[Mulcarn]

New things i'm excited about in no particular order.

1) Structured Spellcasting
Give up the ability to set your spellcasting limit with Edge and Reagents, and you can't use reckless spellcasting anymore.  In turn you get -1 Drain on all spellcasting tests.  Combine that with Mentor's Mask and a fetish for some serious Drain reduction.  Hello Force 9+ indirect combat spells. 

2) Paradigm Shift
I've always wanted a mechanical way to change traditions.  Now I got one!  This also opens up Insect and Toxic traditions for all kinds of fun and joy...

3) Spirit Expansion: Shedim
Ever wanted to play a necromancer?  Now you can.  All you need to do is to negotiate with a Master Shedim to learn how.  Easy, right?

4) Mentor's Mask
Hate Drain?  Me too.  Here's an option for less drain at the cost of more easily noticeable magic.

[ZeldaBravo]

Sweet!

[Novocrane]

3) Spirit Expansion: Shedim
Ever wanted to play a necromancer?  Now you can.  All you need to do is to negotiate with a Master Shedim to learn how.  Easy, right?

From what I've gathered, it seems that's not how you become a necromancer, but how you get fooled into thinking you're a necromancer.

Most magicians who have seen it call it “necromancy,” conflating it with previously discovered necromantic traditions, an error that the shedim have seen no reason to correct.

[fseperent]

I am a little surprised Archivist has not been mentioned yet.
Yes, it does little for most chargen methods.
Life Modules, however, have a LOT of Academic: Any options that could easily stack for a +2 or higher bonus.

[Mulcarn]

Well, from a mechanical point of view there isn't much difference between the two.  Both shedim summoners and necromancer are conjuring forth spirits of death and decay to possess corpses and wreak terror.  With shedim summoning it's not only easier but better because the shedim doesn't lower your Magic rating and you can bind them for a zombie stockpile.

[Novocrane]

Well, from a mechanical point of view there isn't much difference between the two.

Sure there is. Shedim are mostly better than corpse spirits.

Both shedim summoners and necromancer are conjuring forth spirits of death and decay to possess corpses and wreak terror.

That's debatable.

[Jack_Spade]

@Structured Spellcasting

That one is a trap in most cases, unless you have a really high magic rating. The drain decrease is usually not relevant if you aren't overcasting or oversummoning.

[Mulcarn]

It opens up the ability to frequently overcast high force combat spells or regular force buffs/debuffs with a high base Drain.  (Increase Reflexes, Combat Sense, Mob Mind, Mob Control, etc)

[Jack_Spade]

Reading the text again, and you are right, it's reckless spellcasting that's no longer possible not overcasting (The limit enforcement threw me off)

[Pinicles]

My two cents
-Elf  hedge widzard (manipulation)
-Dedicate Spellslinger
-Puppet Master
-Charlatan
-fetish


 Reckless spellscating, undetctect 6E influence.
 Reckless spellscating, undetctect 6E control thoughts, then Alter memory .
 
 Puppet party. Why fight? If you can reduce the guard, muzzle and tie. Or if they are a group keep them doing nothing, finish the job and then make them forget everything.

[Rooks]

Other than weapon Foci is there anything else the Aware can use?

[Jack_Spade]

All the qualities that don't have a specific prerequisite.

[Hobbes]

My two cents
-Elf  hedge widzard (manipulation)
-Dedicate Spellslinger
-Puppet Master
-Charlatan
-fetish


 Reckless spellscating, undetctect 6E influence.
 Reckless spellscating, undetctect 6E control thoughts, then Alter memory .
 
 Puppet party. Why fight? If you can reduce the guard, muzzle and tie. Or if they are a group keep them doing nothing, finish the job and then make them forget everything.

Charlatan for a typical Elf Face Mage really is all you need.  Being able to toss around undetected force 6 Spells is very silly. 

FYI, you want to start with the Incubus Spell from Cutting Aces using the Illusionist PQ to sustain.

Spellcasting 6, Performance 4ish, Incubus sustained with no penalty.  14 or 16 dice on your favorite Mental manipulation (I like Suggestion, YMMV) then follow up with Re-wind or Alter Memory as you leave.  I've got this character already sitting there and was planning on simply raising Spellcasting instead of initiating just so I could do this on a regular basis.  Couple new PQs and some minor tweaks and I'm doing out of Chargen.

[deathwishjoe]

So worship leader seems like it could get pretty crazy.  Could agents running on a computer count as a mundane ritual participant?  Ritual spell casting takes time which may make this a not very useful ability for a player character.  Ill have to look into this.  I'm imagining a runner who stays at home using astral projection and watcher spirits to target for the spells he wants to use. 

[RowanTheFox]

My reaction to the new Death mentor spirit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXpnI52cLEc&list=PLC2O8tKD1_aT5AEk_44ZWD377bO8erI25&index=19