Free Super-Science?

[Slagheap]

On page 92 of TC:Core the following passage is found:

"A mundane character may have up to twice her
Wealth rating in Ranks of Advanced Science items.
Talents may have up to twice their Wealth rating plus
their Inspiration. Their devices can be a combination of
Advanced and Inspired items. Devices bought with the
character’s Artifact Edge do not count toward this limit."

I see two possible readings of this rule:

Reading 1) Characters may have for free a number of advanced science items equal to (Wealth x 2) + Source Rating. This seems pretty powerful, but also pretty fun. It would insure that any character can have a special set of gear that sets them apart. The downside to this reading is that it could lead to a glut of powerful items.

Reading 2) This passage sets a maximum amount of advanced science items that a character can amass outside of the artifact edge. The reading seems to create a fairly arbitrary rule, but it completely avoids the downside of reading one. A hard cap on the special gear each character can have limits the possibility that special gear and not special characters driving the story.

Ultimately, I'm not sure which reading I like better. How are other tables using this?

[Florin]

I've been using #2 since it says "may have" in the passage. It would say something like "starts with" or "possesses" for reading 1.

[Mateus Luz]

I like (and would use, as a SG) reading 1. Actually never read it as you did for reading 2 (but it makes a lot of sense).

I would allow a character to have 2x Wealth + Inspiration Advanced Items, but no Inspired ones. The Artifact edge would be the only way to access Inspired items (and powered, for Novas and Psiads/Psions).

[Mateus Luz]

I've been using #2 since it says "may have" in the passage. It would say something like "starts with" or "possesses" for reading 1.

Yet, there is a line that points the reading 1: “Devices bought with the character’s Artifact Edge do not count toward this limit.”

If the only way to get a super Science item is by the artifact edge, why doesn’t it count to the total?

[Florin]

Yet, there is a line that points the reading 1: “Devices bought with the character’s Artifact Edge do not count toward this limit.”

If the only way to get a super Science item is by the artifact edge, why doesn’t it count to the total?

You can craft super science items. So, the limit would apply to crafted items, but not to items purchased through the Artifact Edge.

[Mateus Luz]

And you could buy them... lots of them... and gain from allegiances, and things like that.

Aeon Society characters would have access to a lot of items made by their scientists. The limit is really out of concept for a game that has an entire (or almost entire) chapter discussing the impact of super Science in the setting.

[Florin]

It's just a less diagetic version of Formatting Tolerance. If I wanted an in-game reason for it, I'd just say that much flux accumulated around one person starts to cause problems.