So, the players in my game have inducted a Learned Magician into the Order. It’s not a player character but will be a prominent background character. He’s not interested in learning Hermetic magic but would want to develop his own [Hedge] Magic Theory… and with Int 4 & inventive genius will do pretty well at it now that he has access to Hermetic texts for Insight.
But… I’m having a problem thinking of what he should get out of those Insights. I don’t think he should get one-off effects using Ranges, Durations, Targets unique to Hermetic magic – that’s a completely different Integration (which will come later). Likewise, shouldn’t be effects that Hermetic magic is capable of (e.g., Intellego, Ignem, etc.) that Learned Magic can’t do.
For developing a theory of magic it seems like he should be developing effects that methodically explore the range of Learned Magic… somehow. He’ll end up with a pile of charms, chartae, & amulets out of this but I’ve no ideas what those should look like.
Maybe methodically re-creating known Hermetic spells as Learned Magician charms… but he’s starting by studying Hermetic Magic Theory texts; he’s not working from other lab texts (yet). Any suggestions here?
So, looks from that that re-creating Hermetic spells as Learned Magician charms/etc is the way to go. With the limited range of Learned Arts that'll be a lot of repetitive variants for 120 Breakthrough Points... And even in the Ádamh example something like a season-long Second Sight amulet is something I'd assume every Learned Magician is going to have because it's so useful; I guess he'd at least have gotten a Similar Spell bonus to his Lab Total.
One of my favorite Weird Things with Learned Magicians is that their Legally Distinct Twilight Episode is being scolded by some sort of mystical being, and they crucially have the Entreat the Powers shtick; however, very little of their actual Arts seem to be strongly based in working with, calling on, or otherwise interacting with spirits or other supernatural beings. I would imagine that (as hinted in the Ádamh example) going down a route that integrates the Ars Goetia (or some other summoning tradition) into the Learned Magicians would be The Way To Go, especially if they could essentially trigger an Intervention and aim it at a being they want to secure aid from.
Unfortunately, per HMRE "Except for the invention of (Hedge Magic) Theory itself, a hedge wizard may only attempt research if he has a Score in the (Hedge Magic) Theory Ability." so it's Theory first. And even with some of the cheats they can get up to (e.g., season-long Int-roll boosts) it'll be a slog.
If this was me playing the character there'd be different priorities, but for this guy getting to an Intellego-equivalent (someone on another thread suggested "Gnosco") would be the next goal.
In theory, of course, Summoning is a Supernatural Ability so Succurro Magicam can already give them access to that...
The question raised by the example of Ádhamh Brathair from The Contested Isle is -- what in the heck would the resulting 'Magic Theory' look like?
He is a Learned Magician, so his approach might reasonably be expected to include 'Techniques' and 'Forms'; but he is specifically trying to build a 'Hedge Magic Theory' which includes traditions with nothing like TeFo: Folk Witches, Night Walkers, and so on. Would each of their Abilities becomes a separate 'Art'? Are they decomposed into some sort of new TeFo combo from the new magic Theory?
How does this new Magic Theory interact with other aspects of the saga? If the hedgies obtained a text about Hermetic Magic Theory, would it help? If a Hermetic mage studied Ádhamh Brathair's notes, how could a Hermetic researcher benefit, and what could they reasonably hope to accomplish? Hedgies who learn the new 'Hedge Magic Theory' -- are they able to exchange lab texts with each other? Use Folk Witch 'recipes'?
"Hedge Magic Theory" is a term of art in HMRE; all magic theories of hedge traditions are "Hedge Magic Theories".
He can use other Magic Theories -- Hermetic or Hedge -- as sources of Insight; folk witches have a Hedge Magic Theory and he seems to be using that as a source of Insight.
He may desire a comprehensive Hedge Magic Theory to cover multiple traditions... but what he'll be getting is one for Learned Magicians. Expanding from there is more Integration work.
But at this time, he's not Integrating from other traditions; he's working on a Hedge Magic Tradition. He won't be adding other tradition's powers to what he can do. (that's again a later Integration... multiple ones.)
His Hedge Magic Theory adds to his casting totals & Lab Totals, and allows him further Integration or Original Research. No new powers, Arts, etc. Other Learned Magicians who gain a score in it can do the same.
Learned Magicians can already exchange lab texts with one another. Other traditions can use those lab texts as sources of Inspiration for Integration... if they have a [X] Magic Theory of their own.
If Hermetic magi learn it they could use it as a source of Inspiration to integrate Learned Magic into Hermetic magic. (cf. suggestions in HMRE.) Other hedge magicians who learn it could use it for the same into their own tradition.
Hermetic magi could also perform Integration research using Hermetic Magic Theory to add Breakthrough Points to his work... if they wanted to help him out.
More importantly, Ádamh really should learn another [X] Magic Theory -- Hermetic or Hedge; it's part of the Insight roll which is vs an 18+ ease factor; even with Learned Magic shenanigans he's unlikely to make many 18+ rolls on straight Int.