Cool - not sure which German to take, but atm, its not hugely important....any suggestions for covenants that have a Bonisagus Lab rat at them and where they are would help make the decision - I'll look through the Rhine tribunal book myself in a little bit.
@ Fixer, yeah having some of the cult or even a demon still 'interested' would be very fun
Right, time to sort out the character to post him up
Laters
Kal
One obvious one is Durenmar , home covenant of House Bonisagius and located in the Rhine. They would never associate with anyone who has a scandalous past so that would explain your invitation to go far far away
@ Andrew - brilliant, thats sounds prefect, thanks 
Ok, so heres the first work up of the Xavier..
Xavier Francis of Bonisgus
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Pre +0, Com +0, Str -1, Sta +0, Dex +0, Qik +1
Size: 0
Age: 26 (26)
Decrepitude: 0
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues: +0 The Gift, +0 Hermetic Magus, +3 Flawless Magic, +1 Puissant Rego, +1 Skilled Parens, +1 Educated, +1 Mastered Spells, +0 Puissent Magic Theory
Flaws: -3 Ambitious, -3 Diablotic Past, -1 Hatred (Diabolists), -0 Mentor (Josef Rangar)
Personality Traits:
Reputations:
Combat:
Dodge
Grapple
Fist Fight
Dagger
Soak: +0
Fatigue: Ok, 0, -1, -5, ko
Wound Penalties: -1 Lt (1-5), -3 Med (6-10), -5 Hvy (11-15), Incap (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Area Lore (Rhine Tribunal) 1 (politics), Artes Liberales 1 (ceremonial magic), Athletics 1 (grace), Awareness 2 (alertness), Brawl 1 (dodge), Code of Hermes 1 (political intrigue), Concentration 2 (spells), Finesse 2 (precision), Folk Ken 2 (magi), Germanic 5 (prose), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (politics), Infernal Lore 1 (demons), Intrigue 1 (gossip), Latin 4 (hermetic use), Magic Theory 4(6) (inventing spells), Penetration 2 (pedo), Philosophiae 1 (ceremonial magic), Parma Magica 2 (mentem), Profession (Scribe) 1 (copying)
Arts: Cr 0, In 6, Mu 0, Pe 7, Re 7+3, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 8, He 0, Ig 0, Im 5, Me 6, Te 0, Vi 8
Twlight Scars & Effects: none
Magic Sigil:
Equipment: Dagger
Laboratory: none
Encumbrance: 0
Spells Known:
PeVi20 Demon’s Eternal Oblivion (CT +19; Mastery 4: Adaptable, Fast Cast, Penetration, Multi Cast)
ReCo20 Flight of the Magus (CT +19; Mastery 1: Stalwart Casting)
ReCo15 Lift the Dangling Puppet (CT +19: Mastery 1: Fast Cast)
InMe20 Posing the Silent Question (CT +15; Mastery 3: Quiet Casting x2, Still Casting)
ReCo20 Repel the Unwanted (CT +21; Mastery 3: Fast Cast, Penetration, Multi Cast)
ReMe10 Call to Slumber (CT +17; Mastery 1: Fast Cast)
InCo20 The Inexorable Search (CT +16; Mastery 1: Ceremonial Casting)
InAu15 Whispering Winds (CT +7; Mastery 1: Stalwart Casting)
ReIm10 Wizard’s Sidestep (CT +16; Mastery 1: Fast Cast)
Well, thats it - a couple of questions due to my lack of knowledge - I'm not sure how to work out combat scores yet, but I'll read the combat chapter later tonight (probably). I read the encumbrance rules, and didnt really understand them, so I figured a dagger shouldnt keep me down, so thats that 
I was surprised that Diabolic Past doesnt actually give you a negative rep within the Order, I personally think Xavier should have at least a slight negative rep but.....
I havent work out a few peronsal details for him yet, like his magic sigil or his peronsality traits - there actually proving to be challanging as he is rahter a conflicted individual at heart....
Anyways, later
Kal
Yeah, with a negative Strength, your choice of armaments is limited. You can still use a sword though. If you just have a dagger though, no need to fuss with encumbrance. And you should have your sigil still. Only the Tremere ever take it away. You can take other flaws for your reputation; such as Infamous or Infamous Master.
I like the Flawless Magic. I am a nut for Mastery 
You can have three more points of virtues and flaws . I always take a full set.
You are encourage to take a Hermetic flaw, possibly something like Difficult Spontaneous magic or Susceptible to the Divine or Infernal. (All -1)
Also if you want a negative reputation take Infamous (-1)
For the Virtues maybe Great(Intelligence) or Affinity(Rego) or something completely different to give more Breadth to your ability
I never got to try out mastery's in 4th ed, so I wanted to play with them now - the only problem is finding the damn abilities, there scattered all over the place - there were a couple I liked the look of which Xavier doesnt currently use because I cant remember where they were atm 
plus the cominbation of Flawless magic and mastered spells is nice
I'll change it so I still have my sigil then, easy enougH.
Kal
EDIT I did consider affinity with Rego, but Puissent seemed easier and just as effective, whats your thoughts on which to take (or should I just take both?)
I would prefer that a new magus not be more experienced than the majority of the PC's , I spent quite a lot of time trying to cut down the 4 or 5 years of post apprenticeship experience I would have liked and it mildly irritates me when different rules of character design apply later.
(we have had a year of downtime so he is about 5 years more experienced than everyone except Aelinius)
Xavier is built with no additional XP - its just 4 years of story, no XP
Kal
EDIT: Btw, for my spell selection, do you think they are ok, as my csting totals are very close to the actual levels, should I have gone for fewer, higher level spells? or are they ok as is?
EDIT II: Had an idea for a minor flaw - Deleterious Circumstances - blood of the innocent (somewhat vague, but I would leave it to the SG to determine)? Thoughts? Comments? Ok, bad??
Cheers
OPs I mixed up one thing. Kal make your magus so that he is upto level with the other characters. That is compensation for the year that has passed in game time and as many extra years as I gave the others. Aelianus is supposed to have more time out off apprenticeship then the rest. Now I don't remember how much time I gave the non-Aelianus characters but anyway... Sorry for the mix up. 
No worries - from what Andrew has said - I'll give Xavier 30 XP then for one additional year beyond his apprenticeship (it is 30 XP per year right?).
Laters
Kal
Ok, this is the second draft of Xavier - i have included the 30XP for one year past apprenticeship.
Xavier Francis of Bonisgus
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +0, Pre +0, Com +0, Str +0, Sta +1, Dex +0, Qik +2
Size: 0
Age: 26 (26)
Decrepitude: 0
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues: +0 The Gift, +0 Hermetic Magus, +3 Flawless Magic, +1 Puissant Rego, +1 Skilled Parens, +1 Educated, +1 Mastered Spells, +1 Improved Attributes, +1 Boosted Magic, +0 Puissent Magic Theory
Flaws: -3 Ambitious, -3 Diablotic Past, -1 Hatred (Diabolists), -1 Susceptibility to Divine, -1 Infamous, -0 Mentor (Josef Rangar)
Personality Traits: Unfazed +3, Devoted (the order) +3, Merciless +1 (+3 vs diabolists)
Reputations: -4 Outcast Sinner
Combat:
Dodge
Grapple
Fist Fight
Dagger
Soak: +0
Fatigue: Ok, 0, -1, -5, ko
Wound Penalties: -1 Lt (1-5), -3 Med (6-10), -5 Hvy (11-15), Incap (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Area Lore (Rhine Tribunal) 1 (politics), Artes Liberales 1 (ceremonial magic), Athletics 1 (grace), Awareness 2 (alertness), Brawl 1 (dodge), Code of Hermes 1 (political intrigue), Concentration 2 (spells), Finesse 2 (precision), Folk Ken 2 (magi), Germanic 5 (prose), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (politics), Infernal Lore 1 (demons), Intrigue 1 (gossip), Latin 4 (hermetic use), Magic Theory 4(6) (inventing spells), Penetration 2 (pedo), Philosophiae 1 (ceremonial magic), Parma Magica 2 (mentem), Profession (Scribe) 1 (copying), Theology 1
Arts: Cr 0, In 6, Mu 0, Pe 7, Re 7+3, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 8, He 0, Ig 0, Im 5, Me 6, Te 0, Vi 8
Twlight Scars & Effects: none
Magic Sigil:
Equipment: Dagger
Laboratory: none
Encumbrance: 0
Spells Known:
PeVi20 Demon’s Eternal Oblivion (CT +20; Mastery 4: Adaptable, Fast Cast, Penetration, Multi Cast)
ReCo20 Flight of the Magus (CT +20; Mastery 1: Stalwart Casting)
ReCo15 Lift the Dangling Puppet (CT +20: Mastery 1: Fast Cast)
InMe20 Posing the Silent Question (CT +16; Mastery 3: Quiet Casting x2, Still Casting)
ReCo20 Repel the Unwanted (CT +22; Mastery 3: Fast Cast, Penetration, Multi Cast)
ReMe10 Call to Slumber (CT +18; Mastery 1: Fast Cast)
InCo20 The Inexorable Search (CT +16; Mastery 1: Ceremonial Casting)
InAu15 Whispering Winds (CT +8; Mastery 1: Stalwart Casting)
PeVi20 Winds of Mundane Silence (CT +18; Mastery 2: Adaptable, Unravelling)
ReIm10 Wizard’s Sidestep (CT +17; Mastery 1: Fast Cast)
Kal
Don't really have time to review your character, and I don't know what you've done.
In case you misunderstood, The XP thing means that you should be just one year out of apprenticeship, nothing else.
Thats what I done - childhood (early&later), apprenticeship and 1 year
Correct?
Kal
Yup!
That's fine . I can't talk about extra years with No XP , Iolar has around 48 of them.
I didn't take time to check all the xp .
I have no problem with it as an idear , I think I would prefer the innocent rather than innocent blood as that seems a bit specific to me. But I can think of several ways that could function as a flaw
If you want to be a master of Rego take both , if you just want to be good then one of them is fine I tend to think Puissant works better.
When I designed someone who was a master of one art I took Both
First Draft of the Woodcarver from Shadows of the past
Alohani-
Str -1
Sta 0
Dex +2
Qui 0
Int +2
Per 0
Pre +1
Com +1
Virtues
Unaffected by the Gift
Puissant Wood Working
Affinity- Wood working
Flaws
Covenant Upbringing
Disfigured- Tattoo’s
No Sense of Direction
Magic Might 5
Qualities
Major Virtue- Magical Craftsman
Improved Abilities x2 total 220xp
Skills
Speak Odd Celtic tongue-5 (Compatible with Iolar’s home language at –2)
Speak Latin – 4 50
Craft Wood Carving –7 (+2)
Bargain 2
Charm 2
Leadership 2
Magic Lore 2
Ettiquette 1
Guile 1
It seems that there arent any major flaws with the 2nd draft of Xavier then - so I'll work out the last bits of personal stuff and his combat scores, then I'll post him in the character sheets thread?
Kal
It still seems to me you could have 1 more flaw and Virtue which I would normally have