I love Ars! Sometimes thinking about funny things in Ars makes me laugh. Anyone got any amusing ideas?
Sample Saga -
Mercere Portal
A mixed group of Magi at an underground covenant have a Mercere Portal that allows them to visit strange and mysterious places.
Starring:
Jack o'Flambeau, a slightly older Flambeau mage whose character sheet has never seen by the GM,
Daniel Jaksson, a Jerbiton scholar and Seeker with Lost Love,
Samantha Bonisagi, a female genius maga,
and Teal'c ex Miscellania, a mysterious warrior with many odd abilities.
The game starts as action adventure as the characters raid mysterious places and meet new NPC's, but when they gain some measure of control over the Portal they begin to gain allies and enemies, such as the Va' amp'a'ire'sss.
Later, older members of the Order begin to investigate their code-skirting activities and politics is introduced.
A mystical botch near a Mercere Portal sends a small team of warriors, specialists and Magi to a far flung place; Atlantis!
Atlantis was a Hermetic Covenant from early on during the order that long since lost contact when their Mercere Portal began to fail. It was built on the ruined island of Atlantis also.
The wizards need to deal with old magical bindings failing which is causing the entire island to sink, mysterious spirits with ancient agendas, a dangerous and unstable covenant filled with hidden resources, and the fact they can't go home; every Grog lost cannot be replaced.
To deal with many of their problems they have to use the Mercere Portal in Atlantis that works in mysterious ways; to make it work enough to use it properly they will need to research it. But to simply step through to some other mythical place.. they just turn it on.
They make allies and enemies from the strange places they visit, but they are far from the protection of the Order of Hermes.
When they finally find a way back home they are not saved however. The Order is curious as to what they are doing and a number of powerful Magi are interested in taking over the work they have been doing for years. They must protect their Mercere Portal from both the enemies they have made and perhaps even greedy and political Order Mages who don't understand their requirements.
Pater Magnus Smurf, follower of Merinita, is an interesting figure cursed with amazingly small stature. He is devoted to peace and kindness, and has mastered many odd tricks of magic. He has many apprentices in his high faerie aura village, and has created a number of other tiny blue faeries to fill out the more bland of the villagers.
Gargamel of Tytalus has schemed for many years since he saw that the faeries that Pater Magnus Smurf creates can be turned into a form of golden Vis if he ever gets seven of them together. Gargamel is unfortunately slightly mad and defines his tytalean philosophy with his endless quest to either eat or turn into gold the various faeries and/or apprentices of Pater Magnus Smurf.
A mage born with the incredible propensity to bring out the magical properties of jam of different types, Jam is an odd fellow deemed utterly insane by his fellows for his desire to redefine hermetic theory around the capacity to create Jams of different types. Jam ex Miscellania is absolutely devoted to his cause and will seek everywhere for the latest recipe, odd magical theory or mystical cult that may in some vague way be related to jam. Unable to cast formulaic or spontaneous spells, Jam instead creates magic in his jam-boratory.
I love the odd stuff. Huge fan of Vance and Talislanta so eccentric and loony magi are one of my favorite NPC's to build. Not to mention downright dangerous. Everyone always makes the cool, collected Tremere antagonist or wrathful Flambeau... I think there are far better ideas.
One of the covenants I'm building right now in my Saga is inspired by the Longsaddle community of Forgotten Realms. The Harpells are bizarre, experimenting magical family with odd pursuits... and many magical mishaps.
The prank war between two covenants also stemmed from an "amusing" game idea. Imagine the possibilities! Also, a long-running feud between two magi based on magical hats. They compete for the best collection of strange and colorful hats, bonus points for magical properties.