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Message no. 1
From: tjlanza@************.com (Timothy J. Lanza)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 15:01:58 -0500
I'm going to be starting up a game soon, and one of the players is talking
about playing an Aspected Air Magician. This of course means that he's
going to have boat loads of detection spells.

I don't want every run to become a cakewalk because this guy can get /too/
much information, but I don't want to shut him down completely. Anybody
have any suggestions?

--
Timothy J. Lanza
"When we can't dream any longer, we die." - Emma Goldman
Message no. 2
From: davek@***.lonestar.org (David Kettler)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 20:51:27 +0000
On Thu, Jan 15, 2004 at 03:01:58PM -0500, Timothy J. Lanza wrote:
> I'm going to be starting up a game soon, and one of the players is talking
> about playing an Aspected Air Magician. This of course means that he's
> going to have boat loads of detection spells.
>
> I don't want every run to become a cakewalk because this guy can get /too/
> much information, but I don't want to shut him down completely. Anybody
> have any suggestions?
>
> --
> Timothy J. Lanza
> "When we can't dream any longer, we die." - Emma Goldman
>
>

I played an aspected air magician once. He was a former private detective turned
Shadowrunner (naturally). Interesting character.

Anyway, could you be more specific as to what you are worried about? Detection spells are
certainly useful at times, but I've never found them to be overpowering. They all have
limitations. Analyze Truth or Mindprobe can be used in interrogations, but you still have
to capture somebody first. Clairaudience and Clairvoyance in most situations are no
better than plain ol' astral projection. The one exception is perhaps the ability to read
text with Clairvoyance, but don't forget that these spells have limited range and have to
be sustained so their use is obvious in the astral. Detect Enemies, at least the way I
interpret it, is extremely limited. Again it has limited range, but more importantly it
can only detect people who are actively hositle towards the caster. If you're sneaking
into some complex and the guards don't know you're there then they can't very well be
actively hostile towards you, now can they? Spells like Detect Individual and Detect Life
are probably more useful, but they're still range limited. The ones in MITS are sometimes
interesting but generally not that powerful.

Anyway, I think you may be too worried about this.

--
Dave Kettler
davek@***.lonestar.org
http://davek.freeshell.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org
Message no. 3
From: gurth@******.nl (Gurth)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 11:32:01 +0100
According to Timothy J. Lanza, on Thursday 15 January 2004 21:01 the word
on the street was...

> I don't want every run to become a cakewalk because this guy can get
> /too/ much information, but I don't want to shut him down completely.
> Anybody have any suggestions?

http://plastic.dumpshock.com/shadowrun/supplements.html and download
Running Gear, in which you'll find a counter-detection spell :)

Other than that, be sure to put up astral barriers around stuff the bad
guys want to keep hidden, as this adds its Force to the TN for any
detection spell cast across it (p. 192, SR3).

--
Gurth@******.nl - Stone Age: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
You've been touched by the doubt of man
-> Probably NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

GC3.12: GAT/! d- s:- !a>? C++(---) UL+ 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
Message no. 4
From: james@****.uow.edu.au (James Niall Zealey)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 08:53:09 +1100
> Gurth <gurth@******.nl>
>
>
> According to Timothy J. Lanza, on Thursday 15 January 2004 21:01 the word
> on the street was...
>
> http://plastic.dumpshock.com/shadowrun/supplements.html and download
> Running Gear, in which you'll find a counter-detection spell :)
>
> Other than that, be sure to put up astral barriers around stuff the bad
> guys want to keep hidden, as this adds its Force to the TN for any
> detection spell cast across it (p. 192, SR3).
>

Why the need for a dedicated spell? Detection spells are resisted spells
already, which means that spell defense can shut them down. Add that to
the high TN's for getting results beyond your own senses, and they're
not really that great. Useful, sure, but not game-wreckers by any measure.

Quick movement (from the above)... now that's a game-wrecker.
Message no. 5
From: gurth@******.nl (Gurth)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 10:56:20 +0100
According to James Niall Zealey, on Sunday 18 January 2004 22:53 the word
on the street was...

> Why the need for a dedicated spell? Detection spells are resisted spells
> already, which means that spell defense can shut them down. Add that to
> the high TN's for getting results beyond your own senses, and they're
> not really that great. Useful, sure, but not game-wreckers by any
> measure.

I wouldn't call it a need for that particular spell, just a bit of an
experiment to see if it would work. Plus, if you _really_ don't want to be
detected, you could use it to better hide yourself.

> Quick movement (from the above)... now that's a game-wrecker.

You know, I myself have made at least two, and possibly three, characters
who've all had that spell, and I've never had the opportunity to even cast
it?

--
Gurth@******.nl - Stone Age: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
You've been touched by the doubt of man
-> Probably NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

GC3.12: GAT/! d- s:- !a>? C++(---) UL+ 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
Message no. 6
From: james@****.uow.edu.au (James Niall Zealey)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 08:52:34 +1100
> Gurth <gurth@******.nl>
>
>>Quick movement (from the above)... now that's a game-wrecker.
>
>
> You know, I myself have made at least two, and possibly three, characters
> who've all had that spell, and I've never had the opportunity to even cast
> it?
>

How come? It's the most damaging spell in the game! It does up to 36S
stun (assuming you've only got a magic of 6 - magic of or more and it
does D)! It's unresistable except through just soaking damage! It only
has a draing of +1S! It's bonkers! It's making me use excessive amounts
of punctuation!!!

That's just the most common usage I can see for it - beyond that, it's
also the perfect way to avoid almost any sentry or detection system. The
only thing that stops someone with this spell is a wall.
Message no. 7
From: gurth@******.nl (Gurth)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 11:15:58 +0100
According to James Niall Zealey, on Monday 19 January 2004 22:52 the word
on the street was...

> > You know, I myself have made at least two, and possibly three,
> > characters who've all had that spell, and I've never had the
> > opportunity to even cast it?
>
> How come?

Mostly because I tend to try and use it for its intended purpose, I
guess... :)

> That's just the most common usage I can see for it - beyond that, it's
> also the perfect way to avoid almost any sentry or detection system.

How so? You still move through the area under observation, so detection
systems etc. should still be able to spot you. Sentry guns would have a
more difficult time, though, I agree.

> The only thing that stops someone with this spell is a wall.

That is probably true, yes.

--
Gurth@******.nl - Stone Age: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
You've been touched by the doubt of man
-> Probably NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

GC3.12: GAT/! d- s:- !a>? C++(---) UL+ 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
Message no. 8
From: docwagon101@*****.com (Rand Ratinac)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 08:01:38 +0000 (GMT)
<snipt!(TM)>
> > The only thing that stops someone with this spell
is a wall.
>
> That is probably true, yes.
> Gurth@******.nl - Stone Age:

What spell is this we're talking about, and where can
one find it? :)

====Doc'
(aka Mr. Freaky Big, Super-Dynamic Troll of Tomorrow, aka Doc'booner, aka Doc' Vader)

.sig Sauer

If you SMELL what the DOC' is COOKING!!!

________________________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping"
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Message no. 9
From: gurth@******.nl (Gurth)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 10:54:12 +0100
According to Rand Ratinac, on Wednesday 21 January 2004 09:01 the word on
the street was...

> What spell is this we're talking about, and where can
> one find it? :)

Quickmove, my solution to the impossibility of teleportation spells in SR.
Hit http://plastic.dumpshock.com/shadowrun/supplements.html and download
Running Gear (but why haven't you already...?! :)

--
Gurth@******.nl - Stone Age: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
You've been touched by the doubt of man
-> Probably NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

GC3.12: GAT/! d- s:- !a>? C++(---) UL+ 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
Message no. 10
From: docwagon101@*****.com (Rand Ratinac)
Subject: Thwarting Detection Spells
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 08:39:31 +0000 (GMT)
> Quickmove, my solution to the impossibility of
> teleportation spells in SR.
> Hit
>
http://plastic.dumpshock.com/shadowrun/supplements.html
> and download
> Running Gear (but why haven't you already...?! :)
> Gurth@******.nl - Stone Age:

Ummm...more pressing things to do? :)

====Doc'
(aka Mr. Freaky Big, Super-Dynamic Troll of Tomorrow, aka Doc'booner, aka Doc' Vader)

.sig Sauer

If you SMELL what the DOC' is COOKING!!!

________________________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping"
your friends today! Download Messenger Now
http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html

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