Controlling Water

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

So out covenant would like to have running water. Being the Aquam Specialist, I'm going to see to this. But how? The way I see it, I can create a magical basin that is filled with water from a nearby stream, which it has an Arcane Connection to. The Arcane Connection is carved rock on the bottom of this stream, and the basin would fill itself when someone concentrates. It is a a very unnatural effect (+2 magnitudes). But will it transport the water back once someone stops concentrating, or is it moved permanently from the stream?

E.

2

how about a holding tank near the roof that will refill to a set level so you could have gravity fed plumbing, and put a perdo aquam in the drains to get rid of it?

3

You mean modern day plumbing?

Or what a normal medival person would refer to as running water (i.e. a river).

Cleaning needs (and a potential watercloset for the inventive...) could be covered by CrAq - which would also serve to dry whatever you use it on afterwards.

For food and drink, the easiest is as you describe- moving it from a local source... (which can be done in many ways - the absolutely easiest way is having a servant carry it, or an apprentice, or draw inspiration from Fantasia...)

4

What we want is a constant source of fresh water in the covenant, moving it from a stream.

E.

5

Suggestions:

  • Dig a channel to redirrect the stream. (PeTe?)
  • Controll the stream (ReAq) to flow into the covenant. Could require a rather high level, if the distance is great...
  • Teleport a stream? Using the guidelines for teleporting people maybe?

In any event, I'd think it comes down to how big a distance it must travel, and the terrain...

6

The way I did it was with Rego Aquam at Arcane Connection range, +2 magnitudes for very unatural movement (teleport), concentration duration and 12 uses per day. So 12 times a day, one person can concentrate on the item and get one Individual amount of water teleported to the item from the Arcane Connection. :slight_smile:

E.

7

If you have more auram then you could go for a rego effect to condense and collect the water vapour of early morning mists and clouds etc. You can still have it collected in the resevoir in the top of the tower, but it would be a much lower level effect than wholesale transport of ground water there. Just relying on natural physics to get as much gaurenteed rainwater as you need. Depending on the climate you can assume yourself to just be grabbing the natural water fall of say half a mile radius or less (or if in desert more).

8

I'm not sure but I think you can refer to the rego corpus guidelines :

"Level 35: Transport the target instantly to a place to which you have an arcane connection".

The water is moved permanently in a very unnatural fashion (nothing added magnitudes) and the target should be Part (you take only a portion of the stream).

So the design of the effect will be:

(Base 35, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 Part, + the frequency use modifier).

9

plumbing wasn't that foreign to medieval people - especially those with knowledge on the antique world.

But I'd go for the ReAq "teleportation" as well.

10

If you use the base 35 ReCo teleport guideline, there is no need to add 2 magnitudes for very unnatural movement. Very unnatural movement would be something like the water leaving the stream and flowing through the air and through the magus' window (good way to freak the mundanes out). Though, if you don't mind having to wait a bit for the water to arrive, you can use the level 4 ReAq guideline as a base. Additionally, if the water is teleported, there is no need for a Concentration duration. On the other hand, teleporting something from Arcane Connection range rather than to an Arcane Connection means adding 4 magnitudes to the spell, making it at least 11th magnitude, and thus out of reach for enchanted devices (spells above 10th magnitude are rituals).

At that point, you're much better off with CrAq.

Now, if you just want the water to flow from the stream, you go to ReAq 4, +1 Part, +4 Arc, +1 Conc (have to keep concentrating until the water arrives), +1 or 2 for unnatural movement (depending on the circumstances) = Level 35 or 40. Still a bit steep.

A better solution would be to build an aqueduct and a water wheel. Magic can still help, but you aren't crippled by the Arcane Connection range.

And, of course, the simplest solution is to just have servants fetch the water for you.

11

Isn't the guidelines different for different forms? So it is easier to teleport one of the elements than, say, a human body? It is so with Animal and Corpus. It's generally easier to affect animals than humans, so a Bjornaer has a big advantage there, with for example healing, if I remember correctly.
I would say that moving the water in a very unatural way would be things like teleporting. Making water fly is unnatural (+1 magnitude).

Haven't got the book in front of me now, but I'll read it again.

E.

12

Not absolutely true..
Not unless there is a reason to do so....

Why not just dig a well???

Dig down far enough...The water fills the hole.

If you wish to move it upstairs for storage, thats okay.

Also..

Why do all that work...?

Create a barrel that fills itself when it reaches a certain point.
Have the barrel on the roof...etc

13

Why do this? Why not a well? The answer is simple: Coolness :slight_smile:

E.

14

Why do this? Why not a well? The answer is simple: Coolness :slight_smile:
Also, after readying the Rego Aquam spells, I see that the level 35 spell that creates a giant water sprout that can be controlled around, even over land, don't have any magnitudes added for unnatural movement. So I guess having water fly around would be unnatural movement (+1 magnitude) and teleporting water would be very unnatural (+2 magnitudes).

E.

15

Here is an item that many Covenants might want, though there is a decent amount of work and expense involved.

Galin's Magnificent Fountain

This fountain was created by the Verditius mason Galin of the Roman Tribunal. He entered it in the Verdi contest and placed but did not win the contest, though many magi of arid or difficult Covenants asked for the lab text of it.

When he created this he first fashioned a large and beautiful fountain, ideal for placement in a palace, it was decorated with many different depictions of Triton and water nymphs. Before he enchanted it he then broke off 6 different sculptures and replaced them with cheap replicas. He then enchanted the entire fountain and would later enchant each of the original statues that had been broken off.

Fountain (Large, Hard Stone) 16 Pawns of Vim Vis.

From there it was enchanted to pull water from one of its statues that was tied to it as an Arcane connection. The water would disappear from around the connection on a constant basis and reappear in the top basin of the fountain, about a bucket's worth every Moment. The statue would be put into any source of freshwater, no matter how foul, within one league of the fountain. It would be advised to hide it or sink it in a deep area to make sure it doesn't get tampered with or stolen, but as it has an Arcane Connection to the fountain, it would be easy to find and recover.

Transport the Vital Fluid ReAq 58

R: AC D: S T: I

Base 25 (move water in a violent/instant way 1 league) +4 Range, +2 Duration
2 Uses per day +1, Environmental Trigger (Sun) +3.

The water fills the top basin (1 Bucket capacity) and quickly flows over it into the next basin, which can hold up to 2 bucket's worth. This second basin purifies the water in its basin and the one below it.

Dispel the Flux and Foul (PeTe with In, Aq, Co, An, He Requisites) 20

The first effect destroys any lingering foulness and foreign substances (including liquids) of the water in the basins, but does not destroy the water itself.

Base 3 (destroy dirt) R: T D: S T: G +1 Range, +2 Duration, +1 Target, +2 Requisites
2 Uses per day +1, Environmental trigger (Sun) +3

Inevitably this water too will overflow into the third and final basin where it will collect with up to 12 bucket's worth of water. There are spigots on this basin that are entirely mundane and able to turn the flow off and on to easily fill portable containers, and it is big enough (and sturdy enough) for up to three people to bathe in at once. There is one more enchantment left to make the fountain complete. Since the fountain was designed with bathing and washing in mind, the water will very likely get fouled and filthy. The enchantment of Dispel the Flux and Foul purifies it, as the enchantment affects all water in the fountain, but is triggered initially when water enters the second basin. If the water should start to overflow the bottom basin it is then teleported back to its orignal place, pure and clean. To do this the original teleportation must be repeated at one higher Target to accomodate the possibly extra water, and in this fashion can have a slight cleansing effect on the water source it comes from.

Transport the Vital Fluid (ReAq) 63
R:AC D: S T: G 2 Uses per day, Environmental Trigger

The third basin has an optional enchantment that the covenfolk greatly appreciate, the ability to heat the water. All that's needed is to push the potbelly of a mischievous imp (called Blinkin) on the fountain and the water in the third basin heats to a steamy temperature in seconds, pushing it again stops it and the water cools at the normal rate, thus water could be heated in the basin and drawn through the spigot and stay warm for a time.

Blinkin's Broth (ReAq) 19
Base 3 R: T D: C T: G +1 Range, +1 Duration, Target +1
12 uses per day +4, Item Concentrates +5

Total Enchantment levels 160

Knowing that the magi of a Covenant (himself included) would never deign to wash or even gather water as a Mundane would, he enchanted the various statues which acted as natural Arcane Connections to the fountain itself. These statues were created in keeping with the fountains decor, and all had either a pouring pitcher, a spitting face or in one case a urinating cherub which the water would flow out of.

Small Statue (Hard Stone, Medium) 12 Pawns of Vim Vis, 120 lvls of effects.

Each statue was identically enchanted to do 3 effects. The first is to draw water from the 3rd basin of the fountain they are linked to (and thus should be clean and pure). All of the effects are triggered by pushing on various protrusions on the statue and turned off by pushing them again, except for the last effect.

Propel the Gathered Water ReAq 50 (1 bucket worth per Moment)
R: AC D: C T: I +4 Range, +1 Duration
Base 15 (transport liquid 50 paces)
Item Concentrates +5, 24 uses per day +5

The statue also has the ability heat the water as it flows out.

Wizard's Bath ReAq 15
R: T D: C T: I +1 Range, +1 Duration
Base 3 (Heat water)
Item Concentrates +5, 24 Uses per day +5

Finally the statue has the ability to get rid of the water as well as the detritus left from its various uses. To trigger it the user touches the statue and simply states "Destroy the water in the ____" the blank indicates the vessel it is in (meaning it can destroy liquids that it did not conjure, even cleaning soiled chamber pots).

Clean the Soiled Basin PeAq (An, Co, He, Te requisites) 25
R: V D: M T: I +2 Range
Base 10 (destroy water and dirt)
24 uses per day +5

There are still 30 possible levels worth of effects that can be enchanted into it. The statue in Galin's own room had one last enchantment which could cook a decent stew when the water was collected in a suitable pot and filled with ingredients.

Due to the great expense in vis of the fountain and its accompanying statuary, only Galin's fountain was made in all its grandeur, other Covenants made less statues or smaller fountains to save vis, negating most of the value of the lab texts that were purchased.

If incorporated into Covenant rules, a fixture like this could easily add +1 (or more) to the living Conditions of the Covenant for both magi and Grogs, and would be invaluable in times of siege.

16

I'll agree with the conclusion that CrAq is probably better (unless the caster has some particularly unpleasant sigil).

However, although 50th-level spells are rituals, they can still be invested in items - as long as the level is the only reason that the effect would be a ritual. See ArM5 p. 98, right-hand column. It's still a high-level effect for what a magus of that power may call a "questionable" return, but still useful - particularly to a covenant that may not have said water supply.

Also, qcipher, that fountain is simply inspired.

17

My intepretation is that if the level of a spell goes above 50 due to R/D/T, or modifiers like target size, then it cannot be put in an item. But if it goes above 50 due to enchantment modifiers like uses per day or linked triggers, then you're still good.

18

Basically if the spell is a Ritual only because it is level 55+ then it can still be made as an enchantment anything else that makes it a Ritual can't be incorporated into it.

19

What does and does not fall under this 50 level cap is made explicit in TMRE in the discussion of using spirits to power rituals in items.

Boundary target and year duration are certainly out but if you want to have a range sight version of Pillum of Fire that does +70 damage, you can put it into an item.

20

Hey that means with consumate talisman I can enchant level 65 wizard's boosts. :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: