Well, a monumental botch managed to destroy everyone in Corfe Castle, but the Quaesitor who perpetrated the botch (hoping to sterilize Eleanor of Brittany) managed to comprehend the Twilight.
He walked out of there with 10 warping points gained, and we're working out before next game what the beneficial effect of the Twilight might be.
One thought was he might learn a ritual that increases his stamina by a point, up to +4.
Now, I'm s bit confused on multiple layerings of rituals.
If a ritual is Creo Corpus, duration momentary, target personal... does the maga who has created the spell for themself accrue warping for a continuous magical effect? It seems he will accrue none for a powerful magical effect, as it was tailored just to him.
IF the maga does take warping from continuous magical effect, would this ritual cast 4 times, mean he would gain 4 warping per year?
Thanks in advance. Got a cold and having a bit of trouble navigating the corebook...
Noone can get poinst from continuous effect if the magic is momentary.
She will get no warping at all because she created the effect and can use it only on herself.
I dont like these rituals in general, but I would happily put them in my saga in cirumstances like this.
As to the specifics. I completely agree, no warping for permanent affect on momentary spell.
As to warping from powerful magics I am less certain. I thought the rules stated 'unless it is specifically designed for you'. So, if you version is range personal fine, no warping. If it is range touch or greater I am less convinced. If this doesn't warp you then it extrapolates to: no magic ever cast on a player that is willing would ever warp them. Why should this spell be an exception simply because it is a desireable spell?
Always happy to be told Ihave missed something though, this is only my reading.
I've been leery of this sort of thing as well. Right now, the Quaesitor can't even cast the spell, but given a few seasons and 40 pawns of vis (which, thanks to the events of Fall and Rise, they temporarily have overfull vis stocks that need to be used ASAP) he'll likely be able to do so due to his hefty investment in Philosophiae and Artes Liberales.
Still, I imagine Ars Magica is meant to give you the feeling of playing a powerful wizard so I'm a bit torn on dismissing these rituals out of hand. Happily, no one has gone this route before as a Creo Corpus magus. Thanks to this Twilight, Helios Excelcis may become the hardiest magus in the Covenant of Viae Umbra, though he'll be in no position to invent similar spells for a good long while.
Well I kind of agree. I think ArM is supposed to give you the feeling that ALL wizards are powerfull, rather than that each player is a powerful wizard. It is not just being pedantic, it makes for quite a difference. I tend to find it very important for game balance that players do not, as a rule get to the top end because it quickly robs them of goals and saps the life out of the story.
I also like the fact that this ritual is granted to a player who cannot use it yet. It drives story and provides branching goals. This helps stave off the inevitable 'we have a power that rivals the gods of old'... and yet we remain incapable of creating a simple wooden peg because all our points are in CrIg.
The earlier part of the sentence states also: 'unless you created the effect'. Thus the caster never gets warping from his spell except it is continuous.
I think there must be some magi who used similar spells especially if they are older. So it might easily happen this quesitor is (will be) not alone with his high stamina.
There is no warping, because the rule is (iirc, and I think I do ) that the effect must be either designed for the magus or cast by him. If a magus casts a Touch range spell on himself, it's fine.
Also, it's Momentary. Not continuous. No Warping from that either.
As for whether you like the stat increase rituals or not.... that's another issue. Certainly, it makes sense for Corpus and Mentem specialists to learn the rituals and boost stats strategically, especially if they have the vis. So, a magus spends time learning or inventing the appropriate rituals, then more time accumulating sufficient vis. Then let's assume the spell doesn't botch (a magus designed around this idea (and I see optimized magi as Good rather than Abusive) will have put a bit of time into Mastery, has a solid Gold Cord, perhaps has Cautious Sorcerer, might even be Mercurian, and therefore won't botch) and still, this guy is not necessarily better off than some other well-designed magus, who has allocated the same time and resources to boosting Arts or initiating or learning spells that are directly useful or enchanting items.
We--and I include myself, because this is my reflex too--tend to see mainline characteristics as superior. My excuse is that way back in the good old D&D days, they were. In Ars Magica 5, they aren't. I don't know if this is serendipity or conscious game design, but it's a Good Thing.
10 Warping Points is a lot. Comprehending that is a great achievement. The rules suggest that a minor virtue is appropriate; that's a Great Characteristic right there, no vis expenditure needed.
Indeed. I have to assume, since this is a relatively painless endeavor requiring a strong lab total and a fair amount of vis, that others out there have magically enhanced statistics.
For a powerful magical effect, yes. The other magus is not the caster, and the effect was almost certainly not designed for him. Unlike, say, a longevity ritual.
One thing with this is I would incline to making it a little bit different than the cannonical version of the spell form the cult of mercury. Have the ritual component as cosmetically different. This might lead to greater insights into potential magical breakthroughs and would certainly make the PCs version of the spell very interesting.
I would suggest also that the cult of mercury, unless these spells are very common in your saga, might be interested in making sure this new version of the spell is kept from general circulation. Bribery or pursasive force might be employed so that the benefits of their cult don't lose their edge.
I am always looking for ways to milk anything for possible story ideas as after n number of years rolepplaying new ideas get harder and harder to come by.
Then again, IMS they have a monopoly on this stuff. In others they probably do not.
Aye, could is different from have already though. It not like these spells are easy to create or cheap to cast. Again though, I guess it depends on the syle ofyour own saga.
) that the effect must be either designed for the magus or cast by him. If a magus casts a Touch range spell on himself, it's fine.