Foci and Social Adepts, Is there any way for a Social Adept to boost their power using Foci? Options

[HentaiZonga]

From my understanding of the RAW, a Power Focus just adds a number of dice equal to its Force to any Dice Pool involving the Magic attribute.

Are there any kinds of Foci that will let a non-fighty Adept add to or augment their powers?

[Fortune]

There aren't any Adept-only, or even Adept-oriented Foci (outside of weaponry) as yet in SR4. You could always create a Unique Enchantment though.

Technically, a Power Focus adds its Force to all tests which include the Magic Attribute. Powers that include such a test are ...

- Three-Dimensional Memory
- Pain Relief
- Motion Sense
- Magic Sense (?)
- Enthralling Performance
- Empathic Healing
- Attribute Boost

Although the SR4 core book states that Power Foci can only be bonded by Magicians and Mystic Adepts, I believe this is an oversight, and that any Foci can be bonded by any Awakened character, as long as they can actually make use of that particular Focus.

[Ancient History]

It is an oversight, and one I hoped corrected in this errata or the next. BTW, a magician, mystic adept, adept, etc. can bond any kind of focus (unless, of course, their Quality specifies a restriction) whether they can use it or not.

[HentaiZonga]

*nod* what would be neat would be a kind of focus that worked like this:

Adept Focus

An Adept Focus is a special type of Power Focus designed to provide or boost a single Adept power. When bonded and active, it provides the Adept with a number of Power Points equal to its rating in the Power provided, rather than adding dice to Magic tests. These Powers do not need to be Powers that the Adept already knows, but the Power Points provided by the Focus replace the Adept's normal Power Points in those Powers, rather than adding to them.

For example, a Force 3 Adept Focus could provide 3 Power Points in the the Improved Reflexes Power, giving an Adept Improved Reflexes 2. Likewise, a Force 5 Adept Focus could provide 5 Power Points, giving an Adept Improved Reflexes 3. A Force 1 Adept Focus could give any Adept one full Power Point in Improved Skill (Gymnastics), which is the equivalent of 4 levels that Power. (Of course, since no Skill can ever be increased by more than +3, the last level would be wasted.) Power Points in an Adept Focus may be split between multiple Powers, up to a total number of Power Points equal to the Force of the Focus. The specific Powers granted by an Adept Focus are specified by the Focus' design formula and cannot be changed.

The Karma and Nuyen costs of an Adept Focus are the same as for a Power Focus. Additionally, Adept Foci are as addictive as Power Foci; the GM should roll for Focus Addiction as normal.



What do you think, Sirs?

[Ancient History]

I didn't approve of the first two versions, and I'm not particularly game to the latest incarnation. Though I must say, it is fairly restrained for an adept power focus.

[HentaiZonga]

I didn't approve of the first two versions, and I'm not particularly game to the latest incarnation. Though I must say, it is fairly restrained for an adept power focus.

*nod* what would you suggest?

[Ancient History]

You could attempt a conversion of the old Infusion Focus from State of the Art: 2064 - we did want to include it, but space was tight.

[HentaiZonga]

You could attempt a conversion of the old Infusion Focus from State of the Art: 2064 - we did want to include it, but space was tight.

That actually is exactly what I was doing - I just ditched the part about 'number of powers active at a time', since SR4 doesn't seem to have that mechanic. What did I do wrong?

[Fortune]

It is an oversight, and one I hoped corrected in this errata or the next.

Yay!

Can you also fix the Errata that erroneously removes the ability to use Spellcasting (only) Foci for Drain resistance?

BTW, a magician, mystic adept, adept, etc. can bond any kind of focus (unless, of course, their Quality specifies a restriction) whether they can use it or not.

Fair enough. I wasn't going to add that last line, but figured I'd cover my ass. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Glyph]

I don't think social adepts really need that much of an additional boost - there are already a bazillion things that add to social skills, and they all stack with each other. On the adept side, you have kinesics, cool resolve, and improved ability, while on the technical side you have tailored pheromones, enhanced pheromone receptors, vocal enhancement, cosmetic modifications, and emotitoys.

Social adepts are not quite underpowered. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[HentaiZonga]

I don't think social adepts really need that much of an additional boost - there are already a bazillion things that add to social skills, and they all stack with each other. On the adept side, you have kinesics, cool resolve, and improved ability, while on the technical side you have tailored pheromones, enhanced pheromone receptors, vocal enhancement, cosmetic modifications, and emotitoys.

Social adepts are not quite underpowered. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

emotitoys? And what does vocal enhancement help with?

[Glyph]

The vocal range enhancer can, at the GM's discretion, add +1 to social skill tests involving speaking. Emotitoys are an abomination found in Arsenal, which can add their rating (which goes up to 6) to social skill tests, at least until (hopefully) an errata fixes their brokenness.

[HentaiZonga]

The vocal range enhancer can, at the GM's discretion, add +1 to social skill tests involving speaking. Emotitoys are an abomination found in Arsenal, which can add their rating (which goes up to 6) to social skill tests, at least until (hopefully) an errata fixes their brokenness.

Wow. Although, I see that it's the Empathy software, not the Emotitoy itself. You know, I'd actually allow this, but only when filtered through a Skillwire system with the appropriate rating (so maximum rating 5, and you have to have a Skillwire to make it work). At that point, it's basically a cyberware version of Kinesics, which doesn't seem so broken.

[Mäx]

What does the skillwires have to do with the empathy software.

[Heath Robinson]

What does the skillwires have to do with the empathy software.

In this case it'd be a medium for the empathy software to enact changes to the users body. The two working together give non-adepts a kinesics equivalent under this ruling (may I point out that this is a good thing for awakened/mundane balance).

Just need to ensure it's not compatible with kinesics.

[Mäx]

Okey, i was just a litlle cofused, becouse empathy software had nothing to do with the user own body, its all about reading the other persons body movements and other small sociall ques where ass kinesicks is about controlling your own body and those other ques.

[last_of_the_grea...]

Wow. Although, I see that it's the Empathy software, not the Emotitoy itself. You know, I'd actually allow this, but only when filtered through a Skillwire system with the appropriate rating (so maximum rating 5, and you have to have a Skillwire to make it work). At that point, it's basically a cyberware version of Kinesics, which doesn't seem so broken.

Well, actually, maybe, just a sim module, since it's similar to a knowsoft or linguasoft in my opinion.