Playing Circle Mages

[DKH]

Playing a Circle Mage presents some interesting challenges from a role playing perspective. Since Circle Mages normally don't leave the tower, and can be tracked down by Templars if they escape/are gone too long, you need to come up with some backstory to explain what the mage is doing adventuring around Thedas. What are some of the Circle Mage backstories you guys have come up with that get around this?

[Macabre Matt]

Hey there DK. It's Matt from your team.

I just want to mention that the Templars also probably wouldn't believe a mage's story unless the First Enchanter stood behind the mage, which in your case, I'm not sure the First Enchanter would. Especially after going the opposite way.

There is always breaking into the Circle and breaking your phylactery...
Except now since your character passed the Harrowing, it was sent off to I forgot where. Intercept it?

[DKH]

Well, I don't think Templars would hassle a Circle Mage unless they had reason to believe he turned apostate. Circle Mages are easily distinguishable from apostates. They receive special robes and a Ring of Study after passing the harrowing to signify their status. The problem is coming up with a good reason why would the templars and the First Enchanter let a mage out of the tower to begin with, and justifying the extended leave (why wouldn't the Templars come after the mage after a while?).

[Whifflepook]

Our circle mage has been let out under the premise of a vague assignment. She's looking for some sort of book about something (the group haven't finalised the details) that very likely doesn't exist, and never did. This is because she was just about radical enough a circle mage to annoy the tower, but just about sensible enough to placate the templars, so they sent her on a dead-end mission with no hope of success on which she could either die, or at the very least, get out of their hair for a few years.

I'll have to come up with another reason for her to stay out if I ever have the group actually finding this book of hers, but I don't imagine I'll have any reason to do that untill at least level 15 or so.

[SotF]

A lot of nobles seem to have Circle Mages around, probably because they are highly educated compared to most of Thedas and would work well as a tutor for the family, not to mention a possible adviser.

[psychodrive]

Our circle mage has been let out under the premise of a vague assignment. She's looking for some sort of book about something (the group haven't finalised the details) that very likely doesn't exist, and never did. This is because she was just about radical enough a circle mage to annoy the tower, but just about sensible enough to placate the templars, so they sent her on a dead-end mission with no hope of success on which she could either die, or at the very least, get out of their hair for a few years.

I'll have to come up with another reason for her to stay out if I ever have the group actually finding this book of hers, but I don't imagine I'll have any reason to do that untill at least level 15 or so.

My suggestion - the book should offer an alternative succession line for the ferelden throne. Not everyones thing, but it opens a lot of possibilities for ongoing adventures (escaping from factions

[Caliginous]

I'm pretty sure Circle mages are allowed some degree of freedom once they've passed their tests. Shale's master even went off to some backwoods town after the war and no templars came after him. The Chantry probably keeps an eye on them, to some degree, but a mage always has the phylactery issue hanging over his head.

We also see adventuring mages in the game. There's even one encounter with adventurers, triggered by a Mages' Collective quest, where a mage and his party are going to Denerim to report a blood mage sighting. An apostate likely wouldn't risk that.

[Whifflepook]

Our circle mage has been let out under the premise of a vague assignment. She's looking for some sort of book about something (the group haven't finalised the details) that very likely doesn't exist, and never did. This is because she was just about radical enough a circle mage to annoy the tower, but just about sensible enough to placate the templars, so they sent her on a dead-end mission with no hope of success on which she could either die, or at the very least, get out of their hair for a few years.

I'll have to come up with another reason for her to stay out if I ever have the group actually finding this book of hers, but I don't imagine I'll have any reason to do that untill at least level 15 or so.

My suggestion - the book should offer an alternative succession line for the ferelden throne. Not everyones thing, but it opens a lot of possibilities for ongoing adventures (escaping from factions

I dunno; I doubt the tower of magi, as an extra-political organisation, would be that interested in getting their hands on a book that doesn't tell them something about magic. The main thing I would be worried about there, though, would be implementing that idea, and then seeing a really awesome adventure published that involved the current royal family, which would take some explaining to make fit.

I think they're wanting it to be a book about darkspawn in some way, but I'm going to wait until set 2 starts to deal with the Grey Wardens and such before I start setting things in stone.

[Krylancelo]

Our circle mage has been let out under the premise of a vague assignment.

Same here.

My Circle Mage has been sent to Denerim in order to take a closer look at a mysterious artifact found by the city guard after seizing and searching a ship of smugglers. Since the guards did not know what to make of the artifact, they handed it over to the Chantry's curator. The artifact, a litte figurine, appeared to be of Arlathan origin and showed some magic qualities.Thus the Chantry sent a note to Kinloch Hold.

Irving decided to send my mage, a young elf, for his first assignment to the capital. An arrogant templar (NPC), who hates elves with a passion, was ordered to accompany him. When both, elf and templar, arrived at Denerim, they learned that the figurine had been stolen from the Chantry's temple the night before...

Heretofore this NPC accompanies my mage and his new friends, however we might get rid of him very soon...*coughs*

[Mayho]

Hey

The Mage in my party was sent out on a very opened mission to find a book that was historically lost(The circle know its a wild goose chase so sent a low ranking mage who they wouldn't miss if it took her ages). We haven't decied yet but the book can be one of two things

- 1) a book about dark spawn that the Grey Wardens lost when they were forced to leave Ferelden and the mage want to find it for them to help the re-settling of the wardens as they fear a blight may come before the wardens are ready

or

- 2) A book, historically lost(possibly still about dark spawn but not necessarily, could just be an old magic book) that the magi want to add to their archives

In both cases it allows for the mage to be away from the circle town for a very long time as the exact where abouts of the books is unknown and it easly allows it not to dominate the groups actions as anywhere they go may have clues, or someone who knows something about the period it was lost in or the people who last had it. Leaving eveyone happy, the Circle, the Templars and the party.

[exhominem]

The mage of our party was sent to Ostagar to fight the blight... and died. After being resurrected under mysterious circumstances, she was presumed dead until she showed up back at the tower. However, there wasn't much time to get everything sorted out, as the Tower was soon taken over by demons. Also, another character (not the mage) managed to steal the mage's phylactery from the tower basement (though they are usually sent to Denerim, I explained it by saying that those who were presumed dead at Ostagar were having their phylactery's brought up to help find them). An act which ironically saved her life when the Right of Anullment was brought down on the tower, but also got her labelled as an Apostate.

Long story short, there's a lot of different options. Creativity is key.

[rschweik]

The mage of our party was sent to Ostagar to fight the blight... and died. After being resurrected...

There is no "resurrection" D&D-style in the world of THEDAS. "Resurrection" deals with resurrecting someone from unconsciousness during battle. Once a character is dead in THEDAS, they are DEAD for good.

[Jamesserx10]

Heading back to the idea of Circle Mages, rarely being able to leave the tower, another idea, is that while they may have been RAISED a circle mage, they could now have turned Apostate as is the case of one of the mages in my group. He was raised a Circle Mage, lived in the tower for 40 odd some years (I can't remember his exact age without pulling out my campaign journal) and then escaped (Circumstances still unknown at this point).

So theres my 2 cents, being a Circle Mage, doesn't HAVE to mean your still a circle mage, it just means you have to have been raised as one imo.

[Admiral Yacob]

Just because they are a Circle Mage doesn't mean they cannot leave the Circle (since the Templars can track you, I don't think they're overly worried). In Dragon Age Awakenings you encounter 2 Circle Mages who are hanging out outside the tower, Wynne and the person who's name I forgot who's doing botany in the Black Marsh. I think it's perfectly reasonable for a Circle Mage to be wandering outside the Circle so long as they check in every x often, or something along those lines.

[Ryngard]

Circle Magi aren't forced to stay in the Tower. They are USUALLY on missions for the Circle, but they could be doing their own research and the like. They can make decisions on their own. It isn't as strict as you think.

For example, Wynne. SHE chose to go to Ostagar. She didn't ask permission, she told the First Enchanter that she was going to help at Ostagar. There are a bunch of other examples too.

Basically as long as you don't break the rules and don't give the Circle (or more importantly the Chantry) any reason to think you are maleficar, you are safe. You'd only be considered Apostate if you renounce your dedication to the Circle in some way or something.

[Whifflepook]

Wynne was already quite a high ranked mage to begin with, and would probably have a longer leash than one of the lowly initiates that a level one character would represent. Also; the chantry can hardly complain if someone goes to fight a blight. It's probably a big enough deal that normal rules are overlooked.

I agree that you would have a hard time being seen as an apostate though. As long as the circle initiated you, I doubt the templars would be too concerned unless you did something particularly graphic and obvious.

[Jamesserx10]

@ Whifflepook, actually I disagree that the Chantry would prefer mages to go fight the blight. If you play through the opening of the Circle Mage background in Origins you find Irving and Gregoir at each others throats as Gregoir doesn't want mages going to fight in Ostagar due to his mistrust. Seeing as Gregoir (even if he is a higher ranked) is a average Templar, I think it's safe to assume that most Templars wouldn't trust mages going to fight Darkspawn and being allowed to fully unleash there powers without restriction.

[baronzaltor]

also remember, in regards to their views on fighting the blight... no one believes that its a blight, nor has one ever seen a blight in their lifetime, so they have no way to identify one if they saw it.

dragon age origins actually says that you "defeat the blight before it ever began". which means the world of ferelden outside of duncan at this point minimizes the darkspawn threat, and doesnt take it as being something as lofty as a blight. everyone thinks king cailin is simply trying to strum up some fairy tale glory for himself.

[Whifflepook]

@ Whifflepook, actually I disagree that the Chantry would prefer mages to go fight the blight. If you play through the opening of the Circle Mage background in Origins you find Irving and Gregoir at each others throats as Gregoir doesn't want mages going to fight in Ostagar due to his mistrust. Seeing as Gregoir (even if he is a higher ranked) is a average Templar, I think it's safe to assume that most Templars wouldn't trust mages going to fight Darkspawn and being allowed to fully unleash there powers without restriction.

On the other hand though, there's that scene in the circle mage origins storyline where you meet a mage in the circle tower's chantry chapel who is praying for forgiveness for being "cursed" with magical power, who believes that magic's only use for good can be to defeat darkspawn, oherwise it is an affront to the maker.

I do see your point, I just figure that the easier it is for mages to get out and about, the more freedom this gives circle mage players, and unless you want to run an adventure focussed on the difficulties of circle restrictions (which could be an awesome adventure), more freedom would be better.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Additionaly in Ostagar when the mages offer to help with sending signals during the battle to allow the king's men to better coordinate their plans the chantry priestess shouts him down declaring she doesn't want the king using their filfthy magic......

[Lord Zordran]

In my current Dragon Age playtest (which turned from a one-off into a six session prelude for a full campaign starting up in September because the players enjoyed it so much) there are two Circle Mages. One is very loyal to the Tower, while the other one harbors strong Libertarian tendencies. We decided that they had originally been accompanied by a templar, seeing how they had only just passed their Harrowing (being level 1), but that the Libertarian had successfully managed to get the two mages separated from their templar guardian while crossing a raging river. The other mage still thinks that it was all an accident. Unable to meet up with their templar the two mages made their own way back to the Circle Tower, encoutering the rest of the group along the way and having all sorts of encounters and adventures.

From a story point of view, unless he wants to set it mostly in the Circle Tower, a GM will have to find a way of why a Circle Mage character is allowed outside and under what circumstances. One of the other players could play a templar novice charged with keeping an eye on the mage, or maybe the mage has already proven himself to be loyal and trustworthy, or maybe mages are given the benefit of the doubt (given that they can always be tracked down through their phylactery), or as someone else pointed out, just because you started off as a Circle Mage doesn't mean you still have to be one (though you'd have to explain whether you're on the run or how you dealt with the whole phylactery situation).

I would imagine that the Circle of Mages, realising that it's not to good for people to be locked in all the time, allows fully-fledged mages to travel and explore Ferelden a bit to prevent everyone from falling victim to cabin fever.

[aprewett]

Sorry to drag up this old post, but I am looking over old articles.

My question being, and I assume my lack of knowledge comes from not playing the computer game;
but the 3 pages of posts here mention a lot of details I have not found in the rules books, unless I missed them.

Mages appear quite free, there is no mention of a Harrowing, or some item called a Phyl.... I get some glimmer of meaning about the Harrowing but the later, is it the mages soul trapped?
I had a look at a site mentioned in another thread that appears to be notes taken from the computer game, but could not find anything about the Phyl..., argh!! I should have paid more attention to its spelling.

So is the RPG representing a slightly different version of the setting for gaming purposes?

Allan

[Lord Zordran]

While the pen and paper version uses different mechanics, the setting and the lore are the same as in the computer game. The pen and paper books just aren't as detailed as the lore entries in the computer game. In order to become a proper mage, an apprentice has to undergo his Rite of Harrowing, where his mind is cast into the Fade and has to withstand demonic possession in order to prove himself as a mage. If he fails this test he is slain by templars before he can become an abomination. Those not need ready for their Harrowing can choose to undergo the Rite of Tranquility instead.

The Chantry takes a sample of each mage's blood and stores it in a special vial, known as a phylactery. Phylacteries are kept in massive, well guarded vaults and the Chantry and templars can use them to track down and locate mages. Hence why it is soo hard to leave the Circle of Magi. The computer game doesn't go into any specific details how exactly a phylactery is used and how precise it is in pinpointing a mage's location.

[aprewett]

Ok, thanks. I shall look at adding this to our mages backstory.
So they are not really free to wander, they are kept under tight control/observation.

Allan

[Loswaith]

The interesting thing about the phylactery, and the lack of information with it is there is no indication as to whether it is useful for tracking a mage or simply Chantry propaganda.