OOC: Building the Tribunal Field

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: In the Ruins of Bibracte
1

Attempting to separate the Tribunal craft efforts from the Table Talk thread, since it seems some players are not interested in the ongoing discussion of details. I'm hoping that specific examples of the approach I'm envisioning can get us generating target numbers and times involved and still talking about the ReCraft stuff.

I particularly like the idea of using the mundane skill break up the year long task into discrete parts. I think Fixer had an idea like this earlier as well.

I am assuming that what makes the mountain peak next door so suitable is that it has space and raw materials, including construction grade stone. Possibly, the primary quarrying site might even end up being the Colosseum.

Step 1: Build a bridge connecting the two mountains.

(Henceforth, I'm using Proj to refer to Hermetic Projects.)

The Foundation Stone, ReTe 29
Base 3, +1 Stone, Personal, +2 Sun, +3 Structure, +4lvls always on
(based on Proj pg41 : The Flying Buttress)
A ReTe foundation stone which, once placed and activated, will not move from its spot in midair, and can support tremendous weight. Depending on the distance between the covenant and the Field, we may need more than one of these. (Flying Buttress is Individual, Size+3. With the Personal/Structure, the Foundation Stone adds supernatural structural stability to the entire structure it is a part of.)

Place these stones at regular intervals to act as foundation stones for the bridge. Have Theraphosa weave support lines between these pillars, forming the underlying support structure of the bridge.

Magic the stone onto the silk. Take extra care that the foundation stones are not visible or accessible once the construction is complete, since their activation requires touch and command. Since the enchantment effects the entire structure, and the particular stone is not visible, it will be hard to disenchant or attack.

So, based on this project concept, and whatever visual is selected for appearance in the Tribunal thread, what are the numbers involved?

2

Path building spell:

Base design error: Rego Craft is Base 2, +1 for Stone.
Based on the discussion we've had since then, let's shift the +1 Conc over to +1 Part.

So that's Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Part, +1 Stone = ReTe 5, and since it's a spont, she doesn't need to add in +1 flexibilty, since each spont is tailor-crafted to the particular terrain she's crafting.

Aura 5, Terram 15, Affinity w/ Terram +3 = 23

Spring - Rego 15xp/5 (starts with) = 28
Summer: Rego 30xp/7 (ends with) = 30
Fall: Rego 45xp/9 = 32
Winter: Rego 60 (10) = 33

Artes Liberales 1 + Philosophiae 4 = 5

So, for the Spring, she'll be building paths using ceremonial, non-fatiguing sponts (28 + 5= 33/5 > 5), spending 15 minutes with each casting. Starting the summer season, she'll be building paths as non-fatiguing sponts. Between Theraphosa and Vin, she should be able to survive any botched finesse rolls.

Here's the tricky part: since she spends the spring season studying the Area Lore, that's when she's supposed to be doing the most traveling.

Do you want me to roll the Finesse rolls on these paths? At what point is the terrain well-shaped enough that she can safely start distilling vis?

3

JL, how does the 1222 negotiations for spells/texts/tomes pertinent to the Tribunal project go?

From seasonal activities, I specified that Viscaria's spent the year sending out inquiries. From the Tribunal Prep thread, we were talking about the following list:

Lab Texts (Spells or Enchanted Items) to Create/Acquire,
NOTE: Color coded blocks are sets of spells I'm hoping to find as a greater device collection.

  • Buildings, Rooms, Doors, Furniture, etc. (moon duration or permanent. Optimized.)
    [list]
    [*][strike]The Baroque Peasant Hut Creo Terram 25 by Viscaria[/strike]

  • Quarters for the Visiting Guest CrHe 25

  • A Spell to make and install a door Cr(Re)He 20

  • Furnishing the Empty Room CrHe 15
    Rego Craft Spells

  • The Phantom Mason ReTe 15 (as Phantom Blacksmith, Cov 51, only Stone and not metal)

  • The Mystical Carpenter ReHe25

  • The Invisible Glass Worker ReTe4

  • [strike]Burrowfingers PeTe 20 by Viscaria[/strike]
    [/:m]
    [    ] Lamp Lighters
    (base 3 +1 touch +2 ring +10 unlimited = CrIg20),
    Hearth-Starters
    (base 4 +1 touch +2 ring +10 unlimited = CrIg25)[/:m]
    [    ] [strike]Magic to scry on the tourney field with[/strike][/:m]
    [    ] Roman Bath Magics (Viscaria ends up jury-rigging some circle/ring spells to do this, but she still went looking for the spells)
    [strike]The Fountain's Constant Motion ReAq19 (Base 4 + 1 Touch +2 Sun +4 Always on)
    Test The Waters InIg 9 (Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +4 always on),
    Heat the Waters CrIg23 (Base 3 +1 Touch +1 Conc +5 item concentrates +10 unlimited +3 linked to Test the Waters),
    (Not sure if it's possible to find a lab text that creates this in a single season.)[/:m]
    [    ] sewage and refuse management
    Suggested: An Efficient System of Composting, ReCo(An)(He) 60
    (PeCo/An/He to destroy or Re to transport to a composting area)[/:m]
    [    ] Vitalizer of Provisions CrAn/He 19
    (Cov 52, CrAn/He 19 for Group, which is same target as Room)
    Large Food Preservation objects, room enchantments, etc [/:m]
    [    ] Precious stone/metal/gem dowsing rod for all this construction (any InTe spells/devices we can get ahold of, really)[/:m]
    [    ] Stone Cutting Knife (ReTe15)(Covenants)
    Enchanted Porter (ReTe15)(Covenants), ReTe20 for unlimited uses
    Shape The Supporting Pillar
    (ReTe 3 +1 Stone, +1 Touch, +5 50 uses/day = ReTe10) (Turns a cut stone into a pillar for mining support)[/:m]
    [    ]The Foundation Stone
    (see above) ReTe29
    for bridge building[/:m]
    [    ] Ward Spells and items

  • [strike]Ward Against Heat and Flame(spell)[/strike]

  • [strike]Ward Against Mundane Intrusions (Covenants 104)(spell)[/strike]

  • Ward Against Heat and Flame(device LT)

  • Ward Against Mundane Intrusions (Covenants 104)(device LT)

  • Demon Wards (spells and device enchantments texts)

  • Faerie Wards? (spells and device enchantments texts)

  • Mundane Human wards (spells and device enchantments texts)
    [/*:m][/list:u]

Purchases to Make

  • furniture - bed, table, chairs?
  • doors
  • food?
  • Marble for baths
  • Prizes for the A&S competition - Items of Quality, perhaps? Commemorative statues?

Books

  • Journals or any other easily available material regarding other covenant's experiences hosting Tribunals, both locally and from other regions.
  • Legal texts pertaining to hosting a Tribunal
  • Books on Roman architecture and city planning (ie, De Architectura, or a lesser copy)
  • any books we can find on Bibracate itself
  • books on Finesse
4

(added some books and wards, updated and sorted in a new way)

5

Given the number of apprentices that have appeared at Mons Electi, Viscaria will also try to round out the bargaining process with as many low-magnitude spell texts (and enchantment lab texts) as she can get.

6

Given the new lab totals after a year studying Rego and her familiar pumping the lab, she could now make this from a Lab Text.

7

Trying to put all the spell descriptions that we're looking to buy in a single place for JL's convenience.

8

I just recalled that the Tribunal happens in 1227.2, since the Grand Tribunal is happening in 1228.2.

Viscaria is going to need some help getting everything done, then.

As things stand now, there'll be either a 4 or 8 person team quarrying rocks for the Colloseum and Roman Bath (either 4 greater devices or 12 smaller ones), and they'll be starting that project in 1223. Somebody who actually has high Finesse will need to learn the appropriate ReTe craft spell to polish them up (again, JL has indicated he has a plan for getting Viscaria that, but she wouldn't be able to plan around that option). Presumably, this will be enough.

As my production plans currently run, we're only going to have one device to light candles and fireplaces for everyone, and three devices for keeping a room's worth of food fresh. I suppose we could leave it all up to the individual magi to take care of themselves...

Unless we locate a Lab Text that gives us heated baths in a single Te/Fo combo, I'm not going to be able to do it. The way I have it written out right now would be 3 seasons worth of work, and I don't have it. I could do something pretty easy with some circle/ring spells and a pipe....~writes that in~

Also, if someone else could be in charge of worrying about wards and other security aspects of the Tribunal event? Then maybe I could actually make some of the magic bridges so people can actually get there.

Locations

  1. Coliseum - that seats 200-300, has loading docks - PERMANENT?
  • Falconball court
  • joust / list field
  • Tournament field
  • Main Tribunal Hall
  • fighting pit
  1. Roman Villas x15 - Moon Duration? 1 Permanent?
  • 9-13 Normandy Covenants
  • other Covenants 2-6
  1. Roman Style Baths -PERMANENT (with circle/ring spells in pipes and levers to control temperature)
  2. Small vendor Booths - Merchants responsibility
  3. Building for Arts and Exhibitions - Moon Duration?
  4. Residence Hall for 30 x 3 - Moon Duration?
9

JL, could you please rule on at least some of the items on this list: https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/ooc-building-the-tribunal-field/6744/1

And possibly tell us what the book on running a Tribunal is?

10

The CrTe versions of these spells work out to be the same, since Create Stone and Create Unnatural Wood Shapes are both Base 3.

11

The Tribunal Book is a pair of tractatus, a Q15 Etiquette and a Q15 Normandy Tribunal Lore.

12

Normandy Tribunal Lore is different from OoHLore?

13

Similar, but different. Order of Hermes Lore covers order-wide information, tradition, people, stuff like that. Normandy Tribunal is more along the lines of stuff that's specific to the Tribunal, like seisins, tropea, vis ownership (or lack thereof), the weird traditions that Normandy has, stuff like that.

14

The enchantment in Cov is Base 2. Fiddling a bit, I come up with this:

  1. GL 2 + 1 Touch + 2 Ring + 2 Room + 5 24 uses/day = 20

Alternatively, if Ring doesn't work here,
2) GL 2 + 1 Touch + 3 Moon + 2 Room + 5 24 uses/day = 25

Or, just for fun....
3) GL 2 + 1 Touch + 3 Moon + 2 Room = 20 vs a Lab Total of (at least) 65 = 9 charges (would that be enough?)

Option 3 doesn't require a lab text. I could make either option 1 or 2 without a lab text, but I'm wondering if either of these are in the package of texts waiting for us at Confluensis.

15

Current estimates on the Viscaria's vis-usage, primarily for Tribunal-related enchantments:

Assumes Lab Texts for:
Stone Cutter (ReTe15), Enchanted Porter(ReTe15), Shape The Supporting Pillar (ReTe10) as elements of a Greater Device,
The Foundation Stone ReTe29,
Lamp Lighter (base 3 +1 touch +2 ring +10 unlimited = CrIg20),
Hearth-Starter (base 4 +1 touch +2 ring +10 unlimited = CrIg25).
the Sewage/Refuse management spell
the Food Preservation spell

1223:
Autumn: The Quarryman’s Ring(5/6) x2, ((2+2+1)x2=10 ReTe vis needed)
Winter: The Quarryman’s Ring(5/6) x2. (10 ReTe vis needed, as above)
(plus 24 Vim vis to open them)

1224
Spring: The Foundation Stone ReTe 29 (x2 or x3) (3+3(+3)=6/9 ReTe, depending if Lab Text is available)
NOTE: The number of Foundation Stones = the number of bridges that lead to entrances. How many do we want?

1225
Spring: PERSONAL : Attune Talisman with 12 Vim Vis
Summer: Labwork (Sewage Spell) with Apprentices help : NEED DETAILS. ReCo/An/He vis? Possibly 6?
Autumn: PERSONAL Enchant Familiar - Mental Communication (CrMe 15) (Needs 2 CrMe vis)
Winter: Lamplighter wand(5/6) - CrIg vis (2+3+ 2 personal)

  • 6 vim vis to open

1226
Autumn: Food Preservation wand(3/6) CrAn(He) 25
NEED 3 CrAn + 3 personal*)

  • 6 vim vis to open
  • I can only think of one thing that I could use my remaining CrAn(He) lab total to enchant. What is the base level to conjure a waterproof animal-hide tent with wooden poles, anyway?

Tangent: This 4-person quarry team can continue to exist well after the tribunal needs are met, to help rebuild the wall, build guard houses, etc.

Tangent: I'm thinking that guests will be responsible for keeping their rooms lit and warm, but we can do it for them for a small fee.

I'm assuming that the Covenant will not want to pay her to open all these devices and instead suggest that each spell be made into a separate device, in which case she'll use her Alchemy to do it anyway (growing Hubris). Her Vis Extraction totals are high enough that she can also use extract vis to cover her personal enchanting needs (although this is slightly inefficient --she harvests only 2 of any form besides Terram and Vim).

During this period, she can also harvest another 21 pawns of Terram or Vim, which she'd like to trade in to our stores to balance things out (preferably for Cr, Re). Possibly also for some Me, if the covenant decides that her plans for that magi's body is a personal project for her.

After much personal debate, I've decided that she will NOT be skimming ReTe vis off the top and substituting Fatigue levels. She's definitely learned that this would be a stupid thing to do by now.

16

The enchantment in Cov is Base 2. Fiddling a bit, I come up with this:

  1. GL 2 + 1 Touch + 2 Ring + 2 Room + 5 24 uses/day = 20
    [/quote]
    If we go for this, how many do you need? This should be ritually spontable by Isen, which should spare some vis. He'll be glad to help. Grumpily glad.
17

Does Theraphosa want us to throw in a Corpus requisite too?

Also, even though it's the same cost, wouldn't Group be more appropriate than Room for victuals you're placing inside the ring? (which I'm assuming is a barrel?)

For that matter, how about making it R: Touch (+1), D: Sun (+2), T: Group (+2), for an effect level of 15. Then throw in Environmental Trigger (+3) and three uses a day (+2) to get it to an enchantment level of 20, or drop the environmental trigger, give it 24 uses a day (+5) for an enchantment level of 20 (and we just have to make sure that the kitchen staff knows to use the trigger phrase every time they put something in it, and again at sunrise/sunset).

18

Apparently, my previous post never went through.

I haven't spent much time thinking about Theraphosa's corpus-eating habits until now. I suppose she certainly has had human flesh in the past, as a cave-siren (since I didn't give her any fatigue-stealing powers). But I don't know that its come into play or is generally well-known. It's not the sort of thing Thera would mention, and I doubt that Viscaria thought it through.

I designed the spell to be target Room so that one wand could enchant many rooms to preserve food. Does the food have to be in the Room when you cast the spell?

19

Looking at the spell, the numbers don't quite match the fluff text. The numbers say that it's usable twice a day, with an environmental trigger (I'm assuming sunrise & sunset). So, it would work on whatever's in the room at sunrise and sunset, and anything placed in the room between the triggers would rot normally until the spell was cast again, at which time it would stop. I think.

20

I suppose I'm fine with that. Unless someone has a better idea?

We also have the question of how many places we need to cast it at, and whether or not Isen could do it for us.