Exceptional Attribute: Mundane Only, ...Character Generation Houserule Options

[Wired_SR_AEGIS]

Some games are short. Other games span months. MUSHs are notorious for characters who last years. And years.

With that backdrop, the issue of Mundane vs. Awakened has always been a game balance concern of mine throughout the various editions of Shadowrun. Particularly as a player who has primarily played Street Samurai. And has seen PCs amass sometimes upwards of 500+ karma.

So.

I'm trying to consider subtle, non-obtrusive ways of maintaining 99% compatibility with the core SR 5 release, with no drastic overhauls of really anything, that help maintain some small incentives for non-awakened players.

One thought was the notion of restricting the Exceptional Attribute quality to Mundane Characters only. This seems to help accomplish that goal on three fronts: 1) It prevents Magic: 7 characters from leaving Chargen which, to my admittedly kneejerk reaction, seem problematic. 2) It allows some initial min/maxing in favor of the Mundane, that builds a small but noteworthy advantage. 3) It appears very simple to implement, with players easily gauging the impact, and the quality itself actually has 'With Gamemaster Approval' in the context of its treatment of the Magic Attribute.

Thoughts?

Note: If you vote "indifferent", your proposals are welcome. The criteria of a valid proposal is: Simple to implement, no drastic overhaul, operates inside of existing framework, minimal risk of unintended consequences.

-Wired_SR_AEGIS