From:	Glenn Munro <eazy@*****.COM.AU>
Subject:	Re: [SR3] Combat Spells
Date:	Fri, 18 Jul 1997 00:00:38 +1000

TopCat wrote:
>At 08:29 PM 7/16/97 -0700, Gregory wrote:
>>I think you are being facetious here at best. Average willpower is
>>defined over all the population of earth. Magicians are a subset of that
>>population, and are to be expected to be different. Just as you would not
>>expect to find an an average Ph.D (and note that many/most hermetics have
>>an BA/MA equivalent) to have IQ 100 or an average pro athlete to run at 16
>>minutes per mile, an average mage will have higher willpower. How much
>>higher...well, that's where the question lies. I'd expect an average
>>willpower of 4-5. Six would be uncommon, but not nearly as rare as amongst
>>the mundane.
>
>There are many PhD holders with average IQ's (IQ is a measure of how fast
>you can grasp a given bit of knowledge, not a measure of what you know).

I don't know about many. I know at Sydney University for Psyche 1 it is
compulory to participate as subjects for psychology experiments. Many of
these measured IQ using standard tests to give some sort of point of
reference. The lowest IQ in the history of these tests was 99. So the vast
majority would be above 100 even if a high percentage are within 1 SD of
this. Anyway it is debatable what IQ tests actually measure as many factors
affect their results like race or social environment.

>There are many pro athletes who would exceed the 16 minutes/mile mark, there
>are many that would not.

Think about this a little. Most average people let alone pro athletes can
walk this sort of time.

The average mage is just a person with the
>capability to use magic. There would be proportionately as many mundanes
>with a 6 Willpower as mages.

I have to disagree here. Hermetic mages study to learn their magic often
using mathematical formulas and the like. Those that even bother to try you
would expect to have average and above willpowers. Then with the shamanic
tradition why would a totem choose low willpowered individuals? The totem
wants to advance its own cause and would choose the best people for that
job and people with low willpower generally would not suit.

Even assuming that there is the same spread of willpower amongst mundanes
and mages that does not mean there is the same spread amongst mages running
the shadows. I actually envision most low willpower mages as not
comprehending they are magicaly active. To them they just can do this neat
trick but is generally ignored because its tiring to concentrate to do
it/its evil/it doesn't always work.

QuickFix

The man who made it did not want it;
The man who bought it did not use it;
The man who used it did not know it.