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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "'Spaceman' WD Lee" <galahad@*.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: electronic copies of a thesis(A new twist)
Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 11:01:26 -0700 (PDT)
n Sun, 19 May 1996, William Monroe Ashe wrote:

> Suppose that a resourceful decker is hanging out in the matrix
> waiting on a real dumb mage who's used a word processor to write his
> thesis. The decker boosts a copy of the final version before the mage can
> delete it, or uses disk utilities to undelete it. If the decker prints
> out this final version so that it exists physically will another ritual
> link to the author be created.

As many people have pointed out, it would seem like the mage would
have to handwrite the thesis. However, suppose we have a "techno-mage", ie
a technophile, who would only write the last draft by hand, and keeps
drafts on a computer. Now suppose a copy of this draft falls into someone
else's hands. A Thesis, if I recall correctly, contains everything the
mage knows and understands about the nature and use of magic. While the
draft copy would be useless as a link, it could provide insights for
other mages' research. It would still be valuable haul, but not in the
same way

Comments?
Bill


The Spaceman |Remember, Abraham Lincoln didn't die
spaced@*.washington.edu |in vain, he died in Washington, D.C.
galahad@*.washington.edu | -Firesign Theatre
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Message no. 2
From: Ubiquitous <weberm@*******.net>
Subject: Re: electronic copies of a thesis(A new twist)
Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 15:06:39 -0400 (EDT)
At 11:01 AM 5/20/96 -0700, you wrote:

> As many people have pointed out, it would seem like the mage would
>have to handwrite the thesis. However, suppose we have a "techno-mage", ie
>a technophile, who would only write the last draft by hand, and keeps
>drafts on a computer.

I sppse the mage could keep a draft on the computer and transcribe it by hand
whenever he wished to have a another draft...

>Now suppose a copy of this draft falls into someone
>else's hands. A Thesis, if I recall correctly, contains everything the
>mage knows and understands about the nature and use of magic. While the
>draft copy would be useless as a link, it could provide insights for
>other mages' research. It would still be valuable haul, but not in the
>same way

It might help in identifying his spell signature, but I'm not sure. After
all, computers are useless when it comes to magic, at least that's what I recall
skimming in ShadowBeat once.

--
"I remember my first sexual encounter because I kept the recipe."
- Jeff Dahmer
Message no. 3
From: wilsonpj@******.STCLOUD.MSUS.EDU (Peter)
Subject: Re: electronic copies of a thesis(A new twist)
Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 18:40:29 -0600
On Mon, 20 May 1996, Bill wrote:
>
>
> As many people have pointed out, it would seem like the mage would
>have to handwrite the thesis. However, suppose we have a "techno-mage", ie
>a technophile, who would only write the last draft by hand, and keeps
>drafts on a computer. Now suppose a copy of this draft falls into someone
>else's hands. A Thesis, if I recall correctly, contains everything the
>mage knows and understands about the nature and use of magic. While the
>draft copy would be useless as a link, it could provide insights for
>other mages' research. It would still be valuable haul, but not in the
>same way
>
>

I'd say this information would enable you to identify the writer's spell=
signature or astral traces, with a +2 TN modifier if that is his only=
information on the writer. If you have already identified a signature this=
knowledge gives a -2 modifier to the target number.

An example:

A LS mage-detective is examining the astral traces of a fire bolt cast in
a bar fight by a tempermental Griffin Shaman. He has read the thesis of a=
terrorist suspected to be opperating in the area, but has no reason to
connect them. In order to realize that they are connected he has to roll
to identify the signature with a +4 modifyer (2 for working only from the
thesis and +2 for having no reason to connect them). If he were examinig
the same astral traces in a terrorist attack, he would be actively
compairing the traces to various known terrorists, and would then have the=
standard +2 penalty for working from the thesis only.

Assuming he realizes the connection between the thesis and a spell signature=
,
then he has a -2 modifier to recognize Griff's signature in any other
setting.


BTW - I couldn't find the rules on what to roll to identify astral traces in=

Awakenings. My copy of the Grimoire is at my brother's place, but I don't=

think they talked about it there. Can anyone tell me where to find the=
rules
on this?

Piatro
Message no. 4
From: Ubiquitous <weberm@*******.net>
Subject: Re: electronic copies of a thesis(A new twist)
Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 23:36:09 -0400 (EDT)
At 06:40 PM 5/22/96 -0600, you wrote:

>BTW - I couldn't find the rules on what to roll to identify astral traces in
>Awakenings. My copy of the Grimoire is at my brother's place, but I don't
>think they talked about it there. Can anyone tell me where to find the rules
>on this?

I believe you have to make a Sorcery(Forensics) roll?

--
"I remember my first sexual encounter because I kept the recipe."
- Jeff Dahmer

Further Reading

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