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Message no. 1
From: Starjammer <starjammer@**********.COM>
Subject: [SR3] Wards & Power Foci
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 20:49:43 -0400
Since Warding ability is now based on Magic Attribute in SR3, do Power Foci
increase this ability? It doesn't say so in the descriptions of either,
but that may have been an oversight.

For myself, I'd say yes, since it seems logical that this would be so.


Starjammer | "Would it help if we sacrificed a
goat?"
starjammer@**********.com | -- Street sam "Crusher" Carlson
to mage
Marietta, GA | Straight Blue, on a really bad day
Message no. 2
From: Michael vanHulst <Schizi@***.COM>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Wards & Power Foci
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 21:41:03 EDT
In a message dated 9/21/98 5:51:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
starjammer@**********.COM writes:

> Since Warding ability is now based on Magic Attribute in SR3, do Power Foci
> increase this ability? It doesn't say so in the descriptions of either,
> but that may have been an oversight.
>
> For myself, I'd say yes, since it seems logical that this would be so.
this just came up on the FASA boards here in AOhelL, and FASAinfo said that
they do not.
Message no. 3
From: Chris Maxfield <cmaxfiel@****.ORG.AU>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Wards & Power Foci
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 13:07:43 +1000
At 20:49 21/09/98 -0400, Starjammer wrote:
>Since Warding ability is now based on Magic Attribute in SR3, do Power Foci
>increase this ability? It doesn't say so in the descriptions of either,
>but that may have been an oversight.
>
>For myself, I'd say yes, since it seems logical that this would be so.

I'd say yes and so to for an Ally's Aid Power ability or any other way the
Magic Attribute is boosted.




Chris Maxfield
<cmaxfiel@****.org.au>
------------------------------------------
The more complex the programs of an organism, the greater is the
danger of insanity. It is very, very hard to be a god.
----------------------------------------
Canberra, Australia
Message no. 4
From: Starjammer <starjammer@**********.COM>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Wards & Power Foci
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 00:33:34 -0400
At 01:07 PM 9-22-98 +1000, you wrote:
>At 20:49 21/09/98 -0400, Starjammer wrote:

>>Since Warding ability is now based on Magic Attribute in SR3, do Power Foci
>>increase this ability? It doesn't say so in the descriptions of either,
>>but that may have been an oversight.
>
>I'd say yes and so to for an Ally's Aid Power ability or any other way the
>Magic Attribute is boosted.

You'd think so, but apparently the official answer is "no." Which begs the
question, why? What about warding is so different that a Power Focus can't
help it? It can help with more powerful spells and stronger spirits, why
not bigger and better wards?

To me it wouldn't seem to be a game balance issue; warding is a useful
tool, but not that powerful in the scheme of things, even with the new
no-materials-and-portable wards.


Starjammer | "Would it help if we sacrificed a
goat?"
starjammer@**********.com | -- Street sam "Crusher" Carlson
to mage
Marietta, GA | Straight Blue, on a really bad day
Message no. 5
From: Mongoose <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Wards & Power Foci
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 23:42:33 -0700
:Since Warding ability is now based on Magic Attribute in SR3, do Power
Foci
:increase this ability? It doesn't say so in the descriptions of either,
:but that may have been an oversight.
:
:For myself, I'd say yes, since it seems logical that this would be so.


The description says they provide DICE for magical tests and raise
magic rating for purpose of DRAIN. So no, I don't think they would affect
the rating of your wards.

Mongoose
Message no. 6
From: Mongoose <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Wards & Power Foci
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 00:00:52 -0700
:>>Since Warding ability is now based on Magic Attribute in SR3, do Power
Foci
:>>increase this ability? It doesn't say so in the descriptions of
either,
:>>but that may have been an oversight.
:>
:>I'd say yes and so to for an Ally's Aid Power ability or any other way
the
:>Magic Attribute is boosted.
:
:You'd think so, but apparently the official answer is "no." Which begs
the
:question, why? What about warding is so different that a Power Focus
can't
:help it? It can help with more powerful spells and stronger spirits, why
:not bigger and better wards?
:
:To me it wouldn't seem to be a game balance issue; warding is a useful
:tool, but not that powerful in the scheme of things, even with the new
:no-materials-and-portable wards.
:


Maybe because power foci help you handle magic power- they don't
manipulate astral energy directly. Note that sr3 PF do not help banishing
or other "active" use of magic rating. Who knows. Anyhow, getting an ass
tough ward up is no big deal- it just takes co-operation- most teams or
corps can scrape up 10+ points worth of magic if they need it..

Mongoose
Message no. 7
From: Chris Maxfield <cmaxfiel@****.ORG.AU>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Wards & Power Foci
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 17:24:20 +1000
At 23:42 21/09/98 -0700, Mongoose wrote:
>:Since Warding ability is now based on Magic Attribute in SR3, do Power
>Foci
>:increase this ability? It doesn't say so in the descriptions of either,
>:but that may have been an oversight.
>:
>:For myself, I'd say yes, since it seems logical that this would be so.
>
>
> The description says they provide DICE for magical tests and raise
>magic rating for purpose of DRAIN. So no, I don't think they would affect
>the rating of your wards.

Aha! Another significant change I didn't spot. This does have some very
interesting ramifications for those cyber-magicians who balance their loss
of magic with high-level power foci. <EGM laugh>




Chris Maxfield
<cmaxfiel@****.org.au>
------------------------------------------
Fear of things invisible is the natural seed of that which
every one in himself calleth religion.
- Thomas Hobbes
----------------------------------------
Canberra, Australia
Message no. 8
From: Brian Moore <mooreb@****.FAC.COM>
Subject: Re: [SR3] Wards & Power Foci
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 12:06:08 -0400
Starjammer <starjammer@**********.COM> said:
>
> Since Warding ability is now based on Magic Attribute in SR3, do Power Foci
> increase this ability? It doesn't say so in the descriptions of either,
> but that may have been an oversight.
>
> For myself, I'd say yes, since it seems logical that this would be so.


It may seem logical, but that's not the way things are written. The rules
for Power Foci specifically state how they affect Magic Rating, and it
doesn't include warding.

Ally spirits still work for increasing Magic Rating, at least until MITS
comes out. However, Allies can now make their own wards. All you need is
Astral Perception and a Magic Rating, and I assume Allies (especially with
the Sorcery power) have a Magic Rating equal to Force. (Please let me know
if the rules specifically support or contradict this.)

Given the departure from SRII (as far as I know, Power Foci used to
increase Magic Rating for everything), let me suggest the following:

Warding Foci: costs 30KnY/Force, 5*Force in Karma to bond, Street Index 1,
Availability 11/4 weeks, Legality: Legal.

Specific Warding Foci: costs 20knY/Force, 3*Force in Karma to bond, Street
Index 1, Availability 10/4 weeks, Legality: Legal.

An active Warding Focus increases the owners Magic Rating for all
Ward making activities. As such, it increases the number of dice rolled
to create a ward (and thus the duration), it increases the maximum volume
of the ward, and it increases the maximum Force of ward which the owner
can create. A Specific Warding focus increases the owners Magic Rating
for a single aspect of Warding, chosen at the time of the Warding ritual.
A Warding Focus can be bonded by anyone capable of Warding.

The Warding Foci is a VERY useful item for magical security mages to
have as their wards last longer and cover more area. Without the focus,
a sec mage would have to redo the Warding ritual more often, or do multiple
rituals to cover a large area. That helps the bottom line if your mages
can ward twice the area for twice as long as the competition (assuming a
Warding Foci equal to the mages Magic Rating). Of course Shadowrunners
won't really find much use for them, as they probably don't want to spend
so much karma on an item they won't use very often.

Warding Foci are legal, not requiring a permit even above Force 2
as they are solely defensive magical items. However they are being
purchased by ALL of the magical security corps, so good luck finding
one (or getting a mage to make you one).

For my next installment (maybe tomorrow), Ward Marker Foci, used to
provide permanent Spell Defense dice to a ward.

--
Brian Moore, mooreb@***.com | I wrote up a nice script to truncate all News&
First Albany Corp. Sysadmin | Mail sigs that are greater than 4 lines long.
standard disclaimers apply | It is still in beta testing due to an off-by-

Further Reading

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