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Message no. 1
From: Damion Milliken <milko@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Spells on the Astral Plane
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998 05:51:03 +1000
Cobra writes:

> > >I don't allow AoE spells in astral. I don't even allow spell effect
> > >in astral.
> >
> > Wait? no spell effects? please elaborate ... it sounds like your saying
> > no spells in astral space (I'm not saying it's bad ... I'm just want to
> > be clear on what you're saying ... THEN I'll say it's bad ... <j/k> ;)
>
> Yep, no direct spell effect. Thus, I interpret astral static as a
> physical effect which has an impact in astral.
> The reason is that I don't see why the spell energy (which are
> living) would change their nature while reaching their target if this
> target isn't in the physical plane.

Yikes. A spell is merely a collection of mana (astral energy) that is taken
by the caster and focused into a specific task or goal. On the astral plane
such creations appear analogous to magical automatons, or creatures, but
actually are not living entities. The energy contained within a spell has a
specific purpose (kill, heal, change clothing colour, create 4 x 4 x 4 cube
of liquid Flourine). I don't see why this wouldn't still apply to an astral
target equally as well as a physical target. (Excepting the physical
manipulations, of course.)

> ___ - Cobra._________________________________________ ###
> ____ 'When all is wrong, it will get worse.'____ __ ########
> _________________________________________________ #####
> __________ ####_ ####_ ##____ #####__ ####_____ ########
> _________ ###__ ##_ ## ####__ ##_ ## ##_ ##_____ ########
> ######### ###__ ##_ ## ##_ ## #####_ ###### #### #######
> #########_ ####_ ####_ #####_ ##_ ## ##_ ## ##########

Cobra, what _are_ all those funky control characters in your .sig? They
make my mail reader barf and extend your .sig to be about a page in length.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong
Unofficial Shadowrun Guru E-mail: milko@***.edu.au
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Message no. 2
From: Cobra <wgallas@*****.FR>
Subject: Re: Spells on the Astral Plane
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 01:15:11 +0200
> > Yep, no direct spell effect. Thus, I interpret astral static as a
> > physical effect which has an impact in astral.
> > The reason is that I don't see why the spell energy (which are
> > living) would change their nature while reaching their target if this
> > target isn't in the physical plane.
>
> Yikes. A spell is merely a collection of mana (astral energy) that is t=
aken
> by the caster and focused into a specific task or goal. On the astral p=
lane
> such creations appear analogous to magical automatons, or creatures, but
> actually are not living entities. The energy contained within a spell h=
as a
> specific purpose (kill, heal, change clothing colour, create 4 x 4 x 4 c=
ube
> of liquid Flourine). I don't see why this wouldn't still apply to an as=
tral
> target equally as well as a physical target. (Excepting the physical
> manipulations, of course.)

Because IMO, the spell effect appears when the astral energy crosses
the bridge between astral plane and physical plane. If the spell was
only astral energies shaped around a purpose, where would the type
(mana or physical) come from ?

> Cobra, what _are_ all those funky control characters in your .sig? They
> make my mail reader barf and extend your .sig to be about a page in leng=
th.

??? Funky control characters ???
What do you mean here ?


    -
Cobra.                   =
                      
###
     'When all is wrong, it will get worse.'    
   ##=
######
                         =
                        
#=
####
           ####  #### 
##     #####   =
####      ########
          ###   ##  ##
####   ##  ## ##  #=
#      ########
######### ###   ##  ## ##  ## #####  ###### #### #######
#########  ####  ####  #####  ##  ## ##  ## ##########
Message no. 3
From: Danyel N Woods <9604801@********.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Spells on the Astral Plane
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 11:58:42 +1200
Quoth Cobra (1115 23-06-98 NZT):

<<SLICE>>
>> Cobra, what _are_ all those funky control characters in your .sig?
They
>> make my mail reader barf and extend your .sig to be about a page in
length.
>
>??? Funky control characters ???
>What do you mean here ?

I think he means the ASCII 'COBRA' you have spelled out in hash-marks.

Danyel Woods - 9604801@********.ac.nz
'God hates me, that's what it is.'
'Hate him back. It works for me.'
Message no. 4
From: Damion Milliken <milko@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Spells on the Astral Plane
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 13:25:16 +1000
Cobra writes:

> Because IMO, the spell effect appears when the astral energy crosses
> the bridge between astral plane and physical plane. If the spell was
> only astral energies shaped around a purpose, where would the type
> (mana or physical) come from ?

I see your point, but I can still conceive that spells can have their
desired effects while on the astral plane. The astral is a place of emotion
and intent. What occurs is what you want to occur (you project your
feelings and they become tangible). I see astral combat as not so much
being melee (as the mechanics imply), but as being a sort of contest of
wills and aura manipulation abilities. Along similar lines, the intent and
feeling that accompanies a spell defines what it is capable of, and the
effects that it has on an astral target. Thus, even though a spell may not
truely manifest its effects (which it wouldn't, until it ground to the
physical), the intent, and energy manipulation is still there, and is still
valid in my view. OTOH, I can also see how this is just my view, and not
really backed up by any of the rules, per se.

> ??? Funky control characters ???
> What do you mean here ?

Your .sig looks like this to me:

<A0><A0><A0> -
Cobra.<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0>
<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0>
<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0> ###
<A0><A0><A0><A0> 'When all is wrong, it will get
worse.'<A0><A0><A0><A0> <A0>
<A0> ########
<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0>
<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0>
<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0>
#####
<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0>
####<A0> ####<A0> ##<A0><A0><A0><A0> ##
###<A0><A0> ####<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0> ########
<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0><A0>
###<A0><A0> ##<A0> ## ####<A0><A0> ##<A0> #
# ##<A0> ##<A0><A0><A0><A0><A0> ########
######### ###<A0><A0> ##<A0> ## ##<A0> ## #####<A0> ######
#### #######
#########<A0> ####<A0> ####<A0> #####<A0> ##<A0> ##
##<A0> ## ##########

(Except that all the <A0> characters are in reverse highlighting, indicating
that they are special characters that are not displayable.)

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong
Unofficial Shadowrun Guru E-mail: milko@***.edu.au
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DI+++ D G+ e++>++++$ h(*) r(--) y--
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Message no. 5
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Spells on the Astral Plane
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 12:22:31 +0100
Cobra said on 1:15/23 Jun 98,...

> > Cobra, what _are_ all those funky control characters in your .sig? They
> > make my mail reader barf and extend your .sig to be about a page in length.
>
> ??? Funky control characters ???
> What do you mean here ?

Probably the #-marks at the end of your sig, that form a cobra
and spell th word "cobra" when viewed with a non-proportional
font but which look like a bunch of hash marks with a proportional
one, as most people will be using...

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Nobody has a nicely-balanced range of obsessions
which they dabble in when they feel like it.
-> 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

Further Reading

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