A question came up.

When you have a character with one of the incompatible reflex enhancers (wired, syn-boost, etc,) and they have Incr. Reflexes cast upon them, are there any explicit rules for the result? Does the weaker of the two just have no effect, does the cyber/meat overrule the magic? I'm leaning for the stronger of the two functions as normal, the weaker has no effect - but the book says nothing.

Why would you have both installed in the first place?

I'd argue that when the cyberware is turned on it would take precedence over the bioware.

He's not talking about installing new ware, he's talking about castinga spell.

I'd also rule it that the stronger functions.

I'd argue that the highest rating at any one time wins. If you have SB 2 but WR 3, you get a +3 IP/Rea. If you cast IR 4 on them, they get +4. The important thing is that you never add the rating of the Wired Reflexes to anything and never add the rating of the synaptic Booster to anything, that's what incompatible means, they don't get added to anything else.

You can't do Increased Reflexes +4.

actually, the spell version doesn't increase your reaction score, iirc.

so if you had the spell and wired reflexes, and the spell was a stronger version, you would have the IPs given from the spell, but the reflex increase given by the WR.

If they're "not compatible," you don't get partial benefits from one alongside of the benefits for the other. Pick one, go with it.

the reaction boost is compatible though. it's the IP part that is not compatible. it's a fine line, but it is there... you can boost your reaction score as well as having wired reflexes.

My understanding is that it says "Wired Reflexes are not compatible with any other form of Initiative enhancement," not "The Initiative enhancement you get from Wired Reflexes cannot be combined with any other form of Initiative enhancement."

If something gives you an IP bonus, it can't mix with Wired Reflexes. Pick which one supercedes.

I would say that getting 'ware that is incompatible with other initiative increases means that you are stuck with what the 'ware gives you, not that you get to pick the higher of the two. The spell simply shouldn't work on someone with 'ware. Although an interesting question would be whether or not the spell would work on someone with wired reflexes who has them turned off.

Given that I'd just let a player pick whichever of the effects on him he wanted to be the one in effect, this might not mean so much, but...

I'd let the spell work on someone with WR turned off. The device the spell is theoretically incompatible with isn't enabled, so it shouldn't present a conflict.

I think that wording was mostly put into place to prevent people from getting 10 initiative passes.

Speaking for myself.
1: I wouldn't allow both Synaptic Booster and Wired Reflexes to be installed in the same person. As I assume they both do the same thing to the same parts, just one is Bio and one is Cyber.
2: I would allow an Increase Reflexes Spell To "Stack" with them as the Game caps the IP's at 4! Magic is unusal and broken in those ways.
And dosen't lower essence hamper the ability to be cast on?
Can't remember how at the moment.

I think the wording for both the magic spell and the cyber/bio IP increases say they don't stack with other IP increases.