Message no. 1

From:	Mongoose m0ng005e@*********.com
Subject:	[ATTN STEVE] those darn magician adepts and Initiation
Date:	Sat, 15 May 1999 21:51:21 -0500

:>The option of gaining a power point instead of a
:>metamagic technique applies ONLY to adepts on the
:>magicians path, not for normal adepts, afaik.
:>Also, I thought for those characters forgoing the
:>chance to learn metamagic is the ONLY way to gain a
:>power point, but this may be wrong.
:
:This seems correct MitS p.24:
: Magician Adepts may not purchase power points with
: karma, as other adepts can (p.168, SR3). If a
: magician adept initiates, she can choose to either
: gain an extra power point or learn a metamagical
: technique. Magicians adepts are capable of learning
: any of the metamagical techniques.

However, it also does not note on p.24 that they gain a magic point,
which is for adepts tied to gaining a power point. Most likely, they DO
gain a magic point, and there's no clear implication that they would not, as
an adept, gain a power point for doing so. Its ambiguios- could be either a
bonus or a restriction. I'm guessing its a bonus, at this point, since
reading it as a restriction seems rather harsh (basically doubling how much
the must intiate, even compared to other adepts).

:It does not say in ADDITION to the new magic point
:gained. Neither does it say that this power point
:REPLACES the Meta Mag technique. It says they may
:either gain a power point/ magic point (this is the
:same thing) OR a Metamag technique.

You could also read it as; they intiate, and get all the normal things
that an itnaite gets, but they have the OPTION of not learning metamagic,
and getting a power point instead. Makes sense to me- that's a type of
learning, no? As I pointed out, it broadens thier power, but does not
really give them more than anybody else (if you consider a metamagic power
equal to a power point in utility- I do)
:
:Also notice that Magician adepts may not attempt to
:throw off a gesa or change their astral signature. A
:subtle but important limitation.

I think on those two you are adding lmitations no intended- as noted,
neither does it say they gain a magic point- but if they don't, they are
limited in total power to starting magic, with NO way to regain lost magic.
Rather harsh, no? Indeed, the fact that neither is mantioned strongly
indicates to me that they DO gain normal intiate bonuses. . I'm guessing
magician adepts would get VERY hungry for intiation (which just boosts thier
actual magc rating, making it easier to loose, and forces them to risk geas
loosing "magic power" every so often)- they do not, IMO, get it easy, and
making them intiate twice as much to get the same thing (once for an active
magic point, once for metamagic technique) seems unfair. Remaber, thier
"magic power" can't go past thier real magic rating, anf they don't have
projection (or even free perception)- they will NEVER be as powerful as a
full normal mage.

:>Indeed, they might get that "first" power point as
:>all normal adepts do, being (by most indications) a
:>subclass of adept.
:
:I doubt this is the case. The book would have said "in
:addition to the standard adept initiation rules,
:Magician adepts gains..."

Yes, that would have been clearer. But I also doubt that thier
intiation is so majorly curatialed as you imply. I'm just goanna wait for
Steve to answer this one, and suggest it be clarified in erratta / second
printings (which I hear are due out very soon, due to phenominal distributer
and chainstore orders).


:How about using Gesa on the magical ability power of
:Magical adepts. An effective 6 magic stat for 4.5
:power points. Sling spells like a Full Magician and
:pick up the first level of enhanced reflexes, with
:gesa. Kick ass with full essence.

BLECH. Sure, its a possibilty, but you'd be unable to use "magic power"
at ALL if you broke the geas; you would not even be able to toss up spell
defense! I guess its not so hard to keep one geas, but is it worth it? And
note that that is a quandry a magical adept who looses magic points (from
damage, drugs, whatever) has to face, unlike a regular mage who can more
easily "geas away" magic piece by piece.

That said, I'm gonna bow out and wait for Steve to answer this one for
certain.

Sebastian Wiers, aka Mongoose