Our Manx saga is progressing well (I know, I know, I should update the log with the events of the past 3 years... do not fire at me yet...) so Laura has decided it is time to jump a surprise move at me: she wants me to do what I suggested in the forums and create a vitki infiltrator pretending to be a redcap. She wants me to do that because apparently she has been working (without my knowledge) on a minisaga for the character. Being the alpha SG I am quite glad that someone is preparing something for me! wohoo!
So now I am immersed in the creation of the dude. I decided to step a little high, and have the vitki pretend to have some minor powers publicly, so he will be getting Mythic Herbalism and a dosage of Magic Lore, so he can tinker around with some "lab activities" publicly. The best place to hide something might be in plain sight He is getting the paradigmatic magic raven et al, since I want to introduce an element of "it is so cliche that he cannot be an odin worshipper" and we like soap operas from time to time.
Now I am running into the problem that my players always tell me and I disregard as whinning: not enough XP to have everything I want to have!! That will teach me, heheheh
Aaaaaand, I ran into quite a few questions. I hope you can help me solve them.
Is Mythic Herbalism affected by Auras? It diesn't seem so, but just checking if this is a typo or is intentional. I suspect it is intentional, but just to be sure.
Can Inventive Genius apply to the creation of Items of Virtue?
All Supernatural Virtues are affected by aura. Mythic Herbalism is no different. In fact, to get the totals needed to do the really neat stuff, you need an aura of 6 or so to have a real shot.
I don't think that it should. You're not doing anything new, but instead using time worn techniques pased down for generations. If you created a new method of enhancing an item of virtue, I'd allow it, but I don't think the rules even allow for that.
Cool. Thanks for the informative answers Hadn't thought about the aura thing under that light. It is the only supernatural ability where the aura thing is not mentioned, so I was getting confused
Are you certain the Muspelli are part of the Order of Odin? I thought it was a supposed Vitki organization . . . although I suppose the Muspelli could use rune magic and may even consider themselves Vitki. Actually that's rather appealing.
I don't have the Ultima Thule book but just from Hedge Magic it sounds like the Vitki do have some organization but that the "Order of Odin" is something of a Hermetic construct based on what little information they poses. This could be the combination of simple misunderstanding and an attempt to lay out what they know in a familiar framework but it's also possible more than a little paranoia or political fearmongering is involved.
Build the character with an assumption of more teaching/story/training than common, that allows you to up the XP a bit if you need. Or just make the character a few years older.
Not 100% sure if there is a ligature that applies, but in A&A I vaugely recall reading about philosophae ligatures applying to the natural world. This might be a source for your items of virtue bonus instead of inventive genius.
Thanks for the suggestions. I finally went for the simplest way and boosted Magic Lore somewhat, so that he can get the enriched items if he is on an aura of 3. Hardly taxing on someone that will be hanging around covenants
Order of Odin? What order of Odin? Who is Odin anyway? :mrgreen: Move along, nothing to be seen here, move along, only a few nordic runes on a tree of doom, move along,...
Designing my vitki I found a problem. Dunno if this is intentional (probably it is) or I am missing how to achieve this. How would you open a closed door using rune magic? And pass through a stone wall? Is there any mechanism for rune magic to open a hole in a door/wall? I am asking because IMS granting passage is a stapple feature of the use of (hermetic) magic. Just checking to see if this can also be achieved with runes
The second question is about Hagbui. Those have been around since a long time ago in Ars magica (2nd edition?) They tend to be associated with Norse tombs.
Can Vitkir summon and bind those to a certain place? How?
Do they exist somehwere else and the vitkir just summon them? (they can do that).
In the old 4th edition version (Ultima Thule), the runes could be used to provide a certain effect or be used to achieve exactly the opposite. In 5th edition some runes seem to work in an identical way (Kauno and Jera, for example, can provide both a bonus and a malus to recovery rolls), while others I am not sure if they can do the same.
Can I (for example) use Mannaz to provide a MALUS to people working together instead of a bonus?
Can I use Dagaz to DECREASE my size instead of increasing it?
and we like soap operas from time to time.
That will teach me, heheheh