Quote:
Originally Posted by SigmaOmega
1 dot - sensory abilities
2 dots - minor abilities
3 dots - creation abilities (where relevant)
4 dots - major abilities
5 dots - super duper abilities
|
It's a bit more complicated with the Arcana in Awakening.
This here is a nice writeup of what each of the Arcana is capable of doing, along with a few examples.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SigmaOmega
And each Arcana had its own definition of those abilities. Is the layout the same, or can you do attack/defense spells with 1 dot?
|
Attacking generally ("generally" because there are a few exceptions) requires at least three dots in one Arcanum. As for defending, each of the Arcana provides a mage with the ability of shielding at two dots, allowing one to protect oneself from attacks. This shield can take different forms depending on the Arcanum used, such as a hardened body with Life, a force field with Forces, the ability to predict attacks with Time, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SigmaOmega
Do most of the rotes require more than 1 Arcana? If so, how many dice do you get to use?
|
Every spell can be a rote. Most spells in the book use only one Arcana, but that doesn't prevent resourceful mages from combining their Arcana to greater effect.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SigmaOmega
How does it play?
|
I've recently started running Mage: the Awakening. There's a link to an actual play thread of my game in my signature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SigmaOmega
If a mage is about to get shot how hard is it to avoid damage? How hard is it to inflict damage?
|
The aforementioned practise of shielding is very useful when it comes to protecting oneself and others. Generally, I feel that it's easier to avoid getting hurt with magic than to inflict damage.