Noble Noble (Template)
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This character is a true noble, a Jerbiton magus well-connected to his mundane family and meddling in their affairs.
This character uses material from the Definitive Edition (not just the Standard Edition).
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Note that you still need to choose the character's native language, wizard's sigil, background, and name. Choose also the city with which he is familiar (likely the one he lives in, or that is nearest the covenant), and his noble family (especially his father).
Analysis
The character's Virtues all aim to support the character concept:
- Gentle Gift is almost necessary for a Jerbiton, and is necessary for him to maintain good relations with his family and the public.
- Performance Magic and Subtle Magic allow him to cast magic discreetly.
- Cautious Sorcerer allows him to minimize the risk of botch when casting in the Dominion.
- Temporal Influence is vital to represent his close connections to his noble house.
- Natural Leader is vital to represent the very essence of his larger-than-life nobility, it is the very essence of his character.
- He is Inspirational, as his House Virtue, further bolstering this super-noble motiff.
- Skilled Parens is necessary to allow him to have the many Abilities he needs to fill this role.
- Sense Holiness and Unholiness represents his Jerbiton aesthetic, seeing the Infernal as ugly, and connects him to the Divine.
His Major Flaws likewise support the character concept.
- Driven is his defining trait: he is driven to further his noble house.
- Dependent is taken to represent his support for his entire noble house. This should extend to something like Close Family Ties too, however; some members of the house, at least, would aid him too, if asked.
The character's Minor Flaws are less tied to his character concept.
- Pious was chosen as the second (Minor) personality trait, to better integrate him into mundane society and as fitting the Jerbbiton philosophy of seeing beauty as divine.
- Susceptability to The Infernal again connects him to Jerbiton philosophy of seeing evil as ugly; he is literally made sick by such abominations.
- Fettered Magic was chosen as his Hermetic Flaw, to make him more vulnerable as he extends his influence over others.
- Obsese was chosen to represent the result of his indulgence of fine food.
The character's Pressence of +3 is vital to represent his great nobility. A score of +4 would have perhaps been even more suitable, but he lacks the Virtue points for it. His +1 intelligence is relatively modest for a wizard, as is his 0 Stamina. He lacks physical dump stats, as those would be un-noble.
His choice of Abilities is largely to support the high demands of House Jerbiton, including his scores in Etiquette, Greek, Ride, and Finesse; higher scores would have been better, but even Skilled Parens can only help so-much. His score in Greek (3), in particular, just barely allows him to read Classical Greek, the bare minimum his House would tolerate. His Com + Etiquette is still somewhat lacking, and his Finesse in creating beauty (through Creo and Rego craft magic, and Creo Imaginem) is similarly rudimentary. His Ride skill is just barely sufficient to ride a palfrey - a fine riding horse - the bare minimum nobility obliges.
He has two spell masteries at 1. These allow him to cast these spells with no botch dice in the city (at up to Dominion 4).
Customization Notes
As noted above, the character's Minor Flaws are rather tangential to the character concept, and can be swapped for others.
You may also choose to drop Inspirational, which adds to but is not vital to the character concept (taking Natural Leader as the House's free virtue instead); this would allow to drop Obese, or take on another Minor Virtue such as Puissant Leadership or Great Presence.
Forgoing the demands for Greek can free up experience points that can be used to increase his other Abilities.
Taking on dump stats (characeristics) can allow him to correpondingly increase other stats. For example, a -2 in Strength would allow him to have a +2 in Communication or Stamina.
Further Customization Notes
Take heed of the description of the House in Houses of Hermes: Societates. Employ your Etiquette not just in House politics, but also in the service of your noble house.
Due to your gift to Sense Holiness and Unholiness, you may partake of the beauty of the Divine more directly than many of your Housemates. Consider taking the Brutal Artist flaw, and de-emphasizing creating mudnane / magical art, as it pales in comparison with the Divine. If they are present in your saga, you may be particularly appreciative of the Cantores tradition (see Realms of Power: The Divine).
Roleplaying and Gaming Notes
You should be related to a large noble house, though not necessarily a powerful one. Perhaps your father was a duke that recently fell from grace, but whose descendents and relations still proliferate in more minor noble manors. Your chief goal is the support of your noble house, bringing it to influence and glory.
You are closely interwined with mudnane society, having the ear of your house's most powerful members and being trusted with an important role in mundane society. Choose a major city near your covenant; your house has considerable power and several members there, and you spend much of your time there too. Perhaps you have some taxing rights in this city, or are in charge of managing its market, and have men-at-arms in it.
If you are using the Agents rules in Houses of Hermes: Societates, build up agents in the city and from your household.
You are close to being a "court wizard", and probably under the careful watch of Quaesitors; be mindful of Hermetic law regarding interference with mudnanes.
Consider delaying undergoing a longevity ritual, and having progeny. Perhaps being married. Taking care of your own personal family is a natural extension of your doting over your noble house's members.
Be mindful of the city's Dominion aura (usually 3), which penalizes your spellcasting; you should still be able to cast your spells in the city's Dominion, albeit often with Fatigue. Also be mindful of any lacunae (see Houses of Hermes: Societates) within the city, which would make casting your magic easier; coordinate finding and knowing of such places with your storyguide, using your Area Lore.
You should have a prepared room in the city to cast ceremonial spells, preferably in a lacuna. This helps bring your education (Artes Liberales and Philosophiae) to bear, increasing penetration and ease of casting, of spells you can cast in advance or from afar. More often, however, you will cast your magic on-the-fly by making Leadership rolls to inspire or intimidate others, giving rousing speeches that carry supernatural power. Carry a small pouch of props to aid in ceremonial spellcasting on the fly (as per Houses of Hermes: Societates).
Consider extensively using magic items to redcue the chance of botching in the Dominion.
Build up a small personal guard of loyal soliders with combat statistics withn +5 from yours; you may want to use spells to increase your bombat totals to match, and perhaps incrase your Single Weapon skill and wield a long-sword (fitting for a noble, and used by Jerbiton the Founder) in combat. Leading them as a trained group in combat will both add to your defense and allow you inconspicious use of your Leadership, and hence discreet spellcasting.
Your magic is strongly geared towards the social. You should extend this with furhter spells and higher Arts. But you should also round up your magical reportoire with spells that would allow you to contribute in other cases, such as Hands of the Grasping Earth, or protection, evasion, and escape spells.
Your high Presence and penchant for leadership make you suitable to serve as a mystagogue of a Mystery Cult - however, this require long study of its Cult Lore and initiation paths that may undermine your devotion to your noble house. Consider whether you want to go down this route. Suitable mystery cults might inlcude an astrological cult, building on the Jerbiton tendencies for erudition, like the [[Magoi of the Star] described in The Mysteries Revised Edition, or a decidedly Christian one like The Priory of Saint Nerius (see Realms of Power: The Divine).