Proposed Rule for Ars Magica Passions

Passions are bought with a +2 Virtue, "Passion: <whatever>".  The
player is allowed to choose what this Passion is, with the
StoryGuide's approval. Passions are intended to be that which the
character is deeply emotional about, perhaps irrationally so; in
situations where the Passion applies, it should be the dominant force
in that character's psyche -- this is what the character is fanatical
about.

Passions are always directed at something specific, and should have
strong character-background justifications; this allows the StoryGuide
to determine what sorts of situations are relevant to the Passion.
Note that Passions differ from Personality Traits in that Passions
always have a focus. Passions in this mode are not simply defined
by the broad categories of Passions given in Ars Magica 3rd; such
Passions can serve as example, but they don't even begin to touch
on the things characters could be Passionate about. For example,
a magus could be irrationally Passionate about "Preservation of
the secret of <some knowledge>".

(Note that because of the requirement for Passions to be directed,
Valor is no longer a Passion by this definition, nor is Rage. Valor
is a general measure of fearlessness, while Rage is a general measure
of one's short-temperedness. Both Valor and Rage, in 3rd edition, 
already have special rules applied to them. It might thus be best to
make these Virtues unto themselves, with a Variable cost, or eliminate
them entirely. These are the two most easily abusable 3rd edition
Passions, as well.)

Players can also buy the +1 Virtue, "Passionate". This allows
the acquisition of new Passions during the course of the game;
if a situation arises in which the player believes that creating
a Passion would be appropriate, he can discuss it with the
StoryGuide, who can choose whether or not to allow it.
(Note that buying an initial Passion does NOT automatically
give one the "Passionate" Virtue; it has to be bought separately.
Also note that players should NOT buy this virtue and then expect
the first Story of the Saga to give them the new Passion that they
want -- that's a rules rape.)

All Passions start with an initial score of 0 (thus making them
a bit like Affinities). If the Passion is bought at character
generation time, its initial score can be increased by the
character's initial XPs; Passions acquired through play can
only be increased through use.

To activate a Passion in a scene, the player expends a Confidence
Point (which is spent for the remainder of the Story), and rolls a
stress die + Passion score, against a StoryGuide-determined Ease
Factor. The Ease Factor depends primarily on the Passion's dramatic
appropriateness to the situation, and is the StoryGuide's safeguard
against frivolous Passion rolls.

For example, activating one's "Love for family" passion to save one's
son from the clutches of a demon would be an Ease Factor of 6;
activating one's "Proving one's courage to others" Passion, to fight a
single combatant who's not as good as you are would be an Ease Factor
of 15 (and the same would apply for situations where, for example, the
onlookers are already expecting you to be brave -- you don't have
anything to prove to them and thus find it difficult to inspire
yourself).  (The example of, "Proving one's courage to others" might
be a Passion for a character who wrongfully has acquired a Reputation
of Cowardice, for example.)

No Confidence Points can be expended to re-roll a Passion activation
roll. If the roll Botches, the Confidence Point spent to activate
the Passion is permanently lost.

If you succeed in the activation roll, your Passion score is added
to all rolls for the remainder of the scene. If you fail, your
Passion score is subtracted from all rolls for the remainder of
the scene.  (The more passionate you are about something, the
more despair you feel when you fail to inspire it -- you are 
crushed by negative thoughts, have self-doubts, etc.)

If, during the course of the scene that you activated a Passion for,
you Botch a roll, your Passion fails, and you immediately start 
taking your Passion's score as a penalty to the remainder of the
rolls you make (just as if you'd rolled the Passion and failed it).

Passions can be raised in only one way:  In a story in which the
Passion was successfully activated, one XP from that story's award
may be spent to increase the Passion.  (The relationship of Passion
scores to XPs placed in them is like the relationship between 
skills/Affinities and XP.)

* * * * *

What does this solve?

1. The flat cost of +2 for a Passion eliminates one of the weird problems
   with 3rd edition Passions -- being able to buy the Passion at +1 and
   then pump it up with XP instead of spending valuable Virtue points
   on it. (Since the application of the Passion is fairly limited, 
   it's likely not worth +3.)

2. There's a provision for the acquisition of new Passions. It makes no
   sense whatsoever for a character to begin his play life with all the
   Passions he's ever going to have. (Characters who don't have the
   +1 Virtue "Passionate" simply don't have the emotional make-up to
   ever acquire the sort of fanaticism that a Passion represents.)

3. The requirement of an activation roll against an Ease Factor set
   by the StoryGuide strongly discourages frivolous uses of Passions.
   The penalty for failing an activation roll further reinforces this,
   and makes sense, given the rationales for Passions.