Hermetic projects also includes flying ships which a ship focus could match. A Flying ship that can sail air or water, sea or rivers (the covenant is in a waterway) could be a very good project. Being inland means we could have easier access to wood and other materials to make the ship. It could be amusing if we build a great shipyard by our covenant and then develop a ritual spell to teleport them to the sea for the ones we sold to.
Sails are normally Herbam, as the canvas was made from cotton, linen, or sometimes hemp.
Before we get too carried away, let me remind you that I don't have Hermetic Projects, so any shipyard/laboratory/ship-based laboratory stuff (cool as that might sound) should be redacted with probably the main book and Covenants.
Understood, no doubt those would be things that would have to be developed in play (if at all), and shouldn't be there at the start.
About the only new thing was MMF:Ships and some spells, but no new guidelines. One of the spells has finesse rolls necessary to ReHe(Te) a ship together. A cog is like 30. Building skiffs and other water craft can be useful.
The mythic shipyard is built by saying it is a lab XXXXX in size (reference to covenant books) with certain virtues and flaws (again matching covenants book) and then talks about costs to make it, different additions you can have, magic items to boost it.
every step is either main book or covenants book except perhaps some of the detailing of the costs per year for it.
IF all the things you mentioned apply to MMF:Ships, I can accept it being a major. My problem was only if the focus applied to ships during the construction/maintenance portions with CrHe/ReHe effects related to a ship. Filling the sails with CrAu or ReAu, that'd be great. I can accept having to invent a mess of spells to get things to work correctly, but that's what I was looking to do anyway.
Okay, what do you want/expect the Focus to cover? If it's merely shipwright, just building/repairing the ship, then it might be Minor; if it's anything to do with a ship like I was thinking, it would be Major.
I'm good with your suggestions, that makes it a worthwhile MMF
I hate this character.
Time to move on, or drastically revamp.
What's the problem? Maybe we can help?
I didn't like the character I'd created, and variations on the Flambeau theme weren't making me like her any better... So here's where I'm at now...
Talia of Tytalus @ Gauntlet
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +3, Pre +1, Com +1, Str -3, Sta +2, Dex -2, Qik -1
Size: 0
Age: 25 (25), Height: 5'6'', Weight: 158 lbs, Gender: Female
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence: 2 (5)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Self-Confident (Confidence: +1)*, Major Magical Focus (Ships and boats), Affinity with Creo, Puissant Creo, Personal Vis Source (Herbam) [Location], Linguist, Educated (50/50), Affinity with Finesse, Puissant Finesse, Weak Parens, Deficient Form (Ignem), Lecherous, Infamous Master, Dependent, Seeker
Reputations: Bumbler (Among magi) 3
Combat:
Dodge: Init: -1, Attack --, Defense -1, Damage --
Fist: Init: -1, Attack -2, Defense -1, Damage -3
Kick: Init: -2, Attack -2, Defense -2, Damage +0
Soak: +2
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Greek 5, Arabic 3, Awareness 2, Charm 1, Folk Ken 1, Sailor 1, Leadership 1, Carouse 1, Latin 4 (5), Artes Liberales 1, Parma Magica 1, Magic Theory 3, Finesse 1+2
Arts: Cr 6+3, In 0, Mu 2, Pe 1, Re 2, An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 0, He 8, Ig 14, Im 0, Me 0, Te 8, Vi 0
Equipment:
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20) +13
Charge of the Angry Winds (CrAu 15) +11
Creeping Oil (CrAq 15) +11
Lamp without Flame (CrIg 10) +13
Transformation of the Thorny Staff (MuHe 10) +12
Repel the Wooden Shafts (ReHe 10) +12
Invisible Sling of Vilano (ReTe 10) +12
Short of it:
Talia grew up in a greek fishing village, always having a fascination with the boats and ships that would come in. Her Gift was recognized at an early age, and she was taken to a school that the Theban Tribunal operates for potential apprentices, prior to selection. A poor excuse of a Tytalus takes her on, because no one else sought her. Towards the end of her apprenticeship he has an “incestuous” affair with her.
He ineptly opened her Gift and damaged her ability to work Ignem magics, and smothered her with books to overcome the deficiency, but little else. The master doesn’t understand her innate gifts, or ignores them.
Upon the birth of the child she demands a moot, is named a magus and departs from the Theban tribunal to points unknown…
Of course there is a lot more to flesh out, let alone the mechanical aspect, but now that I have an interesting concept, the mechanics should work themselves out. I may change some virtues around, flaws are probably set in stone[1]. You'll note that at gauntlet, she doesn't really know her full capabilities (MMF:Ships and Boats) I'm thinking of having her hook up with Aeliophanes of the Favonius covenant and hang with him for a while, as they are both Seekers. She might end up repairing a boat spontaneously or something, I dunno. So Arts might change around a bit.
[1]Her Dependent flaw might change, but it will probably be some variation on the child/incestuous (in Hermetic terms) relationship, maybe Tormenting Master, I dunno, kicking it around.
Is her Personal Vis Source something that she brings with her from Greece?
I'm assuming her Lecherous is Major?
I seem to remember a discussion of magi "abusing" their apprentices thusly on the boards a while back.
I am surprised that, with a Deficient Ignem, her Ignem score is so high.
Looks good so far.
Lecherous is a major, yes.
The Ignem score is high, yeah. I wanted to turn some things on their head a bit here. Couple of ways this could go. The first is the master had an ignem score less than 5 when opening the Arts, and damaged her gift as it relates to ignem, but got books and forced her to read them. Second is he is an expert in Ignem, and ineptly opened her Arts, still damaging her Gift, and in his arrogance taught her Ignem to the exclusion of other Arts, despite what he knew was a damaged Gift, feeling he could overcome his mistake.
Did Cygna have similar experiences with Adjoran? I get that feeling, or are you of two minds about that part of her history.
Oh, and I'm trying to work out what the vis source is exactly... And I might change it.
There is a lot about her that is in flux, but I'm running things through my mind and I don't feel like she's boring..
Adorjan wasn't Cygna's pater (Liliana's goad to the contrary). He was a Bonisagus who twisted the Code to extort her mater into letting her use her whenever he wanted to, under threat of taking her entirely. (and the original Cygna was 4th ed, back when Bjornaer had to take Deficient Ignem.)
Non-denial denial 
I was referring to the things Adjoran did to Cygna beyond the diabolical ones, anyway.
Ah. No, he never slept with her. What he did to her was much more diabolical.
Well, only +1 Pre...
Talia
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +3, Pre +1, Com +1, Str -3, Sta +2, Dex -2, Qik -1
Size: 0
Age: 35 (35), Height: 5'6'', Weight: 158 lbs, Gender: Female
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence: 2 (5)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Self-Confident (Confidence: +1)*, Major Magical Focus (Ships and boats), Affinity with Creo, Puissant Creo, Linguist, Method Caster (Formulaic Spells: +3) [Include in Casting Totals], Educated (50/50), Personal Vis Source (Herbam) [Location], Affinity with Muto, Deficient Form (Ignem), Weak Magic, Lecherous, Infamous Master, Dependent, Seeker
Reputations: Bumbler (Among magi) 3
Combat:
Dodge: Init: -1, Attack --, Defense -1, Damage --
Fist: Init: -1, Attack -2, Defense -1, Damage -3
Kick: Init: -2, Attack -2, Defense -2, Damage +0
Soak: +2
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities: Greek 5, Arabic 3 (ports and nautical terms), Awareness 2 (at sea), Charm 1 (men), Folk Ken 1 (sailors), Sailor 2, Leadership 2 (sailors), Order of Hermes Lore 1, Code of Hermes 1, Carouse 2 (faking drunkenness), Latin 4 (hermetic terms), Artes Liberales 1 (geometry) (5), Parma Magica 2 (Terram), Magic Theory 3 (spells), Finesse 5 (Rego)
Arts: Cr 13+3, In 2, Mu 9, Pe 2, Re 2, An 0, Aq 0, Au 1, Co 0, He 10, Ig 14, Im 0, Me 0, Te 10, Vi 5
Equipment:
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
Pilum of Fire (CrIg 20) +18
Hull of Unbreakable Iron (MuHe(Te) 30) +33. Change a plant or item made from plant products into metal or stone
Conjuration of the Seaworthy Cog (CrHe(Te) 45) +42
Charge of the Angry Winds (CrAu 15) +22
A Spell of Fair Wind (CrAu 10) +23. Creates a wind blowing in the direction indicated by the caster at the time of casting, intended to fill the sales of the ship.
The caster may change the direction later by concentrating.
The Expeditious Rigger (ReHe 15) +19. This spell quickly furls, unfurls or changes the rigging of the sails of a ship, without the invovlvment of the crew.
A successful furling, unfurling or change of rigging for the wind is acomplished on a Finesee + Perception Ease Factor of 9.
Creeping Oil (CrAq 15) +21
Transformation of the Thorny Staff (MuHe 10) +24
Wizard's Communion (MuVi 20) +19
Repel the Wooden Shafts (ReHe 10) +19, Mastery 2 (fast casting, multiple casting)
The Unseen Porter (ReTe 10) +17
Invisible Sling of Vilano (ReTe 10) +17