Maximilian of Verditius

I still might give him an Herbam score. I've also decided to switch Deft Herbam for Skilled Parens. Will post another version soon.

Here's a new version of his stats. Removed Deft Herbam but gave him a score in that Art. Background is unchanged. New and modified stuff highlighted in red.

Maximilian of Verditius
Mater:Tyrrania of Verditius

Age: 27 (born 1193 A.D.)
Size: 0
Gender: Male
Confidence: 1 (3)
Characteristics: Int +4, Per +1, Str -2, Sta -2, Pre +2, Com 0, Dex +2, Qik 0
Virtues: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Verditius Magic (House), Affinity with Herbam, Free Study, Great Characteristic (Intelligence), Inventive Genius, Minor Magical Focus (Wood), Personal Vis Source, Puissant Craft, Puissant Magic Theory, Skilled Parens, Venus’ Blessing
Flaws: Ambitious (minor), Deficient Form (Aquam), Favors, Limited Magic Resistance (Ignem), Proud (minor), Twilight Prone
Personality Traits: Ambitious +3, Charming +2, Proud +3
Abilities:
Area Lore: Greece (legends) 2
Area Lore: Polyaigos covenant (personalities) 1
Artes Liberales (arithmetics) 2
Athletics (climbing) 2
Awareness (listening) 2
Bargain (favors) 1
Brawl (dodge) 1
Charm (servants) 2
Concentration (lab work) 1
Craft: Woodcarving (wands) 5+2
Etiquette (nobility) 1
Folk Ken (women) 2
Language: Romaic Greek (storytelling) 5
Language: Classical Greek (hermetic usage) 4
Language: Latin (hermetic usage) 1
Magic Lore (creatures) 1
Magic Theory (enchanting items) 4+2
Order of Hermes Lore (personalities) 1
Parma Magica (Ignem) 1
Philosophiae (enchanting items) 2
Stealth (hide) 1
Verditius Cult Lore (history) 0[sup]+1 xp[/sup]
Magical Arts: Cr 8, In 3, Pe 3, Re 3, He 5, Ig 10
Wizard's Sigil: Complexity and swirling, in the appearance of many moving parts assembling to form the effect.
Warping and Twilight Effects
Warping Score: 1 (7 points total)
Twilight Scars: Scratches and wear on wooden objects in his vicinity slowly heal (over the course of weeks or months, depending on how often he handles them). They return within a year of being away from Maximilian’s presence.
Spells:
Aegis of Unbreakable Wood (MuHe 15)
Intuition of the Forest (InHe 10)
Heat of the Searing Forge (CrIg 10)
Flash of the Scarlet Flames (CrIg 15)
Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20)
Extinguish the Raging Bonfire (PeIg 15) -- Puts out a fire as large as a bonfire. [Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 size]
Ward Against Heat and Flames (ReIg 25)
Bind Wound (CrCo 10)
Rise of the Feathery Body (ReCo 10)
Wizard’s Sidestep (ReIm 10)
Sense the Nature of Vis (InVi 5)
Unravelling the Fabric of Imaginem (PeVi 5)

following the guideline for dwarves in ROP:faeries, craft puissance or affinity does not need to specialize- it applies to all crafts.

for abilities plus arts I am coming up with 427 points, if you completed your gauntlet at age 25 you should have 435 points, if you completed it at age 26 you would have 420 points.

Good thing to know about Puissant and Affinity with Craft.

I made a small typo and Ignem is supposed to be 10. I am coming up with a total of 450 xp:

  • 45 xp from Childhood: Awareness 2 (15 xp), Charm 2 (15 xp), Folk Ken 2 (15 xp)
  • 105 from Later Life (before apprenticeship): Greece Lore 2 (15 xp), Athletics 2 (15 xp), Bargain 1 (5 xp), Brawl 1 (5 xp), Craft 4 (55xp), Etiquette 1 (5 xp), Stealth 1 (5 xp)
  • 181 in Abilities during apprenticeship: Area Lore: Polyaigos 1 (5 xp), Artes Liberales 2 (15 xp), Concentration 1 (5 xp), Craft 5 (adding 20 xp), Language: Classical Greek 4 (50 xp), Language: Latin 1 (5 xp), Magic Lore 1 (5 xp), Magic Theory 4 (50 xp), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (5 xp), Parma Magica 1 (5 xp), Philosophiae 2 (15 xp), Verditius Cult Lore 0 (1 xp)
  • 119 xp in Arts during apprenticeship: Cr 8 (36 xp), In 3 (6 xp), Pe3 (6 xp), Re 3 (6 xp), He 5 (10 xp + Affinity), Ig 10 (55 xp)

Breakdown of xp is: 45 for Childhood, 105 for Later Life (to age 12), 300 for Apprenticeship (to age 27)

Okay, once again I had some errors in my spreadsheet... this character is ready for posting in magi

One virtue and one flaw for my magus requires some additional details, namely Personal Vis Source and Favors.

I picture Maximilian's personal vis source as external to himself, essentially a site that was granted to him at the end of his apprenticeship. This could be something relatively close to the covenant, which would partly explain his desire to join the new covenant. One possibility is that the source is in the ruins of Boura or in the Baricus river gorge (the alternate site I had proposed for the covenant here). Since it is about 30 miles away from the covenant, he could go and harvest the source without impacting his lab routine. Perhaps there are other vis sources in the area, which could be claimed by the covenant when found (during a story), but Maximilian's specific source would remain his alone. I am thinking that a source of Vim vis might be optimal for a Verditius, but perhaps an Herbam one might also make sense to help him develop his natural aptitudes even if we don't have books on this Art. Could the source provide both kinds? Essentially two small sources in the same area, both belonging to him?

As for the Favors flaw, this could be the magus who initially found that he had the Gift and brought him in. Maximilian's mater may have been a metoikos (resident foreigner), and this magus arranged for her to take Maximilian as her apprentice. He also acted as an outside mentor and, when Maximilian completed his Gauntlet, transfered ownership of the vis source to him. I am picturing him as a Criamon magus, who wanders through the tribunal visiting oracular sites and searching for visions of some kind. He occasionally asks Maximilian to perform some task for him. Some of the tasks are quite mundane and without consequence. Others involve crafting charged item for some specific (but unnamed) purpose. Occasionally, on of these tasks will lead to a story. In the past, these tasks have not been too difficult to perform nor did they put Maximilian in danger. They have sometimes been beneficial to him, although some seemed a complete loss of time. Those that might require the loss of a season probably won't happen more often than once every few years. How does that sound?

One virtue one type. To my mind herbem would be more valuable, as vim is the only kind that can be extracted in the lab by most magi.
I'm fine with favors owed to a criamon who gave you the vis source.

In all the sagas that I have seen, Vim was considered more valuable because it is useful for so many things (fixing arcane connections, preparing items for enchantment, longevity ritual and of course casting the Aegis), while Herbam was often considered the least valuable, because it was relatively plentiful and more limited in its uses (Herbam rituals and enchantments).

Extracting Vim vis is always possible, but that takes time -- the most valuable commodity of all -- and according to RoP:M, doing it too often risks damaging the aura in which it is done.

With all that said, I think I will go with an Herbam source anyway. 8)

Vis sort of has this hierarchy ive seen. Creo (tends to be highest, and of the most value to trade with redcaps) its also the basis for plenty of combat forms (Hi flambeau), and essential for healing. Vim comes in a close second for all of its uses, and general scarity in other tribunals, and the sheer amount you need to open items. The lowest value has been Imaginem (per the red caps again), the perception of herb being less valuable is generally people not looking at just all what it covers...take it to the rhine and that shit is scary as all get out. Just my two cents on that.

Indeed. The hierarchy I've always seen is something like this:

  1. Creo
  2. Other Techniques + Vim
  3. Corpus (for healing and longevity rituals)
  4. Mentem and the remainging physical Forms (An, Aq, Au, He, Te) -- although Animal and Herbam is more plentiful than the others, so slightly less valuable
  5. Imaginem

Added the details of the Personal Vis Source virtue and the Favors flaw to my official character stats (Magi thread), as well as 2 additional personality traits: Honorable +2 and Trusting -1.

Question about forge-companions (from HoH:MC's Verditius chapter). Can we have them? How would that work? Stat them out, build points, or what?

They would not provide any benefit for Maximilian right now, since he doesn't have a Leadership score, but one or two might still be handy to have around.

You can have them, tough it might be better to ask for other people to make and play them as companions- you can always make them as redshirt grogs if nothing else.

I may create one as my yellow shirt grog. Then my magus can send him along on stories of interest that he doesn't want to go on himself. :slight_smile:

Here's a stab at advancing Maximilian by 6 years, from the last Tribunal meeting in 1214 to the official date of 1220. Or are we really starting the saga on a Tribual year? If so I'll advance him one more year (inserting a year before the current Year 6).


Year 0 / 1214 A.D. (at time of Gauntlet)

  • Completes his Gauntlet and is recognized as a full magus at the Tribunal meeting (Winter). As a graduation gift, Aition of Criamon transfers ownership of a vis source in the Buraïcus River Gorge (about 30 miles east of Patras, in Morea) to Maximilian. He invites the young magus to travel with him to that source the next Summer for the first harvest. He also spends quite some time getting to know the other Verditius magi of the tribunal. Returns to Polyaigos with his mater, who informs him on the way back of her plans to leave Thebes the next Summer. -- (Included in apprenticeship)

Year 1 / 1215 A.D.

  • Spring: Helps his mater pack her laboratory and other belongings, during which time she also tells him more about the history and traditions of their House as well as further information about the other members of Verditius that he met at Tribunal. Negotiates with Polyaigos for the use of her dragon-house when she leaves, although he makes it clear that he intends to remain only for a few years before he moves on. -- (Gains 6 xp of Teaching in Verditius Cult Lore for half a season)
  • Summer: Travels with Aition of Criamon to the Buraïcus River Gorge to harvest Herbam vis from the source gifted to him. They stop at the oracular cave on their way back, where Aition includes Maximilian in a vision about a magical spring at the top of a mountain. Aition then leads the young Verditius around the region, sharing his knowledge of it and trying to find out the place shown by the vision. They don’t find it, but the Criamon encourages Maximilian to keep looking for it, and plants the seeds about this being a potential site for a new covenant. Maximilian sows wild oats in Patras and other towns. -- (Gains 7 xp of Practice in Area Lore: Northern Morea; +8 pawns of Herbam)
  • Autumn: Gives 4 pawns of his Herbam vis to Polyaigos. Studies the Ignem summa. -- (Gains 15 xp in Ignem; -4 pawns of Herbam)
  • Winter: Studies the Ignem summa. -- (Gains 15 xp in Ignem)

Year 2 / 1216 A.D.

  • Spring: Studies the Ignem summa. -- (Gains 15 xp in Ignem)
  • Summer: Travels back to the Buraïcus River Gorge to harvest his vis source. Takes the rest of the season looking for the site shown by the vision, moving west from there. Finds it near Patras and discovers a vis source at the magical spring. Still unaware of the faerie regio. -- (Gains 7 xp of Practice in Area Lore: Northern Morea; +8 pawns of Herbam)
  • Autumn: As service to Polyaigos, Maximilian installs a basic lab in the space vacated by his mater so that it can serve as a visitor lab after his departure. Exchange letters with various magi in the Tribunal. Sowing wild oats amongst the covenant’s mundanes. -- (Gains 2 xp of Exposure in Magic Theory)
  • Winter: Completes the installation of the lab. Gives out 2 pawns of Herbam as gifts and trades away 10 more pawns of Herbam in exchange for 8 pawns of Vim vis. -- (Gains 2 xp of Exposure in Magic Theory; -12 pawns of Herbam, +8 pawns of Vim)

Year 3 / 1217 A.D.

  • Spring: Studies the Ignem summa. -- (Gains 15 xp in Ignem)
  • Summer: Harvests his vis source and explores the area around Patras. Upon his return, he gets acquainted with the older maga Caterina da Vigonovo of House Jerbiton, just arrived from the Roman Tribunal. Exchanges numerous letters with magi who could be interesting in establishing a covenant in Patras. -- (Gains 7 xp of Practice in Area Lore, 1 for Northern Morea and 6 for Patras; +8 pawns of Herbam)
  • Autumn: Studies the Ignem summa.. Romance with Caterina begins. Gets responses from several magi who are interested in the potential site; he gives them indications to locate it to continue exploration. -- (Gains 15 xp in Ignem)
  • Winter: Studies the Parma Magica summa. Catarina becomes pregnant. -- (Gains 20 xp in Parma Magica)

Year 4 / 1218 A.D.

  • Spring: Studies the Parma Magica summa. Keeps in touch with the other magi for the new covenant. -- (Gains 20 xp in Parma Magica)
  • Summer: Harvests his vis source. Studies the Parma Magica summa. -- (Gains 20 xp in Parma Magica; +8 pawns of Herbam)
  • Autumn: Spends the season teaching Artes Liberales to some of the Gifted children as service to the covenant. Caterina delivers a baby girl. -- (Gains 2 xp of Exposure to Teaching)
  • Winter: Prepares a wand for enchantment. It is made of a core of hornbeam (wood, small), with the handle forming a mesh of wood encircling a small capsule of silver (silver, tiny) containing a few drops of mercury (base metal, tiny), thus providing a capacity of 15 pawns. This costs him 7 pawns of Vim vis to open. -- (Gains 2 xp of Exposure in Craft: Woodcarving; -7 pawns of Vim)

Year 5 / 1219 A.D.

  • Spring: Relationship with Caterina takes a turn for the worse, and he gets the impression that she used him to get pregnant before taking her longevity ritual. Exchanges 5 pawns of Herbam for 4 pawns of Ignem. Starts investing a power into the wand (Pilum of Fire, 24 uses/day, +30 Penetration). -- (Gains 2 xp of Exposure in Magic Theory; -5 pawns of Herbam, +4 pawns of Ignem, -4 pawns of Ignem)
  • Summer: Harvest his vis source. Completes enchanting an effect into the wand. -- (Gains 2 xp of Exposure in Magic Theory; +8 pawns of Herbam)
  • Autumn: Studies Corpus summa. -- (Gains 21 xp in Corpus)
  • Winter: Studies Vim summa. -- (Gains 21 xp in Vim)

Year 6 / 1220 A.D.

  • Spring: Provides covenant service to Polyaigos by creating a charged item, see below for details. -- (Gains 2 xp of Exposure in Magic Theory)
  • Summer: Harvest his vis source. Studies from the Magic Theory summa. -- (Gains 15 xp in Magic Theory)
  • Autumn: Studies the tractatus for mastery of Pilum of Fire. -- (Gains 10 xp in mastery of Pilum of Fire, taking the Magic Resistance specialization)
  • Winter: Learn Arc of Fiery Ribbons (CrIg 25) and Lamp Without Flame (CrIg 10) from lab texts, see below for lab total. -- (Gains 2 xp of Exposure in Ignem)

Year 7 / 1221 A.D.

  • Spring: Leaves Polyaigos and goes to the new covenant's site. Studies Herbam using 1 pawn of vis. Rolls a 6, plus the aura of 5, plus 3 for Free Study. -- (Gains 14 xp in Herbam, plus Affinity; -1 pawn of Herbam)
  • Summer: Supervises work on the covenant and harvests his vis source. Studies Herbam using 2 pawns of vis. Rolls a 3, plus the aura of 5, plus 3 for Free Study. -- (Gains 11 xp in Herbam, plus Affinity; -2 pawns of Herbam)
  • Autumn: Studies Herbam using 2 pawns of vis. Rolls a 7, plus the aura of 5, plus 3 for Free Study. -- (Gains 15 xp in Herbam, plus Affinity; -2 pawns of Herbam)
  • Winter: Remains at the covenant site to supervise ongoing work while the other magi attend Tribunal. Studies Herbam using 3 pawns of vis. Rolls a 10, plus the aura of 5, plus 3 for Free Study. -- (Gains 18 xp in Herbam, plus Affinity; -3 pawns of Herbam)

Details of the effect enchanted into his wand in Spring and Summer 1219:

  • Pilum of Fire (level 20), 24 uses/day (+5 levels), +30 Penetration (+15 levels), for a total level of 40
  • His lab total at that time was Cr (8) + Ig (15) + Int (4) + MT (7 including Puissant and specialization) + Inventive Genius (3) + Craft: Woodcarving (8 including specialty in wands) + Aura (4 in Polyaigos) + Verditius Runes and S&M Boni (7 capped by Magic Theory) + Similar Spell (4 for Pilum of Fire), for a total of 60. So he accumulated 20 points in each season, thus enchanting the effect in 2 seasons.

Details of the charged item created in Spring 1220:

  • A wand tipped by a small ruby that project a powerful bolt of fire (+20 damage) at Sight range, with a Penetration of +60
  • S&M Boni are +6 fire-related for the ruby and +3 project bold for the wand
  • His lab total at that time was Cr (8) + Ig (15) + Int (4) + MT (7 including Puissant and specialization) + Inventive Genius (3) + Craft: Woodcarving (8 including specialty in wands) + Aura (4 in Polyaigos) + S&M Boni (7 capped by Magic Theory) + Similar Spell (4 for Pilum of Fire), for a total of 60. So the item has a single charge.

Details of learning spells in Fall 1220:

  • Arc of Fiery Ribbons (CrIg 25) and Lamp Without Flame (CrIg 10)
  • His lab total at that time was Cr (8) + Ig (15) + Int (4) + MT (7 including Puissant) + Aura (4 in Polyaigos), for a total of 38. Both spells are learned and personal lab texts are generated.

Ends up the period with:

  • 26 pawns of Herbam and 1 pawn of Vim vis.
  • A total of 5 tokens (2 received when he completed his apprenticeship, 3 more from magi of Polyaigos for his covenant services)
  • Personal lab texts for all spells known
  • The enchanted wand
  • The untranslated lab text for the Pilum of Fire effect (Spring and Summer 1219)
  • The untranslated lab text for the charged item (Spring 1220)

Forgot to post the details of the library used...

Using the library of Polyaigos for advancement. As this is an established covenant but not really known for being particularly powerful, I will use the stats for a medium covenant (ArM5, page 72) instead of a powerful one.

Eight Art summae (three at level 16, quality 15, five at level 6, quality 21), three Ability summae (one at level 5, quality 20, and two at level 6, quality 15), and seven tractatus on either Arts or Abilities (two quality 11, four quality 10, and one quality 9)

Arts:

  • Three summae at L16Q15 (Rego, Ignem, Terram)
  • Five summae at L6Q21 (Creo, Intellego, Corpus, Herbam, Vim)

Abilities:

  • One summa at L5Q20 (Parma Magica)
  • Two summae at L6Q15 (Magic Theory, Penetration)

Tractatus (Arts or Abilities):

  • Two at Q11 (Perdo, Aquam)
  • Four at Q10 (Mastery of Pilum of Fire, Finesse, Animal, Artes Liberales)
  • One at Q9 (Infernal Lore)

Just to be clear, the roll of 10 when studying from raw vis was 1, 5 -- not 0. :smiley:

Interesting overlap. Orion went on a diplomatic mission from Aegaea to Polyaigos in 2013, the year of Maximillian's gauntlet. It's possible they met then, and that was the opening for them talking about founding a new covenant.

Indeed, that would work well. :smiley:

Fixed a small copy-paste mistake in the xp calculation for Spring 1219 -- I had the aura at 4 (Poyaigos) instead of 5 (new covenant's site).