[AUTOPASS] [BYLAW REVISION] Mage Merit Revision

THIS PROPOSAL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO AUTOPASS

I, Jen Salty, as Mage Genre Coordinator, hereby propose the following changes to Character Bylaw 10.j.iv.:

From:

10. Controlled Items

J. MAGE CONTROLLED ITEMS

iv. Genre-specific Mage genre Merits/Flaws on non-Mages - PC: Coordinator Approval - NPC: Coordinator Approval - Coordinator: Mage

1. This includes: Immortal, Immunity, Inner Knight, Legendary Attribute, Parlor Trick, Physical Enhancement, Primal Marks, Resistant Pattern, Sleepwalker, and any merit/flaw dealing with a Mage's Avatar.

2. If another genre has a published merit/flaw of the same name, this does not restrict characters of that Genre from taking their own version of the merit/flaw.

To:

10. Controlled Items

J. MAGE CONTROLLED ITEMS

iv. Genre-specific Mage genre Merits/Flaws on non-Mages - PC: Coordinator Approval - NPC: Coordinator Approval - Coordinator: Mage

1. This includes: Immortal, Immunity, Inner Knight, Legendary Attribute, Parlor Trick, Physical Enhancement, Primal Marks, Resistant Pattern, Sleepwalker, and any merit/flaw dealing with a Mage's Avatar/the ability to Channel Mana, Sphere Magic/Sorcery Paths, or dealing with a facet unique to being Awakened or Awakened Society. For the purposes of this Bylaw, Sorcerers are considered a part of Awakened Society.

2. If another genre has a published merit/flaw of the same name, this does not restrict characters of that Genre from taking their own version of the merit/flaw.

Reasoning:

There appears to be a lot of confusion as to what is and isn't a merit or flaw that deals with a Mage's Avatar. This addition is purely to clarify that confusion so that when people are asking for a merit or flaw from a Mage Book, storytellers and CMs are able to offer more accurate guidance as to whether or not they need to seek Coordinator Approval. I have done a study of all merits and flaws from Mage genre books, checking through which ones have a merit that either does the same thing or has the same name for a different splat and which ones do or do not have such. I have also debated over whether that should be the dividing line or whether it should be drawn based on subject matter.

The decision to maintain a subject-matter based dividing line but to clarify it was not made lightly. I determined that if I based the option on whether or not another splat had that merit, I would have to bloat bylaws with a list of all merits and flaws that were mage-specific, many of which were not actually unbalanced for any genre and did not require controls.

For the purposes of merits and flaws out of Mage books, assume that any merit or flaw that discusses magic is referring to sphere or hedge magic. I do actually have a complete list of what these merits and flaws are.

Jen Salty

Mage Coord