| From: | "Richard J. Carter" <rjcarter@****.CALPOLY.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Invisibility/Cybereyes |
| Date: | Sun, 9 May 1993 23:46:15 -0800 |
my comments..
First Point::
this discussion of invisibility only can be had in the case of
improved invisibility ( a physical spell ). The "standard" invisibility
spell is a MANA spell and, regardless of the optical gizmos that you may
have active, living people have a reduced (perception test) chance of
acknowledging the invisible persons existance. Only the Improved
invisiblity spell would be subject to question. The spell description
states the vunerability of thermographics and physical touch ( ultra-
sound) but the confusion arrises with the Mana part of the spell. I
have incorporated the range limitation to the standard and Improved
invisibility spells because it doesn't make sense to have a Mana based
invisibilty spell with unlimited range (and easier drain).
The mages that I run/run with/judge have designed a series of
spells to counter such shortcomings. The LOS range cool cloud is nice..
either cast at a foe using thermo, or around some poor fool being
targeted with thermographics (the bum deal is that it works both ways).
The intangibility spell is still in the experimental/ game effect
testing stage ( but it would definately nullify ultrasonics). An
important misconception that I have seen is the use of the terms
infra-red and thermographic. They are not synomynous, thermographics
detect thermal radiation from a source (body), while IR typically uses
an IR light source and detects the reflection from the IR illuminated
object. Imp. Invis. would handle IR, but not thermographics. The thing
to realize is that air is a remarkable insulator, and thermographics in
real life (and in other games) have significantly lower effective
ranges.
It also seems that there is a conflict as to the use of
electronic cybereye magnification. Most of the combat spells and
damaging manipulations have LOS range. One's LOS is not effected by
magnification.. If you cannot see it, you cannot see it, if you can see
it, you can hit it. Unless some of you out there are designing limited
range combat and DamManip spells, there should not be a problem. And
the case of having to see someone's aura has to be bogus.
To see someone's aura to cast a spell is silly. Then how do
Sorcery adepts cast their combat spells? Combat spells enter the target
from astral space ( and bypass armor), but assensing is not a
requirement. Otherwise you'd have to give SorcAds astral perception and
all the party's spellcasters would have to spend a Simple Action to
shift perception and then be unable to cast a spell that turn ( a
Complex action). The statement is also that astral perception does not
allow the perceiver to see in conditions that he otherwise cannot ( ie.
astral perception is NOT able to see in the dark unless the caster has
some other Mods to handle the darkness condition).
<<<all the above statements are the toughts of a Shadowrun Junkie using
Second Edition Rules... feel free to disregard it as the ravings of a
madman>>>
-I am a computer Inept without a .sig, so please excuse me
-Richard J. Carter rjcarter@****.calpoly.edu
