Just checking: Poenitens has a Guardian Angel virtue because he can recite the 4th Ring of Ars Notoria (RoP:D, p. 99). There's no way that this qualifies as a Greater or Lesser Guardian listed as Supernatural virtues, p. 118 of Covenants, right?
if nearly constant present during a lab season and not just have a mental link to you during this time then I would say its a lesser guardian (Eiael RoP:D 29 only have a might of 20 so a guardian angel he give to your side should have a lower might)
So the main questions will be if he is willing to stay most of a season with you and what is a suitable +1 Art bonus you get from this angel.
Edit: Unless you have free space for a Minor Virtue and don't want to spend 1 season to install a virtue permanent I personal wouldn't go with this.
Here are my thoughts on the guardian angel.
First, I'll say that a guardian angel seems like it could certainly qualify as a Lesser Guardian.
Second, I note that the guardian angel is not necessarily permanent. If I understand Ars Notaria properly, it requires you to perform a season-long ritual and only lasts for a number of seasons So, it might be that you have a guardian angel one season then don't the next season.
Third, the important language seems to me to be "resides in the lab and acts as its protector." I'm not certain that a guardian angel meets that requirement. My understanding is that the guardian angel watches over Poenitens, not the lab, and therefore doesn't specifically "reside" in the lab. Of course, the only time that the benefits of a Lesser Guardian matter is when Poenitens is actually in the lab, so it might be a difference without a distinction.
Based on that, it seems like there's a good argument that you ought to get the lab virtue Lesser Guardian without having to spend a season adding it, with two provisos. First: I would say that you have to have the free space or refinement in your lab sufficient to allow an extra virtue. Clearly to be helpful, the guardian angel would need some space allocated to it (i.e., it requires 1 space/refinement worth of lab). So long as you have that space/refinement open, then your guardian angel can help out in the lab, as indicated by the virtue. Second: it would only be effective those seasons when you actually have the 4th Ring in effect.
The first time you recite a ring, it is a full season. After that, reciting a ring becomes easier, and takes 10- days to do it. The Guardian Angel can be summoned in any season.
My lab has no spare space at the moment. I'll spend a season in refinement. Having the Guardian Angel present for a year requires a Ars Notoria roll of 19, and Poenitens currently (at +30 years) has a +18 to the roll.
There's a free supernatural Virtue for labs called "Preserved," which increases Health, and Creo! So I'm trying to work out a magical effect that would do that. This sounds like a CrHe(An) effect, to prevent rot in plant and animal products. Covenants (pp.50-51) gives that a base of 2. So:
Maintain the Pristine State CrHe(An) 24: ( Base 2,+2 Room, +1 Touch, +1 Requisite, +14 levels Continuous) Does this seem reasonable?
I"d toss in a Corpus requisite as well - dead bodies don't decay within the confines of the lab. The lab would also accumulate Warping Points, it being the subject of a magical spell all the time. That would make it an odd lab after a time.
But otherwise, it seems like it should work.
Another question: if we spend part of our starting BP for an item for the lab, will it provide any benefit for the lab in the pre-game build? If so, when is it appropriate for that bonus to take effect?
I'd say that you declare when you acquired the item, and afterward, you can count it for your lab totals.
I agree with thompsja on this.
Works for me.
So we make it:
Maintain the Pristine State CrHe(An)(Co) 29 Pen 0(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 room, +2 Prerequites, +14 levels continuous)
Any other comments?
After reading trough the Mythic Zoroastrianism part of Tc&Tc I came toward the part of their dominion at page 86.
This brought up my thought that the altar lab feature, if it is for one of the religions that spread a dominion, probably also spread the dominion!
For Zoroastrianism the equivalent of a small shrine everyone can have in his house give +1 to the Dominion Aura, the equivalent of a altar give +3 and a major altar give +6 to the Dominion Aura!
Although a small church only give +4 Aura acording to RoP:D 10 I think if the altar is a major feature of the lab it probably generate a +3 or +4 divine aura within the lab. (And probably spreading outside at a reduced level)
This might be a good thing for some Holy Magican but for most hermetic magus this should actual be a unwanted effect.
In a strong magic aura like our own this don't hurt as long as the dominion is lower then it but as soon the dominion reach or even top the level of the magic aura the negative effects of the dominion on hermetic magus instantly take place.
I have a few thoughts on this:
- No lab feature that you pay for (with time or BP) should penalize you
- The altars listed on page 86 of TC&TC are very specific and not easy to have. The Atesh Behram is noted to take considerable time to perform the ceremonial lighting. That can't happen by accident.
- This rule does not appear to apply to any altar, just the Atesh-style altars.
- +6 to any Aura is freaking huge. An Atesh Behram in a city (base Dominion Aura 3) would make the Dominion Aura +9, which is equal to or greater than that of all but the most holy of holy places. I'd be very leery of allowing that sort of Dominion Aura into the saga just for believability reasons. That beats the Dominion Aura at the Hagia Sophia by 4, which just seems wrong to me. (Though admittedly the Hagia Sophia probably had a higher Dominion Aura prior to the sack of Constantinople.)
Did we agree that we will have Covenfolk who can provide tools and equipment such that we receive the Superior Equipment and Superior Tools Outfittings Virtues? I'm planning my next round of development.
That was my impression ...