Virgilian Magic

Casting Total: Casting Score + stress die

If the casting total is higher than the Ease Factor of the rite, the rite works. To determine the rite's Penetration, add the wizard's Penetration Ability score and subtract the Ease Factor from the casting total. The uniquely Virgilian Target: Pentagram receives a Penetration Multiplier Bonus of +5.

For example, Buonacorsus casts the rite The Soldiers' Secret Ambush in his hiding place. His Communication is +4, his School of Stones is 14, and his rite score is 14, giving him a casting score of +32. His hiding place has a Magic aura of 3, granting an additional +3 to the roll. The storyguide rolls a 9 on a stress die, for a casting total of 44, which is higher than the rite's Ease Factor of 21. The rite's Penetration is casting total (44) plus Buonacorsus' Penetration Ability (5 with his specialty), minus the Ease Factor (21) or 28.

Each rite has three components: a warded area, a trigger, and an effect. A warded area is a physical location. A trigger is an event or person that passes through or affects the warded area, and the effect is the magical result of a triggered rite. If the effect is triggered by a person, that person is called the "initiator." Magic Resistance can prevent a rite from triggering, and possibly protect the initiator from the magical effect, if the magical effect directly targets the entity with Magic Resistance. This is similar to Hermetic magic. For example, The Soldiers' Secret Ambush animates swords with magic, which must Penetrate the target's Magic Resistance to strike. Suffer the Judgment of Jericho weakens a building's walls which then collapse, so Magic Resistance won't stop a falling stone from striking someone standing in the building. Both rites are triggered when an initiator walks into the targeted area, and in both cases, the magic must Penetrate the initiator's Magic Resistance to trigger the effect.

Once a rite is cast, it stays in static existence until triggered, much like the Hermetic Waiting Ward spell. It can linger indefinitely, and all of Buonacorsus' rites are waiting for the player characters. Intellego Vim spells cast on an area warded by a rite may detect an active rite. To determine the magnitude of a Virgilian rite, divide the Ease Factor by 3. For example, The Soldiers' Secret Ambush is a 7th magnitude effect. Once detected, a rite can be dispelled by following the regular rules of Perdo Vim magic.

companying score. To cast a rite using Vigilo magic, an Augustan magus uses the following formulas:

Casting Score:

Communication + School + Rite + Aura Modifier vs. Ease Factor of rite

make a deprivation check (see ArM5, page 180).

The base level of this rite is derived from the level 15 guideline, which strongly chills an area. The opposite of the chilling effect, this rite strongly warms an area.

(Base 15, +6 Sun, +6 Structure)

School of Vigilant Bees, Ease Factor 15 R: Touch, D: Diam, T: City, Ritual

This rite makes every dog in Rome bark for two minutes when a new pope is elected within the city of Rome. The rite is triggered the moment the former cardinal accepts the tiara. The rite must Penetrate the Magic Resistance of its trigger, the newly elected pope, to activate. The effect must also Penetrate to affect any dog in the city that has Magic Resistance.

(Base 3, +3 Diameter, +9 City)

School of the Stones, Ease Factor 21 R: Touch, D: Diam, T: Room

This rite protects the warded area by causing a group of ten long swords to magically animate and attack intruders for the duration of the rite. Use the caster's Finesse score to calculate the Attack modifier and do not modify the other combat statistics. The caster does not have to be present to direct the swords. Swords controlled by Buonacorsus' rite use the following Combat statistics: Init +2, Atk +9, Dfn n/a, and Dam +1.

The rite is triggered when anyone besides Buonacorsus enters the warded room. Its magic must Penetrate the trigger's Magic Resistance to activate and to strike the target with the resulting enchanted swords.

(Base 6, +3 Diameter, +3 Room, +6 Metal, +3 for a group of swords)