Even within Marvel proper, knowing who the Sorcerer Supreme is and their function is as frustrating as it is ubiquitous. Is it Strange? Clea? Is it a time-lost Supreme like Kushala? Is it Doctor-freaking-Doom (yes, that has happened)?
Add in DC’s sorcerous set, and it’s bound to get more complex and confusing. This is an issue I want to alleviate, at least at the start of the campaign. We’ll do this by establishing who the Sorcerer Supreme of Absolute Overpower is at the start of the campaign, and by developing clear roles and responsibilities for top sorcerers, as well as a succession plan in the form of this “family” tree.
A Hierarchy of Supremacy
There was only Diana Ross, but many Supremes. Absolute Overpower takes the same approach. There is one Sorcerer Supreme (of this dimension—more on that later), and everyone else has a station or supremacy over a smaller parcel of magic.
Technically Marvel allows for two Sorcerer Supremes of any dimension at a time, but for the sake of ease in Absolute Overpower, there will only be the one in our dimension.
What Defines Sorcerer Supreme?
Sorcerer Supreme is a title granted to the “practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or ‘dimension.'”
That title is always ebbing and flowing much like magic itself is. Mystical practitioners can lose or gain connection to ambient magicks. Their skills and abilities can wax and wane, allowing another to become Supreme. It is expected that this might happen throughout a campaign, volume, or even story.
Playing the Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme is a big deal. It’s the claim that a character is the most powerful sorcerer of their reality. That’s a lot to take on in a roleplaying game. Most tabletop RPG campaigns don’t reach player levels where this immensity exists. That doesn’t mean, however, that players can’t and shouldn’t. This is a superhero campaign, and scale and power are part of the fun, so players should see becoming Sorcerer Supreme for what it is, recognition. Certainly, a station as lofty as Sorcerer Supreme comes with its burdens, which will also be true within Absolute Overpower. Players may lose, or gain, the station, they may even choose to yield based on the outcomes of their campaign. There might even be stories that can only be told with the Sorcerer Supreme, and that’s how players should interpret the title, should it come to them. It’s the ability to craft a wealth of engaging stories.
All characters who become Sorcerer Supreme will automatically reach Rank 6 if they were not previously. However, losing the title does not mean the player will lose their Rank. There are many powerful sorcerers considered Rank 6 who are not the Supreme.
The Tree
Below is the rough “Family Tree” belonging to the Sorcerer Supreme of this dimension, and a succession plan.
Sorcerer Supremes
Earth Dimension
Dark Dimension
Clea
The Beyond
Unknown
The Darkforce Dimension
Unknown
The Green Door
Unknown
The Winding Way
Unknown
The Doctors Supreme
Doctor Strange: Surgeon Supreme
Doctor Fate: Physician Supreme
Doctor Voodoo: Psychologist Supreme
Doctor Druid: Psychiatrist Supreme
Notable Sorcerers
Scarlet Witch
John Constantine
Magik
Jason Blood
Madame Xanadu
The Hood
Nico Minoru
Klarion Bleak
Raven