Variant RPGaDay2026 - Days 7, 8, and 9

My first thought for this batch of characters was to make them in Mage: the Ascension, and I then had to think about what traditions might be the most likely to fit the various prompts. 

 

Batch 3 (MtA)

Intellect – Mercy – Fair of Face (Verbena)

My thoughts here are a medic of some type, so I could have gone with a "Progenitor" or a "Verbena". Mercy says "Verbena" to me more, and fair of face is giving me those vibes too. I'm seeing a young herbalist witch of some sort... actually no, I'm going to shake things up and go with a vet.

"Gwendolynne Santos"

Goal: She lives in a working class area, where people something to live for and in a lot of cases that's their pets. She runs a small veterinarian clinic and provides services to people who can't afford it. She just wants the people in her local community to be happy.

Obstacle: She knows that there are folks out there who prey on the vulnerable, and who will kill and animals, or legislate against them in order to brig a sense of desperation to the community. What she does to help the people around her often isn't legal, and she is regularly skirting the edges of the law to fix things for the local animals.

Strength: Her magic is often herbal, and she brings many people to her door for the traditional remedies and recipes she offers (which often seem to have effects that modern science simply cannot explain).

Weakness: She has too much of a soft spot for animals in need, and often treats animals better than humans. This has a tendency to lead to awkward social situations with the people around her (especially those who don't respect animals).

 

Intellect – Resolve – Full of Grace (Celestial Chorus)

Here my first thoughts suggest some kind of missionary who has good intentions for their religious beliefs, but their resolve basically makes them headstrong in their faith. I get the feeling of a character who is torn between wanting to help the needy, yet also wanting punish the wicked.

"Dimitra Petridis"

Goal: She has seen evil in the world and wants it dealt with, she sees the fall of Christianity as one of the main reasons for this. She wants to spread the gospel and help those in need.

Obstacle: As a woman in the Greek Orthodox church, Dimitra struggles with making a difference in the traditional male patriarchy of the system. She doesn't have the resources to get a lot of the work done that she's like to, and often has to work through intermediaries. 

Strength: Dimitra calls on "Angels" and "Saints" to work her magic, and as the caretaker of a church she has regular access to components like votive candles, holy water, and communion wine. She does not "steal" these, she uses them to perform the lords work in different ways.

Weakness: Dimitra is often subjected to crises of faith, because it feels like  no matter how hard she gtries tpom ake a difference in the world, nothing much seems to change. It's all a bit overwhelming, and she swings between manic periods when she overexerts herself, 

 

Intellect – Privilege – Full of Woe (Order of Hermes)

My thoughts here lead to the Hermetic Order who have traditionally been the leaders and figureheads of the Western paradigm of magic. They have existed in a place of privilege, but have fallen from the heights they once held. Corruption and decadence has seeped into the order, and the older mages have either succumbed to hubris, or struggle to bring back the glory days.

"Lucius Dubois"

Goal: Lucius has been a member of a prominent family who have often Awakened, and who form the backbone of a chantry in southern France. He wants to become the leader of the chantry.

Obstacle: The current chantry leader is not ready to retire at any stage in the near future, even though he has been in the role for almost a century now, and has lost touch with the reality outside the chantry walls. The current leader thinks that Lucius is an upstart who will get his chance once he's paid his dues (it's been about 50 years now). 

Strength: Lucius is a master of political machinations and has developed connections across the chantry and a number of other nearby groups of mages. 

Weakness: Perhaps the main reason for his lack of promotion is his low level of magickal ability, this is one of the main reasons he hasn't been able to achieve his goals rather than the current chantry leader.