From:	"Mark Steedman" <M.J.Steedman@***.rgu.ac.uk>
Subject:	Re: Synaptic Accelerator and Increased Initiative
Date:	Wed, 11 Sep 1996 10:04:35 GMT

Brett Barksdale writes

> >Ok, quick question for you boys and girls to toss about...
> >
> >A shaman in our group alread has Synaptic Accelerator Lvl 2, giving him 3d6
> >initiative. He then quickens an Incrrease Initiative 3d6 spell onto
> >himself. Now, nowhere in any books could we find that it doesn't work. The
> >spell doesn't work with wired reflexes, but doesn't mention bioware at all...
> >
> >What do you think, and why...?
>
You are correct. You can add the physad inc reflexes power to that
list as well.

> I have a mage player who tried the same. I ruled that the Increased Reflexes
> spell Lvl 3 doesn't add 3 dice, but simply raises the number of dice for
> initiative to 4. It doesn't matter if it's being raised from one die to
> four dice or three dice to four dice. He has the benefit of 3 dice (with
> the Syn Acc II) w/o magic of he wants, but he doesn't get some godawful
> amount of dice to roll (6) by overlapped bioware and magic.
>
> Why? That's easy. Game balance - pure and simple.
>
> - Brett
>
That is one solution which many people follow, including the former
DLOH as folks have quoted him as origonally ruling you could gat a
max 4 dice, but since move by wire that limit is broken.

I allow anything the book does not ban and get away with a lot as
most players do not find the abuses. considering that synaptic 2
costs lots of money and 1.6 body indax (yes thats 2 magic, geas
time!) this is not liable to that much abuse. I do tend to discourage
this sort of thing though and NPC's that use it are very very rare (i
think i remember 2 in the last 2-3 years, both i time apperances of
very powerful characters).

Mark