Mage Chronicler's Guide

blackhatmatt:

DaveB:

*Lots* of very talented people worked on this one.

It's true. We had a good crew.

Satisfying news, one of the things I love about WW books is the excellent contribution from many writers and artists. It takes a village as they say.

Thats 4 books BHM has developed now isnt it?

jburgos:

Thats 4 books BHM has developed now isnt it?

What? Way I remember it, Matt developed books before there was a new World of Darkness. Dark Ages, Orpheus and all that.

I just hope that art in the book won't be like that in the Mage rulebook, i.e. not despicable.

I fail to understand what you mean ifke. I wish more Mage art was like that in the Core Book. It was phenomenal! It reminded me in many ways of the artwork in the Planescape Campaign Setting and the Planewalker's Guidebook.

Doublehex:

I fail to understand what you mean ifke. I wish more Mage art was like that in the Core Book. It was phenomenal! It reminded me in many ways of the artwork in the Planescape Campaign Setting and the Planewalker's Guidebook.

I agree; I quite like the corebook's style.

And I'm excited about this book too!  Do we have any info on when it is coming out?

Christian A:

What? Way I remember it, Matt developed books before there was a new World of Darkness. Dark Ages, Orpheus and all that.

Well, yeah. If we're just talking about NWoD, though, this makes...hang on...

WoD: Antagonists
Hunting Grounds: Rockies
Ghouls
Pandora's Book
Strange Alchemies
Magnum Opus
Saturnine Night
WoD: Midnight Roads
WoD: Innocents
Ancient Mysteries
Ancient Bloodlines
Night Horrors: Unbidden
Mage Chronicler's Guide

13. :)

Doublehex:

I fail to understand what you mean ifke. I wish more Mage art was like that in the Core Book. It was phenomenal! It reminded me in many ways of the artwork in the Planescape Campaign Setting and the Planewalker's Guidebook.

I fail to understand too. Im a huge fan of Michael Kaluta and the fact he was used exclusively in the Mage corebook is one of its biggest selling points. I was a fan of Kaluta before Mage (Tolkien calendar, Books of Magic to name just a couple).

And as for BHM as developer, I stand corrected, that is one very impressive list.

ok guys, check the pages 42, 51, 99, and 102 in the Mage corebook. wtf?! is there any connection between jugglers with unicycles and mages that I'm missing? half of the art in the M:tA consists of images that fail to describe movement and also fail to portray mages doing magic. compare those pieces of art with any in V:tR corebook and try to see the diference.

ifke:

ok guys, check the pages 42, 51, 99, and 102 in the Mage corebook. wtf?! is there any connection between jugglers with unicycles and mages that I'm missing? half of the art in the M:tA consists of images that fail to describe movement and also fail to portray mages doing magic. compare those pieces of art with any in V:tR corebook and try to see the diference.

That's much more an opinion than a fact. I can see that you don't like the art-style, but that doesn't mean that it isn't good. Personaly, I'm also not a huge fan of that style, but a lot of people like it.

Not liking something doesn't mean it isn't valid, or good.

ifke:

ok guys, check the pages 42, 51, 99, and 102 in the Mage corebook. wtf?! is there any connection between jugglers with unicycles and mages that I'm missing? half of the art in the M:tA consists of images that fail to describe movement and also fail to portray mages doing magic. compare those pieces of art with any in V:tR corebook and try to see the diference.

I happen to like those in particular, they represent mages outside the stereotypical mold. I'll say though that if Kaluta's work had been in color, the Mage core would have won awards based on the art alone. Kaluta's work is best in full color.

And who's to say a cabal of mages cannot be modelled after a troupe of street or circus performers?

For those who'd like a good sample of Kaluta's color mage work check out Keys to the Supernal Tarot or the upcomming Mage Tarot deck.

I am another in the camp of "not a fan" of the art style used in Mage.  I am more impressed with the realism and fullness of the Vampire and Changeling lines.  I wish Mage was more in line with these styles..

Charon:

I am another in the camp of "not a fan" of the art style used in Mage.  I am more impressed with the realism and fullness of the Vampire and Changeling lines.  I wish Mage was more in line with these styles..

Agreed.  As for the "mage's not doing magic" statement, that is nothing new.  That has been depicted since Mage: The Ascension days.  I'm just hoping they will be more detailed in their artwork as they did with the other lines.

Both my first and my likely my last post here in the mage forum area as I typically have it blocked from my list of areas to visit.
I am psyched about this book and hope it does the one thing I really want, which is for me to finally NOT LOATHE Mage the Awakening.
I was a Mage the Ascension fan who did not like the Awakening's Paths nor the Orders and was rather annoyed by the art.
I also wanted my Pulpy Mad Science back as well.
In short, I was impressed with none of it.
The Chronicler's Guide offered for Requiem had me desperately wishing for the same treatment for Mage as well.
And now it has arrived.
I'll be waiting for it.

This is very interesting. Admittedly, I am putting big hope in the chance that this book may hold something similar to the Clanless variant system that starred in Requiem's ST Guide. If this book shall have anything resembling the possibility to run MtAw without the stifling and insufferable Paths and Watchtowers, I am way beyond sold. Anything for a Pathless Mage, where you can customize your mage's Supernal and Arcana affinities.

SKELORIC:

Both my first and my likely my last post here in the mage forum area as I typically have it blocked from my list of areas to visit.
I am psyched about this book and hope it does the one thing I really want, which is for me to finally NOT LOATHE Mage the Awakening.
I was a Mage the Ascension fan who did not like the Awakening's Paths nor the Orders and was rather annoyed by the art.
I also wanted my Pulpy Mad Science back as well.
In short, I was impressed with none of it.
The Chronicler's Guide offered for Requiem had me desperately wishing for the same treatment for Mage as well.
And now it has arrived.
I'll be waiting for it.

Skel, answer me this, and try to be honest and not sarcastic and caustic: Do you really think you could read and enjoy a Mage book?

I mean, I gotta be honest, here. All kidding aside, when I was developing the MCG, there certainly was a part of my brain thinking, "Hey, maybe Skel will finally find something to like about this game." And I have to say, I still don't think you will. That's not because some of your favorite elements aren't present in the book (they are), but because what you want is so narrow, and you don't want to do any work yourself.

I can't get into the contents of the book in any depth right now, obviously, but I'll say that while the MCG presents approximately a billionty options for running a Mage game, it's not the big book of Mage-as-Pulp. If that's all you want - a book telling you how to run Mage as a pulp game, with all of the rules and setting elements converted over to that, then maybe you shouldn't get your hopes up.

If, on the other hand, you want pretty much all of the elements of Mage spun around, reshaped, renamed and examined, along with some nifty mechanics that were a long time in coming, well, it'll be a good buy.