Mage: The Podcast

Adam and Pooka discuss the weird fiction of Arthur Machen, Welshman extraordinaire. Do turn of the century horror stories offer anything to modern Mage games? Is this a boon to Victorian Mage Storytellers? Do the powers of darkness really want to redecorate your office? Tune in & hear story ideas, horror commentary and hermetic code names.Show Notes The Great God Pan and ”The White People”, both tied to Machen’s reputation in weird fiction. Machen’s ties to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a hush-hush British magic club from back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, where folks mixed Rosicrucian ideas, Masonic style, and occult study in hopes of climbing a little closer to the spiritual stars. Reality Deviant Book Club: King in Yellow - Adam and Pooka discuss Robert W. Chambers’ The King in Yellow mythos and other stories. Video on ternary computers - Ternary computing is a 3-state system (−1, 0, + 1 or "trits") offering higher information density, faster processing, and greater energy efficiency than binary. Oldstyle Tales Press - Publisher of classic horror, ghost stories, and weird fiction from Mary Shelley to M. R. James. Annotated and illustrated. The Great God Pan, The White People, and Other Horrors: The Best Weird Fiction and Ghost Stories of Arthur Machen (Oldstyle Tales of Murder, Mystery, Horror, and Hauntings) - This illustrated collection gathers Arthur Machen’s finest eerie tales, where hinted-at horrors and hidden sins creep beneath everyday life, revealing a world of dark magic, ancient evil, and the uneasy split between humanity’s light and shadow.

Adam, Jenna, and Pooka take a gleeful ride through The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, celebrating its pulpy charm, wild 80s style, oddball science, and Mage-ready Etherite energy. They cover what works, what wobbles, how to “Mage-ify” it, and why this messy cult classic still sparks game ideas, big laughs, and deep affection.Show Notes The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) — brain surgeon, rock star, test pilot, alien-fighting chaos agent. The Hong Kong Cavaliers — Buckaroo Banzai’s loose but capable inner circle: a half rock band, half super-science/adventure team built around gifted oddballs, runaways, scholars, hackers, and fighters. They include veterans like Rawhide, Reno Nevada, Perfect Tommy, Pecos, New Jersey, Billy Travers, Big Norse, plus close Institute allies like Professor Hikita, Mrs. Johnson, and Pinky Carruthers. Dr. Emilio Lizardo — Brilliant but doomed physicist who, in 1938 at Princeton, tested an early Oscillation Overthruster and briefly entered the 8th dimension, where he was possessed by the alien tyrant John Whorfin of Planet 10; returning to Earth apparently insane, Lizardo became the vessel through which Whorfin plots to escape Earth and conquer again. Watch it: stream on Tubi.

Truth Until ParadoxPooka and T.L. Webb crack open Truth Until Paradox, Mage’s first fiction anthology. They chat why tie-in stories matter, then speed-tour 17 wildly uneven, very ’90s tales—Technocracy vs Traditions, Nephandi schemes, HIT-Marks, odd Wonders, and fan-fic energy.Show Notes Truth Until Paradox (Mage anthology, Feb 1994) - Tucked inside are seven tales from the World of Darkness, a place that looks a lot like our own, except the supernatural is real, and shadowy forces are always moving just out of sight. They’ve been chosen and edited by Stewart Wieck, the creator of Mage: The Ascension and co-creator of the World of Darkness. Key faves: “Silver Nutmeg, Golden Pair” + “Grim Reminders” (Penny Dreadful) Concepts: Ascension War vibe, coincidental magic, backstabbing, Wonders, Paradox oddities T.L. Webb on Bluesky and Tumblr

The most powerful skill in Mage is uncovered at last.  Join Adam and Pooka as they lay bare the stone cold facts about Stone Lore.  The mystic qualities of malachite, how to use Stone Lore in your games and the merits of marrying Spanish dancers are all discussed as your hosts try to penetrate the deepest secrets of Ascension.Show Notes Geologist’s Primer⁠ - A friendly, picture-packed guide that mixes myth, folklore, old-school magic, crystal lore, and real science, giving writers and game masters everything they need to make rocks, metals, and gems feel alive in fantasy worlds or modern tales alike. ⁠Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones⁠ - Told through art, myth, power, and a bit of hard science, this wide-ranging tale follows sixty unforgettable stones to show how rocks shaped human history, and how our hopes, work, and wants shaped those stones right back. ⁠Amulets and Superstitions⁠ - This old-school, picture-filled classic by Egyptologist E. A. Wallis Budge shows how folks across the ancient world leaned on stones, symbols, numbers, and amulets to heal the sick, keep bad luck at bay, fend off evil, and make sense of fate and the unseen. ⁠ Gemlore: Ancient Secrets and Modern Myths from the Stone Age to the Rock Age - This down-to-earth guide rambles across cultures and centuries, mixing the hard facts of geology with myth, symbols, and old stories to show how gemstones have both shaped our beliefs and mirrored the way people make sense of the world.

Once again, we’re going back in time to PAX Unplugged 2024 and a series of interviews conducted by Terry Robinson. This installment features five conversations with various folks in the gaming space. We hope you get some joy and wisdom out of these chats. Perhaps they’ll inspire you to jump into writing and creating as well, and we’ll see you behind a table at PAX this coming December…The interviewees, in order:Eloy Lasanta (Third Eye Games): https://www.thirdeyegames.net/Chris Pramas (Green Ronin): https://greenronin.com/Eric Portney (Alexandria RPG Library): https://alexandriarpg.org/Jason Cordova (Gauntlet RPG, Brindlewood Bay): https://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/brindlewood-bay.htmlSpencer Campbell (Gila RPGs): https://gilarpgs.com/Mage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

Adam talks about bringing the Ananasi into games of Mage the Ascension. Ananasi are the were-spiders of Werewolf the Apocalypse. Where do they come from? How do they operate? What can they bring to your Mage games? Whether enemies or allies, the spider folk have much to offer. This is the first in a series of crossover episodes.https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/12/ananasiMage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

This episode travels back in time to PAX Unplugged 2024, where Terry Robinson captured interviews and loose, late-night conversations with creators and friends. This first installment (of two, or possibly three) features interviews with folks from AED Publishing, The Bodhana Group, and a rambling roundtable with Pooka and Mike from Darker Days Radio. We hope these final recordings from Terry are a fitting addition to his memorial and a little gift for the end of your year. Go forth, Mage strong!Show Notes PAX Unplugged – A tabletop gaming-focused convention specifically tailored to lovers of board games, RPGs, miniatures, cards, and more. AED Publishing – An independent and privately owned publishing company focusing on the creation and distribution of character and story driven games founded by Stephen Koontz. 5th Conspiracy (RPG) – Urban fantasy where belief shapes reality published by AED Publishing. The Bodhana Group – Therapeutic tabletop gaming nonprofit. Darker Days Radio – Premier horror rpg podcast

Adam and James walk you through the Digital Web books. Then James discusses topics to consider when taking your players to the digital realm.  Where is it in the Mage cosmos? How do you get there? How do you move around and work magick? What might you meet there? How does Augmented Reality really work? These topics and more are laid out to help you make the Digital Web a part of your Mage games.Mage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

What hath Empire wrought? Pooka and Jenna poke at that question today as they open up the supplement Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magicks for Victorian Age Mage. The book features dozens of items, rotes, and story hooks, and while your mileage may vary with how much use you get out of them, there's no shortage of ideas to enrich any historical game.Show Notes Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magicks Victorian Age Mage

Ever wandered into a garden so beautiful you forgot the way out? 🌿 In this week’s Mage: The Podcast, Adam explores The Gardens of Inn — a mysterious, decaying fae realm from the OSR classic by Emmy Allen — and shows how it can bloom in your Mage: The Ascension game. Plus, a new “Paradigm Shift” series connects unexpected RPG books to the World of Darkness. 🎲Download the transcript for today’s show here.Show Notes Beyond the Barrier: The Book of Worlds - Step through the Gauntlet and explore endless realms. Tomes of Magick episode - Adam and Terry take us on a wild Umbra tour: gods, dreams, and dinosaurs beyond the Barrier. Infinite Tapestry - Mages brave storm-torn roads to rediscover lost realms and rekindle the world’s magic. Tomes of Magick: Infinite Tapestry episode - Adam and Terry weave through the Umbra’s mysteries in Infinite Tapestry. Bygone Bestiary - Unleash your inner dragon and dance with monsters/ Tomes of Magick: Bygone Bestiary episode - Adam and Terry wrangle dragons, unicorns, and more. Book of Crafts: Whispers of Dissent - Step off the main path and meet voodoo priests, alchemists and Amazons. Tomes of Magick: Book of Crafts: Whispers of Dissent - Adam and Terry meet mambos, dragon wizards and kahunas. Gods & Monsters - Meet gods, beasts and odd friends—the World of Darkness just got wilder Tomes of Magick: M20 Gods and Monsters episode - Adam and Terry chat Loa, HIT Marks and godforms.

Howdy, Mage fans! Adam and Pooka are back with big news, a new Changeling magic book, and invites to TryItCon2: TerryCon and PAX Unplugged. This time they dig into The Crow, from comic grief to film justice, goth rain, Brandon Lee, and Mage-style ideas. A quick stop with Philip K. Dick, a chat about sanity and Quiet, and a reminder that it cannot rain all the time. Tell your friends, because madness loves company.Show Notes Pooka’s A Book of Gramarye (Storytellers Vault) launch Philip K. Dick’s Clans of the Alphane Moon: sanity, Quiet, and Mage editions James O’Barr’s The Crow (graphic novel vs. film): grief vs. justice, myth vs. grit Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Alex Proyas, and goth-punk aesthetics Mage-adjacent hooks: Euthanatos vibes, coincidental magic effects Destiny’s Price Orphans Survival Guide Tradition Book: Hollow Ones The Book of Secrets Wraith: The Oblivion’s The Risen Using NPC relationships and “human moments” to anchor grim settings Soundtrack as mood tool for tabletop scenes Which Mage editions this best complements (1e/early Revised vibes)

Today's episode is a memorial to our departed friend and co-host, Terry Robinson. Join Adam, Bryce, Charles, Josh, and Pooka as they share some memories, followed by a series of messages submitted from our community and some words from Joseph. We also invite you to download the free PDF of the Book of Tributes, a collection of written tributes from our Discord that was produced for Terry's memorial. We hope that this episode will help you to keep Terry close at heart, and remember that Ascension is the friends we made along the way.(Thanks to Brian Grossman, Brian Johnson, Hal Case, Harry Heckel, Jacob Klünder, Jonathan Fii, Justin Achilli, Kim Godwin, Kris Newton, Lauren Roy, Leonardo Rezeda, Matthew Dawkins, Matthew Webb, MJ, Panos Skordas, Satyros Brucato, Sebastian Yūe, and Stefan Carton for your words shared in this episode. And thank you to all of our listeners for your continued support and dedication.)(Now go change reality. <3)Mage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

In Part 2 of our Mage Zero Edition deep-dive, Adam and Pooka sift the fun esoterica—early Tradition names (Parmenidians, Initiates of the Invisible World), a clearer Celestial Chorus, Dreamspeakers’ true remit, quirky rituals, big willpower walls, Paradox wrinkles, the dream magic that never was, and share their thoughts on what was best left behind and what is ready to drop into your games. Missed Part 1? Start there, then mosey back for secrets, laughs, and table-ready takeaways.Special thanks to Stewart Wieck for permission to discuss the Zero Edition.Show Notes Early Tradition names: Initiates of the Invisible World, Parmenidians, Order of the Cosmic Stream How Dreamspeakers, Verbena, and the Celestial Chorus first appeared Forgotten mechanics: Threads, General Resistance, Auspiced Damage, and “Armageddon Effect” Missing Dream Magic supplement and LARP crossover notes Discussion of Essence Families vs. Traditions and dynamic vs. static forces Reflections on Mage’s earliest themes of enlightenment, technology, and the human spirit

Adam and Pooka crack open a lost treasure — Mage: The Ascension, Zero Edition, a 1993 manuscript that shaped the game’s future. They share laughs, lore, share their thoughts on what was best left behind and what is ready to drop into your game, and a few “what were they thinking?” moments, from cosmic origins to dream magic and immortal mages. Don’t be a Copernicus.Show Notes Stuart Wieck’s original cosmology: The Prime, Quintessence, and Dynamic Force Dream magic, the Near Umbra, and Dream Lords Early lore links to Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Ars Magica The origins of Avatars (“Gift Spirits”) and Essence Families The role of Pure Ones and their echoes in later Mage editions Differences between Zero Edition and Mage: The Ascension (First Edition) The concept of Evolutes — the five stages of Ascension Technocrats as self-aware mages upholding the “cold lie of science” Copernicus and the cosmic betrayal that started the Ascension War Early versions of Quiet, Mindscapes, and the origin of Boogeymen and Dark Births TryItCon2: TerryCon – Online convention honoring Terry Robinson, November 8–9, 2025

Pooka and Bryce crack open Victorian Mage: Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters. From ghostly X-ray photos to occult artists and Umbra conspiracies, what stories and characters wait around the globe for your players to discover? Plus, TryItCon 2: Terry Con Edition is set for Nov 7–9 on Discord & Zoom, honoring Terry Robinson with games and a Twitter Pig charity auction.Show Notes TryItCon 2: Terry Con - online convention dedicated to the idea that there are great games yet to try, great people yet to be met, and great ideas yet to be learnedVictorian Mage: Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters Expanded adventures: “Wee” Brazil’s vanishing island, Le Fleur du Mal’s decadent occultists, “Voice of God” cosmic horror Umbra exploration: conspiracies in the Fortress of Government, the River of Language, Victorian values embodied in the Spire of Modern Virtue

Adam and Pooka explore the wild world of Paradox, those cosmic smackdowns that keep Mages humble. They chat about realms where magic bites back, share tales from the table, and review Never-Real Worlds, a Storyteller’s Vault toolkit full of roll tables to spark your own strange Paradox adventures. Grab a seat, pour a drink, and join the ride toward Ascension (without all the headaches).Show Notes What Paradox is and how it shapes the Consensus. Paradox Realms as teaching tools, not just punishments. Inspiration from Groundhog Day and TTRPG history (like the Dread Gazebo). ⁠ShadowCity: Blood and Neon - A gothic punk roleplaying game with a ShadowDark-inspired approach that throws players into instant action and drama.

Welcome to Reality Deviants Movie Club! Pooka, Adam, and Jenna dive into Sneakers (1992), a techno-thriller packed with heists, hacker mages, and Mage: The Ascension plot seeds. From Virtual Adepts vs. Technocracy to teamwork and codebreaking wonders, we break it all down—plus ideas for running this as a chronicle.Show Notes Sneakers - This flick is a ready-made low-Arete chronicle or intro arc to a Virtual Adept campaign. Sneakers Trailer on YouTube. Cosmo’s quote: “It’s not reality that counts—it’s the perception of reality” is textbook Mage philosophy. Some Tips for New Storytellers - Adam pullsa bundle of helpful tricks and tips out of his Storyteller’s saddlebag for veterans and folks just starting out running Mage games.

Adam and guest Amena dive into Laws of Ascension Companion, the last Mage live action role-playing game (LARP) book. From Technocracy quirks to oddball factions, wild rotes, and Umbra adventures, they cover what works, what’s weird, and what’s worth borrowing for your Chronicle. Plus, Amena shares how she built a thriving local LARP scene from scratch.Download the transcript for today’s show here.Show Notes Overview of Laws of Ascension Companion — content, factions, rules, rotes. Technocracy chapter breakdown and faction quirks New groups like Wu-Nung; merits, flaws and LARP-usable skills Standout rotes and optional rules for PvP, paradox, crossover play Locations on Earth and in the Umbra for LARP use Amina’s journey from online LARP to running live Sabbat and Mage games Tips for starting and sustaining a LARP community One Word by Night Amena’s game

Adam chats with 4 guests about 3 projects.  Mage 20 system reference document, Book of Common Magicks and Darkness Over Dallas fiction series.Mage 20 SRDhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1_GzPNZoPabVMAKxk_y1aBpl0jic5QD8Y1TyLpCQUuKgBook of Common Magickshttps://www.storytellersvault.com/product/462226/Book-of-Common-MagicksDarkness Over Dallashttps://www.storytellersvault.com/browse.php?author=T.L.WebbMage the Podcast social media linksWebsitehttp://magethepodcast.comPatreonhttps://bit.ly/MagePatreonBlueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/magethepodcast.bsky.socialMastodonhttps://dice.camp/@magethepodcastThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@magethepodcastDiscordhttps://discord.gg/7rsy59Zz

In this spirited dive into Séance on St. James Street, Pooka and Josh Heath dissect the Victorian Mage jumpstart—what works, what misses, and whether it’s a fitting intro for new players. From ghostly redemption arcs to wonky stats and page-layout sins, they unravel the spectral threads of this quickstart. Is this séance a slayance, or should it be buried with a stake in its heart?Show Notes Séance on St. James Street: A Victorian Age Mage Jumpstart M20 Victorian Age Mage - Josh didn’t back the Kickstarter Praise for Gene Gaydos’s surreal photomontage art Mendoza the Sahajiya gunslinger and Birgit the Sámi shaman stand out Hopepunk works best when it’s not yelling at you.