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Message no. 1
From: Timothy Skirvin <tskirvin@********.UNI.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: New spell...Atral Sight
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 11:49:37 -0500
(Oops, misspelled).

Anyway, last night I got bored, and decided to make a useful spell
for all those sorcerer adepts out there...

Astral Sight
Spell Type: Mana
Target: 10 - Essence
Range: Touch
Duration: Sustained
Type: Detection (Hypersenses)
Drain Modifiers: Touch (-1 DT -1 DL)
Sustained (+1 DT)
Detection (-1 DT)
Voluntary Subject Required (-1 DL)
Very Involved (+3 DL)
Drain: Base D - 1 DT + 2 DL = (F/2 + 1)D
Notes: Makes recipient esentially a dual being. Only the caster can
end it, even if the target is no longer voluntary. Untrained people get an
ADDITIONAL +2 to all target numbers (above the astral sight penalties) if they
do not make a Magical Theory Test (TN 6), and are considered trained when they
have successfully made this test 10 times (option: at 5 turns, penalty goes to
+1)

Personal Version: Same as above, but drain is (F/2 + 1)S

There. All done. What do you think (and should I lower the Very In-
volved penalties? They're there just so sorcerer adepts will have to think
about using this spell, because they might take some drain...)

----------------------- "Well, you see, they took the Bible literally.
Tim Skirvin Adam and Eve, the snake and the apple...took
(tskirvin@ it word for word. Unfortunately, their
superdec.uni.uiuc.edu) version had a misprint."
----------------------- - Rimmer, Red Dwarf (The Last Day)
Message no. 2
From: The Powerhouse <P.C.Steele@*********.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: New spell...Atral Sight
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 21:43:26 +0100
While there maybe nothing wrong with the mechanics of this particular spell
I question the plausibility that such a spell could exist. After all with
this spell not just adepts get to see astral space but your average joe
samurai gets to see in the astral and fight in the astral. This one get's
a big no from me. If you want to play a sorceror adept then you have to
take the disadvantages along with the advantage that you keep option A or B
open.

Phill.
Message no. 3
From: "Brian W. Allison" <bwa550s@***.SMSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: New spell...Atral Sight
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 18:06:29 -0500
I agree with a previous poster. This spell crosses too many boundaries
that are in SR for reasons of realism and balance. It simply gives too much
for too little.

The closest thing that currently exists is the free spirit ability of
gateway. I thought that was only available to the metaplanes, not to
astral. Even if it does allow astral access, a simple spell shouldn't be
able to mimic any free spirit ability.

I can see it now, "Create Wealth, force 5!"

------------------------------------------
Brian (bwa550s@***.smsu.edu)
<<Lone Star, when it absolutely, positively, has to be screwed up.>>
(GEEK CODE) GCS d@ -p+ c++++!!!!! l u+(++) e+(++) m@(+/++/---) s@/@
!n--- h*(+) f+(?) !g(20/12) w+ t+ r+(++) y?
Message no. 4
From: Timothy Skirvin <tskirvin@********.UNI.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Re: New spell...Atral Sight
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 20:04:01 -0500
> While there maybe nothing wrong with the mechanics of this
> particular spell I question the plausibility that such a spell
> could exist. After all with

Hypersense, it makes sense...there's an ability that people can see
it if you're of German descent. The main use for it is to cast it when
absolutely necessary...

> this spell not just adepts get to see astral space but your average
> joe samurai gets to see in the astral and fight in the astral.
> This one get's

He can't fight in the astral. He can only SEE the astral. That
matters a LOT.

Mages can cast spells at him...

Of course, quickening and such are bad ideas. You can ground through
them, and they also have a permanent penalty when doing their other stuff...
> a big no from me. If you want to play a sorceror adept then you
> have to take the disadvantages along with the advantage that you
> keep option A or B open.

This is still a disadvantage. You do have to sustain the spell
(+2 TN there alone), and you have to get used to it.

I was considering making the drain even worse, too...

This allows characters that basically cannot conjure, and has penal-
ties on astral sight. It can be very annoying...

----------------------- "Well, you see, they took the Bible literally.
Tim Skirvin Adam and Eve, the snake and the apple...took
(tskirvin@ it word for word. Unfortunately, their
superdec.uni.uiuc.edu) version had a misprint."
----------------------- - Rimmer, Red Dwarf (The Last Day)
Message no. 5
From: Gurth <jweste%smtp@******.HZEELAND.NL>
Subject: Re: New spell...Atral Sight
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 13:51:43 +0200
>While there maybe nothing wrong with the mechanics of this particular
>spell I question the plausibility that such a spell could exist. After
>all with this spell not just adepts get to see astral space but your
>average joe samurai gets to see in the astral and fight in the astral.
>This one get's a big no from me. If you want to play a sorceror adept
>then you have to take the disadvantages along with the advantage that
> you keep option A or B open.

I had designed a similar spell, but if I remember correctly off the top
of my head, it only gives the subject the ability to see into the astral
plane, not to affect it in any way, while he _is_ vulnerable to attacks
coming from Astral Space (and he can be grounded through).



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Gurth + In this bright future +
+ (jweste%smtp@******.hzeeland.nl) + You can't forget your past +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Message no. 6
From: Timothy Skirvin <tskirvin@********.UNI.UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Re: New spell...Atral Sight
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 11:55:24 -0500
That was basically what I was trying to get. You can only SEE it.

It's mostly useful for some sorcerers. They can do some ritual magic
with this (not much, they either have to sustain it or they have to waste some
karma to bond it. Not that nice...)

And if you raise the drain code a little (maybe (F/2+4)D), you'll have
people not wanting to use it often.

----------------------- "Well, you see, they took the Bible literally.
Tim Skirvin Adam and Eve, the snake and the apple...took
(tskirvin@ it word for word. Unfortunately, their
superdec.uni.uiuc.edu) version had a misprint."
----------------------- - Rimmer, Red Dwarf (The Last Day)

Further Reading

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Thwap!