Labratory Assistants gain a practice roll in Magic Theory. Note that labratory assistants must either have the full Gift, or an exceptional ability such as Alchemy, Herbalism, Magic Sensitivity, and such. Labratory assistants add their Intelligence + Magic Theory (minimum of +1) to the labratory total of the Magi they are assisting. A Magi can have at most their Presence + Leadership in labratory assistants with a minimum of one assistant in any case.
A Creo Corpus spell with a Mentem requisite of level 50 can create a humanoid. Such a creature is not intelligent, but has a cunning score equal to the casters Finesse - 4, with a maximum cunning of +3. Such creatures cannot pass for humans for long and are soulless. Such creatures can never be duration: instant, but at most can be made having a permenant duration.
| Cunning | Description | Example |
| -4 | Puppet | Creator must concentrate for every action the creature makes. The controller stands motionless. |
| -3 | Mindless | Creator must concentrate in order for creature to act, but can do other simple actions with concentration rolls. |
| -2 | Moronic | Can follow simple commands, one at a time. Example: "Walk to the man. Hit the man. Hit the man again." |
| -1 | Dim | Can be given multiple simple commands. Example: "Walk to the man and then hit him until I say to stop." |
| 0 | Adequate | Can be given complex commands. Example: "Stop him from stealing the vis!" |
| +1 | Clever | Can be given simple standing orders. Example: "Attack anyone who enters this room." |
| +2 | Crafty | Can be given complex standing orders. Example: "Patrol the covenant and confront all strangers." |
| +3 | Bright | Can operate independently on a given agenda. Example: "It is your duty to protect the covenant and its members." |
Cunning replaces Intelligence in certain instances, but is hardly a replacement for it. Creatures having cunning scores may have spirits but never have immortal souls. Such creatures are incapable of planning ahead but live in a day to day existance. In creatures with high cunning scores, the lack of a soul may be a torment as they cannot understand the people around them.
Bjornaer with the will-over-form ability can learn additional shapes and forms. This uses the special rules posted at www.durenmar.de for Bjornaer.
Shape changing to a bird does not have an Auram requisite. Shape changing to a cloud or into mist does require an Auram requisite. Shape changing to a fish does not require an Aquam requisite. Shape changing to a puddle does require an Aquam requisite. However, if the animal in question has significant (storyteller determined) supernatural powers, this may require additional forms. For example, shapeshifting into a dragon could require additional requisates.
See page 192 in the Ars Magica 4th Edition rulebook for the complete description of standard use of confidence.
Our saga also chooses to incorporate a limited version of the 2nd and 3rd edition rules. We allow a character to say, before he rolls any stress die, to use a confidence point to get a re-roll if the roll is a possible botch. If his re-roll indicated a possible botch, then that character rolls for a botch as per the normal Ars Magica rules.
Spell mastery has additional bonus effects beyond the effects listed in the Ars Magica rulebook. If casting one mastered spell in the spell phase, the caster always rolls simple die. The caster can also cast multiple spells simultaneously on the spell phase. The caster must exceed a difficulty of 9+(number of spells attempted) on an Intelligence plus Finesse stress roll. These two special abilities are the same as those listed in the rulebook.
In addition, a mastered spell can be fast cast on the movement, missile, or melee phase. Only one spell can be cast and a stress die is always used. There is a penalty to the spell casting total depending on what phase the spell is cast on. For spells cast during movement, there is a 10-point penalty. For spells cast during missiles, there is a 5-point penalty. There is no penalty for casting a mastered spell on the melee phase. All fast casting uses a stress die.
Vis may be created as per the Ars Magica rulebook. The pawns of vis are laboratory total divided by 5, not laboratory total divided by 10 as in the rulebook. The only vis that can be created is Vim vis.
Magi that invent a spell, enchant an item, or otherwise invent something new gain 1 experience point in magic theory. Magi that use a grimoire to learn a spell, use a laboratory text to enchant an item, or study raw vis for a hermetic art to not gain this experience point.
When studying from a book the reader gets a practice roll in concentration. This does not include studying from a grimoire to learn spells or using laboratory texts to enchant items.
When copying or writing a book the scribe gets a practice roll to improve the scribe skill used, typically Latin.
Non-Magi scribing books are required to make an Intelligence + Magic Theory roll of six or higher every season they scribe a book. Failing this roll subtracts 9 from the quality of the book. This includes all scribing activities such as copying, glossing, etc. If a Magi supervises the non-Magi scribes no roll is required, but the Magi must spend the whole season assisting them. A Magus can supervise one plus his leadership ability in scribes per season.
When a character teaches another and had a relevant teaching skill the teacher can get a practice roll on the skill used. The teaching skills are Disputio, and Lectio. In order to gain the practice roll the character must have the ability at a one or higher.
There are four main smith skills. Each of them is a seperate skill with its own specialities, detailed as following.
There are also four main skills dealing with clothing. Each is a seperate skill. Clothing is a very expensive commodity in the middle ages. A common gift of nobles to their servants was a suit of new clothes once a year. The cost of the clothes was more expensive then the servants wages.
Most construction calls for a lot of unskilled and semi-skilled labor. Very few actually know the arts of their trade. There are notable exceptions to this amongst those that build castles, cathedrals, and canals. For the semi-skilled laborer, there is only one craft skill needed. That skill is:
This humble skill does have it uses. Experienced laborers can carry more. They add their Craft: Laborer to their strength for encumbrance purposes except for armor penalties. They may also add their Craft: Laborer to any work related fatigue roles.
In the middles ages, the design of large projects was up to the architect and carried out by master masons employing skilled craftsmen and unskilled labor. There were a number of different styles such as Romanesque, Gothic, Norse, Arabic, and Byzantine. The ancient world also knows Greaco-Roman, Persian, Egyptian, and Celtic styles. In order to know ancient styles, the architect must have Artes Liberalis of at least 3 or more.
Most large structures of the day were made from quarried stone, although earthworks such as dikes and canals were known. Large wooden structures other than palisades were rare outside of Scandinavia and Novgorod. Master Architects were familiar with a number of projects and were not as specialized as the civil engineers of today. The skill used for architecture is Craft: Architect. Most architects started their careers as laborers, masons, and carpenters.
Some players may start with magi that are not straight out of their gauntlet. These magi use the following rules to reflect their studies and adventures before their introduction into the saga. These advanced magi gain the following:
An advanced Magus can trade off these experience points in Hermetic Arts and Levels of Spells as the following:
Advanced magi cannot trade the 2 XP in abilities for spells or hermetic arts. If the player cannot think of what they would have gained that year, he should put the XP into Magic Theory. A sample year of the magi could be:
Advanced Magi also gain 4 XP per year in casual knowledge abilities, up to a maximum score of 4. This reflects learning the local language, knowing the area, and local Hermetic, Noble, or Church politics. The Magi must have Storyteller approval of all such XP used.