I think that's a good way to do it once we've honed in on primary roles, the reasons the magi were brought on board. I think that is difficult for identifying primary roles because we'll have to jump around between many different threads to sort that part out. So if everyone is good with those four (heir, Hermetic ambassador, mundane ambassador, and your general defense), I would think those three should get going on other threads. In the meantime, there are three more primary roles to sort out, which are probably best done here.
Well, since my first ideas have been locked in on, I'm going to jump in and say I'll take the Explorer role. I'm thinking of it taking it in more of a spymaster kind of direction.
Btw if we want to spread out on magic/Arts - I am thinking of taking teleportation magic, and Aquam as my main foci; using Mentem and Imaginem magic for ambassadorial duties are not really a good idea imho, because you can't cast them at the covenant you visit and if you can oftentimes the magi will have some way of noticing active magics on you or find it odd that you're suddenly a lot more persuasive.
So maybe a bit of "social/political" magic, but relying on Intrigue, Folk Ken, Etiquette etc to get my point across.
I do think it would be perfectly acceptable (and probably a good idea) to have more than one magus that can do each role; as long as all the roles are covered and the ways they are covered aren't too similar. I don't love the first-come, first-served approach. Maybe everyone could pick 2-3 things they expect to be important participants in?
That's probably a good idea. Certainly, I'd started to wonder after having two ambassadors, an heir, a defender, and a spymaster/explorer, what else might genuinely be "needed."
Who was it who was considering a Mercurian before?... Ah, mjprogue... Necromancy can pair well with healing, too.
This is one of the virtues from the RoP books which I often feel is more powerful than a minor virtue should be. It has great potential for abuse, as theorically it can save a boat-load of vis per year.
Consider Personal Vis Source, also a Minor virtue, which in most sagas only provides "about one tenth as much as the player covenant expects to gather per year at the beginning of the saga". In this saga, it would be about 6 pawns.
Consider also Mercurian Magic, a Major virtue that has some important drawbacks, which reduces the vis cost of rituals only by half. It can even be combined with Imbued with the Spirit of (Form), so that a Mercurian / Imbued magus could cast something like The Walking Corpse (ReCo 35) every 5 days at no cost in raw vis. That's the equivalent (in the most extreme case) of 511 pawns of vis per year combined (219 pawns saved due to Mercurian Magic, 292 due to Imbued with the Spirit of (Form)).
It is up to the troupe to decide on this, but I think there should be some sort of limit on Imbued with the Spirit of (Form). What do you think?
If you all say "No problem", then I will accept it. I'm just bringing a potentiel for abuse to your collective attention.
I didn't "claim" the hermetic ambassador in a way where I wouldn't want others to be interested in that part - I hope it didn't come across as that - more that I'd like that role (as well), and if no one else took it, at least we had one to cover it.
Yup. That's why I asked about Imbued with the Spirit of (Form).
I didn't take it that way, Ronni. I'm just trying to work around others interests since I really haven't settled on anything yet.
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I'll add another post in the Notes and Claims for character roles. Everyone can put their ideas for roles, with their name beside the roles they would be interested in. At this point, there could be more than one name attached to a role.
Re Imbued, I feel neutral about it - it's abusable, but we can just agree not to abuse it. I will note that Corpus is the most abusable one, followed by Mentem and Vim, other forms get way less mileage out of lots of rituals (though I acknowledge it's there for all of them). In theory, it also has a built-in flaw of creating enmity with creatures of Magic, though I'm not sure how much that can or would come up. In some ways, it could be a great boon to the covenant, but maybe that's actually a bad thing.
My comment about sharing roles was in reaction to Houlio saying he lost his original character idea - I don't think the roles should limit us in that way. As long as everything is covered, the only negative sort of overlap is when two magi are doing the same thing in the same way (like two Flambeau battle-magi, or two Pralicians, or two gently-gifted Jerbiton magi). I think once we make sure every role is covered by at least one person, we can break out into specific ideas and if overlaps come up, the two involved can sort it out by changing their ideas so they can both feel unique.
We should also consider the stories we're thinking of running, to make sure our characters wouldn't be the ones likely to engage with such stories.
I have a slightly bizarre idea that could fill some gaps well, focusing on being a Certamen specialist. I have two things to run by people. One is core to the concept's bizarreness, and the other is just something that might fit.
I was considering Corpus Monstrosity (RoP:M p.48-49) on a Bjornaer hawk/eagle, resulting in a harpy's appearance. Then take a step further with Mystery of the Chimera, adding in a monkey to end up with an angel's appearance. It would probably bother quite a few Bjornaer. I figure that means Hidden Form wouldn't dodge Corpus, too. (As a separate note, I have spent time combing the books to figure out just how many animals I could merge together through lots of V/F and Mystery of the Chimera.)
The other question is whether Cautious with Artes Liberales would reduce botch dice for ceremonial/ritual magic, as it would pair with using Artes Liberales in debate.
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I do have some much less bizarre ideas, such as a wind-focused Flambeau.
It depends on the SGs and how much they let the Imbued character get away with. If the built in difficulties of the virtue are milked, its a pretty fair cost as a minor virtue...if the penalties are ignored, its too cheap.
I love the virtue...it also scares me.
Clarification: It scares me taking it...having ten percent of all Might entities despise you outright can be nightmare inducing.
I'm still pretty new to the game (I'm ~14 years of in-game time into my first saga), so I don't have experience with Imbued. I'll read up on it later tonight when I have some time, but, based on what people are saying about the virtue, I think I will probably fall into the scared category as well.
Just to clarify, I ended up switching around because I was thinking of playing a Trianoma or a Mercurian (from Mercere). I do think I'm going to put my name in behind Explorer though, I think that's actually more of the kind of story I am interested in. I suppose if ROFROF doesn't go with a Trianoma, I think I'll probably go ahead with that. I am getting a fun idea for a Merinita who knows many of the little local faeries to get his info, so I think I'll be fine on being able to find a concept I like.
I also dug out my old concise Latin grammar/dictionary to look up what might be the Order's terms for the roles proposed by Arthur above:
Protector - tutor can mean protector as in "watcher" or legal guardian, patronus refers mostly to a legal counsel, defensor refers to a literal averter or martial guard
Ambassador - legatus was the only one I could find, referring to a delegate or deputy, which I think fits pretty well to represent someone who can represent the interests of the whole covenant
Steward/Voice - procurator can mean steward as in a financial administrator, vilicus refers to the overseer of an estate, and I know off the top of my head that "Voice" as a literal translation in Latin just means the noises you make with your mouth. I opted instead for the option "herald" giving me praenuntiator or fetialis. The former is something literally like "pronouncer" and the latter refers to a kind of Roman priest who handled anouncing war and peace.
Librarian - librarius
Enchanter - fascinator would be the literal translation as "one who fascinates", I personally think auctor meaning something like "maker" is a better fit
Explorer - speculator and explorator both mean spy or scout, although speculator has military connotations
Gardener - hortulanus or topiarius are two different kinds of people who grow plants, either practical or ornamental; vilicus from above might be a good fit here as well
Historian - historicus refers to someone who does History as a kind of academic discipline like Herodotus, rerum scriptor is the recorder of things (things meaning events)
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Here is my first pass at a character brief...
A Mercurian Necromancer with a heavy emphasis on Creo for the utility ritual stuff. Should be able to fill in as a longevity expert when the time comes. Not a social butterfly by any stretch...he might produce things of value, but won't have a clue how to turn them into wealth. For House I would lean towards Mercere unless someone else is solidly going that route (too rare to dupe) in which case I'd be happy as a Bonisagus. Either way a certified labrat who nevertheless is drawn out into the world more often than is healthy...either to hunt down "subjects" or out of sheer curiosity.
Obviously necromancy can irritate some players...and requires somebody willing to run those kinds of stories...if either is a problem here I have plenty of other options. As I posted before I'd be happy with a concentration in either animals or elementals (the rarefied kind) instead...my preferance is less important than having a storyguide excited about the choice...so speak up!
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l do tend to run stories about demons, bad people and other "dark, edgy, grown-up" stuff. Also, fay, but that's besides the point.
Point is: l will be able to run necromancy.
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It's also a way to address how a Gifted Mercere isn't locked up in some stodgy old covenant somewhere totally insulated from risk and stories - if his house finds him a bit distasteful.
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I think some of the roles above might go to a companion or even a grog. For instance, a librarius or a rerun scriptor could well be a grog.
A Mercurian focusing on Corpus should be able to manage healing well as I suspected, so I'll steer clear of that. As for my character, some earlier ideas just weren't coming together to make a storyline I was content with. Bjornaer is out. I started moving more in the direction of a natural philosopher. I think I've honed in on something good if people are OK with the Mythic Alchemy Virtue. I'm thinking of a scientist/engineer, employing magic in combination with mathematics and natural philosophy to greater end, inspired somewhat by Hypatia.
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With the rambling structure of the covenant, it seems strangely appropriate to me that the Heir might be some sort of Muto specialist.
Everyone seem to be referring to the old magus as a Jerbiton. Is that the conscensus? Doesn't it run the risk of overlapping the role of Voice?
I can't read the write-up without seeing an old Tytalus intentionally leaving the problem for his heirs...but they came to a consensus too easily for that...
or did they?
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To a large extent I think the old magus should be determined by what @Arthur wants to play. That said, there are plenty of different "flavors" available within the various Houses.
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