Given that there are many more spells already developed by the Order than are listed in the rulebook, how do I determine if my character can learn a spell at character creation from his master?
For instance if I want my character in a Russian covenent to learn "The Warming Wizard" CrIg 5 (Base 2 heat to warm to touch, +1 Touch, +2 Sun 5) can I assume my Parens taught it to me? After all it's a useful low level spell, especially for keeping the covenfolk happy in northern winters. How about the spells listed here in the grimoire section? Which ones are likely to be known by a parens or in the covenants library?
The starting PCs should be able to have any spells they are eligible for and meet with the SG's approval. I see no reason to limit them to the pre defined spells in the book.
If you want to have all custom starting spells, I don't see any problem with that unless there are story issues that would make it unlikely.
I second that. As long as they are normal spells achievable with hermetic magic, it is OK for us. We also force players to design at least 1 spell that is not in the core books, since we assume that this would be a rather normal examination procvess for an apprentice: to design his own spell instead of learning one that is in their covenant's library.
In the rules there is nothing that forces or prevents you to have certaqin spells, so it is a thing for your troupe to decide. In the past I have also played with characters that had spells available only from the core book, for example. All options are valid here
I think the question to be asked is "is this spell sufficiently esoteric that it wouldn't have been desired more than three or four times in the order's history?" If the answer to that question is no then I let the character have the spell. (Thus the spell from the rulebook that changes someone's mind into a bird wouldn't be OK if it weren't in the book).
On the other hand I do believe that with the selection of spell mastery texts that are available is quite limited.
Pillum of fire ? sure you can get a spell mastery text. A spell almost exactly like Pillum of fire but with less damage and therefore a lower level? Sorry, no spell mastery texts available, it's practice time for you.
Let me add an out-of-game answer to the very good in-game answers that have already been posted. I usually go by the nature of the group to decide such a thing. If I've got a bunch of munchkins - which I do at the moment - I tell them that all their starting spells have to be from the core rules. I don't even let them choose spells from supplements, knowing that they'll be able to invent/learn them soon enough. If I've got a group of non-power gamers, I let them start with any spell that is Hermetically permissible, and just assume that the apprentice invented it in apprenticeship or learned it from her parens.
My Magus has trained to some degree 2 Apprentices. However he spends 10-12 years on arts and about 3-5 on spells.
However he has a LOT of custom spells. I see no reason why his apprentice can't suddenly be taught the Custom (say) Intellego Corpus Spells as long as the apprentice is capable of learning these spells.
