Puissant Ability

Puissant Ability is a Minor General Virtue that makes the character especially adept with any one Ability (chosen when the character is created). It grants the character a flat bonus while using that Ability.

Puissant Ability increases the effective Ability score directly, whereas Affinity with Ability increases the experience points in the Ability. At low scores (up to level 8), Puissant Ability is more advantageous. From level 9 (225 experience points before multiplication), Affinity provides a higher effective score. In in-game terms, Puissant Ability represents a natural competency, a natural knack for the Ability; Affinity with Ability represents a capability to gain more from sources, to quickly pick up and improve the Ability, perhaps borne out of natural skill or perhaps from intense interest and focus.

Rules Clarifications

There are errata for the text of this Ability:

[begin:.quote] Replace the first sentence of the text with: "You are particularly adept with one Ability, and add 2 to its value whenever you use it. Note that you do not, in general, use an Ability when learning it, teaching it, or writing about it." [end:.quote]

Therefore, Puissant Magic Theory would allow a magus to use more vis than usual in the lab, but Puissant Ability would not affect teaching, reading, or writing.

Puissant Ability does not actually change the character's Ability score, so it has no effect on

Legacy Page

The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:puissant_ability