QUOTE (Rubic @ Apr 11 2013, 07:43 PM)
The Mages initiate and learn metamagic; Adepts can ALSO initiate and learn metamagic. The difference is the large amounts of helpful metamagics available to willing Mages. An initiated Mage can also spend karma to learn additional metamagic (not expressly forbidden to an Adept, but not as helpful, per se). Adepts still can't just spend karma to increase their known powers; without the optional rule, they can potentially run out of helpful metamagics before they cap out their initiations.
You missed the point.
Mage wants to gain a new ability, something she couldn't do before? Learn a new spell for ... what, 3 karma, isn't it?
Adept wants to gain a new ability, something he couldn't do before?
Raise that Magic Rating. If you're already at your cap,
Initiate first....
That is to say: if both a Mage and an Adept start out at Magic 6 ... the Adept is going to have to pay 48 karma to gain 1PP (Initiate once, raise Magic to 7), in order to gain a single, TINY ability that is new to them.
For the same Karma, the Mage could Initiate
twice,
and learn three new spells.
...
OTOH, if you can trade Metamagics for PP? The adept could initiate twice, getting one Metamagic and one PP; the Mage could initiate twice, gaining two metamagics. IMO, much more fair and balanced.