Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade

The Sorcerers Crusade is a fine book, which contains everything you need to get a Renaissance game going. The Traditions and the Order of Reason are both given equal treatment. It is interesting to see the Order of Reason before they got reorganized into the Technocratic Union. This was a time when their paradigm was not as accepted as miracles and traditional D & D-style spell craft. This book is more thorough than the second edition of Mage the Ascension. Not only does it provide a lot of examples and explanations for spells, and rituals, it also cleared up a lot of the limitations and potentials for the various spheres. Even though there are already party lines, the rules make it possible to have both Traditional and Technocratic magi working together. It is a time of reorganization and both parties are trying to find their destinies. In fact, the reader will follow the experiences of a Celestial Chorus member and a member of the Hippocratic Circle throughout the book. The idea of same goals through different methods was stressed.The time period seemed to be the ideal setting for Mage. Not only are their so many possibilities in terms of new ideas and beliefs, the age of exploration in the high seas, the skies, the unknown continents, as well as the Void are all available for curious magi and their associates. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in Mage. It is a very complete work and has vital information for storytellers and players who want to use the Renaissance setting. Whether you have an interest in high artisans, explorers, knights, shamans, witches, alchemists, there is something here for you.

Mage: The Ascension is, without a doubt, my favorite RPG. It's concept about Awakened beings who *know* they can change reality because they are convinced in their paradigms is the best concept I've ever seen.In the Mage timeline, though, there was a crucial event which splitted history in two: Renaissance. It was then that the whole world started believing in science and it's apparent limitless capacities. It was then when people started removing some attributes which made the world turn from God, and it was then when the church started the most brutal prosecution against "pagans": Inquisition.This is a book about the clash between 3 forces: Faith, Science and Magick. And as the Mage storyline goes, it's the perfect moment to play a Mage.

I can't recommend this creation of magic information enough for those who do any free-form role-playing. I'm currently not involved with White Wolf games, but I do write as well as role-play in the vein of fantasy: Magic specifically. I have found great inspiration in this text as well as being pleasurably educated with the 'glossery of terms' provided. Distinctly one of the best 'manuals' around!

This book was designed to be a supplement to Mage for those who wish to play a historical setting. However, it adds so much to the background and emotional impact of the game, I think it's almost more important than the primary book. Mage is wonderful, but also very complex, and there really isn't enough room in Mage: the Ascension to tell you everything you ought to know. For instance, there is a real history and timeline in this book that gives you a much better idea of WHY things stand as they do between the various factions, and you find out exactly what happened in all those events the first book says so shaped the Traditions' outlooks. Also, this book goes into the Crafts a bit more, and their interaction with the major players in the Ascension War, shows you what life was like for these beings before their powers over reality were restricted (and this is very important, because many still think this way), and because the book is dedicated purely to describing! ! environment and mindset, it can simply devote more space to evoking the atmosphere of the game. Plus, it contains a few character creation aspects the first book lacks, it's wonderfully well-written (almost poetic),and it is an extremely handsome-looking thing. What more could you want in a book?

Mage: TSC is an excellenct game, and a good book to boot. I've read the 2nd editon of Mage, but found it's magic system to be confusing and the Technocracy to be a somewhat weak enemy. But in Mage: TSC all this is fixed. The magic system is explained much better, with example spells, and the sources of confilct are infintely more interesting and real. The power wielded by mages is also greatly increased, due to the fact that most magic is considered casual, and therefore not vain. I find this to be one of my favorite games ever. There are a few minor problems. One is the almost complete lack of Merits and Flaws. Another problem, related to the first, is that there is some dependence on the supplementals, which detracts from the game some. My only other problem, minor as it is, is the glossary. It is completely unhelpful. But all things considered none of these things seriously detracts from the game at all. This is a great game.