Ars Magica Definitive Edition, Chapter Ten: Long Term Events
Mystery Initiation
The process of Initiation into a Mystery is given a full treatment in The Mysteries Revised Edition, but a summary of the mechanics is provided here.
All of the Exoteric (that is, House) Mysteries are governed by a separate (House) Lore; thus there is a House Bjornaer Lore, a House Criamon Lore, a House Merinita Lore and a House Verditius Lore. Initiates who have not been apprenticed to a member of the House need at least (House) Lore 1; the Mystagogue for any Initiate must also know the same Lore, but generally needs a high level if the Initiation is to succeed. To grant the Initiate a new mystery Virtue, the Mystagogue generates an Initiation Total, which determines the success or failure of the Initiation:
| Initiation Total | Presence + (House) Lore + Script bonus |
Note that the Initiation Total is based on the scores of the Mystagogue. There is no die roll; if the total is higher than the required target level the Initiation succeeds. Initiation Scripts and their bonuses are described below, and examples are given in the Hermetic Magic chapter. The target for this total is the Initiation Target Level, which depends on the kind of Virtue to be initiated, Major or Minor:
| Initiate a Minor Virtue known by the Mystagogue | Ease factor 15 |
| Initiate a Major Virtue known by the Mystagogue | Ease factor 21 |
The Target Level is increased in the unlikely event that the Mystagogue does not know the Initiated Virtue. This is most often the case in the event of a maga who decides to try to Initiate herself in a Mystery Virtue without a Mystagogue, in which case the Initiate acts as her own Mystagogue and uses her own scores in the Initiation Total.
| Initiate a Minor Virtue not known by the Mystagogue | Ease factor 18 |
| Initiate a Major Virtue not known by the Mystagogue | Ease factor 30 |
In addition, if the Initiate underwent a previous Ordeal (gained a Flaw, lost a Virtue, or increased a Flaw from Minor to Major) for a previous Initiation, reduce the Target Level as follows:
| First initiation after an Ordeal | After a minor Ordeal: Ease factor -3 After a medium Ordeal: Ease factor -6 After a major Ordeal: Ease factor -9 |
| Second initiation after an Ordeal | After a minor Ordeal: Ease factor -3 After a medium Ordeal: Ease factor -4 After a major Ordeal: Ease factor -6 |
| Third initiation after an Ordeal | After a minor Ordeal: Ease factor -1 After a medium Ordeal: Ease factor -2 After a major Ordeal: Ease factor -3 |
Only one past Ordeal counts towards a new Initiation, and there is a minimum Target Level of 9 no matter how great a reduction is applied.
If the Initiation Total equals or exceeds the Target Level, then the Initiation succeeds automatically. No die roll is made — it is required merely to be properly prepared, and skilled enough to succeed.
If the Mystagogue's Initiation Total does not exceed the Target Level, the Mystagogue may be able to vary and extend the Script, to make it more effective. If that is still not enough (for example, no Script exists) then the Mystagogue can experiment to attempt to discover a Script.
The Initiation Script
This is a written text (similar to a Lab Text) which describes a successful Initiation and the process followed: the chants and methods, the places and times, and any sacrifices made. If this Script is followed exactly, the Script grants its bonus to the Initiation Total. Scripts usually detail the price of Initiation, which may take the form of an Initiation Ordeal (the acquisition of a Major or Minor Flaw, loss of a Major or Minor Virtue, or increasing a Minor Flaw to Major level), an Initiation Quest (a lengthy journey combined with a series of challenges), and/or an Initiation Sacrifice (of time, wealth, knowledge or power). The Scripts detailed in the Hermetic Magic chapter give the bonus contributed to the Initiation Total from each component of the Initiation Script involved. More details about Initiation Scripts can be found in The Mysteries Revised Edition, Chapter 2: Entering the Mysteries. That chapter includes details of the hazardous process of creating a new Script.
Example Elements of an Initiation Script
The Mysteries Revised Edition has many examples of different Script Bonuses, but the ones below are most commonly employed. See the following chapters for the bonuses of other Script elements:
| Script Bonus | Example script elements |
|---|---|
| +3 | Initiate has to be at a special place at a special time for the Initiation |
| +3 | Initiate has to complete a specific Quest |
| +1 | Initiate sacrifices time — serving another in the cult (one bonus only) |
| +1 | Initiate sacrifices material goods or wealth (this must entail real personal loss) |
| +3 to +6 | Initiate sacrifices something of great and symbolic value (familiar, talisman, powerful invested device) |
| +3 | the Initiate suffers an Ordeal inflicting a Minor Flaw or removing a Minor Virtue |
| +6 | the Initiate suffers an Ordeal increasing a Minor Flaw to Major level |
| +9 | the Initiate suffers an Ordeal inflicting a Major Flaw or removing a Major Virtue |
Varying a Script
It may be necessary for a Mystagogue to modify an Initiation Script; for example, to add additional elements to it to make a difficult Initiation possible for an inexperienced Mystagogue.
To vary the Script, the Mystagogue makes a test of
| Stress Die + Intelligence + (House) Lore vs. Ease Factor |
The Ease Factor is 9 to extend the Script by adding a new component, such as an additional Quest. A magus with lower Presence or (House) Lore will often try to extend a Script he has acquired.
The Ease Factor is 12 to make a change to a component, such as varying the place, the time, or the subject of a Quest. It is not possible to change which Virtue the Script Initiates; that requires a new Script.
The Mystagogue may only attempt one change in a given Initiation. If the test fails, the Initiation would fail (and the Mystagogue will know this), but the original Script (or a different variation) may be attempted in another Season. If the variation test roll succeeds, the modified Script is used as above to generate the Initiation Total, and if this equals or exceeds the Initiation Target level, the Initiation succeeds with no further rolls.
If a single change is not enough to make this Script work, then either a different Script is needed, or the Mystagogue must study more Cult Lore, or experiment.