A spell design thread because I feel like the other threads have too much action in them.
Item design suggestions for making a really accurate map? Spell design?
quora.com/GPS/How-did-people ... of-the-GPS
Not sure we have any magic that takes the place of Geometry.
The tools are basic which means magic may be able to create better ones.
You don't think InTe T:Boundary would get us anywhere? Or I could conjure up an eagle that follows my directions and have what he sees displayed in a pool of water/mirror.
Those are not maps. a InTe will give you the layout of the land but not the forests or plants ( and any wooden buildings). Lets add a He requirement to the spell to find all the plans in the boundary. Do we really want all the plants? Now lets bump it up so we can tell what type of plant. We can look just for trees. Is it worth it and is it a map.
Now the eagle has possibilities but not for the eyesight. Make a enchanted device to capture images ( a camera). It must be small to be strapped to our flying beasty. Have a second device that projects the image of the first device on a wall ( or floor) and perhaps you could draw a decent map. You would still need to do some funky InTe stuff to get elevation change for the image.
Idea!
A map room with a huge tabe.
2 effects
The first is InTe(requisites) to "read the land". The second is a Cr/Mu Im effect so that the table displays a map.
It doesn?t have to be a google map. Just good enough for our intentions.
Ad InCo as a security option to tell you who is where. No penetration of course. No scrying on magi (who show up as a grey spot on the map because of MR)
Given that the maps of the day aren't all that accurate to begin with, I really don't see why this shouldn't work. Although thanks to the fact that we have an Alpha SG who actually understands geometry, the range on that map isn't going to be very impressive.
You can't enchant the table with a Range Boundary effect. It has to be a ritual.
And, just FYI, Viscaria is the sort of Verditus who absolutely would include penetration. In a second version of the enchantment.
Why make an enchanted item for a map of a single area?
It's really sort of amazing how different a perspective you end up with regarding wise use of time when you're playing a Verditus with Philo Alchemy. It is far easier for me to enchant things than to create spells, and I can basically create up to Lvl 30 effects for free every season.
Let's rephrase the question so the answer becomes easier to understand: Why would make an enchanted map of the covenant?
Granted, it would be more useful if I could make something that was useful everywhere I went, but since we haven't figured out how to do either yet....
Tranquillina would support the idea of having a map, or maps, of the covenant (mundane and regio sides) - whether enchanted or simply drawn by hand. [color=magenta]"With such a map, I can locate anyone on the covenant grounds as long as I possess an Arcane Connection to them," she explains. [color=magenta]"It might be a useful capability to have in a dire situation. For that matter, perhaps I should carry on my person a letter written by each of us on our council, for the duration of the Tribunal - in case anyone goes ... missing."
We should try to link the map with the aegis so that we can be alerted when it is tested at its boundaries or penetrated.
The notion of a device that works with an Aegis is a generally cool one. I can think of many uses for such a thing.
Serf's Parma.
We need 2 things.
A stationnary point above the covenant. Say, a ring of stone enchanted so that it stays in place, up in the air.
Then, an enchanted item with 3 effects:
- An AC range spell that "sees" from the location of the stone ring (magical senses) if it is possible
- An "Eye of the Eagle" like effect, which will allow us to "zoom in"
- A CrIm spell to display the results.
Of these 3, I'm not sure the first effect is possible. Hermetic Projects is far at home.
Else, maybe an InTe(He, Co) effect (Consider the higher base! This may be InCo in the end, for exemple), target Part, add modifiers for size magnitudes, maybe 1-2 for complexity, link to the CrIm effect, and you're good to go.
Basically, what you're suggesting is the Gargoyles and Grotesques section of the Great Tower project, only sit him on top of one of the Flying Buttresses (Foundation Stones). The spell design has been all worked out.
Adding the Eyes of the Eagle is a great idea.
The only caveat to that plan is, the spell that grants sight to the statue needs to penetrate. Also, the way they do it, each gargoyle projects his senses onto the mirror with CrIm. Which is fine, if you only want one gargoyle like we do but for the tower it would probably be better to have the mirror enchanted with an InIm effect to see what the gargoyle sees.
Following up on my idea for "projecting" a map and then drawing it.
Enchanted Item a small "lens" ( say 2 inches or 5 cm in diameter)
Distant Eyes spell InIm15
base 1, +4 Arc, +2 diam, Circle +0
Allows the caster to see through the lens for 2 minutes.
From HoH:S pg 70 Make a memory into a physical object
MuMe(Te)25 Crystallized Memory - Transforms a single memory into a quartz crystal.
Base 5, R: P D: Moon+3, TL Ind Req Terram
The next one is a bit tricky:
CrIm(InMe)30 Projected memory
Creates a sight image from the solid memory
Base 1 ( single sense) D: Sun +2, T:I Req +2 Complexity +5[1]
[1] complexity is based on the base level for a mentem spell to view a single memory.
If this is created on a large bit of paper then a map can be drawn from the image. This will make a much more accurate map.
Realize that using this on any Magi is against the Code. But only if you are caught
To where, is my only question.
From HoH:S pg 70 Make a memory into a physical object
MuMe(Te)25 Crystallized Memory - Transforms a single memory into a quartz crystal.
Base 5, R: P D: Moon+3, TL Ind Req Terram
Why not just use some kind of Rego? ReAn(He) to move the inks to match the image. ReTe to shape rock into a sculpture of what you saw, etc, etc
Strap it to larger bird like a crow.
Because it is cheaper to use the CrIm and then draw it
Yes, the penetration issue is hard to avoid.
In a way, this is great: This means our sentries are still useful.
We can, in a way, get around this. We need something constant over the countryside, that will be resisted, but that won’t bother our covenfolks, like a light breeze. If, then, we have an InAu effect to “see” the breeze, it’ll go around obstacles, including magi (invisible or not) who will have resisted it. Of course, there are Code issues there 
And is it me, or is this turning into yet another Defense discussion thread?
But I thought this was for a map. We don't care for penetration, then, do we? For this, we just need a high enough vantage point, high enough to see the whole country. Now, if you want magical sentries (which is awesome, but yet another thing), I agree we need multiple gargoyles.
Don't bother with InIm. Have my stone or your gargoyle use a CrIm effect at AC range, the AC being to the mirror.
AC to what/where?
Ah, amul thought the same 
I don’t like it: a bird can’t stay stationary, nor can it fly for hours. Which is why I chose a floating stone.
This could make a good spy, though.
IIRC, there’s an issue with projected senses, too (aside from the fact that you don’t see what’s next to you, of course). Serf’s parma, but I believe that the sense is limited in range by the Target.
So, if, say, you use this with my floating stone, this’d be something like (serf’s parma!!!) this:
base 1, +4 Arc, +2 diam, Vision +4 = 35
That being said, you’re a genius!!! For a map, a freakin static map, we just need one magus (say, Isen), to float high enough, look at the country with Eyes of the Eagle on, have that memory captured in the crystal, and have the cristal project it.
Of course, it’ll be “just a map”, and it doesn’t change if the surroundings do, nor does it display people and animals, but it’s still quite an awesome 3D map. Is this what you sought all along?
I was answering the original question which is "How to draw an accurate map?" You have moved on to spying.
Having an AC to the lens so someone can see through it.
There's a problem with the spell target, then.