I've been working on an adept with NSRCG and was just wondering if I'm on the right track as far as selecting powers goes.

I usually start out with taking Improved Reflexes 2 (3 PP's). After that, I try to max out my physical abilities up to their racial modified limits. That way I can use more attribute points in Int and Will. This usually takes 1.5-2 PP's (3-4 points at 0.5 PP each).

That leaves around 1-1.5 PP's left, give or take. I was also thinking of being an archer so I took Quick Draw as well (0.5 PP).

Does this look ok? Are there other powers that I would be better to spend my points on? Bear in mind I don't have MItS yet but I hope to get it soon. Thanks!!

I'd wait for MitS and SOTA:'64 before that. Though SOTA:'64 isn't in NSRCG that I know of, though some are working on it.

oh no....no no no....
let's see...um...underworld93.com might help you out

What is does State of The art have more magic stuff?

The thing is, not all adepts are the same. What's best for a melee-oriented adept isn't the best for a gunbunny-adept. What's best for an athletic adept isn't the best for a stealth adept. etc.

And on top of that, SOTA:'64 gives you The Artistic Adept and the Social Adept as well

One thing I've seen though is that the attribute bonus powers are kind of a waste most of the time. Usually it's far better to get 'ware and geas it (or even *don't* geas it) for stat boosts, and spend your power points on more interesting powers.

One thing I find incredibly useful are Improved Sense powers. I usually spend at least 1 full point on senses; being natural they're always better than the sammie's, which is really cool.

And you take the grade you want, select sound filter power at lvl 1 is .25 same as level 5

How would you describe the 'natural' functioning of a select sound filter? It would seem like it would require a great deal of concentration.

no more than the cyberware version does.

I didn't write the rules. Thinkof it this way, some folks can filter out the background noise in a bar when talking to someone, others can't. There's no real concentration involved, just a general knack for filtering out the stuff you don't need at the moment.

Actually, everybody is normally filtering sounds all the time. It's very uncomfortable for people with hearing loss, since that filtering capacity have been damaged, hearing aid restore a normal level for all sounds.

So is the general consensus to get MItS? I plan to get it but is an adept grossly inferior if you just use SR3?

You can make capable adepts with just SR3, but MitS givel a nice list of options and apparently SOTA64 adds a lot of options as well. Saying that they are "better" is not really sensible, but they can better match the desired character idea when selecting from the complete list.

Drop the Improved Attributes like an infected hooker. Quickdraw goes really well with Missle Mastery allowing one to throw four ball-point bic pens in one pass (one in each hand) each with a starting damage level of Light. I also suggest Traceless Walk (.5 PP) and Improved Combat Skill (if you go for Missle Mastery put the dice to Throwing) along with Counter Strike (.25 PP per die) which is better than Mystic Armor or the like. Pain Resistance at 3 boxes really comes in handy.

Actually, "Quick Draw" might not be bad since he's aiming to be an archer.

I'll second the "Lose the improved attributes" comments - invest in some sense enhancements like Image Mag. Otherwise those range penalties will kill you, not them.

You might keep the Improved Strength, since you will be a combat spec.

Think about killing hands at L since you want to be a martial artist - it's too useful not to have if you plan to enter really close quarters.

Blindfire might not be a bad choice either, if you want to play up the Zen Archer angle - echolocation and high frequency hearing are your friends.

Books
MitS is nice, but not essential. Sota64 is nice, but not essential. Your adept isn't breaking new ground and isn't going to be exploring uncharted territories, so stick with the basics until or unless you feel like spending the cash.

-Siege

There are no "best" powers generally, though some are very useful for specific characters. Quickdraw is very good for bow adepts. I made an orc bow adept. He had maxed out strength and quickness (as well as int for higher reaction), with bonus attribute point: strength and his adept powers were:

Quickdraw
Improved Sense: Directional Sense
Improved Sense: Vision Magnification 3
Improved Ability: Projectile Weapons 5
Improved Reflexes 1
Improved Sense: Improved Scent
Improved Sense: Sound Filter 5

I wanted to give him a tracker like feel, hence all the improved senses, and he had Projectile Weapons 5/Bows 7. He's strength 9, so with a Ranger X Bow he does 13M base damage, throwing 12 dice, with a Base TN of 4 at any range out to his maximum (which with his strength is REALLY long range) and he's hitting against impact armour. Woot.

JaronK

That's exactly what I mean, your wasting adept power points when attribute points are more plentyfull (you can never get more than 6 PP to start).

Not if you maxed out your Quota of 30 Attribute point and your GM is being anal about the Attribute "cap".

Mea Culpa... Reaction test it is. But you do need that Quickness.

With a Willpower 6 and a Charisma 5, I think the character has points to spare.

What is this guy, a Face? If so, then you should change pretty much everything. Enhanced Perception, Iron Will, Spell Shroud, and Empathic Sense with a possible Magic Sense (or Astral Perception if you're the only magic user).

The Spatial Recognizer seems to be a typo. M&M page 18.

Unfortunately, some sensory implants don't have a maximum level. Olfactory Boosters, for instance. 0.25 Build Points gives you Olfactory Boosters (Rating Infinity), mean you effectively always win your Perception Tests for scent- and taste-based Perception Tests regardless of how ridiculous the TN is, and you have an infinite number of successes. No rolling required.

What I house rule is that the solo level of any sensory power (or other similar phenomenon now or in the future) is limited by your Magic Rating. So if you have Magic 4, even Select Sound Filter is limited to rating 4.

It pretty much matches the canon rule that Adept Power ratings cannot exceed Magic Rating (SR3 under CharGen, IIRC).

But Improved Sense itself doesn't have a rating. It's a minor house rule to clarify the potential problem, not a brilliant and innovating new addition to the game.

And [a house rule] that I totally agree with and think matches how canon deals with adept powers.

So now everyone's happy.

As for the main reason not to up your Attributes, especially this early in the game: it's boring! Really, there are so many neat powers available out there that it's a shame to "waste" your points on something you can get bioware for. Instead pick up Natural thermovision, maybe Killing Hands, any of the insanely neat other powers that are unique to adepts. Upping your Bod and the like is cool, but there's just so many more interesting things out there, especially in MitS and SotA 2064 that by the time you get around to them it *will* be cheaper to just use Karma to up them rather than Initiating for 1-2 points of Bod.

I agree.

let's see if starting at Bod 3 raising it to 5 (1 power point normally)
Through Karma:
3 to 4: 4 Karma
4 to 5: 5 Karma
Total: 9 Karma

Initiation, Alone, no Ordeals:
0 to 1: 18 Karma (nets 1 power POint)

Puchase Power Point:
20 Karma

If you're below the normal racial limit (not the post char-gen limit)
it's cheaper to raise in game through karma

Bod 6 to 8:
Karma:
6 to 7:21 Karma
7 to 8: 24 Karma
Total: 45 Karma

Initiation, as above:
18 Karma for 1 power point

Power Point:
20 Karma

There fore, if youre starting with a normal metahuman stat, it's cheaper to just pay it up in karma, however the price goes much higher when your start into the upper part.

I realise this is old hat, but sometimes you gotta look at the numbers.

One just gives you 1 more power point of powers (but doesn't allow you to more active) the other gives you a Magic point as well (which allows you to have more active) Though as long as your magic stays around the 6+ mark then this is effect is close to negilable

Imho, the best adept power are the ones that are unduplicatable by anything else:

Improved skills, quick draw, quick strike

The next tier are the adept power that are more useful that their duplications:

Imrpoved Senses, traceless walk, magic/emotion sense, blind fighting

Notice that the top tier cyber ware (smartlink, datajack, etc tend to be picked up by most everyone, not just the borgs).

How's this:

B 6 (3+3)
Q 6
S 8 (6+2)
C 5 (6-1)
I 4 (4-1)
W 4

Athletics 4
Etiquette 4
Interrogation/Verbal 3/5
Negotiation 5
Projectile Weapons/Bows 5/7
Stealth 5
Unarmed Combat 6

Imp Reflexes 2 (3.00)
Quick Draw (0.5)
Traceless Walk (0.5)
Imp Scent (0.25)
Vison Mag 3 (0.25)
Sound Filter 5 (0.25)
Thermo Vision (0.25)
Proj Weapons/Bows 2 (1.0)

A minor min max nitpick.

Drop one point from Cha and drop one point from Negotiation. Put those 3 BPs in Athletics and Stealth. Personally, I'm not fond of using Improve Ability in anything other than Stealth and Athletics. So I'd put that 1 PP in either Stealth or Athletics, but that is up to you. If you wanted a Face, then perhaps you might be better served by some of the powers from SOTA 2064 instead.

You'll probably want to change out thermo for flare compensation, as natural low light is better that or equal to natural thermo in almost all circumstances. But flare comp will get rid of modifiers for glare, flash bang grenades, etc.

Sams have the power to get all the vission,and sound powers for like 1 esance. They may not be as good, but they are cheeper in terms of resources that matter. As any good street sam has more money than adepts have magic points... I really would say giving your Adept cyber eyes,ears, smart gun links,hand razors, data links, and other small cyberware gear is a good idea. You do not have to have them alll, but most adepts gain way more than they losse for having a point or even two worth of cyberware.

For that, it's a matter of opinion and what effect you're trying to achieve - smartlinks are unnecessary if you're not a dedicated gun bunny or don't plan on mixing it up in close quarters.

The cybereyes - eh. One of the major selling points of an adept is his ability to go unnoticed to anything short of an Awakened audience.

I have yet to make an adept and add cyberware at CG - but that's just me.

-Siege

I doubt anyone is going to get all hot and bothered about some guy having cybereyes- and it's a lot harder to tell what if any extras they have in them compared to retinal mods. Maybe they had bad eyesight and decided to get them replaced? IIRC one of the books said that between that and bioware (and probably still laser treatment) glasses were pretty much non-existant.

If you're going for a half-point of cyber to round out your smartlink or .8 to fill in where the datajack left off, I'd suggest twinked cyberears. There is no extra set of modifiers for cybered hearing vs. adept power hearing.

If I didn't care about the concept and was just min/maxing, I'd look to abilities that adept powers don't grant, but which would compliment those that do.

Eye-Light Systems combined with natural Low-Light Vision is fantastic, for instance. Coupled with natural Thermo and cybernetic Ultrasound Vision (to round out the cybereye's freebie and to keep Dumpshockers from whining), and the only visual penalty you'll have is +0 in most situations other than full darkness (+2) and against thermal smoke (+2) and glare (+1). All for 0.16 Essence and 0.5 Power Points.

EDIT: Actually, I don't even think Eye-Lights are necessary for that. But my point still stands. Compliment your abilities by taking advantage of both sides of the fence, don't just figure out which one is cheaper.

Well for sake of argument, let's assume no cyberware for this character. I've never played an adept before and I want to keep it simple.

Besides, when you replace your eyes you lose natural vision. This includes the racial low-light from orks, and can be interpreted as including the thermo from adept powers as well. I know *I'd* rule that way.