Random Thought on Certamen..

[ezzelino]

@Erik Tyrrell

Timothy has over the last few years brought me around to his method of thinking regarding the Tremere certamen expertise: namely it's a bad idea. Some effort is always made in formal duel to ensure that the duel is "fair". Yet the background of the game seems to accept that the Tremere have a great advantage over other houses in Certamen. I don't see the rest of the order sticking with certamen when it's rigged against them.

If I recall correctly, Timothy Ferguson's point was that, for Certamen to be accepted as a (non-lethal) proxy for Wizard's War, it should reflect the "power balance" of Wizard War - i.e. between two magi, the most likely winner of a Wizard's War should also be the most likely winner of a Certamen bout. If this were not the case, one of the two parties (the one better at Wizard's War than at Certamen) should have an incentive to eschew Certamen in favor of Wizard's War.

There are a few things to consider here, however.

1. While Tremere are more powerful at Certamen than their Art scores might suggest, they are also more powerful at Wizard's War than their Art scores might suggest - since their House is so organized, militaristic and cohesive. So, in some sense their advantage at Certamen does reflect, at least partially, their advantage at Wizard's War. As a side note, the same argument can be made to defend the use of raw vis in Certamen, which some people see as "cheating": it simply reflects the advantage of having more magical resources (and being willing to spend them) in a War.

2. Certamen is a handy tool to resolve disputes. It's fast, non-lethal, and it's widely accepted. Also, as long as neither or both contestants are Tremere, it is quite fair (in terms of reflecting the relative magical prowess of the contestants). Few, if any, other means of dispute resolution enjoy all four advantages. The fact that it favors the Tremere somewhat should be weighted against these advantages. I mean, between a lawsuit with a 50% chance of winning, and a duel to the death with a 55% chance of winning (and a 45% chance of death), which would you choose to settle the damages that an employee owes you for violating an NDA?

3. Tremere are constantly spending a considerable amount of political capital to maintain Certamen as the means for non-violent dispute resolution. This "pressure" can balance a limited amount of remaining (after points 1 and 2) unfairness. If your boss was constantly raving about how good a certain "incentive-based" salary system is, and it causes you a loss of 10$/month ... are you willing to start an argument about that, or focus instead on getting a promotion, his daughter in your bed, or approval of your vision for the company's development strategies?

EDIT: I try to stress this last point in my games, particularly from the Tremere's side. If you are a Tremere, you should strive support Certamen above all other forms of dispute resolution, even in those cases when it means a (modest) personal sacrifice. Use certamen in favor of debate, even if it means you'll probably have to burn some raw vis. Offer to fight a Certamen in someone else's stead "for free", even if there is some minor risk of warping involved. The House is more important than the individual magus, and continued, widespread acceptance of Certamen as the premier means of dispute resolution is important for the House.