Guiverna ex Miscellanea - Development

Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Light of Andorra
21

Just limiting it to "creating poisons" should keep it a Minor, shouldn't it? It's only Creo Aq, He, or Te, and maybe MuAq, as near as I can ...unless she figures out a way to make a poison out of raw Vis.

Sounds about right.

I did catch that one had a Moon duration and the other Diameter, but other than that it looks like whoever posted them just screwed up practically everything, I was able to find the original spells on the Ars forums (post dated 29-1-07), and Aspis is actually making a wooden shield. The one I wanted was the Final Cup, which is the spell description that was copied into both spells. Not sure if you have to add magnitudes for Ease Factor if that's the natural attributes of the poison being created. But, yeah, I think I can toss Aspis.

I think that's in a footnote on the spell. If I were to up the Ease Factor to 9, that would add two magnitudes to the spell leve, right? Making it a 25?

22

Having never done a Potent spell before, I want to be sure I'm understanding and applying it right.
[hr][/hr]Delivering the Serpent's Bite (PeCo 20)

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual

Casting this spell allows the maga to deliver a poisonous bite (which inflicts a Heavy Wound) upon the target. The caster's teeth elongate into snake-like fangs for just enough time to deliver the poison; this is a cosmetic effect and has no real effect on the caster or the target (aside from leaving a couple of nasty-looking holes in his body).

This spell is designed with Potent Magic. The casting item for this spell is an amethyst ring, which has a +3 Potency Bonus.

(Base 15 ("Inflict a Heavy Wound"), +1 Touch.)
[hr][/hr]Reading the Potent Magic rules, Potency only adds to her Casting Total and has no effect on her Lab Total when inventing the spell, yes?

23

I think the spell should have Requisites of Muto, Corpus, and Animal. Cosmetic. No effect on Magnitude.
Potency is incorrect I think. Need to check the book latter. I think the +3 is for Lab and Casting and such. All spells. Even sponts.
The Casting Objects are a seperate additional bonus designed into the spell. Capped by Magic Lore I think. Anyone can learn the spell but they cannot invent without text.

24

Pooh. That means she can't invent it for a while. I've got her Pe and Co to 9 each, with an Int of 1, MT of 4 (with her specialization of Inventing Spells) and default Aura of 3, and +9 for adding the lowest Art for her Magical Focus to get it to 35. Her Inventing took an interesting (but not outrageous) turn.

grabs napkin Let's see. Her Mu, Co, and An are all 5 at this point in her development. So, that would make her LT Pe/Mu 5 + Co/An 5 + mMF 5 + Int 1 + MT 4 + Aura 3 + Potency 3 = 26, vs a Spell Level of 20. Even with Experimentation, no way she's going to get it in one season. Guess I'll have to jack her Muto and Animal for a while then.

Yeah, I saw that a few minutes after I posted. So, she gets a +3 to her Lab Totals and Casting Score for having Potent Magic, and then an additional +3 to CT for her Casting Item.

25

That's how I see it, based on existing foci.

Yeah, I wondered as much. As far as I can tell, you don't, but you must make a finesse roll, but that's all. Most of the time, you'll probably succeed, though, or at worst, have a weaker poison (lower EF and/or damage).

Yes, exactly.

The spell looks right to me.

First, Minor potent magic gives you +3 to your Lab Total to invent the spell, and to your Casting Total.
Second, the amethyst adds a further +3 to your casting total, for a total of +3 to lab total and +6 to casting total.
...
Yeah, marko and you beat me to it.

I can be wrong, but I would not add requisites. To me, the description is just fluff, not unlike how a PoF flies from the caster's hand instead of creating a big fire at the target's location, or Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie has no Aquam or Imaginem requisite, despite producing a small mist (which can be used to foil it).

There are 2 kind of requisites:

  • Those that are needed for the spell to have its effect, like a MuTe(Aq) to change earth into water. Without aquam, no spell.
  • Those that enhance the effect, such as a Cr(In)Me spell which allows you to project your thoughts AND to read your target's replies. Without Intellego, you can still send your thoughts.
    As far as I can tell, this isn't the case here. Her PeCo spell, by RAW, just requires her to touch the target, not unlike kiss of death. She could have written that as a kiss, a caress, a strike, a "finger of death", anything so long as she touches her target and this has no benefit to her. And it sure doesn't enhance the effect.
26

I've gotten Guiverna advanced up to Summer 1236, with the exception of Spring 1236 (which I've penciled in for lab activity working on her Delivering the Serpent's Bite spell, unless it's undoable in which case she'll do something else.)

[u]1227[/u]

  • Summer: Guiverna's gauntlet is August 12. She spent the rest of the season working on her laboratory. 2 xp Magic Theory (Exposure).
  • Autumn: Developing her laboratory to a standard lab. 2 xp Magic Theory (Exposure). Her lab has the Free Virtues Highly Organized and Idyllic Surroundings, resulting in scores of General Quality 1, Health 2, and Aesthetics 1; it has a Specialization in Aquam (+1).

[u]1228[/u]

  • Winter: Study Corpus.
  • Spring: Lab Activity: Invent Gentle Touch of the Purified Body. 2 xp Corpus (Exposure)
  • Summer: Earn extra Vis wages.
  • Autumn: Lab activity: invent Wizard's Communion (MuVi 15). 2 xp Magic Theory (Exposure)

[u]1229[/u]

  • Winter: Study Rego.
  • Spring: Earn extra Vis wages.
  • Summer: Study Apothecary.
  • Autumn: Study Perdo.

[u]1230[/u]

  • Winter: Study Perdo.
  • Spring: Study Corpus.
  • Summer: Earn extra Vis wages.
  • Autumn: Study Corpus.

[u]1231[/u]

  • Winter: Earn extra Vis wages.
  • Spring: Study Perdo.
  • Summer: Study Muto.
  • Autumn: Study Animal.

[u]1232[/u]

  • Winter: Earn extra Vis wages.
  • Spring: Have a Longevity Ritual invented (Level 62). Cost: Age 29 + (half level) 31 = 60qp, which is 15 pawns of vis. 2 xp Magic Theory (exposure).
  • Summer: Study Magic Theory.
  • Autumn: Study Muto.

[u]1233[/u]

  • Winter: Study Animal. Aging Roll: Die roll of 7) + age 3 – LC Mod 2 – LR Mod 13 = -5. No apparent aging.
  • Spring: [strike]Invent Deliver the Serpent's Bite?[/strike]
  • Summer: [strike]A Covenant of Dopplegangers[/strike]

[u]New Ability Scores[/u]
Magic Theory 4

[u]New Arts Scores[/u]
Muto 7
Perdo 9
Rego 6
Animal 7
Corpus 9

27

Continuing Guiverna's development. A little...okay, a bit older than I had originally had her, but it's all good.

1233

  • Spring: Guiverna moves to Bellaquin, and spends the first season building her lab (to Basic), with Exposure in Magic Theory.
  • Summer: She completes her new laboratory, with Exposure in Magic Theory. Her Bellaquin laboratory has Safety -1. It is Highly Organized and has a Cauldron, which is both a Lesser Feature and a Lesser Focus. It is also Infested with a nest of snakes. Specializations: Animal +1, Aquam +2, Muto +1.
  • Autumn: Study Animal

1234

  • Winter: Study Aquam. Aging Roll: (Die roll of 1, followed by a die roll of 3) 6 + age 4 – LC Mod 2 – LR Mod 13 = -5. No apparent aging.
  • Spring: Study Aquam.
  • Summer: Study Aquam.
  • Autumn: Study Aquam.

1235

  • Winter: Invent The Serpent's Saliva (MuAq 20). LT Mu 7 + Aq 8 + Int 1 + MT (Inventing Spells) 5 + Aura 3 + Focus 7 + Lab Modifier 2 + Exceptional Risk 3 + Die roll of 7 = 43.
    Extraordinary Results: Die roll of 6 + Exceptional Risk 3 = 9: Special or Story Event. Take Exposure Experience in Magic Theory. Aging Roll: Die roll of 0 + age 4 – LC Mod 2 – LR Mod 13 = -11. No apparent aging.
  • Spring: Invent Baring the Serpent's Fangs (MuCo 4) and Donning the Serpent's Scales (MuCo 10). Take Exposure Experience in Muto.
  • Summer: Study Brawl.
  • Autumn: Study Apothecary.

1236

  • Winter: Study Parma Magica. Aging Roll: die roll of 5 + age 4 – LC Mod 2 – LR Mod 13 = -6. No apparent aging.
  • Spring: Study Brawl.
  • Summer: A Covenant of Doppelgangers

New Ability Scores
Apothecary: 3
Brawl: 2
Parma Magica: 2

New Arts Scores
Muto: 8
Animal: 7
Aquam: 8

Next step: joining Sa Dragonera, getting her on the wiki, and then, the world! Bwahahaha! ahem Um...did I say that out loud? Darnit!

28

I do not know if you said it out lout. Only that you typed it :mrgreen:

29

So, I was working on my "Guiverna's Gauntlet" story (almost finished), and I realized something about her Mythic Blood feat (turning into an asp). The max limit for the MB Feat is 30, with reductions equal to what they would be without gestures (-5, to get it to 25), without words (-10, to get it to 20), or neither (-15, to lower it to 15).

I can see her changing by speaking softly and without gestures (which would be a -10 to her casting total, if she were casting a spell). The exact phrasing I used was "She recited a short hymn in Parseltongue, one whose words she had always known but never been taught."

Would it be a reasonable and logical "tweak" to her MBF (which currently has a Level + Penetration of 20) to make it "Soft Words, No Gestures" for +10, which would put it at the max for MBF? This is the same modifier that The Kiss of Death (PeCo 45, p. 133) takes for being No Words.

30

Fine by me as long as everyone else agrees.

31

Nope. Nothing to see here. Try looking over here.

32

Oh, sure, of course!

Methinks this flaw doesn't belong here :wink:
Also, I believe there are stats for an Asp in Magi of Hermes, if that may help you. The chapter with the mage who wanders Africa and shapeshift into all kind of beasties, can't remember his name.

You know what would be cool? Guiverna learning a spell to become a GIANT asp. Still useless against magi, but great versus mundanes :smiley:

33

Well, her asp form in general is going to be useless against most magi, so no change there. And isn't there already a MuCo spell to increase size? So she could just turn into her asp form and then cast that spell on herself; or probably cast it before she turns so she can use gestures and words.

Edit: Or am I getting the form wrong. I know for Bjornaer in heartbest, only Animal spells work. For magi using Muto, I know Mentem still works on them (whereas it doesn't for Bjornaer) but I can't remember if Corpus still does, or if Animal now does.

34

In either form, I would think Semsuhfaw would still be her boon companion.

I saw in the main forum that there was stats for an asp in Magi of Hermes, but it doesn't really help...I don't have it, and it's not on my "must-have-now" list. And I wouldn't feel comfortable asking anybody to email the stats and stuff to me at rayasmith42 at gmail dot com.

That would be doable. Basically a Personal version of Beast of Outlandish Size designed with no words or gestures (being a snake, and having nothing really to gesture with). Not sure why being a giant asp would be useless against magi, unless we're going with the "Magi can't touch each other because of Parma and resistance" thing and I didn't realize it.

Iirc, for Bjornaer, they can cast a Corpus spell themselves, and the effects carry over into their Animal form, and vice versa. That might be Bjornaer-specific, seeing as how their true forms are alternately Corpus or Animal. I might be mis-remembering, though.

35

Not exactly. Anytime you have a magical effect on your person (in this case your spell that changes you into an asp), any physical attack requires you to penetrate MR. Mystery Cults makes this clear specifically for shapechanged magi, "The Penetration Total of the caster must exceed the Magic Resistance of anyone that the shapechanged human wishes to touch (or attack)."

Bjornaer are an exception, because being in their Heartbeast is not a magical effect.

Okay, I just reread the rules. For a non-Bjornaer (other than a lycanthrope) that is shapeshifted, they are affected by Corpus, Mentem and Animal spells. Lycanthropes are affected by Corpus and Animal, but not Mentem because his does not retain his human mind. For Bjornaer in their heartbeast form, they are only affected by Animal spells.

The ability to "carry-over" spells between forms should for non-Bjornaer, as long as the spell would still affect you; which makes sense because if you're still affected by Corpus there is no reason a spell should stop working. I think the reason they specifically mention it also working for Bjornaer is because that would be an exception.

36

Guiverna in her asp form. Stylistically, I see her as being, technically, an Egyptian Cobra (Naja haje), which is believed to be the asp that killed Cleopatra and her two handmaidens. (Asp is supposedly the modern Anglicisation of the word "aspis," which often referred to the Egyptian cobra and which also appears to be the asp described in Magi of Hermes.

[hr][/hr]
Guiverna's Asp form

[u]Characteristics[/u]
Int: +1
Per: 11
Pre: -4/+3
Com: -6
Str: -6
Sta: +2
Dex: +2
Qik: +2

Size: -3

Virtues: Ferocity (self defense), The Gift, Keen Sense of Smell, Lesser Immunity (Poisons), Lightning Reflexes, Mythic Blood, Parseltongue, Sharp Ears

Flaws: Avaricious, Blatant Gift, Infamous (is a poisonous snake), Lecherous, Magic Animal Companion

Qualities: Ambush Predator, Loathsome Appearance, Slippery, Venomous.

Combat:
[table][tr][th]Attack[/th]
[th]Init[/th]
[th]Atk[/th]
[th]Dfn[/th]
[th]Dam[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Grapple[/td]
[td]+2[/td]
[td]+4[/td]
[td]+4*[/td]
[td]n/a[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dodge[/td]
[td]+2[/td]
[td]n/a[/td]
[td]+4*[/td]
[td]n/a[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Bite**[/td]
[td]+2[/td]
[td]+8[/td]
[td]+6*[/td]
[td]-5[/td][/tr][/table]

  • +6 to Defense against grapple attacks
    ** Possible envenomation.

Soak: +2
Fatigue Levels: OK, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1), -3 (2), -5 (3), Incapacitated (4), Dead (5+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Carcassonne 2, Artes Liberales i[/i] 1, Athletics i[/i] 1, Awareness 2 i[/i], Brawl 2 i[/i], Egyptian Theology i[/i] 1, French i[/i] 5, Hunt 4 i[/i], Latin i[/i] 4, Magic Theory (inventing spells) 4, Medicine i[/i] 3, Order of Hermes Lore 1, Parma Magica i[/i] 2, Parseltongue 3, Philosophae (natural philosophy) 1, Stealth 4 (stalking prey), Survival 3 (local environment).

Powers:
[tab][/tab]Venomous Bite, 0 Points, Init 0. When Guiverna attacks, compare her Attack Advantage to the victim's armor Protection (not his Soak). If Guiverna's advantage is higher, the victim suffers the effects of asp venom as listed in the Poison Table on p. 180 of ArM5, regardless of whether the bite inflicts an actual wound. The storyguide may adjust the required Attack Advantage for special circumstances: for instance, high boots might offer an effective Protection +3 against the adder's special attack even though they don't protect against normal attacks.

Natural Weapons: Fangs (Init 0, Atk +3, Def +1, Dam +1).

37

For some reason, I never feel like I can quite grasp creating magical creatures. Don't know why. But here's my Version 0.5 of Semsuhfaw, Guiverna's Magical Animal Companion.

I haven't done his abilities yet, because I wanted to run the concept past the troupe first. Basically, I see Semsuhfaw as being a teacher/mentor for Guiverna (and others, maybe, depending on what he knows and if he wants to teach them stuff). I also see him (and this is the part that may be problematic for some, but he is a Story flaw) have having been created or transformed by the gods (okay, maybe A god...okay, maybe a guy with a really funky headdress) and sent to Guiverna to guide her...for what purpose, I don't know yet, but I'm leaning toward restoring Egyptian magic (e.g. Exodus 7:10-12).

He would speak Egyptian (or possibly Coptic, which is apparently a part of the Egyptian language), French, and Latin, and have high scores in Egyptian Theology and Teaching.

The other thing that's throwing me is Qualities/Inferiorities and Powers. I'm thinking of possibly the stereotypical movie-snake hypnosis thing, but not sure.

He's built as a Grog-level Autumn character for a High-power saga, which gives him 5 Might and 720 xp for Abilities. He is also exceptionally large for a (European) snake, measuring over 10½ feet long (3.25 m) and weighing about 19 pounds (8.7 kg).

Here's what I have so far.[hr][/hr]
Magic Might: 7 (Animal)
Characteristics: Int +1, Per 0, Pre +1, Com +2, Str -4, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +1.
Size: -2
Season: Autumn
Virtues and Flaws: Magic Animal, Lightning Reflexes, Unaffected by the Gift.
Qualities and Inferiorities: Ambush Predator, Venomous, Loathsome Appearance; Gift of Speech, Minor Virtue (Unaffected by the Gift).
Personality Traits:
Combat:
Soak: +2
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-2), -3 (3-4), -5 (5-6), Incapacitated (7-8), Dead (9+).
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious.
Abilities:
Powers:
Venomous Bite, 0 Points, Init 0, Animal.
[tab][/tab]When Semsuhfaw attacks, compare his Attack Advantage to the victim’s armor Protection (not his Soak). If Semsuhfaw's advantage is higher, the victim suffers the effects of his venom (equivalent to Adder Bite, as listed in the Poison Table on page 180 of ArM5), regardless of whether the bite inflicts an actual wound. The Storyguide may adjust the required Attack Advantage for special circumstances: for instance, high boots might offer an effective Protection +3 against his special attack even though they don’t protect against normal attacks.

Vis: 1

38

Do My Will (ReMe 35)
R: Eye, D: Sun, T: Individual

Upon making eye contact with the target, Semsuhfaw can give him a verbal command, which the target must carry out to the best of his ability. The command may be very simple ("Run.") to quite complex ("Go to your master's chambers, find the garnet ring, and bring it here.") The only caveat is that it must be carried out by the next sunset or sunrise.

(Base 20, +1 Eye, +2 Sun)

Base Might Point cost is 7, base Init is -13. He has taken Lesser Power three times, which gives him 75 levels of effect. He has used 35 for the spell levels, leaving him 40 levels, which translates into 8 Mastery Points. He uses 5 levels to reduce the Might Point cost to 2, and 3 levels to increase the Init to -10...which is fine, as I see this as being more of a non-combat move anyway).

Does that look like it passes muster?

39

Got my Abilities list for Semsuhfaw finished (I think). Assumptions made: free Native Language (French) at 5, and (as he's built from an Adder) base Ability scores of Awareness 2, Brawl 2, Hunt 4, Stealth 4, and Survival 3.

Submitted, for your consideration:

  • Awareness i[/i] 3
  • Brawl i[/i] 4
  • Charm 4
  • Egyptian 5
  • Egyptian Theology 6
  • French 5
  • Guile 5
  • Hunt i[/i] 4
  • Intrigue 4
  • Latin 5
  • Music i[/i] 3
  • Penetration (Do My Will) 5
  • Stealth (stalking prey) 4
  • Survival (wooded areas) 3
  • Teaching i[/i] 6
40

I'm not sure that's a good assumption. Here's what Marko said when I was making up my familiar:

That's 775 points worth of Attributes, 55 points over for an Autumn creature. But I have a question, why does she start out as an Autumn Creature? So far as I know, familiars (or proto-familiars) start off as Summer creatures. Horus is certainly a Summer creature.