THis thread is for ouut of character discussion on character creation
Remember characters should be age 27 when they finish apprenticeship. In this way no one starts off with an unsportsmanlike advantage.
I think I'm in! This is just an easily ignored test post.
Thank you moderator.
Matt
Hi,
Ok, two character concepts so far. First is loosely based off of Harry Dresden (from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books). Good Creo, Major focus on arcane connections, compassionate, and distrusted by the order. He'd be hard pressed to not to treat things like the infestation as more than a personal problem, and would generally feel responsible for the community as a whole.
Second concept comes from an old 4th edition character, Picaro Balbi. Bjornaer, with a boar heartbeast. Good Creo, good Muto, and generally larger than life. Specializations include dirty jokes in Tuscan, and dirtier jokes in Latin. He tends to get into a lot of trouble, and then blunder his way out. His usual approach to problems would be to make them worse, before finding a way to make them better.
A couple other ideas I'm playing with; a Criamon hoplite, a Dominion-tolerant Jerbiton, a Jewish Guernican with strong mundane ties to the mercantile / trading / banking community.
Any thoughts? I'd like to find ways to link what happens in the lab to the life of the covenant. While I recognize we won't be doing conversation posts, part of a Magus' capabilities come from the well-being and dynamic of the covenant - it's resources, place in the tribunal, relations with the mundanes etc. I'm interested in developing a character that uses these relationships to "leverage" his work as a researcher / inventer.
FMB
Actually I thought to open up three threads for every event. One for rules questions and discussion , one for posting your progress and final plans, and a third for in character boasting, and scheming.
Okay, I'll hold off on posting until you've started the three distinct threads.
The only thing I know for certain is that my magus will be named, Xpofer, which is Christopher in written Latin. "X" is a typical medieval shortcut for Christ (Xmas, for example). He's a Bonisagus Bonisagi (a researcher) with Mythic Blood, and I need to discuss options for my ideas of his inherited magical ability.
Matt
I was thinking that we could do character creation in these two threads for characters immediately post apprenticeship and then I would open up the three threads for ages 27-43.
Ah, okay.
I want Xpofer to have Mythic Blood, a descendend of the various Irish heroes who could Warp Spasm (Cuchulainn being the most famous, but not only transformer). In legends, the transformer takes on a horrible appearance and gains great strength, stamina, and martial prowess. I want Xpofer to suffer Warp Spasms more than benefit from them, and they will come up in the narratives more than the lab work.
I've got 30 levels to work with (ArM5, 47). I'm hoping that the grotesque appearance can be a cosmetic effect and have no bearing on the feat's spell level. I'd like to have him grow stronger, but even going from a Str -1 to Str 0 is a base level 30 CrCo. Such a feat would last for only a moment. I could make him grow larger, fairly easily, and that would legally work, but it kind of lacks flavor.
What I'd really like, and there are no rules to provide for this, is to have his Int swap with his Str during a Warp Spasm, and have the WS be slightly uncontrollabe, based on a personality check (which again, would manifest in narrations). He'll most likely have a +4 Int and a fairly low (-2) Str. I'd be happy to package this with other Flaws (maybe Greater or Lesser Malediction) to achieve this. I'd even be happy with not letting him invoke it at will, as is common with Mythic Blood feats, but really suffer it as a consequence when it is most undesired.
So, it sounds a little like the Hulk, but I'm not aiming it in that direction. No Marvel jumping hundreds of miles through the air or rampaging cities because he stubbed his toe.
Finally, I'm not married to this idea, but would like your comments.
Matt
Hi,
Take a look at the berserk virtue. Have your mythic blood be a MuIn effect that transforms the character's appearence into Spasm form, and then balance it with a malediction that the MuIn effect only occurs when the character berserks.
FMB
Well, there is always an option, depending on your SG of course of making a virtue into a flaw. For this case I might suggest modifying Feat of Strength into an involuntary Flaw. In this way you could choose some mythical Stamina effect which would trigger the Flaw, i.e. If wounded or enraged, the Flaw kicks in with accompanying grotesquery (as described).
It would allow you to use youe mythic power oft times as a positive thing with the potential for SG wickedness when it suits his story and purpose.
That's probably OK (withholding final judgement)
The creo guidelines are as high as they need to account for the possibility of momentary permanent rituals.
You should do it as muto
Muto Corpus (mentem) range personal duration diameter target individual
base 10 (I figure that it's no harder than turning into a land animal) +1 magnitude for duration comes to level 15. that gives you 15 levels to play with as you'd like.
If I can set this as a MuCo base 10, which is very kind of you, I'd feel better adding a magnitude because of the Mentem requisite. Adding 2 magnitudes for Sun Duration gives me a level 25 effect so far. I'm happy with that, and Xpofer will only have to speak to invoke the change, or, if you think the cosmetic appearance changes should add a magnitude for complexity, I'm fine with taking it at level 30.
Matt
Hi,
Just wondered about the aura of the covenant in which we operate.
FMB
I'm going to be out of town next week on business. I don't have a laptop to take with me so I won't be checking in. I'll get things set up for the apprentice to age 43 event before I leave. I'd want at least one more character ready before I do so though. Mr. Monkey's character is fine (I'll get back to you on the PM). Mr. Squirrel I'm not happy with your stone puppet spell but I think that you've given me your thoughts on the issue and the ball is in my court for now. In any case you're fine to go as well (we'll find some way to come to agreement on the spell later).
I'd like to send groups through the character development stage in groups of at least three because you’ll probably want to trade books with one another.
On the subject of trading: On one hand I'd like to see an attitude of genteel manners and good sportsmanship develop in the game. On the other hand if this goes too far everyone will have free access to everyone else's library and with six players that's a heck of a deep selection of books.
My suggestion is that no true competitor would allow themselves to gain an unfair advantage by piggybacking on the strength of someone else's library. How could a true competitor even say that their accomplishments are sufficiently due their own efforts to deserve the accolades which they gather if these accomplishments were created only by heavy use of charity from other more established wizards? Therefore it would be unconscionable to receive help from a fellow competitor without making an exchange. It would be a futile effort to try and delineate the bounds of what would constitute acceptable recompense as the value of materials and services is entirely dependant on one's personal situation. But it would be in poor form to lend one of your fellow competitors assistance without receiving something in return. Think about their pride after all, these are wizards, not beggars.
I'd like the wizard's actions for the first event set out in three posts: years 1-5, years 6-10 and years 11-16. I'll try to post an example before I go.
In the mean time, at least one more character would be great.
Hi,
If anyone is interested, Harald will be available in the second 5-year period to produce longevity rituals for other participants (i.e., with a CrCo lab total of 30+,). Vis costs to be assumed by the recipient of the potion. I'm interested in trading for an equivalent amount of time in lab, plus some sort of incentive, whether vis, lab texts, books, etc., to be negotated on a case-by-case basis.
Wow, you must have vis to spare if you're making longevity rituals. I'm just calculating Year 5, with only six pawns, 4 of which I'm planning to pour into the income boosting device.
A very kind offer, Harald.
Matt
Hi,
Um, re-read the post 
Harald will do the the ritual, but you'll need to supply your own vis.
FMB
No, I understand you completely. I'm just saying that you must have a lot of vis for your longevity ritual. I seem to be tight with my vis allowance.
Matt
It's doubtful. I'll probably have a CrCo lab total over 30 by the end of three years or so.
I'm going to wait until I've posted my first five years to make similar offers just to make sure I know where I am. I'll spend much of the first five years studying, preparing my lab, and the like.
- Amadeus (Chris)
Do you round up or down when you end up with a 0.5 using an affinity?