The Power Focus is noted as adding its rating to Magic directly, making the magician more powerful at all forms of magical ability. Then the text goes on to exclude Counterspelling and the properties of a Weapon Focus. The latter is understandable as the Magic rating really seems to have littel to do with Magic, but Counterspelling...why?

Counterspelling is linked to Magic, so shouldn't it be increased? Is there something I missed that Counterspelling doesn't roll the Magic, just the skill rating?

Is Enchanting improved by a Power Focus?

a power focus doesnt add to magic anymore

it just adds dice to all magic-related skills.

Where is this clarification found. I've checked the 1.5 errata and it contained nothing on the Power Focus.

Page 192 SR4

left column, first bolded section

I always thought that this house rule 'archtype' was pretty interesting: Nega-Mage

I havent used it in game, but if you really have a problem with magic being powerful, having one of these might help out alot.

I like the idea of an aspected mage focused on counterspelling and banishing, but the special abilitites and metamagics are way too overpowered - there's a difference between challenging mages, and making them completely useless.

Besides, you don't need a special "class" to have pumped-up counterspelling. A combat sorcerer archetype that I did has counterspelling/combat: 4/+2, a counterspelling/combat focus: 3, and the Wise Warrior mentor spirit. So for counterspelling that manabolt, this character would roll 11 dice (9 if you feel that a Mentor Spirit bonus to Combat Spells doesn't apply to counterspelling). And this is for a character whose main function is spellcasting - someone min-maxed towards counterspelling as their main focus would be even more effective.

Granted, the players shouldn't run into an NPC like that often, but they are out there. And even someone giving 3 or 4 extra dice to those security guards can make a big difference. Mages tend to need a good number of hits to get a one-shot takedown, and those hits are capped before being reduced by the target's resistance roll.


btw, @ HappyDaze: counterspelling is used in two ways - the first is active counterspelling, or dispelling, which uses Magic plus counterspelling (and where you can use a Power Focus). The other useage, spell defense, uses only the skill. But the target gets their resistance roll as well, though. And without that one net hit, direct combat spells don't affect the target at all.