[funkytim]

What is everyone doing to advance their mage for 6E?  After finishing two runs I want to head straight for quickening so I can magically boost my willpower and logic without having to cast and suffer drain before a run.  I'm finding drain to be very annoying with 11 dice to resist even with casting DV3 and DV4 spells.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Bonding some foci might be a good first step.  That's the most karma-efficient way to get more dice to do the things you do.

[funkytim]

That would boost the dice pools I get to cast the spells.  As far as I can tell there is no foci that helps with drain.  There is a metamagic foci but you would need to get the centering metamagic first. 

Do power foci increase your magic attribute when calculating indirect spell damage?  I think it did in older versions of the rules but doesn't seem like it's worded that way in SR6.

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

That would boost the dice pools I get to cast the spells.  As far as I can tell there is no foci that helps with drain.  There is a metamagic foci but you would need to get the centering metamagic first. 

Do power foci increase your magic attribute when calculating indirect spell damage?  I think it did in older versions of the rules but doesn't seem like it's worded that way in SR6.

No, Power Foci do not actually modify your Magic attribute.  It only gives bonus dice to tests where Magic attribute is rolled.

[funkytim]

That would boost the dice pools I get to cast the spells.  As far as I can tell there is no foci that helps with drain.  There is a metamagic foci but you would need to get the centering metamagic first. 

Do power foci increase your magic attribute when calculating indirect spell damage?  I think it did in older versions of the rules but doesn't seem like it's worded that way in SR6.

No, Power Foci do not actually modify your Magic attribute.  It only gives bonus dice to tests where Magic attribute is rolled.

You are always very helpful SSDR

[Michael Chandra]

Yeah while poorly phrased, ever since SR4 they stopped directly augmenting Magic, which was the same time where some mechanics changed as to pools etc.

I agree with Quickening soon, but make sure to discuss wards and astral observers with your GM, to decide on the impact it will have on your play. Your spells are visible to any astral observer, until you pick up Extended (?) Masking, by then you're 3 initiations in.

My own setup would be Quickening -> Masking -> Extended Masking -> Centering. Get a power-focus when I got the cash, get a centering focus later on, and start being a crazy caster.

[funkytim]

Yeah while poorly phrased, ever since SR4 they stopped directly augmenting Magic, which was the same time where some mechanics changed as to pools etc.

I agree with Quickening soon, but make sure to discuss wards and astral observers with your GM, to decide on the impact it will have on your play. Your spells are visible to any astral observer, until you pick up Extended (?) Masking, by then you're 3 initiations in.

My own setup would be Quickening -> Masking -> Extended Masking -> Centering. Get a power-focus when I got the cash, get a centering focus later on, and start being a crazy caster.

This was very close to my plan.  Hope joining a magical group to lessen the karma cost and learning a couple spells sprinkled in because I started with only 6.

[Sphinx]

Personally, I would spend my first 100 karma or so learning new spells.

[funkytim]

Personally, I would spend my first 100 karma or so learning new spells.

This would be great if drain wasn't an issue.  I find the drain adds up real quick without boosting my Will and Logic.  Casting those first also puts me in the hole.  Quickening them would be the fastest way to be able sustain them before a run without accumulating stun damage first.  Then I could learn any spell I wanted and wouldn't have to worry about casting it.  Then the masking/ext. masking so you can walk around without drawing attention from any astral presence.

[ComradCH]

Do you have Focused Concentration? My shaman cast's Buff on Will and Cha? with elf Cha this gives her 21 on drain resist, Spells always miss, but drain rarely an issue.

I got Masking and  Flexible Signature. Power Foci 2. And only now investing in Quickening, before i wanted to play more evenly with the party, now "If system F**ks me, i'm going to F**k system"