I've found a few things I want to alter and add too so the time is very welcome.
Muto Vim question:
Trying to understand The Sorcerer's Fork (ArM5 p. 159). I want to develop a spell strong enough to duplicate this:
Vessel of the clouds (ReTe 35) As per p.112 of Transforming Mythic Europe, except an iron boat. (Base 2, +2 metal, +1 touch, +2 Sun, +1 size, +1 unsupported surface, +1 any direction, +1 increased speed)
Do I need a level 35 spell (Base 20, +1 Touch, +2 Sun) or a level 50 (Base 35, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)? The idea is to have me flying multiple boats in the air, so that I can transport more cargo at one time. My casting total for ReTe will be at least 54, and since I don't need to sweat penetration, I can have a lot of these active at once, subject to the fact I need to touch all of the boats when I cast my spell, I think four is max I could touch simultaneously. The Vessel of the Clouds can carry about three people and some gear, so I see them as rowboat-sized.
[N.B.: An Individual of metal is one cubic foot, for iron, that's 480 pounds. and a +1 to size makes it 10 times larger, so these should haul about 2 tons each. Legends of Hermes p. 123 suggests that when ReTe moves an object, it doesn't matter how much is on top of the object, as long as it doesn't fall off. That said, I accept the limitations of the spell as listed in TME.]
What's the purpose for the boats, flying or otherwise?
I ask, because it might impact the character I have in this saga. It also seems that you're kind of spread out... Nothing wrong with that, but being fairly concentrated is, in my opinion, more interesting.
Also, I notice you did a Mental Communication power in your familiar. You need to do the power twice if you want to hold a conversation, it's two separate effects. One is magus to familiar, and the other effect is familiar to magus. This may be your intention, to have one way communication, and if it is, you should specify he direction.
The level 35 version looks correct, and is as per the line for terram on p.112.
I dont think you want Sorcerers Fork to split the spell, rather you need to use Group (+2), and you can touch the first of the group and it applies to all, and you also then control all in the group with the same direction. If you want to control them individually then you need a separate casting on each and change which you are concentrating on.
Boats: The bottom line is that I liked the spell in Transforming Mythic Europe. At some point we are going to have to get to Scandinavia, and having the ability to transport a bunch of gear would help. I grew up in the Theban Tribunal, and currently reside in the Rhine, since I wanted to get far away from my parens. The players could be anywhere, except ironboundtome's, who probably already lives there. The first session, I'd imagine is all of us heading to Duremar (or some other Covenant) and then heading off.
Familiar: You're right, it's an oversight on my part and I'll make it bi-directional.
I wasn't anticipating a lot of storytelling related to getting to Scandinavia, at least on my part. It's something I want everyone to do, so making it a story with consequences defeats the purpose. Instead, characters are free to get to Scandinavia by hook or crook however they want. Further, I'd like it presumed, that these magi all come with impeccable recommendations from other magi and, of course can contribute something to a new covenant. I wouldn't concern yourself with transporting vast quantities of material, or building the character such that it is reasonable. It's certainly possible to "hire" someone to move and escort your stuff, and whether you do it yourself or hire someone, the result is the same, with respect to any lab that gets packed up and the costs related to that. That's really the only decision that matters, do you build up a lab during development, and then dismantle it, pack it and ship it to the new place, abandon it, or try an Ambulatory Laboratory move (be aware of the errata that raises the level of the spell).
Council meetings are also relatively boring, and I tend to run any, should they be desired, concurrent with other stories that are running at the same time. Sometimes council meetings affect other threads and vice/versa
Using Group makes it a level 45 spell, and I'm trying to avoid making a very high level spell. However, it probably just means another season, so that's a possibility. What I'm reading is that I need to change focus continually to move multiple boats, so I travel much more slowly. I could move two boats, but it would take twice as long as a single. Again, we're using Aristolean physics, which says that something stays at rest unless a force acts on it.
This discussion is helpful, because it really clarifies the rules for me.
Ok, it's a given that all players have at least exchanged letters with each other, and we will begin by meeting up in Scandinavia, and either:
- Find a brand new spot for us to work
- Rehabilitate a failed covenant, which is known to have vis sources nearby, however, we will probably need to content with the reason that it failed.
- Something else?
Further discussion on this topic should go to the Saga Thread.
So, I'm still considering a minor magical focus for my magus. I'd like to pick something that will be fun to play, be at least somewhat playing to my strengths (looking to be Cr, Re, Co, and Vi at the moment, though that's not set in stone) and interesting from a story standpoint.
Originally I'd picked teleportation as a mMF since that seemed to fit the bill. Unfortunately, JL nixed that idea, so I'm back to the drawing board. I've looked at some form of CrCo mMF as fitting for an alchemist, but my fear is that such a focus will end up being a dud from a story standpoint and not be very fun to play. Take, for example, healing as a mMF.
I understand that there is definitely some story potential for healing. It helps ingratiate us to the grogs and potentially the locals, and it can literally be a lifesaver at the right moment. It also gives an excellent reason for the magus to be a part of the covenant. But, on the whole, it seems to me a relatively passive action. It gets done in the background, and is often done quickly from a story point. I have a fear that if I went with a healing magus I'd be called upon once in a blue moon for a healing spell and otherwise have no call for it. Even if people did get wounded more often, healing is often done as an afterthought to get people ready for the next fight. It seems like the bulk of the action with healing tends to be glossed over from a story standpoint. In addition, I'm concerned with how common combat will be. If it's very common, then I fear I'd feel left out, watching while the others get all the action. Of course, if combat is not all that common, then my fears are less. Also, many healing spells are rituals, which means that (a) they'll be cast much less frequently in game because of the vis cost; and (b) I'd have to deal with the chance of botches every time I cast one. Has anyone seen a healing magus played to good effect in a saga?
Of course, this is just one example of an alchemisty mMF, but I can see similar problems with other CrCo (or similar) mMFs. So I thought I'd ask the troupe for any suggestions as to a good mMF for an alchemist. Can anyone think of anything that might fit the character concept? I'm not bound to any particular Form and could juggle the numbers quite easily at this point to accommodate the right mMF.
I've no idea really what the Alchemy virtues do better or worse than lesser "potion" devices. That said, a mMF on "Transforming Others" has a lot of scope and might be suitable to alchemy, particularly the transformations which increase stats (CrCo/CrMe).
Or a focus which might suit a "disaster-prepper" for storage of food/supplies, or protection/defences (walls, buildings, etc). With the Arts you've suggested there might be a Warding focus possible (the ReCo for people, ReVi if it includes magical beasties). I often work backwards from the mMF as the magus concept so I feel for your difficulty.
I didn't nix it. I nixed the reveal. Was saying that it doesn't have any sort of pay off to hide the focus... I'm fine with it otherwise.
Some ramblings:
A mMF of disease would make you an enormously popular magus, trying to discover the root cause of the Magical plague. It's been going on for several years. It's well known that certain plants aid in recovery; how do the humors interact? Perhaps the living Forms, Animal, Corpus, and Herbam all interact in some way, and Hermetic Theory is flawed, they are really the same Form? By studying Alchemy, you hope to purify what is life and what is not.
If you want to maintain one of your boats in autopilot, couldn't you use Maintain the Demanding Spell ?
A specific muto vim spell of the wizard's boost family can only effect one of these cagegories : effect, duration, target, range. So if the spell magnitude effects the size of the boat and its hardness, then your WB may effect either. If the size of the boat is under the target effect (individual/group/structure) on the other hand, you need separate spells.
Also, it's worth noting that in the eventuality of the first case, it's up to the SG to determine how the boost changes the spell. I guess it would be reasonable for the mage to be able to use a finesse roll to try and describe more in details what modification he wants.
Right, the SG determines how the WB changes the spell, since the spell can only affect a spell in a specific way, though, it stands to reason that the effect of WB is determined at the time of the design. It would be incredibly useless to create a spell that has an indeterminate effect every single time. That being said, I view the SG determining the spell more like establishing parameters, as we're doing here. Working through the effect...
If the original spell has a added magnitude for Size, then Sorcerer's Fork would allow you to control 2 smaller boats without a need for T:Group. So long as the mass of the two boats together doesn't exceed what the maximum-sized target of the original spell allows, that should work IMHO
Any decision on this and the associated proposal I made afterward?
The further I advance Barholomeus, the more this becomes a factor in his decisions regarding the power he designs for full invested items. Particularly for powers that might be interesting to have in his talisman.
Can an item be your talisman, or be a carried magical item, and also grant a bonus to lab activities?
E.g. a CrAq30 spell to create water invested, and also granting an Aq specialisation bonus +3 in the lab
Is it reasonable to use that Base guideline in a chalice? To me, a spring should be created in a place where a spring could naturally appear (even if it is unlikely).
Perhaps I am wrong in thinking that, too. It's magic, after all. 
Crazy work day. Not going to be able to post until tomorrow. I'm not disappearing again!