Storm Witch (Template)
Raised by a local hedge weather witch, this character was adopted and raised as an Ex Miscellanea Tempestaria. She maintains close ties with the sparse network of hedge weather witches throughout Mythic Europe, and is very protective of them.
(@ Magical Focus and Puissant Auram applied; * new spell)
* New spell: Direct the Wrath of Zeus ReAu 25. Directs a natural lightning to strike a designated target, hitting the target with a successful Aiming roll. Must be cast within a lightning storm. This spell targets an Individual lightning as it forms, which requires an almost precognitive level of timing, representted by a Perception + Wilderness Sense / Premonitions EF 6 check. (B5, +3 Sight, +1 precision) |
Character Analysis
The character's tradition grants her the Necessary Condition of using casting tools, her Greater Immunity, and her Affinity with Auram. The Major Magical Focus in weather and Puissant Auram were chosen to complement these, and her Special Circumstnaces (during a storm) also fit thematically.
Her Wilderness Sense is meant to represent her hedge, pre-Hermetic, roots and learning; probably used primarily to predict the weather. Her positive Perception is meant to aid in that.
Her Free Study and Study Bonus, along with her Poor Student flaw, push her away from learned Hermetic books, instead connecting her more directly with wild nature and raw magic.
Her deep ties to and affection for her fellow hedge wizards is reflected in the Social Contacts within the loose but wide tempestaria tradition, her Organization Lore knowledge of them, and in her two personality flaws (Dependent and Oversensitive).
Her Small Frame was chosen to allude to her windy, auram, nature. She is not of small height, rather she is light as a breeze.
Customization Notes
As always, you still need to choose the character's wizard's sigil, background, and name. Choose an appropriate Area for the (Area) Lore, and Living Langauge and its local dialect, too.
Many of the character's virtues and flaws don't affect its statistics, so can be easily swapped. This includes her Greater Immunity to weather, which is part of her Tempestaria tradition but can be swapped for another non-Hermetic Major Virtue appropriate for her tradition.
Her Affinity with Auram and Necessary Condition should remain as they are part of her tradition. Her Magical Focus, Puissant Auram, and Wilderness Sense cannot be changed without altering her statistics significantly. If her Small Frame is changed, then her Wound Penalties should be altered accordingly.
The character has only 9 virtue points, leaving room for one more - but if one is added, another Minor Flaw is needed. An Hermetic Minor Flaw like Hedge Wizard or Unpredictable Magic is appropriate, dur to her Intelligence: her intelligence is low for a maga, only 0. This may make other mages look down on her, as the "hedge wizard" she is, and also adds a bit of unpredictability to her spellcasting that suits her tempestful weather and her recklesness, working well with the Hedge Wizard or Unpredictable Magic flaws.
Further Customization Notes
If your group is using the Houses of Hermes: Societates supplement, this character may decide to take the Whistle Up the Wind supernatural ability as its Major non-Hermetic virtue. Note however that her Hermetic magic is quite capable at creating weather, so you may decide to keep the current Greater Immunity virtue. Another alternative, is Major Potent Magic (in weather) to further emphasize the use of her casting tools, if your troupe permits you the use of this common Mystery. If you do change the Great Immunity, you may want to alter the specialization of your Parma Magica to Auram (it is currently Corpus as you're essentially immune to Auram).
You may want to consider picking up the Performance Magic Minor Hermetic Virtue, with Music (whistling) as its ability, to allow you to cast your spells by whistling or singing, thus deepening your hedge wizard persona and bringing you closer to the hedge tradition, that uses Whistle Up the Wind instead of Auram spells.
Roleplaying and Gaming Notes
The character's childhood saw her learning Survival, Area Lore, Stealth, Athletics, and Awarness, alongside Wilderness Sense, Charm, and (Organization) Lore; this indicates a childhood on the outskirts of the village, perhaps shunned by others due to her Gift, except for the tutelage she recieved by her hedge weather-witch mother and their peers.
This character is heavily focused on Auram spells, but still lacks key ones (such as the Incantation of Lightning) and utterly lacks versatility. You should probably spend the next few years post-Gauntlet correcting these shortcomings, rounding out her control over weather by inventing more Auram spells and shoring up her weakpoints by inventing utility and combat spells outside her speciality.
Note that her Great Immunity will probably make her immune to Wings of the Soaring Wind. We recommend asking the troupe to allow you to develop a variant of the spell that does allow her to be affected by it, as it's just too cool to pass on.
As written, her original spell, Direct the Wrath of Zeus, arguably need not penetrate Magic Resistance, and relies on a Wilderness Sense check; both aspects require troupe agreement. As a less questionable alternative, the spell could target an Individual cloud, controlling the formation of lightning from it, including its precise target; in this case, the spell would need to penetrate Magic Resistance, but no aiming or Wilderness Sense rolls would be necessary.
You would also want to develop your social skills to better interact with, and care for, the tempestaria and hedge wizards, and be accepted by them despite your Gift. Charm is especially important, as is perhaps Leadership, and increasing Teaching and spending seasons doing so can build up good will. Your positive Presence and Communication can help you with that.