From:	Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject:	Re: FASA's On/Off Course?
Date:	Thu, 7 May 1998 10:27:34 -0500

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> From: Wafflemeisters <evamarie@**********.net>

> You admit to playing less SR thanothergames (what others?), and
more
> mages / magic campaigns when you do. Do you have something AGAINST more
> "mundane" campaigns / characters / games? I personally LIKE to see a
> non-mage character do something useful and important (besides protecting
> the mage).

Actually, I said that, not Panther (at least what you had quoted). I
don't play much Shadowrun because I can't find a group, so I mostly play
Palladium and work on tweaking the rules and settings of several games
(SR, AD&D [both editions], Palladium [most of their games], ED, Star Wars
and MERP once in a blue moon, Ars Magica, Storyteller even less frequently
than Star Wars and MERP, V&V... and that's off the top of my head).
As for having anything against mundane characters, no, not really. Its
just that for a very long period I wound up being the mage (or, in AD&D,
the priest), so I got my gaming reflexes tuned towards having magic at
hand. You read about the burned-out mage in Awakenings? That's me with a
fighter\street meat\etc..

Someone pointed out that, being based in a real tradition, Shadowrun
magic works better than most others, it just feels better. I whole
heartedly agree. While I sometimes have a bit of trouble remembering the
rules for Shadowrun, the magic system makes perfect sense (I just think I
could improve it a bit.... but I'll post that later).

> Another "Rifts"? As opposed to another "Mage: the
Assension"?
:) As
> for the "new gadget / book" factor- how many mages go WITHOUT intiating
> for more than a few runs? About 0%? I'd say thats a hefty "new gadget
> factor" that should be looked at. Just because 90% of the munchi mage
> stuff is all in one book doesn't mean its better for the game....

However, how much new stuff gets introduced for mages? Sure, initiating
is a great help, and gives the mage a huge boost... which then barely
moves at all. Whereas a sammy or a decker only needs money, a mage burns
more karma in a day than a sammy burns in a year (on average, of course).
And Karma requires doing shit, important shit, in order to get it. New
totems can't really be counted, simply because you have to start from
scratch if you want to use a new totem.

***************
Rev. Mark Hall, Bardagh
"Death by a sword lasts but a moment, but a bard's scorn lasts
forever"
aka Pope Nexx Many-Scars, PML FAQ Cop
"Discretion is the better part of honor.... and innuendo the
better part of humor."
aka Ellegon, Working at making Cannon canon
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, mortal, for you are crunchy
and good with ketchup."
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