Yes, if you're using HoH:S it definitely gets better, but I'm trying to restrict these characters to pure corebook. That does mean I'm unlikely to even try a Vilano Flambeau (or a bunch of other concepts that rely heavily on non-core material).
Edit: Also, thank-you for the commentrary. Leaving aside the other positives, there's a limit to how many posts I can make in a row before it won't let me post any more.
This should bring me up to 1/4 of the total Mercere magi - a take on one of their pagan magi (without access to the Pagan flaw).
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Pre -2, Com +1, Str +0, Sta +2, Dex +0, Qik +0
Size: 0
Age: 25
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Life-linked Spontaneous Magic; Affinity with Terram, Enduring Constitution, Puissant Creo*, Puissant Terram, Well-travelled; Necessary Condition: Touching Caduceus; Pious, Social Handicap: Outspoken Pagan, Susceptibility to Divine Power, Visions
*House Virtue
Personality Traits: Sincerely worships Mercury +3, Won't shut up about it +3, Independant +1
Reputations: None
Combat:
Dodging: Init +0, Atk n/a, Dfn +2, Dam n/a
Soak: +2
Fatigue Penalties: OK, 0, 0, -2, -4, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20) (reduce total penalty by 1 point)
Abilities: [Area 1] Lore 2 (geography), [Area 2] Lore 2 (geography), Artes Liberales 1 (ceremonial magic), Athletics 2 (climbing), Awareness 2 (alterness), Brawl 1 (dodging), Charm 2 (first impressions), Code of Hermes 1 (magical power), Concentration 1 (spells), Faerie Lore 1 (regios), Folk Ken 2 (magi), Guile 1 (magi), Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Magic Lore 1 (regios), Magic Theory 3 (Terram), [Native Language] 5 (storytelling), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (covenants), Parma Magica 1 (Terram), Stealth 3 (natural environments), Survival 2 (route finding), Swim 1 (rivers)
Arts: Cr 6+3, In 6, Mu 0, Pe 0, Re 0, An 0, Aq 0, Au 1, Co 0, He 0, Ig 0, Im 0, Me 0, Te 13+3 (1), Vi 6
Twilight scars: None
Equipment: Traveller's clothes, Roman priesthood robes
Encumbrance: 0
Spells known:
True Sight of the Air (InAu 15) +9
Bind Wound (CrCo 10) +11
Wall of Protecting Stone (CrTe 25) +28 Mastery 1 (Fast Casting)
Eyes of the Treacherous Terrain (InTe 15) +24
The Crystal Dart (Mu(Re)Te 10) +19 Mastery 1 (Multiple Casting)
Pit of the Gaping Earth (PeTe 15) +18
Trackless Step (ReTe 10) +18
Piercing the Faerie Veil (InVi 20) +14
Character Notes
This character has visions from the roman god Mercury, and considers themselves his priest, needing to touch a representation of Mercury's staff entwined with two serpents even to cast their spells. Roman (and greek) paganism has a certain level of respectability in the Order (unlike celtic paganism), with some areas even performing pagan rites at tribunals; however most magi consider these more a piece of theatre than a sincere (idolatrous) act of worship, and are made uncomfortable by the character's outspoken devotion.
Alongside their priestly role, the character takes it upon themselves to make the most difficult and dangerous journeys required by House Mercere, visiting covenants in the wildest locations and scouting and securing out new routes for future Redcap visitation. Longer term they want to enhance House Mercere's magical transportation network.
Customisation Notes
This character can take an additional 3 points of flaws and these must all be taken as a single major flaw as they are already at their limit of 5 minor flaws. Currently they have Life-linked Spontaneous Magic as their Major Hermetic Virtue; Mercurian Magic would fit better into their role as a Mercurian priest, but would be significantly less useful for trying to cross dangerous terrain.
A Verditius spiritual necromancer. For all your "pet ghost" needs.
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Pre -2, Com +2, Str +0, Sta +0, Dex +1, Qik +0
Size: 0
Age: 25
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Mercurian Magic; Affinity with Mentem, Cyclic Magic (Positive): Night, Minor Magical Focus: Ghosts, Personal Vis Source, Puissant Magic Theory, Puissant Mentem, Second Sight, Verditius Magic*; Difficult Longevity Ritual, Supernatural Nuisance; Ceremonial Spontaneous Magic, Cyclic Magic (Negative): Day, Nocturnal, Overconfident
*House Virtue
Personality Traits: Overconfident +3, Collector +2, Jovial +1
Reputations: None
Combat:
Dodging: Init 0, Atk n/a, Dfn +2, Dam n/a
Soak: +0
Fatigue Penalties: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (ritual magic), Athletics 1 (running), Awareness 2 (alertness), Brawl 1 (dodging), Charm 1 (first impressions), Code of Hermes 1 (item sales), Concentration 1 (spells), Craft: Bone 3 (for enchantment), Folk Ken 1 (magi), Guile 1 (peasants), Latin 4 (Hermetic terms), Leadership 2 (ghosts), Magic Lore 1 (ghosts), Magic Theory 3+2 (Mentem), Native Language 5 (poetry), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (Verditius), Parma Magica 1 (Mentem), Penetration 1 (Mentem), Philosophaie 1 (ritual magic), Second Sight 4 (ghosts), Stealth 1 (at night)
Arts: Cr 0, In 0, Mu 0, Pe 0, Re 10, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 4, He 0, Ig 0, Im 0, Me 9+3, Te 0, Vi 0
Twilight scars: None
Equipment: Wizardly robes
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells known:
Eyes of the Cat (MuCo(An) 5) +0
Awaken the Slumbering Corpse (ReCo 25) +14
Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit (PeMe 5) +13 (F) Mastery 1 (Multiple Casting)
The Call to Slumber (ReMe 10) +22
Ring of Warding Against Spirits (ReMe 15) +32 (F)
Coerce the Spirits of Night (ReMe 20) +32 (F)
Incantation of Summoning the Dead (ReMe 40) +37 (F) Mastery 1 (Penetration)
Character Notes
This character creates ornately carved skulls with ghosts bound to them. And sells them, when they need the vis for more projects badly enough. Really, though, their true interests lies in collecting interesting ghosts, and experimenting with things to do with them.
Customisation Notes
This character has taken their full complement of Virtues and Flaws. Mercurian Magic and Personal Vis Source aren't strictly necessary (especially in high vis sagas), but should make summoning ghosts more feasible. Note that the character doesn't have to use Incantation of Summoning the Dead to get a ghost if they can find one already haunting somewhere, but it gives them more choice.
Comments
For troupes using The Mysteries: Revised Edition, the Disciples of the Worm are likely to be of interest for this character, either for membership or as rivals.
Very cool. Having already acquired Second Sight, it seems that they joined the Disciples of the Worm at an academically young age...
I like the cyclic magic (night/day), it gives a nice touch to the character.
There are other ways to get second sight, but yes, I was thinking that the Disciples of the Worm would be relevant "extra book" material. I have now added a note to that effect.
Another Ex- Misc. I'm not entirely sure about having Skilled Parens as the tradition minor Hermetic Virtue; on the one hand, I think it is legal, and the parens probably are likely to be relatively skilled; on the other hand, neither the apprentice or the parens is likely to have a lot of free time. There weren't any other minor Hermetic Virtues jumping out at me as candidates, though, so ultimately I went with it.
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Pre +0, Com +3, Str -1, Sta +1, Dex -2, Qik -2
Size: 0
Age: 25
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Gentle Gift, Magister in Artibus*; Good Teacher, Quiet Magic x 2, Secondary Insight, Skilled Parens*, Subtle Magic; Ambitious, Difficult Underlings, Waster of Vis*, Ceremonial Spontaneous Magic, Oversensitive: lack of respect
*House Virtue
Personality Traits: Ambitious +6, Resents the suggestion that they're less than a "proper" magus +3, Erudite +2
Reputations: None
Combat:
Dodging: Init -2, Atk n/a, Dfn +0, Dam n/a
Soak: +1
Fatigue Penalties: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Arabic 6 (expansive vocabulary), [Area Lore] 1 (culture), Artes Liberales 5 (ceremonial casting), Athletics 1 (climbing), Awareness 1 (students), Brawl 1 (dodging), Charm 2 (librarians), Civil and Canon Lore 1 (universities), Code of Hermes 1 (mundane interference), Concentration 1 (spells), Etiquette 1 (scholars), Folk Ken 2 (students), Guile 1 (getting texts), Latin 6 (academic usage), Magic Lore 2 (magical traditions), Magic Theory 3 (Intellego), [Native Language] 5 (long words), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (scholars of mundane subjects), Parma Magica 1 (Mentem), Philosophaie 4 (ceremonial casting), Profession: Scribe (copying carefully), Stealth 1 (urban areas), Teaching 3 (groups)
Arts: Cr 0, In 10, Mu 0, Pe 5, Re 4, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 0, Ig 0, Im 6, Me 7, Te 1, Vi 0
Twilight scars: None
Equipment: Wizardly robes
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells known:
Circle of Beast Warding (ReAn 5) +5
Summoning the Distant Image (InIm 25) +17
Aura of Enobled Presence (MuIm 10) +7
Veil of Invisibility (PeIm 20) +12
Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20) +18
Thoughts Within Babble (ImMe 25) +18
The Call to Slumber (ReMe 10) +12
Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe 20) +12
Wielding the Invisible Sling (ReTe 10) +6
Unravelling the Fabric of Imaginem (PeVi 5) +6
Character Notes
This character is part of a tiny Ex Miscellenea tradition which arose when a magus noticed that a university Magister had the Gift. Members of the tradition study for mundane degrees alongside the training of their Arts, and are expected to continue in their academic career after they pass their gauntlet, spending at least one season a year teaching university students.
The character themselves is fascinated by the recent transmission of ancient knowledge to the West via the Muslim world. They are sure that the discoveries so far have only scratched the surface of what is available, and intend to seek out new texts and make a name for themselves translating and commentating on them. They are particularly interested in any texts on ancient magical traditions, but even significant mundane texts will be eagerly sought after.
The character is very learned, but a lot of their knowledge is of mundane subjects which many magi do not value highly. They personally consider this a flaw in the other magi, and will be highly affronted at the suggestion that they are in any way "lesser".
Customisation Notes
This character has room to take an additional two points of flaws and a corresponding number of virtues. Hedge Wizard could be an appropriate flaw if you want the character's sensitivity to become more marked. Either Great Int or Great Comm could make the character a better Magister, whilst Social Contacts could aid them in their search for ancient wisdoms.
Comments
Art & Academe would be very useful this character. They have the languages necessary to do translations between Arabic and Latin but not currently the necessary Area Lores.
A Jerbiton focussed on acting as a liaison with the church.
Characteristics: Int +1, Per +2, Pre +2, Com +2, Str -1, Sta +0, Dex -1, Qik -1
Size: 0
Age: 25
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Gentle Gift, Guardian Angel; Affinity with Intellego, Arcane Lore, Puissant Intellego, Sense Holiness and Unholiness, Social Contacts: Clergy*; Favours, Necessary Condition: Prayer, Pious; Temperate
*House Virtue
Personality Traits: Pious +6, Self-controlled +3, Diplomatic +2
Reputations: None
Combat:
Dodging: Init -1, Atk n/a, Dfn +1, Dam n/a
Soak: +0
Fatigue Penalties: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (logic), Awareness 2 (alertness), Brawl 1 (dodging), Charm 2 (saints), Church Lore 2 (petitions), Civil and Canon Lore 2 (papal edicts), Code of Hermes 1 (mundane interference), Concentration 2 (prayer), Divine Lore 2 (supernatural powers), Etiquette 1 (clergy), Faerie Lore 2 (supernatural powers), Folk Ken 2 (clergy), Infernal Lore 1 (supernatural powers), Intrigue 2 (clergy), Latin 5 (Hermetic usage), Magic Lore 2 (supernatural powers), Magic Theory 3 (Intellego), [Native Language] 5 (storytelling), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (Jerbiton), Parma Magica 1 (Mentem), Sense Holiness and Unholiness 3 (good), Theology 1 (magic)
Arts: Cr 0, In 12+3, Mu 0, Pe 0, Re 0, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 4, He 0, Ig 0, Im 4, Me 5, Te 0, Vi 2
Twilight scars: None
Equipment: Wizardly robes
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells known:
Shiver of the Lycanthrope (InAn 10) +15
Revealed Flaws of Mortal Flesh (InCo 10) +19
The Inexorable Search (InCo 20) +19
Discern the Images of Truth and Falsehood (InIm 25) +19
Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie (InMe 20) +28
Thoughts within Babble (InMe 25) +28
The Call to Slumber (ReMe 10) +12
Character Notes
This character has several members of their wider family in the church, and has used this as a springboard to make a wider circle of contacts. They use this circle partly to try to smooth over relations between the Order and the Church where necessary, but more positively to aid the church when it needs expert assistance in investigating supernatural events - is a supposed miracle by a saint genuine, or chicanery? What's cursed the repair works on the church? Where is the stolen child?
Customisation Notes
The character has taken all of their points of Flaws, but the Necessary Condition or Temperate personality flaws could be swapped out if desired (so long as the character does have some Hermetic flaw). The Guardian Angel provides flavour and support to the character concept but is not strictly necessary, so could be swapped out if preferred.
I feel uneasy about that too. Maybe you could specify that all members of this tradition have the Good Teacher virtue from early training? There are precedents in HoH:S for traditions with additional obligatory virtues, and it's hardly moving beyond the core rulebook.
The point being, of course, that if all their parents have Good Teacher, it's a great justification for them all having Skilled Parens.
It's not a bad idea, although is there actually a way (other than initiation, and this isn't really intended to be a mystery cult) to reliably pass on General virtues like Good Teacher?
By rule (Apprentices.42), for Ex Misc, if the tradition's V&F package is not initiated as a Mystery, then it is reliably passed on as a result of "10 seasons of one-on-one interactions with a parens", just as the House Virtues for the other seven non-Mystery Houses are.
Otherwise, there are no general rules for teaching General virtues.
I haven't read Apprentices, but SEE's quote suggests this is a formalisation of how all Bonisagi mages end up with Puissant Magic Theory etc. I would think that rule could extend to this case.
The issue here is that the Good Teacher wouldn't be part of the package (and I can't swap it in to be one because the free Minor virtue is meant to be Hermetic). I suppose I could just say it's a trait they look for in apprentices.
Sorry if I'm belabouring this, but:
In HoH:S, Beast Masters have a list of "Required Virtues and Flaws". In the same way, you could just say that Good Teacher is a required Virtue for this lineage.
Incidentally, it would probably add to the flavour of the character to come up with a name for their lineage. (Though that isn't done for the one in the rulebook.)
That's probably a plan.
A name for the tradition is a good idea (and I should come up with one for the other Ex-Misc traditions in this thread too). Actually thinking of one is the fun bit...I don't want it to be location specific. It could be named after the founder of the lineage I suppose, although that's not particularly interesting. I want something that isn't blatantly magical, I think, given they spend a fair amount of time mixing with mundane society.
For the other traditions, "Wardens" seems a good word to include in the forest tradition. "Forest Wardens" is possibly an option. "Wardens of the Woods" may overdo the alliteration?
The merchant tradition also have the issue that they don't want to sound obviously magical - probably even more so. Maybe a Society of some kind?
An Ex Misc tradition is unlikely to be ubiquitous; it's probably going to be associated with a particular forest/woodland. And so, associated with the culture there -- and that's where the name they call themselves will probably come from. Linking them to a culture will also give good hooks for anyone wanting to play one. Just leave room for reasons one would decide to relocate to some other forest in a different Tribunal.
But these are designed to be sample characters, so attaching them to an area is undesirable. In practice, I agree there often would be an area or founder attached to the Tradition, but that's easy to add, in my opinion.
I think "Forest Wardens" is good.
Maybe "The mercantile house" for your merchants? It's the kind of name that doesn't scream "magic " at people.
And for the academics, maybe "The philosophers of supernature?". They could easily see themselves as cousins to natural philosophers.
"The Merchantile House" feels like it's going to get confused with House Mercere.
Maybe some reference to Gerbert of Aurillac (Pope Slyvester II) for the Magister in Artibus tradition - reading his wikipedia entry, apparently he was a promoter of the study of Greek and Moorish learning in addition to the various rumours about him having magical abilities. Masters of Aurillac? Sons of Sylvester?
Whilst I mull it over, have a "Merinita" illusionist. This may be another character that isn't a great "new player" PC - they're fairly heavily spont based (although a lot of it is variants of "I create an illusion"), Reclusive and have the potential for PVP. I liked the concept and statted it up anyway, though.
Characteristics: Int +0, Per +1, Pre +3, Com -2, Str -1, Sta +3, Dex +0, Qik +1
Size: 0
Age: 25
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Diedne Magic; Affinity with Imaginem, Affinity with Mentem, Arcane Lore, Deft Imaginem, Faerie Magic*, Minor Magical Focus: Sentient Illusions, Puissant Finesse, Faerie Blood (Sidhe); Dark Secret**, Greater Malediction (burnt by iron), Study Requirement; Faerie Upbringing, Loose Magic, Poor Formulaic Magic, Reclusive
*House Virtue
**"Free" with Diedne Magic
Personality Traits: Secure -3, Wants to control her world +2, Brave -1
Reputations: None
Combat:
Dodging: Init +1, Atk n/a, Dfn +3, Dam n/a
Soak: +3
Fatigue Penalties: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (alphabets), Athletics 1 (running), Awareness 2 (threats, Brawl 1 (dodging), Charm 1 (being non-threatening), Code of Hermes 1 (molesting the fae), Concentration 1 (spells), Faerie Lore 3 (Sidhe), Finesse 4+2 (Imaginem), Folk Ken 1 (magi), Guile 2 (lying to authority), Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Magic Theory 3 (Imaginem), [Native Language] 5 (storytelling), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (destruction of the Diedne), Parma Magica 1 (Imaginem), Stealth 1 (amongst illusions)
Arts: Cr 11, In 0, Mu 0, Pe 4, Re 2, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 0, Ig 0, Im 11, Me 11, Te 2, Vi 0
Twilight scars: None
Equipment: Wizardly robes
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells known:
Eyes of the Cat (MuCo (An) 5) +3
The Shadow of Human Life (CrIm(Me) 40) +36 (F)
Discern Own Illusions (InIm 15) +14
Dispel the Phantom Image (PeIm 20) +18
Veil of Invisibility (PeIm 20) +18
Trackless Step (ReTe 10) +7
Wielding the Invisible Sling (ReTe 10) +7
Character Notes
When this character was a young child, they were taken as an apprentice by a maga locked in a bloody war. After little more than a year of training, their mistress sold them to a Faerie court for aid in her war. There they stayed for some hazy amount of time, until a visiting Merinita magus spotted the Gifted child and bargained for them in turn. Learning of the child's history, he told them that the Diedne had been wiped out centuries ago, and impressed on them the importance of never telling another soul of their history, less the Order come for them too.
The result is a character who wants to bury their Diedne past as deeply as they can - they have no interest in revenge for their sakes, but rather just surviving. They still have the talent for spontaneous magic that comes from their lineage, and use this to create a world of illusions where nothing can threaten them.
Customisation Notes
The character has taken all of their points of Flaws. You may wish to swap out the Reclusive minor Personality flaw, as this is often a bad Personality flaw for PCs; this can either be swapped for another minor flaw, or upgraded to a major Personality flaw in place of one of their existing major flaws (in which case you will need another minor flaw as well).
[quote="Salutor, post:199, topic:173872, username:Salutor"]
The Merchantile House" feels like it's going to get confused with House Mercere.[/quote]
How about "The Other Mercantile House"? Or "The Mercantile House that don't wear red caps"?
Ah, good call. Name them after a historical scholar. I don't know Gerbert but he sounds good.
While not date acurate the merchant house could be the Fiorinos or Florins, and you can place them as the implementators of the coin that comes lateral in time in Florence, as their influence increases. That way you have a place of origin and plenty of ways to get it’s members to go to others cities and tribunals.