Well, here's my latest attempt at this crazy thing. I realize that the grammar and wording is still incredibly horrible and that this is still a diamond in the rough, but that tends to happen when you're looking at a bunch of notes.

For the most part, I think it works out rather well. I'm still a little concerned about the Restricted Conjuring and Sorcery flaws, but it's still better than it was. Feel free to find as many faults with it as you can and mock me as appropriate. Ideas on how to improve it area always welcome.



THE AWAKENING

Awakened Genes (5 BP): Whatever it is that makes a magician different from those sleepy mundanes, you've got it in spades. This option nets you a base Magic Attribute of 1, 25 Spell Points, and the ability to use Astral Perception, but that's about it. You cannot tap into the astral plane or use mana to create magical effects; you just have the potential to do so. Any Spell Points not used during character creation can be saved and spent later in the game as Karma for anything related to magic, be it bonding a focus, learning a spell, or initiating. Until you learn more, you are wholly unable to use any type of magic, including learning a geas to offset Magic Loss. As always, if your Magic Attribute ever drops to 0, you become mundane and lose whatever potential you may have once possessed.

All magical traits listed below require you to have purchased Awakened Genes unless otherwise noted. Upon selecting this trait, you must choose a Tradition and gain all of the special advantages and limitations of that Tradition unless you buy the opportunity to exceed them.

Magic (2 BP per point): Whether you have a naturally strong affinity for magic or have otherwise learned how to tap your potential, you can raise your Magic Attribute by spending 2 build points per point. Unless otherwise stated, you may only raise your Magic to 6.

Fewer Spell Points (-1 BP per five points): You can sell some of your spell points at a 5:1 basis; every five Spell Points net you one build point. You should always round your build points down, so you need to sell at least 5 Spell Points to get a single build point as 4 Spell Points would be rounded down to 0.

Additional Spell Points (1 BP per two points): Every additional build point you spend on your character nets you two Spell Points on top of your normal total. You can have a maximum total of 50 Spell Points, and you should always round your Spell Points down.



THE ASTRAL PLANE

Astral Projection (5 BP): You can project yourself into the astral plane. See SR3 for more information.

Dual-Natured (-5 BP): You are dual-natured and exist fully on both the Astral and Physical Planes. You are considered to always be using astral perception, but you do not suffer any of the normal penalties for interacting with the Physical Plane while doing so. If you are already dual-natured (such as being a shapeshifter or ghoul), you may not select this magical trait. All of the other pain-in-the-ass aspects of being dual-natured are in full effect.



TRAINING

Traditional Magic (10 BP): You can make full use of all magical skills and abilities appropriate to your chosen Tradition, but cannot use adept powers. You may not select the Physical Magic trait below.

Aspected Magic (-5 BP): By selecting this option, you voluntarily limit your magical abilities to a specific aspect of your Tradition.

Physical Magic (10 BP): You are officially dubbed an "adept" and are capable of learning adept powers. You also gain one free Power Point and can buy additional ones at the cost of 5 Spell Points each up to your Magic Attribute, and 10 Spell Points a pop beyond that. As a bizarre side-effect of Physical Magic, you lose your natural ability to perceive the astral plane and must purchase the honor to do so by spending Power Points. (Note that some GMs prefer to ignore this characteristic; be sure to ask.) You may not select the Traditional Magic trait above nor learn the Magical Power adept power without first selecting Adept Magician below.

Adept Magician (-5 BP): By selecting this trait in addition to Physical Magic, you gain the ability to weild Traditional Magic through the use of the Magical Power adept power. The point cost of this trait reflects all of the limitations the Adepts of the Magical Way suffer for their art. Note that such adepts may also select the Aspected Magic trait to further limit their powers.



EDGES & FLAWS

All of these edges and flaws require you to have purchased the Awakened Genes magical trait unless otherwise specified. Note also that because these are edges and flaws, their costs tend to be more extreme in some regards while less so in others. Yes, you can finesse your way into "getting more points" by selecting an edge or flaw over selecting the magical traits above, but by doing so you are also limiting yourself to the number of other edges & flaws you could normally select.

Potent Magic (6-point Edge): You can expand your Magic Attribute beyond the normal limit of 6 points. Each time you select this edge, you can purchase one additional point of Magic during character creation. This extra point of magic does not grant you any additional spell points or adept power points, and you must still spend additional build points to actually purchase the extra Magic. This edge can be selected a maximum of three times.

Experienced Magician (3-point Edge): You are more experienced than other magicians. Perhaps you were the star pupil in thaumaturgy at college or apprenticed under another magician. Maybe you're just seen more of the world than others, or you could just be some kind of freakish prodigy. Whatever the case, you can purchase a maximum of 75 spell points during character creation instead of the normal 50.

Astral Hazing (10-point Flaw): You are a magical blight, polluting the Astral Plane by your mere presence. This flaw is often found in toxic shamans and followers of other twisted paths of magic, and is extremely common in ghouls. (See Year of the Comet for the rules about Astral Hazing.) If your Magic ever drops to 0 and you become mundane, you will still continue to be a plague of the Astral Plane.

Gifted Conjurer (3-5-point Edge): This edge requires you the ability to use Conjuring. Every time you select this edge, you gain the ability to conjure a specific type of spirit that you couldn't normally conjure. If the spirit type is one normally found in your tradition (such as an Air Elementalist learning to summon Water Elementals), this edge costs 3 points. If the spirit is from a tradition other than your own but has a similar theme to your own (such as an Air Elementalist learning to summon a Spirit of the Wind or a Sylph), it costs 4 points. If the spirit is something else, it costs 5 points.

Gifted Sorcerer (3- or 5-point Edge): This edge requires the ability to use Sorcery. When this edge is selected as a 3-point edge, you gain the ability to learn and use spells from a spell category you couldn't normally cast. For example, an Earth Elementalist could learn to use Health spells. If the category of spells is one that is thematically opposed to your brand of magic or it is a category you would normally suffer a penalty while using (an Earth Elementalist learning Detection spells, or a Rat or Snake Shaman learning Combat spells), this becomes a 5-point edge.

Restricted Conjuring (2-point Flaw): This flaw requires you to be capable of using Conjuring. Each time you select this Flaw, you can choose a single type of spirit that you can normally conjure. From that point on, you are no longer able to affect them in any way, shape, or form. If the type of spirit you are restricting yourself from using is one that you would normally receive a penalty with, this flaw is only worth 1 point.

Restricted Sorcery (2-point Flaw): This flaw requires the ability to use Sorcery. When selected, you lose access to any one category of spells you could normally cast.

Geasa (Special Flaw): You may select to take either a voluntary (worth 2 points) or involuntary (worth only 1) each time you pick this flaw. They could represent some kind of psychological crutch you have, overcoming Magical Loss in the past, or any other plausible scenario you can cook up. These geasa are in addition to any other geasa you may have selected during character creation, such as reducing the cost of adept powers or offsetting Magic Loss due to cyberware. If you select a voluntary geas, you are stuck with it forever. Involuntary geasa, however, can be shed during initiation. See Magic in the Shadows for more information. There is no need to describe what these geasa were for unless you want to; they're just there to net you some extra points at the cost of some flavorful limitations to your magic.



SAMPLE BUILDS

Full Magician (30 BP): Awakened Genes (5), Magic 6 (10), Astral Projection (5), Traditional Magic (10).

Aspected Magician (25 BP): Awakened Genes (5), +10 Spell Points (5), Magic 6 (10), Traditional Magic (10), Aspected Magic (-5).

Adept (25 BP): Awakened Genes (5), Magic 6 (10), Physical Magic (10), -25 Spell Points = +5 Power Points (0).

Adept of the Magician's Way (30 BP): Awakened Genes (5), Magic 6 (10), Physical Magic (10), -25 Spell Points = +5 Power Points (0), Adept Magician (-5), Traditional Magic (10).