From:	Andy Minor andyman@****.pyro.net
Subject:	Sustanined/Perminant
Date:	Thu, 29 Jun 2000 12:56:24 -0500 (CDT)

On Thu, 29 Jun 2000, Phil Smith wrote:
> Yeah, okay, another example; some runners have worked out that the only way
> they can get into a facility is by dressing up as some guards there. They
> need to wear their light armor if they are going to get out alive. Their
> fixer can not get her hands on some armor as worn by the guards in the
> facility so the team decide they need to make use of the mage's force 10
> fashion spell (stay with me here). If they used the perminant version of
> the spell they would have the security markings on their light armor for
> life and the run is not going to throw up enough nuyen to cover the costs of
> four more sets of light armor. The mage can not use mask on them because
> sustaning the spell on all four of the team would incurr a +8TN for as long
> as he held it. He does know quickening but the karma costs to put mask on
> four people at a vaguely convincing level is more than he will be making for
> this run even after cash for karma.

Fashion is Permanent. You can cast it on your armor for this run, and
then have your mage ready with no extra target mods. Then, after the run,
you can cast it again on the same armor, to make it look completely
different. Again, and again, and again.

> It would not be unrealistic or game unbalancing IMHO to have a version of
> mask or fashion that changes the armor('s apperance) for a few hours.

The logic behind most shadowrun magic IMO is that a mage can create an
effect, and sustain the change (such as with most illusions), or can make
a change permanent (as most health spells and some manipulations), but
cannot make a change that will "fade" over time or "expire" after a
set
time limit. Metamagical abilities can enhance the mage's power and give
greater versatility, but the concept of fading or expiring isn't in the
system.

My point? The system works, even for your example above. Just keep
casting your fashion spell before every run (or, if you're super paranoid,
before and after every run).

Andyman

--
Andy Minor
Andyman@****.net