Let's Design a Folio! (Updated)

Games Discussion Ars Magica
22

That would be nice for a storyteller, but quite irrelevant for an author.

Not quite. It is best explained as 'fruitful' to non-native speakers, and can mean both together.

There is no unique RAW reading for this - as for so many things in ArM5. In every campaign where it comes up Mythic Communication: prolific author needs to be discussed and decided by the troupe. And there are also clear statements by ArM5 authors that this is the way they intend the rules to be used.

Anyway, if you just imagine among the stats of Teodorus one of those ways you believe the only ones allowed to reach Q15, we should be through with this here.

Cheers

23

After spending several seasons in the wilds of that god-forsaken land known as Wales, squatting in the mud with the rest of the barbarians and eating naught but twigs and berries, Francois du Montagne (lately of Paris, and on occasion, house Flambeau) has returned with his finest work yet! A text which definitively PROVES that Castillio (a butcher with delusions of competency if there ever was one) was WRONG about etheric vibrational frequencies of the heavenly spheres.

Pfft. Reading entrails indeed.

Achieve the Ecstatic Vision (CrVi, lvl 20: Base Effect 15, +1 Touch) Triggers a magical Vision about a single question or topic specified at casting, as described by the Vision flaw (AM5th, pg. 50). This effect is functionally identical to the Gruganch Level 5 "Give Vision" guideline (HMRE, 70). Learning this effect grants 4 point into integrating one of the Gruganch effects. Note that this effect slightly breaks the Limit of Time, as it does, on occasion grant foreknowledge beyond that of Hermetic Divination.

[The reason this does is that it is Corrupted by the Infernal - the integration, while legitimate, was actually based on a Diende text, which in turn was based off of the whisperings of The Serpent's Oracle (RoP:I, pg. 38). The similarities between Diende and Gruganch magic (or rather, the willful ignorance of Francois in his desire to prove his arch-nemesis a fraud) has brought this about. Anyone learning this spell will gain the Corrupted Spell flaw (RoP:I, pg 88). Anyone who fully integrates this into Hermetic Theory will gain the Corrupted Ability (Magic Theory) flaw.]

24

The following Lab Text has been submitted by Michelakos Lambrakis, Ex Bonisagus from the Tribunal of Thebes.

The Eternal Servitude
(ReCo 25 (Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Ring, Ind), Potent spell with +9 casting bonus from the iron collar)

By placing an iron collar around a corpse and the Eternal Servitude spell animates a corpse as long as the iron collar is around the dead body's neck.
The animated corpse understands simple commands and execute them by the letter. Corpse does not retain any abilities from his life and will get quite smelly quickly unless the rotting is stopped.
The corpse can only be animated if not buried by any Church's ceremony. This spell can only used together with the iron collar and if the collar is damaged, broken or removed the spell ends.

The Lab text's introduction section offers this spell to all Mages within the Order as a simple way to teach responsibility to your apprentice, to learn the ease of control and offer a valuable lesson with careless use of magic.
Michelakos had created this spell as part of greater project and allowed his apprentice to create his own Servants.
The 'Eternal Servitude' is a Potent spell embracing the binding effect of the Iron (+3 bonds) Collar (+6 control wearer), while the collars inner surface is filled with the circle defining drawings.

Due to the experiments the animated corpse's mouth is filled with pitch black darkness and the eyes turn obsidian black.

The Lab text's closing parts explain, in lengthy details, how the members of the 4th Crusade could be easily used for Necromantic studies and how Michelakos had paid good Vis for the 4th Crusade's excommunicated commanders/leaders' earthly remains.

25

I'm pretty liberal about Circle/Ring spells, but even I don't allow the spells to target things not completely enclosed by the circle. In my book if the target is not completely within the spells not going to work. You can't trap a demon by drawing a ward around his foot.

26

Yeap, reading through all parts of the spell I also realized a couple of inconsistencies. I edit my original post.

27

We have 14 submissions so far. That means we need 1 more to make the minimum and could take as many as 16 more before we call the submission period closed and the five magi begin the selection process.

My thanks to everyone who has submitted thus far. I'm learning a lot.

28

Rereading the rules, it appears I have broken them. Fixing that now.

Familiar Bond Enchantment
Ward Against Grime - ReTe (in) - 30
Range: Touch, Target: Individual, Duration Constant
Dirt is warded away from the caster and the casters familiar. Specifically, grimy dirt that would unbalance humors (or contain infectious agents). This bond grants the caster +1 to their rego affects in the lab, and +1 to their living conditions.
Base 5+1 Touch + sun +5 constant (affects familiar)
More importantly, this was a stabilized breakthrough towards creating effects that do not warp the person the spell was designed for, and so provides 6 breakthrough points towards that goal. This is an example of something that the Boni would love in their Folio. If they could fill it with these they would have a breakthrough. However its also something the players will groan over. Whats good for the Order isn't good for players or their characters.

29

Spell
Pure Water - ReHe (Aq) - 20
Range: Touch, Target: Individual, Duration: Mom, Ritual
This was an attempt at integrating a form of magic found in an ancient magic ring. It fills a clay jug with water, up to a small ponds worth. (If you make a particularly large jug.) The water is pure and clean. The unique thing is that this ritual does not require any vis.
Base 2+1touch (20 ritual)
This is four breakthrough points towards visless rituals. In addition, it provides cheap free water. IMO, this is probably pretty reasonable for a nice GM to give for an integration effect. Its useful, but its not custom made to be amazing for the PCs.

30

Q8 Tracti on Magic Theory: A summery of Timothy's thoughts on philosophical nature of books
A long expounding on the implications of books and their ideal form in relation to magic. As storage of knowledge they are not just a representation of their ideal form, but of the ideal forms of other objects. This makes them magically significant, and gives them a special position in the world, and in relation to the magic realm. More practically understanding this gives magi access to the new Target: Book a magnitude below individual and spells with this target do not warp books. Technically this was written by a scribe as Timothy has... issues.
[/quote]
This is what the Boni really want in their folios. A complete breakthrough. Of course, if they could even get one of these a Folio... well they would kill for that.

31

Ra'am of Bonisagus is researching methods for those under the effect of Longevity Rituals to remain fertile. He has two daughters, both of whom are Gifted. Ra'am's eldest is his apprentice, and his youngest was apprenticed to a Merceris Magus pursuing a breakthrough in making the longevity ritual as effective for mundanes as for people with supernatural abilities and flaws[1].

The Gentle Touch of Asclepius (reinvented).
Ra'am reinvented this spell to better understand its workings and understand it's ability to rejuvenate the body as a whole, rather than an individual injury, and it is much closer to what a Longevity Ritual does than Incantation of the Body Made Whole. This line of research provides 6 breakthrough points to creating a Longevity Ritual that doesn't cause sterility.

[1] Not all redcaps/companions have supernatural capabilities.

32

A break through in itself, as rituals must be atleast level 20 :slight_smile:

Absolutely agreed. This would have to be designed as a device, which makes the issue of caster more complicated.

33

Oops forgot that one. :blush: Well just say it's level 20 then. So not quite as sensitive a tripwire.

34

Not if the storyteller has to author his own stories.

No. I'm sure that, being well versed in English as well as Latin, you realize that prolific is narrower than fruitful, in that it precisely lacks the connotation of good quality.

Ah, this is interesting. Could you give a quick pointer to these clear statements?

Anyway, I agree that we should probably end this somewhat tangential discussion (but please, do provide a pointer to the statements you mentioned above!). To get back on thread:

The fruits of the dead, by Eurydice of Rome. A somewhat obscure (Quality 5) tractatus on Magic Theory, and in particular on the interplay between some necromantic techniques and the limit of the soul. Anyone studying it can learn a new Shape and Material bonus: Pomegranate, +2 the dead.

The great shield, four centuries later, by Abelard, filius Elovisiae -- a newly gauntleted magus from the Normandy Tribunal. A well-written commentary (Quality 11, including the +1 commentary bonus) of the famous summa by Notatus on (mastery of) the Aegis of the Hearth, discussing the impact of the relevant discoveries made in the Order since that classic work was written.

35

Which makes this whole example that obviously tailored to prove a single point, that it shows its own irrelevance instead.

In the combination "prolific author" it mandates the quality needed to make other people want to read the works. (A "prolific poster to RPG forums" need however not be an author at all.)

Have a look here for example: New Herbam (and other) Spells , especially its ending is quite categorical:

Cheers

36

The Wizard in the Well by Anna ex Bonisagius of the Theban Tribunal.

Tractatus on Parma Magica [Quality 12], Tractatus on Organisation Lore: House Bonisagius [Quality 12] and Tractatus on Magic Theory [Quality 12].

In this tractatus, Anna has worked from how Bonisagius must have adapted the Mercurian rituals which he found and how he formed them into the scope of what was to become to be the Hermetic magic. It also takes up a chapter in how and why non those gifted without the Hermetic training can use the Parma Magica. If studied thoroughly for more than one season, it can offer a insight to both the earliest history of Bonisagius and his house as well as to the Hermetic Magic which he created.

This tractatus was written during the first year after Anna passed her Wizard's Gauntlet and has given her some reputation as a promising writer and historian. Apart from being a good writer, Anna was also trained to be a professional scribe after her pater saw that she had a knack for it.

37

Rivalries among Magi are nothing new. But few conflicts in recent memory come close to the rivalry between Scatabra ex Bonisagus and Pistrix ex Tytalus. Scatabra was a much sought after longevity expert and healer while Pistrix was equivalently infamous as a necromancer. For over fifty years the two Maga bickered and fought.

When their rivalry finally devolved into wizard war it was Pistrix left broken and bleeding. Scatabra true to her healing nature stayed her hand and revived her rival... then brought Pistrix up on charges before tribunal for improperly prosecuting the war. The fine in Vis levied against Pistrix was nearly as epic and historic as the rivalry itself. It would take years for her to repay the debt.

When Scatabra recently succumbed to ageing (she was always either unable or unwilling to benefit from her own expertise) many thought the final chapter of the rivalry had been written. Then a strange package was delivered to the Colentes Arcanorum. The work titled Corpus Tuum Falsum(Equivalent Tractati Qua 7) was accompanied by a Rook of Corpus vis and is submitted in the name of Scatabra ex Bonisagus ex Tytalus. But it is clearly a bound collection of correspondences covering the art of Corpus between two less then friendly experts in the art. Once the reader gets past the harsh critizism and oneupsmanship in the correspondences a remarkable level of respect and shared insight is revealed.

The final inscription reads "The Last Rook, For the Genius to Whom I Owe Everthing."

38

I love it, I'm going to have to incorporate them into my saga :slight_smile:

39

I was just thinking that

40

The Translucent Cage (Tractus, Q5), by Charles St. Avery of house Bonisagus, glossed by Melissa of House Jerbiton. This somewhat rambling digression on vim touches a number of concepts, but mainly focuses on the interaction of synthetic, temporary vim constructs, and of immortal, unchanging incorporeal spirits. The central thesis, if there can be said to be one, is that it is the transitionary nature of vim allows it to be all the more effective against immortal spirits. Or at least, this is what Charles’s editor THINKS he meant. The text, if insightful, isn’t exactly the height of clarity.

Those who read this text can gain access to the following Guideline for Creo Vim. (Troupe's choice as to whether this is simply a clever use of the "Create Magic Shell" effect, or a completely new guideline. Personally, I think of it as the former.)

The following spell is discussed in the Tractus as a proof of concept.

Imprison the Intangible Essence (CrVi, Gen, R:Touch +1, T:Room +2, D:Sun +2) – this effect creates a magical box around an object or spirit. The box is impenetrable to incorporeal spirits with a Might less than double the (magnitude of the spell -3).The box is made of pure vim, and thus is invisible to normal perception. If a magus can perceive it, the box can be targeted as though it were a Room. Note that a spirit may ignore the box by manifesting in the physical realm, and simply walking over the border. The boundaries of the box are opaque to Intelligo effects, as per the normal guideline.

41

Elizabet’s Enchanted Ring: The following ring was created by Elizabet Volkensen, of House Bonisagus. As a generalist studying the interacting principles of Art and Realms, she found it necessary to cast a large number of low-magnitude techniques. This silver ring, containing a lodestone and etched with hermetic ink, allows her to easily create a wide variety of techniques to study. While she considered this effect barely worth noting, her sodales finally convinced her to publish her work for the benefit of the Order.

Use: while wearing the ring, any effect of up to 1 magnitude, if cast with gestures, will automatically have Sight range; if a concentration effect, the spell will also automatically have a Moon duration. It is up to the magus to cast the appropriate dispelling effect.

[Note: Due to experimentation, both effects can be considered the same effect for the purpose of creating a lesser enchanted item, and as such share the “+10 Unlimited Use” cost. Depending on your Troupe’s views of using magical items simultaneously, this ring is either incredibly useful for non-fatiguing spont magic, or else kind of pointless. Giving the ring penetration and/or lowering the duration to Sun would make it even more useful, but wasn't part of the original intent of “using it to make my spont magic research easier.”]

The ring itself is a lesser enchanted silver ring containing the following effects:

Evil Eyeblink (ReVi lvl 3 T:Ind, R:Sight, D:Mom) – Creates an intangible Tunnel for magnitude 1 effects at Sight Range. (Base 3, Unlimited Casting +10 = 13 Total)

Maintain the Demanding Spell (ReVi 5, T: Individual, R: Touch, D: Moon) any concentration effects up to magnitude 1 will automatically be maintained for Moon duration. (Base 15, Unlimited +10 = 25)

Ring: Made with a Ring (+2 Constant Effect - interpreting that to include "Extended Effect"), Ink of Hermes (+3 Vim) used to inscribe an image of a wand/staff (+4/2 = +2 range effect) wrapped around the surface, capped with a magnet (+2 Rego) = +9

Lab Total cost: 37 (-10 for duplicate Unlimited use) = 27 Total, with up to +9 to the Lab Total for Form/Material bonuses.

For a more combat-oriented version, add +2 Magnitudes to Evil Eyeblink (+2) and +40 Penetration (+20). Add +2 Magnitudes to Maintain the Demanding Spell (+10), for a lab total of 59, and something an elder Hermetic Magi would be more likely to make and/or use for themselves.