Because you know you want it.
My head is swimming with all the rules.
Some are nice, like the simple letter writing exchange concept.
Big but:
I had planned a woodcrafter and puppeteer (a modified version of Jacob, whom I posted on the character sheets thread in Ars Magica).
No finesse means that rego craft magic ceases to exist (well, you wrote down substitute rules, but I don't understand them).
I am not sure I can come up with another character concept (except the treasured writer you so obviously prefer).
Maybe this is the wrong game for me after all (I better say this early on).
Hi,
Rego Craft Magic is actually better and easier. Much better.
Finesse is gone, which means that you don't need a second die roll to make that puppet or wooden thing.
Instead, a normal Rego Craft Spell can automatically make stuff that needs a total of 6. Doing lots of crafting? There's a virtue that boosts that total to 9. You can invent craft spells that boost the spell's Precision; a mere 2 magnitudes gives you another +6. So there you are, at a 15 total, without the possibility of failing or botching a Finesse roll. Another 2 magnitudes gives you a 21 Crafting total, which makes an magus quite the craftsman indeed. Try that with Finesse....
I love the crafters too. 
Anyway,
Ken
Hi,
Following up on the last post about crafting:
The canonical Mystical Carpenter (covenants pg 53) is a flexible spell, but there's a Finesse roll that is always stress, and requires a 6 for "the simplest, basic items." A season's worth of carpentry requires at least a 12, for the very simplest but labor-intensive things. More complex items are correspondingly harder. Meanwhile, the aesthetic value of the thing--for example, an intricate puppet, or an imposing wooden house--equals Intelligence + Finesse - 9. A character with a Finesse of 12 and Int +3, then, gets to create puppets with an Aesthetic Quality of 6, not even a journeyman's effort.
The kenonical Mystical Carpenter provides a crafting total of 6, whether for a day's work or a season's,and there's no penalty for magic. The Aesthetic Quality is also 6. No roll, no failure, no botch. This allows many useful things to be built, but a dedicated crafting magus isn't going to be satisfied with this spell. A level 35 version of the spell, for example, with +2 magnitudes for Precision, boosts the crafting total to 12, and also the Aesthetic Quality. A magus with better ReHe or an applicable focus might laugh at that puny level 35 spell. The sky is the limit here. But casting a high level spell is not the only way a crafting magus can boost his Craft and Aesthetic totals. The virtue Precise Magic increases his default Precision by 3, and he can take it more than once. Precise Magic is also available as a mastery ability. Flexible Formulaic Magic also allows an increase for Precision.
So a magus who might normally be thinking {Puissant Finesse, Affinity with Finesse, Cautious with Finesse, lots of xps in Finesse, I hope the SG doesn't remember that everything I make is ugly according to A&A} now has it much, much easier. These rules allow magi to create stuff that mundane artists and craftsman can only weep to think about.
I heart Hermetic crafters.
Anyway,
Ken
Magus concept:
I skipped the merinita, I just look at that as a set of interesting rules. I had no real idea of what to do with such a magus other than to become a fae and toy around with fairy magic. I am moving back to Verditius (as mentioned before I can’t help my self). The following parts am I considering for my magus:
• Metal worker, jeweller perhaps…
• A few house mysteries and perhaps some other mysteries
• Elemental magic and an interest in summoning elementals
• A desire to win the verditius magical item contest
• Find out about some nice magical secret, runes or some strange fairy magic that could be used is crafting items
• Establish his own confraternity to share his found secret and build up a power base.
• A wish to sponsor new covenants when he gets slightly older to build up a even stronger power base for his confraternity.
• Use this political power to some end… Can’t figure out what.
When it come to minor or major magical focus can I have one that allows me to craft better items. Like a minor magical focus in golden rings that increase my lab total when enchanting golden rings. I am for the moment juggling with a few ideas but I thought that it would be best to start somewhere…
Hi,
I do empathize about favoring certain kinds of magus. I canonically like Ex Misc, because I like having more virtues to work with and an excuse to take weird combinations. This is why I let all magi break the 10vf limit and take weird combinations.
A magical focus in X specifically does not help when enchanting items of type X, unless the focus covers the enchantment, in which case it applies anyway. So a focus in rings does not help random effects that happen to be enchanted into a ring. (Otherwise, the focus pretty much applies to anything an enchanter ever does, leaving little point to any other kind of magical power.)
As for figuring the end to which your magus would use that political power, may I suggest that consideration as a starting point? If you know why he wants political power, you'll also know why he wants to win the competition, establish a confraternity, and so on.
Anyway,
Ken
Shower idea:
Take two... ...Hogwarts (oooh no!!!)
Seriously, having looked at the guidelines, I've decided to go with the flow and create an Ueber-teacher jerbiton.
motivation: He had two gifted brothers who were not discovered and taught by the order in time, one went crazy and suicided, the other became a heretict and was hunted down and burned by the church. He is now the only survivng son of his very unhappy parents who want nothing to do with him.
As for family: He has a few bastards he keeps an eye on and will marry rather soon, because he believes his sperm to be particularly magic-inducing.
He would have these virtues
- free good teacher
- 1 educated
- 3 virtues to improve com to +5
- 1 skilled parens/gild training (to allow him to achieve 5 in all arts quickly)
- 3 gentle gift
- 1 some Me or Vi - focus that fits (idea still missing: ending spells, changing spells, creating memories? Reading minds? controlling minds? My favourite: improving the mind)
- 1 affinity in Me or Vi that goes with the virtue above
he would also have the following flaws:
- 3 dependants (pupils)
- 3 driven (first: get a doctor degree, then found the university of Magic)
- 1 offensive to animals
- 1 minor pious/temperate
- 1 unimaginative learner
- 1 exciting experimentation (from MoH), alternative: difficult spont. magic
Since his plan is to turn a covenant into a university, other magi migh not be too happy.
Realised that it was a hollow concept that I thought of… Great thing about writing once you put your thoughts into words you process them. I thinking this as well. Add a poor reputation inherited from the parens a blatant gift to be frowned upon by the blood family and a great deal of pride and a burning desire not only to be accepted but to be respected for his magical skills. It would be about a man’s desire to become loved and respected despite the obstacles, blatant gift, poor reputation and being a craftsman. Perhaps he would even desire to marry and start a family of his own.
My concept is based on aspects of the Magic: The Gathering Planeswalker Serra.
My maga will believe mostly in her own ability to transcend earthly bounds and be her own guiding light, not becoming pagan, but rather believing that God (as an abstraction) gave her these powers that she might become onto a divinity herself (Maybe accepting that she ranks under God, havenøt determined)
She will be focused (And here I hope I don't skirt on 'Miracles' too much) on spells that provide, healing, succor, inspiration, creativity, beauty, light and protection. (So Creo, Corpus, Mentem, splashes of Imaginem, Rego, Intellego)
She will be interested in creating her Sanctuary (Like Serra built her own plane), as a lab/mini-covenant/demi-plane thing, where she can rule as a benevolent queen over enlightened people.
She is interested in Angelology (sp?) the lore of angels, and she will probably seek to be able to summon and commune with them.
In her will be a great longing for creation, perfection and striving towards something she does not quite know what is, yet.
I am thinking more and more about making her a Criamon, as her thoughts are very unsual and almost eccentric, also I might make up a mystery cult striving towards perfection ,transcendence, refining the magical gifts or the like.
I definately see her as:
being Gentle Gifted
having Sense Holiness & Unholiness
having a very high Presence and Communication
having Sorcerous Music (like Serra's 'Song of All')
Affinities with Magic theory, Parma Magica, Her cult Lore etc.
Being Unaging.
Flaws is:
Driven
Compassionate
plagued by Angels? Or Demons?
Favours to her parens
Deficiency with Perdo?
Hi,
That's fine too. I think my crafting rules are even more generous than my teaching and reading rules, but teachers and scholars are welcome. 
So far so good. I recommend two more things to consider about his motivatation: How does this affect his personality? How does this effect the choices he makes other than his grand goal?
That's also fine. He certainly knows that the Order does not believe such things help (as is noted in the background), but given that he had two Gifted brothers, perhaps he has something special going on, or thinks he does, or might go to extreme lengths to show that he does. Or maybe a Bonisagus hinted to him that there are mystical secrets that, if he proves worthy of learning them and then sires two Gifted sons and names them for his lost brothers, they will actually have the spirits of his brothers, and even the suicide will have a second chance to avoid the damnation he has already earned?
Children, legitimate or otherwise, can be a great source of flaws and stories, ranging from children that resent him, to the obligations he feels to his children and wife (mistresses?), even to finding--to his dismay--that for some reason he isn't making any. Henry II got a lot of mileage out of his Major Story Flaw: Children.
Does your character love or treat his Gifted children better than the others?
All good, though you might want to think twice about pious or temperate; these traits tend to blunt a character who has other, deeper issues, restricting his range of action and cooling his passion. Taking dependents as a Major Flaw means that this character will go out of his way on behalf of his students, which makes sense: He has already lost his brothers and will champion promising talents.
Note that you are not limited to 10vfs.
on them. Founding and running a University is a fine plan.
Anyway,
Ken
Hi,
Well, you've certainly filled the hollow space.
This could be fun. A man might be driven to interfere with mundanes in all sorts of ways in order to prove his loyalty and devotion to his blood family. Due to his Blatant Gift and perhaps his own insecurity, this is a cup that can never be filled. Note that the (Blatant) Gift gives you social penalties with them, not the opposite. So your blood family will be quite happy to take shameless advantage of you, losing nothing from their social skills. (The example I like to think of is a beautiful maga that the lord wants to bed; her Gift in no way impedes his advance or blunts his desire to have her, except to the extent that her acting like a person rather than a resource gets in his way, and then she gets -3 to being treated with respect, being listened to, attempting to deny the lord's will without offending him.... I should probably add this to my comments about the Gift.)
Most Verditius magi respect each other, of course, as they are all crafters of some sort, in the way that Venetians don't quite buy into the whole "commerce is unworthy" thing. But a Verditius who already secretly feels inferior... Add a nice dollop of Hubris and off you go.
So far so good.
Anyway,
Ken
Hi,
A goddess in the making can be quite interesting, so long as she becomes her own character, rather than--in this case, literally--remain the 2-dimensional piece of cardboard that Serra is.
Please note that this is the first I have heard of Serra. Referring to her helps you anchor this maga, which is a good thing. But it doesn't communicate to people who do not play MtG, and do not want to.
Fine so far. Please note that this is a belief and an intention, rather than a motivation.
Two recommendations:
-
Develop motivation so that it is personal, so that her feelings about what's going on are at least as important as the beliefs. One character with this set of beliefs might declare that God has elevated her about lesser people, that just as God does things that lesser beings think is cruel, she can too. Another character with this set of beliefs might strive to disassociate from the world (though please remember that she will need to initiate stories). Another might do something else. And the emotional landscape can vary no less dramatically, ranging from resentment to anger to joy to lust.
-
If you go this route, develop your heresy. This not only gives her stuff to talk about, but will also help you decide what she wants to do in the world on her way to Divinity. Maybe she's a Criamon, maybe she's a Theurge, maybe she's part of her own version of the Cult of Heroes, maybe she's something else that you made up out of whole cloth. It also helps us get a feel for who is going to ally with and who is going to oppose her.
Oh, all of that is fine. The kind of miracles I would like to avoid are the ones where God does things. Your character is welcome to consider all of her magic miraculous, or allow other people to believe that.
Alright. She wants her own regione separate from the world?
She can start off with Sorcery as a Major Virtue, which lets her use the normal Hermetic guidelines for spirits, and Hermetic Magic does not distinguish angels from faeries or demons. She can start off with Theurgy mysteries, which lets her make pacts with spirits that, to her way of thinking, are angels. She is not limited to 10vfs, which lets her tailor her magic. Angelology would be included in her tradition's version Supernatural Lore.
There may be other approaches within these rules that I have not thought of.
Either works.
Do remember that your maga's SH&U will not yield the same results as those of a rabbi, monk and ayatollah. Having this virtue goes hand in hand with your understanding your maga's tradition.
Works fine.
All of this can work, especially if you put her personality before her power. Gods tend to have at least as much personality as people...
Anyway,
Ken
Hi,
lol I just realized something: My Parma rules allow the easy extension of Parma to random people, who then are not affected by the Gift. This won't work well on crowds, but transforms intimate social situations.
Parma is supposed to be awesome, so I'm going to keep this feature. It explains how Trianoma was able to get off a sentence before Guernicus collapsed the roof on her. But continually extending and removing Parma, will probably have some negative effects.
Anyway,
Ken
Name-depends-on-region ex Jerbiton
(part of the biography depend on the setting, so there are still holes)
Note: I’m going to stick to 10vfs – writing a character is like writing a poem – for me - there is beauty in a strict observance of form.
I’ve reduced com to +4 so I can take deft magic. Makes the magus more playable and gives him another aim (com+5).
He would have these virtues
- free good teacher
- 1 educated
- 2 virtues to improve com to +4
- 1 skilled parens
- 3 gentle gift
- 1 minor focus: improving the mind
- 1 affinity in Me or Vi that goes with the virtue above
- 1 deft mentem
he would also have the following flaws:
- 3 dependants (pupils)
- 3 driven (first: get a doctor degree, then found the university of Magic)
- 1 offensive to animals
- 1 minor ambitious
- 1 unimaginative learner
- 1 exciting experimentation
Int 2 Per 0
Sta 1 Str 0
Com 4 Pr 0
Dex 0 Qik 0
Early Childhood (years 0-5)
Folk Ken (students) 2
Charm (seduction) 2
Awareness (search) 1
Brawl (Dodge) 1
Athletics (running)
Native language (translation) 5
Childhood year 6-11: 6x15xp+50xp = 140xp
Guile (disguise) 2
Bargain (books) 2
Latin (translation) 5
Artes Liberales (Geometry) 2
Philosophy (Natural philosophy) 2
Teach (classes of more than 2) 1
Apprenticeship (60xp skills)
Artes Liberales (ritual casting) to 3
Code of Hermes (apprentices) 1
Etiquette (gifts) 1
Intrigue (nobility) 1
Leadership (students) 1
Magic Theory (Mentem) 3
Music (sing) 1
Parma Magica (Corpus) 1
Philosophy (ritual casting) to 3
Profession: Scribe (diligently) 1
Arts: 240 xp
Cr 5 In 5 Mu 5 Pe 5 Re 5
An 5 Aq 5 Au 5 Co 5 He 5 Ig 5 Im 5 Me 9 Te 5 Vi 5
Skills:
Artes Liberales (ritual casting) to 3, Athletics (running), Awareness (search) 1, Bargain (books) 2, Brawl (Dodge) 1, Charm (seduction) 2, Code of Hermes (apprentices) 1, Etiquette (gifts) 1, Folk Ken (students) 2, Guile (disguise) 2, Intrigue (nobility) 1, Latin (translation) 5, Leadership (students) 1, Magic Theory (Mentem) 3, Native language depends on saga (translation) 5, Parma Magica (Corpus) 1, Philosophy (ritual casting) to 3, Profession: Scribe (diligently) 1, Teach (classes of more than 2) 1
Spells (I've got another 150 lvls in reserve):
Disguise of the New Body (MuCo10)
This is a variety of the spell “Disguise of the new visage” that optimizes the spell (it is easier to change a body than a part of it), allowing to utterly change somebody’s appearance. My magus uses this spell to sneak into university lectures and to disguise himself as a student. It can also serve as punishment for students that are vain or distracted by carnal thoughts.
Blood of my blood (InCo10; B5, +1 touch)
This spell allows you to find out if and how you are related to a person (e.g. uncle, father, unrelated. Note: At the time marriage also made you a blood-relative of your in-laws). This spell is useful for deciding whether you should marry your fiancée, or in determining fatherhood.
Chastisement (PeCo15; B4, +2 Voice)
A clip on the ear. A classic usable both to disrupt (unless target makes Int + Concentration roll of 12+) and to improve concentration.
The Gift revealed (InVi15; B10, +1 Touch; There is a thread on the forum that says it’s B10 in Hedge Magic)
The magus learns whether a person he touches is Gifted.
Enchantment of detachment (PeMe15)
Alleviates exam stress and the symptoms of puberty.
Posing the Silent Question (InMe20)
Can be used to cheat on exams.
Practical Jokes unmasked (InVi15; HoH:TL, p. 75 Bitter taste of betrayal)
A magus is aware of magical effects that affect him. Helps against the students’ practical jokes
Call to Slumber (ReMe10)
Snap of Awakening (ReMe10)
Perception of the conflicting motives (ReMe15)
Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe20)
I was never there (PeMe5)
Loss of but a moment’s memory (PeMe15)
Fill the memory gap (CrMe15; B5, +1 eye, +1 diameter)
The target remembers sth the caster wants her to. If they spend the spell duration talking about the memory, the memory of talking about it will be implanted permanently, making it much harder to detect the missing memory even after the spell ends.
Praise the worthy student (CrMe 10; B4, +1 eye, +1 diameter)
This spell fills the target with happiness and self-satisfaction. This spell is used to motivate successful students and reinforce praise. It may be addictive in the long run (just like chocolate, it makes you feel good). It may be the most sinister spell ever created.
Catching the eye (CrMe15); MoH p. 92, A&A, p. 32
Creation of the undeserved reputation (CrMe20; HoH:S, p. 70)
Searching the haystack (ReMe20), A&A, p . 34
Singlemindedness of the concentrating wizard (ReMe25), A&A, p .34
Wind of mundane silence (PeVi20)
Equipment: belt pouch with tiny ceremonial magic kit, scholarly robes, paper and writing stuff, including a little knife for scratching the pages
Character motivation:
believes his family’s seed is more likely to create Gifted children:
- Only the stoyguide knows if that is true (he has heard of a line of Bonisagi from Durenmar practicing sex magic and wants to know more about them)
- he used to be fairly prolific, believing that “gifting” the world with gifted children was a good thing
- has 3 bastards (ages 5,6 and 8) he knows of (from 3 different women. To his horror, there may be more he doesn’t know of)
- the death of his two brothers ( just a few years ago) has made him more careful, he plans to keep an eye on his children (or rather to marry, so he has someone to keep an eye on them), and two educate them. He is pragmatic about his future wife: She must be pretty because plans to be faithful to avoid creating more children he doesn’t know of, love children (so she can keep an eye on them), and be able to keep her mouth shut about his magic (a rare quality in a woman).
His two brothers died because they were Gifted but not discovered he thinks (one heretic burned, one got crazy and killed himself)
- Distance from parents (he feels guilty for surviving)
- afraid of becoming a heretic himself (being excommunicated would be horrible for him), tries not to step
- interested in improving the human mind magically
- believes that things should be settled without emotion
- surprisingly insecure
projects:
- get a university title (he has no compunctions about cheating, he just feels he needs a degree in philosophy before he can start a university)
- learn the bloodline target to find his children
- learn sensory magic so he can cast spells on all who listen to him in class
- invent rituals that improve the human mind (to improve Com to +5)
- invent a spell that creates sharpened quills (and has no mechanical benefit in this Mythic Europe), but other Jerbitons will appreciate the decadent luxury of it.
Hi,
The region your character comes from will probably not be the region he starts in. So feel free to choose your own, from anywhere in Mythic Europe.
Up through Gauntlet, you define things, from your home region to your parens to your family. If there's a specific setting question you need to ask, having read the stuff I've posted, please let me know.
Ah. Writing a character for me is like Piers Anthony or Robert Jordan writing a trilogy..... Or Gustav Mahler writing a symphony.
Me seems more congruent and useful, but up to you.
- 1 exciting experimentation
[/quote]
I'm fine with this; which book and page?
Translation doesn't make sense for Early Childhood, since he only knows one language during this period.... Maybe something like "clear explanations" might both be more appropriate, and serve you better? However, you do have Educated, and I'd happily let you start on that education before you're 6yo, so you can start taking Latin early, and keep translation.
Also, Athletics is at 0, so doesn't get a specialization.
This is more than 60xp in skills. I count 95xp here. Am I missing something?
I notice that your Intrigue is specialized in the nobility rather than magi or academia. This is fine, just curious.
I take it that you've put the Affinity in Mentem.
How to you get 150 lvls in reserve? A journeyman magus starts with a base 120lvls and you have Good Parens, for another 30lvls. That's a total of 150.
Please repost the spell complete with guidelines, so we can refer to it on its own terms.
What is B5? Hermetic Magic will not pick up in-laws or relation through marriage; blood relations must be real blood. This is Corpus, after all. Also, everyone is in theory related, through Noah. This spell is not precise enough to pick up such fine gradations. Considers. This spell can pick up relations two degrees out, where one degree is a parent, child or sibling. So it can detect a grandchild or nephew, but not a great-grandchild, unless you learn it with better Precision, which will extend things by one degree per magnitude.
What is B4? Please post spells in the standard format, so I can review them.
By a standard format, I mean that I can see the casting parameters and everything that went into the spell, as though were in a published book. I also want to know the specific guideline, with a reference, so I can quickly get to it if I need to, but more usually say to myself "Ah, that's how it works." Spells in the rules can be referred to by name and page.
stops reviewing spells for now, both because of format and because there seem to be far too many levels of them
That's a belief, not a motivation. The deepest part of motivation continues even if the character loses his Gift, or achieves every one of his goals.
smile That certainly gives him something to find out! slow grin And something to mix nicely with his piety... Oh wait, that's been deprecated. I'm sure there are magi who do engage in sex magic.
No passion in it for him, though?
Why horror?
That's what Mentem magic is for. /2
This stuff is good. It needs one more thing, though: Tying the goals to motivation. His goals are teaching, starting a university, making kids with the Gift, improving the mind magically. His motivations are survivor's guilt, fear of excommunication (of being outcast from the community? of going to hell?), and personal insecurity. The two are not as connected as tightly as they might be.
With no OoH Lore Ability that I noticed, he has no clue about where to begin, beyond "ask a Bonisagus about it and get told you're not ready."
See above. Without OoH Lore, a character doesn't really know what's going on in the Order beyond his horizon, from the more prevalent mysteries to the prevailing currents at Tribunal.
The mechanical benefit is that he starts to build a reputation among magi as a magus who appreciates fine things. When they pull out a penknife they may have forgotten to sharpen but he pulls out his fingers, they will notice. A magus with such a reputation is more likely to get invited to a week of fine food and conversation, and less likely to get invited to help chase a sorcerer through the marshes during the autumn rain....
Anyway,
Ken
Well, guys, then we will just have to spread our characters out so someone speaks the language. I'll base my character in Castile (because there is a university), and so he can keep his language focus on translation (I'll age him another year in childhood, so he gets Arabic (translation), too and shift charm(seduction) to childhood (more appropriate anyway)
)
Exciting experimentation is from MoH, the chapter with the crazy Bonisagus labrat, I'll insert page when I'm home), Edit: MoH: p. 26 (suggestion: this could affect the self-made starting spells, although a decent aura and the owl as a lab assistant probably made experimentation superfluous)
Indeed. You are missing the word "to". Increasing childhood Philosophy and Artes Liberales is cheaper than starting them from scratch.
The character's master was a nobleman, not an academic. It's less useful for the character, but it fits better.
Mentem affinity, deft mentem. Minor focus mentem (improving the mind)
I meant: When I was sitting at home, I found 300 lvls of spells appropriate for this character, but I only get to choose 150 lvls [skilled parens] (so if you disallow some spell, I have others left to fill the gap.
MuCo10 (B5, +1 touch)
By the way B stands for Base - which I thought was obvious, but obviously it wasn't
Whatever. Who cares what the Pope thinks.The spell is useless anyways. Just there to add colour. Your spell description works for me.
JM stops here: has got work to do
As I said, "b" stands for base. You are right I failed to delete some surplus spells. Here comes the shortened list. I will not list pages and for spells in ArM5 vanilla, but there is a reference for the others.
Spells (150lvls):
- Chastisement (PeCo15; B4, +2 Voice, self-made)
A clip on the ear. A classic usable both to disrupt (unless target makes Int + Concentration roll of 12+) and to improve concentration. - Catching the eye (CrMe15); MoH p. 92, A&A, p. 32
- Praise the worthy student (CrMe 15; B4, +2 voice, +1 diameter, self-made)
This spell fills the target with happiness and self-satisfaction. This spell is used to motivate successful students and reinforce praise. It may be addictive in the long run (just like chocolate, it makes you feel good). It may be the most sinister spell ever created. - Posing the Silent Question (InMe20)
Can be used to cheat on exams. - Enchantment of detachment (PeMe15)
Alleviates exam stress and the symptoms of puberty. - Perception of the conflicting motives (ReMe15)
- Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe20)
- Searching the haystack (ReMe20), A&A, p . 34
Usable to read long forum threads or find information in a book comfortably, too. - The Gift revealed (InVi15; B10, +1 Touch; There is a thread on the forum that says it’s B10 in Hedge Magic)
The magus learns whether a person he touches is Gifted. - Practical Jokes unmasked (InVi15; HoH:TL, p. 75 Bitter taste of betrayal)
A magus is aware of magical effects that affect him. Helps against the students’ practical jokes
Claudio's motivation:
I am not even sure about my motivation for doing things (I'd say: I like to do it? So I get the means to do what I like?), let alone my character's motivation, but I'll try.
Having seen two of his brothers die horribly (and knowing that they are in hell now), Claudio is convinced that he can save his soul by saving the souls of Gifted Children. Saving the souls of children takes the form of guiding them into adulthood. That is also why he tries to keep an eye on his bastards. He doesn't realize that he is really trying to bring his brothers back (speaking from Freudian depths). When he fathered his bastards, his brothers were still alive. He hadn't realized yet what he was doing. Only when they died (something like about 5 years into his apprenticeship), did he realize that he was creating children that might suffer the same fate. This reduced the appeal of carnal lust a lot. Thinking that other children of his youth might be out there (headed for hell) weighs heavily on his conscience.
How should he know much about the order? His parens prefered partying. He is naive about the order.
He will have to discover that you can't just walk in and say: Let's found a university. Teach me a bunch of virtues. Overcoming these obstacles will take time and effort.
This is a first draft.
Archibaldus Ex Verditius
Int +3 Per 0 Pre -1 Com 0
Str 0 Sta 0 Dex +2 Qui -1
Age: 26 (26) – 0 years of off apprenticeship
Warping: 0
Virtues 16p
3 Automata
3 Elementalist
1 Hermetic numerology
1 Hermetic geometry
1 Hermetic architecture
1 Affinity with Creo
1 Affinity with Rego
1 Veditius elder runes
1 Items of quality
1 Enchant casting tools
1 Affinity with metal working
1 Puissant metal working
Flaws: 16pts
-3 Blatant gift
-3 Low self esteem
-3 Weak spontaneous magic
-3 Dependents
-1 Difficult spontaneous magic
-1 Proud
-1 Ambitious
-1 Infamous master
0-5 years Childhood
Abilities/score/speciality
Charm / 2 / First impression
Folk ken / 2 / Magi
Guile / 2 / Lying to authorities
Flemish / 5 / Storytelling
6-10 years Before apprenticeship 60xp
Metalworking / 4 +2 /
Metalworker’s guild lore / 1 / Antwerp
Brawl / 1 / Fist
Awareness / 1 / Ambush
Bargain / 1 / Magical item’s (speciality acquired later)
Intrigue / 1 / Plotting
11-26 years Apprenticeship 130xp
Artes liberates/1/ Rhetoric
Code of hermes/1/ Rihne tribunal
Concentration/1/ Spell casting
Etiquette/1/ Magi
Supernatural lore/1/ veriditus
Latin / 4 / Hermetic use
Leadership/1/ Forge companions
Magic theory/3 / Enchanting items
Parma magica/1/ Mentem
Pentration/1/ Mentem
Philosophiae/1/ Verditius runes
Rihne tribunal lore/1/ Covenants
Arts 110xp
Cr 8 In 3 Mu 3 Pe 3 Re 8
An 0 Au 3 Aq 3 Co 0 He 0
Ig 3 Im 0 Me 3 Te 4 Vi 4
Spells / TeFo/ Level / Bonus / Mastery / Mastery score / Page reference
Fragile Lantern / CrIg / 10 / +11 / 0 / - / spellswiki.wikidot.com/creo-ignem
Sorcerer’s Bolt of Flame / CrIg / 10 / +11 / 0 / - / spellswiki.wikidot.com/creo-ignem
Air’s ghostly form / CrAu / 5 / +11 / 0 / - / ArM5 p. 125
Mefits foul odours / MuAu / 5 / +11 / 0 / - / *
Invisibility of the traversing wizard / PeIm / 10 / +3 / 0 / - / **
Command the living earth / ReTe / 20 / +12 / 0 / - / ***
Words of the unbroken silence / CrMe / 10 / +11 / 0 / - / ArM5 p. 148
Trust of childlike faith / PeMe / 10 / +7 / 0 / - / ArM5 p. 150
Jupiter’s boon / ReCo / 10 / +8 / 0 / - / ****
Look at me / CrMe / 15 / +11 / 0 / - / A&A p. 32
Trivia’s unravelling of the wizards craft / PeVi / 15 / +7 / 0 / - / *****
- Change a mist into gas that damages. Base 3 (+3 damage) + 1 touch + 1 concentration; total level 5, as guideline ArM5 p. 127.
** As Veil of invisibility ArM5 p. 146 but with R: Per D: Diam. Thus lv. 10
*** As Command the Living flame but for earth elementals RoP:M p. 133.
**** Gives the magus the ability to move through the air with the same speed as smoke that rises. ReCo Base 5, R: Per. D: Conc. T: Ind. ; total level 10. Guideline ArM5 p. 134
***** Dispel any magical effect that the spell target. PeVi General guideline ArM5 p. 160, max spell level that can be dispelled is 15. Base 5 + 2 voice range; total level 15
Equipment
Wizardly robes and tools.
Appearance
Dark brown hair and a well kept beard beard. He has a average build and small scar above his left eye.
Background
More details to come…
- Born
- Grew up, father wealthy gold smith
- As his uncle where a Verditius forge companion he was quickly noticed when his blatant gift emerged.
- Apprenticed
- Out of apprenticeship
Hi,
Hmm. From your original post:
So far so good.
This section contains 170xp, rather than 140.
And this section adds a further 95xp.
There's an extra 65xp lurking about, all told.
I understand. It might prove useful.
Ahhh. That's clever. considers On the next pass, if you submit the spells in the order you want them, I can review until I reach 150 levels.
Let's see. There are a few patriarchs, imam, mullahs, rabbis, ayatollahs, perfecti and others out there who do not care what the pope thinks.
Popes come and go, but the wisdom of Bonisagus endures.
Anyway,
Ken
Hi,
This is definitely fine, even though it will be decades before some of these virtues are useful to him, and other virtues might suit him better during his first 75 years.... but who am I to say that his lineage doesn't firmly believe in sending a journeyman magus into the world fully prepared? By 'metal working,' am I correct to assume that you mean stuff like making goblets or scepters, and not everything from gold rings to chainmail to greatswords?
(And Verditius Magic, of course, for a 17th virtue point. 
)
I like the tension between proud+ambitious on the one hand, and low self-esteem on the other. Definitely some struggles ahead.
Perhaps people noticed even early on that his work had special qualities, and he learned to leverage the one thing that people tolerated about him.
[/quote]
Everything adds up and fits; I notice lots of Arts 3 and 4, but that's ok.
Thanks for making this easy for me to understand. Please make a section for the new spells, with name, parameters and the description you want it to have; as your character develops and perhaps merges his spells in with those of other magi, we will start to run out of asterisks.
considers We're not playing with the elemental guidelines in RoP:M.
The secrets of controlling the spirits of matter are part of the perilous but powerful secrets of Sorcery. If such a being manifests a true physical form, thereby becoming part of the physical rather than spiritual world, it can be dealt with either using Mentem (to deal with its mind if it is intelligent), or its Form, in the same way that animals are dealt with using Animal, grabbing the guidelines you want.
Please pick a different spell.
On the positive side, the spell you create will effect all beings whose Form is Terram, whatever the source of their Might, in the same way a ReAn spell affects fish and birds and beasts and puppies.
Note that spell description notwithstanding, this spell is not always able to cause eye contact: Mild hilarity ensues when this is cast at someone seen at a great distance, or by an invisible wizard....
Technically, (25 + die)/2. I'm fine with your version being a flat 15. In this case, the benefits of consistency and that of being able to roll up balance.... and make life easier.
Anyway,
Ken