Character creation

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: The Covenant Adrift
34

I was counting the minor magical focus towards the maximum spell level being learnable. A strict reading of RAW would imply otherwise, but I'm reasonably certain that the reason for the rule is its the maximum you can get in lab. Her maximum in lab would be something like 35 in creo herbam where her focus applies, and 28 in rego herbam where her focus applies. (Note the Herbam specialization for her magic theory.)

I'm used to assuming a few things with the virtues and such. For example, "study total" which does not actually appear outside of the virtue chapter, and one reference to it being penalized by wounds, means "advancement total". Or at least that is my assumption.

Anyway, I counted 110 levels of spells if they all work. I also need to mark the things that I counted the minor magical focus for and get approval for those too.

35

Aqua- your character is fine- if you read the other threads it is not certain which tribunal the ship wound up in, the traveling capabilities of a dolphin or eagle really pale in comparison to how lost you are. Which isn't to say you won't ever reconnect with the order, just that making a new covenant on your own is more reasonable than reconnecting with the covenant you came from.

Lamech- I will confess I haven't fully processed your virtue due to the fact you had an overabundance of initiations and too many major hermetic virtues. Looking at it with that virtue in mind it will of course be possible to start with.
Your spell count is correct, mine was off, but that leaves you 10 points
You have three personality flaws (prohibition, fear, and compassionate) where you are limited to 2.

36

Alexander ex Misc
Arts (old): 145xp
Arts: Cr 0, In 5, Mu 0, Pe 5, Re 0; An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 6, Ig 0, Im 6, Me 6, Vi 12

Arts New: 145xp
Cr 3, In 5, Mu 0, Pe 5, Re 5; An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 6, Ig 0, Im 0, Me 6, Vi 12

Spells (unchanged 120 lvls)
Wizard’s Sidestep ReIm10; +8
Naked Man Weaving CrHe15; Mastery 1: quiet; +12
Loss of But a Moment's Memory PeMe15; Mastery 1: quiet; +14
Call to Slumber ReMe10; Mastery 3; quite, penetration, multiple; +14
Piercing the Magical Veil InVi 20; Mastery 1: quiet; +20
Piercing theFairie Veil InVi 20; Mastery 1: quiet; +20
Demon’s Demise From Afar PeVi10; Mastery 3; quite, penetration, multiple; +22
Gryffin’s Demise From Afar PeVi10; Mastery 3; quite, penetration, multiple; +22
Fairie’s Demise From Afar PeVi10; Mastery 3; quite, penetration, multiple; +22

New 30 levels:
Shriek of the Impending Shafts InHe15; mastery 1: quiet; +14
Collect the essence of the beast ReVi15; mastery 1: quiet; +20

Castor, Sailor
Int 0, Per 1, Pre 0, Com 0, Str 1, Sta 1, Dex 2, Qik 1

37

That still leaves 4 times you have mastery:3 with 25 points for each mastery (5 free for the flawless magic virtue), with a total of 100 points when mastered spells only provides 50.

Castor should certainly be able to be posted as finished now.

38

Flawless magic halves the price for mastering spells. That means I get 100xp worth of spells.

39

Ok So first draft. I hope I did not make any mistkae. Just tell me if yes.

Age : 25
Name : Argyros of Mecere
Quick Overview
Argyros is a son of a greek merchant. Not something fancy, just cheap Olive Oil. Not rich, not poor, some extra sometimes with smuggling sometimes. Usually sell to various people, during his childhood Argyros sails with his father for business to others cities. Learned some words with others merchants or people. Then he is sold to a magus and started apprenticeship. Quickly he's starting to loooooove magic. One spells, two, "more more more more. Ooooooops. Sorry. My bad. Do not worry, everything is gonna be allright" :smiley:
Characteritics:
For -1 / Dex -1 / Qui -2 / Sta 3 / Int 3 (*) / Pre 0 / Com 2
*See Virtue

Flaws: (10 points)
Magic Addiction (Maj), Weird MAgic (Min) -do not know the effect yet. Opened to suggestions :slight_smile:- , Infamous Master* (Min), Susceptibility to Faerie Power (Min), Optimistic (Maj), Vision (Min, Story)

  • That damn master. Was an addicted to game, a gambler and a scammer. Lot of trials because he tried to scam various magi, created too much money, sold magicals items to mundane. This kind of stuff. Never marched but close. Now everyone thinks I'm the same.

Virtues: (10 points)
Puissant Creo (free), the gift, hermetic magus
Mercurian Magi (Maj), Affinity with Vim, Affinity with Magic Theory, Affinity with Rego, Inventive Genius, Skilled Parens, Improved characteristics, Minor Magical focus (do not know what yet)

Ability
0-5 years
Native Language (Greek) 5
05 Greece Area Lore (geography) 1
05 Aegean Sea Lore (geography) 1
15 Folk Ken 2 (townsfolk)
05 living language Arab (slang)
15 Swim 2 (long distances)
= 45

6-10 years (15*5 = 75)
05 Living Language Italian (slang) 1
15 Profession (scribe) 2
15 Concentration 2 (spell concentration)
15 Bargain 2 (negociation)
05 Survival (sea) 1
05 Chirurgy 1
05 Area Lore Constantinople (geography)
10 Aegean Sea Lore (geography) 2 (raised from early childhood)
= 75

Apprenticeship (240 + 60 Skilled Parens)

  • Virtue
    05 Arte Liberales 1 (Ritual Magic)
    50 Latin 4 (hermetic)
    50 Magic Theory 5 (lab work) (= 50 * 1.5 Affinity Virtue = 75)
    05 Parma Magica 1 (Mentem)
    05 Order of Hermes Lore 1 (legends)
    15 Finesse 2 (precision)
    15 Penetration 2 (Vim)
    05 Philosophae 1 (Ritual Magic)
    15 Concentration 3 (raised from late childhood)
    = 165

Arts:
21 Creo 6
37 Rego 10 (371.5 Affinity Virtue)
37 Vim 10 (371.5 Affinity Virtue)
15 Aquam 5
21 Terram 6
03 Ignem 2
01 Auram 1
= 135

Spells : (120+30)
Dagger of Ice /Cr(Re)Aq10
Voice/Mom/Ind
HOM:Societas p35
Aegis of the Earth / ReVi30
Touch/Year/Bound/Ritual
p161
Watching Ward / ReVi20
Touch/spec/Ind/Ritual
p162
Gather the essence of the beast / ReVi15
Touch/Mom/ind
p162
Scale of the magical weight / InVi5
Touch/Mom/Ind
p158
The Stanger Gift / CrVi20
Voice/Mom/Ind
p157 (same as Enigma Gift but base 10 and only 2 warping points)
Pit of the gapin earth / PeTe15
Voice/Mom/Part
p155
The Unseen Porter / ReTe10
Voice/conc/ind
p156
Hands of the grapping earth / ReTe15
p156
Palm of flame / CrIg5
Touch/Conc/Ind
p139
Air Ghostly Form / CrAu5
Touch/Diam/Ind
p125

  • Wizard communion level 30 for free (cf Mercurian Virtue)

Sigil : targets (or peopole in area) are drooling for a couple of seconds
Reputation : bad (which one ?) -3

40

You want improved characteristics, not increased intelligence. The math works out the same, so that is a minor note.
Affinity does not double the experience, it gives a multiple of 1.5, a 5 in Magic theory will cost 50 xp, not 38, and Rego and vim will cost 52 to be at 12.
In total you have spent 342 out of 240 xp for your apprenticeship.

Alexander can be posted.

41

II've posted Alexander (lowered Cr from 3 to 2, typo).

I'll add the forms and the other characters as soon as possible (but for now it's off to bed)

42

Sorry My bad. Did not re-read and I was sure it was *2.

Just one question as I had 2 differents GM and accounting. Do you sum the real xp used (for exemple Magic Theory 5 =75 ) or the expensed (so here 50) ? Just so I redo the calculation if necessary :slight_smile:

43

On my version at home on excel I use real experience and set up the calculation of level to adjust (so 50 XP yields a score of 5), and most people so far that I have seen seem to use real XP, so it is probably best to stick with that.

44

Ok !
I updated the apprenticeship and should be correct up to 300 (the 240 + the 60 of skilled parens). Working on the spells.
Argyros

45

Grogs:

Tweedledum (28) / Tweedledee (28)
Quick Overview : Twin brothers, were on branded criminals after being caught poaching. Were fleeing on the boat and found Argyros kind of amusing

Flaws : Carefree, branded criminals
Virtues : Warrior, Percing Gazes
Characteristics : For 2 / Dex 0 / Qui 1 / Sta 3 / Int 0 / Pre 0 / Com -2
Personality :

  • Carefree 2
  • Cynical 1

Ability:
Ability
0-5 years
Native Language (Greek) 5
05 Greece Area Lore (countryside) 1
05 Athletics 1 (running)
05 Awareness 1 (keeping watch)
15 Swim 2 (diving)
15 Survival 2 (forest)
= 45

Later life 23*15 = 345 (+50 in martial from Warrior)
50 Single Weapon 4 (Short sword)
30 Great Weapon 3 (Long Spear)
30 Bows 3 (short bow)
30 Craft (bows) 3
05 Craft (arrows) 1
15 Hunt 2 (tracking)
30 Chirurgy 3 (cauterization)
30 Animal handling 3 (dogs)
25 Greece Area Lore (countryside) 3
30 Folk Ken 3 (townsfolk)
30 Brawl 3 (knives)
15 Swim 3
15 Survival 3
30 Bargain 3 (food)
25 Awareness 3
05 Area Lore Athenes (harbor)
=395

Equipement : Depending on initial status. Knives, dagger, heavy leather

46

tweedldee and tweedledum can be posted as accepted grogs.

47

Ok. The companion will come tonight :slight_smile:

Regarding my magus, my minor foci would be "control". If that is fine with you.

Regarding the spells so 120+30 (skilled parens) :
Dagger of Ice /Cr(Re)Aq10
Voice/Mom/Ind
HOM:Societas p35
Aegis of the Earth / ReVi30
Touch/Year/Bound/Ritual
p161
Watching Ward / ReVi20
Touch/spec/Ind/Ritual
p162
Gather the essence of the beast / ReVi15
Touch/Mom/ind
p162
Scale of the magical weight / InVi5
Touch/Mom/Ind
p158
The Stanger Gift / CrVi20
Voice/Mom/Ind
p157 (same as Enigma Gift but base 10 and only 2 warping points)
Pit of the gapin earth / PeTe15
Voice/Mom/Part
p155
The Unseen Porter / ReTe10
Voice/conc/ind
p156
Hands of the grapping earth / ReTe15
p156
Palm of flame / CrIg5
Touch/Conc/Ind
p139
Air Ghostly Form / CrAu5
Touch/Diam/Ind
p125

  • Wizard communion level 30 for free (cf Mercurian Virtue)
48

Rego is control, major magical focus should be more limited than that. Minor magical focus should be narrower still= examples include birds of prey, healing, or self transformation.

49

How many more players are we going to get?
So far we have

Aqua: Alexander: Vim-specialist (not much of a builder, but a decent monster fighter)
Lamech: The Fairie, Creo herbam specialist (useful for where we are going!)
Exurerius: Argyros: Rego Vim specialist (useful for aegis - Alexander can't cast an Aegis)

50

Sebl and Kath D have both indicated an interest, Kath D indicated she would post either later this week or early next due to the holidays. I'm also planning to make a set of characters if there are other in the group also willing to act as storyguides.

In the spirit of which, while I do think that having 3 initiations at the time you pass the gauntlet in addition to the standard houe initiation is excessive, if both Aqua and Exureris think differently then the troupe decision will prevail.

51

I've never really understood Merinita's mysteries, so I can't tell if they are endangering the game's balance.
I like Lamech's mage well (better than my own mage, in fact, who is powerful, but has a weak concept behind it) because of the nature/gardener/fairie vibe. Still, I believe that three initiations is rather unusual.

As for storyguiding a set of characters played by you, I'm not a native speaker of English, which makes storyguiding hard for me.

52

Hmmmm. Never really been into the Meritina/faeries concepts. I read quickly their mysteries and the RoP but do not know the details so I can't tell. But I think that the Mysteries, in general, are kind of broken, so starting directly with 3 initiations seems too powerful to me. (especially Arcadia Travel)
However Lamech's seems cool and I do not want to be the guy who ruined his idea :angry: (But I read on page 2 that he was ok for removing arcadia travel and one another no ?)

Regarding storyguiding, as I never played by post, not now. (or next week). But why not later. I can't tell, but it is not a "no" :slight_smile:

53

I won't ruin the concept. A master who pushed her down the path of the mysteries can be represented in a lot of ways. The simplest is having mysteries initiated. Even one apprenticeship initiation is enough to represent it. I just got lazy when it came to virtues. Furthermore, Arcadian Travel has to go for this campaign I'm all but certain. "Hey guys I drew a pretty picture, it will take us home!" That's a killer.

So any objections to starting with Animae Magic initiated? I don't think its particularly unbalancing if you remember the summoned Fae aren't particularly predictable.