Character Development

Hey there folks,

After a brutal reminder of what my coming summer is going to be like, I think it would be best to step out of this game before I fully step in. I am having a hard enough time keeping up with the three games I already have characters in play for, and am seriously considering that I am may need to step out of one or more of those games as well.

I understand, believe me :-/

Better not to step into a new game then, although it's too bad, since your character seemed very much awesome. Keep it somewhere, maybe you'll get to play it one day! :smiley:

Oh, I'm holding on to him. And as soon as I get a chance, I'm gonna spend his build points, too, dammit :slight_smile:

Tektonius
Characteristics: Int +5, Per +2, Pre +1, Com +3, Str -4, Sta -3, Dex 0, Qik +2
Size: 0
Age: 40 (37), Height: 5'6'', Weight: 158 lbs, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (2¼)
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Puissant Magic Theory*, Magister in Artibus (240/240), Affinity with Finesse, Affinity with Magic Theory, Inventive Genius (Invent Lab Totals: +3), Affinity with Terram, Great Intelligence × 2, Minor Magical Focus (moving earth and stone), Unstructured Caster, Judged Unfairly, Generous, Rigid Magic, Hermetic Patron, Poor Strength × 1
Personality Traits: Studious +3, Status-Seeking +1, Unpretentious +2
Combat:
Dodge: Init: +2, Attack --, Defense +2, Damage --
Fist: Init: +2, Attack +0, Defense +2, Damage -4
Kick: Init: +1, Attack +0, Defense +1, Damage -1
Soak: -3
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: English 5 (academic usage), Artes Liberales 5 (cermonial magic), Philosophiae 5 (ceremonial magic), Teaching 2 (Artes Liberales), Magic Theory 6+2 (extracting vis), Architecture 2 [Category: Buildings], Concentration 1 (spells), Parma Magica 2 (Ignem), Finesse 4 (Terram), Guile 1 (lying to students), Folk Ken 1 (magi), Scribe 1 (academic texts), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (stonehenge covenants), Code of Hermes 1 (tribunal procedures), Charm 1 (covenfolk), Awareness 3 (determining effect), Latin 5 (hermetic usage)
Arts: Cr 9, In 2, Mu 13, Pe 4, Re 13, An 4, Aq 5, Au 4, Co 12, He 4, Ig 3, Im 1, Me 2, Te 16, Vi 7
Equipment: Wizardly Robes; Beech Wand (Creator: Tektonius; Created: Spring 1217; Vis Capacity: 15; Talisman; Attunement Bonus: Wand: +4 control things at a distance; Wand: +3 project bolt or other missile; Total Pawns Invested: 5; Total Effect Level: 45; Effect Name: Invisible Sling of Vilano; Effect Level: 25; Effect Details: R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Fast Trigger: +3 Initiative, Unlimited use; Arts: ReTe 10; Design: Base 5, +1 Touch; Effect Name: The Unseen Porter; Effect Level: 20; Effect Details: R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind, Unlimited use; Arts: ReTe 10; Design: Base 3, +1 Conc, +2 Voice)
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
Bind Wound (CrCo 10) +18
Invisible Sling of Vilano (ReTe 10) +39
Air's Ghostly Form (CrAu 5) +10
Blade of the Virulent Flame (CrIg 15) +9
The Call to Slumber (ReMe 10) +12
Curse of the Unruly Tongue (ReCo 5) +22
Dance of the Staves (ReHe 5) +14

So here's what I've been playing around with. He's a researcher, with some other tricks up his sleeve, and some unfortunate flaws. In consultation with Arya, she allowed me to take fewer XP in spells than the required 120 xp. He's 5 years PG, tooling around somewhere, probably close to Oxford or Cambridge or something.

Still working on some back story elements.

Though I didn't see it said anywhere, I'm guessing Bonisagus, based on the fact he's a researcher with an asterisk next to Puissant Magic Theory.

Indeed he is.
I'm still trying to decide if I'm crazy for making a magus who can't cast formulaic spells.

Yes. Yes you are :slight_smile:

I could see it working with Diedne Magic, but otherwise it seems really horribly prohibitive.

I thought about that, I really did. I also put this out on the Ars forum for discussion to generate some ideas. He's not bad at certamen. He's no Tremere, but he does OK. And he'll research stuff. He's not awful at Longevity Rituals. Sure there are better. And if he relies on ReTe magics he's got some interesting possibilities.

Tektonius's pater was Methuselah of Bonisagus, himself a filius of the renowned Caecilius. While Caecilius was a quite capable master, he did not pass those qualities onto his filius. Methuselah was an indifferent master at best, and a sadistic master at worst. He styled himself a master crafter of longevity potions, and indeed he was, but he presumed that such a capability was sufficient for him to be declared a puissant researcher. Whether it was due to arrogance, indifference or incompetence Methuselah failed to teach Tektonius several techniques to overcome his difficulty with casting spells, or even help in identifying the Arts the young Tektoninus excelled at. Methuselah basically gave up teaching him at all, and used him relentlessly in so called experiments on longevity rituals. Caecilius recovered from a long Twilight episode and noted his filius's poor attempts at teaching and stepped in and provided the necessary instruction that allowed Tektonius to discover his true Hermetic gifts. After that, Caecilius's relationship with Methuselah was never the same, and though Tektonius gauntleted as Methuselah's filius, everyone involved knew who deserved the honor of being called pater. Just before gauntlet, one of the projects Caecilius had Tektonius working on was a lab dedicated to the study of Terram. Caecilius had developed a keen interest in the Art upon being named a Quaesitor, and wished to be better grounded in the favored Art of his personal hero, Guernicus. It was a grand lab with a stunning monolith that Tektonius carved with his own arts. Upon gauntlet Caecilius said to the young magus, out of earshot of Methuselah, "You do my proud. The lab you have been building is not mine, though I said it would be. It is yours. I give it to you, along with this device. I urge you to go forth from Durenmar, something I did not do for Methuselah and pay the price for that even now. Find a place to make your own home, and should you find it before the Winter solstice, you will be able to transport the lab to your new home." Emotion overcame both of them and no further words could be exchanged. The next morning Tektonius set out on his return home to Oxford, or perhaps join Schola Pythagornis, one of whose magi discovered Tektonius while he was teaching at Oxford, and identified him as Gifted.

Unfortunately Schola wouldn't accept him, due to not possessing a Gentle Gift, but Tektonius was able to make a living doing some private tutoring here and there, and taking the occasional odd job for House Mercere.

Caecilius and Tektonius kept a frequent correspondence over the years, at least as often as Caecilius increasingly frequent Twilight episodes allowed. In one of the letters, just over a year ago, Caecilius informed his grandfilius that Methuselah and his self-styled 'Immortals' (shield grogs) had gone missing in the Black Forest while en route to a new home Methuselah had hoped to make at a covenant called Mons Electi in the Normandy Tribunal. Neither pater nor filius despaired the loss over-long.

A couple things I missed about Tektonius:

  • You need Latin 6 and Teaching 5 to get a magister's post at Oxford (or you could stay at 2 and get Good Teacher-- which you can learn for two seasons' time at Oxford)
  • There is no "academic usage" for English (lol)
  • The more I think about naming conventions, the less likely I think it would be to name Oxford-- you'd be more likely to put the college name there. I'll futz with history, and if you want to be from Exeter (because it's the only Oxford college I can name in Latin) then it can have been established earlier than it was historically.
  • "Tektonius filius Methuselah doctrinae Bonisagi ab Oxford" has a misplaced modifier. You're saying Bonisagus was from Oxford :stuck_out_tongue: Stick a (nominative) noun in there, say, "Tektonius scholae Bonisagi Magister ab Collegium Exionense"

That doesn't square with the virtue, things like this would be great to know about when I throw out the concept. The virtue offers 240 xp, but doesn't indicate the method that they be spent. 105 +75=180, leaving 60 xp for Artes Liberales and Philosophae, which seems odd. If the Teaching is +5 because of the Gift, then I can more reasonably understand.
Note, I didn't want him to get a magister's post, per se. He could've been working on it, and was discovered and then pulled out of the program when he entered apprenticeship. Prior to 1209, the school was loosely organized, and he could have discovered the change in requirements upon moving back, so he tutors those who request it as a preparatory exercise prior to entering the school now. If you want to outline book qualities and other things he might draw on for PG development, I can redo his 5 years PG. I offered 30 xp per year PG as a method to reduce your workload, and allow you to throw some handwavium powder about.
Like I said, I don't have any Latin knowledge, and what you're saying might as well be Greek, I appreciate the correction.

The Teaching 5 and Latin 6 is not a requirement of Magister in Artibus; it's a requirement of having a tenured position at Oxford. If you don't want to be coming in from Oxford, then you don't need it. I'm not sure what he'd be doing living at Oxford if he isn't tenured.

Coming from Durenmar, he has access to all Arts summae at Lv15Q15 and L20Q11, is required to spend one season every two years in service to Durenmar (though note that your magisterial teaching requirement would fulfill your covenant service requirement). He also has access to the crystal whatchamacallums they mentioned in GotF, texts on MT and AL L8Q14, and all other arcane abilities (not including spell mastery) at L5Q12. He can also access any lab texts from the RAW at 6th magnitude and below.

If he spends his PG time at Oxford, he has access to teaching SQ 15 for any academic abilities, but no arcane abilities.

Trying to get tenure and failing miserably? Do you not understand my character concept? :stuck_out_tongue: Wherever he goes he can't get no loving, constantly judged to be unworthy (judged unfairly) but unwilling to ask for too much from his grand parens (Hermetic Patron), since he's already given him so much.

I'll look at redoing his PG years.

Would he qualify as Wealthy (similar to what I suggested over in Bibracte) because he's sponsored by a covenant, for purposes of maintaining his teaching credentials and only need to teach 1 season per year? Or does he need two seasons per year?

For the time he's at Durenmar, yes. For the time he's at Oxford, no one is supporting him and he has to teach the full required amount.

Cool. I'll get to tinkering, but will leave things he's used at the same level.

You don't have to leave things you've used already untouched, just to within a believably random variation.

It's not going to be hard.
I'm yanking his affinity finesse and giving him good teacher, which will make him eligible for Oxford. I'll probably have 3 years PG at Durenmar and then 2 years at Oxford.
Also, do I use the canonical aura of 7 for Durenmar, or should I lower it to a more reasonable number?

I'm going to say the lv7 aura doesn't cover all of Durenmar (else why is there no description of their horribly warped covenfolk?). We'll put the 7 aura around the two towers. Tek would have had his sanctum elsewhere in the covenant, with an aura of 4.

Ok, here's Tektonius. A couple of changes, I made him 6 years PG, instead of 5. IF that's not alright, I can go back on the last year, which consisted of him earning tenure at Oxford, as he has Teaching 2+Good Teacher and earned a Latin score of six while teaching without tenure. I took exposure for every season he taught, in teaching. And I took exposure in MT or Arts for lab work. Numbers in parentheses after an ability and score are experience points earned above the level for the score. Also, I'd forgotten about earning some Vis, to have on hand to pay the fine. I can revise his learning more in Artes Liberales and instead make an LR for someone and earn the vis necessary to pay the fine.

At Gallus Florensis, if allowed to use extra vis, on a 35 year old, and if the Creo aligned aura pushes LRs up, he can make LR13, if he can bring his lab there.

Tektonius
Characteristics: Int +5, Per +2, Pre +1, Com +3, Str -4, Sta -3, Dex 0, Qik +2
Size: 0
Age: 41 (41), Height: 5'6'', Weight: 158 lbs, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 1 (¾)
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Puissant Magic Theory*, Magister in Artibus (240/240), Affinity with Magic Theory, Good Teacher, Inventive Genius (Invent Lab Totals: +3), Affinity with Terram, Great Intelligence × 2, Minor Magical Focus (moving earth and stone), Unstructured Caster, Judged Unfairly, Generous, Rigid Magic, Hermetic Patron, Poor Strength × 1
Combat:
Dodge: Init: +2, Attack --, Defense +2, Damage --
Fist: Init: +2, Attack +0, Defense +2, Damage -4
Kick: Init: +1, Attack +0, Defense +1, Damage -1
Soak: -3
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: English 5 (expansive vocabulary), Artes Liberales 5 (cermonial magic) (15), Philosophiae 5 (ceremonial magic), Teaching 3 (Artes Liberales), Magic Theory 6+2 (longevity rituals), Architecture 2 (buildings) [Category: Buildings], Concentration 1 (spell concentration), Parma Magica 1 (Ignem), Finesse 4 (Terram), Common Law 1 (exchequer law), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (stonehenge covenants), Area Lore: Oxford and environs 1, Magic Lore 1 (regiones), Guile 1 (lying to students), Folk Ken 1 (magi), Scribe 1 (copying), Code of Hermes 1 (tribunal procedures), Charm 1 (covenfolk), Awareness 2 (determining effect), Latin 6 (hermetic usage)
Arts: Cr 13, In 2, Mu 11, Pe 5, Re 14, An 0, Aq 5, Au 1, Co 12, He 5, Ig 1, Im 0, Me 0, Te 17, Vi 5
Equipment: In Pursuit of Knowledge (Creator: Tektonius; Created: Summer 1218; Vis Capacity: 15; Total Pawns Invested: 7; Total Effect Level: 61; Effect Name: The Leap of Homecoming; Effect Level: 36; Effect Details: R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind, Frequency: 2/day; Arts: ReCo 35; Design: Base 35; Effect Name: The Unseen Porter; Effect Level: 25; Effect Details: R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind, Unlimited use, Concentration; Arts: ReTe 10; Design: Base 3, +1 Conc, +2 Voice)
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
Bind Wound (CrCo 10) +22
Invisible Sling of Vilano (ReTe 10) +42
Air's Ghostly Form (CrAu 5) +11
Aura of Fire (Cr(Re)Ig 15) +11
The Call to Slumber (ReMe 10) +11
Curse of the Unruly Tongue (ReCo 5) +23
Dance of the Staves (ReHe 5) +16