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Prime
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e The name that can be named is not the true name.
— Lao Tzu
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The Sphere of Prime governs the base level • Consecrate Matter — This Effect applies the caster’s
of reality, the quintessential substance from Resonance to an inorganic object, meaning that the object
which all other things are derived. It is, is considered part of the caster’s Pattern when they change
quite literally, the energy of magick itself, shape, pass into the Umbra, or otherwise transform. The
but also that of all existence. The Prime chief drawback is that the object has a strong sympathetic
Sphere is necessary for creating Patterns from tie to the caster and counts as a Body Sample for purposes of
“nowhere”, although in all such cases, those Correspondence. The object may also take on some of the
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Patterns are actually created from raw Primal caster’s personality, behaving accordingly. The mage can
energy. Prime deals with controlling the always find the object using their Prime senses if needed.
flow of Quintessence, be it free and flowing
One success will form a bond with a small item (the size
between Nodes, mages, and other sources, or fixed into
of a lighter or credit card) with larger items requiring more
existing Patterns of reality. Resonance, too, falls under the
aegis of Prime and can be altered or even removed entirely successes (ten successes might be enough to forge a link
using this Sphere. with a car, for example.) This Effect lasts for a single turn –
additional successes grant a longer duration.
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successes reveal additional details – for three successes, the Armor Effect), with each additional success giving the caster
mage would locate the Quintessence with great precision, and an extra point of armor that can soak magickal or supernatural
with five successes they would gain almost complete insight, damage. Adding armor to the Effect requires the expenditure
including its points of origin, direction of flow, Resonance, of a point of Quintessence.
and likely duration. The Body of Light created with this Effect has no
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A roll of Perception + Awareness (base difficulty 6) physical or ephemeral presence – a more advanced Effect
would allow the mage to notice sudden manifestations incorporating Spirit ••• as well would be required to give
of Quintessence if they appear when this Effect is active. the Body of Light the ability to interact with objects in the
Successes can also be spent to lower this difficulty on a one- Umbra – see pages 477 and 509 of Mage: the Ascension
for-one basis, by a maximum of three points. 20th Anniversary Edition.
• Detect Resonance — Unlike the Mind Effect Sense •• Buzz — This Effect creates ripples in the fabric of
Resonance, which helps a caster detect Resonance with the reality by massaging the flow of Quintessence. Any living being
Awareness Trait, this Effect directly scans for Resonance using subjected to this Effect feels pleasure and a heightened sense
the Prime Sphere. It also detects Effects that use Prime of the of reality. Some can find the sensation unsettling, however.
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third Rank or higher or Effects that incorporate points of the
target mage’s personal Quintessence. The difficulty to detect
such an Effect or Resonance is 10, minus one per point in the
target’s Prime or Resonance, whichever is higher.
Targets of this Effect do not suffer from exhaustion or
fatigue for its duration. All magickal Effects cast by the targets
receive a -1 difficulty break. If the caster desires to make the
Effect disorienting, affected targets are stunned for one turn
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• Heart’s Blood — This Effect allows the caster to draw per success and must spent a point of Willpower in order to
the Quintessence out of their own body, transforming flesh act. A mage subjected to this Effect can cancel its effects on
into magickal power. The Effect transforms health levels them entirely by spending a point of Quintessence.
into points of Quintessence above and beyond the amount •• Channel Resonance — This Effect allows the mage to
stored in the mage’s Avatar. Each point of Quintessence channel Resonance into Forces or Matter Patterns, temporarily
generated through the Effect, according to the Base Damage strengthening, weakening, or creating new Resonance in those
or Duration chart, inflicts one level of unsoakable lethal Patterns. Channeled Resonance is usually the same as the
damage to the mage.
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be discerned past the imposed aura. object so suffused counts as a part of the mage’s own body on
The mage can also use this Effect to forge Resonance. the Correspondence Ranges chart.
The mage must first use Mind, Prime, or Spirit • to examine •• Disguise Resonance — This Effect disguises the
the Resonance to be copied before creating the forgery. This Resonance of an item or entity, replacing it with that of
false Resonance can be pierced with an extended Perception the caster or with false Resonance. One success is required
+ Occult roll with a difficulty equal to the concealing spell’s for each target of the Effect. Beyond this amount, the caster
successes. must accumulate one success for each point of Resonance to
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Prime •• channels Resonance into a non-living Pattern. be disguised, and one success for each point of Resonance to
With Prime •••, the mage can channel Resonance into be laid in its place (for example, a mage wishing to disguise
living creatures, covering up their natural auras. Some mages two points of Dynamic Resonance with one point of Entropic
do this to “brand” their servants or apprentices. Resonance requires three successes.)
•• Consecrate Life — An advanced form of Consecrate The target’s own Resonance is not removed, but is now
Matter, this Effect allows the caster to infuse a living creature harder to detect and identify. Anyone studying the target
with the mage’s own Resonance, forging a bond between the (with Awareness or first-rank Sphere Effects) must first beat
two. The creature does not necessarily take on the caster’s the caster’s successes before the natural Resonance can be
Resonance but is connected deeply to the caster all the same. discerned past the mage’s imposed Resonance.
The caster can use the Prime Sphere to track the target of Prime •• disguises the Resonance of a non-living Pattern.
this Effect and will always be able to find their way back to With Prime •••, the mage can disguise the Resonance of
that individual when needed. living or spiritual creatures.
Chapter Seven: Prime 47
•• Enchant Charm — Charms (and Gadgets) are
enchanted items that can be created without high-quality
Rank Three Effects
••• Breaking the Form — With this Effect, the caster
components – items appropriate to the caster’s paradigm can draw small amounts of Quintessence from inanimate
are sufficient. Patterns that are destroyed. Normally such objects release
See page 140 of the Book of Secrets for full details on their innate Quintessence back into the Tapestry but this
crafting Charms but the basic system is summarized here. A Effect allows the mage to siphon off a fragment of that.
Charm’s dot value is equal to half its highest Sphere rating Breaking the Form can be cast conjunctionally with
minus any Flaw discounts (round down). The caster must fuel another Effect. Each success on this Effect allows the mage
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the Charm with five points of Quintessence per dot, then to draw one point of Quintessence from the destruction of
empower (or quicken) the Charm, accruing three successes another Pattern and use it to fuel the conjunctional Effect.
per dot. Each quickening roll takes an hour. The caster must This destruction can be something like burning sacred oil,
then also imbue the Charm with the Effect it will have using spilling wine, shattering a blessed icon, or the like.
the appropriate Spheres.
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••• Channel Quintessence — This Effect channels
Normally a Charm lasts for three months. Additional Quintessence between two sources, such as two mages, or a
successes (and Quintessence) make them last longer: one mage and their Tass. Each success transfers one point of free
success makes it last for a year; two successes extend the Quintessence between two targets of the caster’s choosing,
duration to five years; three successes extend it to ten years; up to the limit of the caster’s Avatar rating.
four successes allow the Charm to last for twenty five years; ••• Enchant Life — This Effect allows the caster to
five successes let it last for a century, and six successes make reinforce the Patterns of living creatures with Prime. Such
the Charm permanent until used. creatures can deal aggravated wounds with their physical
At this level of Prime, only Charms incorporating attacks. A small creature (like a cat) requires only a single
compatible Resonance and Quintessence can be created. Non- success, with up to three successes being required to enchant
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compatible Resonance or Quintessence requires Prime •••.
•• Enchant Matter — This Effect allows the caster
to reinforce a material object with Prime, fortifying it and
allowing it to protect against magickal or spiritual attacks –
something man-sized. Additional successes can be spent to
allow the item to deal extra damage, as per the Base Damage
or Duration chart – these successes are depleted when used.
Enchanted creatures gain the ability to soak aggravated
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or to deal the same. damage and damage from purely magickal or spiritual sources.
Each success grants the creature a point of armor that can
Weapons enchanted in this fashion deal aggravated soak damage of this sort, which is depleted when used.
damage. A small item (like a knife) requires only a single
success, with larger items requiring more successes. Additional Enchanting a creature requires energizing it with a point
of Quintessence (the enchantment lasts for the duration
successes can be spent to allow the item to deal extra damage,
scored, but is almost never permanent without a greater
as per the Base Damage or Duration chart – these successes
supply of Quintessence).
are depleted when used.
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sized (or more magickally potent) produce larger yields. one point of Resonance from one target to another. The
••• Obfuscation — The Obfuscation Effect allows the transfer is permanent, barring further such Effects.
caster to conceal their magick from observers. The caster Transferred Resonance will cancel out opposing
uses Prime to flatten out any warps in reality caused by their Resonance – for example, if Dynamic (Destructive) Resonance
other Effects, making it seem as if no magick has been cast. is transferred into a target with Static (Peaceful) Resonance,
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Each success on this Effect conceals one success on the Dynamic Resonance will cancel out the Static Resonance
another Effect. For the most effective concealment, the on a point-for-point basis
Obfuscation Effect should be cast conjunctionally with With Prime ••••, Resonance can be transferred to or
the Effect it is to conceal. Otherwise the mage must cast from Life or Spirit patterns as well.
Obfuscation after the Effect it is intended to hide, which
means there is a short window of opportunity during which
their magick can be detected. On the other hand, casting
Rank Four Effects
•••• Alter Resonance — With this Effect, the mage can
Obfuscation separately allows for a larger number of successes
to be accumulated, making it possible to conceal larger Effects. change the Resonance of an inanimate Pattern, transforming
it into Resonance of any other type.
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••• Parma Magica — Parma Magica creates a magickal
shield that the caster fills with their own Quintessence. The
shield stores the Quintessence for later use, allowing the caster
to spend it in order to defend against other Effects.
One success is required for each target involved in the
Effect. Each two successes thereafter change one point of
Resonance into another type of Resonance. The mage must
have at least one pawn of Tass of the new type of Resonance,
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Parma Magica stores Quintessence for use with
to model the Effect after, using this as a template for the new
anti-magick (see page 545 of Mage: the Ascension 20th
Resonance. The change in Resonance is permanent, barring
Anniversary Edition.) Each success allows the mage to
further Effects.
store two points of Quintessence in a “bank” created by this
Effect. These points may then be spent as per normal when At this level of Prime, the mage is only able to alter
using anti-magick. the Resonance of unliving Patterns. With Prime •••••,
Resonance can be altered in Life or Spirit patterns as well.
••• Primal Armor — With this Effect, the caster crafts
A similar Prime ••••• Effect can alter the Resonance of
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dots or higher may require the highest-quality materials, at the can expel Resonance from a Matter or Forces Pattern without
Storyteller’s discretion. Usually, the caster must also purify it transferring it to another Pattern. One success is required
using a variant of the Consecrate Matter Effect. Following for each target involved in the Effect. Each two successes
this, the enchantment process can begin. thereafter remove one point of Resonance from the target.
An Artifact’s dot value is equal to the Sphere rating of The change is permanent, barring further Effects.
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its Effect. Subtract any Flaw discounts from this total. The With Prime •••••, Resonance can be expelled from
caster must fuel the Artifact with five points of Quintessence Life or Spirit patterns as well.
per dot, then empower (or quicken) the Artifact, accruing
•••• Flames of Purification — This Effect allows
three successes per dot. Each quickening roll takes an hour.
the caster to destroy inanimate Patterns by removing the
The caster must then also imbue the Artifact with the actual
Quintessence from which they are formed. The target’s
power it will have using the appropriate Spheres.
Quintessence is recycled back into the Tapestry unless the
The Artifact will develop its own Resonance, based on mage siphons it off with another Effect.
the Resonance of the Quintessence used in its creation, and
The target of this Effect takes aggravated damage as per
that of its creator. Artifacts that are used in conflict with
the Base Damage or Duration chart. The target evaporates
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their own Resonance suffer penalties.
•••• Enchant Talisman — A Talisman (or a Device) is
a sophisticated enchanted item that can have several powers.
Talismans have their own Arete scores and can be used by
into nothingness if it loses all of its health levels. For objects
where no health levels are known, as a rough guide assign
the object twice the level of Strength successes listed on the
Feats of Strength chart on page 403 of Mage: the Ascension
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anyone whose belief system is compatible with the item.
20th Anniversary Edition. So a metal fire door would have
Talismans require high-quality components.
10 health levels, and an SUV would have 28.
See page 148 of the Book of Secrets for full details on
If Channel Quintessence is cast alongside this Effect,
crafting Talismans but the basic system is summarized here.
the caster can gain one point of Quintessence per lost health
The caster must craft a suitable item (usually requiring at least
level, up to the limit of their Avatar rating.
three dots in the appropriate Ability). Talismans rated at four
dots or higher may require the highest-quality materials, at the •••• Node Raider — This Effect is used to tap free or
fixed Quintessence from a Node. If over-used, it can deplete
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rating at the cost of one dot per point of Arete. Whatever end of the ritual.
the case, the Talisman’s final Arete can be no higher than Initially, free Quintessence is tapped, up to the amount
the caster’s Arete. available from the Node at the time of casting. If this is
The caster must fuel the Talisman with five points depleted, the caster can continue to tap fixed Quintessence
of Quintessence per dot, then empower (or quicken) the from the Node.
Talisman, accruing three successes per dot. Each quickening If the caster taps any fixed Quintessence, the Node is
roll takes an hour and costs the caster an additional point of suppressed for a number of days equal to the successes scored
Quintessence. The caster must then also imbue the Talisman – it won’t generate any Quintessence or Tass in this time.
with its powers using the appropriate Spheres. Every ten successes removes one dot from the Node. If the
Finally, the caster must sacrifice one permanent point of Node drops to zero dots, it is destroyed.
Willpower to finish creating the Talisman. This Willpower This Effect can also be performed with Matter •••,
can be bought back with experience points. Prime •••.
50 Book of Common Magicks
•••• Tapping the Line — This Effect allows a mage to This Effect can also be performed with Matter •••, Prime
draw Quintessence from a ley-line as if tapping a Node. Each ••••. Junctures (certain times or cycles of the season that
success allow the caster to one point of free Quintessence act as Nodes) can be created as well, by substituting Time
from the Node (up to their Avatar rating). The mage can •••• for Matter. Living Nodes, known as Relics, can be
also redirect this Quintessence into a Periapt or other storage created by substituting Life •••• for Matter.
medium without using another Effect. The Effect can also be ••••• Fount of Paradise — This Effect allows the
cast as an extended ritual, passing Quintessence to the mage caster to draw Quintessence from the Tapestry, refilling their
each turn as successes are scored instead of waiting until the Pattern without needing access to a Node, ley-line, or other
end of the ritual.
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source. The mage simply casts the Effect and each success
The amount of Quintessence that can be tapped is limited translates into a point of Quintessence restored to the mage’s
by how much Quintessence the nearest Node produces per Avatar (up to the limit of their Avatar rating.)
day (or per week, or however the Storyteller has ruled that ••••• Paradox Ward — This Effect allows the mage
particular Node operates). Once that amount has been tapped, to negate Paradox. The mage usually invests an object of
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no more can be taken until the nearby Node refreshes that significance with Quintessence, using this to fend off Paradox
supply. Tapping the Line never risks depleting the Node’s level. by spending these points.
This Effect can also be performed with Matter •••, Each success on this Effect channels a point of
Prime •••. Quintessence into the receptacle, which can then be used
•••• Wellspring — Wellsprings are events where to negate points of Paradox the mage gains on a one-for-one
powerful Resonance causes Quintessence to well up. If a mage basis. The mage can set up such an Effect in advance or cast
attends such an event and the Resonance there matches the it conjunctionally with a Paradoxical Effect, negating that
mage’s own, they can use this Effect to tap it in the same way Paradox as it is earned.
they would tap a Node. ••••• Unmake Life – Similar to Flames of Purification,
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Each success allow the caster to one point of free
Quintessence from the Wellspring (up to their Avatar rating
or rating in the related Resonance). The mage can also redirect
this Quintessence into a Periapt or other storage medium
this Effect erases Patterns of life, spirit, and thought from
existence. The target of this Effect takes aggravated damage as
per the Base Damage or Duration chart. The target evaporates
into nothingness if it loses all of its health levels.
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without using another Effect. The Effect can also be cast as If Channel Quintessence is cast alongside this Effect, the
an extended ritual, passing Quintessence to the mage each caster can gain one point of Quintessence per health level
turn as successes are scored instead of waiting until the end lost, up to the limit of their Avatar rating.
of the ritual.