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[|Highwayman|]

this isn't really a rules question - more a general balance wonderment

why are there seperate Attack and Defense Mystic modules, costing 75DP each for a total of 150DP to have both your attack and chosen defense work as your Magic Projection, while there is just a single Psychic module for 100DP that covers both attack and defense?

would spellcasting hybrid characters be so overpowered with just having to spend 100DP on mystic modules to be able to use their attack and defense as their Magic Projections - just as psychic characters can do now with their Psychic Projection Module?

[Sharpandpointies]

Presumably magic has advantages that psychic powers don't.  And it does - massively greater flexibility, higher power at the upper end.  Whereas psychic powers do better with speed and spammability.

Therefore it seems logical that the game designers figured that into their costs.

Additionally, due to how some spheres of magic work (some have VERY few attack powers and a lot of defense - Creation, I'm looking at you - some have a bucketload of attack and no defense - not surprisingly, Destruction is a good example), the designers decided to say 'okay, it makes sense to give people the capacity to choose to spend their points on either attack or defend at a cheaper price'.  Yes, overall it costs more, but the Creation Mage who buys the Defensive Magic Module is paying less, and doesn't really require the Offensive one (assuming he doesn't buy an attack spell with his 'free access' spells). 

Whereas the vast majority of psychic powers with directed attacks also have shields in the same discipline, if I recall correctly. 

[Pneumonica]

There's also a general "total investment" issue.  A magician has a lot they don't spend DP on (the stuff they spend ML on), while a psychic has to develop everything through DP.  If you take away MP for the Warlock, he only has to spend DP on Zeon and MA to expand his magical powers (the rest come from ML, which doesn't need DP spent on it).  If you take away Psychic Projection from a Warrior Mentalist, what you're really doing is allowing the psychic warrior to expand his repertoire of powers.

It doesn't seem like a real difference (and in some ways it isn't), but if you do the math the comparison gets pretty significant, especially at lower levels (at the higher levels, presumably you start wanting to use the optional rules to spend DP to gain further ML).

[Sharpandpointies]

Good point, Pneumonica.  :)