Also: Geomancy, Divination, and Necromancy aren't metamagics, as far as I can tell. They are "schools" of magical learning. Initiating into the schools usually grants a ritual or enchanting formula. (Unlike exorcism, psychometry, masking, and channeling, which are schools *and* metamagics.)
-Ariketh
I'll admit to being unclear on those three... I'll have to go back and re-read but I thought that given that you were initiating into those schools, that it essentially consumes the metamagic slot for that initiation. But that could easily have been a result of me plowing through the book in a hurry to add its content to Chummer.
Let me see if I can point you in the right direction.
Presented here are some of the higher arts a magician can initiate into—either alone, through a group, or with a school. Each specific art encompasses a list of rituals, enchantments, and metamagics. When a magician first initiates into the art, he learns one available ritual, enchantment, or metamagic for free, barring any prerequisites. A magician can learn additional advanced rituals and enchantments within that category by spend-
ing the same amount of time and Karma that would be required to initiate to his or her current initiate grade (p. 325, SR5). For each new metamagical technique, however, the magician will need to initiate to the next grade
to gain that new metamagic.
Note the sidebar on the same page contradicts the costs. The sidebar lists rituals and enchanting formulas as 5 karma (as normal), enhancements at 2 karma, and metamagics only through initiating.
The subsections are bit confusing.
- Geomancy has three rituals and one enchanting formula.
- Necromancy has three rituals and two enchanting formulas.
- Psychometry has two enchanting formulas and two metamagics (one of which is psychometry).
- Divination has one ritual and one metamagic (danger sense, not divination).
- Invocation has two rituals and one enchanting formula.
- Channeling has one ritual, enchanting formula, and metamagic (channeling) each.
- Exorcism has an enchanting ritual and the exorcism metamagic.
- Masking has two rituals, one enchanting formula, and two metamagics (one of which is masking).
- Flexible Signature has a ritual, technique*, and two metamagics (one of which is flexible signature).
- Atropiatic magic has two rituals and three metamagics. (Along with three special actions.)
- Quickening has one ritual and two metamagics (one of which is quickening).
And so on.
* It says technique, but it's not tied to a martial art (aside from Astral Combat). Maybe it was supposed to be an enhancement? Since it seems to modify the flexible signature metamagic a bit. I am not sure on that one. None of the others have techniques, so... I wouldn't be surprised if it was an error.
Not sure how you'd code it. Initiate and it asks what school you are initiating to? Once selected, you'd get a list of the metamagics, enhancements, and formulas you get access to. Maybe include all the previous ones you qualify for as well, so folks don't waste an initiation getting a ritual, formula, or enhancement instead of a metamagic? This would be especially good for the enhancements because they only cost 2 karma according to the sidebar.
IE: Initiate into Masking, pick up masking. Initiate into Necromancy. Since it doesn't have a metamagic, pick up extended masking. Spend the 5 karma to pick up Grave Binding, which is the first ritual that necromancers learn.
Having the school of initiating is sort of important for adepts, since they are limited to their chosen Way (even if they don't have the quality) and the undecided way metamagics, enhancements, rituals, and formulas.
Or if you want to keep it simple: Just list all the available rituals, formulas, enhancements, and metamagics and it will be up to the player and their GM to make sure it's legal.
And you posted again while I was typing.
Ok so if I'm understanding SG correctly, if you're Initiating you may choose to initiate into an "Art". Upon gaining an Art, you may gain a ritual, enchantment, or metamagic for free. And you can learn additional rituals and enchantments particular to that Art for the cost of your current grade of Initiation (but this won't increase your Initiate grade).
That's sorta how I read it. The sidebar on page 139, as I mentioned above, has different costs than the body of text. IIRC from a post in the errata thread or the SG thread in general, the body of text is in error.
So based on this, I could as a new mage initiate for 13 karma and choose to initiate into Geomancy. Given that I've chosen Geomancy, I get to pick a ritual, enchantment, or metamagic particular to Geomancy so I choose Aspect Mana Line. Later on, I spend another 13 karma to learn Ley Sight. Later still, I initiate again for 16 karma (I'm now grade 2) and choose a metamagic I'm interested in.... let's say Centering.
Aside from the cost to learn Ley Sight, yes. That's how I'm reading it as well.
And if I'm further understanding this, say I decide to initiate again this time choosing to learn the arts of Invocation but also using a Group Initiation, Initiatory Ordeal, and Schooling getting a total of 30% discount so initiating costs me 13.3 karma (I assume I'm rounding up to 14?). <snip>
I'd round down as you normally would (per rules of math) for the initiation, but I can't see where that is outright stated. So 13. Alternately, in favor of the player? And as I previously stated, I'd go with the sidebar on page 139. Bold mine.
RITUALS
These rituals are only available for those who have initiated into this particular school of magic. They cost the same amount of Karma and time to learn as other rituals (5 Karma, see p. 299, SR5); no
additional initiation grade is needed. These rituals cannot be taught to any other magician unless they too have initiated in this school of magic. Magicians who do not know the ritual can still participate in it as long as the ritual leader knows it (p. 295, SR5).
ENHANCEMENTS
For adepts, enhancements represent focused training for one specific adept power, pushing it beyond the traditional limits.The cost in Karma and time is the same as learning a new skill (2 Karma, 1 day). The adept must first have the power before he can augment it. A learned enhancement cannot be taught to another adept unless he or she is initiated into that particular Way.
ENCHANTING
These enchantments are only available for those who have initiated into this school of magic. They cost the normal amount of Karma and time to learn (5 Karma, see p. 299, SR5). These items cannot be used by other magicians unless they have also initiated into this school of magic.
METAMAGICS
These metamagics are only available to those who initiate into this school of magic. If more than one metamagic is available, the magician must perform the initiation process, including the Karma and time cost, to learn each one.
Hope that helps.
Edited to add: I can't find the post. I've read too many errata/Street Grimoire threads and my brain has blurred them together.
-Ariketh
