| From: | The Digital Mage <mn3rge@****.AC.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Rarity of Initiates (was Re: Gradual Initiation) |
| Date: | Wed, 11 Dec 1996 15:40:34 +0000 |
> IHMO the fastest way to obscene amounts of power in SR is a few spell
> locks and a pile of force 1 utility spells, followed 'by i'm sure
> i've got a spell that'll do that!', at something around 10 spells
> instead of a grade this is very cheap.
Yes I've seen this doen as well. In one game in which I waws playing teh
GM actually encouraged this. At charcter gen he would say such things to
the mage player as "Get Increased Willpower +4, and Reflexes +3. You only
need to get them at force 1 as you will have already put them in a spell
lock". Then when we the non magic characters (I was playing a non combat
type as well) asked if he used the layering armour rules he said "No it
makes you too powerful", and this was despite the fact that we reduce
combat pool for layered armour as you do for security armour!
> > A magician going from not being an initiate to being a Grade 4 or 5 in
> > just 3 years is IMHO something incredibly rare -assuming game time equates
> > to real time.
> It probably should be but PC's in SR are generally well above the
> average.
Normally I would agree with you, however for magicians this woulnd't be
tha case IMHO, and actually may be the reverse -those mages who don't run
teh shadows and instead study would be more likely to attain teh high
grades.
> So it might well be ok in your game, but unless you make comment that
> 'this is intended for such and such a power level game' folks will
> compare it to average practice, for which its very harsh.
I believe I said something to that effect around the second or so post,
but still 'officially' mages are very rare 1% of population, of those 1%
only approximately .5% (if that) are full blown mages who have discovered
their powers. Of that .5% of the population how many would have made it to
an initiate grade -lets say no more than half. So thats .25% of the
population would be initiates. Of those how many would be above Grade 3?
Lets be generous and say one half again. Thats .125% of the population are
grade 4+. 1 out of every 800. Now consider how many are actually combat or
security mages rather than scientists, scholars, teachers, and members of
large magical groups such as those in the Tirs, and you can begin to see
why I was trying to make initiates rarer than is presented in some
people's games and FASA scenarios.
> I have managed to enforce this one for a long time, now though too
> many folks have (or have been told about) GR2, and well characters go
> looking so eventually they find out.
But like I said, I would imagine a mage would need some sort of teacher
for his first initiation, now look at teh stats above and consider how
hard it would be to find one who was also willing to teach the character.
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
