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emo samurai
For the setting up of the initiation group, there's a -2 penalty for each extra tradition accepted. Does this mean for every person in the initial batch, or for every tradition accepted, ever? And is there any real benefit in having a cross-traditional group?
Critias
The biggest benefit is that it's easy to recruit people into your group (both initially, and after the fact) -- the party shaman, hermetic, and adept can all be in the same group together (for instance).
Aaron
It looks like one must accept a certain amount of limitation in order to make the magical group work. Allowing all traditions would basically kill your dice pool for forming the group. This makes sense, though: a magical group shares an emotional bond, and if they can't even agree on how magic works, there would be a problem.
Synner
QUOTE (emo samurai @ Aug 23 2006, 05:29 PM)
For the setting up of the initiation group, there's a -2 penalty for each extra tradition accepted. Does this mean for every person in the initial batch, or for every tradition accepted, ever?

The modifier you are describing is listed specifically under Founding a Magical Group and modifies the dice pool for creating the initial group bond.

The more traditions you have in a group the harder it is to find a common ground and establish the mystical link that makes magical groups unique. As Aaron put it "if they can't even agree on how magic works, there would be a problem."

QUOTE
And is there any real benefit in having a cross-traditional group?

Mechanically? Not much. Then again beggers can't be choosers and unless all the friendly magicians you can talk into signing on to your magical group are of the same tradition you don't really have much of a choice.

Magicians of the same tradition always find it easier to cooperate, regardless of whether they are in a group or not. However, belonging to a group eases does make it easier for different tradition magicians to cooperate, learn from one another and bridge some of the differences between paradigms by introducing familiarity into the equation.

Depending on how much you play up a tradition's tropes and stylings in your game this can have no impact at all or significantly affect roleplay. I play it up heavily. The scene at the beginning of the Paths of Magic chapter with Magpie's crew caught in the IOND chapterhouse was partly lifted from one of my games.

Also depends on how useful you think having a posse of Voudoun zombies backing up your street shaman in an emergency might be...
2bit
I think it's "for every tradition accepted, ever" since finding a group requires finding one that will accept your tradition.
emo samurai
Grr... So in founding my group, I'll have to pick and choose... okay.

Qabbalistic sorceror it is!

Don't ask. biggrin.gif
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