Publisher(s) White Wolf Genre(s) Modern Mysticism | Publication date 1998 (1st edition) System(s) Storyteller System | |
Designer(s) Phil Brucato
Rachelle Udell | ||
Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade is a role playing game that takes place in the World of Darkness during the Renaissance. It is a prequel of Mage: The Ascension and depicts the beginning of the struggle between "traditionalists" and "technocrats".
History
White Wolf Publishing came up with a new model for game releases as historical RPGs, each based on one of the original World of Darkness games. This resulted in three new lines: Vampire: The Dark Ages (1996), Werewolf: The Wild West (1997), and Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade (1998). By 1998 White Wolf was facing continued economic problems, and was hitting a crisis. Of their last five World of Darkness games – the three new historical games, as well as 1994's Wraith: The Oblivion and 1995's Changeling: The Dreaming – only Vampire: The Dark Ages sold well. White Wolf also decided that they could not afford to keep publishing Changeling: The Dreaming, Werewolf: The Wild West, or Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade, so the company began publishing them under its new imprint called "Arthaus". The Changeling line did well at ArtHaus, as did Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade.