Ars Magica Expanded Notes
Computing Combat Stats
An at-a-glance formula sheet for combat
INIT : Dex + Weapon Init - Enc + stress
ATK : Dex + Weapon Skill + Weapon Atk + Stress
DEF : Dex + Weapon Skill + Weapon Def. + Stress
DAM : Str + Weapon Dam + Atk Bonus
SOAK = Str + Armor
Character Experience Points
Taken from a previous e-mail clarifying experience point gain:
Each character should be receiving XP every season in some form. There are multiple sources of XP, and you receive XP from all of them that apply to your character. These are:
- Standard XP: How much you receive depends on what you're doing that season, and it can be basically broken down into two types of seasonal work: a) Working season; b) Personal season. See below for detailed explanation.
- Adventure XP: If your character goes on an adventure, he or she receives xp that may be spent on any skills or Arts used. Adventure XP can be earned in either a Working or Personal season.
- Correspondence XP: Literate characters (all magi at least) can engage in useful correspondence with people around Europe. See below for detailed explanation.
- House Ruled XP: I also give extra xp in Languages and Area Lore to represent the slow accumulation of knowledge while you live in an area. See below for detailed explanation.
Standard XP
Working Season
Any season you're doing something that doesn't have a Study Total for what it is you're doing. Enchanting an item, writing a book, tilling the fields, training grogs, traveling to Constantinople, etc. For any working season, you receive 2 xp in a skill (or Art, for magi) in whatever it is you're doing.
For example, in the season you're enchanting plows, you would receive 2 xp in Magic Theory, Rego, or Terram. If you're writing a book, you would receive 2 xp in Concentration or Profession Scribe. If you're teaching a student you would receive 2 xp in Teaching or whatever subject you're teaching. Godwin needs to spend 2 seasons going around Europe selling his "relics" to maintain his Merchant social class. In those seasons, he earns 2 xp in Bargain, Area Lore, languages, Guile, etc.
NOTE: Non-magi owe 2 seasons of "work" per year to maintain their station. The Wealth virtue reduces this to 1 season of work per year while the Poor flaw increases this to 3 seasons per year. Characters directly supported by the covenant (magi or most companions) cannot have either Wealthy or Poor, and no characters currently have either in any case.
Personal Season
This is any season where you're doing something that generates a Study Total. This is reading a book, studying from raw vis, practicing a skill or spell, or receiving teaching or training. You receive the xp generated from the Study Total. (Some characters are especially good at Teaching; Franklin the translator is very busy in 1221 because of this.) See the Long-Term Events chapter starting on p. 163 for explanations of this.
Adventure XP
XP earned on adventures should be spent on anything that the character would have practiced, used, or could conceivably have learn while on the adventure. During the Irish mission, for example, Stealth, Area Lore, Speak Irish Gaelic, Infernal Lore, Faerie Lore, or Athletics are all good places to sink points into.
Correspondence XP
Literate characters can write letters to others of their social class. Magi can write to other magi, nobles can write to other nobles, academics write to other academics, etc. Each season you decide to engage in letter writing, you earn 1 xp in a given skill or Art -- though it has to be something that can reasonably be discussed via letters. (Magic Theory is fine, but Single Weapon is not.) This takes no appreciable time during the season, so there is no reason for magi to not do it. Some companions and grogs can engage in correspondence, but they must be both literate and have the Social virtue to explain what group they're writing to.
If the character belongs to multiple social classes (say, Adria and Geoffrey who are both magi and nobles), they may correspond with either class. If a character develops a relationship with a specific member of another social class (during adventures, most likely), then you may correspond with those.
Magi can correspond with their parens and any member of their former covenant at the very least. Some Houses are more social and will invite or initiate correspondence with new members they hear about through the Redcap gossip network. If you get into trouble, expect a Quaesitor to write or visit.
House Rule XP
The reason for both these house rules is to get everyone eventually speaking common languages and to know the area around the covenant. Frequently in Ars Magica sagas, magi will live in an area for 10 years but somehow never know anything about the area despite going out frequently to deal with ghosts, collect vis, deal with nobles and the Church. Or not know the language of the locals, despite having to deal with them every day to get things done. This way, you don't have to spend valuable xp just to get basic familiarity, but still leaves specialists as valuable.
Slow Language Exposure
Every season you spend in a given region, you receive 1 xp in a language used in that area. Because of Nova Semitae's position on the English-Welsh border and its unique population of jews, characters can receive xp in Middle English, Welsh, or Medieval Hebrew. Some can gain xp in Norman French if they deal with nobles, though very few can claim that. This xp stops once you hit Speak (Language) 4, or 50xp. This gets you in a decent, workable state with that language, but any further fluency requires effort. (As mentioned yesterday, Chieko is probably a Speak English 4 speaker. You can do most daily business, but some idioms and expressions will go by.)
Slow Area Lore Exposure
Every year, at the start of the Winter season, all characters receive 2 xp in Area Lore (Melverley/Nova Semitae). This represents increasing awareness of the villages, landmarks, vis sites, etc. around the covenant. For someone who wanders (like Godwin), this would be Area Lore (England) or Area Lore (Wales), because he "lives" in the general area, and not so much a specific area. This bonus xp stops when you've reached Area Lore 2, or 15xp. Further advancement requires effort.