The Investiture Yantra (+ 1/2 Mystery Cult Initiation rounded up) seems to push service cults. What is a service cult? Any cult that gives the mage (most) of the following merits: Broad Dedication (*), Profligate Dedication (**), Shadow Name (***) and Theme Cabal (*). The remaining *** can by anything (though resources or professional training might fit).
How it works. Profligate Dedication allows for up to three dedicated tools. Broad Dedications allows for the selection of Investiture, Shadow Name, and Mundras as dedicated tools. With Mundrasa character can cast a rote with a bonus of up to 6 dice (depending on if you exempt the rote specialty die for the +5 dice limit) at -2 paradox. The same can be done with a shadow name (though with a couple less dice). By taking just a little longer the mage can cast with either Mundras+ Shadow Name or Shadow Name + Investiture. In either case, you get a bunch of dice (though some are virtual to be used to offset penalties), -3 paradox and can negate the paradox chance roll (meaning that there is not a cumulative +1 to paradox).
What this would tend to do is increase the value of praxis over rotes. Sure a rote might give you +5 (or +6 if you count the specialty) dice, but a Shadow Name can give +4. It also means a mage can throw a fireball down main street if the mage is willing to take the wisdom hit for doing it.
One issue I can see with service cults is it's a bit hard to cheese control them. The cult is giving the mage a way to work around paradox at the same time non-mage members are getting paradox free powers. The cult is also giving a mage a shadow name to use, which kind of fits the esoteric cult theme.
This could also be combined with the Nameless Order rules. For example:
The Order of Hermes (ArM5 version).
The Order of Hermes grew out of a gathering of nameless mages in Western Europe during the early Dark Ages. To hear the Order tell it, the Order of Hermes was the premiere organization of Mages in Europe from its founding to the Renaissance. The Guardians of the Veil insist that the Order grew out of repurposing of an almost forgotten Roman Era Guardian Labyrinth organization known as the Cult of Mercury. For their part, the Order claims that, regardless of any supernal blueprint, the modern Diamond orders only formed as a result of the Protestant Reformation and European Wars of Religion.
Today, the Order is largely extinct in Europe. The organization suffered a substantial blow during the bubonic plague as many of it's older and more powerful, members passed away. What remained was soon torn to pieces as the Order's mages became caught in the violence accompanying the Reformation. Members of today's order can largely trace their lineage to European Mages in the 1500s fleeing to far flung portions of the Spanish and Portugesse Empires. The Order is strongest in central and south America as well as the Philippines.
Membership Requirements:
Gnosis:***
Academics: *
Prime: **
All Mages of the Order know Wards and Signs (Parma Magica) as a rote.
Order Status (a.k.a. The Gift, most Mages will have at 5).
* Themed Cabal *
** Language (Latin) - counts as an Order tool
*** Rote Specialties (Occult, Craft and Athletics)
**** Profligate Dedication, Broad Dedication
***** Shadow Name (***)
Quirks: Traditionally, Hermetic apprentices served a 15-year apprenticeship (start at some time between 6 and 9 years of age). The rarity of awakened Mages at such a young age served to restrict the Orders' numbers. It also gave Hermetic Mage's a reputation for power. A Hermetic Magus just out of apprenticeship might have the same amount of magical study as a midlevel member of the Diamond orders.
Hermetic Magi are more likely to work with sleeper (Grog) assistants than other Mages and often suffer Wisdom damage as a result of performing magic in front of them.
The Order has long recorded the details of useful Praxis in books and refers to these as spells. Rotes, by contrast, are referred to as either rituals or mastered spells.
Wizard's War: By Spell & Steel
Hermetic Law specifies the death penalty for a member that kills, seriously injures or interferes with another's ability to practice magic. Even in the Middle Ages, outside of the death of a member, fines were far more likely to be imposed than death. One exception to this rule exists, during a properly declared Wizard's War a member can kill, injury and steal from another without repercussion.
A Wizard's War must be declared a month in advance, on the full moon, and runs from full moonrise to full moonrise after the intervening month. Unless they interfere cabal mates of the targetted Mage cannot be attacked. Modern practice allows mages in the same cabal three days after a war declaration is received to joint the war by issuing counter declarations. A Mage may have more than one war ongoing and it's possible for a single mage to declare war on all members of a cabal.
The original Medieval Wizard's War was a free for all with few rules. The advent of gunpowder and the lethality of magically assisted cannonballs changed that. Under modern rules, physical attacks in a wizard's war must be made by either Spell or Steel (anything governed by the Weaponry skill). Spell includes spirits, ghosts, demons, and other supernatural allies. Sleepers may not be employed as mercenaries but may use any means to defend themselves, including firearms, if attacked or threatened.
How it works. Profligate Dedication allows for up to three dedicated tools. Broad Dedications allows for the selection of Investiture, Shadow Name, and Mundras as dedicated tools. With Mundrasa character can cast a rote with a bonus of up to 6 dice (depending on if you exempt the rote specialty die for the +5 dice limit) at -2 paradox. The same can be done with a shadow name (though with a couple less dice). By taking just a little longer the mage can cast with either Mundras+ Shadow Name or Shadow Name + Investiture. In either case, you get a bunch of dice (though some are virtual to be used to offset penalties), -3 paradox and can negate the paradox chance roll (meaning that there is not a cumulative +1 to paradox).
What this would tend to do is increase the value of praxis over rotes. Sure a rote might give you +5 (or +6 if you count the specialty) dice, but a Shadow Name can give +4. It also means a mage can throw a fireball down main street if the mage is willing to take the wisdom hit for doing it.
One issue I can see with service cults is it's a bit hard to cheese control them. The cult is giving the mage a way to work around paradox at the same time non-mage members are getting paradox free powers. The cult is also giving a mage a shadow name to use, which kind of fits the esoteric cult theme.
This could also be combined with the Nameless Order rules. For example:
The Order of Hermes (ArM5 version).
The Order of Hermes grew out of a gathering of nameless mages in Western Europe during the early Dark Ages. To hear the Order tell it, the Order of Hermes was the premiere organization of Mages in Europe from its founding to the Renaissance. The Guardians of the Veil insist that the Order grew out of repurposing of an almost forgotten Roman Era Guardian Labyrinth organization known as the Cult of Mercury. For their part, the Order claims that, regardless of any supernal blueprint, the modern Diamond orders only formed as a result of the Protestant Reformation and European Wars of Religion.
Today, the Order is largely extinct in Europe. The organization suffered a substantial blow during the bubonic plague as many of it's older and more powerful, members passed away. What remained was soon torn to pieces as the Order's mages became caught in the violence accompanying the Reformation. Members of today's order can largely trace their lineage to European Mages in the 1500s fleeing to far flung portions of the Spanish and Portugesse Empires. The Order is strongest in central and south America as well as the Philippines.
Membership Requirements:
Gnosis:***
Academics: *
Prime: **
All Mages of the Order know Wards and Signs (Parma Magica) as a rote.
Order Status (a.k.a. The Gift, most Mages will have at 5).
* Themed Cabal *
** Language (Latin) - counts as an Order tool
*** Rote Specialties (Occult, Craft and Athletics)
**** Profligate Dedication, Broad Dedication
***** Shadow Name (***)
Quirks: Traditionally, Hermetic apprentices served a 15-year apprenticeship (start at some time between 6 and 9 years of age). The rarity of awakened Mages at such a young age served to restrict the Orders' numbers. It also gave Hermetic Mage's a reputation for power. A Hermetic Magus just out of apprenticeship might have the same amount of magical study as a midlevel member of the Diamond orders.
Hermetic Magi are more likely to work with sleeper (Grog) assistants than other Mages and often suffer Wisdom damage as a result of performing magic in front of them.
The Order has long recorded the details of useful Praxis in books and refers to these as spells. Rotes, by contrast, are referred to as either rituals or mastered spells.
Wizard's War: By Spell & Steel
Hermetic Law specifies the death penalty for a member that kills, seriously injures or interferes with another's ability to practice magic. Even in the Middle Ages, outside of the death of a member, fines were far more likely to be imposed than death. One exception to this rule exists, during a properly declared Wizard's War a member can kill, injury and steal from another without repercussion.
A Wizard's War must be declared a month in advance, on the full moon, and runs from full moonrise to full moonrise after the intervening month. Unless they interfere cabal mates of the targetted Mage cannot be attacked. Modern practice allows mages in the same cabal three days after a war declaration is received to joint the war by issuing counter declarations. A Mage may have more than one war ongoing and it's possible for a single mage to declare war on all members of a cabal.
The original Medieval Wizard's War was a free for all with few rules. The advent of gunpowder and the lethality of magically assisted cannonballs changed that. Under modern rules, physical attacks in a wizard's war must be made by either Spell or Steel (anything governed by the Weaponry skill). Spell includes spirits, ghosts, demons, and other supernatural allies. Sleepers may not be employed as mercenaries but may use any means to defend themselves, including firearms, if attacked or threatened.
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