Smart mages realize that raising power in groups directs the collective will and imagination of that group toward a specific purpose. Circle-dances, music concerts, plays, protests, prayer meetings, and other gatherings provide focus for mystic rites. Technomancers understand the power of groups too – why else would factories and cubicle farms be so damned effective?

Generally, a mage whips her group to an emotional frenzy and then channels their energy into her intended purpose. As that energy reaches a peak, she plays the crowd like an instrument, bringing things to a climax as she casts her Effect.

The Allies, Assistants, and Cults section (p. 532) and the Acting in Concert section (pp. 542-543) detail the in-game effects of sympathetic crowds; for certain practices, however, the presence of a group is not just helpful but essential to success. (See also the optional-rule sidebar for Management and Human Resources, p. 595.)