the gross were only mentioned by number, not by nature or origin. I kind of assumed that each magus would have come with their personal shield grog. We should probably stat them up at some point, though I don't think there will be much need for them to have stats for the Tribunal meeting. And with the expected pace of the saga, it might not even be worth it to give them more than simple generic stats.
I may stat out St. Avery's neice, but she's (arguably) a boarderline companion - or rather, a grog that shows up in his life a lot and is really useful to have around.
I was planning on treating her like a statted-out grog(3 virtues/3flaws, etc.); useful, but not Companion-level useful. (And I think she counts as coven folk, in terms of cost.) And yeah, I was going to be giving her 2 seasons of training, 2 of exposure. And yep, I was planning on a spreadsheet to track folks if it ever got to that point.
For now, we can just take a core book template.
spell looks fine.
Practicing a language is 8xp/season (no cost). You'd have to spend time and/or money to get a teacher/book.
Possibility 1: Acquire a book on an easily available topic: (BP/5, round up), including home delivery
Possibility 2: Rent A Teacher (single student): 1 pound/per season (11xp/season), includes cost of finding a teacher
Possibility 3: Offer the teacher (age: 20) covenant membership (usual covenant upkeep cost + 1 pound to hire him and get him there)
Pralix, in Covenant economics you mention:
I would have been looking at getting a slightly larger lab right off the bat if possible and include the Spacious virtue (minor structure). Spacious can be included for free when setting up the lab, provided the space to do so is available.
Am I correct in assuming that our labs are already Size +1, since they already include the Auspicious Shape virtue? Subterranean is a free flaw, so it would not balance Auspicious Shape.
Bumping the a lab up to Size +2 would mean a diameter of approximately 35 feet (instead of about 32 for Size +1 and a bit less than 28 for Size 0).
Does the Auspicious Shape require a size increase for the labs? Its a minor virtue normally, so...
I think this just means that those virtues/flaws are already there: the rooms are already carved/dug - they just need to be set up and arranged according to Hermetic principles.
From what I understand of the Covenant rules for labs, the only ways to have a virtue is to:
- Increase Size
- Increase Refinement
- Balance it with a flaw
Having the lab be a special shape means its use of space is a bit less efficient, so it makes sense for it to have been slightly larger right from the start. Unless Pralix rules it to be a special case and states that Auspicious Shape in this instance is a free virtue. Since the Size of the labs were not stated in the Covenant economics post, it may simply not have been taken into account.
Auspicious shape can be taken for free at the beginning of the game. They simpy dug a hexagonal lab out of the rock. thank Bastion (whose player has been rather quiet)
Understood. 
So, is it possible to also have a larger lab right away? This only means increasing the diameter of the room from 28 feet to 32 (for Size +1) or 35 (for Size +2). That way, Cornelius could configure his lab to have the Spacious virtue without an additional investment of time when he does the initial setup.
If you want extra size, you can balance it by taking the "empty" flaw once for each extra size (max +2). We'll treat it as a minor rather than a free flaw. Each season of refinement can remove one of the flaws.
That seems a bit counterintuitive.
Usually, you determine the size of the lab first. Then if the virtues currently installed in the lab aren't sufficient to use all of that space, then you are forced to take the Empty flaw (once for every 2 full points of unused size). At least that is my understanding of the lab rules from Covenants.
Which is why I was asking whether our labs can have a starting Size of +1 or +2. The Spacious virtue can be installed without having to spend additional time when doing the initial set up of the lab, provided that the Size allows it. (BTW, all Spacious does is give +2 Safety and +1 Aesthetics, so it's no big deal.)
Distraction roll fail if roll <12.
Should we create a wiki for the saga? It might help for the coordination of what we are doing each season, put up the list of things the covenant has, of the things we want, maps, etc.
I can take care of the creation of people agree.
Great. I think I lack the tech-fu to manage a wiki, but this is quickly becoming a lot to read, so a wiki might help order it all.
Maybe it is to you. I find it entirely normal. I assume there is like a standard lab setup procedure. Following that procedure leads to a standard lab, if the room is the right size. If not, some of it is empty. Adapting your lab to a bigger room requires skill (magic theory) and time.
To be clearer, it just doesn't seem the way that the rules from Covenants are laid out.
More specifically, making Empty into a minor flaw (instead of a free one) would technically mean that it frees up space for another virtue to be installed. The flaw is supposed to represent an excess of unused size.
There is also the fact that having it apply for every point of unused size is twice as severe as what is stated in Covenants (which is "apply it once for every 2 full points of unused Size.")
The point of having a larger lab is to be able to install additional virtues without having to refine it. It also makes it possible for a magus to install additional virtues without having to raise his Magic Theory score. If a larger lab starts with additional flaws that the magus must refine away by spending seasons, then that extra size represents a liability instead of an asset.
This seems to double the cost of installing virtues into a large lab, as the magus first need to spend a season get rid of the Empty flaw, then another one installing the new virtue. It also makes it very costly for the covenant to have unused lab space.
Or maybe I'm just not understanding you right. That happens. 
I've put up a few pages on the wiki, like the summary of the seasonal activities (to help coordination) and the stats for Cornelius (as an example). I'll keep adding stuff there whenever I have some time.