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Message no. 1
From: "A.R.Gay" <cs6004@***.AC.UK>
Subject: Wands
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 14:29:31 +0100
Some one brought up the subject of wands for use in shadowrun,
recently. I can't remember if it were here or on Rec.
games. frp. cyber, but I'm sure that most of you read this
anyway. This got me thinking, as I wanted to use something like
this in my game anyway, against my players, so as they could
find out how to do it - eventualy - and try it for themselves.

What I came up with involves knowing the spell that you want to
be able to use the wand for even before design has been started,
after all if you do not know the form of the spell you are going
to be enchanting the wand to hold, how can you design an
effective power matrix to hold it?

****************************************************************
**Please note, all these descriptions are from a Hermetic view**
****************************************************************

STAGE 1: Aquire the enchanted radicles to make your wand out
of, be it wood, steel, construction plastic, or whatever. Then
carve or shape it as desired.

STAGE 2: Providing you know the spell you wish to put into the
wand, you can get on with designing a power matrix to contain
the spell, (Magic theory test against force of spell with a
threshold based on drain level i.e. L = 1, M = 2, etc.)

STAGE 3: Now you have to weave the power matrix into the wand.
This will require an enchanting test against the force level of
the spell, as above, and take Points of Karma equal to the force
of the spell. If this test fails, the materials are destroyed
and you must start again, however only half the karma cost(ru)
is lost.

STAGE 4: Now that the wand is ready to take the power of the
spell, the mage can cast the spell into the wand as many times
as they like. After every charge has been put in a sorcery test
is made with a TN equal to the number of charges in the wand,
at least one success is needed, or no more charges can be
stored. If the rule of one is invoked, all the power stored in
the spell lashes out at the magician as the matrix rips itself
apart, all the effects of the stored spells (multiple times if a
plicable) rebound on the caster, this could get messy!
(remember to role for drain after each casting!)

STAGE 5: Now that as many spells as possible are in the wand a
further Karma point must be spent to seal the spells in and stop
there power leaking away.

You now have a complete wand, I have not included base times as
it is up to individual GM's on how difficult they wish to make
it.

--
**************************************************************
* Avon "...but one more death will do it!" *
* Blake " Then I would be very carefull if I were you, *
* it would be ironic if the death were yours.." *
**************************************************************
* JackFrost@****.wlv.ac.uk *
**************************************************************
Message no. 2
From: Stephane Lafrance <Stephane.Lafrance@***.ULAVAL.CA>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 09:46:18 EDT
----------------------[Reply - Original Message]----------------------
Sent by:"A.R.Gay" <cs6004@***.AC.UK>

<Original Message deleted>
=====================================================================
Sorry, but I think there is too much AD&D in that new item. Personnally
I think the Shadowrun Philosophy doesn't include spellcasting items such
as Wands, rings or anything else. It would just not be Shadowrun.

Stephan
Message no. 3
From: Chris Lubrecht <lubrecht@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 10:26:34 -0400
Arnt there already rules for this in the Grimore? (ie anchoring)

Nigel
Message no. 4
From: Adam Getchell <acgetche@****.UCDAVIS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 08:32:44 -0700
Spell matrices have a very particular meaning (see
"Earthdawn/Shadowrun crossovers").
A spell matrix would hold the pattern/astral template of the
spell, which would need to be infused with Astral energy from a skill
called "Threadweaving" (which only a few characters in the SR universe
know). However, the spell could be cast as often as liked -- it would
not be necessary to try to cast a spell multiple times into the foci.
Also, that way of doing things might not fit exactly with SR
magic. If you're casting a spell at a wand, what is the target? If it
is not the wand (let us hope not!), then how does the spell know what the
target is?
Anchoring might suit your needs better. That way, you could link
a detect enemies spell or some way for it to "recognize" its target.

+-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|Adam Getchell|acgetche@****.engr.ucdavis.edu | ez000270@*******.ucdavis.edu |
| acgetchell |"Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent"|
+-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Message no. 5
From: Micah Levy <M.Levy@**.UCL.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 20:13:34 +0100
Why bother going through this procedure when Anchoring will handle it
perfectly well?
And if you want you can even link a hellblast to be triggered by waving the
wand...
Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems to me that the rules are already in
place for this sort of thing.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
||Micah Levy Department of Computer Science ||
|| University College London ||
||Web Page: http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/people/zcacma0.html ||
||Email: M.Levy@**.ucl.ac.uk Cestor@******.com ||
|| zcacma0@**.ucl.ac.uk Micah@******.com ||
|| GCS d--@ H s g+(-) p? au--(+)>++ a- w v++ C++++($) UV++(-) P- L- 3 E-||
|| N++ K W++ M+ V-- -po+ Y++ t+ 5-- jx R++ G+(----) tv b+++ D+ B--- e+ u- ||
|| h- f n+ y? ||
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Message no. 6
From: Vincent Paul Quitoriano <vincentq@***.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 22:18:19 -0700
> Sorry, but I think there is too much AD&D in that new item. Personnally
> I think the Shadowrun Philosophy doesn't include spellcasting items such
> as Wands, rings or anything else. It would just not be Shadowrun.

But you can have lots of fun with magic items, since one of the more
important themes in SR is Urban Fantasy.

What with alligator totems in sewers, it's easy to think of magic
"empowering" the cheesy quasi-magical stuff on TV now. So we
have cool stuff like Nikes of Air, Levis of Running, perfumes that
work "better" than advertised... just about anything they got on TV ads
right now (and in 2055). Not too powerful, just limited-charge or
"intelligent" (uncooperative) items... but nice plot devices.

Vince Q.
Message no. 7
From: MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 20:08:42 +1000
Stephan writes:

> Sorry, but I think there is too much AD&D in that new item. Personnally
> I think the Shadowrun Philosophy doesn't include spellcasting items such
> as Wands, rings or anything else. It would just not be Shadowrun.

Well, SR does have all those things, it's just that they are all lumped
topgether under the abstract usage of Fetishes.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+(d) H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v(?) C+(++) US++ P? L !3 E?
N K- W+ M@ !V po@ Y(+) t+ !5 !j R+(++) G(+)('') !tv(--)@ b++ D+
B? e+ u@ h* f(+) !r n--(----) !y+
Message no. 8
From: MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 20:10:00 +1000
Adam writes:

> Also, that way of doing things might not fit exactly with SR
> magic. If you're casting a spell at a wand, what is the target? If it
> is not the wand (let us hope not!), then how does the spell know what the
> target is?

Well, you could possibly limit it to damaging manipulation spells, that way
whatever you point it at is the target.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+(d) H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v(?) C+(++) US++ P? L !3 E?
N K- W+ M@ !V po@ Y(+) t+ !5 !j R+(++) G(+)('') !tv(--)@ b++ D+
B? e+ u@ h* f(+) !r n--(----) !y+
Message no. 9
From: Stefan Struck <struck@******.INFORMATIK.UNI-BONN.DE>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 16:01:12 +0100
>
> Stephan writes:
>
> > Sorry, but I think there is too much AD&D in that new item. Personnally
> > I think the Shadowrun Philosophy doesn't include spellcasting items such
> > as Wands, rings or anything else. It would just not be Shadowrun.
>
> Well, SR does have all those things, it's just that they are all lumped
> topgether under the abstract usage of Fetishes.
>
> --
> Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au
>
> (GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+(d) H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v(?) C+(++) US++ P? L !3 E?
> N K- W+ M@ !V po@ Y(+) t+ !5 !j R+(++) G(+)('') !tv(--)@ b++ D+
> B? e+ u@ h* f(+) !r n--(----) !y+
>

I didn't write this. ..mmmh, but thinking of it, it's my opinion. so, it's
okay
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stefan, Son of Yuboert Internet: struck@******.informatik.uni-bonn.de
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"To do is to be" --- Satre
"To be is to do" --- Sokrates
"Do be do be do" --- Sinatra [Taken from
"Subway"]
Message no. 10
From: Stephane Lafrance <Stephane.Lafrance@***.ULAVAL.CA>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 11:01:42 EDT
----------------------[Reply - Original Message]----------------------

Sent by:Vincent Paul Quitoriano <vincentq@***.caltech.edu>

But you can have lots of fun with magic items, since one of the more
important themes in SR is Urban Fantasy.
=====================================================================
I agree that it can be fun, but if I wanted to have that kind of fun,
I would play AD&D in a futuristic world. I just like Shadowrun the
it is. I don't need to have some:
*Never Missing Ares Predator* or
*Glasses of X-ray vision* or
*Delayed blast fireball armor piercing missile*.

Shadowrun is fun as it is. The world is great and unique. Don't
change it because you're used to AD&D. If you miss AD&D, play it!
Changing the phylosophy is like pouring water in wine: it just
doesn't have the same taste anymore. I agree that SR rules are
sometimes shitty, but they're great! So don't change them.

Stephan (who likes to keep GOOD things as they are)
Message no. 11
From: Stephane Lafrance <Stephane.Lafrance@***.ULAVAL.CA>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 11:02:51 EDT
----------------------[Reply - Original Message]----------------------
Sent by:Vincent Paul Quitoriano <vincentq@***.caltech.edu>

But you can have lots of fun with magic items, since one of the more
important themes in SR is Urban Fantasy.
=====================================================================
I agree that it can be fun, but if I wanted to have that kind of fun,
I would play AD&D in a futuristic world. I just like Shadowrun the
it is. I don't need to have some:
*Never Missing Ares Predator* or
*Glasses of X-ray vision* or
*Delayed blast fireball armor piercing missile*.

Shadowrun is fun as it is. The world is great and unique. Don't
change it because you're used to AD&D. If you miss AD&D, play it!
Changing the phylosophy is like pouring water in wine: it just
doesn't have the same taste anymore. I agree that SR rules are
sometimes shitty, but they're great! So don't change them.

Stephan (who likes to keep GOOD things as they are)
Message no. 12
From: Stefan Struck <struck@******.INFORMATIK.UNI-BONN.DE>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 16:09:23 +0100
Stephan writes:
> I agree that it can be fun, but if I wanted to have that kind of fun,
> I would play AD&D in a futuristic world. I just like Shadowrun the
> it is. I don't need to have some:
> *Never Missing Ares Predator* or
> *Glasses of X-ray vision* or
> *Delayed blast fireball armor piercing missile*.
Yeah... give me my favorites:
Ring of reapeting fireballs
ring of invisibility (wear it and the ring becoms invisible)
ring of invulnerability (nothing can destroy this ring)
bag of holding (...wait a second. I got a Eurocar Westwind in my pocket)
aaah ... the good old times ... they will never come back
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stefan, Son of Yuboert Internet: struck@******.informatik.uni-bonn.de
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"To do is to be" --- Satre
"To be is to do" --- Sokrates
"Do be do be do" --- Sinatra [Taken from
"Subway"]
Message no. 13
From: Stephane Lafrance <Stephane.Lafrance@***.ULAVAL.CA>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 11:19:01 EDT
> Well, SR does have all those things, it's just that they are all lumped
> topgether under the abstract usage of Fetishes.

> Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

I don't think so, Damion, fetishes are channels to astral energy.
They are not containers of spells that can be cast later. A wand
could be a fetish. But can it be a wand of magic missiles?

Stephan
Message no. 14
From: Alexander Borghgraef <Alexander.Borghgraef@***.AC.BE>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 18:26:44 --100
Do anchorings work several times or just once?
Message no. 15
From: Marc A Renouf <jormung@*****.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 14:52:18 -0400
On Thu, 13 Oct 1994, Alexander Borghgraef wrote:

> Do anchorings work several times or just once?

Well, that depends. If it's an Instant Spell, it works once.
The trigger is activated, and BOOM. But if it's a Sustained Spell (like
a barrier, illusion, or damaging manipulation) it can be anchored for
various durations. Any time spent using the item comes out of the
duration. So if you had a ring of levitation with 24 hours worth of
sustaining on it, you could use it for up to 24 hours.
But you don't have to use it all at once. It takes a Willpower
test to turn it on and off, and even mundanes can make that test. So you
could use 8 hours one day, 2 the next, 4 the next, and 10 the next. This
gets fun when you anchor Flamethrower to, oh, say, a monkey-wrench.
The problem is that the longer the duration of the anchoring, the
higher the target number is. Ya pays yer money, ya takes yer choice.

Marc
Message no. 16
From: Alan Hill <shadow@******.NET>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 22:13:36 -0400
On Wed, 12 Oct 1994, Stephane Lafrance wrote:

> ----------------------[Reply - Original Message]----------------------
> Sent by:"A.R.Gay" <cs6004@***.AC.UK>
>
> <Original Message deleted>
> =====================================================================
> Sorry, but I think there is too much AD&D in that new item. Personnally
> I think the Shadowrun Philosophy doesn't include spellcasting items such
> as Wands, rings or anything else. It would just not be Shadowrun.
>

Personnally, these items show up in my games as power foci, spell foci,
etc. This gives these items some flavor without changing the game
mechanics in any way..

> Stephan
>
Message no. 17
From: "J.D. Falk" <jdfalk@****.CAIS.COM>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 23:29:02 -0400
On Thu, 13 Oct 1994, Stefan Struck wrote:

> Yeah... give me my favorites:
> Ring of reapeting fireballs
> ring of invisibility (wear it and the ring becoms invisible)
> ring of invulnerability (nothing can destroy this ring)
> bag of holding (...wait a second. I got a Eurocar Westwind in my pocket.)

Back when I was younger and stupider and thought I could DM and
AD&D game, I came up with the Ring of Trepidation. Every time the wearer
got into a stressful situation, I had to remember to whisper to her, "You
have a bad feeling about this."

> aaah ... the good old times ... they will never come back

Thank GHOD! *grin*

"We all agree that your theory is mad. /-----------------\
The problem which divides us is this: | J.D. Falk |
is it sufficiently crazy to be right?" | jdfalk@****.com |
-Dr. Neils Bohr \-----------------/
Message no. 18
From: MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 15:30:38 +1000
Stefan writes:

> Damion writes:
>
> > Stephan writes:

Note the difference in spelling :-)

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+(d) H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v(?) C+(++) US++ P? L !3 E?
N K- W+ M@ !V po@ Y(+) t+ !5 !j R+(++) G(+)('') !tv(--)@ b++ D+
B? e+ u@ h* f(+) !r n--(----) !y+
Message no. 19
From: MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 15:33:04 +1000
Stephan writes:

> > Well, SR does have all those things, it's just that they are all lumped
> > topgether under the abstract usage of Fetishes.
>
> I don't think so, Damion, fetishes are channels to astral energy.
> They are not containers of spells that can be cast later. A wand
> could be a fetish. But can it be a wand of magic missiles?

Well, I wasn't referring to them in that sense. I meant that SR fetishes are
"wands, rings, scrolls..." and so on, as per the description in SR II.

As for the "can it be a wand of magic missiles?", that has already been
answered; the closest you get is anchoring.

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+(d) H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v(?) C+(++) US++ P? L !3 E?
N K- W+ M@ !V po@ Y(+) t+ !5 !j R+(++) G(+)('') !tv(--)@ b++ D+
B? e+ u@ h* f(+) !r n--(----) !y+
Message no. 20
From: MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 15:39:13 +1000
> Do anchorings work several times or just once?

Depends what you mean by "several times". As others have answered, you can
time delay things etc. But an anchoring can essentially be used as often as
you like, sinse you can recharge the spell on it at a later date. The actual
enchantment that cost karma to do stays permanent, and once it's there, you
can put your spell onto it anytime you like (as long as the last spell's run
out).

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+(d) H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v(?) C+(++) US++ P? L !3 E?
N K- W+ M@ !V po@ Y(+) t+ !5 !j R+(++) G(+)('') !tv(--)@ b++ D+
B? e+ u@ h* f(+) !r n--(----) !y+
Message no. 21
From: Stephane Lafrance <Stephane.Lafrance@***.ULAVAL.CA>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 09:41:54 EDT
----------------------[Reply - Original Message]----------------------
Sent by:Alan Hill <shadow@******.NET>
On Wed, 12 Oct 1994, Stephane Lafrance wrote:

> <message deleted>

Personnally, these items show up in my games as power foci, spell foci,
etc. This gives these items some flavor without changing the game
mechanics in any way..
=====================================================================
Exactly what I think, use tham as power foci but not as AD&D like
magical items.

Stephan
Message no. 22
From: Stephane Lafrance <Stephane.Lafrance@***.ULAVAL.CA>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 10:46:47 EDT
----------------------[Reply - Original Message]----------------------
Sent by:MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Stefan writes:

> Damion writes:
>
> > Stephan writes:

Note the difference in spelling :-)
--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au
=====================================================================
Heh, Stefan and Stephan are two different people. I know, I'm not
Stefan!

Stephan
Message no. 23
From: Stephane Lafrance <Stephane.Lafrance@***.ULAVAL.CA>
Subject: Re: Wands
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 10:50:30 EDT
----------------------[Reply - Original Message]----------------------
Sent by:MILLIKEN DAMION A <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>

Well, I wasn't referring to them in that sense. I meant that SR fetishes are
"wands, rings, scrolls..." and so on, as per the description in SR II.
=====================================================================
Sorry, I didn't quite understand what you wrote. (Heh, don't blame
me, even if I'm good in english, my first language is really French.)

Stephan

Further Reading

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