| From: | "Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Everything you wanted to know about Initiates! |
| Date: | Sun, 11 Apr 93 00:20:35 CET |
I've heard worst.
>>I do not have an grimior of either flavor.
Beg, Borrow, or Steal a copy of Grimoire II.
>>Can somebody please tell me all about what an initiate is? What the
>>benefits are and in general how it all works?
You asked for it.
An initiate is a magician who has strengthened his link to the astral plane by
a process call Initiation. Initiation is done through a ceremony, possiblily an
Ordeal, and a bunch of Karma. After the first Initiation ceremony the magician
becomes a Grade 0 Initiate. For each ceremony after that the magician gains one
grade point.
The advantages of being an Initiate are many and powerful. First of all for
every grade after the first the Initiate gains a point of the Magic Attribute.
This is how mages become very powerful, avoid burnout, or manage to keep their
present level of magic and get bio/cyberware. Secondly, you get to add your
Grade to your astral initiative. Thirdly, you get a special "astral" pool,
equal to your grade, that may be used as a hybrid combat/magic pool in astral
space. The fourth ability is access to the Metaplanes of Astral Space. This
allows the magician to do nasty things like summon Great Form Spirits, hide
astral links (especially for watchers and non-initiate magicians), and find
True Names of Free Spirits (wouldn't you like to have one as a lacky?). Last
and by no means the least you gain the ability to use Metamagic.
What the hell is Metamagic you ask? Good question. There are six Metamagic
powers that give initiates a good deal of advantage over normal magicians.
They are Centering, Quickening, Masking, Dispelling, Shielding, and Anchoring.
Centering allow a magician to use a mundane skill to help in the use of magic
abilities. Remember how in most games and stories, mages do strange things like
speak in arcane languages, sing, dance, or make strange incantations when they
cast spells. Well, for most magicians in Shadowrun doing that has no effect,
but if an Initiate has the proper skill and uses it, he can enhance his magic.
Centering can be used to increase the potency of a spell or conjuring, reduce
the drain of a spell or conjuring, or reduce the modified target number of spell
casting. Initiate Physical Adepts can use a centering skill to reduce the
reduce modifiers to their target numbers for Physical Skills (Athletics and
Stealth) and if they have the proper power (GrimII intoduces a power called
Enhanced Centering) for other skill catagories (like Combat!).
Quickening allows an Initiate to make a spell of sustained duration permenant
by giving it a direct link to astral space. The caster is then no longer linked
to the spell, nor does he need to sustain it.
Masking allows a magician to disguise the magically ability of his aura from
other mages. The mage has the option of appearing to be mundane, normal
magician, or his true initiate status. It also allows him to hide the magic
potential of foci on his body.
Dispelling allows a magician to break a sustained spell (which can be either
spell locked, quickened, or being actively sustained) without engaging the spell
in astral combat.
Shielding is an advanced form of spell defense that not only gives the
recipient an additional die to resist a spell, but give a +1 target number per
die to the attacker and last for 10 phases after given. As an additional bonus
an initiate gets extra shielding dice equal to his Grade.
Anchoring (the new Metamagic power for you SRI people) allows a magician to
link a spell to an inanimate object to be triggered by specific circumstances.
For all you people out there wanting to make magic items, this is how it's done.
Cool examples form the book are Hellblast linked to detect life (it goes off
when someone gets to close), Anti-Bullet Barrier linked to detect bullets (it
goes up when somebody shots at you), and Sustained damaging manipulation spells
linked to melee weapons (here comes my flame sword!).
>>Thanks.
Your welcome :) If you have any other questions about Initiates just ask.
Everything I just said was from memory.
See Ya in Shadows,
Jason J Carter
The Nightstalker
