ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

The discussions of how to create sunlight or create an atomic blast have missed an important point about paradigms in Mage. True sunlight is not the correct mixture of electromagnetic energy. The Technocrats of course want us to believe this, as they say "light is only another form of energy", thus eliminating the spiritual meaning. Sunlight contains the essence of life and thus is anathema to Kindred. But a mixture of electromagnetic energy is just energy, and not damaging to Kindred (unless they are Settites or there is much energy).

The same thing is true of plutonium. Can plutonium be created by magick? Using technomancer magick it obviously can be done, but is plutonium really matter? The technomancer rote Create Plutonium is a complex ritual performed using nuclear waste and chemicals as foci, wherein the (unknowing) Acolytes perform ceremonial purifications and enchantments (refining) to arrive at the end result. This result is not necessarily a true metal, but may instead be a technomancer Talisman with (perhaps) Forces 5, Entropy 4, Life 4, Matter 3 and Prime 2, with a material shape as a lump of metal. It is activated when enough of it is pressed together quickly (which necessiates the use of more technomancer magick to prevent anyone from doing it), releasing the contained Prime into a terrible explosion.

Note that "creating a nuclear explosion by waving your wand" is above Forces (read the chapter about the Sphere), but using technomancer reality it is barely possible, using the correct "rote". Plutonium, like the other heavy elements are Talismans (or quintessence containers) for nuclear rotes. In fact, how many of the elements are "real"? During the Mythic Age there was seven metals, and some other substances (like antimony and sulphur). The technomancers, especially the renegade alchemists who created the science of chemistry, introduced many new elements. Many of these may have been created by the collective belief in them, thus making them usable. One alchemist wanted a lifegiving element (for some reason), and created oxygen using Life 2, Matter 3 and Prime 2. Then he spread the word. Another wanted a corrosive gas, and created fluorine using Matter 3, Entropy 3 and Prime 2. Like everything else, they exist only because everyone believes in them and their properties. Before the introduction of oxygen, nitrogen and the others, air was purely elemental.

Now, back to the original question. To create plutonium by magick, it is not only necessary to use Matter, you need a lot of Forces (and other Spheres too). To create fluoric acid, you probably need Entropy and so on. Note that it is much easier to do within the technomancer paradigm, just perform the following small rite: drop some sodium fluoride into sulphuric acid, and watch. Technomantic magick uses the collective belief to create its effects step by step using small magickal acts (like the production of sulphuric acid, which is done in many more small steps). The same is true of sunlight. To hurt a vampire with sunlight either requires true sunlight beamed in using Correspondence, released from a container (see my rote "phylakterium of lesser forces") or the spiritual essence of sunlight (probably Life and/or Prime to a high level).

In general, if someone wants to create an explosion, I would require a Forces effect. A mage may create any amount of "plutonium", but it will not explode. Matter may be used to create hydrogen and oxygen, but unless Forces is used, the mixture will not explode. In a way, it is like using Matter to freeze water (which one of may players did. To the Danube. In front of 150 Sleepers). The water will freeze, due to the increase in melting point, but it will remain at the same temperature. To cool it down, you need Forces.

It is important to remember that the thing that we usually call "matter" and "energy" is not always the same in Mage. Sunlight is not just light. Plutonium is not just another metal. Iron has magickal properties against faeries (and they are not due to magnetic fields!). Crystals may entrap spirits. The properties of a substance is dependent on beliefs.