Character development

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Novus Mane
21

Thunderbird would be cool :slight_smile:
You realize that IoL is a legacy spell, right? If the same high quality philosophy went into the original design as in the 5th edition, Lightning would be Ignem, because they used to think that lightning was phlogeston (fiery plasma) that was seeping through the cracks in the sky.

And in fact, lightning is plasma, air that is superheated by the concurrant electrical charge.

When people plan an Ars Modernica type saga, they always ask what form electricity falls under, and people always wrongly answer Auram. Electricity in the air (lightning) is Auram, electricity in wires is Terram.

WAY OFF TOPIC

I just looked up Elementalism, and what it actually does is ad only a single xp to the other three Forms when you study any one. So, if you spend your season reading a quality 1 Aquam book, you will get an equal 1 xp in each elemental Form. If you study a quality 7 Ignem text for three seasons, you will have gained 21 xp's in the noble Art of Ignem, but only 3 in each of the other three Forms of Aquam, Auram, and Terram.

Are we allowed to do a year post Gauntlet? I thought we were all supposed to be fresh. I don't mind though. Some slight staggering could be interesting and has more versimilitude.

As far as Grogs, I am working on a pair. I think it is a gyp to have to spend one out of 3 points on Custos and recieve nothing in return for it. I am making two veteran guys, late 20's. As for companions, you guys wanna pair of in the buddy system or everyone shifts left down the line? A clockwise shif around the circle would be best, but pairing off might work the easiest.
OR, we could each make our own companion, post them, and we each pick one that we didn't make. Hmmm....
I dunno. What do you want Max? :slight_smile:

22

you are correct. I misread elemental magic.

And I reread the intro and we are newly gauntleted magi. Some changes coming in character.

23

Once you have fixed your characters. Those flaws that has been pointed out should be fixed then the characters can be posted in the character forum. The character forum however must be kept neat. Do you have the edit function by default or shall I call upon higher powers to give you that right?

24

I do not have edit function

25

Ok, I try to fix it.

26

You need to request Michelle give people edit access in this forum if you want things edited it is deactivated as a default in the pbp forums

27

Bad news here.
Elemental Magic, just as the other XP-boosting virtues (Apt Student, Book Learner...), applies only AFTER character creation.

Moreso whenever you successfully study one of these Arts (that is, gain at least one experience point from study), you gain an additional experience point in each of the other three means 1 XP, not 18.
That is, if you study an Aquam summae for 13XP, you'll earn 1 XP in ignem, terram and auram. Not 13.

Arf, grillé par marko.

Hum...
Well, why not? I will orient it that way.

Excellent idea. Agreed.
Clockwise shift might be fun :smiley:

All newly gauntleted??? Argh, I was gonna need those 2 years :laughing: Back to the drawing board T-T

28

I think I am good to go to post my magus then :slight_smile:

As far as the clockwise shift for Companion creation, well, since we are not sitting around the table, do you guys wanna call off clock positions or do you all want to pass West from our respective geographic locations. I call 12 o'clock Chicago!

29

Than I'm 12:10 in Indianapolis :slight_smile:

30

Regarded newly gauntleted magi and the covenant. Aelianus Robur Ex ??? (havn’t made up my mind yet) has a run down covenant so it is most fitting that the characters other than him are fresh apprentices who perhaps have trouble to settle anywhere else due to reputation, background or whatever. Aelianus Robur is older and he is taking care of his ancestral legacy. I am thinking Neo-mercurian here. This is not a covenant that promising newly gauntleted magi or magi with a reasonable chance to settle anywhere else joins. Once characters are done then follow the other instructions in the OOC forum and post the results in appropriate places.

Sweden… that would be 7 am or pm depending in whether 12 o’clock is at noon or in the middle of the night. Anyway Sweden is east of the US, that is if one look at a standard map where Great Britain is in the centre. When I write this the clock is 6.16 PM or 18.16 as I would write it. At the same time it is 11.16 AM in Chicago.

31

So I am in the centre

32

LOL, this is the good part of the day, where the US and Europe is awake at the same time. Later on we have the Australia & Asia overlap.

Okay, Andrew gets to be center, because he's in England and that's the way the world works, but Max is east of him, and since he is asg, I will put him at the top. So then, oing east to west (clockwise), from what little information I have, the order is...

Max
Fixer
Andrew
Jebrick
Markoko

I don't know where Ardath and Muttonbone are. Any corrections or additions?

33

Ardath and Fixer have are in France if I remember right and are used by the same person.

34

? Ardath and Fixer are the same person? Works for me. I was considering the same, so I could use my giant flaming sword avatar without disrupting the whole of the forums :slight_smile:

How's about this line-up

Max
Fixer/Ardath
Andrew
Jebrick
Markoko
Muttonbone

Accurate?

35

Here is a quick write up without spells. Still working on the background story but the basics are there. I have little notes on the page to help me keep track of where the points came from. It will be cleaned up in the final version. Still 3 points of virtues to purchase as well.

William (Halvard Arawinson) ex Miscellanea parens Culhwch
Male, Size 0
Age: 25

Appearance: Tall and slender with very pale skin, black hair and colorless eyes.

Background: Halvard Arawinson was born and abandoned on the Isle of Mann. Fate would lead Thorbrand Finnson to find the baby who obviously has strong fae bloodlines. Thorbrand saw a great potential in this baby and decided to raise him to be his successor as the Raven of Odin on the Isle of Mann. Culhwch, A hermatic mage from Cad Gadu, found the boy while on a vis gathering expedition and kidnapped the boy for his apprentice.

Wizard's Sigil: The far off baying of hounds

Personality Traits: Proud +3 Honorable +2 Unforgiving +2
Reputations: Hedge Wizard 3

Characteristics:
Int: +3, Per +1, Str 0, Sta +2, Pre +1, Com +1, Dex 0, Qik -1

Virtues and Flaws (* house or free )
Virtues
Hermetic Magus, The Gift (free)
Strong Fairy Blood*(Unseelie + 1 all totals involving hunting)
Elemental Magic

Minor Skilled Parens*, Cyclic Magic( night), Study bonus, Second Sight*, Improved Characteristics

Flaws:
Major: Chaotic Magic*,Proud(major)

Minor: Hedge Wizard, Visions, Nocturnal, Susceptibility to Divine, Ambitious(minor), Poor teacher(with Elements),

  • Childhood
    Abilities (145 + 45)
    General Abilities (specialization) XP / score (40)
    Awareness (alertness) 15 / 2+
    Low German 5/1
    Concentration (reading) 15 / 2
    Folk Ken (guile) 5 / 1+
    Fairy Lore 5/1+
    English(storytelling)* 75 / 5
    Survival (woods) 5 / 1+
    Order of Hermes Lore (personalities) 5 / 1
    Profession (Scribe) (copywork) 5 / 1
    Area Lore (Isle of Mann)5/1 +
    Area Lore (Wales) 5/1 +
    Music (harp) 5/1
    Theology Norse (Odin) 5/1+
    Great Weapon(spear) 5/1

Academic Abilities (specialization) XP / score (55)
Artes Liberales (Rhetoric) 5 / 1
Latin (Hermetic usage) 50 / 4

Arcane Abilities (specialization) XP / score (50)
Finesse (Accuracy) 5 / 1
Magic Lore (Norse Legends ) 5 / 1
Magic Theory (Vim) 30 / 3
Parma Magica (Ig) 5 / 1
Penetration (Creo) 5 / 1

Magical Arts XP / score (143 spent)
Cr 15 / 5
In 15 / 5
Mu 15 / 5
Pr 15 / 5
Re 15 / 5

Aq 10 / 4
Au 21 / 6
Co 1 / 1
He 1/1
Ig 28 / 7
Me 1/1
Te 15 / 5
Vi 3 / 2

36

Groovy! I like :slight_smile:
Has much potential. I like the dark faerie theme.

comments
About his native language: shouldn't it be Manx or Welsh?
Don't know Max's vision, but I myself use Magic or Faerie Lore for pagan theologies.
You are one point over on Characteristics. Not gonna bother with accounting all your Arts and Abilities. I was just counting V&Fs.
V&F's are still a work in progress I take it. ArM5 has that rule where you can take a maximum of five points of Minor Flaws, which is not a problem for me with new characters, but I almost always violate it when converting from 4th edition. There are also all those should and shouldn't. The do not mean must or cannot though. For example, it says you shouldn't take more than 2 personality flaws and cannot take more than one Major, which means you can take a third or fourth if you want as long as they are minor, you should just be wary that they fit well together. I don't know about Max, but I myself allow Ex-Misc magi to expand their V/F package by adding Hedge Wizard and a Minor non-Hermetic Virtue for free.
Poor Teacher isn't a Flaw, you mean to take Incomprehensible, and it affects everything.
If you are seeking Virtue suggestions, I would say: Magic Focus (representing your favorite element, like PeIg for a cold focus), Educated or Arcane Lore (signifying you were raised by a wizard before apprenticeship), um, Apt Student? Great Intelligence? Tough! Be Tough!

I'm trying to be encouraging rather than critical. Hope I am successful. I dig the interplay between Elementalism and Dark Fae. Which element do you identify with the most? Terram for Earth, Ignem for Cold and Darkness (as opposed to fire and light, just my gut), Air or Water? Water would be cool. Take an immunity to drowning. You can look all Slaugh and hang out under the swamp water.

What I also appreciate is that you are a classic Technician :slight_smile: Keep all five of those babies up! My one friend with a Merinita character, when we upgraded from 4th to 5th, he also had some years of time to catch up with the rest of the characters. He spent all of his study time on improving Technique, and only Technique (especially Perdo, Elric wannabe type of elf that he is).

37

Thanks for the tips. I removed poor teacher which was incomprehensible but without my books at work I could not remember it.

Cold and Dark is the plan ( thus the higher Ig) He has regular appointment on the Eve of may and All Hallows Eve to ride with the Wild hunt but I did not put that in as a flaw since it is just twice a year.

38

That sounds like an interesting story flaw! Yous should work that one out with Max.

Cold and dark, I can dig it. I am all heat and light myself :slight_smile:

According to the list I invented, you are supposed to create my companion and I do the same for Muttonbone. I need some input from him first as to who his character would consort with. As for me, I imagine my companion would be an almogaver or a custos type. Spanish of course. Loves a good Flamenco, women and wine, and lives by the sword.

Muttonbone! Who do you wanna hang out with? You are doing the Tremere character right?

39

Aye, I'm the tremere - sorry I haven't been real active, life's been a bitch this last week. Am I making Max's compantion (as he's the storyguide...) or Fixer's or Ardath's? For companions for me... eh... surprise me. :smiley:

40

Ok, I still can't edit posts, but I think I've fixed every problem that was pointed out...

I dropped Pious as a flaw and gave him Dutybound (613 Mitzvot) and Pessimistic. To balance those out, I took Skilled Parens, giving me a lot more xp to fiddle with, bringing virtues and flaws to +9/-9.

I burned 25 of that added xp getting Latin up to 5, and the rest getting his arts up to Cr 10, Pe 7, Re 10, Co 10 - making him a fairly heavy specialist.

The new spell levels were handy, and his spell list now reads as follows:
The Chirugeon's Healing Touch (CrCo Ritual 20)
Charm Against Putrefaction (CrCo 10)
The Corpse Struck Down (PeCo 10, as Dust to Dust but R reduced from voice to touch)
Strings of the Unwilling Marionette (ReCo 25)
Paralyzation (ReCo 25)
Legs of the Immobile Corpse (as The Walking Corpse but D reduced from Year to Moon) (ReCo 30)
Seven-League Stride (ReCo 30)

Any other problems you guys see, or can I chuck him up on the character sheets board and start fiddling with companions/grogs?