Oi Chummers,

I am a long time Game Master, having run a myriad of games since 2nd ED, but recently got one of my players to jump in to the hot seat and let me play a bit. It was freaking awesome. I love the game and really enjoyed the setting and story line. Way To Go MercuryWave!!!

Now here is my problem. Where do I spend my Karma? I am running an Awakened PC following the Black Magic Tradition. I have the Skill group for Summoning, the Scorcery and Counterspelling Skills and a few things like dodge and what not. I received some karma and want to know what you think I should spend it on or should I save it? My Will and Chr are both 5 so I won't be able to raise either of those until after a few games. Initiate grade 1 is only 13 Karma so maybe save up? If I do save and Initiate what Metemagic would be best? Let me know what you think and if you have any questions for me let me know.

Thanks.

I would save for the Initiation, and grab the Centering Metamagic, more dice to reduce drain is always nice.

Save for initiation for sure. You can reduce initiate grade one to 11 karma by doing an ordeal (see Street Magic for details), some of which aren't too rough on newbie characters (like taking a new Geas). You can further reduce it another 20% by joining a magical group, but that takes 5 karma and requires dues and adherence to rules, not to mention gets easier with initiate grades, so may not be the best initial choice.

I'd squander some karma on binding some foci. But yeah, basically raising stats is better than skills - because skills are overpriced, so basically all you should ever do is


1) Bind any juicy foci you pick up off dead mages

2) Buy rank 1 in skills you default on regularly

3) Buy magic up to its maximum attainable value

4) If nothing else, initiate.

Skill specializations. One karma per die.

You don't get better than that, even if the focus is narrow, most skills have an obvious thing that you'd want your character to be especially good at for cheap. Your character probably cares about casting one or two classes of spells far more than the others. You're probably most afraid of combat and/or manipulation spells, so specializing counterspelling in one of those is nice. Dodge: ranged. Conjuring/binding: your favorite spirit type --probably fire or man if I recall black magic correctly. If you pilot a ground vehicle, it probably has wheels so you might as well specialize. Et cetera.

Considering that getting rid of a defaulting penalty by buying rank 1 costs 2 karma per die, I'd slide skill specializations that make sense into Cthulhudreams' list at 1.5 for any juicy no-brainers that are central to your game or survivability (ie: dodge, spellcasting for a spellcaster, conjuring for a conjurer), and 2.5 for the more marginal ones (ie: maybe conjuring if you're more of a spellcaster and value multiple spirit types roughly equally.)

Which meta-magics are good varies with the kind of game you play. I always suggest masking or modified astral signature early on for the professional criminal - both are decently useful at lower initiate grades and I tend to have the mysitcal portion of the police/ security forces be competent.

Use 5 karma to get a magical group (9 karma if you don´t have Arcana yet). You get a bunch of capable new friends, future karmic savings, and cheaper and easier access to magical stuff. The "downside" of being on-call yourself is just another opportunity to RP.

IMO, there are two Ultimate Techniques for mages.

#1: Conjuring + Channeling. You have to be a possession mage for this obviously, but when you summon a great form spirit, let is possess you, then run around casting spells without expending services, you're godlike on the battlefield. Conjuring not required, but especially nice when you can summon a plant spirit with regeneration.

#2: Cleansing + Filtering + Mana static. Cast a big mana static. Then filter it. Now you have a big bonus to your spellcasting and all other mages and spirits without filtering are boned.

Initiation is priority.

13 Karma |or| 10 Karma + Ordeal |or| 7+5 Karma + Ordeal + Group

Option 3 is by far my suggested, as it provides significant discounts to future Initiations as well.


As for what Metamagic to take, Centering & Shielding are basically a must-have, but I suggest waiting until Grade II/III to get them. Instead, I advise Masking, Flexible Signature, or, if your GM allows custom metamagics, Dual Perception as your first.

Only allows you to 'ignore' some of it, not Aspect it, so it provides no actual bonus. While useful, it is nowhere near as powerful as you make it out to be.

Possession can be powerful, but even with Channeling, it is not an 'instant god' - and the OP specifically said they are Black Magic, so no possession anyways.

Oh, I was wrong about filtering actually giving you a bonus, but still that combo would destroy magical ability of those around you, and allow you to function as normal, at least for a period of time. That's still quite awesome.

And try fighting someone who's possessed by a for 8 or 10 spirit -- if it's Bound, then you're well and truly boned. It's more powerful than a normal spirit because it has additional attributes added, it resists banishing, it's a mage of course so it can defend against any spells you throw, it's going to resist normal attacks from anything short of a rocket launcher... Maybe you don't like the words 'instant god,' use whatever term you like, but I consider it to be the ultimate technique any possession mage could learn. As for the OP being a black mage, too bad for him