Calpurnia ex Verditius

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: A Dirge for the Order
2

Make two more reserved posts for you to edit.
I want the first post in this thread to be the character in play.
The second post to be the character at gauntlet.
The third post is the one to use during post gauntlet advancement.

Once you do that, I'll delete this post so that the three posts are together as I want, and answer the question you have in a new post.
I don't have an answer to the Personal Vis source, yet. It's one of those things that will get settled as characters get closer to being finalized, and I determine the amount of additional resources that I'll add to the covenant as the SG.

3

Calpurnia was originally intended to be part of House Merenita. Mikilantes found the girl essentially wandering out of Faerie, having been raised there.

Unfortunately, Mikalantes was suddenly called away and Votaporix ex Verditius claimed the unusual girl as his own. Votaporix embodies the stereotypes of Verditius magi: selfish, arrogant, and talented. Her apprenticeship would be considered normal only by Tytalus magi. During her Gauntlet, there was an explosion, leaving her parens wounded. Votaporix feels betrayed, and revenge is always on his thoughts.

Since the Gauntlet, she has gone to the covenant where her Merenita friend has been residing.

Calpurnia is strongly touched by the Fae, she is short, albino, pointed ears, and her eyes are totally black. Her head is shaved, although you might see a silvery stubble. She generally wears dull grey robes that completely cover her skin, with the hood up. She tends to stay in her lab, occasionally speaking to the covenant blacksmith.

Her research interests are controlling metals, and making tools (Transforming Mythic Europe, p. 124-5),

At Gauntlet: Age 25
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Str -1, Sta +1, Pre 0, Com 1, Dex 1, Qik -1
Merits & Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Book Learner, Major Magical Focus (Metals), Personal Vis Source (Hair), Puissant Ability (Finesse), Puissant Art (Terram), Strong Faerie Blood (Dwarf), Second Sight*, Blatant Gift, Disfigured, Enemy, Faerie Upbringing, Small Frame, Weak Parens
*second sight part of Strong Faerie Blood
Personality Traits: Industrius +2, Vengeful +1
Combat: Fist, Init -1, Attack +1, Defense -1, Damage -1
Abilities: Artes Liberales (Arithmetic) 1, Athletics (Running) 1, Awareness (Details) 1, Bargain (Faeries) 1, Charm (looks) 2, Craft Blacksmith 3, Etiquette (Faeries) 1, Faerie Lore (Entrances) 2, Finesse (Terram) 2+2, Folk Ken (peasans) 2, Greek (Stories) 5, Guile (Innocent Face) 2, Latin (magic) 3, Magic Theory (Items) 3, Parma Magica (Terram) 1, Second Sight (Faerie) 2, Stealth (Forests) 1
Arts: Cr 5, In 3, Mu 4, Pe 3, Re 5, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 0, Ig 1, Im 0, Me 0, Te 8+3, Vi 1

Spells:

Edge of the Razor (MuTe 20) +20
Eyes of the Treacherous Terrain (InTe 15) +15
Rusted Decay of Ten-Score Years (PeTe 10) +18
Hands of the Grasping Earth (ReTe 15) +17
Invisible slingshot of a metal shot (ReTe 15) +22
Unseen Arm (ReTe 5) +17

5

After leaving her parens behind, she travelled to the Rhine Tribunal, and found a covenant there. Calpurnia focused on her studies, and decided to invest in really understanding how to manipulate metals, investigating how difficult it was for the blacksmith to make metals goods.
After the development of her spell Shape Iron Like Clay, she visits the blacksmith in the mornings, casting it on designated items, which are then worked by the staff. Later, lathes and grinding wheels turn with Freely Spin and Turn the Wheel. This greatly increased productivity at the Covenant, allowing them to export metal goods. The smithy crew still don’t like her much, and would never break bread with her, but they do like the better meals, and not needing to pump the bellows incessantly. She joins the Apple Gild.
Her Rego Craft spells to make chains and gears are less successful, with most being unusable. She resolves to work on her Finesse to improve. During these 44 seasons, she studies for 38 and does other activities for 6.

Development:
Age Spring Summer Autumn Winter
26 MT MT MT MT
27 MT MT MT MT
28 Terram Terram Terram Terram
29 Terram Terram Terram Terram
30 Terram Muto Muto Muto
31 Muto Muto Prep Lab Prep lab
32 Spell 10/10 Craft Blacksmith Craft Blacksmith Perdo
33 Perdo Spell 15 Rego Rego
34 Rego Rego Rego Rego
35 Rego Rego Rego Spell 5/15
36 Spell 15/15 German German German

N.B.: “MT” is Magic Theory, Spell means spell research, and the numbers are the levels of the spells.
Spell Research 32/Spring
Freely spin (MuTe 10) Removes friction from an apparatus. (Base 1 +2 metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, Circle)
Shape Iron Like Clay (MuTe 10) Makes a lump of iron as soft as clay to be reshaped. (Base 1, +2 metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Lab Total 49 [Int 2 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Mu 20 + Te 18]
Spell Research 33/Summer
Hairline Fracture (PeTe 15) The magus draws a line with fingernail, the metal object is cut along the line (Base 3, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +1 Finesse)
Lab Total 41 [Int 2 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Pe 12 + Te 18]
Spell Research 35/Winter
Weld (ReTe 5) Fuses two metal surfaces together, making a seamless whole (Base 2, +2 Metal, +1 Touch)
Craft the Interlocking Wheel (ReTe 15) Molds metal into a gear. This can be up to the size of a wagon wheel. Complexity allows for different sized (Base 2, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +2 Complexity)
Lab Total 57 [Int 2 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Re 28 + Te 18]
Spell Research 36/Spring
Forge the Chain (ReTe 15) Reshapes metal into a chain. Each chain has identical links, but each casting could have different sized links (Base 2, +2 Metal, +2 Voice, +1 Complexity)

Turn the wheel (ReTe 15): Turns a wheel, generally used to start an apparatus. (Base 2, +2 metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Lab Total 60 [Int 2 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Similar Spell 3 + Re 28 + Te 18]

Stats after Phase 1:
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Str -1, Sta +1, Pre 0, Com 1, Dex 1, Qik -1
Size: -1
Age: 36 (25) (Strong Faerie Blood)
Decrepitude: 0
Warping: 0
Confidence Score 1(3)
Merits & Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Book Learner, Major Magical Focus (Metals), Personal Vis Source (Hair), Puissant Ability (Finesse), Puissant Art (Terram), Strong Faerie Blood (Dwarf), Second Sight, Blatant Gift, Disfigured, Enemy, Faerie Upbringing, Small Frame, Weak Parens
Personality Traits: Industrius +2, Vengeful +1, Lonely +1
Combat:
Fist Init -1, Attack +1, Defense -1, Damage -1

Abilities: Artes Liberales (Arithmetic) 1, Athletics (Running) 1, Awareness (Details) 1, Bargain (Faeries) 1, Charm (looks) 2, Craft Blacksmith 4, Etiquette (Faeries) 1, Faerie Lore (Entrances) 2, Finesse (Terram) 2+2, Folk Ken (peasans) 2, German 3, Greek (Stories) 5, Guile (Innocent Face) 2, Latin (magic) 3, Magic Theory (Items) 6 (+5), Parma Magica (Terram) 1, Second Sight (Faerie) 2, Stealth (Forests) 1
Arts: Cr 5, In 3, Mu 10 (+5), Pe 6(+5), Re 14, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 0, Ig 1, Im 0, Me 0, Te 15+3 (+6), Vi 1

Spells:
Eyes of the Treacherous Terrain (InTe 15) +22
Edge of the Razor (MuTe 20) +39
Freely spin (MuTe 10) +39
Shape Iron Like Clay (MuTe 10) +39
Rusted Decay of Ten-Score Years (PeTe 10) +31
Hairline Fracture (PeTe 15) +31
Craft the Interlocking Wheel (ReTe 15) +46
Forge the Chain (ReTe 15) +46
Invisible Sling of a metal shot (ReTe 15) +46
Hands of the Grasping Earth (ReTe 15) +46
Turn the wheel (ReTe 15) +46
Unseen Arm (ReTe 5) +33
Weld (ReTe 5) +46

Edited to correct casting totals due to MMF.

6

Calpurnia, Phase 2
Calpurnia realizes that she needs far more control over her spells. A sodales was targeted by a Wizard’s War and lost, over an accusation of vis theft. She never spoke of the box that had her hair clippings, full of vis. She decides she needs to construct a weapon, since Wizard’s War simply needs someone who thinks he/she can defeat you.

She writes out her spells, and composes it with a Tractatus in Finesse (Quality 7), Improving Metalworks. She has a local scribe copy her book and send it to Durenmar. She hopes to qualify as a Master shortly. She travels to find a skilled mage who is willing to cast Intelligence of the Heroes on her, paying 36 pawns for the privilege. She continues her studies, and then realizes that if she is going to have a child, she needs to do so soon. Her daughter is born in the Summer of her 50th year, and she undergoes a level 60 (24 pawns) Longevity ritual in Winter of that year. Out of 56 seasons, she does not advance in eight, totaling 14 for life.

37 Finesse Finesse Finesse Finesse
38 Finesse Finesse Prof. Scribe Prof. Scribe
39 Prof. Scribe Concentration Concentration Mentem
40 Mentem Mentem Latin Latin
41 Write Spells Write Finesse Craft Black Craft Black
42 Craft black Creo Creo Vim
43 Vim Gain Int Rego Rego
44 Rego Rego Rego Find Familiar
45 Bind Familiar Mind Link 1 Mind Link 2 Intelligo
46 Intelligo Philosophae Philosophae Philosophae
47 Artes L Artes L Artes L Parma
48 Parma Parma Parma Parma
49 Item Bow Penetration OoH Lore Creo
50 Imaginem Birth Penetration Longevity Ritual

Calpurnia's Familiar:

Zeno, the Tortoise. Zeno the Tortoise is lifted entirely from Magi of Hermes, page 19. Notably, Zeno has the ability to grant a virtue to a person, this virtue is Unaging. Calpurnia created a level 45 binding ritual. LT 45: [Intelligence 3 + Magic Theory 6 + Aura 3 + Rego 14 + Terram 19] She later creating a telepathic communication bond (CrMe 15) with Zeno in 45/Summer and 45/Autumn

Calpurnia has a +2 Golden Cord, a +0 Silver Cord, and +3 Bronze cord binding with Zeno.

49/Spring
Bow of the Deadly Strike ReTe 36 Pen 0, 50 uses/day (R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind) This bow propels an arrow at extreme velocity at a target, doing +20 damage. Range increment is 20 paces. User must make an Aiming roll to target. (Base 25, +1 touch, +6 50/day) The arrows are special, made solely of steel. [I'm extrapolating the chart on p.37 of HoH:S, and reducing the level of effect by one magnitude because I'm affecting metal, not stone.] Lab Total 79 [ Int 3 + MT 7* + Aura 3 + Re 34 + Te 19 + Craft 6** + Shape(Bow) 5 + Verditius Runes 2***]
[] Magic Theory specialty is Items,
[] Faerie Blood (Dwarf) gives +1 to crafting
[] Verditius Runes would allow a +3, but total of Shape/Material and Runes cannot exceed Magic Theory (7)
50/Summer Birth
On May 30, Calpurnia gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Maria, and did no work during that season.

Characteristics: Int +3, Per +2, Str -1, Sta +1, Pre 0, Com +1, Dex +1, Qik -1
Size: -1
Age: 50 (29) (Strong Faerie Blood, plus Unaging from Familiar)
Decrepitude: 0
Warping: 0 (1)
Confidence Score 1(3)
Merits & Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Book Learner, Major Magical Focus (Metals), Personal Vis Source (Hair), Puissant Ability (Finesse), Puissant Art (Terram), Strong Faerie Blood (Dwarf), Second Sight, True Friend(Zeno), Unaging, Blatant Gift, Disfigured, Enemy, Faerie Upbringing, Small Frame, Weak Parens
Personality Traits: Industrius +2, Vengeful +1, Protective of Daughter +3
Reputations: Poor Verditius 1
Combat:
Fist Init -1, Attack +1, Defense -1, Damage -1
Bow: Init -1 Attack +10, Defense -1, Damage +20

Abilities: Artes Liberales (Arithmetic) 3 (+5), Athletics (Running) 1, Awareness (Details) 1, Bargain (Faeries) 1, Charm (looks) 2, Concentration (Spells) 2 (+5), Craft Blacksmith 5 (+5), Etiquette (Faeries) 1, Faerie Lore (Entrances) 2, Finesse (Terram) 5+2, Folk Ken (peasants) 2, German (conversations) 3, Greek (Stories) 5, Guile (Innocent Face) 2, Latin (magic) 3, Magic Theory (Items) 6 (+5), Order of Hermes 1 (Magi) 1 (+5), Parma Magica (Terram) 4 (+5), Penetration (Terram) 2 (+5), Philosophae (Natural Philosophy) 3, Profession: Scribe (Hermetic) 3, Second Sight (Faerie) 2, Stealth (Forests) 1
Arts: Cr 9, In 6(+5), Mu 10 (+5), Pe 6(+5), Re 17 (+2), An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 0, Ig 1, Im 4, Me 7 (+2), Te 15+3 (+6), Vi 6
Spells:

Eyes of the Treacherous Terrain (InTe 15) +25
Edge of the Razor (MuTe 20) +39
Freely spin (MuTe 10) +39
Shape Iron Like Clay (MuTe 10) +39
Rusted Decay of Ten-Score Years (PeTe 10) +31
Hairline Fracture (PeTe 15) +31
Craft the Interlocking Wheel (ReTe 15) +53
Forge the Chain (ReTe 15) +53
Invisible sling (ReTe 15) +53
Hands of the Grasping Earth (ReTe 15) +53
Turn the wheel (ReTe 15) +53
Unseen Arm (ReTe 5) +36
Weld (ReTe 5) +53

Aging: Calpurnia has a level 60 Longevity Ritual (12), Strong Faerie Blood (3), a +3 Bronze Cord (3), and a presumed Living Circumstances of +2. Her first aging roll is at -15 (-20 for modifiers, +5 for being 50 years old)
Warping: Calpurnia has gained a warping point for her CrMe ritual.

7

Build Points allowed: 200 (40 years of advancement * 5)

Library:
Creo Summa Level 17, Quality 13: 30 BP
Philosophae Summa L6, Q8: 26BP
3 Corpus Tractatus at Quality 10 each: 30 BP
1 Intelligo Tractatus at Q10: 10BP
1 Muto Tractactus at 1Q0 :10 BP
1 Perdo Tractatus at Q8 BP
1 Vim Tractatus at Quality 10: 10BP
A Magic Theory Tractatus at Quality 10: 10BP

Calpurnia has a copy of her book. (Free) (Finesse Tractatus Q7, plus her spells lvl 15 and under)

Library total: 134

Lab Texts:

2 (CrCo 10) Bind Wound
6 (CrCo 30) Cheating the Reaper
4 (InCo 20) The Inexorable Search
2 (MuIm 10) Aura of Enobled Presence
4 (CrIg 20) Pilum of Fire
2 (ReMe 10) Call to Slumber
2 (PeVi 10) Daemon’s Eternal Oblivion
3 (ReVi 15) Wizard's Communion

Lab Text Total: 25

Vis sources:
Vis source for three pawns of Imaginem, after the first day of spring, the lights dazzle the icicles shining a multitude of lights) 15
A terrible battlefield, where humans fought a number of snake-like creatures. The ground leaks a horrible black pus, providing Perdo, 4 pawns/year 20
Vis Sources total 30

Vis:
Calpurnia receives 120 vis (3 per year) from her Personal Vis Source, and spent 110. She has 10 vis left over 5 Te, 5 Vi
Bow 4
Gain Intelligence 36
Familiar 13( 9 + 2 + 2)
Longevity Ritual 24
Porter 3
Sun Disk 2
Talisman 19 (10 + 3 + 3 + 3)
Cloak of Romulus 5 (1 + 4)
Boat* 4
4+36+13 +24+3+2+19+5+4 = 110

*While her boat isn’t magical by itself, it does represent an awesome amount of metal. Calpurnia cast Fill the Largest Smithy to get the raw materials for it.

Specialist:
Blacksmith with Craft Blacksmith 6
Total Specialist 6

Grand total:
134 + 30 + 30 + 6 = 200

Final Edit: As players add spells, I may change lab texts so that there's no overlap. The spreadsheet is the authorative allocation of Build Points. Edited for rebuild, improved vis source

8

Phase 3
Calpurnia devotes herself to study so that she will be able to teach Maria magic at the right time. Disquieting stories about a plague are coming and she prepares herself as best she can. Her enemy, her parens and his comrades, lost their magic in the plague. While she doesn’t need to worry about them anymore, she does need to concern herself about her daughter. (Changed Story Flaw from Enemy to Dependent.) She teaches Maria, and begins work on her talisman. Maria has a +2 Intelligence, and has at least 2 in Magic Theory, so Lab totals will reflect a +4 for her assistance After 59/Spring. During these 60 seasons, she does not advance skills in 31.5, totaling 44.5 of 160 seasons.

51 Teaching Teaching Teaching Ignem
52 Ignem Animal An/Aq Aquam
53 Aurum Au/Co Corpus Herbam
54 He/Im Spell ReMe10/25 Spell MuVi (20) Imaginem
55 Imaginem Imaginem Spell PeVi 20 Perdo
56 Terram Spell ReTe 45 Spell ReTe 45 (2) Vim
57 Vim Spell CrTe 20 Build Ship Build Ship
58 Open Arts Teach MT Spell MuTe 25 Spell ReTe 20
59 Apprentice Spell ReTe 15/20 Item ReTe30 Item CrIg 20
60 Apprentice Intelligo Intelligo Creo
61 Apprentice Craft Black Craft Black Craft Black
62 Apprentice Spell InIm 25 OoH Lore Create Talisman
63 Apprentice Attune Talisman Invest InIm Invest ReCo
64 Apprentice Invest PeIm Spell MuVi (20) Invest Invisibility
65 Apprentice instill invis 1 Instil invis 2 Penetration
An/Aq is Animal and Aquam, equally split.

54/Summer – Calpurnia learns Scent of Peaceful Slumber (ReMe 25) and the Call to Slumber (ReMe 10) from lab texts. [LT 37: Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Re 17 + Me 7]
54/Autumn – Calpurnia learns Wizards’s Boost (Terram) (MuVi 20) from a lab text. This allows her metal forming spells of level 15 and under to target Part.
55/Autumn – Calpurnia learns Unravel the Thread of Terram (PeVi 20), from a lab text.
56/Summer – Researching Vessel of the Clouds, ReTe 45 (R: Touch D: Sun T: Ind ) (Base 2, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Size, +1 unsupported surface, +1 any direction, +1 for increased speed) Adapted from TME p. 112. This affects a far larger vessel, and can carry 20 tons of cargo, like a cog. This spell requires two seasons to develop. Lab Total 69 [Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Re 34 + Te 19 + Similar Spell 4]
57/Summer – Researches Fill the Largest Smithy (CrTe 20) R: Touch, D: Mom T: Individual, Ritual. For Four pawns of vis, this creates 100 cubic feet of steel, about 24 tons. It’s a rough sphere nearly two paces across. [Lab total 51: Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Cr 20 + Terram 19 ] (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Size)
57/Autumn – Calpurnia travels to a shipyard, and studies how ships are constructed, spending half the season learning shipbuilding. She purchases plans for a cog. The rest of the season, she uses her spells to shape metal, and rolls it outside her lab. She uses Fill the Largest Smithy to provide raw materials. A shipwright might laugh at the metal ship Calpurnia built with her spells, until he saw her lift it into the air.
58/Spring - Calpurnia opens Maria’s Arts. She has an Intelligo Vim Lab Total of 29 (Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + In 9 + Vi 8 ), allowing her to integrate her daughter’s Faerie Heritage (Requires 20)
58/Autumn - Hardness of Adamantine (MuTe 25) R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind. From HoH:S p. 37 [Lab Total 55: Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Mu 20 + Te 19 + Apprentice 4] (Base 4, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
58/Winter - The Phantom Blacksmith (ReTe 20) R: Touch D: Mom T: Group . From Covenants, p 51 [Lab total 65: Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Re 34 + Te 19]
59/Summer - Never Without a Weapon: R: Touch D: Mom T: Ind (ReTe 15) Changes raw materials into a sword. This can be a short, long, or two-handed sword. Character must make Per+Finesse roll against EF 12 to successfully make a sword. . (Base 3, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +1 Complexity) Base to forge is a 6, +3 for using magic, +3 more for a month’s time. (City & Guild, p. 68). The complexity allows variance between long/short/great sword.
Garb the Grogs for War: R: Touch D: Mom T: Ind (ReTe 20) Changes raw materials into a suit of chainmail. Requires an Per+Finesse roll against EF 12 – the Reduce EF brings it down from 15 (Base 3, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +1 Complexity, +1 Reduce EF) This uses the house rule that an additional magnitude can be used to reduce the Ease Factor by 3. Base to forge is 6, +3 for using magic +6 more for doing a full season’s work. Complexity allows size variance from -2 to +2, but always produces a full set of mail. [LT 72: Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Re 34 + Te 19 + Similar Spell 3 (Forge the Chain) + Apprentice 4] Both spells are completed in one season.
59/Autumn - Constructs Lesser device, The Enchanted Porter (ReTe 30 GL 3, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 Size, +1 Herbam Req. +5 to maintain Concentration, +10 Unlimited Uses)) Allows wearer to lift and move things up to two tons in weight, either Terram or Herbam items. From Covenants p. 52, with greater load, usage, and Forms. [LT 66: Int 3 + MT 7 + Aura 3 + Rego 17 + Terram 19 + Shape(glove) 4 + Craft 6 + Verditius Runes 3 + Apprentice 4]
59/Winter – Constructs Lesser Device, Sun Disk: CrIg 20, 0 Pen (Base 5, +1 Conc, +5 Maintain Conc. +5 24/day) This is a piece of brass, shaped like a large coin, shining with the power of full daylight, hanging at the end of the chain. Squeezing the disk turns it on or off, up to the daily limit. [LT 50: Int 3 + MT 7 + Aura 3 + Cr 10 + Ig 12 + Craft 6 + Material 3 + Verditius Runes 3 + Apprentice 4]
62/Summer – Learns Summoning the Distant Image (p. 145 of ArM5 , InIm 25) from a lab text. [LT 30: Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + In 9 + Im 9]
62/Winter – Creates Talisman. It appears to be a Grecian War helmet, made of bronze, covering the entire head, leaving a T-shaped gap for the eyes, nose and mouth to be visible. A chin strap firmly anchors the helmet. Embedded in the center of the forehead is an Opal and Ruby, to the sides are bulges containing a magnet on one side, and a tiny portion of Mercury on the other. Two small ivory pieces highlight the eyes. The most expensive item is the ruby, with a capacity of 15. Calpurnia opens it with 8 pawns, allowing her 15 spaces, with 21 unused.
62/Autumn - Instills Eyes of the Eagle, InIm 29 Pen 0 Constant. Provides the effect listed on p. 145 of the core book as a constant effect. Note 0 penetration. (Base 3, +4 Vision, +1 Concentration, +1 Maintain Concentration, +4 12/day ) [LT 59: Int 3 + MT 7 + Aura 3 + In 9 + Im 9 + Talisman 5 + Craft 7 + Shape(Helmet) 6 +Verditius Runes 1 + Similar Spell 5 + Apprentice 4]
62/Winter – Instills Mercury’s Winged Sandals ReCo 29 Pen 0, 6/day. Produces effect from TME, p. 111. (Base 15, +1 Conc +5 Maintains Concentration +4 12/day) [LT 58: Int 3 + MT 7 + Aura 3 + Re 17 + Co 5 + Talisman 5 + Craft 7 + Material (Magnet) 4 + Verditius Runes 3 + Apprentice 4]
63/Summer Invests Veil of Invisibility, PeIm 25 Pen0 24/day As page 146 of the core book. (Base 4, +1 Conc +1 Maintain Concentration, +1 changing image, +5 24/day) [LT 51: Int 3 + MT 7 + Aura 3 + Pe 8 + Im 9 + Talisman 5 + Craft 7 + Material(Opal) 2 + Verditius Runes 3 + Apprentice 4]
64/Autumn – Calpurnia learns Wizard’s Reach (Terram), (MuVi 20, ArM5 p. 160) from a lab text. [LT 34: Int 3 + MT 6 + Aura 3 + Mu 10 + Vi 8 + Similar 4 ]
64/Winter – Calpurnia, corresponding with Bartholeus, realizes that her ship isn’t well suited to concealment, decides to fix that. She refers to a tractatus by Romulus, who had many PeVi effects for large items, and builds a metal frame around a clear glass disk. She opens it for 1 pawn (base metal 5, glass 1, uses 5 pawns, less her Craft skill, minimum of 1). It can hold up to 6 pawns of effects.
S5/Summer - She wants to hide her ship (PeVi 38, Base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Size, +1 Conc, +1 maintain concentration, +1 changing image, +3 6/day), but Calpurnia’s Pe and Im skills are far from her best Her Lab total is 48: [Int 3 +MT 7 + Aura 3 + Pe 8 +Im 9 + Craft 7 + Material +4 + VR 2 + Similar spell 5], giving her 10 points/season She wants it faster, so she decides to make it with a 70 year expiry, allowing completion in two seasons.

Characteristics: Int +3, Per +2, Str -1, Sta +1, Pre 0, Com 1, Dex 1, Qik -1
Size: -1
Age: 65 (29) (Strong Faerie Blood, plus Unaging from Familiar)
Decrepitude: 0
Warping: 2 (1)
Confidence Score 1(3)
Merits & Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Book Learner, Major Magical Focus (Metals), Personal Vis Source (Hair), Puissant Ability (Finesse), Puissant Art (Terram), Strong Faerie Blood (Dwarf), Second Sight, True Friend (Zeno), Unaging, Blatant Gift, Dependent, Disfigured, Faerie Upbringing, Small Frame, Weak Parens
Personality Traits: Industrius +2, Vengeful +1, Protective of Daughter +3
Reputations: Poor Verditius 1

Combat:
Fist Init -1, Attack +1, Defense -1, Damage -1
Bow: Init -1 Attack +10, Defense -1, Damage +20

Abilities: Artes Liberales (Arithmetic) 3(+5), Athletics (Running) 1, Awareness (Details) 1, Bargain (Faeries) 1, Charm (looks) 2, Concentration (Spells) 2 (+5), Craft Blacksmith 6 (+5), Etiquette (Faeries) 1, Faerie Lore (Entrances) 2, Finesse (Terram) 5+2, Folk Ken (peasants) 2, German (Conversation) 3, Greek (Stories) 5, Guile (Innocent Face) 2, Latin (magic) 4, Magic Theory (Items) 6 (+5), Order of Hermes (Magi) 2 (+5), Parma Magica (Terram) 4 (+5), Penetration (Terram) 3, Philosophae (Natural Philosophy) 3, Profession: Shipwright (Magical) 1, Profession: Scribe (Hermetic) 3, Second Sight (Faerie) 2, Stealth (Forests) 1, Teaching (One-on-One) 3
Arts: Cr 10, In 9 (+1), Mu 10 (+5), Pe 8, Re 17 (+2), An 5, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 5, He 5, Ig 6, Im 9, Me 7 (+2), Te 16+3, Vi 8 (+5)

Spells:

Summon the Distant Image (InIm 25) +19/+25*
Call to Slumber (ReMe 10) +24
Scent of Peaceful Slumber (ReMe 25) +24
Fill the Largest Smithy (CrTe 20) +40/+43*
Eyes of the Treacherous Terrain (InTe 15) +29/+32*
Edge of the Razor (MuTe 20) +40/+48*
Freely spin (MuTe 10) +40/+48*
Hardness of Adamantine (MuTe 25) +40/+48*
Shape Iron Like Clay (MuTe 10) +40/+48*
Rusted Decay of Ten-Score Years (PeTe 10) +36/39*
Hairline Fracture (PeTe 15) +36/39*
Craft the Interlocking Wheel (ReTe 15) +54/+61
Forge the Chain (ReTe 15) +54/+61
Garb the Grogs for War (ReTe 20) +54/+61
Hands of the Grasping Earth (ReTe 15) +37/+61
Invisible Slingshot with Shot (ReTe 15) +54/+61
Never Without a Weapon (ReTe 15) +54/+61
The Phantom Blacksmith (ReTe 20) +54/+61
Turn the wheel (ReTe 15) +54/+61
Unseen Arm (ReTe 5) +37/+61
Vessel of the Clouds (ReTe 45) +54/+61*
Weld (ReTe 5) +54/+61
Wizard’s Boost (Terram) (MuVi 20) +19/+24
Wizard’s Reach (Terram) (MuVi 20) +19/+24
Unravel the Thread of Terram (PeVi 20) +17

Calpurnia has activated four shape and material bonuses from herTalisman:
Helmet’s sight. (+6), Magnet's Rego Terram (4), Mercury's Muto (5), Bronze's Terram (+3). When wearing it, she uses the second number on a spell.

Aging:
Age Mod Roll
51 -14 8 -6 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155439
52 -14 6 -8 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155440
53 -14 7 -7 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155442
54 -14 9 -5 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155443
55 -14 3 -11 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155444
56 -14 10 -4 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155445
57 -14 2 -12 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155446
58 -14 2 -12 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155447
59 -14 8 -6 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155448
60 -14 2 -12 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155449
61 -13 8 -5 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155450
62 -13 9 -4 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155451
63 -13 5 -8 http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=155452
64 -13 8 -5 http://www.coyotecode.net/roll/lookup.php?rollid=156235
65 -13 9 -4 http://www.coyotecode.net/roll/lookup.php?rollid=156236

Warping: Calpurnia has gained fifteen warping points from her Longevity ritual.
Edited - rebuilt to fit Jonathan's suggestions, removing Automata.

9

Calpurnia's Spells:

Fill the Largest Smithy (CrTe 20) R: Touch, D: Mom T: Individual, Ritual. For Four pawns of vis, this creates 100 cubic feet of steel, about 24 tons. It’s a rough sphere nearly two paces across.

Freely spin (MuTe 10) R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Circle. Removes friction from an apparatus. (Base 1 +2 metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, Circle)

Shape Iron Like Clay (MuTe 10) R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind. Makes a lump of iron as soft as clay to be reshaped. (Base 1, +2 metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Hairline Fracture (PeTe 15) R: Touch, D: Mom T: Ind. The magus draws a line with fingernail, the metal object is cut along the line (Base 3, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +1 Finesse)

Craft the Interlocking Wheel (ReTe 15) R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind. Molds metal into a gear. This can be up to the size of a wagon wheel. Complexity allows for different sized (Base 2, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +2 Complexity)

Forge the Chain (ReTe 15) R: Vpice, D: Mom, T: Ind. Reshapes metal into a chain. Each chain has identical links, but each casting could have different sized links (Base 2, +2 Metal, +2 Voice, +1 Complexity)

Garb the Grogs for War: R: Touch D: Mom T: Ind (ReTe 20) Changes raw materials into a suit of chainmail. Requires an Per+Finesse roll against EF 12 – the Reduce EF brings it down from 15 (Base 3, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +1 Complexity, +1 Reduce EF) This uses the house rule that an additional magnitude can be used to reduce the Ease Factor by 3.

Invisible Sling with metal shot R: Voice D: Mom T: Ind (ReTe 15), As Invisible Sling, but explicitly firing a metal shot.

Never without a weapon R: Touch D: Mom T: Ind (ReTe 15) Changes raw materials into a sword. This can be a short, long, or two-handed sword. Character must make Per+Finesse roll against EF 12 to successfully make a sword. (Base 3, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +1 Complexity)

Turn the wheel (ReTe 15) R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind. Turns a wheel, generally used to start an apparatus. (Base 2, +2 metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Vessel of the Clouds (ReTe 45) R: Touch D: Sun T: Ind Adapted from TME p. 112. This affects a far larger vessel, and can carry 20 tons of cargo, like a cog. (Base 2, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Size, +1 unsupported surface, +1 any direction, +1 for increased speed)

Weld (ReTe 5) Fuses two metal surfaces together, making a seamless whole (Base 2, +2 Metal, +1 Touch)

10

Calpurnia's Magic Items:

Talisman

It appears to be a Grecian War helmet, made of bronze, covering the entire head, leaving a T-shaped gap for the eyes, nose and mouth to be visible. A chin strap firmly anchors the helmet. Embedded in the center of the forehead is an Opal and Ruby, to the sides are bulges containing a magnet on one side, and a tiny portion of Mercury on the other. Two small ivory pieces highlight the eyes. It has been opened for 14 spaces, has capacity for 21 more, and has filled 9 spaces with effects.

Eyes of the Eagle InIm 29 Pen 0 Constant. Provides the effect listed on p. 145 of the core book as a constant effect. Note zero penetration, making it difficult to see targets with Magic Resistance. (Base 3, +4 Vision, +2 Sun +1 2/day +3 effect at sunrise/sundown)

Mercury’s Winged Sandals ReCo 28 Pen 0, 6/day. Produces effect from TME, p. 111. (Base 15, +1 Conc +5 Maintains Concentration +3, 6/day)

Veil of Invisibility PeIm 25 Pen 0 24/day As page 146 of the core book. (Base 4, +1 Conc +1 Maintain Concentration, +1 changing image, +5 24/day)

Calpurnia has activated four of the resonances in her Talisman, the Bronze's Terram (+3) Helmet's sight (+6), Magnet's Rego Terram (+4) and Mercury's Muto (+5)

Cloak of Romulus
Named after an author who discussed large-scale effects, this is a piece of clear glass mounted in a metal frame. Hooks allow it to attach to a surface of a structure, turning it invisible at the users command. It is an Invested Item, one effect enchanted, 2 spaces remaining.

Hide in Plain Sight Pen 0 6/day, PeVi 38 (Base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Size, +1 Conc, +1 maintain concentration, +1 changing image, +3 6/day) Makes a structure invisible. It's meant to be used with the Folly.

Lesser Enchanted Items

Bow of the Deadly Strike: ReTe 36 Pen 0, 50 uses/day (R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind) This bow propels an arrow at extreme velocity at a target, doing +20 damage. Range increment is 20 paces. User must make an Aiming roll to target. (Base 25, +1 touch, +6 50/day) The arrows are special, made solely of steel. [I'm extrapolating the chart on p.37 of HoH:S, and reducing the level of effect by one magnitude because I'm affecting metal, not stone.]

The Enchanted Porter: This enchanted glove allows wearer to lift and move things up to two tons in weight, either Terram or Herbam items. From Covenants p. 52, with greater load, usage, and Forms. (ReTe 30 GL 3, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 Size, +1 Herbam Req. +5 to maintain Concentration, +10 Unlimited Uses)

Sun Disk: CrIg 20, 24/day, 0 Pen This is a piece of brass, shaped like a large coin, shining with the power of full daylight, hanging at the end of the chain. (Base 5, +1 Conc, +1 Maintain Concentration, +5 24/day)

Calpurnia's Familiar, Zeno the Tortoise

Zeno the Tortoise is lifted entirely from Magi of Hermes, page 19. Notably, Zeno has the ability to grant a virtue to a person, this virtue is Unaging. Calpurnia created a level 45 binding ritual. LT 45: [Intelligence 3 + Magic Theory 6 + Aura 3 + Rego 14 + Terram 19] She later created a bidirectional telepathic communication bond (CrMe 15) with Zeno.

Calpurnia has a +2 Golden Cord, a +0 Silver Cord, and +3 Bronze cord binding with Zeno.

Other

The Folly

This is her steel cog. It doesn't have a mast or rudder. It does have an anchor. It follows the plans for a wooden cog, more or less, but the decks aren't level, the boat bulges a little on the starboard side compared to port, and a number of other features are uneven. Calpurnia turned metal into clay, then workers rolled out sheets. Calpurnia used her Weld spell to join them together. It is water tight, but rides low in water, with less freeboard than a wooden version. Loading and unloading is easy: Calpurnia simply cuts the hull open to load and then seals the opening when complete.

There are a few cabins. Calpurnia lands the boat near sundown, the spell expires then, and then she rests, getting the ship airborne soon after dawn.

Other mages have spoken of the dangers of PeTe and PeVi spells. She's also concerned with rust, thinking she needs to work on a new spell for that, or develop some steel that doesn't rust.

Maria heard some workmen calling in a folly, and so she named it.
Edited - added Folly, fixed error in Automata, fixed errors on magic items.

11

So, I hardly like to bring this up, but are you sure that you have the opening of the Arts done right? I was looking over the apprentice rules and at the very least your situation raises some red flags.

The rules have this to say about opening the Arts of someone with existing Supernatural virtues:

Now, Strong Faerie Blood is a Supernatural Virtue without an associated Ability. So I'm not sure what the second paragraph exactly means for this Virtue. Strong Faerie Blood in itself has no Ability to be lost. Does that mean you're safe even if you only have equal to the required level? Do you lose the effects of Strong Faerie Blood if you don't hit double the required level? A similar question would arise with other Supernatural Virtues that don't have an associated Ability. I'm really not sure what the answer is, but it seems like something that ought to be considered.

The real zinger, however, came to me when I was looking at SFB again. Not only is it a major Supernatural Virtue in itself, but it grants you a Supernatural Ability - Second Sight. So looking strictly at the rules, the apprentice would have a major Supernatural Virtue (SFB) and a Supernatural Ability that normally derives from a minor Virtue (SS). Given that, the rules seem to say that you need an InVi LT of 40 to open your apprentice's Arts, and unless you have an 80, the apprentice loses, at the very least, Second Sight.

Of course that seems pretty harsh, and makes me wonder how any magus gets their Arts opened with Strong Faerie Blood. But again, it seems like something that ought to be discussed.

On the one hand, that seems pretty darn high a requirement for the InVi LT. On the other hand, the same would apply to an apprentice with, say, Shapeshift and Second Sight.

In the end, I'm afraid all I have is questions, not answers. But it's something that ought to be addressed, if only to figure out how it ought to be handled in the future.

12

The way I see it, you would basically need an InVi lab total of 60 to open the Gift of an apprentice with Strong Faerie Blood. You don't count Second Sight seperatedly from this, as it comes as part of Strong Faerie Blood.

On the other hand, if your InVi lab total is below 60, you simply cannot open the youth's Gift, since he/she cannot lose Strong Faerie Blood.

That said, if this was done before saga start and Calpurnia was a bit short, it might be possible to say that she got help from another magus assisting her in the lab. There might be a cost to this, however.

13

My daughter and I get Second sight as part of Strong Faerie Blood. A Second Sight level of 2 requires a InVi total of 10 to accomodate. However, since it's derived from a Major Virtue, the base is 30. In order to preserve the supernatural abilities, I need to have double the InVi lab total - that would be 20. That was my reasoning. I can agree that it's flawed.

Let's take this to the HR forum.

14

Are we allowed to gain access to such a ritual if we're willing to pay the vis? That assumes a lot in saga where casting such a ritual means 12 botch dice to deal with. I had assumed that if we wanted to employ stat-boosting rituals we'd need to devise them and cast them ourselves (with all the risks that entails).

I'm assuming that you had Calpurnia just learn Craft Automata as a Supernatural Ability (per the rules on HOH:MC p. 128) without initiation. Are we allowed to assume that we could find someone to teach it? I imagine such a magus would be rare and would charge a high price (if such teaching were even available). By this reasoning, any of us could start with Craft Automaton if we wanted to spend the seasons to learn it. That doesn't seem right to me.

15

Craft Automata is clearly stated in MC:HoH to be available to anyone - it's been integrated into Hermetic Theory. I'll say, having built one, and it costing more time and vis than my talisman, I have no plans to build another. You can read my rant, it's possibly the most useless Major Virtue ever.

Stat gain: Jonathan stated that it was possible, for the price. He does has a mechanism that allows for 7 dice reduction if one takes an entire season to cast. For 24 pawns, it may well be worth the risk, if you are skilled (your casting total exceeds the spell level.

16

Ah, I didn't see that. It's why I asked. :slight_smile:

17

I haven't played around with the Automata rules myself. It's good to know that they're flawed.

18

Indeed, they cost too much in vis and time, in order to create an "item" (more like a limited magic creature) that is fragile and wears off with time. :frowning:

Might be a good area for original reasearch in order to streamline it and make it more useful. :wink:

19

So, this idea of a Dependent that is another Hermetic Maga has become a question, because another player has asked about it. And it's time to clarify our understanding of how story flaws work in general, and how this one works, in particular.

A story flaw is a tool for the SG to pull characters out of whatever is keeping them in the lab, or keeping them on course, or whatever. Further, they are an implicit definition of the kinds of stories that the magus want's to be told. The dependent story flaw may not be appropriate when the target is a Hermetic Magus or even an apprentice. Since an apprentice was taken, what kinds of stories are you interested in? How does Calpurnia's apprentice cause trouble for her?

20

Maria will have the Personality Trait of Optimistic. What could possibly go wrong? Maria may well contract the plague. Maria will choose magic skills different than her mother's interests, well because she wants her own identity. Who knows? Maria may find magic to be too hard, too limiting, and decide that she doesn't want that. Maria may believe that prince will come, and take her away to live in a castle. Any of these are possible. Standard mother-daughter conflict issues, only with magic.

I'll write up her character. Maria will have no major virtues/flaws. I'll pro-rate assuming a standard apprenticeship (240 skills/120 spell levels)

21

Keep in mind that most spells are usually taught late in apprenticeship, because otherwise the apprentice would be limited to only the lowest levels.