Core rules, page 98, right hand column, 3rd paragraph.
Hermetic Empowerment from HMRE adds further exceptions.
Thank you.
I managed to overlook that. Several times.
I will have to find a copy of HMRE and check it out
While this is a little older, it is something that has come up in my game. So here are a few points.
The effect included in Mercere Portals are not inherently Rituals. While they are a level 65 effect, the base effect is a level 35 with +20 for Arcane Connection range and +10 for unlimited usage. They are closer to two 'Leap of the Homecoming' enchanted items with an Arcane Connection to each other.
The ReTe Arts required for a Mercere Portal are a carry over from the Hermes Portals in earlier editions. If you start with "Leap of the Homecoming" as the base (Level 35), change the range to touch (for +5 levels), change the target to Circle (no increase in level, the circle is the portal), add the other three requirements (Herbam, Terram, and Animal for +15 level), and add Unlimited Uses (for +10 levels) you end up with the same Enchantment level.
While it is harder to make due to the requirements, it has several advantages. Primarily, you do not require two of them created before use, they do not require activation and can be moved between uses, and the Arcane Connection they link to (that touch range) can be swapped out. The advantages (requiring only ReTe) and disadvantages of a Mercere Portal compared to this alternate version roughly balance, with those changes being made to allow a Mercere Portal to function the same way as a Hermes Portal did in 4th.
In 3rd and 4th edition, Hermes Portals were permanent and there was no separate Mercere Portal. Any reference to Hermes Portals in those can and often should be considered to refer to Mercere Portals in 5th edition. Especially 4th edition source books, in which the function of a Hermes Portal is identical to the Mercere Portals of 5th edition. 3rd edition required a pawn of Vis per use, which was dropped in later editions.
Several of the people in my group have been playing AM since 3rd edition and one of them spent years building that portal design. This lead to an interesting situation when a Redcap noticed it and reported it up through his house.
They thought we stole the design for a Mercere Portal, we said we invented our own version, a cold war ensued until we threatened to release our design, a review of lab text proved the differences, and now our Covenant has a Mercere House and Mercere Magus in it with access to the Mercere Portal network free for personal travel (individuals only, no wagons or goods) in exchange for a copy of our Lab Text, an oath to not release it, and enchanting two of the portals for House Mercere. Although we believe the Mercere Magus and the Mercere House are much more to keep an eye on us since our Covenant is located on Levant Island.
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A detail here- a Mercere portal does not enchant a ritual- the Herme Portal is a ritual because of the year duration. The Mercere portal uses a momentary duration with unlimited number of uses per day.
As to existing Mercere portals from 5th edition (only) sources:
Durenmar-hub: in Guardian's of the forest Duerenmar has a set of mercere portals whose destinations are not defined
Durenmar-Harco
Fane of the founders-Harco
Fane of the founders-Verdi
Fane of the founders-Rethra
Fane of the founders-??? (left undefined)
Aedes Mercurii -Aedes Mercurii (alternate site)
Eastern Pyranese-Aedes Mercurii (abandoned)
Val Negra-Aedes Mercurii (abandoned)
Brigantium (burried)-unknown
Hiberna-none
Cunfin-Dragon's rest
Confluensis-Dragon's rest
dragon's rest-harco
dragon's rest-"others" (Normandy Tribunal hub)
Maender-Alfeios
Lycaneum-Harco
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