I'm confused by some of the point costs in Shadowrun 4th Edition.
Specifically Adept Powers confuse me.
In many cases, it seems to me as if Adept Powers are 100% functionally
equivalent to paying points for higher attributes or skill levels. In
other cases, they are functionally equivalent *except* that they cost
*more* - or *less*, in some other cases.
Enhanced Perception costs 0.25 Magic per level. Each point in Magic
costs 10 character creation points. However, raising the Perception
skill costs 4 character creation points per level. Therefore, if your
character is an Adept, you're better off buying Enhanced Perception than
buying the Perception skill.
I'm not sure about Great Leap. It seems to me that you're better off
paying for a Gymnastics specialization in Jumping. That costs 2 points
and gives you a +2 bonus on Jumping rolls. Great Leap costs 2.5 points
and gives you only a +1 bonus to Jumping. But of course, if you want
more than your +2 specialiation, go ahead and take levels in Great Leap.
Improved Ability (i.e. skill) is worth taking for non-combat skills. To
improve a non-combat skill the normal way costs 4 points per +1, whereas
improving a non-combat skill via Adept Powers costs 2.5 points per +1.
In many cases, you're better off starting with a Specialization on your
skill (2 points buys you +2 to skill, specialized), but if you want more
than that, you should go for the Adept Power.
However, for combat skills, Improved Ability costs 5 points per +1,
whereas if you buy the skill the mundane way it only costs 4 points per
+1. Hence there's never any point in doing this. It's a waste of points.
Improved Physical Attribute is neutral. You simply transfer points from
Magic and to one or more of the physical attributes. The only reason not
to do this is that you'd rather spend your Magic on something else.
After all, you have 400 character creation points to play with, but only
4 or 5 or 6 Magic Points.
Please carefully take note of my complaint: I cannot see anything in the
rules that make these Adept powers *feel* magical. They are
*functionally* *equivalent* to non-magical character creation choices,
i.e. spending of your ordinary budget of 400 points.
Adept Powers are at once a license to optimize (up to your Magic limit -
but from what I've skimmed you can get more Magic points later on, and
thus optimize further) *and* a trap for unwary players who may end up
paying more points than they should (specifically for Improved Ability
with combat skills, or if they waste their Magic on Improved Physical
Attribute).
It this just downright *shitty* rules design, or have I overlooked
something in the rules that makes the above mentioned Adept Powers
perform in a way that is not functionally equivalent to abilities
purchased via regular character creation point expenditure?
--
Peter Knutsen
sagatafl.org
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