Asking a question here for anyone who has played a character with Mythic Herbalism.
I want to play a Magus with a strong healing bent, possibly in Ex Misc, and was looking at the Pharmocopeans. I was frankly planning to exploit the root cutter virtue and neglect Mythic Herbalism based on my experience that, aside from Second Sight and Premonition, supernatural virtues always disappoint, expecially comparing experience spent to reward, and especially for supernatural abilities that require high levels to be useful (I know this is not news to anyone here). Considering the target numbers given in the M.H. guidelines, and the fact that it is not an accellerated ability, I did not think it could be useful. But looking more closely, I realized that having a level at which one can reasonably reach the higher numbers (assuming a good aura), it can offer +32 or higher recovery rolls, which are higher than anything listed in the corpus guildlines that cover normal mage power levels. So now I am reconsidering. Has anyone played enough to have an opinion on whether M.H. is useful or disappointing for a magus?
It's an investment, for sure, but the recovery bonus isn't the best part. It also allows you to bounce people back from Aging Crisis, without spending Vis on a ritual.
I concur. Specifically on the healing side the ability to beneficially resolve aging crises without spending vis is pretty impressive. Bonuses to healing rolls are good since they allow you to pretty consistently facilitate wounds healing without vis however it isn't really accomplishing anything that you can't do with Hermetic Magic already.
Now if you decide to go into Mythic Herbalism heavily I would recommend considering a Potent Sorcery virtue so that you can more feasibly hit the higher totals.
If all you are interested in is the Root Cutter virtue for discounting Hermetic Corpus Rituals, consider aiming for Mercurian Magic instead. Yes it is a major instead of a minor, but having that same discount for all Rituals is more versatile and useful than it might first appear to be.
Or better yet, combine the two (or either) in combination with "Imbued with the Spirit of (Corpus) to ensure all your healing rituals are free anyways.
Another benefit of Mythic Herbalism compared to regular Hermetic magic is that you can easily create potions that other people can take along and use when they need it - without you having to be present.
Sure, hermetic magi can create potions too as charged items, but that takes a whole season instead of just some days with Mythic Herbalism.
Imbued with the Spirit of (Corpus) can be quite powerful. Downside is that any and all creatures with a Magic Might Score associated with Corpus will hate you.
I consider MH to be somewhat lackluster when you consider that the Pharmacopian must have a Minor Magical Focus in Healing, which makes learning and inventing all those healing rituals at half cost really easy (and to cast CrCo40 rituals you need only MH4 to get it down to half vis).
But it's certainly not useless. I assume that the Pharmacopian can tailor effects to the target to reduce warping, otherwise at MH6+ they'd be warping everyone every time they use their power (Spell effect = Ability Score x5). So Mythic Herbalism should be able to exceed hermetic effects without causing undue warping, something a ritual specialist just can't do without huge prep-time.
So the Pharmas can get people back on their feet faster and more reliably, with less warping, than Hermetic magic, but the cost, of course, is laboratory distraction.
It is far better for treating large numbers of people in theory. And that is something that the tradition itself has a strong medical ethic regarding. Regardless of how cheap you can make Rituals, even free with the Imbued virtue, you just can't do them all day. Mythic Herbalism will, as long as you have sufficient supplies, let you treat a whole village without spending Vis. You can achieve something similar with Hermetic spells to get bonuses on Healing/Recovery Rolls ... but with also having worry about Warping.
I don't see it in the previous comments but remember that an unused poultice, poison, or potion expires after one season, so you can't store many of them.
The CrCo level 2 guideline 'Preserve a corpse from decay' does not have Animal or Herbam equivalents. If it did, could these be used to prevent a poultice or potion from spoiling?
IMO, no, because the problem isn't the poultice, poison, or potion going rotten, it's the magic from the Supernatural Ability expiring. But such spells would be suitable for preserving the medicinal qualities of something made with the mundane Profession: Apothecary (Art & Academe, box on p.64).
