| Hermetic |
Tradition |
| Combat |
Fire |
| Detection |
Air |
| Health |
Man |
| Illusion |
Water |
| Manipulation |
Earth |
| Drain |
Willpower + Logic |
The hermetic mage relies on logic, practice, and execution
of a planned formula rather than intuition and
improvisation to effectively cast spells. They have
learned to control magic and believe that the universe
(both the magical parts and the mundane) follows patterns
of energy that can be manipulated through complex
symbols, formulae, and arcane knowledge of its
components. This tradition was widely practiced (if not
effective) even before the Awakening, and this form
appealed early on to corporations and governments
due to its intellectual, formalized nature. In hermetic
thinking, casting magic involves imposing the magician’s
will on the universe—so you can imagine some
of the egos that emerge when mages get together.
Mages are scholars and often have libraries of magical
information from which they design spells. Any mage
worth his reagents has at least a digital copy of one of
the founding texts on hermeticism (rich mages have a
fancy hard copy written and bound by hand in a very
fancy ceremony). Hermetic trappings also include deluxe,
well-crafted equipment in archaic laboratories
where mages can create preparations and carry out
their research.
Mages create circles of power (they’re really just
magical lodges, just with a hermetic twist, but don’t try
to tell a mage that). Hermetic reagents include minerals,
ores, and other elements—a knowledge of geology, parageology,
and chemistry help them find where to gather
such reagents. In urban areas, items found in the esoteric,
antique, and forgotten corners of the cities can be
used by mages. Older buildings, graveyards, and antique
shops may have pieces of brick, pottery, glass, wrought
iron, and jewelry that have been imbued with magical
properties of the elements. Knowledge of architecture
and antiques help in the search for these reagents.
Mages, unsurprisingly, take a somewhat arrogant
view on conjuring. The mage tends to believe that spirits
are intelligent but inferior beings predestined for
servitude. With that mindset, mages tend to be more
comfortable binding spirits than are spellcasters of other
traditions.
(p279 CRB)
