Enchantments and Intellego Sensory Targets
The core rules (ppg 113-114) include the provision for magical senses using Intellego sensory targets. Although enchantments are not discussed explicitly, there is no provision made for them in the core rules; the beginning statement excludes enchantment by omission: "Intellego spells can grant magical senses to a person." This statement excludes enchantments in two possible senses: first, it says only that spells can grant these senses, and secondly, it says only that such senses can be granted to a person.

Because the core rules often refer to spells in cases where the actual meaning is intended to include the effects of enchantments, it is certainly reasonable to assume than an enchantment can grant a magical sense to a person through an Intellego sensory target, and this has been tacitly assumed already within the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga. However, the question has arisen whether an enchantment can be given a magical sense directly, rather than granting a sense to a person. Based on a close reading of the core rules, enchantments could not readily be granted an Intellego Sensory Target, as a "magical sense target grants the recipient information through one of his senses." If an enchanted item does not possess a "sense" to begin with, the Intellego Sensory Target has no target, and thus the enchantment cannot be given a magical sense.

However, it seems reasonable that magi should be able to fashion Hermetic enchantments that function with sensory input. Because there is no specific provision in Ars Magica 5th Edition for this, either in the core rules or in any supplement published to date, a Saga Rule is required to address how enchantments may be given senses. A related and larger issue of mental faculties for enchantments will also be addressed by this Saga Rule.

There are several possible routes through which this issue could be addressed. One possible solution is to bind a spirit to the enchantment to provide the necessary mental faculty and sensory medium for the enchantment. This is certainly possible given certain Mysteries. However, one of the notable achievements of Bonisagus in developing Hermetic Theory was the excision of reliance on spirits and pagan deities, or any other being, to perform magic. As a result, if Hermetic magic is to have a capability of conferring mental faculties to an enchantment, it is desirable that it not require the involvement of spirits or Mysteries.

Art & Academe (ppg 31-32) discusses medieval concepts of the mind, and provides some clear definitions of the different mental faculties, and which may be influenced by Hermetic magic. There is a distinction between the minds of animals and the minds of humans, which is derived from the immortal soul. The soul grants the faculties of reason and intellect, which are not possessed by animals. Hermetic magic "cannot affect the functions of the soul - reason and intellect...." This is consistent with the Limit of the Soul.

The five wits, however, "are possessed by any being with a sensitive faculty, not just humans." Therefore, it should be possible for Hermetic magic to grant the five wits, as these are possessed by all animals, and Hermetic magic can create animal life. There is also a subtle distinction established by this quote, which is that a sensitive faculty and the five wits are co-existent: one cannot have a sensitive faculty without also having the five wits. Thus, Hermetic magic should be capable of granting the five wits and a corresponding sensitive faculty, just as it does when it creates an animal with magic. Further, this is the only way in which Hermetic magic can grant a sensitive faculty, since it is not possible to possess a sensitive faculty without also possessing the five wits.

Reviewing the guidelines for Creo Animal, one sees that to create an insect or similar bug is level 5; a bird, fish, or reptile is level 10; and a mammal is level 15. Since insects and bugs possess a sensitive faculty, they also possess some form of the five wits. However, the wits of a bug are somewhat less capable than the wits of a fish, and still less than the wits of a mammal (in the medieval world-view). Thus, one can extrapolate that different variants of the five wits may be possible, and this is reflected in the new guidelines, below.

However, Animal is not the only Art that is capable of granting the five wits. Humans and other entities with Intelligence also possess the five wits, and possess superior capabilities of cognition when compared with mere animal Cunning. It should be possible to grant the five wits with Mentem as well as Animal, therefore, even if Hermetic magic cannot grant true Intelligence (which is dependent on the faculties of reason and intellect that derive from the soul). Wits granted by Mentem would be superior to those granted by Animal in some respects, due to the enhanced capabilities of cognition, imagination, and memory. This is also reflected in the guidelines below.

This Saga Rule implies some derivative rules, which will be discussed separately.

The Rego Herbam Problem
The guidelines for Rego Herbam contain a problematic guideline (core rules pg 138): "Make a plant or thing made of plant products move with purpose and intelligence, without requiring your constant control."

There are several problems with this guideline, and the related spell "The Treacherous Spear," which is a legacy from previous editions that the editor seemingly was unwilling to jettison. The guideline conflicts in several ways with other parts of the Ars Magica rules set, not the least of which is the assertion that a Hermetic spell can grant "intelligence" to something. It is possible to read "intelligence" as a poor choice of words, when "cunning" perhaps is what is truly meant. However, that sidesteps the question of how any Rego Herbam effect, without requisites, could grant cunning to anything.

There are a couple of possible ways to address this problem, but for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga it will suffice to simply erase the errant guideline and treat "The Treacherous Spear" as a unique effect that is not fully compliant with Hermetic theory. (One should note that although the spell appeared in 4th Edition, no such guideline was stated in 4th Edition; the spell was simply presented as a unique effect.)

The basic effect grants 3 characteristics points that may be used to improve one or more of the Mental Characteristics of the enchantment. For each additional magnitude of effect added, 5 additional points may be distributed among the Mental Characteristics of the enchantment.

The basic effect allows the enchanter to instill a single Trait in the enchantment,with a maximum score of 3. This could be "Loyal to [enchanter]" for example, or "Brave" or "Likes Dogs." For each additional magnitude of effect added, one additional Trait may be instilled (with a maximum score of 3), or the maximum score of a single Trait may be increased by one (but no higher than 6). Enchantments may, over time, develop other Traits independently.

Enchantments and Abilities
One derivative of the above rule regarding enchantments and mental faculties is that an object with Cunning and mental faculties may have Abilities. Animals may possess Abilities, which arise from the estimation, and animals may improve Abilities that are naturally possessed by their species, and may be trained in other Abilities by an Intelligent being (RoP:M, 140). Thus, an enchantment with Cunning and mental faculties should be able to possess Abilities that are appropriate for its category of mental faculty.

There are some broad limits to the types of Abilities that an enchantment with Cunning may possess. An enchantment may not have Abilities that are inappropriate for its category of mental faculty. Some specific examples:

Enchantments do not have Ability specialties. Enchantments may be able to use some "unskilled" Abilities without a specific Ability Score, but are more constrained than characters - if the Ability is one that could not be given to that enchantment, due to its grade of mental faculty, then the enchanment may not use that Ability "unskilled," even if a normal character would be able to do so.

Enchantments have neither "work" nor "free" seasons; but they gain appropriate Exposure in any season in which they are active but are not being trained or taught an Ability.

Note also that an enchantment's capability to make use of an Ability is constrained by the enchantment(s) itself - if it lacks an effect to move itself or another object, then Crafting Ability is going to be useless, no matter what category of mental faculty it has.

Abilities for Animal Enchantments
Enchantments with Animal-derived mental faculties may be given a few Abilities as part of their "nature" at the time the enchantment is performed. These Abilities reside in the estimation of the enchantment. The enchanting maga may grant to the enchantment an appropriate Ability that she possesses at a Score of 2+. The Ability granted may have an Ability Score equal to or less than the maga's own Score in the Ability, with a minimum Score of 1. No more than five Abilities may be granted in this manner, and the total Scores may not exceed the maga's Hermetic Theory Score.

A Gifted assistant (but not a Familiar) may also participate in granting an Ability to an enchantment, assuming that they are a full participant in the enchanting process. An assistant may be useful in the case where the assistant's Score in an Ability is better than the maga's. However, the total Ability Scores granted by an assistant are limited by the Hermetic Theory Scores of the assistant.

Enchantments with lower-order mental faculties (insects, fish, etc.) are limited to this sort of Ability, which is established as part of its innate "nature," and may not learn new Abilities. This sort of enchantment may improve existing Abilities, but only gradually through Exposure; they may not be trained.

Enchantments with higher-order mental faculties (birds and mammals) and suitable sensory input may be trained in the same fashion as an animal is trained, by a being with Intelligence, in any appropriate Ability. Such enchantments may also improve existing Abilities through Exposure.

Abilities for Mentem Enchantments
Enchantments with "human-like" mental faculties derived from Mentem are different. Human mental faculties have more limited estimation, but stronger potential in cognition, imagination, and memory. Thus, enchantments with "human-like" mental faculties may not be granted Abilities that reside in the estimation. However, the strength of the other mental faculties gives a Mentem-derived enchantment the potential to learn in a similar fashion as a human. If a "human-like" enchantment is provided with suitable sensory inputs, it may be taught Abilities or trained in them, and may learn Abilities that are not appropriate for Animal-derived mental faculties, such as Martial, Academic, and Crafting Abilities. Human-like enchantments may also improve existing Abilities through Exposure.

Note that although a "human-like" enchantment may be taught certain Abilities, it still lacks true Intelligence, and thus may not be able to apply the Ability in the same fashion as a human with Intelligence would. For example, an enchantment might be taught Artes Liberales, but that does not mean that it can use the principles of logic that are a component of that Ablity - it lacks reason, and so cannot make effective use of that component of the Ability. Enchantments are particularly limited with regard to their Ability to discern the truth or falsity of something. They lack reason, and so cannot use logic to determine the truth of something that is not "self-evident," and also lack intellect, and thus cannot grasp those truths that are self-evident. For the same reason, enchantments also lack any sense of morality (good and bad).

Finesse and Enchantment Abilities
No enchantment Ability can replace Finesse. Specifically, any effect Targeting rolls use the wielder's Finesse, and no enchantment Ability may ever substitute for this. In the case of an enchantment that is not actively "wielded," this may preclude the use of enchantment effects that require effect Targeting rolls.

Finesse, however, may substitute for some enchantment Abilities, in any case where a wielder of the enchantment is actively controlling the enchantment.