Rules reference

Advancement in Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary

How progression works and how to track it. 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.

Key points

Advancement is about tracking change over time and keeping it transparent to the table.

Copyable facts
  • 9 Spheres: Correspondence, Entropy, Forces, Life, Matter, Mind, Prime, Spirit, Time
  • 9 Traditions: Order of Hermes, Verbena, Virtual Adepts, Akashic Brotherhood, Celestial Chorus, Cult of Ecstasy, Dreamspeakers, Euthanatos, Sons of Ether
  • Arete system: Determines maximum Sphere dots usable in effects
  • Paradox mechanics: Accumulates from Vulgar magic
  • Coincidental vs Vulgar magic: Coincidental generates less Paradox
  • Quintessence: Fuels magical effects
Advancement workflow
  • Record XP gains (and why) after each session.
  • Spend XP intentionally toward concept.
  • Keep history so changes are auditable.
Examples
Example: Avoid XP drift

Record XP gains/spends right after sessions and keep a short history so the table can audit decisions later.

Example: Buy toward concept

Spend to reinforce what you want to do in scenes, not to chase every niche option.

Common mistakes (smallest fix)
  • Mistake: XP drift (nobody remembers what changed). Fix: Record gains/spends right after sessions and keep a short history.
  • Mistake: Buying upgrades that don’t show up in play. Fix: Spend toward your concept and the scenes you actually get.
Character creation
Step-by-step checklist.
Cheat sheets
Quick lookup while you play.

Mage FAQ

What are Spheres in Mage M20?
How does Paradox work in Mage?
What's Arete in Mage?
What's the difference between Coincidental and Vulgar magic?
What are Traditions?

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