5th edition changed the abilities/experience points system and allowed EPs to be used for Arts and Abilities. So far, this has worked for me. However there seems to be a problem around books.
Masters of a mundane ability are typically going to have levels around 6-8 I would guess. If this were an ability that lends itself to being written about, perhaps philosophy, a language or an Area Lore then the master (assuming literacy) could write a summa about it of Level 3 or 4. Assuming the author does not want to artificially reduce this already quite modest Level to increase Quality, the Quality is perhaps going to be around 7-9. To get the full benefit of a level 4 book it is going to take around 6 seasons. If they do drop Level from 4 to 3 then the Quality might become 10-12. This meas the book can be read in around three seasons.
Compared with Magic books, which tend to be of higher level (because it is easier to reach such a level before writing about it), this seems a little harsh.
Has anyone come up with a house rule to differentiate the Mundane from the Arcane book more?
I'm not clear what fix you desire from your statement. The current difference by RAW is that Mundane abilities are much more difficult to improve rapidly because of the scarcity of the high level book for Abilities, as well as the increased cost of improving Abilities as compared to Arts.
This seems to be a significant difference, both in the implied setting (few high level Ability books) and in the way XP is spent (Abilties are more expensive to improve).
In what way do you want to differentiate Abilities and Arts more?
Do you want Abilities to be easier to improve? Or is there some other key criteria that you are interested in changing?
Hrm it MAY be that ability books arent that good... but it should be much, much, much, much more easier to find a teacher or a trainer for a mundane/acdamic/ect ability than for an art. With some luck you may find teachers who give you extremly high exp scores per season.. the total maxoÃmum with all possible virtues, benefits, scores ect is over 60 exo per season.
Ok this IS extremly high and shouldnt be possible more than once in 200 years but 20 exp per season for Latin, Philosophy, Teaching, Artes Liberales ect and 15 for weapon or social or nature abilityies should be normal: a teacher that is worth to call teacher should be (even if he is a worse teacher) a teaching ability of 3, a Com of at least 1 a proper room with a bonus of at least 1... and with the 9 points from beeing a single student this is already 14. Now imagine a good teacher with Com 3 teaching 5 a room with 3 points bonus -> 20 exp pr season.
I don't actually want/desire anything: except that I am interested to learn people's thoughts.
Hargifex - you are of course correct that Arts are easier but need to be if mages are to get to higher levels. I also accept that books on the mundane are going to be rarer- it's obvious but when I wrote the original question for some reason it wasn't clicking in my mind. (I am currently creating a covenant library and wondering whether a level 4 summa on Area Lore: Normandy would be actually of any use).
Lucius - you expand on this theme, that books are rarer and teachers easier to find and I accept that.
The forum here has helped me, and all in an hour or so. Thanks.
Hermetic Books : Definition of Categories of Value on page 94 may be worth reading.
and some errata from the Atlas site.
It strikes me as odd that there are not some definitive high quality works
on subjects such as Latin , Philosophiae & Artes Liberales.
(apart from the Authoritive works that is)