So, long story short, I'd like a spell for creating or summoning a mobile plant servant that can shoot fire at the caster's enemies without needing constant control on the part of the magus and without instantly burning up in the process of shooting fire. I recognize that this will probably have a mess of requisites, but I'd like to see what level it can be managed at. It'd be really great if it managed to be a feasible spell... Though I'm willing to accept the possibility of it being too impractical.
So... Anybody got a level sketch that I could try to get a feel for this with? I'm not even sure which base effect level I should use... Really, I'm not even sure what base TECHNIQUE I'm supposed to use.
I don't think you're going to get a cheap effect, mainly because the creation of a quasi intelligent or cunning plant is a moderate spell unto itself, and then you're adding a fire breath which is again very unnatural.
Cr or Mu He as the base. Cr if you're conjuring a plant. Then add mags for a very unnatural plant which can follow orders and has additional senses as plants generally can't see and such. Have a read in ReHe (edited) for the effect that makes a tree lash out (Lord of the Trees), then consider if that tree does so autonomously.
There is also a guide under MuAn for adding a fire breath sub power to a changed beast, which sounds akin to what you're doing. Adds mags and CrIg reqs.
That's where I'd start. I'll have a bash when I have a book near me for the base levels.
When taking the guideline levels from An perhaps consider the major difference in plants vs beasts and men too, as it could be seen to need further mags for unnatural.
I'm getting muddled between all the powers and inter-related effects. This is really something that should be a few spells in combination.
First create it (lowish CrHe effect 1+), then give it the ability to walk (ReHe 5+) maybe with sentience (MuHe/Me 4+) in the same effect, then worry about making it shoot fire (MuHe/CrIg 15-25+?).
The spell description needs to dictate if you are conjuring this monster plant, or modifying an existing plant. That's really up to you in the effect intent. Anecdotally I think it is typically slightly easier for creo to create a natural or normal thing, than to muto something from something else. However with such an unnatural end product that might not be the case.
there is no base under He to readily work from, so I looked at a similar forms
MuHe Base 4 to awaken a plant's consciousness, which seems mandatory. The Stir the Slumbering Tree (p137) allows this to include senses for the plant. This adds Mentem as a req.
CrHe base 1 to create a small plant, for the creo part. Pretty easy.
MuAn base 25 to radically change an animal in an unnatural way, with Reqs, and includes the sample to breathe fire. Given a base of 25 just for that fire effect, plus the reqs, perhaps choose a different power?
ReIg +1 mag to allow the plant to not burn itself when breathing. A bit debatable.
ReHe base 5 - assuming the servant aspect means it follows you around, there should be a ReHe, and this also ensures it is still under the caster's control.
R:Touch +1, D: Sun +2, T:Ind?
The Forest's Ironic Servant
Creo Herbam level 60-???, with reqs for Muto, Rego, Mentem, Ignem,
R:Touch +1, D: Sun +2, T:Ind
summoning a mobile plant servant that can shoot fire at the caster's enemies without needing constant control on the part of the magus and without instantly burning up in the process of shooting fire. Suggest the fire is only moderate damage given the size of the creature and the mags in the effect. Dam +10 fire in a small 5 ft long cone effect?
(Hardest base is MuHe25, R:Touch +1, D: Sun +2, Requisite for Rego to allow it to move (free) and also not hurt itself with the fire (+1), Mentem free, Muto Creo Ignem sub-effect +2)
I see two alternative, but a single spell creating Pea-shooter (or similar Zombies vs Plant creatures) cannot be done. Sometimes it is not enough to pile up Requisits.
As a rule of thumb (although it is not by RAW), if this creature does not exist - either mythical or mundane - I do not see a Creo or Rego spell to create it or summon it. The paradigm explanation would be that since it does not exist, magic cannot pull it out from the Realm of Idea - but I am not well versed in these kind of explanation.
Options:
Build a serie of spells as described by ironboundtome - although to grant a form of intelligence to a plant, I would probably use MuHe(Me) instead of MuAn.
MuHe(Me)25 Stir The Slumbering Tree, looks like a good starting base. I am not sure what spell would be appropriate to grant a creature fire-breathing capabilities - it does not have Magic might to power spell or effect, so it seems challenging if not simply impossible.
Enchant a living plant (look in Magi of Hermes, Gwidion of Verditius) with a set of appropriate abilities to make it moves and acts, still under the control of its maker. By enchanting the plant to have the abilities to cast Pilum of Fire with a linked effect to Stir the Slumbering Tree, you might be able to go around the impossibility of case 1. You are not granting a power to the plant, but you are allowing it to use an enchanted effect, which happens to be linked to her. So this should work.
