I'm trying to come up with sets of virtues suitable for a few new mystery cults. (And, yes, my players can make suggestions - this much isn't hidden from the players even if the characters don't know much about these cults.)
1st cult: Mage Smiths. I don't want them to be identical to Verditius, but I do want them to be equal in power when fully trained up. I see them as more descended from Norse/Magical Dwarves rather than the Verditius Greco-Roman tradition.
I have the first virtue - Mage Crafter, (from 4th ed Grimoire) which allows a magus to add a relevant craft ability to their lab total when making a magic item as long as it is a durable object and they make it themselves.
What would be suitable 2nd/3rd/4th virtues for an item-making tradition? Ideally, I'd like the 2nd and 3rd tier virtues to have alternatives for players to have some choices to make as well. Golem-making is too Jewish, but Sacred Architecture could be a top-level virtue. Possibly some sort of automatic engine-making capability eg elaborate dwarven traps that reset themselves - but how to describe it in AM terms?
2nd cult: Tempestarii (Wind and Water, Storm Magi - based on a real-world tradition from Frisia (Northern Netherlands)).
Virtues I've thought of so far:
Starting virtue: Affinity-type bonus to ReAq and ReAu spells only.
Minor extra bonus: 'Storm', 'Waterway' and 'Body of Water' as ranges/durations/Targets (from RoP:Magic)
Combat virtue: penetration bonus for ReAq and ReAu spells only, where the Tempestarius doesn't subtract the level of the spell (based on the 4th ed penetration mastery virtue).
Top virtue: combined Auram and Aquam forms, ie xp spent in one gives equal amount in the other. Should be powerful, but should take a long time and dedication to get it!
This needs several middle-ranking virtues, partly to postpone anyone getting the top one.
3rd 'cult', actually the Gypsies! Fortune-telling, sex-magic (ie emotional manipulations NOT anything perverted!), travelling magic, animal handling.
Starting virtue: faerie magic ranges/durations ('road', 'bargain', 'until'). Ability to use ley lines - acting like auras to give a casting or lab bonus. Of course, travelling around all the time will limit any Hermetic lab work!
Middle virtues: Charm Magic (HoH:MC, p96 - but I'd rather not use the Story and Symbol magic virtues listed there);
Divination (TMRE p58);
Travelling Lab - how to set up a lab to make potions, wands, etc, so it can be used on a wagon (would still need to have a real lab for proper enchanted items). This might not need to be a virtue, just knowledge of how to do this.
What else would be suitable?
Gilarius