I've been looking in the books and on this forum, but I can't find any spells that improve initiative.
There are a couple of virtues such as Improved Initiative and Fast Caster that affect initiative and increasing Quickness with CrCo also increase initiative.
Any suggestions for guidelines and spells?
Why must there be spells to improve initiative?
I'd argue it's one of those things Hermetic Magic just doesn't do very well.
I'm not saying there must be a spell to improve initiative but I see no reason why it could not be improved hermeticly when one can improve physical stats, soak, and give bonuses to healing and most social tests. One can even use magic to give a temporary pussiance with a MuCo spell. (RoP:M page 38).
I guess the Grant Puissance in (ability) can be used to give a bonus to initiative as it says it can be used to give a +3 to a total or ability (such as Soak or Hunt).
Kind of answered my own question there.
EDITED TO CORRECT PAGE REFERENCE.
There's the added art of Tempus in Sub Rosa #17.
You could use ReCo to make someone move faster, ReMe to have them react faster. You could alter targets and effects to have opponents move slower.
What does your troupe think?
-Ben.
I'd say it would be rather hard to provide "generic" improved initiative. It would be like granting "generic" improved damage, with everything from spells to fists to arrows. Improving characteristics such as Quickness via CrCo would provide small improvements to a very broad set of situations. More specialized improvements could be provided via other means, from Me/An or Im spells to disorient opponents, to MuCo spells that e.g. give one long, tentacle-like limbs, to Te/He spells that make a weapon extremely light or capable of striking on its own initiative.
I'm sorry, I really can't find this?
On p. 38 of RoP: M, I can find Grant Puissance (as a MuCo effect), which is rather distinct from Puissant (ability) - and which I wouldn't simply assume is possible via Hermetic Magic. Is this the one you're refering to?
Suggest that a InMe effect could allow the caster to anticipate the actions of those around them. Perhaps using Target Hearing or casting on a specific target to learn their intent in the duel.
The degree of the bonus should vary though, as sometimes the intent of the opponent isn't something which occurs. Limited to a +1 to +3 range, and potentially also limited to the casters ability to comprehend the intent accurately; as a wizard with poor combative stats might not understand the quick thoughts of the spell targets.
In general, granting Virtues is not a Hermetic thing.
The best available way to do this is to raise Quickness through CrCo, though that's usually a momentary ritual that costs way too much vis to be practical.
Yes.
Obviously my fingers must have been all over the keyboard as I typed that.
While Hermetic magic can easily use MuIm for minor bonus to social abilities ad possibly MuCo for minor changes useful for physical abilities I have a much harder time seeing Me changes useful for mental endeavours. And certainly not for general things like Initiativ.
Use CrCo to improve Qik? Imprectical but that is really the only way.
Granting Virtues is something I see Faeries or Magic Spirits doing
My first thought is that it would be a generic MuCo "Grant small physical bonus based on a well-known animal characteristic" sort of thing; assuming the phrase "cat-like reflexes" isn't just a relatively modern invention. However, from what I recall of previous discussions, that particular effect, in-game, LITERALLY gives the character a physical characteristic of the animal. As such, it would have to be "feet of the cat" or "limbs of the cat" or something like that, or some other part of the cat's body that granted the reflexes.
As such, such an effect would probably be limited to a specific cat-like activity (dodging and acrobatics, perhaps?), rather than a general Initiative bonus. Plus, y'know - you end up having paws.
CrCo, ArM p. 130, Guidelines: Increase one of a person's physical Characteristics by one point, to no more than 0. To +1 is 35. +2 40, and so on. I assume to increase from 0 or less to +2 in one spell would be base 40, and so on, although that's not clearly stated.
Don't neglect the conversion to Ritual at level 50.
To gain more than a momentary effect, bump up from there. I don't think it's worth the lab time, but I could see a mage who is tuned to physicality developing a suite of these spells.
The guidelines are pretty resistant to improving characteristics - there may be another way do address the problem at hand.
It seems clear to me that the Mercere spells are 'one step at a time'.
I don't like spells for 2+ steps at once.
Nope, that would be a seperate, high level effect - which is important/relevant because of Warping.