When I listed the kinds of companions who would work well with Regulus what I'm really saying is "if you make a companion who matches these, he and Regulus would have reasons to work together and be complementary".
For a concrete example, none of the 4 magi in the covenant are built as exceptional fighters. If you are interested in making a mercenary captain that guy could, in principle, complement any of the magi.
A mundane hunter/poacher/survivalist OTOH would (I think) be a bad fit for Alba, and while being a good support for Regulus on the martial side, the magus might eventually surpass him with Intellego spells. But he would be a good fit for Clusius if the magus ever needs the guy's assistance (for example, in the upcoming Telsberg hunt), and a good fit for Celeste as she goes around the Jura mountains seeking remains of dead people.
The same is valid the other way around. I mentioned interest in a member of the clergy. If Alba needs someone to guide her through the mundane world I could design this person with a bit more social skills (which would also make her useful to Clusius, since his gift is not Gentle). But if no one would see the character as a particularly useful addition (meaning she wouldn't appear in a lot of stories) I can always turn to another concept.
Of course, this also depends on the types of stories that everyone is going to run. ^^
You will not complain that I do not give you enough story hooks xD
I suppose that any person able and willing to take advantage of Alba's gullible nature would make a problematic fit for her... even if she doesn't know that (at the start, at least) xD
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Preparing the birthday party ^^!
To me sounds good, but we also need a reason for a clergy member to be with us regularly... maybe the Father Luc can be upgraded? ^^!
It's indeed an option, and one I thought about in the past. But there are reasons for a nun to leave the nunnery on occasion (I was thinking of having Lucelle Abbey be a nunnery).
By the way, with Alba's new project I think we will be needing new capable craftsman. Or maybe anyone is interested in Francesca or Hebert being companions? I must say I'm interested on that now. XD
That is one of the reason why I haven't statted them out. Leaves options open.
But if you take one of them as a companion, then he or she will need to have reasons to leave the covenant once in a while -- with or without the magi -- for something that may be dangerous.
Note that Francesca has a family. I was picturing her in her late forties, and she had a reason for staying at the covenant. But one of her adult children may be chafing to see the outside world instead of just working alongside their mother. That might be good material for a companion.
I've also left quite a few of the inhabitants of the covenant undefined. So any number of people could already be there that would make interesting companions.
I think it is possible, albeit not necessary, to have companions in a work project. And in essence, I think if the craftsman are stated as companions they will run into adventures, and if they remain as grogs they might (but not necessarily will) be dragged into them by the magi.
I have an idea for a Satyr Blood companion for Alba, one that is both knowledgeable about the mundane world, and fares well in towns and cities, but is not so good out in the wilderness, and is a bit of a ladies' man so he could get into some troubles, and draw Alba out to save his bacon.
Did you though thoroughly the idea of making a knowledgeable and charming womanizer as the companion of a young, unaware and gullible woman?
I only ask in case it was an oversight because it seems weird. Im not the type of player that cry if his character has struggles (of any type), so if thats the type of situations that you want to play, pay me no attention and go ahead.
I'm trying to make a companion that its more or less compatible with both Regulus and Celeste, while trying that doesn't have as many reasons to go with Alba on adventures.
So, the concept ends more or less being a druid-bard-fighter xD
It knows how to survive in the forest and communicate with animals (having a magical animal friend, a weak one but good enough to help in fights), while his relationship with mundanes is worse (the reason he live in the forests in first place, and also a good reason for him to find a place into the convenant too).
As a survivalist, he also knows how to fight (he is good, specially paired with his animal pal), so that covers a need for both magis (he is way better in fight than Lencor in that regard).
But then, he's also knows about music and enchanted music. But he isnt completely the typical bard in the sense that he would need some more train in treating with people... and in Latin too (Regulus coming from so far away is giving me some headaches, since the magus doesn't talk French nor German >_<). But he doesn't technically have nothing that stops him from being able to treat with magis (he is not good with mundanes, but he doesnt have issues with magis), so that part can be improved with time.
He is also a passionate person and has a great sense of duty and of justice, all while has some skills to me able to infiltrate, so he would offer to help in investigations while being useful.
All in all, it seems a companion useful enough to help both Celeste and Regulus (and maybe Clusius too? you didn't write any preference Arthur), but while it's also not so good as a dedicated one, that can change with a little of train and also make it more natural and less metagaming
Idk, what do you think? I could remove the nature vibe and replace it with a more scholastic background (so he has better knowledges and starts with Latin), that would make him better for both Regulus and Celeste... but also for Alba ^^!
So, a DnD Ranger with a dip into Bard? =9
He seems nice.
Feel free to ignore Latin. Regulus' shield grog knows enough Latin to translate, and Regulus will eventually pick the necessary language skills (or invent a In(Cr)Me spell).
When you say he is bad with mundanes, is this just a lack of social skills? Or are you looking at the Magical Air flaw? If he is going to have Enchanting Music, I think Magical Air would be a bad deal.
@Red-Shadow-Claws i would like to know if this concept works with you, since i'm trying to make a companion that its compatible with both Regulus and Celeste.
I've given character development some thought, and the one that is really sticking is a reboot of a concept that I used for a pbp that fizzled out, and so I never had the chance to put it into play. The rebooted version is a member of House Jerbiton who practices the craft/art of bone carving. He's of Scandinavian descent, grew up in the Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany, and apprenticed at Oculus Septentrionalis. From his familial bloodline, he inherited a bone carving-analogue of Figurine Magic (HOH:TL, pg 33), which he could eventually try to integrate into Hermetic Magic. He also has a magical focus in human bone, for which I created some spell guidelines that we can review as we dig into the details, pending concept approval. Having a Gentle Gift, he will spend time after apprenticeship as an itinerant bone carver, trying to land a big commission with a major church figure. In doing so, he discovers a conspiracy to pass some animal bones off as the relics of a major saint, gets in over his head in trying to expose it, and either earns himself a powerful enemy or owes someone a big favor for bailing him out. Both of these options could explain his motives for relocating to Tugurium. For longer term goals, in addition to integrating Figurine Magic, he would seek out exotic bones to carve (for which he has a weakness), pursue rumors of ancient bone-related magic (to be designed), and do what he can to use his art and Arts to provide for the covenant. If there are any particular roles that need filling, I'm happy to include them in his goals.
Seems like an interesting, if a bit grim, character. =]
Bonus points if he chops his own arm, enchants the bones of his arm as his Talisman and then use a ritual to attach the arm back (this is one of my goals if I ever make a bone-focused necromancer. =9)
Personally I'm not fond of the overly detailed bone guidelines suggested on the link. Working with not-optimal forms he should end up with not-optimal spells (eg. a Bone Dart should have higher level than a Crystal Dart; this is intended IMO). The intended mMF on human bone would help to offset part of this, of course, and help to achieve more complex spells.
But I think some of those might be negotiated, while others would work better as [Tech]Te spells with a Corpus requisite (eg. the Intellego ones).
The concept is interesting and dark af xD You will easily become friends with Celeste xD
The Magic Focus in Human Bones, i think that its unnecesary to add "Human". I'd say that Bones in general would be enough, since its not something so extended anyway. But thats my opinion.
About the guidelines... i see that largely are just fancy versions of oficial guidelines... for example:
CrCo 2: Create a human bone
That would be:
CrCo 5: Create an entire human corpse + Target Part
If you want to create human bones in unnatural shapes, Mu or Re should be used as Requisites of that same spell.
The InCo custom guidelines would be just the regular InCo ones. Its unnecesary to make new ones just for bones.
If you want to make cloth from human parts, i'd say that the direct conversion from MuAn to MuCo would be ok.
While the PeCo guidelines are all just fluffy ways to obtain the same as the actual ones too:
PeCo 2: Destroy an extracorporeal human bone
PeCo 4: Destroy an extracorporeal human skeleton
Those both are just:
PeCo 5: Destroy a corpse
And:
PeCo 20: Destroy an intracorporeal human bone (destroy a limb)
PeCo 30: Destroy an intracorporeal human skeleton (kill a person)
Already exists:
PeCo 20: Destroy or sever a limb, so it cannot heal naturally
PeCo 30: Kill a person
So, in my opinion, those guidelines aren't necessary at all, and all your ideas can be recreated using existing guidelines. Only MuCo should be picked from MuAn.
