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Message no. 1
From: Wyrmy <elfman@*****.NET>
Subject: i NEED A LIST FAVOR
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 02:35:18 -0600
My pbem Group Don't read this thread.
I would like some help from the list to help me desighn some particulary
evil things to do to to the runners in my Group.My Shaman Will get
seriously hurt,and lose about ten magic points,having them being
replaced by cyber.I also plan On having Jazz's daughter being
kidnapped,And I figure Tommy will meet some evil matrix based being
thathunts him down every time he enters the matrix.
Any other suggestions i
can use on my/our group is Appreciated.
--
new school/Old school magic: Powerbolt and an air elemental. New school
magic: Take a right at the Metaplane of Infinite Stromboli, past the
Metaplane of Helga, to the Big Flashing Neon Pandas. Tell the watcher
"Mel" sent you.
Message no. 2
From: Rick Irvine <irvine@******.EDU>
Subject: Re: i NEED A LIST FAVOR
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 15:22:52 -0800
Wyrmy wrote:

> evil things to do to to the runners in my Group.My Shaman Will get
> seriously hurt,and lose about ten magic points,having them being
> replaced by cyber.

Boggle, the only way a PC could have 10 magic pts is to initiate, and
it was my understanding that if an initiated mage/shaman lost a pt
of magic due to cyberware/etc that they lost all of the initiated
levels? Can someone verify/correct me on this?

> I figure Tommy will meet some evil matrix based being
> that hunts him down every time he enters the matrix.
> Any other suggestions i can use on my/our group is Appreciated.

Don't make it hit him EVERY time he ever plugs in, that's just not
realistic by any measure. Your decker will simply not jack in then.
Also, you can make him buff and 'unkillable', so long as you drop
hints as to a way that the decker can obtain something (such as a
program written to ONLY kill this one thing.)

Cheers,
Rick
Message no. 3
From: Jeremiah Stevens <jeremiah@********.EDU>
Subject: Re: i NEED A LIST FAVOR
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 15:57:21 -0500
On Tue, 20 Jan 1998, Rick Irvine wrote:

> Wyrmy wrote:
>
> > evil things to do to to the runners in my Group.My Shaman Will get
> > seriously hurt,and lose about ten magic points,having them being
> > replaced by cyber.
>
> Boggle, the only way a PC could have 10 magic pts is to initiate, and
> it was my understanding that if an initiated mage/shaman lost a pt
> of magic due to cyberware/etc that they lost all of the initiated
> levels? Can someone verify/correct me on this?
>
No, I don't think that losing a MP to cyber- or bioware costs a mage
initiate grades. (Unless the group had a stricture against cyber, and
kicked the mage out.) Actually, initiation is the best way for a mage to
regain magic lost to cyber and injuries.

Also, given what Wyrmy wants to do to this poor shaman, losing initiate
abilities would simply add insult to injury. I would doubt that a mage who
recieves such grevious injuries could ever recover, even with initiation,
as they would have a number of geise, take physical drain for most spells,
and have tremendous psychological trauma. Suicide would be a realistic
choice for a character like this.
Message no. 4
From: Andy Gardner <A.Gardner@******.COM>
Subject: Re: i NEED A LIST FAVOR
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 21:51:54 +0000
On Tue, 20 Jan 1998 15:22:52 -0800 Rick Irvine wondered

> Wyrmy wrote:
>
> > evil things to do to to the runners in my Group.My Shaman Will get
> > seriously hurt,and lose about ten magic points,having them being
> > replaced by cyber.
>
> Boggle, the only way a PC could have 10 magic pts is to initiate, and
> it was my understanding that if an initiated mage/shaman lost a pt
> of magic due to cyberware/etc that they lost all of the initiated
> levels? Can someone verify/correct me on this?

Certainly the only way you can have 10 Magic points personally is
through initiation. For every two magic points a mage loses
(regardless of the cause) he must choose a geas, a restriction on his
casting abilities. It is not an absolute restriction since if the
geas is broken then the mage only suffers +2 to his magical success
tests.
HOWEVER, geasa (plural of geas) can be shed if/when the mage
initiates further.
When magic points are lost the initiate grades of a mage remain
unaffected. It is possible (but very difficult / careless) to have,
say, an initiate grade 12 mage with a magic rating of 0.
In theory having a magic rating of 0 does NOT prevent you from
casting spells if you have a mage talent. You just wouldn't be able
to put any magic pool dice into the success test and all spell drains
would be physical regardless of which force they are cast at.
Depending on how the GM wants to run things he may still be able to
gain further magic points by initiating further.
Even if the above example mage were not allowed to carry on casting
spells he might still have a shielding pool of 12, courtesy of his
initiate grade.

> > I figure Tommy will meet some evil matrix based being
> > that hunts him down every time he enters the matrix.
> > Any other suggestions i can use on my/our group is Appreciated.
>
> Don't make it hit him EVERY time he ever plugs in, that's just not
> realistic by any measure. Your decker will simply not jack in then.
> Also, you can make him buff and 'unkillable', so long as you drop
> hints as to a way that the decker can obtain something (such as a
> program written to ONLY kill this one thing.)

I agree with that advice. The other thing to think of is how you
introduce it. I had my players release an AI with the intention of
it becoming a Nemesis that the players couldn't just blow away with a
high initiative roll and a bit of gun-fire.
Due to the roleplaying my groups decker did (including programming a
virtual birthday-cake for the AI) I had to give up on this idea and
it bacame an ally (of sorts). Now of course it's faded into the
background since the decker involved has retired and so the group
doesn't know what it's doing with it's time.....


Fox on the Net
ICQ UIN - 5239612
Message no. 5
From: Robert Watkins <robert.watkins@******.COM>
Subject: Re: i NEED A LIST FAVOR
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 08:17:34 +1000
Jeremiah Stevens writes:

>On Tue, 20 Jan 1998, Rick Irvine wrote:
>> Boggle, the only way a PC could have 10 magic pts is to initiate, and
>> it was my understanding that if an initiated mage/shaman lost a pt
>> of magic due to cyberware/etc that they lost all of the initiated
>> levels? Can someone verify/correct me on this?
>>
>No, I don't think that losing a MP to cyber- or bioware costs a mage
>initiate grades. (Unless the group had a stricture against cyber, and
>kicked the mage out.) Actually, initiation is the best way for a mage to
>regain magic lost to cyber and injuries.

The confusion might be about geases... every 2 MP you lose, you have to gain
a geas, and if you choose not to, you can't initiate anymore.

OTH: How do you make someone lose 10 Magic points? You can only take away 6
with Essence. What are they going to do, give him deadly wounds constantly,
and heal him up afterwards? Seems like a waste of time to me...

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