I would say somewhere around 1 pawn/magnitude up until the 10th magnitude. Cost probably rises a bit after that and sharply after the 20th magnitude. These exclude the impact of the recipient of the ritual, should they decide to assist in the lab.
But there is probably quite a bit of bargaining around, as well as some preferential rates for fellow House members, redcaps, etc. Also payment is not always in actual vis. Access to exceptional books, exchange for an enchanted item, or other in-kind services may all be used.
Note that is mostly for in-game progress. Pre-saga advancement trading should be kept to a minimum. No accumulating queens of vis before the game starts.
Oh, I'm just trying to write things in reasonably and avoid later contradictions. As I said, I know the 3/year guideline. But, for example, it's better for me to say she earns 8 pawns and then spends them all to support her family than it is to say she earns 80 pawns and spends them all to support her family. Clearly the second case would be inconsistent with the saga.
Question on pre-saga advancement. For Pando I try to collect a mundane memento from events in his life (a small bag of blue dye, a bottle of wine, some mushrooms). My intent was to add color to the various bits of junk a magus is likely to accumulate, while also having things that could conceivably be used in a minor way in stories (maybe we want to gift a nice bottle of wine to the Telsbergās, or just dye something blue).
Iām not planning for Pando to get anything materially valuable like a +3 longsword, but I want to check with the trope if collecting mundane souvenirs is something okay to do?
My impression had been that you can get something better if you sink seasons into finding it or making it. But little stuff should be no big deal and much more fun to include. And then you've got stories you can tell about that souvenir!
@Plot_Device I just realized that we apprenticed at Durenmar together (Wolfgang gauntleted in 1194, Pando in 1195). You think they would have left on good terms, bad terms, or something else?
While I don't have enough interest in the Cult of Mercury to run a good story about them, I do have some ideas about lost mercurian stuff around the covenant (Rituals? Ruins? People? Pottery? Who knows?). Just leaving the info here in the case it becomes relevant sometime in the future.
This will eventually be lost as more posts are written in this topic. Better put that information in the Notes and Claims topic, more spicifically in this post Notes and Claims - #2 by Arthur.
I like ancient magic stories a lot, and I made sure Wolfgang wasn't too interested in that stuff so I can run those without a conflict. Hedge magic to a lesser extent, because Wolfgang does have some interest there (and there's a bit of drama in that he doesn't share the opinion of some of the Ash Gild, he's more tolerant and less kill-first-ask-questions-never)
@Vortigern, bringing here the discussion about Vorsutus (if this name is final I'm going to conflate your names a lot... hehe).
Are you thinking about stopping at Planetary Magic or do you want to go to Hermetic Astrology?
What kind of stories do you have in mind for him?
Just talking out loud: depending on the specifics, he might be a nice complement to Regulus on an investigation. That would be nice, if someone wants to run that kind of story.
I'd be wary, however, of they stepping on each other's toes, since I'm thinking of developing Regulus at least a bit towards a more standard quaesitor focused on hermetic crimes (well, I'm not settled on this, so there is a lot of room to maneuver).
I'm a new prospective player. I've been an Ars Magica player for something close to twenty years now and it has stayed one of my favorite games the entire time. That said ... I won't claim to have deep/perfect mastery of every aspect of the game. But then, with something like Ars, who does right?
I have a tentative concept as follows.
House/Tradition: Ex Misc. / Hermetic Haruspex (variant)
I would like to take the Haruspex and instead switch out the Affinity w/ Intellego for Planetary Magic to make similarly Roman descended Astrological minor tradition. (That would be a House/Tradition virtue/flaw spread of Divination & Augury, Planetary Magic, and Twilight Prone.)
Character Name: Vorsutus
Concept:
Vorsutus was born to the norse name of Eadric Snorison in the norse port city of Wexford in the Hibernian Tribunal. There he had an exceedingly harsh beginning in life like many whose Blatant Gift is active so early. A natural born Seer he constantly receives information about others in snippets of voices, visions, and uncanny insight. This both alienated him from others even further and yet also allowed him to survive alone on the streets of the bustling port from a young age. Growing up in this way has left Vorsutus with barely contained hostility towards much of the mundane world.
He was eventually taken as an apprentice by a similarly Gifted Seer named Chaldeaus, whose home Covenant was Rellantali in the Roman Tribunal. There he was trained in a very Latin/Roman-descended line of magic with a heavy focus on astrology and divinatory arts. Beyond that Vorsutus in particular focuses on high ceremonial and sympathetic magic using arcane connections as well as ritual magic. Since being brought into magical society as an apprentice he has had mostly very positive experiences with fellow Magi, and so contrasting with his attitude towards mundanes he is friendly and loyal to fellow Magi and the Order.
I certainly welcome any discussion and/or suggestions!
I think for long term progression for him I'd like to see him pursuing both Hermetic Astrology/Celestial Magic as well as Cult of Mercury/Mercurian aimed magic.
Vorsutus doesn't like direct confrontation unless he has already completely planned it out. I also aim for him to have Mercurian Magic initiated with the Cult of Mercury/Neo-Mercurians (are they the same or different or comingled together in the eyes of the troupe?) and to have a strong emphasis on ceremonial/sympathetic magic that he can use from a distance/home. He would be much more of a plotter, investigator, and one striving to manipulate the situation without revealing himself if he can.
Though he also is of norse descent/upbringing and was apprenticed in the mafia Covenant of Rellantalli... so raiding and stealing and whatnot isn't beyond his conception. Especially if there are no Covenants involved on the other end to complain.
I see him as being quite incongruous in his both high regard/friendliness towards Magi while being vindictively biased against most mundanes. I am thinking of taking Infamous to give him a bad reputation amongst mundanes as a master of curses one should not offend to reflect that.
Hermetically I see his line of astrological magi being in good regard as diviners/seers, and due to both his own talent and being from that line I was thinking of taking Hermetic Prestige so that he is known and perhaps sought after for those skills, and someone other magi often find helpful/accommodating.
I think I'll need to get to know the immediate setting of the Covenant before deciding much more. But in general I see him as on the calculating/strategic side but with a strong pro-Order/anti-Mundane (or hedge wizard etc.) commitment/bias.
I think he would readily assist with an investigation if requested. I plan on having some basic abilities in the area of Intellego but not a lot of development there to start with. More a sideline that he can keep growing further into over time. His primary forte I aim to be the ceremonial/sympathetic/ritual magic angle. I'll be reading up on "Intangible Assassin" notes here soon to brush up before digging into the design.
For Vorsutus perhaps long term he might make something of a divination/intellego backup/supplement as well as an "Intangible Hoplite" if you will, to assist with Rogue Magi and/or other types of threats.
Sounds interesting! Happy to welcome a fellow Mercurian!
In my opinion the difference between neo-Mercurians and the Cult of Mercury is analogous to Charismatic Catholics compared to Roman Catholics - one group being much bigger and less devout, while the other group is a bit fanatical and more into a direct personal relationship with the supernatural - but overall they have a good amount in common.
Ok. I'm asking to start spinning my wheels in that direction. =]
But with the Cult of Mercury I can't help much. Not my favorite cult.
Would this work with him moving to a new covenant and being, at least at first, unknown to the mundanes there? Also, is this a flaw if he has Blatant Gift and is already unlikely to interact heavily with mundanes (or be seen in a good light by them)?
Oh, I was thinking about his Divination. It's a major virtue, I assumed you would rise it as much as possible and make it a staple of Vorsutus to get the most of it.
