This virtue is explained for ease of easiness.
(note this virtue is also house-ruled)
1. Application of virtue
This virtue only apply when you do experimentation on a lesser item or a charged item.
Note: Those who have potent magic may experiment on spells.
When you do this, you may select new attempted shape and materials. That mean, you must choose a material which has not yet a shape and material bonus. You may only select up to a number of "magic theory" experimental shapes and/or materials.
2. Experimentation
2.1. Roll the experimentation result as normal, but take note of the risk modifier + simple die which is called "experimentation bonus".
2.2. Select one of your experimental shape and material.
2.2.1. Spread your experimentation bonus in any way.
For example, if your experimentation bonus was: 3 (risk modifier) +7 (roll), 10; you may chose to try a first +6 shape and material bonus, and a +4 after that.
2.2.2. Select an experimental shape or material.
Discovering if component have bonus
Roll: Perception + simple die + magic lore
VS an ease factor equal to: (2x desired bonus) +/- story factor.
The story factor is a factor decided by the storyguide, according the fact that this shape or material is adequate for the kind of experimentation you were doing.
For example: you want to try a +5 bonus for a "human blood" new material. Your experimentation is related to a Perdo Corpus charged item (kill a human). The storyguide decided that blood is adequate and give a bonus of -3.
You need to roll: (2x5)-3 = 7 with perception + magic lore + simple die, to success.
- If you succeed, you have discovered a property of this shape or material and you may reuse it for any project using a similar effect.
- If you fail, the shape and material don't seem to have this property this time. Maybe you did something wrong. This doesn't mean that the shape has not or can't have this bonus, only that you failed to achieve to use it.
You may try to give that bonus to another shape or material.
Repeat that step until you have spend all points of the experimentation bonus. If you failed everything, you may find that none material has bonus.
2.3. Recalculate your labtotal
Intelligence + Magic theory + technique + form + aura + (bonus such as help in lab, laboratory, familiar, focus… +) magic lore + experimentation bonus + successful experimental component bonus.
The "sucessful experimental component bonus" may not be higher than your magic theory score, as usual.
2.4. Write in your labtext that you used those components.
You may reuse that labtext and the experimental bonus even if you don't experiment. Use the previous formula, but remove "experimentation bonus".
3. Creating a permanent shape and material bonus
Those components only have that bonus for that item purpose.
To create a true shape and material bonus, more attempts are necessary.
The storyguide will know the number of attempts, based on the following formula and table.
Number of required successing attempt is: proposed bonus + modifier
| Modifier | scope of shape and material bonus |
|---|---|
| 2 | scope is similar to the field of a Minor Magical Focus (or narrower) |
| 6 | scope is similar to the field of a Major Magical Focus |
| 6 | scope is a single Technique + Form combination |
| 8 | scope is a single Hermetic Form |
| 10 | scope is a single Hermetic Technique |
Example: a component with a proposed bonus of +7 for "vim" would require 7+8 = 15 seasons during which the component is discovered a +7 bonus, and every time with a "vim" related effect in the lesser or charged item.
4. Sharing knowledge of this
When you have successed at step 3, only you may use that shape and material in your magic. Other magi need to learn those.
There are two ways of doing so:
- by teaching them one season of magic theory;
- by writing a tractatus about magic theory.
The only condition is that they gain at least 1 experience point from you.