Magic Review Guide

Skills

• Magic is a unique and powerful skill in ST. By virtue of that power, mages are unable to choose magic as a fast track skill and must have a thread reviewer approve their reward as applicable to the magic skill. For novice to competent mages, the use of magic in a thread should always merit them full use of their exp in magic points. Use your best judgement when determining if the amount of magic used necessitates them growing towards a new understanding in a skill. A Competent Becomer who uses a simple Echo rather than any full body transformations for a single post may not have used enough magic to progress in their skills.

• For expert to master, the expectation changes. Here are mages that are quite competent in their craft. Simple uses of their magic well below their capability should not merit full experience. If you are unsure, speak to a member of staff or go with whatever you feel is the best decision. The purpose of this guide is not to restrict mages from developing, but simply from showing a story where a mage only uses simple techniques and somehow becomes a master of their craft.

• Examine whether a mage has his corruptions and changes clearly labeled on his character sheet. If the mage does not have appropriate Brands/Mutations/Awakenings for their level of magic, withhold a grade until it is corrected.

• When in doubt but don't want to escalate a grade, speak with the player. They should know the magic they're using and can point out where they believe they've used their powers in accordance with the lore.

• Remember, if a mage is Revealed in a magic they are using, they can only be granted lore...but none of their exp can increase an already maxed magic

• In addition, remember that each Spark is different. If an Expert Becomer used a flurry of novice and competent techniques in their thread and only mentioned using Attunement once, perhaps you might consider that the easy uses of magic at a level lower than their spark would not necessitate a growth in becoming and the limited use of Attunement would not necessitate that advancing either. When you award magic exp for a thread, be sure to mark WHICH magic they can advance. You cannot grow your Abrogation spark from a thread where you only used Defiance.

How Magic Experience Can be Earned

There are a myriad of different ways that a mage can increase their understanding and knowledge of their magic discipline. The first is of course by learning new techniques or learning to use older techniques in new and inventive ways. In the same vein of thought, a mage can also learn how to combine their known techniques in an imaginative and effective fashion.

Beyond the use of techniques a mage can also exert themselves into Overstepping in order to gain experience. This allows them to learn more about the nature of their Spark and the consequences for over using their magic. Learning more about the Spark within them is also an applicable way to gain experience.

Check the player’s Character Sheet in order to ascertain their current skill level in magic so that you can gauge whether or not the character is actively pushing the boundaries of their magic. As stated above there are many different ways to gain magic experience so be inclusive of the writer's efforts to push their mage forward. Examples given below are only examples of way it could be done, so this list should not be considered fully inclusive of every method. If you feel we missed anything let a staff member know.

Ways to Earn Magic Experience (Condensed List)

Learning new techniques

Learning to employ older techniques in creative ways

Pushing the boundaries of magic (i.e. Overstepping)

Combining techniques in new ways

Gaining knowledge about the nature of your Spark.

Note on Assigning Experience/Partial Experience:

As a Peer Reviewer you are not required to grant the full amount of magic experience to the player if you feel what they have done does not merit a full 10 or 15 points from either the solo or collaborative thread. It is very possible to earn partial experience in some cases.

Players should always be pushing themselves and their skill in magic in order to gain magic experience. It is very possible that the player may only be pushing themselves a small amount but they should still be rewarded partial credit for their efforts. We wish for players to be rewarded for what they do, rather than penalized for not pushing themselves to an extreme. Please feel comfortable assigning at least partial experience if you you feel they deserve a reward for the efforts they have made.

Due the fact that partial experience can be awarded, mage players should not automatically assume that they will earn the maximum amount of experience from each thread they submit. You CANNOT continue writing threads under the assumption that you are able to progress into your next level in the magic. Until you have received a grade and placed the points in your skill ledger, you cannot assume that you have leveled up.

Overstepping and Assigning Mutations

As a Peer Reviewer of Standing Trials you are well within your rights to assign an Overstepping Mutation if you feel that the mage has at least moderately or heavily overstepped. You are not responsible for coming up with the mutation, you must only state in the review that the player will need to go to the Prophet Support Forum in order to submit one for approval.

Peer Reviewers: If you feel uncomfortable handing out Overstepping Mutations please speak with a Prophet for guidance.

Mage Players: If you are assigned an Overstepping Mutation by a Peer Reviewer you must see to it that you go and submit one to the PSF for approval so it can be granted to your character. You will have 30 days following the posting of the grade to go to the PSF and submit a ticket for your Overstepping Mutation.

If you wish to contest receiving the mutation please speak with a Prophet so the issue can be reviewed by staff.

These special Mutations should be considered a chance to advance your story. They are the result of a Spark Corruption, due to stress being placed on your Spark when you pushed it too far. These mutations can be similar to your normal mutations, however they are always somehow related to how you Overstepped.

Knowledges

• Work with your player on this. New techniques should face some study, trial and error. If someone is using a new technique in a thread without the knowledge for it and are using it perfectly on the first try, do not be afraid to point that out, slap them with some overstepping and withholding Knowledge of that technique for that thread until they more adequately show that development in another. Defer to your best judgement and when in doubt, don't be afraid to reach out.

Overstepping

• Overstepping is when a mage extends past their limits. Taxing use of magic can often cause these consequences. In each magical article there are suggested overstepping penalties divided into three categories. Light, Moderate, and Heavy. Usually you will know when Heavy consequences are necessary, as will the player. In deciding whether overstepping applies, first decide if you believe their use of magic was too liberal or even too showy for the techniques they have. Again, best judgement is appropriate here, but consider the level of the magic they are and be sure to consider if they have used multiple magics in the same thread.

• Overstepping is not a cut and dry element. It is intended to create unique challenges for mages to overcome in future threads. Most light overstepping can be handled between threads but moderate and heavy overstepping is expected to play out in a thread at some point in time. Due to the fluid nature of time during a season, a player may be allowed to defer their penalty to another season or a far later thread depending on continuity issues. Overstepping is not meant to punish a player, simply challenge them and some players will elect to overstep themselves in their own thread. Overstepping is a natural part of being a mage and happens quite often, don't feel unnerved if you think it should be handed out and feel free to get creative with it, using the overstepping in the magic article as your guide.

Credit

Credit to Plague and Oracle