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Message no. 1
From: Max Rible <slothman@*********.ORG>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 09:42:49 -0800
At 12:18 7/1/97 -0500, Swordman wrote:
>Tim Cooper wrote:
>> >I have a Troll Physical Adept character-- an Initiate-- who is
occasionally in
>> >the habit of wandering around masked to look like a piasma on the astral.

>> I wasn't aware that you could use aura masking to actively change and
>> alter your aura.... As I understand it the only option is to reduce how
>> magically active you appear.

>The aura is what ever you want it to be, so realy if the Troll's idealic
>self is viewed as a piasma then he looks like one in astral space.

>My only question is how a physcial adept is masking his aura since then
>don't commonly have access to astral space and the other tell tale sign
>to distinguish an adept from a shape shifter is the troll would not be
>dual natured and thus resctriced from regions that would restrict astral
>travel (The Space needle) as well as not being astraly active unless he
>walks around perceving all the time. So assensing him would show up with
>a magical aura but no astral presence.

But if he switches to astral perception-- costly, but useful if you beat
up on spirits-- he can be astrally active. And I don't recall anyplace that
it says you *can't* disguise your aura to look like whatever you want in
the Grimoire. The examples given are things like "look like a non-initiate"
and "look like a mundane", but "look like someone/something else"
seems to
be in the range of possibilities.

--
%% Max Rible %% slothman@*****.com %% http://www.amurgsval.org/~slothman/ %%
%% "So, an Arisian, a Vorlon, and a knnn go into a tavern..." %%
Message no. 2
From: Caric <caric@********.COM>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 10:59:28 -0700
| But if he switches to astral perception-- costly, but useful if you beat
| up on spirits-- he can be astrally active. And I don't recall anyplace
that
| it says you *can't* disguise your aura to look like whatever you want in
| the Grimoire. The examples given are things like "look like a
non-initiate"
| and "look like a mundane", but "look like someone/something else"
seems
to
| be in the range of possibilities.

Purhaps, but I would make it far easier to see through than normal masking,
as very few educated mages are going to believe that this guy is a piasma
shapeshifter. Since it's so exotic you can bet the farm that every Tom,
Dick, and Harry with astral perception is going to be trying to break his
masking.


-Caric

"These pretzels are MAKING ME THIRSTY!!!!!"
Message no. 3
From: Max Rible <slothman@*********.ORG>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 10:29:42 -0800
At 10:59 7/1/97 -0700, Caric wrote:
>Purhaps, but I would make it far easier to see through than normal masking,
>as very few educated mages are going to believe that this guy is a piasma
>shapeshifter. Since it's so exotic you can bet the farm that every Tom,
>Dick, and Harry with astral perception is going to be trying to break his
>masking.

However, there are plenty of wizgangs and not-terribly-educated mages,
and Tom, Dick, and Harry aren't Initiates and don't have a chance of
breaking through it. Only Dr. Fred the Initiate is going to have a chance
of it... and I think you overestimate how well-defined the Awakened world is.
There are new and weird Awakened creatures and metatypes popping up every
now and then, and people who are completely sure that there's nothing out
there that isn't in the Patterson's postings on Shadowland or the standard
field guides to metatypes should be in for the occasional rude surprise.
The werepiasma should still provoke doubt from educated mages, but not
outright disbelief.

--
%% Max Rible %% slothman@*****.com %% http://www.amurgsval.org/~slothman/ %%
%% "So, an Arisian, a Vorlon, and a knnn go into a tavern..." %%
Message no. 4
From: Caric <caric@********.COM>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 11:34:35 -0700
| >Purhaps, but I would make it far easier to see through than normal
masking,
| >as very few educated mages are going to believe that this guy is a
piasma
| >shapeshifter. Since it's so exotic you can bet the farm that every Tom,
| >Dick, and Harry with astral perception is going to be trying to break
his
| >masking.
|
| However, there are plenty of wizgangs and not-terribly-educated mages,
| and Tom, Dick, and Harry aren't Initiates and don't have a chance of
| breaking through it. Only Dr. Fred the Initiate is going to have a
chance
| of it... and I think you overestimate how well-defined the Awakened
world is.
| There are new and weird Awakened creatures and metatypes popping up every
| now and then, and people who are completely sure that there's nothing out
| there that isn't in the Patterson's postings on Shadowland or the
standard
| field guides to metatypes should be in for the occasional rude surprise.
| The werepiasma should still provoke doubt from educated mages, but not
| outright disbelief.

Granted they must be initiates, and I don't think that mages will dismiss
the possibility out of hand, but you have to admit that they will be
extremely skeptical and therefore pay undo attention to the character.
Plus if you wanted to be an evil GM I would have some corporate wagemage
see the character and convince the corp that the wanted the creature for
study since it's the only one of it's kind. I think the aforementioned
corp would be VERY upset to find that they had wasted expensive resources
carpturing what in essence is a practical joker. Overall I just see it as
being more of a pain in the ass then it is worth...coll purhaps, but a pian
in the long run.

-Caric

"These pretzels are MAKING ME THIRSTY!!!!!"
Message no. 5
From: "Bruce H. Nagel" <NAGELBH@******.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 14:53:53 -0500
> But if he switches to astral perception-- costly, but useful if you beat
> up on spirits-- he can be astrally active. And I don't recall anyplace that
> it says you *can't* disguise your aura to look like whatever you want in
> the Grimoire. The examples given are things like "look like a
non-initiate"
> and "look like a mundane", but "look like someone/something else"
seems to
> be in the range of possibilities.

Those are categories or degrees by which you can mask yourself, not merely
examples. You can mask your aura partially, to appear as a non-Initiate, or
completely to appear mundane. But you cannot appear as, say, a Cockatrice,
just because you think it'd be cool. Of course, this is by-the-book. Allowing
it in your campaign just makes yours more unique and adds a bit to what Masking
can do.

losthalo
Message no. 6
From: Max Rible <slothman@*********.ORG>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 11:00:43 -0800
At 14:53 7/1/97 -0500, Bruce H. Nagel wrote:
>Those are categories or degrees by which you can mask yourself, not merely
>examples. You can mask your aura partially, to appear as a non-Initiate, or
>completely to appear mundane. But you cannot appear as, say, a Cockatrice,
>just because you think it'd be cool. Of course, this is by-the-book.

Can you tell me on which page it explicitly says you can't appear as
something
else entirely when masking, or that the *only* varieties of masking are the
categories specified there?

--
%% Max Rible %% slothman@*****.com %% http://www.amurgsval.org/~slothman/ %%
%% "So, an Arisian, a Vorlon, and a knnn go into a tavern..." %%
Message no. 7
From: "Bruce H. Nagel" <NAGELBH@******.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 15:02:47 -0500
> However, there are plenty of wizgangs and not-terribly-educated mages,
> and Tom, Dick, and Harry aren't Initiates and don't have a chance of
> breaking through it. Only Dr. Fred the Initiate is going to have a chance
> of it... and I think you overestimate how well-defined the Awakened world is.
> There are new and weird Awakened creatures and metatypes popping up every
> now and then, and people who are completely sure that there's nothing out
> there that isn't in the Patterson's postings on Shadowland or the standard
> field guides to metatypes should be in for the occasional rude surprise.
> The werepiasma should still provoke doubt from educated mages, but not
> outright disbelief.

Exactly. Anyone capable of it would be following this guy around, observing
him. :) Think of it kinda like having several 'fan' Contacts...

losthalo
Message no. 8
From: "Bruce H. Nagel" <NAGELBH@******.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 15:06:11 -0500
You wrote:
> At 14:53 7/1/97 -0500, Bruce H. Nagel wrote:
> >Those are categories or degrees by which you can mask yourself, not merely
> >examples. You can mask your aura partially, to appear as a non-Initiate, or
> >completely to appear mundane. But you cannot appear as, say, a Cockatrice,
> >just because you think it'd be cool. Of course, this is by-the-book.

> Can you tell me on which page it explicitly says you can't appear as
> something
> else entirely when masking, or that the *only* varieties of masking are the
> categories specified there?

"Masking hides the true nature of the magician's aura, allowing him to appear
as a mundane when assensed." p. 46 Grimoire2

It never mentions adding to or editing the appearance of one's aura in any
other way, except making it appear as a non-magician or non-Initiate. It is
more like cloaking in Star Trek than an illusion ability, as written. But as I
said, if you want it to work that way in your campaign, no one is stopping you.

losthalo
Message no. 9
From: Max Rible <slothman@*********.ORG>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 11:11:40 -0800
At 15:02 7/1/97 -0500, Bruce H. Nagel wrote:
>> The werepiasma should still provoke doubt from educated mages, but not
>> outright disbelief.

>Exactly. Anyone capable of it would be following this guy around, observing
>him. :) Think of it kinda like having several 'fan' Contacts...

Oh, what a great idea-- a bunch of college-age cryptozoologists tracking
the character like people do Bigfoot today. He even has the Flaw "Weirdness
Magnet". I'll have to use this sometime... thanks... :-)

--
%% Max Rible %% slothman@*****.com %% http://www.amurgsval.org/~slothman/ %%
%% "So, an Arisian, a Vorlon, and a knnn go into a tavern..." %%
Message no. 10
From: Loki <daddyjim@**********.COM>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997 16:06:04 -0700
---Caric wrote:
>
> Plus if you wanted to be an evil GM I would have some corporate
wagemage
> see the character and convince the corp that the wanted the creature
for
> study since it's the only one of it's kind. I think the
aforementioned
> corp would be VERY upset to find that they had wasted expensive
resources
> carpturing what in essence is a practical joker.

You can tell Caric's played in my group for a few years, he's now
beginning to think along the same twisted paths as I do. <Misty eyed>

You better believe, a player in my group constantly runs around
pulling a masking stunt like this and I'd throw just that sort of
curve at them. <EGMG>

===

@>--,--'--- Loki <gamemstr@********.com>

Poisoned Elves: www.primenet.com/~gamemstr/

If in your adventures you happen across the skull of a dragon, turn
and leave that place quickly. Whatever killed the dragon may still be
around.
_____________________________________________________________________
Sent by RocketMail. Get your free e-mail at http://www.rocketmail.com
Message no. 11
From: Barbie <barbie@**********.COM>
Subject: Re: Aura Masking (was re: Metahuman Shapeshifters?)
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 02:19:51 -0500
At 01-Jul-97 wrote Caric:



>Plus if you wanted to be an evil GM I would have some corporate wagemage
>see the character and convince the corp that the wanted the creature for
>study since it's the only one of it's kind.

It happend to me. Furtunatly for me I have done something realy BIG
in the past for Lofwry.
So under order from Lofwry I was set free again and reminded not to
come back.
Guess what a your live and freedom can cost you.
Scary experience if you ask me.


--
Barbie


==================================================
You can see the earth we`re high here we`re
climbing over sumertowm you can kiss the air we`re
gliding follow me for sumerland no sound no life
no essence we lay enstranged in our curious ways
memories lay beside us but i`m seeing through an
age who i`m through sumerland.

(Fields of the Nephilim-Eilzium-Weil of Sumer)

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