Not sure what Pixies "are" (ie what 5th world thing awakened as them) but they apparently go somewhere nifty instead of dying (or so I optimistically claim).
Nothing Awakened to become pixies. They are windlings from Earthdawn... where they were during the non-magical downcycle is probably related to their vanishing negative quality, and a question best answered probably by one of the immortal beings (elf, dragon, whatever) who was around to see them go away and come back.
I guess the term sapient "critters" made me think of the races as mundane animals during the fifth world (like windlings were bugs during the down cycle or something; centaurs are "equines"...I assumed Awakened horses; shifters are awakened "paranimals" w/e that means) whose "sapience" relied on the higher tide of the magic cycle (it helps that I only yesterday noticed I'd misread the sapience power; I used to think it was cancelled by high background counts). Dragons are obvious exceptions but I figured Aspected counts in their lairs and/or the whole Astral Cocoon thing had something to do with retaining sentience (or more accurately I just accepted they were exceptional to what I thought was the rule). Or else I got the idea from some people at the ED boards who IIRC were pretty sure T'Skrang were mundane lizards in 2070 waiting for a high enough magic level to awaken. Anyhow I like your suggestions (both that they probably Vanished and that dragons and Immortal elves are the people to ask about that). Some people in my group actually have tried to convince me my new character is not a Windling (I only use the term Pixie here for clarity, IRL I say Windling, mostly to rile some people I know who refuse to believe the 4th and 6th worlds are connected), but then I ask how they explain the Astral Sight, increased Edge (Windling Karma Dice actually > Humans but I suppose +2 Edge would be cheating), and +2 Charisma.
I'm not au fait with the Pixie race and 'Vanishing' power, but sounds fun
As for Spell selection, I think you're going way overboard with spell selection:
A) Karma for most things is just under 2x BP (for Skills 1-4 and Attributes at around 6. Any higher, and BP is absolutely a better option), so Spells are by no means an exception to this rule
B) BP can be spent on more things than just Spells. Getting skills or skill groups to a nice high level are highly recommended
.. as a general rule, it's good to pick a few things (Skills and/or good attributes) to get as HIGH as they can with BP, then build on the little stuff later.
Example:
Skills: ~ BP Getting a Skill to 4 = 4+4+4+4 = 16BP
Skills: ~ Karma getting a skill to 4 = 4+4+8+12 = 28Karma
Back to OP question though. What is it you're trying to DO as a spellcaster?
- Are you a combat person?
- Are you a stealthy person?
- Are you a utility person?
- Are you a healer?
- Are you a ritualist?
- Are you a summoner?
Trying to be everything will make you good at nothing.
I really recommend picking a few, making sure you know how to use them inside and out, then learn a few more as experience dictates.
This is the first time I've seen "au fait", it's a rare occurrence I have to look words up so props on the vocab!
I definitely agree about the importance of focusing on just a few things and maxing them out...my attributes are pretty min/maxed and even though skills aren't spelled out yet those are a pretty short list; Summoning, Spellcasting, Etiquette and Negotiation OR the whole Influence suite, Infiltration OR the whole Stealth suite; basically those I want at 4 (except spellcasting at 6 probably) and if I had enough left over I might also take Assensing, Counterspelling, or Dodge at 3 or 4. A lot of other skills (like Astral Combat, Perception...or probably even some of the above if I run out of points earlier) that I will only take a point or two of (plus a specialty) I am waiting to buy with karma. Between that and initiation I have dozens of unearned Karma spoken for all at 1:1 BP:K planned to spend (I'm lumping in initiation with the 1:1 since there's no BP equivalent to get cheaper) so even though Spells might not be the worst tradeoff, it depends on how long I play this character whether I get there or not. Skills can't be bought above 4 anyhow (with the one exception or two). If I have to find some extra points for initial skills I might drop that 6th point of Magic...5:6 BP:K ratio is pretty close to 1:1 (if I did the math right). As for starting spells if I had to choose between 10 spells now and 5 magic or 2 spells now and 6 magic, and wanted to end up with 6 magic and ten spells either way, the latter would cost 1 more BP
and 10 more karma. Probably not the best example, and you're right to say I might just be better off not taking 10 spells, but just showing how my brain was coming at this.
Re-quoting the latter half to include my answer, caps/bold just so the me part jumps out:
Back to OP question though. What is it you're trying to DO as a spellcaster?
- Are you a combat person? NO
- Are you a stealthy person? YES
- Are you a utility person? YES
- Are you a healer? NO
- Are you a ritualist? NO
- Are you a summoner? YES (you pretty much sold me on this one, was not big in the original plan really)Basically I want to be able to do recon very, very carefully, preferably from far, far away, and always without being seen. I also want to be nigh untouchable during the few seconds it takes me to extricate myself from combat (pixies fly "run"-speed at 50). I also planned on using stat boost spells to help competent folk with what they do better as well as--with Edge to boot--make myself a bit of a wild card (although Uneducated rules out a ridiculous number of skills). One of the main "filler" areas, which I am leaning towards "maxing" with 4s is basically being a substitute Face. By no means is it my main goal, but as you pointed out, some things are almost a waste not to do when you have high Charisma (plus I can't count on having a real Face each week and do want to provide a fall back option for getting the most Nuyen so I can upgrade Foci and such over time). Spellwise, I really would prefer to find more unique things
(like Extended Spatial Sense where you can just have the GM hand you the blueprint, unlike street sams although I suppose hackers could do this now that I think about it, just differently...or maybe Dream...without a lot of cyber in your brain I'm pretty sure sending people messages in their dreams is something only mages can do...or Hibernate so we can sneak someone into the morgue more easily or Prophylaxis for the proverbial drinking contest...Mana Static so the ubermage/uberspirit that totally should outclass me has to fight all our street sams--and maybe my astral combat not sure how that goes--instead, Fix so if we find the "Book of Blue Spirits" in tatters we can repair it or I can keep the hacker's repair roll critical glitch from depriving us of a carburetor, etc etc) but I also wanted to be able to boost attributes and perception and dodginess etc and I'm sad about probably giving up the more "fluff"/unique situation ones.
Glimpse at the Grimoire:Physical Camouflage is crazy high on my spell priority list bc it does a few things in one spell (helps me stay incognito and helps me dodge bullets if I am somehow spotted--or shot at unseen) and afaik should stack its perception mods with concealment etc. Plus Improved Invisibility is just too generic and even though there's no direct game benefit to it I'm trying to have different spells than whatever other mages show up to my Mission.
Orgy is high because it's fun, and it can give a group crazy negatives ("without them hating you" probably not a RAI "effect" but it is in the description lol) without any chance of (direct) permanent damage which makes friendly fire less dangerous than other area spells. On my limited list it may have to suffice for replacing Ice Sheet and even combat spells in general as "the thing I cast at hostiles." Also one of those spells you can probably make a living with or at least a hobby out of. Technically Chaotic World I think has the same game effect and also affects machines, so I might have to replace this if I can't have both, but for now I'd rather have it.
Influence is actually still ahead of Mob Mind I think. I want Mob Mind so bad but (iirc) Influence will let me make someone want to tell me the truth and Mob Mind just makes them my puppets; which would be fun but getting information from their brain AND being able to make them do stuff wins. Same goes for Mind Probe, and the less exciting Compel Truth and Analyze Truth all of which have a chance at getting info but that can be achieved with Influence and making people do stuff with those three can't (please correct me if I'm wrong, I know I might be here, just spitballing from swiss-cheese like memory of recent readings)
Alter Memory is an absolute must, whatever mind fork (I say fork to keep it PG ofc) I do end up with, I need this to get rid of evidence (or at least bury it) as well as the brilliant suggestion above ("you already did your rounds") or any number of shenanigans "Remember, you owed me 10 nuyen?" they hand it to you, remove the memory they did that "I'm still waiting for the nuyen" repeat. Yes my example was dumb but it made me laugh.
Replace the memory of just which droids he was looking for, add a memory about the camp that he clearly knows me from...I do need to double check that it becomes "permanent" and thus doesn't leave a big astral sign saying "guess who altered my memory" though
Sterilize I suppose it violates my rule about trying not to get spells that a cheap item can do, and bottle of bleach might come close, but I imagine 2070 forensic scientists can do terrible things and if I can quickly avoid all physical evidence (before I scrub all my Astral evidence), I'm all for it. Leave no trace isn't just a good environmental way to camp, it's also a good way to crime.
Stealth I hate that it uses another spell but afaik even the best camouflage doesn't mask my wingbeat and silence is another good tool in the not being shot arsenal. Also can be helpful with teammates footsteps etc.
Combat Sense Not ideal but the bonus to surprise may save my life someday and the bonus to dodging bullets and melee will almost certainly be the thing that keeps me alive someday, possibly in Astral Combat. %wise the "keep me alive" kind of spell is more than I'd like, just trying not to die is hardly a fun and meaningful way to live, but they're hardest to live without in more ways than one so as the list gets shorter they are more of it.
Increase Charisma Should probably be a higher priority than its place here indicates but double duty as 4 extra drain dice and social test dice even without a focus is hard to dismiss. Plus the potential to have a 12 in something without cyber is just delicious.
Increase Willpower Again a double dip, drain dice and Astral Combat, not to mention resisting cons and fear and such etc.
Increase Intuition Better than Hawkeye, effectively adding to perception but also with Assensing and initiative and such iirc...only need it at Force 2 with stats as they currently are so fits in a cheap sustaining focus (or could get one for a 3 or even up to a 5 with restricted gear in theory)
I think the above is ten spells already; I could name 10 more I'd like (people I know IRL would think the lack of "Armor" and "Increase Body" was a Vanishwish but the most I can *ever* increase body to is 5 [+2 boxes] and armor can be replaced with gear; even though both would be preferable I think it glows or something which is counter to my concept of hiding). Increase Reaction would be good for the "not getting shot" as well; Control Pack might have infrequent occasion for use but I bet it would be
really great in those rare instances. Fix not only is something I think might be handy but I'd absolutely want it if I got Powerbolt just to clean up visual signs of where I was...I'd like to have both those. Stunbolt/ball is pretty close to a must if I don't want to fight spirits in Astral Combat or just send other spirits after them, even if putting whole enemy teams to sleep wasn't enough reason. Increase Reflexes again a crazy good spell but in the Astral I'd already have 3 IPs and I'm hoping not to need them in the physical (since if it matters, I must be in combat, which means I'm dead soon). Levitate is another good fun "combat" spell...falling damage is brutal not to mention the heavens are an excellent location for negotiating a rational man's surrender, plus rare instances where lifting a teammate off the ground or moving an object remotely might be safer than not may crop up.