Old HRs

This is a summary of most of the House Rules we used to operate under. The ideas originating here form the basis of the new system of House Rules the game uses today

Wards

Circular Wards

A Ward is defined as a one-way barrier to keep a subject out or away and/or protect you from it. A Ward cannot be used to trap or bind a subject, this requires a different spell (or casting this one in reverse).
Wards use normal rules for Penetration, subtracting Level from Casting Total. This presumes the Ward matched the Realm or Form of the subject. If the Ward matched *both*, then do not subtract the level from casting total.
The Aegis is not a Ward, it is something far more advanced, and does not need to penetrate to have normal effect.

Personal Wards

You can create Personal Wards or enchant Amulets (or other devices) with Personal Wards, designed to either protect against a category of supernatural beings or to protect the Target from a specific sort of harm. Using a Personal Ward to protect against beings with a Might score does require Penetration; but presuming the Ward spell matches both Realm and Form, you do not have to subtract the Level from the Casting Total.

Wards against mundane substances grant a bonus to soak/resistance/ The item is kept at bay unless delivered with enough force to push past the ward. A clasic example is the Ward against Heat & Flames. Similar Wards versus other substances are possible using these same parameters: versus Cold (also Ignnem), metal weapons (terram), wood (herbam), animal claws (Animal), getting punched or touched by humans (Corpus), etceteras.

Blanket Wards:

The Columbae have exceptional Warding powers. They can create a Blanket Ward that affects a subject beings Might *or* Form, as long as the Subject is specific enough. They don’t always have to match both. For example, they can create an Animal Ward that protects against Dragons and Serpents of the Magic and Faerie and other Realms, or they can create Vim Wards against all Faerie beings. However, the drawback is that such spells must operate according to normal Penetration rules. Other magi may have this advantage when dealing with specific categories of beings. For example; Merinita magi may create Blanket Wards against various types of Faeries, Theurgists can create Wards using Vim to affect all spirits of s specific realm, or they may use Mentem against Spirits of *any* realm.


Magical Armor

PeTe to take out the weight (-1 hauberk/-2 full)
MuTe to adjust the bulk (-1/-1).
MuTe for increased durability: Base 5, +5 soak/2 magnitudes.


Character Creation

Magi:

When developing season by season, presume that the average source quality is 10. It isn’t always 10. Sometimes it is 12, 8, 5, 15, and so on. This means that the average is 40 experience points per year. If you have special Virtues and/or Flaws that affect study, for the sake of balance, try not to use they same type of source more than twice a year (on average). Your magus has enough vis to accomplish any lab activities the spend time on (familiar, talisman, etc). The amount of vis they have in hand at the start of play equals 5 + (20 – years of post gauntlet development).

Non-magi

The Average Source 10 rule still applies. This means that for average characters, they advance by 20xps per year. The Poor only have 15 xp’s per year and the Wealthy have 25. *However*, this does not kick in until you develop the character after initial creation. In other words, the 15xp/year limit still applies for initial development, up until age 20 (for a total of 225xps). This revises my earlier ad-hoc ruling, because I don’t want to disrupt the entire initial generation system..

Grogs

They have the standard +/-3 limit for Virtues and Flaws, and Custos may have up to +/- 10. However, those who take the Custos social status must also take Vow and Warrior (or Educated) at no additional cost. Custos are each offered Longevity. Oddly enough, most choose not to take the offer, and instead opt to age naturally and retire as village elders. Those that do thus become valuable investments of time and vis, and are well cared for. A long lived grog often attains the rank of a “Turb Sergeant” (though the Andorran Guard would have a better term I am sure).

Familiars

If they have a Might Score, then they gain XP according to the method outlined in RoP-Magic. They don't have to be beasts of virtue, but I don't think that matters one way or another. I do believe they should have Magic Might.

I propose this as a House Rule. The advancement guidelines in RoP-Magic actually contradict the rules for Familiars in the core RAW. My HR idea is that a Familiar can learn at the normal rate, but *only* when it involes their magus (being taught by him, reading her book, adventuring at their side, etc). Independant study is otherwise restricted.

Magical creatures

The following new quality is available:
Chimera (Minor Supernatural Virtue/Minor Magic Quality)
The beast is a combination of two or more creatures, such as a Griffon (lion & eagle) or an Owlbear (bear & owl). Design the beast as if it were the Primary creature, but combining the Natural Qualities of both. As a finishing touch, add +1 to a Physical Characteristic. There is no disguising that the creature is supernatural, and may cause fear amongst mundanes.


Virtues and Flaws

I have created some new Virtues and Flaws, and I am open to players creative ideas as well. I prefer New ones instead of Modified ones (taking an existing Virtue, altering it, and slapping a new name on it counts as New, because the old Virtue is still available to others in an unmodified form). I also hold true to the distinction between “Cannot” and “Should Not”, especially where they pertain to the sorts of Virtues and Flaws you may choose. This means you can have more than one Story Flaw and more than two Personality Flaws. However, keep in mind that these should all still work together logically. For example, Black Sheep and Close Family Ties makes for an interesting combination if carefully considered. Your family shuns you, but your cousin still loves you and you will move Heaven and Earth to protect her.

XP-boosting virtues

If you take the Virtues of Apt Student &/or Book Learner, you may benefit from them during post gauntlet development. This has already been established. But I want to reign in the effects a slight tad and balance them together.
So…
During a five year block of Advancement during character generation (200xp), you can take advantage of Apt Student (+5xp) 6 times, and you can benefit from Book Learner (+3xp) 10 times. Thus, either virtue provides a bonus of +30xp every 5 years.
The same applies for Independent Study, in the abstract of bulk development it provides an average of +30xp every five years.

The Rationale: Apt Student requires a Teacher, which is not as easily available as a Book. The allowance of six is generous and presumes you are playing to your strengths.


Spells

Seventh Magnitude

It takes a spell of the 7th Magnitude or higher to cause Warping. The seventh magnitude is also considered an important milestone amongst magi. Archmagi will not consider a challenge from a magus unless he has invented at least one spell or enchantment of the 7th magnitude or higher.

Healing Spells

The Guideline of “Base 15 – Heal Light Wound” shall read “Base 15 – Improve one level”, “Base 20 – Heal Heal Medium Wound” shall read “Base 20 – Improve two levels”, etceteras. The Guideline of “Base 25 – Improve all Wounds one level” shall be interpreted as “Base 15 – Improve one level, +2 Group”.


Abilities

Special Mastery Ability - Improved Flexibility :

This can only be taken by characters with the Flexible Formulaic Magic Virtue, as it enhances what you are able to do with it. Each time you choose this Mastery Ability, you may select one of the following Improvements…

  • Internal Flexibility: Choose an Internal Parameter of the spell; such the amount of material it creates, the size of the target, the magnitude of effect, or etceteras. You can Flex this parameter by plus or minus one magnitude, just as you can with the external parameters (Range, Duration, & Target). You can choose this multiple times for different internal parameters.
  • Ritual Flexibility: You can Flex a Ritual spell, which incurs a penalty of two additional botch dice. There are limits to this I have not considered yet.

Additional Flexibility: You can Flex two different Parameters at the same time.

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