From:	The Digital Mage <mn3rge@****.AC.UK>
Subject:	Re: SR's Poor Magic System, IMHO!
Date:	Thu, 8 Jun 1995 13:09:11 +0100

On Thu, 8 Jun 1995, Andy Butcher wrote:

> As far as I saw it, adepts (and the restrictions on them) are explained by
> the nature of magical ability in ShadowRun - it's a genetic trait, and
> you're either born with it or not. Taking this a step further (and judging
> from the novels) it would seem that you're either born a mage or a shaman or
> whatever. So a sorcery adept is born with the ability to cast spells, but
> their 'magus factor' (the genetic structure that gives magical ability) is
> incomplete, so they lack the ability to astrally percieve and so on.
> Likewise a shamanic adept is born with their powers - just those, no more
> and no less.
>
> Hows that for a logical, story based explanation?
Well thats the sort of thing I was after, a specific in-game reason which
limits power, or whatever. Although I was originally talking about spells
and we sort of drifted, and I got too much into Mage and so started
extolling the virtues of WYTIWYG, when actually I don't like that being a
reason for magic (not Magick :)

> BTW, I think that WYTIWYG is a big cop out as well. Why can't we just accept
> that some things simply 'are'? Gravity exists, but we don't really
> understand how or why it works beyond a theoretical level. Yet I don't feel
> the need to 'explain' it by saying WYTIWYG - I just accept that gravity
> 'is', in much the same way that I just accept that glass 'is' transparent on
> the astral plane.
Too true!

The Digital Mage : mn3rge@****.ac.uk
Shadowrun Web Site under construction at
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~mn3rge/Shadowrun.html