Hi, I was wondering how to change the specialty within a feature. I built an altar, which is now specialised in Vim, I would like to change that to Creo after a while. I can tear it down and build a new one, but that seems a bit odd. I can, however find nothing about how to change a feature's bonus. Did I miss something?
Tricky. It could be so abused. I would be very strict with this one. If the feature was listed in Covenants as having multiple possible specialties, then I would say a season to toggle between them, perhaps with a Vis cost as a kicker. Outside of that condition, take it out, put it back in......
...which basically means 'spend a season'.
Depends of the feature. Greater features take two seasons (Serf's parma)......
Make it cost in either time or Vis to do the change and it should be reasonably ok.
Oh, I am okay with it taking a season to change, I just thought I had missed something.
I was indeed referring to a singular feature that could have more specializations, not changing the feature to something else entirely.
Taking a season for a minor, and two for a greater should work, it removes the time breaking down the feature.
If not, it'd be about as easy to just refine more and add something.
No, no. One season to change an altar from Vim to Creo should be fine. Both are well within the purview of what an altar does in the Lab. You just shouldn't let players change out an altar for a water wheel in one season. "I'm just changing the specialty!". Yeah, right.
I would allow a change of specialization change to happen during a season of refinement. Pages 112-113 talk about a case of a lab with too many specialties being reconfigured so that one of the previously unused specialties can be put into use while one that has been in use is put into what amounts to mothballs.
I allow reconfiguration/re-selection of specializations as a by-product of any season spent improving the lab. Several features have many bonuses of which only a few can be active at any given time. When a wizard spends a whole season improving his lab he should be able to change the alignment of as many existing bonuses he wants. Of course, if the change the feature (swap a Statue for an Altar or something like that) it isn't reconfiguration. That is changing the lab.
I might consider allowing reconfiguration/re-selection as a "on the side" activity also. Something that could be done in any season you don't use your lab. After all the bonus is already installed, you just need to rearrange stuff a little so that you're using that part of the lab.
So far I've been the only one to highly specializer any lab, and it was never any question about what the specialization should be.
I am not sure about doing it for "free" when doing other things in the lab. Making it part of refinement favours the high MT people a bit much (saying this as someone who has an MT of 6+puissant).
The first part, making it as much as installing the virtue itself without breaking it down does not make the most sense to me (the changes will probably be too small for it), but it seems to have the best balance. Another option would be to use half the time needed to build it, partly to utilise seasons half-spent already, partly because it makes a lot of sense.
The problem with making it too easy is that people will have a summoning circle and an altar in their labs if they can be switched too easily (since these have the most useful specialisations)
Another thing that occured to me instantly, is that the specialisations of Vis extraction and Longevity potions are worthless compared to a creo specialisation, which provides the same bonus, but on a wider range of subjects.
Isn't the point that you can have one specialty plus one active technique and one form? I don't have the book at work but seem to remember you could have a Creo Corpus lab specialized in Longevity.
The limit is 2 Activities and 4 Arts (but only 2 can be Tehcniques)
So if your lab potentially gives bonus to more things than this, you need to decide which ones are active. This is decided and the decision stands (but don't remove any V&Fs giving these boni). A season spent inproving Refinement allows you to change the active specializations. From Covenants, page 112-113.
If you want to change the speciality of a Feature from one of te possibilities to another I'd say spend a season, not improving Refinement, but simply working on the thing. And I may just demand a single season regardless of it being Minor or Major Features.
Because installing a completely new Feature would take 1 or 2 seasons, it should take shroter time to just make changes to one. However the minimum is 1 season, so...
But what does it take to simply remove a virtue? No time? 1 Season?
Removing a virtue takes one season, I don't know exactly where it is, but it's there somewhere.
Is it possible to have multiple features/items/virtues for a single specialisation? (of course within the rules of maximum specialisations total)
For instance, a dedicated building's bonus to Re, and an altar specialised for the same?
No such restriction AFAIK.
Covenants, p 113, just above the 'Flaws' header.
It takes a sseason, but this can be combined with other activities, such as installing another virtue.
Free virtues can be removed in a day or so, if at all.
No such restriction, feel free to pile together 7 virtues (and/or flaws!) all granting a bonus to Perdo.
More if you can find them, the more the merrier.