Mage sight requires dots in arcana?

[Zanchito]

Reading MtAw, I don't seem to find any mention about using mage sight without dots in the corresponding arcanum. Is it possible to use Death mage sight, for example, with 0 dots in Death arcanum?

Mage Sight is not an attainment related to arcana (doesn't show on p.192), it's an innate power. In the description on p.90, it states that peripheral mage sight responds to all supernatural active elements, regardless of arcana , and Active mage sight requires spending 1 mana per each non-ruling arcana to be watched, but it doesn't require to have actual dots in the arcana, only mana spediture. Unless I'm missing something.

Am I missing something?

[KaiserAfini]

You require dots in an Arcanum in order to use Mage Sight. The ability allows the mage to examine tbe basic symbology of that Arcanum and hallucinate how they connect to the observed phenomenon. But should they not be even initiated to the basic intuitive knowledge of that Arcanum, they don't even know what symbols to look for or how.

[Zanchito]

The thing is, I don't see anywhere in the rules where does it say it REQUIRES dots in the arcanum. I know it makes intuitive sense, but the rules don't say so.

[Isator Levi]

Page 91 of the core states "It automatically uses the mage’s two Path Ruling Arcana, has no cost to add any third Ruling Arcanum, and costs one point of Mana per scene to include a Common or Inferior Arcanum." It's not super precise, but it's a wording that could be read to establish that the Arcana need to belong to the observing mage.

Page 26 of Signs of Sorcery is more specific. It states " Active Mage Sight allows a mage to study her surroundings through the lens of her Path and the Arcana she knows."

[Zanchito]

Yep, but as you noted, those are open to interpretation. In my own phenomenal world, I'm a computer programmer, and I'm super very picky about specifications, which often ends up in questions like these.
The example on Signs of Sorcery is a bit less open to interpretation, but you need to go and use a different book. I think the intent of the rules is quite clear, but it's really not well defined. Thanks for bringing the second example up, though, it's very reassuring!

[Scriptorian]

Page 68 in the core (under Eyes Wide Open) says “If the mage chooses to concentrate on the symbols — an exercise known as Active Mage Sight — he perceives all the attributes related to those Arcana of which he has at least a rudimentary understanding.”

A little silly that this isn’t made explicit in the chapter with the actual rules, but there you go.

[CrackedMan]

Core book, page 90, under Peripheral Mage Sight:

“Deeper levels of Mage Sight rely on knowledge of the Arcana, but the Periphery responds to all supernatural events.”

That’s 100% clear to me.