Um. So. I say 'no.'
With some caveats! I wouldn't mind a changing of the XP cost to take a new level of arete following a successful Seeking so that it is easier to bank and people can feel more able to go Seeking and to buy Spheres. I acknowledge merit behind the 'but a character's mental progress might not align with arbitrary XP number' argument.
But arete isn't just a 'rank.' Arete is dice, man. In the other systems, ranking up sometimes allows you to buy things you couldn't before (in Werewolf mostly) while coming with a lot more social pull. In Mage, I don't feel that. I do remember giddily and gleefully rolling three dice for Arete the one time I did have a character Seek Up and trying to explain how AWESOME THE POWER FELT to a Werewolf player who was like: whatever, man. Three dice? Pshaw.
But three dice, man. That was awesome. I can only dare dream of four.
Arete is a potent manifestation of a Mage's experience as a Mage and as a PC. Experience. The work (even if much of it is happening below the surface) that goes into it should - I feel - be attained at a 'loss' as far as spending those experience points elsewhere. Like: if Johnny K is working on nothing but painting, painting, painting and he jumps from Painting 3 to Painting 4, it makes sense to me that Enlightenment would also be delayed while he takes that next amazing level of proficiency in the actual skill. But let's say Johnny K's paradigm is all about experience and the Muse and being mused - okay? And instead of taking that next level of proficiency in the skill, he had an Epiphany (Seeking), so the XP went to Arete. He's still Painting 3 but now he's Arete 3 too, so Painting 4 might be delayed for a while, given the cost of a level three Sphere, but doesn't that make sense? And couldn't he have had some mini-epiphanies or hints of his Avatar along the way to the Big Seeking? Wouldn't that be fun as heck to RP out?
Also, like. I feel that a jump-up in Arete doesn't necessarily mean a PC should immediately attain the next level of a Sphere, too. Magick is suddenly easier; you're suddenly thinking about things in a slightly different way. Why shouldn't that take some time to wiggle into?
I like that there's a sacrifice of Other Things if you're going to take another level of Arete. Maybe the sacrifice is a little too costly for the chronicle and the way RP works online? Because really: I wouldn't mind House Ruling the math so that it less expensive to buy another level or for, like, some 'I wrote this mood-post about my character's mental state and why their avatar might want to push them' discount. I totally get that some people don't have the opportunities to gain XP that others do because they're not actually RPing as much and that their inability to play 24-7 doesn't necessarily mean anything at all about their PCs progress along enlightenment relative to the people who can be around all the time, and I don't want them (I say them - but c'mon, this is totally me) to be penalized. But I do think that it needs to cost. XP-wise, that is.
Oh. And on a more administrative level: we're a small system and everybody mostly knows everybody, but I just imagine it being a huge hassle / headache / nightmare, not because there's a lack of trust, but because it just seems like fine-toothed comb/more work. And I thought that one already had to have a talk about whether a PC was ready to try for the next level of Arete, etc., so isn't that conversation already in place?
That is all. For now. I guess! I mean I will not weep if the XP cost is done away with, per se. But yes.
With some caveats! I wouldn't mind a changing of the XP cost to take a new level of arete following a successful Seeking so that it is easier to bank and people can feel more able to go Seeking and to buy Spheres. I acknowledge merit behind the 'but a character's mental progress might not align with arbitrary XP number' argument.
But arete isn't just a 'rank.' Arete is dice, man. In the other systems, ranking up sometimes allows you to buy things you couldn't before (in Werewolf mostly) while coming with a lot more social pull. In Mage, I don't feel that. I do remember giddily and gleefully rolling three dice for Arete the one time I did have a character Seek Up and trying to explain how AWESOME THE POWER FELT to a Werewolf player who was like: whatever, man. Three dice? Pshaw.
But three dice, man. That was awesome. I can only dare dream of four.
Arete is a potent manifestation of a Mage's experience as a Mage and as a PC. Experience. The work (even if much of it is happening below the surface) that goes into it should - I feel - be attained at a 'loss' as far as spending those experience points elsewhere. Like: if Johnny K is working on nothing but painting, painting, painting and he jumps from Painting 3 to Painting 4, it makes sense to me that Enlightenment would also be delayed while he takes that next amazing level of proficiency in the actual skill. But let's say Johnny K's paradigm is all about experience and the Muse and being mused - okay? And instead of taking that next level of proficiency in the skill, he had an Epiphany (Seeking), so the XP went to Arete. He's still Painting 3 but now he's Arete 3 too, so Painting 4 might be delayed for a while, given the cost of a level three Sphere, but doesn't that make sense? And couldn't he have had some mini-epiphanies or hints of his Avatar along the way to the Big Seeking? Wouldn't that be fun as heck to RP out?
Also, like. I feel that a jump-up in Arete doesn't necessarily mean a PC should immediately attain the next level of a Sphere, too. Magick is suddenly easier; you're suddenly thinking about things in a slightly different way. Why shouldn't that take some time to wiggle into?
I like that there's a sacrifice of Other Things if you're going to take another level of Arete. Maybe the sacrifice is a little too costly for the chronicle and the way RP works online? Because really: I wouldn't mind House Ruling the math so that it less expensive to buy another level or for, like, some 'I wrote this mood-post about my character's mental state and why their avatar might want to push them' discount. I totally get that some people don't have the opportunities to gain XP that others do because they're not actually RPing as much and that their inability to play 24-7 doesn't necessarily mean anything at all about their PCs progress along enlightenment relative to the people who can be around all the time, and I don't want them (I say them - but c'mon, this is totally me) to be penalized. But I do think that it needs to cost. XP-wise, that is.
Oh. And on a more administrative level: we're a small system and everybody mostly knows everybody, but I just imagine it being a huge hassle / headache / nightmare, not because there's a lack of trust, but because it just seems like fine-toothed comb/more work. And I thought that one already had to have a talk about whether a PC was ready to try for the next level of Arete, etc., so isn't that conversation already in place?
That is all. For now. I guess! I mean I will not weep if the XP cost is done away with, per se. But yes.