Running a Nine Traditions Game, or "What's Our Goal Here?"

Considered by some as the "default good guys" of Mage, the Nine Mystick Traditions are the most prominent faction and the one which most (but certainly not all) sourcebooks are written for in general. But what should you know when running a game that focuses exclusively on the Traditions?

Well, yes, but let's go deeper than that, Mordo.

For starters, let's take an abridged look at their reason for being. The Nine Traditions came together back in the 1400s because the Order of Reason (the precursor to the Technocracy) saw how humanity lived in fear under certain mystickal practices and sought to do something about it. The Order went on a sorcerer's crusade to dispel superstitious thinking with reason and science, and to break the hold that wizards and druids and the like held over the populace. In so doing, they waged war on anyone who even looked like they were influencing communities with magick. In desperation, some of these magickal traditions reached out to others of like mind across the world, and they banded together to protect each other from the Order of Reason and to maintain the wonders of the world.

How does that translate to your game? Well, the Traditions and the Technocratic Union have been fighting a war for the fate of humanity over the past 500+ years. That makes them natural antagonists to spur your mages to action. Whether they're moving against your mages directly in the form of Black Suits and cyborgs, or indirectly in the form of financial or bureaucratic manipulation, the Technocracy is always looking for ways to eliminate the presence of "reality deviants" in their area.

Technocrats aren't the only threats to the Traditions, however. Marauders wreck havoc wherever they roam, endangering lives with their very presence and weakening the stability of reality itself. Nephandi actively work to destroy the world, and have a reputation for working with independent cults and infiltrating organizations like the Traditions to achieve their goals. And there are always spirits, ghosts, demons, and other unspeakable horrors that slip through the cracks of reality to threaten the world.

All that aside, maybe the greatest threat to the Traditions is humanity itself. There's a reason that the Nine Traditions keep themselves and their magicks secret from those who have not yet Awakened, even as they struggle to help enlighten them, and that's because humanity has always feared the power that mages wield. You only have to look back through history at the various real-world inquisitions and witch hunts to know that there will always be those who will attack any openly-practicing mage because they don't fit humanity's narrow definition of normal. This threat can be non-Awakened authorities, religious leaders, landlords, neighbors, even their friends and family. Anyone could cause the Traditions a lot of trouble if they're properly motivated, despite a mage's best intentions. Anyone could be an antagonist.

Because every World of Darkness game pits a fearful populace against your character.

Beyond antagonists, the Mage 20 corebook and the Mage 20 Book of Secrets contains ample and current information on each of the traditions, their structure, justice system, areas of influence and more. The Mage Revised sourcebook Guide to the Traditions also offers a wealth of information on the Traditions around the time of the turn-of-the-century Reckoning, and there are the various original and revised Tradition books that offer a more in-depth look at each individual Tradition and their history, practices, and goals.

Got any specific questions about running a Tradition-centric Mage game? Drop 'em in the comments section below, and I'll answer them in detail!