ARM5: The Rise of New Atlantis

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61

Well I certainly don't want to see all Arts at 20. :slight_smile: But having a couple at 20 is fine. In fact, to get some of the impressive spells that are needed when making a whole new nation, it's almost required.

As for character generation, what I want more than anything else is to make sure that the characters come out relatively well rounded. I don't want someone spending all their time in the lab or all their time in the library.

Perhaps the best way to go about it is to say that for every cycle I'd like to see at least some study, some lab/exposure work, and some adventure. If everyone can follow those general guidelines, then we don't need hard and fast rules. But if I had to make hard and fast rules, I'd probably say at least 7 seasons of study each cycle, at least 7 seasons of lab/exposure work per cycle, and no more than 7 cycles of adventures per cycle. (Yes, I know my own proposal has 8 adventure seasons in cycle 1. But it goes down to 3 in cycle 6). So, a Verditus could spend a lot of seasons in the lab, and a Bonisagus a lot in the library.

As for apprentices, that should be an adventure option: gain an apprentice. I should have thought of that.

As for initiation, well, I've never played a character that went down that route. So I'm not certain exactly how much time and such need to be allocated to that. How much initiation should a six cycle magus have? Also, it does seem to me that initiation is a huge benefit for the mystery cultists, and I don't want to leave the non-mystery cultists out in the cold.

62

I"m curious, silveroak, how did you do character generation in Ad Astera per Aspera for those lucky enough to get season-by-season generation?

63

It was advancement purely from personal and caravan resources. The caravan had defined books and tractatus and assumed a standard lab an aura of +3. I think the only provision for adventure was a season to gain a familiar, who was then advanced in the same method. We were allowed to automatically sell resources at set rates to generate vis needed for later seasons. Characters who knew each other from the caravan were allowed to trade between themselves, such as doing a longevity ritual. Tartessos had a special provision that he had to spend a minimum of two years away from the caravan, but still had access to a lab during that time.

Silveroak, anything I'm forgetting?

64

I think we should not change the chargen system in its fundamentals anymore. Just get the final version done and the chars out. It's a good idea to individually allocate quality level combos in the library. That way we still get the concepts we want. Add an apprentice option and we can get going, I feel. I can see what Ovarwa is saying, but I don't think it matters. Let's just get things rolling rather than worrying about it.

65

Seeking to confirm an assumption of chargen: I thought we had the option of our characters coming from a different covenant, and if so I will use this. I'll keep all the same rules for ratios of Exposure vs Adventure vs Study, and all the ability quality ratios and limits, but I would like different art book scores in the library, as the arts I want to be high are just not covered at all well. This means that the character cannot get to the scores needed in a reasonable time frame.

66

You're right, we need to get things moving. So let's just go with this.

[size=150]Up to Gauntlet[/size]
Go with the previous rules I posted for developing up to Gauntlet. Everyone will start with one Correspondence with their parens.

[size=150]Post-Gauntlet[/size]
Advance in six cycles of seven years each. Each cycle you must spend at least 7 seaons studying and at least 7 seasons doing lab/exposure work. The other 14 are up to you. However, you may have no more than five seasons of adventure. You can assume an Aura of +7

Allowable Activities

  • Train any General, Academic or Martial skill at SQ14, up to level 6.
  • Pay 3 vis for SQ15 teaching in any Art
  • Pay 2 MP for SQ15 teaching in any Ability, up to level 8 in any Academic/General/Martial Ability and up to level 6 in any Arcane Ability.
  • Read from the Library
  • Set up/improve a lab/workshop
  • Refine a lab
  • Conduct a laboratory activity
  • Teach or train a companion/grog
  • Conduct Covenant service, receiving 3 vis and 2 MP as wages.
  • Any other normal Exposure activity
  • Have an adventure

Library
You can advance with a library having the following summae (distributed how you like).

Arts: one 24/11, one 20/11, one 18/13, five 16/15, four 12/17, three 10/19, ten 6/21
Abilities: one 8/11, three 6/17, three 5/20, seven 4/18
No summae on supernatural Abilities.

You can have the following tractatus (also distributed how you like):

seven Q13, ten Q12, ten Q11, ten Q10, ten Q9

Try and split these up so that you don't have them all in the first cycle. Remember, this is meant to be what is accumulated by a covenant over six cycles.

Adventures
I'll allow adventures. No more than 5 adventures per cycle. Adventures can achieve the following:

[tableborder][tr][th][left]Adventure[/left][/th] [th][left]Reward[/left][/th] [th][left]Allowable Frequency[/left][/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Vis find[/td] [td]3 vis (2 Te, 3 Fo) and 10 xp[/td] [td]Twice per cycle[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Treasure[/td] [td]10 MP and 10 xp[/td] [td]Twice per cycle[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Learn something[/td] [td]15 xp[/td] [td]Twice per cycle[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Meet friend[/td] [td]Gain Correspondence and 10 xp[/td] [td]Twice per cycle[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Information[/td] [td]Gain a Quality 12 Tractatus on any subject and 10 xp[/td] [td]Once per cycle[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Resources[/td] [td]Gain 10 BP toward a future covenant and 10 xp[/td] [td]Once per cycle[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Longevity Ritual[/td] [td]Gain access to a 'premium' LR and 10 xp[/td] [td]Once per cycle[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Initiation[/td] [td]Initiate in a mystery[/td] [td]Once per cycle[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Transformation[/td] [td]5 transformational vis[/td] [td]Three times total[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Apprentice[/td] [td]Find a suitable apprentice and 10 xp[/td] [td]Twice total[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Talisman[/td] [td]Find expensive or rare materials for a talisman and 10 xp[/td] [td]Once total[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Familiar[/td] [td]Find a suitable familiar (Might 15, Summer) and 10 xp[/td] [td]Once total[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mystagogue[/td] [td]Promote a Correspondence to a Mystagogue and 10 xp[/td] [td]Once total[/td][/tr][/tableborder]
Income
Everyone will get 3 Fo vis (3 Fo or 1 Te, 1 Fo) each year and 3 MP. Lab expenses of up to 3 MP/year will be paid by the covenant.
A personal vis source will give either 2 Te or 4 Fo vis per year.

Everyone will also get two seasons of skilled labor at a skill+attribute of (Cycle + 10).

Everything Else

  • The character may purchase vis at 1 vis/15 MP.
  • They may purchase MP at 10 MP/1 vis.
  • They may trade vis at standard Mercere rates
  • The character may purchase a “standard” Longevity Ritual at 2 Vis and 1 MP per +1, up to +12. This also uses one exposure season.
  • The character may purchase a “premium” Longevity Ritual at 3 vis and 2 MP per +1, up to +20. This also uses one adventure and one exposure season (gain xp as normal).
  • The character may purchase at tribunal magic items at Verditius rates, i.e. 3 vis per ten levels (round levels up to the nearest ten).
  • The character may purchase books but I have to figure out a proper price for those.

[hr][/hr]
Now, I'm sure I've left something out, or miscalculated, or made something unfair. If you spot something that looks wrong, let me know and we can tweak things.

Also, I know that these are very generous build parameters. Please don't abuse them. Try and make a relatively well-rounded magus with a few strengths.

67

Thanks Trogdor!
Aside - I need an intervention or something in my character planning. I was meandering through picking spells, designing this and that, and decided to tally up the result... Over 600 levels of spells and I'm not done yet, 41 separate spells. At least 10 more I need to add.
I can't help but laugh at myself a little.

68

(gathers in a room) "We've brought you here today to discuss your Magic Addiction." (Shuffles paperwork). "Oh, wait. I see that's a flaw and part of your essential nature. Carry on!"

69

A note about Correspondences.

Every 12 correspondences (24 letters back and forth) in a given subject allows you to create a tractatus. The rules say that the quality is the sum of the Coms of both magi. But I think that ought to be 6+the sum. Assume a Com of +1 your opposite number in each correspondence. So the quality of the summa will be (7 + your Com).

70

According to my notes we have a Guernicus focusing on In/Me/He, a Pralician focusing on weather magic, Aq, Au, and Vi, a ReTe leader, and a Merinita possily with He, An and Vi.

Unless anyone else wants it, I guess my Rusticani will go Mu, Cr, Co, Im with a smattering of other things. His primary craft will be smithing, but he will be compentent in a variety of other crafts, including Rego crafting for large scale building requirements. I might be able to shoehorn in some capability longevity ritual, but will not be optimized in that direction.

71

As for familiars and lab totals, you don't have to fully stat out your familiar right now. Just figure out what its Int will be and track it's MT for purposes of assisting. We can fill in the blanks later. Assume that familiars can study summae along with their master.

72

Just FYI, it's looking like his next best Arts will be Cr (for CrTe) and Co (for ReCo).

Oh, and he's a Bonisagus.

73

for purchasing books, might I suggest the rules from covenants- vis cost is equal to level for summae with quality being 31-level, tracti of quality 11 can be purchased for 1 pawn and at quality 14 for 2.

74

I'm good with that.

75

Okay, we have a forum. Now I just need to figure out how to make a topic sticky.

76

My Quaesitor is focusing on ReMe, then Vi In Mu, then a range of arts to suit broader utility and potentially having an apprentice.

77

Is this Covenant still looking for participants?

78

I'm sure we can squeeze one more in.

79

That would be lovely. No responses on the "Players looking for games" forum. :slight_smile:

I will catch up on all the reading and figure out what I can do to help!

80

Welcome!