The wonders of the modern age is that you can do both I am a fan of hedge magic, so I plan to have a great character and explore stuff at the same time. The character will be Curious as a personality flaw for good reason
I plan to enjoy the character in full at the same time that I explore those minor magic systems. I am still planning if he will be a noble or related to the church,
Now si am searching for a Catalan monastery with a reputation for healing and protectors of the land (or plain crusading berserkers) since I plan to build him around mythic herbalism and nightwalking.
3*vis sounds right. That translated to 12 XP for a minor enriched item (I am using the companion rules, not the Magus ones, remember) and a wooping 24 for a major one. Tough but doable.
First grog. If you don't want me to post them here, I can add them directly to the wiki.
Bernat the experienced scout
(Pronounced "Bay-rr-natt")
Bernat was one of the younger recruits at a small covenant in Béarn. When the last magus died, he followed Marcellus’ pater to Sidi in the Normandy Tribunal, where he continued his training. When the young magus completed his Gauntlet, Bernat was one of those who volunteered to guard the new magus.
Although not very old, Bernat already suffers from joint pains, the result of a rough life filled with nights in the wild keeping watch over sleeping magi. Still, pride keeps him going, although deep inside he would often prefer to stay comfortably in bed with an accommodating wench.
Second grog. I will add both of these to the wiki.
Menaut the young scout
(Pronounced "May-naw-tt")
Born in the same village in Béarn as Marcellus of Verditius, Menaut is in fact a distant cousin to him, as well as the nephew of Bernat. He is one of those for whom village life an ill fit, due to his temper even at a young age. So as soon as he turned 13, he joined his uncle at the covenant of Nidi and began training to become a grog.
Two years ago he was engaged to a local girl named Alissandre. He loved her deeply and even though of giving up his training to settle with her. Unfortunately, Alissandre died in a fire shortly before their marriage. Menaut tried to rescue her, suffering extensive burns in the process. It took him months for his body to recover from his burns, and he still has extensive scars they disfigure him, some of which make it hard for him to speak. The wound to his soul remain, however, and the anger he has carried most of his youth smolders in him.
Sensing that the young man needed watching over, Bernat took him under his wing. Believing that a change of location would be good for the young man, he convinced him to follow Marcellus to his new covenant.
Born with a crooked leg, Cassian has dreamt all his life of travelling and having adventures. Unable to do that, he learned his father’s craft and became a leatherworker, but in his free time he has listened to and learned all the stories and legends he could.
When the opportunity came to travel to a different place by following one of the former apprentices of Nidi, he jumped at it. He hopes to learn new tales and stories, and meet new people.
Eilric was always the runt of the litter. The youngest of six boys he was always smaller than his five brothers. His mother told him that he’d grow into his frame, but that never happened. Throughout his youth he was always the smallest in his group. It forced him to learn to take care of himself, though. And when he was 16 he ran away to the sea. There he found that his small size helped. The crews found it useful to have someone who could scurry up to the top of the mast to keep a lookout or help with the sails. Eilric has been a sailor now for nearly three years but he’s still eager to prove himself to the rest of the crew.
Age: 19
CHARACTERISTICS
Int +1, Per +2, Str +2, Sta +2, Pre -3, Com -1, Dex +1, Qik +2
Virtue: Perfect Balance (+6 to any roll to avoid falling or tripping) Flaw: Small Frame Personality Trait: Eager to prove himself to the other sailors
ABILITIES
Athletics (climbing) 2, Awareness (seeing things far away) 3, Bow (crossbow) 3, Brawl (dodge) 4, Living Language: Dutch (sailor slang) 5, Profession: Seaman (sails) 5
I have been looking into the witches of Catalonia. There are a lot of references to them. More thank remembered. In a lot of cases there are references to aquelarres and hailstorms (great name for a metal band, btw) as well as flying around. Bad weather seems to be their main feature along with flying and quelarres. So, tempestaria witches.
On the other hand the diverse character concepts I am juggling for the witch do not need a major witch virtue most of the time, so I will create a non Gifted witch. I am deciding if he will be a younger son of a noble (a bastard?) or a church man in minor orders. I am having problems keeping myself away from fighter characters. Long traditions die hard xD
I am sure he knows and is just being smarmy
I have not seen that character sheet in years! I think I left off with him being frozen in the Ice Cavern, best for his own protection and ours.
That Marcellus was Xavi's first character. The second Marcellus is Arthur's character. The character with the flame brother cult was the second or third character Xavi made for this game. I forget the name. I remember he had a confrontation with Roberto over hedge wizards and sahirs. Roberto's position was that all members of the Order of Hermes, regardless of affiliation are under his protection, even sahirs; and all hedge wizards not of the Order, even if christian, had to join or die.
The two made peace, Xavi heped us defeat the Scion of the Salt Wyrm, then Xavi got wrapped up in political activism and had to take a hiatus. I can respect that, I went through something similar with the crisis in the US.
One thing to realize with him is that Dream Magic is that the Order does not like it( TMR pg 112) and it is illegal to learn Dream magic. There is a mystery cult that does it but the Criamon is outside that hence the Dark Secret.
The exact wording, in the context of the Mystery Cult that does this, is (TMR, p.112):
Learning the magics is not illegal; only a magus practicing them on his sodales in the Order, or using them to interfere with mundanes. But the practice is definitely discouraged.
The scrying part could certainly be a possible explanation
Yes, I guess it is the scrying bit. Interfering with mundanes how? Now getting info is illegal? That does not make much sense to me. Most established covenants IMS tend to have a network of informants that act as an early warning system for trouble. Getting to know what happens around your home turf is the basic thing to do here... Mundanes are not protected against scrying afaik unless that causes you to peer into hermetic Magi's stuff. I. That case yes, it is a breach of the code. But if you use it to gain info knt he court of Bob the knight and he has no hermetic interlocutors except yourself, I see no issue here. You need to be careful, but that goes for everything that magi do.
As I haven't read that section of TMR in details, I don't know the exact rationale about that. However, playing with the dreams of others (influence them, drive them mad, etc.) can be a form of blatant magic. When you start doing that to important mundanes, they and theirs start looking for wizards/faeries/demons to blame (and they aren't particular about which). Bad business all around.
The dream witches, as they were more commonly known by non-members, are feared and hated perhaps more than any other Hermetic group.
There were members of the original cult that were trying to influence other more predominate magi via their dreams. Those Magi were Marched. If you read the section Structure of the Volshebnii Mechtateli, you will see what the Order thinks of people with Dream magic. What the Criamon are doing is outside the "beautiful dreams" of the reformed cult.
Int +2 Str -1
Per +2 Sta +0
Pre +2 Dex +0
Com +0 Qik -1
MYTHIC HERBALISM
Animal ken [incomprehensible]
Magic Sensitivity [No Defenses]
Entrancement [Delet. Circumst]
Student of Magic Realm.
Clerk - Exorcist
CURIOUS
No magic defenses (sensit.)
Incomprehensible (An. Ken)
Deleterious Circumst. (Divine aura 4+)
Mentor (S) either his family or the monastery
Reckless.
Joan is the bastard son of a baron from the county of Besalú. He has been trained in the monastery of Camprodon to learn his letters in order to be a good healer and (church) advisor for his noble branch. The only issue with that idea is that the community of monks is somewhat less hardcore Benedictine than they seem to show, and as well as being a community of healers that ora et labora they are also a community of wise men, that have introduced the young man into their arcane tradition.
Most of the monks are not Gifted, but a pair of them are. A few of them are also nightwalkers that battle the infernal witches of the area every spring solstice to determine how good the harvest will be. They see this as part of their job towards God and their community.
Being very curious and not overly religious, the young Joan has devoured as much knowledge as he has been offered. He has been specially keen on learning about the magical world, and has delved in astronomy and astrology as well as searched for the hidden proprieties of natural items. His driving curiousity marks him as a great external agent for the monastic community and the abbot is using him a such.
Right now he lives between his family lands near Besalú and the monastery. Being in minor orders and a trusted friend of the heir he has quite a bit of latitude on what he can do. He is not a very accomplished herbalist, but he is useful to his family as a court magician, and to the monks as an agent both in court and abroad.
Recently the monks have been receiving reports that mention communities of magicians in the mountains and an Order of them. The abbot is concerned and has decided to send Joan to investigate.
Note: I plan to initiate Flight (and warped magic) after finishing the character
Warning: I realized a little late that I was, well, late. So this post may be a waste of time.
FWIW, I took "Tainted with Evil" for arachne with a similar goal in mind (although I was aiming more for "sinister" and less for "brooding")
IIRC, a Social Handicap could work, too.
I see what you mean, but see no easy way out. You're asking for a minor version of a minor virtue, so I'd be tempted to argue for it to be free, yet it is not worthless.
So perhaps the solution is to broaden it, but I'm not satisfied by my ideas at the moment (they revolve around ideas to make the animal unaffected by the gift)
My Ars-Fu is dusty
Remember that Destruction alone is a Major Focus.
So IMO, you need to lessen this to make it a minor, not broaden it.
Hum...
Elemental Destruction is a first step, but it's too broad, and I don't want to add another adjective.
Natural Disasters?
Or if your character is based upon being a Rock, what about a focus in Moving Stone? that'd let you do plenty of destructive things while being also useful.
Sorry, I'm in a hurry, can't spend too much time on this
IIRC, yes for Magic thing. Take Magic Thing Blood: Rock or something, and take Gift of the Berserker's Fortiitude as a power.
Or, isn't there a Body of Stone, or Skin of Stone (I don't remember) power in RoP: M?
Sorry, I don't feel like I've been much help
FWIW, the focus seems OK to me.
Wait, I'm 21 days late???
Oh, I may end up scrapping this email entirely
About the broadness, good question.
At its base, the focus should affect wild animals, or transforming into one.
So, I'd say that transforming into part of one feels ok, so long as it's a MuCo(An) spell and your body parts change.
FWIW, seems ok, although I'd drop the "holding part". This is no different from being next to a door Obliterated.
Wearing, OTOH, makes sense, but I'm always wary about applying Immersion rules to spells. I'd probably drop it.
Oh, thanks Marko! Hope I'm not replying for nothing, then!
Ah, great! It reassures me that we think alike
Personnal Power is a Minor Virtue, as Lesser Power.
So I'd allow you to take a it as part of your Magic Blood instead of Lesser Power.
Now, IIRC, 1 fatigue "buys" 5 might cost. 25 levels of effect.
So, what you could do, is design a "Skin of Stone" effect that costs 5 might. You can take 1 fatigue.
I'd keep the duration at Diameter, which is enough for most fights.
Oh, Essential Trait: Tough is pretty nice, too, I like it!
So, posting this, since this is too long already, hope this'll be useful.
I am a fan of hedge magic, so I plan to have a great character and explore stuff at the same time. The character will be Curious as a personality flaw for good reason 
