From:	Ojaste,James [NCR] James.Ojaste@**.GC.CA
Subject:	A perfectly acceptable reason to test the new list...
Date:	Mon, 8 Feb 1999 15:07:07 -0500

Frank Pelletier (Trinity) wrote:
> >There's a reason it's called "the path of the burnout".
> Just the thing I wanted to hear...
>
> Think about it, James...the Path of the Burnout... losing your magic, the
> fear that, while you become stronger physically, your magic becomes
> weaker,
> 'til it's there no more...
>
Well, pretty much - you've only *got* 6 points of essence, no more.
I recall seeing somewhere that you needed an essence of at least 1
to be magically active, leaving the mage with 5 points to play with.

At *that* point, their magic can be powerful *if* they maintain it
with cartloads of karma (at which point the pure sams will have
incredible skills), but it's also fragile. What happens when a
vampire comes along and drains a measly point of essence? *Poof*,
no more mage.

> You know what I'm talking about. I'm not saying that with REAL
> roleplaying,
> you can justify most cybermods on a mage. Hell, if the roleplaying's
> there,
> you can pretty much justify everything.
>
That's my point.

> But how many "abusers" take the Burnout route? Close to none. Do they
> feel
> the power in them slowly ebbing away? Hell no, I just need a couple mroe
> karma for Initiation number X and I'm set for another leg...
>
Until you run out of essence - and don't forget other ways of losing
magic rating. What happens if something *else* gets implanted without
their consent? What if the surgeon rolls badly on the surgery test
and it ends up costing extra essence?

> A true roleplayer will fear cyber (if he plays a mage/shaman, of course),
> because it will lead to burnout... Eventually, you'll lose it. If the
> guy
> plays with this fear, and enhances the playing experience for the group,
> I'm
> all for it...
>
Cyber should be feared no matter what kind of character you're playing.
It should be respected. When the respect outweighs the fear, the
character get the cyber. Simple.

> But will you always get those players in your game? Sadly, no... you'll
> get
> the munchie who doesn't care, 'cause he gots 3d6 ini now...
>
And a whole lot less essence. He's harder to heal magically, he's
still hard to heal medically, he's less human. Don't you think that
sams walk the same line?

James Ojaste