The three best elements of the Chapter expanded the game world, improved understanding of House Bonisagus and contributed to game play these included: 1) the sections on the Trianoma 2) Breakthroughs and 3) the development of the Bonisagi’s cooperative nature.
1) Trianoma offered useful paragraphs into how the Magi Trianomae operate within the House, within the Order and outside the borders of the Order including their concerns, how they are trained and a means of communication as well as expanding the mechanics of using intrigue, Folk Ken and Guile within the broader game.
2) Breakthroughs expanded the options for Magi of House Bonisagus as well as other Magi by providing game mechanics for undertaking such research and examples of the outcomes.
3) The chapter offered better understanding of the Bonisagi’s approach to cooperation with each other and all members of the Order of Hermes. Fostering provides a concrete and useful way to demonstrate cooperation that can be included in background or ongoing storylines to good effect. It can also be easily adapted for use with other Houses and Magi outside the Bonisagi - It has been adapted for use in the background of an Ex-Miscellanea Maga in one of our Saga’s by combining it with adapted Favours as Major Story Flaw.
The three worst things did not offer full explanations, useful examples and story hooks or caused some confusion. These where: 1) the Trianoma content was not as fleshed out with game mechanics, story hooks and background so as to give impetus to having players develop Trianoma characters, 2) Sections of the Chapter were repetitive and overly wordy or not well connected to House Bonisagus – including some background material, the Parma Magica breakthroughs, the Folios and the Seekers and 3) the cooperative nature of the Bonisagi within the Order is not fully realised with game mechanics or story hooks.
1) The Trianoma lacked connection to the back-story other than superficial similarities. Additionally a lack of story hooks and examples left it comparably uninspiring compared to other portions of the chapter.
2) Portions of the back-story are repetitive when presenting the link between Bonisagus and Trianoma. The Seekers are given a great portion of the chapter but are not well connected to the Bonisagus either conceptually or mechanically. Fewer examples for the Parma Magica breakthrough would have sufficed while the Folio section is anachronistic and overly mechanical in execution.
3) The cooperative nature of the Bonisagi is given more words than story hooks or mechanics and the history is not reflective of those hooks and flaws presented in the chapter.