RIP: Apollodorus of Jerbiton/Xenophon of Tremere

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: In the Ruins of Bibracte
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Apollodorus
Characteristics: Int +5, Per +5, Pre +1, Com +5, Str -2, Sta 0, Dex 0, Qik 0
Size: 0
Age: 146 (42), Height: 5'6'', Weight: 158 lbs, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 6 (9¼)
Confidence: 1 (3)
Personality Traits: Authoritarian +3, Respectful +3, Brave +2, Loyal (Familiar) +3
Combat:
Dodge: Init: +0, Attack --, Defense +0, Damage --
Fist: Init: +0, Attack +0, Defense +0, Damage -2
Kick: Init: -1, Attack +0, Defense -1, Damage +1
Soak: +5
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Artes Liberales 7 (architecture) (5), Music 1 (flute), Mystery Fraternity of Samos Lore: Fraternity of Samos 7, Charm 4 (magi), Code of Hermes 4, Awareness 4, Teaching 7, German 4, French 5, Italian 4, Spanish 3, English 5, Philosophiae 5, Etiquette 6 (Hermetic), Finesse 7 (Mentem), Folk Ken 3 (magi), Guile 2 (lying to underlings), Intrigue 8 (Hermetic politics), Bargain 7 (tremere needs) (1), Sculpting 8+2, Painter 6 [Category: Buildings], Carouse 3, Concentration 3, Latin 6 (Hermetic terms), Leadership 6 (maintaing agencies), Magic Theory 14 (Rego), Greek 7 (giving orders), Order of Hermes Lore 9 (House Guernicus), Parma Magica 8 (Mentem), Penetration 6
Arts: Cr 18, In 25, Mu 25, Pe 10, Re 84, An 18, Aq 7, Au 14, Co 30, He 9, Ig 11, Im 23, Me 31, Te 19, Vi 15

The premise behind Apollodorus was what would happen, if someone studied Vis, and rolled a mess of ones. This came up in a thread on the main Ars forum a while ago. A lot of his history is interesting, and will be revealed in the fullness of time... It was always intended for Apollodorus to die, although I moved that event up a bit earlier than I'd originally planned...

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OK, so the Rego 84...no mystery, that is obviously the Vis studies with a lot of 1s I assume. Is there a practical limit to how much one can learn in a single season? I thought like it was no more than 3 at a time?

How many 1s would it take to get that high? This is a vis heavy covenant...

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Xenophon, the original character designed for the Tremere version of this saga that never materialized, was like a generation or perhaps two away from the Schism. House Tremere was rebuilding, recruiting a lot of magi, etc. Sometimes books weren't available because of the number of students, and sometimes when an enterprising magus discovered vis, they'd experiment with it.
The Art score isn't the interesting part of his history, as it is entirely mechancial, but to replicate his score would be 9 1's followed by a 7. Then he increased it a bit with exposure and what not over the years, but basically a few years out of gauntlet he had a a monstrous rego score.

The increase of no more than 3 is a limitation from 4th edition not present in 5th edition (although, I'm not super familiar with 4th edition rules). In 5th edition the mechancs are 1 pawn is necessary per 5 levels of the Art. The source quality is Aura + Stress Die, without a cap. So the source quality is Apollodorus' case was 3,584. His score at the time was less than 5. Of course, such an occurrence would have some sort of major supernatural implications, for one he spent about 7 years in twilight, which alerted his superiors that something highly unusual happened. Also, without thinking about it, he was spontaneously working Rego effects, like doors opening before him with just the slightest thought. So, his Rego talents were put to good use by the House, although no one knew exactly how powerful his Arts were, since he never performed at full capacity.
Like a capable technician, he could be overused/abused, and so he dawdled on some projects and used that time to learn other things...

4

Apollodorus, was originally designed as a Jerbiton, and I was playing him straight. A dabbler of conspiracy theories, an artist, and a wealthy merchant. He wasn't quite as old as Xenophon. Then he (Apollodorus) started complaining to me that he wanted what I gave the other guy, so I merged the concepts (writers and their characters get into discussions and arguments sometimes). And in an effort to give Peregrine and qcipher something to do, introduced that in the Look Who's Coming to Dinner thread.

5

In 5e, studying from vis requires Art/5 pawns of vis (rounded up) - but it's only a single stress die, regardless of how many pawns you consume. (p. 165). Vastly different then 4e, where you picked 1-3 pawns, multiplied by a stress die, and added the aura (with the 4e cap on advancement at no more than three levels per season). Current rules seem almost counter-intuitive, in that the more you study the less you learn, and it takes a heck of a lot longer to progress then it seems like it would.

But, in 5e, there's no limit to how much you can learn in a single season. 4e is where you had the 3 levels max. And maybe older editions, dunno...I started Ars with 4e.

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It's an interesting concept, and would definitely have political or other effects at such power.

I'm not too bad at rolling 1s...my nickname when playing the White Wolf games (with dice pools) was botch :mrgreen:

7

I think I would rather have him Train me in Rego than Teach it to me...

8

Arts cannot be trained, only taught.

9

I missed a thing or two. How did he die?

Awesome battle anyway, guys :smiley:

10

That's okay, it hasn't been mentioned in-game yet. Near as I can tell, only Deykin and Thera saw him fall, and Deykin's the only one who checked on him. When the battle's over, we can do the autopsy. But with an 8 Parma, 30 Corpus, 9 Herbam, and 19 Terram, I'd be surprised if magic had anything to do with it. Although he has no Quickness and no Brawl, which means he sucked at dodging, so it could have been one of those fling attacks we were talking about with Ulrich. Hmmmm.

Time to call in Colombo ex Guernicus, methinks.

11

LOL

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"As you wish."
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Just one more thing.... /
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Library of Apollodorus
The Black Rot Within, House Guernicus Lore, L5Q12
The Complete Order, Order of Hermes Lore, L5Q10
The Cancer that is Guernicus, House Guernicus Lore, Q12 (Commentary on The Black Rot Within: Details how House Guernicus engineered most of the problems of the Order. There is significant circumstantial evidence here, and it is compelling.)
Lies, Damn Lies and Procedures, House Guernicus Lore, Q12) (Commentary on The Black Rot Within: Topic of The Duresca Scrolls)
Secrets of Hidden Rituals, House Guernicus Lore, Q12 (Commentary on the Black Rot Within: Topic of Fenicil's rituals)
Spells:
A Portal of Singular Direction ReTe80
R: Arc, D: Year, T: Ind, Rutal
As Hermes Portal but goes in only one direction, and therefore does not require the timing of two portals to be coordinated, and can be affected by a single magus.

Aegis of the Soldier's Hearth ReVi 50, 40, ReVi 30, ReVi 25
R:Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle
As Aegis of the Hearth, final effectiveness is determined by subtracting modifications for range and touch, in this case 3 magnitudes, for a final effectiveness equivalent to an Aegis 35.There are notes that recommend this spell, or similar spells be cast by junior magi and they invite senior magi into the Aegis, because spells over 6 total magnitudes do inflict warping, unlike Aegis of the Hearth.

There are apparently three texts for rituals that appear to follow the pattern of Characteristics of the Heroes. (Mental) Characteristics of the Self CrMe55, and are a R: Self, but otherwise identical to the spell outlined in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, Presence is the missing text. While the description on the text appears straightforward, the instructions make no sense according to Magic Theory. This texts appear to be flawed or incomplete, despite the title. (Need to unlock this Achievement, in other words)

There is another text that is unlike any Hermetic spell.... It's reasonable to presume it is the ritual of the specialized ward protecting Apollodorus's lab. Consider this another achievement to unlock.

Other texts exist, including several other tractatus and one summa each on Philosophae and Artes Liberales, L5Q10.

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Pretty bitchin' 8)
Are all of these in Ancient Greek? Including the Lab Texts?

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Darn tootin'

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I may be mistaken, but Aegis of the Hearth was a Major Breaktrhough and cannot be designed with alternate parameters (R/D/T & size). They are set in stone and would require another breakthrough to invent a similar spell with different parameters. The only thing that is really variable is the power (general level).

18

Yes.

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Short and sweet answer :smiley:
I was just thinking that these may very well indeed be Major Breakthrough spells. The guy had the stats to pull it off.
So these texts are in the covenant's posession? We need to get these copied! There could be big money in this if we find a lab rat interested in continuing this research.

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Just learn ancient Greek and have at it :smiley:

We need to figure out what level of AoH we can cast. Jacques could cast a mag10. Has to learn it first