Create a beast of virtue.

Hi,

However you do it, Verditius magi get a vis multiplier of 5 when it comes to magical creatures. Verditius magi have many ways to save on vis, starting with their lowly House Virtue working through Philosophical Alchemy (4 free seasons of distilling vis per year!) to this. Oh, and Celestial Magic too, though that's expensive for what it does. With virtues like these, who needs vis sources?

Anyway,

Ken

Yes verditius magi can pull a lot of stunts to garner vis, though granted they need it being the house that uses the most vis in general. However they have to burn up many seasons to do it. First they have to do the ordeals to get mysteries. Then spend seasons in the lab to use them.

Season generating vis is already an established part of the game. Verdituis just have the potential to do it a lot better. Spells generating vis is an entirely different ball of wax. Seeing as how even very large rituals once created can be cast over and over many times in a season.

A few comments. One, Vis multiplier of 5? Second, while the rules allow a mage to make a Magical Beast, making them to taste is, I think, a bridge too far. "Hi, I'm a Verditius with the house Mystery Bind Magical Creatures! I've created a Magical earthworm of virtue with the ability to spont any any level 30 or below PeVi spell! I've bound that power and plan to make more earthworms! Who needs casting tools?". NO. I think when you "make" a magical beast, you have to "follow the template". Third, casing many Ritual spells gives a good chance of a BIG botch......

Yup, via Bind Magical Creatures. For lab work you can extract one pawn per might point, not the normal one per five might points.

That's why you master the one spell you plan to use repeatedly. Now you have no chance of botching unless someone disrupts you. And that's why you do it in your sanctum.

Chris

Look - if you want to do it, if you think your saga needs this, if you think the SG wants this in the story and the players do as well, then go for it!

But as the game is written, as most players/SG's/troupes approach the game, "vis" is a rare and precious commodity - and if one mage were able to do this so easily, then others would have long ago, and more will certainly do it in the near future. It's like farming vis-bearing animals - there has to be a reason it hasn't done before, and not just "No one ever thought of it". There is something magical that keeps it from working "just that easy".

"A queen of vis is a legendary quantity" - that's the phrase that keeps ringing in the ears of most players. If you, as a SG or a Player, suddenly shatter that belief, then what the other players will hear is "Hey, remember all that hard work you went to to find vis? Waste of time, losers!" Good way to crash a game - depending on the game, and the players.

Good gaming, good luck.

I agree with this to a point. In the default game vis is a rare and precious commodity. The reason being it gives players something tangible to strive for. A commodity that drives the mechanics of the game allows the characters to become more powerful fitting the magical themes far better then the gold or credits used in other games. So instead of dungeon delves for gold you have vis hunts.

That’s great the acquisition of power through adventure is a mainstay of RPG storytelling. Characters get to do this through exploration, conflict, and diplomacy just like any other game. Ars Magica adds an additional route to power many other games can’t manage, innovation. Personally I think it’s as rich a ground for telling stories as any other, to me “no one ever thought of it“ is the start of an adventure not the lack of one. Now not every troupe will want to explore this sort of adventure. Just like not every troupe wants to haggle with a fairy lord or hunt a dragon.

Now that I’ve said that I just want to say adventure or no a Verdititus using bind magical creatures on spell created magical beings is not particularly troubling to me. It just doesn’t seem all that easy. Have you thought of the steps involved

First you have to create a Verditius mage.

Then he has to initiate into the bind magical beast greater mystery.

Then he has to create a spell that allows him to create magical creatures, as well as spells that help him control them. (I recommend elementals far easier then magical animals)

Then he has to cast those spells. Which requires vis.

Then he actually has to use the binding virtue to open an item for enchantment.

All this requires some relatively high totals in Creo, Rego, Intellego, Vim and at least one other form relating to whatever creature you created.

Even then your only getting items opened for enchantment not actual pawns of vis. Sure you could acquire another mystery virtue to be able to smelt magic items down into usable vis. Though since the binding virtue specifically states that the magical energy your using is not actually vis I’d be prepared for the smelting to not go well.

It's not the process that matters, it's the end result.

I've seen more than one Game Master think they're clever and set up huge obstacles to a desired (and abusive) PC Goal, saying "Sure, you can do that. IF...." - and then the PC actually makes the deathmarch, and arrives - at the end of the campaign, because the GM never thought they'd actually do it, and only then realizes that what they've allowed is beyond their ability/interest to run.

So it doesn't matter how absurdly difficult the process is to create "free vis", if "free vis" will ruin the campaign. And we get back to what I said above - if that's not a problem, then it's not a problem. If it is, then it's a dealbreaker, regardless.

Good, I've said it before and I'll say it again anyone who tries to turn an RPG into a game of I'm smarter then you is a jerk and deserves what they get. I only feel sorry for the other players who had to put up with a saga that was little more then a pissing contest. RPG's arn't chess or stratego where the people involved plot behind the scenes to get one over each other with feints and hidden gambits. Everyone involved should be playing half for themselves and half for everyone else sitting at the table.

When I play a character I'm always very clear and upfront what my plans are and what I think they'll accomplish I ask the GM if he agrees and thinks it's a good fit.

If I GM I'm not afraid to say yes to a player. But I always ask why and what they expect. Then I'll tell them what I expect. I'm also not afraid to backup and change how things work if I think they've gone a bridge to far.