By the way, folks, there's something I want to include in the scene -- the intent is to showcase Stultus' proficiency with Intrigue and information-gathering in general. So if one of you could feed him a straight line, I'd appreciate it. Something like "What do you know about our issues with House Guernicus", or "When did you find out", or "How did you find out", etcetera. Obviously, only if it's something your character would say, and only if it's appropriate, all that.
Fair warning, he's likely to be somewhat critical of Mons Electi in his answer. :mrgreen:
I'm still mega slammed at work. This is normally my least busy time of the year and it has turned into my busiest.
Between some things in my office and having picked up clients (through no fault of my own :-/) who need work done ASAP, I'm just mega busy. Call it Karma for the relatively long period I've been able to post with little or no restrictions...
While we dither around waiting for JL I thought we could have a thought exercise that might help me out. As I said I'm working on a ArM game set in the 1400's. I want to know what advances in magic theory could we see in that time period. I like doing a range of 3. Likely to happen. would be interesting.. Far out there. They can be as loosely-goosey as you want. Please ignore Aristotle physics because I am
For example, here are some I came up with:
Likely : Improved Longevity Rituals - New LR give +2 bonus per 5 points of CrCo lab total.
Interesting:MT integrates the ability of hedge Elementalists to effect things they can not see.[1]
Far out : a new form - Elementalists discover something that exists between the elements and have named it Aether. It seems to manifest as an energy. Experiments are being done to try and find some uses for it beyond blowing things up and making shields against blowing things up.[2]
[1] this is from the HMRE Elementalist.
[2] I got this from how Chinese magic thinks of the 4 elements plus the Void which surrounds them and separates them.
The LR advance might be made, but isn't it kind of superfluous already? Isn't already not too hard to make an LR that can make you last past any conceivable age leading to death by Final Twilight?
I think manipulation of time will be attemped, but not lead to a new Form or anything, but perhaps the ability to see into the past to some extent.
Indeed the LR advancement is a given. That is why it is likely. time is what a Magus is always short of. Perhaps a way of delaying final Twilight....hmmm
Um. The Chinese five elements are Earth, Air, Fire, Metal and Wood, IIRC... which may give elementalists the ability to affect Herbam as well as the traditional elements. The Chinese concept of chi, and the Indian ayurvedic concepts, may combine to grant increased understanding of Corpus.
Likely: Spell Mastery abilities that are currently restricted to small groups of magi (e.g., the Mutantes) are now available to all Hermetic magi. Interesting: A new Hermetic Ability (possibly requiring a corresponding Virtue), Experimental Acumen. First, the maga's score in Experimental Acumen adds to all Lab Totals for which the maga is experimenting. Second, whenever a roll on one of the sub-charts on page 109 (not the main Results Chart itself) is needed, roll a simple die before making the sub-chart roll; if the roll is less than or equal to the maga's score in Experimental Acumen, then she may modify the subsequent sub-chart roll by 1 in either direction if she wishes. Loosey-goosey: Hermetic Magic finds a way to detect the Infernal and see through its deceptions. Maybe this is a new Form altogether. Maybe it uses Vim but requires Infernally tainted Vis. Generally, maybe it requires something that can be construed as selling out to the Infernal to use....
Some new ranges and V&F that are restricted in their scope now become widely available.
More specialization options
Not directly related, but minor faeries become Might 50-60 and powerful faeries Might 200 just to deal with their roles in front of Hermetics. When there are no Hermetics around, their effective might in front of hedgies are much lower. Big dragons and stuff in the Hermetic area of influence are already extinct and the stuff of legends in 1400. The mavericks of the Order hunted them all down.
Accumulation of magic items has allowed the Order to retire to inacessible places in front of encroaching dominion. Spread of Mercere Portals for travel.
LIMITED
Integration of all elemental arts into a single Form
A breakthrough that puts Parma as an effective defence against Hermetic magic again.
Penetration and Finesse bundled in a single ability of Magic Control.
FAR REACHING NONSENSE
New form for Spirits unlinked to Mentem. I always found it weird that the spirit dudes are masters of the human brain, even if they have never dealt with humans at all in their magical career.
That actually works well with the Void idea Jebrick had, because some cosmologies label the fifth element as Spirit. New Form: Spiritus or Animus, which would affect ghosts, elementals, genii loci, and possibly have the potential to affect the soul -- whether it does or not depends on your Saga's internal cosmology.
Have fun, and we'll see you when we see you. We are so far managing to entertain ourselves. 
