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I'm curious what folks thoughts are about making mages use up talent options in order to take extra spell matrices. Seems like it forces a tradeoff into a somewhat less diverse character by really limiting their available talents. At the same time, sure, they can get items that have matrices in them. I just don't know.

For the same reason, I have a house rule that characters just get Durability at second circle, they don't take it as an option, because to me it seems like a character without Durability is a character that will never reach circle 5. I'd rather them be able to live, and get the extra talent. I'm debating how that principle might apply to spell matrices, if it should at all.

Would love to hear others' thoughts.

I also run with "free" Durability as a 2nd Circle Ability.


Here's how you have to weigh "extra" Matrices. Casters get Spellcasting, which, combined with a Matrix is basically a whole additional Talent which can be Swapped Out For Another Talent. Spellcasters also must take R&W Magic in order to learn spells (everyone gets Threadweaving, casters arguably get MORE use out of that Talent).

So Casters are built a little bit like a swiss army knife, with the core 3 talents (Spellcasting, Matrix, R&W Magic), plus Threadweaving serving as the Engine which the mage can switch out "at will". Given that the Matrix is the "slot", that leave mages 2 Talents down on other Adepts (they also have a slight Legend Point cost differential, if you note the additional 1st circle Talent).

So any mage who has access to two additional Matrices (say, Matrix Items, or Thread Items which use Spellcasting or have a Matrix) has immediate access to the same width of talents in any situation (while still retaining their swiss-army like versatility with their 1+ Matrix Talents).

I hope that gives you some perspective when you decide on your final houserule.

I like that idea of affording them enough matrices to basically balance out the missing talents - treating the spell that they would store basically as equivalent to a talent in that case. Thanks for the idea there.