Table Talk - Development

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: The Rise of Atlantis
106

A massive, massive cluster of custom spells/items/bond-powers. If all of these get approved, and I didn't mess up addition my characters cycles should be ready to post!

Items:
Heating Control – Creo Ig 20 unlimited uses/day +0 Pen:
R: Touch, D: Conc T: Part
This thin steel wand can cause the object touched, or part of the object if it is particularly large, to become warm to the touch. The command word is “warmth” in Nordic. This grants the Magical Heating/Superior Heating to a lab if used for such a purpose.
Base 2 +1 part +1 touch +1 conc +5 item maintains conc +10 levels unlimited uses/day

Wand of Drying and Salting – Creo Animal (He) – 20 levels
Unlimited Uses/Day, 0 penetration
R: Touch D: Ring T: Circle
Everything composed of animal or plant products within the circle traced is preserved from decay. This is mainly useful for preserving food vastly extending its self life although it helps stop decay from some lab ingredients. This provides +1 Health to a Hermetic Lab
Base 2 + 1 touch, +2 Ring, 1 Requisites +10 levels for uses/day

[i]The Jeweled Choker[/i]
This talisman is a composite item consisting of a Silver Collar inlaid with jewels specifically Ruby, Sapphire and Amethyst, fused to the collar are fine chains forming an Electrum Necklace, from which hangs a Jet Cross which encases a fragment of Red Coral

Silent Commands – InMe- 29
Constant, Penetration 0
R: Self DSun, Constant T: Ind
This is the enchantment Artemis used to allow her talisman to trigger on the basis of mental commands. This is a constant enchantment instead of concentration so she does not need to think of it at sunrise or sunset.
Base 15 +2 sun, +4 levels Constant

Gleam of Freshly Polished Glass-30 PeTe
1 use/day, 0 penetration
R: Touch D: Moon T: Room
This has the same effect as the spell of the same name on page 112 of covenants except an extra magnitude has been spent on size, and it does not increase warping. This grants the spotless virtues in labs it is used in.
Base 3 +1 touch, +3 Moon, +2 Room, +1 Size

Familiar Bond Empowerments:

Cooling – 24 Rego Ig (Co)
R: Touch DSun, Constant T: Ind
The Maga is cooled to a comfortable body temperature if she starts to build up too much heat in her body, and helps the body distribute heat properly through the body as well.. This doesn't protect against full fledged fires or sunburn, but it can improve her living conditions. Every 40 levels of effects designed to improve living conditions adds a +1 bonus. (See Transforming Mythic Europe pg. xx for full details)

Base 4+1 touch, +2 Sun +1 Corpus Req +4 levels Constant

Cleanliness
ReTe - 24
R:T D:Constant T:Ind
This bond empowerment keeps dirt away from the maga. It doesn't stop her from touching it, or walking on it, but it does stop it from sticking to her for long. She and her clothes remain free of dirt even under the worst conditions. This doesn't prevent damage from a dirt clod or prevent the maga from throwing one, but it does make her clean after! Mud isn't affected when wet, but as it dries it will fall off. Ground up stone isn't effected either. The main benefit, besides appearance is keeping away a lot of things that could make you sick and thus improvement of living conditions. Every 40 levels of effects designed to improve living conditions adds a +1 bonus. (See Transforming Mythic Europe pg. xx for full details)
Base 5 + 1 touch + 2 sun +4 levels, constant

Ward Against the Foulest of Odors – Rego Au 29
Constant, 0 Penetration
[b]R[b]: Touch D: Constant, Sun T: Ind
This bond empowerment wards of noxious odors of the sort that sicken. This protects the maga from some forms of disease, and also leads to a less noticeable, but real improvement in living conditions.
Base 10 +1 touch +2 sun +4 levels constant; 29 levels total

Insulation Rego Ig (Co)
R: Touch R: Constant T:
This spell prevents too much heat from leaving the Maga's body. If the maga is at the minimum healthy level of heat no more will be able to leave her body. She is essentially immune to natural cold. However, this will not help protect against most forms of supernatural cold. In particular it provides no defense against Perdo Ig effects that target the Maga directly. The main benefit is protection from Winter chills. This improves the Maga's living conditions as it negates one of the harsh effects of Winter.

Base 4+1 touch, +2 Sun +1 Corpus Req +4 levels Constant

Human Shape -MuAn (Co)-20
1 use day, Pen 0, Item Maintains Concentration
R: D: Conc TInd
Phobia takes a human shape. She has silvery long hair. Her physical characteristics are average for a human.
Base 10+1 conc, +1 touch, +5 levels, Item maintains Concentration

Spells:
Ghost Writing – Creo Im 25
R: Arcane D Diam T Group
This spell makes letter or words appear upon the target of the spell. The purpose is so a wizard with an arcane connection to something can write on it. And thus communicate to whoever has it.
Base 1 +1 writing, +4 arcane +1 diam +2 group

Ping – Creo Im 5
[u]R[/b]: Arcane [b]D[b]: Mom T: Ind
The targeted object appears to make a noise, exactly what kind of noise depends on the caster's sigil. Artemis's is a wolf's howl.
Base 1 + 4 arcane.

See What Lies Below the Sea – InAq (Te) -20
RInd DSun T:Vision
The Maga's sight is no longer hindered by water, including water with particles of earth mixed up within it such as salt or silt. This means that the maga can see to the bottom of most natural bodies of water if the animal population isn't too heavy. They can still see the water as well. It is not invisible to them.
Base 1 +4 Vision, +2 Sun +1 Requisites

[u]Flight of the Maga[u] – Rego Corpus 25
R: Self D: Sun T: Ind
The maga can move quickly in any direction she pleases, move more slowly in any direction she pleases or hover in place if she so wishes. It is a rather simple spell for flying.
Base 15+2 sun

Spring of Pure Water – CrAq (ReTe) - 20
R: Touch D:Mom T:Group, Ritual
This ritual spell creates one spring of water. The rate of flow is quite high and should easily be able to meet the needs of drinking water for a small town. The Rego and Terram requisites clear a path and add geological features to help make sure the spring is geologically stable.
Base 5+1 touch, +2 Group, +1 Requisite

Field of Wheat – CrHe – 20
R: Touch D:Mom T: Group, Ritual
With a touch, suitable ground becomes filled with a massive amount of wheat plants. Approximately 60 acres of wheat in all. The wheat appears in the ground at the appropriate stage for the season. Artemis's Sigil causes a cold wind to blow across the field, the wheat appearing in its wake.
Base 1 +1 touch +2 group +4 size

[u]Blessing of Bounty[/b] CrHe-25
R:Touch D: Moon T Group
The touched group of plants is protected from non-magical disease and grows well for the duration. The result will be tastier, larger and healthier. Note that the total volume that can be affected is roughly 1,000,000 individuals.
Base 1 +3 Moon, +2 Group +1 Touch, +2 Size

107

Two initial observations:

1.) Why does Gleam of the Freshly Polished Glass not increase Warping? The spell does.

2.) Silent Command will ultimately Warp the Talisman, since it's a constant effect.

108

I'm conflicted about playing the character given feedback (edit: meaning all the feedback, not SO specifically), as it seems that either the outcome is predestined (which is dull and frustrating) or it will be driven too tightly by real world history. I thought the Scottish church structures at the time were less formal (e.g. they had no local bishop), and still very linked to Rome, and also allowed a significant degree of flexibility due to their involvement in what is basically "the wild west" as far as Rome was concerned. The priests would be seen more as missionaries and guides for the faith than "soldiers for Rome".

That is what I have in mind. Having the view that the character is either a soldier of Rome who is openly at-odds with pagans, or totally unsupported by mother church makes it a non-start. I want to put this view out there before I go any further. What setting are we working within specifically for the Church?

109

I don't, by any means, want to discourage this character concept. I think it's great. And dealing with the Church will be an important issue with Atlantis.

Basically there's a trade-off. A religious character has to decide how much to accept pagan beliefs. There's no easy answer. being more of a hard-ass about pagans will make you more popular with Rome, but less popular at home, and vice versa.

But, as I see it, being a priest will be a net plus when dealing with the mother Church as compared to any other character. You'd be viewed as 'one of us,' even if it was a wayward 'one of us.' It would certainly give you more authority to deal with religious matters than a lay character, and would force you to deal with some very interesting dilemmas.

I don't necessarily think that the actions the Church takes will be predestined. There are a number of ways they could deal with a new island (once they find out about it). How the troupe reacts to the Church will definitely influence that. True, if the group takes a 'screw the Church' attitude, there's not much room for negotiation. But that's where a priest companion would come into his own. He could be the bridge between the Church and the magi community, trying to make some kind of peace.

110

I'll post a character dev thread for the companion, and see what folk think.

111

Draft for Father Augustus posted here

112

Have we considered the other option for dealing with the Divine? Namely converting to Islam and importing a Imam? No pesky Church to deal with and they okay magic use. Hey, I bet there are some on Malta who we can get from the nobles for free. A bunch of peasants too! We'll probably have to pay shipping and handling, but overall its a good deal, IMO. :}

113

Meliai's concept of how to deal with the divine is to try and establish large scale level 8+ magic auras and run them off...

114

I suppose they'll have to reply with Empyreal Auras from miracles. :wink:

115

Looking at the rules. For familiars when they aren't doing something else, they get abstracted as gaining 5xp/season? Is that with or without might penalities. Second, if they are say, reading a book next to the Master while the Master does something else, such as writing a book, is the learning penalized? In my draft files/posts I assumed anything that wasn't working directly with, or receiving teach/instruction from the Master was penalized.

I have some ideas for companions, but I want to check their feasibility first. A hybrid might be possible.

The Shepherd: An Imam leading a group of persecuted Muslims to the promised land. Promised by some magi. And probably not so much leading to the promised land since they would nearly be there at that point.

The Doctor: Basically a person with a bunch of Academic Abilities and virtues and a desire to build a better academic system. Education for EVERYONE! Possibly do original research in natural philosophy if we decide those rules are in play and can be combined.

The Hedge Wizard: A hedge wizard, unGifted, with decent ability to initiate people. The hope would be to spawn a whole gaggle of supporting hedge mages for the Order.

Thoughts?

116

The 5 xp/season is an abstraction that accounts for everything. Familiars get that regardless of Might. The two exceptions are: 1) familiars get exposure any season they're assisting in the lab; and 2) a familiar can always elect to study the same book that her master is and gain full points from that book. As for reading books next to their master, or other such circumstances, consider that part of the 5 xp/season abstraction.

All those ideas sound interesting. Remember with the Imam, though, that there is no land being promised at this point. That'll come later.

117

Wait, I assumed the familiar could be taught outright or receive training from the master and get full xp. Is that wrong?

118

Sorry, I left that one out. Yes, if the master spends a season training the familiar, the familiar gets full SQ for that as well.

119

Odd question about breakthroughs and integration of discoveries.

The Atlantian virtue allows for the use of new ranges like Ocean and a few other which could be darn handy.

Is it better or even different for a character who has the hermetic virtue to try to teach it to another, or for them to integrate it into hermetic theory, or potentially slower but better for all of it is performed as a breakthrough by another?

I'm interested in members of the Atlantian community having darn useful ranges for some spell effects; bug daunted by what it might entail.

I doubt that the Atlantian virtue could be "trained" as it stands, as it's more of a birthright. What about Fae durations and such?

120

I hadn't given that much thought. But the Atlantean magic would certainly be able to be integrated with Hermetic theory if someone wanted to go to the effort. It would be recapturing the old magic.

I'm less certain about teaching Virtues. I'll have to review those rules. Anyone who's more up on them should feel free to chime in.

121

Have you decided how big (in terms of extra magnitudes required) atlantis is yet? I'm looking at the Shrouded Glen and trying to decide how big it needs to be.

122

Raised, it's going to be about 15 x 25 miles. Figure about 350-400 sq mi, between Madeira and Martinique in size.

123

As an alternative, Transformation might be an option to directly gain those virtues for the magus. I'll think about that method too.

124

Haestus will have some limited ability to allow people to "loan" virtues for short periods of time. If you need the virtue for a season, figure out a way to get it permanently; if you only need it for a spell or two, Haestus can help in game, although it takes a few days to set up.

125

There are rules for teaching Hermetic Virtues in Apprentices. Arguably you could make texts/items for people to gain insight from and complete integration of it, assuming you already have someone with the virtue. Arguably, that's also stupid.