Campaign Title: Canaries Are Dying
System: Ars Magica (5th Edition)
# of Players: Shooting for 3-6.
Deadline: About two-three weeks after I get enough players.
Starting Level: Magi should be anywhere from Gauntlet to 5-10 years out. Character creation uses the standard rules from the core rulebook (i.e. 30 points per year after Gauntlet, which may be used as xp for Arts or Abilities or as Spell Levels).
Advancement Rules: Grogs and Companions get standard 15 points per year (plus any adventure xp); Magi will use the standard seasonal advancement.
Combat Rules: I'm going to try to avoid combat if possible (because combat in PbP sucks). If we do devolve into combat, it will be resolved in the story thread, with (hopefully) no more than three days per combat round.
Dice-Rolling Rules: I'm actually quite fond of Invisible Castle. In the event that Invisible Castle has another extended down-time, players may make their own rolls or they may ask me to make them for them.
Special Rules: Although I have most (but not all) of the 5e books, character creation should be limited to the Core Rulebook and the three Houses of Hermes books. If there's something from one of the other books (that I have) that fits your character concept to a T, let me know and I'll think about it.
- Background and setting information will be drawn heavily from Lion of the North as well.
- The covenant itself will be a relatively collaborative effort, in that there are some things that the covenant must have but the players will have input in almost everything, using Covenants.
- Disregard the bit in Character Creation on p. 32 about Twilight Points ("A typical magus also gains an average of two Twilight Points...per year.") If you want to give your magus Twilight Points (or Twilight Scars) you may, but it's not required.
Posting Rate: I have way too much time on my hands, so I'll likely be posting daily. I do want the players to be able to post a minimum of once a week. I'd prefer posting at least every two or three days, but I'm greedy that way.
Absences: If you're going to gone for a while, let me know and we can try to find a way around it. If you disappear without a trace, and don't respond to inquiries about your welfare, I'll have to find a way to write your character out of the saga until you return. I won't kill the character off because of a missing player...but this is the backside of nowhere – things happen.
Writing Expectations: Don't make my head hurt. I don't expect anyone else to be J.K. Rowling, but for the love of Mercere don't write like you're posting comments on a Lolcat, either. Something that I can read and understand the first time through works for me.
Text Formatting: I'm fond of magi writing in colored text (Fiona uses blue, Cygna uses red, for example). But even with that, I would like you to be sure we know who's saying what. Totally ooc comments or questions should go on their own line. I ask that you show the math on your dice rolls (for example, if Cygna is going to slap Liliana, it would look something like "Dex 0 + Brawl 1 + die roll of 1 (followed by die roll of 4, so 8 ) = 9." Although, if you're rolling for the same thing more than once in a row (such as Survival rolls when your characters are camping), you only need to show the detailed work the first time, unless there are any changes.
Plot- or Character-Driven: I may have one or two long-term ideas for what's going to happen, but it's going to be heavily character-driven.
Focus: The saga will be rather political, with the focus on how (or if) the characters can pull the Covenant back from the brink of collapse.
Character Types: The saga is set in Loch Leglean, which is dominated by Ex Misc. (If you play an ex Misc, at least come up with a name for your Tradition – the more fluff the better, like I did with Fiona's Tradition, the Daughters of Circe.
- Flambeau are very unpopular, due to their plans to invade Scotland in pursuit of Brude Deathless (and anyone who got in their way). So, if you play a Flambeau, don't be surprised if the other magi t.p. his sanctum.
- There's only one Quaesitor in Loch Leglean, and I believe I have a PC Quaesitor planning to play, so...um...no more Guernicus magi.
- No Mythic Companions (the ones with 20 points in Virtues and 10 in Flaws).
- I would like players to have a magus and a Companion, in addition to as many grogs as you want. I prefer that players play the grogs they make (since I prefer to play my grogs myself), but I know a lot of people don't mind if their grogs go into the community pool. If you make a grog and want to play him yourself, note that on his character sheet.
- Each magus and companion will have their own creation threads for creation and advancement notes, with a separate thread for their character sheets. Grogs will have a thread for their character sheets and another for discussion.
Campaign Description: Insula Canaria ("Dog Island") is an old-ish covenant situated on the south end of Loch Ness. Founded by a Criamon in 1145, it was prosperous for many years. Faileas ex Criamon dominated the covenant, however, and over time let the covenant decline while he focused on his own concerns. Faileas has disappeared, the apprentice he was obsessed with seeing Gauntleted had apparently replaced him and stands accused of diabolism when he's found, the covenant is down to their last vis source, and the apprentice pillaged the library upon his departure. And their mundane situation doesn't look much better. The three remaining magi have put out a call for fresh blood to try to revive the covenant they have called home for most, if not all, of their hermetic lives. And what has the giants so restless? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to revive this dying covenant in the midst of the chaos that is Loch Leglean. The saga start date will be Spring of 1222.
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