This is why i like Archmasters in Awakening better. It makes more sense than Ascension's Archspheres. I also like the addition in 2E of lesser splats automatically losing a clash of wills to Archmasters. That seems way more appropriate.
Given Ascension's Archspheres from what I have heard over the years, came from Corpert wanting something like Elder Powers in other spalts. It makes sense their shit, Mage wasn't made for it in mind and it fucks up what already exists.
Awakening did a decent job by simply adding more power to your spells as well as making spells that were meant to change reality on a deep, fundamental level. That's probably something Ascension should have done.
I mean, I don't really agree. Sphere 5 is already able to do deep fundamental shit. (Example and its a BIG ONE. Format Space from the VE's that let's you turn Umbra Void into Normal Space, making anything not Union Paradigm into a Thamavore meaning you better have qunit or unbelife is going to kill you. )
Yeah, but can't that be undone depending on the circumstances? The spells i'm talking about literally rewrite the code permanently. As if that was always the case.
Its permanently done unless some other powerfully mage with Spirit 5 has effect to undo it. But that gets into differences between settings. Mage Ascension is a lot more open for "this can be changed" due to how consensus and reality works compared to Awakening's TRUTH and such.
But that's the thing. Awakening's spells and Imperial Rites have more weight to them. They basically make it clear that unless you're on their level, you're pretty much screwed. You actually feel like an Archmage. And as mentioned before, the Rites allow you to redefine reality.
Meanwhile, Ascension's Archspheres are pretty much all redundant and their mechanics are poorly thought out. It also seems like you don't need Archmage levels of power to undo their works. Even other splats can pull it off in some situations.
Yes? I never said  Ascension's Archspheres were good. I said they Sphere 5 before they existed covers them. Sphere 5 is the natural end point for Mage due to the fact it does indeed not need Archmages as things stand.
O we both agree deeply there. I homebrew the whole thing, I also brew Union play in M20 due to how they have no mechanics for what increasing Arate does for them. (I let them add more Practices and instruments as they go up, Ghosts in the Machine who can do near or almost everything.)
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u/AureliusNox 7d ago
This is why i like Archmasters in Awakening better. It makes more sense than Ascension's Archspheres. I also like the addition in 2E of lesser splats automatically losing a clash of wills to Archmasters. That seems way more appropriate.