Has the social effect of the Gift changed in Fifth Edition?
Definitely – but the only definite change is that Parma Magica now blocks the social penalties of other magi’s Gift. The social effects of the Gift are explained on pages 75-77. A lot more text is devoted to explaining the Gift than has been done in recent editions, and the description of the social penalties of the Gift is harsh and unequivocal. This has led many veteran players, who had interpreted the Gift’s effects more generously, to regard the rules as changed (and these players generally think the change is for the worse). Other people say the description of the Gift in Fifth Edition matches the way they’ve always played it. So, the answer depends on how you played the Gift before Fifth Edition came out. If you think the effects of the Gift have changed for the worse, don’t feel forced into a different intepretation just because a new edition came out. You can always overrule the book.
