Character Creation for callen (OOC)

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: The Heir of Laimunt Valley
121

I really lost my handle on it when I dropped the Mercurian Magic. I've been looking back at the earlier stuff I wrote, considering Mercurian Magic without the initiation, so as to avoid Pagan and retain what I'd originally been envisioning for this character better.

I would say Story Flaws vary in that way. For a modern American example, if you're in the reserves you won't get sent off to war before you finish your initial training. If there is a group you're working for, they'll probably look at you for certain tasks you can handle well for them rather than sending you out to fail one task while sending someone else who would have been better suited to fail a different task you'd be suited toward. That's notably different than something like Curse of Venus, which just happens, uncontrolled by any group.

122

Yes, Story flaws vary in the way they work. Some are more deliberate than others. But they still come into play regularly. Picking up your example, if you're in the reserve you will be called to train in things you may not care about. You may also be called in to respond to a natural disaster, because it's an emergency and it doesn't take much training to fill sand bags.

I was just pointing out that there was nothing in the narrative (from Summer 1196 to Winter 1202) that pointed to anything being requested of Mariane by the Cult of Heroes. Yet in the same period she was getting access to some serious benefits because of that patronage. That surprised me, because it should have been felt in the narrative.

Sometimes the narrative brings us in directions we didn't envision. When it does, we have to decide if we want to adjust the narrative to fit the stats, or the stats to reflect the narrative. I used to do the first, but in recent years I mostly go with the second.

123

I tend to go 50/50. If the story doesn't fit the stats you want (e.g. someone finds you and trains you as a Criamon even though you wanted to play a Flambeau), that can be a big problem, too.

124

It could be solved by changing the Mercurian initiation to something other than Pagan.

125

Something other than Pagan as an Ordeal is certainly a possibility.

That brings up the question as to how do we determine the Initiation Scripts that are available in a mystery cult. I thought the one callen was referring to (Consecration of the Priamitus) was from one of the sourcebooks, but I cannot find it.

But since very few of the mystery cults have fully detailed paths with initiaitons scripts, there should be some sort of discussion about the initiation paths for the various cults. The paths and scripts should make internal sense for the cult in question, otherwise mystery paths become a smorgasbord to acquire virtues instead of a true mystery path.

126

I wasn't so sure why they would develop any other Ordeal, which is why I didn't want to do that. Arthur's smorgasbord, and all. I do like that I'm only doing one cult, too, even if the Cult of Mercury is open and not a mystery.

127

Where is that Initiation Script described? I can't find it.

128

It's in Faith and Flame. Not sure on the page just this moment.

129

Found it. Boxed insert on p.28. That's a problem indeed, as this confirms that the Cult of Mercury is very much Pagan.

There is some contradictory elements in HoH:S p.17, where the Flambeau brand of the Cult of Mercury seem less attached to the paganism described in HoH:TL and F&F.

"The pagan trappings of the cult are seen by many as foolish or even blasphemous conceits, but few Mercurians take them seriously. Just as most magi do not believe the name ā€œOrder of Hermesā€ is anything but symbolic, Mercurians use ā€œgods,ā€ ā€œblessings,ā€ and ā€œofferingsā€ as terms that evoke the grand history of magic, not sacrilegious practices. A good many cult members consider themselves Christian as well as Mercurian."

And the Pagan flaw is only one of many suggested flaws, not a mandatory one, for Mercurian Characters (boxed insert on p.17).

So there may be room for a different interpretation of (or a variation within) the Cult of Mercury, which is only superficially pagan.

130

Yes, I could see some room for variation. The problem in my mind is that the Cult of Mercury is very broad, with some truly pagan and others really not, but this initiation is very specifically about declaring someone devoted to a pagan tradition. So I'm not sure I want to mess with it. I'm probably just better off finding some Virtues to drop to take it directly.

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131

Meanwhile, I've been wondering if I've been making her more Hippian Tytalus than Flambeau.

132

How would you feel about postponing any major cult initiations until play begins?

133

Were the Matres and Matrones ones I wrote above OK? I'm perfectly happy stalling on the latter two. But picking up Feminine Gift and sacrificing it for Gentle Gift are pretty big for her role at the new covenant.

134

I'm undecided on that. That's why I'm asking you. Even Feminine Gift might be enough to start in her role at Tugurium, at least for a while.

It just came to me that she is essentially pursuing the paths of two seperate mystery cults at the same time. Don't you find that strange? Shouldn't commitment to a mystery cult be exclusive to all others? I can't remember if it's mentioned anywhere (one way or the other).

135

Not really, for two reasons:

  1. She's only pursuing Matres and Matrones. So that's just one. I've been talking about having Mercurian Magic from the start rather than from an initiation. Others suggested an Ordeal other than Pagan, not me.
  2. The Cult of Mercury isn't a mystery cult. It's a wide open group. It happens to have an initiation, but so do some other non-Mystery Cult things. Disallowing being in the Cult of Mercury and pursuing a Mystery Cult is roughly equivalent to disallowing being in a House and pursuing a Mystery Cult. We know people from Mystery Houses can pursue Mystery Cults, and those are usually far less open than a group like the Cult of Mercury, which is open to magi of any house whether they believe in it or not.
136

Fair point! :slight_smile:

137

Another nice thing with starting with Mercurian Magic is that it restores her Minor Magical Focus. The whole Creo end of it relies on Rituals, many of which become pointless if there are Mercurians around with them.

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138

A little bit of tweaking, dropping Imbued and correcting the copied typo. I spent a little time considering how the Cult of Heroes could best take advantage of her (not in a bad way, but how it would seek to benefit from her when it already has good Creo magi, especially CrCo magi, who are also Mercurian). I think the key without Imbued is her Focus. After learning some spells from the Cult, the would be ideally suited to developing new versions. There are canonical group healing spells to take advantage of numbers, such as using T: Room instead of T: Individual. So I could see her being requested to develop group (Circle, Group, Room, etc.) versions of their spells.

At gauntlet, age 27:

Int +3, Per 0, Str -2, Sta +2, Pre +1, Com +1, Dex 0, Qui 0

Personality Traits: Ambitious +5, Hedonistic +1, Organized +3

Affinity with Mentem [1]
Book Learner [1]
Cautious Sorceress [1]
The Gift [free]
Hermetic Maga [free]
Mercurian Magic [3]
Minor Magical Focus: Permanent Mental Alteration [free - Schools of Sebastian]
Personal Vis Source: Mentem [1]
Puissant Magic Theory [1]
Puissant Parma Magica [1]
Skilled Parens [1]

Ambitious [-3]
Covenant Upbringing: Aedes Mercurii [-1]
Hermetic Patron: Cult of Heroes [-1]
Small Frame [-1]
Unimaginative Learner [-1]
Weak Elemental Resistance [-3]

Area Lore: ProvenƧal Tribunal 1 (Aedes Mercurii) [5]
Artes Liberales 1 (Ceremonial Casting; Alphabets: Latin) [5]
Athletics 1 (Dancing) [5]
Awareness 1 (Alertness) [5]
Bargain 1 (Magic) [5]
Brawl 1 (Evasion) [5]
Charm 1 (Debate) [5]
Concentration 2 (Spells) [15]
Etiquette 1 (Nobility) [5]
Finesse 1 (Certamen) [5]
Folk Ken 2 (Debate) [15]
Guile 1 (Debate) [5]
Intrigue 2 (Debate) [15]
Language: Latin 4 (Hermetic) [50]
Language: Basque 5 (Basque) [75-75=0]
Magic Theory 4+2 (Spells) [50]
Organization Lore: Cult of Mercury 1 (Cult of Heroes) [5]
Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 1 (Certamen) [5]
Parma Magica 1+2 (Certamen) [5]
Penetration 1 (Certamen) [5]
Profession: Scribe 1 (Latin) [5]
Swim 1 (Underwater) [5]

Creo 4 [10]
Muto 6 [21]
Rego 11 [66]
Corpus 1 [1]
Herbam 1 [1]
Mentem 6 [21/1.5=14]
Terram 1 [1]
Vim 11 [66]

Casting Sigil: The environment gets a touch quieter (not silent). E.g. the conversation in a room seems to subside a little, or there is a slight lull in the crickets chirping at night.
Certamen School: Hoplomachus

The Laundress's Clothesline (PeAq 4)
Bind My Wound (Bind Wound @ Personal, Concentration) (CrCo 4)
Bathing Without Water (ReCo 2)
The Perfectly-Groomed Mage (ReCo 5)
Repulse the Unwanted Attention (R: Touch version) (ReCo 25)
In the Sight of Somnus (The Call to Slumber @ Sight) (ReMe 15)
Object of Minuscule Proportions (see above) (MuTe 20)
Facilitate the Stifled Vim Spell (MuVi 20), Mastery 3: Adaptive Casting, Quiet Casting x2
Unraveling the Threads of Vim (Unraveling the Fabric of Vim @ Touch) (PeVi 20)
Sustaining the Demanding Spell (ReVi 35), Mastery 2: Imperturbable Casting, Stalwart Casting

139

We had a discussion about two months ago about the potential abuse resulting from the combination of Mercurian Magic and Imbued with the Spirit of (Form).

Being able to cast a level 40 ritual every week, without spending a single pawn of raw vis, is potentially game-breaking. Even a level 60 ritual will only cost 2 pawns. There is a real risk of every magus in the game will quickly end up with +5 in all mental stats for very little vis being spent.

(As a side note, finding a familiar related with Mentem would also become impossible.)

I'm going to nix Imbued with the Spirit of (Form) before play starts. It may become possible to acquire the virtue later on, but only as the result of an actual story.

140

OK. I'll remove it. Yes, I recall that discussion now; it was a while ago.

The Familiar issue is incorrect, though. Mentem works with any animal with Intelligence, while Imbued only becomes a problem for animals with Might associated with that Form.

While I'm working on getting Mercurian Magic in there, did we lose our healer entirely? I'd been avoiding CrCo to stay out of the way of the healer.