My favorite reference for Ars Magica is "Xena: Warrior Princess."
It isn't in period.
It isn't even true to the historical period it ostensibly is in.
But they did some cool things that often worked. Lao Tzu one week (beautiful 2-parter), Caesar the next, Goliath the next, Arthur the next and Troy the next? Ok....
If it's fun and even vaguely medieval, your legions of fans will go through all kinds of contortions to justify your cool saga ideas. Come to think of it, that's the relationship between AM5 and AM2!
I've got another question. Yesterday one of my player created a Guernicus magus. Fine, no problem here, until he chooses his spells.
In the HoH:TL, in the Guernicus chapter, some spells have a "Vision" target. I've searched in the core book but was unable to find it (in order to level up or down some of those spells). Can someone explain me where the "Vision" is in the scale for Target ?
If he choose a size of +1, he can choose a minor Virtues without choosing a Flaws. But if he takes the Regio Minor Virtue, the lab now has a +4 size. Can he choose a major Virtue without balancing with a flaw ? The Regio Minor Virtue can be taken several time, giving +3 size each time. Isn't it too powerful ?
Last question : a player who choose a 0 size can choose balanced V&F ? I've read that he can't choose nothing, but maybe I'm mistaking.
There's no innate balance if that's what you mean.. usually however magi are limited by either the size of the building they're in, or the amount of money they can afford to splash out on labs. It's a curve, so the lab costs can quickly rack up to exorbitant amounts with high upkeeps.
Bear in mind though, that size tends to both negatively affect safety and/or health depending on how you set the lab up, so there's always going to be factors which you have to account for.
As Marko already said.. if you have size 0 you can still take V&F.. they just have to be equal numbers of both.
To create something "real", i.e. doesn't disappear at the end of the spell duration, you need to design the spell as a ritual. It's the same reasoning for healing spells, you want the wound to be healed and not open or reappear, so the spells are rituals.
What you can't do is invent a Creo spell and then optionally make it formulaic or ritual as you cast. At the time you design it, it is either one thing or the other.
Check pages 77 and 114 of the core rulebook. There's more there.
Note that the above relates to Momentary spells - even with a Ritual, you can't make some magical effect last forever. If the effect is natural, though you can create it permanently with a Momentary-duration Creo Ritual spell.
Well, you can cast a spell with a Ring duration, and if the ring is not disturbed the spell will last indefinitely.
Also, Faerie Magic offers some new options. A spell with Fire duration could in theory last indefinitely, if the fire is kept up. A spell with an Until duration could last indefinitely, as long as the conditions are not met.
Finally, there are ways offered in supplements. If you have The Mysteries Revised Edition, I believe Hermetic Empowerment allows on to maintain a spell indefinitely by casting a ritual that imprisons a spirit and forces it to power the spell.
Of course, there are other ways to make permanent magical effects, chiefly through enchanted items.
As long as you use a Momentary duration ritual with the expenditure of vis, yes. You are using Creo to move the body closer to its ideal (by removing or healing the wound) and the use of the ritual makes that effect "real", i.e. lasting.
Ok, I think I get it (I understand quickly, but you have to explain me for a long time...).
If I remove the Ritual component from the spell The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch, it won't last no more than Momentary. So the body healed with this spelle will be wounded again after a few seconds.
One last thing : how many Vis must be used on a ritual spell ? I can read that they require Vis, but I can't find how many pawns ? Is it changing, according to how much Vis there is in my saga ? If yes, can someone give me guidelines or examples from your saga ?
