This page contains miscellaneous rules, rules clarifications, and general notes which have come up over time, and which have not yet become important enough to cause a major update to the Rules Modifications, Clarifications, And Additions. This page will also be used as a note pad for problems which need to be solved. These comments are generally specific to campaign play, not game system rules.

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Contents

Character Creation Creating New Troupes Apprentice Training (Peripheral Code Ruling) Rules for Training an Apprentice Post Failed Gauntlet Training Conditions for Declaring an Apprentice to be a Magus Problems Due to Living With Magic

Obtaining New Followers or an Apprentice Time Used by Grogs Time Used by Companions Time Used by Parents Having Children Game Master Characters Defining New Covenants

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Character Creation

Only the Campaign Master will be allowed to preside over the creation of characters. The Campaign Master may delegate this authority, but Game Masters should not allow the creation of new characters in their games.

Creating New Troupes

A player starting a new troupe in the campaign will be allowed to create up to a maximum of four characters. These characters will normally be one magus, one companion, and two grogs

Within the limits of the Ars Magica rules, local rules modifications, and campaign rules, these characters may be created normally, with the following restrictions.

• Every magus needs some type of bodyguard. Therefore, at least one non-magus character must have some combat skills.
• No more than one non-magus character may be someone capable of helping in the laboratory, able to scribe, or do other work which will directly support the work of the magus in learning, writing, or working in the laboratory.
• Members of House Tremere will normally be required to take the "No Sigil" Flaw.
• No magus or other character may claim to be from the covenants of Mystic Halls, Edenholm, Spiretop, Cad Gadu, Blackthorn, Ebudae, or Laizround without the permission of the Campaign Master.
• No Faerie characters are permitted.
• The Campaign Master shall always have the right to reject a character or request a modification in a character which does not conform to the general concepts of the house or the background specified for that character.

Rules for creating characters and troupes may be found in the MCA.

Apprentice Training (Peripheral Code Ruling)

The failure of a master to teach an apprentice for one season in any one year will not, in and of itself, be considered grounds for removing an apprentice from the master, provided the master is averaging at least one season of training per year and there is a reasonable expectation that the apprentice's training will be completed within the expected period of time and with the required level of knowledge.

Rules for Training an Apprentice

There are two methods for developing an apprentice within the campaign; annual updates and full role play.

Annual Updates

The simplest way to handle an apprentice is via Annual Updates. This is a somewhat stylized system, which assigns experience points equally over the time of an apprentice's training. It assumes that the master does devote one season per year to training the apprentice, and that all apprentice training is the same (this is what the Ars Magica rules assume).

The apprentice receives a starting score of Speak Own Language 4 plus abilities with a total experience points equal to the apprentice's age. Thereafter the apprentice will receive experience points according to the Apprentice Advancement Table. The indicated knowledges and experience points should be awarded at the end of each year. assuming that the apprentice's master has devoted one season to teaching in that year. The apprentice may save points in Magic Arts and Spell Levels from year to year, but must expend all the points by the end of the apprenticeship.

Some special rules will apply to this training.

• An apprentice may not add a spell to his grimoire (i.e., he cannot know the spell) until the total of his magical arts is sufficient to allow him to have taken the spell under the spell selection rule (page 56, Technique + Form + Intelligence within 10 points of the spell level).
• An apprentice's final score may not exceed the master's score in any magical art, unless another magus is present to instruct the apprentice in the art, and that magus devotes the necessary season(s) to teaching.
• The apprentice may only learn spells which are known to the master, are available in the master's or the covenant's libraries, or are known to other magi, who devote the necessary time to teaching the apprentice.
• At least one-third of the starting spells of an apprentice must be spells known to the apprentice's master. This requirement need not be met until the apprentice has completed training (i.e., the apprentice may learn spells in any order, provided that when all learning is done, at least one-third of the spells are known to the master).
• The apprentice may not learn any Abilities which are not available from people or books at the covenant. Any person from whom Abilities are to be learned must devote an appropriate number of seasons to instructing the apprentice.

It is assumed that an apprentice will spend three seasons per year learning from the apprentice's master, books, and/or other sources. This will allow the apprentice one season per year to perform actual work for the master or gain extra learning. During the three seasons per year of learning, the apprentice may devote up to ten days per season to adventures or other activities (these may be combined into one unit of thirty days, if desired). If the apprentice gains extra learning during the one free season, this learning may not be such that it modifies the scores in the subjects covered by the Apprentice Advancement Table (these limits are set by the magus creation rules).

Apprentice Advancement Table
	Season
Subject	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Total	Score
Magic Arts	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	150
Spell Levels	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	150
Skill EP	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	15
Speak Latin	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	15	5
Scribe Latin	-	-	-	1	1	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	3
Magic Theory	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	15	5
Hermes Law	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	1	-	-	-	3	2
Hermes History	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	1	3	2
Parma Magica	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	1	3	2
Mastered Spells
Experience Points	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	20
Extra Arts (per level of the Virtue taken)
Magical Arts	-	-	-	-	-	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+10
Extra Spells (per level of the Virtue taken)
Spell Levels	-	-	-	-	-	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+10
Stingy Master
Magic Arts	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-2	-2	-2	-2	-2	-20
Spell Levels	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	-2	-2	-2	-2	-2	-20

Full Role Play

When fully role playing an apprentice, the apprentice gets very little of the standard apprentice training. Only the Magic Arts and Spell Levels lines of the Apprentice Training Table are used, and these apply only when the apprentice's master actually spends one season to train the apprentice in the magical arts. The apprentice receives a starting score of Speak Own Language 4 plus abilities with a total experience points equal to the apprentice's age. All other training must be accomplished under the standard rules for learning.

The following restrictions will apply to the training of the apprentice.

• The apprentice must have at least level 2 in Speak Latin (or Greek if it is the local language of magic) before any magical arts or Magic Theory may be learned. The Speak score must be at least 3 before any spells may be learned or the Magic Theory score is advanced above a 3.
• No more than two seasons of a year may be devoted to the learning of magical arts from the apprentice's master.
• The apprentice character is not permitted to take the following Virtues and Flaws.
  • Extra Spells
  • Extra Arts
  • Mastered Spells
  • Stingy Master
• If the Twilight Points Flaw is taken, the Campaign Master will determine when and how the points are applied.
• If the Tormenting Master Flaw is taken, the totals of the apprentice's scores in the subjects of Magical Arts, Spell Totals, Speak Latin, Scribe Latin, Magic Theory, Hermes Law, Hermes History, and Parma Magica may not exceed the totals from the Apprentice Advancement Table.

Exception to Learning New Abilities Rule

The Learning New Abilities rule requires that Experience Points be expended to allow a character to obtain a new Ability. When training an apprentice using either the Annual Updates or Full Role Play methods, this requirement shall not apply. All apprentices shall be granted a score of 0 (zero) in the following Abilities, provided the apprentice's master has a score of at least 3 in the Ability. It will be assumed that the experience required to reach the score of zero was obtained in general conversation between the master and the apprentice during every day life.

• Speak Latin
• Scribe Latin
• Parma Magica
• Certámen
• Magic Theory
• Hermes Law
• Hermes History
• Hermes Lore
• Penetration
• Enegmatic Wisdom

Post Failed Gauntlet Training

The Ars Magica rules devote a number of pages to describing what happens during apprenticeship. However, almost nothing is said about what happens to an apprentice who fails to pass a Gauntlet, or who, after a full fifteen years of training is not ready to become a magus. Although still under the instruction of their master, the apprentice cannot be allowed to gain the benefits from the Apprentice Training Table. The amount of learning which an apprentice receives under the rules is notably greater than could be learned in the same period of time using the normal learning rules.

An apprentice in this situation will follow the normal learning rules, not the apprentice learning rules. However, the master will still be required to devote one season per year to the continued training of the apprentice.

Conditions for Declaring an Apprentice to be a Magus

Numerous questions have arisen in the campaign and on the Ars Magica Mailing List regarding what is required for an apprentice to become a magus. These questions occur because the background material regarding apprenticeship is often confused and contradictory. For example:

The basic rule is that an apprentice should spend approximately fifteen years learning to be a magus. However, according to The Order of Hermes supplement, a Rite of Initiation is required. But this rite may only be done, if The Order of Hermes material is followed strictly, at a Scheduled Tribunal (every seven years). This could mean that an apprentice, whose fifteen years of training ended just after a Scheduled Tribunal, could wait another seven years before becoming a magus. The newer supplement Houses of Hermes generally supports this, but implies that the Rite need not be at a Tribunal at all.

Clearly, some order must be brought to this confusion. Therefore, the following will be used to cover this situation.

In this campaign the question is answered simply. An apprentice becomes a magus when the master of the apprentice declares the character to be a magus. It is considered proper for a master to inform the Praeco and recording Quaesitoris of the local Tribunal of the elevation of the apprentice to magus.

A master may use his or her own judgment to determine that an apprentice is ready, or may require a test. The method by which an apprentice is tested for his or her worthiness to be a magus is the Gauntlet. Magi of House Bonisagus, Flambeau, Quaesitor, Tremere, Tytalus, and Verditius traditionally use the Gauntlet, although in different formats. Bonisagi masters typically give the apprentice a test to see that their understanding of magical theory is adequate. Quaesitoris commonly give a test in Hermetic law and customs. Members of House Verditius often require the apprentice to create a magic item of significant power. The Houses of Flambeau and Tytalus generally have the apprentice perform a series of spells to display their magical powers. House Tremere requires the apprentice to engage in Certamen with their master to prove their abilities and possibly gain their personal sigil. Houses other than those specifically listed normally rely on the good judgment of their members to determine when an apprentice is ready to be a magus.

Being declared a magus, and being generally recognized as a magus, are two different things. To be generally recognized within the Order of Hermes as a magus, a new magus must be presented at a Tribunal meeting. This may be done at any Tribunal meeting, not just a Scheduled Tribunal. Commonly the master, former apprentice, and any other magi who support the new magus come forward to introduce the new magus to the members of the Order in attendance.

Anyone who has become a magus since the previous Scheduled Tribunal is expected to present themselves at the Scheduled Tribunal. At this time a ritual of initiation will be performed to formally bring the new magus into the order.

Problems Due to Living With Magic

Living one's life under the constant influence of active magics is not normal, and may cause unexpected, and probably undesirable side effects. Magic is known to warp both animals and humans who remain too long in contact with it. Nothing a Hermetic Magus is able to do will help to protect him from such problems, and nothing can fully shield someone from prolonged exposure to strong magic. Two specific conditions will, as a minimum, trigger the potential for warping effects.

First, spending too much time in an area of high aura. The following table lists what is considered to be a "high" aura for each type of realm. "Too much time" will be defined as someone spending a notable amount of their time in the aura. Any of the following will qualify for "too much time"; sleeping in the aura as part of everyday life, having a laboratory in the aura (for a magus and lab helpers, whether performing laboratory work or not), performing any other daily work in the aura as a normal part of everyday life.

High Aura Table
Realm		Aura		Realm		Aura		Realm		Aura
Magic		6+		Infernal		2+		Rational		3+
Faerie		4+		Divine		6+

Second, living daily life with active spells cast upon one's self, excluding Parma Magica (it was designed not to cause this problem) and longevity potions (which already have specific negatives), may cause problems similar to those from living in a high aura.

Each Winter, after all issues of Aging have been resolved, determine whether or not anyone has spent too much time in a high aura or with magic active on their person. If so, each such person must roll on the Living With Magic Table. Count only levels at or above those listed on the High Aura Table. If multiple high auras apply, use only the aura which will produce the largest Ease Factor.

Living sith Magic Table
Base Ease Factor = 1+. Stress Roll + Magic Theory. Confidence may not be used.
Condition	Modifier
Per Level of Aura Exceeded	+2
Per Magnitude of Spells	+1

If the Ease Factor is not met on the Living With Magic Table, consult the Living With Magic Problems Table. The "Ease Miss" is the value by which the Stress Roll on the Living With Magic Table failed to meet the required Ease Factor (i.e., Ease Factor - Stress Roll result). Treat a Botch as a 7+ miss.

Living With Magic Problems Table
Ease Miss		Result
1-2		Roll on Aging Chart (page 355) with only 1/2 benefit of Longevity Potion (reroll on Death).
3-4		Roll on Aging Chart without benefit of Longevity Potion (reroll on Death).
5-6		Roll on Aging Chart without benefit of Longevity Potion (reroll on Death). Suffer immediate Twilight.
7+		Roll on Aging Chart without benefit of Longevity Potion. Suffer immediate Twilight.
-		On Ease Miss of 1-6, if the only possible result on the Aging Chart is Death, instead gain one Decrepitude and suffer immediate Twilight.
-		If the Aging Chart results in a loss, the saving roll is at a +2 (i.e., for a Characteristic loss the simple roll must be 9+, or a roll for Death must be 12+).
-		Rolls on the Aging Chart due to this table do not negate the effect of a Longevity Potion unless Decrepitude is rolled as a result.

Obtaining New Followers or an Apprentice

Unlike in the past, grogs, companions, or even simple servants will no longer be readily available whenever a magus wants to add someone to his or her party. There will be two methods for finding suitable grogs, warriors, servants, etc. In all cases, the Campaign Master will determine the attributes of the new character.

First, the need or desire for another follower or apprentice may be communicated to the Campaign Master and the Game Masters. The Game Masters may or may not provide suitable candidates in future adventures.

Second, the magus may spend time searching for a suitable candidate who would be willing to join the magus at the covenant. There are two types of searches; one for general followers, and one for an apprentice.

General Followers

When searching for a general follower (servant, grog, or even a companion), the search is conducted in months and the Follower Search Table is used. For each full month searching (no other activities permitted), one roll may be made on the table. A botch on this table will mean that no one was found, and something negative (Campaign Master's selection) happened to the search party (the loss of a follower on the search would be typical). The search must also be conducted in an appropriate location (ex. don't go searching the Lancashire countryside looking for a scribe trained in English and Latin).

Follower Search Table
Base Ease Factor = 3+, Stress Roll + Presence Confidence may not be used.
Condition		Note		Modifier
Each helper in the search		1		-1
Personal servant sought				+0
Novice man-at-arms sought				+1
Trained man-at-arms sought				+3
Intellectual person sought		2		+4 (minimum)
Special attribute sought		2,3		+4 (minimum)

		Notes:
1)		"Helper" must be the same type of person as is sought (ex. a fighter helping to find a fighter), already be a follower of the magus, have a Presence of at least 0 (zero), and have a Loyal score of at least 0 (zero). The maximum Modifier for this Condition will be -3.
2)		These Conditions are cumulative and the modifier may be increased if something rare is sought, or is not sought in the right place.
3)		"Special" attributes may include specific Virtues (ex. Exceptional Talents), specific Skills, or some other uncommon personal attribute.

Apprentices

When searching for an apprentice, the search is conducted by season and the Apprentice Search Table is used. For each full season (no other activities permitted) searching, one roll may be made on the table. A botch on this table will mean that no one was found, and something negative (Campaign Master's selection) happened to the search party.

Apprentice Search Table
Base Ease Factor = 9+, Stress Roll + Presence Confidence may not be used.
Condition	Note	Modifier
Having a helper in the search	1	-1
Special attribute sought	2	+3 (minimum)
Willing to kidnap the apprentice		-2
Other factors	Campaign Master's option

		Notes:
1)		Only another magus or an apprentice with at least 7 years of training may act as a "Helper". This may apply only once.
2)		"Special" attributes may include specific Virtues (ex. Exceptional Talents), specific Skills, or some other uncommon personal attribute.

Time Used by Grogs

Most grogs spend most of their time in the duties assigned to them. Warriors act as guards. Servants tend to the personal needs of their masters. This leaves them will relatively little time for learning, teaching, and similar activities. To reflect this, grogs will have only a single season per year to use to learn skills, teach skills, or undertake other personal activities (excluding adventuring). A specific season need not be specified each year. It is assumed that the "season" is spread over a year with the grog doing the activity as time permits. This activity will only interfere with the Annual Experience Points if the activity is one of those specifically listed as reducing Annual Experience.

Time Used by Companions

As with grogs, companions have personal duties to which they must attend. Companions will loose one season per year in performing such duties.

Some of the modified Virtues and Flaws already include similar requirements. The requirements of all relevant rules and such Virtues and Flaws as may apply must be combined so that the time lost is the total of all these requirements. A companion will always have one season free for personal activities, regardless of all requirements for the commitment of time.

Time Used by Parents

When one becomes a parent, one takes on a heavy burden of responsibility. More importantly, for game consideration, one takes on a commitment of time, which must be reflected in time lost from other activities.

Each child will require the attention of an adult. This attention is expressed in terms of an amount of time which must be devoted to the child per year. This time is assumed to be distributed throughout the year. The time requirements are listed in the Kiddie's Time Table.

Kiddie's Time Table
Age Range		Time Required
1-6		4 months per year
7-12		3 months per year
13-15		2 months per year
16+		None

The time requirement may be met by the parents and, if available, one or more Nannies. The time requirements for all children may be divided between the parents and the Nannies as desired, within limits. Each year, the total time required by children in a family is totaled. At the end of the year the total time must have been allocated to the parents and/or Nannies. Failure to do so will result in one or more children failing to learn adequately during the year, and may produce more significant problems immediately or in the future (Campaign Master's option on what happens).

Nanny

A "Nanny" is any female who is trained in child rearing (OK ... they weren't called "Nanny" then, but it is a term everyone understands). To be a Nanny, a female must have a score of at least 1 in the Child Rearing Skill and be at least 16 years old.

Child Rearing Skill

This is a Work Skill. It includes knowledge of how to handle and raise children for others. A person with this skill may perform parenting time requirements in the place of parents. The number of children which such a person may handle is equal to the person's Child Rearing score. The upper limit on such a person's time shall be the devotion of one full year of time per year. While performing child rearing, a person may neither teach nor learn, they are busy with the kids.

Parental Involvement in Raising Children

Parents who use Nannies to absorb the majority of the time requirements of child rearing may expect that the children will have little or no attachment to the parents. If character parents in the campaign expect their children to be attached to them, they must spend significant amounts of time with their children.

Having Children

Harold of House Jerbiton's marriage and desire for a family (Mystic Halls Campaign) brought the issue of child conception into the regular play of the campaign (gee ... thanks Troy).

Conception

Unless otherwise specifically indicated, it will be assumed that any married couple is having sufficient sex to lead to conception at any time. It will also be possible for non married couples to conceive, provided sufficient time is spent "together".

The Conception Table will be used in each season in which a couple have sex.

Conception Table
Base Ease Factor = 9+, Stress Roll. Confidence may not be used.
Condition	Modifier		Notes
Couple is actively seeking to conceive	-1		Declare prior to the roll.
Each full five years couple has been married	+3
Each person who is over 35 years old	+1
Each person who is over 40 years old	+1		Cumulative with previous line.
Each extra 10 days devoted to the effort	-1		Applies to current season only.
Each magnitude of an Aid The Conception ritual	-1		Both persons must use the Problems Due To Living With Magic rule for the current year.

The following restrictions will apply to all attempts to conceive.

• Pregnant women cannot conceive while pregnant (dah).
• A woman cannot conceive again for one season after giving birth.
• Women over 45 years old cannot conceive.

Number of Children

Once a successful Conception roll has been made, determine how many children have been conceived.

Twins Table
Roll Percentile Dice (D100).
Roll		Result
1-95		Single child
96-99		Fraternal twins
100		Roll a D10. 1-9: Identical twins. 10: Triplets.

Sex of the Child

The sex of a child is determined by a Simple Die Roll, with 1-5 for male, and 6-10 for female. Roll once for a single child or identical twins. Roll once per child for fraternal twins or triplets. The roll may only be modified if magic was used at the time of conception, for which the following modifiers will apply.

• -2: If an Aid the Conception ritual was used with a desire for a girl.
• +2: If an Aid the Conception ritual was used with a desire for a boy.
• Other modifiers may apply if a different spell was used.

The Gift

The sex of a child is determined by a Simple Die Roll, with 1-5 for male, and 6-It is extremely unlikely that The Gift will manifest itself in any child. After a child is born, use The Gift Possibility Table to determine if there is any chance for a child to have The Gift. The Gift may only be detected in a child after the child is born. Roll once for a single child or identical twins. Roll once per child for fraternal twins or triplets.

The Gift Possibility Table
Roll Percentile Dice (D100).
Roll		Result
1-70		Child is utterly un-magical and may not have Exceptional Talents.
71-99		Child may have Exceptional Talents.
100		Child might have The Gift. Roll on The Gift Table.

The Gift Table
Base Ease Factor = 12+, Stress Die. Confidence may not be used.
Condition		Modifier		Notes
For each parent who has a magus-level Gift		-2
For each parent who has at least one Exceptional Talent		-1
If one parent was a Faerie		-3		1
Conceived in a Magic or Faerie Aura of 3-5		-1
Conceived in a Magic or Faerie Aura of 6+		-2
Conceived in a Divine or Rational Aura		+6
Conceived in an Infernal Aura		0		2

		Notes:
1)		Warning: This will seriously tempt the Campaign Master to throw in major complications in the child's relations with everyone and everything in the campaign.
2)		Don't do this! The child will be in the hands of the Campaign Master; and you will regret it!

Complications in Pregnancy

Pregnancy in Medieval times was a chancy affair. If any little thing went wrong, the child or the mother could be seriously hurt or even killed. Starting in the third month of the pregnancy, and continuing until the child is born (i.e., normally seven months), roll on the Possible Pregnancy Complications Table at the end of each month. Except as specifically noted herein, magic may not be used to change the results from these tables.

[Note: For those who think this rule is too cruel, it allows a mother with normal (zero) Stamina and no special care, to carry full term without complications, 76% of the time, which is probably higher than actually occurred at the time.]

Possible Pregnancy Complications Table
Base Ease Factor = 3+, Stress Die + Mother's Stamina. Confidence may not be used.
Condition		Modifier		Notes
Majority of month spent in Magic or Faerie Aura of 6+		+3
Entered Infernal Aura at any time in month		+6
Attention from a midwife		-1		1
Magical pre-natal care, per 3 days spent		-2		2

		Notes:
1)		Midwife must attend the pregnant woman at least once a week for a full day.
2)		Requires a magus to spend at least 3 days a month with the mother. This modifier may apply up to three times (i.e., a magus spends 9+ days in attendance). To qualify for this, the magus must be able to generate a Rego Corporem with Creo and Muto Requisites spontaneous spell total of 10 or greater.

If there is a failure on the Possible Pregnancy Complications Table, roll on the Pregnancy Complications Table. The following modifiers apply to the roll on this table. If the total of the modifiers does not permit a negative result on the table, a roll of 100 will still be bad, and the problem will be assigned by the Campaign Master.

• If a midwife is in attendance (that modifier was used on the previous table), then subtract 5 from the die roll on this table.
• If a magus is in attendance (that modifier was used on the previous table), then subtract 1 from the die roll for every level of the spontaneous spell total in Rego Corporem with Creo and Muto Requisites the magus may generate without a die roll.
• If a Botch occurred on the Possible Pregnancy Complications Table then apply a +30 modifier to the percentile dice roll.

Pregnancy Complications Table
		Roll Percentile Dice (D100).
Roll		Result
1-65		Oh ... I guess it was just gas.
66-80		Fetus is injured or deformed (Campaign Master select).
81-95		Miscarriage. Roll D10.   1-5 = Mother OK.   6-8 = Mother injured, take Stress Die of damage (no Soak).   9-0 = Mother will not be able to bear children again.   & Baby dead, unless in last month of pregnancy, then roll D10.     1-4 = Baby OK.     5-7 = Baby born with problems (Campaign Master select).     8-10 = Baby dies.
96-100		Major Complications. Baby dies. Roll D10 for mother.   1-3 = Mother injured, take Stress Die of damage (no Soak).   4-5 = Mother will not be able to bear children again.   1-8 = Mother takes Stress Die of damage (no Soak) and will not be able to bear children again.   9-10 = Mother dies.

Complications at Birth

Birth in Medieval times was a dangerous event. If something went wrong there was little that could be done to save the child or the mother. When the child is born, roll on the Possible Birth Complications Table. Except as specifically noted herein, magic may not be used to change the results from these tables. For twins and triplets, roll once for each child.

Possible Birth Complications Table
Base Ease Factor = 6+, Stress Die + Mother's Stamina.
Condition	Modifier		Notes
Per each actual problem during pregnancy	+1
Midwife in attendance at birth	-1
Magus in attendance at birth	-3		Requires same abilities as for helping with Complications In Pregnancy (above).

If the roll on the Possible Birth Complications Table was failed, use the Birth Complications Table.

• If a midwife is in attendance (that modifier was used on the previous table), then subtract 5 from the die roll on this table.
• If a magus is in attendance (that modifier was used on the previous table), then subtract 1 from the die roll for every level of the spontaneous spell total in Rego Corporem with Creo and Muto Requisites the magus may generate without a die roll.
• If a Botch occurred on the Possible Birth Complications Table then apply a +30 modifier to the percentile dice roll.

Birth Complications Table
		Roll Percentile Dice (D100).
Roll		Result
1-50		It was close, but everything came out OK.
51-65		Baby is injured or deformed (Campaign Master select).
66-80		Baby dies.
81-95		Mother dies.
96-100		Disaster. Both the baby and the mother die.

Surviving the Early Years

Death due to disease or injury was quite common for children in Medieval times. In many ways the early years of life were the most dangerous. If someone could survive the first few years, they had a fair chance of a long life. Each year through and including the child's eighth year, in Winter, roll on the Child Survival Table to see if a child lives through this dangerous time. Except as noted, magic may not be used to aid a child's survival.

Child Survival Table
Base Ease Factor = 6+, Stress Die + Stamina + Age.
Condition	Modifier		Notes
Receives less than required time from parents or others	+3		Refer to the Time Used by Parents rule.
Lives in Magic or Faerie Aura of 6+	+1
At least one parent is a magus	-2

Magic and Having Children

Magic may be used in a number of ways with regard to having children. The following should be taken as examples of how to use magic with the having of children. Characters may propose other ways.

• The Aid To Conception ritual. This will increase the chances of conceiving. The ritual is described below.
• Easing birthing problems and pains.
• Pre-natal care.
• Allowing an older woman (over 45) to conceive and carry a child.
• Moving a fetus from one womb to another.

The following are ways in which magic may not be used with regard to conception, pregnancy, and/or birthing.

• Creating babies. Magic cannot create a child, it can only aid in the conception.
• Artificial insemination. They made babies the old fashion way.
• The Gift. There is no way to magically change the chances of a child having The Gift or the ability to have an Exceptional Talent.
• Abortions. Do not ask about abortions (magical or other). The campaign is not going to get into that issue.

Aid the Conception
Technique:		Rego
Form:		Corporem
Requisite:		Creo, Muto
Level:		General
Spell Focus:		None
Range:		Touch
Duration:		Season
Special:		Ritual
Description:		When used in conjunction with an ongoing regime of active sex, this ritual will aid in the joining of the male and female essences to increase the chance that conception will occur.
Note 1:		This is a sample spell, and has not yet been created at the Covenant of the Mystic Halls.
Note 2:		In campaign use, this ritual would normally be performed at the beginning of a season. For simplicity, its effect will always cease at the end of a calendar season, regardless of when it is performed.

Game Master Characters

In the Mystic Halls campaign, the Campaign Master and the Game Masters also have their own campaign characters. Although it is not prohibited, it is generally preferred that Game Masters not include their own characters as active participants in an adventure they run. Game Masters are prohibited from giving their own characters any significant rewards or benefits from any adventure that the Game Master may run.

Defining New Covenants

The permission of the Campaign Master is always required to define a new covenant or to use an existing named covenant which has not yet been brought into play.

Stonehenge Tribunal. Game Masters wishing to define a new covenant within the Stonehenge Tribunal must do so within the established campaign situation. A new covenant must be at one of the unused locations or may be an existing named covenant which has not yet been brought into play.

Loch Leglean Tribunal. Game Masters wishing to define a new covenant within the Loch Leglean Tribunal must do so within the established campaign situation and in accordance with the information in the Lion of the North source book. A new covenant must be at one of the unused locations or may be an existing named covenant which has not yet been brought into play.

Hibernia Tribunal. Completely new covenants within the Hibernia Tribunal will not be permitted, as all covenants in that Tribunal have been accounted for (actually, there are two extra already defined). A new covenant must be an existing named covenant which has not yet been brought into play. Game Masters should note that the basic natures of these covenants are already defined in The Order of Hermes source book.

Others. New covenants may be added to other Tribunals relatively freely, provided no existing condition of the Mythic Europe background is violated.

The general Mythic Europe background material for Tribunals and covenants may be found in The Order of Hermes and the Lion of the North source books. Covenant creation shall generally follow the rules specified in the Covenants book.