Table Talk - Development

Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: Light of Andorra
601

This seems unfair to other companions, as, combined with their powers, this essentially make them mythic companions.
With their high might, agelessness and fatigueless, they are maybe even more powerfull than nephilim or devil childs, although this is not a great bother since no one plays one.

The all language thingie bothers me here, as it is both powerfull (equivalent to the Gift of Tongues minor Heroic virtue - again a mythic companion thing in a "normal" companion- ) and especially as it overshadows I-can't-recall-whose-character, who took many languages at full cost in order to become a translator.

Other than this, no problem

By the way, the still-under-very-slow-construction Andorra wiki

602

It is a Non-Player-Character, and no one can use these rules to create any player character at all. They are simply for the creation of faeries for freinds and advisaries. The Faerie Companion Flaw places no limits whatsoever on how powerful this companion can be, just that the more powerful they are, the less available they are. Would you say that he is comprable to the faeries presented in the back of the raw? Such as he one faerie lord wth a might of 50, or the faerie wolf?

In other words, this is not Scotts "Companion" character by any means. He still gets to (needs to) make a separate "Companion Level" character. This is simply A companion (or friend, comrade, assosciate, thorn-in-her-side, etceteras). He has no control over what the faerie does. According to the RAW, we can just make up whatever numbers and powers we like, no limiting factors. It is an NPC monster. I just wanted to have a guideline, so I used the merfolk guideline from Novus Mane.

Know what I am getting at? I even cut the might from 20 to 15 because Scott insisted Xavi's wolf should only have 15 instead of 20.

603

As much trouble as he's likely to cause, he'd probably be more "useful" to Viola at 15 than at 20. :slight_smile:

Scott

604

Ah, ok, I believed otherwise. No problem, then.

By the way, I'm currently in the mood (and some time) to create grogs and NPCs.
So, here's the first, a NPC created using the Grogs rules:
Maria the Wise Woman.

I will also create 2 grogs for DT (I'm trying very hard no to go for Dumb and Dumber there), and I have this idea of an holy companion, but fear I won't have the time for it.

605

The "All Languages" should be represented by Gift of Tongues IMO. This makes the Faerie Language unnecessary and is less complicated. It also limits his power somewhat because it only applies to speech and not texts etc which is more in keeping with the character theme.

I'd actually think all this is OK for a PC if this is a Mythic Companion Level Character (ie occupies a magus slot) - as it's an NPC, this is a bit more complicated depending on how powerful everyone wants the NPCs to be.

I note Marko has explicitly ruled that these rules are not for PCs.

My major comment is that he does considerably overshadow the Redcap standard companion though (unsurprising as he's a Mythic Companion Level character) - she becomes almost irrelevant due to the skill overlap (spy who can pass as native and act as translator) and if he accompanies or proxies for Viola, there's almost no reason to send a different Companion as he has mundane interaction covered unless he is unavailable 2 seasons a year like a normal Companion.

Looks good!

OT: what setup did you use to make this? Please respond via PM or to jarkman_devries@mac.com.

Cheers,

Lachie

606

Good point on Gift of Tongues.
As per the redcap, that was my main concern.

And you've got a pm :wink:

607

Except this guy won't do that. Send him on a spy mission, his hat will give him away and his compulsive prank habbits will cause more trouble than it is worth. He is ment to be a trouble maker. You are all better off without him anywhere near you. He is a Flaw, not a Virtue.

608

I had to make another revision to Carmen. No one checks my work I guess, :laughing:, because I took only 9 points of Virtues for 10 points of Flaws, and I accidentally took Puissant Auram twice! I dropped the second one, took Educated, and gave her 50 more xp’s (mainly for Latin & Hebrew), and I took Intuition to take after her mother.

609

Here are my 150 levels of spells worth in lab notes. I'm not exactly sure about the spell levels or damage on some of the spells so I'll leave those more apt at rule mechanics to work it out).

The Magus' Hot Foot (MuTe(Ig) 20)
R: Voice D: Diam T: Part
The spell heats the ground to be blistering to the touch. Those in contact with the ground within the area take fire +5 damage every round. This spell was developped as a prank for Flambeau magi.
(Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Diam, +1 Part)

The Unknown Message (PeMe 25)
R: Touch D: Sun T: Ind
This spell removes all knowledge of the contents of a message in the target. At the end of the duration, the memory returns to the target. This spell was created during the Shadow Wars to ensure captured Redcaps would not reveal secrets to the enemy.
(Base 10, Touch +1, Sun +2)

Dragon's Breath (MuCo(Ig) 15)
R: Per D: Mom T: Ind
The caster of this spell can breathe fire at the casting of the spell engulfing a single target within 10 paces for fire +20 damage.
(Base 15)

Hermes' Stride (MuCo 5)
R: Touch D: Sun or special T: Ind
The target of the spell is imbued with nearly supernatural running speed, doubling their overland movement rate. This spell ends at the next dawn or dusk or if the target stops moving forward for any reason. At the end of the duration the character must make a fatigue test dif 9+ or lose consciousness from fatigue loss.
(Base 2, Touch +1, Sun +2)

The Wizard's Brand (CrIg 5)
R: Touch D: Mom T: Ind
The magi burns his sigil onto any object or person by the touch of his hand. The spell does not ignite flammable material but the effects can often be permanent. When used on living beings, they suffer Fire +5 damage. A side effect of this spell turns the target into an arcane connection to the caster through the sigil.
(Base 4, Touch +1)

Renew the Fiery Inferno (CrIg 25)
R: Voice D: Conc T: Ind
The magi uses his magic to prevent a fire from being extinguished regardless if there is a flammable source or fuel to keep the fire going.
(Base 10, Voice +2, Conc +1)

Strike Down the Fire (PeIg 15)
R: Sight D: Mom T: Ind
Created by more sensible Flambeau magi, this spell extinguishes a fire entirely.
(Base 4, Sight +3)

Laying the Foundations of Flame (PeAq 20)
R: Voice D: Mom T: Group
This spell removes completely dries material up, usually targetting wood or other flammable materials to serve as perfect kindling to ignite and maintain a fire.
(Base 4, Voice +2, Group +2)

Do Not Fear the Flames (ReAn 20)
R: Touch D: Sun T: Ind
Renders a target animal no longer fearful of fires. Often used by ignem specialists so their mounts or familiars perform aren't spooked by flames.
(Base 4, Touch +1, Sun +2)

610

Which of these spells require finesse rolls?

611

OK. I'm happy now...

Cheers,

Lachie

612

As this heats up the ground, should'nt it be CrIg(te), with a free terram requisite?

Not sure about this either.
I'd say this is basically a CrIg spell with the cosmetic effect that it comes from your mouth.
Without creo, this'd transform corpus into ignem, nothing else.

I'm beginning to suspect you're a muto magus :wink:

The arcane connection bit is unnescessary. This is as much an AC to you as any of your spells, IMO.

Hum... If this affect an existing fire, this is, IMO, a minor MuIg spell (:lol: ), with base 3 or 4 (Change a fire so that it is completely unnatural), which'd make it lvl 10 or 15.

613

I agree with Fixer. This is most certainly a CrIg effect and as such it is also undercosted. PoF only does +15 damage for level 20, so to add another +5 would take an extra magnitude. Thus this spell should be CrIg 25 with the source of the fire (mouth) being simply a fancy effect just with PoF (from the palm).

As for the Hot Foot spell, Fixer is correct again. MuTe transforms the essential substance of terram into something else, it does not simply heat the earth. To do that requires CrIq(Te). Now, having said that... I have been planning spell (which I havent yet had time to calculate in detail) which would turn earth into a pool of molten lava. This would be a MuTe(Ig) spell in its truest sense.

614

Range-Personal does not work for this. It would fry the caster to a crisp. Range Topuce and a Rego Requisite works fine though, which still jacks the level up to 25.

615

Finals

616

Continuing the grogs, this time with Gabriel, Dimir Taar's shield grog (Picture is here).

Creation notes: I just followed the house rules on this, thus the free warrior/wow with custos. 20XP per year after 20.

Currently working on a non-custos grog sergeant for the servants part of the NPCs section :smiley:

Btw, I love working on Hero Machine, so if some of you want me to use it to make drawings of your characters, send a description and I'll do it with great pleasure :smiley:

617

You've created the platonic grog: He is so typically a grog that he could be used as a platonic idea for a grog (he also lives in the world of ideas). I usually believe that individuality makes a character beautiful - but this proves me wrong: Lovely brute!

One small point of critique: Shouldn't he swear rn to protect the covenant rather than your magus? But the grogs In -3: He wouldn't understand the difference, would he?

618

Intelligence measures reasoning and capacity to learn, not wisdom, street smarts or ability to be loyal (and understanding of to whom that loyalty is owed). Just because he’s not book-smart doesn’t mean he doesn’t know who his boss is. I can think of a number of reasons why his Vow would be to DT personally and not to the covenant.

I don’t have the surplus of time that I did a while ago, so I probably won’t make my companion or grogs at this time. If we come to a scene were one is needed, I may jump in and play him, then stat him later.

619

New and approved version of Decimus is up.

/Max

620

A lot of people don't have their sheets up yet. Xavi & Boxer most notably. But Octavius doesn't have one in the Character Sheet thread yet. Scott has a link, which is okay I guess. But Fixer is also missing. Muttonbone, Ken, I think you guys got lost in the woods.

Lets get the show on the road and play this game guys :smiley:!