Take Leverage, and replace the roles with some spheres: Correspondence, Forces, Life, Matter, Mind. That means dropping Prime, Entropy, Spirit, and Time. Obviously, they’re useful spheres, but we’re assuming fairly competent Mages here, so they’d all have a dash of Prime most likely. Entropy is one of my favorite spheres but its effects can often be subsumed elsewhere. Spirit(/Space) tends to be just a little too wonky for ease of use, and Time is another one we can assume they’d all have a dash of.
I think the stats could stay the same from Leverage. Coincidental magic could default to Intelligence + Sphere (representing complex subtlety) and Vulgar could default to Willpower + Sphere. Then there would be arguments for certain effects using other stats, like an Akashic that uses Agility for his powers. Assets and specialties work basically the same, from a preferred focus to helpful assistants to labs.
Complications and Paradox are together. A 1 in a spell might just cause a slight response from reality in some bad luck, a bunch of 1s together and you have a d10 Paradox creature.
Distinctions would be where the PC’s Paradigm lives. My Virtual Adapt’s “This world isn’t real” helps with some reality hacking, but also makes things more complicated in mundane affairs. The Order of Hermes that believes in the “Power of Words” can manifest incredible effects by invoking dead tongues, but is in a bind when he can’t be heard. And so on.
There would have to be more talents, though some of them could probably carry over pretty easily.
Finally, plot points are quintessence. After all, it is the material that reality is made of.
Sold, done, I’m there – let’s try it out!
Wow, you found a way to make me want to check out Leverage. Well played.
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So if we map the spheres to “roles”
Correspondence = Hacker
Life = Hitter
Matter = Thief
Mind = Grifter
Forces = Mastermind
Although I guess you could map them in a bunch of different ways – which is something Mage encouraged and something I like about the Leverage system.
Was the intent to keep only 5 spheres so that you could be consistent with 5 roles?
Yeah, I could see it stretching to 6, but overall, just seems better to not dilute it too much by adding too many “roles.” I haven’t worked the system enough to be sure it’d bad, you’d have to change character creation at the very least. I think sticking to 5-6 is a good idea to start.
This is fantastic.
I once converted Mage to FATE before Spirit of the Century came out, and ran a few sessions with it, and this is much like that in style. I especially like the hack of Complications to represent Paradox. Very cool!
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