View source for Heartbeast

The '''Heartbeast''' is an [[Outer Mystery]] of [[House Bjornaer]]. Every Bjornaer magus has an alternate shape into which he or she can transform and which "displays a central aspect of her nature."<ref name="ArM5">''[[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]]'', p. 91, "House Bjornaer: Heartbeast"</ref>  Most commonly, this is the shape of a noble bird or [[beast]], but some magi instead take the shape a plant.<ref name="ArM5" />

[[Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults]] (HoHMC) pages  18-24 greatly expands the details of the Heartbeast, providing advice on choosing the heartbeast, and the statistics of the heartbeast form. (See also HoHMC pages 38-43 and the [http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/ArM5Beasts.pdf Book of Mundane Beasts] for animal statistics.  Only HoHMC has the descriptions for animal qualities, however.)

When Bjornaer magi enter [[Final Twilight]], they irrevocably assume the shape of their heartbeasts.<ref>''[[Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults]]'', p. 24, "Heartbeasts and Wizard's Twilight"</ref>

== The Heartbeast Ability ==
"Heartbeast" is the name of a [[Supernatural Ability]] that all magi of House Bjornaer learn, as well as the name given to the animal form a particular magus takes using the ability.  The first is more likely to be used only outside in game conversations, when talking about statistics, while the latter usage would be for in game conversation.  Only magi [[Initiation|Initiated]] into House Bjornear have a heartbeast or can learn the Heartbeast Ability.<ref name="ArM5" /> The Heartbeast Ability is rarely used in ArM5, but a magus can use it when transformed into some other shape to return to either her human shape or heartbeast shape. (This could be a way, for example, to prematurely end a [[Muto]] [[Corpus]] effect like ''Disguise of the New Visage''.

The Heartbeast Ability is also used in inventing spells using the [[Sensory Magic]] [[House Mystery]].<ref>''[[Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults]]'', p. 28</ref>

== Changing Form ==
In [[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]], a magus does not need to make a roll to change form unless there is some magic working to prevent the transformation.<ref name="ArM5" /> Changing form takes "only a moment,"<ref name="p92">''[[Ars Magica Fifth Edition]]'', p. 92</ref> so presumably a magus can change shape and still act normally the same [[round]]. (If you are using the optional combat rules from ''[[Lords of Men]]'', using the Heartbeast ability to change shape is a [[fast action]].<ref>''[[Lords of Men]]'', p. 118, "Option: Fast Actions"</ref>)

The heartbeast transformation affects only the magus himself, not his clothing and equipment.<ref name="p92" /> It is possible to design an [[invested item]] that can change with the magus.<ref>''[[Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults]]'', p. 24, "Magical Items and Changing Form" (inset)</ref>

=== Communicating in Heartbeast Form ===
In [[ArM5]], all shapechangers (including Bjornaer magi and characters with the Skinchanger or [[Shapeshifter]] Virtues) have the ability to speak with creatures of their kind.<ref name="statistics">''[[Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults]]'', p. 23, "Statistics of Shapechangers"</ref>

=== The Heartbeast Form is Natural ===
Unlike the effects of a spell, the heartbeast form ''is'' considered the magus's natural form for mystical purposes. The implications of this are discussed on page 92 of [[ArM5]]; for example, that page explains what spells can affect a magus in heartbeast form.

[[HoHMC]] elaborates on those rules with some additional detail.<ref>''[[Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults]]'', p. 24, "The Hidden Shape."</ref>

=== Statistics of the Heartbeast ===
Statistics for animals may be found in the [[Book of Mundane Beasts]].

Exact rules for how to calculate the statistics of a Bjornaer magus in heartbeast form are found in ''[[Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults]]''.<ref name="statistics"/> If you do not have that book, you'll have to make a [[House Rule]] to cover that situation.

==See Also==
*[[Shapeshifting]]

== References ==
<references />

===  Legacy Page  ===
The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at [[Legacy:heartbeast]]

[[Category:House Bjornaer]]
[[Category:Mysteries]]
[[Category:Supernatural Abilities]]