Time Kompression: A thought experiment of time manipulation

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

So, since my group is currently in the middle of a pathfinder campaign, and it'll be a while before we play Ars Magica again, I've taken it into my head to try for something of a thought experiment. While the core book says that hermetic magic cannot directly alter the flow of time, it seems to me that there are ways for a determined magus to get around this restriction. Regios, for example, have the possibility of altered time rates relative to the rest of the world. So what I'm looking to do here is try to compile the various ways for a magus to monkey with the flow of time, and the catches involved. Since I have the mechanical mastery of a leaky colander, I would like some assistance in this cataloguing experiment.

Disclaimer: Much like the "Frightening Munchkinism" thread, this isn't meant to be used in an actual saga, so any protests of "I wouldn't allow this in MY saga" are not really relevant. I apologize if I seem brusque, but it's been my experience on various forums that if I don't say something like this outright, there are typically at least 1-3 replies that are nothing more than assuring me that what I'm talking about is pure munchkinry and that they wouldn't allow it in their games.

Anyway, here's what I have so far:
Regios
Pros:
-Usually takes a good enough amount of space that one could theoretically set up a lab within one
Cons:
-Requires one to find it, claim it, and defend that claim, (but since efficient use of time translates to greater power in this game, it could still be very worth it.)

Arcadian Travel
Pros:
-Does not require a fixed location or territory wars for control
-Can be used for other feats of exploration and magery
Cons:
-Mystery virtue
-Tied to specific house
-rather difficult to pull off
-requires finding regios and arcadian realms nonetheless

Dream Magic
Pros:
-Does not require a regio at all, instead using dreams and dreamscapes as the vehicle of temporal manipulation
-Relatively simple to require, being one or two minor virtues, as I recall
Cons:
-Said virtues are mystery virtues, albeit not tied to specific houses, and thus requiring initiation under most circumstances
-The book (The Mysteries Revised) explicitly states that dream travelers do not gain "game points for Arts and Abilities" from their experiences within the dream realms (perhaps there is some way to circumvent this limitation, and make it possible to gain from dream travel nonetheless?)

Hermetic Breakthrough
Pros:
-Can potentially allow a magus to surpass the lesser Limit of Time, allowing temporal manipulation to be incorporated into Hermetic Theory
-Is independent of regiones, or mystery cults
Cons:
-Requires allowance of such a breakthrough
-To my understanding, is much more difficult than other methods here
-Requires access to the Houses of Hermes - True Lineages book

1 Like
2

  1. You do not need a covenant to claim a regio. As long as it is not very large (and/or has clear entry points), you can claim the whole regio as your sanctum. And it is a regio, so not many people need to know about it.

  2. Another option would be a time-themed region of the Magic realm itself. No need for a mystery to be there, only massive balls, since the magic realm temds to be dangerous.

  3. A pact with the infernal might also give you a time manipulation skill.

  4. Talk with The Doctor. He is around by the time of Ars Magica. Better if you are a british chick, since he will pay much more attention to you, then.

Cheers,
Xavi

3

On point 4...

The problem there is you're likely to get whisked out of the saga entirely in a portal to arcadia shaped like a blue box with a light on top.

4

Point 4 gain on more supporter... and for the perils of that they could face, well i've med two of their more frightening enemies... https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/intellego-and-warping/142/1

5

Art and Academe has a very brief discussion on time, as it discusses all Aristotelian properties an object can have and how these are manipulated. It suggests a brand new technique would need inventing to manipulate the presence (or otherwise) of an object in time.

I must admit, I do like time-dilated regios. The Diedne might pop back out of theirs at any minute!

6

Yup...doing that now in Bibracte...
~200 years for the order has only been about 30 for the Diedne...

7

Should say that the Diedne are not the main antagonists in the saga, though, too.

8

Where in Art and Academe is this discussed?

Also, as an aside, how would having access to any of these more useful forms of temporal manipulation impact a saga?

9

Insert on Page 22.

10

Added hermetic breakthrough to the list after reading the breakthrough rules in True Lineages.

11

One of the writers (dont recall who) earlier suggested Tempus as a potential Technique for someone who managed to break that limit. Personally, after some testing and thinking, I much prefer to use it as a Form that always needs a requisite for whatever is being affected.

As long as you use restrictive/not too low level guidelines, i think it shouldn´t be too bad to include in the game. Only problem is that i haven´t come up with any useful guidelines yet. Hopefully getting around to it some day.