Finesse for a Muto spell

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

In a recent thread I was made aware that Creo spells require finesse rolls when using them to conjure manufactured objects above a certain level of complexity/difficulty in crafting.

This realization along with a situation that is likely to come up soon in my own game has led to me a different question, if you use Muto to transform one manufactured thing into another manufactured thing do you then require a finesse roll to determine the quality of the outcome too?

I am thinking of a situation where I am going to craft a magic item that is a cloak, and I want to enchant it with a power that transforms the cloak into any other kind of garment, even a fancy one. Ordinarily If I wanted to use a Rego-craft magic spell to turn a piece of clothing into a different piece of clothing it would certainly require a finesse roll (and perhaps some ekstra materials or a Creo requisite to conjure any necessary extra bits).

Here is my sketch for the power I am trying to invest into the device:

The dynamic garment
MuAn(Te) lvl 20
Range: Pers, Duration: Conc, Target: Ind.
(Base 4, +1 Concentration +1, +2 flexibility)

Base 4 = Change something made of animal products in a minor unnatural way, includes:
Effect of base 3 = Change something made of animal products into a different animal product.

This power allows the cloak to transform into any other shape as long as the new shape is made of a combination of animal products and things associated with the form Terram.

Enchantment effect level: 20 base +5 (24 uses pr. Day)+5 device maintains concentration.
Total: 30
Vis: 3

Note that the spell is MuAn(Te) because the cloak is made out of wool and hide with metal bits and if I can get my hands on it, a magnetite gemstone. I have added two magnitudes for flexibility because I think it is a fair addition since the cloak can transform into any garment rather than just a specific other garment. Normally the base for this should be 3, but I also want to be able to control other features of the cloak, specifically make it comfortable to wear regardless of what shape I want it to assume.

I chose 24 uses per fay, because if I added any more it would require an extra vis to enchant and take up an extra vis worth of enchanting space in the item.

It seems to me that this power is sufficiently similar to craft magic that it would require a finesse roll to control the quality of the outcome whenever the transformation power described above is used to give the cloak a new form.

2

Have a look at HoH:S p.62 box Levels of Success for Illusions for rules to replicate specific clothes. These are rules about illusions - but the same Finesse rolls make sense for transformations. A Perception + Finesse roll of 6 for example "is also the level of Finesse required to create a copy of a particular person's appearance, so that it fools casual acquaintances of the original person."

I would not require Finesse rolls for something Mutoed into a warm coat to keep its wearer cozy, though.

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The warm coat/comfortable wear part of the spell is not that part I intend to use Finesse for, that part is simply there to make the cloak comfortable at all times.

The part I want to use Finesse for is to make the cloak into a garment that would say, be appropriate to wear at the local nobles court or at a ball.

It is quite ingenious to treat it like an illusion for the purposes of determining whether or not my character can make a convincingly occasion-appropriate look. thank you very much.