[A&A] Non-producing art forms like Arcitechture

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

How would you handle a non-producing art form like Arcitechture or interior decorating (which IMHO is the same ability at this time in history, as well as with the granularity of ArM)

The Arcitech is the designer, he plans and maps out a building with decorations and so on. But he is not actively producing it, teams of masons, sculptors and painters will be building it.

So how is the Aestetic Quality calculated? Is the Arcitecht in some way limited by the skill of the artists and craftsmen?

How would people handle this?

IMHO the Arcitecht isn't limited 100% by the ability level of the producing artists and craftsmen. After all, he has the whole deal planned, he can advise them during their work, and have them re-do it if it doesn't meet his standards. So I'd say his effective Architechture ability level is capped by twice the ability level of the craftsmen or artists. This is assuming he works full time in his advisory capacity. he would be able to oversee a number of projects defined by his Leadership ability, although I don't quite know how to quantify this. A project should not be just a single statue or wall mural, but an entire room. Perhaps Leadership x5 # of rooms, so a high score is needed to oversee an entire mansion or palace.

2

City & Guild: Assistants , page 73.

Guild Member Ages & Abilities , page 42.
Apprentice: 03 (Craft Ability)
Journeyman: 05 ()
Master: 05-06 ()
Senior Master: 07 ()
Dean; 07 ()

Seasonal Production Chart , page 68
02 town houses
1/2 of a ship
1/2 of a stone tower
1/5 of a castle
1/50 of a cathedral

Art & Academe: Aesthetic Quality , page 123.
Aesthetic Quality: Dexterity + Craft Ability + bonuses
OR Communication + Profession Ability + bonuses

The Master Architect (or higher rank) , may also have assistants , just as the craftsmen he supervises do.
(i'm not quoting this , but it seems logically to follow that they can)

3

What I'm asking is whether the quality of the workers the craftsmen and painters modify the quality of the Arcitecht's work in any way. After all he designs the building and plans and selects the works of art to adorn the halls. He does not cut and lay the stones, he does not sculpt the statues or reliefs, he does not paint of glue the bits on the mosaics.
Does one just assume that the architect can and will get the quality of work he expects?
Does one just assume that Architecture includes keeping an eye on the actual work - which is done by others - as well as making the grand plans to begin with?

Say you're a performing musician, then the quality of your music would be modified byt he quality of your instrument. As per normal craft rules having high quality tools/instruments will give you a bonus. But is that just for 'daily use' meaning when you actually roll for it, when using music to soothe the enraged nobleman? Or does it add to

4

I don't think I'd bother, really.

Most of the workers would be farly unskilled at most things but taking directions.
Their overseers are probably more skilled but even so, aquiring a large number of highly skilled workers is hard expensive and usually unnecessary

5

Errr, actually, no.

Stone Masons were absurdly highly skilled. Take a look at medieval cathederals or Neo-Gothic churches. There's a reason they don't make them like that anymore: nobody has the skills and its too expensive to hire anyone that does.

Cathederals were expensive precisely because they required so much highly-skilled labour. You need stone masons (very high end), capenters (middling expense), wood carvers (high end), glass makers (very high end) etc. A more basic structure, like a castle wall, can use more unskilled labour. But I think the OP question was about highly decorative interiors.

For this, I'd consider the guidelines for the average guild and the average strengths.

A high end masons guild from Florence might provide a net ability strenght 8.
A mid-level from, say, a mid-sized town, might give ability 6
A weak one from a small town, used to build smaller churches might give 5.

Material and shop bonuses of +1-6 as described in Cities and Guilds. Florence would have at least a +4 situation, the weak guild may only have + 2

Prices should be weighted accordingly, with discounts for relying on more junior members (i.e. hiring the Florence guild to do quality 6) but would still be more expensive than just hiring the mid-level guild (wages would still be higher, and Masters demand their cut.)

Consider that the average peasent family lives off of 1 MythPound/year. Very high end guilds would likely demand at least 6 MPs/year/person in wages.

As a cheaper alternative, create a CrTe ritual to make the structures you want.

SAMPLE:

Architect creates detailed plans. Then using Cr(In)He(An), he creates temporary copies of them.

Having prepared a ritual sight around a fire with magical insights, magi circle the flames, chanting, while concentrating on the desired building. The plans are then thrown onto the fire with x pawns of terram which flares bright blue, consuming them and releasing a terrible billow of blue smoke. This smoke, directed by magic, drifts to a premarked foundation and forms into the described building.

CrTe(He) 40+ effect.