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Message no. 1
From: Damion Milliken <u9467882@******.UOW.EDU.AU>
Subject: Mana Increase
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 1994 00:51:00 +0000
Just a thought I had in relation to a thought somebody else had a while back.
Some time ago, someone suggested that due to the increasing mana levels, then
mages spells would be having more dire effects, like a spell cast at force 6
would have effect at, and suffer drain at, force 7. I was thinking along these
lines, and would it be conceivable that the number of mages would be increasing
too. The trigger for a person becomming magically active is the new higher
levels of mana. This is the environmental trigger which activates their
genetic structures and shpaes them into a mage. Is it possible that because the
levels of mana are on the up, that people whose genetics will activate with
higher mana levels are now becomming magically active? Or is there only a
single cut off level at which all magically active persons display their
genotype?

A rather irrelevent question I know, but I am curious.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong E-Mail: u9467882@******.uow.edu.au

(Geek Code 2.1) GE d@ H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v C+ U P? !L !3 E? N K- W+ M
!V po@ Y t(+) !5 !j r+(++) G(+) !tv(--) b++ D+ B? e+ u@ h+(*)
f+@ !r n--(----)@ !y+
Message no. 2
From: John Moeller <John.Moeller@*.CC.UTAH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Mana Increase
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 1994 12:37:13 -0600
On Sun, 14 Aug 1994, Damion Milliken wrote:
> Some time ago, someone suggested that due to the increasing mana levels, then
> mages spells would be having more dire effects, like a spell cast at force 6
> would have effect at, and suffer drain at, force 7.

Who said anything about increasing mana levels?

> I was thinking along these
> lines, and would it be conceivable that the number of mages would be increasin
g
> too. The trigger for a person becomming magically active is the new higher
> levels of mana. This is the environmental trigger which activates their
> genetic structures and shpaes them into a mage. Is it possible that because th
e
> levels of mana are on the up, that people whose genetics will activate with
> higher mana levels are now becomming magically active? Or is there only a
> single cut off level at which all magically active persons display their
> genotype?
>
> A rather irrelevent question I know, but I am curious.

I would say that the number of mages & shamans & spirits (oh, my) would
be on the up in increasing mana levels. I'm just guessing, but aren't
the spike baby mages more powerful than normal ones? If so, I would say
that the mages "waking up" later than normal would be less powerful and
would not be subject to the Force increase of above. This is the first
I've heard of it, however. Where did you hear (read) it?

John IV
Message no. 3
From: Damion Milliken <u9467882@******.UOW.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Mana Increase
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 1994 12:42:24 +0000
John IV writes:

> Who said anything about increasing mana levels?

I can't exactly rememebr who posted the idea in the first place, but I think it
actually comes from SR somewhere (perhaps a novel?).

> I'm just guessing, but aren't the spike baby mages more powerful than normal
> ones?

It is possible that those whos magical powers come by later will have less of
them (magical powers that is), but I think that the older mages are just more
powerful simply because they are older. They have much more experience, the
same as vampires can be very powerful mages - immunity to age allows you to
gain great power.

> If so, I would say that the mages "waking up" later than normal would be
> less powerful and would not be subject to the Force increase of above.
> This is the first I've heard of it, however. Where did you hear (read) it?

I tend to agree that those whos genetics require higher mana levels to awaken
them into mages would be less powerful than those who only require low levels.
But it would be equally as easy to decide that anyone who is a full mage has
the same potential, regardless of the mana required to awaken them, the
division is rather pointless though - it is unlikely to have any real effect in
the game. This is all assuming that different mages require different levels
of mana to have their magical abilities show of course, it is also equally OK
to assume that there is a single cut off point, above which anyone who has the
appropriate genes can exhibit magical talent.

As I said above, someone else brought up the topic on the list a couple of
months ago, and it does ring a familiar bell form some SR material, but I can't
remember if it is a sourcebook or novel or what. Anyway, all the SR material
had to say was that the mana levels were on the rise, the rest of it is
speculation on our part.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong E-Mail: u9467882@******.uow.edu.au

(Geek Code 2.1) GE d@ H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v C+ U P? !L !3 E? N K- W+ M
!V po@ Y t(+) !5 !j r+(++) G(+) !tv(--) b++ D+ B? e+ u@ h+(*)
f+@ !r n--(----)@ !y+
Message no. 4
From: Micah Levy <M.Levy@**.UCL.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Mana Increase
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 1994 16:00:03 +0100
It is now 'official' that the number of magically active people has
increased.
Check out the news section at the very back of DOuble Exposure

Micah Levy
Message no. 5
From: Hamish Laws <h_laws@**********.UTAS.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Mana Increase
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 1994 08:43:32 +1000
Damion Milliken writes
>Just a thought I had in relation to a thought somebody else had a while back.
>Some time ago, someone suggested that due to the increasing mana levels, then
>mages spells would be having more dire effects, like a spell cast at force 6
>would have effect at, and suffer drain at, force 7. I was thinking along these
>lines, and would it be conceivable that the number of mages would be increasing
>too. The trigger for a person becomming magically active is the new higher
>levels of mana. This is the environmental trigger which activates their
>genetic structures and shpaes them into a mage. Is it possible that because the
>levels of mana are on the up, that people whose genetics will activate with
>higher mana levels are now becomming magically active? Or is there only a
>single cut off level at which all magically active persons display their
>genotype?
>
>A rather irrelevent question I know, but I am curious.
>
If I recall things right Earthdawn 2% of the population as adepts
and, seeing as the mana level is apparently higher there (as horrors are
active) a comparison with the numbers of magicians/phys adepts should give
a rough idea of how becomming magically active works.


********************************************************************************
If not for my amazing rapport with my collection of singing potatoes I
would have lost my slender grip on reality
********************************************************************************

Hamish Laws
Message no. 6
From: John Moeller <John.Moeller@*.CC.UTAH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Mana Increase
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 1994 22:26:55 -0600
On Mon, 15 Aug 1994, Micah Levy wrote:

> It is now 'official' that the number of magically active people has
> increased.
> Check out the news section at the very back of DOuble Exposure

Great, that's all that I need. more complications. :)

John IV

Further Reading

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Thwap!