A level 10 crig (light) type spell could actually be pretty flexible for signaling - make it concentration duration so you can ramp the light up and down within the duration of the spell. Or heck, just use straight up flame but have some way of making it vary, so you have more options than "on" and "off".
If you are already good at Imagonem something like simple colored smoke is the kind of thing you might be able to spont for free, but light is nice at night for communicating over long distances.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking off; the idea I came up with was a spell to create up to four floating 'lanterns', the shape, size and color depending on the wizard's sigil. Based on house protocol, they are usually arranged in a one of a series of predetermined configurations, such as square, diamond, vertical line, horizontal line, etc. If you add a second color (all the same color, 3-1, 2-2) you can easily come up with twelve signals that can be accuaretly read for several miles in any direction.
Bascially this is the classic D&D spell Dancing Lights, which I always thought would be great for this purpose. I was thinking Voice range would be best to get a little altitude for the lanterns, but Amphora cannot speak! However I believe Voice works on any vocal sound, so a yelp or even a loud grunt should suffice, correct?
Yeah, something could easily be sponted most of the time; smoke in the daytime (on land or at sea), lights at night. I mainly like the Four Lanterns spell because it implies official sanction and standardization, which seems very appropriate for Tremere.
Target group with creo doesn't really seem to work that way. You just get "more" creo. (eg, can summon 10x more gold, affect a 60 degree cone, or similar)
So if your four lanterns add up to an "individual" amount of light for cr/ig, you won't have to bump the magnitude for size reasons. You might have to increase it for "unnatural/complex" reasons.
With ignem though, even quite complex shapes seem to be just one level of unnatural (eg, a flame that is in human shape, or that wraps itself around a sword).
The main variable is brightness with light. So what I'd say is work out your range/duration that you need, add +1 magnitude for unnatural, and see what brightness "base" that leaves you with. If the storyguide disagrees, worst case your lanterns aren't quite as bright, as you bump the base down a magnitude.
Base 3 for Creo Ignem gives you light equivalent to a torch +2 for Voice +1 for Concentration +1 for unnatural/complex = level 10 spell, right? Or would that make it Level 15?
I think I like Hoist the Spectral Lanterns Aloft for the spell name, since it implies nautical connotations. Or does 'Haul' sound better? Hmm...
Okay, I've completed my XP spending breakdown for Amphora from her birth through the seventh year after her Gauntlet, and changed her original build slightly (pretty much just swapped Penetration 1 for Concentration 1).
I still need to come up with story details for the 5xp seasons, detail her backstory and write up her two new spells (one she learned from her parens, and the other she invented herself), plus I'll need much help in setting up her lab
Actually I think I need to do a die roll for the invented spell, as her lab total was 29, just one point short of being able to invent it in one season without experimentation! How do we handle such rolls here, and who determines any weird results?
I have to do my lab write up too but I will get you access to covenants book. My lab is in the sea cliff and hard to get access to without flying or swimming underwater.
(You can rappel down the cliff and indeed lower supplies on rope is how I got the lab equipment in initially, but that is only until I get defenses up.)
For die rolling: invisiblecastle.com/roller/ roll there and then post the link to the results roll into your post:
As for the lights, I could see group working: You create four blocks of stone instead of 1 single block of stone. You create four lanterns in places around the lab so that the lght and shadows work right instead of 1 central light source.
As for weird results, suggest something and check with SG. As long as it fits the guidelines on the experimental table it should be ok.
I did several seasons of experimentation in the last couple years of my character and just made stuff up when I got a story event, just like I made stuff up for "scheduled" stories.
I made a few more changes to the character, both freshly-Gauntled and seven years past versions. I toned down her Amorous personality trait, made her Patient instead or Restless (which somehow makes more sense for a person who doesn't talk) and changed Woodworking to Leatherworking, so she can repair her own travel gear, but still be able to make little leather ragdolls as Arcane Connections!
I'm imagining the effects of Aura of Rightful Authority and Words of the Unbroken silence on this character on poor hapless mundanes.
Did anyone else see True Genius with Val Kilmer? There is a scene there that is kind of what I'm imagining...
(spooky unnatural voice in your head)
*This is Jesus Speaking. You have been Very Very Bad. Follow these instructions precisely and you will be forgiven."
Hiding a shadow is usually done as a crig light effect.
Same brightness as whatever light casts the shadow, +1 magnitude for unnatural. (essentially, the side of you in shadow glows enough to counter whatever you are blocking. If the light source is stronger than your spell, you cast a faint shadow).
You could probably also do something with reig, maybe moving the shadow away from you somehow although that's mostly done for things like Image of the Wizard Torn, to make the illumination on the image match the illumination on you.
Other approaches tend to be harder (such as removing the quality that makes you block light).
VErthax and I know each other well. I can't wait to see what he does with his mentem expert after knowing he has been watching me get away with murder with my Mentem expert in our offline campaign.
I loved the reaction 10 minutes after my character had left the covenant, "Wait a minute, we let her go into town with just some grogs? What were we thinking? Lord help the town."
Not as good on things that lack minds, you do usually need a hammer for that too. But a lot easier to use your full power without accusations of blatant magic.
Unless you are Caput, where the kind of fear he inspires when he turns it up to 11 is so unnatural that it's going to be noticed and commented on.
Amphora is all about the subtle, but she's a good soldier and less likely to mess with the mundanes' heads for fun; it's her ability to impale people with icicles from half a mile away (assuming that she can see her target) that really makes her scary.
I must admit I'm a bit unclear on just how Penetration works. Amphie has a CT of 22 for a level 15 spell, plus Pentration 3 and two levels of Spell Mastery in Penetration for her icicle arrow spell; does this mean her Pen total for that spell is 12? There was a mention of multipliers, which I know involves symapthetic magic, but I wanr to have a good iea on just how good she is at taking out marched magi, y'know, should it ever come up.
(Yes, I know it would take a few ice arrows to drop a magi if they only do +5 damage.)
If you have arcane connection, you get to multiply your pentration score (that includes penetration mastery) so for this spell: You would be
7+die roll+(5x multiplier)+aura for pentration. Default multiplier is 1 but arcane connections can increase it, sympathetic connections can increase it more. A good AC and 2-3 sympathetic multipliers could mean +35 or +40 on top of hte 7+die roll+aura.
Wait, shouldn't it be 12 instead of 7? On page 82, it says Penetration total = Casting total + Penetration bonus -Spell level. Since it's a level 15 spell, it should be five points higher, right?
The multiplier is only applied to the penetration score (plus any penetration from mastery)
The true formula is
Penetration = Casting total + penetration bonus - spell level
Casting total = Stamina+arts+aura+specials (like exaggerated gestures, virtues of special circumstance, etc)+die roll
Penetration bonus = (penetration + mastery penetration) * multiplier
So for your spell in a neutral aura of 0 with no arcane connection would have penetration of 22 + (3+2)*1 - 15 + die= 12 + die
If say you had arcane connection of the class that last years (blood or hair): your penetration bonus would be (3+2) * 4 (base 1 + 3 for arcane connection lasting years or decades. This would raise penetration to 22+ 20 - 15 + die or 27+die. If you were to take that blood and had the signature of the target (sympathetic connection) and a good symbolic represetation of the target (another sympathetic connection), the multiplier would be base 1 + 3 (arcane connection) + 3 sympathetic connections or 7 and formula then becomes 22 (base casting total) + 35 - spell level + die or 42+die.
This is explained on page 84 of the main book. Sympathetic connects though do not work unless you have arcane connection first.
I am sorry I never finished my character, I won't be able to participate due to personal issues. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll return but if they are places open by then I might very well set up a beginners game. Sorry for wasting your time!
