Ars Magica Adding MT to labtotal
From: WilliamEx Posted on: 6/18/2004 4:59 pm
To: ALL
Message: 370.1
I want to have your opinion since this is something I find is quite troublesome and/or useless.

The Rules say that is your MT is lower than the lab text you can't add the MT of the labtext to your labtotal. Magi can use their own labtext to boost their labtotal for a reason I don't understand since all that is in there you already know !

I would make these modifications:

-Magi do not benefit from their own labtext
-Magi reading from another magus labtext must first understant it (translate as per the rules) and then can add the MT to their labtotal.

This would have the result of make arch magus labtext worth something and would allow apprentice to remake their master's experiences more easilly....

What do you think ?

Edited 6/18/2004 10:21 pm ET by WilliamEx
From: Decallom Posted on: 6/19/2004 5:18 am
To: WilliamEx
Message: 370.2
in reply to: 370.1
I think Magi should benefit from their own lab text. Why else keep them?

As for the texts of others, I don't use the rule as is anyway, I actually allow using higher bonuses. I you don't want to go that radical, you can certainly use the decipher rules (but that does not really cut it, as in our sagas we have rarely found lab texts written clearly, so they must almost always be deciphered anyway). However, you might limit the bonus to the Magic Theory score of the user, if the text would give a higher bonus.

From: Berengar Posted on: 6/20/2004 3:41 am
To: WilliamEx
Message: 370.3
in reply to: 370.1
//Magi can use their own labtext to boost their labtotal for a reason I don't understand since all that is in there you already know !//
Think of a modern age scientist here. Does he have all he knows at his fingertips all the time? No. He will refer to his notes, previous publications and such to refresh his grasp of results of earlier experiments and analysis.
It appears to me that a Magus consulting his lab texts does the same.

//The Rules say that is your MT is lower than the lab text you can't add the MT of the labtext to your labtotal.//
The idea here appears to be: to read formless notes of a researcher, one better knows what he took for granted and did not write down. Otherwise one might feel like a bachelor trying to make sense of the notes of a post-graduate colloquium.

Kind regards,

Berengar

From: caribet Posted on: 6/24/2004 7:19 am
To: WilliamEx
Message: 370.4
in reply to: 370.1
>The Rules say that is your MT is lower than the lab text you can't
> add the MT of the labtext to your labtotal. Magi can use their
> own labtext to boost their labtotal for a reason I don't
> understand since all that is in there you already know !
>I would make these modifications:
>-Magi do not benefit from their own labtext
>-Magi reading from another magus labtext must first understant it
> (translate as per the rules) and then can add the MT to
> their labtotal.
>This would have the result of make arch magus labtext worth
> something and would allow apprentice to remake their
> master's experiences more easilly....

I agree that there should be a significant benefit to using the Lab Text of an Archmagus... I see no reason that the junior magus should have to decipher the text if the Archmagus has taken the time to rewrite the text and expand and clarify it; though if you have only their breif laboratory shorthand to work with, then you must indeed first decipher that code.

As for one's own Lab Text - surely it is easier to reproduce a device, to make a second copy, than it is to determine the device in the first instance? What took me many seasons, working at my limit, will take me far fewer seasons working from the notes I made first time!