I'm assuming conversions would be relatively easy, and I need to know the advanced magic rules for my character to work. Are they easy?

With the changes made in SR4 I wouldn't assume that conversions will always be easy, but MitS is a good book, so if you can get it cheap enough I'd recommend it.

Do you think $19 is a good deal?

That's about what I bought it for back in the day. So sure. Remember though that in industries like RPG's, old books go up in value. Especially if they're well taken care of. Now I'm not talking a lot in most cases.

I've god a Dieties & Demigods book from first edition D&D that also has the Cthulu Mythos in it. Most of them didn't. So it's worth like another $60 bucks. Mostly I keep it for nostalgia.

But MiTS is a good book. Most of the rules will no longer be relevant. Centering, for example, has changed a great deal. So has masking. Both can no longer do things that they can no longer do. You used to be able to use centering in conjuction with adept powers that were improved (in some damn book or another). Masking used to be able to hide spell in effect and foci. And you could deliberately mask to make it harder. Not to mention that you used to be able to pierce the masking of an initiate over 5th grade. It wasn't easy, but it was possible. As opposed to now.

But it also has some nice general info, especially in the beginning, and the descriptions of the magical traditions. I'm sure you'd just love elven path magic.

As a resource for SR3, MitS in INVALUABLE! So many more totems, adept powers, spells - many more options than the core book gives.

As a background tool, I have to admit I much prefer "Awakenings: New Magic in 2057" - even if it's for second edition, I love the Shadowtalk format of it. Good luck finding that nowadays though. MitS gives the hard facts well - but I prefer the Shadowland board-style books.

My FLGS has a load of old SR1-3 books still, if people are interested I'll make a list and post his website for people as he does do mailorder and could do with the trade.

Invaluable, maybe not, but very useful certainly, some effort will be required in converting some of the rules over.
The extra attributes don't help that much.

But it's simple.

By the way, I reckon Blood Magic Drain is a Body + Willpower resist, What do you think?

Blood magic drain is easy, will+tradition attribute+centring with one extra auto sucess for every box of phys damage you do a sacrificial victim, free action to cut up victim.

Blood magic is not a tradition it's a metamagic. I'm unsure how to do the self harm thing...

Even if you don't buy MitS, I strongly recommend that you find a way to read it a few times. If anything for the historical value, but specifically so you can see how magic used to work compared to how it does now.

Unless you don't care about how magic worked in past editions.

MitS' best value for SR4 is the expanded list of Totems and extra Adept Powers (both of which are easily convertable). Some other "random" rules will be useful until Street Magic, like the rules for Mana Lines/Surges, and Mana Warps.

Be a little careful converting totems and other mentor spirits though. Some of them changed massively in SR4, presumably for balance issues.

Note: that was a general warning, not directed at emo, as his concern for game balance differs from most.

My version of game balance is, "You get rockman mecha, I get Madcat."

I'd just wait for Street Magic.

You get madcat, I get blood mage gestalt.

You get blood mage gestalt, I get... oh wait, I've got a hacker. Now we just need to find the coordinates for one of the Thor sats and try for an uplink...

Shhhh.... don't give my character ideas.