[Aethelwulf1972]

okay assuming my gm gets back to me with approval for restricted gear either for a higher force weapon focus or the availability of the colapsable spear what weapon do I want for a weapon focus:

Combat Knife (only benefit I can think of is better for concealability)
Katana
or
Collapsible spear?

[Whiskeyjack]

Katanas are legal. Get a license.

Also you can upgrade foci in play so don't feel like you need to waste restricted gear on it. Even a level 1 is gold because it pierces spirit INTW.

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

If you got the cash to use katana, if not then otherwise the combat knife, because the collapsible spear has an availability of 14(restricted as well, but that doesnt matter). If we are using restricted PQ to get an availability 14 weapon  then get the claymore and dont worry about the spear or the katana.

[Aethelwulf1972]

oh, I also settled on Spiritual way, to leave open the option of learning psychometry.  for the choice of one power elegible for the way discount I was thinking of an improved physical attribute.... the question is, which attribute? i already have the 2 free levels of Agi boost from the wolf mentor spirit and in terms of both katana damage, and boosting physical limit I was thinking strength

[Aethelwulf1972]

also I believe I recall someone mentioning the wudang sword martial art for the Ballestra technique.... if I don't personally care for +1 reach at the expense of -1 to defense tests until my next action phase, is wudang sword still preferable if I wanted to grab a martial art?  are the martial arts based Ripostes any good?  are Martial arts worth the karma? (or more specifically would a weapon based martial art be worth the karma for this character?)

or should I just specialize in katana?

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Strength is a good one to increase, considering what you want to do. Riposte is amazing if you can reliably beat the others test. Also it has iajustsu (aka draw and strike) as well. Only reason Wudang is considered better than Kendo is for Riposte and Ballestra. Actually having +1 reach would negate the -1 to defense for melee attacks (or at least it should). So with your katana you would have a effective reach of +2 (equal to the claymore/nadochi and combat ax).

[Whiskeyjack]

I don't ever see IPA as worth it.

Wudang Sword is like one of two or three styles that are good as opposed to just different. Iaijutsu is amazing and necessary for strong Melee builds. A style is worth the karma if it's a good style. Not many of the styles are written to be more than flavorful though.

What are you concerned about with physical limit? You can always take the power for +1, and Melee attacks key off of ACC except for unarmed. Normal defense tests and Agile Defender impose no Limit.

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Normally for Improved Attribute I just use Qi focus (force 4) to the relevant stat (usually STR). As a MysAd (who best have spells, otherwise your are being wasteful with your karma) you will also need other foci besides just Weapon and Qi foci this may not be as practiacal. With the ability to turn foci on and off, I just switch which foci I need, with my weapon and IA (STR) being my almost always on unless combat is almost positively not going to happen (low chance many times in the game I am in). Discount one of the other .5 powers that you most like have (such as combat sense) and use it to buy one of the flavorful and useful .25 powers like sustenance or nimble fingers.

[Aethelwulf1972]

okay I just realized I forgot to mention, I did finally decide on adept.... Mystic adept was becomming to costly in terms of karma for what I want.

[Strange]

And how much karma does it take to get spells, and the skills to use them, let alone initiation? Your buying potential at the cost of initial effectivness. does anything in here strike you as potentially effective so far?

It would be an extremely effective character with lots of future potentials.  He would be a bit narrow at the beginning, but still effective.  Again, my major concern is having the Attributes to support the build.  Am I saying he would be as good as an adept at the start?  Yes, he would be.  50 karma won't break your major build, mostly it will be more money or skills that you don't really need that would suffer, so a tight build will definitely work.  But more important, if that is the type of character that you want to play, then play it.  Again, as I said already, it also depends on how long the campaign intends to go.  These factors may not make you think it is viable, but that is just your opinion.

So how do you define effective?

It would take hundreds of karma to reach effectiveness.

Define effectiveness? 
I agree that mys adepts are always karma-hungry but not to the point of unplayability.

You first 

It would take hundreds of karma to reach effectiveness.

Define effectiveness? 
I agree that mys adepts are always karma-hungry but not to the point of unplayability.

It easier to show what is not then what is, but a mysad that has bought only adept powers, has no spells or magic skills, and doesn't have a pool above 13 isn't, for sure.

Further any mysad who doesn't have spells and the skills to use them, is most certainly non-effective.

Oh but I already did. So carry on. Clearly we disagree on what it means so where am I wrong?

I never said you were wrong.  I never addressed you until you addressed me.  I was only giving my opinion.  I am not one of those powergamers who thinks that you need maximum dice pools with max stats to have a good time.  I like characters with character, now the boring has-done build that everyone plays.  A little optimization is fine, and certainly a sense of direction when building a character helps, too. We do disagree, doesn't mean you (or I) are wrong.

[Aethelwulf1972]

what skill or skill group would be appropriate (to the character concept) for the sensei to have?

need to spend at least 4 of the free contact points on the sensei.... what other contacts should I consider?

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

What is one of your primary (max/near maxed ) skills? Pick that skill/skill group. So for example, Close Combat group would not be a bad idea. Good to know you dropped the MysAd with out spells bit.

[Marcus]

A smartgun equipped weapon has a camera, cybereyes can do it as well.
After that I'm sure a Commlink have cameras though it may have how are you holding it problem.
Drone cameras are easy to get ahold of.

[Aethelwulf1972]

it just now occurred to me, should I have ranks in astral combat or should this character just concern himself with fighting manifested spirits?

[Whiskeyjack]

Astral Combat is not a good skill.

If you want, take Astral Perception as a qi focus to hit astral spirits, but they're not going to do much to you from the astral either.