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In Short

On the whole I find this product to be a high quality product. Not only is it an enjoyable read, but it makes me want to start up a new Mage: the Awakening game right away. If you already own Mage but haven’t found that special spark yet, give Guardians of the Veil a try.

The Physical Thing

I feel the need to drive home that there is a very, very large amount of information here and it’s all good. It’s uncommon to find high text density combined with such good writing, and I consider Guardians to be a fantastic value for its price.

The Ideas

The Guardians steal magical artifacts from other mages and Orders in order to keep them in the hands of the responsible. They also actively hunt down and kill or mind control those mages who repeatedly show an inability to responsibly handle magic and avoid Paradox. Finally, the Guardians wage a shadow war against their greatest rival – the Seers of the Throne (servants of the Exarchs).

Under the Cover

As with other White Wolf products, Guardians of the Veil begins with an appropriate piece of setting fiction and an introduction. Both of these pieces help get the reader in the spirit of the book.

Chapter One From the Reign of Atlantis 20 pages.

This chapter presents a history of the Guardians dating all the way back to Atlantis. While the history of the group is ancient, the Guardians of today began to come into existence after a failed attempt by mages to raise a New Atlantis from the sea and build a new homeland. When that attempt failed magic was pushed even further from this world, and it was then that the Guardians realized the connection to vulgar magic. Where before they had always preached responsibility towards magic, now they gave up that path and sought to keep magic out of the hands of the irresponsible. They learned to form false cults and, over time, the Labyrinth was born.

The chapter goes on to describe the history of the Guardians in Greece and Rome, where they would continue to develop their proficiency for misdirection and information gathering. As the Cabal matured and entered the present day the Guardians spread themselves out and became even more secretive. All of their affairs are conducted from the shadows, and they have little contact with the rest of mage society. The chapter wraps up with discussion of the Guardians works across the world, focusing in part on how the Labyrinth has evolved and changed to reflect the beliefs of the culture its part of. Vodoun, for instance, is strongly encouraged in West Africa while mysticism based off Roman Catholicism is cultivated in South America.

On the whole this chapter was a pleasant surprise. The Guardians are interesting, and the information on the Labyrinth is definitely the sort of stuff that stimulates the reader’s imagination. The discussion of the Guardians in Rome is especially neat, painting a picture of how the Guardians learned that failing to keep a vigilant watch on the hidden world can result in doom for everyone.

There are only two big problems here. First, that the Guardians operate through secrecy and misdirection is sometimes an unhelpful addition to the material. Everyone in the World of Darkness operates through secrecy and misdirection, after all. Second, a lot of the history is generally intuitive. While it’s good that the reader can accurately predict the history of the Guardians, it does result in the chapter being a little less interesting. I would have enjoyed more short stories wrapped up in the history, such as tales of powerful Guardians and mistakes they made that linger to the present day.

Chapter Two Masque and Veil 44 pages.

This chapter kicks off with a discussion of the core beliefs of the Guardians, split up into the Exoteric and Esoteric Tenets. The Exoteric Tenets, those shared with everyone, include: Paradoxes strengthen the Abyss as punishment answers price. Sins for a just end grant wisdom to the Awakened. Merit must guide the Fallen World. These three Tenets are clearly tied to the description of the Guardians so far, reflecting their belief that magic must be kept in the hands of the wise and responsible.

The Esoteric Tenets include: All thrones are false; all souls are flawed. There is a secret hierarchy of souls. The Hieromagus will fulfill the Diamond Wheel. These beliefs are a little bit different than what most readers would have expected. That the Guardians want to cause people to question their leaders is no surprise, as this fulfills the goal of keeping magic (and power) in the hands of the wise. That they believe that some souls are simply superior to others, however, is surprising. From this springs the belief that one perfect soul, the Hieromagus, will one day incarnate through a perfect Awakening and lead all mages to a new existence. Many Guardians dedicate their entire lives to the coming of the Hieromagus.

Guardians don’t trust the written word, as once information is written down it’s easy for others to get their hands on it. Their history and knowledge is preserved entirely in an oral tradition, and many Guardians regularly engage in memory training exercises to help preserve their lore. Parables and koans are commonly used to remember information, and Guardians speak in a variety of different, complicated code languages in order to confuse listeners and preserve their secrets.

Speaking of security concerns, the Guardians use a system of colors to designate the security clearance of members, starting with the Gray Veil and progressing through Crimson (trusted Sleeper), Black (Guardian member), White (trusted Guardian), and Colorless (access to the most damning secrets). Guardians typically operate on a tight “need to know” basis and go out of their way to make certain that no one possesses any information they don’t absolutely require.

In addition to their Tenets and Veils, the chapter goes on to describe roles local Guardians are commonly found in. Defending the Awakened and protecting magic are somewhat obvious, but “Weaken the Enemies of Atlantis” is particularly interesting as it drives home the Order’s espionage activities. The chapter goes on to provide extensive discussion of the Order’s shadowy work, from how they fight against other espionage agents to the tricks and tactics regularly used by Guardians.

As with other White Wolf products of this type, Guardians of the Veil includes information on the common political titles held by members of the Guardians. For example, the Suspector (a 3 dot Status) is the master spy of a local Guardians group. They can expect short, dangerous lives of little political influence but no one would doubt their dedication to the Guardians and potent capabilities. A Cultor (a 1 dot Status) maintains the Labyrinth and may even take on the roll of a cult leader or assistant in order to guide the group further and further away from. The positions are flavorful and well done, especially considering how loosely organized a lot of Guardians groups seem to be.

The chapter introduces Path roles, which ultimately is more of a list of suggestions for player backgrounds than anything else. Whether it’s a Moros Spymaster of the Dead or a Thyrsus who uses spirit magic to discover Bans and blackmail spirits into working as covert agents, the character concepts here are just plain cool. A player already interested in the Guardians is certain to find something fun here, and I saw several ideas I had never even considered that I would certainly incorporate into a Mage campaign.

There are lots of great little details incorporated into this chapter that I just don’t have the time to share with you. The final big addition is fantastic, the Masque system. Guardians frequently wear elaborate masks in order to hide their identities, even from one another, and while wearing these masks they often act in a different manner than they truly would. At the cost of a one dot Merit a Guardian character may pick a Masque to wear, gaining a bonus to Disguise attempts while behaving according to the tenets of that Masque. Note that the Guardian doesn’t have to wear an actual mask. Some do, but others wear the trappings of whatever role their immersing themselves in at the time.

Forty nine different Masques are presented, one corresponding to every potential combination of a Virtue and Vice. Each Masque grants a unique benefit and penalty, usually amounting to a +1 or +2 bonus to a broad group of rolls and a similar penalty to another. Example: Eye of Mars is a Masque derived from Prudence and Wrath. These are well trained, broadly educated warriors who treat their art of killing as a profession. A Guardian wearing this Masque gains +2 to any one of Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry while wearing this Masque. The Guardian receives a -1 penalty to Manipulation at the time, as his hunger for battle distracts him during tense situations.

Chapter Three Of Secrets and Spies 48 pages.

The first third of this chapter focuses on how the Guardians add to their ranks. The simple answer is that they select new additions with the utmost of care, bordering on paranoia. As masters of espionage, Guardians are well aware of how their enemies could infiltrate their ranks and cause massive damage to their cause. Mortals are the easiest to screen in many ways, as they lack magical protection and knowledge of exactly what the Guardians are. Even with mortals, however, the Guardians are very careful. They only recruit mortals (and attempt to compel them into awakening) after carefully watching them for years, often as they pass through levels of the Labyrinth.

Mages are trickier. Beyond telepathic scanning, the Guardians require mages coming from other Orders to pass through a variety of tests to determine if their desire to join is really sincere. More than that, other mages will have to prove that they understand and agree with the goals of the Guardians. The most obvious and easiest to test is to determine how the other mage approaches vulgar magic. If they avoid using it whenever possible, even if seemingly dangerous situations, then they will be treated much more favorably.

Guardians of the Veil goes on to discuss the hierarchy of the Guardians, from the recently initiated Neophyte to a well established Magister. The book really works to drive home the idea that only very rare souls are chosen to become Magisters, and that selfless dedication to the Guardians is one of the more important considerations for rising in rank. I am a little surprised that that the Guardians have a hierarchy at all, given their devotion to secrecy and general independence. I do find the information on their hierarchy to be some of the weakest in the book. It’s not bad, but it’s far from inspiring and does little more than present a simple three step hierarchy. On the other hand, the discussion of the private lives of Guardians is pretty good. The product discusses the problems inherent in switching identities and guarding secrets, even going so far as to discuss their limited options for sex due to standing rules to avoid having unnecessary conversations and personal ties.

The chapter wraps up with a brief discussion of politics, largely focused on the relationship between the Guardians and other orders. For the most part the Guardians are far from loved, and even the Orders they share the most in common with are kept at arms length.

Chapter Four Factions and Legacies 36 pages.

Ten Factions (four of which are sub-faction examples) and four Legacies give the reader plenty ideas for creating their own unique group of Guardians. While many readers will be much more interested in some of these groups than others, all of the entries are well written.

The Faceless are the professional assassins of the Guardians of the Veil. They take on so many false personas that, over time, they lose their own identity and no longer clearly remember who they are. Truly dedicated to the cause, The Faceless terrify the few mages who know of their existence.

Inheritors fully embrace the Guardians’ philosophy of keeping power out of the hands of the unworthy. More than any other group, Inheritors actively steal magical artifacts from less responsible mages and hide them away where their power cannot be abused. They also have extensive contact with the Sleepers, operating many of the Labyrinths and holding Sleepers to the highest standards possible while determining who may be worthy of Awakening.

Messianics are the religious extremists of the Guardians, dedicating themselves to preparing the world for the coming of the Hieromagus. Often this preparation is of a very dark variety and involves diabolical acts to ready the world for the Hieromagus. This is fine with the Messianics, however, as they believe the Guardians are meant to be the filth of the world and to carry out these tasks. One of the more interesting aspects of this Faction is that the members avoid using magic whenever they can, even more so than other Guardians.

Ordeal Keepers believe in maintaining strong minds and bodies to make up for their defiling of the world. They also believe in a strict meritocracy and only want the best of the best in a ruling position.

Prophets are the more diplomatic, approachable members of the Order. They’re also dedicated to information gathering however they can, and operate as the eyes and ears of the Guardians. Despite being active information gatherers, however, the Prophets are not information brokers. They keep a tight lid on what they learn, using information only for the good of the Order and very rarely sharing it with others.

Faceless: The ID is a secret Faction that operates by transmitting its Manifesto from one person’s brain to another using Mind magic. It’s the ultimate conspiracy, with no paper trail or other signs of existing. Members strongly believe in doing anything for the cause (like many Guardians, they believe their evil acts will be absolved with the Hieromagus arrives) and function as a terrorist group. That is to say, their goal is to invoke terror. They do this by targeting undesirables (such as mages who irresponsibly use magic) and torturing them to death in the most gruesome way they can come up with.

Four sub-factions are also provided, further fleshing out the Inheritors, Ordeal Keepers, Prophets, and Messianics.

Legacies are mystical paths that many mages walk. Unlike Factions, they typically have little political persuasion and instead reflect a specific way of going about magic. These Legacies are all available to Guardians of the Veil, but are also available to members of specific Paths no matter their affiliation.

The Bearers of the Eternal Voice is a Mastigos Legacy focused on understanding the secret language hidden in every person’s subconscious and incorporating that language into their normal speech. Gifted orators, members of this Legacy can sway an individual or a crowd to their way of thinking with ease. The three Attainments here all require extensive training in Mind magic and allow the mage to become extremely persuasive towards individuals and groups. The final Attainment allows the mage to alter a person’s memories during conversation.

I would love to play a lawyer who belongs to this group. Asking leading questions on cross examination like “Isn’t it true that you were actually at the murder scene, not with your wife as you claimed.” would allow for a mage to very effectively perform cover ups for other members of the Order.

The Eleventh Question is a Legacy only available to Guardians which focuses entirely on investigation. This Legacy is based on the belief that every Arcana supplies the answer to a single question, and the group has taken this idea and actively perfected their craft to use magic in solving mysteries. The Attainments here require Time magic and a smattering of investigative skills, which a member is certain to have. At the low end the character can instantly know facts about a corpse’s life and what they were up to in the past day. At the high end the player can directly ask the Storyteller questions such as “When will the killer return to the crime scene?” This reflects the characters mystical insight into the mystery.

Votaries of the Ordained is a Moros Legacy dedicated to protecting a specific person, place, or object. These mages recognize that there are things greater than themselves in this world, and they spend their lives guarding over these bits of destiny. This Legacy requires a mage to be well acquainted with Fate magic. The first two Attainments allow the mage to become aware of her charge and any threat to it, while the final Attainment allows the mage to use fate itself to thwart any attempts to harm her charge.

Left-Handed Legacy: The Austere is a Legacy open to any Path which studies clockwork mechanics as part of their study of the greater universe. The Attainments allow for mages to move one mechanical quality from one object to another (a hammer that works as a screwdriver) and, eventually, allows them to replace body parts with mechanical counterparts which may be imbued with mechanical functions similar to any tools the mage is familiar with. If you like the idea of a mage who uses cyber ware or clock-work body replacements then this is the Legacy for you.

Chapter Five Magic 45 pages.

This chapter begins with well thought out discussion of how Guardians go about practicing magic, especially magical combat. Some of these are intuitive but still interesting to think about, such as that Guardians prefer psychic assaults and other forms of attack that leave no visible trace and otherwise hide magic from the world. A good discussion of the police work the Guardians do is also provided. One common element is to work counter magic against other mages, even from afar, the Guardians know use vulgar spells. After a few vulgar spells totally fail the problem tends to work itself out. The discussion of using magic with investigation is just fantastic.

Thirteen pages of new Rotes are presented. Every Arcana gets several entries, but a lot of the new Rotes involve combining several different Arcana for more powerful effects. The spells tend to be focused towards investigation and subterfuge, making this portion of the book an excellent addition to any Mage game focused on those themes. I found the Rotes to be clever, well written, and very appropriate to the Guardians. Let me share a few with you:

Perfect Mask (Life 4, Mind 3) allows the mage to not only perfectly imitate someone physically, but to allow them to mentally imitate the person to perfect. Know Thyself (Mind 3) allows the mage to sift through her own memories, looking for gaps, blocks, and other signs of tampering. Enforced Silence (Life 3, optional Mind 3) allows the mage to silence another person, preventing their vocal chords, tongue, and lips from being able to produce sounds. Inspire (Mind 2) allows the mage to telepathically insert an idea in his victim’s mind, which the victim will consider its own. As you can see from these few examples, Mind does get a more attention than any other Arcanum.

The chapter wraps up with eleven pages of enchanted items, covering a good variety of objects while all being generally tied to investigation and subterfuge. The items are neat enough to get me to consider using them in a game, and since most are quite specific I don’t foresee any balance problems surrounding them.

Appendix Allies and Antagonists 13 pages.

Burglars, conspiracy nuts, labyrinth administrators – these 13 pages present a variety of generic mage NPCs that could be dropped into any game. The NPCs come in two types – very general NPCs that reflect basic concepts and more detailed NPCs that have more specific character to them. The general NPCs are meant to be nothing more than quick window dressing and only a basic description along with two or three dice pool rolls are provided. The fleshed out NPCs have full stat blocks and could easily be used as reoccurring characters in a Mage game.

My Take

If you already love the Guardians, if you want a book to get you excited about playing Mage, or if you want to add a lot more mystical investigation to an existing Mage game then I highly recommend this product.

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