Background

Backgrounds

* Arcane: Part of a Mage's ability to affect reality includes their ability to slip quietly past common notice. Your Arcane rating adds to your Trait total for any challenges involving detection or Awareness. It also adds to the difficulty rating of anyone trying to remember you or track you down; this includes pesky reporters, Technocracy hunters, and the Garou you pissed off last week. Unfortunately, it also includes the friend who needs your help, the bank you used to have an account at, and the person at the dry cleaners who seemed to have misplaced your clothes.

* Avatar: Each person has within them a divine spark, that part of the self which is open to the Universe, and allows people to interact with the world and not merely react. For a Mage, their soul or higher self is Awakened, and they may work with it consciously. This Awakened part of them is called their Avatar. The strength of the Mage's Avatar is intimately tied with her access to Quintessence; a mage may always store an amount of Quintessence equal to her Avatar rating. Also, a Mage may not spend more Quintessence in a single test than the level of her Avatar. All Mages begin with an Avatar rating of 1.

* Destiny: This is the Influence you have with the Universe itself; or more accurately, the Influence it has over you. A Destiny means that the mage is part of some historic future; this can be an advantage or a disadvantage in that future rarely will be a simple one. Remember the old Chinese curse: May you live in interesting Times. On the plus side, your Destiny helps you out, because you are the leading character in it. During any given night, you may recover Willpower Traits equal to half your Destiny rating (rounded up). On the down side, the Storyteller will make sure that your character is never bored. Caveat Magus.

* Dream: This is the Mage's ability to tap into knowledge beyond what he or she currently knows. A character may use Dream traits in place of any Ability trait.

* Familiar: This is an intelligent spirit who works with with the character, aiding them in their endeavors. Such relationships are a two-way street however, as the Consor also requires things of the Mage. Different Traditions relate to different types of familiars, from the black cats of the Verbena to the 'droids of the Sons of Ether, the Nature Spirits of the Dream Speakers to the AIs of the Virtual Adepts. The powers (and feeding requirements) of the Familiar vary with its level; as a character, the Familiar has three Attribute traits per level, and Willpower equal to half its level.
1. Familiar can eat one Paradox Trait per month. The familiar has access to minor information: one trait of a knowledge based ability. It feeds on one Trait of Quintessence per week.
2. Familiar can eat one trait of Paradox every other week, and has access to worthy pieces of information: two traits of a Knowledge based ability. It requires two Quintessence per week.
3. Familiar can eat one trait of Paradox per week, and knows a great deal about Esoteric subjects. It has the equivalent of three knowledge traits, and gives its Mage one Study Point in them per month. It snacks on three Quintessence every week.
4. Familiar can eat two traits of Paradox per week. It allows for one Study Point in any Sphere or Esoteric Knowledge per month, and is considered to have five Ability Traits itself. The mage also counts has having one additional Trait for all Magical tests. However, this beastie consumes one Quintessence every other day.
5. Aside from eating one Paradox per day, this has all the abilities of a level 4 Familiar. In addition, it grants the Mage an extra Arete Trait as long as it's around. Better have your own Node, this Familiar requires one point of Quintessence per day.

* Library: This Background allows the Mage to have access to not only normal libraries, but those special collections of books throughout the city which pertain to magic and the supernatural. It also reflects the Mage's own collection of tomes arcane, but is not limited to that. A Library provides a number of Study Points per month equal its rating; these may be used by the Mage herself, or (with permission) by other members of their cabal.

* Mentor: This Background represents the relative power level and available help by the Mage's teacher. A mentor is not a protector and will not solve all the Mage's problems; but might be available between games for instruction or other assistance. A Mage may gain a number of Study Points per month equal to their Mentor rating; any other use must be played out with a Narrator.

* Node: This Background shows how much access the Mage has to the local Nodes and flow of Quintessence. It represents either a personal Node held by the Mage, or privileged access to one held by another. A node has 10 Quintessence per level available each day; this may be drawn out using normal Prime effects, or used to recharge a Mage's Avatar.

* Prestige: For whatever reason, you are well respected within the mage community. This may be because of the deeds you have performed, or because of association with a particular mentor or cabal. By reminding those you encounter of your fame, you may add the number of traits in this background to any Social Challenges you are involved in with other mages or associates.
Alternately, a mage may have gained recognition within other supernatural communities, such as the Vampires of their home city, the local Garou sept, or even the Changeling Courts. For each Background Trait spent, the character may purchase one Status or Renown Trait; consult the Masquerade, Apocalypse, or Oblivion books for more details.

* Sanctum: This is a general term for any place where a mage sets reality to his paradigm, shaping it to his will. This Background provides a haven to experiment: a spot protected against mundane intrusions or Paradox. Sanctums vary greatly from Mage to Mage, from uptown apartments filled with alchemical apparatus, to out of the way chapels visited by believing Sleepers. Sanctums often contain many of the bulkier foci that a mage might use (cauldrons, ritual circles, or clone tanks). As an added benefit, Sanctums make a Mage's workings much more coincidental. However, each Sanctum is specific to one paradigm; other mind-sets have an even harder time working there. Finally, a Sanctum uses its level as an Arcane rating for anyone trying to discover it.

* Totem: Some few Mages have made alliances with powerful spirit entities. Unlike a Familiar, these Incarna have a more definitive role in the path that the mage follows. Costs and descriptions of Totems may be found in the Apocalypse book, as well as the various Garou Tribe books. Note that normally only DreamSpeakers and those Mages with the merit Kinfolk may purchase this background. The totem is usually directly related to the Mage's Avatar, and hence no base cost is required; however, if the mage wishes the Totem to be an independent spirit, he must also purchase the Familiar background.