(Michelle, would it be presumptuous of me to ask you to make this a sticky thread, so that it doesn't get lost in the depths of the thread list when I come back to update it later on?)
Having commented that I don't get a lot of time to update SHR, fate has snickered evilly and given me no less than three opportunities to make updates in the last week! The following items have been added recently:
An article on the relations between the four realms, by Angus Macdonald,
Two new magi in the Camera Mysteriorum, by Simon Foston,
and a very nifty Excel magus character sheet by Neil Taylor and Edward Campbell!
there are practical (and human!) limits on the number of rules a spreadsheet can handle...
I tend to just edit cells on the fly to accommodate certain virtues like GC.
However, the best solution, to get all rules included and all rules check, is to buy metaCreator and the Ars Magica 5 template... that's what I did in the end.
I still use the spreadsheet (or rather its current descendent) for quick hacks, but MetaCreator for anything complex and polished.
That is a good idea.
It should be possible, but it would not be a minor change.
That would require turning the virtues/flaws area into a lookup, then parsing the results into a hidden location, so that I could query it with a formula that would replace the current static number.
I'll look into it, but I don't know how soon I can get to that.
If you can make a spreadsheet do this, you are a better man than me!
I tried, but my problem was not getting a formula connected to the list of V/F itself, but that all the rest of the spreadsheet cells (with formulae) need to know how to look for V/F-related formulae, to discover them if present (anywhere) and to survive if absent.
Strictly they should also reject duplicates, and also inconsistent V/F which contradict each other (those where the rule-book says you can't have both)
For example, every Ability needs to look to see if there are XP related V/F, or if a Virtue exists which grants as starting at Level 1.
Don't for get that "Affinity with X" is a generic Virtue, which applies to something else called "X".
When I coded the sheets, I just added side-cells to include the starting level manually, and another side-column to make Affinity and Puissant attributes line-by-line.
That's where MetaCreator wins -- each rule element in MC can (does) contain code fragments in their macro-language which refer to a shared variables, states, and inter-linked items.
I'm impressed by MC ... it just takes so damned long to plough through all the panels to get a character set up.
There are several ways to make this happen. The formula way, with a bunch of lookups and ifs, will increase the filesize notably.
If I were to do this (and I wont, since there is metacreator), I would do it with a lot of macros. That way You could control V/F that aren't allowed togehter, duplicates etc. It also enables to put in ability "X" with starting value where it should be placed (next avalible line). You could also put in errorchecks with messageboxes that tells you where you're character is lacking/exceeds limits etc.
It starts with V/F, and before you know it, half the rulebook will be expected.
Tell people to just make some editing in cell K18 if Great characteristics is chosen.
I like the file thou, I find it very useful when inventing new spells. A good job of putting all spells in there.
After a bit of a nap, SHR is starting to stir again now that the academic teaching year is drawing to a close, so here's a quick summary of what's been added to the site since the last posting. Hopefully there will be more frequent updates over the next wee while. We have some articles in the works, but the site lives off contributions - hint hint!
Anyway, here's the list of updates:
Two magi (Laureatus of Tremere and Aurelius of Bonisagus), and one companion (Eleanor the Fair) in the Camera Mysteriorum, by Simon Foston
Two articles from Vestiges in Sand on the jinn have been translated into Spanish by Daniel Nunez Vilchez: "Posesion de los Jinn" and "Jinn como Personajes"
As always, a full list of updates may be found at:
I've added another character, Koresh of Flambeau by Angus Macdonald, to the Camera Mysteriorum at SHR. Unlike the other characters in the CM, Koresh was created using Extremely Complex Character Generation, with some interesting results. Check it out:
It's very interesting to see a character developed withthe extremely complex characer generation method. I apprecieate the hard work that went into it.
I would have handled the spell master virtue differently.
Just giveing the character extra xp in addition to whtthey are recieveing through normal methods seems wrong to me. I guess if I were using the exremely complex method for a character I'd change virtues such as skilled parens, warrior, and mastered spells and instead give the characer a master with a high com and the good teacher virtue or give the character a few 15 xp adventures during seasons that he spends learning spells or helping in the lab. I'd try to finagle things in some way that the grants the requisite xp but does not violate the rules of the long term events chapter.
You go through each season in the character's life as if it was played through, figuring out what books were available, who and how skilled were the character's teachers, and so on and so forth. Note that this may involve creating those teachers as full characters themselves...
In comparison detailed character generation gives you a number of XP per year to spend, and "simple" character generation works by modifying the character templates provided in the books -- if you aren't just using the template as-is.
It was fun reading over the Kouresh character. I'm currently working up a character using that method during the course of our Saga, a Merinita whose parens is the Master of Revels. Should be fun. He's just pushing 8 or so now, if I recall properly, so it will still be about 14 years before he's ready to go, as he's being developed in "gametime."
Also, I've got some drawings to send your way. I've just been slammed with my school coming to a close as well and prepping my demo reel. ACK!
These have already been mentioned on this forum, but we have two advanced magus characters who have now made their appearance at the Camera Mysteriorum (Shivinaya of Criamon and Magister Roderick of Jerbiton), by John Padavic. More such characters will be forthcoming eventually.
Today I also added a special project, Pax Hermetica, which is a modern setting for Ars Magica sagas by Tom McKinnell and...er...me. In this we include notes on the history and geography of the Order in the modern day, revisions to the character creation and combat rules, and what we hope will be a growing FAQ where we're willing to answer any questions about the setting.
As always, a full list of the most recent updates at SHR can be found at:
Hrm, after reading the "hermetic History" I am disapointed: it is only an alternate WoD-Setting.
Nothing about the ultimate power of the divine, nothing about the existing facts of the medivial paradigma (so techbnology could have a hard time). nothing about the revised House Tremere and so on.
I think it is not possible to simply put the Ars Magica systemn in opur time, if you want to play it otherwise i have a few idead.
First in our time the Dominion is still rulig and was succesful in anhilating all non-Dominion-Religions (like Hinduism, Shintoism ect), we would live in a world whre faith is still the greatest power, with many theocratic countries like Iran or USA in our world.
So if in your saga magic is bad in divine eyes it would be a hard in times of mass media to hide and very hard to survive to magi. If magic is neutral or even good in gods eyes magi could simply walk down the street with everyone knowing that they are something supernatural.
Third about the medivial paradigma: it could change in something like a technical paradigma ("If every one truly believs time travellig is possible, then it is possible.") like it is in the WoD. Or it could be still in nearly full power! Than means even today diseases are caused by evil smoke and to much of blood or to less and so on. Humanity would still travel to space, but they only get to the lunar sphere, cars and computers work, because they doesnt hurt the paradygma, but penecillin or chemotherapy or viagra ( )doesnt work.
Fearies could be rare like in WoD, nearly destroyed by disbelieve, or in a world whre everyone knows that supernatural popwers (god) exists, they could be as alive as today with little differences (like that there are more divine fearies or technological fearies or parts of arcadia have changed into gigantic, wild citys ect).
The hermetic system should have evolved with many great breakthroughs like a time art or fusing many arts into one or making words and gestures obsolete (important if you play in a world where magic is bad) or give the ability to summon elementals or spirits or grant true immortality or breaking the limit of divine (pherhaps in future some mages have "killed" god and took his place...) or of true nature.
Such a world sounds more like a future Ars Magica setting, than the WoD setting on your site.
PH does indeed share a lot of similarities with WoD. I gather from Tom that the background, which was largely his creation, was in some ways intended to "fix" the bits of WoD that seemed flawed or unattractive to him, but maintenance of the basic flavour was indeed intended.
Lucius, you have some great ideas there. You are of course welcome to write them up and submit them to SHR. We'll be happy to consider them for possible inclusion on the SHR website...
)doesnt work.