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From:	P Ward <P.Ward@**.CF.AC.UK>
Subject:	NEW METAMAGIC
Date:	Mon, 6 Mar 1995 14:19:48 GMT

Message no. 1 whooohhh, everybody went quiet, I think I should go away and
put the flame-proof suit on now.

1 Jehovah's Witnesses

From:	Damion Milliken <adm82@***.EDU.AU>
Subject:	Re: NEW METAMAGIC
Date:	Wed, 8 Mar 1995 13:04:27 +1000

Message no. 2 Phil writes:

> SUSTAINING

This seems like a good idea to me. Having the maximum number of spell able
to be woven into one equal to the intiate grade, and the total force equal
to the magic attribute is a good limitation, it will keep horrednously
munchkinous applications out. If the spell pattern is treated as a single
entity for dispelling and astral combat, that means it is treated as a single
entity for quickening too (although there is the consideration that
quickening must occur at the time of casting, and SUSTAINING involves a time
factor, so it could be ruled that it was impossible to quicken SUSTAINED
spell groups).

As for whether to use the highest, lowest, or average force for restisting
attacks/dispelling. I'd say use the lowest "a chain is only as strong as its
weakest link". The magician performing the SUSTAINING should take some sort
of drain, as you say, perhaps give him a +1 to his drain test for each
additional spell he weaves into the group. ie, he casts the first spell
normally, and then when he adds the second in, he has to resist normal drain
but with a Power of one greater. The third gets Power +2, and so on. The
more spells he adds, the more difficult and fatiguing it gets.

The test to actually peform the SUSTAINING should be a sorcery test I feel
(it is manipulation of spell energies after all). Make the test equal to the
force of the spell he wishes to add to the weave, plus one for each
additional spell after the second (the more complex the spell [higher force],
and the more spells already woven in, the more difficult it is to add in
more). If he fails, then he cannot add any more spells to the weave. Period.
If he fumbles, he destroys the weave. Perhaps increase the target number by
+1 for each additional category of spells (ie, if Illusion, and Health
spells are already in the weave, and the caster wishes to add a Manipulation
spell, he gets +3).

> FOCUSSING

I agree with Andrew on this one, I don't feel there is any valid reason for
a game mechanic for the effects such as you describe.

> CANCELLING

I tend to agree with Andrew on this one too, but Sean has some good points
too. His suggestion of using Centering vs Penalties against the opponents
Shielding dice is a good one, and easily fits in with the current game
mechanics. The idea of one-for-one cancellation of shielding dice is not so
good though. It would allow a low level Initiate with a power focus to
easily overcome the defences of a high level Initiate, simply because he has
more dice to allocate. I'd not use a metamagical ability such as this,
because it seems too picky, finiky and tedious to employ. Not to mention the
points Andrew raised about just hammering the shielding with a higher force
spell instead.

> SHAPING

The two big drawbacks for this are as Andrew pointed out, the shaman can
already do the same thing using the power of his totem (via a Shapechange
spell), and the fact that it is only available to shamans. If you do decide
to use it, then I'd suggest you use the gradual metmagical powers gaining
method. ie, each initiate level the magician goes up, he may choose one
power. That way it doesn't really matter that only shamans can choose the
power, since hermetics can just not chosoe it. Now, because the ability is
so simple to use (I think a complex action is the go), I'd disallow
spellcasting while in the animal form. If you want to cast spells as an
animal, use Shapechange instead. The caster should, however, retain his own
mental stats. The turning back bits sound very good too. I'd be tempted to
disallow astral projection, and maybe have the animal form dual, so the
shaman is always perceiving, like a shapeshifter. The shaman will,
obviously, be a little bit on the "wild side" when using such a power, so he
would show appropriate animal traits, even though he still has full concious
control (a Dog shaman transformed would just _have_ to stop to take a leak
on a telephone pole for example :-)). But again, I don't think the power is
really neccessary at all.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong E-mail: adm82@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+@ H s++:-- !g p0 !au a18 w+ v(?) C++ US++>+++ 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+

From:	HHackerH@*.com HHackerH@*.com
Subject:	New Metamagic
Date:	Wed, 9 Jun 1999 16:55:09 EDT

Message no. 3 Anchor

-K
http://members.aol.com/hhackerh/intro.htm

Magic - Metaforces - Talents - "A"

From HHackerH@***.com Wed, 9 Jun 1999 17:12:38 EDT
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 17:12:38 EDT
From: HHackerH@***.c

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