[ChipBoundary]

I'm confused how these work. Do they cost Karma? Are they traditions? To me they seem to replace the Adept, Magician, and Mystic Adept type choices. Am I misunderstanding this? Also, they aren't even listed in the index. The Null Wizard sounds awesome....but I don't really know how it applies.

[firebug]

It's something the errata team is working on, but nothing's been decided yet.  Right now, you're right--  They're unusuable.

My best guess is that they would be available options akin to Aspected Magician, as different priorities.  I can only offer suggestions for a houserule though, because Forbidden Arcana is a flawed, flawed book and gives none of the needed information for this.

[Senko]

It's something the errata team is working on, but nothing's been decided yet.  Right now, you're right--  They're unusuable.

My best guess is that they would be available options akin to Aspected Magician, as different priorities.  I can only offer suggestions for a houserule though, because Forbidden Arcana is a flawed, flawed book and gives none of the needed information for this.

To be fair that isn't a new thing like the references in howling shadows to a table of purchase prices that was removed because you shouldn't be able to buy a pet easily not even a friendly dire rat from the local gang.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

In my view, they alter full-priority magicians and mystic adepts.  While I might put a karma cost on them (5 karma, perhaps), considering they do direct-exchange 'lose this in order to gain bonus to that', I probably wouldn't.

[Kiirnodel]

Yeah, the cost is based on the fact that you are trading a bonus in one area for a loss in ability in another. So I would allow the various focused awakened characters for any character that has the abilities for trade.

That is to say, if you don't have access to an ability that is restricted by the type of focused awakened, you can't be that kind. You can't lose something you don't have access to, so you can't make the proper trade to gain the bonuses.

The mastery qualities which force a similar sort of change even specifically call out that they qualify even though they don't have the ability to trade. These are the exception, not the rule. So if something says you "lose access" to something, you can't take it unless you have access to it in the first place.

[SpellBinder]

Not quite equitable in that loss, I'd say.  Like the Hedge WIzard:  lose Conjuring and 4 schools of magic for -2 drain on the remaining school of magic, and -2 dice to dispelling/disenchanting to those other 4 schools of magic.  Or the Elementalist:  lose Enchanting and choose one of 4 elements for spells and Conjuring for +2 dice to Binding & Banishing that one element while getting -2 dice to the other three.

But, everything has its cost.  Losing access to the vast majority of spells must be worth that extra +2 dice to binding a singular class of elemental.

I agree with firebug in that these are unusable as they are.  The Pariah tradition is effectively the same as the Null Wizard in concept, but better in most aspects; just missing details on what this Opposition metamagic does, but then I'd probably just throw in Reflection in its place.

[SmilinIrish]

They look like negative qualities to me.  Can't imagine wanting any of them.

[UnLimiTeD]

What, -2 drain on combat spells?
Yeah, I couldn't possibly imagine anyone wanting that. Especially for focussed spellcasters.
So far I've read it as those being free modifications for any awakened that actually has something to trade there.
They certainly don't warrant karma expenditure.
I'd even allow Null Wizard + Pariah, because even the combination is hardly worth the investment. Though I'm relatively sure those two weren't meant to be picked together.
Well, here's hoping we learn more before 2018.

[SmilinIrish]

Have you read the entry?  Give up conjuring, astral projection, and all other spells to get -2 to drain for combat spells?   Absurd.  What's the point in having magic at all.  Same for elementalist.  Cripple yourself as a spell caster to get +2 dice to Banish or Bind one type of spirit.   Oh, and -2 for all other types. 

[UnLimiTeD]

Use the "focussed spellcaster" thingy, and you't not giving up conjuring anymore, you already didn't have it.
Besides, quality grade storytelling material.
Like a mage that that would love to help and heal people (or only his team), but all he can do is blast people? Now I have rules for that.
Though I would assume they are just as available for aspected magicians, which would have fewer losses, the difference is just 20 karma.
The option allows to actually focus your karma when creating a 'focussed' awakened (just the character focus here, not the specialities).
I was certainly thinking about using this one for a manipulation specialist - He wasn't going to do anything else, might just get -2 drain on it.
Now, I agree the actual rules are sorely lacking, in multiple respects, but I like the concept.
Well, I can't actually see the benefit of elementalist.

[marlocfavirzal]

It's something the errata team is working on, but nothing's been decided yet.  Right now, you're right--  They're unusuable.

My best guess is that they would be available options akin to Aspected Magician, as different priorities.  I can only offer suggestions for a houserule though, because Forbidden Arcana is a flawed, flawed book and gives none of the needed information for this.

I've been trying to find out if this has been decided on anywhere. Do the Focused Awakened, and specifically the Null Wizard have a karma cost associated with them, or do you just choose it as an option when you choose Magician?

[SpellBinder]

It's something the errata team is working on, but nothing's been decided yet.  Right now, you're right--  They're unusuable.

My best guess is that they would be available options akin to Aspected Magician, as different priorities.  I can only offer suggestions for a houserule though, because Forbidden Arcana is a flawed, flawed book and gives none of the needed information for this.

I've been trying to find out if this has been decided on anywhere. Do the Focused Awakened, and specifically the Null Wizard have a karma cost associated with them, or do you just choose it as an option when you choose Magician?

Forget the Null Wizard as there's a potential contradiction in the listed abilities.  Use the Pariah tradition on page 86 instead.  As you initiate you actually get bonuses to the anti-magic skills; just ignore the "Opposition metamagic" since there's likely still no idea what that's about.  Heck, you could even spend a little more and go with the Mystic Adept, choosing Astral Perception and dumping as much as possible into the Spell Resistance power (SR5, page 311) for more active anti-magic potential.  The only other drawback with this tradition is deciding on what your Drain attribute will be, as most of the anti-magic actions you can do cause Drain; whoever wrote this tradition seemed to overlook this little detail.