unGifted Mercere and Recap virtue

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

Hello there,

I have a rule question. In the core book p30, there is written for Mercere:

Puissant Creo or Puissant Muto. Note that unGifted Redcaps are created as companions, and take the Redcap Major Status Virtue. Gifted Redcaps take the Hermetic Magus Status Virtue, and do not take the Redcap Major Status Virtue.

Does it mean that un unGifted redcap get the Redcap Major Status Virtue for free instead of Puissant Creo or Puissant Muto OR that they have to take the Redcap Major Status Virtue for 3 virtue points?

Thanks in advance.

2

Ungifted redcaps have to take the Redcap Major status virtue for 3 virtue points. They are created as companions - so they don't get the free virtue that all Gifted magi do.

3

No. It means that if you want to make a companion Redcap, he will be ungifted and need to take the virtue RedCap. And considering what it brings, it is a nice package. It gives you 50 level of magical item, 75 extra XP (you have 20xp/year instead of 15/year) in any type of skill you want, plus Well traveled as a free virtue. Each is more or less worth a minor virtue.
Nothing broken, but worth a major virtue.

4

Thanks. Very clear now :slight_smile:

5

Corerct, but it's even better!

  • Redcap gives you 50 levels of effects, while the Minor Enchantments minor Virtue in Grogs (p. 76) gives you only 25 levels.
  • You get 75 extra XPs to do with as you please, as noted above, and may also take Academic, Arcane and/or martial abilities during character creation!. Compared to certain Social virtues, that's another 3 free minor virtues right there, in addition to the XPs!
  • Well Travelled for free is a nice free virtue. But by now, perhaps a tad less impressive?
6

unless of course you take a redcap mythic companion, but that is a whole other bag of worms...

7

You may find this article originally published in Sub Rosa #13 useful;

Training Packages for Redcaps

8

Game master did not want that^^