Magic Resistance
The rules for magic resistance in 5th Edition are the best rules yet for Ars Magica. But they aren't perfect. One particular problem concerns the so-called "pink dot controversy." In reviewing this problem, it becomes clear that a refinement to the magic resistance rules is required.

For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, this refinement is ultimately "what the Alpha Storyguide defines." But since the inner workings of the Alpha Storyguide's mind can, on occasion, be less than immediately available to the players, some additional guidelines are in order.

Magical effects are only resisted by magic resistance if they are "unnatural." What is unnatural? The following guidelines, organized by technique, give an indication of what would be considered unnatural:

Note that invisibility is not directly "stopped" by magic resistance, because the Parma Magica can't re-create species after they have been destroyed.

As a general note, simply placing a non-involved magical effect on an object does not make the Parma resist that object. If the object without the effect would not be resisted, and if the effect is not relevant to the entity resisting, then the magic resistance does not apply to the object. The essence of the "pink dot" problem is an equivocation on the adjective "magical." Is a sword with a pink dot magical? In one sense, yes, but it is not magical in a way that involves magic resistance of someone being hit by that sword. Conversely, a sword that makes someone it touches have pink dots spread over the body would be relevent to magic resistance, because the magic is relevent to the entity resisting.

Under the core magic resistance rules, a sword that is enchanted to be sharper counts as "magical" and might thus be less likely to damage a dragon, say, than a normal run-of-the-mill rusty blade. This is one aspect of the magic resistance rules that flies in the face of just about every myth involving swords and dragons. So what is to be done?
First, some clarifications are in order. If the sword wasn't created by non-Ritual magic and is only as sharp and bright and shiny as any sword could naturally be, it isn't unnatural, no matter how much magic went into making it that way. Such a sword isn't resisted by magic resistance.

How sharp can a sword naturally be? For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, the benchmark for this is the spell "Edge of the Razor," which "sharpens any metal edge to a degree unequaled by manual methods." This degree of sharpness is defined by a +2 Damage bonus. Backing off of this, we state that a +1 Damage bonus is possible "naturally," and may thus be imparted by a Creo Terram effect to make it a better specimen of its kind. This may not stack with a damage bonus for a high-quality weapon, if it already possesses superior sharpness due to quality manufacture.

Second, a sword that has been permanently enchanted, using vis, to be sharper, even unnaturally so, is a permanent "natural" weapon. This is a major change to the core rules, and there are some possibly derivative effects that need to be handled carefully. A sword, which is in all ways still a "normal" sword, and which is permanently enchanted to be more than naturally sharp, is not an unnatural weapon, any more than an extremely sharp blade that was created in a Ritual using vis is unnatural. Specifically, such enchantments must be constant, with Personal range (i.e. they affect only the item).

Third, a correction to a semi-official ruling is in order. The Ars Magica FAQ lists a ruling that a sword on which "Blade of Virulent Flame" is cast becomes magical, and is resisted by magic resistance. This is not only problematical, it is not consistent with the core rules. "Blade of the Virulent Flame" is a Creo Ignem effect that does not change the sword itself in any magical way (it does make it hot, but this effect is a "natural" result of having fire cover it for a period of time). The target of this spell is the fire created, not the sword.  Even under the core rules, the result should be that the flame is resisted by magic resistance (and the extra damage thereby possibly prevented), but the sword itself is not even slightly magical and should not be affected by the target's magic resistance. In effect, the flames wash over the target without effect, while the sword might (according to the attack roll) bite into the target as it normally would.

Some have observed that a strict interpretation of the Aegis of the Hearth would mean that it provides potentially less protection from an attack originating outside the Aegis, than one originating from within the Aegis. For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, the penalty applied to casting a "hostile" spell within an Aegis also applies to spells cast from outside the Aegis, if those spells are able to penetrate the Magic Resistance of the Aegis.

For example, from outside an Aegis, a hostile magus casts a Pilum of Fire at a target inside the Aegis. Assuming the Aegis is level 30, and the Pilum of Fire has a penetration of 35, the Pilum of Fire would get through the Aegis. The Pilum is targeting a young magus, whose Parma + Ignem Form is 25. Having penetrated the Aegis, the penetration of the Pilum is reduced by 15, from 35 to 20. Comparing a penetration of 20 to the magic resistance of the target magus, the Pilum does not penetrate. This is effectively a similar result to that which would have occured if the Pilum was cast from within the Aegis, by a magus who was resisted by the Aegis. While the penetration of the Aegis would not matter, the Pilum's penetration would still have been reduced by 15 points due to the suppression of the effect by the Aegis.

This Saga Rule does strengthen the protection provided by an Aegis of the Hearth relative to a strict interpreation of the Core Rules, but only in the limited case where both the Aegis and the Parma Magica (or similar Magic Resistance) apply to a target.

Vocal Heartbeasts
Some Heartbeasts, most notably the magpie, are capable of vocalization. Because this is not true human vocalization, it is limited in its effects, but a Bjornaer in a vocal Heartbeast form may choose to use speech when casting a spell. The speech counts as "quiet" with the accompanying -5 modifier to casting totals, and the associated 5 pace Voice range. The magus may not choose to use "firm" or "loud" speech when casting in Heartbeast form.

A magus in Heartbeast form may elect not to speak when casting a spell, with the usual effects.

The spell guidelines for Creo Animal on pg 116 of the core rules state that: "an Individual is a single hair, a single hide, or a single tusk." While a firm interpretation of this rule seems valid for creating single hides or tusks, if a manufactured item (such as a wool tunic) is desired, and it is a single item in physical form and use, then an Individual Target is appropriate for the entire item of clothing, rather than a Group of Individual strands of wool.

One notes that in the Herbam spell examples, a single rope is an Individual Target, even though a rope is composed of many tiny "hairs." So, to create a wool robe is Base 15 (including +2 magnitudes for processed and treated material), but does not require a Group Target, unless multiple woolen robes are desired.

The Problem with Created Illusions
HoH:S includes a detailed and expanded discussion of illusions.  However, it fails to address a fundamental gap in the Core rules regarding the creation of species.  To illustrate this problem, consider the following "thought experiment:"

Picture the interior of a room, where all of the walls, floor, and ceiling are pure, bright white, and in which no other objects are located, and in which a magically diffuse light, without source, illuminates the resulting species.  If one were to cast Prying Eyes into this room, one would detect only white species, without even shadows.

Now, imagine that a magus creates the image of a black sphere in the center of that room.  The caster of Prying Eyes, no matter where the viewpoint is "located" within the room, will see what?  It will see a mixture of black and white species coming from the sphere.  This will result in the viewer perceiving the sphere as grey, not as black.

Why would this be so?  Because the white species are still there, and are unaffected by the sphere.  The species created by the walls are mixed with the species created by the spherical image, and both species continue on to strike the perceiving mechanism of the observer.

Thus, a created image (Creo Imaginem, without requisites) will always tend to appear "unreal" with regard to iconic (visual) species.  This is less true with regard to other senses, but may be applicable in the case where an animal is primarily oriented toward hearing, for example.

In order to create a realistic-seeming visual image, a Creo Imaginem effect must incorporate a Muto or Perdo component, in order to deal with the species that will otherwise "leak" through the image from the surrounding environment.  Again, other senses may also require this for some situations.  This requisite does not count as an additional effect, as it is integral to the image.

Specialists in Imaginem are likely to specialize in Muto over Creo, as one can typically alter an existing object more efficiently than one can create an entirely illusory one.  However, Creo with a Muto or Perdo requisite can potentially create "realistic" images without a basis in reality.

Merely destroying species, as with Veil of Invisibility (ArM5, 146), isn’t enough to make a target invisible. There are many other things surrounding that target, all emitting species. Iconic species don’t travel through solid objects, which is why one cannot see through a wall.
From the point of view of an observer, a target that isn’t emitting species isn’t invisible if it is still blocking the species that are emitting from the environment behind it. Such a target is merely a blank spot, an abhorrent vacuum of image, also blocking ambient light (and thus creating a shadow, as noted).
Thus, to obtain true invisibility (Invisibilitas Vera), one must also ensure that the species striking the target are not blocked, but continue on as if the target were not there. That is the purpose for the Rego requisite included in the Saga varient spell:

Fixing Arcane Connections
The rules for Fixing Arcane Connections on pg 94 of the core rules are cost-prohibitive in terms of time (an entire season just to fix an AC means that very few, if any, AC will ever be fixed).

In the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, fixing an Arcane Connection may be done over a one-week period, which is treated as a seven-day distraction from other activities. No other lab activity may be undertaken in the same week-long period (to preserve the purity of the Arcane Connection), although another lab activity could be done in the same season, subject to the distraction penalty.

Fixing an Arcane Connection does require one pawn of Vim vis.

Worn Range for Enchantments
Per the standard rules, any enchanted item must use Touch range (or greater) in order to affect something other than itself, and any effect cast at Touch range must penetrate applicable Magic Resistance. This is fine in many cases, especially where offensive enchantments are concerned.  However, magi often enchant items to be worn that they may wish to affect themselves without the need for suppressing their Parma Magica.  This presents a potential problem, and one that Hermetic Theory should have addressed very early in the history of Ordo Hermei.

To address this considerable gap in the enchantment rules, the following will apply for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga:
An enchanter may elect to use a special enchantment range known as Worn.  This range is the equivalent of Touch in most respects, with two exceptions.  First, the item will only affect a wearer (i.e. the item must be of a suitable shape to be worn by the person to be affected, and may not simply be carried: clothing, jewelry, and armor are appropriate; weapons, wands, etc. are not).  Second, the effect does not have to penetrate the Magic Resistance of the person wearing it, if the person put on the item while his Magic Resistance was suppressed.  If the item is put on while Magic Resistance is not suppressed, any effect must then penetrate Magic Resistance.  This range may only be used for enchantments, and is not applicable to spells.

This rule as written could result in a researcher achieving both Complete Failure and Discovery with a single experimental result. For example, if a researcher with an Exceptional Risk modifier of +2 rolled a 6, the result would be 8, Complete Failure. Adding a +2 again per the above rule, the researcher could also obtain a Discovery. This does not fit the experimental paradigm, or the description of the Complete Failure result ("... season is wasted").  A similar situation exists for the No Benefit result.

Thus, in the event that the normal result of the Extraordinary Results roll is either "No Benefit" or "Complete Failure", no Discovery is possible by modifying the normal result.

Shape & Material bonuses can apply as many times as each individual item may be enchanted in the season. That is, if two physical items are being enchanted in the same season, the Shape & Material bonus for each can be added to the Lab Total. This is true even if the Shape & Material bonus is duplicated (i.e. the two items are identical).

The limit of the enchanter's Hermetic Theory score still applies to the sum of all Shape & Material bonuses used during the season. I.e. if the enchanter's Hermetic Theory score is 5, and is enchanting two items, each with a Shape & Material bonuses of +3, the total bonus to the season's lab total is still limited to 5.

The other 'bookshelf' guideline, for hiding things within, is simply anachronistic and inappropriate.

Targeting Damaging Spells
Although the rules modifications in HoH:S address the issue of Rego-propelled missiles, they don't address the fundamental issue of targeted missile-like damaging spells - the damage results are completely random, and are unaffected by the relative targeting skill of the magus.

The fundamental issue is the lack of a meaningful Attack Advantage for targeted spells that do +X damage.  Not all spells fall into this category of course, even those whose descriptions include a +X damage.  Spells such as Heat of the Searing Forge, Blade of the Virulent Flame, or Talons of the Mundane Winds are not spells for which targeting rolls are relevant in regards to the damage inflicted.  Randomization is appropriate for many such spells.

However, damaging spells such as Wielding the Invisible Sling, the Invisible Sling of Vilano, the Crystal Dart, etc. should have some meaningful Attack Advantage, such that a more skillful magus can inflict potentially more damage than a novice with the same spell.

This rule does modify the Core rule that spells which are resisted are not Targeted.  Certain spells that are resisted will also require targeting rolls under this rule.  However, there is an adjustment for those spells.

Targeting rule: any spell which inflicts +X damage to one or more targets in a way that relative skill in Finesse would be likely to affect must be targeted, regardless of whether that spell effect would be resisted or not.  Similarly, the target is allowed an appropriate Defense roll, modified by a shield as applicable.  For some effects (normally Creo effects), the shield may not apply, as no opportunity would arise for the shield to block the attack.  However, dodging is always an applicable defense.

Spells which are resisted have an innate +9 bonus to the targeting roll, and the targeting roll is not modified by range in any way.

Spells which are not resisted have no such innate bonus, and the targeting roll is modified according to the range to the target(s).

Example comparison: Wielding the Invisible Sling vs. the Invisible Sling of Vilano

Wielding the Invisible Sling is a Rego effect that propels the missile all the way to the target, and is thus subject to Magic Resistance if the target has any. The targeting roll for this spell has a +9 bonus, and no range modifiers are used (the target must be within the casting range of the spell).

The Invisible Sling of Vilano is a Rego effect that hurls the missile at the target, but does not guide it after the initial motion is imparted.  As such, it is not subject to Magic Resistance.  The targeting roll will be modified according to the physical range to the target, and it inherently can hit targets farther away than the Touch range of the spell itself, since the spell is not guiding the missile in any way.

In both cases, the magus rolls Perception + Finesse (modified by applicable Spell Mastery) to target the spell.  In both cases, the target (if aware of the attack), is allowed a defense roll to avoid the missile.  The net Attack Advantage is added to the damage result, and no damage die roll is needed.  If no Attack Advantage is generated, then no damage is inflicted.

Fighting Invisibly
The rules listed in House of Hermes: Societates (HoH:S) for adjudicating invisible combat are generally useful. However, one fundamental mistake is perpetuated within those rules. Invisible weapons are not resisted by Magic Resistance just because they are invisible, nor are invisible characters so resisted.

Invisibility is typically achieved through the destruction of the image of a person or object - the invisibility effect does not alter the person or object themselves, only the image thereof, and thus neither the person nor the object is in any way magical. Although the spell effect itself is a continuing magical effect, the Parma Magica does not in any way prevent the intrusion of an object because it is invisible (the same is not necessarily true of an Aegis, but that is a very special case).

There are two ways that Magic Resistance can affect an invisibility spell: one is if the Magic Resistance is protecting a person or object at the time the spell is cast - in which case the spell must penetrate to take effect on those species, as one would expect. 

The other is more subtle.  Because species are constantly generated by an object, and because those species are continually being targeted by the invisibility effect, species that are generated within Magic Resistance are only destroyed if the invisibility effect penetrates that resistance.  This means, for example, that an invisible arrow that strikes a magus protected by a Parma Magica may become visible once it is stuck in his body and affected by his Parma Magica.  So long as newly generated species are within the Magic Resistance, they cannot be destroyed without penetrating that resistance.  Once they leave the protection of magic resistance, however, they could be affected, so long as the spell is targeting them appropriately (which it may not be if it was originally cast on the arrow itself in this example).

Invisibility is a dangerous capability, and if one is facing an invisible opponent without some means of detecting their presence, the situation will be dire. The Parma Magica itself is no defense.

In both cases, the previously defined Bohemian Rhapsody ability will be used.  Neither Imperturbable Casting nor Precise Casting will be used. Quick Casting will be used as stated in HoH:S.  Finesse Mastery will not affect casting speed in any way.

Concentration Mastery and Finesse Mastery are not yet "generally known" by the entire Order, although the relevant breakthroughs were made several decades ago, and many magi who have studied those breakthroughs will have access to one or both abilities.

Lacunae
HoH:S discusses lacunae (p.57), which are areas within the Dominion that lack a Dominion Aura.  These are not quite so common as HoH:S would seem to indicate - although such "hollows" are known to exist in some places, they are by no means common. In order to have such a lacuna, one of two things must be the case. Either another Aura is present, or the Dominion does not reach that place (and thus the place may have no Aura at all).

In order for a Dominion Aura to not reach part of a town or city, that place must be somewhere that church bells cannot be heard (or the muezzin's call, etc.), or it must be somewhere that is "beyond" the community of the faithful. Such places are highly unusual, to say the least.

Places of sin and vice seem to have much lower, or even no Dominion Aura. However, such places typically do have at least mild Infernal Auras, and thus are subsumed under the first case, above. This seems to be the one exception to the rules that only a stronger non-Divine Aura can exist within the Dominion: Infernal Auras may exist where-ever the "community of the faithful" ends, even if that community ends at the entrance to a disreputable tavern, for example. This is unlikely to be helpful to an urban maga, unless she is also aligned with the Infernal Realm in some fashion.

Yes, Jerbitonis are sometimes urban magi.  They don't get any special breaks just because of that.  They have to deal with the Dominion as much as anyone else.

Anamorphs and Synaethesia
HoH:S introduces rules for using anamorphic illusions to trick the human mind into sensing what it expects to sense.  However, the Ease Factors as listed make this trick far too easy to achieve, compared to using a detailed illusion (with the required Finesse result) to achieve the same thing.

For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, the descriptions of results listed in the left-most column on page 66 should be modified downward by 6.  I.e., "If the victim's total exceeds the Ease Factor, he sees the anamorph as it truly is: a shapeless, supernatural thing."  Similarly, the Ease Factor must exceed the victim's total by at least 6 in order for the victim to see "the anamorph as a thing that suits his current emotional state, but is not sufficiently important enough to investigate."

Incorporating multiple senses does modify the difficulty by 3 for each additional sense, increasing the complexity of the spell but making it more effective. As noted, inebriation or fatigue penalties do affect the victim, and are applied to the Perception + Awareness roll.

Anamorphic illusions are a useful trick to know in some situations, but are not a general replacement for detailed illusions cast by a magus skilled in Finesse.

HoH:S also introduces rules for synaesthetic illusions.  However, those rules violate the Limits of Magic, as they attempt to alter the essential nature of the species involved.  Iconic species are essentially Iconic: although they may be altered to give the impression of something other than the object from which they were emitted, their essential nature must remain Iconic.

Further, the three examples given do not require synaesthesia in the first place.  Each of them is conceptually an Intellego sensory target spell, which can be achieved with the core rules (and in most cases an InIm spell would function better than the examples given).

Glowing Footprints of the Thief as formulated, for example, would only target species that are in Sight range of the caster when the spell is cast.  It would be of only marginal use in tracking.  A practical version would be: InIm(Ig) 15 (Base 1, +1 Conc, +4 Vision, +1 Ignem requisite), which would allow the caster to detect smell species at a distance, with Vision target, thus allowing the caster to "see" olfactory species.  The Ignem requisite would make the species from a specific target glow (sample species would be necessary when casting to identify the target specifically).  With Sun duration, a fourth magnitude effect would be vastly superior to the example given.

True synaesthesia would change the species emitted by a given target.  For example, changing the olfactory species emitted by the target into haptic species could defeat tracking by hounds.  Changing the iconic species emitted by the target into gustative species would make the target effectively "invisible" but quite strong to the taste.  All of these effects are impossible for Hermetic Magic, however, since they would alter the essential nature of the species involved.

As a side note, the essential nature of species also explains the noted inability of Hermetic magic to transform species into a solid object (HoH:S page 63).

Secondary note: the statement in HoH:S (63) that transforming an object into species is a "slightly unnatural" change is incorrect. Changing the Form of something is highly unnatural, and this changes the level of the spell on that page, increasing it by one magnitude from 30 to 35.

Casting Requisites for Leaping
HoH:S states in the description of Wizard's Leap (p.36) that casting requisites are necessary to bring along clothing or equipment other than one's Talisman.  This brings up an interesting point that was not addressed in the descriptions of Seven League Stride or The Leap of Homecoming in the Core rules.  Per the ArM 5 magic rules, the description of Wizard's Leap is accurate; casting requisites should be required for all such effects. 

This is a different case than, for example, Rise of the Feathery Body, where the target's clothing and equipment rise along with his body.  This is because clothing and equipment naturally go along with the body as it rises.  With instantaneous transport, however, clothing and equipment do not naturally transport from place to place.  Unless the spell also relocates the clothing and equipment with the body, those other items will remain in their original location.

The caster may certainly travel naked if desired, but otherwise appropriate casting requisites are required.  Prudent selection of clothing materials and weapons could reduce the required requisites, but there are a number of Forms that could generally apply:

Effectively, this means that Rego is a far more important component of the ability to use instantaneous transport.  Reliance on Corpus means that as many as four other Forms must also be studied to an equal degree, barring a conscious decision to pare down the types of clothing and equipment used.

One possible technique, for example, would be to concentrate on Corpus and Animal.  Wearing only clothing of wool or silk, and only leather armor; and foregoing the inclusion of metal objects, weapons, coins, gems, etc., a magus could travel quickly using only those two forms.  However, most magi would prefer not to leave gems, coins, and metal objects (such as those which might be used to store quantities of vis), and so Corpus, Animal, and Terram would be the most commonly emphasized Forms. An alternate strategy would be to use only wooden objects and weapons (such as a staff), and to wear only linen or cotton clothing.  This could allow focus on only two Forms, Corpus and Herbam.

Even so, the most effective strategy overall is to concentrate on Rego, so that one's Form scores are not the primary component of the necessary casting total.  This could allow a magus to have only minimal (5+) scores in some of the requisite Forms, without requiring him to carefully limit the Forms of clothing and equipment.

Detecting Ingenium
Various questions regarding the manner in which Ingenium (The Gift) may be detected have been answered definitively in Hedge Magic, Revised Edition.  Ingenium may be detected using an Intellego Vim effect, specifically targeting the presence of The Gift, with a Base effect level of 10. The sample spell in Hedge Magic (pg 6) is more elaborate than is strictly needed; only a Momentary Duration is required, there is no need to Concentrate on the effect.  However, combination of Concentration and Touch Target does allow the caster to check multiple individuals with one casting if desired.

Given the typical lack of Concentration development among player characters, an effect with Personal Range, Sun Duration, and Smell Target (6th Magnitude) would be more effective by far; however, The Numbness of The Gift is the "standard" Hermetic effect, and a lab text is available in the Durenmar Library.

In addition, Apprentices (33) clarifies that spells designed to detect The Gift may sometimes detect other supernatural abilities, giving a "false positive" result (this would be especially true in the case of the Magical Air Flaw). In the end, there is only one sure way to verify that a potential apprentice has The Gift, and that is to Open it.

Properties of Vis
Some ArM5 supplements have made statements to the effect that the realm of vis can be detected through a spell such as Sense the Nature of Vis.  This is not only problematic for some other special rules regarding specific types of vis, but it also conflicts with a key statement in the Core Rules:
"Raw vis will show up as magical, simply as raw vis, under any magical detection.  The level of the detecting spell is irrelevant, as is the realm of power that it was designed to detect.  However, only specially designed spells will yield any information other than that it is raw vis." (page 158)

If vis is detectable as vis by any spell, regardless of the realm that spell is designed to detect, then vis must be considered to be such a basic manifestation of mystical power, that it is to some extent above (or below) the distinctions that separate the various realms of power. This is also consistent with the fact that, although powers of various realms are affected differently by an Aura of a given realm, a pawn of vis is a pawn of vis, regardless of the realm from which it originated.  That is to say, that although the use of a pawn of vis from a different realm may have other effects, it still fulfills the essential requirements of a pawn of vis for the use to which it is put.

One other clarification is needed regarding an erroneous statement in Realms of Power: Faerie (18).  The spell Sense the Nature of Vis specifically tells the caster the Art to which the vis is connected.  No other information of any kind is granted by that effect.  More specialized effects may be able to grant additional information about special properties of vis, but Sense the Nature of Vis only detects the Art of the vis, regardless of the Realm from which it originated.

Some clarified Intellego Vim guidelines for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga:

Hermetic Form Bonuses
One aspect of the Hermetic Arts that is not adequately discussed in the Ars Magica rules is the knowledge that magi should have related to the Hermetic Forms. For example, a magus who has a high score in Animal obviously has a lot of knowledge about things Animal, independently of any related Abilities he might possess. This Saga Rule attempts to address this conceptual gap in a way that maintains a balance between having some degree of useful knowledge derive from knowledge of an Art, and not replacing the value of having related Abilities.

The Hermetic Form Bonus for an Art can substitute for (not add to) general knowledge about things of that Art, but not for any practical skill. For example, an Herbam Form Bonus can be used to gauge how much a magus knows about what kinds of soil different plants like, what kinds of weather, how much water they might need, etc. It would not tell him anything about plants he has never encountered before (although Intellego Herbam effects might do so), nor would it give him any ability to fashion things from plants, or give him the skills of harvesting them, etc.

Similarly, an Imaginem Form Bonus would be applicable to knowing about the different kinds of species and how they are transmitted through various media (or not transmitted, as the case may be). A Vim Form Bonus would be applicable to knowledge about general manifestations of magic such as vis and auras.

In all cases, knowledge derived from a Hermetic Form Bonus will be less specific than a related Ability. For example, the knowledge granted by Magic Lore is more detailed and more comprehensive that that derived from a Vim Form Bonus. Likewise with Flora Lore and Herbam, or Fauna Lore and Animal. The knowledge of the mind gained from Philosophiae is more complete than that derived from a Mentem Form Bonus. One should also note that a Form Bonus does not provide any theoretical knowledge; only empirical knowledge.

Muto Size Alteration
The AM5 Core Rules give an example of size increase or decrease with Muto under the Muto Terram guidelines (although a similar effect is listed under Muto Corpus without detail in the guideline). The base guideline is that one can change the volume of something by a factor of eight (i.e. doubling or halving each dimension).

A question arises if someone wants to exceed that ratio. What effect, if any, would increasing the magnitude of the effect have on the target? Some quick calculations determine that a strict doubling with each additional magnitude is undesirable, as it very quickly can lead to relatively absurd changes in size. Instead, for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, the following progression will be used.

Note that the "Base" could vary by Form, but this progression would apply to all Forms.

Laboratory Assistant Lab Texts

Laboratory assistants may have effective lab notes for an effect in which they contribute to lab total, subject to the following conditions:
1) the assistant must have a lab total capable of replicating the effect with the lab text
2) if multiple seasons of work were required, the assistant must have assisted in all the seasons required
3) the assistant must have been capable of taking notes during the season(s) of work, or must have the Magical Memory Virtue or something similar

If an assistant cannot meet all of the above conditions, they do not have effective lab notes for an effect. However, they may still receive a bonus for lab note familiarity (see below).

Lab Note Familiarity
A character who has learned an effect from a teacher may be able to more readily translate that teacher's lab notes for that specific effect. When working on translating such lab notes, the character receives a +1 bonus per magnitude of the effect, which is only applicable to that particular effect. However, once the lab notes are translated, the character will receive the standard bonus towards translating other lab texts.

Similarly, if a character assisted another character in the laboratory while producing an effect, they receive a +1 bonus per magnitude of the effect toward translating the other character's lab notes for that specific effect.

Intellego "Speak with" Base Guidelines
The Core Rules list various base guidelines for Hermetic magic. One recurring type of guideline is the "Speak with" Intellego [Form] guideline, which allows a magus to commune with some being or the spirit of an object associated with a particular Hermetic Form. In most cases, this guideline is consistent as a level 15 guideline. However, for a few Forms, it is inexplicably higher. This seems arbitrary and without apparent logic as to why it should be more difficult, say, to speak with a rock than with a body of water. Further, several published spells appear to have ignored the Intellego Terram statement that "spell levels are not affected by the material of the thing...." This was further exacerbated by published guidelines in HoH:TL that ignored this statement and specifically listed guidelines that were different than the base guideline in the Core rules. The Intellego Terram guidelines in HoH:TL should thus be disregarded, as they are ludicrously incorrect. Metal objects may be communed with using the same effect base as for artificial stone.

For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, these variant guidelines will be rationalized to a consistent level 15 base. One exception is the guideline for "Speak with an artificial rock," which is logically more difficult than "Speak with a natural rock" at level 15. The revised guideline for artificial stone objects will be level 20, rather than 25. This will change the level of some published spells, such as the following:

Due to these changes, as well as a number of other Saga guidelines, a pdf document containing all Hermetic guidelines for the Bohemian Rhapsody sage is available on this site for reference. This includes all published guidelines discovered by the author, whether or not modified by Saga rule.

Creo Ignem Heat Guidelines
A close examination of the Creo Ignem guidelines to "heat an object" will reveal that they do not reflect practical heating ranges. For example, the level 5 guideline is listed as able to heat an object "enough to make it glow red-hot" while the level 10 guideline is "enough to melt lead." Now, any heat capable of making an object "glow red-hot" (anywhere from 1200 F to 1700 F) is more than enough heat to melt lead (melting point ~ 620 F). Thus, the guidelines seem to be in the wrong order. For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, these two guidelines will be reversed.

In addition, new guidelines for heating iron to "yellow-hot" and melting iron have been added. Although such temperatures are generally not achievable through mundane means without a bloomery or blast furnace, magic is capable of achieving these temperatures.

Faerie Magic
Fifth Edition Core Rules did away with a separate Faerie Magic Ability, which was an improvement. Unfortunately, HoH:MC re-inserted a Faerie Magic Ability, which is unnecessary. For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, no Faerie Magic Ability will be used. Anywhere that a Faerie Magic Ability is referenced, Hermetic Theory may be substituted. The Faerie Magic Virtue provides the necessary link with the Fae to use Hermetic Theory for Faerie Magic, just as indicated in the Core Rules. Specifically:

Faerie Magic does not increase the amount of vis a magus may use in a single season, nor does it increase the number of botch dice rolled as a result.

Faerie Magic allows the creation of charms, as indicated in HoH:MC, but a Faerie Magic Ability is not necessary. Any limitation imposed on the creation or use of charms by a Faerie Magic Ability should be replaced with Hermetic Theory and/or Faerie Lore. Both limit the ability to use charms in the Inner Mysteries, and so characters with Faerie Magic may want to improve both Hermetic Theory and Faerie Lore.

Variable Vis Capacity (DRAFT)
The Material and Size tables (p97, ArM5) list the base points and multipliers used to determine the vis capacity of an object, either for storage of vis or for enchantment. The figures as listed are invariable. However, there are possible factors that could vary the specific vis capacity of an item. The major variable factors are the innate magical nature of the item (if applicable) and the quality of crafting of an item (if applicable).

The magical nature of a material or item could potentially increase its specific vis capacity. For example, although "typical" leather has a base material capacity value of 2, what about the hide of a magical beast? The special qualities of such a hide might have an increased vis capacity compared to ordinary leather. This is best represented by stating a specific vis capacity for the specific material or item involved. For example, if the hide from a magical beast was "Large," the Storyguide could rule that the vis capacity of this particular hide was 10 pawns, slightly more than the 8 pawns which a more ordinary hide of "Large" size could hold. Or, the Storyguide might rule that the hide could be crafted into a pair of "Medium" items, each of which has a capacity of 7 pawns of vis.

Quality of crafting could also vary the vis capacity of an item. Because enchantment is said to require a superior-quality item to be "worthy" of enchantment, only truly exceptional crafting would increase the vis capacity. However, lesser quality crafting might actually reduce the vis capacity of an item, below the "standard" amounts calculated from the table. Even items of typical quality might suffer a minor reduction in vis capacity, and inferior items might, at the Storyguide's discretion, be completely incapable of holding vis.

This also implies that simply picking up a random rock from the ground might not be a suitable approach to storing vis. A rock would need to be of some minimal "quality" to be capable of holding vis. Perhaps the rock must be of uncommon material, or uniquely shaped, or perhaps the rock could be crafted with suitable quality to allow the storage of vis. Of course, materials with any degree of mystical attunement would always be capable of holding vis. Such materials might be obtained from within a supernatural Aura, for example. Materials that manifested as physical vis at some point would be potentially valuable for holding vis or for enchantment.

A simple Intellego Vim effect would suffice to determine the vis capacity of an object: base 2, plus one magnitude for Touch range would normally be sufficient, and many magi would be capable of casting a spontaneous version of this effect. For magi with more restricted capability, a standard Hermetic Formulaic spell, Commovere Mysticum Archimedis InVi3 is available in many libraries, including that at Durenmar.

Natural Magic Revised
The Natural Magician, as published in Hedge Magic, Revised Edition, presents some unique challenges to long-term sagas. Accordingly, the following rules changes will apply to Natural Magic for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga. The net effects of the changes are three: first, that chartae are unable to affect seasonal totals, either lab totals or source qualities. Second, that Natural Magic Durations are linked with Astrological time. Third, the manner in which Natural Magic can grant supernatural abilities is modified.

Due to these changes, which separate chartae and amulets, it is necessary to use an amulet for longer duration effects, or for a Boundary target. Careful comparision will also reveal that the "Bloodline" Target is no longer included in Natural Magic. Group magic is also aligned to more closely match Hermetic standards, although Room targets are easier.

Natural Magic is more tightly linked with Astrological cycles for Durations, similar to those of the Celestial Magic Mystery. The maximum number of Astrological units is equal to the Artes Liberales score of the magician divided by two, rounded up (Artes Liberales / 2). Thus, a Natural Magician with an Artes Liberales score of 7 would be able to create a charta lasting 4 Hours, or 4 Days, or would be able to create an amulet lasting for 4 Signs (months); unlike Celestial Magic, no separate roll is necessary. The constraints on Astrological time discussed in the sidebar under Celestial Magic (TMRE, 49) also apply to Natural Magic.

On the other hand, there are some astrological aids that Natural Magicians can use to improve their magic. Use of an effect such as Sense the Hour (TMRE, 51) adds one to the effective Artes Liberales score of the magician. Use of an armillary sphere or an effect such as Know the Heavens (TMRE, 51) adds three to the effective Artes Liberales score. These bonuses apply both to the number of Astrological units and to the charta or lab total of the magician.

Changes to Granting Abilities:
When an effect grants a Virtue that would result in a temporary Ability (such as Second Sight or Magic Sensitivity), the Ability is granted at a base Score of 1; each additional magnitude added to the effect may increase the Score by +1.

Change to Natural Magic Longevity Amulet:
The bonus from a Natural Magic Longevity Amulet is a supernatural bonus, not a Living Conditions bonus. It will not stack with the bonus from a Hermetic Longevity Ritual.

Note Regarding Succurro Fortunam:
The guidelines for Succurro Fortunam (HMRE, 90) specifically state that "a Fortunam effect may not grant Virtues that affect the accumulation of experience points...." As the Storyguide was, perhaps foolishly, relying upon the author of this material to adjudicate his character's capabilities, this limitation was not enforced for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga. After consideration, Succurro Fortunam amulets will no longer be able to grant Affinity Virtues, although Virtues such as Apt Student, Book Learner, and Good Teacher will be allowed. These specific Virtues will be allowed because they are not distinct in their effect from Puissant Teacher, which as a Puissant Ability would be allowed. As such, a line will be drawn between Source Quality and experience points for this constraint on Succorro Fortunam magic. Virtues that affect Source Quality will be allowed, but Virtues that modify experience points directly will not be allowed.

Casting Items for Potent Spells
The possibility of conjuring an object to serve as a casting item was not addressed in TMRE. Although this issue has not yet arisen in the Saga, this saga rule will address it. A conjured item may only serve as a casting item for a Potent spell if it was permanently conjured (i.e. with a Ritual, requiring vis). Temporarily conjured objects lack sufficient mystical permanence to fulfill the requirements of a casting item.

Similarly, an object altered by Muto does not obtain mystically relevant properties, but it can lose them. For example, a brass wand changed into a ring remains an item of brass, but is no longer a wand, and could not function as a wand for the purpose of a Potent Spell. However, although the item has the shape of a ring, it is not a ring in a mystically relevant sense, and thus could not function as a ring for the purpose of a Potent Spell.

Familiars
For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, some aspects of the rules for Familiars (ArM5, 103-106) require clarification or revision.

First, the statement in ArM5 (104) that Familiar Bond Cords are perceptible to Second Sight is not valid. However, Familiar Bond cords may be sensed by someone with Magic Sensitivity in a fashion similar to that for sensing enchanted items, using the Bond lab total to calculate the magnitude of effect.

Note that sensing the cords merely indicates that something is magical; it does not provide specific information about the magical nature of the thing sensed. Thus, Familiar Bond cords may be sensed as something magical about the familiar, or the magus, but their specific nature is not revealed. Also note that a familiar with Magic Might may itself be sensed as a magical entity, and often more easily than the cords may be sensed. Thus, sensing the presence of cords may not actually convey much information.

Second, the statement in ArM5 (105) that a familiar ages along with its magus, and generally dies a few days before or several weeks after the magus, applies generally to non-magical animal familiars. Familiars who do not normally age, such as many magical creatures, do not age along with the magus, and do not generally demise when the magus does. They may, however, suffer the same "profound emptiness" that affects magi who lose their familiars.

Third, the statement "If it did not previously have human intelligence, it gains it, with a score of -3" is modified for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga. A familiar who previously had only Cunning gains Intelligence with a corresponding score. That is, a familiar with low Cunning will have low Intelligence, and a familiar which had higher Cunning will have relatively higher Intelligence once it is bonded.

Rules Addendum: Familiar Bond Arts
ArM5 discusses ways in which familiars exemplify the Arts appropriate to Bonding (p104), but does not provide any guidelines for magi to determine the specific Arts that apply to a given entity as a familiar; in some cases, the nature of the familiar will suggest appropriate Arts, and as stated, Animal and Vim are always appropriate Forms to bond an animal as a familiar. Thus, for any given entity, there may be multiple potential Art combinations.

For a given familiar, there may only be a single Technique that is applicable, however. This may be guessed based upon the nature or traits of an animal, or based on its known powers. In any case, a magus attempting to Bond a familiar will be able to determine very soon if the Art combination he is using is appropriate to a given entity. If inappropriate, he may immediately select another Art combination to try (with a possible change in Lab total, and in vis applicable to the Bond), or he may elect to wait until a later season. If the Lab total is insufficient to Bond a given entity, or if the magus lacks sufficient vis of the applicable Arts, the attempt will fail, of course.

Effect Level vs. Enchantment Level
For enchantments, sometimes one needs to know the effect level, as opposed to the enchantment level. This Saga Rule clarifies these terms and specifically addresses the question of Warping due to enchantment effects.

For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, the effect level of an enchanted effect is the level corresponding to an equivalent spell, without any additional levels specific to enchantment functions (including levels allocated to Penetration). This effect level is the relevant level for determining if an effect is powerful enough to cause Warping (sixth magnitude or higher), and is also the relevant level for determining a similar effect bonus.

The enchantment level, which is the level relevant to lab totals, vis required, etc., does include the various levels added for enchantment functions. This level is not relevant for determining the severity of Warping, nor is it relevant for other meta-magical matters, such as countering or dispelling the enchantment effect.

For original research and related efforts, the effect level of an enchantment is relevant to Breakthrough or Insight points. The enchantment level is irrelevant for such matters.

Vis Use in Spellcasting
For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, the rule on use of vis to boost spellcasting will be modified. The bonus to Casting Score will be +3 per pawn of raw vis used, rather than +2. The stated bonus in the core rules seems insufficient compared to the value of vis, even when vis is not particularly rare.

The limit on number of pawns that may be used will not be modified; this will result in a theoretical potential for greater Casting Scores, but is unlikely to affect Casting Scores in practice.

For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, the rule on use of vis to mitigate advancement penalties for Magical beings will be modified. The mitigation to advancement penalty will be 3 per pawn of raw vis consumed, rather than 2 as stated in RoP:M (52).

Consumable Material Bonuses (DRAFT)
Certain Material Bonuses come from materials that are not traditionally components of durable items. Materials such as frankincense and myrhh, for example, are customarily used in incense, which is burned up. Although inclusion of these materials in a durable item may be a way to benefit from the bonus, a mechanism that matches the customary usage of the material is desirable for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga.

This Saga rule establishes such a mechanism for materials that are consumed in use or may otherwise be impermanent as an element of a durable enchantment. In such cases, an enchantment may incorporate an applicable Material bonus, if the activation method for the enchantment requires the relevant material. For example, if an enchanter wishes to enchant a small brazier with a Perdo Vim effect, the enchanter could incorporate a Material Bonus for frankincense (+3 Perdo Vim) if activating the effect required lighting incense containing frankincense.

This Saga rule may be somewhat limited in applicablity, as only some Material bonuses might be relevant, but it may also find usage in concert with the rules for Alchimia Vulgaris.

Specific Material bonuses could include:

Note that some of the material bonuses listed above may also be applicable to inclusion in a durable enchantment, and that others may be applicable to charged items (such as inclusion in a potion etc.) which are already impermanent.

Note also that the Storyguide / Troupe may require that materials used in this way must be of superior quality to be used as an activation method; some materials such as Ink of Hermes are by their nature of sufficiently superior quality, while others, such as down or a quill, may vary in quality, and only superior specimens may be used.

Such Material bonuses may also be used in Potent spells; in this case the customary usage of some materials may be appropriate, depending on the specific Potent spell and material.

Hermetic Shapechanging Spells (DRAFT)
For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, Hermetic spells that change the target's shape, such as Shape of the Woodland Prowler, Cloak of Black Feathers, etc., also alter the clothing of the target, with applicable casting requisites. Small items such as jewelry, small belt pouch or wallet, dagger, etc. may also be included with casting requisities. However, anything that is large enough to encumber the target cannot be included, and will not transform with the target. This is true even if the target's Strength is sufficient to negate an encumbrance penalty; for this purpose, any weapon with Load >0 is assumed to be somewhat encumbering, as is any armor with Load >1. The one exception to this is a Talisman, which may always be included, and does not require casting requisites.

Perceive the Change
HoH:MC (p24) lists a sample enchantment effect, "Perceive the Change." This is intended to allow enchantments to activate when a Bjornaer maga changes to Heartbeast.

For the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga, this effect is only necessary for effects that are enchanted by non-Bjornaer. The Mystery of the Heartbeast allows Bjornaer magi to design and enchant an effect to be activated by the "action" of changing to or from Heartbeast (or both).