[Ars Magica 5] OOC: It's PeIm for darkness, not PeCo

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:00 pm

The plan was that everyone's grogs speak the language of that magus, so you can at least communicate with your own servants and bodyguards.

Gradually the most dominant language within the grogs will end up being the local language of the covenant. Those grogs who have a lot of contact with the Ruthenians will probably pick up some Ruthenian too. This isn't that hard; a single year of grog XP (15xp) will get you to a Language of 2, 3 with a speciality (and your speciality will probably be "[Covenant Name] Dialect" so it'll apply nearly all the time.) If you just want to do everyday communication rather than write poetry, that's plenty. Even a single season spent just talking to people will get you 8xp, which is enough to get a Language Ability of 1, which with a speciality is good enough for basic usage.

At the moment, the most common language among the grogs is French, except amongst the soldiers where Norse is the most common. It's entirely possible that the covenant will end up speaking French but with a large number of military words coming through from Norse and terms relevant to the locale coming from Ruthenian, Cuman or whatever.

Covenants speaking a language different from the outside world is quite common. (Coeris is in the highlands of eastern Hungary and speaks Greek, for example.) It can help to provide security; it can also help to foster a siege mentality that helps keep the grogs loyal and stops them assimilating into the local population or simply running away. It depends what sort of covenant you want to run.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:51 pm

Once I finish my character, I will stat my grogs, and I will probably try to give them some knowledge of Latin, since that wasn't unheard of in the 1200s, what with the Church fighting pillaging with religion.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:55 pm

Remember that grogs can't take Latin unless they're allowed Academic Abilities by taking an appropriate virtue; just as they can't take Martial Skills without an appropriate virtue. I recommend Custos for that; an Educated grog can probably make more money being a scribe somewhere than working as a soldier or servant.

Edited to add: That said, there's probably a good story you can tell about a former monk or clerk whose life falls apart to the point where all that's left for them is to run away to Ruthenia with a bunch of magicians and be a soldier or servant.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Sun Jun 29, 2014 11:55 am

Mask_de_H, you're up.

Once we're past this initial bit (and we are almost past it) I'm going to go nonlinear; we're going to run two scenes at once, a combat and a pure character-interaction scene. This will hopefully liven the thing up and will let everyone participate. It'll also give us an example of how Ars Magica actually handles encounters, so people aren't flying in the dark as much when it comes to spell choices.

To make it clear which comment refers to which, I'm going to be "timestamping" each thing I post, even if it's apparent from context.

Does that work for everyone?

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Jun 29, 2014 7:58 pm

Laertes wrote:Remember that grogs can't take Latin unless they're allowed Academic Abilities by taking an appropriate virtue; just as they can't take Martial Skills without an appropriate virtue. I recommend Custos for that; an Educated grog can probably make more money being a scribe somewhere than working as a soldier or servant.

Edited to add: That said, there's probably a good story you can tell about a former monk or clerk whose life falls apart to the point where all that's left for them is to run away to Ruthenia with a bunch of magicians and be a soldier or servant.

That's really, really weird, given that there were totally real vikings who knew latin because of Liturgical Meddling.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Sun Jun 29, 2014 8:08 pm

That's really, really weird, given that there were totally real vikings who knew latin because of Liturgical Meddling.

That's true. They were unusual Vikings, and were remarked upon because of it. Those Vikings would have had the Educated Virtue.

Edit: I'm not saying don't take them. I'm saying it's unusual, and therefore would make for an interesting character. People who were in a comfortable position, wealthy and privileged enough to have learned Latin, are unlikely to end up being soldiers on a possibly-all-going-to-die trip out to the steppe for the rest of their lives.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sun Jun 29, 2014 8:08 pm

Prak_Anima wrote:That's really, really weird, given that there were totally real vikings who knew latin because of Liturgical Meddling.

It's Mythic Europe. Reality barely comes into it.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Jun 29, 2014 8:14 pm

angelfromanotherpin wrote:
Prak_Anima wrote:That's really, really weird, given that there were totally real vikings who knew latin because of Liturgical Meddling.
It's Mythic Europe. Reality barely comes into it.

Yeah, I know. Glorantha trained me via lash to not complain about this sort of thing.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:46 am

Laertes, that works fine. Does anyone have a way to contact Mask_De_H? Also, isn't momo going to be taking his gauntlet with us?

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:18 am

I totally just did!

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 2:39 am

Whoops, silly me.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:21 pm

My apologies, Mask, but I wanted to get the game moving. The character is still yours and you can have him back at your convenience.

There are two sub-stories to the IC thread now. Please timestamp your replies in the way I've done to make it clear which is which.

Also, we get to have an actual IC combat now. Yay!

Mask_De_H · Post by **Mask_De_H** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:26 pm

It's cool; I don't know my shit about the world at all and I didn't realize the game had started.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:27 pm

It's cool; I don't know my shit about the world at all and I didn't realize the game had started.

That's fine; all the questions were intentionally googleable. You can take it from here if you like, with either scene.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:05 pm

What a start.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:07 pm

Five botch dice, if you please.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:09 pm

8,6,2,6,3

Pity, almost.

Oh, and drop one of those for Mastery. Whichever you like.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:13 pm

Whew. A successful teleport.

Edit: Your characters are not yet aware of this because nobody's thought to InVi to check it, but you're in a 2-point Faerie aura. This gives you +1 to casting and +2 botch dice on magic.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:04 pm

Ok, Nidratr is complete: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B57GMlm ... RDUmM/edit

Or as complete as I can make them with my limited knowledge. I didn't fvck with the Lab sheet.

And since there was no space on the sheet for it--
Spells

Traveling the World Tree
(ReCo 20)
R: Personal, D: Momentary, T: Individual
The caster can, seemingly by traveling the branches, roots and squirrel holes of the world tree, move up to 1500' away.
(Base 20)

Forgotten Cache
(CrHe[Te] 20)
R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Groups
The caster reaches into a conjured or existing squirrel hole and draws forth a plant, natural, processed, treated, or processed and treated plant product, or an earth, stone or metal object.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +1 Group, +1 requisite)

Draw
(ReCo[Pe] 30)
R: Touch, D: Concentration, T:Individual
The caster lifts a target into the air, arms and legs splayed and slowly pulled apart from each other as if tied to four horses. The primary effect is the target being held in the air, but the spell also injures the target as their limbs are pulled slowly, but strongly. The casting of the spell can inflict an Heavy Wound on the target, Cripple a limb, or be used with less force to inflict Medium or Light Wounds or Fatigue levels instead.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration, +1 Requisite)

The Blood Eagle
(PeCo[CrHe] 30)
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual
A tree instantly grows around the limbs of an individual, holding him fast as his ribcage is split at the spine and opened forcefully, tearing skin and muscle and exposing internal organs.
This spell deals an Incapacitating Wound, and binds the target. Unless he receives aid and healing in short order, he is likely to die, but it's not certain.
(Base 20, +1 Touch, +1 Requisite)

Nine Days On The World Tree
Creo(Rego) Herbam, level 20
R: Touch D: Conc T: Ind
In an instant, a mighty oak tree appears from the earth behind the target, grabbing them with its branches and tearing them apart. The target is automatically grappled and held helplessly if the spell penetrates their magic resistance. Each turn, the target may make a Strength roll of 12+ to break free. Each turn that they fail or do not attempt to escape, the spell inflicts +10 damage on them.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 Creo requisite, +1 to make escape rolls harder.)

Non-Formulae, Commonly Used Spont.s
SOUS
Muto Animal level 15
R: Per D: Conc T: Ind
Adds +7 to the size of the caster when they are in their Heartbeast form. This will take a squirrel up to the size of a horse.
(Base 4, +1 Conc, +2 for increased effect.)

SORUS
Muto Animal level 20
R: Per D: Conc T: Ind
Adds +10 to the size of the caster when they are in their Heartbeast form. This will take a squirrel up to the size of an elephant.
(Base 4, +1 Conc, +3 for increased effect.)

Squirrel Hole
Creo Animal level 20
R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Group
The caster reaches into a conjured or existing squirrel hole and draws forth a natural, or treated and/or processed animal product equivalent or lesser in mass than a pony.
(Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +1 Group)

Make a Corpse Mound...
Creo Corpus Level 20
R:Touch, D: Sun, T:Group
The caster creates an entire human corpse, or a skeleton.
(Base 5, +1 touch, +2 Sun, +1 Group)

...Raise a Corpse Mound
Rego Corpus Level
R: , D: , T:

Also, what exactly is the deal with the Shape and Material table?

Edit: also also, would someone give me a quick run down of how casting a spell actually works?

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 2:40 am

If you're talking about formulaic magic. you roll a stress die in stressful situations and a simple die in simple situations, and add your technique, form, stamina, and whatever modifiers may or may not apply. If it's equal to or greater than the spell level, you cast the spell. If it's between one below and ten below, you cast the spell and take a level of fatigue. Otherwise, you fail.

The shape and material table basically tells you what shape/material and enchanted item has to be to get a bonus on the lab total, depending on the type of magic. So, if you want to make a magic item to cast a Corpus spell, and make it out of amber, you get a +3 on the Lab Total to make the item, which allows you to make the item faster or make the item more badass and have it take the same period of time. Shape and Material bonuses stack, so if you were making an item that cast a Corpus spell that destroyed things at a distance you would get a +7 to your lab total if you made it an amber wand. Similarly, investing an effect that transformed you into darkness into a jet ring would give you a +7 on your lab total. The caveat here is that you can't get a bonus on your lab total from shape and material bonuses greater than your Magic Theory score, so if you had a Magic Theory of 3 and made an item with a Corpus effect out of amber, you couldn't get an additional bonus no matter the shape. Hope that helps.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:16 am

Ok, so casting works mostly as I thought.

And on S&M, I'm guessing that just having a glove with amber and bloodstone and green turquoise stones set into the knuckles wouldn't give me a bonus on casting the appropriate spells.

Damn. Well, I'm glad I asked.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:21 am

Spontaneous casting works similarly to formulaic casting except that:
-Failure by any amount means the spell fails
-For fatiguing spontaneous casting, the total you get for a formulaic spell is halved (including the die) and you always take fatigue.
-For non-fatiguing spontaneous casting, there is no die and the total is divided by 5. You never take fatigue.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:26 am

If you made it your talisman, you totally could, although you have to add the attunement (which adds the lab total bonus from the S&M table to a relevant spellcasting) while doing any other work on your talisman, and only the highest bonus applies. If you made a glove your talisman (highly inadvisable since a huge bonus for having a talisman is casting touch spells through it) that had amber, bloodstone, and green turqoise set in to the knuckles; you could attune it to gain +3 to Corpus spells while opening the talisman the first time, +4 to blood/wound spells while instilling an effect, and then +4 to necromancy while instilling another effect in a third season. You could only get one of the applicable bonuses, and even then only while touching the talisman.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 5:01 am

So I can't really just carry around a piece of amber to gain a bonus to all my Corpus casting?

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 5:16 am

Not without spending a shedload of vis and time to turn it into a talisman, no.