Enchanted swords from the Confraternity of Roland

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

Hello,

My next game will be about 1227 Provencal Tribunal, and I plan to amaze my players and their characters with the awesome enchantments produced by the head of the Confraternity of Roland, Ruberus ex Verditius (introduced in "Faith and Flame").
In my saga, Ruberus is now a bit over 100 years old. He has an advanced laboratory and forge.

I wanted to share with you his 3 most powerful enchantments (he put between 3 and 4 years of work in each of them). Ruberus forged these weapons to raise his fame in House Verditius. Given the respective prices if these enchanted items, he doesn't really expect anyone to purchase them.

I'd appreciate if you can point to me the mistakes i could have made.

NOTE: some effects on these items don't have Penetration. It's because in my saga, we consider magic resistance supress magic, but doesn't exactly block it, in order to avoid the "pink dot" effect. So, when an effect fail to penetrate magic resistance, it doesn't affect the target. But the sword can still strike (hard). Therefore, those effects who don't directly contribute to the offensive capabilities or who don't target the owner of the sword are generally made without Penetration.

Salamander:
This sword is of Excellent quality (+3 to attack). Ruberus spent a season and a pawn of vis Vim to make it an Item of quality (+4 to attack).
Ruberus opened the enchantment using Verditius Magic and Item Attunement, investing vis Vim so as to make the enchantment capacity as high as 330 levels of effects.
Adamantine Blade: Sword almost unbreakable by conventional means. +1 to Damage (included). Penetration 40 (MuTe 44; Base 4, +2 Sun, +2 Metal, +4 lvl: Continuous, +20 lvl: Penetration 40)
Sharpened Blade: Sword always sharpened. +3 to Damage (included). Penetration 40 (MuTe 39; Base 3, +2 Sun, +2 Metal, +4 lvl: Continuous, +20 lvl: Penetration 40)
Vulcan's Favor: Sword repairs itself and always appears like brand new (CrTe 29; Base 15, +2 Sun, +4 lvl: Continuous)
Salamander Blade: When the user hold the sword and pronunces the word "Incendo", the blade is sheated in flames, raising its damage from +10 to +16 (same effect as Blade of the Virulent Flame). Pronuncing the word "Incendo" again stop the effect. It can be use any number of time per day. Unlike the spell "Blade of the Virulent Flame, this doesn't damage the blade, thanks to the Rego Requisite. Penetration 40 (CrReIg 50; Base 5, +1 Conc, +1 Rego Requisite, +5 lvl Item Maintain Concentration, +20 lvl Penetration, +10 lvl unlimited uses per day)
Pilum of Fire: When the user hold the sword and pronunce the word "Ardeo", the blade emit a Pilum of Fire with Penetration 40. It can be use any number of time per day. (CrIg 50; Base 10, +2 Voice, +20 lvl Penetration, +10 lvl unlimited uses per day)
Ward against Fire: Protect the user of the sword against fires up to +15 damage. Continuous effect with Penetration 40 (ReIg 49; Base 4, +2 for up to +15 damage, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 lvl: Continuous, +20 lvl Penetration)
Greater Ward against Fire: When the user hold the sword and pronunces the word "Praesidium", he receives a protection against fires up to +30 damage until he put the sword in sheat again. Item maintain Concentration. It can be used up to 6 times per day. Penetration 40 (ReIg 49; Base 4, +5 for up to +30 damage, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +5 lvl Item Maintain Concentration, +3 lvl: 6 uses per day, +20 lvl Penetration). This effect gives warping to its owner.

This sword costed around 60 pawns of vis to enchant (including the reduction from Verditius Magic). It is sold for 180 pawns of vis (standard price for Verditius enchanted items).

Berserker Blade:
This sword is of Excellent quality (+3 to attack). Ruberus spent a season and a pawn of vis Vim to make it an Item of quality (+4 to attack).
Ruberus opened the enchantment using Verditius Magic and Item Attunement, investing vis Vim so as to make the enchantment capacity as high as 280 levels of effects.
Adamantine Blade: Sword almost unbreakable by conventional means. +1 to Damage (included). Penetration 40 (MuTe 44; Base 4, +2 Sun, +2 Metal, +4 lvl: Continuous, +20 lvl: Penetration 40)
Sharpened Blade: Sword always sharpened. +3 to Damage (included). Penetration 40 (MuTe 39; Base 3, +2 Sun, +2 Metal, +4 lvl: Continuous, +20 lvl: Penetration 40)
Vulcan's Favor: Sword repairs itself and always appears like brand new (CrTe 29; Base 15, +2 Sun, +4 lvl: Continuous)
Detect Wound: This continuous effect scan the holder of the blade to detect any wound. Penetration 40 (InCo 39; Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 lvl continous, +20 lvl Penetration 40)
Berserker Resilience: Whenever the effect "Detect Wound" detects a wound, this effect is activated and heal the wound - up to incapaciting wound - for a Sun duration. The wound cannot worsen, but it doesn't heal for the duration of the effect. As soon as the effect expires, all the healed wounds reopen. Penetration 40 (CrCo 78; Base 30, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +20 lvl: Penetration 40, +3 lvl linked trigger, +10 lvl Unlimited uses). This effect gives warping to its owner for each healed wound.
Berserker Endurance: When the user hold the sword and say "Magna Vim", this effect is activated. The holder of the sword doesn't feel any penalty for fatigue, for up to 30 minutes. After this, due to hermetic limitations on energy magic, Fatigue make its effects again and the holder must rest before to exert himself again. This power can be activated several times per day, in case of shot exertions followed by rest. Penetration 40 (ReCo 50; Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +5 lvl Item maintains concentration, +5 lvl 24 uses per day, +20 lvl: Penetration 40)

This sword costed around 50 pawns of vis to enchant (including the reduction from Verditius Magic). It is sold for 150 pawns of vis (standard price for Verditius enchanted items).

Cleaver:
This sword is of Excellent quality (+3 to attack). Ruberus spent a season and a pawn of vis Vim to make it an Item of quality (+4 to attack).
Ruberus opened the enchantment using Verditius Magic and Item Attunement, investing vis Vim so as to make the enchantment capacity as high as 360 levels of effects.
Adamantine Blade: Sword almost unbreakable by conventional means. +1 to Damage (included). Penetration 40 (MuTe 44; Base 4, +2 Sun, +2 Metal, +4 lvl: Continuous, +20 lvl: Penetration 40)
Sharpened Blade: Sword always sharpened. +3 to Damage (included). Penetration 40 (MuTe 39; Base 3, +2 Sun, +2 Metal, +4 lvl: Continuous, +20 lvl: Penetration 40)
Vulcan's Favor: Sword repairs itself and always appears like brand new (CrTe 29; Base 15, +2 Sun, +4 lvl: Continuous)
Cleave through Metal: Like the legendary Excalibur, this sword can cut all. This effect is activated whenever the blade of this sword hit any sort of metal. Said piece of metal is instantly severed. This include metallic weapons and armors. Penetration 40 (PeTe 40; Base 3, +2 Metal, +1 Touch, +10 lvl unlimited uses per day, +20 lvl Penetration 40)
Cleave through Stone: Not unlike the famed Durandal, this sword can cleave through stone. This effect is activated whenever the blade of this sword hit any sort of stone. Up to 1 cubic meter of stone is destroyed. (PeTe 20; Base 3, +1 Stone, +1 Part, +1 Touch, +10 lvl unlimited uses per day)
Cleave through Wood: This effect is activated whenever the blade of this sword hit any sort of wood. Up to 1 cubic meter of wood is destroyed. (PeHe 45; Base 5, +1 Part, +1 Touch, +10 lvl unlimited uses per day)
Cleave through Human Flesh: This effect is activated whenever the blade of this sword hit any human body. It causes a Heavy Wound. Penetration 40 (PeCo 50; Base 15, +1 Touch, +10 lvl unlimited uses per day, +20 lvl Penetration 40)
Cleave through Animal Flesh: This effect is activated whenever the blade of this sword hit any animal body. It causes a Heavy Wound. Penetration 40 (PeAn 50; Base 15, +1 Touch, +10 lvl unlimited uses per day, +20 lvl Penetration 40)
Cleave through Magic: This effect is activated whenever the blade of this sword hit any object or individual with one or more active magic upon it. The object or individual is the target of a disenchant effect which cancel the effect of any spell if, with this effect, you can double the level of the spell on a stress die + 35. This can also dispel Parma Magica. Penetration 40 (PeVi 55; Base 20, +1 Touch, +10 lvl unlimited uses per day, +20 lvl Penetration 40)

This sword costed around 67 pawns of vis to enchant (including the reduction from Verditius Magic). It is sold for 200 pawns of vis (standard price for Verditius enchanted items).

2

These are great, thanks for sharing! A few notes:

Vulcan's Favor: I'm not sure this can work, since creating something permanently without a Moementary Ritual is impossible and the effect basically creates new metal to heal chips and so on. Especially if you don't Magic Resistance to destroy the sword, as all the magically-created parts enter it and are smothered into non-being. Still, I'd personally allow it, it's just too cool an effect not to be allowed.

Berserker Endurance: Why not have this power affect wound penalties as well, and allow the user to activate Berserker Resilience at will to cover longer-duration wounds?

Cleave through Magic: What about Cleave through Faerie, Cleave through Infernal, and, heaven forbid, Cleave through Divine? If you're a Verditius, you don't a job half-done...

3

I think it works. Non-ritual Creo can repair things temporarily, and Vulcan's Favour is just temporary repairs over and over again forever.

4

This effect is from Magi of Hermes, p32.
Also:
"Adamantine Blade" replicate the spell "Hardness of A damantine" from HoH: Societates
"Sharpened Blade" replicates the spell "Edge of the Razor" from core rulebook

Ruberus was about to reach its limit for Item Attunement. Maybe he could have instilled one of the effects you describe, but not all of them. Maybe he keeps that for his Talisman :smiley:

I considered it, but by RAW, the spell Endurance of the Berserker has a limited duration. I suspect this limitation is to relate to the Fatigue penalties part of the spell, not the wound penalties part, but well...
Also... I really enjoyed the visual effect on the battlefield: one juggernaut whom all wounds disappear instantly! That probably brings terror to its enemies. :smiley:

5

Is the math on Greater Ward against Fire for Salamander correct? I get Base 4 + 5 mags. for the damage + 1 Touch + 1 Conc. = level 35 + 5 levels for maintain Conc. + 3 levels for 6x/day +20 levels for Penetration = ReIg 63, which seems to take the item over its current stated enchantment level limit.

Are they short swords, long swords or some other kind of sword? Did you just not post the weapon stats and physical descriptions? Good use of Shape/Material bonuses and a physical description of the item can elevate a bunch of stats and powers to a piece of "art" that can be appreciated for its good use of rules beyond brute use of a high Lab Total.

What kind of Aesthetic Quality (from Arts & Academe) can he manage? A high AQ item's Source Quality (=AQ/2) can make it an attractive study object that didn't take an extra season or more to write.

The Brushstrokes Revealed spell from HoH:S page 65 can be used to good effect when you display the swords, to highlight construction details or AQ at the very least.

Did you note the "Verditius Runes" S/M bonus for each weapon, in case further enchantments are added later (maybe via the Re-forging Inner Mystery?)

City & Guild notes on pages 69 & 70 that an Excellent Quality (long)sword applies its (full) bonus to Attack and Defense rolls, not just Attack.

What are the "Covet Device" Personality traits for each of the weapons because they are Attuned Items? (Relevant side notes/questions - when does the magus' Hubris increase from these weapons, if at all? He doesn't expect to sell them, but it seems like they are available for purchase, so does that fufill the "manufacturing for another" condition on the Hubris chart? Also, if an item is both an Item of Quality and an Attuned Item does it give an additive 1+6=7 Hubris Points or just the highest applicable option of 6?)

Is there room in the timeline to maybe add another weapon? I'd think at least one of these showpiece swords should probably highlight what a well chosen Elder Verditius Rune or two can do for the right combination of Art scores and item powers. It can be a little tricky for a sword, since Mu and Te are two of the Arts lacking an associated rune, but still doable.

6

Thank you jason72 for your comments.

You are correct. My mistake.

They are all long swords. I have physical description for all of them, but since english is not my native language, I didn't bother to translate. Here it is though:
Salamander:
The guard, hilt and pommel of this sword of outstanding craftmanship represent a fiery salamander, spitting flames whose carving extend over the blade. Two rubies represent the eyes of the animal. The blade is covered with strange runes (Verditius runes), with reddish reflections. This weapon is perfectly balanced and frighteningly sharp-edged. The whole sword is unexpectedly warm to the touch.
Berserker Blade:
This weapon, forged in an alloy so dark that it looks almost black, is crude and brutal in appearance: a thick, fairly broad blade, which is more like a long cleaver. Yet it is surprisingly balanced. His guard and hilt are carved in ivory to represent bears fighting together. The sword is covered in little strange runes (Verditius runes). A large saphir ornate its pommel.
Cleaver:
This beautifully ornate blade carries on its guard the symbol of Art "Perdo". The hilt and pommel form a stylized skeleton (the pommel being the skull). The guard takes the form of two sharp claws. Despite its extraordinary craftmanship, the alloy and material used are rather common (no gold, silver, etc.).

I didn't check into that. The Aesthetic quality of each of these swords is 12!

My version of Ruberus probably wouldn't use such spell. He creates weapons, and although he understands and appreciate a fine craftmanship and ornament, he doesn't want to expose his masterpieces as art items, but as weapons.

Runes:
Salamander: Rego & Ignem
Berserker Blade: Creo & Corpus
Cleaver: Perdo & Vim

I missed that part although the sentence "For every 3 points that exceed the Craft Level, add an additional +1 bonus to a feature of the item" makes it unclear.

From my (possibly wrong) understanding of the rules, the personality trait is "Covet Device". My version of Ruberus has an arbitrary Hubris of 4. So the Covet Device personality trait is at 4 too.

My opinion is that if he doesn't realistically expect to sell them, they are for sale anyway, not for personal use (he has his own Talisma sword for that). So, i assume he get hubris points as soon as he completes each sword.

Again, my opinion: it would be 1+6=7. But it doesn't make for such a huge difference. Given the time he put into each device, he is probably not gonna forge more than a dozen of such weapons in his life.

Well, i'm game master. The timeline is what i decide it is. So, sure, i can make room in the timeline :smiley: But would you have any suggestion for another weapon?

7

I thought about it as well as but considering that there are several powers not sharing the same Form/Technique, it will increase the labtot by another 5 or 10, without bringing any benefits. The level of those enchantements and the vis usage is already quite high, so I am not sure it is reasonable to do it.

I only see an Elder run of Perdo suitable for the Cleaver since it has 6 effects ranging from 40 to 55 which will greatly benefit from it.
Corpus for the Berserker Blade could help mitigate the dauting 78 labtot for the Berseker resilience, even if it increases other effect by +4 (Adamantine going to 49, Sharpened Blade to 44).

Ignis for Salamder seems like an obvious choice, but it will also increase vis usage by 5 pawns since 4 effects will have their labtot increase above the next decades and 1 for the Runes.

I know it is a PNJ thus limits can be bypassed, but they set a precedent of what is possible or not within your Saga. If a Verditius master can gather close to 180 paws for projects he knows he is unlikely to sell, it says something about his wealth, but also about the abudance of vis overall.

8

180 pawns is the selling price. The enchantment price would be around 60 pawns (which is huge already). In HoH: MC, it is said that Verditius sell their items for twice the cost of vis + the cost, which is actually 3 times the cost. Hence a 60 pawns items being sold for 180 pawns.

It's also why i said he doesn't expect anyone to sell them: certainly nobody has 180 pawn to spend for a sword, no matter how badass the sword is. He mostly crafted these items for hubris and to create a legacy. Ruberus is described as the head of the Confraternity of Roland in Faith and Flame. Being the head of this confraternity, in my saga, he felt he kinda HAVE TO do something awesome, to create a legacy and for the sake of doing something awesome (verditius hubris, giving inspiration to other members of this confraternity, being a model for house Verditius and Order of Hermes, etc.).

Also, considering he puts several years of work into each of these blades, the enchantment cost is not THAT high. That's an average of around 15 pawns a year, something an ancient magus in an ancient covenant (Aedes Mercurii) can generally afford in my saga.

9

[quote]
180 pawns is the selling price. The enchantment price would be around 60 pawns (which is huge already).[/quote

The 180 pawns I was referrring to was the total for all three blades :smiley: .

By the way, I am not saying that it is too much vis, I am just suggesting that it set the standard for you Saga. It means senior mages of every organised house can expect similar resources, summer and fall covenants have probably a vis yearly income around 10-20 pawns/member and such.