Ok, I have the flaw Magical Animal Companion, which is a Size 1 donkey.
How do we go about building it? I want it to emphasize his stubbornness, so that Rego Animal will be the way to bind it.
First we create a mundane donkey with the guidelines in HOH:MC...
hooved animal, size +1; so begin with 7 points spent on stamina, strength, dexterity, and quickness.
Or try and find an example of a donkey/onager in the books...
Am sure I saw a Wild Ass in the Medieval Bestiary Revised Edition, but can't find my copy.
Found this online: (https://jarkmanpages.wordpress.com/ars-magica/miscellany/mundane-beasts/ass-donkey/)
ASS (DONKEY)
Characteristics: Cun -3, Per 0, Pre -4, Com -4, Str +4, Sta +4, Dex -1, Qik -2
Size: +2
Confidence Score: 1(3)
Virtues and Flaws: Ferocity (consumed by lust), Long-Winded; Noncombatant
Qualities: Defensive Fighter, Domesticated, Hardy
Personality Traits: Lustful +3, Meek +2
Reputations: Brutish (local) 2
Combat:
Hooves: Init +0, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +5.
Soak: +4
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -1/-1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-7), -3 (8-14), -5 (16-21), Incapacitated (22-28), Dead (29+)
Abilities: Athletics (climb) 3, Awareness 3 (predators), Brawl (dodge) 4
Appearance: These statistics describe a typical domesticated ass or donkey.
Since a Horse is size +2, I find it strange that a donkey would be the same size, as they are markedly smaller, but that's up to you.
size +1 is a large human or a pony, size +2 is a horse.
A pony, by definition is under 14.2 hands, normal donkeys range from 9-14 hands (miniatures are under 9, mammoth donkeys are over 14), so I'm going with the size of +1.
This would have been designed with sta:4 and dex -1 by the rules from MC, which would be 9 points in characteristics, which does not fit the rules either, so we'll just reject that fan-version donkey.
We'll start instead with Str:2, Sta:3, dx-1, Qik-1 which gives 7 points, modify for size is Str:4, Sta:3, Dx-1, Quick-2. Then we assign qualities- do you have Mystery Cults?
Also what do you want to name your familiar?
His name will be Gennadius.
I was thinking about the Long-Winded and Perfect Balance virtues, with the Noncombatant flaw.
And the Defensive Fighting, Hardy and Tireless qualities.
probably sharp ears as well, also the enduring constitution virtue, which fits the animal guidelines of 1 point of flaws for three points of virtues. I have a link on your character sheet where you can document your familiar as we go.
The next step will be magical qualities and inferiorities, and standard abilities/characteristics for it's type (hooved herbivoire); -2 cun (int), per:1, -4 presence and -5 com, Brawl:4, awareness:3, Athletics:4, survival:5.
How do we go about those?
Do you have ROP:M?
Yes
You will have 10 net points to spend on qualities-inferiorities, and must include a minor or major quality as being their essential nature- given your previous descriptions I would assume stubborn.
Let's see if I understood correctly.
I wanna give him the following:
No Fatigue - Major Quality
Improved Soak - Minor Quality
Gift of Speech - Minor Quality
Lesser Power - Minor Quality (Circle of Beast Warding ReAn5, -1 to Might cost, +3 to Initiaitve)
Minor Virtue (Strong-Willed) - Minor Quality (ArM Core pg. 49) - Essential Nature
Minor Virtue (Homing Instinct) - Minor Quality (RoP:M pg. 44)
Minor Virtue (Magic Sensitivity) - Minor Quality (ArM Core pg. 45)
Minor Virtue (Wilderness Lore) - Minor Quality (ArM Core pg. 50)
That's 10 Qualities, so there's no need to take any Inferiority, right?
Do you mean wilderness sense instead of Wilderness lore? You are correct that this would require no inferiorities, I need to check out the circle of beast warding...though I have to wonder about the wisdom of combining no fatigue with so many qualities and virtues that increase fatigue levels... if you take no fatigue you should probably replace long winded, and enduring constitution with other virtues.
Yes, Wilderness Sense (it's a problem when I try to be coherent at 1:30 am...
Circle of Beast Warding basically gives him the ability to create a ward against mundane animals, so he can sleep in peace from normal predators.
I was thinking of also giving it, instead of No fatigue, the following power: The Gentle Beast (Arm Core pg 120) (allowing him to calm another animal), or, as a Greater power, make it have the Voice range instead of Eye, and the Group target instead of Individual, which would make it a level 35 spell instead of 25, if i'm correct, but would cost him 4 Might Points to activate.
Taking into account everything we discussed so far, this is what i have for Gennadius atm:
Gennadius – Magical Donkey
Characteristics: Cun -2, Per 2, Pre -4, Com -5, Str +3, Sta +4, Dex -1, Qik -2
Size: +1
Confidence Score: 1(3)
Virtues and Flaws: Enduring Constitution; Homing Instinct; Long-Winded; Magic Sensitivity; Noncombatant; Perfect Balance; Strong-Willed; Wilderness Sense
Qualities: Defensive Fighter, Hardy, Tireless, Sharp Ears
Personality Traits: Stubborn +6, Wanderer +2, Brave -3
Qualities: Improved Soak, Gift of Speech, Greater Power, Lesser Power, Minor Virtue x4 (Strong-Willed, Homing Instinct, Magic Sensitivity, Wilderness Sense)
Essential Nature: Strong-Willed
Reputations: Brutish (local) 2
Combat:
Hooves: Init -2, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +5.
Soak: +6
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, 0/0, -2/-2, -4, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: 0 (1-6), -2 (7-12), -4 (13-18), Incapacitated (19-24), Dead (25+)
Abilities: Athletics (climb) 4, Awareness (predators) 3, Brawl (dodge) 4, Magic Sensitivity (magical creatures) 1, Survival (mountains) 5, Wilderness Sense (direction) 1
Appearance: These statistics describe a typical domesticated ass or donkey.
Powers:
Circle of Beast Warding , 0 points, Init 0, Animal
R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle
Tracing a circle on the ground, he wards off any mundane animals from entering the circle.
ReAn 5 (Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Ring):
Lesser Power (25 levels, –1 Might cost, +3 Init)
Braying of the Calming Donkey , 4 points, Init –3, Animal
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Group
The braying of the donkey can stop a group of animals in their tracks, as long as he keeps on braying.
Greater Power (35 levels, +3 Init)
I was tempted to give him Improved Abilities and just have him at Magic Theory 4, so he could actually assist me in his own binding, but I felt that was too far.
A Lesser Enchanted Item I want him to make, for his Lab:
Desk of the Open Book
Using a voucher with a book's name on it, the user places it on the table, and that causes the desk tohave the required book levitate from the library, and move to the table, to lay open there.
- As per A Simple Charm for the Recovery of Misfiled Books (Covenants p.100) (ReAn20), (Base 1, +4 Arc, +1 Conc) with +5 Item concentrate, +5 24/day
This enchanted item will be added to the Lab (Hopefully for a +1 or +2 specialty in Texts.)
The familiar should be posted in the wiki and discussed here, the same as the character.
The enchantment requires an arcane connection, so you should probably have the voucher for the book placed on the desk rather than simply saying its name, or else have the book selected off of a list from the catalogue.
http://amfightorflight.wikidot.com/gennadius is posted on the wiki
Ok, will change the description so you need the book's voucher as an Arcane Connection.