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Message no. 1
From: Brion David Wauters <bdw8@****.UCC.NAU.EDU>
Subject: PHys. Ad training
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 12:25:01 -0700
Do Phys Ads. need to be trained in the use of their powers? I always
figuered that Shamens where taught their spells by their totem & Hermatics
learned them from teachers or rigorus study. But do Phys Ads know their
abilities instictivly, or do they need traing to get them up to full
potential?

Brion
Message no. 2
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: PHys. Ad training
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 16:04:27 -0400
At 12:25 PM 9/28/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Do Phys Ads. need to be trained in the use of their powers? I always
>figuered that Shamens where taught their spells by their totem & Hermatics
>learned them from teachers or rigorus study. But do Phys Ads know their
>abilities instictivly, or do they need traing to get them up to full
>potential?

Since nothing is officially stated, I would say that unless you use house
rules to the contrary, it would be a role-playing decision, by the Player
and/or the GM.

It makes sense that if the adept is merely improving an existing power,
they wouldn't need a teacher. But if they were learning a brand new power,
then perhaps they'd need someone to teach them. But like I said, it's an
RP decision to be made in your own game.

Erik J.


http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/dungeon/480/index.html
The Reality Check for a Fictional World
Message no. 3
From: Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: PHys. Ad training
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 13:56:36 -0700
On Mon, 28 Sep 1998, Erik Jameson wrote:

> At 12:25 PM 9/28/98 -0700, you wrote:
> >Do Phys Ads. need to be trained in the use of their powers? I always
> >figuered that Shamens where taught their spells by their totem & Hermatics
> >learned them from teachers or rigorus study. But do Phys Ads know their
> >abilities instictivly, or do they need traing to get them up to full
> >potential?
>
> Since nothing is officially stated, I would say that unless you use house
> rules to the contrary, it would be a role-playing decision, by the Player
> and/or the GM.
>
> It makes sense that if the adept is merely improving an existing power,
> they wouldn't need a teacher. But if they were learning a brand new power,
> then perhaps they'd need someone to teach them. But like I said, it's an
> RP decision to be made in your own game.

Hmmm. Two factors I think come into play here. When you say "train" I
take it you are refering to work with some type of instructor. Then I am
not so sure. If you just mean "practice" then I would say definitely.
Your body begins to do something it never did before, and you are supposed
to just slip right into it? I don't buy that. It will take some getting
used to.

While I don't really see needing an instructor in order to attain a PhysAd
ability, I figure it would be a help in getting used to using it if you
had someone there to "show you the ropes."

Now here is an interesting question: Anybody with an SR3, or inside
information (I don't have my book with me now). What is the status of
Hermetic vs. Shamanic Physical Adepts? Has the concept been abandoned?
If not I think it still has an effect on how a PhysAd goes about getting
their powers. While the "Hermetic PA" would spend his time studying, to
learn how to develop their body and their powers, a "Shamanic PA" I would
think would have to live with what their totem saw fit to "grant" them.
i.e. A snake shaman PA is probably never going to develop killing hands,
not only because snakes don't have hands, but because it is a pacifistic
totem.

--My two yen

Jeff
Message no. 4
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: PHys. Ad training
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 17:33:48 -0400
At 01:56 PM 9/28/98 -0700, you wrote:

>Now here is an interesting question: Anybody with an SR3, or inside
>information (I don't have my book with me now). What is the status of
>Hermetic vs. Shamanic Physical Adepts? Has the concept been abandoned?
>If not I think it still has an effect on how a PhysAd goes about getting
>their powers. While the "Hermetic PA" would spend his time studying, to
>learn how to develop their body and their powers, a "Shamanic PA" I would
>think would have to live with what their totem saw fit to "grant" them.
>i.e. A snake shaman PA is probably never going to develop killing hands,
>not only because snakes don't have hands, but because it is a pacifistic
>totem.

Not a part of core SR3 (i.e., not included in the main book), but I can't
imagine it being dropped from Shadowrun. I'd expect this to be
reprinted/redone (whatever) for Magic in the Shadows, in some form or other.

Another factor to include would be adept initiate groups (initiation *has*
to be a part of MitS). Some of those groups would teach new powers, or
expect their members to develop their powers in certain ways. So a snake
adept initiate group probably won't ever teach killing hands to it's
members, for example; learning it may actually violate that groups rules
and/or strictures.

Just another thought.

Erik J.


http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/dungeon/480/index.html
The Reality Check for a Fictional World
Message no. 5
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: PHys. Ad training
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 12:52:12 +1200
>Hmmm. Two factors I think come into play here. When you say "train" I
>take it you are refering to work with some type of instructor. Then I am
>not so sure. If you just mean "practice" then I would say definitely.
>Your body begins to do something it never did before, and you are supposed
>to just slip right into it? I don't buy that. It will take some getting
>used to.

I seem to recall several instances in the novels and possibly the
sourcebooks when a character found out they were a physad in just that way
- their body did something it never did before. E.g. TT sourcebook, there
was a curling (or hurley or whatever the hell it was called) player who
didn't know he was a physad until they tested him and threw him out of the
team. One of the others was a teenager who beat 8 kinds of crap out of some
other kids, IIRC.

PLAYTHING OF A CRUEL GOD
JAIMIE NICHOLSON
Message no. 6
From: Fixer <fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US>
Subject: Re: PHys. Ad training
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 08:50:41 -0400
On Mon, 28 Sep 1998, Mach wrote:

->Now here is an interesting question: Anybody with an SR3, or inside
->information (I don't have my book with me now). What is the status of
->Hermetic vs. Shamanic Physical Adepts? Has the concept been abandoned?
->If not I think it still has an effect on how a PhysAd goes about getting
->their powers. While the "Hermetic PA" would spend his time studying, to
->learn how to develop their body and their powers, a "Shamanic PA" I would
->think would have to live with what their totem saw fit to "grant" them.
->i.e. A snake shaman PA is probably never going to develop killing hands,
->not only because snakes don't have hands, but because it is a pacifistic
->totem.

Looking in my SR3 there is no distinction between hermetic and
shamanic adepts (not aspected magicians). It might be so as not to
confuse beginning players.

Fixer --------------} The easy I do before breakfast,
the difficult I do all day long,
the impossible only during the week,
and miracles performed on an as-needed basis....

Now tell me, what was your problem?
Message no. 7
From: Lorna Buck <lorna@******.FR>
Subject: Re: PHys. Ad training
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 15:48:49 +0100
> From: Brion David Wauters <bdw8@****.UCC.NAU.EDU>
> Do Phys Ads. need to be trained in the use of their powers? I always
> figuered that Shamens where taught their spells by their totem &
Hermatics
> learned them from teachers or rigorus study. But do Phys Ads know their
> abilities instictivly, or do they need traing to get them up to full
> potential?

It's a GM call, and for ShadowTK I'd say it was up to the individual
player.

I would, though, say that once you start Initiating then the "enhanced
abilities" are the result of study and hard work: not necessarily mystical
or magical, but gaining extra dice in Unarmed Combat would be partly a
result of some serious workouts and sparring, not just waking up one
morning being better able to break heads than the day before.

--
Paul J. Adam
Message no. 8
From: Brion David Wauters <bdw8@****.UCC.NAU.EDU>
Subject: Re: PHys. Ad training
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 11:45:52 -0700
Thanks for the advice, folks.

Brion

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