Path of Mercury: Can you carry things with you?

[Alucard]

As for far as I'm aware, the rules don't mention carrying things, but I assume you don't teleport naked, so the spell works on things other than you. What should the limits be then? Anything you can comfortably carry (connect it to your strength rating)?

If you use this to teleport into a bank vault, can you stuff a bag full of gold bars and teleport out with that?

Can you escape the burning house with the damsel in distress in your arms?

[Black Fox]

V20 Rites of the Blood (where this is called the Path of Praapti) says a single success teleports the sorcerer's nude body, and each subsequent success an additional 20 pounds. So at even a lot of successes, it's fairly limited what can be taken with you.

Even if you choose not to go with this strictly, it's probably a good idea to use nude body as a starting point with one success, and increasing the scale for each subsequent success. I personally don't think it should be used to carry out a lot of additional weight, so I'd keep it fairly limited.

[Vamps Like Us]

20 pounds and you have all your cloths shoes and wallet easy, so basically 2 successes to not be inconvenienced.

[Matt the Bruins fan]

People who walk around with an armory stuffed into their trenchoats might run into some inconveniences though. I don't think they make lightweight assault rifles and ammo bandoliers.

[Alucard]

V20 Rites of the Blood (where this is called the Path of Praapti) says a single success teleports the sorcerer's nude body, and each subsequent success an additional 20 pounds. So at even a lot of successes, it's fairly limited what can be taken with you.

Even if you choose not to go with this strictly, it's probably a good idea to use nude body as a starting point with one success, and increasing the scale for each subsequent success. I personally don't think it should be used to carry out a lot of additional weight, so I'd keep it fairly limited.

I don't really like this mechanic. As the V20 book in it's introduction to thaumaturgy says "Only one success is needed to invoke a path’s effect. Path levels, not successes, govern the power of blood magic." There should be a definite limit that doesn't depend on the dice beyond rolling a success. Like "You can only carry a weight equal to yours." or "For every path dot you can carry 20kg" etc.

[Theodrim]

I don't really like this mechanic. As the V20 book in it's introduction to thaumaturgy says "Only one success is needed to invoke a path’s effect. Path levels, not successes, govern the power of blood magic." There should be a definite limit that doesn't depend on the dice beyond rolling a success. Like "You can only carry a weight equal to yours." or "For every path dot you can carry 20kg" etc.

That's...how most paths and rituals work, you know. You get the base effect with a singular success, and with Mercury/Praapti that's exactly what you get.

Additional successes net you additional effect. Cauldron of Blood still automatically kills mortals and ghouls (without Fortitude) on a single success; additional successes merely net additional aggravated damage. Even LotF isn't immune to this, considering number of successes govern the accuracy of the summoned flames.

[MyWifeIsScary]

Since Protean takes the vampires clothes and small items with them for powers 3+, and diablerie ashes clothes (i think?) I assume most powers of a magical nature would take the vampire's clothes.

People who walk around with an armory stuffed into their trenchoats might run into some inconveniences though. I don't think they make lightweight assault rifles and ammo bandoliers.

Modern weapons aren't actually so heavy. A quick lookup: A loaded m16 is only 3.40kg , or 7.5lb. each 30 round mag is around .5 kg, or around a pound. It'd be difficult to run around with the arsenal of Serious Sam, but a practical setup is more than workable. Oh, and if we wanna get medieval, a full set of plate armour is generally less than 15 kg, swords, outside of greatswords, aren't looking to be more than 2 kg.