ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

A Look at the Bartering System of Mage

It seems there is a very different system for dealing with supply and demand in the world of Mage. I could offer you money for something but if you've got enough Matter magick you could make it yourself. Ditto for gold and gems and other forms of monetary standard of the Sleeper world. Syndicate mages are really the only ones who fool with that stuff and only to purchase power.

I am reminded of issues of Hellblazer where John Constantine must work full time in order to accumulate all the mystic junk and favors that inevitably get him out of the fix he's in. So it seems there must be some sort of system for dealing with getting what you want other than cash.

Favors

This is one of the more common forms of barter among mages who know one another only casually. Favor brokering can be very useful when powerful enemies come looking for you and discover that an entire contingent of mages has turned out to protect you, either because they owe you or you owe them.

As a Storyteller it also behooves you to put players in debt to other mages with the old "favor to be named later" trick if they want certain things from NPCs (nonplayer characters). The formality of the favor trading depends on the people involved. Hermetics and Syndicate mages tend to be very formal as do Progenitors and Iterators. Virtual Adepts do favors readily for one another but make their help costly to others. Verbena will do favors but often expect a threefold return on their investment. Cultists of Ecstasy may forget that they owe you or that you owe them (I said I'd do that? Man... I must have been really stoned.).

This tendency towards favor trading is also useful in dealing with other supernatural beings as many have similar systems of trading among themselves and some can even be trusted to deliver on their promises. Dealing with vampires and wraiths is always risky, but dealing with Gypsies and Garou is almost always done on the basis of honor and mutual respect (if you can get them to respect you). With Changeling and ordinary mortals it's a crapshoot.

Unlike the vampiric system of Prestation, most mage favors are not ordinarily transferable. The only exception to this might be saving the life of a mage who is the student of a powerful Mentor. This might incur an obligation from both of them.

Tass

This is the closest thing to a monetary system that Mage has. It is finite, valuable, not widely available unless you have Prime 5 and has a multitude of uses. Tass is (usually) easy to store. It won't just bleed into surrounding patterns as time goes by. Quintessence banking can be a very smart thing to do. Depending on the strength and type of resonance, it can be used for most any magickal working and large amounts of it are good for making Talismans and Fetishes. It also is useful for building and shoring up Horizon Realms, making it a versatile commodity. Mages living in Horizon Realms have an actual monetary and tax system based on Tass.

Talismans

Due to the difficulty involved in making these things and the large Tass expenditure, it is rare for them to be traded on an open market and almost never outside of the group that they were made for. However, it is not unheard of. It's certainly not impossible. Most Talismans are nigh indestructible and as such there are still some floating about that date back to prehistory.

Fetishes

Even more rarely traded than Talismans because they have personalities and wills of their own. Dreamspeakers have been known to trade things among themselves but only among those they absolutely trust. Even then it's usually a case of, "I think you are meant to carry this now. What will you give me in return?" Talens, on the other hand, are a whole different story because of their impermanent nature. There are a few Dreamspeakers and a few Etherites who do a brisk business in these things.

Books

What does one do with their copy of Unausprechlichen Kulten when one has read it a few times? Tomes tend to be a finite resource and when exhausted are useful for barter. A few Hermetics and Virtual Adepts in my chronicles have taken to collecting hard to find books of the Art and translating them into CD ROM or optical disk format (complete with a graphics package for pictures and diagrams). They do a brisk business in books on all kinds of matters and can translate these works into all sorts of different languages.

Some books, of course, are too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands and thus are not widely available. Translations of the Necronomicon are as common as dirt but complete translations are much more scarce. Many Technocratic texts are considered "classified" and have dire consequences for those caught with them. Even some books that are available are incomplete or hard to find outside of a particular Tradition or Convention.

As a result, there is a brisk black market in stolen books and the various feuds that have started over this have caused untold damage to the unity of the Traditions. Some Hermetic mage gets pissed at some Chorister who denies him access to a precious tome, so he hires an Orphan to steal it for him, but then gets double crossed by that Orphan who sells it for big money to a disguised Nephandi and all hell breaks loose as the mages throttle one another while Nephandi summon great Cthulhu from the depths. Also note, that not all mystick texts are in magi libraries. There are large number of mystick texts in the hands of Gypsies, Mummies, hedge magi, Tremere, Tzimisces, Uktena and the Arcanum.

Mundane Materials

There is a market for certain types of mundane articles. These articles tends to be valued for their craftsmanship, utility and/or other factors. A list of possibilities follows.

1. A suit of clothing that protects like armor. A Son of Ether with high levels of Matter is always in demand for these items.
2. Precision crafted, custom built weapons. Etherites tend toward guns while Akashics and Euthanatos tend toward more archaic weapons.
3. Trinary computers
4. Blessed items. Become indebted to a Dreamspeaker or a Chorister, your choice.
5. Personal articles from other supernatural beings or the contract theft of same
6. Explosives or other chemical compounds
7. Nuclear material
8. Highly technical electronics
9. Rare drugs
10. Rare materials. Meteoric steel for example.

Services

Aside from passing out boons, some mages further their personal economy or influence by providing certain services to the mage community at large. Akashic mages have been known to be some of the best trainers in unarmed combat and melee combat as well. They won't teach you Do but they can teach you practically any form of martial art you could name. Some very young Akashic brothers hire themselves out as bodyguards and some provide tutelage in spirit lore, feng shui, Zen arts and Asian languages.

Celestial mages often get very hard-nosed about manipulating Prime and the creation of Talismans and other "blessed" items, but often offer their most important service for free — spiritual counseling. It is for precisely this reason that they hold the influence they do. Many a mage has been turned from the path of Descent because of a long talk with a Chorister.

Ecstatic mages are often consulted for divinations (they aren't always believed but that's the Cassandra Syndrome for you) but one of their most overlooked services is party organizing. They know all the best bands, can lay hands on any "refreshments" you require, etc.

Dreamspeakers look upon their work as a sacred trust and thus might look at payment for their services as an insult — but you can never tell. They might not produce much in terms of materials or books but when you want to increase your circle of spiritual contacts, need a liaison to a group of shapechangers or need an experienced Umbral guide, you will find none better.

Euthanatoi often enjoy a wide panoply of skills that make for great services. They are second only to the Ecstatics when dealing with divinations. They know the Shadowlands like the Dreamspeakers know the rest of the Umbra and they have extensive knowledge of martial arts, weapons of all types, poisons and explosives. It is, however, a good idea not to assume that all Euthanatos perform assasinations for hire. Some like it, some don't care, some consider it the ultimate form of blasphemy.

Hermetics are known for their abilities with languages, complex math and ciphers. Those who are computer savvy are usually every bit in demand as Virtual Adepts. There are no finer people to consult when dealing with a problem that will only yield to research, and their libraries still dwarf those of the Virtual Adepts. They will even provide a written estimate for payment and a service contract.

Sons of Ether are of course the logical choice for technically oriented services but most mages overlook their ability to do laboratory analysis of materials and their absolute genius at stress testing.

Verbena are known far and wide for their life-oriented services. These include trauma care but can also include acting as a mage's personal physician, pediatric care, mid-wifing, veterinary care, "potion" making and other apothecarial services. Tutoring in herb lore and even acting as a personal trainer. Beyond this the Verbena are also skilled in divinations and manipulate weather even better than the hermetics.

Virtual Adepts will always be able to get work whether in the fields of cryptography, intrusions for hire, security services or manipulation of all sorts of information.

Technocrats

Think the Technocrats don't play these games? Many Technocrats of course deal amongst themselves and there are not a few of them that also deal with other mages. There are, of course, two rules for dealing with Technocracy mages. 1) Don't get caught and 2) don't get screwed.

Progenitor services are always in high demand, and they aim to keep it that way. Clone bodies are a form of currency to them and they spend freely with their Technocratic brethren as well as with any Tradition mage stupid enough to be duped into it. They also act as the Technocracy's H.M.O. and tend the ill, infirm and hopelessly shattered among their patients. Their other field of expertise lies in the area of "pets" and other watch creatures. They do a booming business in this field.

Iterators might seem to be outside this loop but they aren't really. They often exchange muscle and drudge work for needed services from their fellows. It is a well known truism that Iterators will often do dreary and dangerous work that would bore any other mage. They provide other Conventions with their version of high tech gear and are often the ones to consult when one needs to increase efficiency in some group or process. It goes without saying that most Iterators will not deal with Tradition mages.

New World Order members are great when you have to jump through some sort of bureaucratic hoops. Need spies? They got them. Need to have a friend surreptitiously sprung from Mecha? Better bring quite a bit to the table. Need to have your records erased or altered? You might have to talk to these guys.

Void Engineers deal in transport, pure and simple. They can get you there, and maybe even back. Void Engineers might be the only real outlet of Technocracy tech that Tradition mages can get their mitts on. Because they travel so far and wide, they are likely to have access to the weirdest collection of things imaginable.

Syndicate mages? Well, they'll deal with anyone, even Nephandi. It's all part of their ethic. If you want anything that the normal world can provide including wealth, fame or power, talk to a Syndicate mage. They can get it for you wholesale. It is not unusual to find Syndicate member blind brokering sales of magickal articles between groups of Tradition mages. They are always on the lookout for talent and unique skills and if you aren't carefull, you could end up working for them without really realizing it. Just don't get caught. The Syndicate will hire or deal with anyone but the whole time they will be gathering information about you on the off chance that the New World Order find out (they still take a dim view of this sort of thing). They will throw you to the NWO and go back to business as usual.

Nephandi

While a form of Maruader economics is not impossible, thinking about it is liable to make my head hurt. The possibility of dealing with Nephandi is not to be discounted. Oh, I know, in the stark light of day it's very easy to say "Never! No! A thousand times no!" but that's not when they are going to come around.

Are you a Hermetic or a Virtual Adept or a Son of Ether? Chances are, you are lonely. Very lonely. What would you give to meet your true soul mate? Surely not your soul of course, but I'm sure that we can come to an arrangement...

Are you a Verbena or Dreamspeaker or Euthanatos? Then you are probably frustrated that the holy work isn't going as well as it should. Maybe our goals and yours aren't that far apart...

Are you an Akashic or Chorister? Are you seeking inner peace? Peace comes from satisfaction, and we deal in satisfaction.

Are you an Ecstatic or a Hollow one? Hey! Let's party. You folks really have no idea what feeling good is all about. Yet.

Are you a Technocrat? I think if you look, you will find that we already own you.

Are you terminal? We can fix that. Have you ever lost a loved one? We can get them back for you. Have you ever lusted? Hey! no problem. Have you ever thirsted for vengeance or for power? Step right up. Price? Well... Let's discuss that later.

Nodes

Trading Nodes on the open market? Are you nuts? Well, you pretty much have to have some kind of personal relationship with all the principles involved and may have to do quite a bit of negotiation. This could happen in the case of a Cabal doing a bunch of drudge work for a Chantry that has just come into possession of a much larger Node and is looking to trade their much smaller one for something valuable. Please note that most Nodes are not portable and might involve a bit of real estate. The size of the Node is not going to be over rating 2 and you should try to read the fine print of any contract you sign. A cabal of mages once ended up signing themselves into a contract for service with a hermetic Chantry for 20 years for a level 1 Node. Needless to say, they were not happy.

Other Stuff

• Hedge magic materials (which might still be useful to the very low-powered mage)
• Thaumaturgical magic items (many of which will function with the use of human blood)
• Thaumaturgically warded items. Any article that can have ward vs. ghouls, Kindred, Garou or spirits cast on it can be in demand to the low-powered. The Tremere do a brisk business in them.
• Mummy amulets and potions (can't be beat for rarity and very useful)
• Wraith fetters (caveat magi)
• Gypsy Draba. Useless to mages but a possible trade good to gypsies. Just make sure they keep their hands in their pockets at all times.
• Changeling treasures (same as above)
• Pieces of angels, demons, bygones and other suchlike. Multiple magickal uses and also renderable for Tass.
• Holy relics (useful to Choristers and inquisitors alike)
• Tractable and/or trainable pets (ranging from anything to a smart dog, a spirit, a gargoyle or a bygone critter)
• Slaves. You can decide how sticky you want to get your soul. The slave trade still exist in parts of the real world.
• "Gatherables" which include any kind of article that is found in nature that is or can be magickally useful. Plants, sacrificial animals and stones of various types.
• And of course, towels. If you are going to travel the Umbra, it's a good idea to know where your towel is. Editor's Note: This is a reference to Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy novels.