Muto Vim Spells and Enchanted Devices

Muto Vim spells affect other spells, as described in the Muto Vim Guidelines (ArM5, page 159). Muto Vim spells can also affect spell-like effects instilled in enchanted devices, as long as certain conditions are met. Some of these conditions are explicitly stated in the Muto Vim Guidelines, and others have to be interpreted. To avoid confusion, they will be made explicit here.

A Muto Vim effect can be put into a magical item, as long as it affects another power instilled in the item. If spell-like powers in a magical item can be manipulated by Muto Vim effects, then spell-like powers can also be manipulated by Muto Vim spells. The reverse is not true; a general purpose Muto Vim spell-like effect cannot be instilled in a magical item with the intent to affect spells that the wielder desires to target. Muto Vim spell-like effects can only affect other spell-like effects in the same magical item.

If the magus casting the Muto Vim spell is the same person activating a magical item, then the standard rules for casting a Muto Vim spell apply (page 159). The caster must succeed with an Intelligence + Concentration roll against an Ease Factor of 9.

If the magus is not the same person activating the magical item, the rules governing a Muto Vim spell cast on another magus' spell apply. If an ally activates the magical item, and the magus and item-activator have worked out the timing issues before hand, the two are considered to be cooperating. The caster must succeed with an Intelligence + Concentration roll against an Ease Factor of 9.

If the caster and the item-activator have not worked out the timing issues beforehand, then they are not cooperating. An enemy using a magical item falls into this category. In this case, the magus must fast cast the Muto Vim spell. He must also beat the magical item's Penetration with his Muto Vim spell's Penetration. Because Muto Vim spells are Form specific, he must also correctly identify the Form of the device's spelllike effect. Use the Determine Form of Magical Effect formula (ArM5, page 83) to determine whether the magus is successful. If the magus correctly identifies the Form, succeeds with a fast cast defense roll against the item-activator's Initiative roll, and casts his spell with higher Penetration than the device's Penetration, his Muto Vim spell affects the device's spell-like effect.

All other Muto Vim spell rules apply. The magical item must be Hermetic. The Muto Vim spell can have Range Touch if the magus is holding the magical item, but must have Range Voice if someone else is holding the magical item or he triggers it from a distance.