Magic and the Mundane

Magic costs 18-30 build points (or less with one of my alternates.) That 30 build points could be used for 30 skill points, 15 attribute points, edges, etc. However, it soon becomes apparant during the course of the campaign that the mage trumps the mundane in every way.

Karma:
Yes, mages must spend a lot of karma initiating, learning spells, and bonding to foci. This may seem to give them a disadvantage. But remember that the quickening metamagic technique makes mages the cheapest characters to level up.

A mage basically pays 2 karma points per ability score increase. (1 to learn the spell, 1 to quicken it). They can go from 6 willpower to 12 willpower for 12 karma. Your standard human character (who cannot gain 12 willpower at all) must pay seperately for each stat increase a point at a time.

Because a mage can have higher stats cheaper, he can also have higher skills cheaper. Using a max skill rating of 12, a mage can ensure that any given stat is at least 12, causing him to pay a cheaper cost to raise a skill than a mundane would. This easily makes up for the karma costs.

Skills:
While a mage does spend a lot of karma initiating, he also finds that he needs less skills. (Sorcery and or Conjuration usually do it). A mage can lose stealth and cast invisibility. He can lose weapon skills and cast combat spels. He can forget vehicle skills and fly. And since the spell is far less expensive than the skill, the mage wins out against the mundane here also.

An adept can gain bonus dice to any skill via his powers, then also take the skill ranks. Checkmate, mundane!

Money:
Spells and foci are expensive. But then, while a mage is boosting his own willpower, he might as well sell the service to other party members and boost their stats as well. This can easily make up cost differences.

Cyberware:
While a mage is usually looked at as "non-cybered", a mage can easily take cyberware and take gaesa (which can be dropped during initiation if the wish). Some gaesa might be hardly noticable, allowing for a mage to have almost as much cyberware as someone else without trouble.

Bioware:
Finally, something that helps the mundane! There is no real way for a mage to get over his bio index except by increasing his magic (which still leaves him at a net loss). Of course, there's very little bioware can do that magic can't suppliment- the mnemonic enhancer comes to mind. Other than that... well, what bioware does the mage really need anyway?

Utility:
The ability to astrally percieve, assense, project, summon, spellcast, astrally track, use metamagic (such as divining and psychometry), banish and dispel magic and use spell defense dice are exclusive to mages. What's more, some spirits are immune to natural weapons. This means that in many cases it takes a mage to defeat a mage.

Equipment:
A mage need not carry guns (having attack spells), and might still have use of B&E equipment (which he can physically mask as something else), so a mage has no trouble walking past a security detail. (He might even look like their boss!). The mundane trying to pull his sniper rifle and 100 kilos of C12 however...

Rigging/Decking:
Well, a mage can use cyberware and can take skills. There's really nothing stopping the mage from being a decker or a rigger. Sure they load up on gaesa or something, but they can still do it with minimal problems.

Drugs:
Okay, you got me. Mages who abuse drugs must check for magic loss. (A check that becomes near impossible to fail at higher magic ratings) Of course, magic loss can also be offset by gaesa. What drugs are useful again? The stim patch? Totally not better than the healing spells.

Race:
While some races (elves, gnomes, dwarves) might seem better suited to mages due to their willpower or charisma bonuses, and some (trolls, orks) might seem ill suited, it really doesn't matter. They can boost up their stats very quickly, and still benefit from all their racial stuff. The charisma penalty means very little, and the willpower penalty doesn't really hurt them.

Astral Perception:
Oh yeah, only astrally percieving creatures risk being possessed or attacked on the astral plane! Good thing mages can just turn it off.

Defensive:
Who else can attack just fine using a mirror, or through an invisible wall? Not gunners! Who can counter ruthenium with well placed illusion spells? Who else can go unseen by cameras and ultrasound detectors?

Secrets:
What's more likely to work- the intimidation check or the mind reading? You can even read thoughts he's not aware he has! And detect spells? Come on!

So what's the benefit in playing a non caster? A few more skill ranks to start out with. That's pretty much it. The ability to take bioware without fear perhaps. That's why my campaigns tend to have special anti-magic security measures, to tip the scales back to balanced. Maybe you don't play your character to be powerful... but you probably do.