S e NAVD THE ASCENSION BC HROECK eee y STEWART WIECK STEVE JACKSON GAMESCONTENTS PROLOGUE .,....ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccscccccsvcceS INTRODUCTION SOHSSHSHOSSHSSHSSHHCH CH KRESSEBEHESEBEES I 4 About GURPS wooicccccccccccccccetceeseneceeeeencnenasanseseesssessnenees 14 About the Author ............cccccescccscssneececsessseeesssssreseesenes 14 1. ON THE DARK SIDE........cccccccsscceseee ll S Welcome to Your World .............cccccccccsessseeseesesereneeseneneees 19 Gothic-PUnk 0.0.0.0... cccccccccscccececeseseseceesceceusersneneesensenes 19 How to Portray the World v.iccccccccccccscssessesescsesessesesseeseess 19 The Mages ...........ccccccceseescssneseensaseaeeaceceeeecesesssssenensaaaaeas 20 The Traditions ........ccccccceesescsccceceeessensceneeeeesesssnsaseeeeees 20 OTIQINS eccecccccssesececeeesssnnneceeesesensnateneeeseesesenaaeeeeeessennaaeenens 20 Magess of Od... ecccccccesesesecsrcteessersscsssssssessssssssseseees 21 Mages in Today's World .........cccccccccsesesessssssensneneees 21 MGBICK 0c ccccccceccccccccesseneecccscsssnecesceeessessesesescecsesseneceseseeeses 21 The Search for ASCENSION 0.0.0... eeecesseeeceeessseeteaseeeeeees 23 ASCENSION vo ciccccccseceeccccssceesssssseenseeeenceseeeeesesensaeseessaaasaguananas 23 Caballs .......cccccccccssceccsesseceeeesseecececssseeeceseeseeeneessnereavessuaes 24 Types Of CHANUHr ICS ooo... cecccceccceeet cee eeeceseeeeenenneesenaneetaneeees 24 CHAMUIIES 200... ccecceeecscenseeeeeseesecssasaceeesseneeasseseseeeeees 25 Protecting the CRANITY .o...cciccsescsccsecscceseeeesscsesssssessessensees 25 Sample CRANIKrICS .ooccccccccccccccccsecccceccccsssaesecescsensnsaceceseessens 26 PLOtOCO] 0.0.2... cece ce ecceeseeeeeeetcneaacececeeeeeeeeseeeesesessessssnsaaes 27 Le arming oo. eeeesseeeceeceeesssntnneececessscenesenseseeseesaaseeneee 27 ACOLYIOS .ocecccevessvsnsnnnnnceceeeceeseeeeeeeneestesseaanaeeseeeeseeeeeessensnnees 29 Other POWETS ........ccccccccccssseeecssssesessssessessstsessesssseseseeeeeeeees 29 The Technocracy 00.0.0... ee cesseseceececneeeneeeeeeeesensneneeeeeeeas 30 The Marauders ...............ccccccscsccccccceecsessesessnsesencnsteenanss 30 THIDUNALS ....ccccccceccssessscccsccsecececeesseeesssensnuanaaasansassseseseseeeeess 30 THE QUICE oo... ccccccccccccecssesessseeeecececennessseesenecetecuueuereeeesesseeans 31 The Nephand) «0000.00... ee eeccceeceesseeeeenesneceeeesecesesenaaes 32 Using Mage in Other Genres ......ccccccsccccccccsevsnsseteceseenenens 32 GOVEIMMENES ...........ccccccecsessececessenceeeenssseeesessegeeecessnnees 33 The Inquisition occ. ceeeeesneeeeesseneeeeesssaecessenseeeeenseas 34 The Arcanum .........:ccccccsssessssccecccesenseseseteeeeeseensssreeeeees 35 2. CHARACTERS cccccccccccccccvescvccccccccccsoee BO Creating a Mage o......eeecceeeeseseeeceesteneeeesseneeenesssseeeseaes 39 Starting POIUNts 20.00... eeeeeesesceeeseeeereneesssneeeesaeeseneeeeens 39 The “Mage Package” .o.......ecccecsessececeessteeeesessneeeesennees 39 ESSENCE ..........ceceecssessseneeeeaseeeceeceseeeecesaesesseessanseaesecesess 39 Equipping the Mage ...............::cccessscscesessneeseenesteeeeesaes 40 AAVANtage ........cccccccceccecsssssseeeeeesesseseseeeeeseseesuaeetesersessees 4l Disadvantages .........:ccccccessssenecceeesessseneeeeeeesensnessseceeesseanes 42 SKS ooo... ecccscececessceeeessseneceesssaeececseseeeeesesaeeseerenseasenenes 43 New Advantages .........eeecscccceceessesseneceeeecetesseneecensesseaes 44 New Disadvantage............ccccccccssseeeeeeeseeeeeeseeseeeeesenseeeeees 47 New SKIS oo... secccesssescssscececeseseceseesceeseserenenenacesauaassenes 47 Traditions ...........cccccesessssssseccseceseecesecessesesnsenseeucenecssnensenees A8 Spheres 0... eee ccceeeeceeceenseaeeeeresaeeeessseeesesseseeeeessseeeeseess 50 Quintessence and ParadoX ..............ccccccscecesenessessesveseceseens 50 QUINTESSENCE 00.00... eeeceseccccececeeeesseetccecessceeassssuseseseeceeans 50 Paradox .....ccccccceesseensesssenenseececeeeceseceesesteensvsnseneeasaeseeeass 50 Paradox VS. QUINTESSENCE ............ccccecececseeeeesesssseseeeones 50 Sample Mage: Damien ............cceccceessssceceessseeesessneeeenes S1 Contents a 3. THE TRADITIONS eocccccccccccccccececcocccs DS Akashic Brotherhood ..............sssssscsssessssesessscersenenscenecs 56 Celestial Chorus..........scssssscsssssssssssssssossesconssssessesecsssonees 58 Cult Of Ecstasy .......ccssssscssssssssssssssscssssssssssrsensssncssnssrenees 59 Dreamspeake’s .......sscccscccssosssesssecescsscsssscncssnsseressaceconecee 61 Euthamats ............ccscsssssssrscsesscssnscsvsnsssesesessssessscsssesesees 63 Hollow OMS .........ccsccssssvsssrsessecsssnsesssssesssssessssssassessssenees 64 Order Of Hermes. .........csessssssscssssscssssssssssssesscsssssessccoesees 66 SONS Of Ether ........cccssccssssscssssssssesssscsecsesssacessanesssencsevesnes 67 Ver Dena......cccccoscssscrsssccsscensnsscnsnsscsscsssacssensssecsssnssesoescrss 69 Virtual Adept ..........cccssscssssscccsssesssesssscseeseseneecseorerorsnee 70 4, MAGICK. ,.....ccccccccccscccccccvcccccccccscscccccee dS The Metaphysic of Magic... cceccssccesseeesesesssesneeees 75 “SLCOPETS” .oececccccccssncsecsessseeeesssnsceseessneeessseansaeesesseseecessueas 75 The TAP@stry ..cccccccccssssccccssccssccssssanseeessesaaseceeasaescceususseaseves 76 Magic VS. MAQICK oececccccccccecevsscsccetensnecessenscesesssseeesensenes 76 Beliefs and Paradigms ............cccccsscccsssseceestseesesssecensarecnss 77 Static Reality 0.0... ccecssceceesssneeeeesssceseeessseeeevseseaes 77 The Structure Of REQILity ...cccccccccscscccsecsccsccsssrssseeessssseseceees 77 QUINTESSENCE... eecescececesssecesesseeeesessseeeesensecteecesneneses 78 NOES ooo. cece cccccccceccessesesscssssceaseceseseseseveeeesevesseussseeneaeas 79 TASS ...ccccecesessccecessenscecescsnneeecscsneeteceusnseeeesseaeeeessnetensansns 79 MING ieee ceeceeceecnecececssececsssaeecesscsuaeecssseaseesseesaseseeesseaees 79 Creating Magickal Effects ...0......ccccccccssssscecsessseseeessanes 80 Quintessence ANd MAING ...cccccccccccccecseceeeeteteeaneetenanseaseneaees 80 Static, or “Coincidental,” Magick .............ccccceecssseeeeees 81 Dynamic, or “Vulgar,” Magick .0........sceeecececeesseeeenenees 81 FOCL ooo. eeeescceecesesecceceesnceevessnseseesesacesesseseesesscaaseseveaeaas 82 The OF GC1OS .oeeecccccccessssccevenssseeessssececsssnssesensusneessseessasesensns 82 PALCTIS Woicccccccccececcccccscsesenssssscsscssassaeeseeseseseeeeeeeessesnnnaqeas 82 The Process Of Magick .........cc:ccccccccsseseseseeeeevesssseesssessrees 83 Quintessence ANE TOSS ..cccccccccececssessececesescavevsertessevssssssssaes 83 APPVENEICESHAD oo ..ecccccececceeensececeseeescuceeeessaeeesseesesneesesnstees 84 CONJUNctiONndl MAGICK ...ccccccccccecccescccccesseenenssateesecasessseceees 85 Key Elements of Coincidental Magick .............0c0cccccccccee. 86 COuUMNterMABICK .........cccccessssseeecceeceesseseeeceeeesesseseensesssesseras 87 Acting 1N CONCELt ooo... cee eeesseeseceseeeseeeessessecesseeeneterseesentes 88 ROUTES 00 ceeccceessccececsnneneceeseseeeesenseaeeesenseaseeeessnseneesensssanas 88 Effect MOdIfiers 00. ..cccccsccccsetesesccseneecssceeecaseteneecssaeseaeenseaes 88 [fat First You Don't Succeed ....1.ccccccccccessestecststseeseesecsseses 88 Determining Effects .....ccccccccccccssccccssssccecssesscessssaussesessseeas 89 TaliSmans .........ccccsccsssscccsssscessccecessnsseeseuecesseseseenscscevsusesenes 90 Using Talismans 200.00... ececscesceesseeseteesceeseseaeecsseeesneees 90 Magic in the Spirit World ......cccccccccssccesessseteeeseseeseseneassens 90 Creating Talismans ...........cccccccecescessescessecsseeessseeersees 91 SQmple Talismans ...ccccccccccccccsscccccscsvssesessccecsenssecescesavssaeees 92 The Burden Of Foct...........cccsccceccsssssccssesseeeeesesseeseeseneneeses 92 Unique FOCH..........cccccccsscccssseceessseeeesseeceessensesseeseessnenes 93 Focus List 00... eee ccccssssecsccessencecesvsreseecessenereessseeseseseeaeseass 94 The Nine Spheres of Knowledge... cccecseeseseeeeseees 96 Beyond Mastery — The Oracles..............cccsccssseseseseen 96THE SPHERES .........sscccsssosesresssscsseseesscscesssersccsssssescsees 97 COTTESPONAENCE 00. eee eeeeeeeteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeteseesnaneneeeeesenenans 97 Correspondence Rotes oc. cciceceseceeeseseeseesreeesneees 101 EMNtrOpy .........:ccccseesseeeessececeseceseaecesseseeeeseeeseeeesesseeeseonenaes 102 Entropy Rootes ..........ccccessseeeeesesesenerseeeesesesaeeeseonenens 104 FOLCES oocccccccccccccccececcecccceecceececeecececeasanaesseecensanananenaaageaaoes 105 Forces Rote ........cccccccccsssessenceesesessenseecseneseneanenaeeseenses 108 Life ooo cieeeceesceccssssreeeseseeceeeesssouseessnsessesaseenensseecesseneatans 109 Life ROtes .........ccccccccccceseessccceeeeeseceqeaceeeesesesesseseseeeoees 111 Matter ..........ccessceccceeessnecceecesesenssnaneceesesenaaeeeeeeeresenaeneeeees 112 Matter Rote .0.......cec ccc eeeeeceeceeseneneeecessesseseneeeeeesesenaaes 114 MUI 00.0... cece ceccscrccceeeceeceeseessneseeseacaaeeeeeeeeeeetereeteneesnenaaas 115 7. THE TECHNOCRACY.........ccccccsscccee ll 34 Rise of the TeChnocracy .........cessccceesessecesssesenecsteneeees Thee POQTOM voececccecccecccccccecseeetesesteesesceeveseesseeseseseeeesesesenes The Technocratic Agenda .0.......:ccccccccceeseeeeeseceeteneeeeeeeees Grip of the Technocracy ...........cecccceeseeceeeseneeeeeeeteeeeees The Technocracy's Technology The Conventions .............ccssscesccssssssncceesesssteneeeeeesssnenenees Tteration X oo... ececccccccceeessstsceceeeesenseueaeceeeseenaaeeeeeeenees New World Order .u..........ccscccccccssssssteecceeesesssneeeeeesesens The Progenitors .00.......cccccccssecceceessneeereseeeeeeetseeeeeeseesaes AULOCHINONIG 00... c0cescseeseseneeencescnneeceeseeetedensesseeseeeeseeeeenees FIT Mar ks coccccccccc ccc ccs ee sess sascescecenensenenanaaeeaananaesanenseaaas i=