Inquisitor (Template)

This article discusses the House Guernicus Template from the ArM5 core rulebook, with some commentary on the design choices implied by that template.

Hermetic Inquisitor

Characteristics: Int +3, Per +4, Pre +1, Com 0, Str 0, Sta 0, Dex –2, Qik 0 Size: 0 Age: 25 (25) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 (0) Confidence Score: 1 (3) Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Affinity with Intellego, Clear Thinker, Great Perception, Hermetic Prestige*, Improved Characteristics, Puissant Intellego, Side Effect (lying is hard); Curse of Venus, Restriction (no magic for Sun duration after lying) Personality Traits: Honest +3, Fair +2, Nervous around the opposite sex +2 Reputations: Quaesitor (Hermetic) 3. Combat: Dodging: Init +0, Attack n/a, Defense +2, Damage n/a Soak: +0 Fatigue Levels: Ok, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20) Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (logic), Awareness 3 (clues), Brawl 1 (dodging), Charm 2 (people you suspect), Code of Hermes 3 (the local Tribunal), Concentration 1 (observing people or places), Folk Ken 4 (liars), Guile 2 (concealing investigations), Latin 4 (Hermetic terms), Magic Theory 3 (Intellego), Native Language 5 (questions), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (legal cases), Parma Magica 1 (Mentem) Arts: Cr 0, In 12+3 (5), Mu 0, Pe 2, Re 0; An 0, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 5, He 0, Ig 0, Im 6, Me 6, Te 0, Vi 0 Twilight Scars: None Equipment: Wizardly robes. Encumbrance: 0 (0) Spells Known: Physician’s Eye (InCo 5) +20 Eyes of the Eagle (InIm 25) +21 Summoning the Distant Image (InIm 25) +21 Invisibility of the Standing Wizard (PeIm 15) +8 Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie (InMe 20) +21 Peering Into the Mortal Mind (InMe 30) +21

If this maga lies (says something she believes to be untrue as if it were true), she cannot use any magic until the sun next rises or sets. Anyone who wants to tell a lie in her presence soon after she casts a spell (within two minutes or so) must make a relevant Personality Trait check against an Ease Factor equal to the magnitude of the spell cast. If the check fails, he cannot bring himself to lie, although he can remain silent. The Guernicus could take four more points of Flaws, and corresponding Virtues.

Character Analysis

This character is very focused around her theme. Only the Curse of Venus is an outlier, drawing her into the stories preffered by the player.

Customization Notes

The only virtue or flaw that should perhaps be swapped is the Curse of Venus, that is disconnected from her theme; it can easily be swapped for another Major non-Hermetic Flaw. You should absolutely do so if you're not interested in pursuing Curse of Venus related stories with her.

You can add up 4 more virtue points to this character, by balancing them out with flaw points. Consider Piercing Gaze, or taking a Minor Magical Focus in lying (a Magical Focus is a very powerful virtue, but adding it will require a quite extensive rewrite of her Arts and possibly spells),

Further Customization Notes

If using suppementary material, be sure to check out Houses of Hermes: True Lineages for its discussions on law and investigative magic, and Art & Academe for its discussion on the mind and Mentem magic.

Roleplaying Notes

The character is principally built to conduct investigations through social skills and examining witnesses and bodies. She lacks the spells and spell masteries (such as Acute Sense, described in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages) needed for deeper magical investigation, and should develop them. She should also develop more versatility, especially increasing her magical defenses against malign Hermetic wizards, and perhaps joining with hoplites or coven-mates to provide firepower. She may also wish to learn some of Fenicil's Rituals (see True Lineages again), to give her more versatility and to increase her status within the House.

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