Simon the Apothecary

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: A New Home
1

Simon the Apothecary:
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Com +2, Pre -1, Str -1, Sta +2, Dex-1, Quik -2
Size: 0
Age: 35 (32)
Chronology: Apprenticed age 13, Gauntlet age 28, Longevity since 32, Magus for 7 years
Current Season:
Decrepitude: 0
Longevity Potion: LT 28
Warping: 1 (14)
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues: +0 Gifted Hermetic Magus, +Ex Pharmacopoeia (Mythic Herbalism, Root Cutter, Deficient Perdo), +3 Gentle Gift, +1 Adept Lab Student, +1 Affinity with Herbalism, +1 Arcane Lore, +1 Educated, +1 Minor Magic Focus: Healing +1 Potent Magic: Healing, +1 Vulgar Alchemy
Flaws: -3 Compassionate, -3 Short Ranged Magic, -1 Difficult Spontaneous Magic, -1 Hedge Wizard, -1 Vow (Hippocratic Oath), -1 Slow Caster
Personality Traits: Compassionate +3, Loyal +2, Humble +1, Brave -1
Reputations: Hedge Wizard 3 (Hermetic)
Combat:
Dodge:
Grapple/Fistfight:
Soak: +2
Fatigue: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, ko
Wounds: -1 Lt (1-5), -3 Med (6-10), -5 Hvy (11-15), Incap (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities:
Artes Liberales 2 (ritual magic), Awareness 2 (details), Bargain 1 (soft sell), Brawl 1 (dodge), Charm 2 (wit), Carouse 1 (hold drink), Chirurgy 3 (bones), Code of Hermes 1 (what is allowed), Concentration 2 (magic), Etiquette 1 (townsfolk), Finesse 1 (Corpus), Folk Ken 2 (townsfolk), Greek Area Lore 2 (Athens), Greek Language 5 (Arcadian), Guile 2 (tall tales), Herbalism 5 (poison), Latin 4 (written), Magic Lore 3 (ingredients), Magic Theory 5 (24xp) (items), Medicine 3 (apothecary), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (Thebes), Parma Magica 3 (Corpus), Penetration 1 (Corpus), Philosophiae 2 (Natural), Profession: Apothecary 2 (finding ingredients), Profession: Cook 2 (short order), Profession: Scribe 2 (copy), Survival 1 (forage), Teaching 1 (Herbalism), Theology 1 (biblical knowledge)

Arts: 11+
Creo 7, Intéllego 4, Muto 4, Perdo 1, Rego 4
Animal 0, Aquam 0, Auram 0, Corpus 10, Herbam 0
Ignem 0, Imaginem 0, Mentem 4, Terram 0, Vim 0

Spells Known:
CrCo10 Bind Wounds
CrCo20 Purification of the Festering Wounds
CrCo25 Restoration of the Defiled Body
CrCo30r Gentle Caress of Asclepius (wounds): Potency +4 (bandages)
CrCo30r Remedy of Asclepius (poison & disease): Potency +3 (amber)
InCo5 Physician’s Eye
InCo10 Revealed Flaws of the Mortal Flesh

Items Crafted:
CrCo20 Elixir of Health:
Charged Item (15 doses)
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind
As per Purification of the Festering Wounds, granting a +9 bonus to recovery rolls from injury and disease.
(base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Moon)

MuCo Potion of Bull’s Fortitude:
Charged Item (12 doses)
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Grants a +3 bonus to Soak
(base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

ReCo30 Formula for Extreme Pain Relief:
Charged Item (2 doses)
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind
The patient ignores all penalties from Fatigue and Wounds for a month. However, the medicine has the major side effect in that causes a mental stupor, similar to Confusion of the Numbed Will.
(base 10, +1 Touch, +3 Moon)

ReCo30 Second Formula for Extreme Pain Relief:
Charged Item (3 doses)
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind
The patient ignores all penalties from Fatigue and Wounds for a month. However, the medicine has fatal flaw in that it renders the patient incapacitated for the duration.
(base 10, +1 Touch, +3 Moon)

ReCo30 Successful & Improved Pain Relief Formula
Charged Item (12 doses)
R: Touch, D: Season, T: Ind
The patient ignores all penalties from Fatigue and Wounds for a month. This formula has none of the adverse side effects of the previous formulas, but it has a beneficial modified effect in that it lasts an entire season)
(base 10, +1 Touch, +3 Moon)

CrCo35 Advanced Healing Formula:
Charged Item (4 doses)
R: Touch, D: Week, T: Ind
This grants a bonus of +18 to recovery rolls from injury and disease. However, the effect is modified with duration reduced to a single week.
(base 15, +1 Touch, +3 Moon)

CrCo35 Superior Healing Formula:
Charged Item (5 doses)
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind
This grants a bonus of +18 to recovery rolls from injury and disease for the full duration of a month.
(base 15, +1 Touch, +3 Moon)

Twilight Scars & Effects:
Magic Sigil: calm
Symbolic Sigil: some apothecary symbol
Equipment: stuff
Encumbrance: 0
Background:
Development: 7 years
4 years worth of Advancement & Study (120xp)
3 years of Lab (12 seasons)
*YEAR ONE
S1[color=white]……..Invent Longevity Potion (LT 28)
S2[color=white]……..Invent spell from scratch; InCo10 Revealed Flaws of the Mortal Flesh (LT 25)
S3[color=white]……..Invent Elixir of Health; Charged Item, CrCo20, 5 charges (LT 42)
S4[color=white]……..Invent more Elixir from Lab Text, gaining 10 more charges (LT 48)

*YEAR TWO
S1[color=white]……..Invent Potion of Bull’s Fortitude using Vulgar Alchemy,
Charged Item, MuCo30, 3 charges
LT 42; Int +3, Magic Theory 5 (items), Muto 4, Corpus 10, Aura 3, Magic Lore 2 (ingredients), Experimentation Bonus +7, Successful Component Bonus +7 (limited to +6 for Magic Theory score)
Hermetic Alchemy Experiment; 6 items tested
Risk Modifier +1, Simple Die 6, Extraordinary Roll 9, Discovery Roll 4
15xp in Magic Lore
Per +1, Magic Lore 2 (ingredients)
A Amber +3, established
9 Bull Urine +3, succeed
0 Coffee Leaves +1, fail
2 Strong Beer +1, succeed
Granite, over limit
Mushrooms, over limit
Oregano, over limit
S2[color=white]……..Invent more Potion from Lab Text, gaining 9 more doses (LT 42)
S3[color=white]……..Craft Concoction using Mythic Herbalism
Int +3, Herbalism 5 (poison)
Super-Strength Aspirin; Ignore Wound Penalties up to Medium; 7 doses
(used to aid two grogs in overcoming wound penalties for a season)
Ease Factor 12 (base 6, +6 additional doses); 4 days time
Roll 5, total =13, success
Then in rest of season: Invent Elixir for Extreme Pain Relief using Vulgar Alchemy
Charged Item; ReCo30, 2 doses
LT 38; Int +3, Magic Theory 5 (items), Rego 4, Corpus 10, Aura 3, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients), Experimentation Bonus +4, Successful Component Bonus +4
Hermetic Alchemy Experiment; 6 items tested
Risk Modifier +1, Simple Die 3, Extraordinary Roll 5, Side Effect Roll 8
Major Side Effect: Target is in a mental stupor for the duration
Per +1, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients)
7 Aspirin Root +4, fail
9 Aspirin Leaf +3, success
4 Coffee Leaf +1, success
Iron Grains, over limit
Mushrooms, over limit
Basil, over limit
S4[color=white]……..Invent a new pain relief formula, hoping to avoid the side effect.
Charged Item, ReCo30, 3 doses
LT 42; Int +3, Magic Theory 5 (items), Rego 4, Corpus 10, Aura 3, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients), Experimentation Bonus +6, Successful Component Bonus +6
Risk Modifier +3, Simple Die 3, Extraordinary Roll 3, Side Effect Roll
Fatal Flaw; renders patient paralyzed
Hermetic Alchemy Experiment; 6 items tested
Per +1, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients)
10 Aspirin Leaf +3, success
5 Coffee Leaf +1, success
4 Granite +2, success
Aspirin Root, over limit
Bull Urine, over limit
Cilantro, over limit

  • YEAR THREE
    S1[color=white]……..Third attempt at a pain relief formula
    Charged Item, ReCo30, 3 doses
    LT 43; Int +3, Magic Theory 5 (items), Rego 4, Corpus 10, Aura 3, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients), Experimentation Bonus +7, Successful Component Bonus +6
    Risk Factor +3, Simple Die 4, Extraordinary Roll 8, Modified Roll 1
    Duration Increased: lasts for a full Season
    Hermetic Alchemy Experiment; 6 items tested
    Per +1, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients)
    9 Coffee Leaf +1, success
    4 Aspirin Leaf +3, failure
    4 Aspirin Root +2, success
    3 Alcohol +3, failure
    9 Mint +2, success
    5 Gold +2, success
    S2[color=white]……..Using Lab Text, create 9 more doses of the successful pain relief formula (LT 42)
    S3[color=white]……..Invent an Advanced Healing Formula with Hermetic Alchemy
    Charged Item, CrCo35, 4 doses
    LT 53; Int +3, Magic Theory 5 (items), Creo 7, Corpus 10, Aura 3, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients), Focus Bonus +7, Potent Magic Bonus +3, Experimentation Bonus +5, Successful Component Bonus +5
    Risk Factor +2, Simple Die 3, Extraordinary Roll 9, Modified Roll 2
    Reduced Duration: Only lasts for a week
    Hermetic Alchemy Experiment; 6 items tested
    Per +1, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients)
    9 Alcohol +2, successful
    7 Aspirin +2, successful
    10 Garlic +1, successful
    Amethyst, over limit
    Spinach, over limit
    Bull Urine, over limit
    S4[color=white]……..Try making the better healing potion again
    Charged Item, CrCo35, 5 doses
    LT 59; Int +3, Magic Theory 5 (items), Creo 7, Corpus 10, Aura 3, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients), Focus Bonus +7, Potent Magic Bonus +3, Experimentation Bonus +10, Successful Component Bonus +6
    Risk Factor +3, Simple Die 7, Extraordinary Roll 1
    No Extraordinary Effect
    Hermetic Alchemy Experiment; 6 items tested
    Per +1, Magic Lore 3 (ingredients)
    9 Alcohol +2, successful
    9 Aspirin +3, successful
    1 Honey +2, failure
    3 Garlic +2, failure
    4 Iron +2, success
    8 Gold +2, success

Personal Form & Effect Bonuses
Gold:
Iron

2

I like him.

My Mage is intended to have a companion character as Venditore who is both politically sly (Intrigue etc.) and also has some darker habits (specifically Poisoning was my intent). He has the Poisoning skill as a Professional skill - i.e. he doesn't have high Herbalism in general, and knows nothing about healing etc. but rather focusses only on Poisions themselves. As you are designing a Mage, and this chap of mine is just a Companion, I wanted to double check I'm not treading on toes by introducing him. Hopefully they could complement one another - but if youwant to be 'Da Man' when it comes to Poison I can tone my chap down.

Best regards

Namgyal

3

Well, first of all, I think avoiding overlapping powers is unrealistic. Never ever base your character design around what another character has done.
Second, poisoning is not my thing. It would be very un Hippocratic.

4

Before you make your character linked to Hippocraties, I suggest you read his oath very carefully. I was making a changeling for live action and wanted to take hippocratic oath (changeling is game where oaths and breaking ofthem is one of the most critical aspects). Reading the oath made for some very interesting and enlightening things.

It basically outlaws most forms of Chirurgy (Especially surgery), limits sharing knowlege, especially cases if you don't have the answer.

5

I realize this. Simon is an Apothecary, not a Surgeon. No abortions either.
I know well what I am doing.

6

I swear by Apollo, the healer, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath and agreement:
To consider dear to me, as my parents, him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and, if necessary, to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art.

I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.

I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.

But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.

I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.

In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.

All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.

If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot.