Forces (MTAs)

Forces sigil.

Forces is one of nine Spheres of magic in Mage: The Ascension. The Order of Hermes has occupied the Seat of Forces in the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions since its founding. The Shard Realm of Forces maps physically to Mars.

It is associated with Stasis in the Metaphysical Trinity.

Overview

Forces is the Sphere of energetic Patterns, among them heat, light, vibration, radiation and gravity. In effect, Forces are constructs of Quintessence in motion. Every force has its own unique properties, but they all share the common root of Prime swirling through a Pattern. Although modern physics disputes the old lines between matter and energy, the venerable study of Forces transcends human politics. Science considers certain forces to be the absence of others, while mystical Traditions usually consider negative and positive forces (like heat and cold) to be opposite but independent entities.

To utilize the Archspheres of Forces, the mage has to understand that all Force patterns are parts of a greater, unified Pattern of all Forces within the Tellurian. To master them, they have to travel to a place (usually the Shard Realm of Forces), where they can experience this Pattern. This means that the mage exposes themself to all possible combinations of Force patterns, a process that is usually lethal.

Marks

Mages who dabble in Forces often carry a palpable aura of energetic command, with a Resonance that often alters their environments in uncanny, elemental ways. The precise sort of manifestation often depends upon the wizard's specialty.

Energies associated with Forces tend to be yellow, orange or red in color.

Limits

Forces is prone to heavy Paradox, thanks to its universal and often blatant altering of reality.

Paradigmatic Interpretations

Below is a short representation how the Sphere of Forces is interpreted by the various magickal factions within the World of Darkness.

Traditions

• Akashic Brotherhood: The Akashic Brotherhood views Forces as the natural interaction of the Five Agents (the five elements). By imitating the spirit of the Agents, the Akashic can utilize qualities of the Five Agents in himself, for example in Do postures. Other practices include using an aiding or antagonistic Agent to either help or block Force Patterns.
• Celestial Chorus: The Celestial Chorus speaks of Forces as different "Angels" that serve the One and police Its creation. These Angels govern the interaction between the Patterns within Creation and regulate the flow of Quintessence. Each Angel has its own capabilities of creation, preservation and destruction and all together keep the world in motion. Quite a few Choristers begin their study of Prime with the study of Forces.
• Cult of Ecstasy: The Cult of Ecstasy refers to Forces as the "Illusion of Different States" and associate it with "Wrath" among the Nine Sacred Passions. The Ecstatic moves outside the realm of reason into the realm of transcendence to change his perceptions of a Force Pattern and therefor change it into the wished form. As the Self is also an illusion, these changed perceptions can then be transferred to another person.
• Dreamspeakers: The Dreamspeakers practice Forces by channeling the destructive influence of the greater spirits of the world away from their people by asking them and thanking them for their generosity and mercy. Forces is often used in concert with magic that asserts authority and influence.
• Euthanatoi: The Euthanatoi refer to Forces as Teias, the "Shining Power" that is immanent in the motion of the Wheel and constitutes the active elements of the current lokha. Most Euthanatoi, however, stay away from Forces, seeing it as the domain of the gods and practicing only its first levels.
• Order of Hermes: The Hermetics regard Forces as the Ars Essentiae (also named Ars Virium). Seeing it as a traditionally masculine Sphere, the Hermetics treasure Forces as the light that burns away ignorance and opens the way for enlightenment. It is sword of Ascension itself, the purgatory of those who deny magic, the whip that punishes the wicked and the weapon and shield against the many enemies of the Order. Hermetics carefully cultivate Forces, mainly for the reason that it clearly gives them away as someone extraordinary, someone with the power to shape the cosmos itself according to his Will.
• Sons of Ether: The Sons of Ether call Forces "Energetic Physics". The numerous forms of application of energy result in a variety of gadgets, Wonders and similar creations that utilize Forces for their Effects.
• Verbena: The Verbena celebrate Forces at Litha, the summer solstice. Forces are connected to the forces of nature, to sun, thunderstorms and rushing rivers. Most Verbena use sympathetic examples of these forces (i.e a candle) to manipulate greater Patterns of the same force of nature (i.e a forest fire).
• Virtual Adepts: The Virtual Adepts put a great deal of effort into the study of Forces, seeing it as a natural extension of Correspondence. Gravity is the bending of space-time matter, electricity is the flow of energy from place to place and heat is the exchange of energy. Through their greater focus on technology, most Virtual Adepts are more comfortable using man-made Force Patterns.

Crafts

• Ahl-i-Batin: The Ahl-i-Batin see Forces connected to Hod. Most Batini do not tend to utilize Forces, seeing it as blatant and vulgar to use it. In the rare cases that they decide to focus on it, they channel energies out of the Unity or diverging existing Forces Patterns to their will to increase their own subtlety.
• Kopa Loei: The Kopa Loei call Forces Ke'kai'huna, the "Magical Tides of the Sea". Seeing it as the element of motion that moves the sea, drives lava through volcanoes and guides the winds, the Kopa Loei regard Forces in an eternal dance with each other. Their influence is slowing or speeding up the dance, but the Kopa Loei cannot generate new rhythms, meaning that they are unable to form new Forces patterns.
• Sisters of Hippolyta: The Sisters of Hippolyta study Forces with a main focus how their bodies interact with Force Patterns and how this energies can be used and redirected for the sister's benefit.
• Taftâni: The Taftâni call Forces Atash - Fire, the highest manifestation of Truth within this world. With Forces, Taftâni can challenge druj, willfully invoking Paradox through the summoning of firestorms to prove their devotion to Truth above everything else by burning the false Consensus away.
• Templars: The Templars see Forces as manifestations of the Wrath of God and themselves as His harbingers. During their days with the Order of Reason, the Templars mainly utilized the offensive aspects of Forces. As they now act independently, they have learned the value of camouflage and secrecy that Forces offer.
• Wu Keng: The Wu Keng see Forces as the aspect of Yang. Wu Keng use the wildly fluctuable energies of Forces with vigorous discipline, tempering them according to their will and guiding them through their internal balance.
• Wu Lung: The Wu Lung call Forces Yao Su, and it is under the purview of the Tiger School. The Wu Lung use the transformative and destructive cycles of the five Elements as metaphors for the different states of Force Patterns. Members of the Tiger School use Forces to enforce the edicts of the Dragon School, punishing Sinners and combating demons.

Technocratic Union

The Technocratic Union calls Forces the study of Force-based Paraphysics. Spread through all five Conventions, Forces is derived from the common mathematics of energy physics. The Union can control all forms of energy, recognizing them as springing from the same essential sources. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but with the science of Forces, it can be constructed from existing elements, transformed into something else or returned to Primal Essence. Whether kinetic or potential, all such energy can be manifested in any of the states desired.

Standard Powers

• Perceive Forces

A mage must first understand what he wishes to control, and the apprentice of Forces learns to sense different Force Patterns, read their intensity and learn of the distinctions between different variants of Forces. The mage can sense positive and negative Forces, watch them interact, see where they emanate and where they go. He can determine the intensity of a light source as easily as he can determine the presence of radio waves or radiation.

Combined with other Elemental (Pattern) Spheres, Forces senses let the mage see how other Patterns interact with or create Forces. With ephemeral Spheres, the mage can see the Quintessence that flows to form forces, examine the spiritual archetypes of Forces, determine the origin of various forces and figure out where they're going.

Example Effects

• Darksight

In the absence of visible light, the mage can shift his perceptions up or down the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. This allows him to view infrared or ultraviolet light, radio waves, X-rays, etc. He won't be able to discern colors, but he may read other interesting perceptions from the various spectra — X-rays would allow him to see an object's underlying structure, and he could see in the dark using infrared.

Virtual Adepts and Sons of Ether tend to use special visual lenses, filter programs or goggles for this Effect, and they look through scientific spectra. Mystical magicians use this power to see by heat or sound, often mimicking natural creatures that can do the same.

• Quantify Energy

By invoking this Effect, a mage can sense the type and amount of energy at work around her. She can easily translate her perceptions into accurate measurement units such as volts, amps and teslas. Note that this quantification includes kinetic energy, which allows a mage to determine an object's speed in relation to her if she knows the object's mass.

Just because a mage can sense and quantify energy doesn't necessarily let her understand it. A mage could note the presence of radio waves, but he might not be able to translate and hear them immediately.

• • Control Minor Forces

Energy can always be diverted, and the Disciple who understands Forces can influence its direction and intensity. The mage can affect various Patterns easily, altering their direction, changing their qualities and controlling their dispersion. The mage cannot yet create forces from nothingness or change forces into different states, but he can manipulate how the forces interact with the rest of the world.

By diverting a force, the mage can cause kinetic energy to change direction, thus changing an object's course. He can make fires dance according to specific images and spread to (or avoid) certain areas. He can lengthen shadows or bend light so that images reach different destinations. He can even reroute the passage of electricity or cause radiation to avoid him. The mage can thus render himself or someone else invisible, cause sound to manifest somewhere other than its origin, and otherwise protect an area from interaction with forces.

A mage can affect only individual Patterns offered at this level, and only on a scale that he can encompass himself. Thus, the mage could render a single individual invisible, but he couldn't cause an entire building to vanish. He could make a flame flicker with a particular image, but he couldn't control the course of a forest fire. Simply directing a force away is much easier than actually taking total control of the force and directing it with precision, but as long as the mage can reasonably influence the minor force, he can take total control of its direction and focus with enough effort.

Combining control of minor forces with other Pattern Spheres, the mage can give a certain item properties that repel or attract forces, make an object or pathway more susceptible to forces or shield part of an individual from interaction with a specific force. With the ephemeral Spheres, the mage can freeze a force in place while allowing it to continue to expend its energy, cause a force to affect a location far distant from its actual position or redirect spiritual energies.

Example Effects

• • Electrical Chaos

Virtual Adepts in need of a quick diversion often sabotage Technocratic equipment with a sudden electrical pulse. Akashic Brothers and Hermetic mages sometimes concentrate electricity around themselves or their weapons and use it to shock the enemy. Either way, the mage simply diverts the flow of electricity, causing it to concentrate in one area or discharge in another. Such an Effect is a damaging attack, striking against a living opponent or a device susceptible to electrical damage.

• • Energy Shield

By bulwarking against certain forces, it's possible to not only defend against many attacks, but also to create a variety of interesting exceptions to "natural law." Bending away light makes a mage invisible, but it also means that she can't see. She must rely on other senses or use Correspondence to sense other locations. Pushing away sound renders the mage completely silent; the mage could also concentrate sound into an area, drawing in sound from around her and keeping it from being heard elsewhere. It's a simple matter to protect against electrical or fire attacks, too. Altering the direction of incoming kinetic energy allows the mage to stop or deflect bullets. By deflecting gravity, the mage can make himself essentially weightless, able to float or levitate, even controlling direction by allowing forces from certain directions to interact with her. Such a shield could also be helpful in repelling radiation or other esoteric sorts of rays.

Note that most mages only maintain a shield against one or two types of forces at a time. It's nearly impossible to make a shield that hedges out all incoming forces.

• • • Transmute Minor Forces

Finally able to grasp and twist the Patterns of forces, a skilled mage can convert forces into other types, shift their intensity radically or even create force from nothing (and banish it to oblivion as well). Although he is still able to affect only individual small Patterns of force, the mage can cause the elements to dance at his whim. He can impart motion into an object, make a fire that burns cold or cause shadows to explode into bursts of light. Mages can use this power to fly, hurl lightning, pulse out electronics and perform similarly dramatic feats. The mage cannot create force from nothing without the use of Quintessence, but he can turn minor forces to his own advantage.

In conjunction with Pattern magic, the mage can convert a force into an object or even a creature, or disperse a material into raw energy. He can easily weave telekinetic controls around a creature or object, and he can cause his attacks to pass through objects or creatures harmlessly on their way to the target. Similarly, with the ephemeral Spheres he can transmute a pure idea into a construct of force, lay waste to a distant location or set up a special attack that waits until an appropriate time or event comes to pass.

Example Effects

• • • Friction Curse

Turning a subject's motion into heat energy, the mage not only renders the subject unable to move, but causes the victim to heat up until he bursts into flame! This Effect essentially turns the subject's movement into damage, so faster objects are more susceptible. A modified version can cause the subject's own breathing action to create cold, freezing the subject in place and encasing him in a block of ice. Partial successes negate some motion and impart some heat; multiple successes can transform motion into damage. Better still, since the target can't move, he is hard-pressed to dodge the ensuing eruption of fire or cold.

• • • Telekinesis

At low levels of skill, a mage can perform rudimentary telekinesis by altering the directions of motive forces on an object. With the ability to transmute forces, though, the mage can easily turn body heat, a shout, even ambient light into a push that controls or moves an object. (With Prime magic the mage could create telekinetic force from nothing.) It's easier to manipulate smaller objects, of course, and fine control is quite difficult. The mage must also have a constant source of force. If no outside force influences the subject, there's nothing to transform into kinetic control. On the other hand, since people generate all manner of forces, it's usually a simple matter to hinder an enemy's movements.

Some mages focus telekinesis by using dolls or representations of the subject, while others just use transformative runes or phrases to direct the motion. In many cases, mages find it easier to telekinetically manipulate the subject if they can act out the motion, but that action isn't always necessary.

• • • • Control Major Forces

The Adept of Forces can spread his knowledge to encompass entire groups of force and Patterns that exceed his own scale. With enough effort, he can redirect massive energies, bring disaster crashing down across a great area or shield entire groups of people from outside elements. Anything that is possible with control over minor forces is possible on a large scale now, with the mage able to focus great energy into a single point or disperse massive powers across a wide area. The Adept still cannot transm ute large scale forces except a little bit at a time, but he can at least divert major forces to gain time necessary to affect them later. Such massive Effects are usually vulgar, but sometimes there's no choice and you just have to rely on the big guns.

In combination with the other Spheres, Adept understanding of Forces lets the mage do many of the things that he could do with lesser forces on a much broader scale. He can insulate a whole building or area of forest from fire and electricity, divert light into a series of rooms, banish all sound from a huge cavern or render a Chantry invisible to normal sight. He can defend against the storms of power that sweep through the spirit world and redirect massive forces to other places and times.

Example Effects

• • • • Embracing the Earth Mother

The Earth Mother sleeps only fitfully, and the Dreamspeakers can cause Her to stir in Her slumber with their drums and calls. The weight of Gaia's attention draws around the target, focusing gravity about him. Virtual Adepts and Sons of Ether perform similar feats technologically, by concentrating and redirecting gravitons. Euthanatos sometimes freeze their targets in place with the "weight of terror."

Successes scored on such a result focus the force of gravity around the target, making the victim seem to weigh more. A good guideline is that each success beyond the initial casting requirements increases gravity around the subject by one g (Earth gravity), so with four extra successes a subject would feel five g's (normal gravity plus four). Thus, a 75 kilo man would feel as if he were a whopping 375 kilograms! (That's about a 165 pound man to an 825 pound man, for all you English weight system users.) The character can probably stand in g forces up to his strength rating. Beyond that, he's reduced to hugging the ground, and if the forces exceed twice his Strength rating, he starts taking damage from his own body weight — excess levels of gravity score damage on the damage chart normally.

Hermetic mages are known to concentrate surrounding forces like fires and electricity into their opponents as well, diverting massive power to strike their enemies.

• • • • Storm Watch

By redirecting wind forces and heat patterns, the mage can bring rapid change to the weather. Verbena and Dreamspeakers in particular perform such rituals with dances, sympathetic magic or paeans. The mage can banish wind, bring up or disperse clouds and cause the surroundings to become hotter or colder.

With two successes, a mage could perhaps stir up a light breeze or cool off a hot day, while with 10 successes, the mage could generate a heat wave or bring in rapidly moving clouds over a small area.

• • • • • Transmute Major Forces

The Master of Forces is not to be trifled with. Through exertion and will, he can create power on an incredible scale, creating Effects that include storms of fire, massive charges of electricity, shadows that blot out entire city blocks and typhoons even in the midst of a calm day. The mage can disperse such forces as well, dousing a forest fire or bathing an entire area in light at night by transmuting darkness to illumination, Although conjuring or banishing forces from nothingness still requires Quintessence, the mage can easily turn any existing force to his own ends with his knowledge of forces alone. Incredibly Paradoxical, such Master strokes can unleash force on a tremendous scale, capable of laying waste to entire cities. Mystical sorcerers command the hand of nature, ride the winds and rip light and darkness alike from the moment of inspiration. Technocrats bring forces to heel with containment fields, magnetic bottles and the power of the atom.

When a Master of forces combines his power with other Effects, the carnage is unlimited. A Master can create an Effect in a distant place or one that hangs and explodes outward at a later time. He can create the forces from nothingness with Prime energy and set up strokes that befall only specific victims or unfortunates. These mages are the terror of their enemies, for their mighty forces can destroy whole cabals. Few Masters of Forces survive to an old age.

Example Effects

• • • • •Inferno

By sucking all the light and sound out of an area and transforming it into heat, the mage can cause a small area (like a person or building) to suddenly burst into all-consuming flames. If the mage spends several turns gathering the Effect, the subject may notice an odd darkening and silence, almost as if doom itself hovers over him. Once released, the Effect raises the subject's temperature rapidly, causing it to explode or melt. Naturally, this Effect is vulgar as all hell, but it still scores damage normally. Plus, it's aggravated to boot.

• • • • • Tempest in a Teapot

The stormwives of the Verbena use this magic to harness the pull of the moon and the flow of the tides and brew a tempest, using a small copper kettle inscribed with runes and a length of cord as their foci. Multiple witches may act in concert, dancing around a larger cauldron. The Verbena of England claim that the storm that wrecked the Spanish Armada was their doing. Existing storms may be called and controlled with Forces 4, but with this level, the witch weaves the tempest out of the energy of the moon herself.

Archspheres

Archspheres represent the pinnacle of magical understanding within a Sphere, attained only by Archmages. Achieving mastery of an Archsphere is not just a demonstration of power it is a requirement for a mage to be recognized as an Archmage.

They are not simply higher levels of existing Sphere abilities, but rather a qualitative leap into an entirely new realm of power and insight. Archspheres transcend the limitations of standard Spheres, enabling effects that can alter reality itself far beyond what an ordinary mage could ever accomplish.

• ^[1]
  • Economy of Forces: The mage can feel what was the original cause for a Force Pattern to form.
  • Sense Universal Forces: The mage can sense the interplay of Force patterns within the whole Tellurian.
• ^[2]
  • Plate Tectonics: The mage can collect all forces acting upon a Pattern and modify them, allowing them to sink continents or raise new landmasses.
• ^[3]
  • Toss Around Realms: The mage can influence the Forces that interact with the Umbra, allowing them to push around Umbral Realms.
• ^[4]
  • Alter Universal Forces: The mage can manipulate the interaction of the Shenti themselves, devise entire new forces or alter existing Forces to their liking.

References

• MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Rulebook, p. 61, 167, 194-196
• MTAs: GURPS Mage: The Ascension, p. 105-108
• MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Second Edition, p. 68, 196-199
• MTAs: Hidden Lore, p. 66
• MTSC: Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade Rulebook, p. 248
• MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition, p. 164-168
• MTSC: The Order of Reason, p. 46, 70-73
• MTAs/MET: Laws of Ascension, p. 149-152

^  Level 1

Perceive Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Rulebook	Pg. 194
Perceive Forces	MTAs: GURPS Mage: The Ascension	Pg. 105-106
Perceive Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Second Edition	Pg. 196
Perceive Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition	Pg. 165
Basic: Perceive Forces	MTAs/MET: Laws of Ascension	Pg. 149-150
Perceive Forces	Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 515

^  Level 2

Control Lesser Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Rulebook	Pg. 194
Control Lesser Forces	MTAs: GURPS Mage: The Ascension	Pg. 106
Control Minor Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Second Edition	Pg. 196
Control Minor Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition	Pg. 165
Basic: Control Minor Forces	MTAs/MET: Laws of Ascension	Pg. 150
Manipulate Forces	Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 515

^  Level 3

Spawn Lesser Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Rulebook	Pg. 195
Spawn Lesser Forces	MTAs: GURPS Mage: The Ascension	Pg. 107
Transmute Minor Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Second Edition	Pg. 196-197
Transmute Minor Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition	Pg. 165
Intermediate: Transmute Minor Forces	MTAs/MET: Laws of Ascension	Pg. 150
Transmute Minor Forces	Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 516

^  Level 4

Control Major Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Rulebook	Pg. 195
Control Major Forces	MTAs: GURPS Mage: The Ascension	Pg. 107
Control Major Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Second Edition	Pg. 197
Control Major Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition	Pg. 166
Intermediate: Control Major Forces	MTAs/MET: Laws of Ascension	Pg. 151
Control Major Forces	Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 516

^  Level 5

Spawn Major Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Rulebook	Pg. 195
Spawn Major Forces	MTAs: GURPS Mage: The Ascension	Pg. 107
Transmute Major Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Second Edition	Pg. 197
Transmute Major Forces	MTAs: Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition	Pg. 166
Advanced: Transmute Major Forces	MTAs/MET: Laws of Ascension	Pg. 152
Transmute Major Forces	Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 516

^  Level 6

Economy of Forces	Masters of the Art	Pg. 68
Sense Universal Forces	Masters of the Art	Pg. 68

^  Level 7

Plate Tectonics

Masters of the Art

Pg. 68-69

^  Level 8

Toss Around Realms

Masters of the Art

Pg. 69

^  Level 9

Alter Universal Forces

Masters of the Art

Pg. 69-70

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