Hermetic Warfare, Weapons, Siege Weapons, and War Machines

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

I hadn't really given this much thought until recently when I was thinking about the various Hermetic conflicts. They have had at least one major war amongst themselves, and with Wizard Wars blows between covenants are bound to happen. There are a few reasons why I'd like to theorize this.

  1. The Tremere are bound to have built weapons of all kinds and war machines.

  2. Those crazy Verditius would never pass up a weapons race.

  3. There must be some pretty impressive ways the order has dealt with it's enemies, convert or die campaigns, wars with other traditions, and the fear of the Order of Odin.

  4. It would be really interesting to hear everyone’s ideas on these subjects, such as spells, magic items, est.

My first ideas, because I love necromancers, was to make an item that allows you to control a skeleton or zombie from a distance, effectively using the wielders combat skills from afar without risking his own life. Perhaps a round chamber on wheels that reads your movements and allows you to use all your senses from a distance.

Second was along the same lines, use your magic chamber and install it in a huge skeleton (say 30ft) allowing the user to essentially control a giant. That way if you can pull it out and put it in a new body should the first one get to damaged or needs major repairs.

These are just frameworks, I will try to flesh them out more and make a actual magic item for each. But I would love to hear anyone else’s ideas on hermetic warfare and weapons.

2

Here is the first Necromancer war toy. It is a bit expensive to produce but the cost of finding and training a highly skilled Grog or Companion would be more in the long run. On top of that a magus could always it as well as use open the intangible tunnel so he could investigate dangerous places without risking his own life.

The Necromancers Control Chamber

Form and Material: A large hollow bone sphere (At least 8 foot radius) with a hatch to climb in from set upon wheels to allow the occupant to move, run, walk and jump while keeping the sphere in place.

Base 3 (Bone) x 5 (small room) = 15 Pawns to open and a Magic Theory total of 8.

Know the Occupants Steps
InCo 10
R: Touch D: Conc T: Ind

Reads the targets motions and movements. This spell is used as the activating spell and most others are linked to it. (this may need to be upped to room target)

Base 4 (sense general information about the body), +1 Touch, +1 Conc, Maintains Concentration +5, 24 uses a day +5 = 20 (2 Pawns)

Move the Body Without
ReCo 35
R: Arc D: Conc T: Ind

This spell linked to the above makes the target move as the occupant moves. Theoretically this could be used on a living being as well though they could Str resist.

Base 10 (Control Motions of the Body), +4 Arc, +1 Conc, +3 Linked Trigger, +5 Maintains Conc, +5 24 Uses a day = 48 (5 Pawns)

Know the Controlled Perspective
InIm 25
R: Arc D: Conc T: Ind

Also linked to the trigger spell, this moves the occupants Sight, Smell, Touch, and Hearing to the targets allowing him to act from this perspective.

Base 4, +4 Arc, +1 Conc, +3 Linked Trigger, +5 Maintains Conc, +5 24 uses a day = 38 (4 Pawns)

Total Pawns = 26 (4 left for enchantments)

Additional enchantments could be refreshing the air or suspending the orb without a track to roll on.

3

To any quaesitor reading this post: The item mentioned in the following paragraph is meant for self defense only! :wink:

Hermetic's bane:
Charged item: Target gains two warping points and has to check for twilight if it is a hermetic maga.
(BL: 10, R: voice +2, D: mom, T: ind.)

This effect will not be used very often. Thus you can make it a charged item and gain a really high penetration bonus. Any hermetic maga hit by this spell has to check whether or not she enters twilight. So either she spends 2minutes time doing nothing but fighting the magic energies, or she vanishes to an unknown fate only to reappear when her enemy had plenty of time to prepare.