Yes. And such training will cost an arm and a leg
I can almost guarantee the progress won’t be fast. Someone may post his 15 years quickly, but it’s going to be a while before everyone has caught up.
A brief summary of the previous magi-of-hermes-style characters might be helpful, as we're still finalising character concepts. This is just my impression from a quick glance, obviously, and I'd be happy to be corrected by those who made the characters. I enjoy how much the reputations say about the characters (when they've been listed)!
Original Annulus Connectens
- Andreva of Jerbiton (Erik Tyrrell): Terram specialist, minor magical focus in swords, knives and daggers
Reputations: Fine Sculptor (House Jerbiton) 2, Dragon Slayer (vicinity of Anulus Connectens) 1, Wealthy (tribunal and redcaps) 2, Murderer (Confraternity of Roland) +2 - Janus of Mercere (Christian Anderson): Generalist, major magical focus in hearth and home, emphasis on enchanting devices for comfort
- Bausas of Criamon (Tellus): Creo Corpus specialist, minor potent magic in healing, some emphasis on human-improvement spells
- Hector of Tremere (darkwing): Rego, Aquam, Herbam, emphasis on shipbuilding and associated magic
Reliable Tremere 2, Admiral Tremere 1, Schoolmaster 1(1) - Saoirsé of Guernicus (ROF): Mentem specialist, Guernicus investigator
Reputations: Concerned with the welfare of the Order 4, Mentem Specialist 1, Good Hoplite 1, Venator 1
Then of course there is Erik's solo project:
- Adelbert of Guernicus (Erik Tyrell): Intellego specialist, minor magical focus in the astrological house of Guenitor
Reputations: Quaesitor investigator +3 (order), Master of intellego magic +3 (tribunal), Thorough Investigator +2 (House Gurnicus), Presiding Quaesitor Iberian Tribunal +4 (order), Has spells and devices for searching Iberia +2 (Tribunal)
Magi of hermes
- Alexander of Jerbiton: A magus who spends his life exploring the deserts of North Africa, developing spells to change himself and his attendants into animals to better travel in those harsh lands.
- Aurulentus of Jerbiton: This seventh son of a seventh son is deeply concerned with his family, and develops many spell effects concerned with health, fertility, and care for children as a result.
- Conscientia of Bonisagus: This “lab rat” develops effects to order for other magi, to gather resources for her own research project that has yet to bear fruit.
- Gwidion of Verditius: A master at magically enhancing plants, his greatest creation may be the living tree that serves as his home.
- Hugh of Flambeau: A magus who relishes physical combat, and who has developed many spells and enchanted items to make him a more formidable opponent.
- Julia of Ex Miscellanea: This weaver’s faerie blood lets her produce enchanted cloth and clothing of the highest caliber, though she rejects her heritage and as a result is tormented by her fey ancestor — a spider prince.
- Lambert of Merinita: This trader of goods and materials uses his magic to support his mercantile activities and his family, and to overcome the social handicap of his Gift.
- Maris of Tytalus: A magus who lives at sea, constantly testing his magic against the raw fury of the elements, and searching beneath its waters for ancient magical sites.
- Marcus of Criamon: This giant-blooded magus seeks to create living beings by combining the features of two or more existing creatures, with the minotaur as his final goal.
- Persephone of Tytalus: Driven by vengeance against her pater, she and her disfigured sister use magic to enhance their network of agents, giving them a great deal of mundane influence.
- Petalichus of Verditius: Spinning webs of intrigue through the use of secret Mysteries, this crafter of seemingly humble devices is as secretive, manipulative, and vindictive as his arachnid familiar implies.
- Ranulf of Flambeau: This magus aims to master fire magic, developing a wide range of new spells and effects, including non-violent applications of this Art.
- Scipio of Merinita: Casting his magic through music and illusion, this son of a faerie king searches for his true love despite his father’s interference.
- Tolides of Flambeau: The apprentice of a marched Infernalist, he is obsessed with darkness and cold as a result of the influence of demons that still surround him, waiting for him to fall.
- Yestin of Jerbiton: A traveling bard, whose magic enhances his music and makes his journeys easier, even as he’s plagued by a meddlesome faerie.
House count from all of the above:
Bjornaer: 0
Bonisagus: 1
Criamon: 2
Ex Miscellanea: 1
Flambeau: 3
Guernicus: 2
Jerbiton: 4
Mercere: 1
Merinita: 2
Tremere: 1
Tytalus: 2
Verditius: 2
Character concepts mentioned in this thread:
- Christian Anderson: Bjornaer magus using birds as messengers, servants, and spies
- Salutor: Tremere assessor trying to infiltrate the Order of Suleiman
- AericExMiscellanea: A pralixian magus trying to understand and incorporate order of Sullivan magic into the order. Or a creo-focused Criamon.
- ROF: Arithmetic & holy magic Jerbiton, creating a Mystery Cult based on Holy Magic
- Ironboundtome: Bjornaer physical combatant (lion or bear), or a Gentle gifted Jerbiton with talents in wood.
- Erik Tyrell: Aquam or sparrow focused
- Hroppa: Reflection-focused Jerbiton.
It surprises me a bit that Jerbiton is so popular. I might change my concept.
After the proposal from Salutor, I have decided towards the Pralixian option. I am just considering now the origin of the Magus. I wanted to make him a (relatively) local Muslim, but our actual Crusader-allied description of the Covenant, perhaps it is better if I go with a western origin. Perhaps all the characters could have come from the same Tribunal to settle here.
Actually, my concept for a bird spying magus is specially not of house Bjornaer. As much as I would like to do the single missing house in a MoH project, I just can’t find I good concept for that house.
And I can find no synergy for my bird concept.
It then again no other house seems to give synergy to the concept, from house virtue, other available magic, virtue, or abilities, or house organisation.
House Mercere Mutantem magic, perhaps? Mercere aren't particularly well-represented in these MOH-style writeups, and if you're going to be transforming things, Mercere are a pretty good place to start. You might be able to design tethered spells, for which birds could maintain concentration? Not sure if that's possible.
Mercere already have some ties with espionage, and with birds - transformation into hawks is a common item for redcaps, I believe.
Yup I had thought about this. Only my previous MoH magus Janus was of Mercere, and did a few things in that genre; tethered spells to Redcaps to help them on their travels.
And I agree that magi Mercere are under represented .
Maybe I should do a Trianoma magus, using birds to spy on the locals to help the other magi who study and infiltrate the Order of Suleiman? They do that sort of thing.
One thing we do seem to be notably missing at the moment, given the covenant concept, is anyone who's going to be particularly good at directly fighting with sahir - my character will have some vim, and will almost certainly have various DEO or (realm) equivalent spells, but he's not going to be a dedicated combat specialist due to spending too much of his time on other things.
Probably Ironboundtome and the Aquam specialist will be able to hold their ground. Also, the Tytalus grappling machine sounds fearsome fighting another magic user.
I am going to be primarily being to be focused in Vim (so I hope to have a lot of counterspelling options), but probably will have an affinity with one technique to get some more options. I will search to be not useless against creatures without might (with creatures with might there is always PeVi). I don't really know how, yet.
But anyway, our war cannot be so direct. It only took 10 years to Pralix to kill Damhan-Allaidh with a country-wide war. I don't think a real magical conflict of this dimension could last that much.
Have created first draft for my magus, Gaudius of Verditius: https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/the-covenant-of-caepernum-gaudius-of-verditius/12161/2
That was an absolutely silly idea, which will not be implimented. (By me, anyway.)
With all its silliness, that concept is something powerful (although probably the implementation cannot be good, or even believable).
I am already drafting the magus. I have two questions. The first one: I was going to give reasonable specialties for the recently gauntleted mage and change them when the scores increased in a different environment (if you are new to the desert, is difficult to have a specialty in that area, but the specialty in snowy areas from when you had survival 1 will have no sense in 30 years). Then I realized that the possibility of changing specialties every time that you increase the ability is a house rule of my group and that is not something that Magi of Hermes does, for example. Do I have to put the final specialties in the skills from the beginning?
The second one: Which will be the theme for the first 15 years? (or do we wait until all initial concepts are done?)
- I agree with your idea. We’re it to me this would be the RAW not just a sensible house rule.
2)Prpbably wait until more people are set. But I think the first 15 years is about getting set up.
I like the house rule, it seems highly plausible. I wouldn't be surprised if most people use something similar (or simply change specializations when it seems appropriate). The detailed character creation rules which we'll be using to create our characters would allow you to select the most appropriate specialisation at the end of character creation. So I think we can be fairly flexible.
(A note on climate: I believe we're in a hot Mediterranean climate zone, but the nearest deserts are quite a long way south and east. That's not to say we won't spend time crossing them, in our tangles with the Order of Suleiman.)
Obvious candidates for themes: building a new covenant; skirmishing with mundanes; spying on the OoS (though that's probably best left for a later period); frontier logistics.
Working through my Bjornaer concept and it’s slowing taking shape. Samual is Cyprian born and raised in the local tribunal, with all the turmoil which comes with its history.
If I may, what Languages are appropriate? I ask as I’ve no idea about the region.
Design questions.
- Are we limiting choices in design to any books or is all of 5th ed available? (Assumed all)
- assumed that disruptive elements in character design are ok. Eg. Dark secrets, Demon taints, Diedne, etc. (I’ve not taken any, just asking)
- Assumed no Mystery Cult initiations at saga kickoff (a Bjornaer clan choice in HoH:MC reads a little like it’s done during apprenticeship but I assumed it was post- apprenticeship).
- limits on Story flaws and Personality flaws as per core recommendations? (Assumed yes, but darn)
Spells:
- totally bespoke spells are ok at start. Serious consideration should be given to what an apprentice could craft.
- mods to spells from the core books are ok; meaning changes in R,D,T to suit a character’s flavour
The project is about showing what can be done, so imho go for maximum creativity.
All stuff from all 5th books are ok.
Starting characters can have tailored spells, even ones using special parameters, as long as it’s not restricted to certain houses, mysteries etc. Unless they have it, of course .
Only have devices to begin with if they have virtues like Magic Item, Personal vis source etc. For purposes of balance I think that should be paid for. And only devices you could have made yourself. Otherwise we’ll see devices designed by someone else, and that’s not nearly as interesting. I suppose you could assume having some help from Parens or a superior lab.
Once we get going we can assume a reasonable amount of vis for devices. I know Janus used a boatload. Don’t get limited by assumed vis scarcity, better to lean to the generous side and let people see some creative designs.
And we don’t define library, just use the 30 exp per year advancement. It averages out over time.
Sorry - I possibly wasn't very clear. My concern is less with the ability to hurt the sahir themselves (who are humans who can be killed in a wide variety of ways), and more to do with being able to detect and hurt their jinn, which are spirits with the ability to remain hidden in some way.
There are about 5,000 sahirs, albeit only about 500 Gifted ones. Obviously we're not going to be fighting all of them at once (or the war will indeed be over very quickly), but there's plenty of scope for prolonged conflict and the field of play is larger than the British Isles.
Admittedly it's possible that not all of the magi see themselves as opposing the entire Order of Suleiman, rather than just the local ones causing problems for the covenant. My character is definitely in the former camp, though.
Agreed.
My guesses would be:
- Arabic for the natives near the covenant site
- Greek for the natives of Cyprus, unless you're decended from servants of the Knights Templar that were given control of the island by Richard Lionheart, in which case French is more likely.
- Hebrew will be a lot less common that one would expect from looking at a modern atlas, though not unheard.
- Every Hermetic should be able to speak Latin.
Gaudius will have respectable intellego, although not necessarily the best in the covenant. Destroying the jinn will perhaps have to be someone else's job! He will be helpful in other ways: eg distraction and defence.
Edit: Looks like Aeric is bringing plenty of perdo vim to the table.
Enough for lesser threats (Might 10-15). I probably will have 2 problems:
First, identifying the nature of the threat not to lose one or two rounds using the wrong spell (I only have Magic Lore, not Infernal or Faerie, and not much).
Second, surviving to whatever powers the creature have with my weak parma. Normally there is not enough time in combats to analyze opponents and, in any case, if I have read it correctly, you have to penetrate with the skill to get the full analysis that it seems that is required for using your full parma. Which, by the way, seems impossible.
Pralixians don't seem the hardest opponents, at least for creatures with Might.