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Message no. 1
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 08:44:20 -0500
----------
> From: Martin Steffens <chimerae@***.IE>

> > Sorry, fallback to AD&D, I think this part threaded, though.
>
> I like the general idea of those cantrips, very good idea to bring it
> up, it set off a very interesting discussion.
>
> My ideas for little cantrip spells:
> Clean room
> Do dishes
> Do laundry
> Slay little critters like dust mites, etc.
> Warm room
> Cool room
> Etc.
>
> And finally:
> Summon a spirit to do the shopping

You mean you didn't already do this? I'm the only one who's summoned a
hearth spirit and asked it to help me clean the house? What about a city
spirit to take the dog out when it rains? Storm spirit to clean the car?

***************
Rev. Mark Hall, Bard to the Lady Mari
aka Pope Nexx Many-Scars
*
"One thing's for sure: It'll be years before Chelsea is willing to give a
guy a blow job."
Rick Leahy, Carpenter
Message no. 2
From: David Foster <fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 12:30:00 -0400
On Fri, 4 Sep 1998, Nexx wrote:

->----------
->> From: Martin Steffens <chimerae@***.IE>
->
->> > Sorry, fallback to AD&D, I think this part threaded, though.
->>
->> I like the general idea of those cantrips, very good idea to bring it
->> up, it set off a very interesting discussion.
->>
->> My ideas for little cantrip spells:
<whappy snip on da cantrips>
->
->You mean you didn't already do this? I'm the only one who's summoned a
->hearth spirit and asked it to help me clean the house? What about a city
->spirit to take the dog out when it rains? Storm spirit to clean the car?

My character usually summons up a hearth spirit in the requested
shape of a french maid to do the cleaning (Force 2). Did it so much
(three months) it eventually went free and started asking for money.
Storm spirit in your car? Ye Gods Man! Hope you didn't like your
electrical system......

Fixer --------------} The easy I do before breakfast,
the difficult I do all day long,
the impossible only during the week,
and miracles performed on an as-needed basis....

Now tell me, what was your problem?
Message no. 3
From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 12:28:04 -0400
Nexx didst sayeth:
>----------
>> From: Martin Steffens <chimerae@***.IE>
>
>> > Sorry, fallback to AD&D, I think this part threaded, though.
>>
>> I like the general idea of those cantrips, very good idea to bring it
>> up, it set off a very interesting discussion.
>>
>> My ideas for little cantrip spells:


< snip cantrip list >

>> And finally:
>> Summon a spirit to do the shopping
>
>You mean you didn't already do this? I'm the only one who's summoned a
>hearth spirit and asked it to help me clean the house? What about a city
>spirit to take the dog out when it rains? Storm spirit to clean the car?


I think I can top that...Firelance once burnt a service from a water
elemental to have his driveway shoveled after a blizzard hit Seattle and the
thing was pissed. Evidently, acid rain makes for some really nasty snow.

Later-

Duncan McNeill-Burton
-Tech Priest in Training
-Violent Felon for Hire
-Pipe-wielding Sociopath for Fun
http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/~dmcneill
"Your eyes shiver and you grit your teeth,
You've sold you soul now cold blood's how you get relief."
-Ice-T, The Syndicate
Message no. 4
From: Shaun Gilroy <shaung@**********.NET>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 12:36:06 -0400
At 12:28 PM 9/4/98 -0400, you wrote:
>I think I can top that...Firelance once burnt a service from a water
>elemental to have his driveway shoveled after a blizzard hit Seattle and the
>thing was pissed. Evidently, acid rain makes for some really nasty snow.

I was under the impression from people that I've met from the state of
Washington that it really doesn't snow in Seattle because of its proximity
to the coast. Am I wrong?



Shaun Gilroy [shaung@**********.net]
Online Technologies Corporation
Message no. 5
From: Duncan McNeill-Burton <dmcneill@************.EDU>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 12:45:16 -0400
Shaun Gilroy didst sayeth:
>At 12:28 PM 9/4/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>I think I can top that...Firelance once burnt a service from a water
>>elemental to have his driveway shoveled after a blizzard hit Seattle and
the
>>thing was pissed. Evidently, acid rain makes for some really nasty snow.
>
>I was under the impression from people that I've met from the state of
>Washington that it really doesn't snow in Seattle because of its proximity
>to the coast. Am I wrong?


You are correct It was a random weather fluke. Really freaked Firelance
out since he'd never seen much snow before, then woke up one morning, hung
over, and discovered that there was two feet of snow on his front lawn. His
still fuzzy brain went, "hmm...snow is water...I've still got a service left
on that big blue bastard...hey, you. get rid of the snow in my driveway."
Everyone looked at me like I was nuts since I'd just sent a Force 5 water
elemental to shovel the driveway, but it fit, and Firelance was always a
little on the lazy side anyway.

Later-

Duncan McNeill-Burton
-Tech Priest in Training
-Violent Felon for Hire
-Pipe-wielding Sociopath for Fun
http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/~dmcneill
"Your eyes shiver and you grit your teeth,
You've sold you soul now cold blood's how you get relief."
-Ice-T, The Syndicate
Message no. 6
From: Kaptiv Audienz <G8TWAY@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 14:25:59 EDT
In a message dated 9/4/1998 11:22:04 AM US Eastern Standard Time,
fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US writes:

> ->You mean you didn't already do this? I'm the only one who's summoned a
> ->hearth spirit and asked it to help me clean the house? What about a city
> ->spirit to take the dog out when it rains? Storm spirit to clean the car?
>
> My character usually summons up a hearth spirit in the requested
> shape of a french maid to do the cleaning (Force 2). Did it so much
> (three months) it eventually went free and started asking for money.
> Storm spirit in your car? Ye Gods Man! Hope you didn't like your
> electrical system......

Along this line of development, what are the limits that you as being a GM
would place upon the allowable services of a spirit or elemental to perform
before that being views itself as being reduced in demeanor and attempt to
leave or simply not perform the duty?
Message no. 7
From: Dom T-J <phobic@**.NET.AU>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 04:51:00 +1000
At 14:25 4/09/98 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 9/4/1998 11:22:04 AM US Eastern Standard Time,
>fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US writes:
>

>Along this line of development, what are the limits that you as being a GM
>would place upon the allowable services of a spirit or elemental to perform
>before that being views itself as being reduced in demeanor and attempt to
>leave or simply not perform the duty?
>

I dare say it depends on the spirit... some of the little bastards resent
being summoned at all, others look at it as an interesting experience. Up
to the individual GM really...
Phobic
"He who fears nothing save fear itself. And trolls with clubs."
Message no. 8
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 17:19:08 -0500
----------
> From: David Foster <fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US>
> ->You mean you didn't already do this? I'm the only one who's summoned
a
> ->hearth spirit and asked it to help me clean the house? What about a
city
> ->spirit to take the dog out when it rains? Storm spirit to clean the
car?
>
> Storm spirit in your car? Ye Gods Man! Hope you didn't like
your
> electrical system......

The outside, dipshit. :-)
Message no. 9
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 17:40:25 -0500
----------
> From: Kaptiv Audienz <G8TWAY@***.COM>
> > ->You mean you didn't already do this? I'm the only one who's
summoned a
> > ->hearth spirit and asked it to help me clean the house? What about
a city
> > ->spirit to take the dog out when it rains? Storm spirit to clean
the car?
> >
> > My character usually summons up a hearth spirit in the
requested
> > shape of a french maid to do the cleaning (Force 2). Did it so much
> > (three months) it eventually went free and started asking for money.
> > Storm spirit in your car? Ye Gods Man! Hope you didn't like
your
> > electrical system......
>
> Along this line of development, what are the limits that you as being a
GM
> would place upon the allowable services of a spirit or elemental to
perform
> before that being views itself as being reduced in demeanor and attempt
to
> leave or simply not perform the duty?

Well, you'll note that I originally said "help clean the house". The way
I see shamans, they know that spirits are everywhere, and simply ask them,
as friends, to help them with some chore. The spirits gladly respond, so
long as the shaman is nice about it... they are friends, after all, and I
know I've helped friends clean up their room (and if I had to live in it,
well...).

To use Duncan's example, however, hermetics command their spirits. Its
not "Can you please help me collapse this cave?", its "Collapse this cave,
elemental." The shaman might not actually _do_ anything to help, but the
spirit understands that. Conversely, elementals expect to be ordered, and
might be a bit hesitant if asked nicely. It has to do with how they each
view magic. A shaman is part of nature, asking nature to help him in his
struggles. A wizard is the lord of nature, and nature obeys his commands
because he is lord.

***************
Rev. Mark Hall, Bard to the Lady Mari
aka Pope Nexx Many-Scars
*
"One thing's for sure: It'll be years before Chelsea is willing to give a
guy a blow job."
Rick Leahy, Carpenter
Message no. 10
From: Mike Bobroff <Airwasp@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 22:44:41 EDT
In a message dated 9/4/98 5:23:24 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
nexx@********.NET writes:

> > ->You mean you didn't already do this? I'm the only one who's summoned
> a
> > ->hearth spirit and asked it to help me clean the house? What about a
> city
> > ->spirit to take the dog out when it rains? Storm spirit to clean the
> car?
> >
> > Storm spirit in your car? Ye Gods Man! Hope you didn't like
> your
> > electrical system......
>
> The outside, dipshit. :-)
>
Well, unless the conjurer was bright enough to mention that to the spirit, I'd
give the spirit the benefit of the doubt and have it clean the car inside and
out, completely.

Seeing as spirits most of the time follow the letter of the law, and not the
"spirit" of the law.

*chuckle*

-Herc
------ The Best Mechanic you can ever have.
Message no. 11
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 13:40:18 +0200
Shaun Gilroy said on 12:36/4 Sep 98,...

> I was under the impression from people that I've met from the state of
> Washington that it really doesn't snow in Seattle because of its proximity
> to the coast. Am I wrong?

I don't know about Seattle (I've been in and near there for a grand total
of maybe 18 hours in my life, and that was about a week ago when it was
slightly too warm to have snow) but I do know that it usually snows at
least once each winter where I live (a few hundred meters from the North
Sea). In recent years it's been less because we've had warm winters and
even more warm summers, but about 10 years ago we had snow for several
weeks a year.

What happens with areas close to a large body of water is that the water
takes a long time to cool down in winter, so the surrounding area is
warmer than when you go in-land a bit further. That makes for less cold
winters, and thus usually a bit less snow in my experience. (In summer,
the reverse is true -- summers here are cooler than away from the coast.
If you like swimming, best to do it in late summer or autumn when the
water's at its warmest.)

I would expect Seattle to experience a similar phenomenon, seeing how
close it is to the water. Although of course the Sixth World appears to
have changed the weather patterns around the globe a bit, so maybe Seattle
has different weather than it has now, and it either snows a lot or not at
all (depending on the current situation). Or it's stayed the same -- who
can tell? ;)

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
It may look to the untrained eye I'm sitting on my arse all day.
-> NERPS Project Leader * ShadowRN GridSec * Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-
-> The New Character Mortuary: http://www.electricferret.com/mortuary/ <-

GC3.1: GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+(++)@ U P L E? W(++) N o? K- w+ O V? PS+
PE Y PGP- t(+) 5++ X++ R+++>$ tv+(++) b++@ DI? D+ G(++) e h! !r(---) y?
Incubated into the First Church of the Sqooshy Ball, 21-05-1998
Message no. 12
From: Martin Steffens <chimerae@***.IE>
Subject: Re: Mundane Magic (was Re: Egyptian Magic
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 13:28:20 +0000
and thus did Nexx speak on 4 Sep 98 at 8:44:

> You mean you didn't already do this? I'm the only one who's summoned a
> hearth spirit and asked it to help me clean the house? What about a city
> spirit to take the dog out when it rains? Storm spirit to clean the car?

Well I did it before, but it always felt a bit like abusing your
power. As a GM I keep track of how my players treat their spirits and
elementals. Ones that use them as cannon fodder or to do degrading
tasks can expect a penalty when they summon one next time. Likewise
they get a bonus for respect and good use.

"I am Roglan, mighty spirit of this house. I protect those within my
domain, and woe those who defy me. What is it you want me to do
Mage?"

"Ah well, just clean the room, will ya?"

"WHAT?! Clean the room??!! Who do you think you are you little twit?"

That line of thinking. That's why I liked the cantrip idea so much,
since that allows me to do the same stuff, without annoying spirits.

Karina & Martin Steffens
chimerae@***.ie

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