Cult
Magic is the force of will, and a mage with this Background is wise enough to know that his is not the only will on the planet. Such a mage is a priest a flock of true believers, a rock star with groupies or a guru with a gaggle of devotees willing to believe any miracle he deigns perform. As listed on p. 154 of Mage: The Ascension, a group of believing acolytes can add successes to the results of an Effect, if they participate and truly believe in your mage's power.
Having a cult means there are Sleepers who actively believe. They fully expect grand things from the mage, and they are willing to help him perform his magic. They are not Awakened, nor do they know anything of magic beyond what they're told - if you want a truly skilled helper, get a magician's assistant for a Retainer, have a few Allies or take a young mage as apprentice. Nevertheless, are devoted and enthusiastic, that enthusiasm is what the mage needs. The higher the Cult rating, the larger the cult. However, beyond their belief, the cult is composed of plain, ordinary humans, and are not exceptionally powerful or useful unless you buy Allies, Contacts or Retainers as well.
● Tiny Cult: 3-7 people. Add one success to any rituals cast when the entire cult is gathered.
●● Small Cult: 8-12 people. Add two successes to any rituals cast when the entire cult is gathered.
●●● Moderate Cult: 13-17 people. Add three successes to any rituals cast when the entire cult is gathered.
●●●● Large cult: 18-22 people. Add four successes to any rituals cast when the entire cult is gathered.
●●●●● Huge cult: 23-27 people. Add five successes to any rituals cast when the entire cult is gathered.
