Hermetic Mage Writeup

I've written up the Hermetic Mage in the standard class template that's used in D&D, 3rd edition. Contents:

	General
	Game Rule Information
	Class Skills
	Class Features
	House Specializations
	Class Progression

General

Adventures: Hermetic magi are powerful allies and fearsome foes. Their use of spontaneous magic makes them flexible and adaptable. Their portfolios of formulaic and ritual spells make them devastating and imposing.

Characteristics: Magi are generally scholarly students of magic (though the tendency toward scholarliness varies by House).

Their main ability is casting spells. These spells come in three flavors: spontaneous, formulaic, and ritual (really a subtype of formulaic). Each one of these has its own challenges and mechanics.

Hermetic magi are also masters of the laboratory. They can use their knowledge of magic theory to develop magical items, enchant familiars, or other arcane activities of study.

Alignment: Hermetic magi can be of any alignment. Flambeau will tend to be more chaotic. Members of House Quaesitoris and House Tremere will tend toward law.

Religion: Hermetic magi will have religious attitudes much like any other citizen. The Church, and its sphere of control, the Dominion, does have a negative effect on Hermetic magic, so many magi eschew the church and its holdings. Members of the House Jerbiton may be more religious, due to their historically close relationship with the Church and nobility.

Background: Hermetic magi trace their power to the formalization of magical theory around the 8^th century, and before that back to the Cult of Mercury in ancient Rome. Some trace it even farther back to Greece or Egypt.

The Hermetic magi are a very cohesive group, organized into Houses, of which there are a dozen (see House Specializations, below). The Houses have their own specialties, political agendas, areas of focus and interest, and unique roles (see the ArM rulebook for more details).

The Hermetic magi are bound to a set of laws called the Hermetic Code and also the “Peripheral Code,” a set of rulings based on precedent and decisions made by Hermetic courts.

A Hermetic mage is a rare thing. Keep in mind that in all the Mythic Europe setting only 713 members of the Order with The Gift exist. You should both create and play your mage with this in mind.

A new Hermetic mage is assumed to have been trough magical training. In the tradition of the Order, this takes the form of a 15-year apprenticeship. Generally, the apprenticeship will start anywhere from age seven to 17, thus making the mage age 22 to 32 at start.

Races: Hermetic magi are almost always human. Rarely they may have some Fey blood.

Other Classes: Magi work closely with other classes. Indeed, they rely on them (often terming these “companions”) for protection or to supplement their narrow academic skills.

Game Rule Information

Abilities: Intelligence is a key ability for Hermetic magi. It adds to their spontaneous magic spellcasting rolls and laboratory totals. It is used to calculate skill points earned per level, key to a Magus’ ability to progress in their Arts. Constitution is also essential, adding to their formulaic and ritual spellcasting rolls. Typically, magi avoid wearing armor because it encumbers them and reduces their spellcasting rolls.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d4

Class Skills

The Hermetic Magus’ class skills are: Parma Magica, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Speak Language, Certámen, Finesse, Form, Technique, Penetration, Concentration, Speak Language, Craft (scribework).

Skill points at first level: (8 + Int modifier) × 4.

Skill points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier [Note 4]

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Magi are proficient with simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type or armor or with shields.

The Gift: A Hermetic magus automatically starts with the feat The Gift. This represents the character's inborn ability to manipulate magic.

The Arts: Because of the gift, and their apprenticeship in the Hermetic ways, a starting mage purchases skill ranks in the Arts. Forms represent the types of materials or essences that at mage can alter, and the Techniques represent the ways of manipulating those forms. A beginning magus can choose to concentrate on a few Forms and Techniques, or they can become a generalist by spreading their points between many Arts. [Note 2]

Spells: Hermetic magi are master spellcasters. For "formulaic" spells (named spells with well-understood effects and casting incantations and procedures), the mage must have learned the spell order to cast it (optionally, they can cast an unfamiliar spell from a text). Starting magi can select 40 levels of formulaic (and ritual) spells. Initially, spells of a level greater than your (Technique + Form + Int bonus + 20) may not be learned. At the DM's option, you may craft unique spells to start out with. At each subsequent level, the mage may select another 40 levels of formulaic spells. [Note 12]

Laboratory: Hermetic magi can accomplish all manner of magical feats in their laboratories. Laboratory work can include studying spells, inventing spells, creating magic items or talismans, etc. Details forthcoming.

Familiar: A Hermetic magi can spend time in the laboratory to enchant a familiar. Details forthcoming.

Bonus Feats: Hermetic magi get bonus feats at levels divisible by 5. These bonus feats must be Hermetic Feats.

Notes:

House Specializations

Every Hermetic magus must choose a specialist house. The twelve Houses or Hermes are Bjornaer, Bonisagus, Criamon, Ex Miscellanea, Flambeau, Jerbiton, Mercere, Merinita, Quaesitoris, Tremere, Tytalus, Verditius. Each of these comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. These are presented like "starting packages" in the D&D rules. [Note 3]

For each house, a number of items are listed:

Starting Skills: The starting character must spend some of his or her skill points to purchase the listed skills and the listed ranks. The cost for these skills is listed after the heading under each house.

Required Feats: The starting character must purchase the listed feat with an initial feat slot.

Limitations: The player generating a character for a house with limitations must adhere to these limitations as part of play. Some are simple rules, others will require role playing.

Bjornaer

Starting Skills (cost: 9)

Required Feats

Limitations

Bonisagus

Starting Skills (cost: 10)

Required Feats

Criamon

Starting Skills (cost: 10)

Required Feats

Ex Miscellanea

Starting Skills (cost: 8)

Required Feats

Flambaeu

Starting Skills (cost: 8)

Required Feats

Jerbiton

Starting Skills (cost: 10)

Required Feats

Mercere

Not all Members of Mercere have the feat The Gift. The following refer only to those with The Gift (hence making them Hermetic Mages, versus some other class).

Starting Skills (cost: 9)

Required Feats

Merinita

Starting Skills (cost: 10)

Required Feats

Quaesitoris

Starting Skills (cost: 11)

Required Feats

Tremere

Starting Skills (cost: 13)

Required Feats

Limitations

Tytalus

Starting Skills (cost: 11)

Required Feats

Verditius

Starting Skills (cost: 11)

Required Feats

Limitations

Class Progression

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