Reserved for up-to-date character
Character at gauntlet (1228 AD):
Renaud ex Tremere
Background: Born in Paris to unknown parents, Denis' childhood was typical of kids who grow up on the streets of the city. He took the name Denis, after the patron saint of Paris, with the hope that it would bring him the luck he needed to find a better station in life. While his name didn't do much at all really, except earn him jokes about losing his head from the other street kids, his Gift did. He was discovered by Medianus ex Tremere, who brought him to a chapter house of Monteverte and apprenticed him. While a big step up from his life on the streets, Denis still wanted more - he dreamed of the glory and honor to be won through his newly awakened Arts. But his dreams were slowly ground down by his pater, who himself had no ambition to rise within their House or accomplish anything of note, and who tirelessly forced the virtues of selflessness, sacrifice, and servitude on his apprentice, stating that they were fundamental to the continued success of the Tremere. Denis passed his Gauntlet eventually. took the name Renaud, after the Carolingian legend, and was posted to the Provence Tribunal. Now his drive to become famous will bring him to new heights. Or will it...?
Appearance: Dark haired and blue eyed, he stands a bit taller than average.
Age: 25
Size: 0
Gender: Male
Confidence: 1 (3)
Warping: 0
Decrepitude: 0
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Str 0, Sta +2, Pre 0, Com 0, Dex +1, Qik +2
Virtues: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Minor magical focus – certamen(free), Major magical focus - Decay*, Affinity with Perdo, Puissant Perdo, Affinity with Corpus, Fast Caster, Cautious Sorcerer, Improved Characteristics (x2)
Flaws: Driven(Major - become famous across the Order for glorious deeds), Deficient Creo, Temperate, Favors (tbd later in life)
Soak: +2
Combat
Dodge: Init +2, Atk n/a, Dfn +5, Dam n/a
Fist: Init +2, Atk +5, Dfn +6, Dam +0
Kick: Init +1, Atk +4, Dfn +4, Dam +3
Dagger: Init +2, Atk +6, Dfn +5, Dam +3
Personality Traits: Driven +6, Honorable +3, Restrained +1
Abilities
French (Parisian) 5
Latin (Hermetic terms) 4
Area Lore (Normandy Tribunal) 1
Artes Liberales (arithmetic) 1
Athletics (climbing) 2
Awareness (searching) 2
Brawl (Punching) 3
Code of Hermes (Wizard's War) 1
Concentration (spell casting) 1
Folk Ken (townspeople) 2
Guile (lying to authority) 1
Magic Theory (Perdo) 3
Parma Magica (Corpus) 1
Stealth (hiding) 2
Survival (towns) 2
Swim (rivers) 1
Magical Arts: Cr 0, In 0, Mu 0, Pe 10**+3, Re 2, An 5, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 6(1)**, He 5, Ig 5, Im 0, Me 4, Te 5, Vi 5
** includes affinity
Wizard's Sigil: Black stains that fade after casting
Spells:
Decay Fur and Hide PeAn 10 +25
Circle of Beast Warding ReAn 5 +9
Curse of the Rotted Wood PeHe 5 +25
Wizard’s Sidestep ReIm 10 +4
Veil of Invisibility PeIm 20 +15
Loss of but a Moment's Memory PeMe 15 +24
Rusted Decay of Ten-Score Years PeTe 10 +25
Stone to Falling Dust PeTe 20 +25
End of the Mighty Castle PeTe 25 +25
Personal possessions: clothes on his back and not much else
*Applicable Spell Guidelines:
Perdo Animal
Level 2: Damage something made of animal products.
Level 4: Destroy something made of animal products.
Level 5: Injure an animal so that it is hampered, but not damaged. Destroy an animal's corpse.
Level 15: Destroy one of a beast's minor senses. Cripple a beast's limb, so that it is unusable but could heal. Age a beast by one-twelfth of its natural lifespan. Only affects beasts that have already reached maturity.
Level 20: Destroy or sever a beast's limb, so that it cannot naturally regain it. Destroy one of a beast's major senses.
Perdo Corpus
Level 5: Destroy a corpse. Hamper a person without actually injuring them. For example, make them lame, blur their eyesight. Heals as a Light Wound.
Level 15: Age someone five years. Cripple a limb, making it unusable (but still capable of healing). The damage heals as a Medium Wound. Destroy one of a person's minor senses.
Level 20: Destroy one of a person's major senses. This damage heals as a Heavy Wound. Destroy or sever a limb, so that it cannot heal naturally.
Perdo Herbam
Level 2: Cause the leaves to fall off a plant.
Level 3: Spoil an amount of food.
Level 4: Destroy an amount of dead wood.
Perdo Ignem
Level 4: Extinguish a fire, cooling the ashes to merely warm.
Perdo Mentem
Level 3: Remove a minor detail from a person's memory.
Level 4: Remove an important detail from a person's memory. Diminish a single mental capability in a person.
Level 10: Remove a minor or short memory from a person's mind. Reduce all of a person's mental capabilities.
Level 15: Remove a major or long memory from a person's mind.
Level 25: Leave a person a mindless husk.
Perdo Terram
Level 3: Weaken stone.
Level 4: Destroy stone. Weaken metal.
Level 5: Destroy metal.
Perdo Vim
Gen: Dispel temporary effects of a specific type with a level less than the level + 4 magnitudes of the Vim spell + a stress die (no botch). A specific type could be Hermetic Terram magic, or Shamanic spirit control magic. A magus must have some knowledge of a type of magic (although not necessarily ability to use it) to invent a spell to affect it. All Hermetic magi have some knowledge of all Hermetic magic.
Gen: Dispel any temporary magical effect with a casting total less than half the (level + 4 magnitudes) of the Vim spell + a stress die (no botch).
Gen: Age a spell trace to a negative magnitude equal to the guideline used
Level 5-30: Reduce the duration of an Arcane Connection by 1-6 steps
Character at saga start(1260 AD):
Renaud ex Flambeau
Background:
Appearance: Dark haired and blue eyed, he stands a bit taller than average.
Age: 57(X)
Size: 0
Gender: Male
Confidence: 1 (3)
Warping: X
Decrepitude: X
Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Str 0, Sta +2, Pre 0, Com 0, Dex +1, Qik +2
Virtues: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Minor magical focus – certamen(free), Major magical focus - Decay*, Affinity with Perdo, Puissant Perdo, Affinity with Corpus, Fast Caster, Cautious Sorcerer, Improved Characteristics (x2)
Flaws: Driven(Major - become famous across the Order for glorious deeds), Deficient Creo, Temperate, Favors (in debt to House Flambeau or French nobility for ransoming)
Soak: +2
Combat
Dodge: Init +2, Atk n/a, Dfn +5, Dam n/a
Fist: Init +2, Atk +5, Dfn +6, Dam +0
Kick: Init +1, Atk +4, Dfn +4, Dam +3
Dagger: Init +2, Atk +6, Dfn +5, Dam +3
Personality Traits: Driven +6, Honorable +3, Restrained +1
Abilities
French (Parisian) 5
Latin (Hermetic terms) 4
Area Lore (Normandy Tribunal) 1
Artes Liberales (arithmetic) 1
Athletics (climbing) 2
Awareness (searching) 2
Brawl (Punching) 3
Code of Hermes (Wizard's War) 1
Concentration (spell casting) 3
Divine Lore (angels) 2(5)
Faerie Lore (X) 3
Finesse (Perdo) 3
Folk Ken (townspeople) 2
Guile (lying to authority) 1
Infernal Lore (demons) 1
Magic Lore (legendary beasts) 3
Magic Theory (Perdo) 5(5)
Order of Hermes Lore (personalities) 1
Parma Magica (Corpus) 5
Penetration (Perdo) 3
Stealth (hiding) 2
Survival (towns) 2
Swim (rivers) 1
Magical Arts: Cr 10(5), In 10(5), Mu 5(5), Pe 20**+3(5), Re 6(2), An 10, Aq 5(5), Au 5(5), Co 20(7)**, He 5, Ig 5, Im 5(5), Me 5(5), Te 10, Vi 19(5)
** includes affinity
Wizard's Sigil: Black stains that fade after casting
Spells:
Decay Fur and Hide PeAn 10 +25
Circle of Beast Warding ReAn 5 +9
Curse of the Rotted Wood PeHe 5 +25
Wizard’s Sidestep ReIm 10 +4
Veil of Invisibility PeIm 20 +15
Loss of but a Moment's Memory PeMe 15 +24
Rusted Decay of Ten-Score Years PeTe 10 +25
Stone to Falling Dust PeTe 20 +25
End of the Mighty Castle PeTe 25 +25
Bane of the Decrepit Body PeCo 25 +25
The Great Rot PeHe 25 +25
Quench the Raging Conflagration PeIg X +25
The Falcon's Hood PeAn 25 +25
Image of the Beast InAn 5 +25
True Sight of the Air InAu 15 +25
The Inexorable Search InCo 20 +25
Incantation of the Milky Eyes PeCo 30 +25
Ward Against Wood ReHe 25 +25
Wind of Mundane Silence PeVi 40 +25
Circling Wind of Mundane Silence PeVi 35 +25
Withered Limb of the Dotard PeCo 30 +25
Man's Early End PeCo 40 +25
Company's Rusted Decay of Ten-Score Years PeTe 25 +25
Personal possessions: clothes on his back and not much else
Reserved for potential familiar and talisman
Advancement
Total Seasons Not Advanced (SNA) 8(25)
Age 1-10 (120 xp + Language)
French 5 Parisian
Brawl 3 Punching
Stealth 2 Hiding
Survival 2 City streets
Folk Ken 2 City folk
Guile 1 Lying to authority
Area Lore 1 Normandy Tribunal
Athletics 2 Climbing
Awareness 2 Searching
Swim 1 Rivers
Apprenticeship
Conc. 1 Spell Casting
Latin 4 Hermetic
Artes Libs. 1 Arithmetic
Code of Herm. 1 Wizard's War
Parma Magica 1 Corpus
Magic Theory 3 Perdo
Cr 0
In 0
Mu 0
Pe 10+3
Re 2
An 5
Aq 0
Au 0
Co 5
He 5
Ig 5
Im 0
Me 4
Te 5
Vi 5
Age 25-34
After his Gauntlet, Berengar is transferred to the southern border of the Provencal Tribunal, to assist with the protection of Tremere interests from Islamic wizards in Spain. He meets Y ex Flambeau, who
1229 20xp Re, 20xp In
1230 20 xp Mu, 20xp Aq
1231 20xp Au, 20xp Im
1232 10xp Me, 45xp Pe
1233 60xp Pe
1234 60xp Pe
1235 40xp Cr
1236 20xp Cr, 30xp Co
1237 60xp Co
1238 LR, 45xp Co
Age 35-44
1239 60xp Co
1240 40xp An
1241 40xp In
1242 40xp Te
1243 40xp Vi
1244 40xp Vi
1245 40xp Vi
1246 40xp Vi
1247 20xp Vi, 20xp Parma Magica
1248 40xp Parma Magica
Age 45-57
1249 10xp Parma Magica; 30xp SNA
1250 30xp Penetration, 10xp Finesse
1251 20xp Finesse, 20xp Concentration
1252 10xp Concentration, 10xp Order of Hermes Lore, 20xp Magic Lore
1253 10xp Magic Lore, 30xp Faerie Lore
1254 20xp Dominion Lore, 10xp Infernal Lore, 10xp Magic Theory
1255 40xp Magic Theory
1256 40xp SNA - Learned/Invented spells
1257 40xp SNA - Learned/Invented spells
1258 40xp SNA - Learned/Invented spells
1259 40xp SNA - Learned/Invented spells
Reserved for potential apprentice
Character design
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As mentioned, in the OOC thread, I'm considering a Magical Focus in Pe or Re (Elements). If the valid targets are liquid water, air, dirt, and fire, would this be a Major or a Minor Magical Focus?
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An alternative Focus that could be interesting to develop is "decay". These guidelines would be appropriate:
PeAn: destroy an animal corpse
PeAn: damage/destroy something made of animal products
PeCo: destroy a corpse
PeCo: age someone
PeHe: spoil food
PeHe: destroy dead wood
PeTe: destroy stone, metal (or objects made from stone or metal more specifically)
PeVi: reduce duration of arcane connection
Could the focus also apply to any of these?
PeAn: inflict wounds?
PeCo: inflict wounds and diseases?
PeCo: destroy limb, senses?
PeHe: destroy a plant?
PeIg: extinguish a fire?
PeMe: destroy memories?
PeVi: dispel temporary magic effects?
Either way, this focus seems like a Major one to me. Agreed?
A Major Magical Focus, from Core p. 45 is "..area should be smaller than a single Art, but may be spread over several Arts." For case one, I think you should look at Elemental Magic, as you are proposing a MMF in four Arts. It seems too broad to me.
For Case two, decay is virtually the definition of Perdo. Is there a use of Perdo that isn't covered by this MMF?
I would think Elements is too broad for a focus. Decay would be a Major if I read it correctly as it would focus on Perdo.
I was going for foci similar to "healing" and "damage", both of which are canon. Healing spans several Forms, and a single Technique, as does case (1) above (note that I'm not going for Elements in general, but for destroying Elements, or controlling Elements. Or creating elements.) It also wouldn't include all aspects of those Forms, only earth (dirt, maybe stone?), air, fire, and water. So not metal, not light, not rain, not poison. Is this still too broad? If not, is it Major or Minor?
Damage spans several Forms and Techniques, so is arguably even more broadly applicable across Arts than "decay", which only spans a single Technique. To clarify, by decay, I mean the end or decomposition of something that would end or decompose on its own. So spells like Rusted Decay of Ten Score Years would be covered. Maybe a better description would be "accelerated aging". But only negative aspects of accelerated aging, not the Cr spells to bring a plant to maturity quickly, for example.
So the inflict wounds, cause disease, destroy limbs and plants guidelines aren't applicable. What about this list?
PeAn: destroy an animal corpse
PeAn: destroy something made of animal products
PeAn: destroy an animal's senses
PeAn: age an animal (must be mature already)
PeCo: destroy a corpse
PeCo: age someone
PeCo: destroy someone's senses
PeHe: spoil food
PeHe: destroy dead wood
PeIg: extinguish a fire
PeMe: destroy memories
PeTe: destroy stone, metal (or objects made from stone or metal more specifically)
PeVi: reduce duration of arcane connection
PeVi: dispel temporary magic effects
I put decay into the same category as Damage so it is a major. While is covers one technique (Pe) it could be used in almost all of the Forms. It would be tricky as it is not damage. It is the destruction of something naturally over time.
In my opinion, limiting it to just the elemental forms would make it a minor focus. But that focus is so narrow as to not be very useful. You can crumble rock or rust metal. How would you decay air? Perhaps make it stale? How about water? Is PeIg that destroys light decay? I think it is very very limiting for spells.
Decay is much more versatile in just adding animal and herbum. Corpus is fairly obvious and I am sure you could make a case for mentem.
You could wither a limb on a human or animal. If you made someone senile would be be decaying the mind.
Thinking more about your proposed Decay focus, I think it's suitable. (Your character might well have the Age Quickly Flaw, it seems to fit).
As for your Elemental focus, you are providing foci in major fields. An Aquam major focus is Fresh Water. I might allow a Special Circumstance when ever you are dealing with elements, but the four elements are just too much.
Ok, decay it is. I'll add a list of spell guidelines that I think apply in the Character at Gauntlet post. Let me know if I overstep, or miss any.