Rules reference
Attributes in Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary
What attributes mean and how to use them at the table. 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
Attributes describe your broad capability. In play, they usually combine with skills (or directly with a roll mechanic) to resolve actions.
- 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
If you want to solve problems physically, invest in physical attributes; if you want social leverage, invest socially. Your skills make that approach reliable.
Pick 1–2 ‘core’ attribute areas for your concept and accept a weakness to keep choices meaningful.
- Mistake: Spreading points evenly. Fix: Pick 1–2 strengths that match your concept and accept a weakness.
- Mistake: Ignoring how attributes connect to rolls. Fix: Check what combines with skills (or what the system uses most) and build around that.