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Message no. 1
From: briann@*******.com
Subject: Seeking Comments on New Spell
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 04:27:16 +0000
Hi all, I was working on a spell to use in my games and wanted some
feedback from the group. Feel free to use it if you like it. Also
since I have the original, feel free to delete the original text or
cut it down to just what you feel you really need.

thanks in advance. Now the Spell.

Spell Name: Claws
Spell Type: Transformation manipulation

Spell Description: Claws transforms the hands of the target of this
spell into deadly weapons. Their are 4 basic versions of this spell
which go by various names, and may have various appearances related
to the names given them. However the 4 basic ones are as follows.

1. Cat Claws
Damage: (Strength)L
Drain: (F/2)L
2. Dog Claws
Damage: (Strength)M
Drain: (F/2)M
3. Tiger Claws
Damage: (Strength)S
Drain: (F/2)S
4. Bear Claws
Damage: (Strength)D
Drain: (F/2)D

This spell causes the hands of the target to knit into tougher
structures. the hands grow fur similar to that possessed by the
animal the spell is name after, and the hand may take on some of the
appearance of that animals paw. The nails transform into claws
similar to those of the animal the spell is named for, the muscles
in the hands and fore arms strengthen as the spell demands this for
support of the damage the claws will dish out, this also cuases
ligaments attached to muscle, bone, and nail to strengthen as well.
Drain level for this spell varies from base spell type to base spell
type based on the damage potential of the spell. The animal relation
of any given spell can be re-assigned by re-designing the spell with
a new animal affinity, giving rise to such variants as black panther
claws. The animal affinity of any given spell is mostly cosmetic in
nature and other then role playing possibilities can be changed at
will.

Type: Mana
Range: Touch
Target: 4
Damage Level: Special (see spell description)
Duration: Sustained
Drain: Special (see spell description)

Spell Creation Notes

Base Target Number: (Manipulation Spell): 4 {my original pick}
or possibly (fine manipulation of (meta)human tissue): 6
or (as the shapechange and transformation spells): Willpower

Drain:
1. Major Physical Changes (changes form of hands): Drain Level S
2. Touch Required: -1 Drain Target, -1 Drain Level
3. Voluntary Subject Required: -1 Drain Level
4. Sustained Spell: +1 Drain Target

Base Drain for Cat Claws is (L damgae Level) is (Force/2)L
Increase the Drain Level for each increase in damage potential.
Therefore the Drain Level of the spell becomes the Damage Level of
the spell. This is more for game balance then anything else.



I hope this is an original spell, and if you have any coments or
suggestions I would like to hear them.

Sincerely,

Brian K. Nielsen
e-mail: briann@*******.com
Message no. 2
From: "Mark Steedman" <M.J.Steedman@***.rgu.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Seeking Comments on New Spell
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 13:31:55 GMT
briann@*******.com writes

> Hi all, I was working on a spell to use in my games and wanted some
> feedback from the group. Feel free to use it if you like it. Also
> since I have the original, feel free to delete the original text or
> cut it down to just what you feel you really need.
>
> thanks in advance. Now the Spell.
>
> Spell Name: Claws
> Spell Type: Transformation manipulation
>
> Spell Description:
[lop!]

>
Looks ok actually, the touch and voluntary help lots on drain but i
suggest you check compatability of the drain reductions to make sure
some of those mods do not stack (don't know without the book if thats
the case here).

Your only other real problem is +2 sustained spell, but i suspect the
idea of +4 str locked and a spell lock had already occured. I would
therefore strongly suggest the physical changes visibiltiy you
describe, this needs to be unsublte or it is FAR better than Phsad
killing hands which costs like mad at the higher levels. With the
visible effects its a tradeoff.

Mark
Message no. 3
From: "Gurth" <gurth@******.nl>
Subject: Re: Seeking Comments on New Spell
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 10:28:37 +0100
briann@*******.com said on 4:27/11 Jun 96...

> Spell Name: Claws
> Spell Type: Transformation manipulation
>
[description snipped]
> Type: Mana
> Range: Touch
> Target: 4
> Damage Level: Special (see spell description)
> Duration: Sustained
> Drain: Special (see spell description)

IMHO it should be Physical, as it changes the physical make-up of the
hand. The Touch range would compensate for that so your Drain Codes could
remain much the same. (See below.)

> Drain:
> 1. Major Physical Changes (changes form of hands): Drain Level S

Could be, although I'd just go with the Damage Level each variant of the
spell causes.

> 2. Touch Required: -1 Drain Target, -1 Drain Level
> 3. Voluntary Subject Required: -1 Drain Level
> 4. Sustained Spell: +1 Drain Target

This makes a total of -1 Drain Target and -1 Drain Level, so you'd get the
following Drain Codes:

Cat Claws: [(F/2)-1]L
Dog Claws: [(F/2)-1]L
Tiger Claws: [(F/2)-1]M
Bear Claws: [(F/2)-1]S

Perhaps add a +1 for the Physical effect and the Drain Levels become L, L,
M, S respectively.

> I hope this is an original spell, and if you have any coments or
> suggestions I would like to hear them.

It looks and sounds a lot like Earthdawn's Claw Shapetalent, which
admittedly isn't a spell, but has very much the same effect.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Readin' too much and losin' my head
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Character Mortuary: http://huizen.dds.nl/~mortuary/mortuary.html <-

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Message no. 4
From: foreshadow@****.com (Mathew T Schaffer)
Subject: Re: Seeking Comments on New Spell
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 1996 11:39:56 PST
On Tue, 11 Jun 1996 04:27:16 +0000 briann@*******.com writes:
>This spell causes the hands of the target to knit into tougher
>structures. the hands grow fur similar to that possessed by the
>animal the spell is name after, and the hand may take on some of the
>appearance of that animals paw. The nails transform into claws
>similar to those of the animal the spell is named for, the muscles
>in the hands and fore arms strengthen as the spell demands this for
>support of the damage the claws will dish out, this also cuases
>ligaments attached to muscle, bone, and nail to strengthen as well.

You might want to include another clause. It would seem that this
strengthening would increase the strength of the target like Muscule
Replacements do. Also would the tough hide (in Bear's case) increase
Body, or maybe add an extra +1/+0 to armor (Impact... I'm not sure if
that come first or second)
Message no. 5
From: briann@*******.com
Subject: Re: Seeking Comments on New Spell
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 1996 16:39:13 +0000
On Monday June 17th Mathew T Schaffer wrote:
>
> You might want to include another clause. It would seem that this
> strengthening would increase the strength of the target like Muscule
> Replacements do. Also would the tough hide (in Bear's case) increase
> Body, or maybe add an extra +1/+0 to armor (Impact... I'm not sure if
> that come first or second)
>
Actually, the toughening of the muscles and other structures of the
hands was intended only to keep the nails from ripping out of the
hand when used for an attack. I do not intend to grant any strength
bonus. Also, since most of the effect is limited to the hands I
would not grant an armor bonus. Bear's hide may be tough, but it
does not grant any particular benefit against bullets or swords.

thanks for the comments though, I really appreciate it. I would
also like to thank Gurth, he had a good suggestion I decided to use
in the spell. Hope you can use the spell in your games.

Brian K. Nielsen
e-mail: briann@*******.com

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