Beginner quickstart
A fast, practical overview. Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition is a tabletop RPG where you play as Awakened mages who can bend reality through the Spheres. As a mage, you belong to a Tradition (like the Order of Hermes, Verbena, or Virtual Adepts) and use your understanding of reality to cast magic, all while managing Paradox and Consensus.
You describe actions, the table uses the system’s core resolution mechanic when the outcome is uncertain, and the GM applies outcomes to keep the story moving.
Mage (M20) is a dice pool game where your magical capability is expressed through Arete and Spheres. Coincidental vs Vulgar magic changes risk (Paradox).
A coincidental effect can be explained away; a vulgar effect is obviously impossible. The more vulgar the effect, the more risk you take on (Paradox).
Start from the result you want, then pick which Spheres must be true for that result. If you can’t justify it, the effect probably needs different Spheres or a different approach.
Spheres are the fundamental forces of reality that mages manipulate. The nine Spheres are: Correspondence (space and distance), Entropy (chance and decay), Forces (energy), Life (living things), Matter (inanimate objects), Mind (thoughts and mental powers), Prime (quintessence and raw magic), Spirit (spirit world), and Time (temporal manipulation). Each Sphere ranges from 1-5 dots, with higher dots allowing more powerful effects.
Paradox accumulates when you perform magic that violates Consensus—the shared belief about what's possible. Vulgar magic (obviously impossible, like shooting fire from your hands) generates more Paradox than Coincidental magic (could be explained away, like a gun jamming). Too much Paradox can cause backlash, from minor effects (burns, headaches) to dangerous Paradox Spirits that hunt you.
Arete represents your character's understanding of reality and ability to work magic. It ranges from 1-10 and determines the maximum Sphere dots you can use in a single effect. Higher Arete allows for more powerful and complex magic. You roll Arete dice when casting magic, and need successes to power your effects.
Coincidental magic can be explained away by coincidence or normal means—a gun jamming, a computer crashing, a lucky break. Vulgar magic is obviously impossible—shooting fire from your hands, flying, teleporting. Coincidental magic generates less Paradox and is safer, while Vulgar magic is more powerful but dangerous.
Traditions are different approaches to magic and reality. Each Tradition has favored Spheres and a unique worldview. Order of Hermes uses hermetic rituals, Verbena works with nature, Virtual Adepts use technology, Akashic Brotherhood combines magic with martial arts, and so on. Your Tradition affects your starting Spheres and how you approach magic.