Wolf Child Template

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

So, I've tried to write down a new "template" - an Ex Misc raised-by-wolves child. I'd appreciate any feedback on how to improve it.

Wolf Child (Template): Left to die of exposure, this child was nursed by a she-wolf and raised as one of the pack. In time, he was adopted into House Ex Miscellanea, but still feels more at home in nature. He has a strong affinity to wolves, and a feral spirit that frightens and drives away mundanes.

Statblock:
Feral ExMisc
Characteristics: Int +1, Per 0, Pre 0, Com ﷓2, Str 0, Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik 0
Size: 0
Age: 25 (25), Height: 5'6'', Weight: 150 lbs, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Animal Ken, Inoffensive to Animals, Hermetic Magus, Study Bonus (Study: +2), Minor Magical Focus (wolves), Ways of the Forest, Skilled Parens, Blatant Gift (Interactions: ﷓6 with normals)*, Feral Upbringing (120/120), Ability Block (Social), Social Handicap (Feral), Animal Companion (wolf pack)
Personality Traits: Feral +3, Protective +3, Ruthless +1
Combat:
Dodge: Init: +0, Attack ﷓﷓, Defense +3, Damage ﷓﷓
Fist: Init: +0, Attack +5, Defense +3, Damage +0
Kick: Init: ﷓1, Attack +6, Defense +3, Damage +3
Soak: +3
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, ﷓1, ﷓3, ﷓5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: ﷓1 (1﷓5), ﷓3 (6﷓10), ﷓5 (11﷓15), Incapacitated (16﷓20)
Abilities: Animal Ken 4 (wolves), Animal Handling 4 (wolves), Brawl 3 (Kick), Survival 3 (forests), Stealth 1 (natural areas), Hunt 2 (tracking), Awareness 1 (predators), Area Lore: Bavarian Forest 2 (wildlife), Athletics 2 (running through forests), Concentration 1 (staying alert), Latin 4 (hermetic usage), Artes Liberales 1 (cermonial magic), Magic Theory 5 (learning spells), Parma Magica 1 (Animal), Ride 2 (wild animals), Magic Lore 1 (creatures)
Arts: Cr 0, In 0, Mu 10, Pe 0, Re 5, An 6, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 6, He 0, Ig 0, Im 2, Me 0, Te 4, Vi 0
Equipment:
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
The Beast Remade (MuAn(Co) 25) +19
Gift of the Bear's Fortitude (MuCo 25) +19
Endurance of the Berserkers (ReCo 15) +14
The Crystal Dart (Mu(Re)Te 10) +12
Transformation of the Ravenous Beast to the Torpid Toad (MuAn 25) +19
Beast of Outlandish Size (MuAn 15) +19
Image of the Beast (InAn 5) +9
Circle of Beast Warding (ReAn 5) +14
Wizard's Sidestep (ReIm 10) +10
Gift of the Frog's Legs (ReCo 15) +14

Notes: This Wolf Child has a Feral Upbringing until the age of 5, and lived in the forest (acquiring no civilized skills) until the age of 10. From that point he underwent a normal apprenticeship.

Customization Notes: The wolf-child's Animal Companion flaw can be replaced by a Dependant flaw to represent an entire pack. Alternatively, the Hedge Wizard flaw is also highly appropriate, due to the magus' feral nature. His Study Bonus and Minor Magical Focus virtues don't figure into his statistics and can be easily exchanged for others. The Wolf Child also has 4 virtue points, so up to 6 more points can be added by adding more Flaws.

Mechanically, this character is built around the Feral Upbringing virtue. Animal Ken and Inoffensive to Animal were chosen to allow the child to grow up with and speak to the wolves that raised him. An Ability Block with all social skills and a Social Handicap (a feral demeanor) maintain the spirit of the Feral Upbringing in the adult character. The Blatant Gift (granted by his House affiliation) also serves to alienate him from civilized society. Ways of the Forest and a Minor Magical Focusin wolves were chosen to represent his feral upbringing mystically; note that none of his spells necessarily affect wolves, and the bonus should be applied when they do (Beast of Outlandish Size is especially useful for acquiring a mount). Study Bonus is useful to encourage the character to study outdoors, emphasizing his feral nature. Skilled Parens was deemed needed to acquire the desired Abilities (such as some Magic Lore), and to complement his spell selection.

Choosing Shapeshifter (or changing House to Bjornaer and ackquiring a wolf heartbeast) will significantly alter the character, from a human that talks to wolves to a wolf that can take human form. The character's spell selection is meant to serve a human, and will require significant reworking for this new role.

2

Very nicely done overall i think.

Nah that would take away most of the point of the character.

I might reduce Magic Theory a bit and raise especially Awareness quite some and probably Athletics and Stealth by one each. Possibly raise one or all of Perception, Strength, Quickness at the expense of Presence, Communication and perhaps Dex. (im basing this very vaguely on my imperfect recollection of the most well known real case of feral upbringing by wolves; but obviously its not a "must do")

3

I like the idea of giving him Dead Language (Adamic) 2 but that goes a little beyond a template. :smiley:

As a template he is pretty good but I think he might be a little to antisocial for my tastes. Social handicap, ability block (social skills), and blatant gift is pretty severe. I might limit the ability block to dishonesty (guile, bargain, etiquette, intrigue) or some other quirk to make him bit more noble savage.

4

I might give him Nature (Animal or Forest) Lore to make up for his anti-social nature. He'll never get along with humans, but he can have a meaningful relationship conversing with nature, eventually building strong alliances in the wild beyond his own pack. You might take Nature Lore and Puissant Nature Lore, to help him develop these relationships. I also like "Independent Study" for characters like this for the + experience from practice and adventure, great for magi who spend more time in the wild or on adventure than in the lab.

Being Bjornaer also means losing the ability to take a familiar, which is a no-brain-er for this character. So, you're right, ditch the shape-shifting idea. Have you considered making him a beast summoner, though? Its a great supernatural ability for this guy.

I like this character as is, though. A lot.

5

I like this a lot.
I had a character a bit like that, made in 4th edition, she was taken in apprenticeship by a merinita... but in 5th edition, she would have probably been beastmaster...
minor magical focus wolf and way of the forest are very suitable.
I would add in flaws : fear : fire

6

I don't think I can - he needs his high MT to learn the spells he has.

Hmm. A low Pre would affect his interactions with animals, and I'd actually want him to have good ones; I don't see a Feral creature as having low Dex either, but perhaps it makes sense. A high Str and Qui will mark him as physically adept which is not the direction I was going with, but a high Perception might fit the "leader of wild beasts" type I was imagining.

Ahem. Quite beyond the template, yes. :smiley: I might make a note on it in the customization notes, however.

It is a bit extreme, perhaps I went overboard. But to be honest, I'm attracted to the idea and it seemed to fit together nicely. I think an Ability Block in dishonesty is too narrow for the Flaw, in comparison with the other example-blocks given.

Adding in a noble-savage motiff would be nice, though.

Nature Lore is inappropriate for the template as I'm basing it purely on core ArM5, but it should definitely be mentioned in the customization notes.

Yes, that does seem appropriate.

Again - not core. But again, definitely worth mentioning in the customization notes.

Yes, that's also very suitable.

7

First though, let me say that the character is GOOD as it is.

Ah, yes. Thats a bit of a bugger, as he is a bit weak on those 3 Abilities for the background.

Doh! Of course, i forgot that it affects dealings with animals as well.

Never having a real reason, need or opportunity to use small or complicated tools, and noone to teach you how to be dexterous, yes definitely makes sense. Not that it needs to be really low or even below average. The +2 feels a bit surprising though.

Ok, i was simply basing myself on how a feral background would most likely give better than average Str and Qui no matter what.

8

Great character design! Nothing too fancy, but it all seems to fit together and tell the story of a somewhat clichéd character approach – as should be for a starting character template.

I believe you might be able to lower the Magic Theory, if you wanted it to reflect a more 'practical' rather than 'theoretical' apporach to magic. IThe issue with starting spells should be easily solvable, although i haven't done the math, as is seems that most spells are affected by Rego and Animal which could both be increased by 1 for a totel of 13 xp (and you get 25 xp back from the lowered Magic Theory).

I would also consider Study Requirement, while you are at it.

Good job.

9

New (final?) version.

Wolf Child
Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre +1, Com -2, Str 0, Sta +3, Dex +1, Qik 0
Size: 0
Age: 25 (25), Height: 5'6'', Weight: 150 lbs, Gender: Male
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0 (0)
Confidence: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Animal Ken, Inoffensive to Animals, Hermetic Magus, Study Bonus (Study: +2), Minor Magical Focus (wolves), Ways of the Forest, Skilled Parens, Blatant Gift (Interactions: -6 with normals)*, Feral Upbringing (120/120), Ability Block (Social), Social Handicap (Feral), Animal Companion (wolf pack)
Personality Traits: Feral +3, Protective +3, Murderous +1
Combat:
Dodge: Init: +0, Attack --, Defense +3, Damage --
Fist: Init: +0, Attack +4, Defense +3, Damage +0
Kick: Init: -1, Attack +5, Defense +3, Damage +3
Soak: +3
Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -3 (6-10), -5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Animal Ken 4 (wolves), Animal Handling 4 (wolves), Brawl 3 (Kick), Survival 3 (forests), Stealth 2 (natural areas), Hunt 2 (tracking), Awareness 2 (predators), Area Lore: Bavarian Forest 2 (wildlife), Athletics 2 (running through forests), Concentration 1 (staying alert), Latin 4 (hermetic usage), Artes Liberales 1 (cermonial magic), Magic Theory 3 (learning spells), Parma Magica 1 (Animal), Ride 2 (wild animals), Magic Lore 1 (creatures)
Arts: Cr 0, In 0, Mu 11, Pe 0, Re 5, An 7, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 7, He 0, Ig 0, Im 2, Me 0, Te 4, Vi 0
Equipment:
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
The Beast Remade (MuAn(Co) 25) +21
Gift of the Bear's Fortitude (MuCo 25) +21
Endurance of the Berserkers (ReCo 15) +15
The Crystal Dart (Mu(Re)Te 10) +12
Transformation of the Ravenous Beast to the Torpid Toad (MuAn 25) +21
Beast of Outlandish Size (MuAn 15) +21
Image of the Beast (InAn 5) +10
Circle of Beast Warding (ReAn 5) +15
Wizard's Sidestep (ReIm 10) +10
Gift of the Frog's Legs (ReCo 15) +15

Wolf Child (Template): Left to die of exposure, this child was nursed by a she-wolf and raised as one of the pack. In time, he was adopted into House Ex Miscellanea, but still feels more at home in nature. He has a strong affinity to wolves, and a feral spirit that frightens and drives away mundanes.

Notes: This Wolf Child has a Feral Upbringing until the age of 5, and lived in the forest (acquiring no civilized skills) until the age of 10. From that point he underwent a normal apprenticeship.

Customization Notes: The wolf-child's Animal Companion flaw can be replaced by a Dependant flaw to represent an entire pack. Alternatively, the Hedge Wizard flaw is also highly appropriate, due to the magus' feral nature. His Study Bonus and Minor Magical Focus virtues don't figure into his statistics and can be easily exchanged for others.

The Wolf Child also has 4 virtue points, so up to 6 more points can be added by adding more Flaws.You may to consider obtaining the virtues Ghostly Warder (representing wolf spirits), Wilderness Sense, or an Affinity or Puissance in Animal. Suitable flaws include Fear of fire, Deleterious Circumstances (in city), and Study Requirement.

Mechanically, this character is built around the Feral Upbringing virtue. Animal Ken and Inoffensive to Animal were chosen to allow the child to grow up with and speak to the wolves that raised him. An Ability Block with all social skills and a Social Handicap (a feral demeanor) maintain the spirit of the Feral Upbringing in the adult character. The Blatant Gift (granted by his House affiliation) also serves to alienate him from civilized society. Ways of the Forest and a Minor Magical Focusin wolves were chosen to represent his feral upbringing mystically; note that none of his spells necessarily affect wolves, and the bonus should be applied when they do (Beast of Outlandish Size is especially useful for acquiring a mount). Study Bonus is useful to encourage the character to study outdoors, emphasizing his feral nature. Skilled Parens was deemed needed to acquire the desired Abilities (such as some Magic Lore), and to complement his spell selection.

Choosing Shapeshifter (or changing House to Bjornaer and ackquiring a wolf heartbeast) will significantly alter the character, from a human that talks to wolves to a wolf that can take human form. The character's spell selection is meant to serve a human, and will require significant reworking for this new role.

Roleplaying Notes: ArM5 wolves (see the Book of Mundane Beasts) are murderous and bloodthirsty, and this is reflected in the wolf-child's "Murderous +1" personality trait. Cull and uncouth, the wolf child lacks almost all restraint and temparence ("Feral +3"), although his training in the ways of civilization has taught him to beware the reach of the Quaesitors and dangerous Hoplites. In his own way, the wold child is extremely loyal to his friends and protective of what is "his". He would go to great lengths to protect his own wolf pack, forest, and its denziens, and by extension can be moved to support other animals, places of wild nature or Magic, or their guardians.

The wolf child's flaws combine to make interaction with mundanes all but impossible. Relations with magi (who, by virtue of their Parma, at least disregard his Blatant Gift) would also be strained (due to his lak of social skills and his feral demeanor), although he might get along better with Bjornaer magi (who can understand the animal nature). The wolf child gets along very well with animals, however (especially wild animals, which are unphazed by his feral nature ﷓ and often are further influenced by Ways of the Forest), and had especially developed close ties with his animal companion - probably a member of the wolf-pack he was raised in, perhaps a brother.

Supplemental Customization: Adopting Nature Lore (Animal Lore from HoH:MC or Forest Lore from HoH:MC or GotF) is very appropriate for this character. Suitable virtues and flaws from HoH:MC include Pack Leader and Feral Scent, as well as Alluring to Mundane Animals and Independent Study.

If using HoH:S, this character may be a Beast Master.

A possible direction for character development might be re-learning the Adamite language (see Ancient Magic). The character's feral nature might make that language appealing or give him insights into it.