Solomonic Alchemy can improve gems so their S&M bonus increases by 3.
Items containing Dedicated Vis can have double their normal S&M bonus.
If you enchant an entire living tree, you get triple the normal S&M bonuses from the wood.
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Yes, it purports to list all of them, but it doesn't actually. Also, it includes a bunch higher than +10.
Here are ones it missed (well, it missed all of HP p.139, not just these):
Phoenix ashes: +11 regeneration (HP p.139)
Unicorn horn: +11 fertility (HP p.139)
Philosophic Alchemy can raise a bonus by up to +3. (A&A p.76) This is much more readily available than through Solomonic Alchemy, even if more difficult. This can cause a bunch of things to exceed +10.
Here are the ones it contains:
Dedicated vis can double S&M bonuses. This makes more exceed +10.
Lots of living trees triple their bonuses. This makes more exceed +10.
Solomonic Alchemy can raise a bonus by up to +3. This makes more exceed +10.
(I think the highest theoretical bonuses, which are basically impossible since they're so highly manufactured, are +60 protection from storms or protection from vampires.)
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Thanks for answering my question concerning S&M bonuses higher than ten. I stand corrected on that point.
I acknowledge that there are a few obscure cases of S&M bonuses higher than ten, and some tricky ways to get ridiculously high S&M bonuses.
Now let's look at those in the context of IoQs and my proposal for Ceremonial Props of Quality.
Dedicated Vis has three "enhancements" listed, none of which are making Items of Quality, so I see no reason to suppose that an IoQ made from, for example, a topaz that contains Dedicated Vis would be any more effective than an IoQ made from common topaz.
So in context, that changes nothing.
Combining Philosophic Alchemy (or Solomonic Alchemy) with a Verditius House Mystery, while possible, is extremely rare, and it still yields at most an additional +3. (While improving S&M bonuses is very useful to Hermetic Magi, it doesn't have a whole lot of application outside of that, which makes me wonder how many alchemists would really be keen on doing it.)
Let's not forget that both Philosophic Alchemy and Items of Quality are limited by the practitioner's Philosophiae score.
And yes, a living tree could be made into a Huge Ceremonial Prop of Quality--it's immobile and would dictate the location of the ceremonial space, but it would I suppose be incredibly helpful for protection from storms or vampires. In truth, if a player went through all that trouble for one very specific bonus, sacrificing all the other things they could have been developing along the way, I'd be tempted to let them.
However, I'd like to meet the Verditius with a Philosophiae score of 60. I suspect that such a super-human Magus would have more pressing concerns. And if we're worried that my little proposal would break a game in which that character exists ... well, that ship has sailed.
So, I'll concede that Alchemy moves the needle a tiny bit--but I'm holding fast to my position that this idea is far from game-breaking.
I appreciate the discussion. I'll post further thoughts below.
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Once again, I appreciate everyone who has offered opinions and reflections.
I still love the idea of giving a more concrete place to Ceremonial Props in Hermetic Magic. Thematically, it fits with the image most of us have of wizards--and one of the most appealing aspects of Ars Magica is that wizards feel like wizards, not "Magic Users."
Thinking about it further, I believe that I would place the additional conditions on both the ideas of cumulative prop bonuses and Ceremonial Props of Quality:
The Magus overseeing the creation of props must have a Magic Theory score higher than the bonus conferred--so for example overseeing the creation of Huge props requires a +5 Magic Theory.
(I've considered going further, making the prop creation process require full attention from the Magus for one Season and a pawn of Vim vis for dedication, or even making it a Mystery.)
More importantly, the prop bonuses (both for the props and any Props of Quality) cannot exceed the caster's Magic Theory. (This is parallel to how the S&M bonuses for an enchanted item cannot exceed the enchanter's Magic Theory score.)
And of course, only the highest S&M bonus applies, just as when enchanting objects.
Bonuses to spellcasting Totals from Talisman Attunement also would not stack with Prop/Prop of Quality bonuses.
A few more clarifications of the ceremonial prop rules laid out in HoH: S if I were to implement the above ideas:
Using Ceremonial Props requires a full set of props, not just one for each Art used in the casting. (That's a gray area in the HOH: S description.)
Setting up Ceremonial Props "slows ceremonial casting" (HOH: S 59), but how much is not spelled out. I propose that setting up a space with Ceremonial Props requires 5 minutes for Tiny props, 15 minutes for Small props, 30 minutes for Medium-sized props, and 50 minutes for Large props. This time represents not just the physical arrangement but Concentration and focus on harnessing the mystical energies. Huge props are already set up, as are any other props permanently installed in a ceremonial space.
*EG: Marius ex Verditius (Magic Theory 15, Philosophiae 12) is traveling and wants to set up a Circular Ward against Demons but doesn't know the spell. He has spent four Seasons either overseeing the creation of four sets of Ceremonial Props (one set in each size other than Huge) or crafting them himself. One of the props includes an alchemically enhanced piece of red coral, which he has spent a Season and a pawn of Vim vis turning into an Item of Quality (after he paid through the nose to get a Philosophic Alchemist to enhance it for him). It could theoretically yield a +13 bonus, but that exceeds his Philosophiae, so he can get at most a +12 bonus. *
So after spending an hour and forty minutes (5+15+30+50=100) of uninterrupted time setting up a space, he proceeds to his Ceremonial Spontaneous Casting. He gets a +10 bonus from his props (1+2+3+4=10) and an additional +12 from his alchemically-enhanced red coral Prop of Quality--but his total bonus is capped at +15 by his Magic Theory score. He also has a piece of marble incorporated into his Talisman for a +5 bonus when casting wards--but again, his bonus on this casting has already maxed out, so it does him no good in this case.
So he adds 15 to his Spontaneous casting roll (along with his Stamina, ReVi, Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, and any Aura modifications). This gets cut in half for a Fatiguing casting, so it adds 7.5 to the final Total. He assigns half of that to the level of the ward and half to Penetration, so he can block a demon with an Infernal Might 3.25 points higher than he otherwise would have.
Who knows--maybe that's enough to make the difference? I seriously doubt it's enough to break the game.
It's worth noting that in Legends of Hermes, the highest Magic Theory anyone has is 10; the highest Philosophiae is 4. So I'm assuming that Marius has been minmaxed to the extreme to get the numbers he has--for a tiny benefit.
We use a fair amount of Casting Props in the Saga I play in (along with Prepared Spellcasting Spaces). Many of us have two complete sets, one for carrying around (normally Tiny) and one for our labs (normally Medium or Large). Some of the ways we limit them are:
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Casting Props are tied to an Art. You must have a prop for all Arts involved in a spell to gain a bonus and the bonus only applies once. If you are missing some parts of the set that will limit what you can use them for.
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Casting Props need to be made as a set to function together. Any replacement for a lost/damaged Prop must be made to match the others. That means the same "style" and Quality. No mixed sets.
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Item Quality is applied to the bonus. So you can have Superior and Excellent Casting Props.
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Never had an IoQ for Casting Props come up. However I generally feel this would provide no benefit.
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These are great suggestions as well.