Grog packages

There are a number of "kits" that can save time when generating a grog; here are some that can be mixed and matched to suit. Remember that these are for generating grogs that have finally gotten enough training to be effective enough to go out on the dangerous missions that magi undertake. There are less trained ones back in the turb at the covenant, and there should be more experienced ones to have along as well. Each of these should be pumping experience into the skills they use the most.

Virtues and Flaws

Try not to make too many grogs with +4 knacks in their chosen weapon; I once saw a quarterstaff expert with a +4 knack with quarterstaves and a +2 knack with woods beat a manticore to a pulp on a forest trail without taking a scratch, while the nearby magi cowered. If you take Overconfident, a Leadership skill makes for fun roleplaying.

(Insert more virtue and flaw ideas here, later...)

Personality Traits

Grogs aren't going to stay in the turb very long if they don't have something resembling a positive Loyal stat; positive Brave is necessary for anyone who needs to defend a magus or go into the thick of a fray, while a negative Brave works quite well for archers. Make sure to put something in to add flavour to the character as well as ones that define their professional attitude; if you've the knack for it, specify an accent. (I try to give my grogs a variety of rural English accents to show that they're "lower-class" compared to the magi.)

Basic Grog Package: 4 years

Your basic set of skills every grog should have. Where no specialty is chosen, pick one appropriate to the grog's personality. The Craft, Folk Ken, and Drinking are token skills to represent that the grog knows something besides being a professional grog, and that they learned something besides their own language and brawling before they joined the turb.
SkillSpecialtyScore
Speak Own Language4
Brawl1
Alertness1
ScanKeeping watch1
SurvivalWoods1
Folk Ken1
Drinking1
Craft Something1
Area Lore: covenantBorders1
Area Lore: near covenantPatrol1

Shield Grog: +13 years

If a grog has been trained to defend a magus, they should have something like this.
SkillSpecialtyScore
Weapon AttackWild melees4
Weapon ParryWild melees3
Shield ParryAttacks aimed at others4
Important factors: Strength to carry all that armour, Stamina to avoid fatigue, Quickness for getting first strike, and Dexterity for hitting things. Large and Tough are excellent virtues.

Two-Handed Weapon Grog: +13 years

Grogs like this can do quite well defending a magus, as well as being an attack grog.
SkillSpecialtyScore
Weapon AttackWild melees4
Weapon ParryWild melees4
DodgeMissiles3
Important factors: Strength to carry all that armour, Stamina to avoid fatigue, Quickness for getting first strike, and Dexterity for hitting things. Large and Tough are excellent virtues.

Sailor: +12 years

Sailors need to be able to hold their own in a fight; don't mistake them for someone you need to cope with heavy combat. (Though I could see that Boating coming in handy in combat if you have to requisite your weapon skill with it like you have to for Riding with cavalry!)
SkillSpecialtyScore
BoatingSailing3
SwimFallen overboard2
DodgeTaking cover2
Shortsword AttackOn board ship3
Shortsword ParryOn board ship3
Important factors: Dex for sailing, Strength at least +1, shortsword (which is easy to use in close quarters) and leather cuirass you can swim in.

Archer: +13 years

A good longbowman is often more effective than a freshly Gauntleted apprentice in ranged combats.
SkillSpecialtyScore
Longbow attackMoving target4
Weapon attackWild melees3
Weapon parryWild melees3
DodgeInto cover2
StealthFinding cover1
Important factors: The minimum Strength to operate a longbow is +2. You can have longbow, quarterstaff, and a leather hauberk without taking load penalties, and excellent defensibility once you get into combat. Perception is important for targeting, Quickness should be at least +1 so the grog gets two shots per round. Keen Vision is a cheesy but effective virtue.

Woodsman: +7 years

This builds on the basic package. The common specialty seems cheesy when you see it all in a row, but it's effective.
SkillSpecialtyScore
AlertnessWoods2
ScanWoods2
SurvivalWoods2
TrackingWoods2
StealthWoods2
Faerie LoreWoods1
Fantastic Beast LoreWoods1
Important factors: A knack with woods is cheesy but very effective.

A different table of armour

You often will need to assign armour based on how much a grog can carry with a given load factor and expense. This is a rearrangement of the table on p163 of Ars Magica 3rd Edition. Remember that making armour out of bronze decreases the protection value by 1 (and cannot be done with chain mail or full scale), that the helm with a hauberk reduces perception rolls by 1, and that the helm with full armour reduces rolls by 3. (House rule from Amurgsval: you can take the lighter helm, but any time someone gets an exceptional shot, they have excellent reason to choose "head" for target-- and your head ends up with lighter armour.)
"Leather" can also count as fur or quilted armour; "Hard leather" can also count as heavy leather.
Load Factor
Expense0.51.01.52.0 2.53.03.54.04.55.0 5.56.0
Inexpensive Leather Cuirass: 1 Hard Leather Cuirass: 2 Leather Hauberk: 3 Full Leather: 4 Hard Leather Hauberk: 5
Full Hard Leather: 6
Standard Ring Mail Cuirass: 4 Scale Mail Cuirass: 5Ring Mail Hauberk: 7 Full Ring Mail: 8Scale Mail Hauberk: 9 Full Scale Mail: 11
Expensive Chain Mail Cuirass: 8 Chain Mail Hauberk: 12 Full Chain Mail: 14