What sort of breakthroughs might a learned magician with access to hermetic resources make for his own discipline.
Well, the most obvious breakthrough would be the development of a Magic Theory equivalent as that's a prerequisite for any further Integration Research. I personally like the idea that the Learned Magicians might be able to adapt Parma Magica/Aegis of the Hearth into a Tueor Magicam spell - while probably weaker than Parma, it is much more adaptable.
Some of the hermetic RDTs might be useful to the Learned Magicians too...
Well the character I'm thinking of would be a Hermetic Hedge magician as per the option on page 100 of Hedge Magic. In other words he would be fully inducted into the order under ex misc but still practice learned magic not hermetic. So he would still have Parma Magica.
I also think it's reasonable that Learned Magicians have developed their own Magic Theory Ability as the book intimates that only technically naive traditions lack it completely. But even if he has to develop it what next.
Integrating Parma or Aegis into his tradition seams a little dicey politically and legally for some one in his position. I like the idea of learning new ranges targets and durations though.
Also I was thinking an eventual goal might be incorporating intellego as a technique. Perhaps renaming it Gnosco. This would probably be on the level of a Hermetic Breakthrough if it where possible at all.
Interesting idea about introducing a new Technique, the learned magicians do seem lacking in terms of supernatural perception. The Magicam applications are obvious, but have you given any consideration to how it will interact with Fortunam and Salutem? In any case, I agree that it would require at least a Hermetic Breakthrough/
After rereading the Learned Magician chapter of HMRE, I’ve determined that the following projects are suitable projects for those Learned Magicians who wish to integrate elements of Hermetic Magic into their own tradition:
- Improved Techniques (Three separate Hermetic Breakthroughs): Converts Tueor, Succurro and Vulnero from Difficult Arts to Arts. These breakthroughs increase potential penetration and make large-scale effects easier to achieve.
- Shun Destiny (Major Breakthrough): Changes Succurro and Tueor Fortunam effects so that they no longer need to penetrate the MR of anyone but the target. This breakthrough increases the tradition’s martial prowess and eliminates a rule I find counterintuitive.
- Strong Verbal Charms (Hermetic Breakthrough): As per the virtue (HMRE, pg 82). This breakthrough reduces the tradition’s reliance upon Amulets & Chartae while increasing their ability to perform their equivalent of Formulaic Magic.
- New RDT (Individual Minor Breakthroughs): Increases the variety of spell parameters open to Learned Magicians. This breakthrough likely represents the easiest way to dramatically increase the utility of Learned Magic.
- Permanent Enchantments (Two separate Major Breakthrough): Allows learned magicians to use Vis to create Lesser Enchantments and Invested Devices. This breakthrough would be especially useful in the creation of Longevity Amulets, but creative learned magicians would undoubtedly find other uses too.
- Spontaneous Casting (Major Breakthrough): Allows learned magicians to cast spells they haven’t memorized without resorting to a Formulary. This breakthrough increases the tradition’s flexibility (I suggest making the LM version non-fatiguing as spontaneous magic seems almost diametrically opposed to the nature of the tradition).
- Binding Familiars (Major Breakthrough): Permits learned magicians to bind familiars as hermetic magi with all the benefits thereof. This breakthrough grants LM the unconditional love and companionship of a familiar as well as the three Cords.
- Generic Amulets (Minor Breakthrough): Lets learned magicians create amulets and chartae that can be used by anyone (though without receiving an Astrology Bonus to their Laboratory Total, obviously). This breakthrough significantly enhances the tradition’s versatility without changing their flavour too much.
Yeah it actually has some pretty cool ramifications.
Gnosco Magicam would basically be Intellego Vim. It might be able to pull off a few things more easily then straight Hermetic magic could and it may provide some interesting insights into magic being grounded in two traditions but still not to hard to picture it's uses. Overall incredibly useful for a learned magician but doesn't change the game much.
Gnosco Salutem lets you understand health. This is kind of cool but also kind of limited. Health is a pretty narrow band of information to deal with. This is made slightly better by the fact that Salutem effects cover anything that could be said to have health. People, Animals,Plants, Fields, Buildings Whatever. So you could use this new technique to find out the health (or lack there of) of almost anything. Possibly even track and analyze the nature of health itself. To me this information sounds more chewy than crunchy. Fun to describe and a great way to get setting information to the player but not alot of room for direct mechanical effects on the game.
Gnosco Fortunam so understand fortune, well that could be a couple of things. First the most obvious would be divination and scrying the past. Which would be awesome but break the limit of time (something done a few other places in the game). I'd be willing to go with that one as long as the troupe wanted to explore that big a change. Or you could go with a perception of probabilities. I worry this would be to modern a view point for mythic magic (did they even have probability math and statistics at that time) and the execution might be to gamey (not that fortunam magic isn't gamey already). If you wanted to avoid both these options then you might limit the combo to only be able to perceive very limited things. You might be able to see if a person has the lucky merit or is clumsy. If they have a curse or blessing hanging over them. That sort of thing.
Gnosco fortunam fcould also be used to determine the "luck state" of the target. Some people are lucky (or have a luck trend sometimes), while others simply suck at such things. Knowinbg this can easily affect your sucurro and vulnero totals, or decide to bet on one or the other dudes in the dice table or tournament. It is looking at the trends of Destiny, basically.
Cool one this one.
Gnosco salutem would also be used to find weak spots in fotifications or the terrain they are set in, for example, something that a mundane master would find invaluable
Cheers,
Xavi