Art & Academe Chapter Five: Experimental Philsophy

Formulae

The most powerful expressions of the empiricus’ study are created through the use of formulae. A philosopher may encounter these formulae during his studies of the Academic Abilities, or else he may develop them himself through practical experimentation with the theoretical knowledge he has gained. A formula is a recipe, similar to a Laboratory Text, which describes how to make one of three products: astrological inceptions (which are learned as part of Artes Liberales), alchemical reagents (which are learned as part of Philosophiae), and pharmaceutical theriacs (which form part of the corpus of Medicine).

Creating one of these products is a two-stage process. The philosopher must first research the formula — either learning or inventing the formula by accumulating experience points. Second, the philosopher spends one or more seasons in his laboratory concocting the product described by his formula. A formula is described in a manner similar to a Hermetic spell or enchantment, but it is important to note that a formula is not a magical effect, and the parallels with supernatural magic are merely a matter of convenience. Like other empiricae, The Gift is not required to concoct a formula, and Supernatural effects cannot assist in its creation. The process of concocting a formula is very much like Hermetic lab work, and this is no coincidence, for the foundations of Hermetic enchantment lie within the realm of natural philosophy.

Researching Formulae

A formula has to be researched before it can be used, and researching requires the acquisition of experience points. When a character acquires experience points in Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, or Medicine, any or all of the experience points gained can be placed into learning a formula for that Ability instead. Once the formula has accumulated 5 experience points, it has been learned and can be used to create an empirica. Since those who learn these practical applications of their studies are distracted from the “pure” subjects of academic pursuit, those who know many formulae are often denigrated by other scholars for their dilettante behavior. A storyguide might choose to limit which formulae can be learned from a book based on its subject matter — a summa about healing wounds is unlikely to contain details for cre ating the formula for a poison, for example.

As well as learning formulae inscribed into summae and tractatus of the academic sciences, it is also possible to practice an Academic Ability in a season to learn a formula. In this season of practice, the academic attempts different combinations of the natural principles to produce the effect he desires. No useful product results from this season of experimentation, but the philosopher earns 5 experience points towards the formula (rather than the usual 4 experience points for a season of Practice; ArM5, page 164), thus learning it in a single season. A philosopher can learn a formula that he is unable to create.

Concocting a Formula

To concoct a formula, the philosopher requires a laboratory. This is similar to a Hermetic laboratory, and the equipment found there would not be out of place in a magus’ sanctum. The philosopher requires at least 500 square feet of floor area and a ceiling at least ten feet high. It must be well protected from the elements. The only difference is that the laboratory of a magus is usually situated in a Magic aura, whereas that of a philosopher may be found anywhere, for the strength of a supernatural aura has no effect on his science. The outfittings of the laboratory depend very much on the specialty of the philosopher; an astrologer will have an astrolabe, armillary sphere, and copious astrological charts; an alchemist will have glass, metal, and earthenware containers and tubes, and jars filled with mysterious substances; and a physician will have herbs and spices drying in the rafters. Philosophers who practice more than one type of formula will have components of each.

The Laboratories of Philosophers

Despite their similarities, magi and philosophers cannot automatically use each other’s laboratories; it takes a season of rearranging components to suit themselves. However, a Hermetic magus who also practices empirica (this is unusual, but not impossible) can set his laboratory up to be suitable for both practices.

If you are using the Covenants rules, then you can simply treat the philosopher’s working space as an extra laboratory with an Upkeep score of –3. Such a laboratory does not tax the Labor Points (see Chapter Four: Medicine, Pharmacy) of the covenant’s apothecary (if any), since the ingredients are being bought from the covenant’s finances. Laboratory Virtues and Flaws that affect Upkeep can also apply to the stores of an apothecary. If the covenant adopts cost-saving measures or refuses to pay for the apothecary’s ingredients, the character might need to keep track of his stores explicitly again.

Many of the other characteristics (including Virtues and Flaws) of a magus’ laboratory can also apply to that of a philosopher, because most of these bonuses and penalties are derived from the natural principles such as Sympathy and Similarity. Many of the bonuses to specific activities can also apply to philosophers at the discretion of the storyguide, so a feature that gives a Creo or Herbam bonus to a magus might give the same bonus to a physician. These bonuses are included in the Philosophic Bonuses of the Lab Total, and are limited by the character’s appropriate Ability. The only difference is that a philosopher cannot receive any benefit from a Supernatural Virtue or Flaw, but he can still suffer the downsides.

The Lab Total

A philosopher generates a Lab Total that is used for all formulae:

Lab Total: intelligence + Academic Ability + Philosophic Bonuses

The Ability used is either Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, or Medicine depending upon which type of formula is being created (Inceptions, Reagents, and Theriacs respectively).

The Philosophic Bonuses that add to the Lab Total can never exceed the Ability used in the formula. These bonuses are gained from three sources:

• Shape and Material Bonuses. Philosophers can benefit from the same Shape and Material Bonuses as Hermetic Magic (ArM5,

page 110, as well as any listed in other sources for Ars Magica Fifth Edition). Items employed in this manner are destroyed during the creation of the formula.

• Risk Modifiers. A philosopher can choose to Experiment just like a magus (see ArM5, pages 107–109). Do not add a simple die roll to the Lab Total, just the Risk Modifier. You will have to interpret the results of the Experimentation, taking care to exclude all supernatural elements. For example, Warping cannot normally result from a disaster in a philosopher’s laboratory.

• Laboratory Bonuses

Distractions from lab work affect philosophers in exactly the same manner as they do Hermetic magi (ArM5, page 103).

The Lab Total is compared against the level of the formula. Each formula has a base level, which is then increased in magnitudes by the formula’s guidelines given below. The final level of a formula is calculated in exactly the same manner as a Hermetic spell; except that a formula has a single parameter (either Detail, Alteration, or Potency depending upon whether it is an Inception, Reagent, or Theriac, respectively), rather than the Range, Duration, and Target of a Hermetic spell.

It takes at least a season to concoct a formula. If the Lab Total equals or exceeds the level of the effect, then the philosopher is capable of reproducing the formula; for every season of working on the effect, the philosopher accumulates 1 point for each point by which his Lab Total exceeds the formula’s level. When points have been accumulated equal to the effect’s level, the formula is complete. Thus, if the magician’s Lab Total is twice the level of effect (or more), then it can be completed in a single season. A philosopher need not work continuously on a formula that takes more than one season to complete, but can spread the work over as much time as he desires.

Note that some formulae are exceptionally hard — one must study all one’s life and align all philosophic factors to achieve them. Such formulae are famous among philosophers, and many search for Laboratory Texts to speed the route to such legendary concoctions. On occasion such quests lead the character away from the philosophical arts and towards magic.

Converting Characters

If you have a pre-existing character with Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, and/or Medicine, you can elect to reduce his score in an Ability in return for formulae. Every 5 experience points removed from a character’s total grants one formula of the appropriate type.

Replicating Formulae with Hermetic Magic

Rego Craft magic (see Covenants, page 49) can make any change a mundane craftsman can effect, even when the magus is limited by lack of tools, time, or skill. This magic rearranges the raw ingredients into the formula in an instant. The spell required to duplicate an alchemical reagent or pharmaceutical theriac uses the Rego (Form) guideline that controls the appropriate Form in a natural manner, with the following design considerations:

• A different spell is required for duplicating each formula guideline. Assembling an alchemical reagent is a Rego Terram spell of base level 3 with Animal and Herbam requisites. Recreating a pharmaceutical theriac is a Rego Herbam spell of base level 3 with Animal and Terram requisites. These requisites do not incur additional magnitudes.

• The magus must have the formula (written or learned) for the reagent or theriac he wishes to make.

• When cast, the magus must make a Finesse roll to control the rearrangement of materials. The Ease Factor of this Fi

nesse roll is the level of the formula + 9 (which is +3 for using Rego Craft Magic, +6 for completing an entire season’s work in an instant).

A Creo spell can both create the components and assemble them into the correct formula, but is subject to the same de sign restrictions, including the Finesse roll. The appropriate guideline is either Creo Herbam level 3 with Animal and Terram requisites, or Creo Terram level 3 with Animal and Herbam requisites. Additionally, the spell must be a ritual spell. The base Individual for creating a formula produces a single dose.

Craft magic cannot duplicate astrological inceptions, as they do not involve the combination of raw ingredients but the calculation of stellar positions. Since this computation must include the horoscope of the inception itself (see Astrological Inceptions, below), magic cannot duplicate a pre-existing inception either.

Brew the Healing Tonic

Rego Herbam 4

R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

Req: Animal, Terram

The raw ingredients for a restorative that gives a +3 to Wound Recovery rolls are combined into a theriac, providing that the caster has access to an appropriate formula. The Ease Factor of the Finesse roll will vary according to the Potency of the theriac; to duplicate the formula for the Mustard Plaster (Level 5, see below) requires an Ease Factor of 16.

(Level 3, +1 Touch)

Laboratory Texts

When a philosopher successfully completes a formula for the first time, he creates a Laboratory Text detailing precisely what he did, which will assist him in duplicating the formula in subsequent laboratory activities. When using a Laboratory Text to recreate a formula, if the level of effect is greater than the Lab Total of a philosopher, then he cannot reproduce that formula even with the assistance of a Laboratory Text. Otherwise, he creates one copy (or dose) of the work for every five levels (or fraction) of his Lab Total.

Doses of Formulae Using Laboratory Text: (Lab Total) / 5 (round up)

Philosophers jealously guard the formulae that they have invented themselves, but even more jealously guard their precious Laboratory Texts. On rare occasions a philosopher can be persuaded to copy out his Laboratory Texts for others to use. This is exactly the same procedure as for a Hermetic Laboratory Text (ArM5, page 102). Before a formula can be reproduced from a Laboratory Text not written by the philosopher himself, he must first learn the formula (see Learning a Formula, above). It is thus common practice for a philosopher persuaded to write a Laboratory Text to also scribe a tractatus on the requisite Ability in the same volume, and as long as the Quality of this tractatus is at least 5, the reader can learn the appropriate formula after a season of study. Laboratory Texts for formulae are very rare, and cost a number of covenant Build Points equal to half their level.

Extended Example of a Philosopher at Work

Martin the Alchemist has learned a Philosophiae formula for creating cement (see below), which is a Level 5 Reagent. Martin has an Intelligence of +2, a Philosophiae of 5 specialized in Reagents, and a philosophic bonus of +4. His lab total is thus 12, sufficient to create this reagent in a single season. He sets to work, and a season later he has completed the formula. He has also created a Laboratory Text for the process, so when he takes another season to make the reagent, this time he gets three doses.

Martin spends a season writing out several of his Laboratory Texts, and gives a copy of the text for the cement to Berenger, a fellow alchemist. Martin has also written a tractatus on Philosophiae explaining how earth can be altered to be as hard as rock, which has a Quality of 6 (his Communication is 0). Berenger spends a season studying the tractatus, for which he gains 6 experience points in Philosophiae. He puts five of these points into learning the formula, and the remaining point into his Philosophiae Ability. Berenger can now attempt to recreate the reagent using Martin’s Laboratory Text. However, Berenger is a less-skilled alchemist than Martin, and his Lab Total is only 8, which is still sufficient to create two doses of the preservative. Without the Laboratory Text he would have accumulated 3 (8 – 5) points per season, and thus taken two seasons instead.

Astrological Inceptions

An astrological formula is known as an inception, and is learned as part of Artes Liberales. An inception is an astrological chart designed to answer a specific question about a person, object, or future event. These charts take one or more season of observations of the stars and lengthy calculations to create, but once drawn up, it is a relatively easy task to use them. The astrologer completes the table with the horoscope of the person, object, or event that is the target of the inception, performs the last few calculations, and the answer is revealed to him. Thus each formula is generic in nature when created, and is made specific when used.

Example: Francis has drawn up two inceptions that address the question “Is N in good health?”, which took a season to create. He can use one with Grim’s horoscope to discover whether the soldier is still alive (“Is Grim in good health?”), and the other to ask the same question about his comrade Branoic (“Is Branoic in good health?”). Alternatively, he can save the second and use it later on behalf of one of his clients.

Using the inception requires the nativity horoscope of the inception’s target, which means the astrologer must know the place and date of birth (or making, for an object; or initiation, for an event) of the target. It takes a day to calculate a nativity horoscope, but this only ever needs to be calculated once for each target. Some inceptions can involve two targets — and thus two horoscopes. For example, “Is Amelie inclined to love Francis?” would need the nativities for both Amelie and Francis. No more than two targets can be combined in this fashion.

Calculating a Nativity Horoscope: Int + Artes Liberales + die roll, against Ease Factor 9

Note that it is impossible to calculate a nativity horoscope if the date and location of the birth of the target are unknown (see When’s My Birthday? for the ease of obtaining this information).

Once the horoscope is known, then it takes one minute per level of the inception to complete the calculation and reveal the answers sought. The astrologer must have access to writing materials to use an inception.

Even though they are simple products of parchment and ink, astrological inceptions cannot be simply copied, they must be duplicated using the Laboratory Text in the usual fashion. This is because an inception has its own horoscope, based on the day on which it was completed. When using an inception, the calculated relationship between the inception’s own horoscope and the horoscope of the target(s) is the source of the sought-after answer. An inception that is simply copied — rather than recreated with the Laboratory Text — has a different astrological figure than the original inception (it is copied at a different time than the original, and perhaps in a different location as well), and this invalidates the calculations. Copied inceptions cannot therefore provide correct answers except through chance.

Inception Guidelines

An Inception shares characteristics with Magical Sense spells, in that the information gleaned is imparted directly to the philosopher through the medium of his calculations. Inceptions have a single parameter called Detail, which describes the quality of information imparted:

Binary: A one-word answer between two choices (+0 magnitudes)
Basic: Provides the equivalent of a threeword answer (+1 magnitude)
Brief: Provides a single sentence of information (+2 magnitudes)
Thorough: Reveals all relevant information associated with the target of the inception (+3 magnitudes)

An inception that inquires about events in the distant future (more than an astrological month away) adds 1 magnitude, as do questions about the past. Queries about the near future (within an astrological month) add 2 magnitudes. Predicted future events are subject to the actions of beings with free will, and may not come to pass. Queries about the present add no magnitudes.

Level 2: Learn one visible property of a person or object (e.g. location).
Level 3: Sense one mundane property of a person or object, which can be determined from close examination (state of consciousness, age).
Level 4: Sense a specific piece of information about a person or object, which cannot normally be determined without an appropriate Ability (an emotion, the maker of an object).
Level 5: Sense complex information about a person or object, which would normally require extended use of an Ability (the truth of a statement, all properties of an object).

Guidance on Using Astrological Inceptions

Inceptions have the potential to be disruptive, particularly in mystery-style adventures, although since they take a season or more to create, a storyguide should plan the existence of inceptions into his plot and perhaps even make them part of the solution. To minimize any problems with these divinations, one must be careful that when the formula is designed it does not ask too broad a question. Take into account the following points when designing an inception: A horoscope reveals properties and characteristics, not motivations. Inceptions cannot read minds, but they can reveal if a person is the sort that might fall in love with another, or has a deceitful streak. The stars hold the answers to indirect questions only. For example, there isn’t a planetary configuration that indicates murder, but there are celestial figures related to death. Because of this, a person might be connected to the death of another without actually being a murderer. The stars do not determine destiny. The stars do not guide the fates of the inhabitants of Mythic Europe, they simply reveal it. All humans retain their free will, and knowing one’s destiny is often enough to change it.

The stars do not represent absolutes. Even a binary answer is not necessarily “yes” or “no,” but simply reveals whether the horoscope is closer to one celestial figure or another. So, you can’t find out if someone is dead or alive, but you can discover whether someone is closer to death or to life.

When’s My Birthday?

household are likely to know their birth anniversary, as such things are recorded and celebrated among the gentry and nobility. Regardless of social status, many individuals in Mythic Europe derive their common or baptismal name from the saint’s day upon which they are born, and since every day of the year is assigned to a saint, this vital date can be divined easily. Other than that, a close approximation of a birth date can often be made due to the proximity of the birth to an important festival or event. Place of birth is even more commonly known than birth date. It is up to the storyguide as to how widespread the knowledge of one’s birthdate is in the saga, and how important it is to have the exact date (and location) for an inception. As a guide, if the date can only be narrowed down to a week, or the place narrowed down to a ten-mile approximation, then the inception should be treated as one Detail category less. Thus, a Brief inception only reveals Basic information.

The opinion on inceptions within the Order of Hermes is mixed. On one hand, most Tribunals do not consider an inception as scrying, since it involves no use of magic. On the other hand, the requirement for a nativity tends to limit their use. Most magi know the precise date of their birth, and those that do not can resort to magic to determine it. However, this information is usually kept well hidden since a horoscope forms a sympathetic connection to the magus. Some magi even alter records or otherwise falsify evidence to trap those who seek to use this personal information against them. A magus who also studies astrology might use the following spell to divine a target’s natal information.

The Genethlialogical investigation

Intellego Corpus 15

R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind

The caster learns the target’s place and time of birth. Casting this spell on a magus is tantamount to declaring Wizard’s War, since there is no honest reason for needing this information without the consent of the target. Genethlialogy is the study of days of birth.

(base 5, +2 Voice)

Example Inceptions

In all these inceptions, the placeholders “N” and “NA” stand for the Latin nomen (“name”) and nomen alter (“other name”), indicating the persons, objects, or events represented by the horoscopes used to complete the inception. Frequently “NA” is the horoscope of the astrologer.

Is M in Good Health?

Inception Level 3

Detail: Binary

By consulting the relative positions of Saturn (the planet of death) and the Sun (the planet of life) in the horoscope, this inception reveals which planet’s influence is strongest in the chart of the named person.

(base 3)

Is M inclined to love NA?

Inception Level 4

Detail: Binary

This requires two horoscopes, one for each target. The astrological houses occupied by Venus in each horoscope are either compatible or inauspicious. It does not reveal the feelings of the targets, only whether they have compatible astrological charts.

(base 4)

Has N Told the Truth?

Inception Level 5

Detail: Binary

The attitude of Mercury to Scorpio in the horoscope of the target determines whether he is the sort of person who is prone to deception, and whether today (that is, the last 12 hours) is negatively aspected against truth. Together, these pieces of information reveal whether truth or falsehood is dominant.

(base 5)

What will the Weather be like tomorroW at N?

Inception Level 5

Detail: Basic

The angle between the Moon and Mercury, and which stars they bisect in the horoscope of an event occurring on the morrow (such as a fair), reveals the likely weather in that location on the coming day.

(base 2, +1 Basic, +2 near future)

Will N Wage War?

Inception Level 10

Detail: Binary

This inception requires the horoscope of a person likely to initiate a war. The aspect of Mars in the horoscope indicates whether war should be expected or not. This is an open-ended inception, and it is often more informative if it is restricted to the near future since much can change in the intervening time.

(base 5, +1 distant future)

What Are the Real Feelings of N?

Inception Level 10

Detail: Basic

Venus is the planet of feelings and emotions in general, and its attitude to the other moveable stars reveals the dominant emotion of the target in his horoscope, as determined by his complexion.

(base 5, +1 Basic)

How are the people of N reacting to NA?

Inception Level 10

Detail: Brief

Given the horoscope of a group of people (such as a town), this inception interrogates Mercury and Virgo — stars most closely related to the community and news — to reveal a brief summary of how they are likely to react as a group to the event or person represented by the second horoscope. It does not reveal what people think about the target, just what they are doing.

(base 4, +2 Brief)

Where is the person N?

Inception Level 10

Detail: Brief

This inception reveals the current location of the named person, within a region of about 30 miles across, and in relation to a particular feature; for example “In the County of Hainault, next to still water” or “north of here, in a building connected to religion in some way.” A different inception is required to discover the location of an object.

(base 4, +2 Brief)

How fares the battle N?

Inception Level 10

Detail: Thorough

By charting the motion of Mars, the astrologer can track the vicissitudes of a battle for which he has the horoscope of the day it starts. The inception reveals the state of the combatants at the moment of inquiry in terms of relative numbers of casualties.

(base 3, +3 Thorough)

Who is the maker of the object N?

Inception Level 15

Detail: Thorough

The North node of the Moon is the significator of beginnings, and Mercury represents craft. The position of these two in the horoscope of an object will reveal identifying information about its maker — his complexion (and thus his approximate appearance), occupation, interests, and present location. This is not a question about the past, since the maker is a present property of the object interrogated.

(Base 4, +3 Thorough)

Who was the cause of the death of N?

Inception Level 20

Detail: Brief

From the horoscope of a dead man, the astrologer can determine a single characteristics of the person most closely associated with the cause of death, such as his complexion (and thus give a good clue to physical appearance) or ap proximate location relative to his position at the time of the murder. The nature of the information is determined at the time of using the inception, and while it pertains to a person other than the target, that person’s information is still present in the celestial figure of the deceased. The inception is never infallible. For example, the maker of a poison may be more intimately connected with the death than the poisoner, and the perpetrator of a weakened saddle strap that leads to a fatal fall might be miles away from the site of death. If no murder actually occurred, then the answer can be misleading; a spurned lover who committed suicide did so on account of his lover, but she did not willingly cause his death.

(base 5, +2 Brief, +1 Past)