Ars Magica

[tricktroller]

Hey Folks!

I am going to be playing in an Ars Magica game soon and I am all kinds of lost.

My plan is to make a House Verditius Magus with 8 muto 2 creo 10 terram 10 herbam and 1 vim.

I really have no idea what I am doing, we played like 2 sessions of Ars about 4 years ago and mostly ran our non magi while our magi sat in their tower.

I want to be a crafter who makes all kinds of cool stuff.

His flaws are verditius magic -1, Incomprehensible -1 Poor Student -1 Weak Magic Ignem -2 Common Fear dogs -2
His virtues are Creative Genius +1, Alchemy +1, Herbalism +1, Subtle Magic +2, Quiet Magic +2

Basically I want to make healing potions, longevity elixirs, and all kinds of items that allow me to do cool magic stuffs.

My plan for his Verditius Tools will be either stitching done in his robes since he doesn't have to do gestures, or something else innocuous like a strand of prayer beads, each one carved differently for each of his tools that he takes out and "mumbles prayers" using his quiet magic.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Oh and we are playing 4th edition. In Hibernia.

Also, not looking to optimize, mostly just trying to figure out if this is a playable concept and how to use it rofl.

Thanks for your time.

[Doug Lampert]

Hey Folks!

I am going to be playing in an Ars Magica game soon and I am all kinds of lost.

My plan is to make a House Verditius Magus with 8 muto 2 creo 10 terram 10 herbam and 1 vim.

I really have no idea what I am doing, we played like 2 sessions of Ars about 4 years ago and mostly ran our non magi while our magi sat in their tower.

I want to be a crafter who makes all kinds of cool stuff.

His flaws are verditius magic -1, Incomprehensible -1 Poor Student -1 Weak Magic Ignem -2 Common Fear dogs -2
His virtues are Creative Genius +1, Alchemy +1, Herbalism +1, Subtle Magic +2, Quiet Magic +2

Basically I want to make healing potions, longevity elixirs, and all kinds of items that allow me to do cool magic stuffs.

My plan for his Verditius Tools will be either stitching done in his robes since he doesn't have to do gestures, or something else innocuous like a strand of prayer beads, each one carved differently for each of his tools that he takes out and "mumbles prayers" using his quiet magic.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Oh and we are playing 4th edition. In Hibernia.

Also, not looking to optimize, mostly just trying to figure out if this is a playable concept and how to use it rofl.

Thanks for your time.

Not remembering edition differences or the details on some of your virtues and flaws, but longevity and healing are both Corpus, Intelligo and Creo respectively. You have scores of 0, 0, and 2 respectively in these arts.

Subtle Magic +2 and Quiet Magic +2 are actually low value to a Verditius especially given the lack of gentle gift, you'll creep people out and they'll blame you for anything strange anyway and you can't cast without your charms which you can't count on being unnoticeable unless the storyguide agrees and they don't help at all on crafting. Something like personal vis source or an affinity with one of the arts would probably be better.

You are not unnoticable, and you've picked the house least likely to be doing subtle field work and least suitable for it, yet your virtues look like Jerbiton except for the lack of gentle gift.

[tricktroller]

what if I dropped those two and took extra arts 4 times for 40 more points?

I really have no idea what I am doing, so help me build a better Verditius Magus rather than swapping to a Jerbiton. Is it good to take both alchemy and Herbalism? Will their bonuses to healing potions etc stack?

[LibraryOgre]

Healing is Creo Corpus; a Muto Herbam/Terram mage is one who's likely got interest in crops and land fertility, and I would never be surprised to see those scores in a Merinita.

If you want to specialize in healing and such, go with a Corpus specialization, and think about buffing your In and your Cr. That makes you a healer... you might use InCo to create potions that make it easier for local healers. CrHe could also be used to help grow plants that would be beneficial.

I agree... don't worry about quiet and subtle magic. More Arts, an out and out Affinity with certain kinds of magic (adding to your lab totals, etc). Personal Vis source is useful for creation oriented Veriditius.

[Doug Lampert]

what if I dropped those two and took extra arts 4 times for 40 more points?

Extra arts is a one time bonus, and a fairly small one that you can make up with a few season's study (depending on library quality and edition specific rules). I would only take it if it were all that was left. I remember it as 20 points per advantage, and not worth it at that, if your edition gives 10 skip it entirely.

Go for the Corpus affinity for 3 or the Creo or Intelligo affinity for 4, those add something long term useful. (They're much weaker short term, but your magus should be thinking about where he'll be in 100+ years of play. You probably won't get that far, but you should think long term. Let the companion go for short term gain.)

I'd be tempted to go Corpus affinity for 3 and either extra arts or personal vis source for the extra point. If you want to do lab work and make healing items you'll be chewing up vis and don't necessarily have much coming in.

Edited to add: There's a +10 skill points advantage for Magus's in at least one edition, that's better than extra arts even if extra arts give 20, arts are easy to train compared to skills.

[tricktroller]

I was thinking of making a him creo affinity after looking over stuff. I am less concerned with "healing" the party and more with just making items. I want to be the tinkerer wizard effectively. The bonuses to healing potions from alchemy and herbalism are just nice bonus to go along with the crazy wizard who is pumping out potions and wands and stuff. The party has nothing like it so I figured I would fill a roll for my sodales.

However, I wouldn't mind being able to throw out fancy looking spells like a lightning bolt or a "burning hands" style effect.

The most important thing is becoming the wizard who is just covered in baubles and gadgets and toys. Like a "lighter" made out of stick, a "flashlight" made out of a brass tube, a flamethrower or shotgun would be cool, etc etc. This is magic. This is science. This is philosophy.

[tricktroller]

For some reason I feel like muto fits my idea better, but I could be entirely wrong since I don't really know this system. Is Creo needed for item creation? Makes sense since it is creation magic, but does Muto play a part in it?

[Doug Lampert]

For some reason I feel like muto fits my idea better, but I could be entirely wrong since I don't really know this system. Is Creo needed for item creation? Makes sense since it is creation magic, but does Muto play a part in it?

Most items duplicate spells. The arts needed are the same as those for the spell you're duplicating.

I'd probably go: Personal Vis Source (making items beyond your required charms takes vis), Affinity Corpus (chosen because your indicated preferences for specific activities are mostly corpus).

I'm big on generalists. Verditius really screws generalist as one of the main benefits of a generalist build is the ability to cast spontaneously. But I'm still inclined to spread the arts out some.

Creo and Vim are useful for lab work, your personal vis source should NOT be vim since you can make vim vis in the lab, it should be a technique. But you still need vim vis to make permanent items and with Creo Vim you can make it.
Intelligo and Corpus are too good for a Verditius to pass up, in the long run Longevity potions are THE important item crafting.
Herbam because you seem to want it.

That's 5 arts. You can put 4 of them at 7 and Creo 8 and still have a couple of points left over. Throw in the Corpus affinity, pick some spells and you're good to go. You could go for fewer arts and more specialization, but like I said, I tend toward generalists.

You could also toss any one of those arts and pick up Muto instead if you like, no real harm done since you don't actually NEED high scores in anything yet. Look some at the spell lists, especially level 25 or so, and pick some you want. Then build to get those spells at start.

Edited to add: I've seen a character start with a level 40 spell mastered, I'm pretty sure one edition allowed up to a level 50 starting spell if you threw everything into it. My emphasis on starting spells around level 25 as "starting spells" is largely an outgrowth of my "generalists are better at start" feeling.

[tricktroller]

Lol ok could you help me write up a character? Like start to finish? I am not looking for super powerful, just a guy who can crank out potions and can cast most spells via his large amount of magic items.

[Doug Lampert]

Lol ok could you help me write up a character? Like start to finish? I am not looking for super powerful, just a guy who can crank out potions and can cast most spells via his large amount of magic items.

I can make a character, but I have no idea if it will be one you want to play. I wouldn't use a character anyone else made for me, and it really doesn't matter all that much. Characteristics, virtues, and flaws you're mostly stuck with, but things like initial art scores and spell selections are the sorts of things a lab-working mage should be able to fix over time.

Age: 22 (Assumed apprenticeship started at 7 + 15 years of training).

Characteristics:
Intelligence +4* Perception +0
Strength -1 Stamina +3
Presence -1 Communication -1
Dexterity -1 Quickness -1
*Note Great Characteristic below to explain this.

Virtues: (Note that 4th ed allows + or - 10 to mages rather than the older limit of 7)
Affinity Corpus (3)
Inventive Genius (1)
Alchemy (1)
Book Learner (1)
Great Characteristic, Intelligence (2)
Herbalism (1)
Other, your choice (1)

Flaws:
Follower of Verditius -1
Common Fear dogs -2
Stingy Master -2 (I prefer flaws I can grow out of)
Weak Magic Ignem -2
Deep Sleeper -1
Blatant Gift -1
Other, your choice (-1)

Starting Abilities:
Magic Theory 6
Organization Lore (Order of Hermes) 1
Parma Magica 2
Scribe Latin 2
Speak Latin 5
Speak Own Language 4
Verditius Magic 5
Alchemy 1
Herbalism 1
Corpus Affinity 4

Creo 7
Intellego 6
Muto 2
Perdo 6
Rego 2

Animal 2
Auram 2
Aquam 2
Corpus 6 (+4 more from affinity)
Herbam 3
Ignem 2
Imaginem 2
Mentem 2
Terram 2
Vim 3

(CrCo 20) The Chirurgeon’s Healing Touch
(CrCo 30) The Severed Limb Made Whole
(PeCo 15) Grip of the Choking Hand
(PeCo 30) Twist of the Tongue
(CrHe 20) Wall of Thorns
(InHe 15) Hunt for the Wild Herb

[tricktroller]

Thank you so much! I don't plan to use the exact character, Just get a feel for what I am making :D. This is immensely helpful!

So why are you putting so much into intelligence? Do you add it to your total when casting spells? Lab Totals?

[Doug Lampert]

Thank you so much! I don't plan to use the exact character, Just get a feel for what I am making :D. This is immensely helpful!

So why are you putting so much into intelligence? Do you add it to your total when casting spells? Lab Totals?

Yes, intelligence adds to lab totals, including stuff like learning spells, and also to spontaneous spells.

Formulaic spells use stamina instead of intelligence for casting but not for learning.