It is documented in some of the books that the ability to be an adept is rare. There are however a lot more people that have a few talents without being an adept.

Be or be not, there is no want.

I had hopes of finding the thief's den and waiting there, then when he arrives, we flick on the lights and offer an ultimatum. The 'prize' we're getting here is less the 400 silver reward, but more having a thief under our thumb. That's a better prize for House Ippuli too.

I see it as a combination.

Adepts are growing more and more rare, though far more common than they are in the Shadowrun period.

But... you need to want it. You have to meet the magic at least half way by reaching for it.

Adepts take apprentices, and not every apprentice becomes an adept. Let's say maybe 1 in 10 (and that's after the Adept has turned away candidates they felt were unworthy. 1 in 10 accepted candiadates make it)

My feeling is that without making that active effort to WANT the magic the odds of becoming an adept drop to more like 1 in 1,000,000 (actual figure may vary)

Adepts are movers and shakers who make things happen. It'll vary by Discipline, but you dont get there by waiting for it to happen. A Thief steals their Power, a Warrior wrestles their power from the world, a Wizard unravels the puzzle that holds the power.


I considered a hasty re-write to make this my friend's prospective thief PC...

But I'll stick with this thief being an NPC for now, and see what happens with my friend.

There is saying you want something, and then there is being willing to fight for it when you get a little push back.

I still want to trap the thief and I think an adept thief is more valuable than the few hundred silver we get for returning the coins. Not that we can't get both.

This does not seem to match up to your attitude about Pattern Items (Just let it happen) or becoming an Adept (The Magic Choses you)

It seems like there's a disconnect between what Gavrael believes and how he acts

If this little girl walks up and says she wants to be an adept, but not a specific discipline, it doesn't feel like she knows what she really wants. If she is then cowed down by a little harsh criticism, she doesn't deserve to be an adept. You have to want it AND you need the talent for it.

How badly does she want it? At least I didn't punch her in the nose to see if she's got what it takes to be a fighting discipline.

So you are spinning her a line to see if she's got what it takes?

That is part of it. The other part is distracting Gavrael so he doesn't go kill that T'Skrang. So either you have a sky raider debating advanced magical philosophy or you have a bloody murder on your hands.

Why is he so murderous? I get that the Scavians compete with the t'skrang for territory and things would be tense, but Gavrael seems to have his dial set awful high.

Oh, it's because eventually, Z'phir and Gavrael will have it out to see who is stronger. However, it's gonna be a fight to the death. We just need to play up the irascible belligerence first to have it make sense.

Speaking of murderous, I was reading today how the Pale Ones (Underground T'Skrang) smother their K'Stuulami at birth