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Message no. 1
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Michael Horstmanshof)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 12:10:01 2001
I'm a pretty new GM, so it's likely that the answer to my question has been
published somewhere and I just haven't seen it.

Anyway, last night my group ran into a situation where a ward set up by a
shaman was blocking their sorcerer from astrally perceiving an area. In the
course of the run they whacked the shaman who set up the ward and the
question as to what happens to the ward came up. So, what does happen to a
ward when the wizard who sets it up dies? My ruling was that the ward
sticks around because the description of an astral ward seems to imply that
it lasts for a certain time and that's that. Was I wrong?

Second issues is this: One of the players in my group is a sorcerer and
he's got a general spell focus. Nothing special there. The trouble is that
he's put the thing in an internal compartment (the cyber-gizmo) so it's not
visible on the astral and therefore nobody can attack (and destroy) the
focus. His logic is that since it's internal, his own aura "disguises" the
focus's aura. In a way it makes sense to me, but I'm not sure about how
that would work. Any opinions from you guys? If it is legal, does anybody
have thoughts on how I might destroy the focus?

Thanks!

-MightyM
Message no. 2
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Phil Smith)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 13:30:01 2001
>From: Michael Horstmanshof <michaelh@******.com>
>Any opinions from you guys? If it is legal, does anybody
>have thoughts on how I might destroy the focus?

Don't; he paid the nuyen and karma for it and he had the very clever idea of
putting it in a safe place. The least you can do to reward a smart player
is to not go out of your way to destroy their toys.

Phil

You wake up at SeaTac, SFO, LAX. You wake up at O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth,
VWI, Pacific Mountain Central. Loose an hour, gain an hour. This is your
life, and it's ending one minute at a time. You wake up at Air Harbour
International. If you could wake up in a different time, in a different
place, could you wake up as a different person?
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Message no. 3
From: shadowrn@*********.com (shadowrn@*********.com)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 13:30:08 2001
<<Second issues is this: One of the players in my group is a sorcerer and
he's got a general spell focus. Nothing special there. The trouble is that
he's put the thing in an internal compartment (the cyber-gizmo) so it's not
visible on the astral and therefore nobody can attack (and destroy) the
focus. His logic is that since it's internal, his own aura "disguises" the
focus's aura. In a way it makes sense to me, but I'm not sure about how
that would work. Any opinions from you guys? If it is legal, does anybody
have thoughts on how I might destroy the focus?
>>

Destroy? While it's inside him? Ummm...ick?!?
Message no. 4
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Scott W)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 13:30:19 2001
> Second issues is this: One of the players in my group is a
sorcerer and he's got a general spell focus. Nothing special there.
The trouble is that he's put the thing in an internal compartment
(the cyber-gizmo) so it's not visible on the astral and therefore
nobody can attack (and destroy) the focus. His logic is that since
it's internal, his own aura "disguises" the focus's aura. In a way
it makes sense to me, but I'm not sure about how that would work.
Any opinions from you guys? If it is legal, does anybody have
thoughts on how I might destroy the focus?

Geez, you're nasty! It's like he waved a red flag or something...
you don't have to destroy it just 'cause he decided to hide it :)
I'm not sure about the whole aura-camouflauging thing but if you're
resigned to accepting it, then there's still a way the focus can be
damaged. Physically. Just use the rules for cyberware damage (you
don't have to tell the player you're doing this, surprise him); if
the cyber gets damaged, rule the physical component of the focus is
wrecked, therefore the whole thing doesn't function.

====-Boondocker

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Message no. 5
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Kevin Harrison)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 14:45:01 2001
On Fri, 2 Feb 2001 09:06:37 -0800, Michael Horstmanshof wrote:

>I'm a pretty new GM, so it's likely that the answer to my question has been
>published somewhere and I just haven't seen it.
>
>Anyway, last night my group ran into a situation where a ward set up by a
>shaman was blocking their sorcerer from astrally perceiving an area. In the
>course of the run they whacked the shaman who set up the ward and the
>question as to what happens to the ward came up. So, what does happen to a
>ward when the wizard who sets it up dies? My ruling was that the ward
>sticks around because the description of an astral ward seems to imply that
>it lasts for a certain time and that's that. Was I wrong?

I believe you made the right call, but I'd have to read over the rules
again to be sure.

>Second issues is this: One of the players in my group is a sorcerer and
>he's got a general spell focus. Nothing special there. The trouble is that
>he's put the thing in an internal compartment (the cyber-gizmo) so it's not
>visible on the astral and therefore nobody can attack (and destroy) the
>focus. His logic is that since it's internal, his own aura "disguises" the
>focus's aura. In a way it makes sense to me, but I'm not sure about how
>that would work. Any opinions from you guys? If it is legal, does anybody
>have thoughts on how I might destroy the focus?

Erf... well, I would rule that his aura does mask the focus, but a really
skilled individual would notice it if they tried. I'd probably rule that
the difference between his Magic rating and the rating of the focus would
be a penalty to anyone trying to find the focus. However, if the focus
has a rating greater than or equal to the characters Magic rating, no
search is necessary. {i.e. Blister, a Wiz-Kid mage, has a Magic rating of
6 and a focus rated 2 in a body compartment. Anyone trying to examine his
aura to locate the focus does so with a penalty of +4 to their target
number (6 - 2 = 4). If the focus were rated 6 or more, its aura would be
too strong for him to mask and would be obvious even through his own aura.}

As for destroying it, if a mage sees the focus through his aura, then one
good spell should do it. Also, I believe there are rules for cyberwear
taking damage from certain situations, so if the compartment were damaged
I would rule that anything in it (meaning the focus) was damaged also.
--
Kevin Harrison <kevin.harrison@***.net>
Message no. 6
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Iridios)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 17:55:09 2001
Michael Horstmanshof wrote:

> Second issues is this: One of the players in my group is a sorcerer and
> he's got a general spell focus. Nothing special there. The trouble is that
> he's put the thing in an internal compartment (the cyber-gizmo) so it's not
> visible on the astral and therefore nobody can attack (and destroy) the
> focus. His logic is that since it's internal, his own aura "disguises" the
> focus's aura. In a way it makes sense to me, but I'm not sure about how
> that would work. Any opinions from you guys? If it is legal, does anybody
> have thoughts on how I might destroy the focus?

I might rule that yes, the focus can be hidden inside the
cyber-compartment, but while it's "inside" his aura the focus has no
contact with the astral and will not function. I would especially apply
this to sustaining focii.

Thus, if the mage wishes to use the focus, he must take it out of hiding
and make it accessible again.

--
Iridios
--
Accept what you cannot avoid,
Avoid what you cannot accept.

Visit "The ShadowZone"
http://members.nbci.com/Iridios/ShadowZone

Sig by Kookie Jar 5.97d http://go.to/generalfrenetics/
5:48:53 PM/187:00:04 (1) [no thud]
Message no. 7
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Sebastian Wiers)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 18:35:03 2001
>Anyway, last night my group ran into a situation where a ward set up by a
>shaman was blocking their sorcerer from astrally perceiving an area. In
the
>course of the run they whacked the shaman who set up the ward and the
>question as to what happens to the ward came up. So, what does happen to a
>ward when the wizard who sets it up dies? My ruling was that the ward
>sticks around because the description of an astral ward seems to imply that
>it lasts for a certain time and that's that. Was I wrong?

I think you did it right. Even if "normal" wards die with thier creator
instead of lasting thier full duration, there are special rules for creating
permenat wards (you just spend karma equal to force) and those WOULD last
after the creators death.

>Second issues is this: One of the players in my group is a sorcerer and
>he's got a general spell focus. Nothing special there. The trouble is
that
>he's put the thing in an internal compartment (the cyber-gizmo) so it's not
>visible on the astral and therefore nobody can attack (and destroy) the
>focus. His logic is that since it's internal, his own aura "disguises" the
>focus's aura. In a way it makes sense to me, but I'm not sure about how
>that would work. Any opinions from you guys? If it is legal, does anybody
>have thoughts on how I might destroy the focus?

Man and Machine has some information about enchanting cyberware implants
that seems aplicable. It gives the example of enchanting a set of spurs as
a weapon focus. It also has this: M&M p. 47 - "Even if such enchanted
implants are hidden from visual detection, they are still visable via astral
perception and are vulnerable to astral attack."

Foci stored in a limb or other cyber compartment, or in the mages mouth, or
elsewhere in the body, are just as visable astrally as if they were simply
in your pocket. The reason for this is that its not just the objects AURA
that gets seen and atacked- its effects, connections, and the way in which
it channels magical power are all visable and vulnerable.

-Sebastian
Message no. 8
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Mike & Linda Frankl)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 20:25:01 2001
Phil said:
> Don't; he paid the nuyen and karma for it and he had the very
> clever idea of
> putting it in a safe place. The least you can do to reward a
> smart player
> is to not go out of your way to destroy their toys.
>
> Phil

True but they have also set the game rules (balance) out of whack. No
negative for having an active focus on all of the time. I would treat the
encasement as sort of a mana impediment. I would have the spell focus suffer
problems (power loss) periodically in high power situations. I agree that
rewarding a smart player is good, but this is just a loop-hole, not a guy
solving a major run problem with a brilliant move.

;)

Smilin' Jack

Franklin Isshinryu School of Karate
http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/RallyRd/mlfrankl/
Message no. 9
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Mike & Linda Frankl)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 20:30:01 2001
Iridios brilliantly stated:
> I might rule that yes, the focus can be hidden inside the
> cyber-compartment, but while it's "inside" his aura the focus has no
> contact with the astral and will not function. I would especially apply
> this to sustaining focii.
>
> Thus, if the mage wishes to use the focus, he must take it out of hiding
> and make it accessible again.
>
> --
> Iridios

This is exactly the line of think I referred to in my other message. When a
player finds a loophole the GM sometimes has to reach a little bit and
expand the rules to cover the area in question. Game balance always being
the guide.

;)

Smilin' Jack

Franklin Isshinryu School of Karate
http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/RallyRd/mlfrankl/
Message no. 10
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Travis Heldibridle)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Fri Feb 2 21:05:01 2001
>> Thus, if the mage wishes to use the focus, he must take it out of hiding
>> and make it accessible again.
<<Iridios>>

> This is exactly the line of think I referred to in my other message.
> When a player finds a loophole the GM sometimes has to reach a little
> bit and expand the rules to cover the area in question. Game balance
> always being the guide.
<Smilin' Jack>

I don't necessarily think it is a loophole... and it is kind of creative. In
the circles I play with I am known as a fairly strict GM.. but I don't see a
need to squash every idea a player has and then claim that it was done in
the spirit of better gaming. I don't see anything extremely unbalancing
about this particular idea. I personally would rule that the device would
still be visible if someone tried to assense the character directly (with 2
or 3 successes), but that it is indeed hidden to "casual" astral
observations.

Gaining a first level of initiation is not all that hard, and if you learn
"Masking" you can conceal such items with far greater skill, this player has
payed Essence and nuyen just to be able to partially conceal one item at a
time. I think that provides some level of balance.


Just my 0.02,
Travis "Aristotle" Heldibridle
Message no. 11
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Phil Smith)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Sat Feb 3 05:20:01 2001
>From: "Mike & Linda Frankl" <mlfrankl@***.com>
>I agree that
>rewarding a smart player is good, but this is just a loop-hole, not a guy
>solving a major run problem with a brilliant move.

*shrugs* Each to his own; if the focus started to be a problem and the
player really wasn't prepared to do something to maintain game balance I
could always just blow the limb with the cybercompartment off. :)>

Phil

This kid at work, Rickie, he couldn’t remember if you ordered pens with blue
ink or black. But Rickie was a god for ten minutes when he trounced the
major dean at a local food court.
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Message no. 12
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Gurth)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Sat Feb 3 05:45:09 2001
According to Phil Smith, on Fri, 02 Feb 2001 the word on the street was...

> >From: Michael Horstmanshof <michaelh@******.com>
> >Any opinions from you guys? If it is legal, does anybody
> >have thoughts on how I might destroy the focus?
>
> Don't; he paid the nuyen and karma for it and he had the very clever idea of
> putting it in a safe place. The least you can do to reward a smart player
> is to not go out of your way to destroy their toys.

Agreed in principle, but for the GM it is always handy to know how it
_can_ be destroyed, even if you're not planning on doing it outright. A
future adventure might have an enemy who spots the focus, or learns about
it, and will make an attempt to destroy it if the opportunity presents
itself.

FWIW, I would rule that the focus can be spotted and attacked from the
astral when it's active.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
My ocular organs!
-> NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

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Message no. 13
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Damion Milliken)
Subject: Couple of magic questions
Date: Mon Feb 5 04:55:01 2001
Sebastian writes:

> <Snip M&M rule on seeing & attacking auras of foci within metahuman
bodies>
>
> <Snip reasoning for this rule>

Also, don't forget that even if the focus is within the magician's body,
passing through a ward or other astral barrier will likely cause damage to
it. (This also applies to Masked foci, something people sometimes forget
<evil GM grin>).

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong
Unofficial Shadowrun Guru E-mail: dam01@***.edu.au
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M-- V- PS+ PE(-) Y+>++ PGP-@>++ t+ 5 X++>+++ R+(++) !tv(--) b+ DI+++@
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