I am guessing that technically the magus is at liberty to find ways of turning himself into a study engine including staying awake by sucking the energy out of others. The question is would he want to? Okay, for a short burst of effort (perhaps to make up lost time on a critical experiment) this may be viable. I mean, I could work seven days a week to increase my earning potential, but I don't fancy it as I'm very fond of my bed on a sunday morning. Beyond that, I don't NEED to go and see a film on a saturday night, or wash the car, or potter aimlessy around the garden enjoying the sights and sounds of Southern England's urban flora and fauna. Okay, I don't do the last one, but you get the point. If a player approached me with such an idea, I'd have to ask him to justify what in the magus' personality makes him so driven and whether there are other things he might do before resorting to such extreme measures. I have to say that my take on study is that it is not an 8am-8pm every day for three months affair. Magi must take time to indulge their humanity which may include corresponding with friends and colleagues, travelling to market on the lookout for bargains and/or strange artifacts fresh from the east or pottering aimlessy around the covenant gardens enjoying the sights and sounds of the Roman Tribunal's rural flora and fauna. Okay, perhaps not the last one, but you get the point. If the magus needed extra time, he might become very reclusive, working furiously to complete whatever volatile potion or device he is working on. I think these things are more a matter of game flavour than game mechanics though and a season gives a season's worth of study no matter how you describe the magus' actions. On the other hand, a magus with a mortal dread of falling asleep sounds like a good character. What would be the long term effects on his "donors"? Could this be a source of vampiric stories? Is this the first step down that dark road? Mark
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