See the house rule from the Aerie of the Spirit's Breath Saga.
Enigmatic Wisdom (+1)This virtue gives you the Arcane Knowledge Enigmatic Wisdom with a starting score of 1. Normally, only a member of House Criamon may start the game with this virtue. The rules for using Enigmatic Wisdom have been expanded here.
Faerie Magic (+1)This virtue gives you the Arcane Skill Faerie Magic with a starting score of 1 (as in the ArM4 rulebook). Normally, only a member of House Merinita may start the game with this virtue. The rules for using Faerie Magic have been overhauled here.
Hermetic Prestige (variable)These rules replace the canon virtue Hermetic Prestige (+1).
Magi usually spend fifteen years or more together with their masters. The influence of the teacher during these important years has a great impact on the personality of the apprentice, for good or bad. Other magi will therefore judge young magi by the reputation of their masters, until they are strong and experienced enough to build their own reputations.
The Hermetic Prestige score works like a Reputation within the Order, except that it never increases or decreases. When a magus gains another, independant Reputation with a score higher than his Hermetic Prestige virtue, he is finally judged on his own merits.
It's also possible to use the score as a bonus to social activities with other magi (e.g., add the score to your rolls when trying to Charm other magi at tribunals).
| Cost | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | Trained by an average master, without any special reputation. |
| +1 | Trained by a well-respected master, known for his wisdom, a single invention or some special talent. |
| +2 | Trained by a well-known and very respected master. |
| +3 | Trained by an arch-mage or the elder of your line (a founder or a close descendant to a founder of a lineage or a lesser house). |
| +4 | Trained by a legendary master, who either is the elder of your line or only three or four generations from the founder of a noble house. |
See the original house rule from the Thorendon saga for a more elaborated description of the different virtue levels.
Seer (+4)See the house rule from the Aerie of the Spirit's Breath Saga.
These rules replace the following virtues and flaws: Hedge Wizard (-1), Infamous Master (-1) and Discredited Lineage (-2). See the rules for the virtue of the same name.
| Cost | Description |
|---|---|
| -1 | Trained by a master, disrespected in the order (perhaps a hedge wizard or a bumbler) and perhaps known as a trouble-maker. |
| -2 | Trained by a master who was an hermetic criminal, orphaned from his house or perhaps even marched. |
The virtues and flaws in this section are only available if the character also takes one of the Faerie Blood or Strong Faerie Blood virtues.
Characters with this virtue can purchase the arcane knowledge Faerie Lore, even if they are normally restricted from purchasing it. They also have natural longevity. Treat this virtue as having a 5-point Longevity Potion or Longevity Potion bonus. All aging rolls are done with a simple die instead of the normal stress die. Characters with this virtue only increase apparent age if the aging roll is equal to or greater than the character's apparent age divided by 10 (rounded down) plus two. They start rolling for apparent age at the age of 10. They also get +3 to all natural resistance rolls for those spells that they want to resist.
There are two variants of this virtue with extra capabilities:
- Goblin Blood (+1):
Presence and Communication may not be higher than 0. You can see in the dark, as if it were twilight (you get the virtue Faerie Eyes (+1) for free).
- Sidhe Blood (+2):
Add +1 to your Presence, even if the new total is higher than +3.
In some exceptional mortals, the faerie blood runs especially strong and pure and you are one of them. Your blood does not look like normal human blood; it might e.g. be black ichor or white wine (be creative). This virtue includes all the effects of the virtue Faerie Blood (choose one of the variants) and you also get the following virtues and flaws for free: +1 Faerie Eyes, +1 Faerie Sight, -2 Minor Discomfort from Iron. In addition, all other faerie virtues cost one point less than normal (though not less than one point) and the flaw Vulnerability to Iron only counts as a -1 flaw. Characters with Strong Faerie Blood have natural longevity. Treat this virtue as having a 15-point Longevity Potion or Longevity Potion bonus. All aging rolls are done with a simple die instead of the normal stress die. Characters with this virtue only increase apparent age if the aging roll is equal to or greater than the character«s apparent age divided by 10 (rounded down) plus two. They start rolling for apparent age from 10 onwards.
Pick one of the following variants of Faerie Blood:
- Strong Goblin Blood (+2)
- Strong Sidhe Blood (+3)
Faerie Eyes (+1)See Faeries 2, page 133.
Glamour, Lesser (+2)See Faeries 2, page 133.
Faerie Affinity (+3)See Faeries 2, page 134.
Flight, Lesser (+3)See Faeries 2, page 134.
Healing (+3)Disallowed as written in Faeries 2, page 134. A modified version may be allowed.
See Faeries 2, page 135.
Strong Faerie Nature (-1)You have a very strong faerie nature. Use the faerie power column in the Realm Interaction Table (ArM4 page 239) for all supernatural abilities and powers, including supernatural virtues & flaws and hermetic magic (both casting spells and laboratory work). This means that a magic aura now only gives half the aura rating as a bonus for hermetic magic, while a faerie aura actually gives the full aura rating as a bonus.
Minor Discomfort from Iron (-2)You are uncomfortable touching things made from mortal iron. Touching cold iron will not harm you, but you will experience mild nausea, headache or ringing in your ears (feel free to invent your own symptom). You suffer a -3 penalty to any action while directly touching iron and you will also have to make stress rolls instead of simple rolls.
Vulnerability to Iron (-3)The touch of cold iron burns your skin as if it were red hot. You take no actual damage from just touching iron, but it hurts a lot and you experience nausea, headache or ringing in your ears (feel free to invent your own symptom). You are unable to concentrate or to perform any action (except escaping or avoiding the iron) while directly touching iron. In addition, when cold iron is at close range, you always have to make stress rolls instead of simple rolls. All iron weapons do an additional +2 damage to you and in extreme cases, wounds inflicted by iron never heal properly (gain one decrepitude point or the flaw Enfeebled).
Vulnerability to the Dominion (-4)The touch of holy relics (including crucifixes and bibles) and holy water hurts and may actually burn your skin if the contact is sustained for more than a couple of seconds. Entering a church or approaching sacred items causes you major discomfort and illness. A Stamina roll equal to or greater than the divine aura rating is required if you actually want to do something while standing on holy ground. You will also have to make stress rolls instead of simple rolls when performing any action in a divine aura. Suspicious people may think you are demonic, since entering a church causes you such obvious discomfort. Any magus with this flaw who is using hermetic magic in a divine aura suffers a penalty equal to double the divine aura rating (faerie magic counts as a faerie power and always receives a penalty equal to double the rating of the divine aura).
[PENDING]
These virtues are disallowed.
You never make Simple or Quality dice-rolls. All rolls are Stress-rolls. A Simple or Quality die roll becomes a Stress-roll with as many botch dice as the value of the Flaw. Stress-rolls have the value of the Flaw as extra botch dice.
The house rules on this page are based on the house rules of the following sagas: