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This is the first of the revised Tradition books that I have had the chance to read. I will begin by saying that the original Cult of Ecstasy Tradition Book was my favorite of the set. It showed me a dept to the Tradition that I had not previously considered. This book is a worthy successor.

Being one of WW's "splatbooks", it follows the standard format. We open with a brief piece of fiction to set some mood. There is a brief segment introducting all the special words that this particular sect uses, and the remainder of the book is told as an unfolding story in which one of the characters provides exposition. Our guide through most of this book is Lee Ann, a young Ecstatic who's taken on the role of teacher of the even younger and more confused. She tells us the history of the Tradition, expounds on its philosophy, talks about the standard magical styles they employ, describes the smaller factions within ther Tradition, and then ends by explaining the Ecstatics' views of the other Traditions. After that, we have a few new merits and flaws, new Rotes, stats and capsule bios for famous Ecstatics, and the character templates. All the rules sections include Mind's Eye Theatre variants.

I liked the original edition because it spent a lot of time explaining the philosophy, and I enjoyed reading this book for precisely the same reason. The Cult of Ecstasy aren't just the "party mages" one might expect from reading their two-page description in the main Mage book. They have a deep belief that one can only achieve enlightenment through experience, and that the specific experience of ecstasy, of letting go of rational mind in order to experience pure sensation, is the key to tapping into the true power of the universe. Laid over this is a strong moral code (the Code of Ananda) to ensure that everything they do brings others further along the path to enlightenment. In fact, the factions described in this book really only differ in their interpretations of Ananda.

This is a book that can make you think. Among other things, it reveals that Ecstatics have to make the same kind of life-shattering judgement calls as your average wandering Euthanatos hitman. It also shows you how a career politician can secretly be an Ecstatic. (It all depends on what gets you off.) The actual rules section itself is forgettable, although I'm not the sort of GM to make heavy use of official NPCs or to really encourage players to stick to the published Rotes. This is a book to buy if you're trying to understand how the Cult can fit into your games. If you've already got the first edition, you can probably skip this one (unless, like me, you're a collect-the-set type). Similarly, if all you're looking for is new ways to make things go boom, look elsewhere. This book barely even touches on the umbral storms and other changes in the Mage universe.

Tradition Book: Cult of Ecstasy
Tradition Book: Cult of Ecstasy Capsule Review by Alik on 01/02/02 Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty) A good read if you want to understand the deeper side of the Cult of Ecstasy. Required reading if you want to use them in a story or play a member, but not necessary to pick up if you own the first edition. Product: Tradition Book: Cult of Ecstasy Author: Lynn Davis and Jess Heinig Category: RPG Company/Publisher: White Wolf Line: Mage: the Ascension Cost: 14.95 Page count: 100 Year published: 2001 ISBN: 1-56504-449-5 SKU: WW4661 Comp copy?: yes Capsule Review by Alik on 01/02/02 Genre tags: Modern day Horror Gothic Live-action	This is the first of the revised Tradition books that I have had the chance to read. I will begin by saying that the original Cult of Ecstasy Tradition Book was my favorite of the set. It showed me a dept to the Tradition that I had not previously considered. This book is a worthy successor. Being one of WW's "splatbooks", it follows the standard format. We open with a brief piece of fiction to set some mood. There is a brief segment introducting all the special words that this particular sect uses, and the remainder of the book is told as an unfolding story in which one of the characters provides exposition. Our guide through most of this book is Lee Ann, a young Ecstatic who's taken on the role of teacher of the even younger and more confused. She tells us the history of the Tradition, expounds on its philosophy, talks about the standard magical styles they employ, describes the smaller factions within ther Tradition, and then ends by explaining the Ecstatics' views of the other Traditions. After that, we have a few new merits and flaws, new Rotes, stats and capsule bios for famous Ecstatics, and the character templates. All the rules sections include Mind's Eye Theatre variants. I liked the original edition because it spent a lot of time explaining the philosophy, and I enjoyed reading this book for precisely the same reason. The Cult of Ecstasy aren't just the "party mages" one might expect from reading their two-page description in the main Mage book. They have a deep belief that one can only achieve enlightenment through experience, and that the specific experience of ecstasy, of letting go of rational mind in order to experience pure sensation, is the key to tapping into the true power of the universe. Laid over this is a strong moral code (the Code of Ananda) to ensure that everything they do brings others further along the path to enlightenment. In fact, the factions described in this book really only differ in their interpretations of Ananda. This is a book that can make you think. Among other things, it reveals that Ecstatics have to make the same kind of life-shattering judgement calls as your average wandering Euthanatos hitman. It also shows you how a career politician can secretly be an Ecstatic. (It all depends on what gets you off.) The actual rules section itself is forgettable, although I'm not the sort of GM to make heavy use of official NPCs or to really encourage players to stick to the published Rotes. This is a book to buy if you're trying to understand how the Cult can fit into your games. If you've already got the first edition, you can probably skip this one (unless, like me, you're a collect-the-set type). Similarly, if all you're looking for is new ways to make things go boom, look elsewhere. This book barely even touches on the umbral storms and other changes in the Mage universe.

Tradition Book: Cult of Ecstasy