Mystic Adept Help Options

[Shinobi Killfist]

Yes the FAQ is wacky on some things IMO. The current FAQ is post 4A I think, and it is still wacky. Mystic adepts and what force spells they can throw and how dice pools are split in regards to the specialization dice are two things that come to mind quickly. I am not sure the FAQs decisions on those are against RAW because it is never explicitly stated anywhere but it does seem counter to the prevailing view and somewhat needless harsh.

[Shinobi Killfist]

I don't think anyone's ever considered that combination before. Increased Reflexes and a Sustaining Focus? The mind boggles.

It is amazing how frequently it is not discussed in mystic adept threads. It is like since they gained this fancy adept way of doing it they forget about the easy sustaining focus path or they forgot there adept can now use all the focuses.

[Yerameyahu]

Mystic Adepts *should* be harshed, though. Otherwise, they're just the best thing in the game for a very low cost. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Shinobi Killfist]

Mystic Adepts *should* be harshed, though. Otherwise, they're just the best thing in the game for a very low cost. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

That is my general never actually have played one opinion. But everyone who does play them and lets them in there games says otherwise that they are actually generally weaker. I'll cede to there play experience over my thought exercise on them.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Mystic Adepts *should* be harshed, though. Otherwise, they're just the best thing in the game for a very low cost. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

They are weaker than Mages though (They have less spellcasting ability: Impaired Magic Attribute for Casting Purposes, Reduced Adept Powers, and no access to Astral Space unless purchasing the Adept ability, and no ability to Project atr all)... Even if they are allowed to Cap their Spells Force at the Combined Magic Rating (and 2x for Overcast Spells) as the SR4A (Page 195) says, they still only get Dice equal to their Magical Rating for Spellcasting + Skill, which will ALWAYS be less than what an equivalent mage can have. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

They are at best, a bit more powerful than Adepts as they can cast spells, but do not have the full range of abilities as a Full Magician, though they have some Abilities that the Mage cannot have due to access to Adept abilities.

Keep the Faith

[Makki]

Every weapon focus should have the mod "Personalized Grip" from the weapon modifications section of Arsenal.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

i got mine as a present, so i'm missing that benefit...

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

i got mine as a present, so i'm missing that benefit...

Take it in and have it modified by a professional... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

Keep the Faith

[Yerameyahu]

I meant that they're the *best thing*, not the strongest mage. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) You guys are obviously right, there.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I meant that they're the *best thing*, not the strongest mage. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) You guys are obviously right, there.

I will admit my preference for a well developed Mystic Adept as my first choice, but not all concepts (for me at least) work best as Mystic Adepts... Sometimes it is just better to be a Mage or Adept instead, depending upon the goals and background of the character... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

Keep the Faith

[Mäx]

Even if they are allowed to Cap their Spells Force at the Combined Magic Rating (and 2x for Overcast Spells) as the SR4A (Page 195) says, they still only get Dice equal to their Magical Rating for Spellcasting + Skill, which will ALWAYS be less than what an equivalent mage can have. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

Going fifty/fifty means a mystic adept has a whopping 3 less dice to cast spells with, one succes on avarage.
Not that big of a loss compared to caining acces to adept powers.

[Shinobi Killfist]

Going fifty/fifty means a mystic adept has a whopping 3 less dice to cast spells with, one succes on avarage.
Not that big of a loss compared to caining acces to adept powers.

Like I said I'll trust there in game experience on this, but I hate them and have hated them from when they were first introduced, not technomancer level hate but I still hate them. The I want everything concepts just bother me.

[merashin]

Going fifty/fifty means a mystic adept has a whopping 3 less dice to cast spells with, one succes on avarage.
Not that big of a loss compared to caining acces to adept powers.

but the force you can cast at is halved, and that seems to be the big part to me

[Udoshi]

Yes the FAQ is wacky on some things IMO. The current FAQ is post 4A I think, and it is still wacky. Mystic adepts and what force spells they can throw and how dice pools are split in regards to the specialization dice are two things that come to mind quickly. I am not sure the FAQs decisions on those are against RAW because it is never explicitly stated anywhere but it does seem counter to the prevailing view and somewhat needless harsh.

The reason that FAQy is WACKY is cuz the Msytic Adept ruling was written in 2006 for SR4.

It was not updated for 4a.

The 4a rules were changed, regarding mystic adepts.

Come 2009, the brilliant folks at catalyst game labs threw the ruling back half an edition - by releasing new FAQ answers, and slapping them at the end of the current FAQ without editing anything, or revising answers made on old rulings.

To long, didn't read: The faq is shit, and the 4a rules are the most up to date.

There's a history lesson for you folks.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

but the force you can cast at is halved, and that seems to be the big part to me

Actually, no it isn't... your Base Force is equal to your combined Magic Rating (IE. Your Un-Split Rating)

Keep the Faith

[merashin]

are you sure about that, i could have sworn it was the other way

[Yerameyahu]

Depends on the version of the rules you're using. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

are you sure about that, i could have sworn it was the other way

In SR4A, that is how it is done...
By the FAQ, it is the Other way...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

Keep the Faith

[Udoshi]

In SR4A, that is how it is done...
By the FAQ, it is the Other way...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

Keep the Faith

This, pretty much. 4A adepts get full magic to most things. 4th edition adepts get kind of screwed, and have to deal with annoying bookkeeping.

[augmentin]

This, pretty much. 4A adepts get full magic to most things. 4th edition adepts get kind of screwed, and have to deal with annoying bookkeeping.

Bit of a circular argument, isn't it? What do most tables run? FAQ or 4A interpretation of mystic adept magic rating applications?

[augmentin]

I hate them and have hated them from when they were first introduced, not technomancer level hate but I still hate them. The I want everything concepts just bother me.

As in intellectual exercise, I've tried building a physical combat capable full mage. The concept was a self-buffing warrior. 400 BP isn't enough. It's really difficult to make him very good at either regular combat or magic. It'd be easier to create a hacker-mage. The best you can hope to do is make him barely serviceable at both martial skills and magic and set yourself up to make the karma shopping list as short as possible.

That's basically what a mystic adept is. I get that shadowrun is not a "jack of all trades" sort of game and I can even appreciate your hatred for character "classes" (yeah, I know, "qualities", whatever) that weren't in the original SR2. But, many PCs like being good at multiple things and don't consider shooting and sneaking as a diversity.

Mystic Adept is a path to that diversity. You trade projection for a broader set of abilities. For someone who likes to punch bad guys in the face and throw lightning at them, that's a good trade off. You just don't get to fly through the astral at 1,000s of km/hr while doing it.

[Yerameyahu]

Astral projection's lame anyway. Even my hackers and riggers are always on the scene. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Shinobi Killfist]

Yeah astral projection is about the weakest thing you could lose as a mage, so losing it is almost inconsequential. Ritual spellcasting and banishing is about the only thing that would hurt less.

[Whipstitch]

You guys are crazy.

[Shinobi Killfist]

Not really. The vast majority of things I would want to astrally scout are behind wards and without tracking down the wards creator so I can learn his aura I can't get past them without setting off an alarm which generally means you really can't scout the vast majority of places you would want to scout. If they had a lmore reasonable way to get past wards undetected and to take out spirits without setting off alarms the astral actually might be useful. Add in that the astral is a good place to get your ass handed to you on a regular basis since spirits are powerhouses and they are especially powerful there, plus standard GM dickery like shedim and the astral starts to become a pile of suck.

[Wasabi]

Astral window, Mana window, and a ranged version of Passenger are all ways to get a look in a ward. Admittedly you have to pierce the ward but at that point you dont have to worry about getting killed since you just arent there.