That's not definitive. That is, one reading says that, no doubt - but another treats those as connected statements. That is, if your gift was not destroyed, you may serve as a Lab Assistant etc.
Which would mean that un-Gifted still don't really rate. (And I'm not 100% convinced I'd want to base a ruling on Lab Assistants off of one possible interpretation of one phrase in one isolated Virtue.)
However...
The Gift allows an assistant to add full Int + Magic Theory, but by Covenants others can still add in the lab - all they need is a positive Intelligence and can add half of that to Safety, which reduces botches. Better than nothing, but it is "an assistant".
These are two quiteseperate sentences. If it was intended that only those with an unbroken gift may continue to assist in laboratories then these two elements should have been seperated by a semi colon not a full stop, even a comma would do it. As it is written they are two seperate details.
As written the only grammatical connection one could read into this is that it is a magic theory score that grants this possibility as they form the same sentence. That however, is reading into the statement rather than reading it.
The virtue say "may". So that mean "if all the conditions of the laboratory assistant are fullfiled, you ..." (These conditions being: have the gift and 1 in MT.). Without this sense, "may" is no use: the sentence would be : "you are good as lab assistant if magus need it".
So if you haven't the gift, you can't be lab assistant.
...and we stop right there, and ask the musical question:
Wait a second! If we can't have the Gift, then how do we have one to be partially destroyed in the first place... and what exactly do we have left if it's not the Gift, or part of it?
Remember, Virtues are often phrased with regard to CharGen, not the AM world at large - when they say "you may not have the Gift", that could easily be read "A Failed Apprentice cannot also take The Gift virtue". But that's not necessarily the same as not having any Gift with regard to helping in the Lab - clearly, because they can help, and at full value.
Or maybe The Gift isn't necessary, and those two statements are not intended to be related.
One thing is clear: it's just not clear. So you can't say "It is X" or "It is NOT X". There is some weight on both sides of the argument, and each SG/Troupe should rule as they feel best suits their saga and story.
IMS as long as you have a supernatural ability you have the gift (small G). The Gift is when you can be trained to be a full hermetic magus. Anyone with the gift can help in the lab.
I would tweak that just a little Xavi. Anyone who has a Supernatural Ability (fill in blank, Magic realm) can help in the lab. Remember that Supernatural Abilities have to be Aligned to a realm. I would also also Supernatural Ability (fill in blank, Faerie realm) to help someone doing a lab activity that included Faerie Magic.......
Correct. That is what I meant. What happens is that IMS we ruled that there are only 2-3 realms (magic and faerie are the same, we are still debating academically in character if infernal and divine are the same as well), hence the oversight
I think Faerie Magic is so easy to pick up (point of Faerie Warping, season being taught) that you should make the Mage who wants a Faerie Assistant pick it up. As to Divine vs. Infernal, it's not relevant if they are the same realm in your game or not. Either they're opposing Realms, or opposing Factions. Either way, they won't work together.
I was just clarifying how we play and why I hadn't separated the fae and magic stuff, not asking for any kind of commentary on what we do. And the separation (or not) of the Realms is PARAMOUNT to us in our (diverse) sagas. Been a recurring tribunal discussion for us and have had great fun with it. Even a few Wizard Wars have been fought on that regard.
Oh, yah. I'm just thinking it's pretty slack as the only thing mentioned anywhere in canon is the point of Faerie Warping. The other Mystery Houses have costs to joining. Casting Tools, No Familiar, Apt Action. The only cost I can find for being Initiated into Faerie Magic is the point of Warping. The canon says that if you know Faerie Magic, you should be a member of the House, but they won't make a scene if you beg off. Far as I can tell, the Initiation Script reads something like this : get Faerie Warping point, spend season learning Faerie Magic.
I'm not arguing with you, I'm agreeing with you. It just seems to me that, in canon, the Initiation for Faerie Magic is really easy. If it's not, point me to the page, and I can't figure out what is lost. Show me. Tell me. Better here then in game......
Looking way too much at the mechanics of the rules and not enough about the story and plot side of things.
If you think House Merinita don't care about anyone else sharing their mystery you are way off message. Are they going to hunt you down if you leave, join ex-Mscellanea and keep their secrets to yourself, probably not. If you start sharing that knowledge however, then there might be a problem.
Exactly who in the house are you expecting to spend a seasn sharing these secrets with you?
Magus A: 'Hey Merinita dude, I hear your house myseteries are easy, I met a faerie once and felt a bit queezy. Any chance you can teach me your secrets?'
Magus B: '@?!% off'.'
I am thinking of the Story and Plot side, honest. If you want to join Verditius, they will make you crawl through mud and they will permanently damage your Gift. They may still kill you, they're still jumpy after the fiasco with the Traitor (Speak not his Name). That's canon. The secrets of the Crimon can't be stolen. They only "work" if you live "Aptly", and if you live "Aptly", you're one of them. That's canon. Want a Heart-Beast? only if you followed their rules Before you knew them. I can't think of another Mystery that requires you to "Maintain your Virginity" as it were. Pretty hardcore, and canon. What does the canon have to say about joining Merinita? All I can find is "Warping point" and "The House is so disorganized that many think it's a plot". I would love to find somewhere in canon where there's a serious sacrifice for learning Faerie Magic. But when looking at the Mystery Houses, House Merinita seems to be the "Common Mystery". While they might do something with you teaching secrets to someone outside of House, once you've learned them, they don't seem to care if someone from Merinita teaches someone who qualifies. It's weird, because they have some Sexy Mysteries. (MT + FM) * 2 Vis per season is very nice. Automatons require (in House) Necessary Condition : near an open flame to learn. And Automatons aren't very useful. What mud do I have to crawl through to learn Faerie Magic? Cause I'm not seeing it.
My impression of House Merinita is that they recruit and proselytize.
Magus B: Excellent! You are taking your first step into a larger world. I will want some consideration for my time, but of course I will help you on your way to becoming a faerie just like me, er, Quend, er, never mind.
