Spells that grant Warping cannot have a duration of ...

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

"Spells that grant Warping cannot have a duration of greater than Momentary"

Is this just for game balance? What prevents a spell like the one below to be functional?

CrVi 25 - Touch | Sun | Ind | - Magic Wall
Creates a wall of Magic that will, if it penetrates magical resistance, grant 2 warping point to any that cross it. If affected, Hermetic magus must test for twilight. While undergoing the twilight trials, the magus is immune to further warping but could be further affected after the end of the experience.
(Touch +1 | Sun +2 | Ind +0 | Base 10 (Grant two warping points))

W

2

Vim doesn't have any mechanism for defining a size and shape to occupy. The recipients of Vim spells need to be something that is a valid recipient. Valid recipients for Vim are people, things or spells. If you target a real, physical wall with a vim spell, you will give it warping points. It is different than Ignem and Terram, because they create something physically.

3

Interesting explanation. What about the ReVi guideline that creates a conduit?

The restriction also only seems to be targetting spells that grant warping (as per the CrVi guidelines)

Where does it talk about vim not being able to create something of its own?

W

4

Well, that establishes a mystical conduit which has no apparent size or shape.

It's never stated explicitly that Vim can't create something of it's own, and I never said exactly what you stated. I said Vim spells can't really occupy a space like the other forms do.

Instead of dancing around it, what exactly are you wanting to accomplish? Creating a spot that waits for someone to cross it and then grant them warping? A watching Ward is probably necessary for that effect.

5

My magus is experimenting with warping. He created a few items that grant warping. Thiking about a veneration statue that would do the same. I would like to have a spell to help along those lines (I.e that warps someone or thing over a month or even sun duration).

The spell as posted in my 1st post describes exposes the problematic.

I think the intent of the restriction was not to prevent a wall of magic but to manage warping abuse?

Feels out of sync with the rest of the rules...

W

6

This is sort of like a wind of mundane silence field that dispels everything that it comes in contact with. you can imagine it but the magic has net yet been done in the setting. I see the "Warping field" as possibly problematic to adjudicate, if someone leaves and comes back does it warp them again, if someone stays in the field then does it warp them every diameter every day every round or something else, these problems are solvable but if you don't tread carefully this sort of thing could somewhat more easily than most applications lead to uses of magic that convey more feelings of minmax cheese than wonder and awe. It's like a field of perdo corpus damage. Perhaps it isn't difficult to conceive of how the magic would work but I'm pretty relieved to say that hermetic magic technology hasn't developed it yet so I as a story guide don't have to worry about it. (or perhaps I'm just being a stick in the mud)

7

Going back to your continuous wind of mundane silence kinda sounds like the Aegis. Has me thinking that maybe the effect I'm looking for for my original research is in fact a ritual effect. Still would go against the explicit guideline that you cannot have a duration greater than momentary. The more I think about this limitation, the more I'm displeased with it.

You have to admit that is it strange that the system allows a minor item with unlimited uses to warp indiscriminately but that you cannot mimic the effect using a formulaic spell.

I agree with you that some uses of Perdo with durations can be anti-climax .. alike multi-casting mastery...

Thanks for the comments everyone.

W

8

Just for the heck of it, here is the spell that would eventually be developed using original research:

CrVi 45 - Touch | Ring | Circle | - Gift of Hecate, Ritual
This ritual attempts to perfect the gift of a hedge wizard that only has a partial gift. This ritual involves warping the target in order to allow his body to better accept the magical gift, allowing the target to gain one warping point per round until the ritual is completed which should allow it to gain 1350 warping points or about 10 times the required amount to align a sleeper to the magical realm. In game terms, for each rank of warping gained, roll on the experimentation table. A discovery roll will send the target into twilight. If he is able to understand the experience, his magical gifts are strengthened. As normal, you gain virtual and flaws as you are warped. Theoretically, this ritual could eventually awaken a sleeper to a full gift.
(Touch +1 | Ring +2 | Circle +0 | Base 30 (Perfect The Gift))

The duration Ring is added to allow the "healing/awakening" to complete itself "Naturally" after the completion of the ritual.

W

9

Also realize that by standard hermetic rules a CrVi warping spell with a duration greater then momentary could be interpreted as imparting points that last only for the duration. I.E. gain 2 warping points for sun duration means those warping points disappear at sunrise. This would of course not be ok. Hence why I think the rule was set up.