Character Development

Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Base Camp
681

Okay, for completeness, here is a full list of NPCs associated with Patrick:

Cult of Euclid
Note: Patrick’s cult identification formula is abbreviated as “P=6”

Edward Longshanks the 4th, Magister in Arbitus, Oxford. Patrick’s first contact with the cult, the mundane scholar sent him a letter that changed the very course of his life. It has never been clear to Patrick why the scholar chose him, or how he even knew of Patrick. (corresponded thus far in Philosophiae, Cult Lore)

Sophos, (name suggested by Scott) Patrick’s first magi contact within the cult. From their correspondence, Patrick suspects the magus is a Tremere. He initiated Patrick into the 1st and 2nd circle of the cult. (corresponded thus far in Aquam, Auram, Ignem, Terram, CoH, Magic Theory, Cult Lore, OoH Lore)

“P=2” Patrick knows nothing about this magus other than that he is a master of Rego Animal, and an “inner circle” member of the cult. They met in person once, secreted in deep cowled cloaks and Tytalan disguise magic, and when Patrick returned home from that meeting, his life had burnt to the ground. (corresponded thus far in Rego, Animal, Cult Lore.)

Captain Federovski Russian captain of a merchant ship which plies the Black Sea, he is also a mundane member of the Cult of Euclid, and serves to ferry secret messages between them. According to dockside rumor, his ship, the Lemma, recently transported a cargo hold full of lepers to found a new leper colony at the ruins of Tanais.

Correspondents / Pen Pals

Peremis Tytalii of Five Trees Covenant, Ireland. What can be said of your parens with any certainty? Can you ever truly see them as anything but she who once was your mistress? Will she ever see you as anything but the pupil you were? Does it affect your love for each other one whit, if you can’t? (corresponded thus far in Rego, Perdo, Corpus, Imaginem, Magic Lore, Concentration.)

Certioari, fillia of a prominent Queasitor of Iberia, now a Queasitor of The Thebes Tribunal. The young Guernicus passed her Gauntlet five years after Patrick did, she initially approached Patrick because he was the first magus she had met (as a journeyman) who had a family and still acted like he loved them. She was worried about the obligations of Queasitorial duty getting in the way of finding a husband, and their early letters spoke much about child-rearing in a covenant. They lost touch during Patrick’s prolonged grief, but have recently begun corresponding again. Time has hardened both of them, and it is evident in their letters. (corresponded thus far in Intellego, Mentem, CoH. )

Other NPC and places

Saffron of Merinita, and
Salamandrus of Flambeau, both were apprenticed at Five Trees Covenant at the same time as Patrick, and were subject to his bullying. It is clear that they have not forgiven him for his childhood excesses.

(The unnamed 4th child who was almost apprenticed at Five Trees)

Maeve, Patrick's wife, deceased. Appears to him in visions.
Leah The firstborn of Patrick's seven dead children. Deceased, but appears to him in visions. She was 7 when she died,

Laguna Sententia. The covenant where Patrick live with his wife and family. Destroyed by person or persons unknown.

Metapontium Covenant near Hamburg, filled with Tytalli members of the Fraternity of Samos, who worked with Patrick to defeat a diabolist. Leon's original home and birthplace, though he doesn't remember it.

682

Added the NPCs and places from Patrick's backstory to his character sheet. Tweaked his backstory, so that it was Herons of Virtue that made him a Servant of the River Delta, and then put a link to that post in his Magi Character Sheet.

I noticed that I currently have his Cult of Euclid Lore specialty as Members, but this no longer seems to fit. Any suggestions for a new specialty? I'm stumped.

For my companion character, I'm toying with two ideas.

  1. a Failed Apprentice with a high enough Magic Theory that he can develop/maintain the labs
  2. one of the ex-leper grogs. I've always been fascinated with the idea that Companions don't need to be Custos.
683

It could be something like "Philosophy". Also, "Self-initiation is always a good one for cults with self-initiation scripts--presumably Patrick used one or two of those.

Those would both be fine. Are companions even ordinarily Custos? I thought Custos were usually grogs. The one thing about a grog as a Companion is that you need a good explanation for why that potent a character isn't in a more responsible position.

Scott

684

Would "Initiation Scripts" cover both self- and others?

Custos? Maybe I meant Consortes. What I meant to say is that the primary difference between a Grog and a Companion is that Companions have stories of their own, while grogs are along for the ride on other people's stories, and that this is different from the financial cost of housing "Companions" listed in Covenants.

Why isn't he in a more responsible position? Dunno yet. Maybe because his potency hasn't been noticed yet? If he is one of the lepers, then he's been focused on health issues and not really singled out from the crowd yet.

685

That's a little broad, since initiation is the primary use of the Ability.

Well, as long as you have a good story, that's fine. :slight_smile:

Scott

686

~re-reads TMRE section on Initiations~

Okay, Cult Lore is significantly different from Org Lore.

So, just to consider the possibility of being a twink, how does Inventive Genius interact with Modifying Scripts and creating Experimental Scripts? I'd argue that, as the Experimental Script rules explicitly reference the Experimental Efforts, Inventive Genius should apply a +6 to creating new scripts, and that some SGs would by extension allow the +3 to apply to modifying scripts.

If Inventive Genius applies, then given Patrick's thematic preference for flexibility and invention, I think it'd make sense for his cult lore specialization to be "script-hacking" or "experimental scripts."

Well, I don't...yet. But I'm working on it. The combination of Disfigured and Death Prophecy for an ex-leper is starting to brew some ideas though.

687

I'll have to think about this, since it's not actually a lab activity. Salutor, what do you think?

That specialization would work, yes.

Scott

688

I'd be inclined not to allow it, on two bases. Firstly, as noted, Inventive Genius technically applies to lab activities, and Initiation scripts aren't. Secondly, the bonus given by Inventive Genius is designed to be consistent with Arts totals, whereas Initiation Scripts are based on Ability totals, for which +6 is a quite substantial bonus.

689

I would consider adding a house rule to give a +1 bonus for Inventive Genius, when experimenting.

Scott

690

Are you planning to pick the full +10/-10 of V/Fs, or is this the entire list? It's cool if you're happy with the list as it is, but my own preferences are to pick the full suite of flaws, as that helps me create a more 3-dimensional character.

Abilities:

I believe the minimum AotH level is 20, but I may be wrong. Salutor?

Otherwise, your spell list seems primarily aimed at functionality in the wilds, while your skill list seems aimed at social environments.

As for Orestes, he seems a decent enough character (though I notice you again have 6 pts of V/Fs, and now wonder if you thought that was the limit), but he doesn't quite feel like a fully-fleshed out companion concept yet. What's his Story? What sort of tales is Orestes going to be dragging the magi and other companions into? This isn't clear to me from the sheet. That may be because I'm really tired, though.

Likewise, with the grogs, you've chosen to make "grog specialists" instead of "shield grogs." There's nothing wrong with that choice, and it's a choice that I've made myself in other sagas that I'm currently playing right here on the forums, but I can't tell from these sheets whether that's a choice you're making intentionally or if these are choices made due to lack of familiarity with Ars Magica.

691

Character sheet for Myron of Jerbiton

Myron Poupoulakos is a man of fine tastes. Originally from Helios, his family of wandering minstrels travelled the pilgrim's route to Jerusalem. At the age of seven, a travelling maga from the Theban Tribunal noticed an unusual magical aura around him, even though he did not outwardly appear to have the gift. As a Jerbiton from Constantinople, she was excited to train an apprentice with a the gentle gift. Myron's love of music infused his training, and he performs his spells as acts of exquisite music. Indeed, he spent more time on his academic and musical interests during his apprenticeship than on his magical ones. It wasn't until he completed his gauntlet that he focused on plants and gardens, creating incredible scenes out of magic and flowers. His sigil is the scent of rose.

INTELLIGENCE: +3
PERCEPTION: 0
STRENGTH: -1
STAMINA: 0
PRESENCE; 0
COMMUNICATION: +2
DEXTERITY: 0
QUICKNESS: -1

House: Jerbiton
Social Status: Hermitic Magus
Age: 25

Virtues:
Gentle Gift +3
Cyclic magic (positive) (Spring) +1
Enchanting music +1
Study Bonus +1
Performance Magic (free Jerbiton)

Flaws:
Cyclic magic (negative) (winter) -1
Generous -3
Animal companion -1
Carefree -1

Abilities:
charm (first impressions). 2
awareness (search). 2
Greek (poetry). 5
Arabic (magic terminology). 4

Latin (hermitic magic) 5
Magic theory (Rego) 3
Artes liberales (grammar) 3
Enchanting music (calming) 3
Music (lyre) 2
Finesse (herbam) 1
Parma (ignem) 3

Arts:
Animal 1
Auram 1
Creo 7
Herbam 9
Perdo 2
Rego 9
Terram 1

Spells:
Aegis of the Hearth (reg-vim) 16
Intuition of the Forest (int-her) 10
Prying Eyes (int-ima) 5
Unseen Porter (reg-ter) 10
Sense Nature of Vis (int-vim) 5
Maintaining Demanding Spell (reg-vim) 15
Ward against Faeries waters (reg aquam) 15
Tangle of wood and thorns (reg-her) 15
Gather essence of the beast (reg-vim) 15
Circle of beast warding (reg-ani) 5
Probe Nature"s hidden lore (int-her) 4
Eyes of cat (mut-cor) 5

A note regarding progression: all spells & abilities except for the last 2 levels of parma obtained in first 6 years + apprenticeship as well as Rego 7, Herbam 1, Animal 1. Now 4 years after gauntlet.

692

Thanks for your responses! In terms of the virtues/flaws, in this case I prefered to have a few clearly defined character features that can be used as a basis for roleplay rather than a whole slew of virtues and flaws that might merge into each other at the beginning. Eventually (hopefully) his personality will come out in roleplay. If you want, I can add more virtues/flaws but am happier with less.

With his character (and also the grogs), I went for the most part with personality over function. In my mind, he is a true lover of beauty and the arts. That is why he surrounds himself with artisans (a sculptor, ornamental glassblower, gardener, etc). He is a sociable person, and is happy around mundanes, especially if they are "beautiful" or skilled artists. His basic spells should be enough to deal with mundane bandits, etc. His true interest and passion at the moment is to cultivate the most beautiful gardens possible, filled with all manner of exotic and magical trees and flowers (and sculptures, ponds, ornaments, etc). His Herbam focus is for this, not for surviving in the woods.

I chose his spells as those were the ones available with his low initial arts. But if the aegis minimum is 20, I might tweak the order of his learning abilities so that he can know it.

693

No, I was probably a little short with Orestes' background, especially since I was a little tired myself and have been typing all this on my phone.

Both Orestes and Myron are lovers of the arts. However, Orestes is a proud and boastful character in contrast to Myron's quiet contemplation and enjoyment of beauty. Orestes considers himself the best upcoming sculptor in the world and cannot stand rivals in the arts. He also has great difficulty resisting a chance to "prove" his ability, such as a prestigious commission or a masterful creation by a rival. He also cannot keep his trap shut, and is likely to boast about the greatness of the covenant (with some exaggeration) even when it is not quite appropriate. He would jump at any chance to either further or prove his sculpting ability, and would drag anyone else he could rope in as a matter of "necessity". The fae could have a field day with this?

In terms of his background, he is from Constantinople and trained as a goldsmith before being discovered by the acclaimed sculptor Theogenes. He apprenticed under Theogenes, with a focus on classical sculpture until the sacking of Constantinople. During this period he developed an intense rivalry with another skilled sculptor named Ioannes (who managed to get some key contracts with the Church). Since then, he has been travelling and trying to find a name for himself until he met Myron.

Will add the following virtues/ flaws for Orestes: Feud (rival craftsman and allies) -3, Affinity with Craft (sculpting) (statues) +1, social contacts (Theban aristocracy) +1, & self confident +1.

Edit: with affinity virtue, I would increase his craft (sculpting) ability to 8 and just say he is one year older (31).
(180* 2/3 = 120 instead of original 105)

694

I don't see any minimum for Aegis, though I have my doubts about how useful a level 16 version is.

Scott

695

All rituals have to have minimum level 20 (page 114 of the main book).

696

Have had a quick check of Myron's stats, and they seem more or less fine other than the aforementioned Aegis issue and the fact that technically Cyclic Magic is meant to apply for 50% of the time, and you've only got it applying for 25%. In this case it's 25% for both positive and negative, though, so MTKnife may well be happy with it - Scott? I think you're also one xp down - they sum to 419 rather than 420.

The thing I'm not clear on, though, is why he wants to come to the covenant. It's currently a haunted ruin in the middle of nowhere, that has already been attacked once - it's not a good candidate for peace and safety.

697

Ah, I misunderstood the virtue then. If positive (spring/summer) and negative (autumn/winter) works better, I am happy with that.

He offered safety to mundanes as an offer of living under magical protection. He considers this superior to mundane life, despite other dangers. For himself, he is not so worried about safety as much as he wishes to create beauty in the "heart" of ugliness. That is why he has chosen to move to the wilds at the edge of the earth under the least established of Tribunals. When he heard that that Nova Castra was being created by a bunch of magi, he saw in this an opportunity to forge a masterpiece of his own, "Magi's Beauty in the Wilds of the World". Also, on a more selfish level, he has heard rumors of a rare magical plant which blooms in the heart of snow and winter. He would like to locate this and try and use it to create a slew of winter blooming flowers.

Also, what would you guys consider a useful Aegis level? When it is performed as a ritual, do all the magi add their skill levels together, or us it just the character with the highest Aegis creates it?

698

See the Wizard's Communion spell in the MRB for an answer to this question. Without Wizard's Communion, it's just one person's casting total.

My character, Patrick, is a ward specialist with Aegis 20, and could easy learn an Aegis 40 from a lab text, if we procure one. So, if you want Aegis to help out the covenant, then feel free to spend your points elsewhere. If you feel your character would have the spell for his own reasons, then just grab the 20, and don't over-think it :slight_smile: Perhaps he'll want to secure enough regular access to vis to cast his own private Aegis on a garden?

Ooh, I like that! And now I want to tempt you into taking enough Personal Vis Source virtues that you can cast supply the 4 vis to cast Aegis over your secret greenhouse! And a CrTe spell to create a glass building!

~contemplating putting Patrick's trained beasties in your private garden~

699

Either is fine with me: since the Virtue and Flaw balance each other, there's no question of balance.

Scott

700

Wizard's Communion is an invitation to a horrible, horrible botch affecting all the magi involved, and so, in my experience, it's avoided it at all possible, but it can allow a Spring Covenant with no ReVi specialist to cast a reasonably powerful Aegis.

Scott