I changed his name to Japik Dolfinus, it's a mix between the latin and german versions I know but I like it better than Delfinus. Plus if it annoys any in-game magi for being incorrect it will only give Japik more pleasure.
I named his mater Arda but I just read that there is a maga at Crintera that is named Ardea after heron. Too close?
I have made some changes to the spell list.
Added a level 5 Aquam spell to represent his attempts at learning Aquam plus it is another good Prank spell. Footsteps of Slippery Oil.
I took Veil of Invisibility as it will make a good combo with Phantasm of the Human Form. Now he can actually talk to people and they might be friendly!
I thought about making some changes to Veil of Invisibility but not sure if you will allow them.
These are making it Personal instead of Touch, then upgrading base from 4 to 5 so it can destroy all senses but taste. The final level will still be 20 then and the only way to tell there is someone is to taste him or someone noticing the shadow of course.
We can simply make her the same, and say that she is stopping there a few years before moving on to Novgorod. Or that she moves back and forth through the regio linking Crintera to Prippet Marshes.
I'm fine with a R:Personal Veil of Invisibility. If you add the fourth sense (sound), however, you won't be able to talk while under the influence of the spell. Nor can you end the spell at will, so this may be troublesome. Of course, using Phantasm of the Human Form allows you to communicate, but you need to concentrate on it every time you want to do so -- but that means Concentration rolls if you are doing something else at the same time (such as walking). And if anyone touches the phantasm, they'll realize it's not real (or a ghost) so they might freak just as much (or more) than with someone with the Gift.
Ardea holds the seat of the Swan at the Council of Elders. I don't know if her personality as written fits well with Jakip's but she is neutral and seeks magical knowledge and is neutral in the internal conflict of the House. She is also known for her divinatory abilities. I'm fine with her being my mater though.
I don't need to talk myself since I can cast spells quietly and Phantasm of the Human Form allows me to communicate through that spell. If they just touch the phantasm they will sense it as real, but if they move something through it they will understand what it really is of course, or more likely a ghost or something freaky.
To dispel it I need Dispel the Phantom Image at level 20 or more to have a decent chance of succeeding I guess.
Where does it say I need to concentrate to do different things with the phantasm?
I have added a proposal for Japik's Heartbeast form in the second post of this thread. I used the guidelines for creating a mundane dolphin in HH:MC then merged the stats according to the guidelines on page 23 of the same book.
I will go with the otter for a Magical Animal Companion. I think it suits the temperament best and it will be able to follow me even if I go inland. While we are on Heligoland it can come and go as it want.
Keen Vision and Sharp Ears on the dolpin ? The Medieval Paradigm might give him the first, the modern paradigm the second, but I'm not sure he could get both at the same time... The rest seems fine.
I was going by an article I found on the net and there is said dolphins both have a good vision and hearing but seem to lack smell. That is a modern paradigm of course and I have no problem ditching either or both, I just think they should have a better Perception than what the category Fish starts with for mundane animals.
Oh, absolutely. Oh, I see, you wanted to make sure the base form had a 0 in Perception... all right, that's fair enough, dolphins are certainly perceptive.
She may not hold the Seat of the Swan in this saga -- either not yet or not at all. But she works for me as a mater as well.
Phantasm of the Human Form affects 2 senses (Base 2) -- vision and sound. So it doesn't provide the sense of touch at all. To me, a "under your direct, unspoken command" means that you have to focus on the phantasm to have it "move about, speak, and behave as a human does." It is a phantasm, so it has neither will nor intelligence. To have it speak, you must direct it to speak. Thus, concentration required. A case may be made that the level of concentration is lower than with most spells, but if you get jostled around or don't pay attention, the phantasm may stop reacting properly to its environment if you lose your focus on it.
As for it negating the effects of the Gift, that depends. Were you thinking of making yourself invisible and have a phantasm of yourself appearing at the same spot you occupy? That probably wouldn't work, as you still "radiate" mistrust and uneasiness even when the real you is invisible.
I mixed up Phantasm of Human Form and Veil of Invisibilty in my head in regard of the number of senses they affect. So no touch for the phantasm only vision and sound.
I will need to shuffle around some xps to get ranks in Concentration then.
My thought is that I will create a phantasm that doesn't look like anyone in particular and that I will be some distance behind it, within hearing distance so I can control discussions at least. Hopefully I can be out of the "radiation area" for my own Gift then.
Note that you only require concentration rolls if you are trying to do two things at once. If you are merely concentrating on your phantasm to get him to speak and behave properly, there should be no need to roll.
But if he wants to have the phantasm walk and himself walk at the same time, concentration becomes necessary (although no roll may be required if that's all he does). Concentration is also required for longer interactions -- you can only maintain concentration for 15 minutes times your score in the ability.
Regarding the length of concentration, that's true, but his spell is still Sun duration. With a little cleverness he can arrange for the phantasm to be alone and unobserved for a few minutes, break off concentration, clear his mind, then concentrate on it again.
Thanks Xavi!
I don't have 4th edition and have never played that edition so I'm not sure how values translate to 5th edition but it seems dolphins are given higher Cunning, Strength and Quickness than I did, but lower Dexterity. I also like Athletics (leaping) since i was thinking about taking the Good Jumper quality but wasn't sure it could apply to a jumping dolphin or fish.
Arthur do you have any feedback on the dolphin heartbeast form proposal?
Combat stats often don't translate very well from 4th to 5th. Also, 5th introduced a lot of mechanics for animals, like Qualities.
Can you try to start with these and use the rules from HoH:MC to stat out mundane dolphins? I can verify, but don't have the time right now to do it myself.
it was only given for inspiration, not a direct transfer it is good inspiration. I can also search for the older bestiaries (3rd edition) if you want.
I would use the stats and abilities given (generally those are directly translatable between editions), and work around with the beasts stuff in ArM5 to find a mix of qualities and similar styuff that creates something similar.
Check the second post in this thread, there is a proposal of my Heartbeast form after I first stated out a mundane dolphin and then merged Characteristics with my own in human form according to the guidelines in the same book.
I added Athletics 3 (leaping) as Ability even if there is nothing about it in the guidelines for a "Fish" but I think it suits a dolphin.
I'd like to see the natural stats of a normal dolphin first. Don't have my paper books with me, and I don't remember the exact rules for characteristics.
Where do these virtues and flaws come from? They don't balance out and I can't remember if that is allowed for animals. But I'm not sure, so if you can quote the part where it says that you can...
I crossed out those that I fell are not appropriate. Dolphins are not particularly imposing, and I'll go with the medieval mindset regarding hearing.
I don't think they were perceived as "singing" in period.
Does 5th edition still use ferocity? If so, against sharks might be appropriate.
Dolphins are related to music and musicians (check Arion's legend), so they might be perceived as musically-oriented, perhaps? I wouldn't be surprised to see them sing.
This is the characteristics of the mundane dolphin I did with Improved Characteristics taken twice. 13 points available for the physical stats but I only used 12 of them.
Cun 0 (with crafty), Per 0 (with both Keen Eyesight and Sharp Ears, starting at -2), Pre 0 (-5 without Imposing Appearence), Com 0 (-6 without Vocal)
Str +2, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +2
Maybe a bit bland as I couldn't decide if they were more prominent in one physical stat over the others. According to 4th ed. it seems Str and Qik could be higher.
Page 40 in HH:MC it says that "it's recommended that a species have at least one point of Flaws for every three points of Virtues". So i guess it's your call if they should be balanced as per normal characters.
I was very uncertain about the Imposing Appearance as well but in the description of the Quality it also says "a beautiful appearence that appeals to humans" which they might be viewed as. I guess stat-wise it's the -5 I think is bit a horrid and there is no way to up it except for that Quality.
Same for Perception. I think they should be more perceptive even if they don't get both Keen vision and Sharp ears. But I guess that can be offset by giving them a higher Awareness value perhaps.
Music 3 comes from the Quality Vocal, but we can just take that away and give them Com 0 then?
Yes Ferocity is there as a minor Virtue. I can take it instead of Enduring Constitution perhaps. But I don't understand this when I transfer to Heartbeast form. Don't I get to keep my own Confidence points when I'm in that form?
It might be easier to just ditch the 'Fish' mental characteristics for the dolphin, and go for the ones for Clawed Beast instead. Fish really have the worst mental characteristics of all beasts, which is just fine for a herring but doesn't work for the dolphin, short of piling on improving qualities afterwards.
A shapechanger does keep his own Confidence, but we can give Ferocity to dolphin anyway. Or possibly the quality Herd Animal (Pod Animal ?) which would grant the virtue when they are in a group.
it is good inspiration. I can also search for the older bestiaries (3rd edition) if you want.