OOC

Well, instead of the learning part of it, how about we allow the familiar to earn the full benefit of Magic Theory exposure, which makes some thematic sense for familiars.

Alright, I've reworked her a bit. I gave her Deft Intelligence (Childhood virtue) and removed Improved characteristics, moving her points around a bit. She was described as being social and intuitive, and to an adult she might well seem that way, but among her peers, she's a Know-it-All (major, Childhood personality virtue) which will evolve into some adult personality virtue (Meddler seems most apt). Deft Intelligence will morph into something else, perhaps improved characteristic, or even Great Intelligence, but that gives Jason another boost to his lab total and I wasn't necessarily going for that.

I didn't like the idea that she wasn't as smart as Jason. And she was described as being bright, so I figure that she's really smart, and she's bright, even for being a "child" and all the penalties one normally notices with children.

I've been thinking about Helena, a bit more, and how she fits into Jason's story. Eventually Jason can get his teaching score high enough to pass on Mutantum Magic, without also inflicting a flaw. To make it more interesting, I would like to have Jason's teaching of Helena remove all doubt about Jason's legitimacy in the House. So, let's say she is from a long line of Mercurian magi, and Jason unknowningly unites the Mutantum and Mercurian parts of the House into a single apprentice. Meaning, that all the other Merceris magi expected her to come out with Mercurian magic, but when they find out she has Mutantum magic, also, and it hasn't appeared in her particular branch of the family before, they will begin investigating. So Mercurian Magic will be an Inherited virtue and we will say it manifests either when Jason teaches her spells (her first ritual spell would be Chiurgeon's Healing Touch), or when Jason teaches Mutantum Magic.

One other thing I'm thinking is giving her Boundless Energy (childhood virtue) which would change to Apt Student, as Jason gives her some discipline and an academic focus throughout her apprenticeship. This would give Jason a chance to pass on other virtues (his Corpus ones) without also passing on his flaws.

Still looking for a good Hermetic Flaw that would fit her. Although I no longer need the bonus it would grant to teaching a virtue, unless I can choose when and where that bonus is applied, I think she still needs one. Difficult Longevity Ritual would be ironic and interesting. Being able to apply a bonus from the Difficult Longevity Ritual when desired would thematic to Jason spending a lot of time getting to know Helena and figure out how Hermetic Magic manifests in her and it and once he does that he finally teaches her stuff he knows. He's a Corpus expert, of course he figures out how her Difficult Longevity Ritual affects her magic and shows her some tricks around it...

How about some spontaneous magic penalties?

Weak spontaneous magic or difficult spontaneous magic might tune in well with her Mercurian magic.

Perhaps both Difficult Spontaneous Magic and Weird Magic?

Joe,
I've been boning up on my familiar powers for another saga and realize that I gave you some incorrect information, or suggested that giving Quiver Mental Communication was beyond Benoit's capabilities.

Mental Communication requires two effects, one for the familiar to contact the magus, and one for the magus to contact the familiar, it doesn't matter which one you want to put in first. The Range is always Touch¹ for familiar bond effects, and I had, I think, said that it needed to be greater than touch.  So the effect level for words is 14, 15 if you want to also be able to send images back and forth.  To do one effect in a season requires a CrMe total of 30, to do both effects in a season requires a CrMe total of 60.

Yan - I created two spells, "Eyes of the treacherous terrain" (InTe 15)and Call of the Rushing Waters (InAq 15). By 1 lab total missing i decided to experiment on the second spell and got a "major side effect" (rolled side effects, then an 8). So decide on something fun! the spell basically allows Nimrod to hear and track a body of water he has an arcane connection to.

Some various items.
I copied the Charter from Covenants and made modifications for what I could remember for Mons Merceris. You should have a link in an email from me.

Joe: Jason's LR total for Benoit is 14 (66), assuming he's assisting in the lab, too. If he isn't helping and is, say reading a book, while in Jason's presence, the LR total drops to 12 (60), but for another pawn of Corpus, which Jason can use, it can go back up to 13. Total cost of the LR is either 13 or 14: 9 or 10 pawns for the ritual and I think we had agreed upon 4 pawns for Jason to do it. Jason doesn't have to be paid in Corpus, he will take Mentem.

Celo: Jason's LR total for Nimrod is 15 (75). So, one more pawn of Corpus, Creo or Vim and Nimrod can have an LR 16!! Who wants to live for ever? Nimrod does!

Yan:
I calculate that Jason could have completed his Covenant service due Winter in 1228 in the Summer of 1228, after or around the events of Grand Tribunal, it looks like there was about 10 days of interruption, what with Jason being able to teleport. I know that we spent quite a bit of time (4 days?) traveling in the forest prior to arriving at Durenmar, and then there were a few days prior to Grand Tribunal, but I don't remember how many, and then another 3 days of Grand Tribunal. His LT for creating the Balming Bandages of +12 Healing: Base 5, R:Touch +1, D:Moon +3, T:Ind, charged item CrCo25, against a LT of 56, yields 7 bandages. If he missed as many as 15 days, his lab total would drop to 36 and would still be able to produce 3 bandages, but then there's also the lab text, so next time he could produce 12 bandages...

Jason has a Redcap season coming due in Summer 1231, which might be a really good place to do some stories related to how the new Tribunal is shaping up. If he's also able to interact with other Redcaps, it might be a spot where his Mutantum Magic becomes known, and he can shed his Illegitimate Lineage... Helena's Latin will be at 4 in Summer of 1231, so she will tag along, whether she's an NPC or not is up to the troupe.

Jon, thanks a bunch for the charter, I'm taking a look right now and will comment when I'm done.

4 days travelling in the Black Forest, 2 days before Tribunal and 3 days of Tribunal = 9 days, no problem.

Will tailor Jason's next adventure around the Redcap season, thanks for the suggestion!


Suggestions on Nimrod's Major Side Effect are welcome. I want something thematically linked to his own magic (weather/auram) or to the idea of the river (wetness, strength, fluidity...). Still thinking, Celo!