1228 Lena the Alchemist

for the discussion, creation, and advancement of the aforementioned.

Ready for review: http://amfightorflight.wikidot.com/lena-the-alchemist

Nevermind, hang on. Need to make a fix.

Fixed.

based on your scores and listed experience, after adjusting backwards for virtues, I come up with an age of nearly 29 (28+13 extra experience) Your page about post gauntlet experience is also confusing considering this character has no gauntlet and should- aside from bonus xp from her magister in artibus ability, have used a simple +15xp/yr advancement rate.

On the advancement page - this was a placeholder page for in-game advancement. I deleted the mention of the gauntlet page which did not exist.

On the experience side, I've reviewed my calculation and agree there was an error there. However, I come up to 27 years of age + 13 xp, not 28 + 13.

Here's a copy of my math:
Childhood (5 yrs) = 120 xp
Magister in Artibus = 240 xp
Mythic Alchemy = 5 xp
Later Life (22 yrs) = 330 xp
Linguist = 4 language at 5 * 15 xp per skill = 60 xp
Last year - Winter = 13 xp
Total 768 xp

Any idea how we come we end up a year apart?

I'm not sure where you are getting 515 for linguist, your savings are 415 (you and I calculate things very differently) but that does come to 60xp, unless the difference is in native language- you don't get the linguist discount on your native language (I calculate this as being level 5 for 0 points and then you have 45 more points in childhood abilities)

That accounts for the difference. I've updated the character to age 28.

Also i will note that I did say the 13 xp was specifically for the redcap character, not a general rule. While in this case it makes sense for an alchemist in the alps to have the winter months be set aside fro working indoors, I would prefer that you ask instead of assume.

Character approved, though I would like to see the background filled in.

The background is filled in and personality traits were added.

I'd like to discuss with you Lena's philosophical lab total, and more specifically the applicable philosophic bonuses. Per A&A p. 71, we have 3 types of bonuses there (which can't exceed Philosophae):

  • Shape and material;
  • Risk modifier;
  • Lab bonuses.

Her current lab upkeep is -3 (and not 0, as I initially had written in the budget sheet) per A&A. My reading of the rules on p. 71 are that I can consider having components that would count towards the S&M bonus as part of my lab upkeep. Besides the component on p. 76, I've identified the following components that would be handy for reagents:

  • Cappadocian salt +6 purification effects (for alchemical purification);
  • Lavender +3 cleansing / purification or healing (for alchemical purification);
  • Magnesian stone (Female) +3 purification (for alchemical purification);
  • Silver +1 purity (for alchemical purification)

Do you agree with the above list, and would any of those impact upkeep?

I couldn't find S&M applicable to the enhance or diminish qualities guidelines, unless we use something like Muto, but if we did that, Mercury's actual bonus would be a general +5, not a +2, so that probably doesn't work?

I'm also wondering whether bonuses to a type of effect would work (for example, a S&M bonus to Ignem for producing greek fire, Aquam for acids, etc.)?

My last question is whether I can count the Philosophae ability as the equivalent of MT for the purpose of increasing lab refinement to get space for lab virtues. This seems like a straightforward adaptation?

Looking for your feedback on the above before I start calculating my lab total. Thanks!

  1. Cappadocia is deep inside the consulate of Rum, and not an easy material to get you hands on, especially from the Greater Alps.
  2. I do not have a reference for these bonuses for lavender, nor magnesian stone
  3. While I do find silver, I do not see purity in the list of properties for it.

I'm not sure what you mean by a S&M to enhance or diminish properties...that is an effect of the alchemical ability, not a S&M property, S&M properties might apply selectively to this, not categorically.

An ignem bonus would apply to a formula involving fire, Aquam for acids I would need to look at indivdually but there is a strong chance it would work.

Yes, for improving a philosophical lab philosophae does translate directly- the trick being if you have a combined use lab (artes liberales and philosophae for example) then you have to use the lower ability.

Lavender F&F p. 125
Magnesian Stone TSE p.56
Silver purity - RoP:D, p. 136 or Revised Judaism p. 128, side note may require reading Sefer ha-bahir

Lavender is a yes
Magnesian Stones are generally hard to come by in the alps, except through the redcap network.
Silver purity will only be effective for Jewish characters (as in Jewish philosophers- once the device has been made it works for anyone)

Character updated to Fall 1229.

One question - can either of the Metaphysics (Aristotle)- philosophae 7 SQ:12, or Aliuphysics philosophae:3 Q:6 be used to learn reagent recipes?

by the rules in arts and acadame you can learn formulas from any book on the underlying ability, though the book topic might restrain what kind of formulas you can use.
Metaphysics, for example, would be a great book for researching formulas that affect the form or function of matter.
What exactly Aliuphysics covers is hard to say...

I'm not sure I understand the root of the word aliuphysics at all. Would Kriegeist's apprentice be able to give Lena any details about the type of subject the book covers?

He didn't look at each book that closely, just enough to identify it as being about philosophae. He isn't certain what the title refers to either.

Would Lena be able to get a grasp of the content of that book with a few days of looking at it to see if it may prove useful to her, as opposed to an entire season of study?

She would definitely grasp that mingus certainly suffered from the incomprehenisble flaw. Beyond that make a roll of int+phillosophae