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Message no. 1
From: Wafflemiesters <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject: Essence questions answered
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 06:47:14 -0600
> >What causes a person to lose essence? Just cyber?
>
> That's about it. Deadly wounds can cause Magic loss though.
>

Many things can cause magic loss. I won't list them all.

Essence loss is basically only caused by a) cyber, b) frequent,
addictive drug or BTL use, and C) Critter powers like essence drain, or
infection and subsequent change to a ghoul or creature with the essence
loss weakness.

> >What happens if I cut a guy's arm off?
>
> He bleeds and you go to jail for attempted murder? Seriously, not much I
> don't think.

Nothing, essence or magic wise. To you or the victim. :)

>
> >Okay, now suppose I put a cyberlimb back on it?
>
> You lose Essence according to the Essence cost of the limb being attached.

Well, the implantee looses the essence, but yeah, a cyberlimb has an
essence cost, because it creates an unatural bodily change (as can drugs
and the HMHVV).

>
> >Cloned limb?
>
> Not a problem. Only way for magicians to get their arm back without losing
> Magic. Damn expensive and time consuming though.

And the implantation surgery causes a deadly wound, which could
indirectly cause magic loss.

>
> >Cloned limb from someone else's DNA?
>
> I seem to recall something from the core rules about this basic thing.
> Someone else's cloned arm doesn't mean jack to you, it's still a grafted
> arm. Isn't there Essence lose for this?

No essence loss for anybody, but a mage with non-clonal replacement
parts (limbs or organs) has one less magic point. He/ she can get it
back by having a cloned part put on later. Still faces the deadly wound
/ magic loss roll when getting the new cloned part, though.

> >Does it make a difference if the guy is a magician? If so, why?
>
> It does differ, because of the Magic attribute.

.....Because the mages body is more in sych with his astral template.
This allows him to work magic, but also means body changes unimportant
to a mundane are noticable in a mage. In fact, the mundanes "aura"
takes just as much of a beating; a history of taking deadly wounds can
be noticed by careful assensing and a good a-perception roll. Its just
that to a mundane, it doesn't matter much. Lossing essence is a gross
effect, and will make some difference.
Basically, only changes to fundamantal nature of bodily function cause a
big enough change from your astral template to result in essence loss,
even though other chnages might impact magic use. This is why bioware
cuases no essence loss (for mundanes)- it isn't that different from
normal flesh, metabolically speaking. Its also why many people use the
house rule that it only cause magic loss, not essence loss, for mages.

Mongoose (zero essence, vampiric pawned, ex-btl using, magic theorist/
samurai)
Message no. 2
From: William Gallas <wgallas@*****.FR>
Subject: Re: Essence questions answered
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 14:02:53 +0100
>Many things can cause magic loss. I won't list them all.
>
>Essence loss is basically only caused by a) cyber, b) frequent,
>addictive drug or BTL use, and C) Critter powers like essence drain, or
>infection and subsequent change to a ghoul or creature with the essence
>loss weakness.

I would add d) age. I remember an adventure where one of the npcs had only
an essence of 3. I interpreted it (or perhaps they explained.. :) as effect
of old age.
You could also add e) beginning of possession by an insect spirit (I
consider he is possessed when his essence has droped to 0).

>> >What happens if I cut a guy's arm off?
>>
>> He bleeds and you go to jail for attempted murder? Seriously, not much I
>> don't think.
>
>Nothing, essence or magic wise. To you or the victim. :)

Except that if you lose an arm, you get a deadly wound so you could lose
magic.

>> >Cloned limb?
>>
>> Not a problem. Only way for magicians to get their arm back without losing
>> Magic. Damn expensive and time consuming though.
>
>And the implantation surgery causes a deadly wound, which could
>indirectly cause magic loss.

I consider that the deadly wound for surgery doesn't cause a magic loss to
mages. The reason is that I interpret it as a *soft* deadly carefully
monitored.

>>
>> >Cloned limb from someone else's DNA?
>>
>> I seem to recall something from the core rules about this basic thing.
>> Someone else's cloned arm doesn't mean jack to you, it's still a grafted
>> arm. Isn't there Essence lose for this?
>
>No essence loss for anybody, but a mage with non-clonal replacement
>parts (limbs or organs) has one less magic point. He/ she can get it
>back by having a cloned part put on later. Still faces the deadly wound
>/ magic loss roll when getting the new cloned part, though.
>
>> >Does it make a difference if the guy is a magician? If so, why?
>>
>> It does differ, because of the Magic attribute.
>
>.....Because the mages body is more in sych with his astral template.
>This allows him to work magic, but also means body changes unimportant
>to a mundane are noticable in a mage. In fact, the mundanes "aura"
>takes just as much of a beating; a history of taking deadly wounds can
>be noticed by careful assensing and a good a-perception roll. Its just
>that to a mundane, it doesn't matter much. Lossing essence is a gross
>effect, and will make some difference.
>Basically, only changes to fundamantal nature of bodily function cause a
>big enough change from your astral template to result in essence loss,
>even though other chnages might impact magic use. This is why bioware
>cuases no essence loss (for mundanes)- it isn't that different from
>normal flesh, metabolically speaking. Its also why many people use the
>house rule that it only cause magic loss, not essence loss, for mages.

Perhaps it could be interesting to add essence loss test when one suffers
nasty wounds like explosions, gases and the like.


Cobra.

E-mail adress : wgallas@*****.fr
Quote : "Never trust an elf.. Nor anyone.."
Tel : (France) 01-56-47-11-04

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