Any word yet on the new adept powers in sota 64 Options

[Casper]

When the last sota came out there was a list of the new metamagic and what they each basicly did. Would it be possible if someone who has the book already could give a little teaser about what the new adept powers could be and what new metamagics we could look forward to enjoying.

I personally am just curious to see if any of the adept powers from the old 2nd ed online list have actually found their way into cannon.

[Synner]

The book isn't available yet, and despite FanPro's best attempts to get it out it missed the GenCon release due to delays at the printers.

However, I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that SOTA64 provides substantial background on the adept mindset in 2064 and what following a path is like. It also introduces a couple of new Paths, 7 or 8 new adept-specific Metamagics (some of which are advanced forms requiring mastering an existing Metamagic) and 30+ new powers (which to the best of my knowledge are entirely new and not revamps). As the intro on the SR website suggests, the focus is on expanding the adept beyond his combat slash infiltrator specialist niche and many of the new rules will prove useful to social, artistic and "cerebral" adept types that also inhabit the shadows...

So I wouldn't expect to be seeing stuff like the many combat-oriented powers that cropped up in a number of online sources. Not to say there aren't some of those too...

[Bigity]

I hope there is some stuff for the other magicians, as well as the mundies as well :)

[Lindt]

Cant exactly say, but its got some nifty rules that we got a peek for the GenCon tourny. Im pretty excited too. Part of it is SotA 64 isnt out yet. So no serious spoilers.

[Lucyfersam]

New things from the adept section of the book that we saw at GenCon:
A metamagic technique, the name of which I do not remember, but requires centering and basically acts a mnemonic enhancer.

2 new powers, Photographic Memory (which is exactly what it sounds like), and 3d Spatial Memory or something like that, which allows you go through an area and memorize it perfectly. They also expanded the Improved Ability table to include social and technical skills.

All in all, it looks like it will be a very cool expansion for adepts, and if the rest of the book is of similar quality, it will be a great expansion that most character types can benefit from.

[Cynic project]

So adepts are the new faces?Are they just screaming screw wareless mundanes? And people are happy with this?

[Lucyfersam]

I've never considered wareless mundanes to be a reasonable character outside of a fun roleplaying experience. They have always been outclassed in everything by either the awakened or those with cyber/bio, so I have no problem Adepts being expanded out of pure combat specialists.

[mfb]

...social and technical skills? so, you can take IA: Computer?

[Lucyfersam]

I don't know if they restrict those at all, I just remember the table. As a GM, I would probably allow them for B/R skills, but I would never allow Computer.

[mfb]

i hope the writers were thinking along the same lines.

[Synner]

IIRC IA: Computer is not specifically included. The rationale being DNI has very little in the way of natural somatic components for the adept's innate magic to enhance. However there's plenty of other stuff to play around with...

Lucyfersam - The advanced metamagic you're referring to is called Cognition, and its effects are slightly different than a Mnemonic Enhancer. It is one of a trio of adept-specific advanced metamagics linking to Centering.

Cynic project- Unenhanced mundanes will still have a considerable edge when it comes to playing faces for a number of reasons, foremost amongst them the fact that adept chargen pretty much caps starting resources and hence the number of contacts the potential face has. The new adept abilities are designed not to be any more balancing than say, tailored phermones and are far less powerful than certain magic spells.

Bigity - SOTA64 contains a section on Euromagic which will cover a bunch of new traditions and magical styles (or revise and delve into older ones). There's also stuff aplenty for mundanes in the Spy and Law Enforcement sections.

[mfb]

i am pleased.

[Casper]

Cool. Thanks Synner.

[Cynic project]

Then you never understood the fact it is a role playing game,and as the rule are now there are feilds that cyberware and bioware do not fully cover. Playing a mundane will let you blend in.But when your Adapt can talk his way out of anything,what is the point of going stelthy unless you want to go magic, or be better in combat?

Let's face it,within their feilds adepts are the best in hand to hand.They are nearly the best in B&E and range combat, but spell slingers beat them in the B&E and samies beat them in shooting. Adepts getting more powers is all fine and dandy, but when will they make more cyberware that is not combat?

So as it is adepts are about on par with highly specialized characters,and are gettign explained into more feilds,cause that would be cool.

[mfb]

[Kanada Ten]

[Siege]

The simple fact of the matter is, ware-less mundanes suffer in comparison to magical and/or augmented people.

Run onto a football field without padding or cleats and see how long you last against a properly equipped opposing team.

This does not prevent someone from doing so, but obviously you're going to be at a disadvantage.

The same principle applies to (N)PCs who opt to forgo cyberware. Nothing prevents someone from trying a highly dangerous, very competitive field without stocking up on equalizers, but you can't really complain when the enemy rolls out a tank and you're still trying to figure out which end of your spear is up.

A creative player could make a cyber-naked character work, but it's not something easily done.

I've listened to the "unfair advantage" argument from people ad nauseum. The simple fact of the matter is, no "class" is ever going to be perfectly balanced against any other class and be capable of meeting all possible challenges.

-Siege

Edit: For grammar

[Cochise]

[RangerJoe]

[Kagetenshi]

Or just the Pink Panther diamond.

~J

[GunnerJ]

[RangerJoe]

That would open up such a can of worms..... "But Mr. GM, programming is my centering skill!"

[Synner]

[Siege]

Yeah, yeah - tell me I'm wrong Cochise. :grinbig:

There aren't formal classes per se, but there are definite occupations and occupational specialties.

And there are certain groups you can't cross into - you can't go from adept to full mage or mage to adept or mundane to Awakened. Cybernetics is the one group that welcomes anyone.

-Siege

Edit: for typo

[AlecZorab]

Surely the reason most people in the shadows *have* cyberware is to give them an advantage over mundanes? I mean, if I'd paid 100,000 for a cyberlimb, I'd damn well expect it to give me an advantage over someone with meat. Likewise, I'd like to think that a superhuman magic-man who has spent years honing his ability to punch through stone blocks (or someone who can fake any personality. or someone who can throw fireballs) is better than those that don't.

It's stupid to complain that mundanes are less versatile, or disadvantaged in a field. Mundanes should be at a disadvantage in every field, when compared to the cybered/awakened. That's why those people are cybered, remember?