character design and development

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Praesidium Orae
965

Seems reasonable.

If I was describing Anna's personality... Well she's really scared of fire. She's curious, but has a tendency to get over focused on stuff, while letting other things fall by the wayside. I want to say like a stereotypical quirky scientist. This extends to her family too, with Bravery and Honor (her husband) getting the majority of the focus there and her other four kids sort of falling by the wayside. She is good natured, so she responds to things like attacks on the local peasants. Plus the Divine has blessed her with youth, and she does want to keep that blessing; could you imagine the horror of growing old?

I could take that apprentice if eldarin doesn't. I don't have to though. If a new player shows up, or someone has a really good idea go for it!

966

What is Second sight (divine)?

967

It refers to second sight coming from the divine realm, meaning it does not prevent magical warping, but does allow second sight which penetrates infernal illusions.

968

So I think I advanced everyone except for Aegis.

However: Fortitude isn't associated with the magic realm and has spent the past five years in the covenant! Well six now. The point is that means its time for his firsts minor flaw! How about some form of monstrous blood? How about an extra set of cat ears? It makes hearing difficult as he's not able to properly interpret the sound that comes from that pair and it interferes with his regular hearing?

969

the typical warping for everyone is to have the horse's hooves and tail, which parallels the magic regio in which the grogs are all centaurs.

970

Some thoughts regarding Bravery:

Virtues:
[strike]Deft Intelligence (minor, child, general; A 11), later replaced with Great Intelligence[/strike]

[strike]Protection from diseases (major, child, supernatural; A 12), later replaced with Plagued by Ghost (I know it should be replaced with a virtue, but this would fit very well story-wise, could be the very Ghost that later drags Bravery into all kinds of stories; should be possible to get the balance back... )[/strike]

Major Magical Focus: Necromancy (major, hermetic; ArM5 45)
Affinity[sup][/sup] Rego (minor, hermetic; ArM5 40)
Affinity[sup][/sup] Corpus (minor, hermetic; ArM5 40)
Affinity[sup]*[/sup] Mentem (minor, hermetic; ArM5 40)
Inventive Genius (minor, hermetic; ArM5 44)

[sup]*[/sup] if we don't want to recalculate arts we could just have affinities as inherited virtues that manifest next year

Flaws:
Know-it-all (major, child, personality; A 11), later replaced by Overconfident (major, personality; ArM5)

Plagued by Ghost (major, story; ArM5 58)
I'd like to use this flaw as a hook to Canaanite Necromancy. Maybe the ghost knows about En-Dor or Zephaniah, [strike]or even has the ability Canaanite Necromancy.[/strike]
Of course it is basically a flaw and no insight generator.
Even if that is not at all possible I would stick to the flaw and think it can lead to interesting stories.

Covenant Upbringing (minor, personality; ArM5 52)

What do you think so far?

971

Ah. I'll go with that then.

972

Bravery has the Int he does because it was enhanced with ritual magic, and should not take great intelligence as a virtue.
virtues must be replaced by virtues and flaws by flaws
covenant upbringing should have been done earlier, but I will allow it given this situation.
ghosts knowing caananite magic cannot be simply taken as virtues, they would need to be discovered through research and adventure.

973

Understood.

Ok.

I didn't propose to just get an "ancient magic insight machine" as a birthday present. Plagued by a Ghost is still a flaw. It is just meant as a story seed and a trigger to search for the secrets of a forgotten cult. I'd love to get at least a first insight very early, even a first breakthrough - ideally already during apprenticeship somehow. Kind of to hook Bravery up to the search.

974

getting insight during apprenticeship is something Bravery would have to discuss with his mom...

975

Yeah, but that's in addition to having a source for the insight. And there would be multiple possibilities to resolve that with my mater, including - but not limited to - without her consent and suffering all consequences that this action might have.

Having said that, this was just an idea I had and if you say "ain't gonna happen" that's fine for me as well. Then I'll see to it after apprenticeship.

976

Modified [url]https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/character-design-and-development/10935/970] based on the feedback so far.

977

Great! Thanks Quite Possibly a Cat.

978

If what I have in mind (and proposed above) is too far away from what Quite Possibly a Cat sees for Bravery, I would also consider Aurthor's apprentice. I don't think anything above was specific for Bravery...

979

I think its all fine for Bravery. The only question is why aren't we blasting the ghost into non-existence?

980

The plaguing ghost you mean? A hint to Canaanite Necromancy would be a good reason to keep the ghost around, but we are back to whether silveroak can be convinced that the ghost does have some clues with regards to En-Dor or something else helpful in that regard... :wink:

981

Do you have another idea for a major flaw that would fit better than a ghost that the covenant would just get rid of?

What do you think about a very first insight and breakthrough point towards Canaanite Necromancy? If silveroak allows it there will have to be a way to having it done during apprenticeship, possibly without Anna's consent...

982

A few things:

  1. a plaguing ghost is clearly more free willed than some ghosts, and may simply chose not to be there at the time it would generally be gotten rid of
  2. the ghost could certainly have some vague hints about Canaanite necromancy which may or may not be true, as opposed to something it made up to save it's skin.
  3. the ghost may be in other ways someone you might not want to be rid of. For example if Evandrus' ghost were to start haunting the young apprentice hinting at insights into Canaanite necromancy he has picked up since being dead...
983

Without prior knowledge about the history of this covenant I like option 3.

Anyway I would have the story guide decide the specifics.

If the rest of my proposal looks good, should I edit Bravery?
I suppose most of the decisions about Bravery's education will still be decided by his mater.

984

go ahead and make the edits