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Message no. 1
From: Court Schuett <schuett@*****.IVCC.EDU>
Subject: Werecreatures and masking
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 10:55:16 -0600
After getting the SR Companion, I let some of my players play a
werecreature. I've got two, a werebear phys ad, and a werefox, fox
shaman (made it up, have it if anybody wants to look at it.)
It says that anyone viewing them astrally will see them as an idealized
form of their were part, bear or fox respectively. What about when
intiated, they try to mask? Can they try to mask like a mundane human,
mundane animal, magical human...what? I've been ruling that they look
like mundane animals. It only made sense to me, but how do other people
play it?
Also, on the subject of masking....can you mask a quickened spell? I
know you can mask up to your rating in foci, which would include a spell
lock, but for now, I've been saying a quickened spell counts as the
amount of karma spent against that. Ie. a spell that requires 5 karma to
be spent on it, would count as a force 5 focus. Now that I think about,
that doesn't really make sense. A power focus rating 1 counts the same
against this as a specific spell focus rating 1? Huh? The power focus
is WAY more powerful. Anybody have any house rules on this?

Thanks

-Court


/* Court Schuett

schuett@*****.ivcc.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I were a carpenter I'd
Hammer on my piglet, I'd
Collect the seven dollars and I'd
Buy a big prosthetic forehead
And wear it on my real head
-They Might Be Giants
*******************************************************************************/
Message no. 2
From: John E Pederson <lobo1@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Werecreatures and masking
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 13:36:32 EST
On Fri, 3 Jan 1997 10:55:16 -0600 Court Schuett <schuett@*****.IVCC.EDU>
writes:
>After getting the SR Companion, I let some of my players play a
>werecreature. I've got two, a werebear phys ad, and a werefox, fox
>shaman (made it up, have it if anybody wants to look at it.)
>It says that anyone viewing them astrally will see them as an
>idealized
>form of their were part, bear or fox respectively. What about when
>intiated, they try to mask? Can they try to mask like a mundane
>human,
>mundane animal, magical human...what? I've been ruling that they look
>like mundane animals. It only made sense to me, but how do other
>people
>play it?

This hasn't come up really, but I'd allow such a character to mask
his/her true nature, ie weres could mask to look human from the astral.
Honestly, I'd allow them to mask the dual nature as well, else there's
just not much point to allowing them to look mundane...
<snip>

Canthros-the-shapeshifter-mage
Message no. 3
From: Loki <loki@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: Werecreatures and masking
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 12:38:07 -0000
> Also, on the subject of masking....can you mask a quickened spell? I
> know you can mask up to your rating in foci, which would include a spell
> lock, but for now, I've been saying a quickened spell counts as the
> amount of karma spent against that. Ie. a spell that requires 5 karma to
> be spent on it, would count as a force 5 focus

I've ruled in my game that quickend spells can be masked at a rating of the
force of the spell (plus additional karma paid). It hasn't come up that
often though.

@>--'--,--- Loki

/>
/<
[\\\\\\(O):::<======================================-
\< Poisoned Elves http://www.netzone.com/~loki
\>


"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Message no. 4
From: Jonathan Wright <jwrigh01@********.CA>
Subject: Re: Werecreatures and masking
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 13:44:29 -0500
On Fri, 3 Jan 1997, Court Schuett wrote:

> After getting the SR Companion, I let some of my players play a
> werecreature. I've got two, a werebear phys ad, and a werefox, fox
> shaman (made it up, have it if anybody wants to look at it.)
> It says that anyone viewing them astrally will see them as an idealized
> form of their were part, bear or fox respectively. What about when
> intiated, they try to mask? Can they try to mask like a mundane human,
> mundane animal, magical human...what? I've been ruling that they look
> like mundane animals. It only made sense to me, but how do other people
> play it?

I think I read somewhere in the werecreature rules that they were always
dual natured (BIG drawback if you ask me). If you're astrally active
there is no way to hide yourself as mundane. Therefore masking is an
impossibility as far as werecreatures are concerned.

> Also, on the subject of masking....can you mask a quickened spell? I
> know you can mask up to your rating in foci, which would include a spell
> lock, but for now, I've been saying a quickened spell counts as the
> amount of karma spent against that. Ie. a spell that requires 5 karma to
> be spent on it, would count as a force 5 focus. Now that I think about,
> that doesn't really make sense. A power focus rating 1 counts the same
> against this as a specific spell focus rating 1? Huh? The power focus
> is WAY more powerful. Anybody have any house rules on this?

Your ruling makes sense to me. A quickened spell using five karma has the
advantage of being quite tough to dispel. I think having to spend five
"masking points" to cover this up in astral space is fair.

The point-to-power ratio of specific foci and general power foci does seem
kind of wierd, maybe even prone to munchkinism. I think the only thing
that keeps it kind of fair is the cost of a power focus being prohibitive.
If there were a "half-point of masking for every point of a specific
spell focus" rule, it could be abused by allowing more foci rating points
to be masked and obtained for less nuyen. With the exception of the
addition to one's magic rating a specific spell focus is just as powerful
when one realizes most magicians generally use only a couple of spells a
lot (the ever present mana bolt).

> Thanks

No problem.

Jon Wright
Message no. 5
From: Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Werecreatures and masking
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 13:42:33 GMT
Court Schuett writes

> After getting the SR Companion, I let some of my players play a
> werecreature. I've got two, a werebear phys ad, and a werefox, fox
> shaman (made it up, have it if anybody wants to look at it.)
> It says that anyone viewing them astrally will see them as an idealized
> form of their were part, bear or fox respectively. What about when
> intiated, they try to mask? Can they try to mask like a mundane human,
> mundane animal, magical human...what? I've been ruling that they look
> like mundane animals. It only made sense to me, but how do other people
> play it?
i allow initiates to mask their aura to match their physical form, ie
if you shapechange to a bear you could make your aura look like one,
but of course if you put perception up you spoil that.

more coments below, but GMs only,

> Also, on the subject of masking....can you mask a quickened spell? I
i say yes but opinions vary, the rules are not explicit, they only
mention masking foci and quickening is not a focus, but is pretty
useless if you have to proclaim 'hey i'm initated' all over the
astral plane when you use it by it being visible.

OK GM only comments on shapeshifters etc and masking follow.
--


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-------------------->
The reason is this, theya are a 'dual creature with masking'. which
is rare. flesh form bugs perfect meld are one of the very few others.
i allow such bugs to mask mundane not astrally active (they are
rather easy to spot otherwise, the UB would have been no secret if
any mage could wander up to one and go 'you look like a bug on the
astral... oh frag!!!!!!!!!'
This however as they are always dual allows them to scan astrally
while not appearing to do so, a VERY VERY powerful ability, i can see
you you cannot see me!!!!. i would still allow them to be targeted
with spells (else the first spellcasting goon with this ability can
throw spells at an astral mage while being immune to attacks the
other way, a clear game buster, however at a +8 for invisible target
(cannot see the astral aura). Comments welcome, but its a good
loophole however you look at it thankfully until initiation capable
shapeshifters so rare it didn't matter too much as PC's could never
get it.

Mark

Further Reading

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