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An adept has a far stronger pattern.

It would be the difference between a 40 watt incandescent bulb and a halogen lamp. However, you would have to analyze the pattern to see the color (determine the discipline)

For added spice you can make him an adept of a mad passion, like Vestrial or Raggok.

u mean a questor? excellent idea!

Err yes, meh!

Mundanes in a world with adepts must be very ingenuitive to get around their own limitations.

It is quite possible that the individual is a gifted thinker or artist but not capable of doing the necessary deeds required of adept-hood. Think of a serial killer, they are generally have above average intelligence and very cunning and yet they are serial killers. They out think police everyday.

Indeed. And of course, they don't play fair. A mundane with any sort of intelligence will never face adepts in direct combat. An assassin will strike and disappear, never giving the enemy the chance to respond.

i just realized I dont know why a non-adept with enough funds wouldnt wear MULTIPLE absorb blow charms, practicaly pumping up his "HP" in a direct combat. assuming he has more than one, and turns both on, will his charms cooperate and absorb the first 24 damage, or not?

imho:
if the use of the blood charms in a campaign is widespread, the depatterning rule should be enforced and not be only an optional rule.
the culture in barsaive depict the use of blood magic as generally "a bad thing".
so if you dont want to use the depatterning rule, a non adept who bombs himself with blood charm will become shunned feared ostracized etc.etc, because it's apparent that the person isnt a sane of mind or is just serving a mad passion or whatever, but he is basically doing an evil thing on himself to be able to do more evil to the rest of the population

thanks for these informative viewpoint!

however in this case: absorb blow charm's DR is 0.

i made the same objection and the answer was (arma quoted here)
since you have to ROLL for depatterning, even if it's a 0 base value, if you roll a 1 (or combinations of 1) is a fumble and so you get depatterned.
so the 0 doesnt block the depatterning process, is just slightly less probable.

i wrote fumble, but it's called "rule of 1", pag. 15 player handbook.
(if all the dices rolled for an action test are 1, the action is failed even if the difficulty is ..)