Tried to find the answer to my question doing a search, but failed.

When an awakened character initiates (i.e. Initiate Grade 1), do they automatically get Increased Magic and Metaplanar Access?



And then they can choose a Metamagic per point of Initiate Grade? So I see the Increase Magic and Metaplanar Access as the benefits, and the Metamagic as one of the powers you can choose (1 Metamagic per point of Initiate Grade).


Am I’m reading/thinking this right, or am I completely off?

You are *slightly* off. They get metaplanar access and an increased MAXIMUM magic, as well as their choice of one new metamagic power. Your CURRENT magic rating does not increase (though I believe it did in SR3).

You might be able to convince your GM to allow you to gain a point of magic instead of gaining a new metamagic, but I don't believe that option is in the rules anywhere.

Great. Thanks! That is what I meant to say. I knew you had to pay karma seperate to increase it, but you did gain the ability to increase it.

The reason for my confusion is seeing an NPC or two that did not have "Metaplanar Access" or "Increased Magic" in their write up. They would have Grade and Metamagic. I guess it is just assumed then that they have "Metaplanar Access" and "Increased Magic".

Out of curiosity, has anyone here played with the Optional Rule from Street Magic that would allow Adepts to take a Power Point instead of a Metamagic Power when they Initiate? Just wondering what people think about the balance aspects of it.

No, I haven't. And for my character there are two nice adept metamagics that he wants anyway:
Adept Centering (who doesn't want High Pain Tolerance 3*Initiation Grade?)
Flexible Aura, or something like that, allows you to change what your aura looks like. In a gameword where any mage who can astrally perceive (Assessing not even necessary) can tell my character is a drake and drakes are generally either highly prized or highly feared (it's a social stigma of being created by dragons to thoughtlessly serve dragons)....might be a good idea to hide that identity.

Can you tell me what page in Street Magic this Optional Rule can be found on?

If you have a current printing, the text should be in the book on pg. 31.

I wasn't aware of that rule. I just assumed an initiated adapt would spend the karma to increase his Magic (i.e. from 6 to 7), and would in turn be able to get 1 point worth of new adapt powers.

That would work, too. This is just an optional rule letting Adepts get more points if the GM allows them to. But, remember that an Adept can't have more powers active that their Magic attribute, if I remember correctly. Thus, this can provide more options to an Adept, but they might have to micromanage their powers a bit more.

Yes, over in the 800 point character thread in Community Projects, I have an adept who has gained 5 extra power points rather than new metamagics ( on top of raising his Magic attribute and getting more points that way too.) There are lots of metamagics that are cool for adepts, but for this particular character, most of them didn't make sense. More power points did. I have another adept there who took metamagics as often as he could.

As far as balance goes, I think it is hard to say, because there are many differences in the abilities provided by adept powers and metamagics. In different campaigns, either form of advancement could be more advantageous. I guess in that respect then, the different forms of advancement are balanced.

What do you get for initiation?

Stuff.

if you initiate solo, nothing other than that previously stated. if you have a moon maiden mentor spirit, i'm pretty sure you get a bundt cake too.

Our mystic adept is doing it. It seems okay, adepts and mystic adepts get pretty shafted in terms of power anyway.