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Message no. 1
From: Earl <earl@********.ES>
Subject: (STUFF) Foci, Fetishes,...
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 14:21:55 +0100
Well, it seems it wasn't too hard to find it, so here it is. This'
the final version of this article, I think it's v3.0 or something like
that. It's very sure you'll find a lot of grammar mistakes, but
that's because I wrote this before Max started helping me with the
articles, so don't blame me too much. Of course, this article is
prior to the Silencing one, so the runners' comments on this.

FOCI, FETISHES AND ASTRAL PLANE

From Magic´R´Us Magazine, JUL´57, by Dr. Theofilus Marcus Graine III.
Christian Taumaturgical University of Washington
In all this time I’ve spent teaching the mysteries of magic I’ve found
so many young Magick students who find a lot easier to learn spells
with the aid of those so-called Fetishes, that are no more than
viruses to good use of Magic.

(>) What in hell thinks this guy he is ? `teaching the mysteries of
magic´ Holy Dolly Parton ! Does he think he’s fragged Buda?
(>) Lorana

(>) Don’t care about his self-importance. Think of that nonsense :
He states that fetishes are bad. Our juju boy uses them a lot, and he
says they help him toasting Azzie Guys.
(>) Mark the Kinda Troll

(>) Yeah, my child, but I don’t live by them, not, I have them to
assist me in a few spells, but most of the time I prefer using nothing
more than my chants and a few o tea and lemon.
(>) Desplumado

(>) Tea and lemon ? Some kind of geas ?
(>) Jason Walks-the-Stars

(>) Nop. Just it refresh me a lot and Bob makes me a discount.
(>) Desplumado

There are lots of young magician who use fetishes just because they
think they are been assisted in their magick, but what they are doing
is restricting their magickal ways. They way they invoke their sacred
power.
They learn their spells including the need of certain physickal part
of the formula -the fetish. The phisicks are not magickal, just
something they need in the process of casting the spell. Should the
circumstances require a mege cast a spell without any help, confronted
to this, those boys find themselves with no spell to cast.
Personally, when I have one of my students to pass an exam I made him
to pass it without any help, so he can’t cast any spell if he needs
fetish aid.

(>) Well, that’s not true. If you need fetish for one spell maybe you
don’t need it for some other spell. No ?
(>) Dingo

I’ve done some researching at a street level. It’s so amazing how
many self-teached magi are in the streets ! After talking with a few
of them I reached this conclusion : We’ve got to worry about the
fetish problem ; there are a lot of young students and magi that are
destroying the true essence of Magick by the simple method of abusing
of fetish use.

(>) Weh! that guy talked to me. He questioned me about my magical
methods, and how do I solve the problems that I must confront when
casting magic, you know, that kind of questions !
(>) Joe Average

(>) Yes, kid, that kind of questions a corp security officer could
make. And you say you answered him ?
(>) J. Whatalu

(>) Ehm, me, so,... You’re jealous ´cause he didn’t talk to you !
(>) Joe Average

In fact, I found one boy who was the sumun of all the problems I’m
mentioning. I’ll mention him using the alter ego he gave to me. We’
ll call him Joe Average.

(>) I’ll delete the next 14.6 Gp of cruel joking data
(>) Sysop

Joe Average uses expendable fetishes for all the spells he knows.
Expendable Fetishes are those wasted by the energy of the spell, What
must do a mage to have the benefits of his fetishes ?. He must touch
them. It’s simple. They don’t work if the mage has them inside his
pants and don’t touch them. Well, there are circunstances in what you
can touch them if they’re inside your pants, but I’m not so sure if I
can talk about that special ocasions. I beg your pardon for this
little humor license.

(>) I get my Fetishes inside little bags, web-style, so I can get them
in my hand without having to look inside my pockets when I need them.
But it happens, I once went into trouble with a Sioux patrol, and one
of my partners, called Joe, had problems getting his fetiches out of
his pants. Really. He got them there because he "didn’t want nobody
to get them handy".
(>) Candy

(>) Oh, really ? I think they could be very handy inside my pants,
should you want, babe.
(>) Fever Macho Man

(>) Please, Candy, you told me it was forgotten... please please
please.
(>) Joe Average

When a magician projects astrally (not when he changes perceptions) he
leaves his body behind, so he can’t use his beloved sack of carnal
sins. What happens then, if he wants to cast that needed spell that
needs an expendable fetish?. What a pity. He can’t.

(>) Can I use my loved sack of sins your body next time you go
JumboJumbo, Candy ?
(>) Fever Macho Man

(>) Sure. And I’ll get my Wristbreaker fired inside your stomach, and
you don’t want where will it get inside your body.
(>) Candy

(>) Actually, I want to know.
(>) BastarD

(>) I was under the impression that fetishes and foci accompanied the
astral mage. Am i wrong?
(>) Loco Max

(>) You're not wrong. Astral images of magical items accompany the
owner upon
astral projection.
(>) Gurth

(>) Yes, but the keyword is MAGICAL. Non-magickal, (sorry :
non-magical) items do not travel with traveller. Fetishes are not
magical,... I think they are just a psichological
need, or part of the spell formula, so they are needed. Just another
matter is if your reusable fetish is one of you Foci (and better you
don’t try using it as an expendable one just for the excess of power).
(>) Montecristo

(>) Oh my god...
(>) Joe Average

Let's know Joe Average a bit more: Joe is Coyote Shaman, a low-grade
one, indeed. He lives in a small, one-room apartment, sharing
bathroom with his neighbors. He spents most of his time `beering
(drinking
beer) in some place called Bob's Place: Family Grill & Bar, and he
drives a Ford Americar.

(>) Hey, what daya mean with "a low-grade one" ? your mother’s butt is
a low-grade one ya dirty son of a ChumbaWamba. I’m DANGEROUS, man,
and my name means TROUBLE. Yet more, the Ford is my sister’s. I’ve
got an Aurora.
(>) Joe Average

(>) Yeah, boy, drink your milk and go to sleep.
(>) Jason Walks-the-Stars

Joe has realized that he’s ehm... just average -as a shaman, at
least-, and although he doesn’t admit it he decides to, saying it
someway, get positive in doping tests, and casts an few spells of
Increase Nature on himself. Casted on Spell Lock Foci, so he will `be
able to resist opposition spells and bullets´. He’s tired `of getting
Nature Spirits laughing when he calls them´, so he gets another
Increase-type spell, in a Spell Lock Focus, too.

(>) Yeah, I told you I mean DANGER.
(>) Joe Average

Well, let’s see : when a spell is tossed towards somebody the spell
travels throught Astral Plane from spell caster and heading the target
of the spell, so it affects the target from his aura, but he resists
with his natural aura, augmented or not.
So the spell targets the original soul, and the objetive resists with
the aid of the spells he could have on him.

(>) so...
(>) Joe Average

(>) So you’re idiot.
(>) Candy

(>) Not so idiot, Candy. Frying Joe’s ass will be as easy as allways,
but at least he’ll be tougher.
(>) J. Whatalu

(>) What’s that J. Stand for , Whatalu ?
(>) Candy

(>) It stands for Joe, but I’ll use it again when somebody kicks
Average out of business at once. Nothing personal, Average.
(>) J. Whatalu

(>) Tell your mother
(>) Joe Average

Worst of all is when Joe has to confront some kind of danger. He told
me he’s one of those Runners of the Shadows, and he’s one of the
bosses of those street-level criminals. I’ll afford to say something
: it’s hard to understand the problems those criminals are supposed
to be causing if this is an example of their leadership.

(>) I want to talk to you in my place tonight, Joe. I’m serious.
(>) Bob

When some mage wants to call a spell on Joe he has to target his
born-aura, but Joe has the assistance of his Spell Lock Foci when he’s
got to withstand the spell. It’ll be as hard as allways to him to
cast Nature Spirits, but he’ll be able to resist better the fatigue
caused for that activity, as well that caused by spell casting.
One thing these magi fail to understand is that if they are attacked
by an area-mana spell their foci’ll be attacked as well, and Spell
Lock Foci are very weak when confronted to this kind of attacks.

(>) Dr. Graine fails to tell that we can the option to defend them
from attacks.
(>) Jason Walks-the-Stars

(>) That’s why Foci-abusers are considered little better magi that the
famous mouse. Actually, they should be considered non-pro. Spell
Lock foci are usefull, but they are so fragile. If you want to
protect them, you’ve got to undefend you or your pals, and they could
get very upset if they get attacked by an astral sniper and you forget
about they loved backs.
(>) Desplumado

(>) Damm, boy, you are right, Desplumado. Should you forget about us
again and I’ll get your fuckin’ back broken.
(>) Dingo

(>) Why ? What happened ?
(>) El Chino

(>) Forget, dude.
(>) Dingo

(>) Sorry, my children.
(>) Desplumado

Gamemaster’s Notes
Target Number to cast a spell on Joe (Average, of course) is 3 (his
original attribute), but he’ll roll seven dice to resist (his modified
attribute). When he casts a spell he resists the drain with his
new-brand Willpower of 7. Should he conjure a Nature Spirit he would
resist the drain with 7 dice, but he’ll compare his original Charisma
with the spirit force to have the drain code. But, what happens if
John HoHoHo throws a mana combat spell, area-affecting to Joe ?. As
the spell is an area one, and the foci have their auras well visible
in astral plane, they’ll be affected by the spell, too. So bad Foci
resist with their level, and bad news : Spell Lock Foci are level 1
foci. Target Number 1(2). A solo die to resist.
Well, at least Foci users have the option to assist their Foci with
their magic pools.


----------
Nobody's perfect.
Yes, but who want's to be nobody?

Further Reading

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