Any effects a Hermetic caster can put on a beast to protect them from Might stripping by PeVi spells? Whether in the form of an item or a direct effect or whatever? Let's say you want to protect your Familiar during a Wizard's War, or you have an ally you want to help keep safe when not in your presence. There aren't specific guidelines as far as I can tell, but it seems like it wouldn't be impossible. What are your thoughts?
An aegis?
As in, "of the Hearth?" That's not really what I'm looking for, though it certainly does its part when the one you're protecting is in the right place.
Some sagas would allow an invested item with a InVi and a linked trigger Unravelling the Form of Vim to be used as a counterspell. Others will either rule this requires fast casting (not available as far as I know in an item) while others will rule the linked spell will go off the next round. Ask your storyteller which applies in your saga.
Ideas for protection during a wizard's war:
- familiar stays within the aegis of a neutral covenant (attacking that covenant is a high crime)
- invisible familiar (especially good with birds), or another illusion
- familiar that is teleported far, far away (to Mecca, because the aura makes spellcasting rather challenging)
- familiar's size is increased
- conducting war by invisible tunnel spells (quick and very deadly, requires Arcane connection)
I'd be inclined to allow Fast Trigger (HoH:Societates) to work as a fast cast or allow fast casting from a device.
Attacking the familiar is not. So this only makes sense if the Aegis is more powerful. Further, magi can't really intervene on behalf of the familiar for risk of interfering in a Wizard's War. I'm sure some Quaesitor would be interested in making some new law here.
Voice range spells can still affect it so long as it is perceived, somehow. And having an AC to the familiar (more to come), well...
Of course, it can be dispatched by mundane means by hirelings, when it's weakened in an adverse aura, since it can't activate its powers.
Is meaningless to PeVi spells. Would only apply to animals spells which would harm it, and it would have to be larger than a pony, then. Which creates another set of problems.
This last one got me thinking. Since all's fair in Wizard's War, it could be that the purpose of the War is not to kill the other magus but to kill the familiar, and weaken the magus. So, kidnap the magus and use him as the AC to the familiar, should he be accessible.
Also, to the OP, moving the creature to the Magic Realm or Arcadia is another option. But, to your original question, I don't think there are any canonical effects a Hermetic magus can put onto a beast to make it less susceptible to might strippers. And then there's the issue of whether might strippers are desired, since you're effectively destroying vis, which magi are reluctant to do...
Linked triggers by necessity in canon must be able to trigger in the same round. Otherwise there are canonical linked triggers that violate other rules, such as MuVi on already finished spells.
Another handy thing would be to improve your Parma Magica. It helps you and, if you're extending it to your familiar, it helps your familiar, too. That's not quite the same. I would still go with the linked trigger thing for a suggestion. But it is something that could help.
Hermetic Spont/Formulaic/Ritual magic is really bad at warding vs specific direct magic. I think it is rival magic that introduces the concept of the limit of Magic registance that is bended by the Parma & the Aegis of the Hearth.
There are two "uncharted' avenues I'd pursue with the troupes accord. You can ward vs elements using ReFo. Not too much of a strech to ward vs specific effects such as malign corpus vis ReCo or in your case, ward vs malign might effects using a ReVi
Ward Vs Malign Touch of the Essence
ReVi 30 T | Sun | Ind - Base 30 - Protects a magical creature from malign effects that would target his might score and or pool so long as the effects is of level 30 or less.
The other avenue involves warding a specific creature, in this case, a hermetic Magus.
Circle Ward Vs The Hermetic Heretic
ReMe(Vi) 25 T | Ring | Circle - Base 20, +1 memtem ward - If the ward penetrates the agressors MR, All those within the circle are warded against any supernatural effects that the agressing magus attemps and for which his art form of the effect he is attempting, is lower than 20. The agressor is also unable to affect the circle in any way nor can he resort to asking for help to disrupt it.
So to recap, the options are parma, Aegis, hiding it via spells or in a realm X, Blessing of a greater supernatural creature to grant temporary MR that would be greater than his own or the two above wards.
W
Arguably you could use Creo Animal to improve the magical animal's might, just like one could create a magical animal directly although storyguide wims. Of course, this would be an extremely high level spell.
Honestly probably one of the best ways to defend against Hermetic Magic is by keeping it from locking onto you. Destroy the image of the familiar completely and make sure no arcane connections shed off. If the Storycritter allows it you could use the PeVi guidelines with a duration to stop the familiar from shedding arcane connections at all. Chuck a Creo Vim shell on the familiar. Unless the guy guesses the familiar's location he's pretty much SoL for finding it.
You can also ward the target. Depending on how you interpret magical wards on page 114 the familiar would be quite immune to anything the Hermetic Magus could cast. It might require a circle target though.
Yes, an individual, moon duration ReCo Ward Against People, should protect your familiar for the duration, from most Wizard War opponents (perhaps not Bjornaer or other strangeness) if you can cast it with sufficient penetration. Then, again, if you can do that, you should cast the ReCo Ward Against People on yourself too --- and protect yourself from your Wizard War opponent.
If you are just worried about incidental damage to your familiar (rather than it being specifically hunted down), simply asking a friend to feed your cat for the duration and keep it within their sanctum, within an Aegis is probably good enough.
I suppose it would work against R:Touch spells, but IMO, this doesn't work with other ranges, or The Intangible Tunnel
Why not? Wards (RAW) protect against missile fire from the thing you are warded against.
A ReCo ward against people is not, by definition, a ward against magic.
Yes, ReTe would work against stone or metal weapons, ReHe agains wooden ones, but not ReCo.
It doesn't work like that in RAW.
In RAW ReCo ward, wards against stone/metal/wooden weapons wielded by a Corpus person: because it wards you against the person. You can't by-pass a ward with a glove, or a long pole.
What about the PeVi General guideline for reducing casting totals? It's not a passive defense, but in an item the familiar can use it might help.
Considering that wards are usually the realm of Rego, would it be a Rego Vim ?
I could conceive a spell similar to Unravelling the Fabric of (Form), but instead preventing a spell.
ReVi: Impenetrable Shield againt (Form)
Protect the target from one spell of magnitude equal or lower than the Shield. Once the Shield has absorbed an effect, it dissipates.
Target: Ind, Duration: Sun, Range: Self.
The spell forms a protective shell around the target for the duration of spell or until it blocks one spell and gets dissipated.
I think it is still quite far from a Parma magica spell thus does not go against "not even Bonisagus was able to turn Parma Magica into a spell".
There are no guideline to protect from a spell, only to suppress or sustain (p161: Sustain or suppress a spell cast by another with level less than of equal to half the (level + 5 magnitudes) of the Vim spell), so I went with something simple.
To discover a spell preventing several spells to take effect (or grating lasting protection against a form) would probably require a breakthrough to enhance the Shield.
I generally agree with you on most issues, but could you source this? It makes no sense to me.
And more, I don't think it should.
Yes, compared with a magically animated corpse. Unless the spell animating it has sufficient Penetration, the corpse can't physically attack an magus with PM. But if it picks up a mundane sword it's home free.
However, ...
Yes, there are issues about what constitutes acting across a circle.