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!
I have a few ideas for both her backstory and her lab; I'm not entirely sure how an anarchy covenant works, but it sounds a bit like we have our own 'mini-covenants' in close proximity? I'm going to actually read the previous and ongoing threads to get a better idea.
Amphora's family are camp followers, mainly launders, muleskinners and sutlers; she spent her early childhood on the move as her family followed the Byzantine army in it's clashes with the Bulgars at the northern edge of the tribunal. She will show up at the covenant with some of her family in tow, several of the men hauling three long boxes that look like coffins, but in reality store her 'mobile laboratory'. This is not 'mobile' in the sense that you can pick it up every night and relocate at the drop of a hat; it's more like a pre-fabricated structure made of sections of wooden panels with leather hinges that can be assembled over the course of a day, topped with a roof made of tanned skins stretched over a wooden framework. I see it looking like a cross between the army tents on MAS*H and a Mongolian yurt.
Most of her family would pitch a set of laundry tents downwind from the magi, using collected urine and sea water to scrub clothing and linens clean for any and all magi.
(New stuff!)
After speaking with ladyphoenix at our tabletop game, I edited one of Amphora's post-gauntlet seasons and the mastery for her mastered spell, so that Arrow of the Moon-Maiden now has both Pentration and Multicast. I also think it might be cool if she had instructions from her House to help erect and maintain an observation and signal tower on the island to assist Tremere vessel comminicating while at sea, as well as watching for seaborne enemies!
Also I may be changing Amphora's Hermetic name, as it seems less and less relevant to the character.
I would welcome you with open arms as a fellow Tremere. There may be reasons you would have a bit of emnity behind me, namely my infamous master who has a reputation for training lycanthropes with the Gift.
Whatever your reaction to Atlas, raising a tower is easily achievable, of course, recompense would be required...
Just read Atlas' intro thread, and yes, it looks like a tower would present little difficulty for her fellow Tremere! Unlike the bear magi's tower, Amphora's would need to be fairly visible, and if made from stone would more than likely serve as her sanctum and lab. Having these two magi at the same covenant could well be part of a greater Tremere strategy in the area.
