ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

In discussions of the Sons of Ether, most people are at a loss to think of any other characterizations than the Mad Scientist stereotype. While there is nothing wrong with this sort of SoE (they are, in fact, my favorite sort), I am probably not helping matters by posting all sorts of information and stories about this type. Therefore, I wrote up a list of some alternate styles of Etherite Science and came up with some interesting thoughts. A lot of these have been covered elsewhere (especially the SoE Tradition book) but I'm making very little attempt to comply with these portrayals. After all, if they were the most memorable portrayals, I wouldn't need to write this.

Alternate Etheric Science

Ether mages may be divided into several broad categories. The most common of these mages, the mad scientists, would fall into the category of experimentalist or researcher. These guys may employ the entire gamut of weird, fringe and pseudo sciences (see later for details) depending on temperament. There are, however, others that also fit next to them.

Armchair Scientists

These are rather odd scientists. Most don't experiment and some rarely use their Scientific capabilities at all! Usually these scientists are purely theoretical, prefering to concentrate on ideas rather than testing or application. This is the most likely sort to be found in Victorian style men's clubs, discussing this or that new Scientist or experiment over cognac and a pipe. Some are found in labs, indistinguishable from other types of Scientists. The best of them can so capture the world's imagination that they subvert the Technocratic paradigm practically by opening their mouth.

Abilities: A broad knowledge of current theories in the whole scientific community is useful. Otherwise, it's painfully apparent to your colleagues that you are discussing something you know nothing about.

Spheres: These Scientists use their enlightened knowledge so infrequently, it's hard to say what they have. The most likely choice is Mind, both to convince others of their validity and to develop their theories and defend them by self-enhancement.

Foci: Who knows? If anything, these are the most likely mages to use a theory as a focus.

Examples: Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, Quantum Physics, Dark Matter as the lost Ether, tachyons as a loophole in Technocratic relativity.

Parapsychologists

Obsessed with exploring the supernatural, these mages experiment and research into paranormal activity and record their observations. They are the most likely to run into the other denizens of the World of Darkness and the most likely to be attacked by same. Less obviously, the more loose cannons among them often have close ties to such elements as the Cult of Ecstacy, for example, for exploring the effects of LSD-type drugs on ESP potential of Sleepers. These Scientists are also the most likely to turn gung-ho if they don't like what they find and use their science to attack other supernatural groups.

Abilities: Research, Technology, Investigation, Science (usually psychology and parapsychology)

Spheres: Mind for ESP research, Spirit/Entropy for ghostly areas. Time is used in pre/post cognition, Forces for exploring PKE or telekinetic energies.

Foci: A wide array of technological devices, some mundane, some not. Such things as kirlian lenses, infrared film, PKE valence meters and deck of standard ESP testing cards.

The Educators

Besides the experimental and researcher Scientists, the Tradition also includes those who have dedicated their careers to educating others. Though they run the entire spectrum from bizarre to mundane, there are two who work in tandem that I'd like to explore.

Wizards

At an early age, children are often fascinated by science. The wisest among the Sons of Ether recognize this as a crucial time. If children are encouraged to develop and explore, they may hold this love for science their entire lives. If, on the other hand, they are given an image of science as "nerdy", they may turn away from it and propagate this view further the older they grow, becoming less and less likely to exceed the Technocratic paradigm in any way — even mystickal.

Therefore, the Scientists commonly known as Wizards (after the television show Mr. Wizard's World) teach children the wonders and joy of Science. Though they do throw in the occasionally borderline Etheric Theory, these Etherites are rather controversial in that they prefer to keep a low profile by staying within the Sleeper (Technocratic) paradigm.

Whether found in an elementary school or on TV, Wizards are crucial to the Sons' efforts to alter the Technocratic paradigm. Once they lay the foundation, promising students are taken note of and often exposed to the teachings of True Scientists, to judge their reactions to the "better" sciences.

Abilities: Education, Science, Acting

Spheres: Any, really. Mind is highly useful simply for teaching but Forces and Matter magick are common too as these are the most dramatic (for younger children) yet explainable magick.

Foci: Anything even vaguely resembling materials for a demonstration of scientific principles, like chemical reactions and electric energy devices.

Examples: Mr. Wizard, Beakman's world, Bill Nye the Science Guy, 3-2-1 Contact, Nextstep, Beyond 2000 and "What Will They Think of Next?"

Urban Mythologists

An Urban Myth is a legend that has grown up around some possibly fictional occurrence or device. They are paradigm shattering beliefs in things the Technocracy would rather you did not think about. The Urban Mythologists are a group of Sons of Ether that create, propagate, debunk, and defend these urban myths. The end result is everyone knows about them and everyone is adamant about believing or disbelieving them. Regardless of which it is, not only does this inspire doubt in the average person but it often inspires doubt in the minds of those on both sides. In any case, the Technocracy's paradigm is stretched just the tiniest bit for each one of these and the Union is nearly helpless to counteract it. Anything they do simply makes the situation worse. Doubt and a perfectly predictable worldview are not especially compatible concepts. If these mages use their magick at all outside of coincidental mind effects, it would be to provide some falsified (or perhaps real) evidence to more excitable Sleepers, who then proceed to do their job for them.

Abilities: Subterfuge, Science, Occult, Urban Lore, Intuition, Research

Spheres: Mind (for convincing debates), Life, Matter, Forces, plus Prime (to falsify or uncover evidence)

Foci: Highly variable

Examples: Alligators in the Sewers, Water burning or 100 mpg cars, anything else from alt.folklore.urban

Heroes

This category of mages covers all those who champion the innocents, defend the world from invaders or try to eliminate or contain supernatural threats.

Pulp Heroes

These have been covered fairly well by the Sons of Ether Tradition book. They are 50's comic style pulp heroes that use "oriental" mental disciplines, pop pseudoscience and a limited array of personalized foci and talismans to fight some series of menaces and archvillains to champion the cause of right. Those that rely upon devices tend to be called Gadgeteers. More than anything else, these heroes rely upon their wits and intelligence to solve problems.

Abilities: Wits, Intelligence, Culture (for knowing obscure things to save your ass), Linguistic (for being diplomatic with primitive peoples and such), etc. Halfway decent attributes all around. Sidekicks come in handy too.

Spheres: Any. Normally do not use vulgar effects, except from talismans or weaponry.

Foci: Very personalized. Typical things to use are weapons, bizarre devices like antigravity belts and laboratory computer analyzers.

Examples: Doc Eon, Batman, Doc Savage (the Man of Bronze), The Shadow, The Phantom

Superheroes

These heroes differ from Pulp heroes in that they rely on their magick and talismans more than they do their wits and other attributes. Often called by the nickname Spandex, Superheroes are the most likely Ethermages to go Marauder or suffer huge paradox backlashes. Their effects are flashy, usually vulgar and always impressive. Exceptions are superheroes who gained their abilites (perhaps with permanent paradox flaws, like The Thing from Fantastic Four) through accidents or Scientific experiments. Although usually still vulgar, these are a lot less likely to simply explode from paradox.

Abilities: Science (for experimental mutations, etc), various others

Spheres: Any

Foci: Usually some pseudoscientific explanation like cosmic rays or radioactive spider bites.

Examples: Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, The Thing (Marvel comics).

Gung-Ho Psycho Attack Scientists

These are the Scientists who dedicate their career toward the elimination or containment of some or all segments of the supernatural population. They can be from any or several of the various subgroups of the Sons, and unless they are relatively good at what they do, tend to live short but effective lives. It's not unknown for these mages to work hand in hand with the Neutralization Specialists of the Void Engineers, and though this is officially frowned upon on both sides, is usually beneficial enough for both sides to be fairly common.

Abilities: Research, Occult, various Lores, Technology (to build weapons), Investigation

Spheres: Forces and Prime are common, Spirit if you plan to deal with wraiths.

Foci: Weapons, weapons, weapons. Sensing devices of various sorts are also common.

Examples: Ghostbusters, Men in Black (the 1997 movie, not the New World Order field operatives), the vampire hunter in the SoE Tradition book that has a sunlight ray pistol.

Ethernauts

There are many explorers in the Sons of Ether. Some explore the Earth's core, some the oceans, others the Umbra or Digital Web. This category deals with a subclass of explorers known as the Ethernauts, those who explore beyond the Horizon. These scientists differ mainly in the methods they use to do so. They are broken up into three main categories.

Starjammers

The mages that literally sail through space in ships. These mages are barely Etherites at all and have a lot of ties to the Void Engineers.

Abilities: Sailing, Astrogation, shipbuilding

Spheres: Any

Foci: Nautical apparatus of various sorts: charts and compasses for correspondence, barometers and weather vanes for forces, etc.

Examples: The EtherJammer from the Sons of Ether Tradition book. A lot of the stuff from the TSR supplement Spelljammer. From what I understand, also some material from GDW's Sky Galleons of Mars which is related to the Space: 1889.

Victorians (aka Industrial Victorian Etherism)

These mages explore the universe in Jules Verne-esque Brass and ironclad vessels resembling nothing so much as giant zeppelins, ornithopters, bathyscapes and submarine-boats. Heavy-looking bolted metal, segmented hulls, eye-like portholes and odd finlike protrusions and scallops are commonplace.

Abilities: Astrogation, technology (to repair the ship's propeller), metalworking (to make the darned things), etc.

Spheres: Matter is common for building. Entropy is useful to keep the ship in good order. Forces for defense mechanisms (see the Weirdseeker description for examples)

Foci: Variable

Examples: The Nautilus from the film 20000 Leauges Under the Sea (any version, especially the original disney adaptation), various sci-fi stories from the 60's, art from the SoE Tradition book. Stories of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells.

Spaceboys (aka Art Deco)

Flying Saucers. Rocket Ships. These gleaming refugees from 50's comics vision of the future are the hallmark of the spaceboys. These etherites are the most likely to need a space suit to breathe in a vacuum (though you'll run across an occasional victorian with a old diving suit) and generally run around with ray pistols and bubble helmets.

Spheres: Variable

Foci: Wrist communicators, space helmets, antigravity belts, ultron vision plates (for correspondence sensing), blaster ray pistol

Examples: Flash gordon, Buck Rogers (the original version), Forbidden Planet (Robby is a Son of Ether robot if I ever saw one), Lost in Space, Leather Goddesses of Phobos comic book and game.