From:	Mongoose m0ng005e@*********.com
Subject:	Cyber-Mages (was: A perfectly acceptable...)
Date:	Fri, 12 Feb 1999 15:49:01 -0600

:Since the main book says nothing that links buying additional Power
:Points to an increase in Magic attribute, even though it would be
:critical for players and GMs to know this if it was FASA's intent
:(because of the aforementioned limit of physad powers by the Magic
:attribute), I strongly suspect that Physads _won't_ loose the power to
:initiate.

I believe MIke M. mentioned at Gencon that intitation will be an
option for adepts, and that it will raise magic AND grant a power point.

:I have a feeling that the option to buy additional Power Points was
:intended as a suppliment to, and not as a replacement for Initiation.
:Traditionally, physads have gotten the short end of the stick with
:Initiation, and the new rule offers an alternative. Also, by including
:the option to buy Power Points in the main book, physads have a way to
:advance their character that isn't considered an "Advanced Rule". In
:games based off of just the core rulebook, sammies could always buy
:new cyber, and mages could learn new spells they didn't know before,
:but for a physad to advance, the Grimoire was a required book.

The comparison to buying spells is apt- when buying power points, the
adpet has not increased his magic power, he just has more uses it in more
ways.
Obviously, intiation is not in the basic SR3 book, so its good that
SR3 lists some way to improve physad magic powers. However, even if you
have rules for it, itiation is not alwys possible (or shouldn't be).
Sometimes, just paying the 20 karma will be easier- its automatic.
Maybe you just don't know how to intiate. Maybe you don't want to raise
your magic rating, because then you risk magic loss more often. Maybe
there are other reasons (GM limits or whatever). <Munchkin> Heck, at some
point, the 20 karma for a power point will be cheaper than intiation!
</munchkin>

Mongoose
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: -- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
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