From:	Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject:	Re: [SR3] Physical Adepts
Date:	Tue, 8 Jul 1997 14:33:06 GMT

TopCat writes

> >I play up the stealth-undetectable aspects of PhysAds in my game. I
> >have considered though giving the iniatition cost a .5 multipler
> >reduction for physical adepts only. I haven't quite given over completely
> >to it though. I would say this is all they would need.
>
> I also, utilize the great potential for stealth that physads have access to.
> Since stealth is cheap to raise by Magic (.25 magic/level) and it has no
> limit (most skill enhancements are limited to your base "natural" skill
> level), it can be raised to obscene levels cheaply. Athletics, I believe,
> also functions this way.
correct. The ability to start with these skills at an effective 12 is
wonderful and sammies just cannot match it.

> Throw in abilities like *natural* heightened
> senses (much better than the cybered equivalents),
They are far more costly though, cyber eyes will buy you 3 vision
mods for 1 physad one at 0.25, though given they count natural for
the lighting table you are correct :)

> and traceless walk and
> you've got yourself one vicious infiltration expert with great perceptive
> skills, speed like a track star, climbing ability like a spider monkey, and
> can use it all with unparalleled stealth...
>
> I'd hold off on giving physads a 0.5 initiation modifier, that would produce
> monstrous physads over a very short time, killing game balance between
> characters. If you truly feel they need an initiation boost, try what
> someone else mentioned and allow them to skip the 0 level of initiation.
>
> >Also don't forget that PhyAds can get magically healed easier than
> >their Sammie buddy lying next to him. I've seen that happen in plenty a
> >game, Serious to Light with just "a wave of the hand".
Very true!

>
> Physads have a lot of benefits (most of which were already mentioned by
> myself and others in this thread) that some physad players take for granted.

The problems with physical adepts for many people is there isn't an
archtype in the book (awakenings and onr of the flyers do contain
physical adpets but none of these stress what they are really good at)

You are never going to build a 'pure' (ie uncybered) physical adept
that can get all that close to a sammie at sammie jobs, the powers
cost too much, however given that with initiation physical adepts may
buy everything the sammie can and more the physad will (eventually
it could take 1000+ karma for the law of diminishing returns to
catch up though) win any power race.
What physical adepts do well though like spellcasters is stealth,
their powers don't show on cyberware scanners, and cannopt easily be
taken off them, they can also easily be twice as good as everyone
else at melee combat, unarmed, stealth and athletics and may bond
weapon foci, The problem lies in that building a 'quite reasonable
sammie' just means wired 2 and a smartgun with firearms 6, mage its
+3D6 reflexes, sorcery 6 an a manabolt while a decent physical adept
requires a bit more knowledge of what they are good at and how things
work, having watched my (GM tooled up) 250 karma super physad flatten
an entire 6 PC party(of 200 to 260 karma PC's) unarmed before any of
them got an action they can be tooled and become just as powerful as
any other character type (even in 2nd ed, which the example was).

Mark