Vulpus, Familiar ex Tartessos

Vulpus, Summer 1220
Magical Might: 8
Summer Familar (high power companion)
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Pre+3, Com+6, Str -4, Sta 0, Dex +2, Qik +3
Method: convert Cunning+1 to Int+1, Str-4 due to size, Qui +2 due to size.
Size: -2
Age: 19, Height: 20", Weight: 35 lbs, Gender: Male, Species: Silver Fox
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: n/a
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues(7): Inspirational, Self-Confident, Entrancement, Good Teacher, Book learner, Affinity: Magic Theory, Affinity: Teaching
Flaws(7): Driven (Gain Diploma, Maj), Visions, Nocturnal, Restricted Power (Imposing Academic may only be used with academic abilities), Restricted Power (One with the night is nocturnal only)
Magical Qualities(22): No Fatigue (Maj), Personal Power (25 lvls), Improved Powers, Vis Mastery (Maj), Improved zats x4, Great Communication x2, Improved Communication (Maj), Virtues: Affinities in Philosiphae, Artes Liberales, Living Languages, Dead Languages, Civil Law, Code of Hermes, Virtue: Puissant Teaching, Personal Vis Source, Unaffected by the Gift
Magical Inferiorities: Reduced Might x9

Personality Traits: Lazy-1, Academic+3,
Reputations: none
Combat:
Under construction
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, ‑1, ‑3, ‑5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: ‑1 (1‑5), ‑3 (6‑10), ‑5 (11‑15), Incapacitated (16‑20), Dead (21+)

Skills Prior to Familiar Bond (birth to age 2)
[table][tr][td]Ability[/td] [td]Score[/td] [td]specialty[/td] [td](xp pending)[/td] [td]Allocated xp[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Brawl[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Bite[/td] td[/td] [td]30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Survival[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Forest[/td] td[/td] [td]30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Awareness[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Food[/td] td[/td] [td]30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Athletics[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Running[/td] td[/td] [td]30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Hunt[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Prey[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Stealth[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Stalking Prey[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Guile[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Stalking Prey[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Teaching[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Single Student[/td] td[/td] [td]20*1.5=30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Entrancement[/td] [td]5[/td] [td]Stalking Prey[/td] td[/td] [td]75[/td][/tr][/table]

Skills Inherited from Familiar Bond:
[table][tr][td]Ability[/td] [td]Score[/td] [td]specialty[/td] [td](xp pending)[/td] [td]Allocated xp[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dead Language: Latin[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Hermetic Usage[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Living Language: Romany[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Covenfolk[/td] td[/td] [td]32[/td][/tr][/table]

Skills From Study (age 2 to 19):
[table][tr][td]Ability[/td] [td]Score[/td] [td]specialty[/td] [td](xp pending)[/td] [td]Allocated xp[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Magic Theory[/td] [td]9[/td] [td]Assist[/td] td[/td] [td]228[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Artes Liberales[/td] [td]7[/td] [td]Astrology[/td] td[/td] [td]152[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Philosiphae[/td] [td]8[/td] [td]Teaching[/td] td[/td] [td]192[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Living Language Arabic[/td] [td]7[/td] [td]Writing[/td] td[/td] [td]146[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Living Language Aramaic[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]Writing[/td] td[/td] [td]105[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dead Language Anc Greek[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]Writing[/td] td[/td] [td]105[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dead Language Anc Egyptian[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]Writing[/td] td[/td] [td]105[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Civil andCanon Law[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Jurist[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Medicine[/td] [td]2[/td] [td]2nd Opinion[/td] td[/td] [td]20[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Theology[/td] [td]2[/td] [td]Expose Fallacy[/td] td[/td] [td]20[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Penetration[/td] [td]5[/td] [td]Teaching[/td] td[/td] [td]75[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Finesse[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]Teaching[/td] td[/td] [td]137[/td][/tr][/table]

Bond Qualities:
Gold Cord: +1, Silver Cord +1, Bronze Cord +3

Bond Powers:
Speech (ArM5 pg 105)
MuAn 20 Requires Lab Total of 40
Lab total: Mu 8 + An 12 + Int 3 + Aura 3 + Magic Theory 10 + Inventive Genius 3 + Cyclic Magic 3 = 42

Hands Like the Master
MuAn 21 Requires Lab Total of 42
Base 5, change paw to opposable thumb (think Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy)
Dur: Concentration (+1 mag), Range: touch (+1 mag), bond maintains concentration (+5 levels), 2 use per day (+1 level)

Personal Powers:
One with the Shadow
Cost: 0 due to improved powers
PeIm 15
Adapted from the L20 invisibility spell (forget the name) to personal range
R: P
D: Sun
T: Ind
+1 magnitude to affect a moving target
This spell duplicates the effect of invisibility, subject to the limits of PeIm (does not effect shadow). Due to the Flaw Restricted Power, this power may only be used during true night time.

Imposing Academic
Cost: 0 due to improved powers
CrIm 5
Adapted from Aura of Ennobled Presence to personal range
R: P
D: sun
T: ind
Bonus to rolls as Aura of Ennobled Presence
Due to the Flaw Restricted Power, this power is only effective when using an Academic ability.

Cloak of Duck's Feathers
Cost: 0 due to improved powers
as ArM5

Seasonal Advancement:
1220 Spring:
Practice w/ Tartessos 4x1.5=6 xp in Arabic
1220 Summer:
Exposure w/ Tartessos 2*1.5=3 xp im Magic Theory

Vulpus, at game start
Magical Might: 8
Summer Familar (high power companion)
Characteristics: Int +3, Per +1, Pre+3, Com+6, Str -4, Sta 0, Dex +2, Qik +3
Method: convert Cunning+1 to Int+1, Str-4 due to size, Qui +2 due to size.
Size: -2
Age: 19, Height: 20", Weight: 35 lbs, Gender: Male, Species: Silver Fox
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: n/a
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues(7): Inspirational, Self-Confident, Entrancement, Good Teacher, Book learner, Affinity: Magic Theory, Affinity: Teaching
Flaws(7): Driven (Gain Diploma, Maj), Visions, Nocturnal, Restricted Power (Imposing Academic may only be used with academic abilities), Restricted Power (One with the night is nocturnal only)
Magical Qualities(22): No Fatigue (Maj), Personal Power (25 lvls), Improved Powers, Vis Mastery (Maj), Improved zats x4, Great Communication x2, Improved Communication (Maj), Virtues: Affinities in Philosiphae, Artes Liberales, Living Languages, Dead Languages, Civil Law, Code of Hermes, Virtue: Puissant Teaching, Personal Vis Source, Unaffected by the Gift
Magical Inferiorities: Reduced Might x9

Personality Traits: Lazy-1, Academic+3,
Reputations: none
Combat:
Under construction
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, ‑1, ‑3, ‑5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: ‑1 (1‑5), ‑3 (6‑10), ‑5 (11‑15), Incapacitated (16‑20), Dead (21+)

Skills Prior to Familiar Bond (birth to age 2)
[table][tr][td]Ability[/td] [td]Score[/td] [td]specialty[/td] [td](xp pending)[/td] [td]Allocated xp[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Brawl[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Bite[/td] td[/td] [td]30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Survival[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Forest[/td] td[/td] [td]30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Awareness[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Food[/td] td[/td] [td]30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Athletics[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Running[/td] td[/td] [td]30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Hunt[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Prey[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Stealth[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Stalking Prey[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Guile[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Stalking Prey[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Teaching[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Single Student[/td] td[/td] [td]20*1.5=30[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Entrancement[/td] [td]5[/td] [td]Stalking Prey[/td] td[/td] [td]75[/td][/tr][/table]

Skills Inherited from Familiar Bond:
[table][tr][td]Ability[/td] [td]Score[/td] [td]specialty[/td] [td](xp pending)[/td] [td]Allocated xp[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dead Language: Latin[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Hermetic Usage[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Living Language: Romany[/td] [td]3[/td] [td]Covenfolk[/td] td[/td] [td]32[/td][/tr][/table]

Skills From Study (age 2 to 19):
[table][tr][td]Ability[/td] [td]Score[/td] [td]specialty[/td] [td](xp pending)[/td] [td]Allocated xp[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Magic Theory[/td] [td]9[/td] [td]Assist[/td] td[/td] [td]225[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Artes Liberales[/td] [td]7[/td] [td]Astrology[/td] td[/td] [td]152[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Philosiphae[/td] [td]8[/td] [td]Teaching[/td] td[/td] [td]192[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Living Language Arabic[/td] [td]7[/td] [td]Writing[/td] td[/td] [td]140[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Living Language Aramaic[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]Writing[/td] td[/td] [td]105[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dead Language Anc Greek[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]Writing[/td] td[/td] [td]105[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dead Language Anc Egyptian[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]Writing[/td] td[/td] [td]105[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Civil andCanon Law[/td] [td]4[/td] [td]Jurist[/td] td[/td] [td]50[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Medicine[/td] [td]2[/td] [td]2nd Opinion[/td] td[/td] [td]20[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Theology[/td] [td]2[/td] [td]Expose Fallacy[/td] td[/td] [td]20[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Penetration[/td] [td]5[/td] [td]Teaching[/td] td[/td] [td]75[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Finesse[/td] [td]6[/td] [td]Teaching[/td] td[/td] [td]137[/td][/tr][/table]

Study, post bond, pre-game calculations:
68 seasons total, using 1 vis each season, plus 34 seasons (from No Fatigue) without using vis

Magic Theory: 14 seasons with vis, 4 seasons without vis, 225 xp (Book Leaner, Affinity, -8SQ)
3 seasons L5/Q20 summa+vis (20+3-8+2)*1.5=25.5xp/season, +75 xp due to gain limit, 75 xp running total
8 seasons L8/Q11 Summa+vis (11+3-8+2)*1.5=12 xp/season, +96 xp, 171 xp running total
1 season L8/Q11 Summa (11+3-8)*1.5=9 xp/season, +9 xp, 180 xp running total
3 season Q11 Tracti+vis (11+3-8+2)1.5=12 xp/season, +36 xp, 216 xp running total
3 seasons exposure (no Book Learner, no 8xp malus) 2
1.5=3xp/season, +9 xp, 225 xp running total

Artes Liberales: 9 seasons with vis, 2 seasons without vis, 152 xp (Book Leaner, Affinity, -8SQ)
1 season taught by Tartessos (no Book Learner, no 8xp malus) (16*1.5=24xp/season, +24 xp, 24 xp running total
2 seasons L5/Q20 summa+vis (20+3-8+2)*1.5=25.5xp/season, +51xp, 75 xp running total
6 seasons L7/Q14 summa+vis (14+3-8+2)=11.5xp/season, plus one inception per seasons +64 xp, 139 xp running total
1 seasons L7/Q14 summa (14+3-8)=8.5xp/season, plus one inception per season, +1 xp due to gain limit, 140 xp running total
1 season Q11 Tractatus+vis (11+3-8+2)*1.5=12 xp/season, +12 xp, 152 xp running total

Philosiphae: 16 seasons with vis, 192 xp (Book Leaner, Affinity, -8SQ)
15 seasons L8/Q11 Summa+vis (11+3-8+2)*1.5=12 xp/season, +180 xp, 180 xp running total
1 season Q11 Tractatus+vis (11+3-8+2)*1.5=12 xp/season, +12 xp, 192 xp running total

Living Language Arabic: 8 seasons with vis, 1 season no vis, 140 xp (Book Leaner, Affinity, -8SQ)
8 seasons L7/Q14 summa+vis (14+3-8+2)*1.5=16.5 xp/season, +132 xp, 132 xp running total
1 season L7/Q14 summa (14+3-8)*1.5=13.5 xp/season, +8 xp capped due to gain limit, 140 xp running total

Living Language Aramaic: 5 seasons with vis, 105 xp (Book Leaner, Affinity, -8SQ)
5 seasons L6/Q17 summa+vis (17+3-8+2)*1.5=21 xp/season, +105 xp, 105 xp running total

Dead Language Ancient Greek: 5 seasons with vis, 105 xp (Book Leaner, Affinity, -8SQ)
5 seasons L6/Q17 summa+vis (17+3-8+2)*1.5=21 xp/season, +105 xp, 105 xp running total

Dead Language Ancient Egyptian: 5 seasons with vis, 105 xp (Book Leaner, Affinity, -8SQ)
5 seasons L6/Q17 summa+vis (17+3-8+2)*1.5=21 xp/season, +105 xp, 105 xp running total

Civil and Canon Law: 5 seasons with vis, 50 xp (Book Leaner, Affinity, -8SQ)
5 seasons L4/Q10 summa+vis (10+3-8+2)*1.5=10.5 xp/season, +50 xp capped due to gain limit, 50 xp running total

Medicine: 4 seasons without vis, 20 xp (Book Leaner, -8SQ)
4 seasons L4/Q10 summa (10+3-8)=5xp/season, +20 xp, 20 xp running total

Theology: 4 seasons without vis, 20 xp (Book Leaner, -8SQ)
4 seasons L4/Q10 summa (10+3-8)=5xp/season, +20 xp, 20 xp running total

Penetration: 5 seasons without vis, 75 xp (Book Leaner, -8SQ)
5 seasons L5/Q20 summa (20+3-8)=15 xp per season, +75 xp, 75 xp running total

Finesse: 1 season with vis, 14 seqsons without vis, 137 xp (Book Leaner, -8SQ)
1 season L7/Q14 summa+vis (14+3-8+2)=11 xp per season, +11 xp, 11 xp running total
14 seasons L7/Q14 summa (14+3-8)=9 xp per season, +126 xp, 137 xp running total

Bond Qualities:
Gold Cord: +1, Silver Cord +1, Bronze Cord +3

Bond Powers:
Speech (ArM5 pg 105)
MuAn 20 Requires Lab Total of 40
Lab total: Mu 8 + An 12 + Int 3 + Aura 3 + Magic Theory 10 + Inventive Genius 3 + Cyclic Magic 3 = 42

Hands Like the Master
MuAn 21 Requires Lab Total of 42
Base 5, change paw to opposable thumb (think Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy)
Dur: Concentration (+1 mag), Range: touch (+1 mag), bond maintains concentration (+5 levels), 2 use per day (+1 level)

Personal Powers:
One with the Shadow
Cost: 0 due to improved powers
PeIm 15
Adapted from the L20 invisibility spell (forget the name) to personal range
R: P
D: Sun
T: Ind
+1 magnitude to affect a moving target
This spell duplicates the effect of invisibility, subject to the limits of PeIm (does not effect shadow). Due to the Flaw Restricted Power, this power may only be used during true night time.

Imposing Academic
Cost: 0 due to improved powers
CrIm 5
Adapted from Aura of Ennobled Presence to personal range
R: P
D: sun
T: ind
Bonus to rolls as Aura of Ennobled Presence
Due to the Flaw Restricted Power, this power is only effective when using an Academic ability.

Cloak of Duck's Feathers
Cost: 0 due to improved powers
as ArM5

Status: should be finished

One reason I've been so slow in writing up Vulpus is that first, I wanted to see how others made theirs, and second, once you all finished, I was unable to come up with a satisfactory build method that would actually meet my needs. Here are my thoughts, and I hope the troupe can make helpful suggestions.

Central character concepts: Vulpus is a silver fox, familiar to Tartessos. The silver fox breed was chosen over the more common red fox due to Tartessos penchant for stentatiousness and a higher lifestyle than normal (all his casting tools are gold jewelry). Vulpus is primarily a lab assistant, and thus must be able to generate large lab assistant totals. Personality-wise Vulpus is an ivory tower stereotypical thinker, not a doer. He is thirsty for knowledge, the more theoretical the better. He is willing to tell people how to do things all day, but is unlikely to otherwise apply his knowledge in any other concrete way. This makes him an excellent lab assistant and sometimes a good teacher. Sometimes this just annoys people as he is always willing to corner people and talk philosophy at them. He would happily debate how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, and it would be his penultimate dream to by an attourney in a court of law.

Method #1: Book of Mundane Beasts: The appendix: mundane beasts, from HOH:MC (Bjornaer section), has stats for a fox as well as rules for modifying them. Combined with the familiar rules in ArM5, we end up with Int-3, Pre-2 and Com-5. I can only put characteristic points into physical stats and thus cannot modify these. The Int is not much of a problem, I have already been working that into roleplaying. The Pre and Com, however, are directly against the central character concepts. I can handwave and say a silver fox gains the imposing appearance quality, bringing the Pre up to an unimpressive zero.
problems with method #1: A silver fox should be visually impressive (positive Pre score), and he needs to be a good communicator (severely hampered by a -5 Com)
Possible solutions: 1) allow characteristic points to be spent on Pre/Com. 2) Invent a new quality that brings Com to zero, much as Imposing appearance brings Pre to zero. 3) Assume the -5 com is due to not being able to speak. Once imbued with the familiar bond power of speech, this eliminates the -5 penalty, bringing Com to zero. 4) Burn most of not all virtues on pre/com enhancements.

Method #2: a magical familiar: Using the magical creature rules from ROP: Magic, Vulpus would start with all stats at zero, except Int+1 (due to converting cunning to int). However, magic might is reduced from all SQ totals. Bonus: currently undefined by undoubtedly cool powers.
Problems with method #2: 1) even a lower magic might will strongly impact his ability to learn magic theory, philosophae, theology and law. The Int increase will offset any penalty to MT, so it's just the academic abilities I'm worried about now. 2) A low magic might is dangerous. One PeVi spell and Vulpus goes poof.
Possible solutions: 1) A quality, ability, virtue, or power that offsets the SQ penalty when learning academic abilities (possibly include Magic Theory here if his might is above trivial). 2) A quality, ability, virtue or power that grants a bonus to using his abilities that would offset his (significantly) lower skill levels. I wish him to have inspirational and self confident, so that leaves 5 virtues that could be spent to offset these issues (such as book learner, puissant and affinities).

Thoughts?

given Vulpus' abilities I think it is clear that he is a magical creature, and the issue becomes the tradeoff of magical might versus his ability to develop- also notice anything he is learning with or from the magus has no penalty regardless of might... also vis can be consumed to offset a learning penalty if you have enough vis to make this worthwhile.

whew. been a long week. I believe I have managed to preserved the core concepts of the character just fine, even improving on a few at the cost of being a more focused character (an acceptable trade off). As characters refine as you build them so too has his motivations. His overriding goal in life is to be acknowledged as the academic he is by earning a real diploma from a prestigious school. Likely he will first try to just gain one (such as modern day diploma mills), but that will quickly be revealed as a hollow victory - he wants to BE a doctor, and eventually Dean of the Domus Aureus University. I focused him more on learning and teaching academic abilities focusing on Artes Liberales, Plilosiphae, languages and Law.

I just realized all along I have been conflating Canon Law and Civil Law - can I change the book in the library to Civil Law, and do the same to Vulpus? He is the only one who has studied from it so far.

He is ready for you to tear him apart, hopefully I did my math correctly.

Sorry this took so long- I have your pre-size adjusted stats at 17 points, with 3 levels of increased stats you have 16 points.
Prior to age 2 entrancement costs 7-0 pts (firt 5 are free with virtue) and teaching costs 10 (due to affinity)
I have base might:15+2(for small size)=17-9levels of reduced might to get might:8
20 points in qualities, 17+9 available leaves 6 points unspent in qualities.
penalty due to might should be prior to multiplication due to affinity.

Missed those, will correct, probably put the extras into teaching which should bring me up to 20*1.5=30 for level 3.

wow, he's positively drowning in extra qualities!

Ouch, this one really hurts, but now that I think about it makes sense. Unfortunately it really hampers the concept of a magical animal who can learn. I see three ways around it (all involve increasing SQ), but each way has a little aged fromage, let me know if any of these are acceptable.

  1. The simple way would be to continue reducing might; I'll have to spend some time running numbers to determine exactly where, maybe down to might 4? The fromage factor would be to cover the vulnerability of an ultra low might, I'd likely take a greater invulnerability to might stripping.

  2. Add a direct vis source by modifying an existing virtue. For example, either Personal Vis Source (Hermetic minor) or Lesser Benediction (supernatural minor) could be altered to "Font of Vis(supernatural) - this character naturally generates 4 Intellego vis each year" He then applies this vis to partially offset the SQ penalty while learning. Frommage alert: combined with Vis Mastery, he would be able to extrude vis pretty much at will.

  3. Directly increase SQ by modifying an existing virtue. Lesser Benediction could become "Academic Inclination (minor), increasing the SQ of all Academic skills by 1". Greater Benediction could even become "Academic Inclination (Major) increasing the SQ of all Academic skills by 3". Frommage alert: I'd never allow this virtue if applied to other skill categories, but Academic skills seem less prone to abuse.

benediction is a faerie virtue, not applicable to a magical being
lowering your might will work, but discussion regarding might stripping elsewhere applies- the immunity will not be absolute. For example you might be immune to magical might stripping but not ablating.
I am perfectly fine with your taking a personal vis source.

I should point out as well that immutability is pretty much a hallmark of the magic realm, so "a magical being that can learn" is a bit of an oxymoron.

Since I'm going to be tinkering with skills anyways, I decided to add in some astrological inceptions. Thanks to Cat, who alerted me to the possibilities, I decided Vulpus would make an excellent astrologer (medicine is too hands on, and I don't want him to compete with Hakima). I am a little iffy on how the xp rules work for learning inceptions. I currently understand it it to be that when I study an Artes Liberales Sources, I can subtract 5 xp from the total to learn a single inception that I qualify for (total = less than my lab total). Logically, this would allow me to get more xp from a single source than normal, because I am siphoning off xp before hitting the gain limit.

Example: a L7/Q14 summa, like the caravan used to have. assuming no bonus or malus to SQ, I can study it gaining 14 xp per season until I hit the gain limit (140 xp). Alternately, I can study it for 9 xp per season, plus an inception each season (9=5=14), also until I hit the gain limit of 140, the difference being the second path takes 16 seasons versus 10 for the first, and I get 16 inceptions.

Is this supposed to work that way?

Apparently, although again your reduction for might comes first
however, since these are effectively specializations of the respective abilities, I will allow the 5 pts to be removed after affinity bonuses.
So, reading a book of L:7/Q:14 without consuming vis would work as follows:
base quality 14+3 book learner=17 quality-8 for might=9 quality*1.5=13.5 quality-5 for formulae=8.5 quality+1 formula

you still need to edit your seasonal advancement, or any other changes which need to be made...

Ok, I think I have it. 6 points of Qualities will go into No Fatigue (Major), Personal Vis Source, Unaffected by the Gift, and Improved zats (Int 1 to 2, and Quickness 0 to 1, then +2 more Qui for size adjust, bringing total Qui to 3).

He gains an additional 34 seasons of pre-game study, and 68 points of vis, which he will add one each to his regular 68 seasons of study. So, 68 seasons at Might 8-2 from vis, and an additional 34 seasons at might 8 (no vis).

I'll edit posts #1 and #2 to reflect the new totals and study schema.

Where are you getting more seasons of study from? His date of being bound didn't change to my knowledge...

The Major Quality No Fatigue gives two extra seasons per year, for an additional 34 seasons in pre-game development. In game he will have a total of six seasons per year.

No Fatigue gives extra seasons. Wait, the familiars where supposed to start learning and such on the date of binding?

yes, when had you started him from?
Normal magical creature creation doesn't have a seasonal development option...

I was advancing Vulpus from after the bond powers were instilled, a total of 17 years. I was advancing him with the caravan as per our other characters who grew up with the caravan, using caravan resources from 1203 through 1219. If this is incorrect I can switch to straight xp per year, confirm 15/year?

Okay, that fits what I thought...

Wow, the difference a caravan makes. Vulpis managed to get over twice the xp from advancement in 17 years with a Might penalty than Terra got in 15 years without! (1027 xp vs. 440 xp)

That's a nice familiar!

The caravan helped, but even 17 years of seasonal advancement would not have amounted to much without the thirteen points of virtues dedicated to making this concept work. Silveroak was pretty clear at the beginning this would be a high powered saga, and I think all characters can expect this kind of growth over their lifespan, especially once we get more books and a teacher/student pipeline running. On that note, we have several fine teachers in the covenant who can get ridiculous SQ even without books.

I am also abiding by an unspoken agreement NOT to abuse the resources granted to us, which is why, as a Verditius, I did not make a familiar with a magic theory of 15, and instead spread those xp about other less abusive skills. He may have an 8 in Philosiphae (180 xp), but that's almost entirely a role playing hook rather than a skill likely to see much use, much less abuse.

unless of course he teaches philosophae, or writes about it... I'm assuming he doesn't do lab work with it (experimental philosophae)