Table Talk - Development

This is a thread for talk about character development.

I'm not sure about how to utilise, or if I should utilise a few of the options we have. If the other players have advice or suggestions I'd love to hear them.

  • Two seasons of skilled labor at a skill+attribute of (Cycle + 10). To build a mundane something special, which would be unobtainable otherwise? What would a few uses be?
  • They may trade vis at standard Mercere rates. What is the rate?
  • Are there are Quaesitor thematically suitable Mystery Cults? I've read a lot of them over the years, but can't say I've memorised them, and many are House specific.
  • 5 transformational vis - Is this used for familiar advancement? I though any vis appropriate to the creature was ok?

Look at page 68 of City & Guild for inspiration on the things that skilled labor could do. I was thinking about getting some ships, and making my companion a trader/negotiator kind of guy.

I can't find the redcaps' vis exchange rates right now, but I'm pretty sure they are in Covenants somewhere.

What Wits said about C&G.
Also, you could get a scribe to copy books/lab texts (say, for a future covenant). I'm not sure Cow & Calf would apply since you're not selling or giving them away. Assume an Attribute of 3, so Skill is Cycle + 7.

It's in HoH:TL, page 85. But here's the basics:

[tableborder][tr][th]Covenant/Maga[/th] [th]Redcap[/th] [th][left]Example[/left][/th][/tr]
[tr][td][center]1p (v.t.)[/center][/td] [td][center]1p (v.f.)[/center][/td] [td]1 Muto for 1 Corpus[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][center]2p (v.f.)[/center][/td] [td][center]1p (v.f.)[/center][/td] [td]2 Aquam for 1 Ignem[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][center]2p (v.t.)[/center][/td] [td][center]1p (v.t.)[/center][/td] [td]2 Intellego for 1 Creo[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][center]4p (v.f.)[/center][/td] [td][center]1p (v.t.)[/center][/td] [td]4 Vim for 1 Rego[/td][/tr][/tableborder]

I am unsure of that. I'll leave it for people more steeped in MCs to comment.

This is vis gained in the Magic Realm and can be used for transformations. The rules are in RoP:M on page 26. Let me know if you don't have that book.

I'm planning on using most of my skilled labor in the form of a laboratory assistant expanding my lab. Two seasons is worth installing a Major Feature and Major Focus, for a pretty tall boost in a single specialization.

As others said, C&G has rules on crafting; once you get to skill 12 or above the crafter adds bonuses when the item is used. Assuming we've known each other for a long time, my Ex Misc will be able to do the same for you, so you might want to focus on other stuff.

They could also go do things for you at other locations if you want to get creative. Wanna skip tribunal but still buy or sells stuff? Send a grog!

I had a cool thought for a companion and want to run it y the table:

A magical being who claims to be sent by the old gods to assist in the rebuilding of what was lost. He claims to bear messages (which are vague enough not to have any real in game effect, unless Trogdor decides otherwise) and will be a good leader and general. He was inspired y the greek heroes, but the Cult of Heroes doesn't really do what I want with him, so I went the magical being route. His primary role will be to assist in carrying out our plans, not interfere with them.

Thoughts?

That's an interesting idea. I'd like to make everyone's primary companion very good as well, so I don't think a magical being breaks the bank.

Darn good idea for a companion!

Is Magnus going to need any pre-game start assistance, like inventing the ritual to raise the continent? How about any spells we should know, like Wizards Communion at a certain level?

I"m not 100% sure how it'll come out in at the wire. But he certainly won't need help in the first few cycles.

An opal is an expensive component for an item (talisman?). It either requires the expenditure of a sufficient amount of MP to buy or an adventure to acquire it. (I'll say that a single adventure can acquire whatever rare components you want for a talisman, even if it's more than one.)

I saw some posting of where people intend their magi to go in the sticky above and thought I'd lay out my intents here.

I intend to spend a truly obscene amount of vis on spell texts to learn higher level spells easier. This should help grow our library.

I'll be making a lot of lower level magic items for "free" using my Imbued virtue and craft magic. I'm looking at corpus right now, but am thinking about changing.

Lastly, I'll be feeding my familiar a lot of vis so he can transform and grow in might. As he will be a muse for practical crafting he will permanently grant a few related virtues; This will be instead of initiating into a cult and sacrificing vis instead of seasons. I may not get the cool special stuff, but it will be something comparable.

I"m sorry I didn't make it explicit. You have a library with 2500 spell levels in it ("powerful" covenant library). So you should have any basic spell texts that you need already. You cannot get spell texts for unique spells that you make up.

[strike]Where are the rules for that? I confess I'm not familiar with them.[/strike]

Never mind. Found it.

What exactly do you mean by that? As in the familiar will grant the magus Virtues permanently?

yes, at the cost of permanent might. I intend to feed him enough vis to transform multiple times, gaining might each time. I understand how expensive this will be.

is the 5xp/season for a familiar when not working with a magus before the penalty for their might or ignoring it? (some sources allow familiars to always ignore might penalty for learning..)

My intention was to make it after. But that was when I was expecting everyone's familiar to be about the same Might. If your familiar is going to be much more mighty, that might mess with the numbers a bit.

Or were you looking to use your increased Might to get a heap more Qualities?

Kuiti Itijin - Sorry to raise this - Haestas is using a few modified spell effects in the Gauntlet stage, which I think has been disallowed at gauntlet. From what Trogdor has said previously I think we can either take the spells as written, or have to customise them in advancement.

Are we using the Might penalty to all Learning Totals, xp gains, etc? How much Vis does it take to remove it?
I want to prioritise the advancement of my familiar's Magic Theory, but need to know which activity types get penalised and which don't.

I think he changed his mind from the first time this was raised. From the Magi creation sticky:

I hope this helps you in your planning!