Mage XP and purchase costs

[Justin]

The mage XP cost chart is quite a bit different from the other games. Vampire and werewolf both have their costs listed in the book as * current rating, while mage has * new in its chart. In case people were curious, said chart is:

New Ability 3
New Sphere 10
Willpower (new rating)
Ability new*2
Attribute new*4
Spec Sphere new*7
Other Sphere new*8
Arete new*8

White-wolf has claimed that in vampire they "meant" *new in Vampire, and in mage they fixed the misinterpretation, but we don't run ECC vampire that way. So the question comes up- how do we want to run Mage?

I'd be perfectly fine with running things the way they are, but it has come to my attention that the game's been run for three months and currently nobody has enough exp to buy Arete 2. This feels a bit "slow".

I've listed a few options above as to what to do about it. I'd appreciate the feedback of any Mage players.

These options are:
Change the chart to be * current rating in all respects.
Change the chart to be * current except for arete and spheres, which are kept as * new.
Keep the chart to be * new rating in all respects, and instead give 3 xp per game instead of 2.
Keep everything the same- * new rating, keep 2 xp per game.

Note: If anything changes, I have the chart of all attendence expenditures and will be refunding/giving xp retroactively so there's no imbalance.

[Justin KG]

I think that either option 2 or 3 would be more productive and gratifying as a player. I have personally used option 2 in the mage games that I have run in the past and it has turned out well, but at tabletop I'm usually giving out between 3 and 5xp a night since that is my norm. Anyway, the costs in the Mage book scare and make me want to smash things.

All hail the porpoise,
Justin

[Travis Murphy]

Edit: UPON FURTHER REVIEW, I like the first or second or third options, with the priority going 1, 3, 2. Magic isn't easy, but it seems like the rest of the world (the game) ought to scale relatively the same.

[Deleted]

I personally will go with the first option, because if you're going to change it, you might as well make it easy on yourself and go all the way with it.

Personally.

[Chilli]

^ Agreed

[Justin KG]

Vote amendment: I voted on number two, but after talking with everyone I feel I should amend my vote. If we are going to advance as mages in a reasonable amount of time than we should prolly have experience costs reflect that. Not to mention it make that math of sphere easier to cope with. Change of vote from 2 to 1.....Poll totals as of finished post 1:6, 2:1, 3:0, 4:0

[Bridget MacClelland]

Though I haven't started playing yet, I think we should run things the same way Vampire and Werewolf do, and make it times current. Just to be fair.

Unless this has already been decided, and I'm a complete dork, in which case I accept the punishment given to me.

[Deleted]

Don't worry, it's good to know everyone's opinion anyway.

Thank you

[Justin]

I think this has pretty well gone to deciding that all costs are *current. So that's how things shall be.