GM resource
Session zero for Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary
Set expectations, tone, and table agreements. Session zero for Mage M20 sets the table before the dice matter: agree on tone (modern occult conspiracy fantasy), safety boundaries, and what each player wants from the game.
Checklist
- Talk through tone and boundaries: how hard the table wants to lean into what makes Mage M20 distinct (modern occult conspiracy fantasy).
- Walk the group through the core roll mechanic together so nobody is guessing at the table: Mage (M20) is a dice pool game where your magical capability is expressed through Arete and Spheres. Coincidental vs Vulgar magic changes risk (Paradox).
- Collect character concepts and connect them to each other before the first scene.
- Agree on logistics (session length, cadence) and which safety tools the table will use.
Common pitfalls
- Skipping the tone talk and hitting a mismatch mid-campaign
- Running session zero as pure character creation with no table agreements
- No shared safety-tool agreement before the first high-intensity scene