Laerleggr ex Verditius (Development)

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Loch Ness: A New Dawn
1

[strike]((Much of the following will be incomplete and that which isn't could change drastically. But comments are still welcome. :smiley: ))

Background:
Born, 6th son to Ailin I, Earl of Lennox: 1186
4th Crusade announced: 1198 (age 12)
Matadin and several family members + retainers arrive arrive at Venice with rest of Crusaders; Zara captured: 1202 (age 16)
Constantinople falls to Latins (final time): 1204 (age 18)
Family all died in the siege - disillusioned with mundane world, Matadin takes up with Y ex Flambeau, who saw past his Gentle Gift
Apprenticeship: 1204-1219; Covenant in Iberia; School of Sebastian
Returns to Scotland: 1220
Current Earl of Lennox: nephew Maol Domhnaich; Matadin has no interest in living with his extended family or assuming the responsibilities of his blood. Answers Eilid and Boudicca's call.

I'd enjoy it if this character wound up joining a Mystery Cult. Something like the Legion of Mithras (TMRE pg. 118), but perhaps more involving medicine and healing in addition to defense of the Order (more Knight Hospitaller in flavor, but not tied to the Church, of course). It might dovetail nicely with threats to Scotland and the Order from Scandinavia, if that is an aspect that's introduced.

Characateristics: Int +1, Per +1, Com 0, Pre 0, Str +1, Sta 0, Qik +2, Dex +1
Size: 0
Age: 34
Decrepitude: 0
Warping: 0
Confidence: 1 (3)
Vitues: The Gift (0); Hermetic Magus (0); Gentle Gift (3); Minor Magical Focus (human bone)(0)*; Deft Corpus (1); Puissant Corpus (1); Affinity with Creo (1); Puissant Creo (1); Puissant Single Weapon (1); Warrior (1); Familiarity with the Fae (1)
*House Virtue
Flaws: Restriction (own bone is broken) (-3); Pious (-1); Favors (Pater in Spain, or mundane family in Lennox) (-3); Weak Scholar (-1); Dispassionate (-1); Deficient Imaginem (-1)

Personality Traits: Pious +1, Dispassionate +1, Dependable +3
Reputations:

Combat:
Dodging
Long Sword
Soak:
Fatigue:
Wounds:

Abilities:
Childhood
Gaelic: 5 ()
Earldom of Lennox Lore: 1 ()
Athletics: 2 ()
Awarenes: 2()
Brawl : 1 ()
Folk Ken : 1()
Later Life (age 5-18 = 195+50 martial xp)

Apprenticeship (age 19-34

Arts:

Twilight Scars:

Equipment:
Encumbrance:

Spells:[/strike]

2

I started feeling like I was trying to make a companion out of a magus, so here is take two:

Background:
Born in Orkneys, to a bone carver of Scandinavian descent. Discovered by and apprenticed to a Verditius who went to Orkneys in an attempt to discover the secrets of Norse weapon making. Gauntleted there, then set out to travel to Germany with mater, who died shortly after reaching southern Scotland. Roamed Scotland as an itinerant craftsman. Found his way to Glasgow, where he practiced his craft and his magic for several years. Made an enemy of the Archbishop of Glasgow, Walter Capellanus, by exposing a "valuable set of holy relics" as nothing but peasants' bones. Fled north to the Loch and applied for membership to the covenant.

At Gauntlet:
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +1, Com 0, Pre 0, Str 0, Sta 0, Dex +2, Qik 0
Size: 0
Age: 25
Decrepitude: 0
Warping: 0
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Verditius Magic*; Gentle Gift; Minor Magical Focus (human bone); Deft Corpus; Puissant Corpus; Affinity with Corpus; Puissant Creo; Puissant Craft: Bone Carving; Puissant Magic Theory
*House Virtue
Flaws: Restriction (own bones must not be broken); Bound Casting Tools; Deficient Mentem; Weakness (exotic bones); Rebellious; Enemies (Walter Capellanus, Archbishop of Glasgow)

Personality Traits: Irreverent +3, Strong sense of justice +2,
Reputations:

Abilities:
Childhood
Gaelic 5 (storytelling)
Athletics 2 (climbing) - 15
Swim 2 (lakes) - 15
Folk Ken 2 (women) - 15
Age 5-10
Awareness 2 (at night) - 15
Bargain 1 (selling) - 5
Charm 1 (customers) - 5
Concentration 2 (crafting) - 15
Craft: Bone Carving 3+2 (crosses) - 30
Guile 1 (lying to authority) - 5
Apprenticeship
Latin 4 (Hermetic) - 50
Artes Liberales 1 (Geometry) - 5
Code of Hermes 1 (mundane relations) - 5
Magic Theory 3+2 (enchanting) - 30
Magic Lore 1 (magical animals) - 5
Scotland Lore 1 (geography) - 5
Order of Hermes Lore 1 (personalities) - 5
Parma Magica 1 (Corpus) - 5

Arts:
Cr 6+3, In 5, Mu 5, Pe 5, Re 5
An 2, Aq 1, Au 0, Co 10+3, He 1
Ig 1, Im 0, Me 0, Te 2, Vi 2

Spells:
Gravedigger's Keen Eye (InCo 20) +23 (like Miner's Keen Eye, but target is human bone, not metal)

Bone Dart (CrCo 10) +31 (like Crystal Dart, but creates a sharp human bone fragment - base 3 of the CrCo spell guidelines listed below)

Awaken the Slumbering Skeleton (ReCo 25) +23 (like Awaken the Slumbering Corpse)

Dust to Dust (PeCo 15) +23/+18

Wizard's Sidestep (ReIm 10) +5

Rise of the Feathery Body (ReCo 10) +18

Reveal all Secrets of a Bone (InCo 15)
R: Touch D: Mom. T: Ind.
Determines all natural (mundane) properties of a bone, such as its age, origin, and history.
(Base 10, +1 Touch)

Fleshless Revenant Arisen (CrCo 15) +31
R: Touch D: Sun T: Ind.
Creates a human skeleton
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Sigil: artistic, Norse-style relief carvings appear briefly on the surface of spell targets.

Post Gauntlet
1195: Learn Verditius Cult Lore (30)
1196: Practice craft (15), Study Corpus (15)
1197: Learn Scotland Lore (10), study Corpus (20)
1198: Practice craft (15), study Corpus (10)
1199: Practice craft (15), study Corpus (10), learn Church Lore (5)

75 BP of baggage
Philosophiae Summa: 5/10 (25)
Philosophiae Tractatus: 10 (10)
Philosophiae Tractatus: 10 (10)
Eye of the Sage (6)
Sight of the True Form (InCo 35) (7)

3

In trying to come up with spells for this character, with his focus in human bone, I found there are no clear guidelines for this material. At least in the core rules and in the supplements to which I have access. So I wanted to run the following suggestions by the troupe for feedback.

Firstly, T: individual would be defined as one human bone (could be a femur, a phalanx, or a skull)

CrCo 2: Create a human bone
CrCo 3: Create a human bone in an unnatural shape
CrCo 4: Create a human skeleton (one magnitude easier than creating a corpse, since there are no fleshy or organy bits)
(These guidelines would allow bone versions of Bridge of Wood and Crystal Dart, for example, to have the same level as the original spells.)

InCo 2: Learn one visible property of a human bone
InCo 4: Learn one mundane property of a human bone
InCo 10: Learn all natural properties of a human bone
InCo 20: Learn all magical properties of a human bone
(These guidelines follow the scaling for InTe effects. They would allow bone versions of Eyes of the Eons, and Miner's Keen Eye, for example. Bones inside of people would require target: part, and would therefore be harder to interrogate.)

MuCo 1: Make a superficial change to an item made of human bone (e.g., change the color of a bone)
MuCo 2: Make a major change to an item made of human bone (e.g., turn a comb into a chess piece)
MuCo 4: Make a minor unnatural change to an item made of human bone (e.g., make a bone bendable, or less breakable)
MuCo 5: Make a major unnatural change to an item made of human bone (e.g., turn a human bone into a metal bone - requisites required)
(These guidelines are based on MuAn guidelines. For spells that affect bones inside bodies, it's less clear to me how to construct the guidelines. Target: part would add 1 magnitude for individual bones, and then to affect the whole skeleton, the size would have to be bumped up to +2, at least, for O(100) bones. Maybe that's enough of an increase in difficulty?)

PeCo 2: Destroy an extracorporeal human bone
PeCo 4: Destroy an extracorporeal human skeleton
PeCo 20: Destroy an intracorporeal human bone (destroy a limb)
PeCo 30: Destroy an intracorporeal human skeleton (kill a person)
(These guidelines are chosen to correspond with their opposing CrCo guidelines above and with relevant PeCo guidelines in ArM5.)

ReCo 3: Control an extracorporeal bone or an item made from bone (Based on ReHe 3: control an amount of wood)
ReCo 10: Animate a human skeleton (animating skeletons should be no easier than animating corpses)

Any thoughts?

4

The ReCo 10 guideline is spot on, as per tireless servant from RoPM, p 121.

The rest seem very reasonable. Nice work.
Only suggestion would be post in general forums if you want wider input.

5

I just saw a spell about two days ago that created a bone weapon. Now where was that?... Aha! Piercing Lance of Bone [CrAn20] in tL&tL on page 60. Sure, it's animal bone, but you can carry that over to CrCo pretty easily if you want.