Covenant Building

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Canaries Are Dying
#1

Here's a brief guideline on what the players can do as far as covenant building. There's a few things set in stone, but beyond that, it's mostly up to you guys. Have at it.

Each player can contribute [strike]350[/strike][strike]250[/strike] [strike]291[/strike] 335 build points worth of stuff. In addition, the magi can bring up to 75 build points of their own personal equipment, texts, people, etcetera – either for their own use or as largesse. There is no level limit on lab texts or effect level in enchanted devices. This makes the covenant a "High" Power Level.

Laboratories: There are seven laboratories already built (including the one on Eilean Chon)

Library: Due to the pillaging of the library by Duncan, Art Summae have a level limit of 15 instead of 20, and a Quality Limit of 17 instead of 22 (in the formula on p. 71 of the core rulebook).

Ability summae have a Level Limit of 6, and Quality formula modified as above.

Vis: The covenant's sole remaining Vis source is the eggs of the Loch Ness Monster, which are harvested every year. Any other Vis Sources may be purchased but must be "discovered" in play.

[u]Boons, Hooks, and Free Choices[/u]

  • Aura: The smaller island has a Magic Aura of 6. The rest of the covenant has a Magic Aura of 3. By the book, that appears to be three Major Site Boons, but that seems counter-intuitive, as it's a very small portion of the covenant that's affected.
  • Poverty: With the magi's neglect in recent years, the covenfolk and inhabitants of the surrounding area have gradually drifted away. The infrastructure is still there, but there is definitely room for improvement and rebuilding.
  • Residents: Peasants: Most of the people in and around the covenant are either shepherds, fishermen, or something related.

The larger island is called Eilean Muireach, the smaller is Eilean Chon

I'll try to cobble together a rough map-ish looking thing soon.

(Edit to correct number of build points for each player to provide.)

1222: Intercharacter goodness
#2

The aura thing is there in the main rules for a reason - if the aura goes above 5, people get warped. For a hermetic magus, it's a gentle shortening of life expectancy, but for your grogs it's a quick ticket to mutation. The rules make covering the majority of the covenant (so everyone lives in it and is affected) is cheap, and covering a specific area (so you can build labs there but grogs don't have to visit) is expensive.

As it's two islands, there's two clearly defined boundaries - do we need 2 aegis rituals?

#3

Actually the magi wouldn't be affected by the aura, as they are natives to the Magic realm it doesn't warp them.

#4

If a non-magus lives on Eilean Chon, they would suffer warping, yes. Aura 6, you only gain warping if you're in the aura basically full-time; working or sleeping, but not both, you don't.

Good question. That hadn't occurred to me. thinkthinkthink Okay, I'm going to say that there's a pier that effectively encloses the islands. Gives something for the fisher types to hang out on, and counts as part of the boundary.

#5

Is the area large enough that we need to consider an Aegis of higher level to cover the increased area covered?
And that leads me to another question.

#6

The Aegis needs to have +1 Magnitude for increased area. Eyeballing the area on GoogleEarth and some quick doodling with the Measure feature, I'm getting an area of roughly 600 x 450 feet, or 270,000 square feet. Base Area for Boundary is 70,686 square feet (rounding to the nearest foot). One magnitude bumps the Boundary coverage to 706,858 square feet - plenty of wiggle room.

#7

square feet. I had hoped they'd use the metric system in Mythic Scotland :laughing:

#8

Well, I'm a Yank, and my book has it listed as feet. So...185 by 135 meters, or 2.5 hectares. Base area for Boundary is 6,567 square meters, so increasing it by 1 magnitude makes it 6.5-odd hectares. Better? :stuck_out_tongue:

#9

Thanks, I use the American systems of measurement to torture my students when/if they talk too much.

#10

Throwing some ideas out there for the points. We have 6-7 people spending 350 points on Covenant development, plus an additional 75 of personal stuff.

Does the library's limits apply to the 75 we're bringing? I would think it wouldn't, but would hate to assume.

I think with that many points we might see a lot of things that aren't limited go through the roof just by the fact that we'll have a ton of points and not much of a library to sink it in. We could discover huge vis sources as well as stocks this way, or have some of the best teachers and experts in all of Europe, and while poverty stricken we could likely produce high amounts of silver stocks. How are people inclined to spend their 350 so far? Any ideas?

#11

One idea might be that we could spend some of the build points to buy boons. For example, say we wanted a group of crossbowmen, that's only available as a boon, but logicially if you could convert a bunch of build points into a fantastic stock pile of vis or silver, one could also use it to hire a mercenary squad maybe? This shouldn't be allowed for any boon of course, group and GM approval would be necessary as would be the price.

I mainly bring this up because we ultimately might be burning a lot of surplus points and turn this poverty stricken covenant into a covenant with no source of income, but huge stockpiles of money perhaps.

#12

2100 points is a hell of a lot of points.

with 350, I am thinking os spending 50 pts in vis supply and another 100 in vis sources (so 250 pawns on hand, 20 per year).

this leaves 200 points for books, lab texts and such.

I don't have my covenants book though since it is on loan to the current SG for my face to face game and I don't get it back until April 7th.

#13

There's still things to spend it on of course; lab texts, items, specialists. But after that it's mainly vis sources and stocks and silver stocks.

#14

Yeah...I wasn't expecting as many players as I got when I came up with 350 per. I was going for the low-ish end of High Power, which (with four players) would have been about 1,400 points.

I'm thinking 250 per player now, with six players, would be more reasonable...at least from where I'm sitting.

#15

Curious if the library limit applies to Tracti? Figure if the library was raided you'd go for the 'meat and potatoes' of summae and leave behind the tracti.

Some books for consideration:

Arguing with one's Reflection (Summa Magic Theory Level 6, Quality 17) price 18+17 =35 bps
A summa written by Adolphus ex Criamon based on reflections on a mystical pool at his covenant. Other Criamon regard the book as a failure as it offers almost nothing for understanding of the Enigma.

Commentary on Arguing with One's Reflection (Tracti Quality 12) Bps 11 (1 free point for a Commentary)
The first of seven such commentaries on this somewhat controversial book. This was written by Malidoxus of Bonisagus, a member of Adolphus's Covenant. This Commentary was Malidoxus's attempt to get his amicus's book published with other works distributed by his House, but was refused. Partly they say because of the too close relationship between the two and partly from dogmatic refusal by Bonisagus to include non-Bonisagus writings.

Commentary on Arguing with One's Reflection (Tracti Quality 12) 11 Bps (1 free point for a Commentary)
The second of seven was written by a member of Ex Miscellenea who claimed that the book was a trap intended by Criamon to inflict Twilight upon the reader. This book includes a declaration of Wizard's War at the end of it from Agrima Ex Miscellenea to Adolphus with corresponding letters from three of Adolphus's covenmates prmoising War in return should she try to harm Adolphus. It is noted that Agrima may have shown wisdom at last in her rather short and Twilight prone magus career when she stayed at her Covenant during the period of War rather than pursue it.

I'm thinking of only doing the two commentaries, but maybe we can try and find the others (or if anyone else wants to pick up on this). Commentaries are nice, they offer some flavor and a little extra value.

#16

Not sure how to point this: it can be read once for each of the professons and as much as needed for the Latin.

On the transfer of knowledge within the Order
This book was created by a former Primus of House Bonisagus as standard tool for training their apprentices, other mages and those coming into the order on the methods to create a well written Summae suitable for presentation to the house for addition to the yearly collections.
Summae on Latin Level 6/Quality 10, Tractus on Profession Scribe 10, Tractus on Profession: Illuminator 10

#17

Summa part is 6x3+10=28 (ability summa is 3xlevel+quality)
Then just add the Tractatus costs of 10 points each, so 48 total build points.

#18

No, any texts you bring with you are not subject to the library's limits.

#19

So, I'm thinking of the Illusory Resources hook. Possibly Talia's been bringing booty of indeterminante nature and "fencing" it to Insula Canaria for a long time. Being strapped for resources, having a diabolist masquerading as a founding member seems to make this fit really well.
Any interest in this? The possible target would've been Fengheld and their chapter in the Normandy Tribunal at Cherbourg, as I'd mentioned elsewhere. If most of the material is mundane in nature, or stolen to begin with, it makes Fengheld's ability to press the claim difficult. A couple of good stories might resolve us in being able to keep the 250 bps, or some good portion thereof. I leave it up to a troupe consensus, I just find it provides a nice tie in for my character concept. We could divide the 250 bps up relatively evenly between the players, and you just add it to your build total, no one will be able to tell what is "Illusory."

#20

Blackthorne might make a better target. They at least can get near us easier and border wars can be covers for raids to get resources back and so on. (we are near north part of English Isle while blackthorne is near south end in wales)