass to your current base form. However, this only grants you the shape. Any features native to the form that are not native to your current base form must be replicated with additional Life effects, such as means of respiration or locomotion.

5 Transform & Create Complex Life, Perfect Metamorphosis This level of understanding works just like Transform & Create Simple Life, but on all more complex life, including yourself.

Matter What is considered a single, simple, or mundane substance is going to vary from paradigm to paradigm. While a scientist may find hydrogen gas and diamond to be single, simple substances; the mystic is likely to consider them far from mundane. On the other and; a mystic may find milk and wine to be simple and mundane; but a scientist may consider them complex substances.

Additionally, making complex items tends to require real-world understanding. For example, you may be able to create a computer that works (locally) from a pile of wood. However, without understanding how computers fundamentally work, it wouldn’t necessarily be able to connect to regular peripherals (such as mice, keyboards, monitors, printers, USB storage devices, etc), other computers, or the Internet. (Imagine running an obscure OS with no significant driver support.)

1 Matter Perceptions You can sense any near by matter, and its material properties, regardless of whether or not you can perceive it with your normal senses.

2 Basic Transmutations At this level of understanding, you can transmute any simple or mundane matter into any other mundane matter. However, you may only transmute one type of simple or mundane matter into one other type of simple or mundane matter at a time. You cannot change it’s form, state, or temperature with this level of understanding alone, though you can use other spheres to make such changes. Further, in conjunction with other spheres, you can create uncomplicated items made out of a single, mundane substance; such as a crystal ball or iron ingot.

3 A lter Form You have the ability to reshape matter as you wish. You can tear objects apart, mend them (if you understand how they should be in the first place), or just sculpt their form. Further, you may temporarily alter objects’ density and/or state.

4 Complex Transmutation Complex changes and creations are within your grasp. You may now change complex materials and items in other complex materials and items, such as changing a firearm into a squirt gun, or a garage into a car. Further, in conjunction with other spheres, you can create complex items out of other substances, such as turning an apple into a hand grenade or a fire into a sofa.

5 Alter Properties As a master of Matter, you may permanently alter the properties of existing matter, including but not limited to the following: appearance, boiling and/or melting Point, color, density, ductility, odor, polarity, refraction Index, solubility, texture, transparency, viscosity, etc. Further, you may create entirely fictional substances in realities where they don’t exist, such as Mithril, Adamantium, and Element Zero. This level of understanding is what

the Technocracy uses to create man-made/non-naturally occurring heavy elements and radioactive isotopes.

Mind The mental and emotional realm.

1 Sense Thoughts & Emotions, Empower Self While you can’t read specific thoughts, you can detect any conscious beings around you. Further, you can sense the strength, intensity, and general nature of thoughts and emotions of conscious beings. In conjunction with other spheres, you may even determine if an object has any strong psychic impressions associated with it. As delightful bonuses, you can start to influence your own dreams, improve your ability to multitask, and increase your mental processing speed. Perhaps most importantly, you can attempt to shield your mind from intrusion, shroud your aura, and otherwise hide, fortify, or protect your thoughts and feelings.

2 Read Surface Thoughts, Mental Impulse You can now read surface thoughts of conscious minds. In conjunction with other spheres, you can read any memories imprinted upon it. The stronger and clearer an emotional tie is to the thought, the easier it is to pick up on. However, you can now do more than just read. You can project simple emotions, images, or (one-word) thoughts at another consciousness! You can even establish basic telepathy with another student of Mind at this rank or higher. All you need to do is drop your mental defenses and allow them to read your thoughts! As an additional bonus, you can control your dreams to a moderate extent. More importantly, you can create complex mental defenses by generating and displaying false thoughts, emotions, and auras.

3 Mental Link, Walk Among Dreams Finally, you can establish direct connection with other consciousnesses (willingly or otherwise), communicate telepathically, read other’s thoughts, create full sensory illusions in another mind, psychically assault other’s minds, and enter another’s dreams. Also, you can explore the Dream Realms.

4 Control Conscious Mind, Astral Projection Conscious minds are yours to command. You can change another’s thoughts, perceptions, and memories. You can heal or break will and sanity, change the

composition of a psychic aura, and setup post hypnotic commands. Additionally, you may project astrally.

5 Control Subconscious, Untether, Forge Psyche Not only do you have control over the conscious mind, you now have control over the subconscious mind. You can utterly and permanently rewrite individuals’ personalities and other mental traits (including intelligence) - including your own! But that’s the least of what mastery of this sphere can do. You can now untether a mind from a body. In conjunction with other spheres, you can transfer consciousnesses between bodies. However, all the aforementioned abilities pale in comparison to this last one:: you can fabricate consciousness from nothing. Should you desire a body (or soul) for the consciousness, you still need other spheres to create them.

Prime Like many spheres, Prime is dependent upon paradigm. Sons of Ether may view Quinessence and its flow as (metaphysical) Ether, Akashic Brothers may view it as Chi, and those of the Order of Hermes may see it as Ars Vis. Certain members of Technocracy may even view it as the potential energy of money and capital.

1 Etheric Senses, Infuse Personal Quintessence, Unweaving With this basic level of understanding, you can do three things. First, you can detect the flow and accumulation of Quintessence through the world, and in people and objects. This perception includes the ability to sense resonance of Awakened will workers and their works. Second, you can actively use your own pattern to store Quintessence. Third, in conjunction with other spheres, you may be able to counter or undo another Enlightened will worker’s (or other supernatural) effects. You need to have at least one rank in every Sphere that relates to the effect in question, and generally need to be more powerful than the originator of the effect.

2 Fuel Pattern, Enchant Patterns, Anti-Magick In conjunction with other spheres, you can now create items from pure Quintessence - making items from seemingly nothing. This level of understanding allows you to create patterns made of ambient Quintessence, which can then be converted into apples, knives, etc. Additionally, you can infuse matter and forces with Quintessence and allow them to exist on all planes of reality. Things so infused can touch (and harm) entities that may not otherwise be able to be harmed. For example, you could infuse a mundane knife so that it could touch/hurt a spirit. Lastly, you can reinforce local reality. Doing so makes it harder for any reality warper to make changes in the area.

3 Channel Quintessence, Enchant Life At this level of understanding, you can tap into certain wellsprings or reservoirs of

Quintessence that may be used or stored more freely. You may tap areas (Nodes), times (Junctures), items (Tass), and people (including yourself) that are especially rich in

available/excess Quintessence. This Quintessence may be used to augment spells, or infused into your pattern or the pattern other objects. Additionally, you may infuse

living beings with Quinessence like you could do with Enchant Patterns.

4 Expel or Infuse Base Energy, Create Wonders You may now break down matter and forces; returning them back into the Quinessence

that composed them. In conjunction with matter and forces, you merely degrade specific aspects of matter and forces. For example, you could break down the south pole

of a magnet, leaving behind only the northern pole. Alternately, you can strengthen matter and forces, creating object that cannot be broken.

Additionally, you may create Wonders: talisman, device, etc. that you imbue with Quintessence and are capable sphere effects. You may only create Wonders capable of sphere effects you can create yourself. Wonders may be used by anyone who believes

that they should work. However, Wonders do have a limited pool of free Quintessence that may be drained with use. Should a Wonder run out of Quintessence, it will return

to being a mundane object until such time as it is refilled with Quintessence.

5 Alter Flow As a master of this Prime, you may now alter the flow of Quintessence within a living

being. You may cut it off completely, snuffing out that being's life force. Alternately, you may increase the flow into a living being, including yourself, filling that being with

excess Quintessence. Perhaps even more importantly, you now have the potential ability to nullify or counteract Paradox energies using

Quintessence Spirit / Dimensional Science Spirit and Dimensional Science are the same sphere, viewed through different lenses. It only needs to be purchased once. Those who have a more mystical orientation are likely to call this Sphere Spirit, call upon other worldly beings they view as natural or supernatural spirits, and travel to realms they view as spiritual realms. Those with a more scientific orientation are likely to call this sphere Dimensional Science, investigate beings (ExtraDimensional Entities - EDEs) that exist in or come from alternate dimensions, and explore alternate dimensions beyond their own. However, under the hood, they are really doing the same thing.

1 Spirit Sight, Spirit Sense / EDE Scan, Evaluate Gauntlet, Map Dimensional Region At this level of understanding, you can see spirits or EDEs, gauge the strength of the barriers between adjacent spirit worlds or alternate dimensions, and even peer over into those adjacent world or dimensions to observe what is happening there. In conjunction with other spheres, you can determine if there is any spiritual / EDE presence or lingering energy in a place, person, or object.

2 Touch Spirit, Manipulate Gauntlet / Dimensional Vibration, Modify Dimensional Gauntlet, Transdimensional Field Should you so desire, you may thin or thicken the walls between spirit worlds or alternate dimensions in an area. While you may not lower them completely, you are able to briefly touch things on the other side and project your voice (or other sounds) into adjacent worlds and dimensions. In conjunction with other spheres, you may view worlds and dimensions further removed from your current one, imbue objects with the ability to touch spirits or EDEs, and utilize forces in nearby worlds and dimensions.

3 Pierce Gauntlet, Rouse & Lull Spirit / Dimensional Shift, Manipulate Paraphysical Phenomena You may now open up a small, temporary breach in the walls between spirit worlds or alternate dimensions through which you alone may pass. Even taking normal clothing and personal items is difficult, and you cannot bring anything more than you can carry. In conjunction with other spheres, you may create temporary objects from ephemera in spirit worlds or alternate realities. These objects dissipate when the effect powering them ends. Additionally, you may now rouse dormant spirits or EDEs, or lull active spirits or EDEs into dormancy. Should you be so inclined, you may harm, injure, and potentially destroy entities (spirits, EDEs, or otherwise) in spirit worlds or alternate dimensions.

4 Rend Gauntlet, Seal Breach, Bind Spirit / Alter Dimensional Topography, Dimensional Gateway You may now open and close portals to spirit worlds or alternate dimensions that any being (human, or spirit or EDE) may pass through. If you desire, you may keep those portals open permanently. Additionally, you may summon spirits or EDEs to your location, and reshape paraphysical constraints of spirit worlds or alternate dimension to create pocket spaces or barriers that may bar or trap spirits or EDEs. Further, Spirits or EDEs can be bound into; or expelled from; objects, places, or people.

5 Forge Ephemera, Outward Journeys / Breach Spatial Horizon, Cosmogenesis As a Master of Spirit / Dimensional Science, you may freely shape the ephemera of spirit worlds or alternate dimensions however you see fit. You may can empower, de-power, heal, and create spirits or EDEs, create or destroy souls (if you believe in them), destroy Avatars, and create entire spirit realms or alternate dimensional constructs. Further, you may now traverse the dark void between spirit worlds or alternate realities and explore the most distant reaches of existence.

Time In the World of Darkness, attempts to move backward in time almost always end poorly. It probably has something to do with 7 billion sleepers who like the past to remain a stable foundation upon which to build the future, and not an ever changing pool of quicksand.

1 Time Sense At this level of understanding, you can detect temporal distortions (such as Time-based will working) after, during, and even before they occur. Plus, you can always know the exact time.

2 Past Sight & Future Sight, Thicken Walls of Time You may now look forward and backward in time. However, you may only see the past and (a possible) future for your current location. In conjunction with Entropy, you can select which possible future you may want to view, and possibly even determine what you need to do in order to make that future happen. Combined with other spheres, can view the history or future of other locations, people, or objects. Conversely, you may strengthen or solidify an period of time to make it harder to observe or travel to.

3 Time Contraction, Time Dilation, Rewind Time In your area, you can speed up, slow down, and maybe even rewind local time. Combined with other spheres, you can specifically alter how time impacts different places, people, or objects. In conjunction with Entropy, you can potentially rewind time slightly when faced with a bad situation and (if possible) ensure events play out to the end you desire.

4 Time Determinism, Time Bubble In your area, you can now freeze local time. Further, in conjunction with other spheres, you can potentially move things out of time. As an extension of that, you can set time-based triggers for other effects. For example, you could create Forces effect (like a

lightning strike) that would occur after a certain amount of time (in an hour), or at a specific time (at midnight tonight).

5 Temporal Travel, Time Immunity Congratulations! You may now travel to the future and (theoretically) into the past! Further, you can now stop/sidestep time completely, and explore an entire world frozen save for your actions.

Perks Soundtrack of Darkness (Free, All) To accompany your time here, you have access to a library of 80’s and 90’s music that was dark and edgy for the time: Punk, Hardcore, Industrial, Gothic Metal, etc. You get the idea. If you will it, you may have any song you choose play anywhere at anytime - no speakers required. Alternately, you may choose to have a dynamically cut and arranged score automatically generated for you. In either case, you may choose to make this music audible to everyone, just you, or just specific people you so choose.

For the cost of 50cp, you may choose to receive a complete digital copy of your entire Soundtrack of Darkness music library! Unfortunately, the physical copies exist as a case of CDs resting in your Warehouse. Should any of the CDs be damaged, they will be returned to pristine condition the following morning. Should any of the CDs be lost, new copies will appear in your Warehouse or Sanctum the following morning.

It Can’t Rain All the Time (Free, All) But it can rain most of the time. It is almost always overcast during the day, and frequently pouring down rain. In addition to any other precipitation, heavy rain will fall on at least fifty percent of the days in a year for at least eight hours at a time. You’ll be lucky to be able to see the sun one day out of seven. Save blood red, most colors will seem faded and washed out. Black, white, and grey dominate the world’s color palette. Conventional electric lighting will be replaced with harsh fluorescent and Neon alternatives. Buildings’ architecture will take on a more Gothic feel. Black leather (and often trench coats) will become more common aspect of individual attire; as will other trappings of the 1980-90’s Goth and Punk cultures. The atmosphere generated by this perk is bleak and oppressive, and it fosters despair, melancholy, rage, and violence. Barring your interference while this perk is active, hope and happiness slowly drain out of the world around you. This perk is automatically in effect for this jump, but can be toggled on and off for any subsequent jumps. There’s no cool down for this ability, but, if you spam it repeatedly in a very short time frame, you might find that it remains active for a while. Strangeness (Free, All) While the World of Darkness is a dark reflection of our own world, it can also be a mad one. All manners of strangeness suffuse the world. Some is innocuous, like 'clap if you believe in' faeries (Pooka). Others are dangerous, such as consumer products that slowly convert their users into all sorts of horrors (Pentex products). Yet more are a mix of both, such as Marauders who release mythic, talking animals on the freeway during rush hour.

As a gift, in this reality and all others, you adjust the level of strangeness in your life. At the low end, life is as close to banal as your local reality allows. At the middle of the spectrum, expect animals to talk to you, radio stations to comment on your current situation, buildings to have impossible interiors, your neighbor to be a giant cockroach in a trench coat, your local cobbler to be an actual gnome, etc. At the high end, expect to put Alice Liddell's adventures to shame. Good luck. Common Sense (200cp Discount Mortal) You possess an abundance of practical wisdom, display good judgement, and are exceeding prudent. If you act rashly or foolishly, you do so because you choose or are forced to do so. Mechanically Minded (200cp Discount Awakened Construct, Soulless Construct) You possess the single-minded focus and determination of a machine, capable of ignoring all extraneous distraction in the pursuit of your task. Officially Dead (200cp , Discount Drop-in, Sleeper Drop-In) Once a decade, you may choose to die - on paper. You may fabricate any story you like. It doesn’t matter if you just left home one night, or if you invent an elaborate ‘assassination’ plot. Legally, you will be declared dead. Everyone who knew you, or knew of you, will believe the news of your ‘death’ when they find out about it, and act and respond as they would if you had actually died in the manner you selected. However, this perk provide no protection from being discovered by mundane means, and does not erase records of your existence. If you bump into someone you knew in your ‘old’ life, or leave genetic material at a crime scene; individuals may find out that you are alive, and you’ll need to deal with any fallout from such events. Contacts (200cp, Free Apprentice Will Worker, Orphan Will Worker)) You are connected! Pick a sphere of influence or area of expertise of your choice. In the World of Darkness, and every world you subsequently visit, you have will knowledge of up to five significant contacts relevant to your chosen sphere of influence or area of expertise. These individuals aren't necessarily your friends, and may not even like you. However, unless you give them cause to do otherwise, they will interact with you on a professional/business level and won't be hostile to you. Unobtrusive (400cp, Discount Drop In, Sleeper Drop-In, Mortal) Unless you are doing something disruptive or intentionally trying to attract attention, people tend not to notice or acknowledge your presence or actions at all. You can easily walk through doors or crowds, pick up and take objects, read over other people's shoulders, speak quietly, or sit in a chair without anyone being aware of your existence and/or actions.

You are not invisible. Cameras and other recording devices do record your presence. You are just utterly uninteresting. If you engage in violent and/or disruptive actions, or otherwise try to make yourself know, you will draw attention to yourself. Arcane / Cloaking (400cp, Discount Apprentice Will Worker, Orphan Will Worker) The exact nature of this perk varies, but the essence is the same: you are hard to track. When you travel through an area, the video surveillance feeds of it tend to get lost or corrupted. People you pass tend to have trouble recalling your appearance once you are gone. Records and notes people try to make when searching for you tend get ruined or disappear. Tracking devices tend to malfunction or fall off. Etc. This perk doesn’t hide your actions: if you open fire in a crowded mall, everyone will react to what you did. However, if you manage to get away from the situation, eyewitnesses may disagree about the direction you fled and any cameras in the area may have been angled such that you didn’t appear on them. Physical evidence of the crime that could help someone locate you may be contaminated or misplaced. Only physical evidence that could allow someone to locate you would be influenced by this perk. You may toggle this ability on and off at will. Unaging (400 FP, Discount Awakened Construct, Soulless Constuct) There are wide variety of beliefs and practices in this world. Via one of them, you managed to trump of the march of time. Regardless of whether you ate an apple of immortality or injected yourself with nanobots, the end result is the same: you no longer age naturally. This Perk only protects against the natural progression of time. You may still grow older due through artificial means, such as a magical effect. Jack of All Trades (400cp, Discount Mortal) You are a natural born Wunderkind, are a consummate know-it-all, or have been jumping so long you've seen and done everything. Whenever presented with a task, challenge, question, etc. you have some bit of knowledge, skill, or talent that will apply and let you deal with or understand it in at least a rudimentary fashion. Peak Physical Attributes (200cp first purchase, 400cp second purchase, Discount Awakened Construct, Soulless Constuct) No matter what species you become, barring illness or injury, your body is always tuned to the peak of its potential physical ability for your species. You are as strong, fast, agile, dexterous, durable, and resilient as the theoretical maximum for your species will allow. However, this perk does not provide sensory, cognitive, reaction, or aesthetic improvements. You may buy this perk a second time to represent Preternatural Physical Attributes. If you do, your body’s capability is now of twice what its peak physical potential should be for your species.

Peak Mental Attributes (200cp first purchase, 400cp second purchase, Discount Apprentice Will Worker, Orphan Will Worker) No matter what species you become, barring illness or injury, your mind is always tuned to the peak of its potential mental ability for your species. Your perception, problem solving ability, memory capacity and recall, and reaction speed are the theoretical maximums your species will allow. However, this perk does not provide any improvement to your ethical character, or necessarily make you likable. You may buy this perk a second time for to represent Preternatural Mental Attributes. If you do, your mind’s capability is now twice what its peak mental potential should be for your species. Further, the breadth of perception for all senses is doubled as well. For for humans, this includes a doubling of the total frequencies that can be seen and heard, equally expanded in both directions. Peak Social Attributes (200cp first purchase, 400cp second purchase, Discount Sleeper Drop-In, Awakened Drop-In) No matter what species you become, barring illness or injury, your appearance is always tuned to the peak of its potential physical ability for your species. Further, your ability to charm and manipulate others is elevated to the peak of its potential for your species. However, this perk does not provide any enhancements that would be provided by either the Peak Physical Attributes or Peak Mental Attributes perks. You may buy this perk a second time to represent Preternatural Social Attributes. If you do, attributes enhanced by this perk are now of twice what their peak potential should be for your species. Destiny (600cp, Discount Mortal) You are destined for great things, Chosen One. Once per jump, or decade; you may choose a task, event, etc. that has significant importance in the greater drama of the world you inhabit as your destiny. When faced with obstacles (including death) that would prevent you from achieving your destiny, the forces of fate will conspire to prevent the obstacle from occurring, provide opportunities to escape or bypass the obstacle, or possibly even shift the obstacle into something that helps propel you towards your destiny. However, once chosen, your destiny is equally inescapable. For the purposes of fate, any desire or attempt to avoid or escape your destiny is an obstacle to your destiny. Further, prophecies will speak of your future, and the world will become aware of your destiny. Expect heavy judgement, and possible intercession, by interested parties if you appear to be failing to live up to their ideal of who and what you should be.

Gear

Alternate Identity (100cp, first purchase free for Mortal) Create a shell identity. In this jump, and every subsequent jump, this (false) identity exists ‘on paper’. This artificial identity isn’t a real person in the history of any jump, but all the necessary records and documentation will exist to support that you are said person. Even genetic and magical records will match your created identity. Every time you enter a new world/universe/reality, you will receive any additional, necessary documentation (Social Security number, photo ID, birth certificate, etc.) you would need to prove that you are the identity you created. You may take this perk as many times as you like. However, if you have too many identities, you may find yourself running into problems if someone investigates you by something general, such as facial recognition records. Unless you are a shapeshifter, such a search would pull up all your identities. Foci (100cp, first purchase free for Apprentice Will Worker, Orphan Will Worker) Your Warehouse or Sanctum now contains any of the necessary trappings of (one of) your paradigm(s) that you can fit in up to 2000 square feet. You may purchase this perk multiple times. Each time, it provides up to 2000 square feet of supplies for a different one of your paradigms. If you practice high magick, you may now have a small library of books and scrolls describing various spells and thaumaturgy, a computer to assist arithmancy, and a hefty supply of chalk and/or salt. If you practice alchemy/chemistry, you may have an extensive set of glassware, burners, and (al)chemical agents. If you practice super science, you may have a powerful server cluster to house AIs, vats for cloning, and an assortment of hand tools for building robots. Should any of the foci be damaged, they will be returned to pristine condition the following morning. Should the any of the foci be lost, stolen, or consumed; replacements will appear in your Warehouse or Sanctum the following morning. Should any of the foci be willingly sold or given away, they are gone for good. Reference Collection (100cp, free Sleeper Drop-In, Awakened Drop-In) You now have a bookshelf and flash drive containing every Mage: the Ascension RPG book that has ever been published in your Warehouse or Sanctum (your choice). The physical books are all premium, deluxe hardback leather editions; and the electronic copies are bookmarked, indexed, text searchable PDFs. Your collection also includes every Original World of Darkness RPG book that was ever published.

Resources (100cp) Every year, the equivalent of $15,000.00 USD adjusted for inflation in your current local currency appears in your Warehouse or Sanctum. The base year for calculating inflation is 1991 AD. You may take this perk multiple times. Every time you take it, your yearly income doubles. Sanctum/Laboratory (100cp per 2000 square feet) You gain a private sanctum where your personal paradigm(s) hold sway. You can freely engage in will working without having to worry about Paradox. Further, paradigms (including foreign realities) you don’t believe in don’t function properly in your sanctum and are subject to Paradox. When you purchase your sanctum, you may choose to have it located in the real world, contained in its own pocket dimension, or attached to your warehouse. If you locate it in the real world, it will appear in every world you travel to in the future. If you have it contained in its own pocket dimension or attached to your warehouse, you may access it in the same fashion you would access your warehouse. Your sanctum may be structured into any layout you desire and comes fully furnished and decorated in any mundane fashion you desire. However, these furnishings will not regenerate themselves, and will need to be replace if damaged or destroyed. In and of itself, your sanctum does not have any utilities. If your sanctum is attached to your warehouse, it will tap into its utilities. If your sanctum is in the world, and utilities are available, you will find that it is tapped into them. If your sanctum is in its own pocket dimension, you’ll need to figure your utility situation out on your own. Tass (100cp, first purchase free for Awakened Construct, Soulless Construct) In your warehouse or sanctum, you have a container containing a significant amount of Tass - solidified Quintessence. It can take any form you like, though the form Tass takes tends to flavor its effects. Once a week, any used Tass is replaced. You may purchase this perk multiple times. Each time you purchase it, you may receive more of the same form of Tass, or select a different form for it. Wonder (100 FP) You have a talisman, device, fetish, trinket, or invention. For a single point, you can create an item that performs a single effect based off the first level of a single sphere with an effective Arete of 10. You may spend additional CP to increase the potency of your wonder: ● 50cp - Add another effect to the wonder. ● 50cp - Make an additional sphere available when you create effects for your wonder. ● 100cp - Increase the maximum rank of all spheres available by one (up to five) when you create effects for your wonder.

Your wonder may be used by anyone who believes it should work. It never attracts Paradox and may be used as often as you want. You never need to charge it with Quintessence, but you may not draw Quintessence out of it either. Should your wonder be damaged, it will be returned to pristine condition the following morning. Should your wonder be lost, stolen, or unintentionally destroyed; replacements will appear in your Warehouse or Sanctum the following morning. Should your wonder be willingly sold, destroyed, or given away, it is gone for good. You may purchase this perk multiple times. Wonder - Smartest Phone (600cp) Arete 10, Correspondence 2, Entropy 1, Forces 3, Life 1, Matter 5, Mind 5, Prime 2, Spirit/Dimensional Science 5, Time 5 In addition to being an amazing computational device (Entropy 1), the Smartest Phone can be used to perform any combination of rank one sphere sensory effects in your local area. Additionally, it can be used as a communication device across any space (Correspondence 2), time (Time 5), and dimensions (Spirit/Dimensional Science 2) of any realities (Spirit/Dimensional Science 5) you have visited. If the person or persons being contacted doesn’t have a phone, you can still talk to them (Mind 3) - though such a call may or may not go over well. And, yes, you can surf the Internet (or equivilent) of any time and place you have visited (using the prior mentioned effects). The Smartest Phone never needs charging (Forces 3, Prime 2) and can reform itself to meet your technical needs and specifications (Matter 4-5, Prime 2) - so long as it can continue to be considered a handheld phone. Encounter a new port type? No problem! Need/want a larger/smaller screen? No problem! You can even change the color, texture, and material composition of the case, including fictional colors and materials, such as Octarine and Adamantium. If you desire, the Smartest Phone may have a full, super intelligent (unAwakened) AI assistant (Mind 5) capable of amazing multitasking (Mind 1) with a name, voice, and personality that you may change whenever you desire. Like all wonders, it may be used by anyone who believes it should work. It never attracts Paradox and may be used as often as you want. You never need to charge it with Quintessence, but you may not draw Quintessence out of it either. Should your phone be damaged, it will be returned to pristine condition the following morning. Should your phone be lost, stolen, or unintentionally destroyed; a replacement will appear in your Warehouse or Sanctum the following morning. Should your phone be willingly sold, destroyed or given away, it is gone for good. You may purchase this perk multiple times.

Drawbacks You may take a maximum of 600cp in drawbacks Continuous Timeline (0cp) If you have taken any prior Original World of Darkness jumps, you may select this option to import that history and its effects on the world into this jump, even if those effects are concurrent. However, I strongly advise against directly interacting with yourself in such a way as to change your personal timeline. There is an old man named Wrinkle who isn’t exactly thrilled by the idea of overlapping timelines in the first place... Avatar Storm (0cp) For the duration of your jump, passage through the Gauntlet and Shroud are impossible. If you start off-world (off Earth, in the Umbra), you are stuck there. If you start on Earth, you’ll be staying on Earth. Most powerful Awakened are trapped off world, which may be a blessing or a curse for you. Paranoia (+100cp) Just because you think they’re out to get you, doesn’t mean they are. Or are they? You have a problem. See a mental health professional. Physically Impaired (+100cp) Unfortunately, there’s been an accident. It seems you have lost a limb (of your choice). Sleeper(+100) During your time in this world, you ability to use Awakened Will Working is suppressed. You are free to use any other abilities you may have, but be aware that sufficient violation of the local consensual reality may cause you to provoke Paradox. Child (+200cp) Your starting biological age is now eight years old. If you take a non-human form, your base starting biological age is the equivalent of an eight year old human. While you may age at a normal, human rate; you may not otherwise change your age. Ward (+200cp) Someone relies on you for support and has been entrusted to your protection - protection they will need. Forces conspire to do your ward harm - forces you will need to protect your ward from. While your ward may be any (non-companion) being you choose, your ward is relatively helpless, useless, or powerless in comparison to your own abilities. Should your ward be killed,

destroyed, taken, brainwashed, or otherwise permanently damaged beyond repair or lost from you; you fail this jump. Amnesia (+300cp) You will start this jump with no memory of who you are, and no knowledge of this world. You still have access to all your abilities and equipment, and how to use them, but your past is a blank slate. If you have any companions with you, they forget their memories of you, though they still retain any emotional connection they may have for you. Hunted (+300cp) Someone is after you. It may be another mage, jealous of your achievements, a mortal bent on uncovering the truth behind the strange occurrences surrounding you or some manner of supernatural creature that wants you to serve as it’s personal servant, or it’s next meal. Regardless, they have nefarious purpose in mind and should they capture you, you can expect prolonged imprisonment at best, potentially torture and death to follow. Luckily, once they are dealt with permanently, you will no longer have to concern yourself with their interference in your life. Lone Wolf (+400cp) You are in this jump alone. You may not import companions, pets, robots, or similar entities into this jump using the Companion or Familiar options, Cosmic Warehouse Pods, or any other means. Further, you may not take any such entities from this jump when you leave. While you are in the jump, you will push away anyone who tries to get close to you and you live alone. You can make plenty of professional contacts and social acquaintances, but you cannot make any friends or build any meaningful relationships. Crossover (+400cp) By default, the denizens of the World of Darkness mostly keep to their own devices. If you don’t actively go poking your nose into vampire or werewolf business, they’ll leave you alone. By taking this disadvantage, every type of being is actively engaging in the interests of all the others. I don’t have the ability to acquaint you with all the various denizens of the World of Darkness, but you’ll have to worry about vampires, ghouls, were-creatures, hedge mages, ghosts, zombies, fae, demons, mummies, a whole host of supernatural hunters of various stripes, and more. Hard Reality ( +600cp) By default, the boundaries of what is considered coincidental in the World of Darkness is looser than your home reality. Consensual reality accepts any sort of effect that you would see on modern, mundane TV and movies. Superhero, science fiction, and fantasy genres are way out

of bounds, but people buy effects mimicking what they have seen in most current day action movies, and procedural crime, legal, and medical dramas. Unfortunately for you, consensual reality is now less forgiving than normal. In this iteration of the World of Darkness, sleepers believe hard in a mundane reality. Any effect that wouldn’t be possible in your home reality is rejected by consensual reality, including any abilities you have gained in previous jumps. Now that your time here is complete, you have just one more choice to make.

Stay Return Home Move On

The World of Darkness is now your home.

Return to your home with everything you have gained thus far

Continue your Journey - on to the next world.

Notes

Quintessence: This is the raw material of reality. It is what flows through the patterns of reality and what makes magic possible. The primal force, quintessence can not truly be divided, measured or contained. The patterns of all supernaturals, mortals, inanimate objects, and the whole of reality is woven from Quintessence. The term literally translates to 'Fifth Essence' Tess: Tass is the concrete, physical expression of Quintessence. These bits of pure Prime can often be used to fuel a mage's magical undertakings. If one is accustomed to thinking of the raw Quintessence as a pool, then think of Tass as Quintessence temporarily frozen like ice, floating on the surface of this larger sea. In time, this Tass will "melt," eventually flowing back into the infinite pool of Quintessence that first spawned it. Until it does however, Tass may be used by mages to lend power to their magic and to fuel their mystical Talismans. Tass collects in certain Nodes where energies gather in physical objects. Tass is sometimes affected by the form in which it manifests, unlike the pure Quintessence from which it springs. Quintessence stored in the waters of a holy spring may lend itself to healing, while that stored in the mushrooms of a faerie ring may cause the magic powered by them to have unpredictable side effects. A mage should be aware of this Resonance and use this resource accordingly. Tass also infuses the bodies of magical creatures -- werewolves, faeries, and the like -- and it may be harvested from them. Needless to say, such creatures are less than happy to sacrifice themselves

for a mage's convenience. More than a few mages have paid the ultimate price for such presumption.

Factions The Council of Nine Mystical Traditions Over the years, the composition of the Council of Nine Mystical Traditions has varied significantly. However, the current composition came together in the 1960’s, and has been stable ever since. ● The Akashic Brotherhood (or Akashayana) is an ancient order of monks devoted to achieving Enlightenment through refinement of the mind and body. To achieve this end, they practice a secret proto-martial art known as Do. Many Eastern martial arts, and several Indian and East Asian philosophies, bear a close resemblance to Do. In fact, the Akashic Brotherhood would likely say that those martial arts and philosophies stemmed from sleepers attempting (and failing) to mimic their Enlightened Way, Do. Originally located in Tibet, China, and India; they came into conflict with the both the Euthanatos and Wu Lung. While the Akashic Brotherhood and the Euthanatos suffered a violent disagreement over the philosophical issue of how to use reincarnation to achieve Enlightenment, the dispute with the Wu Lung was a more traditional territorial power conflict. ● The Celestial Chorus is a meta-religion with a penchant for song. Adherents believe that all things are shards of the One, and that everyone contains within themselves an aspect of the divine. Though technically encompassing all religious beliefs as aspects of the One, most members come from Western monotheistic religions. Given the Chorus’s deep involvement with the Medieval Catholic Church, this may not be surprising. What may be surprising is that the New World Order used to be involved with the Church as well. After disagreeing over the future direction of the Church, the Celestial Chorus and New World Order moved in opposing directions in order to pursue their vision of what was right, and have remained rivals ever since. ● The Cult of Ecstasy (or Sahajiya) are the latest incarnation of a long line of seers and ecstatics. Like the generations before them, modern Cultists seek to push boundaries and expand their consciousness. The tools they use now are essentially the same tools they used in ancient history: drugs, sex, dance, music, meditation, and sensory deprivation; to name a few. ● The Dreamspeakers (or Kha’vadi) are composed of animists of all types, and there is no easy way to summarize their disparate beliefs. When the Council of Nine Mystical Traditions was formed, the largely European delegation attempted to organized most mages they viewed as primitive into one Tradition, and minimize their voice at the newly emerging table. While some non-European mages walked away, many stayed. Those who remained largely ascribed to various shamanistic traditions; especially those of Native American, African, and Aboriginal Australian origin. More so than any other Tradition, the often ignored Dreamspeakers have suffered at the hands of their fellow Traditions, especially through slavery, colonization, and industrialization.

● The Euthanatos (or Chakravanti) are collection of individuals who believe in reincarnation and are dedicated to helping society progress by removing obstructions to progress and alleviate suffering. As their name may suggest, one of the many tools they use is death and ending. While most will make a good faith effort to reform or resolve an issue through other means, Euthanatos do not hesitate to bring the Good Death to those who they feel deserve it. It is this philosophy which brought them into violent conflict with the Akashic Brotherhood. A pragmatic lot, the Euthanatos utilize an amalgamation of death and reincarnation practices from around the world. ● The Order of Hermes are what most people think of when they think of a mage or other magic user. To Hermetics, magick is an Art, akin to science, that follows rules and logic that can be discovered and taught. The Order is composed of grand Houses, each of which are dedicated to studying different aspects of the Art of magick. Of all Awakened will workers, Hermetics were among the first to recognize the connection between shared belief and will working. Such insight lead to their ascendancy in the Dark Ages (and the abuses of power that build the foundations for the Technocracy's eventual rise to power). Perceived as haughty and arrogant, the list of grievances laid against Hermetics is long. Aside from their actions during the Dark Ages, a significant number (though not all) Hermetics have supported a litany of negative causes, including but not limited to the Atlantic Slave Trade, European Colonization, and Nazi Germany. Hermetics are also responsible for creating an entire clan of powerful vampires, the Tremere; and actively worked to limit non-European influences when forming the Council of Nine Mystical Traditions ● The Sons of Ether (or Society of Ether) are a loose society of eccentric scientists. Formerly a part of the Technocratic Union, the Sons of Ether left when their pet scientific theory (Ether) was disavowed, disowned, and disproved by the Technocracy at the dawn of the 20th century. Nevertheless, these rogue scientists still endeavor to bring the benefits of Enlightened Science to the masses. Since Etherites split off at the end of the Victorian era, their technology has an anachronistic feel, akin to what one would find in steampunk or pulp science fiction. ● The Verbena (or Verbenae) are primordial pagans from which all our modern concepts of witches, wiccans, and druids stem. While they revere life, the Verbena know that life is hard, brutal and short. During the Dark Ages, they suffered greatly at the hands of the Order of Hermes and the precursor to the Celestial Chorus. While the conflict between the Verbena and the Order of Hermes was a more traditional territorial power conflict, the dispute with what would become the Celestial Chorus was a bloody religious pogrom - that the Verbena lost handily. ● The Virtual Adepts (or Mercurial Elite) are the newest addition to the Traditions. Former Technocrats, the Virtual Adepts specialized in computer science, networked systems, and virtual reality. After the disgrace and destruction of Alan Turing at the hands of his fellow Technocrats, the Virtual Adepts fled the Union. On their way out, they compromised and/or

sabotaged as many systems as they were able. The Technocracy considers them a high priority threat. The Technocratic Union Much like the Traditions, the composition of the Technocratic Union has varied significantly. However, since the departure of the Virtual Adepts in the 1950’s, its membership has been stable. While the overall organization mission may have changed, there are still quite a few individual Technocrats who adhere to the Order of Reason’s initial goals. ● I teration X is a convention of scientists who endeavor to improve humanity through the use of tools. While some members are advanced statisticians, exotic energy theorists, and material science researchers; the true passion of this convention likes in cybernetics, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Potentially ruled by an AI of their own making (or a powerful spirit that possessed it), Iteration X strongly believes in order, and tends to provide a large amount of the military hardware of the Technocracy, including hypertech energy weapons and full cyborg agents known as HIT Marks. ● The New World Order (NWO) is sect of intelligence agents, administrators, and political officers who seek to protect humanity by controlling information. A large amount of the NWO's work is fairly mundane. They gather intelligence world wide, handle the administrative aspects of running the Technocracy as a whole, and root out and resolve internal corruption and dissent. Their most iconic public actors are the notorious Men In Black. ● The Progenitors are a convention of scientists and medical professionals who can trace their lineage back to the legendary Hippocrates. Even then, they came into conflict with faith healers, primarily what would become the Verbena and Celestial Chorus. While their initial motivation was the healing of the sick and injured, the modern convention is more concerned with abstract and amoral research. Progenitors can (and does) produce all sorts of pharmacological and genetic wonders, and supplies the entire Technocracy with a seemingly endless supply of clone bodies. ● The Syndicate is a corporation and, like all corporations, it cares about only one thing: money. It is that money that pays the Technocracy's bills, and provides the Syndicate with a disproportionate amount of influence over their fellow Technocrats. While best known for their shady ties to organized crime, the bulk of their power comes from their control over the global financial sector and media corporations. Much like their widespread infiltration of corporations worldwide, the Syndicate may be suffering widespread corruption by entropic spirits of empty consumerism. ● The Void Engineers are curious explorers asked to fill the the role of military defense and imperial conquerors. While there are still some unexplored regions on Earth, the vast majority of this convention is spent investigating, dealing with threats from, and colonizing space and other alternate dimensions. Occasionally, they'll even try to explore the mysteries of time or the

Internet. Of all the members of the Technocratic Union, Void Engineers are the most likely to go mad or defect to alternative causes. The Disparate Alliance Formed at the dawn of the 21st century from the various groups that were not aligned with either the Traditions or the Technocracy, it is a loose collection of minor sects banded together for mutual protection. ● The Ahl-i-Batin are former Traditionalists with an Islamic bent known for being subtle, they believe all things are connected and seek unity with the cosmos. ● The Bata’a are individuals who use a grab bag of American and Caribbean syncretic religious and mystical traditions, such as Voudun, Santeria, and Candomblé. ● The Children of Knowledge are former Traditionalists and Technocrats who have betrayed both organizations several times over. They seek Enlightenment through Alchemy and/or Chemistry. ● The Hollow Ones are dark romantics who use the trappings of any paradigm, given it’s suitably Gothic or Punk. They attempted to join the Council of Nine Mystical Traditions, but were rejected. ● The Kopa Loei are a collection of polynesian shamen. ● The Ngoma are African high magic users. When the Council of Nine Mystical Traditions was being found, they were pressured to be a part of the Dreamspeakers. The Ngoma walked away instead. ● The Sisters of Hippolyta are modern amazons with a strong reverence for life and freedom. ● The Taftani are highly individual Arabic high mystics known for dealing with Djin. ● The Templar Knights are military order of divine warriors devoted to Jesus Christ. ● The Wu Lung are Chinese high mystics who held sway over China for centuries, until the rise of Communism in their country. Nephandi Fallen will workers who seek to unmake and destroy reality. Many are formerly members of other factions before being drawn down the path to damnation, though a few were born to it. All are sociopathic, and most are subtle, sly, and highly manipulative. Some believe their powers come from dark gods, infernal demons, eldritch horrors, or alien intelligences. Others believe in and channel abstract principles, like Entropy, Oblivion, or Darkness. Ultimately their goal is the same: the end of all existence. Marauders When an Awakened individual becomes divorced from consensual reality - becomes so wrapped up in her own version reality that she doesn’t recognize consensual reality any longer, she becomes a member of this faction. Each marauder has a very strong sense of her own vision of reality - so strong it pushes away and overwrites consensual reality wherever she goes. It’s a bit like a bubble around them. Within that bubble, a Marauder can do whatever she believes she

can without fear of Paradox. However, as the further and further out of sync with the Marauder’s and consensual reality become, the Marauder becomes increasingly more likely to be ejected wholesale from consensual reality altogether. Further, while Marauders are not necessarily bothered by Paradox, they do attract it. Awakened individuals near a Marauder may well find themselves suffering the effects of Paradox that the Marauder would have otherwise suffered for her actions.