Hmm, getting sideways promotions make for extra work at work, but Sunday is free still
Hippocrates will be bringing with him the following:
The Beast Within - Summae on Animal - L15, Q11 - 26 Points
The Fundaments of Creation - Summae on Creo - L20, Q11 - 31 Points
The Human Body - Summae on Corpus - L20, Q11 - 31 Points
Fundamental Advances in Magic - Summae on Magic Theory - L8, Q11 - 35 Points
Transcribed Lab-texts:
The Bed of Recovery (Lvl 34, enchanment that gives +18 on recovery rolls to the one using it at sunrise and sunset.) - 7 points.
Incantation of the Body Made Whole (CrCo 40) - 8 points.
Body of the Titans (CrCo 50, +1 Strength, max +3) - 10 points.
Speed of the Quicklings (CrCo 50, +1 Qik, max +3) - 10 points.
Dexterity of the Najades (CrCo 50, +1 Dex, max +3) - 10 points.
Expert:
Michel(le) - the woman philosopher pretending to be a man to be allowed to learn and teach. Teaching + Com 5, Artes liberales 5, Philosophiae 5. - 10 points.
Personal resources:
Source of Corpus vis (probably a by-product of his familiar) 5 pawns/year - 25 points.
Seven League Stride (ReCo 30) - 6 points
The Leap of Homecoming (ReCo 35) - 7 Points
Inner Beauty on the Outside (CrMe 50, +1 Prescence max +3) - 10 points.
I think that will be 175 + 50 points, but with a bit less kept personal.
One thing we should probably discuss is how cooperative vs competitive we will play the Order. My character concept is relying on a rather cooperative Order since a specialist needs a market to function properly.
So how do we view book exchange? I'm used to (and like) that mediocre/vanity summae can be swapped rather easily (provided you supply the transcriber/copier).
Tractati is considered the bargain coin of the Order and you can always get equal for equal in trade. In addition (high quality) tractati is the preferred payment if you want something from grown up magi (unless you are desperate and/or otherwise willing to pay by "outstanding favour").
Is this how others see our Order as well: A community where cooperation and trade is rather common and use of specialists (ie for longevity and building and magic items) is at least not rare (in fot completely widespread)?
I think I had mentioned somewhere, but can't find it now that I didn't want the personal bps to be used for a source. There is a virtue that does that.
I'm fine with a cooperative Order. A LR specialist probably has competition, though.
Agreed on that, Jonathan. It just were the last ones into the list
New set of private resources:
Body of the Titans (CrCo 50, +1 Strength, max +3) - 10 points.
Speed of the Quicklings (CrCo 50, +1 Qik, max +3) - 10 points.
Dexterity of the Najades (CrCo 50, +1 Dex, max +3) - 10 points.
Inner Beauty on the Outside (CrMe 50, +1 Prescence max +3) - 10 points.
The Leap of Homecoming (ReCo 35) - 7 Points
That was already my plan. Note that I've already have some good ideas for the scribe/translator I listed for my build points.
Should we start a thread for the the stats of the covenfolk and grogs? First message should be an index with links to the individual posts (the experts), IMHO, to be updated as we add them. Each player can then update the stats of their specialists/grogs as they evolve.
My character concept takes into account an Order that in the open looks cooperative, but with many underlying political currents that makes that cooperation just a surface thing. So the market is there, but the most valuable commodities "just happen" to be available only to those with the right connections.
Book exchange is probably fairly open for ordinary (up to mid-quality/mid-level) books. There's probably a limited supply of them, because each magus can only write a limited number of them and not all of them actually do. If we are in the Rhine, we have to remember that Durenmar is close by and has a very large library accessible to those willing to pay for it. That actually brings down the value of the books we own, since theirs will always be better. So anything we have in the library will probably considered to have little value to other covenants. Most, if not all, of the tractati we start with would probably be common texts that are useless to older magi -- we'll need to scribe something new in order to have something tradeable to any but the youngest magi.
To me, the Order is na bunch of powerful, cranky eccentrics that each have their own agendas. They are interested in their own objectives and care little about the common good. They take on airs and pretend to have lofty goals, but this is mostly empty posturing. Trade is there because it lets them get what they want/need without having to bother learning things they are not interested in. But I wouldn't trust most of them any farther than I can teleport them. My character is an innocent, though, who is easily manipulated into believing that the surface is true (he'll learn better in time).
Considering that the magi will have prepared for the last few years for the creation of the covenant, as well as the number of magi at the covenant, I think that setting aside 1 season every 2 years for covenant services would be enough. With 7 magi, that means each there would be one magus performing covenant service just about every season. Or possibly establish a âduty magusâ every season (meaning 1 in 7 seasons is for covenant services).
With many of the magi focusing on their research, I doubt any will want to spend more time performing covenant services than that. Petronius would find having to spend 25% of his time on covenant services excessive.
Agreed, though the covenant should maintain a vis reserve for some types of vis, such as Vim (for the Aegis) and either Creo or Corpus (for emergency healing) for example.
Unless the magus doing so provides the covenant with a reasonable advantage, such as securing a regular source of income, covenfolk, vis, lab equipment? That would be up to the council to decide whether those services (which do not necessarily require a whole season but might require living in town) deserve an additional grant or not. Petronius would be sensitive to arguments going that way.
Within that freedom, covenant members should at least keep others within the covenant informed of anything that might touch upon common resources and safety. So a magus who wants to experiment on the aura might be forbidden to do so on the covenantâs main aura, but allowed to do it on a smaller aura some distance away (like the caves at Laacher Lake).
I agree on the "one season per 2 years" stand. It should be enough.
Have we agreed on the location? I definitely would like to be out of the town proper, and have a sanctum with a lab that could be refined to increase comfort and health. The idea of a common lab is still a good one, but less so now that we're 7 magi who would like to use it. With that little access enhancing the lab is less useful since you probably only get to use it every second year...
I don't think we landed or agreed on how to handle a spread out location either. Do we still want that? Should "someone" use some points on a (big) Vim-source and we supply the "satellites" with a lvl 10 Aegis (that would keep most nuisances out) and a better one on the central location? Should we all learn Wizards Communion, and on what level?
I suggest a classic "covenant in a manor" on a hill outside Koblenz where there is room for a sanctum and a up to +3 size lab for each magus. The hill (and the aura) would give the area good, fresh air that together with the well built around a natural spring provides a Health Feature. Then I suggest we support some (not too many, I hope) satellites for the magi who have a good reason to have their sanctum outside the manor. It would be helpful if the satellite magi's players would use some of their build points to supply some vim-vis, I think.
Hippocrates would like his sanctum to be on the first floor of the manor house, if possible (I think that is all that is needed to get the "elevated" virtue in the lab).
We talked about being rather wealthy (secondary income). Does that mean each magus can install (some) expensive virtues in his lab? How much upkeep is acceptable for each magus? I suggest 10 mythic pounds. We are rich (I think) and extensive supplies, special collections and the like are a good way to boost our research.
I agree that we need to settle on a location for the covenant. Here's what I propose. Much of it is based on historical elements weaved together.
The main site of the covenant is located in the forest south of Koblenz. The ruins of a temple to Mercury and Rosmerta were found in that forest, 5 miles south of the city. There are numerous other Roman ruins throughout of the forest (villas and farms), but the locals avoid them because of ghosts and many strange phenomena that occur within the forest (some of this is just rumours, while others are related to the denizens of the small magic auras scattered within the forest). The area around the temple (about 100 paces around it) has a magical aura of 2 (note: can be adjusted to a higher value, but this seemed to make sense). In the center of the ruins is a statue (or a relief) of the god and goddess. Close to the relief the magical aura is stronger (note: exact area to be defined but I suggest only big enough for a large lab if we go with the shared lab; exact strength to be determined but I suggest 4; the aura may have initially been 3 but was raised by restoring the ritual offerings to the god and goddess, as per the Flickering Aura hook in Covenants). As this is the main site, this site would certainly be protected by an Aegis.
Other small auras exist in the forest (max strength of 2). One of the stronger ones (aura 2) is the ruins of a small villa overlooking the Rhine gorge just 1 mile northeast of the main site (thus closer to Koblenz). (Note: this would satisfy the Elevated lab virtue from Covenants.) This site's aura is just large enough for a few labs (note: I suggest up to 3 regular-sized labs in area; big enough to be covered by a secondary Aegis if the others agree; in-character rationale might be that a very valuable vis source (Corpus for the number of slaves who died here?) is there so the Aegis protects it as well as the labs).
Can we agree on that as a base? We can add other secondary sites (lacuna or small magical aura in Koblenz proper, the caves at Laacher Lake, etc.) as we go along?
Wanted to touch on this spell specifically. We're playing that Leap, or any other ReCo teleportation effect, requires casting requisites of the forms on your person or you're holding if you want to carry it with you. It ties in with Arthur's concept for his character and where he wants to push original research. Further, I've found that without requisites, it's far too easy to move around. So casters of this spell will tend to have high rego scores so they can bypass most of the requisite requirements. Some examples of requisites necessary are animal, herbam and terram, which would cover clothing and arms/armor depending on the character. Further requisites might include aquam for the contents of that waterskin, and vim, you did want to take vis with you, didn't you? It then becomes conceivable, that because of the aura you can Leap out of the covenant, but can't quite leap back, or at least maybe you leap back naked, or without some of the items you'd taken with you...
So, I'm not against it, it's just going to have a high hurdle for casting it successfully...
I'm fully aware of the RAW casting requisites, it's mostly a "get out of Dogde" spell. So comments duly noted and accounted for
Can we agree that a Talisman doesn't need any requisites (making it that small bit better)?
And is an easily carried, small familiar transportable (provided the Animal requisite is used)?
Yeah, since the talisman is considered part of you, I think that it is reasonable.
Small like a cat or something easily held? I'm on the fence. T
I invite comments fr the troupe..
We've had some (minor) problems with that.
You could bring along a small animal? That's fine.
How about a magus transformed (via MuCo/An) into eg. a cat?
How about the Bjornaer (assuming a small-ish Heartbeast)?
If it's limited to your familiar though, I see no problems.
IMS I don't mind the fast travelling, so we don't nit-pick the requisites (but do use them) and "anything you can carry without trouble" goes with you (leading to "Traveller's minute companions" MuCo shrinking of a group to size -4 for Diameter and a carrying case for transport )
This time I was thinking only of the familiar to be allowed (provided it is easy to carry) since it is linked to the caster's/traveler's mind.
If you want more minds (that should include both animals and intelligence) or bigger familiars to come with you it would requite target group (or repeated castings with range >= Touch.
A different question regarding the structure of the board.
Do we want seperate topics for:
The final stats of the covenant? Do we include the library there or use a seperate topic? Who maintains it?
The stats for each magus? (I assume this would include advancement log, initial stats, current stats, familiar, etc.)
The individual stories for that magus?
The specific research project of that magus (if applicable)?
Shared timeline by season? (To make it easier for the magi to interact)
I've never run a PbP game but I've noticed things can get confusing fast (particularly the timeline). And since I plan on advancing my magus, I think I should start a topic for him but don't want to clutter the board unecessarily. Same thing with the covenant site -- I could expand on it but since this is not my saga I don't want to look like I'm trying to impose things on everyone.
(Things are kind of dead quiet at work right now, so currently I spend more time on these board than usual for me.)
I've setup another campaign on Obsidian Portal.
I'm thinking we can keep stuff like the covenant stats and magi things over there, and use this for interaction and stories.
It's a totally blank slate at this point.
Since I run Bibracte more or less asynchronously, I recommend we use the format I used there to indicate when stories happen. Year.[1-4], where 1=Spring and 4=Winter. I also run a general thread that allows for interaction for anytime during the year that generally turns into a huge mess, but it's not a big worry to me, if we use adequate quoting to keep track of multiple time/story streams in that thread.
)