Adepts and Power Foci Options

[cREbralFIX]

Can adepts use power foci?

(I searched around a bit using various combinations and didn't find an answer)

[Marwynn]

A power focus adds its Force
to all tests in which the magician’s Magic is included. A single power
focus can increase a magician’s ability to cast spells, call on and control
spirits, and bypass astral barriers. A power focus does not help in
Counterspelling a hostile spell as it is cast, nor can it duplicate the
unique ability of a weapon focus.

By the strict wording of that even Mystic Adepts can't use them. For any tests that require the use of your Magic rating and for pushing through Astral Barriers then yes it'd work. But it's not worth it.

[Jaid]

indeed; if you follow the rules strictly, adepts cannot use power foci. but even if you don't, it really isn't very worthwhile... not many adept powers require magic tests (the only one i can think of offhand is the attribute boost power... perhaps some others do as well, not sure).

personally, i would allow it. it certainly won't unbalance anything.

[Warlordtheft]

Cfix..in a word no. The only focus an adept can typically use is a weapon focus (with some limited exceptions).

[cREbralFIX]

The reason I'm asking is that with a power focus, the adept could assign adept powers to those points.

It'd be a "magic item" that bestows powers so long as it's activated. This would be implied with the loss of power caused by background count...the character has to choose which powers to lose.

[Screaming Eagle]

The reason I'm asking is that with a power focus, the adept could assign adept powers to those points.

It'd be a "magic item" that bestows powers so long as it's activated. This would be implied with the loss of power caused by background count...the character has to choose which powers to lose.

"A power focus adds its Force
to all tests in which the magician’s Magic is included. "
That is all it does. The rest of the paragraph is clarification.

This does not give you additional power points or increase your actual magic rating - it gives you additional dice for tests that use the magic attribute. If I recall there are a few of the tests adepts use Magic for - a power focus gives extra dice to theses tests, nothing else is affected. I'm not quite so RAW a GM so I would allow an adept a power focus but as others have pointed out it is of limited utility

[Warlordtheft]

CFix-In SR2 that may have been the case, as I recall it being described as adding to your magic rating (can't recall if they said no to adepts anyway). The current rulesset adds dice to the test.

[Screaming Eagle]

In SR2 that may have been the case, as I recall it being described as adding to your magic rating. The current rulesset adds dice to the test.

True... sorry, I generally assume non-specified threads are refering to SR4. If I am in error someone can slap me.

[Warlordtheft]

True... sorry, I generally assume non-specified threads are refering to SR4. If I am in error someone can slap me.

We (CFix and I are in the same games) are using SR4, just that I know some of us long time players get a case of edition creep on occasion.

[Ancient History]

Yes, an adept can bind and use a power focus; it's the older and more general form of "magician" as "all Awakened characters - full magicians, adepts, mystic adepts, etc." The focus still only adds its Force to the character's Magic for tests, like Attribute Boost.