Character Generation House Rules

Recommended Reference

I recommend that new players take a look at "Creating a Magus Character" by Ken Kofman.

Required Character Information

• "Profession", e.g. archer, Terram mage, physician etc.
• Looks and behaviour
• Personality
• Short character history
• Short term goals
• Long term goals

Virtues and Flaws

• Companions and Magi may take more than 10 points of virtues, if the character background warrants it. However, each virtue point above 10 must be balanced with two flaw points. Moreover, all the extra flaw points must come from the same flaw. Exempli Gratia: MacMagus has 13 virtue points, due to some imaginative background. MacMagus therefore must have 16 flaw points (10 "ordinary" virtue points cost 10 flaw points, and the 3 extra virtue points cost two flaw points each). Moreover, MacMagus must have at least one flaw that is -6 or worse.
• The Cyclic Magic virtue works as in 3rd edition: each virtue point buys you +2 at the high point of the cycle and -2 at the low point. Cyclic magic does not affect studying from books, although it does affect other laboratory activities.
• The virtue "Extra spells" is renamed to "Generous Master". In addition to the extra 10 spell levels, it also raises the maximum level limit (see above item) by five.
• The stress roll described in the "Fury" -3 flaw is in fact a concentration roll (Int + Concentration stress roll), with the results interpreted as follows:

  Roll	Result
  Botch	Homicidal berserker rage. Frothing at the mouth, you try to kill everyone around you.
  0 - 2	Driven beyond the limit, you attack the offender using any and all means at your disposal, with intent to kill.
  3 - 5	Enraged beyond words, you attack the offender, with intent to beat the hell out of him, but not to kill.
  6 - 8	You are enraged, and start shouting insults at the offender.
  9 - 11	You barely manage to regain your composure, but you are visibly angered and your face is flushed red. Your speech carries an undertone of barely controlled rage.
  12 - 14	You are angered by the offending behaviour, but manage to control yourself with only a moment of composure lost.
  15 -	Not a muscle moves on your countenance.

  Although the roll is required, you may reduce the result if you wish, though not below zero (in other words, if you want to get angry, well, it's not hard). The following factors affect the roll:

  • Clear Thinker: +3
  • Offender is of different social class: -3 to +3 depending on difference.
  • Enraged action is clearly directly suicidal: +3
• New Hermetic +2 virtue: "Liberal Master". Your master had a superb library, and let you study what you wanted. You may freely design you initial spells (though you must still be able to learn them).

Maximum Spell Level

You may have at most level 35 spells when out of apprenticeship. (Note that the limit is not quite arbitrary; it is the maximum spell level a non-minmaxed specialist can reasonably attain. The limit should probably be lower, but my players would revolt.)

Spell Availability

Only spells in the core rulebook and Wizard's Grimoire (4th ed.) are available to beginning magi. The only exception is the Master's Thesis spell (see below).

Master's Thesis Spell

You must design one of your initial spells yourself, all others must be chosen from the ones in the rulebook. The spell is the equivalent of a Master's Thesis, so it must be something you could develop with your current lab total in one year. The spell must also fit the personality and interests of the character. Particularly adept spells (useful and imaginative) will give you a +1 positive reputation in your tribunal, and particularly inept spells (useless, or minor variations of existing spells) will give you a +1 negative reputation in your tribunal. Usually this spell is designed by modifying an existing spell in a nontrivial way, making it either more useful or useful in a different way. This kind of design does not yield a reputation.

Extortion of Potential New Members

Because new magi must be accepted by all full members of the covenant, the existing members may blackmail the would-be member, demanding vis or favors for their vote. While this practice is perfectly acceptable, it would be inconvenient if the only in-character reasonable decision for the potential member would be to find another covenant. The required bribes are therefore subject to an upper limit, set on a case-by-case basis by the Storyguide. Basically, all magi want the new magus to join, and will not demand more than they think he is willing to pay. Also, requring a bribe will not create a good relation with the new member - who may one day be in a position to save your life. Beware.