From:	Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject:	Re: Two quick questions...
Date:	Thu, 24 Jul 1997 13:30:53 GMT

Rob Davies writes

> Can anyone explain the phrase, 'Once a player has
> allocated Magic Rating Points to "buy" a power, that
> power cannot be changed, but it can be upgraded by
> spending more Magic Points at a later time.' (Page 126,
> SRII.)
>
Ah ha!
This has two interpretations both of which are correct.
1) you don't have to allocate all your points at startup and may save
some to allocate later which may then be spent to upgrade powers etc.
2) If you manage to 'acquire' more magic points you may use these to
upgrade your existing powers

> I understand the killing hands S->D example but where
> do the 'more Magic points' come from?
Any left over from startup (SR2 doesn't state it but as i noted above
you don't actually have to spend all of them at character generation,
or any you gain during the game.

> How can a physical adept improve & gain new Phys. Ad.
> abilities? Increasing their magic score is not allowed,
'Not directly' is the correct answer, the main rulebook ignores the
existence of further rules to be found in the Grimoire, which refers
to this rule you are having problems with and explains it. As Spike
suggested you need initiation. There are a lot of problems with the
SR magic system because basic concepts such as this are delt with in
the main rulebook and then relied upon for the use of stuff
introduced in the grimoire, but appart from a few 'this will be
expanded on in the grimoire' 's in SR2 the SR ignores the options in
the grimoire despite the fact that the writers new all to well from
1st ed that the rules were going to be in GR2.

> Do they just use karma as magic points?
No.
>
> On a different topic, which SR book contain info on
> grading clinics (detla, etc)?
Streets Sams catalogue (Alpha and beta) or cybertechnology (which
introduces delta were properly (there being references to the stuff in
Tir Na nOG but little data as that is intended for NPC's only)

> Sorry if this is rehashing old ground - I'm new(ish)
> here. Thanks
>
Thats ok you just found 'one of those rules'. SR is full of them
despite FASA's attempts to minimise the problem. It's waht keeps this
list going so well. The only really workable solution would to be to
go over compatability with other rules in painfull detail each time a
new concept is introduced which would probably waste more paper than
it would solve problems :(

Mark