Character creation

Do you have the address for the spell wikki?

spellswiki.wikidot.com/creo-herbam

I also got an idea for a grog while in the shower...

draft
Hector, Mage Body Guard
Hector is a strange person, strong and hardened, but his movements are strange and his speech has growls and yelps in it.
He remembers his name, the faces of his parents, and that he used to live in a village where the people spoke Greek. He also remembers the face of the Huntress, a fairie that turned him into a hunting dog, which he served in that form for several years.
He had almost lost himself to his beast nature, when the magi of <silveroak, please insert covenant or name of parens here> freed him, made him human again and took him to their covenant. He feels he owes them his very being. He’s probably the most loyal grog ever, which is why he’s an ideal bodyguard, although there are certainly better fighters in the turb.
In-1, Per+3, Pre-2, Com-2, Str+2, Sta+3, Dex+1, Qik+1
Age: 26
Personality: Loyal+6, dog+3, Brave+1
Covenfolk
Tough+1
Improved characteristics+1
Keen sense of smell+1 (like keen vision)
Fear: fairies-1
Obsessed with serving the magi-1
Afflicted tongue (dog-like growling)-1
15 Animal Handling 2 (dogs)
05 Area Lore near Covenant he is from (geography) 1
30 Athletics 3 (running)
50 Awareness 4 (ambush)
15 Brawl 2 (fist)
05 Carouse 1 (staying sober)
05 Chirurgy (binding wounds) 1
05 Folk ken (magi)
15 Guile (lying about the supernatural)
75 Hunt 5 (tracking)
05 Order of Hermes Lore (grogs)
30 Stealth 3 (natural areas)
50 Survival 4 (forest)
05 Swim (stay afloat) 1
50 Single Weapon 4 (short sword)

You understand hat obsessive about serving the magi will mean he is like a 1980's sitcom character who feels that he owes someone service- even to the point they don't want it, after they think they saved their life. It will be a hindrance, not just a level of dedication.

For the old covenant we'll go with Ordo Parthenos.

You also need some kind of virtue or flaw that gives them access to martial skills- the exception being bows since that is a covenant boon.

Your mage is still short 30 spell levels from skilled parens.

Magus Character
[instert name here] of Merinita
Characteristics: Com+3 Pre+3 Dx-2 Qu-2 Per+1 St-2 Int+2
Virtues: Faerie Magic, The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Arcadian Travel, Animae Magic, The Becoming, Minor Focus (farming) Book Learner
Flaws: Prohibition (must keep word), Fear (wolves), Compassionate (major), Deficient Technique (Perdo), Fragile Constitution, Flawed Parma Magic (Herbam)
Abilites: Greek 5 (compliments) [native], Parma 1 (Mentum) [5], Latin 4 (Hermetic Usage) [50], Magic Theory 3 (Herbam) [30], Faerie Magic 2 (the Becoming) [15], Code of Hermes 1 (mundanes) [5], Artes Liberales 1 (ceremonial Magic) [5], Charm 2 (Fae) [15], Folk Ken 2 [15], Area Lore 2 (theban Tribunal) [15], Teaching 2 (one-on-one) [15] Concentration 2 (prayer) [15], Philosophae 1 (ceremonial Magic) [5], House Merinita Lore 2 (Initiating Others) [15], Finesse 1 (Herbam) [5]
Arts: Creo 9 [45] Herbam 9 [45] Rego 5 [15]

Spells:
[Name - TeFo - Level - (casting score)]
Let Grow the Seeds - CrHe-30 - (+27)
R: Touch D: Sun T: Ind
Brings a plant to maturity in a night or a day.
Base 15+1 touch + 2 sun

Let Blossom Natures Bounty - ReHe-25 (+19)
Causes a plant (up to size +1) to come to blossom in an instant, even out of season.
Base 15 Size+1 Touch+1

Weave the Threads - ReHe - 15 (+14)
Weaves a source of raw material into a sheet of cloth. This requires a finesse+perception roll.
Base 5+1 intricacy +1 touch

Bless the Garden - CrHe - 20 (+27)
R: Touch D: Moon T: Group
The targeted group of plants grows well for the duration of the spell, regardless of the conditions or soil quality. Affects up to 100,000 cubic paces of plants (size+5)
Base 1 +2 group + 1 touch +3 moon +1 size

Healer's Touch - CrCo - 10 (+9)
R: Touch D: Moon T: Ind
The target gains a +3 bonus to wound recovery rolls for the duration of the spell.
Base 2 + 1 touch + 3 moon

Physician's Touch - CrCo - 10 (+9)
R: Touch D: Moon T: Ind
The target gains a +3 bonus to disease recovery rolls for the duration of the spell.
Base 2 +1 touch +3 moon

[backstory still percolating]

Here is a first pass for the mechanics. Yeah, its a lot of custom spells, but the core doesn't exactly have a good list of farmer spells. Also this represents having a paren who pushes the mysteries hard. Like voting in Chicago, get initiated early and often. Because why not?

Generally there is a limit of one mystery initiation during apprenticeship, and the rules definitely limit starting magus characters to one major hermetic virtue.
Also you are limited to learning level 27 [9(cr)+9(He)+3+2(int)+3(magic theory)] for starting spells.

Hmm... how about dropping arcadian travel, and The Becoming? I would say drop Animae and Arcadian travel, except that would be horribly out of order. However, not having Arcadian Travel is really important since it sort of kills "your lost" when you can just wander Arcadian Travel to anywhere.

Oh, I wanted the character to be helpful, only a bit too helpful at times. I didn't want to turn him into a crazy stalker. minor driven then?

For hector the grog, I'll lower stamina to 2 and replace improved characteristics with warrior. That will grant him an extra 50xp (-3 years of age: +45xp, Craft: Weaponsmith 1 (repairing) +5xp)

For Alexander, the magus, I'd like to add:
Posing the Silent Question InMe20; mastery 1: Quiet
Aura of Ennobled Presence MuIm10; mastery 1 : Quiet

I saw that the character should be able to get lost. Is this a problem for the shapeshifter (who can swim and fly)? If yes, i'd need to create a totally different magus - a shame on the one hand side, but I've discovered I like creating characters on the other hand side. Or can I publish the magus?

Note about the second grog sailor. I'll try to make an archetypical sailor.

Castor, a sailor
Covenfolk
Puissant Profession: Sailor +1
Perfect balance +1
Well-traveled

Social Handicap (Constant Swearing) -1
Reckless -1
Weakness (gambling) -1

Age: 26
Skills: 405xp-45xp early childhood-50xp well-travelled
15 Area Lore Aegean (ports) 2
30 Athletics (Climbing) 3
15 Awareness (horizon) 2
15 Bargain (port) 2
50 Brawl (dagger) 4
75 Bow (short) 5
30 Carouse (gambling) 3
05 Charm (seduction) 1
15 Craft: tailor (sails) 2
15 Folk Ken (sailors) 2
15 Guile (avoid work) 2
05 Order of Hermes Lore (grogs) 1
75 Profession Sailor (Aegean ) 5+2
15 Survival (at sea) 2
30 Swim (dive) 3
05 Italian (sailor’s terminology) 1

Okay, at this point both magi have spells listed as learned that are higher than the learnable level (which they have posted next to them at a +x value) so I'm thinking I am missing something where most people seem to think this is okay...
Hector is completed and may be posted to the completed Grogs thread.
Castor needs characteristics.

According to p. 32, apprenticeship, middle coumn, you can learn spells that are

Technique + Form + Intelligence + Magic Theory +3

The number listed behind the spell is for casting, which is Technique+Form+Stamina+Mastery.

That's what I believe.

Okay, well I have naked man weaving being level 15 with a 14 max learned level for CrHe and posing the silent question at 20 with 19 as the max learned level for Alexander. Also Alexander has 100 points in mastered spells from a virtue that gives 50 points... I believe that 2 of these are due to copy and paste, probably from demon's demise...

For Lamech's Ex Merinita, Let Blossom Nature's bounty is level 30 with only level 26 being learnable and only 70 out of 120 levels of spells have been used

Oh, :blush:

I'm sure I can fix this by playing around with the arts a bit, but you haven't answered the general question yet: My character can travel very far by himself (eagle and dolphin form). Is he suitable for a game that depends on characters getting lost at all or should I start a totally new mage

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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 (37
1.5 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

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.