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Rules & Character Creation.

Posted by Alpha StoryguideFor group public
Alpha Storyguide
GM, 1 post
The Omnipotent
The Fair
Sun 20 Apr 2014
at 00:40
  • msg #1

Game Rules

  • This game is listed as mature. While tempting to list it as adult to enforce a level of maturity, that would open doors not acceptable here. Violence, romance, etc. are all fine. Graphic details restricted to adult games should never be used. So while violence is OK, graphic descriptions of torture would be right out. While romance is OK, graphic descriptions of sex would be right out. Etc. Fade to black well before reaching that point. Also, remember that some characters may be children or non-human, and decency and RPoL rules are even stricter when dealing with those.
  • Be nice to each other. Keep conflict between characters if fitting, but do not let it come between players. We're all here for fun. Let's make it enjoyable for all.
  • The game system is Ars Magica, 5th edition, with minimal tweaking.

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:12, Tue 27 Dec 2016.
Alpha Storyguide
GM, 2 posts
The Omnipotent
The Fair
Sun 20 Apr 2014
at 00:45
  • msg #2

Posting Guidelines

  • All speech other than Latin should be placed in a language group. We'll use Latin as the default so there is no need to use a language group for it. (Go to the bottom of "Insert a private line:" in the lower, right-hand corner.) Start the speech with a parenthetical note of the dialect used. If it is a temporary language group (labeled temp #), include the language in that parenthetical note, not that this is likely to happen often. You may put the actual speech in whatever color you choose to make it more distinguishable from private messages to the SG (GM). For example, Kroses of Tytalus is addressing some local Lithuanians so the player types:
    [Language Eastern Baltic: (Lithuanian) <Blue>"Greetings to you all."</Blue>]
    For those who understand Latin, this will show up as:
    [Language unknown: (Daywhiart'lesnde) "Redthastiter an diai toour."]
    For those who do not understand Eastern Baltic, this will show up as something like:
    [Language unknown: (Illntiint) "Iothat to esugh waill."]
  • Except in OOC threads, general OOC notes should be avoided. OOC questions or mechanical notes that are appropriate but should be placed within a private messages to the SG.
  • Rolls and the like should be copied from the dice roller and placed in a private line to the SG, like other OOC notes. This will help keep them out of the way but keep them present.
  • When making rolls, generally use the built-in stress-die mechanic. If the roll is simple, switch to 1d10 manually. If the roll is with botch dice, switch to #d10 manually and make sure individual rolls are listed. In each case, write the reason in the comment line. Include the bonus to the roll with that reason. For example, "Spontaneous MuVi, +13" would be quite acceptable.

This message was last edited by the GM at 13:06, Tue 21 Mar 2017.
Alpha Storyguide
GM, 3 posts
The Omnipotent
The Fair
Sun 20 Apr 2014
at 01:12
  • msg #3

House Interpretations / Rules

House Interpretations

  • Here is a quick estimate of base botch dice with examples:
    1: Casting a spontaneous spell in a safe location. Anything else with some risk but in a controlled setting.
    2: Casting a spell in a relatively safe location but not under as much control, such as on a raft on a relatively calm river.
    3: Attacking or casting a spell in combat.
    4: Attacking or casting a spell in combat in poor conditions, such as during a downpour.
  • The "pink dot" is not a valid defense. Magic resistance keeps active magic from reaching the target, which can seem like suppression or repulsion, depending on the circumstances. Examples: A boulder turned into a pebble will bounce off harmlessly because it is entirely active magic. A magically flaming sword can still strike the target, but the flames will not reach the target. A sword Talisman with an effect to read the owner's thoughts strikes the target normally because neither the Talisman bond nor the thought-reading normally reach the target anyway.
  • Characters may change their Abilities' specialties any time the level of the Ability changes. The character should have received some of the experience for the new level in a way that is relevant to the new specialty, such as instruction from a teacher with the new specialty or adventure experience having used the Ability in a way that would match the specialty.
  • Spell Mastery Abilities do not have specialties, though of course they have one option per level.
  • Familiar learning has been clarified. After a familiar is bound it may advance Abilities as a normal human. Magical familiars are not penalized for Might when advancing Abilities, but they still do when they undergo Transformation. Faerie familiars can learn Abilities as a human, or they may advance their Pretenses or change their glamours via normal means. Non-intelligent animal familiars lose Restricted Learning when they gain Intelligence.
  • HoH:MC mentions plant familiars without any mention of a special Virtue. To be consistent with that "animal" is being interpreted as animal or other beast with Cunning, so magical plants or elementals or similar Magical beings with Cunning strongly associated with an Art are acceptable as familiars. The Art combinations to bind them will be more tightly controlled than with animals. This should also restore some balance to Minor Magical Foci.
  • To be consistent with a number of items in various books, a fast-cast spell and a normal spell may both be cast in the same round. However, further fast-cast spells in the same round prevent the use of a normal spell in that round.
  • General spells do not require general guidelines, as long as it is the same effect with variable potency. For example, Pilum of Fire could be learned at a higher level to do more damage. This is actually by-the-book; it just seemed like it should be listed because a lot of people house-rule general spells to only come from general guidelines.
  • Personal wards function like Ward Against Heat and Flame, providing Soak and immunity to weak effects instead of immunity to all effects. Use Ward Against Heat and Flame as a guide along with the bases provided for other Forms.
  • Shadows belong to Ignem as they are darkness, at least a partial lack of light.
  • MuVi spells on your own spells are usually cast as a MuVi spell on one round followed by the other spell on the next round, as per David Chart's statement.
  • Just knowing Wizards' Communion is insufficient; the level at which it is cast is what is relevant.
  • Magi with Mercurian Magic may choose either D: Momentary (Wizard's Communion) or D: Sun (Wizard's Vigil) versions of Wizards' Communion each time they learn the spell for free. And you get one of these each time you learn a ritual at a level you don't know both of them (instead of the "higher" level as written).
  • The ReVi spells to sustain a spell keep it active only so long as its duration still applies. Once its duration expires, the spell ends. If you want to change the duration of a spell, use MuVi.
  • The ReVi spells to sustain a spell cannot be shut off the way an item maintaining concentration can be. That comes as an extra trigger effect when choosing that option for an item.
  • Aegis of the Hearth resists magical items within it by reducing their penetration, just as it does for Powers.
  • Aegis of the Hearth still tries to stop effects from crossing its boundary, as in its description. An effect must penetrate the Aegis to cross it's boundary. If the effect cannot do so, it is generally dispelled. Effects that require rituals to dispel them (longevity rituals, familiar bonds, permanent magic items, etc.) are not dispelled, but they will tend to flicker in an inconsequential way as they cross the boundary. For instance, a magus and familiar might feel their bonds stretching for a moment in an uncomfortable way, and then the bond would return to normal a moment later. Note that this does mean Parma Magica is dispelled. It can be raised again with ease since it need not penetrate, but spending the two minutes to repeat the ritual helps keep attacks on foreign covenants to a minimum. A token to an Aegis of the Hearth allows a person to bring effects across it without this dispelling happening.
  • Aegis of the Hearth must penetrate to repel beings. (This is now explicit in canon.)
  • Inventing a version of Aegis of the Hearth with a change to the size of the Boundary is allowed; this is not a change of "parameters" (still Boundary), just a change of power.
  • Aegis of the Hearth is not integrated well enough to use MuVi on it.
  • D: Sun 2/day need not be truly Constant (as per the most recent ruling on Constant which essentially removes it from existing), but they may be truly Constant (following the earlier ruling, firing off once and lasting forever) if the creator desires. Truly Constant effects should generally be R: Personal or something similarly suitable, though.
  • The effects of Size (including Virtues/Flaws such as Large) on Characteristics should be removed prior to calculating Characteristics for shape-shifting (HoH:MC). The effects of the new Size and those Virtues/Flaws are included afterward. This way, for example, just as a weak person would become a weak bear, a weak bear would become a weak person when shape-shifting.
  • Characteristic changes, such as from rituals, should be determined prior to including changes from Size, similar Virtues/Flaws, and Qualities. Also, the difference between the baseline and the value prior to Size, similar Virtues/Flaws, and Qualities determines the magnitude.
  • With the Venemous Quality (HoH:MC) is not so clear how the potency is determined; the newer version listed with the Muspelli (RM) will be used because that is much clearer. However, the Muspelli version is overly powerful. For non-Muspelli starting point is a Medium Wound with a difficulty of 3 or a Light Wound with a difficulty of 6.
  • Books are not written on Parma Magica for fear they may be lost.
  • Wound Penalties apply to actions themselves. So they apply to Attack Totals, Defense Totals, and spell casting. But they do not apply directly to either damage or Soak. They do not apply to magic resistance nor to aging rolls, either. The rolls or totals statement in ArM5 is so the penalty is not applied to things like Living Language when speaking to change a character's level of understanding.
  • If a being's Might Score is not totally destroyed by PeVi or similar, it will recover over time as per TMRE and A&A. (This recovery does not happen for Might Score given up to ritual effects or lost to Ablating, Acclimation, or Bind Magical Creatures.) If they are destroyed this way, Vis cannot be retrieved. If they are slain after losing some Might this way, proportionately less Vis may be retrieved.
  • Immortal magi (TMRE) advance as other beings with Magic Might. The use of their talisman to bypass the problems with Magic Might is also available, but it is a bypass as opposed to the only way to advance.
  • Magical spirits are described as effectively having No Fatigue without it being stated explicitly. They have all the benefits and drawbacks of No Fatigue automatically.
  • The limit to the bonus for Excellent items in C&G applies to Rego Craft Magic and automatic Verditius crafting as well. Automatic Verditius crafting is being interpreted as being able to reach the craft limit (minimum Superior) regardless of any actual Workshop Total.
  • As noted in a few spots, things like Cautious Sorcerer, Minor Magical Focus, etc. also apply to non-Hermetic things. So, for example, if you do something like pick up Succuro and Magicam along with Short Ranged Magic, Short Ranged Magic will apply to both your Learned Magic and your Hermetic Magic.
  • Your Talisman may be an Item of Quality even if you are not a Verditius since that is not a magical effect and so does not interfere with your bond the way someone else enchanting it would. It does use up 1 Vis of space, though.
  • All language specialties should be dialects. Unlike other specialties, these specialties cannot be changed later.

House Rules

  • To allow for other Magical Foci, Tremere apprentices who already have Magical Foci pick up Minor Potent Magic in Certamen. This provides +3 Attack and +3 Defense, which does not stack with the normal Tremere Minor Magical Focus in Certamen.
  • The Talisman bond itself does not Warp the magus, though it will Warp the Talisman. Powers in the Talisman cause Warping as normal. Note: Warping of a Talisman should personalize it to the magus and make it even more cool, though not more powerful.
  • Although circular (or similar) wards must penetrate, as per the rules, ward base levels do not depend on Might. The bases are determined only by the type of thing warded. The more specific the warding, the lower the base level.
  • Spells such as the Leap of Homecoming (transporting to a distance up to any marked by an Arcane Connection) must be designed for a particular location and so must be used with an Arcane Connection to that one location. This makes Redcaps and Hermes Portals more consistent with the setting and makes adventure more interesting. Such spells are still commonly designed to transport to one's sanctum or to summon one's familiar. Should one wish to create and master multiple of these, Adaptive Casting can be applied to them if all aspects of the spell other than the location are identical.
  • Many Mentem spells are limited by language differences, making mind reading less of a cure all.
  • Creating (or essentially creating) beings with Might to extract Vis never supplies more Vis than the actual Vis put into the beings, regardless of the method used.
  • If multiple realm modifiers apply or a modifier would somehow be applied multiple times (e.g. you're casting a spell with half your body in a magical aura and half in an infernal aura), only the best modifier for you applies and it only applies once.
  • Teaching and Training can be split between different Abilities in the same way as Practice can be.
  • The advancement of Faerie Affinities (RoP:F) via rolling 1s is still limited by Warping Score as it is with other methods of advancement.
  • To prevent overvaluing of low-Might Familiars (cheap Transformation allowing for many Qualities), Magic beings must maintain a Might high enough to handle their Qualities as though created at the point they're at. For example, a Familiar with Magic Might 5 and 5 points of Qualities would need to raise Magic Might to 6 before being able to pick up a 6th point of Qualities (or pick up a 1-point Inferiority to keep things balanced).
  • Using a language by default (see two posts down) is limited to 4 unless the language from which it is defaulted is a related dialect, in which case the limit is 5.
  • Languages may be improved from their "default" level as though their "default" level adds on like Puissant Ability but for its level instead of +2. For example, knowing High German (Swiss) at 5 gives you a "default" of 4 for High German (Bavarian). Spending 5 points to buy a new Living Language Ability of High German (Bavarian) would give High German (Bavarian) 1+4=5. This bonus can never raise the language receiving the bonus beyond the level of the language providing the bonus.
  • After character creation, each year each character gets a bonus point put into an Area Lore or Organization Lore Ability representing where that character has been living.
  • The Defense Modifier for all shields in increased by 1 to make them more realistically comparable to other weapons.

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:47, Fri 21 Dec 2018.
Alpha Storyguide
GM, 4 posts
The Omnipotent
The Fair
Sun 20 Apr 2014
at 01:33
  • msg #4

Character Creation

Develop a child character with up to 10 points of Virtues/Flaws. The child should be approximately 7-10 years old, but you may deviate from this. This is the character at the beginning of apprenticeship.

If you don't have access to Apprentices, just develop a normal character with up to 10 points of Virtues/Flaws of the chosen age. We will then work together to figure out when some Virtues/Flaws show up developmentally.

Try not to have a truly scattered selection of Virtues/Flaws. Mostly they should be from the core book, Apprentices, or Grogs. A few from other sourcebooks are fine. I just don't want to see super-crazy groupings that require similarly-crazy explanations for how it all came about.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:05, Tue 03 Oct 2017.
Alpha Storyguide
GM, 5 posts
The Omnipotent
The Fair
Mon 21 Apr 2014
at 03:33
  • msg #5

Languages In and Around Mythic Europe

Group (-3)Family (-2)Language (-1)Dialect (+1)Script(s)Region / Use
AlbanianAlbanianAlbanianGhegLatinnorth of and near the Shkumbin river
ToskLatinsouth of and near the Shkumbin river
AltaicJapanic   (far from Europe)
Koreanic   (far from Europe)
MongolicMongoliankoine/commonMongolianGolden Horde
KhitanKhitanKhitan large, Khitan smalldying language of the Kara-Khitan Khanate remnants
Tunguskic   (far from Europe)
TurkicArghuKhalaj?just moving to the Valley of Kabul, some Khalaj people joining the Mongols
KarlukKhorezmianArabicGolden Horde
Uyghur (Old Turkic, not modern Uyghur)Old Turkic, SogdianXinjiang region
KipchakBashkir?Bashkirs - southeast of Volga Bulgaria
CumanLatin, RovasirasCuman/Kipchak Khanates
Fergana Kipchak?Fergana Valley
KipchakLatin, RovasirasCuman/Kipchak Khanates
Kumyk?Kumyk plateau - on western coast of Caspian Sea north of Shirvan
KyrgyzOld Turkicroughly present-day Kyrgyzstan
TatarArabiceast of Volga Bulgaria
OghurBulgarArabic, OrkhonVolga Bulgaria
ChuvashArabic, OrkhonVolga Bulgaria
Khazar?recently dead language of Khazars
Turkic Avar-dead language of Eurasian Avars
OghuzAfshar?Azerbaijan
AzerbaijaniArabicAzerbaijan
Ghuzz (Turkmen)Old Turkic?
Khorasani??
PechenegLatin, RovasirasCuman/Kipchak Khanates
Turkish (Old Anatolian Turkish)Arabic (predominantly), GreekAnatolia
Siberian  (far from Europe)
ArmenianArmenianArmenianArmenianArmenianArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia
AryanIndicDardicKashmiriSharadaKashmir
Pashayi-northern Ghur - just south of the Hindu Kush
ShinaDevanagariKashmir and northern Ghur - just south of the Hindu Kush
???
Romani-DomaniDomani-?
Lomavren-?
Romani-?
(other Indic languages)  (far from Europe)
IranianEastern IranianAvestanAvestan, Pahlaviliturgical Zoroastrianism
BactrianGreek, Manichaean-
KhwarezmianAramaicKwarazm
PashtoAramaicGhur
Scytho-Sarmatian (Ossetian)Greekcentral Caucasus - around the Bolshoi Zelenchuk river valley
SogdianSogdian, ManichaeanKwarazm, Transoxiana
Western IranianBactrian ParsiArabic, PahlaviBactria - just north of the Hindu Kush
BalochArabic, PahlaviKirman, Makran
KurdishArabic, PahlaviJibal
LuriArabic, PahlaviKhuzistan
Persian (Parsik)Arabic, Pahlavicourt dialect
Sogdian ParsiArabic, PahlaviSogdia
Tabari (Mazanderani)Arabic, PahlaviMazandaran
Nuristani???Hindu Kush
Balto-SlavicBalticEastern BalticCuronian-between the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga
LatvianLatin (just starting)north of the Daugava River
LithuanianLatin (starting soon)north of the Neman River
Selonian-between the Latgalians and the Semigallians and the Lithuanians
Semigallian-south of the Gulf of Riga
Western BalticGalindian-south of and between the Prussians and the Yotvingians (Sudovians)
PrussianLatinsouth of the Baltic Sea and east of the Vistula River
Skalvian-around the Neman River by the Baltic Sea
Sudovian (Yotvingian)?between the Neman River and the Narew River and the Pregola River
SlavicEast Slavonic (Ruthenian)BelorussianCyrillic?
RussianCyrillic?
UkrainianCyrillic?
South SlavonicBulgarianCyrillic?
Old Church SlavonicGlagolitic?
SerbianLatin?
West SlavonicCzechLatinBohemia, Moravia
PolishLatin?
SlovakLatin?
Sorbian (Wendish)LatinLusatia, Rugen, Brandenburg, Pomerania
BasqueBasqueBasque??northern Navarre and a little beyond
BerberBerberBerberAtlas TamazightArabic, Tifinagh?
KabyleArabic, Tifinagh?
RiffianArabic, Tifinagh?
ShawiArabic, Tifinagh?
TashelhitArabic, Tifinagh?
TuaregTifinagh?
GuancheGuancheGuanche?Canary Islands
CaucasicNortheasternAvar-Andic?-?
AvarNuskhuri, Asomtavruli, Mkhedrulilingua franca for Avar-Andic and Tsezic languages
Dargi???
Khinalug (Xinalug)Khinalug (Xinalug)??
LakLak??
Lezgic???
NakhBatsbi (Bats)??
ChechenNuskhuri, Asomtavruli, Mkhedruli?
IngushNuskhuri, Asomtavruli, Mkhedruli?
Tsezic (Didoic)?-?
NorthwesternAbkhaz-Abaza (Abazgi)Abaza-?
Abkhaz (Abxaz)-?
Circassian (Cherkess)Adyghe (Adyge)-?
Kabardian-?
UbykhKaracalar-?
Ubykh-around Sochi
CelticCelticBrythonicBretonLatinBrittany
CornishLatinCornwall
CumbricLatinnorthern England, Scottish lowlands
WelshLatinWales
Goidelic (Gaelic)ConnachtLatinwestern Ireland
GalwegianLatinKingdom of the Isles
Highland (Erse)LatinScotland
LeinsterLatineastern Ireland
ManxLatinIsle of Mann
MunsterLatinsouthern Ireland
UlsterLatinnorthern Ireland
EgyptianEgyptianCopticAkhmimic / Lycopolitan (Subakhmimic, Assiutic)Copticsome texts
Bohairic (Memphitic)Copticdying out in Lower Egypt, new liturgical language for Coptic Orthodox Church
Fayyumic (Bashmuric) / Oxyrhynchite (Mesokemic)Copticsome texts
Sahidic (Thebaic)CopticUpper Egypt, most texts, old liturgical language for Coptic Orthodox Church
DemoticDemoticDemoticold papyrus texts
EgyptianArchaic EgyptianHieratic, Hieroglyphicancient texts, tombs
Early EgyptianHieratic, Hieroglyphicancient texts, tombs
Late EgyptianHieratic, Hieroglyphicancient texts, tombs
Middle EgyptianHieratic, Hieroglyphicancient texts, tombs
GermanicAnglo-SaxonEnglishEast Midland (East Anglian)Latineastern England north of the Thames
KentishLatineastern England south of the Thames
Northern (Northumbrian)Latinnorthern England, Scottish lowlands
Southern (West Saxon)Latinwestern England south of the Thames
West Midland (West Anglian)Latinwestern England north of the Thames
GermanDutchBrabantianLatinBrabant
HollandicLatinHolland
LimburgishLatin?
Low SaxonLatin?
ZealandicLatinFlanders
East GermanBurgundic?-
Crimean Gothic?Gothia
GothicGothicHouse Bjornaer mysteries
Vandalic?-
High GermanBavarianLatin?
FranconianLatin?
RhenishLatin?
SwabianLatin?
SwissLatin?
Yiddish (Judeo-German)HebrewGerman Jews
Low GermanFlemishLatinFlanders
FrisianLatinFriesland
PomeranianLatin?
SaxonLatin?, Burzenland, lingua franca for Baltic trade
Old NorseEast NorseDanishLatin, RunicDenmark
ScanianLatin, RunicScania
SwedishLatin, RunicSweden
GutnishGutnishLatin, RunicGotland
West NorseFaroeseLatin, RunicFaroe Islands
GreenlandicLatin, RunicGreenland
IcelandicLatin, RunicIceland
NornLatin, RunicCaithness, Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland
NorwegianLatin, RunicNorway, a few isolated spots in eastern Britain
HellenicGreekByzantine GreekCappadocianGreeksouth-central Anatolia
koine/common/DemoticGreekByzantine (Roman) Empire
PonticGreeksoutheastern coast of Black Sea
YevanicHebrewByzantine Jews
Classical GreekAeolicGreek-
AtticGreekliterature of Classical Greece, Biblical Greek
Doric / TsakonianGreeksmall region in eastern Greece near Tyros
IonicGreek-
HomericGreek-
Koine Greekkoine/commonGreek-
KartvelianKarto-ZanGeorgianGeorgianNuskhuri, Asomtavruli, MkhedruliGeorgia (including Tskhumi)
ZanLazNuskhuri, Asomtavruli, Mkhedrulisouthwestern corner of Georgia
MingrelianNuskhuri, Asomtavruli, Mkhedrulicoastal northwestern corner of Georgia (including Tskhumi)
SvanSvanSvanNuskhuri, Asomtavruli, Mkhedrulinorthern edge of the northwestern corner of Georgia (near Dombai-Ulgen)
Romance (Latinate)Balkan RomanceVlachAromanianLatinIllyria, northern Greece
RomanianLatinRomanians
Island RomanceSardinianCampidaneseLatinsouthern Sardinia
Logudorese-NuoreseLatinnorthern and central Sardinia
Italo-RomanceTuscanCorsicanLatinCorsica
SassareseLatinnorthwestern Sardinia
TuscanLatineastern coast of the Tirrenian north of Rome
NeapolitanAbruzzeseLatinAbruzzo
CampanoLatinCampania
LucanoLatinCalabria, Lucania
MolisanoLatinsmall region between Abruzzo, Campania, and Puglia
PuglieseLatinPuglia
SicilianCalabreseLatinmost extreme end of Calabria
SalentinoLatinmost extreme end of Puglia
SicilianoLatinSicily
LatinLatinEcclesiasticalLatinchurches
HermeticLatinOrder of Hermes
MedievalLatinEuropean scholars
Western RomanceDalmationRagusanLatinsouthern Dalmatian coast
VegliotLatinnorthern Dalmatian coast
Franco-ProvençalDauphinoisLatin?
Franc-ComptoisLatin?
LyonnaiseLatin?
PiedmontLatin?
SavoyardLatin?
ValdotainLatin?
VaudoisLatin?
Langues d'Oil (French)Anglo-NormanLatinEnglish nobility, Channel Islands
BourguignonLatinBurgundy
ChampenoisLatinChampagne
LorrainLatinUpper Lorraine
NormanLatinNormandy, eastern Brittany, western parts of Lower and Upper Lorraine
OrleanaisLatinIle de France, French nobility
PicardLatinnorthwestern France
PoitevinLatinAnjou, western Aquitaine
WalloonLatinLower Lorraine
Latina (Mozarabic, Andalusi Romance)?ArabicAl-Andalus
North ItalianEmiliano-RomagnoloLatinwestern coast of the Adriatic north of Rome
Genoese (Ligurian)Latinthin Genoese coastline north of the Tirrenian
LombardLatinLombardy
PiedmonteseLatinPiedmont
Veneto-IstriotLatinnortheast, north of the Po river, including the northern coastline of the Adriatic, but not into the mountains
North IberianAstur-LeoneseLatinLeon
Galego-PortugueseLatinGalicia, Portugal
Navarro-AragoneseLatinwestern Aragon, southern Navarre
Castilian-LadinoLatin, HebrewCastile, Iberian Jews
OccitanAuvergnatLatineastern Aquitaine
CatalanLatineastern Aragon, just  spreading to the Balearic Islands
GasconLatinGuyenne
LimousinLatincentral Aquitaine
ProvencalLatinProvence
RhaetianLadinLatineastern Tyrol, Friuli
RomanshLatinwestern Tyrol
SabirEasternLatinlingua franca of the Mediterranean
WesternLatinlingua franca of the Mediterranean
SemiticArabicArabicAndalusiArabicAl-Andalus
EgyptianArabicEgypt
KhalijiArabicArabia
LevantineArabiceastern Mediterranean coast
MaghrebiArabicnorth Africa west of Egypt
MaslawiArabicIraq, Jibal
MalteseMalteseLatinMalta
AramaicAramaic??some Christians of the Jazira and northwest provinces
Syriac??written and liturgical use by Nestorian and Jacobite Christians
CanaaniteHebrewAmmonite?-
EdomiteAramaic-
HebrewHebrewliturgical language of the Jews
MoabitePhoenician-
PhoenicianPhoenicianPhoenician-
EthiopianNorth EthiopicGe'ezGe'ezliturgical and scholarly language of Ethiopian Christians
TigreGe'ezEritrea
TigrinyaGe'eznorthern Ethiopia
South Ethiopic???
South Arabian????
UralicFinno-PermicFinnicFinnish-?
Ingrian??
Karelian??
Livonian??
North Estonian??
South Estonian??
Veps??
MariHill??
Meadow??
MordvinicErzya-?
Meshcherian-dying out east of Moscow and north of the Oka River
Moksha-?
PermicKomiCyrillic?
UdmurtCyrillic?
SamiMainland-?
Northwestern-?
Peninsular-?
Southwestern-?
SamoyedicCore SamoyedicEnets-Nenets-?
Kamas-Selkup-?
MatorMator-?
NganasanNganasa-?
UgricMagyarHungarianLatin, RovasirasHungary
TransylvanianLatin, RovasirasHungarian-occupied Transylvannia
Ob-UgricKhanty (Ostyak)-southern Urals
Mansi (Vogul)-southern Urals

Note: Languages in italics are considered dead languages. Scripts in italics are scripts that are no longer in use.

The above table, while compiled heavily from Wikipedia, was checked for consistency with Against the Dark, The Cradle & The Crescent, Guardians of the Forest, Lion of the North, and The Sundered Eagle. A number of changes from ArM5 canon were made, though. Some of those were with Medieval Greek, as Romaic Greek is a more modern version than the version used around 1200. Most of the changes were within the Romance languages, made based on consistency between suggestions on the Ars Magica forums and my own research. (Special thanks to several on the forums, especially ezzelino.)  There are certainly more dialects than listed; an attempt was made to list the most common dialects. Also, trying to force languages into a structure to match a game is not perfect, which is why many "dialects" listed above are commonly classified as separate languages. Still, the table should be a pretty good representation of the languages used and should be viable for game play.

Characters trying to communicate within the same dialect get to apply their specialties, and so communicate at (language score)+1, each. Characters trying to communicate within the same language but using different dialects communicate at (language score)-1, each. Characters trying to communicate using different but similar languages (within the language family label above) communicate at (language score)-2 each. Characters trying to communicate with different but slightly similar languages (within the language group label above) communicate at (language score)-3. Anything further apart than that is too far for mutual intelligibility at all.

There are a few language pairs where the penalties shift slightly:
  • Brythonic (Breton) vs. Brythonic (Cornish): 0
  • Crimean Gothic vs. any Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse: -4
  • Dalmation vs. North Iberian: -3
  • Dalmation vs. North Italian (Veneto-Istriot): -1
  • Dalmation vs. Vlach: -2
  • Egyptian (dead language) dialects vs. each other if they are more than one step removed (Archaic, Early, Middle, Late): -2
  • High German (Franconian) vs. Dutch (Limurgish): -1
  • High German vs. English: -4
  • High German (Yiddish) vs. Hebrew: -2
  • High German vs. any Old Norse: -4
  • Latin vs. any Romance language other than North Italian or Vlach: -4
  • Koine Greek vs. Byzantine Greek (Koine): -1
  • Koine Greek vs. Classical Greek (Attic or Ionic): -1
  • Low German (Saxon) vs. Dutch (Low Saxon): -1
  • Low German (Saxon) vs. East Norse: -2
  • Low German (Friesian) vs. English: -2
  • Mozarabic vs. North Iberian (Castilian-Ladino): -1
  • North Iberian (Astur-Leonese) vs. North Iberian (Navarro-Aragonese): -2
  • North Iberian (Galego-Portuguese) vs. Sabir (Western): -1
  • North Italian (Emiliano-Romagnolo) vs. Tuscan (Tuscan): -1
  • North Italian (Veneto-Istriot) vs. Sabir (Eastern): -1

Note: Not all of the languages will appear as RPoL language groups The last several RPoL language groups will be kept available to be rotated as needed among the less common languages as they are needed.

Note: To simulate languages as well as possible a character may post using a language with a score of 1 or 2 in the language (even if by default) and should write simplistically to represent the score. Only characters with a score of 3 or more or a default of 4 will be given access to the language group, though writing should still reflect the level of the score in that language.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:24, Tue 06 June 2017.
Alpha Storyguide
GM, 74 posts
The Omnipotent
The Fair
Thu 26 Jan 2017
at 11:06
  • msg #6

Rulings

Virtues & Flaws
  • These Minor Magic Foci have been approved: Creating Natural Earths, Iron, Perfecting the Human Form (includes the mind), Still Water (not flowing, but not needing to be calm), Teleportation
  • Personal Vis Source provides 3 pawns/year of a Technique or 5 pawns/year of a Form.


Shape & Material Bonuses and Attunements
  • A wand/staff Talisman can count as a tool for spell casting. So, for example, a wand Talisman could be an Item of Quality, providing +3 to Finesse to hit with Vilano-type attacks. High quality won't count for both Attack/Defense and Finesse, it has to be built for a purpose and those purposes run somewhat contrary.

This message was last edited by the GM at 14:59, Tue 07 Mar 2017.
Alpha Storyguide
GM, 400 posts
The Omnipotent
The Fair
Tue 3 Oct 2017
at 01:00
  • msg #7

Rough Cost Guidelines

The following are estimates of costs in p.v.f. Prices will vary, but this gives players a baseline to gauge if prices are high or low.
  • Buying a ritual spell that is in the books and not so secret (e.g. Touch of Midas) costs its magnitude + 1 p.v.f.
  • Buying a ritual spell that is in the books but somewhat restricted/secret (e.g. Strength of the Heroes) costs its magnitude + 2 p.v.f.
  • Buying a ritual spell that is very similar to one (e.g. Gift of Reason one magnitude higher) in the books costs its magnitude + 3 p.v.f.
  • If you have special access to someone to cast a ritual at reduced cost or easier access (Cult of Heroes, for instance), the costs to buy a ritual spell will be reduced.
  • Buying a Longevity Ritual costs (lab total without assistance/10-2.6)2 p.v.f., rounded up with a minimum cost of 4 p.v.f. (So buy a lab total of at least 46.) plus the Vis required for the ritual (age/5 rounded up, and anything added for bonus). Assume the magus crafting the Longevity Ritual can handle a number of Vis equal to the magnitude of their lab total, rounded up to the next even number. You must spend a season, though you get to add your Intelligence + Magic Theory to the lab total as well, and your Familiar's if you have one.
  • Buying 1 lb mythic silver costs 0.1 p.v.f.
  • Buying a full set of casting props (see HoH:S) costs |bonus - 3|3+1 p.v.f.
  • Buying a special item will be estimated from C&G p.143-144, rounding up to the nearest 0.1 p.v.f. Note that Excellent items listed there at x5 are Excellent +1. Each further +1 roughly doubles the cost following the typical ArM5 2-5-10 pattern so that three levels are x10 from three levels below. Thus Excellent +2 is x10, Excellent +3 is x20, Excellent +4 is x50, and Excellent +5 is x100. But exceedingly excellent items become harder to find because there aren't many who can craft them. You can't just expect to be able to buy them.
  • Buying 1 pawn of Form Vis costs 1.5 p.v.f. through House Mercere (not the 2 in the books).
  • Buying 1 pawn of Technique Vis costs 3 p.v.f. through House Mercere (not the 4 in the books).
  • Buying a published (see the Atlas pdf) mundane book costs 0.1 p.v.f. This overrides the books below for these books only.
  • Buying a different tractatus costs (5+Quality)/10 p.v.f. for Qualities up to 5, (2.5x Quality)/10 p.v.f. for Qualities 6 to 12, and (Quality - 11)2 p.v.f. for Qualities 13 and up.
  • Buying a root (Level 5, Quality 15 Summa for us) costs 2 p.v.f.
  • Buying an Art summa (subject to the normal Quality limits) costs (Quality+3*Level-25)/2 p.v.f., minimum 1 p.v.f.
  • Buying an Ability summa (subject to the normal Quality and Level and Level limits) costs (Quality+8*Level-25)/2 p.v.f., minimum 1 p.v.f.
  • Buying a lab text costs (Magnitude-1)2/10 p.v.f., minimum 0.1 p.v.f. for all but lesser enchanted devices; texts for those cost (Magnitude+1)2/10 p.v.f. Lab texts to be purchased must be for spells or items listed in official books.
  • Buying an unrefined Object of Virtue (see RoP:M) costs 10 p.v.f., though availability may be a big issue.
  • Buying an Item of Virtue (see HoH:MC) costs its bonus +2 p.v.f.
  • Buying a Hermetic magic item costs what a Veriditus would charge (see HoH:MC, p.114). That would be triple the Vis cost to make it yourself, in p.v.f.

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:01, Tue 03 Oct 2017.
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