Anosognosia

In the real world, anosognosia is a symptom of illness, particularly certain degenerative memory conditions. In Mythic Europe, it’s a useful effect of Mentem magic.

A person who has anosognosia does not know that they have lost a skill, and avoid the use of that skill. So, for example, a person who had lost the ability to write will not wish to write, will get others to write for them, or will give facts to others to remember, but they do not know that they have lost the ability to write. Some, further, cannot learn they have lost a skill: they forget evidence that they have lost an ability.

In Ars Magica 5th edition, (page 150) destroying a single capability is level 4, and destroying all capability is level 10. Splitting the difference in magnitudes, that places a spell that destroys a skill, and imposes anosognosia on the loss, at Base level 5.

Anosognosia is not a memory: it’s a damaged mental capacity. The Momentary duration used in most Perdo Mentem spells, therefore, does not work with anosognostic spells.

A character who lacks an ability due to a Perdo Mentem spell, but is placed in a situation where they attempt to use it regardless, suffers the -3 penalty for having a Ability of 0.

For example, a knight whose ability to use a sword has been removed, but does not know this is the case, may get into a battle. The knight will probably try to use his lance as a spear, or draw a dagger, or wrestle, but if absolutely forced to use a sword, there’s a -3 penalty there.

This is the fiendish part of anosognosic spells: The victim of the spell cannot understand their skill is gone. They rationalise around the hole in the skill set, but still get into dangerous situations where the skill would be vital. An enemy, who employs this class of spells can effectively ambush the victim in clear daylight, whenever they wish, as often as they wish.

In those societies where combat is allowed in public, provided it is fair, there’s little to stop a character just murdering a rival in the street.

In thinking about anosognosia, I’m reminded of the recent television series “Westworld”. In the first episode, a character tries to shoot another, but fails. This reveals that one of the characters is a host, a robot, and the other a guest, a human. It reveals this not just to the audience, but to the robot. It reveals that this scene has played out many times. The robot cannot remember it is a robot. It cannot remember it can’t hurt the guests. The robot has something like anosognosia.

Could anosognosia be used judicially? Could you make a magus forget how, for example, use combat magic? Then get them to forget they have forgotten? Then make them forgot you cast spells on them?  It doesn’t seem all that difficult, with Perdo Mentem magic, to create a mental straightjacket that’s invisible to the mind bound inside it.

How could a player character notice this?  If they did notice this, could they somehow store a prompt external to their mind, to cue them to seek aid, or an answer?