 So, about aspected magicians., More than just Physads, you know. |
 Jan 12 2005, 08:44 PM
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 80 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 850  |
This spins off another trhead, where there was discussion of expanding an aspected shaman into a full shaman and teh reprecussions therein. I'll leave that thread on its own, but, it does bring me to the idea of aspected magicians.
As noted in the past, there are ten aspected magicians for every full mage out there. With magical talent being of note in about one in a thousand people (One in a hundred have *some* talent, but only 10% of them have enough to matter), this makes full mages about one in ten thousand, so, a rather valuable resource. But what about all those aspected guys? Poor little unloved aspected guys. Obviously, PhysAds are in high demand. I'll just skip them totally, other than noting, if memory serves, that they're about 40% of the Aspected. About 20% are Aspected Shamans, being able to both cast spells and summon spirits, but only from those areas where their Totems give sway. Their uses are usually totem-linked (Bear Shamans running magical clinics for healing, for example), and, being Shamans, most aren't part and parcel of the corporate world. Probably well-recieved in the shadows, I'd imagine everyone's seen a Rat or Dog shaman on the streets, scrounging for scraps. When in the Native lands, these would obviously change to Eagle and the like. Another 20% are Conjurers, leaning heavily towards Hermetic Elementalists over Shamanic Spiritualists, who more likely wind up as 'Totemic Adepts' as noted above. The Hermetics are in *huge* demand at the corporate level, being pirit-specialists who set up assorted Wards, security elementals, Watcher patrols, and so forth. More importantly, they work for a fraction of what a full Magician does. Probably the most common coporate mage. Spellcasters are the next 10%, also the source of quite a few odd 'Views' on magical theory. Psionicists, for example, are in this category. Not much in demand, but common at the 'Wiz Kid Ganger' level. Most 'Industrial' mages fall into this level, doing things like special effects for sporting events or concerts, waste removal via telekinesis, and so forth. Lower paid than all but Astral Adepts, Spellcasters are generally treated with a level of scorn and pity by 'real' mages. Quite a few have turned to Mage Dueling, revelling in destroying the haughtier magicians' magical energies while others have become a sort of Gunslinger, interested in besting other combat spellcasters. Lastly are the astral adepts. More are hired in corporate circles than you'd expect, but at a level of menial observers with astral perception more than travellers. While the *real* mage tosses spells or tries out new formulae, several Astrals stand behind shielding, observing and taking notes. There's also quite a few slackers who just lay around and Project, to check out new experiences or new places. With the arrival of the Shedim, these poor guys are victimized on a regular basis. In Seattle, a small agency of ShedimBusters has been set up by several Astral Adepts. Using their meeting hall as a central point for all Astral Adepts to learn, when someone's body goes walking, they know to come to the Hall, where an Adept is always on call, so that it can be tracked down. The ShedimBusters also practice quite advanced Conjuring, specializing in Banishment, to drive away the spirits that they face. If business continues to boom, they both might franchise and look into 'Bughunting' as well. -- Johny Reb, idly speculating. |
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Jan 12 2005, 08:59 PM
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Traumatizing players since 1992 Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,282 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 220 |
Actually according to MITS the vast majority of all megically active persons are full mages, only a fraction of them are aspected. Aspected are a minority.
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Jan 12 2005, 10:09 PM
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
And Adepts no longer count as aspected in the stats.
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Jan 13 2005, 02:20 AM
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Target Group: Members Posts: 80 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 850 |
Whoah. When did that turn around? |
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Jan 13 2005, 02:44 AM
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Traumatizing players since 1992 Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,282 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 220 |
I said the same thing, and I don't like it, but it's in MITS.... |
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Jan 13 2005, 04:21 AM
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
It is? Where? |
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Jan 13 2005, 04:58 AM
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,028 Joined: 9-November 02 From: The Republic of Vermont Member No.: 3,581 |
While it's technically possible for "a fraction" to be more than half, that wouldn't be normal English usage. |
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| Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_* |
Jan 13 2005, 05:26 AM
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Guests |
Shocking. Kenson can't even be consistent from one of his magic books to the next.
Why is the hell did they keep contracting him to write SR material again? |
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Jan 13 2005, 06:55 AM
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#9
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Target Group: Members Posts: 80 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 850 |
The old numbers made way more sense, tho.
So, let's pretend for a minute that this is the case and that there's basicly 10-to-1 Adepts to Full Mages. Anyone else have good uses for these guys? I'm just sort of randomly brainstorming. -- Johnny Reb |
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Jan 13 2005, 07:12 AM
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Target Group: Members Posts: 36 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,691 |
Groggies (note the derisive nickname implying defect) are magically retarded. The very fact that they are cast in a light of defect or inferiority implies that they are not the norm.
If people who could only work a little bit of magic were the "norm", then we'd probably have all sorts of in-the-middles like Elementalists who can work two elements or shamanists who can use any sort of magic except that which their totem gives them a disadvantage for. And, frankly, the fully-awakened would be regarded as super-mages, people with abilities that make even other magic users sick with envy. As for the rest... I'd say that these guys get the same work that other magicians get, except in speciality. Awakened employees (especially competent, reliable ones) are rare enough that you'll hire a conjurer to do your spirit-work even if he doesn't have the swiss-army flexibility to handle more general tasks. So what you said above is basically right, except I would imagine that employers don't *look* for aspected magicians nearly so much as aspected magicians *look* for those kinds of work. Also, I imagine that they usually charge full price and just don't mention their defects to their employers when they can get away with it. -Albert |
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Jan 13 2005, 07:19 AM
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
I've always look at that line as a lame attempt at humour. Any percentage of that one percent will be a fraction. |
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