Salvete, Sodales!
After we all have cast our aegis ritual, had a nice midwinter/Christmas party and are sobered up by now, it is time to get back to work:
Going through the mechanics of Hedge Magic one question came to my mind, and I think that a positive answer to it could lead to an interesting story ark centered on research and hermetic politics. Unfortunately it might also lead to dramatic changes within the order's structure, so not everybody would like this development. Well, I'll just post my thoughts and wait for your comments on this idea:
The initiation of unGifted people into single hermetic arts
I know that there is no mentioning of this in the RAW but considering the rules for the various Hedge traditions it seems that Hermetic Magic is not all that different from other kinds of opening the Gift. Sure, at the end of the day the complete package of a hermetic magus is more powerful and versatile than that of any other character, but one of the reasons for this might be that it just encompasses significantly more arts. So it might just be possible to give a small part of this enormous power to unGifted mundanes by the way of initiation into the single arts.
I'd rule that this is basically possible, but that the order as a eliticist society of Gifted mages never thought along this line. Because of this there are no base procedures worked out within hermetic theory and there are no initiation scripts yet.
But this is open to original research.
Considerations about rules:
I think the basic concept should just be considered as a minor breakthrough, so after accumulating ~30 breakthrough points a character has developed the basics of hermetic initiations. These points can be converted into xp for the new ability 'Hermetic mystery lore', which will function as cult lore for initiations. So the researcher will have a score of 3 and can develop the skill further by the rules presented in 'The Mysteries rev. ed.' To gain any practical benefit from this he would also have to develop initiation scripts by the rules presented in the same book and in 'Hedge Magic'. I am not sure whether each hermetic art should count as a minor virtue or whether the techniques should be considered as major ones. Mostly among the hedge arts the techniques are considered as major virtues, but one could also argue that among the hedge traditions all those virtues resulting in a difficult art are considered to be major whereas those causing a normal art are minor. I'd vote for considering them as major:
Story lines:
A player (or NPC) magus going through all this might trigger a whole bunch of stories over the years:
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research state: As long as the researchers have not accomplished anything real they might not be in trouble for their research, as long as they can keep quiet about their project. Of course, if a Bonisagus lab rat frequently brags about his projectthis might differ: Some people might consider the potential consequences and decide that the character's aim would at least diminish the status of a magus and at worst endanger the whole order, so they will try to stop this either by political means (i.e. Tribunal rulings) or by sabotage or in the Flambeauish manner (i.e. WW). Others might appreciate the effort, and those could either be helpful allies against the former ones or use the spying, blackmail and sheer force themselves to get access to the new knowledge. But even if this can be avoided the research itself can lead to stories:
1.1. development of the basic concept: Of course it is possible to develop all this with the rules for original research, and this needn't be very interesting, but perhaps a faster way to gain breakthrough points would lie in the acquirement of people who have been initiated into the hedge arts or of their initiation scripts. This could either happen as a result of open communication - in this case the hedgies certainly want something in exchange – or by abducting people and stealing their secrets, which might enrage some senior members of that tradition who will find a way to take revenge.
1.2. development of the initiation scripts: It is difficult to make predictions, but there will be numerous of experimental scripts, leading to throws on the experimentation chart. This has to lead to some botches as well as to story events until there is a functional set of scripts. -
secret knowledge state: Only the researcher's conveant (or even only the researcher) knows about the new skill. They will almost certainly use it to improve their situation: get new Vim-Vis sources( just initiate some grogs into Creo and Vim, teach them some magic theory and invest in some specialized labs), boost your military power (PoF for every fighting grog)... This might first be simply great for the conveant but should lead to new stories:
2.1. Other conveants will recognize the rising new power and start to investigate. Again, here is opportunity for espionage stories
2.2. The newly initiated grogs themselves might get to like the taste of power. Considering themselves as mages now they might demand more influence in running the affairs of the conveant or (being denied this) even try to start a revolt.
2.3. Perhaps the players' mages can't agree on a course of action: The Bonisagus researcher wants to publish his result and get into the run for his house's primacy, the Tremere wants to use the knowledge for his and the conveant's advantage first and hand the secret secretly to his house elders second (gaining further promotion), the Redcap is drooling because of the prospect to get some real magical power, nobody knows what the Criamon and Tytalus want, and the Jerbiton is warning not to overdo it because he sees dire consequences... Every SG should love it, when the PCs manage to occupy themselves without his interference. -
the cards are on the table: Somehow the new knowledge has finally spread. This can lead to various stories as well within the order as in relations to the world:
3.1. Within the order there might be a new candidate for the primacy of House Bonisagus or the title of an archmage, but others might be interested in those positions, too, and perhaps they have acchieved comparable results. Some factions might argue that the creation of semi-mages in this way ridicules every real wizzard and try to forbid the usage of this by tribunal rulings and perhaps even march the innovators, others might even second them. Redcaps can suddenly learn magic and perhaps demand full voting rights, some Jerbiton might forgo the training of normally Gifted apprentices at all and instead take their own offspring (Gifted or not) as apprentices. In any case, the order has to find a formal position for the semi-mages. Are they to be taught the mystery lore themselves or not? (This would free the proper mages from the chores of initiating the grogs but leave them with less controll.) Wilderists in house Bjornaer and other militant factions might try to use initiations to create an army to strengthen the order's position and drive back civilisation and the influence of the dominion... After the dust has settled the order might look significantly different than before.
3.2. external relations: If the order makes massive use of its newly found option, soon enough people outside the conveants' walls will hear about it. Perhaps one of the newly boosted grogs starts bragging in the tavern or to his family, perhaps a vis-making slave escapes, perhaps there are just witnesses to the turb's new powers. After a while rumours will reach the ecclesiastical and mundane lords, especially if parts of the order start to run rampant, and they are likely to intervene. This could result in a all or nothing war of the order against the rest of the world, or the situation might be handled politically.
Well, Sodales, any criticism (either on the technical part or on the story seeds)? What do you think of it?
Vale,
Alexios ex Miscellanea