I am considering allowing a house rule that if one has vis that is embodied within the material of the object one wants to enchant -- regardless of Hermetic Form -- that this vis could be used in place of the same amount of vim vis needed to open the enchantment (perhaps with extra bonuses based on the Hermetic Form of the Vis).
I figured that this might lead to adventures for verditius magi. If one wants to make a magical hammer with a hickory handle, then he might do a vis hunt to a magical forest to try and gain some vis that has hickory as it's base material.
Sounds good to me (though lots of people cringe at my ideas and suggestions). In this case, I would say that the hickory is the vis. If you were to extract it or use it another way, the hickory dissolves. It is not greatly unbalancing, and if it provides an adventure then it is well worth it. Call it a Verditius secret if you want to keep some control over the use of the HR.
Well... why not use a low level rego vim to put vis into the hickory?
Vis is Vis no matter it's mundane form, Herbamm Vis can be in an accorn from a specific tree gathered only durring the solstice or a specific tree where a hero died. Having it found in some form is mearly for story.
But raw Vis can be moved from one container to another. That is until it is "cooked" into an item for enchantment.
Generally a magi will want a specific item to hold enchantment because of the shape and form bonus.
I do think it is a good idea though. Say the Vis in question is already "baked" that is it cannot be moved out of the hickory. This removes some of the versitility of the use of the Vis, but saves the magi a season.
Exactly. The point is just a reason to get the Verditius out of his lab for a bit. Give the material vis an extra bonus (either, as Xavi suggests, eliminate the need for Vim altogether, or give it the magic item an extra an extra form/material bonus based on the Hermetic Form of the vis.)
I was thinking of having a few redcaps who work specifically with the Verditii within the tribunal, who know of general locations of potential vis sources regarding natural items, who keep this knowledge to themselves, and sell it to the Verditii for magical charms or healing potions, or whatnot.
"Oh, Hickory you say. Did you know there is a forest near Valencia whose wood is rumored to be impervious to insects? The locals swear by it. Might be worth checking out...."
(one of my texts from the 8th c. DOES mention such a forest near Valencia, btw.... Not specifically hickory, but the "impervious to insects" bit.)
it's close enough to the items in RoM that have built in powers and alchemy which can prefill/increase vis space in items that i wouldn't limit it to Verdi. Instead make it a commom mystery, or add it to a mystery cult.
I think he is talking about the natural form of the vis. The hickory is the vis. If you were to remove the vis from it, the hickory would be destroyed. If you moved vis into an item, you can take it out again without destroying said item (I think).
Other than the fact that hickory is not native to Europe, despite its inclusion in HoH:MC?
This is one of the effects of the Craft Magic of the Rusticani (an Ex Misc tradition in HoH:S); but it is a minor part of their power. Personally, I would say that the object is the vis. Could you just transfer vis of (say Terram) into the wooden handle and get the same effect?
I was always wondering whether the RAW allow you to extract a creature's vis at voice range. Thsi could be used like a might reduction spell with the benefit that you do not waste the vis as you do when using might reduction spells.
My interpretations of the RAW tell me it should be possible. However, I am unsure what will happen when player characters use this in game...
You can remove it using the verditius major mystery (name I've forgotten, bind something or other)
But I'd say it would definitely require another major mystery to be able to do so, maybe even a full 60+ point hermetic one to be able to do it so simply with a spell. It would quite a massive breakthrough
You can go even as far as consider that items that contain vis are already opened to enchantment if you want.