Impenetrable Enchantment
Minor Hermetic
An effect modification for enchanted items: For every +2 levels added to the effect, the InVi lab total needed to investigate the enchantment increases by an additional +3, for a net increase in the lab total required of +5.
This was another "contribution" to the Order by Jacquelina of Verditius.
I can already see that this particular individual is interesting. Did you have any further history in mind there?
Distortion Prevention: Simeon Duocorde of House Flambeau presented the research as documents he had discovered while investigating the disappearance of several convent folk who had been suffering minor Warping. Despite the gutwrenching contents, the Tribunal could only authorise further investigation as the identity of the magi who had conducted these experiments is still unknown.
Distortion Prevention
Original Research - Minor Breakthrough [30 points]
Relevant Spells: Muto Corpus spells with sufficent duration to cause side effects, short duration versions of those Muto Corpus spells, Intelligo spells to pick out lingering effects of transformations, Vim spells causing Warping to potentially mimic such changes..
Effect: When a formulaic Muto Corpus spell is created, or a spontaneous Muto Corpus spell is cast, the magus may choose to prevent the spell from causing physical side effects from prolonged periods in the new form (AM5 p132). By adding a Mentem requisite they may also prevent any mental side effects.
They're a character concept I've had kicking around for a little while now (probably for an NPC). Their parens had a minor magical focus in "disguising magic", which they've inherited, and a long history of taking commissions which weren't technically illegal (Shroud Magic and Shell of False Determinations are perfectly legal to be casting on other people's behalf, right?). The Quaesitors finally brought charges on something very definitely illegal, but which Jacquelina considers to have been trumped up (her parens was far too clever to have been caught like that). Seeing the way the wind was blowing, her parens got her gauntletted right before the trial, following which they were Marched.
She has a bit of a grudge. And also a lot of her parens' old contacts.
Key virtues and flaws: Minor Magical Focus: Disguising Magic, Social Contacts: Hermetic Underworld, Protection: Rhine Gild; Enemies: Quaesitors, Driven: Avenge master, Infamous Master. Will pick up Reforging shortly after gauntlet, the better to be able to stick Muto Vim magics on effects in existing devices.
An evolution from Mercurian Magic, Mastered Research allows the magus to add their spell mastery ability rank in a spell to its magnitude when granting a similar spell bonus.
When you say "an evolution from Mercurian magic", do you mean that someone literally just stole "Lab Mastery" from the Cult of Mercury and passed it off as their own invention? Because that sounds like the sort of thing that ends in Wizard Wars.
I.. didn't realize this was a Canon ability until now lol
Unlocking the Aegis of Bonisagus: Major Breakthrough (50 points)
Relevant Spells: Perdo Vim spells that dispel the Parma Magica, Rego Vim spells that create conduits for spells, Vim effects tailored to a specific target.
Effect: The following breakthrough Virtue and lab activity are created:
Parma Key
Major, Hermetic
With concerted effort and aid, you are capable of creating a magical key that allows your spells to pass through the Parma Magica of a specific other Magi without the need for that Magi to lower or suppress their Parma Magica.
This key is a collection of specialized magical knowledge regarding the exact sympathies and influences that compose the Magi’s Parma Magica. By including this knowledge in a spell you cast, you are able to completely bypass their Parma Magica.
This knowledge is not easily gleaned from observation of your spellcasting, but you can convey the Parma Key of a single wizard whenever you write a Tractatus on the Parma Magica. If you wish, you may also convey a number of Parma Keys up to your Parma Magica ability whenever you teach a student the Parma Magica.
A Parma Key cannot be applied to the effects of an item, or included in the item’s creation to allow it to bypass the Parma Magica of another Magi.
Anyone with this virtue always knows their own Parma Key.
Unlocking the Parma Magica
Hermetic Lab Activity
Discovering a Parma Key for another Magi is an Intellego Vim laboratory activity that requires the open aid of the other Magi in question. The two of you spend the season working together to find the unique openings and sympathies that make the Parma of the Magi unique and identifiable.
If your Intellego Vim lab total exceeds (5 times the Parma Magica ability) of the other Magi, you successfully discover their Parma Key. This costs one pawn of Vis for every point of Parma Magica ability the Magi possesses.
I'm not sure if the following Original Research fits as a Minor Breakthrough, but it seems to add little new by and of itself and is primarily 'restating' what Hermetic magic already does. However it does, as I've mentioned in the 'fluff' description, provide a place for a more ambitious project to have more traction...
Recommended Words and Gestures: This 'breakthrough' by an Ex Miscellanea maga and her apprentices has been contained in the Magical Theory tractus published by them over the past fourteen years, but has gained little traction due to its perceived pointlessness. However they, and her Covenant, saw it as necessary groundwork for their current work on integrating their shared Method Caster Virtue into Hermetic theory.
Recommended Words and Gestures
Original Research - Minor Breakthrough [20 points]
Formulaic spells may be designed including two new parameters: Words and Gestures. Using these parameters ignores the normal penalties (but not any bonuses) for the corresponding use of words or gestures in casting in exchange for adding an additional magnitude to the spell for each step beyond the default in each parameter.
WORDS
Loud/Firm: The two possible defaults for this parameter.
Quiet: The equivalent of Quiet Words.
Silent: The equivalent of No Words.
GESTURES
Exaggerated/Bold: The dual defaults for this parameter.
Stillness: The equivalent of Subtle or None.
The full penalties or bonuses for using alternatives (as per ArM5 p82) which do not match these parameters will still effect the casting roll. Spells which do not specifically state, or were designed without, these parameters are assumed to be using Firm and Bold.
Integrated Study Theory: Major Breakthrough (50 points)
Relevant Spells: Personal Range Intellego Mentem spells to examine the effect of different styles of learning on your own mind.
Sources of Inspiration: A season spent studying from a book or constructing a spell from a laboratory text.
Stipulations: At least 35 breakthrough points for this breakthrough must come from sources of insight.
Effect: This breakthrough provides the following breakthrough Virtue:
Effective Library Practices
Minor General Breakthrough Virtue
A character with this virtue has internalized and learned several useful techniques for leveraging the full utility of a library to maximize their ability to learn.
Whenever they study from summa within a library, they may halve the effective source quality of the summa. If they do, they may choose a number of tractati up to half the level of the summa (round down) and study from those as well. The base source quality for their season of study becomes (½ Summa Quality + Total Quality of additional Tractati), which is then improved by various virtues as if it were a single source or book.
The experience points gained can be divided between any arts or abilities included amongst the books studied, with some limitations. When studying an ability summa, all tractati must belong to the same type of ability (General, Academic, Arcane, etc). When studying an art summa, all tractati must belong to a single form or technique, though it need not be the same form or technique as the summa.
Munchkin heaven. Seems OP.
So if understand this right, lets say you have a book which isn't that special. 14/14. So I can study 7 tractati? It does say "a number of tractati". If I'm a specialist who has focused on a technique and form, I study one of the other 13 techniques or forms, only getting 7XP in the art I don't care about which I'm using as a mechanism to read 7 tractati in a season.
Integrated Study Theory : Major Breakthrough
Relevant Spells : Intellego spells to study magical items, researching spells based on effects instilled in a magical item, based on the Lab Text of said item.
Sources of Inspiration : Reading Lab Texts of enchanted items, and studying magical items in the lab to learn their powers.
Stipulations : At least 35 breakthrough points for this breakthrough must come from sources of insight.
Effect : This breakthrough provides the following breakthrough Virtue:
Gainful Texts
Minor Hermetic Breakthrough Virtue
When using a Lab Text of a magical item, you gain the Similar Spell bonus if you research a spell that is similar to the effect described in the Lab Text.
I mean, if you have 14/14 Summa in your game and don't consider those to be particularly special, (and you are willing to continue to purchase huge numbers of tractati, of which there are not an unlimited number), then yes.
This is intended to be a very large, important breakthrough that could radically change the order if released. Part of what this breakthrough is meant to be is a transition to the use of books that more reflects how they are used in study and research in the modern day.
This is a powerful, game changing breakthrough and that is my intent. I don't think the idea of something being "overpowered" is well reflected in Ars Magica's paradigm, since it lacks the kind of game framework where balance has any real meaning.
It does staggeringly change the game balance, by allowing you to read other tractatus at half a Summa's level per season, rather than one/season. Even the summa you can find are only level 10, that still allows massive tractatus reading, allowing people with access to summa to hit peak study very quickly.
Those with access to the most tractatus will progress much quicker than those relying on teaching, experimentation, studying from vis (which isn't done much anyway - those in low vis sagas can't afford it, those in high vis sagas worry about the risk of botching) or following mysteries.
I don’t personally like it but at the very least the level function should take into account that Art Summae have much higher levels than ability summae and allow a lower number of tractati to be read at the same time than Summa level/2. One possible suggestion might be Art Summa level/6 rounded down which would be halved then thirds.
Something that came up in another thread that I figured should be coded up.
Restoration of Roman Units (OR Major Breakthrough 50)
Sources of Insight: -
Relevant Spells: Spells that push some aspect of their Range/Duration/Target up to the Roman measurement (at +1 Mag); Spells that use the Range or Target Road and Road Network
Stipulations: All points must come from Relevant Spells, though no more than half may be from Road or Road Network useless they are pushed to the Roman measurement (and have the +1 Mag).
Effect: The Magus can use the Roman units for Range, Target, and Duration rather than the standard units. This will result in increases of distance and duration. However the casting time for Rituals using these effects is increased to a minuta (24 minutes) per Magnitude.
The Roman Pace is 5' (~1.5 meters) compared to the standard of 3' (~1 meter). This will increase both the size of Base Individuals as well as things like the Boundary Target and Road/Road Network Range/Target. The Duration Momentary is increased to a secunda, equal to 24 seconds (4 rounds). The Duration Diameter is increased to a minuta, equal to 24 minutes.
A Magi who learns this breakthrough will primarily use the Ancient Roman Units in their speech and writing. This is a role-play restriction and should not be pressed OOC. Consider it flavor and a side effect of the change in thought required to use this breakthrough.
Some thoughts on expansions involving the Arma Magica/Parma Magica Folds:
The ability to teach them through a book, rather than requiring a teacher (Minor)
This one may be opposed if the Order really dislikes the idea of books on anything to do with Parma Magica.
The one I'm kind of fond of, even though it's a huge project:
Step One: Develop the Parma Custodia fold as per the book. (Major)
Step Two: Further research along the lines of the original Parma Magica, spliting it out into it's own Virtue: Parma Custodia [Minor, Hermetic] with associated Ability. (Hermetic)
Step Three: Full Hermetic Integration. (Major)
Step Four (Optional): Make it so that both Parma Magica and Parma Custodia can be performed as part of the same two minute ritual, instead of having to do two back-to-back rituals before you have full coverage. (Minor)
You could probably do something similar with splitting out other folds into their own things, as a "have your cake and eat it too" sort of deal. The one that springs most readily to mind would be Parma Condensa, which would grant Magic Resistance at Parma Condensa Rank x 5 for one Form (chosen at casting). It stacks with Parma Magica and your Parma Condensa rank cannot exceed your Parma Magic rank. The net effect would be doubling your Parma Magica score against one Form, just like the fold would normally do, but without needing to halve your other scores.
These are probably mostly only of interest to fighty-type magi, but they'll probably be real interested. Also, it's probably safe enough to go ahead and teach Parma Custodia to apprentices, both to keep them safe and to instill good habits early on regarding the Parma. Though I now have a mental image of a Tytalus parens chucking something heavy at an apprentice yelling "Parma check!" 
As for more general Parma improvements, maybe the ability to lower your Parma without needing to concentrate? Not like switching it off or something, if you loose consciousness or something it comes back on, but being able to hold it off without penalties. Minor breakthrough, probably?
This breakthrough is designed to allow Magi to create minor spells with the remainder of their Lab Total. Since there is a hard limit of Level 5 on these spells, it results in the generation of lots of very minor spells which in general have a very limited effect and are good for teaching apprentices.
Minor Spell Creation (OR Major Breakthrough 40)
Sources of Insight: N/A (this is Original Research)
Relevant Spells: Spells are the only way to generate points and the spells must have been created as a Multiple Lab Activity. This does not prevent you from gaining points from others Stabilized Lab Text.
Stipulations: No more than the researchers MT points may come from a single Form.
Effect: Gives the Virtue Minor Spell Research. Note that this Virtue can be taught in a season or learned by reading a Tractatus.
Minor Spell Research Virtue
You can always create spells of the same TeFo with any leftover Lab Total you have, no matter what the base activity was. This includes creating minor spells in the last season of creating a large multi-season spell. These spells are limited to level 5 for any primary activity other than inventing spells. Generally, they should be related to what the primary activity was. For example, if the primary activity was enchanting a wand to create fire (CrIg) than any minor spells should create fire rather than light or heat.
I always thought it would be useful if it was the Opening of the Arts action was what granted access to the Parma Magica. If that as the case then you could have a million books for it and it still wouldn't matter to the random outsider.
The benefit of this is that the Parma Magica can be the first thing an apprentice learns and not the last thing.
This could be a breakthrough that empowers the Order.
There is nothing preventing you from teaching the skill to an apprentice before they pass their gauntlet, as long as you do not provide the final piece of the ritual. Having the skill without that last piece means that you can not perform the ritual. Teaching that final piece to someone who is not a member of the Order is what violates the code, not the actual skill (which is worthless without that final key).
EDIT: Actually teaching an apprentice the skill, directly or through a book, is actually advantageous if done before the gauntlet. You could have your apprentice perform their ritual daily with you at the sunrise, even if their one does not actually do anything. This will help get them into the habit.
I think its 'illegal' for a mage to teach an apprentice the final words because the apprentice is not considered a member of the order yet.
While I think this is illogical it seems to be how its set up now.
My addition of making the Parma Magica a special trait of the Opening of the Arts means there is no issue. An master can train their apprentice it first thing.
It also has the side effect of allowing 'schools of magic' to exist since everyone there would be shielded from the negative side effects of the Gift.