| From: | Stuart M. Willis hbiki@****.geocities.com |
|---|---|
| Subject: | [Nerps] Astral Shockwave Rules :-) |
| Date: | Fri, 19 Feb 1999 00:13:57 +1100 |
========================
For all intents and purposes, treat the Astral Shockwave as a metamagical
ability. Non-intiates do produce Shockwaves at death, however the results
are negligble.
The Astral Shockwave [ASW] is not a spell per se, but rather a kind of mana
explosion in astral space eminating from a dying magician's aura.
The ASW cannot be used with the Hand Of God rule.
Type: Mana
Base Damage Code: (Intiate Grade + (Willpower/2))L
NB: Consider the Power Level as the Force. Furthermore, damage can be
either physical of stun (Magicians discretion).
Base Area Effect: Magic Rating + (Willpower/2) in Meters
NB: Treat as an area effect spell.
Base 'Shock Points': (Sorcery Skill + Conjuring Skill + Spell Pool + Karma
Pool) / 2
Bonus 'Shock Points': (Sum of the ratings of all activated foci) / 2
NB: Foci used to generate Bonus Shock Points are innert and unable to used
as Foci again.. they cannot even be reenchanted.
Shock Points
------------
Shock Points are used to 'purchase' the following:
Success Test Die:
The magician can purchase 1 die to be used in the ASW Success Test of the
ASW per 1 Shock point spent.
Increase/Decrease Area:
The magician may increase or decrease the area of effect by one metre, per
shock point spent.
Increase/Decrease Power Level:
The magician may increase or decrease the power level of the ASW per shock
point spent. If the Power Level of the ASW drops below 1, then it does not
occur - the magician suppresses it.
Increase/Decrease Damage Level:
The magician may stage up or down the damage level of the ASW by one level
per 10 shock points spent.
Supress Foci:
The magician may supress the use of a focus in creating bonus shock points
by spending one base shock point.
ASW Defense:
A magican can attempt to protect anything from the effects of their ASW by
allocating each a die per Shock Point spent to be used solely against their
ASW, but using the rules of Spell Defense (see SR3, p. 183)
ASW Dispelling:
The magician makes a concerted effort to dispell existing sustained spells
with his/her ASW. For every two shock points spent, subtract a die from the
ASW Resistance Test of a particular spell. The magician may attempt to
dispell as many spells as he/she wishes.
ASW Banishing:
The magician makes a concerted effort banish a spirit (see below for ASW
and Spirits). For every three shock points spent, increase the target
number by one for the Spirit's Banishment Resistant Test.
ASW Success Test & ASW Resistance Test
--------------------------------------
Valid Targets for a magician who died when not projecting include
everything in his/her LOS, spells,wards and spirits - even if they're not
manifesting. Valid Targets for a magician who has died while in projecting
are everything active astrally at the time (Spirits, Spells, other
Magicians, Foci) only.
The dying magician rolls the dice allocated to the ASW Success Test.
Compare the results against the target number for each valid target within
the spell's radius. Successes are counted separately for each target, and a
separate ASW Resistance Test is made by each Target.
The target makes an ASW Resistance Test against the force of the ASW using
their willpower (or Force if a Spell or Ward). See p. 176 for the effect on
"astral Objects'.
Resolve damage per the Spell Effect rules on p. 183 of SR3.
ASW and Wards:
For all targets behind a ward (or more) reduce the force/power level of the
ASW by the force of the ward.
ASW and Spirits:
The ASW cannnot merely disrupt them, but can possibly Banish them.
Calculate damage against Spirits as per the rules on p. 175.
If the spirits recieves Deadly wounds, then it may be banished. Perform the
Banishment Resistant Test. :-). The spirit rolls a Force Test against a
target number equal to the *base* power level of the ASW (make sure to
increase the target number if shock points have been spent on banishment);
if the number of resultant successes is less than the number of successes
generated by in the ASW Success Test, and the difference between the two is
equal to or greater than the Spirit's Force, then it is banished.
ASW and Background Count
------------------------
The background count at a site where a ASW has occurred can increase if the
ASW was substantially powerful.
Increase the background by 3 if the damage level of the ASW was Deadly, 2
if it was Serious, and 1 if it was moderate. The number of hours the
background count stays at that increased level before dropping by one is
equal to the power level of the ASW. If the Background count has not
returned to its original level then double the previous time period before
dropping it again by one. Continue this dropping process until the
background count is returned to normal
e.g. A particular site has a background count of 1: a 10D ASW would raise
the background count by 3 for 10 hours, making it 4. After 10 hours the
background count would drop to 3, because it is not yet to its original
level it would take another 20 hours (10 times 2) to drop to a background
count of 2, and another 40 hours (20 times 2) to drop to its original level
of 1.
Comments:
----------
1. For an ever deadlier degrees of ASW, remove the halving from some if not
all of the calculations.
2. I've designed it so it is easily possible for a magician to not cause
any damage at all.
3. While I've tried to make the rules as consistent as possible with SR3
magic, I've made some changes in order to reflect the power of the ASW.
Notably the area effected by the ASW is bigger than that affected by an
area effect spell. I decided this was so because the ASW is a kind of 'last
ditch lash out' and the effect of it relies mostly of the will of the dying
mage (hence also the base power level).
4. Send *me* comments. I'm curious. Too powerful? Too weak?
5. The fact that friend and foe alike are effected by the ASW and that you
can only allocate resistant dice rather than choose who is target by the
ASW should hopefully make most Players/PCs consider its use only in the
most dire of circumstances (and so it should be).
6. Shock Points reflect the 'Will' of the Dying Magician; and the GM should
make sure that the Player RolePlay it as such.
:-)
s.
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