Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: CSD108@*****.BITNET
Subject: Quickenings
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 93 09:10:00 EST
Nightstalker says:

>Since Grimoire II never says what Tom Dowd said, what he said can be nothing
>more than a punt.

HA HA HA ha ha ha.. (Wipe away tears of laughter.) You've got a lot to learn
about how FASA operates. When the Grimoire 2 was being printed (around late
August, early Spetember), they still hadn't reached a decision on this sub-
ject. I guess they finally decided. :)

>A quickening is a spell and you can't cast a spell at a spell.

Ah, but you're not. You're casting a spell *through* a spell.


--Presto

_______________________________________________________________________
| Trubble with speling? Trie | Internet: CSD108@*****.psu.edu |
| - N E R P S ! - | Bitnet : CSD108@***** |
| Fore speling | "Monday's Bite" |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 2
From: Ken Horton <kenh@*******.CS.UOREGON.EDU>
Subject: Quickenings
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1993 14:58:51 -0700
I would say no you cannot "turn off" quickenings. They would have to be
dispelled or attacked from Astral Space. In my game, you also cannot turn
off foci and spell locks. You can remove them and leave them in your dresser
drawer at home, but they cannot be activated like a light switch.
Ken Horton
Message no. 3
From: Gryffyn the Grey <K_SNOKE@******.COLORADO.EDU>
Subject: Quickenings
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 17:58:51 -0600
As far as I know once the Karma is spent the spell is locked into you.
That way it doesn't suddenly "run out" in the midst of a bad situation . .
Gryffyn
Message no. 4
From: Paul Jonathan Adam <Paul@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Quickenings
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 17:10:03 GMT
> I currently have character that has this spell on a spell
> lock and it takes a
> 20 to see him). The invisibilty spell has a
> disadvantage that they use
> (other game systems have this disadvantage also): if
> a character makes an aggressive action toward
> another the spell stops working, in sr terms the spell
> would drop the mage would have to reactivate/recast
> the spell. Since a quickening is permanent and
> according to the books the only way to destroy a
> quickening is by dispelling or astral combat.
> Therefore, if the above spell were quickened you
> would have character that could never be seen in the
> mundane world and take aggressive actions without
> being seen.

Okay. He's completely inaudible, invisible, and undetectable by
any means.

"Hey, bartender... Bartender?" Nobody can see or hear you, right?
You can't answer your telephone: the screen won't see you, the mike
won't hear you. People can't talk to you - they don't know where you
are!

With a spell lock? Turn it off. With a HugeForce quickening? Destroy it.
And requicken when needed. Not sensible.

How do you cross roads? How do you shout warnings to friends? Get served
in restaurants? Let me have a player who tries this and they'll break
the quickening themselves within an hour, I promise, when the hellish
difficulties it imposes become apparent.


> Why stop there lets quicken mana and
> physical barriers and have and invisble character that
> can not be harmed (you could do this easily if one had
> enough Karma.

Even better! A permanent and unbreakable physical barrier! :) Just
how does this person eat? Food won't go through the barrier. In fact,
given the solidity of the barrier, certain vital biological functions
could end up causing *real* problems... ;)

And with a mana and physical barrier up... how does this character
interact with the world at all? Can't cast spells through the mana
barrier, can't touch or shoot or handle anything because of the
physical barrier... Life sucks.

Spell locks are much better for this sort of munchkinism.

--
"When you have shot and killed a man, you have defined your attitude towards
him. You have offered a definite answer to a definite problem. For better
or for worse, you have acted decisively.
In fact, the next move is up to him." <R.A. Lafferty>

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
Message no. 5
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Quickenings
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 12:28:35 +0100
Paul Jonathan Adam said on 13 Oct 95...

> Okay. He's completely inaudible, invisible, and undetectable by
> any means.
>
[snip]
> How do you cross roads? How do you shout warnings to friends? Get served
> in restaurants? Let me have a player who tries this and they'll break the
> quickening themselves within an hour, I promise, when the hellish
> difficulties it imposes become apparent.

Very true. Have you ever tried getting into an office building while
sustaining an Improved Invisibility on yourself? Yes, that's right, the
sliding doors won't open :) And dropping the spell is not an option -- you
want to go inside without being seen, right? (Of course that watcher
screwed the shaman's attempt anyway, but the basic idea was sound...) Now
try it with something you cannot turn off :)

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Living day by day
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version 3.1:
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?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Message no. 6
From: The Digital Mage <mn3rge@****.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Quickenings
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 13:01:00 +0100
On Fri, 13 Oct 1995, Paul Jonathan Adam wrote:

<bit about quickening an invisibilty spell snipped>
>
> Okay. He's completely inaudible, invisible, and undetectable by
> any means.
Invisible? Yes. Inaudible? No way, the character can still be heard
(which a few of my players forgot :)

> Spell locks are much better for this sort of munchkinism.
Agreed!

The Digital Mage : mn3rge@****.ac.uk
Shadowrun Web Site under construction at
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~mn3rge/Shadowrun.html
Message no. 7
From: "Victor Rodriguez, Jr" <sedahdro@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Quickenings
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 18:47:00 EST
>Paul Jonathan Adam said on 13 Oct 95...
>Very true. Have you ever tried getting into an office building while
>sustaining an Improved Invisibility on yourself? Yes, that's right, the
>sliding doors won't open :) And dropping the spell is not an option -- you
>want to go inside without being seen, right? (Of course that watcher
>screwed the shaman's attempt anyway, but the basic idea was sound...) Now
>try it with something you cannot turn off :)
You could just open the doors, after all they are designed to manually open
in case the electricity goes out. It would just require a simple strength
test or athletics. But of course the physical barrier spell that was
quickened to the above mentioned mage would kind of prevent him from pulling
the sliding doors open.
---Sedah Drol
--
I know where my towel is, do you?
GC3.1
GO>CS d- s:--- a21 C++++>$ U--- P L-- E? W+>W+++ N o? K? w+>w++++ O--- M-- V
PS+++ PE Y+ PGP- t++ 5+ X++ R++>+++$ tv++ b- DI++ D+ G++ e* h r++ y++
Message no. 8
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Quickenings
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 10:34:27 +0100
Victor Rodriguez, Jr said on 17 Oct 95...

> >Paul Jonathan Adam said on 13 Oct 95...

It was me who said that, actually :)

> >Very true. Have you ever tried getting into an office building while
> >sustaining an Improved Invisibility on yourself? Yes, that's right, the
> >sliding doors won't open :) And dropping the spell is not an option -- you
> >want to go inside without being seen, right? (Of course that watcher
> >screwed the shaman's attempt anyway, but the basic idea was sound...) Now
> >try it with something you cannot turn off :)
> You could just open the doors, after all they are designed to manually open
> in case the electricity goes out. It would just require a simple strength
> test or athletics.

But that would get the guards' attention -- doors opening all by
themselves?

> But of course the physical barrier spell that was
> quickened to the above mentioned mage would kind of prevent him from pulling
> the sliding doors open.

I didn't say anything about a Barrier spell. That was Paul's example of
quickened spells, not mine of a character with a sustained Improved
Invisibility...

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Personality test I failed with the best
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version 3.1:
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?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Message no. 9
From: Jeffrey Riordan <JRIORDAN@***.GOV>
Subject: Re: Quickenings -Reply
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 10:48:55 -0400
>>> Gurth <gurth@******.NL> 10/18/95 05:34am >>>

> But of course the physical barrier spell that was
> quickened to the above mentioned mage would kind
of prevent him from pulling
> the sliding doors open.

I didn't say anything about a Barrier spell. That was
Paul's example of quickened spells, not mine of a
character with a sustained Improved
Invisibility...

--
Gurth@******.nl -
http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Personality test I failed with the best
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial
Shadowrun Guru <-
<<<<<<<<<<<<

Okay here is an interesting question about locks,
Quickenings, Anchors and even Sustainings. Is there
anywhere that describes what happens to the above
when you try to pass an astral ward/mana barrier,
medicine lodge? I assume that an INACTIVE spell lock
would but what about A quickened spell which is
always active? Does it attempt to break through the
barrier? Can it break through the barrier? What would
happen to a street sam who had a spell being
sustained on him?
If there are any references in any of the books
please let me know I'm very interested.

Jriordan@***.gov
Message no. 10
From: Jani Fikouras <feanor@**********.UNI-BREMEN.DE>
Subject: Re: Quickenings -Reply
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 16:26:22 +0100
> Okay here is an interesting question about locks,
> Quickenings, Anchors and even Sustainings. Is there
> anywhere that describes what happens to the above
> when you try to pass an astral ward/mana barrier,
> medicine lodge? I assume that an INACTIVE spell lock
> would but what about A quickened spell which is
> always active? Does it attempt to break through the
> barrier? Can it break through the barrier? What would
> happen to a street sam who had a spell being
> sustained on him?
> If there are any references in any of the books
> please let me know I'm very interested.

Yes, the short answer is - they get destroyed. You can find a longer
answer (along with the mechanics behind this in the NAGM).

--
GCS d s+: p1 a-->? C++++ UA++$S++L+++>++++ L+++ E--- W+ N+ w(--) M-- !V(--)
PS+ PE Y+ PGP-- @*++ 5++ X++ R+++ tv++ b++ G+++ e++ h+(*) r

"In my mind I see the matrix, and in the matrix is held the power. The lock
to the matrix is my will, and in the matrix my will becomes the power."
Message no. 11
From: "Victor Rodriguez, Jr" <sedahdro@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Quickenings
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 03:48:00 EST
>It was me who said that, actually :)
Sorry Gurth I forgot to edit the credit that you had put at the begginning
of the message :)

>> You could just open the doors, after all they are designed to manually open
>> in case the electricity goes out. It would just require a simple strength
>> test or athletics.
>
>But that would get the guards' attention -- doors opening all by
>themselves?

Yes, but they might think a decker was screwing with the system again and
just issue a passive alert.

>> But of course the physical barrier spell that was
>> quickened to the above mentioned mage would kind of prevent him from pulling
>> the sliding doors open.
>
>I didn't say anything about a Barrier spell. That was Paul's example of
>quickened spells, not mine of a character with a sustained Improved
>Invisibility...
>
Sorry I thought you were talking about the example of a mage with
quickenings I had made quite a few days ago.
---Sedah Drol
--
I know where my towel is, do you?
GC3.1
GO>CS d- s:--- a21 C++++>$ U--- P L-- E? W+>W+++ N o? K? w+>w++++ O--- M-- V
PS+++ PE Y+ PGP- t++ 5+ X++ R++>+++$ tv++ b- DI++ D+ G++ e* h r++ y++
Message no. 12
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Quickenings -Reply
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 11:09:25 +0100
Jeffrey Riordan said on 18 Oct 95...

> Okay here is an interesting question about locks,
> Quickenings, Anchors and even Sustainings. Is there
> anywhere that describes what happens to the above
> when you try to pass an astral ward/mana barrier,
> medicine lodge?

Though I haven't looked in any of The Books before answering this, I'd say
it has to defeat the barrier in the same way an active focus has to.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Reality < Television
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version 3.1:
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?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Message no. 13
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Quickenings -Reply
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 21:34:30 +0930
Gurth wrote:
>
> Jeffrey Riordan said on 18 Oct 95...
>
> > Okay here is an interesting question about locks,
> > Quickenings, Anchors and even Sustainings. Is there
> > anywhere that describes what happens to the above
> > when you try to pass an astral ward/mana barrier,
> > medicine lodge?
>
> Though I haven't looked in any of The Books before answering this, I'd say
> it has to defeat the barrier in the same way an active focus has to.

You're right about the quickenings and the anchors... in the case of
sustained spells, it's the magician who has to defeat the barrier, though,
not the spell.

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
*** Finger me for my geek code ***
Message no. 14
From: Paul Jonathan Adam <Paul@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Quickenings -Reply
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 17:21:17 GMT
> Okay here is an interesting question about locks,
> Quickenings, Anchors and even Sustainings. Is there
> anywhere that describes what happens to the above
> when you try to pass an astral ward/mana barrier,
> medicine lodge? I assume that an INACTIVE spell lock
> would but what about A quickened spell which is
> always active? Does it attempt to break through the
> barrier? Can it break through the barrier? What would
> happen to a street sam who had a spell being
> sustained on him?
> If there are any references in any of the books
> please let me know I'm very interested.
> Jriordan@***.gov

No idea on the "official" version. I make quickenings fairly bulletproof -
can't be grounded through, and once metaplaned can go through wards,
barriers etc. - but that's a house rule with no pretension at being based
on the rules.

I also don't have wards, barriers etc. attack foci, locks, et al immediately -
you bounce off, and if you force through after that then you might have a
fight. But then I'm a fairly merciful GM because my players don't IMHO abuse
magical help, and I don't want to discourage the magicians from using magic
on the mundane party members a lot.

--
"When you have shot and killed a man, you have defined your attitude towards
him. You have offered a definite answer to a definite problem. For better
or for worse, you have acted decisively.
In fact, the next move is up to him." <R.A. Lafferty>

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Quickenings, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!