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Message no. 1
From: l-hansen@*****.tele.dk (Lars Wagner Hansen)
Subject: SR4: Incompetent
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 17:28:43 +0100
I'm in the middel of creating a character. The character is a Mystic Adept,
but he is only ever allowed one spell, and will not be able to counterspell,
cast ritual spells, summon, banish or bind spirits.

He has split his magic attribute of 5 into 2 for spellcasting, and 3 for
adept powers.

All this fits nicely into his background.

So naturally I thought: Why not make him incompetent in these skills. He has
after all payed points to become a mystic adept, so it would be natural to
get some points back for being incompetent in an area where he could
normally expand later.

But the math said it wouldn't be fair:

Mystic Adept: +10 BP
Incompetent (5 skills): -25 BP

Now it might seem unfair, but he also has to pay for his magic attribute,
his spellcasting skill, and his spell.

So what do you guys think?

Lars
Message no. 2
From: KiltedJamesman@***.com (KiltedJamesman@***.com)
Subject: SR4: Incompetent
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 11:32:59 EST

In a message dated 11/4/2005 11:29:19 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
l-hansen@*****.tele.dk writes:

But the math said it wouldn't be fair:

Mystic Adept: +10 BP
Incompetent (5 skills): -25 BP



I would allow it just for the character flavor. If you're worried, however,
about the unbalance you might take some GM license (or ask the GM if that
isn't you) and lower the benefit of incompetence from 25 to 10. Cynically
speaking, it's also work pointing out that the most incompetent people seem to make
it the furthest in life ::sardonic grin:: but that's also I would say up to
whoever may be the GM.

Just my .02¥
The Mad Kilted Cyberzombie GM
Message no. 3
From: tjlanza@************.com (Timothy J. Lanza)
Subject: SR4: Incompetent
Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2005 11:34:21 -0500
At 11:28 AM 11/4/2005, Lars Wagner Hansen wrote:
>So naturally I thought: Why not make him incompetent in these skills. He
>has after all payed points to become a mystic adept, so it would be
>natural to get some points back for being incompetent in an area where he
>could normally expand later.
>
>But the math said it wouldn't be fair:
>
>Mystic Adept: +10 BP
>Incompetent (5 skills): -25 BP
>
>Now it might seem unfair, but he also has to pay for his magic attribute,
>his spellcasting skill, and his spell.
>
>So what do you guys think?

I don't see the problem with it. There's a reference someplace that says
something like 1% of all humans are magically active, and 1% of those are
full-bore magicians. This just makes him one of the initial 1%, not the
elite 1%.

You're taking on a restriction on what should be a very broad range of
abilities. I don't see the problem. Now... If you /didn't/ have to buy
Magic Rating, then I'd have a problem with it.

--
Timothy J. Lanza
"When we can't dream any longer, we die." - Emma Goldman
Message no. 4
From: sfeley@*****.com (Stephen Eley)
Subject: SR4: Incompetent
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 11:42:29 -0500
On 11/4/05, Lars Wagner Hansen <l-hansen@*****.tele.dk> wrote:
> I'm in the middel of creating a character. The character is a Mystic Adept,
> but he is only ever allowed one spell, and will not be able to counterspell,
> cast ritual spells, summon, banish or bind spirits.

First: when I saw your Subject line, my first thought was to reply
"Don't worry, many people are." >8->

On your character concept, that sounds very specialized to me. If I
were the GM I wouldn't allow the "Incompetent" quality for skills the
character never has any intention or need of using, even if it's just
to balance the books for Magic Rating.

I think the simpler approach might be to invent some sort of a "Magic
Knack" quality that lets you intuitively cast one single spell for,
say, 10 BP. For purposes of that one spell, assume a Magic equal to
Intuition. You can't apply sorcery skills to this spell -- it's just
something you "know how to do" -- so your spellcasting roll defaults
to the Intuition attribute as well. You cannot take more than one
Knack, and it should never be common in the world at large.

That makes it relatively cheap since you don't have to buy into any
skills or attributes, but still a non-trivial cost. You won't be
*good* at the spell -- you'll roll (Intuition - 1) for it all the time
-- but to me that's a feature. People who want to be good at spells
really ought to study them and take the whole suite of skills and
Magic.

--
Have Fun,
Steve Eley (sfeley@*****.com)
ESCAPE POD - The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine
http://www.escapepod.info
Message no. 5
From: l-hansen@*****.tele.dk (Lars Wagner Hansen)
Subject: SR4: Incompetent
Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2005 16:00:06 +0100
From: "Stephen Eley" <sfeley@*****.com>
> On 11/4/05, Lars Wagner Hansen <l-hansen@*****.tele.dk> wrote:
> > I'm in the middel of creating a character. The character is a Mystic
> > Adept,
> > but he is only ever allowed one spell, and will not be able to
> > counterspell,
> > cast ritual spells, summon, banish or bind spirits.
>
> First: when I saw your Subject line, my first thought was to reply
> "Don't worry, many people are." >8->

:-)

> On your character concept, that sounds very specialized to me. If I
> were the GM I wouldn't allow the "Incompetent" quality for skills the
> character never has any intention or need of using, even if it's just
> to balance the books for Magic Rating.

No, it's not to counter the cost of being a Mystic Adept, it's to prevent
the character from ever using those abilities. I want a character that can
cast a single spell, but without having access to conjuring, counterspelling
or ritual sorcery. By being incompetent in those areas he will not be able
to deafult, and will never be able to learn the skill.

> I think the simpler approach might be to invent some sort of a "Magic
> Knack" quality that lets you intuitively cast one single spell for,
> say, 10 BP. For purposes of that one spell, assume a Magic equal to
> Intuition. You can't apply sorcery skills to this spell -- it's just
> something you "know how to do" -- so your spellcasting roll defaults
> to the Intuition attribute as well. You cannot take more than one
> Knack, and it should never be common in the world at large.

That actually sounds doable, a bit like the old Magic Talents from the SRII
companion.

> That makes it relatively cheap since you don't have to buy into any
> skills or attributes, but still a non-trivial cost. You won't be
> *good* at the spell -- you'll roll (Intuition - 1) for it all the time
> -- but to me that's a feature. People who want to be good at spells
> really ought to study them and take the whole suite of skills and
> Magic.

I'll look into that, thanks for the input.

Lars

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