Ars Magica Definitive Edition, Chapter Seven: Hermetic Magic
Warping
Warping affects everyone, not just Hermetic magi, so it is described in the Long term events chapter, page @@. Note that magi gain one Warping Point for every zero on the botch dice when they botch a spell.
Wizard's Twilight
Wizard's Twilight is unique to Hermetic magic. Most magical traditions have a unique reaction to Warping, and Wizard's Twilight is the reaction of magi trained in the Hermetic tradition.
Entering Twilight
Whenever a maga gains two or more Warping Points from a single event, rather than from prolonged exposure, she must add them to her current total, possibly increasing her Warping Score, and then roll to avoid Twilight.
Stamina + Concentration + Vim Form Bonus + stress die vs. Warping Score + Number of Warping Points gained + Enigmatic Wisdom + local aura + stress die (no botch)
If the roll succeeds, the maga spends two minutes (one Diameter) bringing her magic under control, but there are no further effects. If the roll fails, the maga enters Wizard's Twilight. If the maga botches, she enters Twilight and cannot comprehend the experience.
A maga may choose not to resist Twilight, in which case she makes no roll and automatically enters Twilight. In some situations, such as combat, taking two minutes to control the magic may be very dangerous, and in such cases a maga may wish to enter Twilight in the hope of comprehending it and thus getting through the experience more quickly.
Comprehending Twilight
A maga within Twilight must comprehend her surroundings in order to get out.
Intelligence + Enigmatic Wisdom + stress die vs. Warping Score + stress die
1 + 1 per Warping Point gained to trigger the Twilight
The time that a maga feels that she spends in Twilight is completely independent of time passing in the real world. The time that passes in the real world depends on the maga's Warping Score, and the success of her Twilight Comprehension roll.
| Warping Score | Base Time in Twilight |
|---|---|
| 1 | Diameter (2 minutes) |
| 2 | Two Hours |
| 3 | Sun |
| 4 | Day (24 hours) |
| 5 | Moon |
| 6 | Season |
| 7 | Year |
| 8 | Seven Years |
| 9 | Seven plus a Stress Die Years (no botch) |
| 10+ | Eternal: Final Twilight |
If the comprehension roll botches, the time the maga spends in Twilight one step longer on the table for every zero on the dice, and she suffers a bad effect from the experience.
If the comprehension roll fails, the maga spends the base time in Twilight, and suffers a bad effect from the experience. If the Twilight side of the comprehension roll botches (same botch dice as the maga's side), the maga need only beat a total of zero to comprehend the Twilight. The botch has no other effect. This means that, all else being equal, a maga is slightly more likely to comprehend a Twilight caused by gaining a lot of Warping Points.
If the comprehension roll succeeds, subtract the maga's Enigmatic Wisdom score from the result, and compare that total (that is, the maga's Intelligence plus the stress die result) to the Twilight's result.
Intelligence + stress die vs. Warping Score + stress die
Note: The die rolls are the rolls already made to comprehend the Twilight
If the two match exactly, or the maga's score is lower, the maga spends the base time in Twilight. For every additional point by which the maga's score exceeds the Twilight result, move one step shorter on the duration table. For example, if a maga with a Warping score of 7 makes her comprehension roll by three points, the Twilight lasts a day. If this lowers the duration below Diameter, the whole Twilight lasts a mere moment in the real world.
During Twilight
The experiences of magae in Twilight vary enormously. Some experience a dreamlike copy of the real world. Others encounter strange creatures, or copies of themselves, or feel an infinite benevolence watching over the universe, or an infinite malevolence likewise. These may be played out if desired.
The effects are equally varied in the outside world. The simplest effect is that the maga falls unconscious until she emerges from the Twilight. This is most common with low Warping scores. Magae with moderate Warping Scores often seem to resist Twilight, but act without real initiative. They are easily led while in this state, and have no memory of their actions when the Twilight finishes. Magae with high Warping Scores sometimes disappear physically into the Twilight Void. If they do so, their bodies reappear in the same place, near enough, when they come out of Twilight.
If the maga's body remains in the real world while she is in Twilight, it is completely immune to magic, mundane damage, aging, and hunger. In many ways it seems to be outside the world although it still appears within it. A maga's body is also unable to perform magic while she is in Twilight.
While these are the most common effects, others have been observed. Bjornaer often take the form of their heartbeasts, and Flambeau magi have been known to turn into large fires which burn without fuel.
Effects of Twilight
Every Twilight experience marks the maga. The strength of the mark is random. Roll a simple die. The maga gains that many Warping Points, in addition to the points that triggered the Twilight.
If the maga comprehended the Twilight, the effects are good.
Twilight Scar: Something minor and magical, and also neutral or beneficial. For example, the area around the maga always smells faintly and pleasantly of roses, the maga's eyes glitter with many colors, the maga walks a fraction of an inch above any surface. In the case of a maga who wants to keep her magic inconspicuous, the effect may not be obviously magical: people around her become slightly more cheerful, insects don't bite her, and so on.
In addition, the storyguide should pick one of the following effects:
- Increased Knowledge: A number of experience points in an Art, Magic Theory, or Enigmatic Wisdom, equal to twice the number of Warping Points gained.
- New Hermetic or Supernatural Virtue: Minor (if between 7 and 10 Warping Points, inclusive), or major (if more than ten Warping Points). Virtues cannot be gained if the maga gains fewer than seven Warping Points.
- New Spell: The maga knows a new Formulaic or Ritual spell, with a magnitude equal to the number of Warping Points gained. This spell is chosen by the storyguide, and the maga need not be able to cast it. She may write a Lab Text about it as normal.
If the maga failed to comprehend the Twilight, the effects are bad.
Twilight Scar: Something minor, magical, and annoying. For example, the area around the maga smells faintly of sulfur, the maga's touch stains skin black (it washes off, with effort), the maga's footprints create myriads of fine cracks in any surface. At the storyguide's discretion, a maga who tries to keep her magic inconspicuous might get a scar she can hide. For example, the smell of iron makes her feel nauseous, or insects always bite her given the chance.
In addition, the storyguide should pick one of the following effects:
- Lost Knowledge: Lose two experience points for every Warping Point gained in an Art, Magic Theory, or Enigmatic Wisdom. This cannot reduce the score below zero.
- New Hermetic or Supernatural Flaw: Minor (if between 7 and 10 Warping Points, inclusive) or major (if 10 Warping Points or above). The maga can only gain a Flaw if she gains at least seven Warping Points.
- Lost Spells: The maga loses the knowledge of spells, chosen by the storyguide, with magnitudes totaling the number of Warping Points gained.
Twilight Example
Darius of Flambeau, played by Niall, botches a spell while hunting a Renounced magus. There are two zeroes on the botch dice, so he gains 2 Warping Points, and must check for Twilight. Darius has a Warping Score of 6, and his enemy is not immediately present, so he chooses to try to resist the Twilight.
As a member of House Flambeau, Darius does not have an Enigmatic Wisdom score, so that doesn't affect anything.
Darius has a Stamina of 0, Concentration 3, and a Vim bonus of 2. He thus gets +5 to his roll to resist the Twilight, and Niall rolls a six on the stress die, for a total of 11. Not bad, but not great.
The Ease Factor is 6 (for his Warping Score) +2 (the number of points gained) + 4 (for the local Faerie aura, a major contributor to the botch in the first place), or 12 + a stress die, no botch. The storyguide doesn't bother rolling; even if he rolls a zero Darius has failed to resist and will enter Twilight.
When it comes to comprehending the Twilight, Darius gets his Intelligence, +3, plus a stress die.
The Twilight has a base of 6, Darius's Warping Score, plus a stress die. Niall rolls a 7, but the storyguide rolls a 5. Darius has a total of 10, and the Twilight has a total of 11. Darius has failed to comprehend it.
The comprehension roll simply failed, so Darius spends the base time in Twilight, and has a bad experience. At a Warping Score of 6, the base time is one season.
The storyguide rules that Darius feels his magic destroying his body and mind from the inside. He can't tell how long it takes, although he is fully aware of every step of the process, and as the last trace of his awareness is about to vanish, he comes out of the Twilight. To the outside world, Darius's body appeared to dry up and decay to dust over the course of a few seconds. At the end of a season, Darius reappears, and finds that two of the covenant grogs have been camping here to see whether he was coming back from Twilight.
The simple die for additional Warping Points is a one, so Darius gains three Warping Points in total. He loses six experience points in Corpus, two for each of the three Warping Points he gained. He didn't gain enough Warping Points to gain a Flaw. He also gains a Twilight Scar, and the storyguide rules that any dead meat Darius is touching looks, tastes, and smells rotten, although the effect passes when he releases it, and the meat is actually perfectly good. It looks like Darius will be becoming a vegetarian.
Certamen
Certamen (Care-TAH-men, Latin for "duel") is the ceremony by which two magi conduct a magical duel. It serves as a nonlethal way for one magus to establish dominance and precedence over another, and has formal restrictions to keep it from disrupting the unity of the Order.
The most important is that certamen cannot be used to over-rule a Tribunal, require a violation of the Code, or require a magus to overlook a violation of the Code. Beyond that, however, certamen can be used to settle any dispute, and the result of the certamen is binding.
One need not accept a challenge to certamen, but that is the same as conceding defeat. You may challenge anyone to certamen over a certain issue once, but the Peripheral Code prohibits you from challenging the same person again over that issue unless he challenges you in the meantime. If another issue comes up, you may challenge him again. Bullying magi with certamen is a Low Crime in almost all Tribunals. Certamen is solely an institution of the Order of Hermes; non-Hermetic wizards do not have the ability to participate in the ceremony, as it relies heavily on the Hermetic Arts.
Both participants specify in advance what the other magus will do, or refrain from doing, if he loses. The two requirements are expected to be symmetrical, and Tribunals do over-ride the results on asymmetric certamens. This gives magi some motivation not to bully with certamen; even the greatest archmage can botch.
To engage in certamen, you and the other magus must agree on one Form and Technique combination you will both use. By tradition, the aggressor in the duel chooses the Technique and the defender chooses the Form, and it is considered good form to go along with this choice. However, each magus may veto the other magus's first choice. If he does so, he must accept the second option.
Once the Technique and Form are chosen, you and your opponent concentrate for a moment, both entering trances. While entranced, competing magi have no defense against physical attacks. Each becomes attuned to the magical forces surrounding them, shaping them into phantasms representing the Technique and Form of the duel. If the Technique and Form are Muto and Animal, the phantasms might be two animals, one controlled by each magus. During the course of the duel, each animal changes into various other animals in an effort to defeat the other. A Creo Ignem contest could consist of two fiery beings fighting. In an Intellego Aquam contest it might appear that the combatants are in hazy water, each trying to reach some goal. The illusionary battle is a representation of the more subtle magical battle which affects the minds of the combatants.
Mechanical resolution of certamen is based on six totals.
Quickness + Finesse + Stress Die
Presence + Technique or Form + Stress Die
Perception + Form or Technique + Stress Die
Attack Total - Defense Total (if Attack Total is higher)
Intelligence + Penetration + Attack Advantage
Stamina + Parma Magica
Initiative is rolled only once, at the beginning of the duel. This initiative is the same as combat initiative (see Combat Scores), and if a certamen is taking place during combat each magus acts at the point in the sequence determined by his initiative total.
On his action, a magus rolls a stress die to generate an Attack Total. His opponent rolls a stress die to generate a Defense Total. Unlike initiative, the dice for attack and defense are rolled every round. If the Defense Total equals or exceeds the Attack Total, the attack does no damage. If the Attack Total exceeds the Defense Total, the amount by which it does so is the Attack Advantage.
Each magus must use both the Technique and the Form in each round of certamen, using one for Attack and the other for Defense. The two magi may use different Arts from each other for Attack or Defense, and may change which Art they apply to which total from round to round.
Subtract the defender's Resistance Total from the Weakening Total. For every five points or fraction left over, the defender loses a Fatigue level. Note that the magus's Parma Magica score is added to the Resistance Total; it is not multiplied by five as it is for magic resistance.
| Weakening Total - Resistance Total | Fatigue Levels Lost |
|---|---|
| 0 | None |
| 1-5 | 1 |
| 6-10 | 2 |
| 11-15 | 3 |
| 16-20 | 4 |
| 21-25 | 5 |
| 26-30 | 6 |
| etc... |
Certamen itself never causes wounds, merely exhaustion. If you lose more Fatigue levels than you have, you spend one more hour unconscious for every additional level lost.
You can use raw vis at any time during certamen, even if your opponent doesn't use it or doesn't expect its use. For every pawn you expend, add 2 to your Attack Total or Defense Total for one round only. Raw vis used must be attuned to the Art used for Attack or Defense in the duel. The number of pawns you can use in one round is limited to your score in the Form or Technique the vis is attuned to.
All members of House Tremere have a Minor Magical Focus with Certamen. This means that they always double the lower of the Technique and Form when engaged in certamen. Other Magical Foci do not apply.
There are three ways to win certamen. The first involves wearing your opponent down until he falls unconscious. When this happens, the victor is entitled to cast a single spell at the loser. This spell, which must be of the same Technique and Form as the contest, circumvents the loser's Parma Magica (though the loser still gets Magic Resistance based on the Form of the spell). In most certamen contests, this "free" spell is unnecessary, because your opponent's collapse already designates your victory. However, some duelists use it anyway to intimidate and embarrass those who fight them. This free spell can be used to harm your fallen opponent, but remember, certamen is intended to be a harmless way to resolve disputes, and the winner is still bound by the Hermetic Code.
The second way to win certamen is by surrender. If your opponent realizes he is outmatched, or wants to walk away from the duel, he can concede the contest. Such a submission means that the loser is still capable of defending himself, so he has full Parma Magica and Magic Resistance against any final spell cast at him.
The third way to win certamen is to maintain concentration in the face of distraction when your opponent does not. Concentration rolls are not necessitated by the loss of Fatigue levels during certamen. Sometimes, however, conditions surrounding the duel necessitate that the duelists make Concentration rolls. If one of the duelists fails a Concentration roll, the fight ends. The duelist's loss of concentration causes his phantasm to disappear, indicating the opponent's victory. A victor through loss of concentration does not get a free spell.
Loss of concentration, however, does not necessarily mean that certamen is over and that a victor is decided. If the victor under these circumstances refuses the honor, and the combatant who lost concentration agrees, the battle may resume until a clear victor emerges. A magus might refuse a victory by loss of concentration for reasons of honor, or because he intends to do more harm.
Certamen Example
Moratamis of Guernicus harbors suspicions about what Carolus of Tytalus gets up to at night. She asks him to tell her what he is doing, and he refuses. She doesn't have enough for an official Quaesitorial investigation, so she challenges him to certamen, demanding that he tell her what he has done if he loses. Carolus agrees, with the condition that Moratamis will not ask him about his activities again unless she is on official Quaesitorial business. (He has to add the condition, although he would prefer not to, or else the Tribunal is unlikely to uphold a result in his favor.) Carolus suspects he will lose, as Moratamis is older and thus more powerful.
Moratamis's Arts are: Cr 1, In 12, Mu 1, Pe 7, Re 8; An 5, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 5, He 0, Ig 0, Im 10, Me 13, Te 0, Vi 5
Her Characteristics are: Int +2, Per +3, Pre +2, Com +1, Str -2, Sta +1, Dex –2, Qik –1
Her relevant Abilities are: Finesse 2, Parma Magica 5, Penetration 3.
Carolus's Arts are: Cr 2, In 0, Mu 5, Pe 10, Re 7; An 3, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 5, He 0, Ig 0, Im 10, Me 7, Te 6, Vi 4
His Characteristics are: Int +2, Per –1, Pre –1, Com –1, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex +4, Qik 0
His relevant Abilities are: Finesse 2, Parma Magica 3, Penetration 1.
Moratamis challenged, so she picks the Technique. She is fairly sure that the only Technique she is much better at is Intellego, and she's also sure that Carolus knows this too. She thinks that her scores in Rego and Creo are fairly balanced with Carolus's, though. She knows that, if she proposes Intellego first, Carolus will veto it. On the other hand, if she proposes Rego first, Carolus might have other reasons to veto that, and thus let her use Intellego. Thus, she proposes Rego.
Carolus accepts, knowing full well that he'll be stuck with Intellego if he doesn't. For the Form, he proposes Imaginem. He knows that Moratamis studies that, but also that he has a reputation as a bit of an Imaginem specialist. He hopes that she'll think he thinks he has an advantage she doesn't know about. It works; Moratamis vetoes his first choice. Carolus then settles on Terram, where he is fairly sure he is better.
The two now have the following statistics:
Moratamis: Initiative: +1 (Qik –1 + Finesse 2), Attack: +10 (Rego: Rego 8 + Pre +2) or +2 (Terram: Terram 0 + Pre +2), Defense +11 (Rego: Rego 8 + Per +3) or +3 (Terram: Terram 0 + Per +3), Weakening +5 (Int +2 + Penetration 3), Resistance +6 (Sta +1 + Parma Magica 5)
Carolus: Initiative: +2 (Qik 0 + Finesse 2), Attack +6 (Rego: Rego 7 + Pre –1) or +5 (Terram: Terram 6 + Pre –1), Defense +6 (Rego: Rego 7 + Per –1) or +5 (Terram: Terram 6 + Per –1), Weakening +3 (Int +2 + Penetration 1), Resistance +4 (Sta +1 + Parma Magica 3)
The phantasms for the contest are the stones of the floor under their feet, which try to rise up and engulf them.
The two roll Initiative. Moratamis rolls a 2, for a total of 3, and Carolus rolls a 5, for a total of 7. Carolus acts first.
On the first round, Carolus chooses to put Rego into attack and Terram into defense, while Moratamis chooses to defend with Rego and attack with Terram. Carolus attacks first, and rolls a 12 (lucky!), for an Attack Total of 18. Moratamis rolls a 7, for a Defense Total of 18. On a dead heat, the defender wins, and Carolus cannot get through. Then Moratamis attacks. She rolls a 5, for a total of 7, while Carolus rolls a 2, also for a total of 7. Another dead heat, so nothing happens. The stones jump around a bit, but nothing happens.
On the next round, Moratamis switches her Arts, in the hope of breaking through Carolus's defenses. Carolus still attacks first, and rolls a 10, for an Attack Total of 16. Moratamis rolls a zero, but doesn't botch, for a Defense Total of 3. Carolus has an Attack Advantage of 13. This adds to his Weakening Score of +3, for a Weakening Total of 16. Moratamis subtracts her Resistance of 6, so the final damage is 10. Moratamis thus loses two Fatigue levels, giving her a –1 penalty on Attack and Defense.
On her attack, Moratamis rolls a 2, for an Attack Total of 11, including the –1 penalty. Carolus rolls a 6, for a Defense Total of 11. Thanks to having already weakened Moratamis, he beats off the attack. The stones have climbed up to around Moratamis's knees.
Moratamis decides that her switch of strategy was a mistake, and switches back. Carolus rolls a 20 (lucky again!) for an Attack Total of 26. Moratamis rolls an 8, for a Defense Total of 18. Carolus has an Attack Advantage of 8, which translates into a single Fatigue level lost. Moratamis now has a –3 penalty to Attack and Defense.
She rolls a 7, which gives her an Attack Total of 6. Carolus rolls a 4, for a Defense Total of 9, easily safe.
Moratamis is now hoping for a lucky break, and Carolus only rolls a 6, for an Attack Total of 12. Moratamis rolls a 6, for a Defense Total of 14, including the penalty. She is safe this round. For her counterattack, she rolls a 5, for an Attack Total of 4. Carolus rolls a zero, but doesn't botch, and still has a Defense Total of 5. He is safe, and the stones are swarming up around Moratamis's waist.
The next round remains evenly balanced, neither magus managing to weaken the other. In the following round, Carolus rolls a 9, for an Attack Total of 15, while Moratamis only manages a 4, for a Defense Total of 12. This gives Carolus a Weakening Total of 6, which Moratamis is just able to resist. Still, she feels it.and a few stones boil up to her chest for a moment. She rolls a 7 for her attack, for an Attack Total of 6. Carolus rolls a 6, for a Defense Total of 11, and easily blocks the thrust.
In the next round, Carolus rolls a 10, for a total of 16, while Moratamis rolls a 0, but doesn't botch, for a Defense Total of 8. This gives Carolus a final advantage of 2 points, enough to clip a further Fatigue level from Moratamis. Now that she has a penalty of –5 to Attack and Defense, she decides that she cannot win, and concedes the contest so that Carolus cannot cast a spell on her. Carolus goes off feeling that he wriggled out of that one quite nicely, and Moratamis turns her attention to other matters.
Mysteries
Mysteries are paths to greater magical power requiring sacrifices beyond the time for study. Many magi within the Order of Hermes pursue mysteries, and four of the Houses are Mystery Cults — organizations that teach a mystery. Extensive details on the mysteries of the Hermetic Houses are given in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, while The Mysteries: Revised Edition gives extensive information on other mysteries found within the Order of Hermes. This section provides information about the outermost layer of the House mysteries, and one of the deeper mysteries for each House. Player characters in the Mystery Cult Houses are Initiated into the Outer Mystery as apprentices, but must seek Initiation into deeper mysteries in play. Rules for Mystery Initiation are given in the Long-Term Events chapter.
Bjornaer — The Heartbeast
Bjornaer magi can take the form of a single mundane creature. This is usually an animal or bird, but it can be a plant. The heartbeast is always a living thing, and usually a noble creature. No known magus has had an earthworm heartbeast, for example. A maga's heartbeast displays a central aspect of her nature, so that her personality, even in human form, will resemble that of the creature. Initiates of the Bjornaer mystery gain the Ability Heartbeast. This Ability cannot be gained by any character who has not been Initiated into the mystery. For Initiates of the Outer Mystery, the Heartbeast Ability is only used when something tries to stop the magus changing forms. In that case, a roll of Stamina + Heartbeast against an Ease Factor set by the storyguide allows the character to change anyway.
A Bjornaer maga can only change into one kind of animal, and that kind cannot be altered by Hermetic magic. The transformed Bjornaer can be changed, by Muto Animal magic, for example, but the kind of animal that her heartbeast is cannot be changed. A Bjornaer maga really is her heartbeast, and so remaining in that form does not count as being under an active mystical effect (see Warping). Of course, she is really human as well, so remaining human does not cause Warping either. Hermetic magic is unable to tell whether an animal is actually a Bjornaer, and the same applies to most other kinds of magic. (This assumes that the maga is trying to hide her nature, of course.) As a result, a Bjornaer in animal form is affected by Animal spells, not Corpus or Mentem spells. Spells already in effect before the transformation remain in effect, however.
Bjornaer magi can cast spells while in the form of their heartbeast, but they cannot speak or make the appropriate gestures, and thus normally take a –15 penalty.
The transformation takes only a moment, and affects only the maga. None of her possessions are transformed. A Bjornaer who has been physically changed by magic may try to assume her normal form or her heartbeast form. She must roll Stamina + Heartbeast against an Ease Factor set by the storyguide. As a rule of thumb, 3 + the magnitude of the transforming magic is a reasonable number. If she does resume one of her natural forms, the other magic is dispelled.
Bjornaer magi do not treat physical transformations as major magical effects for the purposes of gaining Warping Points. However, a magical transformation which is maintained over time will grant one Warping Point per year, as it is still a continuing mystical effect.
Finally, Bjornaer magi cannot bind familiars. The reasons for this are debated, but the fact is uncontroversial.
Ringing the Changes
There are three basic types of shapechangers in Mythic Europe, and they have different responses to magic due to their natures.
The use of a spell or invested item to change shape (including those with the Skinchanger Virtue) does not change the basic underlying fact that the target is human. While he may be affected by Animal spells, he may also be affected by Corpus and Mentem spells, and any ongoing magics using these Forms cast prior to transformation remain in effect. The transformation magic is bound by a duration, during which time the spell or effect may be detected with Intellego Vim spells. The Penetration Total of the caster must exceed the Magic Resistance of anyone that the shapechanged human wishes to touch (or attack). Furthermore, remaining in this form may incur Warping.
Those who have an innate supernatural power to change shape (represented by Virtues or Flaws such as Shapeshifter and Lycanthrope) only invoke a magical effect at the moment of transformation. Thus the shapechange is not an active effect all the time that character is in animal form. Consequentially, Penetration is not required for mundane attacks, nor does the creature radiate magic or suffer warping due to the transformation. However, this type of shapechanger is still a human in an animal shape, and so Corpus and Mentem magics are effective, as are Animal spells. An exception is the lycanthrope, who do not retain his human mind when transformed, and therefore cannot be affected by Mentem spells, although Corpus spells still work.
The Heartbeast is the most total transformation of the three; unlike the other two, the Bjornaer magus does not merely take the physical characteristics (the ‘accidents’) of an animal shape; he actually becomes the animal in question. Despite retaining his human intelligence, he cannot be affected by Mentem or Corpus magics while in heartbeast form. Spells already in effect before the transformation remain in effect, however. Similarly, Animal spells cast on the heartbeast remain in effect after transformation to human form. As with shapeshifters, there is no ongoing magic beyond the moment of transformation.
Secret Name (Minor House Mystery)
This mystery permanently severs the sympathetic resonances of the magus's name, and forges them anew with a name known only to the Mystagogue and the Initiate. All Arcane Connections to the magus which date from before the ritual immediately expire upon its completion, and all Sympathetic Connections become invalid. The magus produces new Arcane Connections after the ritual has taken place, but no Sympathetic Connection will ever work against him again, even if created after the ritual. The Mystagogue provides a secret name which allows the magus to work magic upon himself; without this he would not be able to use the Personal Range. However, anyone knowing the secret name — such as the Mystagogue, or wizards who know the mystery of Synthemata Magic (see The Mysteries: Revised Edition) — need not subtract the spell level from the Penetration total of any spells cast against the target, much like the Weak Magic Resistance Flaw. Clan Ilfetu considers these secret names to be a sacred trust, and has never been suspected of misusing them.
The Initiate chooses a new public name as well as receiving the secret one. There is inevitably a time of confusion while sodales get used to referring to the magus by his new public name, but this is part of the symbolic sacrifice of this Mystery. This Mystery can benefit any person (Gifted or not) who possesses Magic Resistance, and those few magi outside the House who learn of it occasionally ask the House to perform it on their behalf.
The Initiation of this Mystery fails if the magus has a Talisman or a Familiar; these enchantments form too great a tie to the magus's past identity to be broken by the Initiation process.
Initiation of Secret Name
- Ease Factor: 15 (Minor Virtue known to the Mystagogue)
- Script Bonus: +8
- Script Details: On the anniversary of the Initiate's birth, the Mystagogue and the Initiate enter a round tent which has been set up on an ancestor site (+3) and perform a ritual cleansing together which must end at the hour of the Initiate's birth (+2); Initiate acquires a minor version of the Weak Magic Resistance Flaw (+3 for Minor Ordeal).
Criamon — The Enigma
No-one outside House Criamon really understands what their mystery is about. All Criamon magi have a score of one in the Ability Enigmatic Wisdom, and may place experience points in it at character creation. This Ability assists with the comprehension of Wizard's Twilight, but it also makes the experience more likely (see page @@). Characters may not learn Enigmatic Wisdom without being initiated into the mystery of the Enigma.
Enigmatic Wisdom: A far-reaching perception of strange and baffling phenomena that helps you understand their nature, though you may seem strange or even ludicrous to the uninitiated. Your score in this Ability is added to rolls to interpret dreams and riddles, and to understand phantasms and arcane or mysterious situations. Thanks to this Ability, Criamon magi go into Wizard's Twilight (see Wizard's Twilight) more often, but survive it better than most. Specialties: interpreting signs, explaining the Enigma, Twilight.
As described earlier, the mysteries of House Criamon are divided into several Paths. The earliest step on the Path of the Body is described here, and the rest of the major Paths are described in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults.
The Path of the Body
The Path of the Body focuses on the human form. Some Criamon magi believe that the human body and the universe reflect each other structurally, so that knowing the body illuminates the prison of time. Others enhance the body, as a tool, and as a vehicle for escape from the universe. The Criamon Path of the Body is in many ways the inverse of Hermetic alchemy, which assumes the universe is perfect and a magus who reflects it perfectly will become immortal. Criamon magi assume that the universe, like each body, is inevitably decaying.
An unusually large proportion of the Primi of the House followed this Path. The followers of the Path of the Body tend toward practical, useful insights. Primi who have achieved the Microcosmic Station on this path are active administrators under whom the House co-ordinates its ventures effectively.
The Avenue of Subduing the Meat and the Station of the Perfect Tool
Several ritual investitures assist magi to find the first Station of the Body, each descended from a different tradition of mystics adopted into the early House. Those following this Avenue develop control over their body's desires and distractions, usually through painful mortifications, or fatiguing exertions, that last a year. A handful of magi have followed this avenue by being transformed into plants for a year. The Avenue ends with a guide acting as midwife for a symbolic rebirth.
At the first Station of the Path of the Body, the magus realizes that the body is the perfect tool for Hermetic magic, because it is adapted for magic, and magic, in turn, is adapted for it. The magus's close inspection of the body allows the development of Minor Potency in an aspect of the Art of Corpus. Magi who have found this Station see the intrinsic links between the body and the magical energies it wields, and so can use their understanding of magical events to minister to the body. They may use their Enigmatic Wisdom score in place of Chirurgy and Medicine in rolls. They also know, instinctively, if their body is ill, and where, although they may not know the appropriate treatment.
Initiates of this station are bound by the lifestyle of the House (Vow) and find it more difficult to use their magic when their body is ill (Deleterious Circumstances). Some illnesses do not block certain mystical effects: the usual example given is that fevers do not restrict Ignem spells, because they are caused by a surplus of fiery humors. Wounds do not prevent magic use, of themselves, but open the body to infections, which may.
Initiation of The Avenue of Subduing the Meat, which reaches the Station of the Perfect Tool
- Ease Factor: 21, as Major Virtue (Minor Potency in an aspect of Corpus, may use Enigmatic Wisdom in lieu of Medicine and Chirurgy.)
- Script Bonus: +15:
- Script Details: Major Ordeal, constructed of three minor flaws (Vow – to not pollute the body and use it aptly, Deleterious Circumstances – while ill, Disfigured – stigmata) +9, Sympathetic Bonus (a complete year cycle as a plant, or similar) +3, Special time and place (Symbolic rebirth) +3.
Merinita — Faerie Magic
A character may not be Initiated into this mystery unless she has been touched by the fay.
A character is touched by the fay if the powers of faerie have interfered with her life in a substantial fashion. Anyone with a Virtue or Flaw related to the fay qualifies, as does anyone who has gained a Warping Point from a faerie source. Merinita characters without a faerie Virtue or Flaw start with one Warping Point, caused by their parens to qualify them for the mystery.
Characters initiated into Faerie Magic are attuned to both Magical and Faerie auras, and so gain Warping Points from neither. Further, they gain full benefit from both kinds of aura, and do not gain additional botch dice from either. Magic cast by these magi counts as a fay power, so anyone who gains a Warping Point from one of their spells can be initiated into the Mystery.
Initiates of the Outer Mystery gain access to special Ranges, Durations, and Targets. They may use these with Spontaneous, Ritual, and Formulaic magic, although some of them require Ritual magic. Spells created using these parameters can only be learned by characters with Faerie Magic.
Road (Range): The maga may target anyone or anything on the same road or path as her. The identity of roads and paths is not always clear, and the troupe must decide if things are difficult. Two paths may cross each other, but two paths may not become one. In that case, either one path joins the second, or the junction is actually the joining of three paths. The maga need not be able to see her target, but she must be able to sense it somehow, unless the spell is an Intellego effect intended to find out if something is there.
People are only on a road if they are actually between the edges of the path, at least partially. Buildings are on a road if the primary access to the building is from that road. Plants and small objects must be between the edges of the path.
For the purposes of spell level calculation, Road is the same level of range as Voice.
Bargain (Duration): A spell with Bargain duration can only be cast on someone who has just concluded a bargain or agreement with the maga. The maga's Penetration total is doubled, and if the spell Penetrates the target's Magic Resistance, nothing happens unless the target breaks the bargain. If he does, the spell takes effect without the need to bypass Magic Resistance again. Bargain spells have a second duration which determines how long the spell lasts after it takes effect. To calculate the level of a Bargain spell, calculate the level of the spell that takes effect when the bargain is broken, and add three magnitudes. The spell can only enforce a bargain for a maximum of a Year.
Fire (Duration): Spells with this duration can only be cast on fires, and they last until the fire targeted goes out. Because the fire is the target, the form of the spell must be Ignem or Imaginem. It is possible that the spell could persist indefinitely if the fire is carefully maintained. Fire is the same level of duration as Moon.
Until (Condition) (Duration): The spell lasts until some condition is met, such as speaking the name of God, or some item is touched with iron, or until a word in a list is said out of place (the days of the week are spoken out of order, for example). Until (Condition) is the same level of duration as Year, and also requires a Ritual spell. Until (Condition) spells cannot normally be dispelled by magic unless that is part of the condition. The ending condition must be specified when the spell is cast. Spells with this duration expire if the caster passes into Twilight, even temporarily, and also expire when the caster or primary target dies.
Year + 1 (Duration): The spell lasts for a year and a day. This is the same level of duration as Year, and also requires a ritual, but the duration is determined by the actual time that passes, rather than by the turning of the seasons; the spell ends at the same time of day as when it was cast, a year and a day later. Year + 1 spells can be dispelled according to the normal rules.
Bloodline (Target): A bloodline is all the people descended by blood from a given person, the immediate target. Only the immediate target need be within the spell's range, but all members of the bloodline are affected immediately. Spouses do not count as part of the bloodline. The spell applies to all members of the bloodline born during its duration, as well as those already living when it is cast. As with all spells that target multiple people, every individual gets Magic Resistance, if applicable. The category is the same level as Structure. It is possible to design a spell with Bloodline target so that it does not warp any members of a particular bloodline (see Warping).
Faerie Magic
Faerie Magic is an Arcane Ability learned after Merinitae Initiate the Outer Mystery of Faerie Magic, which represents how their magic differs from normal Hermetic magic. This includes applying faerie thinking to arcane activities, usually by drawing out sympathetic connections between magical and mundane things.
These mystic relationships may be integrated into casting tools that Merinitae often use with their spells, called charms (see below). These are symbolic representations designed to highlight a particular quality of the target that always involve some sort of artistic ability. They may be used to increase Penetration, but are also used with many of the Inner Mysteries to produce other interesting effects.
Merinitae can integrate the principles of charms into their laboratory activities, making use of their knowledge of symbols associated with the Faerie and Magic realms in their work, and this is represented by three additional effects of the Faerie Magic Ability:
- Faerie Magic may be substituted for Magic Theory when experimenting, when using faerie vis, or when practicing magic associated with the Faerie realm.
- The amount of vis you can use in a single season is equal to your (Magic Theory + Faerie Magic) x 2, so long as all of it is faerie vis.
- Add your score in Faerie Magic to the number of botch dice you roll when taking advantage of the two benefits given above, but the effects of these additional dice tend to be more annoying than dangerous; it takes two of these botches to produce the negative effects of a normal botch die. The character still gains a Warping Point for each 0 rolled on these extra dice, though they do not force you to check for Twilight. (This is because integrating faerie power into magic warps the character more quickly, but does not increase her chances of being overcome by it.) Two or more botches on the standard botch dice require a check for Twilight as normal, however.
Faerie Magic might also represent the union of Faerie Lore and Magic Lore, the knowledge of similarities between the two realms. Often this combination can inspire surprising insights, especially when dealing with entities traditionally associated with both realms, like pagan gods, ghosts, and chimerae. It is also an appropriate Ability to use when trying to distinguish between Magic and Faerie, as it can address differences between the two realms.
Specialties: faerie vis, experimenting, inventing spells, charms, lore (Arcane)
Charms
Charms are casting aids that identify a specific magical effect using sympathetic magic, which all magi who study Faerie Magic learn how to make. They can be physical objects, like sculptures or drawings; or performances, like songs or stories; or even arcane pronouncements or ceremonies, like prophecy or naming.
A temporary charm takes about ten minutes to design, and must be used right away, typically with Spontaneous magic. More lasting charms, or permanent charms, take several hours, and must involve a special object that the maga wields when she activates the charm, incorporating the object into the effect; if this object is damaged, the charm must be remade.
A maga who has a score in Faerie Magic and an Arcane Connection to her target may use a charm as a sympathetic representation, increasing her Penetration Multiplier by two. This requires a roll when the charm is made: composing a song might use Communication + Music, while a drawing might be Dexterity + Craft. The maga produces an effective charm on a roll of 6+, or 9+ for a permanent charm. Other magi can do this without Faerie Magic, but it takes them longer and they need a higher total on the roll (see Sympathetic Connections, earlier).
Temporary charms may only be used once, as they always include unique properties associated with the effect, though a permanent charm associated with a special object may be used whenever it is applicable. A maga may prepare any number of charms in advance, but may only incorporate one charm into a given spell in this way.
Illusion Mysteries
These Mysteries deal with illusions and images, including aspects of the physical world that faeries can see but most humans cannot. These include unusual durations for Faerie Magic spells that can last nearly forever.
Mystery Cult: The Followers of Pendule
Pendule is regarded as something of a legend within the Order; no one knows how much of his tale is true and how much is fanciful. According to the stories, the Provençal wizard was discovered by Flambeau and refused when given the choice to "join or die." He was powerful enough to evade the fiery Founder and his followers who sought to destroy him, and many comedic tales depicting Pendule as a trickster defeating the mighty and blustery Flambeau with wit and illusions have become part of Hermetic lore.
Eventually, it seems, Pendule tired of these games and adopted four Hermetic magi as his followers. No one knows exactly why he did this; perhaps he simply wanted to share his secrets with others before he died, or perhaps he desired to learn Magic Theory from them. Two of these followers were from House Merinita, and having Initiated Faerie Magic from Quendalon they were able to master the illusion Mysteries Pendule taught — the others could not comprehend them. Afterwards, these Merinitae continued to teach the secrets to their followers as part of a special House lineage.
Pendule's magic was very sensual and personal, and he especially believed in the use of color and sound in his spells. He expected magic to transform the wielder, rather than yield submissively to him, and while he was oddly sensitive to the passage of time, he seemed to have great difficulty with standard Hermetic durations, preferring spells that relied upon strange conditions or that triggered after being cast. He also practiced other Mysteries which his Merinita followers did not master, and other lineages dedicated to his magic still exist in other Houses and cults within (and perhaps without) the Order.
Followers of Pendule usually Initiate Spell Timing and Glamour (described in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults) from their masters. Imaginem is almost always their primary Art. A common weakness in the lineage is iron — both of the Merinitae who studied Pendule's secrets were especially susceptible to it — and Pendule Merinitae often learn Spell Improvisation or a Major Magical Focus in counterspells.
Pendule quietly succumbed to death in 854, but not before imparting one last magical secret to each of his followers. To maintain this tradition, the Inner Mystery of Perpetuity is usually kept from a maga until her master is dying, Initiated as a final lesson from teacher to student.
Sample Followers of Pendule Initiation: Spell Timing
- Ease Factor: 15 (Minor Virtue known to the Mystagogue)
- Script Bonus: +12
- Script Details: The Initiate undergoes a ceremony wherein she must go an entire day and night without sleeping, casting a non-Fatiguing Imaginem spell every round to count how many individual moments pass (+3). After this rite she gains three Minor Flaws to represent how her magic becomes more illusionary, and her way of thinking about time becomes more rigid: Harmless Magic (+3), Poor Memory (faces) (+3), and a Social Handicap (+3). Because of this ordeal, the Initiate is said to begin to more closely resemble Pendule, and many of his followers adopt wild, multicolored clothing, dye their hair, or radically alter their physical appearance soon after their Initiation.
Spell Timing (Minor Illusion Mystery)
This Mystery gives a maga access to several new Durations for her spells. Only those who have Initiated this Mystery may cast or invent spells and effects that use them.
Three of these new durations allow the maga to cast the spell but keep it dormant, "holding" it for a specified length of time. The effect and its Penetration are evaluated when it is released, as if she had just cast the spell. If the parameters are no longer applicable (the target has moved out of range, for example, or dramatically changed size), the spell has no effect.
- Held (Duration): This duration is the same level as Concentration. The maga may cast the spell as normal, but the effect is delayed for as long as she concentrates. When she releases it, treat it as if cast with Momentary duration.
- Midday/Midnight (Duration): This duration is equivalent to Sun, but does not manifest until dawn, dusk, noon, or midnight. It then lasts until the next dawn, dusk, noon, or midnight. For example, a spell cast just after dawn would not manifest until noon, and would then last until dusk.
- Season (Duration): This duration is held until the start of the next equinox or solstice, and lasts only until the following equinox or solstice. It is the same level as Moon, but requires a ritual spell like Year.
Three other durations have conditions that must be built into the spell when it is designed, similar to the Until (Condition) Duration.
- While (Condition) (Duration): The target must perform some activity, such as a musical performance or reading a book, or fulfill some common and temporary physical condition, such as sleeping or being drunk. As long as that condition lasts, the spell remains in effect. This is the same level as Concentration.
- Not (Condition) (Duration): The spell lasts for as long as the target does not fulfill some common physical condition, such as sleeping or speaking. It is equivalent in level to Sun duration, but cannot last longer than a month.
- If (Condition) (Duration): This effect triggers if the target fulfills a specific condition. It has an additional Duration which determines how long the triggered spell lasts after it takes effect. To determine the level, you should add four magnitudes to the level calculated based on the Duration that the spell has when it takes effect, and it must be cast as a ritual spell. The spell expires without triggering if the caster passes into Twilight, even temporarily, if the caster dies, or if a year passes.
In addition, this Mystery allows the Merinita's spells to have recurring effects—she designs the spell so that from then on it always triggers in response to an environmental or physical condition, increasing its level as described on the chart in the insert. The recurring spell must be cast as a ritual, and effects that require a ritual because of their unusual effects or non-Hermetic origins (not because of their level or spell parameters) cannot recur. For example, a ritual with Year duration can be made to recur, but a lasting effect like Chirurgeon's Healing Touch (CrCo20) or a unique effect like Breath of the Open Sky (ReAu40) cannot.
Recurring spells may be given triggers, using the special (Condition) durations above. The cost for making them recur is based on how often they can be activated; if a daily-recurring effect is activated twice in one day, the second trigger will have no effect. Also, spells cannot stack; when a spell recurs, it cancels before starting again. This is not a noticeable interruption; as with an enchanted device, the transition usually appears constant.
Recurring Spells
Use the frequency that most closely matches how often the spell recurs, rounding up to the next greater magnitude. For example, a spell that recurs every ten minutes adds five magnitudes. Spells cannot recur more often than once per minute.
| Frequency | Magnitudes |
|---|---|
| minute | +5 |
| day | +4 |
| month | +3 |
| year | +2 |
| decade | +1 |
Verditius — Verditius Magic
Verditius magi are initiated into the Outer Mystery of Verditius Magic, which allows them to incorporate craft abilities into their magic. To do this, the magus crafts the item from raw materials as part of the first season of enchanting it. For a talisman or standard invested device, this is the season in which it is opened for enchantment. For lesser enchanted items and charged items, this is the whole process. If crafting the item would normally take the magus a season or less, this does not increase the time required for the enchantment. If crafting the item would normally take more than a season, the process takes a whole number of seasons that is at least as long as the time it would normally take the magus to craft the item. For example, if it would normally take the magus four months to craft the item, then it takes him two seasons to craft and enchant it. No matter how long this takes, it only includes the first season of enchantment.
As part of this process, the magus may add details that enhance the Shape and Material bonus of the item. These details give an additional bonus to all the item's existing Shape and Material bonuses equal to the creating magus's Philosophiae score, for the purposes of enchantment. These bonuses apply in the season that the details are added, as well as in the future. Other uses of Shape and Material bonuses, such as the casting bonuses from a talisman, use the standard bonus. Other magi refer to these details as Verditius Runes, but they are far more complex than that suggests, and do not normally look like actual runes. Other magi get this bonus if they instill appropriate powers into an item created by a Verditius. The total bonus from Shape and Material and Verditius Runes is still limited by the magus's Magic Theory score.
The magus uses the magic of the enchantment to shape the item. This does not require any Craft Ability, although most Verditius magi will use an Ability that they have, and the final form may be impossible to make by mundane means. For example, a Verditius magus could set a gem in a wooden lattice so that the gem cannot be removed without breaking the wood, without having any breaks in the wood to get it in. The final form must be able to sustain itself by mundane means once created; in particular, it must be strong enough to bear its own weight. If the magus is not using Craft Ability and an Ability score is needed, use the magus's Finesse in place of Craft.
However, most Verditius do use mundane craft as part of this process. This is because a magus who does so may add his score in the relevant Craft Ability to all Lab Totals for enchanting that item, both in the first season and in the future. Thanks to his mystical link to the item, this bonus is always his current Craft Ability, even if it has improved since he crafted the item. Note that only one Craft Ability can be added to the Lab Total in a given season, even if the magus has more than one applicable to the item. The applicable Ability may, however, change over time — the magus should add his highest applicable Craft Ability. Other magi adding enchantments to an invested device do not get this bonus, even if they have the same Craft Ability as the creating magus, and even if they are members of House Verditius.
If the magus creates the enchanted item in this way, the number of pawns of vis needed to open the item for enchantment is reduced by the magus's Craft score, to a minimum of one pawn. The magus, or any other magus, may invest effects in the device as if he had paid the full, normal cost to open it.
A Verditius naturally reinforces Verditius Runes as part of the enchantment process, even when working on an item that has already been enchanted, and so if a Verditius working on an enchanted item has a higher Philosophiae score than the earlier Verditius enchanters, the Verditius Rune bonus increases. This also applies if a Verditius magus increases his Philosophiae score between seasons of enchantment.
Verditius magi need casting tools to cast Formulaic or Ritual spells. They make these themselves, in a form that appeals to them, and it only takes an hour or so to make a new one. However, if they lose or cannot reach their tools, they cannot cast their Formulaic spells. Spontaneous spells do not require casting tools, although Flaws hampering Spontaneous magic are very common among the Verditius.
Hubris
A magus's first Initiation into an Inner Mystery of House Verditius is always accompanied by an Ordeal that gives him the minor Flaw: Hubris. Every Verditius magus who seeks knowledge of the Inner Mysteries is plagued by this psychological shortcoming, the growth of exaggerated self-esteem. The magus realizes the worldly benefits he can reap from his magical creations, and his prideful image of himself blossoms. At first this is just a slight personality shift, but as the Verditius magus profits from his magical craft, his hubris grows. This trait, which beleaguered the founder, is inherent in the magic of the Inner Mysteries. In game terms, characters receive the Minor Personality Flaw: Hubris and the corresponding Personality Trait: Hubris 1.
Hubris is more than merely a Personality Trait. While it contains all the game aspects of a Personality Trait, it is also a measure of the degree that a character has succumbed to the curse of pride that plagued the founder. A propensity for pride is part and parcel of the Mysteries of House Verditius. The intrinsic magical link between Verditius' hubris and his arcane crafting caries through to his descendants. A Verditius magus's pride is mystically coupled with his Gift, and as his Hubris increases so does his ability to instill greater amounts of magic in items that are similarly connected to him. A Verditius magus can add his Hubris score to his Lab Totals for creating a talisman, enchanting casting tools (Minor House Inner Mystery), binding magical animals, making automata, and creating attuned items (Major House Inner Mysteries).
For role-playing purposes, the specific flavor of a magus' Hubris should be noted in parentheses after the Personality score. Hubris does not manifest in all magi exactly the same way. Some are overly proud, some arrogant, some pompous. Characters that already have the Minor Personality Flaw: Proud have their Hubris score automatically increased by +1, and those with the Major version of the Flaw increase their Hubris by +3.
Hubris increases over time, building like an Ability. Hubris cannot be deliberately changed by the player, unlike other Personality Traits. Specific situations grant Experience Points that are applied to a character's Hubris score. If a Verditius magus receives recognition, fame, money or vis for his magical efforts, his Hubris score increases. While a degree of pride is inevitable for every Verditius magus, a completely conceited nature is avoidable. Those wishing to keep their Hubris score low need merely avoid many of the behaviors that result in increasing that score.
| Experience Points | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 1 | Selling a charged item or an item of quality. Manufacturing a similar item for another person and receiving pay for your efforts (either money or vis). |
| 1 | Repairing or reforging an item for another for pay. |
| 1 | Selling or manufacturing for another a lesser enchanted device. |
| 3 | Selling or manufacturing for another a greater enchanted device. |
| 6 | Selling or manufacturing for another an attuned item. |
| 1/magnitude of Might | Selling an automaton. |
| 1 | Winning the apprentice category of the Contest. |
| 3 | Winning the journeymen category of the Contest. |
| 6 | Winning the master category of the Contest. |
| 1 | Learning a new minor House Inner Mystery. |
| 3 | Learning a new major House Inner Mystery. |
| 1 | Declaring a vendetta. |
| 3 | Winning a vendetta. |
The higher a magus's Hubris score grows, the harder it is for him to resist situations that will further increase it. A magus with Hubris 4 will be quite tempted to continue to sell magical items, for example. If a character wishes to resist such temptations, in hopes of maintaining a low Hubris score, you can make opposed Personality Trait rolls. This assumes the character has a Personality Trait that she can uses against her Hubris score. She can also spend a Confidence Point to walk away from the situation.
Magi with Hubris scores of 6 and higher are extremely self-centered. These are the magi most prone to engage in vendettas with other Verditius magi, usually with those as self-centered as themselves. Resisting a declared vendetta is difficult. If the maga wishes to resist, you must make an opposed Personality Trait + stress die roll against an Ease Factor of your maga's Hubris score + her challenger's Hubris score. You may substitute her Intelligence if she does not have a Personality Trait that works opposite Hubris.
Demons and other Infernal agents are quite aware that Verditius magi are susceptible to the great sin of pride, and many lick their chops in anticipation as a maga advances through the Inner Mysteries. Some will offer seemingly innocuous assistance to young magi to propel them on their hubristic path: anonymous gifts of vis, coincidental deliveries of Verditius Cult Lore texts to copy, and accidental meetings with wealthy clients willing to pay large amounts for minor magical gewgaws.
Enchant Casting Tools – Minor House Mystery Virtue
Soon after Fenistour invented casting tools, allowing Verditius magi to cast Formulaic spells, her filii sought to develop a method of enchanting them, hoping to further compensate their brethren for their clumsiness at spell casting. Achieving their goal in the ninth century, Verditius magi began sharing these secrets, developing Scripts so that their fellows could be more easily Initiated into this Mystery. This is particularly useful for those adventurous Verditius magi who like casting spells outside of their laboratory. This is a very common Inner House Mystery among Verditius magi in the thirteenth century.
The magus may enchant his casting tools to mirror certain effects of mastered spells, as well as allowing casting bonuses when he uses them. This is a laboratory process, requiring a season spent working in a Hermetic laboratory. Each casting tool can only be enchanted once, even if it has more than one property, and the magus must be able to finish the enchantment in a single season as if he were creating a lesser enchanted device. Enchanted casting tools cannot be instilled with other magical powers, and cannot be used as a base for a lesser or greater enchanted item.
To enchant a casting tool compare the magus's Technique and Form Lab Total to the level of the spell that the casting tool is associated with. A casting tool is closely linked to the spell through the Verditius Mysteries, and so the magus may carve Verditius runes into the casting tool, adding his Philosophiae score to the Lab Total, even if the tool would not normally have a Shape or Material bonus for that spell. If the magus has a Craft Ability that could include making the tools, you may also add his Craft score. Because enchanted casting tools become permanent Arcane Connections to the magus, add his Hubris Personality score to the Lab Total. The magus also receives a bonus for knowing the spell in the first place, adding the magnitude of the spell to the Lab Total, much like the bonus received from knowing a similar spell. The Lab Total must double the level of the spell plus any additional powers the magus wishes to instill.
Technique + Form + Intelligence + Magic Theory + Aura Modifier + Philosophiae + Hubris + Magnitude of Known Spell + Craft (if applicable)
The base effect level of the casting tool equals the level of the spell it is used for. The effect level increases based upon the additional effects the magus wishes to enchant it with. There is no limit to the number of effects he can add, as long as his Lab Total plus bonuses is double the final effect level.
| Effect level Increase | Casting Tool Effect |
|---|---|
| +2 | Fast Casting (as a mastered spell). |
| +2 | Multiple Casting (as a mastered spell) — this allows one additional spell, additional spells may be added for a +2 effect level increase each. |
| +2 | Quiet Casting (as a mastered spell) — this can be taken twice to cast the spell silently. |
| +x | Increase spell casting roll by x. |
| +10 | Summon casting tool — the casting tool appears in the magus's hand no matter where he stores it, although this is usually in his sanctum. |
| +10 | Dismiss casting tool — the casting tool disappears from the magus's person, traveling back to a place chosen at the time of enchantment. An Arcane Connection to this place must be bound into the item, and so it is almost always the magus's sanctum. |
Enchanting casting tools requires vis. The magus must spend one pawn of Technique or Form specific vis per 10 levels of the final effect level total, rounded up.
Initiation of Enchant Casting Tools
- Ease Factor: 15 (Minor Virtue known to the Mystagogue)
- Script Bonus: +9
- Script Details: The Mystagogue spends a season with the Initiate, creating casting tools one after another (+3). The Initiate must know the exact time and date that she was Initiated into the House's Outer Mystery. On an anniversary of that date, she ritualistically buries all her casting tools in a Magic regio (+3). If the Initiation is successful, the Initiate learns the Inner House Minor Mystery: Enchant Casting Tools. The buried casting tools are destroyed and the Initiate receives the Minor Flaw Hubris if this her first Initiation into an Inner Mystery, or Limited Magic Resistance with Vim if it is not (Ordeal +3).
Attribution
Content originally published in Ars Magica: Definitive Edition, ©2024, licensed by Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games®, under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license 4.0 ("CC-BY-SA 4.0)