SR5:Magic:Adepts

5th Edition Rules
Basics // Combat // Magic // Matrix // Driving // Character Creation

Spellcasting

Preparations

Adepts

Spirits

Traditions

Initiation

Dark Magic

QUALITIES: WAYS

Often confused with and thought of as nothing more than magical traditions for adepts, Ways are less a rigid structure system or set of beliefs and more a personal philosophy or code of conduct that physical and mystic adepts adopt or identify with while developing their abilities. The path the adept takes while following a particular Way may differ, but for all adepts there are three basic fundamentals. An adept cannot follow two Ways simultaneously.

While there are many paths an adept can take while following her Way, doing so requires a certain amount of focus and commitment necessary to gain the bonuses a Way grants. Therefore, only one Way can be followed at a time. The bonuses granted by Ways to purchase adept powers all follow the same rules. For every 2 points in an adept’s Magic Rating, that adept may reduce the cost of one level of one power from that Way’s list by half. For example, let’s say that a player chooses an adept power that costs 1 Power Point. If that power is covered by a specific Way and all prerequisites are met, the cost for that power is reduced to 0.5 Power Points. Likewise, a 0.5 PP power costs 0.25 PP. Adept powers that cost 0.25 Power Points cannot be discounted further. This cost reduction cannot be used multiple times if the power has multiple levels: the reduction applies to only one level, but can be used for different aspects of the same power, such as a different Increased Attribute. The adept then can use the saved Power Points to buy a new power or new levels in an existing power at full cost. If an adept follows a Way and increases his Magic Rating through Initiation, he may use this discount every time he adds two points to his Magic Rating.

Players can amend previously created characters and retroactively purchase a Way. This is per the gamemaster’s discretion. See p. 103, SR5, for more information about purchasing and paying off qualities.