From:	The Digital Mage <mn3rge@****.AC.UK>
Subject:	Re: Initiation
Date:	Tue, 10 Dec 1996 18:32:31 +0000

On Sun, 8 Dec 1996, Midn Daniel O Fredrikson wrote:

>
> Allowing you the fact that mages are too powerful with initiation, which I
> don't really agree, but that is my opinion, how about the phy adept. When
> you make it very difficult for him/her/it to initiate, you have taken away
> his one way to eventually equalize himself with the street sam. A phy
IMHO PhysAds aren't supposed to equal Street Sams, they offer a balance
between Street Sam and magician, eg the physad with killing hands is going
to be much better versus a spirit than any street sam.

> adept can't use magic, gain spells, or get ally spirits. He only can bond
> weapon foci. So you make the phy adept gain skills. So what, a phy adept
> is going to have to increase his skills anyway. So, what now is the
> difference between a phy adept and a street sam, except for the fact that
> street sams can have cyber and bioware...
Well it depends on what powers the physad starts out with, a good set of
killing hands, Freefall and astral sight will make the physad do more than
a sam ever could (maybe a sam could have dikoted spurs instead of killing
hands but again the latter won't be so effective against spirits).

> Also, you say that high level
> initiates are not that prevelent. You wouldn't know either way since the
> high initiate grade they get, the better they get at masking.
Well that is the impression I get from the stats FASA produce.

> shots...) If you can't initiate, whats the reason for playing a phy adept.
Well apart from the myriad of roleplaying opportunities, for the gamer
theres teh fact that they can walk through weapons and metal detector
without setting alarms off, and they are much easier to heal magically (if
theres a mage around). Plus their abilities are more natural and so aren't
prone to over reacting like a wired to the max sam is.

The Digital Mage : mn3rge@****.ac.uk
"So that which I imagine, is that which I believe" -Rush
Shadowrun Web Site http://www.bath.ac.uk/~mn3rge/Shadowrun.html