Right, right. I sit corrected.
Hmm. Except the "+2 no words" ad hoc modifier, it seems like a reasonable design to me. "Touch" isn't exactly "Kiss", but I'd be willing to rate them at the same cost (although strictly it probably warrants a +1 cost for non-standard parameter).
Kissing on the cheek is appropriate in some cultures.
Touch = Kiss is still a legitimate range ,
though it may require a circumstance penalty to perform.
Touch is normally considered to be the hand , but it could equally be the foot.
Yes, but Kiss != Touch. You can initiate a Touch spell by a kiss, but you cannot initiate a spell requiring a kiss by some other touch (like touching the hand). Thus the spell would technically either need a caveat of the form "Although the spell is named after the traditional means of invoking him, a kiss, any means of touching the target will actually do" or else the range should in principal be a non-standard "kiss" spell parameter, which according to the rules should cost +1 above the nearest spell parameter (touch+1 in this case).
The kiss might be considered to be the main part of the gesture(s) of the spell...
It kind of gives the medieval Kiss of Peace a brand new perspective...
I agree with you Yair. I can think of a couple of other spells that I have similar grievances with, where the name of the spell or the parameters of description of it hints to something that is not explained elsewhere. I like this spell, but it annoys me that there is some uncertainty. I also like the many great names for Ars spells, but it annoys me when it isn't interpreted in the spell how it function.
Maybe this spell is a hold over from another tradition that was intergrated as best it can be and keeps the "wonky" range. It could also be the result of Experimentation.
Either way, the book acknowledges it's non standard, sort of, it says:
"(The lack of speech)...is why the spell is higher level than the guidelines would indicate.)
However the Base Level is the standard 30, with the aformentioned +2 for no words listed.
What strikes me, now, is that in a way I'm exactly right. It's a direct result of intergration between two traditions. Ars Magica 5th Editions, and those before it. 