Aging Rules

Aging in Ars Magica is not purely linear and involves mechanics based on Aging Points and Aging Rolls:

When Do You Start Aging?

  • Characters begin to make Aging Rolls once they reach age 35, or age 25 for psykers (due to the strain of The Awakening).
  • Every year after that, they must make one Aging Roll.

Aging Roll Mechanics

  • Roll one stress die + Aging Modifier.
  • Aging Modifier = (Age ÷ 10) + other modifiers:
    • -3 if under the effects of a Longevity Ritual
    • +living conditions modifier (see below)
    • +number of previous Aging Points

🎲 Aging Roll Table (Core Rulebook, p. 170)

Roll ResultOutcome
0 (Botch)Roll 1 or more botch dice; serious crisis, possible death.
1–9No effect (if no Aging Points accumulate).
10–121 Aging Point in a random characteristic.
13–152 Aging Points in a random characteristic.
16–171 Aging Point in each Physical characteristic.
18–202 Aging Points in each Physical characteristic.
21+Immediate Aging Crisis (roll Toughness+ bonuses to survive).

Aging Points

  • Represent decline in characteristics.
  • Accumulate and reduce stats permanently (every 5 points = -1 to that characteristic).

Longevity Rituals

Longevity Rituals are warpcraft processes designed to slow aging for the warp-craft wielder and his trusted retainers.

How They Work

  • A Longevity Ritual is a Lab Activity, taking one season.
  • The inventor’s Lab Total determines how effective it is:
    • Lab Total – (Age × 2) = Bonus to aging roll.
  • Magi may only benefit from one Longevity Ritual at a time.
  • The ritual must be redone if the magus’ age increases by five years or if their Magic Theory or Arts improve significantly.

Aging Crisis & Ritual Failure

  • Even with a ritual, if a botch occurs during aging, it may cause an Aging Crisis.
  • During a crisis, a Longevity Ritual may fail, and must be recrafted.
  • The character may die from a crisis if they fail their Toughness check.

For Non-Magi

  • The ritual must be tailored to the individual.
  • Magi can create rituals for others, but the ritual uses the caster’s Arts and Magic Theory.
  • UnGifted individuals benefit, but not as effectively as magi.

🏠 Living Conditions Modifier

Living conditions affect aging speed:

ConditionModifier
Harsh (wilderness, poverty)+1 to +3
Average (village, town)+0
Comfortable (covenant)-1
Luxurious (powerful covenant, magic aura)-2 or more

Creating a Longevity Ritual – Step-by-Step

1. Determine the Subject

  • Usually yourself, but a the warpcraft wielder can design a ritual for someone else (requires a Presence score and possibly Familiarity).
  • Rituals are personalized; the creator must know the subject well if it’s someone else.

2. Choose Arts & Create Lab Total

To design the ritual, the Longevity Lab Total is calculated as:

Lab Total = Create+ Life + Intelligence + Magic Theory?? + Lab Bonuses + Aura + Familiar + Specializations + Other Bonuses

🧠 Key points:

  • Magic Theory adds once.
  • Lab Specialization bonuses (e.g., Corpus or Longevity) can help.
  • Lab Quality, Familiar, and Magical Aura contribute.

3. Spend a Season

  • One full season is needed.
  • The magus must work uninterrupted in the lab.

4. Longevity Ritual Bonus

After finishing the ritual, your aging modifier becomes:

Aging Roll Modifier = –(Lab Total – (Age × 2))

📌 Example:

  • A 50-year-old magus has a Lab Total of 40.
  • Age × 2 = 100.
  • Modifier: –60.
  • This vastly reduces the chance of accumulating Aging Points or facing a crisis.

5. Vis Use

  • Vis is required for the ritual:
    • 1 pawn of Vim vis (or appropriate Form) per 5 points of Lab Total.
    • Round up: e.g., Lab Total of 36 → 8 pawns.

⚠️ High Lab Totals mean more vis, but better effects.

6. Apply the Effects

  • Once complete, the ritual immediately suppresses aging.
  • Roll aging once per year with the above modifier.
  • Ritual does not reverse existing Aging Points.
  • Warping Point: The subject gains 1 Warping Point upon completion (unless ritual was designed for them by themselves).

7. Redesigning or Recasting

You may recraft a ritual:

  • Every 5 years of age increase.
  • If your Lab Total significantly improves.
  • After a botched Aging Roll or Aging Crisis.

🧠 Advanced Notes & Options

  • Apprentices & Non-Magi: Need a magus to create the ritual. The creator’s Lab Total is still used.
  • Mystery Cults or Breakthroughs: May reduce vis cost, aging further, or allow communal rituals (see Mystery Cults, TMRE).
  • No duration: The ritual lasts indefinitely unless disrupted (e.g., Twilight, Warping, or crisis).
  • Stacking: You cannot benefit from more than one Longevity Ritual at a time.