[Medicineman]

You wish for it very strongly and Presto , You've got it !
There is No explanation (or rather ANY explanation ist equally valid) as to how an Adept gains his Powers
( I would tell You because it's magic but since you don't want that explanation I don't  have any other)

with a Magic Dance
Medicineman

[SmilinIrish]

The initiation required to get the PP is a month long ordeal. That month can anything for a spiritual journey to a physical test.  You don't have to hand wave and say "it's magic" to simply explain that it is magic. Things melanin control, facial sculpt can be explained that you spend a month deeply meditating on who you are, listening to your breathing, flexing and relaxing each muscle in your body in order, over and over so that you know your own body.  Then you have more meditation while you focus inward and trace your Chi over and over.  Only when you know the intimate details can you begin to precisely manipulate those things about yourself

[SmilinIrish]

But really, most adept powers are internalized. It can come down to lots and lots of meditation. "To know thyself, is better than to rule the world." 

Another idea, if you have an astrally perceiving adept, is to give an object, maybe a painting that looks normal on the outside, but when perceived, it becomes a 3D astral "puzzle".  The effort spent contemplating and  solving the astral puzzle awakens stronger magics in you

[Strange]

I kinda like to think of it as magic affecting your body based on your focuses.  If you are practicing martial arts and your body is a conduit for magic, it makes you better.  The magic is so specialized and personal that most of it activates by itself, without thought when needed.  In martial arts they teach you to focus on what you want and that makes it stronger, magic would follow that focus and have results. 

In opposition to that, however, I think that adepts (and mystic adepts) can just obtain spontaneous abilities without training or focus, too.  Since the abilities ARE magical, read the magic section, focusing on traditions, on how all of the traditions view how magic works differently, and most of them agree that it works their way because they believe it will.  Hope that helps a little.

[CitizenJoe]

The guy is looking for fluff descriptions of the rituals to gain the power. 

For melanin control, you need to activate your melanin while meditating on it, studying it's effects on the body.  Generally, that happens through tanning.

For facial sculpt, you're looking at getting your jaw broke plus inflammation like from bee stings. 

[KarmaInferno]

[BadRussianAccent]

What is being this 'training' stuff? Viktor is born awesome. Was kicking walls down as baby. Now is adult just being more awesome.

[/BadRussianAccent]



-viktor

[Senko]

Yep fluff explanations and like I said plenty of nice one's here i can use thanks.

Also I"m now picturing a corporate mystic adept submitting an expense account for a month long carribean vacation as training (in tanning.)

[Sendaz]

Also I"m now picturing a corporate mystic adept submitting an expense account for a month long carribean vacation as training (in tanning.)

And now you see why they have such a high turnover in the Corporate Accounting Departments because having to go through all these expense reports has led to more than one nervous breakdown.


Feign illness and Feign Death are also fun ones to train on, though there can be some complications.

Calling in sick eh?
Well, I know from looking at your expense reports that you have been training Feign illness, so you better just come in to work today.
What, you say you are really sick.... sure you are. Get in here NOW!

I am sorry, but according to our records you are dead and your office and parking space have already been reassigned to Gordon and death benefits paid out to your widow.
Who by the way I see here has taken her bereavement time down in Vegas with Gordon.
Where can you go now? Well, we do have some openings in Accounting, but we will need to see a note from your physician stating Proof of Life first.

[Stoneglobe]

I seem to remember this was touched on in the Ryan Mercury trilogy where Mercury recalls all of the hours spent training and honing his skills under the big D's tuition. At the time it seemed to be playing games and practicing mundane skills but he later realised that the dragon was using it to teach, develop and hone his magical abilities, including multiple initiations, just as much as his mundane ones. I always liked this as it allowed for people to develop and grow without necessarily realising that was what they were doing.

For me this always fitted in with the concept of spontaneously activating/developing magic, whether it be adept or otherwise, at a time of high stress. After all someone growing up on the streets may not know that they are an adept for many years depending upon the powers they have but could also still be an initiate as they grow and train in what they're good at.

[Senko]

I've seen that one used in other medium as well such as the old "Wax on, Wax off." from Mr Miyagi.

I have to say as a corporate mage there are a lot of "perks" I can see them getting.

"You want me to cough, cough come in sick? You do recall the last time you said I was feigning illness and made me come in the entire office was off sick the next 2 weeks with flu?"
"How can you let Johnson sleep on the job Higgins?"
"I didn't know if he sleeping, meditating, practicing his feign death skills or astrally projecting and conducting a security sweep sir and you recall the last time I woke him up that tentacle thing got lose in the offices."
"Its his familiar."
"It still got lose in the offices, first gay tentacle monster I ever heard of. Steven's is still off on stress leave and HR was already short handed."

And of course all the stress relief, good pay and job conditions as its a skill you can't train unless they are part of the 1% to possess it naturally, specialized training and research trips. Mmmmmmm probably wouldn't be like that in Shadowruns grim and gritty reality but here? "You want to cut my pay to barely even with inflation, remove no forced redundancy and retention of pay because they're unconstitutional while politicians still get indexed pensions regardless of getting other jobs after 2 terms? Ok fine here's my resignation I've got 15 job offers that have better terms and conditions so I'll not debate it with you but good luck getting anyone to hire on to replace me. Yesss Mmmmmmm is most appropriate.

[Glyph]

I see adept powers as something that are assigned at the player/metagame level, but which are less predictable at the character level.  I see them spontaneously developing powers depending on training (someone practicing his shooting might get improved ability: pistols), need (someone who is on the run might develop the sustenance power to supplement his irregular meals), or subconscious desire (a combat adept might want to be more sociable, or a social adept might want to be faster in combat).

Meditation and training allow slightly more control over this process, but for the most part it will seem like suddenly developing (more) super-powers.  The power itself would come suddenly, but it would take a while to adjust to it.  I would probably fold it into the downtime when the Magic attribute is raised, similarly to how it is assumed that augmented characters learn to adjust to new implants.

[witchdoctor]

Keep in mind that by the very fact that Adepts are internalizing their use of magic to get specific effects means that in-universe that each Adept is going to approach their powers differently. It's been noted on multiple occasions that the means by which mages shape mana into the spells they cast is as unique as they are, all that's required is that they believe that's how it works. Adepts are the same way, they each shape the mana to gain their powers in whatever way they believe works, there have been even noted cases where Adepts weren't even aware they were Adepts and simply thought they were just naturally able to perform Adept powers through dedication and training. In short Adept powers work off the power of belief the same as Magic does.

[Whiskeyjack]

I see adept powers as something that are assigned at the player/metagame level, but which are less predictable at the character level.  I see them spontaneously developing powers depending on training (someone practicing his shooting might get improved ability: pistols), need (someone who is on the run might develop the sustenance power to supplement his irregular meals), or subconscious desire (a combat adept might want to be more sociable, or a social adept might want to be faster in combat).

Meditation and training allow slightly more control over this process, but for the most part it will seem like suddenly developing (more) super-powers.  The power itself would come suddenly, but it would take a while to adjust to it.  I would probably fold it into the downtime when the Magic attribute is raised, similarly to how it is assumed that augmented characters learn to adjust to new implants.

See, I disagree about the character level part. Magic is a known quantity, to the point that it is studied in universities in the Sixth World after all, just like chemistry, engineering, and physics. I think an adept pistoleer can definitely intentionally develop his magic to improve his ability to shoot pistols, react faster in a firefight, sense opponents' motions even in darkness, etc.

How does this work, in practice? Similar to how magicians study a formula and practice for a few days to learn a new spell, except totally internalized. If they have a mentor spirit, this probably comes into play as well.

Basically, I don't see evidence that adepts have very little control over their personal magical development IC, because no other magic archetype has that issue.

[Squirrel]

My take on this i that all adept powers are inherited. They are a part of you attitude, laying dormant until you reached a high enough consolidation with your astral self (aka Magic attribute) for them to manifest.
The example of melanin control would be a hint for a general more sneaking conspiring nature of the character while iron lungs could be an indicator for stubbornness.

While I would not compare it one for one with spells of magicians adepts do try to get to their powers by some form of study/training as well. But for them it is basically only raising their magic attribute. The character themself does not know what powers she/he will unlock and can't chose them beforehand. We as players can make that choice.

And no this is no call for selecting all adept powers for future power points at character creation.

[irthinker]

It sounds like you are not so much looking for "real" explanations as a comprehensible path by which they achieve the abilities.

They have magic in them.  They are figuring out how to channel it or expand upon it.  It does make sense that they do something to achieve that.

For a lot of them, a wire-fighting martial arts movie montage would work for most, e.g., a sensei putting them through various trials/training.  That model can be applied for guns too, practicing with a blindfold, while balancing on shakey crates, while hammered on sake, etc.

Things like thermographic vision could absolutely be the same.  Blacking out their home too help spur their development.  Regulated doses of pit viper venom/blood.  Because it is magic, you can have fun with it while only having it make a *little* sense.

I would match the aesthetics to the character.  If it's a Tribal concept, then perhaps a vision quest enables it, or hanging out in a sweat lodge, or hanging from hooks (ouch!).

If they take a mentor spirit and select abilities consistent with it, then the easy/obvious choice is the mentor spirit teaches them.

Hope that helps.