don't forget that 8 of your familiar's might comes from its small size.
That's a rule that I haven't seen ... what's the significance?
It's in ROP:M, just applied backwards
what it means is that with a might of 55 and size of -8 they are only allowed 47 net points in qualities.
OK. It was not mentioned where it should logically have been mentioned, in the inset on page 30, so that's why I did not know. Now I found it though.
I think I have it right up until the season of binding the familiar. That is,
- Balder's lab should be ok assuming that 150BP is what the covenant can afford. You reviewed most of it, but I am not sure if you got to the bottom of it and approved it.
- Balder should be ok, up until the point where he starts inventing spells
- The familiar, Vinir, I think is ok.
The rest of the p/g years will be spent inventing spells (or items), which I will turn to when I know that there aren't any problems which affect lab totals.
Two more questions1
- Is Balder's Aegis superfluous because of the Genius Locus? If so, I shall drop it I think.
- Is original research pre-game allowed? Or regular experimentation for that matter? So far I have abvoded advancement which requires die rolls, but if die rolls are allowed, I shall consider it.
The aegis is not superfluous, it is more of a layered defense, and the genies loci does not keep its defense up all the time.
Experimentation and original research is allowed, but we need to 'walk through it; according to what you are reseaching- after all if the breakthrough isn't possible I think you will want to know what you have found out about it after a season or two instead of after dedicating years to your quest.
The breakthrough I have in mind is integration of rune magic (or any other tradition with a reasonable chance of finding insights through stories). This integration is already laid out in Ancient Magic. I reckon that pre-game, he works off legends saying that rune duration is possible. In game, I hope for a chance to work with hedge wizards on the details.
Is that ok? Feel free to point to other hedge traditions, if they are more suitable to the story. It is the liaising with hedge wizards that is interesting about the concept.
But I do wonder a little about interpretation of original research. Inventing a spell which incorporates the new idea, will that already bend (break) Hermetic limits? Or how can you incorporate limit breaking while staying within the limits?
The issue that I see for pre-game research in this area is how to research rune magic without first seeking sources of inspiration...
Mechanically, in principle, any breakthrough which is possible at all, is possible by straight-forward original research. Having heard a rumour of a single feature of the hedge tradition sparks the project. The idea can be enough inspiration to get started. And having heard rumours of, say, the rune duration, I find very plausible. Much more inspiration is required to complete the research though.
I don't have a problem with its being disallowed though.
And I would appreciate an answer to the second question ... exactly how tightly must/can the new idea be incorporated into the spells invented along the way.
that is a difficult question to answer in a general sense, and it may well progress as the research does. If you are researching an impossible effect obviously you won't be able to incorporate it very closely at all...
to use your specific example: rune duration is the magnitude of moon but similar to circle, excepting that it need not circumscribe an area. As such I would allow it to be used immediately in any spell which is being used to develop the duration, as written, requiring experimentation as per those rules since the concept itself is inherently experimental.
Vinar is good, first three seasons of lab totals are condionally approved training Vinar will give 11 SQ per season.
I would like the rest of the seasons documented... also seasons need to be assigned to install whatever virtues were added post refinement- this need not be seasons spent but they are seasons when those virtues are not available (this availability may affect the approval of these first three seasons)
How about all virtues existed prior to Balder taking over the lab, along with two missing equipment flaws which were removed during the refinement?
Alternatively, the greater expansion was installed during the last season of refinement and the season finding the familiar.
The missing equipment version works- since there are no bonuses in items or texts we will say those were the missing equipment which the previous mage had removed to make room for other things they felt were more important.
I think he is good now. I had to shuffle around spells both pre- and post-gauntlet.
confirmed