...you read it correctly.

The only way to not fall even further behind the team's Sammy, Decker, and Mage (as well keep pace with the increase in overall campaign threat level as the other PCs become tougher), is to also apply Karma to improve skills and attributes which makes saving up that big chunk of Karma for initiation and increasing MA take even longer. At the average Karma award as suggested in the BBB, that would be about 5 - 6 missions (each of which can easily last more than one gaming session) while not spending it on anything else.

It is even more discouraging when some powers/upgrades cost more than one power point.

It's an optional rule that is only in one printing out of 3 of Street Magic. It allows you to take a Power Point instead of a Metamagic when you initiate (Though you are limited to having Powers equal to your Magic Rating active at once... So even if you had 12 points of adept powers, if your Magic Rating is 5, you can only have 5 Power Points active at any given time).

As for whether or not it's allowed, it's Optional, so that's entirely up to your Gamemaster. There are optional rules that change the Hit number from 5 to either 4 or 6, that increase weapon damage to make the game more lethal, and applying the Rule of Six to all dice tests, not just certain Edge tests. Just because it's in a book somewhere doesn't mean it will be used.

Bull

Incorrect.

The only such restriction is the number of ranks you may have in any single power. This in no way applies to the number you can have active at a time. In fact, unless the power is specifically activated, it is assumed to always be on anyways (I don't think you even can turn them off, outside of reducing your magic).

And in the only errata ever released for the book, witch actually matters more then whether or not it's in the latest printing.

So that people who've bought these books will have stronger character than those who haven't? Is that me, or is Shadowrun falling into the 'spend $10 to get a 10% boost for your character' mentality that so (too) many RPG have?

I know it starts with Street Magic/Augmentation/Arsenal/Unwired, but at least those books tried to be more in a "more options" state of mind than in a "boost your character" one. (Even if, sadly, a lot of players favor the "boost your char" options that slipped through).

http://www.facebook.com/SRMissions

We at NERPS Inc. are proud to reveal our new and groundbreaking product line today. As usually, using these on company grounds is strictly forbidden since we didn't bother to check if its safe to use. But don't be put off just because we as the manufacturer won't touch our own product with a ten-foot pole, please buy it.

That's hilarious.

Note to self: Don't buy any more of the Options line. All I ever play or GM is Missions material, and even that's fraggin' rare.

Street Magic and Arsenal had a lot of boosted options and Runner's Companion kicked it to another degree of ridiculousness. I don't think it's right but boosted characters is the result of splatbooks if they aren't playtested... *cough* Players who only have access to the core rule book are going to get dinged and, yes, that isn't fair.

That said I'm actually not against the idea of Shadowrun Options... in theory. Obviously I haven't put Way of the Adept to the test yet. If you can create a a lower BP build that requires a player to lose choices but gain a bit more of an edge, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. It does encourage PCs to pursue verisimilitude over twinked-out builds that make little in-game sense. As a GM, I would be willing to concede a slightly better and thematically consistent build over some hypothetical cyber-drake hacker mage concept that's permitted only because the rules don't say a PC can't build it.

There's no reason what so ever for the extra corebooks if the options given in them are all weaker then the stuff from the base corebook.

No, but there is if the options are different from the stuff in the base corebook. For example the spiderman (I don't remember the exact name) implant in Augmentation is not "better" than anything in the BBB it's just a new and different option. That's the kind of stuff I'd like to see more of.

So these new "Ways" seem similiar to what the elves in Tir Na Nog have been using for the last fifty years or so. The rest of the planet is just catching up. I am refering of course to the fluff (no rules) that have been written about Tir Na Nog.

SR3 had rules for that too, not just fluff.

As far as I heard, ALL the errata got dropped from the 3rd printing.

it sounds like your printing press accidentally printed a copy of the first printing, and called it third.

And the optional rule is still in the errata file, so.

Just another notch in catalyst's LONG line of inconsistent rules.

Have to wonder if "Way of the Adept" is an indicator of what can be expected from the as yet unreleased book on new magic.

How about an ability for Way of the Burnout like this:

Redline Attribute (0.25 per level)
Redline Attribute Boost must be purchased for a specific Physical attribute: Agility, Body, Reaction, or Strength. It can only be purchased for attributes that are increased through bioware or cyberware.
To gain the boost, make a Magic + (Attribute Boost) + (increase from bioware or cyberware) Test. Each hit on this test boosts the attribute by 1. The boost lasts for a number
of Combat Turns equal to the twice the number of hits generated. No attribute may be boosted past its maximum augmented value (p. 68).
Attribute Boost requires a Simple Action to activate.
When the boost runs out, you must resist Drain equal to the Attribute Boost rating + (increase from bioware or cyberware) using Willpower + Body; each hit reduces the Drain Value by one. Attribute Boost Drain is Physical damage.

Ways (for all adepts, not just Tir na nOg ones) have existed for multiple editions, now. This was just me coming up with some crunch to go with their fluff, giving players a tangible benefit for having chosen one.

And this right here was one of the problems with that optional rule... It was tacked on as an afterthought in the 2nd printing, apparently, because it got a single line and no accopmanying explanations or rules to go with it.

My statement above is how it should work, and how it worked in 3rd edition (Where you could buy additional power points). I also believe that this was the intent of the optional rule as well. Of course, since no one around here seems to ever be satisfied with "intent", well... *shrug* There a reason why ultimately we didn't include it in Missions.

Bull

That's not it at all. Optional rules for the game are great, and can really help out individual groups.

However, for Missions, we try and avoid using Optional Rules. This makes it easier for new players coming in to know what to expect. We only include Optional Rules if they enhance the overall game, without adding any complications or complexity. I read over Way of the Adept during the proofing stage. I like it, and would possibly use it for a home game. But I have no idea how this will effect the game in the long term, it adds a slight level of complexity to Adepts, and some players have already started new characters for Missions, and since these are something that are only really useful to new characters, we're not using the new rules yet. And very likely never will, just to keep things simple.

Bull

You mean a centaur with articulated weapon arms controlled by a machine sprite?
[Warning: Figuring out which dice pools apply when might be harmful to your mental health]

The policy rather seems to be that modifications of existing rules (like non-delta implants for critters) are out, but not additions working inside the existing rule framework.

Can't you tell which dice pools apply? The better ones obviously.

I try and moderate a little with the Missions FAQ, but... *shrug* There's a limit to what I can do shy of scrapping the entire SR4 rules set and starting over. Every game system has areas that can be broken and abused. There's not a ton that can really be done if a player insists on being a power gamer. At that point, it's up to the GM to make sure that the player's potential abuses aren't detracting from the rest of the groups fun.

Bull

My point was not powergaming, but that this character would be as queer as it gets and still be completely legal for SRM. Which kinda does not fit that the permissions are based on how unexpected or complicated something is...

Hey, it's Binky O.o

I bought it from DrivethruRPG, and skimmed about. So far I love it.

It helps to add some diversity to adepts, almost giving a pseudo class system.

I would love to see something like this for Cyber characters. Seriously. I want more cyber/bio and would love some optional little tidbit to fix the adrenaline pump

Question on the Ways

for example:
The Invisible Way
Cost: 10 BP
Spies and thieves of the highest order, the adepts who stalk
along the Invisible Way are not to be underestimated. Characters
with this uality may purchase the following powers at a 25 percent
discount (rounding as normal), selecting one power for every two
Magic points: Cloak, Enhanced Perception, Facial Sculpt, Improved
Ability (Physical Skills), Freefall, Great Leap, Improved Senses,
Melanin Control, Nimble Fingers, Rush, Traceless Walk. In addition,
they receive a +1 to Initiate grade for purposes of the Masking and
Flexible Signature techniques.

emphasis mine: Is the one for two MPs for the listed powers only or any powers the player chooses? Or are these powers in addition to the powers a player selects with his MPs at creation. For example:

Adept with 6 Magic gets Six Power Points worth of powers

Six Power Points
Astral Perception: 1PP
Improved Reflexes rating 1 : 2 PP
Improved Ability (Infiltration)R3 : .75PP
Attribute Boost (Agility) R2: .5PP
Attribute Boost (Strength)R2: .5 PP
Enhanced Perception R1: .25PP
Traceless Walk: 1PP

Favored Powers: 6MP
Improved Sense (2MP) {this is normaly .25PP }
Cloak (2MP) {This is normaly .25PP/LVL; what level do I get it as a favored power? Rating of Magic?}
Great Leap (2MP) {This is the same as above in CLOAK; what lvl is it at}

Now if I lose Magic due to BC or Essence loss I lose the Favored Powers as well as my choice of Adept Powers I purchase with PP?

If you're an Adept with 6 points of Magic, you get to choose 3 powers that you may purchase at a discounted rate, chosen from powers that you purchase like normal. You don't receive anything "in addition" to what is chosen, you just get a discount on certain powers (and are then able to, in a way, buy more with the normal Power Points you've got).

For the above Adept, it could work as follows:

Bolded powers are the ones you've chosen to receive at a discounted price. Discounted powers are chosen from the Quality list (Invisible Way, in this case), and as a character with a 6 magic you would be allowed to pick 3 such powers. Applying the discount to what you've purchased, above, you have 2 power points that you would get a 25 percent discount on, freeing up .5 power points that you're then free to spend as you choose.

To get the most of Ways, you'll want to go heavy on that Way's favored powers (which the above example doesn't do very heavily). In the instance of Invisible Way guys, that's by buying big chunks of Cloak, Great Leap, Freefall, Improved Ability, and other stuff that you can "max out" by applying a lot of levels to. The more points you have invested in favored powers, the bigger the discount you get, and the more points you get back.

For every two points of magic you select one power. With Magic 6, you get 3 favored powers. Each power will have a 25% discount, no matter the rating. If it is a 0.25 P/level, you get it at 0.1875 P/level, a 0.5 P/level at 0.375 P/level and etc.
If you lose one point of magic due to augmentation, you lose one favored power ALONG with one power of Magic which means you will have to recalculate all your powers back, meaning you might lose a whole power entirely or have to reduce the level of many powers to acomodate your new Magic value.

Ninjaed by Critias while talking with my aunt...

Beyond the cost Bp wise of purchasing Adept and the Burnout way (15 bp?) I could see someone coming to the table with a buttload of cyber and doubling up on biocompatability. But, meh.

Like everything else about a character sheet, though, all this stuff requires GM approval (particularly since they're optional rules). Don't forget the text under the core Adept quality that reminds folks of that fact. If someone were to show up having used Qualities solely to wring every last Essence discount they could out of the system, including buying Adept and Burnout's Way just for the extra smidgen of Essence coupon, a GM is well within his rights to just disallow the character.

How does the Magician's way work out, here? I'm afraid I don't understand. I always thought the Magician' way stayed inside SR3, but here it's treated as an actual tradition. You're no longer a mystic adept, but a real adept? Do they follow the magician's way, rather than their own adept way and must select that rather than the artisans way or speakers way for favored powers, unique powers and qualities? (Well, not favored powers, anyway. I see that part of the quality.)

Magician's Way is an option for Mystic Adepts. They don't have to take it, even moreso than no one has to take any Way. It's there for Mystic Adepts that identify themselves as magicians more than anything else, who want access to the unique Magician's Way stuff -- you can certainly still make Mystic Adept character who follows the Warrior's Way, Totem's Way, or any other Way you want (or, of course, no Way at all).

You can still make a Mystic Adept that follows another Way (with the restricted power, favored powers, and metamagic bonuses that that entails). Or your Mystic Adept can follow the Magician's Way, in which case he still gets most of the benefits of that other Way if he wants them (favored power discounts, and the option for their metamagic boosts), but he instead receives access to the Magician's Way unique power, and can choose to be better at Centering, instead.

It's all about your character's mindset and how much he wants to focus on the "Mystic" as opposed to the "Adept" side of things, in other words. I wanted to leave it as fluid as possible, so that someone could be an Adept first and foremost (on an unrelated Way, barely spellcasting at all), someone could be a Mage who devoted their Adept powers only to improving their ability as a Mage (hardcore Magician's Way, custom power, etc)...and anything in between.

Broke down and skimmed over it. (Felt I should show my support.). I have to admit, it's well written from what I've seen and has some interesting items in it.

If I ever GM again, I might allow my players to use it. Will have to go more in-depth before I confirm/deny it.

This looks like it could be a new thing to work with using Shadowrun.

Thanks 'Ray, glad you're enjoying it.

What does that "Magician's way" has as powers? cant really think about it.

Astral Perception and the Magical Power that allows you to cast spells i'd gues . .
Maybe Living Focus or Antimagic or however that Adept Ability was called.

I have to admit, I've always loved adepts and felt they kind of got treated as an afterthought, the magic sammy who never really takes off in power, you might be able to fill a niche role but there are always cheaper ways to do it with tech. I bought The Way of the Adept yesterday and love it, it really goes a long way towards making adepts not just even on a crunch basis with their chromed up counterparts but adds a lot of flavor to what most people treat as a fairly cookie cutter choice for building ninjas.

Doing somethinks might be cheaper with tech, but there really isn't any role what so ever in the game that wouldn't benefit from being an adept.

Armor. Nothing beats out potential armor than a tin man samurai. Other than that, adepts and sammys are pretty close, depending.

...that's why the SR4 version of The Kid had a couple points of Mystic Armour (I'll admit the 4th edition version of this power is much better) along with three levels of the High Pain Tolerance Quality. This made her tough. even when wearing chic armoured clothing (like an Actioneer ensemble or her Zoe Heritage full kimono) and almost as good as someone in Sec armour when fully geared up for a run.


...as to magic, she was a staunch proponent of "Geek the Mage First, Geek 'em Hard, and "Geek 'em Quick."

Rule One: Geek the Mage First.
Rule Two: Geek the Ork with the Big Gun.
Rule Three: If you're an Ork with a Bug Gun, get a Mage friend to hang around with.

I'm enjoying this one. I was confused by one part, though. All of the qualities say the powers are discounted 25% and then say "round as normal". What is "normal" for adept powers (which have never been discounted before)? Rounding (up) to the nearest 0.25? If so, the power you pick would have to be worth more than 1 point to have any affect at all, but lots of the options cost only 0.25 by themselves (and only have one level). So, not sure what - if anything - you could round 0.1875 to.

Rounding is for the weak of mind.

Never understood why it should be neccessary for something which isn't calculated often and only for ones own character?

Ah well. This supplement sounds okay. Maybe i will buy it. (When i get the money... WHAT? Don't judge me and my financial problems *g*)

A quick run-through of the SR4A PDF showed me that, in general, rounding is done in the character's favor; in your example, BlackHat, the figure would round down. Since the power costs 0.25 points, it makes sense to round it to the nearest one-hundredth of a point, or 0.18.

Your mileage may vary, and I might be totally wrong there, but that's how I read that.

Summerstone: Rounding is done for consistency across products (so that, for instance, all the writers know how to calculate the stats for NPCs), and for ease of use (it's a lot easier to say, read, and write that I've got 1.25 points of Essence left than it is to show 1.2485 (a number I pulled out of my head for demonstration purposes)).

really like almost everything about it. But thoroughly reading I found it actually unbalanced.
I was considering investing 20 karma to buy the Invisible Way quality to get access to the Unseen Hands power. Sadly the number of power points I can free up due to the cost reduction is very limited. There are no really expensive powers here. Warriors get Imp Reflexes AND Combat Sense, that's a huge potential discount. Who in his right mind would use the 25% discount on things like Nimble Fingers??? It's a nice thought fluffwise, but from a mechanical point of view not very well thought through.

the new powers:
-some are too expensive (Conf Man, Eye, Wits, Swift). For Eye and Wits it's the same as with Imp Phsy Attribute. It shouldn't cost double after natural max
-some are pretty cool (Prod., Parry, Unseen)
and wth can't I put the discount on a way-specific power???

Edit: additional question
Is the 10% Essence discount from the Burnout's Way stackable with a Biocompatabilty quality?

...Rule Four: If the Orc with a Big Gun is hanging out with his Mage freind, it's time for naval ordinance.

It seemed to me as if way specific powers were already discounted, for example the mental boosting ones were listed as .75. Comparing them to improving a physical attribute at 1 point pre-ways.

It's quite simple, really. You don't get any extra points. You just divide your Magic Rating by 2, and choose that many powers from your Way's list. When you buy those powers with your normal points, you get a 25% discount on them.

Improved Physical Attribute is 0.75 per level as well (at least as of SR4A). Also, whether the new powers are discounted or not, I believe they don't show up on any Way's list of discountable powers... so you end up paying whatever it says.

Another question for people who know these things better than I:

Lets say there is a Social Adept who takes the Speaker's Way quality. In the list of discountable powers, it says "Improved Ability (Social skills)". Would this be a single choice (and discount all improved ability powers taken for social skills), or would the adept have to select that choice once for each social skill he wants discounted (with each one being 0.5 to 0.75 PP on its own)?

One thing I don't really like about the way the discount mechanic works is that it becomes more or less useful depending on which powers you're selecting. If you're an adept with 3 expensive powers (like a lot of combat adepts), it might give you as many as 2 extra BP out of the deal, which is awesome. If you've got a whole lot of powers that cost 1 or less, you will be getting significantly less bang for your buck - even though you spent the same BP for the benefit and may be adhering to your Way's list of acceptable powers just as strictly.