Table talk: OOC

Phew! Good to know my eye is not that far off!

Bah! Of course he is. Details, always in the details... :blush:

The balance of Spell/Art selection in Ars is one of the toughest parts of CharGen, and potentially one of the more subtle and therefore challenging (and most open to individual preference!) of any CharGen process that I know of.

I usually make a grid, with the 5 (or fewer) Techniques down the side, my chosen Arts across the top, and numbers representing the Levels of the Spells I want where they intersect. Then it's a matter of making the T+F+Int+etc add up to that amount, to get that spell - and the casting total beyond that. It's also a graphic that helps me spot spells/effects that are in common. Or that are "rogue", such as your one lone Intellego spell - those need to be reevaluated or put on the chopping block. (Could a non-Intellego spell achieve an equally effective defense?) And if several/many spells share a single favorite Technique or Form, that's where your points are best invested, and then see if other of your effects can be spun from there.

If you can think of some "equivalent" effects that are all powered by two of the three Forms, create some acceptable alternative spells for those and then concentrate all/more of your points on just those Arts, even better (esp when it's Lab time!).

(You're probably way ahead of me on most of this, I just like to spell it out, make it concrete.)

There is no one "right" or "best" approach or strategy to building a character. And I'm not talking about power-gaming and min-maxing, but just how to grok it all at once and come out with something enjoyable for you. But, imo, there are some mistakes to avoid, and a couple of tactics to try - here's a link to what I once posted on that subject, for your perusal. Adopt, adapt, consider or ignore, as you please.