Shipbuilding Story Seeds

The Vessel Recovered

A ship is found damaged, crewless, and drifting. The captain who found it tows it into dock, looking for someone skilled in the magical arts to repair it, for the ship is obviously enchanted. Very quickly, the Hermetic Shipwright realizes that the ship, the Paregro Mare, is the talisman of Maris of Tytalus and it can take little more punishment before it loses all its magic. But where is its owner? What has separated him from his talisman? And what will Maris' reaction be to those who might wish to help him? See Magi of Hermes, page 70, for more information on Maris of Tytalus.

The Unskilled Shipwright

After seasons spent experimenting with the creation of spells and rituals to repair and create ships, the magus is visited by a carpenter specializing in the construction of ships. It seems that the magus' experiments have somehow robbed the carpenter of all his skill. Can the magus put the damage right, or is there an even stranger explanation for the carpenter's condition?

Conjuration of the Seaworthy Cog

CrHe(Te) 45

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Structure, Ritual

This ritual creates a fully-formed cog. The resulting ship is an exact copy of the cog used as a template during the design of this spell, even down to the knots in the hull and the adze marks on the keel. The only difference is that, assuming the magus makes the Intelligence + Finesse stress roll against an Ease Factor of 9, the conjured ship is in perfect condition, as though each part of its construction has only just been finished. Any flaws in the original template are rectified where they would have made the conjured ship weaker or less seaworthy.

A Terram requisite is required to create the bolts, nails, and other fixtures.

Given the nature of the spell, a different ritual is required for each different type of ship that the shipwright wishes to conjure. To achieve this, the Hermetic shipwright must create a new ritual using the existing laboratory text as a guide and apply the principles to a new design.

Unless cast on a waterway, the ritual should be cast within a boat shed prepared to receive the conjured vessel so that it does not topple and damage itself or its surroundings. Making the preparations forms a significant part of the ritual. Botches in casting are likely to conjure the ship in a position the magus did not expect, which could cause significant damage to his laboratory or bystanders.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +3 Structure, +2 for treated and processed Herbam, +3 intricacy, +1 Terram requisite)

Required Lab Total: 1 season (90), 2 seasons (68), 3 seasons (60), 4 seasons (57)

If designed in the Hermetic Shipyard described earlier, the +10 bonus for ships applies to this laboratory total. Magi may want to experiment to raise their lab totals, in which case the type or size of ship created may be different, the quality of the ship may be worse than intended, or the completion of the ritual may destroy the template ship.