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

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 10:57 pm

This amuses me tremendously.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 11:22 pm

Laertes wrote:It looks as though the entire bowl-shaped valley - about twenty minutes walk across - has a Magic aura of 1; this concentrates to an aura of 2 on the slopes of the "imperial box" mound and 3 on its top.

So I finally got around to looking up the bolded term and found... nothing.

What does this mean?

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 2:28 am

Wouldn't the smithy need to be apart from everything else, to allow for necessary airflow, ventilation, and to limit noise? I also support a separate dining room for mages, and over time moving the covenfolk into separate buildings and leaving the stuff on the top of the mound for the magi. For now, though, it's a good start. I don't think separating out grog quarters on a per-mage basis is strictly necessary, though.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 2:35 am

Korgan0 wrote:Wouldn't the smithy need to be apart from everything else, to allow for necessary airflow, ventilation, and to limit noise?

You're probably right, and at some point I'll move it outside. Since I'm actually the current blacksmith, though, and I'm using magic instead of fire and hammer, it should be fine for now.

I also support a separate dining room for mages,

Yes! I knew I was forgetting something. Maybe that small room off the steward's office... this should all be IC!

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:20 am

If our leatherworker is also going to be tanning hide, then he needs a workshop that is way the fuck away from anyone else. Tanning is a horrible process that involves festering, fermenting dogshit; and having that near where people eat is simply a bad idea.

As for the Imperial Box:
It was me being overly metaphorical.

You know how I said the valley is shaped like a classical semicircular amphitheatre? In some of those they would have a special block of seats for the important dignitaries, raised up to get a good view and to set it apart from the plebs. Think of the movie Gladiator where there's that section of the colosseum where the Emperor sits. It's like that.

I could also have said "about ninety degrees along the arc there is a small hillock rising from the slope, almost to the level of the brow of the hill" but then it wouldn't have been a classical allusion.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:25 am

I was under the impression (and I have literally no clue where I got this, since I don't know much at all about leatherworking) that even when leatherworkers were tanners (a reasonable assumption), they had tanning pits that were far away from their leather workshops, because even they didn't want to be near that longer than they had to.

That said, I'm going to go look it up and find out if that's actually even vaguely related to truth.

Ah! Well now I know. Sorry 'bout that.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:31 am

Okay so it looks like perhaps what I was thinking of is the soaking process(es). There's plenty more to it that's also awful. I recommend a magical portal to the other side of the world where the tannery is, and magical scouring built into the return trip.

So yeah, tanning should definitely happen elsewhere. I guess the question is if shoemaking should just happen where tanning does or if it's reasonable to leave a workshop for that.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:36 am

I think you could definitely have the leather shop (that is, the place where leather goods are made and repaired) be within the building, and have a separate shed or something for tanning. There's some trades like tanning or soapmaking or charcoal burning which are just foul, and so tend to isolate.

Off topic, remember that you have the right to hold a market, which is a major right and one which can be exploited for cash. If you're planning out the covenant layout, think about whether that's inside the walls or not.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:39 am

Which boons did we end up getting after all? Maybe we'll hold the market between the curtain wall and the bailey, granting some protection while retaining some safety.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 2:17 pm

Laertes wrote:I don't have the stats to hand. How much does Orsen's size increase due to that spell?

By 1. So he goes from +2 to +3.

(I bet we're all looking forward to when he invents a +2 or +4 version, though. I know I am.)

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 4:21 am

I'm strongly considering making a mockup of the covenant in Dwarf Fortress to serve as a visualization aide, at this point, although I hazard the behaviour of the dwarves will be remarkbly different to those of the mages.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 4:25 am

Well Sarah needs alcohol to get through the day, and Camille would rather not go outside, much less travel, and Ariel just might throw a tantrum that takes the whole fortress down with her if something happens to Sarah... it might not be as different as you think.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:28 am

I quite like The Sims as a quick and easy architectural mockup tool, and Minecraft for more detailed stuff. Dwarf Fortress has a lot of its own stuff which is deeply idiosyncratic, like the walls as thick as corridors and the 3x3 workshop rooms.

Regarding trading with the locals: That might be a fun mini scene to play through.

Regarding Boons and Hooks: I believe we're still waiting on Mask_de_H and Prak_Anima to express their preferences.

Other stuff: What are you guys going to call yourselves? Some covenants are named after nearby towns (Lecyzca) or terrain features which characterise them (Hundred Caves, Pripet Maior). Others are named for ideas (Three Lakes, for example, was named that to suggest unity among the different magi of its region). In the older heartland of the Order, most covenants grew out of local folk traditions and so were named after things important to them (Crintera, Durenmar, Magvillus, Fudaris) but this is less common in cases where the Hermetics are unambiguously settlers.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:35 pm

xx4201337sniper420xx

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:06 pm

Prak_Anima wrote:1d10=7+23=30/2=15 and I haven't read the book as a book, just a light reference document, so I have no clue what the best effect here is, so...

Well, actual healing would require a ritual Creo spell, and thus vis. There are a couple options here:
-You can bind his wounds, which prevents them from getting better or worse, meaning the problem is postponed until later (ideally until we reach the site, but possibly until the spell wears off). Your 15 should allow you to do that at Moon duration.
-You can grant a bonus to his natural recovery checks. This will, I'm almost certain, also counteract the filth/travel/etc, which all get calculated as penalties to his recovery checks. Your 15 is enough for a +6 for Moon duration, or a +9 for Sun. Either way, you'll need to keep recasting it so it's up for a whole Season before he even gets a chance to make the check. Heavy wounds are awful.

If you did want to use the ritual, Camille would certainly approve, and I think we have some Cr vis with us, but it would be a level 30 spell, which I don't think you can manage and I don't think we have 6 pawns anyway.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:15 pm

gotcha

Nidratr's spell binds the wounds of the soldier, sealing them up for Moon duration. This will last until the travel ends - hopefully long enough to get to the new covenant site, where a bed can be surrounded by a healing circle to help him recover.

Nidratr has cast Bind Wound with the duration bumped to Moon. The soldier is still at a -5 wound penalty but makes no recovery rolls, meaning he can neither heal nor have the wounds worsen. He may undertake strenuous activity.

That works

Laertes wrote:14 February 1219. Winter. The next village along the Orsha Portage.

The steward shrugs. "It will be as you command it. I am sure the boat captains will all enjoy the company of wolves."

I just have this image now of the wolf of virtue split into five wolves and all five hanging their head over the edge of the boat as it swiftly pushes through the water.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:56 am

So that more or less concludes the Orsha Portage scene. Everyone got to cast spells, everyone got to see how sponting and aiming and penetration work, and everyone got a feel for what their character can do.

This has taught me that fast casting doesn't work in a PbP format. I'd like to suggest that we house rule it out, but I'd like to hear from players what you think about it.

I'd also like to give everyone the opportunity to rebuild their characters at this point if they wish. If there's something you thought you should have taken, or something you took that you now regret, you may do so. If you want to play a different character entirely, you can do that too. The point is that now you have a little experience and know a little more about what you're doing.

I'd like someone to take the Wolf of Virtue as a magical animal companion Story Flaw. I genuinely did not expect you to end up hiring the Wolf as an ally, but it's an awesome outcome and I am delighted about it. Whomever takes that virtue is the magus to whom the Wolf will come in its time of need or just whenever it gets annoyed - this gives a nice chance for some character development and an excuse to get out of the lab.

After you have rebuilt your character if you wish to, there is the matter of XP. In the winter of 1219, everyone was on an adventure in which you participated in a Tribunal event, met other magi, learned the Parma, travelled and interacted with covenfolk, fought against wolves then hired them, and bought some sheep. This adventuring season was worth 6XP. You may distribute this among any number of Abilities and Arts which you used on the adventure. You may buy new Abilities if you wish but these must be ones which the character clearly used in an on-screen way.

Since Affinity rounds up, there is a mechanical advantage to putting single points of XP into things for which you have Affinities. You put in one point and it gives you two: a pleasing rate of return.

I would encourage you to keep an XP log. It will have a first entry that goes as follows (this is just an example, your format and XP expenditure may be different.)

Winter 1219. Adventure at Orsha Portage. 6XP: 3XP in Barter, 1XP in Russian, 1XP in Creo, 1XP in Muto.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:41 pm

My suggestion is that any and all fast-casting can take place only if the conditions under which a maga will fastcast a given spell are made clear in the initial post declaring actions for that round, with the gm's first interpretation of conditionals being automatically valid. So, if a faerie lord is barrelling towards me, I can post that I will fastcadt spell A then cast spell B, and if condition C occurs then instead I will fastcast spell D. To prevent retroactive fuckery, if the GM interprets condition C as occurring, adjucates results, and moves on when the player intended something different, tough titties. Some guidelines on how complicated conditionals can be might be useful as well.

Also, I think it's only right that Orsen get the flaw.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:47 pm

Laertes: Can you explain what about fast-casting doesn't work in PbP? My impression was that there were only problems because I didn't understand how it worked - to my perception, that last one (vs the WoV) worked fine. Perhaps I'm missing something.

Korgan0: Other than your stance seeming a bit unnecessary on the player<->GM antagonism, the basic idea seems fine.

But Orsen already has a buddy story flaw!

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 4:47 pm

Nidratr has Magical Animal Companion too, which hasn't come up yet. So basically, unless Orsen already has something planned, the Wolf of Virtue could be either of their MACs.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 4:56 pm

I don't think of it as antagonism, merely a fact of the medium; having to consult a player on what exactly "if a new threat appears" means, given that we're not st the same table, would slow down the game a lot, and establishing a precedent that the gm's first call can't be challenged will, I think, avoid a lot of stalling and pointless arguments.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 5:25 pm

Alright. I'm fine with "For speed/flow purposes, GM's initial call is final on fast-casting" and then if something goes wrong figuring out how to better word conditionals or whatnot in the future.

Laertes · Post by **Laertes** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:09 pm

So. The idea that has been proposed is that a group of people head off to the village next to the covenant of xx4201337sniper420xx, including grogs and what-have-you, and see if you can negotiate with them and become friends. This sounds like an ideal situation to pull out some grogs.

Other than that, I have a planned scene that will occur after a week or so of settling-in.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:04 pm

Sounds good to me. I'd like to hear Nidratr's response to Camille's question on vermin, but I'm happy to gloss over the construction process.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:36 pm

Also, Petrus will bring his grogs and scout for vis/auras in the vicinity of thr village and the route between the covenant and the village with the party.

I can non-fatiguingly cast sight-range detect vis/aura spells outside of an aura, so it shouldn't take that long

A little aside- Petrus in Latin means rock, so I'm sure there are plenty of puns you can make.