I do not give my permission for this character to be used as an NPC.
You survived in the wild, eating songbirds and sheep? That is one hardcore toddler!
For a supernatural virtue, how about Wilderness Sense? Or...for a truly divine joke, Shapeshifter 1: Horse ?
Umm , no , not eating. 
Hunting songbirds for listening to and releasing trapped sheep.
Squirrels make much better eating.
unusual - but appropriate
- So there still is an open major virtue - the one defining the tradition?
- Restriction - This includes people using magic to assume horse form (but I assume he isn't advertising the fact, so it only happens either randomly or if someone with an old grudge happens to be there)
- House Valetudo focus includes (pick one):
- healing spells, but no spells related to aging;
OR
work - spells having to do with being a clothier OR Re Craft magic (all crafts);
OR subordinates: spells cast on your grogs and apprentices
This is against RAW, but on the other hand healing is a minor focus itself.
- "affinity with MT" seems unusual for a wild child ex misc
- I think that the Major Essential flaw is too cheap for a rarely used skill like riding.
I'll allow ability block: riding as a minor flaw instead
or: two minor flaws: offensive to animals -6
or: one minor flaw: offensive to animals -2; horses-5 - chaotic magic: name desired lvl in the name field of "Invisible castle" (plus name) - so your desired lvl is determined beofre you roll.
- what kind of weirdness do you have in mind?
- I can use visions for story roles, but what are they normally about?
I do not yet see the link between your hippophobia and your clothier or your wild child. Is there one?
You've spent 125xp on FU skills (swim). I've always assumed that FU means no people skills at all, but I'll accept your reading of the virtue.
Thanks for giving me totals for apprenticeship and troupe-time
Lvl 10 with an affinity is
36*1,5=54xp
lvl 10 only costs 37xp with an affinity. Good for you!
Suggested major virtues:
- ways of the forest
- none (reduce flaws)
- craft magic (rustic magi)
- death prophecy: sth with a horse?
I will take Greater Immunity (Deprivation) from page 44 in RoP: Magic.
This will explain how a feral child could survive in a forest.
Only if they are House Bjornaer or a being whose essential nature is Horse.
All other shapechangers are not , by Hermetic Theory , a Horse.
Which was my original intention , just forgot to post it.
Why? Is this reserved for literate magi from approved scholarly houses.
Ok , i will ditch the Gentle Gift , take the standard Gift , put xp into Ride and never use the skill.
Same as all normally Gifted Magi do.
Kinda defeats the pupose of me wanting to take the Gentle Gift
But ability block for Ride is fine
Unlikley i will be using Spontaneous casting a lot , but i understood how it works , thanks.
Not wishing to pre-empt the ST , i hadnt thought about it.
Players often have on the spot suggestions that are far more amusing.
Maybe all clothing undergoes gender alteration , male to female , leaving everyone in drag.
This is ST territory and is used as you see fit.
They are used in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
I took this as a supernatural flaw , not a story flaw.
My assumption would be that it relates to things sacred to Epona or her priests/servants by default.
I dont have hippophobia , if you read that from my write-up , i clearly failed in my communication.
Actors take in wild child , maybe to use in an act.
He is dextrous and shows promise at making & repairing costumes.
You will find the total is 120xp. 1x75xp+1x10xp+7x05xp=120xp.
One can have an xp total in a skill that is higher than that required for the base level.
I dont understand what you mean by "people skills" , the Flaw gives a list of skills and 120xp to spend on them.
Thats what i did.
Guess i was a bit tired when i did my calculations.
I normally divide by 1.5 and round up and probably added an extra xp when i assigned base points to all Arts.
Didnt want to play a carbon copy of Julia , so no craft magic.
I will stick with my first choice given above for preference.
Death Prophecy hadnt occurred to me.
I was trying to come up with a useful abilty that would benefit the troupe during the story.
Passive personal abilities didnt seem to be the way to go.
Some of my remarks are a bit narky , because i dont quite get your objections to certain things.
This will be my first online game and i am unused to how they work.
I tried to cut down any justification based on rules , as you specifically stated that you did not like or want such.
don't worry too much, your character is almost there.
Thing is I always start by imagining a concept and adding virtues and flaws to that.
good
Well it is not about hermetic theory but about finding a restriction that you have to worry about (which is the point of a restriction).
Not being able to affect horses is harmless - how often is there a situation when you want to cast a spell on a horse? Come to thing of it - even including magically changed people is too easy for a MAJOR flaw. Compare your flaw's negative effects to that of rigid magic or short-ranged magic. Taking a real restriction makes our character more interesting to play.
So how about: unable to cast magic within smelling distance (15 ft) of a horse. That restricts your character, but doesn't cripple him.
Well, affinity with MT is a very popular virtue. So I was wondering: Did he take it because it fits his character, or because he saw, oh this sounds powerful?
Other virtues like something with herbam, or animal (affinity/puissant), or tough, or increased dexterity, or improved physical characteristics, or special circumstances: naked all seem to fit the wild child concept better.
Clothes shift? Good!! Because it has to do both with clothes and a wild child's lack of knowledge about social conventions.
just asking. Epona stuff makes sense. And I can still use it for my purposes.
Hey hippophobia was a joke. More likely they exhibited the child as a freak (not having the gentle gift is a boon here: it explains why the child was left in the wilderness and why they thought him scary enough to exhibit).
I miscalculated indeed. Sorry about that.
With people activities I mean: "You may only choose beginning abilities that you could have learned in the wilds" (feral upbringing, ArM5, 54).
"Beginning abilities" was likely meant to mean "abilities taken during character generation". I am willing to interpret it as "abilities during early childhood" thereby making it possible for you to take abilities like clothier, folk ken or Latin.
Well, I normally know the rules (unless they are from some obscure supplement).
I see it as my task beyond the rules to help you find a character that you can clearly see.
I want you to be able to look at your character and say: My character would do this and that in this situation because of the way he is.
I also see it as my task to help you resist the temptation of easy choices (like your restriction). Sometimes players are too harsh with themselves, I also try to point that out. I do this so you can enjoy a fair level of challenge (without me having to create an army of horses bent on your destruction). I also do this to make sure that every character has a chance to shine once in a while (one Uber-character quickly slaying the dragon can spoil it for the others).
Besides, your character will be very welcome once the problems at the covenant start.
I was choosing a target restriction based on the two examples , birds and glass.
Birds would be covered by a Major Magical Focus , but Glass only by a Minor one.
Horses would be very prevalent and while i didnt state it ,
i thought the restriction would apply to horse-related products as well.
If someone had a horsehide shield , or was wrapped in a horseskin , dousing me with horse urine , etc.
I think someone dressed as a pantomime horse is a bit too silly though.
A priest dressed in a ritual horse regalia on the other hand would not.
Within 15' of a horse is fine with me , if its ok by you.
I dont feel like ditching the affinity with magic theory ,
nor feel like jumping through hoops to justify it.
As i cant prove my intent on taking it ,
you will have to decide if i was taking it as a power-gaming exercise.
It is only at 03 , not the maximum of 7 that i could have taken.
There is one bonus to Finesse rolls that i want to ask about.
Finesse Bonuses and Penalties for Familiarity page 62 in HoH: Societates
So , when using Rego Craft magic to make clothes , the Craft (Clothier) ability provides a +03 bonus.
Okay
So your restriction is within 15ft of anything smelling of horse (this excludes horse symbols) but includes poorly tanned horse leather.
MT could of course be the over-eagerness of the homo novus, or sth to do with Epona's blessing. I do feel that you took it for power reasons - but it won't dangerously imbalance the game. So while I am still counseling against it (there is quite a number of wonderfully fitting alternative virtues), I won't forbid it: After all, gaming is about you enjoying oneself.
The finesse bonus was news for me, but sure.
You'll get it. You'll also get the -3 from covenants, which means you can use Finesse (+ Perception) instead of Craft(+Dexterity) at a superior speed at the same level as mundane crafting (including the rules for high quality items from C&G).
While i dont think it was your intent , i am afraid you have talked me out of what enjoyment i may have gained from playing.
Far as i can see your preference is for players with better word skills in character descriptions.
My Ars Magica playing experience is limited , having only done short stints in 3rd and 4th editions.
I dont like having to quibble about small numbers that i dont see as dangerously unbalancing play.
Yes , affinity:magic theory is useful. I just liked having it.
One of my original ideas was to take Magic Theory at 07 , with possibly Inventive Genius
and hire myself out as a Lab Assistant to other Covenant magi.
The Hedge Wizard reputation is player choice and i did not include it as a Flaw.
It could be that i might have too many "exotic ideas".
Having seen one potential player ousted for grandiose ideas , i was being a bit cautious.
I would rather not start a game , than be thrown out of one i was enjoying , before it finished.
blinks, surprised
sighs
your choice
Count me as also surprised. I was viewing the discussion here as the annoying nut-and-bolt stuff between a GM and a player who seemed like an obvious fit for the game style. I hope you change your mind, cuz I suspect you'd fit in well, but I can see why you're cautious. Best of luck, with either choice.
I just felt i wasted my choice of supernatural virtue to take something that will have no usefulness in play.
Sometimes i just like to have something added to a character that might be fun
and not all about "the mission".
Dont agree to let someone have a bonus and then immediately take it away with something else.
I cant find this -03 from Covenants in the Craft Rules.
If you mean the ease factors are always 3 points higher , i understood that.
All Finesse rolls are not always Perception + Finesse.
(Dex + Finesse) substitutes for Craft: Mason & Prof: Washerwoman on page 52 of Covenants.
Wrong of me to assume it applied to Craft: Clothier and put points into Dex.
(i had a laundry craft spell also)
As is often quoted "your saga may vary".
There was no expectation on my part of hijacking anything
or being better than any other character.
I was a bit caught up in playing with stuff from the Magic book
because i like crunching numbers.
Maybe i am being oversensitive to constructive criticism due to age. (i am 53)
- Your character will do fine whatever the virtue.
- What was meant is that your new rule can be used to offset the higher ease factor from covenants.
- For simplicity: Let's assume all craft/finesse rolls are perception (or we will have to argue on a case by case -->problematic). Feel free to shift Dex 3 into dex 2 per 2, or into per 3
- Once the saga starts I tend to be quite bearable - there will be one (O-N-E) event that is shockingly unfair, but it'll be early on, and it is necessary for the plot. I do not intend to kill any characters - this is a coveant creation story not one about suffering.
No more posting from me today (little time).
Ravenscroft,
I hope you decide to stay. I rebuilt Berenguer filius Rollant, scholae Jerbitonis Phoenixensis after criticism (harsh but useful) from JM. I'm a 49 year old Aussie, living in Europe, and was initially a little tacken aback. I came to the conclusion that this was likely to be interesting, and that I shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water. My character feels much better after the rebuild, and I gained a new respect for a virtue I've never used until now.
I like your overall concept, and Berenguer is slightly worried by you sigil (don't change it).
Ivan
Will try to get something posted later today.
Famous last words?
(humour)
Sorry , been a bit distracted by family events.
Try to have an update in about 12 hours.
(I don't assume that any native speaker of German is automatically rude by default) 
No we aren't. But we are perceived to be rude. Comparative Pragmatics (linguistic discipline) says we use different concepts of politeness - at least that's what they teach at heidelberg University.
I've seen German pupils who felt not taken serious when confronted with a normal American teacher whose heartfelt praise (generous by German standards) was seen as insincere. There is a firm belief that too much praise spoils the character; being straight means that you trust the other people to be able to deal with criticism (which is a compliment). I know all this theoretically, but it is still hard sometimes to be nice enough to sound normal by English politeness standards, let alone polite. Just think of all those war movie carricatures of Germans (well-mannered maybe, but polite?)
Actually, the region some 50 miles to the SW has a saying: Nit gschimpft isch gnug globt (Swabian German) - means: Not scolding is praise enough.
Very Tytalan
Ivan
Ok , adjusted character in regard to stats and flaws.
The always a stress die part of Unpredictable Magic may have gone unnoticed.
I hope the penalty for spell-targeting is acceptable instead of one for Ride skill.
Just typing in spells now , could take me a while , due to slowness.
Too late to ask for Chthonic Magic from RoP: Infernal i suspect. (page 123)
And Ars Notoria , while useful for negating penalties in a Divine Aura , is equally unlikely.
Still working on a supernatural power.
I would like to take a Major Essential Virtue , that would add +06 to Finesse rolls when magically crafting clothes.