I'm preparing for a short game that I intend on starting in April. the game is going to be heavy on the fantasy. I intend on having the players work their magi through several years of advancement prior to the start of my story so that they become familiar with the system and they give their characters a history.
In this effort and to give some of the covenant rules a spin I've created four covenants. I'm posting a short write up of each along with their boons and hooks below for comment.
Insula Libris is a young covenant founded only 6 years ago by Claudius of Bonisagus a magus who’s aim is to write the greatest work on the art of muto that the human race has seen to date. In hopes that Claudius achieves this goal this goal the covenant has been given a copy of “Codex of the Spherical Metamorphoses†one of the greatest muto summas that the order has produced. All three of the magi in the covenant are excellent communicators and they hope to induct one or two more strong writers into their covenant.
Insula Libris has two full time scribes working for the covenant in addition to a bookbinder, a precamerous and an illuminator.
The covenant’s holdings consist of a group of wooden structures located on an island off of the north coast. The covenant pays for its supplies from the proceeds of several herds of sheep that are raised on the island. The sheep are frequently subjected to magic in order to increase their yield of velum but despite this cost saving measure Insula Libris is having trouble meeting its expenses. There is a small village on the island that the covenant is legally obligated to protect to keep their holding.
The charter of this covenant requires that all of the magi take part in a tractatus/commentary circle once every two years with each magus, in turn, choosing a subject.
Boons and hooks
Seclusion minor boon
Island Free choice
Poverty minor hook
Indebted minor hook
Exceptional Book major boon
Protector minor hook
Market Crossroads covenant is situated in a large regio in the city of _____. The regio is reached by traversing a maze of the most over inhabited sections of town in a specific path. Market crossroads is unusual in that the covenant has decided to hide their existence from mundane society completely so as to not encourage strangers from trying to find their regio (which a few poor souls do from time to time despite the covenants efforts) and to keep their business ventures away from unusual scrutiny.
The covenant is exceptionally wealthy, they not only covertly own a merchant company, but also a busy shipyard and several taverns in their city. All of which are occasionally aided by the magic of the covenant’s members. No small part of this wealth goes into upkeep of the excellent laboratories of the covenant (which compensate for its inferior aura). Additional wealth is paid to a large number of informants who keep the covenant’s autocrat abreast of any happenings of interest.
Regio major boon
Informants minor hook
Weak aura minor hook
Unexpected entries into the regio minor hook
Wealth minor boon
Secondary income minor boon (x2)
Secret from mundanes major hook
City major hook
Torpid Serpent Keep is an old covenant that has held its tenant villages for over two hundred and fifty years. The covenant itself is a large castle that rules over ten villages (who know it by a different name). Torpid Serpent Keep has always been associated with a nobleman (families have come and gone). The magi give the noble enough leeway to rule the lands effectively while the noble families have always made sure to keep the magi happy on account of the slumbering dragons.
Torpid Serpent Keep was founded by an experienced magus who won the lands from a viscous collection of dragons who rampaged through the area in the mid tenth century. The dragons were captured and ring enchantments were placed around them to keep them from escaping. The present magi still take great care to keep these enchantments safe because despite the intervening years of imprisonment, the dragons have not appeared to have wasted away. The original magus built a tower at the site of the dragons so he could monitor them. This tower has over the centuries grown into Torpid Serpent Keep.
Despite the danger of the sequestered beasts the reputations of the magi and the exceptional aura have made Torpid Serpent a large covenant. The history and responsibility of the site have encouraged the development of a hierarchical and rule oriented covenant
Castle major hook
Curtain walls and mural towers major boon
Aura +1 minor boon
Writ of crenellation minor boon
Superiors major hook
Tame nobleman major boon
Crossbowman minor boon
Monster major hook
Stone Bridge Caverns was founded just after the schism war. A powerful aura was found to exist in a series of caves. And this aura brought many magi to the covenant. Extensive terram magic was used to expand the caverns and make them a place of beauty. In its heyday there were over eighty people who lived and worked inside the warrens of Stone Bridge Caverns.
Over the years s the original magi grew old and passed into twilight the population of the covenant dropped and many of the previously inhabited sections of the caverns were abandoned.
Several years ago a magus who was experimenting with the aura achieved sudden and unexpected results from his experiment. The caves were connected to a very high level magic regio. Opening up the covenant to this regio both considerably strengthened the covenant’s already powerful aura and earned the ire of the regio’s inhabitants: a race of short savage men with greenish skin and a pension for mining.
Conflicts with these magical creatures and warping caused by the new aura eventually lead to the loss, by both death and desertion, of all the covenfolk their roles being slowly replaced by the creation of enchanted devices. There are but two magi left in the covenant. These two keep the strange beasts at bay by use of a considerable store of invested devices and their own considerable magical might.
They are looking to recruit magus who is either a formidable warrior or a skilled enchanter.
Seclusion minor boon
Regio major hook
Uncontrolled portal minor hook
Vast and labyrinthine minor boon
Crumbling minor hook
Poverty minor hook
No covenfolk major hook
Rival major hook
Defensive environment major boon
Hidden ways minor boon
Bedrock minor boon
Hidden resources *2 minor boon
Aura *4 minor boon
I think that many of the names are quite weak and I'd love to see them replaced or latinized. So if any of you could help on that front it would be much appreciated.
I've got most of the points for these covenants spent as well. I'll post them when I get another long stretch at the computer.
Printing them. Will try to comment later. So far 8rapid overvuiew) they looks quite OK.
Regards,
Xavi
INSULA LIBRIS
MARKET CROSSROADS
TORPID SERPENT
STONE BRIDGE CAVERNS
The reference to a bridge does not seem to exist outside the name, though. Maqybe putting up a chasm that separates the covenant propper from the area occupied by the goblins would be a good idea....Overall, I think that the dragon covenant might be the best option here. I would integrate the caverns there as well (they want to release the dragons?).
Just some thoughts. Hope that helps 
Regards,
Xavi
That does help, thank you.
I'll need to rework my descriptions so it is clear that only one of the three magi at insula is concerned with muto (which was my intention but apparently poorly communicated) and I'll need to update the description of the last covenant to include the toll bridge that is now manned by imagonem spells rather than covenfolk (which was a big part of my planing but never made it to the description sheet).
These are NPC covenants (also places where the PC's couold have spent their younger years) that I intend on using rather than different choices for the PC covenant so I'm looking at them with a different eye than you.
I intend to come back to this thread with a complete list of enchanted items and books for each of the covenants but probably not for a week or two.
I see. As you said, I thouight those were PC covenants. They look good for a general setting.
I did not look into the hooks & boon, though. I just bought the covenhants rulebook 2 days ago, and I am struggling to digest the information there. Hooks & boons is something I have only skimmed through, since there are thousands of them. They look great, but I haven't had the time.
If they are NPC covenants, maybe give the marketr crossroads covenant can be a nice site to set stories in the city, or even the tribunal. Tribunals as fairs is a HP article (I think) that loved Lots of story potential there.
The others have potential as well. Except the Insula Libris one. Maybe it is my players being of the adventurous type, but in general I doubt such a covent would give them much hype.
Just some thoughts great work overall
Cheers,
Xavi
Magic items for market crossroads:
Enchanted devices 375 levels 150 build points
Over the years the covenant of market crossroads has created and obtained devices that aid their mercantile ventures and items that assist the covenant in maintaining its anonymity. The covenant of market crossroads is primarily concerned with its mundane neighbors, as a result none of these devices have any penetration bonus. Most of these items are lesser enchanted devices
The floating anchor
A small wooden anchor that when touched to any part of a ship while the holder speaks the word “endure†prevents that ship from sinking at all until the next sunrise or sunset regardless of the condition of the ship’s hull.
Rego Herbam Base 3 +1 range touch +2 duration sun +3 target structure +1 level 2/day level 26
Adze of seaworthiness
An adze that when slammed headfirst on the deck of a ship while the holder growls “arrrr†restores the hull of the ship to pristine condition, until sunrise or sunset whereupon all of the ship’s damage reappears.
Creo Herbam Base 3 (equivalent to create wood in an unnatural shape) +1 range touch +2 duration sun +3 target structure +1 level 2/day level 26
Wand of the spotless memory
A wand with one instilled effect, any knowledge that the target has concerning the covenant of market crossroads is removed from the target’s memory.
Base15 range voice+2 duration momentary +0 target part +1 6x/day +3 levels level 33
Pendant of insightful diplomacy
A pendant of carved hazel with a rock crystal set into it. This enchanted device has two powers.
Posing the silent question at range sight 6x/day level 33
Sight of the transparent motive at range sight unlimited uses level 30
Wand of lumber
A wand with one power, to make a plant reach full maturity in a single diameter.
Creo Herbam 30 +1 touch +5 levels 24x/day level 40
Bell of silence
A bell with no clapper, when the holder brings the bell to their ear and “rings†it four times that person will be unable to create sound until sunset or until they hit the bell with their left hand.
Base 2, +1 duration concentration, +1 range touch, target individual, +5 levels item maintains concentration, +2 levels 3x/day level 11
2 Cloaks of invisibility
These cloaks make their wearer invisible when their hood is up and they are drawn tight. The wearer’s shadow is still visible.
Base 4, +1 touch, +1 concentration, +1changing image, +5 levels item maintains concentration, +10 levels unlimited uses level 30 each
The ivory doves of peace
A carved ivory dove that in enchanted with one power: when activated no person in the room with the dove is able to feel any anger. The covenant has two of these items. They have lent these devices to the managers of the covenant’s taverns.
Base 5, +1 range touch, +2 target room, +1 duration concentration, +5 levels item maintains concentration +3 levels use restricted to members and employees of the covenant level 33 each
The linked chests
These two chests are arcane connections to one another. When an item is placed inside one of the chests and the top of the chest closed and raped once, that item is transported to the other chest. If more than one item is placed inside the chest a random one of the items is transported. The box is incapable of transporting items that are not terram, herbam or animal (it was originally designed to transport letters).
Rego Terram (animal and herbam requisites) Base 25 (wild guess for teleporting to a specific AC), +1 range touch, duration momentary, target individual, +2 requisites 1x per day level 40 each
Thank you for your kind words.
I believe that I understand your concern with Insula libris but I'm feeling ok with the covenant as a game master.
They have nearly nothing, no history, no enchanted devices, no lab texts. This is in itself as big of a hook as any of the covenants have. They also are a covenant that generates "hermetic wealth" at a far faster rate than any of the other covenants. They'll produce two tractatus of high quality that almost no one has ever read before every season. Twenty years down the line they'll be the power in the tribunal unless the other covenants do something, but do the other covenants really want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?
Enchanted items of Torpid Serpent Keep
Torpid serpant keep is concerned with keeping up it's mundane relations and with keeping its dragons confined.
Chandelier in the Great Hall, an enchanted device is an enchanted device that keeps the great hall free of poison[color=darkred]
Destroy Poison ( all of the poison in the room) Perdo Aquam (herbam, animal) (base 10, +2 requisites, +1 range touch, +2 duration, +2 target room (+1 size), + 1 complex effect, +1 level 2x’s/day, +3 levels environmental trigger) level 59
Boulder wand, this is an invested device that can create a huge rock at any location that the wieldier can see. It is the hope of the covenant that this item might be an effective weapon against the dragons should they ever escape.
[color=darkred]Creates a large (10 cubic paces in volume) roughly sphereical rock Creo Terram (base 3 range touch +1 Duration diameter +1, target individual (+1 size), +1 unnatural effect, +40 levels penetration) level 50
Wizards boost terram duration level 25 linked trigger + 3 levels level 28
Wizards boost terram range level 25 linked trigger + 3 levels level 28
Wizards boost terram target level 25 linked trigger + 3 levels level 28
Painting of Guernicus kept in conference room. The eyes of anyone who tells a lie while in the room with this picture appear to turn jet black for a matter of seconds. The speaker will not be able to notice this herself unless she happens to be looking in a mirror or observing herself in some other way.
[color=darkred]InMe (base 10, +2 room, +1 touch, +1 concentration, +5 levels item maintains concentration +2 levels 3x/day, black eyes are a cosmetic effect) level 37
Enchanted Infirmary A room in the keep has been enchanted so as to assist any inhabitants in their recovery from injuries or disease.[color=darkred]
Creo Corpus, grant a +15 bonus to recovery rolls (base 10, range personal, +1 duration concentration, +2 target room, +5 levels item maintains concentration, +1 level 2x’s/day) level 31
Circle of Evacuation; a Circle that when stood upon and the command word spoken teleports anyone standing upon it to a church some 1 league away
[color=darkred]
Rego Corpus base 25, +1 range touch, duration momentary, target circle +5 levels 24 uses per day, level 35
Whip of equine terror, This horse hide whip has a single effect enchanted into it; to create unreasoning overwhelming fear in a group of horses and force them to flee the area as fast as their bodies will take them.
[color=darkred]Rego Animal base 5, +3 range sight, +2 duration sun, +2 target group 1x/day level 40
The Iron Doors. The main gate of torpid serpent keep is enchanted to be as strong as steel.
[color=darkred] Muto Herbam base 4, range personal, +2 duration sun, target individual (+1 size), 1 level 2x/day +3 levels environmental trigger, level 19
I haven't got enchanted devices typed up for the winter covenant yet but I did do libraries for the mess of them.
here are the lab texts, I've still a bit more work to do to make the libraries look like they've been tradeing with one another in the past.
Insula Tranquis
Spell Tech Form Level Requsite
Lesson of the Snake* Mu An 20
The Plunder of Twenty Geese*** Mu An 20 Re
Hide to Parchment*** Re An 10
Ravenous Beast to the Torpid Toad Mu An 20
Chamber of Summer breezes modified to duration moon** Cr Au 15 Ig
Market crossroads
Spell Tech Form Level
Aegis of the hearth Re Vi 25
Cast off the Hound’s Pursuit* Pe Im 10
Disguise of the New Visage Mu Co 15
Disraction of the Enraged Bee* Cr Im 15
Leap of homecomming Re Co 35
Mind Trick of the Tremere* Re Me 20
Putting Words into another’s Mouth* Re Im 15
Soothe the Raging flames Pe Ig 20
The Silent Conversation* Cr Me 30
Thoughts Within Babble In Me 25
Unleash the Anger of the Unruly Mob* Cr Me 35
Wind at the Back Re Au 5
Wizard's communion Mu Vi 20
Torpid Serpent
Spell Tech Form Level Requisite
Summon the Woodland Prowler* Cr An 30
Summon the Wolf Pack* Cr An 40
Comprehension of the Beast’s Speech* In An 20
Beastial Senses* In An 30
Toughen the Wolf’s Pelt* Mu An 20
Beast of Outlandish Size Mu An 15
Wolf of Vengence* Mu An 30
Assertion of a Wizard’s Dominance* Pe An 10
Leader’s Mantle of the Wolf Pack* Re An 35
Ward Against the beasts of Legend Re An 15
Circling Winds of Protection Cr Au 20
Wings of the Soaring Wind Cr Au 30
Talons of the Winds Mu Au 20
Severed Limb Made Whole Cr Co 25
Restorationof the defiled Body Cr Co 25
Chiurgion's Healing Touch Cr Co 20
Cloak of Black Feathers Mu Co 30 An
Shape of the Woodland Prowler Mu Co 25 An
Gift of the Bear's Fortitiude Mu Co 25
Bountiful Feast Cr He 35
Standard of the Borrowed Sun* Cr Ig 30
Pillum of Fire Cr Ig 20
Aura of rightful authority Re Me 20
Unseen Porter Re Te 10
Wizard's Boost, ignem, range Mu Vi 20
Wizard's Boost, ignem, target Mu Vi 20
Wind of Mundane Silence Pe Vi 40
Aegis of the Hearth Re Vi 30
Wizard's Communion Re Vi 15
Wizard's Communion Re Vi 25
Circular ward against demons Re Vi 15
Gather Essence of the Beast Re Vi 15
Stone Bridge Caverns
Spell Tech Form Level Requsite
Onyx Draught of Waiting Death* Cr Aq 40
Subtle Stench of the Deathly Draught* In Aq 25
The Deathly Poison Made Safe to Drink* Pe Aq 20
Ward against the Dirt of the Day’s Travel* Re Te 15
Sunder the Crown of the Cave* Pe Te 20
Animation of the Stone Brute* Mu Te 30
Silent Witness of the Statue* In Te 35
A Key to Any Lock* Cr Te 25
Suppression of the Wizard’s Fortification* Re Vi 40
Room of the Confused Magus* Mu Vi 45
Conjure the Wooden Sanctuary* Cr He 25
Conjure the Winged Messenger* Cr An 30 Re
Subtle Word to the Distant Companion* Cr Me 20
The Cauterizing Flame* Cr Ig 15 Co
Ward Against Spirits of the Earth Re Te 25
Ward Against Spirits of the Earth Re Te 50
Wizard's Boost, Terram, Target Mu Vi 35
Wizard's Sidestep Re Im 10
Leap of Homecoming Re Co 35
Intelligence of Heroes** Cr Me 60
Restore the Faded Threads** Cr Vi 40
Bitter Taste of Betrayal** In Vi 15
Odor of Lingering Magic** In Vi 30
Impression of the Faded Sigil** In Vi 30
Dream of the Mind that Sits** In Te 30
The Good Witness** Cr Me 25
Ear of Truth** In Me 30
Penitent's Confession** Re Me 30
Ball of Abysmal flame Cr Ig 35
Prison of Flames Mu Ig 20
Posing the Silent Question In Me 20
The Mystical Carpenter*** Re He 25
The Spell of Wrought Iron*** Re Te 15
The Phantom Blacksmith*** Re Te 20
Ward Against Mundane Intrusion*** Re Ig 35 Co, Au, Aq, He
Waiting Spell Re Vi 40
Waching Ward Re Vi 35
Maintaining the Demanding Spell Re Vi 25
Aegis of the Hearth Re Vi 45
Scales of the Magical Weight In Vi 5
Sense the Feet that Tread the Earth In Te 30
Stone Tell of the Mind that Sits In Te 30
Wall of Protecting Stone Cr Te 25
Image from the Wizard Torn Re Im 30 In
Summoning the distant Image In Im 25
Opening the Intangible Tunnel Re Vi 30
Shreik of the Impending Shafts In He 15
Sight of True Form In Co 30
Whispering Winds In Au 15
Weaver's Trap of Webs Cr An 35
Aegis of the Hearth Re Vi 25
Sense of the lingering Magics In Vi 30
Sight of the Active Magics In Vi 40
Boulder wand, this is an invested device that can create a huge rock at any location that the wieldier can see even in the sky. It is the hope of the covenant that this item might be an effective weapon against the dragons should they ever escape.
[color=darkred]Creates a large (10 cubic paces in volume) roughly sphereical rock Creo Terram Rq. Auram (base 3 range touch +1 Duration diameter +1, target individual (+1 size), +4 unnatural effect, +40 levels penetration; rq. free) level 70
Serf's parma but creating dirt anywhere but on solid ground requires a requisite. In this case Auram if you want it in mid air, aquam in water, ignem in fire, etc. Since creating dirt in mid air is very unnatural (as much if not more than creating lightening that comes out from your hands) i believe it should a +4 mag instead of 1.
Also, if you want it to be hard, you should create stone which adds one exta mag also.
I dont know by your spell description if one MuVi was to affect the main spell at a time or if you intended to have all 3 MuVi effects to take place all at the same time. I'd need to verify if the later is posible as it seems to stretch the spell a lot. The guideline says that it can boost the original spell by one magnetude so I would tend to think that you can only have one instance have an effect on the primary spell.
W
I disagree with both the requisite and the +4 magnetude complexity modifier.
In fact, I honestly don't see how you could think that, I thik there has to be some sort of disconnect between our thoughts instead of simple disagreement. Explain to me why conjuring the mystic tower only rates a three magnetude hit while a roughly sphereical shape, but 30 feet in the air, somehow merits five.
You were wise to invoke serf's parma here, the creo terram three guidline is to create stone or glass.
My intention is thatall three booster spells activate when the main spell is cast. There is a restriction on page 100 "you can use useone effect from one item each round, using the appropriate trigger action for each". This restriction seems to me to apply only to triggeed effects being a limitation of the user rather than the item. the issue was discussed at legth in a thread called items that multicast on the old delphi forums, (but it could have been on the berk list instead).
Wizard's boost says that thetarget gains a magnetude of potency but not beyond the level of the wizard's boost spell. The rock creation spell is level 10, the wizard's boosts are all level 25 allowing for all three to function. An argument could be made that the level of the wizard's boost must include the penetration bonus, I don't buy this argument at the moment but I'm willing to hear you out if you'd like to try and convince me.
W
I do not see this example being similar to three identical
CrCo recovery spells being placed on a target.
Each of the wizard's boost spells do a diffent thing the first spell adjusts range, the next adjusts duration and the third adjusts target.
I suppose that I should have named one of the powers wizard's reach, another wizard's persitance, and the third wizard's size. All of them simlar to the wizard's reach (form) spell on page 160.
I did add a single magnetude for the unnatural effect. Rocks can be lifted into the air in the setting without the use of magic. Anything more would be unwaranted.
An argument based on game balance might make sense but four magnetudes based on unnaturalness isn't even in the realm of sensibility for me.
I understand you point of view. At the very least you need to add one magnetude to the MuVi effect for the diameter duration. still, according to me, one one of the spells can take effect at a given time.
Let me try to explain my point of view.
Starting point is a level 10 spell.
Guidelines:
MuVi spell can make a significant change to the spell so long as the MuVi spell is of higher level than that of the targetted one. A change of one magnetude is a significant change.
CrCo give +X to recovery roll
Having multiple instances of the same guideline is not cumulative unless it is a momentary effect. As such, multiple castings of wizard's reach, wizard's persitance or wizard's size (Which all use the same guideline) or CrCo +X to recovery roll will result in having one of the instances take effect not all of them.
If you look at the errata for MuVi, it says that the duration needs to be the same of that of the spell it is modifying. Hence your level 25 MuVi spells will affect level 20 & lower Terram spells.
I would guess that you created it to level 25 so that you would have 3 magnetudes of 'spare'. Each of the 3 slots to me used for one of the 3 MuVi effects. Taking in account the errata, you would have made it level 30 or 35 if you wanted to push that duration to Sun with your Persistance of the wizard spell. Your logic implies that you agree that you are boosting the original spell by 3 magnetudes. The guideline that you are using allows you to boost your spell by just one magnetude.
Boosting a spell by 3 magnetudes (which is more than two), requires Creo magic as per guidelines again. I have not see such a spell but we can surely try to design it.
MuVi spell can make a significant change to the spell so long as the MuVi spell is of higher level than that of the targetted one. A change of one magnetude is a significant change.
MuVi spell can fully change the spell (Technique & Form) so long as the MuVi spell is of higher level than that of the targetted one times two. A change of two magnetude is considered a total change.
MuVi(Cr) spell can change to the spell so long as the MuVi(Cr) spell is of higher level than that of the targetted one times 3. A change of 3 magnetudes can be acheived.
MuVi(Cr) spell can change to the spell so long as the MuVi(Cr) spell is of higher level than that of the targetted one times four. A change of 4 magnetudes can be acheived.
Using these guidelines, your MuVi spells would need to be:
MuVi(Cr) 40 can augment a level 10 (Terram) spell) by up to 3 magnetudes
(Base effect, Voice, +2 Sun, Ind)
Now I really invoke Serf's parma on this one. The logic of my statements I endorse but the numbers might be off a bit since I do not have the book with me.
W
Rocks can be lifted in the air yes. Are you lifting a rock in the air?
I used CrAu unnatural extra magnetudes as a guideline for my +4 magnetude.
If your spell lauched the boulder from the ground, I would agree with a +0 penality...
If your spell created a boulder in mid air but only worked when other boulders were also found in mid air (a siege situation) then it could be a +2 penality.
W