| From: | Damian Sharp zadoc@***.neu.edu |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Burnout or Realism? was Re: Decker Mage |
| Date: | Wed, 31 May 2000 16:29:49 -0400 (EDT) |
Diverging from the topic of the amount of cyberware needed to be a good
decker, and the viability of being a mage (a difficult topic, that I
personally think varies wildly from game to game)...
> I'm not saying it can't be done... but realistically, if you were
> roleplaying, a mage with cyberware would constantly be tempted along the
> path of Burnout. Once he taints his body, forever will it haunt him/her. My
> gaming group detests power gaming, and one would have to come up with a VERY
> good reason (at least, character history-wise) for having cyber and magic. I
> see mages having a datajack, especially if they are affiliated w/ academia,
> but the Smartlink and Boosted Ref. are much harder to justify for me...
> Ex-military, perhaps? Late bloomer? Maybe the character was a merc, but
> later found he had the Gift.
You know, everyone always says that. 'Once you've gotten a little
cyberware, the temptation is always there for more.' Why? Why is it more
tempting once you've gotten a little. That's like saying 'Once you've
bought a car, you always want a new one.' I have a car, and I don't want a
new one. I'm not attached to it, but it's a car. I only need one car. I
won't go buy another one, just because I have one now. Why would a mage
get more cyberware, just because they've gotten a little.
> My main argument is that when one has a talent, it isn't often that the
> person would squander that talent, especially if it is keeping him/her
> alive. Being a mage is rare... even more rare than being a 4.0 student or a
> gifted musician. Sure, the character might like computers or cars, but
> enough to piss away his/her rare natural talent? Perhaps... I don't know.
Squander away the talent? No. Should a mage get Standard Wired 3? Not if
they have any intention of remaining a mage. Is a mage crazy for getting a
Smartlink? Not if he shoots a gun tthat much. Will that alone make him
want to get Dermal Plating? No. Whatever might make him want to get it
will do so, regardless of the fact that he has a smartlink. Is a mage
crazy to get a Trauma Dampener? I'd almost say he's crazy _not_ to get
one, as it's written. Deos that mean he should load up on bioware, 'cause
he's gotten a little? Not if he's sane. Getting random cyber/bioware for
no real reason is silly. Getting one piece of cyberware doesn't have to
tempt the mage to get more. The temptation isn't realistically more, just
because he's gotten a little. Hoestly, I'd think it'd be _less_ tempting
to get more cyberware after he's gotten a little. He's already given up a
small part of his gift, for what he felt was a needed advantage. Does he
really want to give up more, or does he want to look for magical
alternatives.
All told, SR3 encourages a mage to get a little cyberware. High Magic
ratings accomplish very little, except making it easy to lose Magic
Rating, so, after Initiating once or twice, or if you plan on doing it
sometime, losing a point to implants doesn't sound too bad, as opposed to
just losing a point, for nothing.
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| Damian Sharp of Real Life, College Student |
| Zauviir Seldszar of Wildlands, Scribe of House Maritym |
| Xavier Kindric of Shandlin's Ferry, member of Valindar |
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"It's a trick, get an axe"
