| From: | Wafflemiesters <evamarie@**********.NET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Fetish Foci |
| Date: | Wed, 1 Apr 1998 16:16:18 -0600 |
Rating X 3,000 =Y=, but then in the description, it said you could only use it once.
What's up with that? I'm going to pay 15,000 nuyen for a fetish I can only use once?
> >
<snip very nasty 1st ed. fetish focus rule>
>
> It did. 2nd ed. has no auto-successes. You'd get 4 Extra die in
> this instance.
>
The fetish focus is still a very useful and unique item. Sure, it is
pricey, but it adds dice to your spellcasting test (and does not have a
bonding cost). Big deal, you say- use an elemntal (aid sorcery) or a
re-usable focus instead? WRONG. Those add dice to your MAGIC POOL-
nice for ritual sorcery, but they will not allow (most) mages to cast
spells rolling 18+ dice, because you can only add magic pool equal to
magic rating to a spell casting test- This is part of what makes power
foci so useful- they raise magic as well as pool).
Using a fetish focus is every bit as good as using a power focus, for
spell casting purposes. The fetish focus is cheap and disposable- the
power focus is dear in all senses of the word. And, come a crunch, you
can use both.
So- want your starting mage to have his armor spell lock give +10 body,
and have no time for ritual sorcery with a huge pool of dice? Want to
cast an X-ray spell that will see through bank vaults? Use a couple
fetish foci, then lock that bad mother spell down! Need the punch to
kill a hive queen? Bring along a fetish focus!
I buy a rating 4-6 fetish focus (or 2) for most spells I lock, and would
advise the same for anchors or quickenings. Why spend karma sustaing a
less than optimal casting, if you have 10-50ky to spend? Thats like
buying crappy cyber when you can afford the good stuff.
Mongoose
