In my Verditius lab I really want to decrease the costs (we use Convenants). So I think about the Missing equipment Flaw (page 117), and dump the Texts specialization. Can I still use texts for my items? The specialisation (page 112) says: (....when inventing a spell with the benefit of a lab text...) suggesting that items are not covered. But the Flaw itself does not mention the difference, does anybody have an idea how to interpret this correctly?
On the other hand our convenant has a communal Texts-lab using the Elementary flaw, can you use this to learn spells of only to write books and translate labtexts?
Well, really, those are questions that ought to be decided by the troupe or the Storyguide (depending on how your group operates) rather than by a forum. Those are more questions of intent of the group with the communal lab and the various flaws than of rules.
But, in general, lab texts apply to inventing spells, recreating the exact item they are about, or with study. So a text specialization or deficiency should apply to all those activities in most cases.
First of you should have an idea of what your lab really looks like. I.e a text based lab might be dominated by a large reading stool (mind you, in that case, I'd rather go for major focus: Desk, with a text spesialisation).
In the case of missing equipment that prevents use of texts, I'd imagine that means there isn't any surface to place a text... (This does beget the question - where does your magus make the notes he needs conserning his current project?)
Btw - the text speciality does include all use of lab-texts. If it didn't it would simply be a lesser versjon of the "inventing spells" speciality...
Hmm, I suppose you are right ulf. By the way, it is much more than only a lab-text specialization. You can also write and copy summa faster in a lab with a text-specialization.
It will be an interesting discussion next Wednesday 
I'll just ask Alexandra about it, and if she rolls high on her Magic theory, whatever she says is how it works. 