Lesser Mages

Lesser Mages: Psychics, Thaumaturges, and Extraordinary Scientists
Awakened Mages are not the only people who use magic; they are simply the best at what they do. The World of Darkness also includes other humans with lesser magical and mystical powers. World of Darkness: Second Sight includes descriptions of both Psychics and Thaumaturges. When using these rules, it is also recommended that Storytellers and Players use the revised Psychic Powers.

Also, all lesser mages possess one dot of Supernatural Advantage and are by their nature automatically Sleeperwalkers (Mage: The Awakening, pp. 20, 88, & 334), and need not purchase an additional Merit to be one.

In addition, some lesser mages belong to the Traditions or the Technocratic Union, and some Awakened Mages were once lesser mages. Many Awakened Mages regard lesser mages are often regarded as less important and worthy to only serve as their assistants, which can easily cause many Lesser Mages to resent them.

Note: Any Lesser Mages who belong to a Tradition or Convention may purchase both the Enhanced Item and the Imbued Item Merits for items available from their Tradition or Convention.

Psychics & Psychic Powers
Psychics are most often members of the Akashic Brotherhood, the Cult of Ecstasy, the Sons of Ether, or the Technocratic New World Order.

Psychic powers may also be used as Foci by Awakened members of any of these groups. Psychic powers and concentration can be used as foci for almost any for Mind Rotes or Improvised castings and for any Forces, Life, or other magics that duplicate the effects of any psychic powers. Members of the Technocratic Union cannot use psychic powers as Foci in more than two Arcana, and using Psychic powers as Foci for any Arcana other than Mind is often considered potentially suspect.

Optional Rule for Psychics

Instead of using Willpower, at the Storyteller's option, psychics may have a number of Psi Points equal to their Composure + Resolve. These are used in place of Willpower to activate psychic powers. Psi Points regenerate at a rate of one point per hour whenever the character is relaxing, eating a meal, or sleeping. In addition, each success in a Mediation Roll restores one Psi Point. If this optional rule is used, psychics can also spend Willpower to gain the standard +3 bonus to psychic rolls. Finally, psychics can also possess either the Dream or the the Occultation Merits (Mage: The Awakening, p. 82 & 86).

Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturges can belong to almost any Tradition except the Sons of Ether or the Virtual Adepts. Ceremonial Magicians are often members of the Order of Hermes, Hedge Witches commonly members of the Verbena, Shamans are commonly members of the Dreamspeakers, Taoist Alchemists are commonly either the Akashic Brotherhood or the Euthanatos, and Vodoun are most often members of either the Dreamspeakers, the Euthanatos, or the Verbena.

Optional Rules for Thaumaturges

At the Storyteller's option, any 1-3 dot Rote can converted into a Thaumaturgical Ritual with a cost 1 dot higher than the number of dots in the Arcana needed to perform the Rote. However, Thaumaturges cannot learn rituals that duplicate the effects of the Prime Arcana. Prime is reserved for Awakened Mages. Thaumaturges can also possess the Occultation Merit (Mage: The Awakening, p. 86) In addition, Hallow and Loci (Mage: The Awakening, p. 60), are both considered a Magical Nexi for Thaumaturges. If a Thaumaturgy performs a ritual on a Magical Nexus, they do not need to spend a point of Willpower to cause the ritual to work.

Enlightened Science
Enlightened Scientists are the techno-magical equivalent of Psychics and Thaumaturges. They can design and use Extraordinary Devices. In addition, they can also make devices that are not considered part of the Consensus paradigm. Like the powers of Psychics and Thaumaturges, these devices do not generate paradox. However, these devices only work in the hands of an Enlightened Scientist or an Awakened Mage, since they require a mixture of careful adjustment and belief to work.

Creating an Enlightened Scientist is similar to creating a Psychic or Thaumaturgy. The character creates various unusual devices with impressive capabilities. Knowledge of how to create and use each device is purchased as a Merit. The character begins with one free four dot Merit, which means that the character can create a single four-dot device.

Devices created using Enlightened Science can duplicate the effects of any Psychic Power and have the same Merit cost as the identical power. The only difference is that the device does not require Psi Points or Willpower to use and the user must spend one full turn adjusting and setting the device before beginning to use it. Once adjusted and set, the device may be freely used by the Enlightened Scientist for the next full scene.

At the Storyteller's option, Rotes from Mage: The Awakening may also become Enlightened Science devices. All of these devices have a cost equal the highest Arcana of the Rote +1. However, Enlightened Scientists can only create devices equivalent to 1-3 dots Rotes. Rotes of 4 & 5 dots are beyond their power. In addition, each Rote must be paid for separately. A single device could contain a 2 dot Rote and a 3 dot Rote, but learning to make and use this device would require the player to pay for both a 3 dot rote and a 4 dot rote. Also, Enlightened Scientists cannot create devices that duplicate the effects of the Prime Arcana. Prime is reserved for Awakened Mages.

Note: Reduce the cost of the Merit needed to create and use any Enlightened Science device by one dot (to a minimum of one dot) if the version of the device the character knows how to make is too large to easily carry (the minimum Size for this is discount is 3).

The Technocratic Union employs many Enlightened Scientists, who serve as assistants to their Awakened Scientists. Both the Sons of Ether and the Virtual Adepts also accept some Enlightened Scientists, and some branches of the other Traditions who embrace techno-magic do also.