Verditius without Casting Tools?

What's the story for this? Is that "Almost" a relic that got overwritten by HoH:MC, which says that the House even goes so far as to deliberately cripple 'mature' initiates from other Houses?

Are there rules for it somewhere in 5e, or is that "Almost" just a cautious hedge when the absolute "All" would have been perfectly accurate?

My WAG would be that not every member of the house knows the Mystery. So "almost all", but not "all".

But it is Verditius magic which gives that flaws and I don't see a Verditius without Verditius magic.
And someone who wants to enter the house will have to use casting tools as well after initiation.
One of my Verditius will be searching for a way to get an universal casting tool, as she needs one as well for spontaneous spell (personnal flaw)

In theory, the House could accept any magus as a member, whether a hedge mage or someone coming from another House, and such a magus would not have Verditius magic or need casting tool. Heck, it could even accept a Redcap as a member, and the Code would say it is their right. Just because it's hard to imagine the Primus of the House ever doing it does not mean it could not happen. And so, a cautious almost.

I would say that the Verditius virtue and flaw are inherent to the way House Verditius opens the Arts. I don't particularly like other Magi learning the virtue and I definitely don't like the concept that the Verditius have either the ability or the desire to deliberately maim someone's Gift in the manner described in HoH:MC.

On the other hand, I don't see any reason why House Verditius couldn't accept another Magus in a social sense, without the virtue/flaw. I'm sure there are a number of good stories out there that could give them reason to perform such adoptions.

What would be the interest of being member of house Verditius if you don't have the higher capacity to make enchanted things?
Even if not true lineage, I don't see to much house Verditus taking magi without having them to get their capacities

Perhaps a Mage-Smith from some obscure tradition would feel more at home as a Verditius than within Ex Miscellanea. In general, it depends on how important "House" is socially. If it were my setting, not very important at all by the 13th century but much more so in earlier times.

Very much agreed! Originally, i´ve simply ignored it because really, the casting tools requirement is such a big trouble that i consider it mostly equal to a Major Flaw. I want the house Virtues to really MEAN something, to be a serious bonus from the start.
I think a "nicer" variant is to have a -4 penalty for not using casting tools. With the option of taking a mirroring Virtue that gives you a +4 bonus for using casting tools. :slight_smile:

In that case I agree with you... but I am not sure Verditius house would take a magus who even not enter outer mysteries... but you may be right in that particular and special case...
I was speaking more about a magus coming from an hermetic house, not an hedge magician :slight_smile:

Alright, it seems to me that the extreme lengths to which you have all valiantly and creatively gone to construct situations in which there is a non-'crippled' Verditius wizard answers my initial question - by the rules and setting as-is, there is no way to be an initiate of Verditius mysteries without being dependent on casting tools. If you're raised in the tradition from apprenticehood, the disability is a fundamental part of the way you're taught Hermetic magic. If you're allowed into the House later, you will be deliberately crippled. That "Almost" in the core book is only there to cover extremely bizarre fluke cases involving people with political membership in the House but no access to its mysteries.

Is that the long and short of it?

Mostly probably. Though i wouldnt rule out a handful of exceptions being quite possible.

And for example, i had a player running a noncrippled Verditius once where the master thought it was a stupid idea (and had the ability to initiate without the flaw) and then simply made sure to hide it VERY well from everyone else. Counted as a Dark Secret as it would have caused serious ruckus within the house.

But its really just TOO damaging and totally unbalanced as it is by RAW.

Really? I found it to be a trivial flaw and fun to do "in the real world". A couple of little bitty tools, I was the only one with props in our troupe. And if you have a problem with them, it's pretty easy to pick a the "Casting Tools" mystery and summon them at will. Nothing like the kick in the nads Hubris is.....