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Traks

May 10 2004, 01:34 PM

I recently received MITS, and players immediately confiscated it for their own reading

So there is a question - if adepts buys some power, say deadly fists (S) and later wants an upgrade to deadly fists (D), should he pay the difference or full cost of powerpoints?

I also plan on giving a player who asked for ultimate powers (he said he would do anything, even betray a team for that) an initation. Which schools should be preferred, besides Aztlans with their blood magic?

(Yes, he is asking to be screwed up, and I want team to get some pleasure in doing so). Also I plan on giving him "corrupt" template and giving him weak free spirit who will bond with him and will cause party members to be helpful (power like charm in AD&D, when you are willing to help the person in question. Willpower test of course.)

Any other ideas of helping to gain a power for a price are welcomed. Price will be unknown and steep

TinkerGnome

May 10 2004, 01:36 PM

You pay the difference. The answer to that is actually in the FAQ and not MitS

[edit]As for the rest... I'd let him initiate without a whole lot of unknown drawbacks. Let him buy spell points like a regular mage (at 25,000

each) and then use them like karma to join an initiatory group and/or initiate. With 1,000,000

he could initiate two or three times, probably. He'd have to pay for it in other ways, though since he'd have priority A resources unlike most adepts.

If he insists on a group, you're free to give him a group with a dark or evil purpose, though. If he wants to do things the expensive way and not join a group, he'd be safe from that.

By all means, screw with him, just be fair about it

You don't have to join a "school" of any sort during initiation or anything like that. Magical groups (which range all over the board in type and scope) can make initiation cheaper for a small karma cost to join and adherance to their tenants.

You could always let him join the Universal Brotherhood, though. That'd be fun. Or let him get blood magic if he wants it (give him the option). That 1,000,000

bounty will make him the best friend of the other PCs

[/edit]

Backgammon

May 10 2004, 03:42 PM

I think it's a bad idea to have one player be an ultimate evil badass in the leagues of blood magic or corrupt. First of all, you have a serious motivation problem.. wtf is a character that powerful doing running with these guys, other than to betray them? Second, many "evil" groups, such as toxics or corrupts, are effectively insane and are kinda of hard to roleplay (though not impossible, a good roleplayer could pull it off).

But the issue is that a player wanting to be such an evil thing is effectively a GM's tool, not a true PC. He's a plot device. He's a co-GM rather than a player. If the player is just looking to be a munchkin and blow away all in his path, you're gonna end up with a really shitty storyline and the rest of the group is gonna be unhappy.

Eyeless Blond

May 10 2004, 04:01 PM

Indeed. Initiation, or joining some sort of reasonable magic group, isn't really nunchkiny at all. In fact, it's an unofficial rule that youcan use spell points for anything you would use Karma for as a mage (p. 15 of Shadowrun Companion, under "Resources" because that's such a logical place to put it...). You have to pay a boatload of spell points to do it, spell points which probably are better used being spells unless you're a conjuring adept, so it's not really that big a problem. It's not like you really get a whole lot for initiating, anyway, although it is fairly powerful compared to any mundane stuff you can get with Karma.

A Clockwork Lime

May 10 2004, 04:06 PM

Actually it is an official rule. It's just not a standard one. But otherwise, I agree. It's not munchy at all. The people who think it is always have the most bizarre reasons for saying it. In 2nd Edition, starting off initiated would have been pretty munchy. That I can agree with. But that's mostly because back then, you automatically gained access to every metamagic technique under the sun.

Traks

May 10 2004, 07:05 PM

QUOTE (Backgammon)

Second, many "evil" groups, such as toxics or corrupts, are effectively insane and are kinda of hard to roleplay (though not impossible, a good roleplayer could pull it off).

If the player is just looking to be a munchkin and blow away all in his path, you're gonna end up with a really shitty storyline and the rest of the group is gonna be unhappy.

Not hard for him, his character is almost insane the way he is played.
He attacked innocent guy who walked after the milk and only other PC's barely dragged him to car not counting other stupid things. So he will go over edge once...

Shitty storyline? There is hard to have a storyline - this team is a bunch of morons, specially selected who fall into all traps and do stupid things. So yes, they have storyline but usually blow it

Also they die like a flies so it is hard to make a character-centered campaign. Almost every session is worth to get into CLUE files, to boot. They reinforce my faith in humanity and are so easily to manipulate.

As for munchkiny part - I have no initiation in my game, because as I pointed out earlier, I just received MITS. I *do* think that initiation gives "something for nothing", but I have no problem with players doing so. If they will start being annoying I'll let them know, in game and out of game.

Much thank you for offering to initiate in Universal Brotherhood.
I'll give him a chance to do so, certainly. Along with Blood magic.
If he will refuse and be cautious, I'll offer normal group for initiation and maybe even will lift some of his insanity. But doubtfully, he is never cautious and it is mortal sin in Shadowrun.

Yes thanks, you brought me a couple of ideas what to do next when they botch this run (going on run without ANY investigation and preparation).

Nikoli

May 10 2004, 07:24 PM

--nvm--

TinkerGnome

May 10 2004, 07:39 PM

What would be really, really funny for a normal roleplayer is if his initiatory group is called the "Universal Brotherhood" but it's not the same "Universal Brotherhood". But their strictures prevent them from changing the name, even though they had it first.

Street Sam: "You're a member of what?"
Mage: "The Universal Brotherhood."
Street Sam: "Right... boys, get the flame thrower."
Mage: "No, not that Universal Brotherhood."
Street Sam: "Sure, whatever. Better safe than sorry."

Nikoli

May 10 2004, 07:40 PM

hehe

KillaJ

May 11 2004, 05:45 AM

QUOTE

That is brilliant. I hope you dont mind if I blatantly rip off your idea.

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