Against my better judgement I've been roped into GMing again (I never get to play SR, just GM...sigh) and I was considering making the adept reflexes power give the same benefits as move by wire (Minus the skillwires, of course. That wouldn't make any sense).

Can anyone think of any real downsides to this?

aside from the adept getting better reflexes than the samurai for less cost?
nah, nothing else than giving adepts more power again would be an obvious flaw in that plan . .

Alternately, allow a metamagic for adepts that would allow them to enhance the power? Seems a little focused for a metamagic, but it also would require some extra effort on the part of the adept to initiate.

I probably should have added that we're going to use Frank Trollman's house rules, including:

Ah, well if that is what your doing, and your keeping the prices the same, I suppose it is somewhat better. Really good to include relevent houserules when asking this sort of thing.

I'd nix that house rule all together. It makes for a far too unbalanced combat monster and gives your character nothing to try and save his nuyen for.
Don't get me wrong, beginning the game as a bad-ass is always fun, but there comes a point where you want to start out as the cream of the crop and you are looking for ways to rules whore yourself out of a corner.

After all, bigger and better reflexes just means the bad guys will have to have bigger and better reflexes to still pose a threat, so rather than the beginning players being more bad-ass, they just end up having to do more math.

Give the rules as written a honest to God college try, trust that they have been reviewed, previewed and play tested to death to keep power gaming to a minimum and playability to a maximum, then tweak little things you find get in the way, rather than overhaul an entire system just because it makes your beginning sammies unable to take down a dragon.

Everybody wants to go to the party, but nobody wants to clean up!

the Problem with Wired Reflexes, especially 3, is that it is too damn expansive both money AND Essence-Wise to even get them later on . . because then so much other more usefull stuff will simply not fit in . .

Forgive my ignorance, but where are Frank's houserules? Are they easily collected on a site or thread I missed somewhere?

Thank you, Fortune. And no matter how much playtesting you put on any game system, the players will always find a way to break things beyond your expectations once you put it out for everyone to use.

I'm not sure what, but I agree adept reflexes does need SOMETHING. It costs a horrific amount of magic. Most adepts I've seen built use Synaptic Boosters and a few use Wired.

Chris

The cost should not be based on Wired by all means. If it is closer to MBW, the costs can be justified. I´d prefer the 1/2/3 magic cost approach, giving some needed leg up to adepts.

Good point, as always.

I was planning on doing just so the next time my party builds characters, but...

1) I am not sure of wanting 4 IP´s adepts right from the start (though I´d love to see some of them not sporting Synaptic Accelerators ).

2) I think Move-By-Wire systems would become a rather poor choice compared to the alternatives...

Suggestions?

REquire they be a grade 1 initiate before taking rating 3 Improved Reflexes. Neatly closes off the giving adepts an IP advantage issue and makes them wait and bit, and seriously, what adept can't use centering, attunement, or masking?

Chris

When Frank decides to compile all his stuff (SR4, DnD, what have you) I'm going to be putting it on my website in a nice organized viewing.

...reason?

It's a stupid Power that in my opinion does not fit with the concept of Adepts internalizing their magic! Do I need another reason?

If you ever do, the only effective use I´ve ever seen is add some kind of range to ultra-munched close combat chars. There has to be a reason why the player does not buy a few throwing powers instead.

yeah, either more power for the same price(read upping improved reflexes to improved movement) or lowering the power-cost to 1,2,3 Points for the usual Reflexes. . but not both, that would be unfair/overpowered . .

Thanks for all the input. I think I'm going to go with the 1/2/3 cost after thinking about it. I might add an initiation ability to make it function like MBW, too.