Yup. The place I've always been iffy is about using both texts and your own work at the same time, or using texts across seasons. I need to double-check on these. I'll show two examples using a CrIg40 lab total and core book spells.
You have a lab text for Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20) and not for Heat of the Searing Forge (CrIg 10). Can you invent Pilum of Fire from the lab text and Heat of the Searing Forge without a text in one season, applying 20 points to each? I think this works, but I don't remember.
You have lab texts for Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20), Arc of Fiery Ribbons (CrIg 25), and Ball of Abysmal Flame (CrIg 35). Can you in one season invent Ball of Abysmal Flame and put 5 points toward Pilum of Fire, and then in the text season invent Arc of Fiery Ribbons and put 15 points toward Pilum of Fire to finish inventing it? I'm not so sure on this one. You have high enough lab totals for all the spells, but I'm not sure points are collected in the same way.
The issue at hand is in one case you're learning spells, and in the other case you're learning spells. "Multiple laboratory activities" qualifies "learning spells" as activities of "the same type." You still have to have the same Technique and Form, of course.
Edit: Similarly, the very section on lab texts says you can work on your own to have "invented a spell" or you can work from a Lab Text to "invent a spell." This is actually important. If you qualify lab texts as their own activity, then you can invent a spell, create a lesser enchanted device, and create a charged item all in the same season if Technique and Form match up.
So, working on more spell design. A bunch of these are really straightforward, just R/T/D variations on canon spells or realm variations on Vim spells:
Gust of Mundane Silence [PeVi Gen]
. . . R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Group
This is Wind of Mundane Silence (ArM5 p.161) at T: Group instead of T: Room, which places it at the same level for the same effect since they're both +2 magnitudes.
Gust of Cold Iron's Silence [PeVi Gen]
. . . R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Group
This is the same as Gust of Mundane Silence, but it works on Faerie effects instead of Magic effects.
Gust of Penitent Silence [PeVi Gen]
. . . R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Group
This is the same as Gust of Mundane Silence, but it works on Infernal effects instead of Magic effects.
Unravelling My Own (Form) Magics [PeVi Gen]
. . . R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual
This is Unravelling the Fabric of (Form) (ArM5 p.161) at R: Touch, so the spell works on effects up to level (spell level + 15 + stress die (no botch)). The spell is more limited though, in that it can only dispel effects the caster is controlling (per Muto Vim statement) or an effect on something the caster touches.
Sustaining the Demanding Spell [ReVi Gen]
. . . R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Individual
This is Maintaining the Demanding Spell (ArM5 p.162) at D: Moon, so the spell works on effects up to level (spell level -10).
Warrior's Wall of Shields [ReTe 25]
. . . R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Group
This is Circular Wall of Shields (MoH p.50) at D: Concentration, which lowers the the level one magnitude.
These ones are the ones that need attention. These were all mentioned earlier, but I've gotten around to writing them out. Even these are modeled after core spells, so hopefully I've got them sorted out well. More importantly, they are 100% the style of this character, truly defining spells.
Weapons of Minuscule Proportions [MuTe 25]
. . . R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Group
This spell shrinks a group of weapons to 1/4000th their volume and weight (1/16 length in each dimension). This is the same scaling as Object of Minuscule Proportions (below). This will not work on weapons containing noble elements or gems (as per Object of Increased Size (ArM5 p.154). Casting requisites may well be needed. A Group would typically about 20 shields or large hafted weapons, fewer if nearly all metal and large, more if smaller. I'll have to check on the size of Group to know; I just know shields quickly from Circular Wall of Shields.
. . . Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration, +2 Group, +1 smaller
The Phantom Warrior [ReHe 25]
. . . R: Voice, D: Concentration, T: Individual
This is a variant on The Treacherous Spear (ArM5 p.139). It cannot steal a weapon away from an opponent, only working on weapons the caster is holding or are resting unrestrained. Instead of using the target's combat scores, the weapon uses the casters Perception + Finesse in place of Dexterity + weapon Ability (just as Circular Wall of Shields) for attack and defense. While always strong enough to wield a weapon of a size it can be cast upon, it is considered to be wielded with Str 0. The weapon will keep attacking the same target until directed elsewhere or to wait by the caster, even if the target has already been slain. The weapon may be "killed" as described in The Treacherous Spear.
. . . Base 10, +2 Voice, +1 Concentration
The Mage's Unending Volley [strike][ReTe 25][/strike] [ReHe 25]
. . . R: Voice, D: Concentration, T: Group
A Group of [strike]weapons (same determination as above)[/strike] [wooden or wooden-hafted/shafted weapons] floats into the air, and speed off like a arrows at targets that are within Voice range. The weapons always hit their targets, although the spell must penetrate Magic Resistance to have any real effect. In following round the weapons may be directed at other targets if they have not become stuck. The damage is limited by the weapons used. Piercing weapons about two paces long or larger (such as lances, spears, tridents, halberds, etc.) do +15 damage. Piercing weapons about a pace long or a bit bigger (such as [strike]falchions, short swords,[/strike] arrows[strike], etc.[/strike]) do +10 damage. Smaller piercing weapons (such as [strike]knives[/strike] [bolts]) do +5 damage. Crushing and slashing weapons do half as much damage (rounded up) as indicated for a piercing weapon of the same size. Effects on the weapon such as Edge of the Razor or Blade of Virulent Flame apply as normal. If a piercing or slashing weapon inflicts a Major Wound or Incapacitating Wound, it becomes stuck in the target and is lost from control of the spell, determined for each weapon individually; Mortal wounds indicate a pass-through, allowing the weapon to keep moving. Casting requisites are typically required.
. . . Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Concentration, +2 Group, +1 stronger strike limit
Just to keep all my spell designs together, here are the previously approved ones:
I'm looking for others to weigh in on the spell design. I can say whether I like them or not, but I'm not versed enough to say if they are mechanically sound or not.
Looking further, this should be ReHe 25 and require a wooden-hafted weapon. That would be pretty consistent with existing spells, like Piercing Shaft of Wood (which I started with).
ReTe is messy, so it might be better to avoid it. ReTe 4 is needed to strike with up to +5 damage. But ReTe 3 is sufficient to strike with +10 damage or else The Crystal Dart becomes Re(Mu)Te 15 or 20, using the ReTe 4 base and +1 magnitude for Muto, and then maybe more to go to +10 damage or not (might say the +5 is because it's just striking with general, unsharpened stuff. Either way, it's messy. Going with ReHe is more consistent and more stylish, arrow, spears, and the like having wooden shafts.
Outside of needing a few specialties, I think Adeline is good to go at the end of apprenticeship. I managed to choose only canon spells for apprenticeship. Then I'll start adding some seasons afterward. I'll do any custom spells as designed and created by Adeline herself.
For simplicity, the first bunch are necessarily fine because they are just canon spells with adjusted R/T/D or realm. It's those other three that really need a look. As you can see in my previous post, ReTe gets a little messy. It's nice to build a mage who cares about Herbam, though, since I usually dismiss it.
And I've got a spell design of my own I'd like to get some input on. This is based on the ReCo spell Awaken the Slumbering Corpse.
Animate the Icy Guardian Rego Aquam 30 R: Voice | D: Conc | T: Ind
Causes a target ice sculpture to function at your verbal command. Commands must be very simple, such as "attack these enemies" or "move this boulder over there". The target will only be able to move in a way consistent with its shape. If the target has no legs it cannot walk, if it has no wings it cannot fly, etc. Unsculpted blocks of ice are not affected.
Base 10, +2 Voice, +1 Concentration, +1 size
The reason I put +1 size in here is because the spells ironboundtome linked to me have a specific size of like 5600 cubic feet, and I wanted to keep this one consistent with those. I'll take any feedback I can get!
The size part is entirely optional. Ice would seem to qualify as naturally occurring for a base Individual of size up to "about two paces across and about one deep." That's noticeably bigger than a person, probably about the size of 10 people, trying to keep a round number. So an ice statue of a person could be a little over double as tall as a person without +1 magnitude. With the +1, an ice statue of a person could be about five times the height of a person.
I need to check about ice moving in such a fashion. I can't remember. Corpses already have joints, so that's straight-forward for them.
It raises the question if this is a spell that needs a finesse roll or a spell that doesn't. If it doesn't, penetration issues arise.
How much concentration is needed to move this ice guardian about? How clever is it?
If we take animate dead as an example, they need to penetrate if they punch, kick, grab, or similar. They do not need to penetrate if they swing a sword or similar. As for Finesse, there is an optional rule in HP for using the caster's Finesse score in place of the normal 3 given for the animate dead's Brawl score, but since we're not using HP that option hasn't been suggested. But there is still that attack roll to hit with a weapon, so it's not like that minimum of either penetration or an attack roll has been dodge. I would suggest the same Brawl 3 be used here.
For creating one (momentary ritual), yes. But that's more akin to the HP ritual to create revenant than it is to Awaken the Slumbering Corpse. That could be a cool approach, too.
That did lead me to the ReIg spell to control an elemental, though. Controlling the elemental, which can already move "naturally," uses Base 5, so I would think +1 magnitude to allow for unnatural (ice that can't normally move) movement would be OK, making this spell fine. That would certainly fit Ignem, with Base 5 for controlling an elemental and Base 10 for making fire move in a "very unnatural fashion." That was my one question above, about a Base for moving v. a Base for moving very unnaturally. Looks good.
Yes, The base 5 vs base 10 for moving very unnaturally was my thinking, also matched well to the base to base 10 in ReCo to animate a corpse. That was a justification for the ice golem being able to do very simple commands.
So, as ironboundtome mentioned, I set the base at 10 due to unnatural movement (which is what the book says to do). I assumed that this meant the thing could just move around, and I even put in the description that it can't move in a way that is inconsistent with its shape AND that uncarved blocks of ice can't move.
I set the size to +1 based on the amount of ice that can be generated and carved through the other 2 spells that I borrowed from ironboundtome. If I don't need that, I'm more than happy to make this a level 25 instead of a 30. But being able to create a 300 foot long, 6 foot high, 3 foot thick block of ice, carve it into a really big snake, and then animate it sounds pretty cool to me.
I would like to put the following 2 questions to the group:
What are you looking to do once the game gets started?
Finish some studying, boost up my stats, start hunting down mundane books for the school. Pursue whatever hooks you put out there at a measured pace based on how well I think we can deal as a group with the apparent hazards.
Se a deadline and I'll meet it? I'll try to give a draft of the aged up character a few days before hand for review.
I was under the impression that you wanted to play Calebais (which I read when it came out, which is a good thing, because I do not remember much except that there was a bell and a well). If the game progresses past that point, I'd love my character to find and bind a familiar and find a longevity ritual.
I'm all for sooner - but realistically, I assume we'll need at least one more week per character, so maybe in early March?