The Four Applications of Craft Magic

This is a summary of the four application of the Major Supernatural Virtue Craft Magic, from the supplement Houses of Hermes: Societates.

1. Craft an Item Instead of Casting a Spell

"First, the character may forgo any necessary words and gestures or other actions when producing an effect with his powers, without penalty. Instead, he crafts a physical object, which takes the place of the spell and must be brought into range of the spell's target to cast it."

This basically means an effect can be cast via crafting, then transferred to its target when it is brought into range of the target's effect (Touch would be most common). In the case of Hermetic magic, we're talking about a spell, either Formulaic or Spontaneous. No words and gestures are required, as the crafting replaces those.

Since it is a spell, Virtues or Flaws that affect the casting of spells would apply as well (like Weak Spontaneous Magic).

Question 1.1: Can there be a delay between the crafting of the item and the application of the spell? It seems more like making a single charged item than casting a spell, honestly (see 3rd application). In this case, the effect could be delayed indefinitively.

Question 1.2: Is the spell automatically triggered when it is brought into range of a valid target, or does the crafter decide when it is triggered? Well, the trigger can simply be that it must be activated by the crafter, or touching the target, or whatever is appropriate.

2. Bonus Based on Form and Material

Second, when crafting a spell, the character may take advantage of the crafted object's shape and material, giving him a bonus to his effect total, though this bonus cannot exceed his Craft score. This bonus can also include a design or inscription, which is another kind of enchantment bonus that characters with this Virtue can use.

Simple enough. Craft an item to cast a spell, get a bonus to the effect total based on the material, shape, design or inscription. Capped by the Craft score (or Magic Theory, if used in the lab).

Question 2.1: Can multiple bonuses stack? There is precedent to this based on shape and material bonuses when instilling effect. Seems like a nice bonus to the longevity ritual (the insert box on page 132 says it can be used in LR). It is easy to integrate the name of the magus himself (+3), his sigil (another +3) and his portrait (+2) on a crafted item that is part of the LR. The bonuses are only maxed by Magic Theory score, so he's effectively doubling his Magic Theory. Other effect designed for the crafter himself can also be easily boosted this way, maxed at Craft score.

3a. Make Charged Quickly

Third, the character may make charged items in the same way as Hermetic magi without needing to spend an entire season. Instead, it takes him the standard amount of time to craft a spell, as described above, multiplied by the number of items produced. This application of Craft Magic also allows a character with a Supernatural Ability or Virtue that only affects himself to craft items that other characters can use for the same effect.

Ok, it simply extends the first application. Craft an item = instill an effect or spell. Uses Casting Total instead of a Lab Total. Multiple charges per item are possible but require a higher total as this increases the effect level.

So the only difference between a spell cast using Craft Magic and a charged item made with Craft Magic is that the charged item can contain multiple charges.

3b. ...and Instill a Personal Supernatural Ability or Virtue

This application of Craft Magic also allows a character with a Supernatural Ability or Virtue that only affects himself to craft items that other characters can use for the same effect, though only if the activity requires the crafted item to perform. If the power does not require a die roll to activate, make an appropriate Craft roll instead, and the base level of the effect is 5.

So Gorianus could craft an item that grants his Greater Immunity for the rest of the day with a Craft total of 20 (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun). That's hard to reach, even with appropriate material, shape, design and inscription bonuses, as they are capped at the Craft score. The Craft Total = Characteristic (Dex) + (Craft score x 2), plus potentially a bonus for spending Confidence. Not easy! Lowering the duration to Diameter makes it easier, but it is still takes a substantial score in Craft.

4. Craft Object Containing Vis into Enchanted Device

Finally, the character may craft objects that already contain raw vis into magical devices with lesser enchantments. The vis must be part of the enchanted object, and again, this does not require a season, but rather a crafted effect as above. Use the character's Casting Total in place of his Lab Total, but if this invests a Supernatural Ability into the device, this result only needs to be greater than or equal to the level of the effect, not twice that value as with spell effects. Also, the level of the invested effect cannot exceed five times the number of pawns of vis in the object.

Ok, costs more vis (1 pawn per 5 levels instead of 1 pawn per 10), but is faster. Use a Casting Total for a spell, or Craft Total for a Supernatural Ability/Virtue, instead of Lab Total. So Craft score adds in, but not Magic Theory. Appropriate material, shape, design and inscription bonuses would also apply.

For a spell, since it is a Casting Total, it needs to be Formulaic or Spontaneous, with the appropriate Virtues and Flaws applying again.

If only the effect level needs to be reached (instead of doubled), it means he can created lesser enchantment much faster and more easily, but at a greater raw vis cost.

Question 4.1: Can the object contain vis that has been transferred to it (as per page 94 of the ArM5 book)? There is nothing stating that the raw vis must be in the item naturally, only that it must be part of it. ArM5 says transferring raw vis only takes a day in the lab. Unless you say the "contain" (from transfer) is not the same as "part of".

Question 4.2: Would the Flaw Rigid Magic prevent a crafter from doing this? Since this more akin to a lab activity than the casting of a spell, I would propose that this is still possible to someone with this Flaw.