Chapter Three OOC: Not in Kansas anymore

[Ravenscroft]

@amul

I have little understanding of how to create balanced threats to magi.
If someone was willing to help me with the numbers and game mechanics, I could run the setting.
though the special char gen rules would need to be revisited if we were to use my campaign concept.

Depends on what you mean by balanced threats.
A combat magus with shield grogs has a different threat level than a wafty and ethereal Jerbiton poet.
Starting with a Parma Score of 01 , possibly 02 , if someone has an affinity ; makes low level magical threats , threatening.
Situation modifiers , which affect targeting , such as thick fog or smoke.
Preparation time , can they buff everyone with all known protection spells or have to wing it.

I think that was one problem with the character gen.
Because we could not take a Major Story Flaw , most of us were compelled to take others ,
that seriously hampered our usefulness in the situation.
(Benefit of hindsight and all)
Had we been offered the slightest generosity to offset this , far less problems , imho.

Personally , i do not like the standard character generation system.
Actually , i rarely like it for any system , Ars is not exceptional in this regard.
You don't need to give 1000xp and 20 virtues for 10 flaws , but a few extras never hurt.
Give them after people have submitted their characters and backstories.

From Iron Magus

resources available to the players

at the start of their post apprenticeship career every magus will have:

an income of 3 pawns of vis every even numbered year.
These pawns will be distributed as follows one pawn of technique
(the technique to be chosen by the player at the start of the game and will not change)
1 pawn of a form similarly chosen at the start of the game and 1 pawn of vim vis.

150 points of tractati with a maximum quality of 12.
All of these tractati are protected by a restrictive version the cow and calf oath and may not be legally copied or distributed.

A room large enough to construct a laboratory with a +2 size

sufficient funds to create and upkeep a laboratory with an average upkeep cost.

sufficient additional funds to afford to pay two specialists to perform a job for the character one time per year.
(such as a book bnder and an illuminator but not a scribe during a single year)

petty cash enough to gather any other material necessary for the magus's upkeep within reason.

The covenant itself has a library consisting of a level 5 quality 15 summa in every art.
A level 6 quality 14 summa in magic theory
and level 3 quality 10 summas in parma magica, finesse, concentration, penetration, faerie lore, divine lore, magic lore, and infernal lore.

The turb will make an instructor with a teaching score of 3 a communication of +2 and three levels of any military skill available to the magi.

Not suggesting that this is mandatory , but i found it a good example.