| From: | Veskrashen veskrashen@*******.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Confused about Magical Adepts... |
| Date: | Mon, 23 Aug 1999 12:06:43 -1100 |
> A Magical Adept (Magic 6, with 6 Points of Powers) initiates. His Magic
> Attribute jumps to 7 (raising his ceiling on Power ranks) and now he must
> choose between a Power Point or a metamagic. For a Magical Path Adept, Power
> Points are not directly linked to the Magic Attribute. They must choose them
> when initiating.
>
> Standard Adepts initiate, their Magic Attribute goes up (from 6 to 7,
> say), they get a Power Point, and can choose a metamagic (but they only have
> a few options for metamagics, and most are built around the Centering
> ability).
The problem I have with this is that it states (IIRC) that you're
supposed to treat a Magician Adept as a normal adept, but they have this
nifty power called Magical Ability which allows them to cast spells. If
regular adepts aren't limited like this, I don't see why Magician Adepts
are. In addition, I really don't like the way that magic attribute is
suddenly not linked to the adept's power anymore. If it goes down, he
suffers as normal, but if it goes up, he gets no benefit. Initiation is
supposed to represent a breakthrough in magical understanding, and as
such Magician Adepts should benefit as regular adepts and mages do.
> This may seem like a big restriction for Magical Adepts, but you need to
> remember they have the best of both worlds. They can get all the Powers of
> Adepts without need for cyber or quickened spells, and they can use all the
> Foci of Full Magicians not just weapon Foci. (Yes, this means you can make a
> Magical Adept with a Power Focus, or even a bonded Weapon Focus.)
I realize that, and this makes them the equal of every other magician -
both full-blown A priority mages and B priority aspected magicians. I
don't see how this should impact their ability to advance in power with
initiation. Plus, they're already splitting their focus as it is, and
are not the equal of either a full-blown mage or full-blown adept in
terms of raw power. Not allowing them to have a power point when their
magic rating goes up is putting them even further behind the power
curve. To wit:
A priority mage / B priority aspected mage, grade 2 initiate:
magic rating: 8
max force of spell: 8
max metamagic techniques: 2
Adept, grade 2:
magic rating: 8
power points: 8-10
metamagic techniques: 0-2
Magician adept, grade 2:
magic rating: 8
power points: 6-8
max force of spell: 1-7
metamagic techniques: 0-2
> Magical Path Adepts are also the rarest of the rare in the magic
> community. If magicians only make up 1% of the entire population (and way
> less than that works the shadows), then (I believe) aspected magicians would
> be the most common, adepts more rare, full magicians very rare, and Magical
> Adepts the "I can't believe I just spotted one!" variety. (I'm taking this
> from Awakenings about Magical Adepts. In there the posters weren't even sure
> if Physical Magicians existed.)
So are Night Ones and all the other meta variants, but they have no
special restrictions on them other than standard racial ones. They still
cost the same priority and advance the same karma to benefit wise.
> What this means, in my opinion, is that the method of a Magical Adept
> connecting with magic is stretched to a very taunt degree. If its difficult
> for a Full Magician to do all his mojo, a Magical Adepts is working overtime
> to handle all the connections. They are the most elite of the magical caste,
> and the most vulnerable (at first) for this degree of separation they must
> have (more than an adept, less than a magician, greater than both in
> understanding and gifts of talent).
I'm not entirely sure that I agree with this. To me, a magician adept is
simply someone who wants to balance the way they use magic, or is
someone who uses magic more internally than most. An adept is someone
who focuses their magic inward, a mage is someone who focuses it
outward. a magician adept simply does not see that the one precludes the
other. However, because they have internalised part of their magic, they
can't project all of it.
> This makes the mechanics of working Magical Adepts very difficult indeed.
>
> An important thing to note, though: each initiation you still go up a
> Grade and you still add to your Magic Attribute. This means you are growing
> immensely in power, just as much as regular adepts/magicians and more because
> of all the things you're capable of.
Again, look at the description above. I don't think they keep pace with
everyone else, no does their power grow at initiation unless they
sacrifice a great deal.
> I, personally, like the system. I think it balances the two worlds of
> magic very nicely. I can understand, though, how sweet it would be if you
> could get the Power Point from the Magic Att *and* trade a metamagic in for
> one.
Personally, I think that they should get the power point with their
magic increase. It only makes sense that everyone gets the same basic
benefit from initiation. I DON'T think, however, that they should get
the option of a second power point. That, I believe, was added for
regular adepts, because their choices for metamagical techniques are
quite limited in comparison to a spellslinger. I think that magician
adepts should, however, have the options available to them that any
other spellcaster does: metamagic technique, lose a geas, or alter your
signature.
> -Twist
-Ves.
> "The best part of being a Magical Adept? Pain resistance."
All too true.
