Table Talk - Development

Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Light of Andorra
281

Morning Briefs

Markoko is Stupid!
Fixer, the coment I made about your character had nothing to do with your character at all! That was for Boxer, but then I changed my comment for Boxer and gave him a Greenlight. The Green Lantern joke was meant for Scott, but Boxer does have a green light. Scott, your character is green lighted to go up on the board as well. Octavian, you are good to go too. I think Marie is good. Am I missing anyone? Who else thinks they are ready?

Do you guys have Edit functions for your posts? If not, I will ask Wendy again. We will use Edit correct and advance our characters in play, adjusting them as the story goes.

Jarkman,
I just read your notes on Barcelona. Awesome! Can Florenzo be a member of Barcelona? Please? I know his name is out of place. I have a habit of using Spanish names of people I know or once knew. But Florenzo would be an excellent connection between the two covenants. He kisses up to Carlus and is jealous of his apprentice.

Ken,
I really dig the exposition and narrative for Buttercup (that’s her nickname now, even if you give her a different official name, Buttercup has etched into my memory :laughing: )

Seriously though, good stuff :smiley: I enjoyed it.

I totally understand why the two visiting wizards did it. It was the only thing to do. And I have a hunch who the unnamed court magician may be. If you want one of the unknown hooks to do what I think you are gonna do, you have the blessing of the Green Light of my Silver Hammer.

Xavi,
I like what you are doing in the main forum with the character development. I will step back, other than to say some sort of Mythic Blood would be an excellent touch. Any kind of Mythic Blood at all. And I like the ambivalent gender angle :laughing:

Xalbador,
Needs to finish development!

Muttonbone!
Have you found a place to fit into this fray yet? :laughing:

Fixer,
I have a ward commentary for a separate post. And you will be most interested in the lab post.

Max,
I like the combination of Flawless and Mercurian Magic 8) Interesting use of Method Caster. The Necessary Condition Flaw needs to apply to all your magic. Also, spells are a Lab Activity, not a generic 10 per season activity. You are way ripping yourself off that way, because you can easily pull a much higher lab total. And you don’t have to set up a Lab. You originally said you are not a member, though interestingly enough, you tie your background to the region. So you have two choices. One; You ARE a member, and build up your lab as normal. Or Two; You are Not a member, and may walk into a lab already prepared for you and maintained by House Mercere. If you choose the first option, see my ruling on Labs. If you choose the second, I will make a lab for you and you can just turn the key.

Jean Michelle
Your Lyric Poetry is excellent! Yes, Flambeau magi dig musicals, operas, and WWII era fight songs!

Octavian,
I love your story man! You drew on old HoH-Iberia really heavy. I must say I admire that, as there is a lot of cool stuff there. But, I do want to dial down the Infernal tone. There is no demon or demon dealings in Barcelona. Nix that and nix any suggestions that the Knights of Santiago or the Templars have anything to do with the Infernal. There are heretics in the suburbs though.

Anyway, some comments on your story. Spread the Evil :laughing:. I don’t want to single out one religion or another. To me, the Reconquista is more about culture and politics than anything else. There were Christians and Muslims on both sides. I mean, the situation was actually quite complex, and Nova de Tolosa is even more complicated. Either there were Infernal dealings on both sides, playing a macae game of chess for sport, or neither side had an Infernal alliance, nor a Divine one. It was just war. OR, and this is the theory I favor, it was way more complicated than even that.

You were not at Nova de Tolosa. Have what theories you may. But you here a lot of rumors about magi who were never there. No one will talk openly about it. The Quaesitors are interested, but House Tremere will order you to let matters lie. And you met the Knights of Senecas while marching on the Shadows. You know Santiago and Roberto :smiley:, and met them at Duresca. Santiago killed Rassus just before he met Ryce and Tenebrous.

All this criticism for a story I think is great! I am sorry :smiley:. No need to change anything at all. You remember things from your point of view. You think Antonio was all harsh on you, begrudgingly accepting you and made you memorize their lore. From his point of view, he eagerly recruited you. He was just pissed when Santiago insisted that Roberto be placed in Novus Mane (you met Santiago and Roberto at Durenmar). He then had you study up on their lore because he really thinks it is good for you. He also thinks it is a load of crap that some old fart made up, but he sees a deeper meaning in it all. You represent Temperance most of all, as well as Courage and Loyalty. Your Wisdom is yet to be judged :smiling_imp:

And I dig the talisman. I caught the gypsy reference there. The Gigitanos were not in Spain yet (I don’t think so anyway), but they most certainly were in Mythic Iberia :smiley:! That is an excellent link to your original idea!

282

New Vis Rule
Okay, some people complained that they have too much vis on hand (weirdo’s), and some complain that they don’t have enough for their familiar or talisman. And yes, my figures were a bit arbitrary. I meant for you to spend the vis on making stuff, but when you have enough years behind you to make cool stuff, my figures say you have no vis.

So I hereby revise the vis rule.

You have enough vis to make anything you spend seasons on (study, longevity potion, familiar, items, talisman, etc). Hey, it’s your development time spent. When play begins, the amount of vis you just happen to have on hand equals 5 + (20 – years you developed). There are also side things your character can spend seasons on to start with more vis than this.

283

Lab Rules

Size
Antonio has a Size +2 lab, as does the missing Rodrigo. There are three Size +1 Labs, and the rest are size +0. Of the three larger labs of for grabs, one will go to Fixer’s Verditius character (sorry guys), and the other two are on a first come first serve basis; meaning that, the characters that have been at Andorra the longest get first crack at them (Marcelle and who else?).

Free Virtues
Feel free to get inventive with your lab. We lab fit it in somewhere. You can be on top of a tower, in the donjon, somewhere in between, in the keep, in a wooden shed, off campus in a spot with an aura of 5, or whatnot. Presuming your lab is just somewhere in some building, I suggest the following Free Virtues: Defenses, Superior Construction, Magical Heat, and Magical Light. Magical Heating and Lighting is freely available from on hand devices for anyone that wants it, and has the following effects; -1 Upkeep, +1 Health, +1 Texts, and +2 Aesthetics.

From there, you may choose other Virtues and Flaws as per your design. Some choices may need my approval, especially from the Supernatural category.

The covenant will support you for a maximum Upkeep of 4, though the Steward would appreciate it if you try to keep it under 3. Except for Fixer, because certain duties are expected of him, he is allowed a higher Upkeep. The steward would appreciate it if you keep it under 5 though.

Fixer, you also automatically have the Greater Feature/Focus of the Forge of Gregorio, which I am sure you do not mind :wink:.

No one has to build their lab from scratch. You can walk into a functioning lab, and choose to work in it or refine it as you desire.
Default Lab
Characteristics: Size +0, Refinement +0, General Quality +0, Upkeep -1, Safety +1, Warping +0, Health +1, Aesthetics +4
Specializations: +1 Texts
Virtues: +0 Superior Construction, +0 Defenses, +0 Magical Heating and Lighting
Flaws: none

Magi who are actually from here may choose to inherit the lab of their parens. In this case, right out of your gauntlet you may step into a lab with a refinement equal to your characters Magic Theory -3, and then may further develop it as you choose.

284

Spell Training
Unlike other training and teaching, spell training needs hard numbers. The number of levels you may learn equals the trainers highest lab total, and the highest level of a specific spell you may learn is your lowest lab total (of all spells involved that is). A Fair average for the trainer’s Lab Total is 45, 60 if you have the Strong Parens Virtue and 30 if you have the Weak Parens Flaw. Not to say that your Parens will always be the one that trains you. It is just more likely that they will be the ones that teach you spells, and introduce you to mentors of like capability.

285

:blush: Jean Micelle, it is your lyric poetry. My mistake! Great work!

286

Nope, we can't edit messages

Xavi

287

I have to say that moving back to the full ArM5 rules is causing me quite some pains after being used to run adventures "hand wave style" fior a long time. Lab rules for example got me cross eyed when I realized you wanted to use them! I have grown used to have a vanilla +2 lab for years now!

Cheers,

Xavi

288

Perhaps Xavi, but having long used 5th ed lab rules, I actually prefer them despite the increased number crunching required. Ultimately I think you can have a much more proficient lab and one specialised to offer well beyond a mere +2 to lab work. What I like most is the option of having a + to general lab quality (your vanilla bonus) as well as more form (or activity) specific bonuses.

Oh and Marko, my character would not take a lab in the castle proper. his lab is always to be found in a natural setting (purpose grown forest lab, mountain cave, etc..)

Sorry to be taking so long to get something together, ive been out alot. hope to have something by the weekend.

289

I think most people was thinking about locations NOT placed in the covenant proper. In my case I was thinking a perpetually iced cave, actually :stuck_out_tongue:

Cheers,

Xavi

290

You should read up on the lab improvements and additions that could add bonusses to Pe or Aq perhaps? Or aim more toward activity specialisations like Inventing Spells (likely something I would add to mine) or Ceremonial Magic or Enchanting Items, etc.

Believe me the bonuses can pile up. My tabletop Verdi (now no longer in play) had a +2 Lab Quality Bonus, a +3 Enchant Items, + Te and +1 Rego for a nice +7 to Rego Terram enchantments and +5 for non-Rego/non-Terram enchantments.

You could arrange it to also have an icy breeze for a bonus in Auram too I suppose. How about an enchanted water wheel and stream (frozen over of course) which is enchanted to turn even in ice to push ice around your lab?

Needless to say few would want to venture into your sanctum even without the prohibition lol. Not without a warm coat of personal Ig spell for warmth :wink:

291

I need to get my hands around around an immunity to cold virtue :laughing: Is that a major one like the fire immunity, though?

Xavi

292

I would think so. Exposure isnt rare in medieval Europe.

Otherwise why not just have a device that destroys the coldness of the air (level base 1 I believe, serf's parma). Cloak of the Winter Wizard, Gloves of Ice Manipulation, etc..

Every lab must have its gadgets after all :wink:

293

You described a lab that would not be different than those in our tabletop game. We simply hand wave the number crunching, but not the actual descriptions. My +2 lab is a wolf den, with shelves made of wolf bones and pelts of animals I have eaten while hunting as a wolf. I have most of my lab equipment made up using carcasses and/or dug with a wolf paw....

What I have difficult coping with is the number crunching, not the aesthetic aspect of describing my lab :wink:

The cold immunity qualifies as a major virtue, and it fitrs the concept swquarely. But in game play basically it sucks. So I am unsure if I am willing to sacrifice my few available V&F for some descriptive power. You must strike a balance between description and gameplay. This virtue fails in the later :confused:

Cheers,

Xavi

294

Whew, back among the living. I realize I'm behind the curve here, but I keep getting dragged backward by life, work, etc.

I present you Siccus "al-Awar" Bonisagi, as he was at the end of his apprenticeship. Getting 20 years will be hard, because he spent half of 'em in a desert and not a library, but as I'm finally free to crunch numbers, expect them shortly.

Siccus al-A'war ex Bonisagus at the end of his apprenticeship

Int +3 Per +2 Pre -1 Com +0 Str +0 Sta +2 Dex -1 Qik +0

House Acclaim 0

Native Language: Arabic 0/5
Living Language: Catalun 30/3
Living Language: Tuareg (Berber) 30/3
Living Language: Pulaar (Mali) 5/1
Latin 50/4
Artes Liberales 5/1
Magic Theory 50/4 (6)
Parma Magica 5/1
Finesse 15/2
Penetration 15/2
Charm 5/1
Athletics 5/1
Sahara Lore 30/3
Hunt 15/2
Single Weapon 15/2
Survival 50/4
Ride 5/1
Guile 15/2
Concentration 15/2

Puissant Magic Theory (Harmonizer) +0 (+2 total)
The Gift +0
Hermetic Magus +0
Linguist +1

Gentle Gift +3
Inventive Genius +1
Well-Travelled +1 (+50 xp on living language, area lore, bargain, carouse, charm, etiquette, folk ken, or guile)
Improved Characteristics +1
Skilled Parens +1 (+60 xp and 30 spell levels in 'prenticeship)
Luck +1
Long Winded +1 (+3 on fatigue rolls)
Magical Memory +1

Deleterious Circumstances (cities) -1
Driven -3 (unite Moorish and Hermetic magic)
Incomprehensible -1
Nocturnal -1
Plagued by Supernatural Entity (djinn) -3
Missing Eye -1
Stockade Parma Magica -1

Cr 36/8
In
Mu
Pe
Re 36/8
An
Aq 21/6
Au 21/6
Co 1/1
He
Ig
Im
Me
Te
Vi

Balm to the Parched Throat CrAq 5 (R: Touch D:sun T: Ind)
This spell will fill a container or flask with pure, fresh water that soothes thirst but will not stave off dehydration. Siccus uses this to stretch supplies of good water, or to ease trades.
(Base 2 Touch +1 sun +2)

Column of the Deluge CrAq 10 (R: Voice D: Momentary T: Ind)
Creates 700 gallons of water suspended in the air, in the shape of a column, 1 pace across and 30 paces high which then will rush to the ground with great force. This will destroy unfortified small buildings, and cause some damage to larger ones, especially to their contents. If created over a human sized target, a Finess + Per roll is required vs the target's defense. Such a target is delt +10 damage. The target, and any persons within 5 paces of the impact site must make Dex + Athletics rolls of 6+ or be knocked down, suffering +0 damage.
(base 4 +2 voice)

Avoid the Grasping Brigand CrAq 5 (R: Touch D: Diam T: Ind)
Target is covered with a greasy oil that makes grappling difficult, gaining a +3 bonus to avoid being grappled.
(Base 3 touch +1 diam +1)

The Caliph's Ring CrAq 25 (R: Touch D: Sun T: Ind)
The spell creates a single drop of poison from the magus' finger that can then be dipped into the target's drink. If drunk, the victim suffers a medium wound.
(Base 10 touch +1 sun +2)

Hibernian Ford ReAq 20 (R: Touch D: Diam T: Group)
This spell creates a bridge of ice across the surface of a body of water five paces wide. Very large bodies of water are not affected. The ice is strong enough to walk across.
(Base 3 +1 Touch +1 Diam +2 Group +1 size)

Veil of Djenne ReAq 15 (R: Touch D: Mom T: Part)
Turns the surface of a large body of water into a thick mist that obscures all natural vision. The mist persists until it is burned off by the sun or blown away by the wind.
(Base: 3 Touch +1 Part +1 Size +2)

Clouds of Desert Rain CrAu 20 (R: Sight D: Conc T: Group)
Creates clouds that drop rain over an area 100 paces across.
(Base 2 +3 Sight +1 Conc +2 Group)

Broom of the Winds CrAu 15 (R:Voice D Mom T: Ind)
Whips up violent swirling winds around the target. The target must make a size stress roll of 9+ to remain standing.

True Sight of the Air InAU 15 (R: Per D: Sun T: Vision)
Lets you see clearly through all manner of obfuscation in the air, including smoke, fog, dust, and magical effects. Siccus commonly uses this to find shelter in sudden sandstorms.
(Base 1 +2 Sun +4 vision)

A Day's Delay CrCo 5 (R: Per D: Sun T: Ind)
This spell binds your wounds, so you may undertake any activity without worsening them.
(Base 3 +2 Sun)

Ward against the Sandstorm ReTe 15 (R: Per D Sun T Ind)
This spell ensures that dirt, sand and similar materials are unable to settle on or strike the caster or their clothes. Casting this spell with an aquam requisite will also protect the caster from mud.
(Base 5 Sun +2)

295

Had a little time. Worked on my character. Didn't save. Lost 5 years of progression. T-T
I had a lot of work and personnal stuff these past 2 weeks, and this slowed me down an awful lot.
And I'll be away from tuesday to sunday (or monday, can't remember exactly)

No problem IMO.

Well, of course, we all know that Mr Scott has a long history with green lanterns :wink:

Nope.

For the lab, I'm caught between my desire for an underground lab (have that peace) and my desire for grandstand :laughing:

296

Ironically, Scott is not a comic book fan and doesn't get the joke. :slight_smile:

Scott

297

I can crunch for you :smiley: I like crunchies :slight_smile:

298

Wendy says we should have Edit powers now. Test them out and verify them :slight_smile:

299

I have an extremely rough draft of Inigo’s full development written up in my own shorthand, and I should have something to post within a day or two.

Question: I don’t know if you’ve been following the main boards, but there has been some discussion of what exactly PeIg can do as regards draining fatigue. Many people argued that it shouldn’t be able to drain more than one fatigue level with one spell (which seems supported by the RAW), and draining multiple fatigue levels over time (i.e. duration greater than momentary) requires a Stamina check to see if your target actually loses the fatigue.

Many people over there also recommended a house rule that multiple casting a spell that drains a single fatigue level should not drain multiple fatigue levels but should instead cause damage. This is not supported by the RAW that I can tell, but it does make sense. I’m on the fence about it personally. What’s your stance on all this? I imagine Xavi is also eager to know.

Finally, I believe Magical Heating also gives a +1 Ignem specialization. I hope that’s the case, because I’ve been assuming so for Inigo’s development.

EDIT: Sweet, I can edit!

300

Marie Noris' lab
I am interested in exploring the consequences of Marie's "hand"-ling her lab without using hands.

I based it on your default lab, and used the two lab-building seasons I had in my planning anyway to refine it to (+1). The other season is taken up in getting used to the labs "inhabitants", and making a deal with them to keep the lab spotless.

Marie's Lab:
Virtues: Default (+0 Superior Construction, +0 Defenses, +0 Magical Heating and Lighting), Lesser Horde (minor supernatural virtue), superior tools (free outfittings virtue), Guard (free outfittings virtue), spotless ("free" outfittings virtue)
Flaw: Subterranean (free structure flaw), chaotic (free supernatural flaw*), Inhabitants (free supernatural flaw*)
*typo in book: says minor flaw

Final Characteristics:
Size +0, Refinement +1, General Quality +1, Upkeep +1, Safety +0, Warping +1, Health +1, Aesthetics +5
Specialisations: (Texts+1 – not active), Experimentation+1, Items+1, Rego: +4, Creo+1, Te+1
Character of the lab: protective of Marie+1
Repuations (25xp):
Dangerous to enter (covenant) 2
Defended by magical creatures (Magi) 2
??? (???) 1

Description:
Marie's lab is in an underground cellar with a perfectly flat stone floor and a solid oak door that displays the sanctum marker. Marie did not spend much time on personalizing her lab, but just used it as a learning base for her quest for a cure of her affliction. Since Marie can hardly ever move anything in her lab without casting some of Telekinesis spell or other, many of her lab items quickly became warped. Now, the more commonly used lab items have developed a rudimentary free will and float through the lab even when not animated by Marie. These lab tools are trying to be helpful (but are in fact a safety risk sometimes) and seem to be protective of Marie: In the beginning years at Andorra, Marie used to employ a servant to do the menial tasks in the lab for her. But the lab items developed a disliking of the servant and finally even attacked him by dropping themselves onto his head or making him stumble. Since the lab items' personality was created by Marie's spells, it is possible for her to communicate with them by using surprisingly easy spontaneous InTe/InHe magic. Marie has since negotiated with the items: They promised to keep the lab spotless, but want to have a say who Marie invites into her lab. They've also threatened to attack any unannounced intruder they don't like. To make sure that no child at the covenant accidentally enters her lab, she has a grog sit at its entrance day and night.
Old or broken lab items and tools are buried by Marie in a special "tools graveyard" in a corner of her lab.