From:	"Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU>
Subject:	More Electro
Date:	Sun, 9 May 1993 23:09:51 -0700

Good try Crossfire:

>>So, who ever said you needed `eyes' to see an aura? Personally, I think it
>>would be a great story to have a blind mage who can function simply because
>>he can see in the astral plane. You are making an assumption that is not
>>necessarily valid. Who says a blindfolded mage cannot see when he astrally
>>percieves?

A blindfolded mage cannot see when he is astrally precieving because he cannot
see throught the blindfold.

>>Now what does the low light retinal modification do? Essentially the same
thing
>>a computer processes the image and amplifies the light. Different effect, but
>>much of the same process. Remember, the combat mage himself has, as it says
>>in the book, CYBEREYES with low-light and thermographics. Not even retinal
>>mods, but full cybereyes.

Low Light Modification adds to the number of rods (I think its rods) so you can
see better in the dark. Just like some animals like cats can see well in the
dark, with Low Light you can too.

>>I am sure that he _can_ indeed see in the astral plane. After all, if he
>>couldn't, they would most likely have made him a combat magical adept instead.

Notice that the Combat mage has Low Light and Thermorgraphics, not Electronic
Magnification. Besides if my memory serves me correctly the SSC does say mages
need to use Optical Mag.

>>Again, why do you say that, if you paid the essence for it, it is considered
>>to be part of `you'. If not, and we treat them like sensors, then things like
>>invisibility would not work against people with cybereyes. The computer would
>>process the image as it really is, and that invisible mage would be quite
>>visible to you. However that is not the case - due to the fact that you paid
>>your essence. For a moment - let us look at what you have here - if nothing
>>else, and we have a non-cybereye - this would _still_ work when the vision
>>was not magnified, as there would be no need to process the image. I can't
>>come up with anything to refute the combat mage's cybereyes though. Do you
>>really believe that archetype can neither see nor go astral, let alone being
>>unable to cast spells? I highly doubt that.

Nor would I try to refute the Combat Mage's cybereyes. Of course they can see
astral and cast spells. They don't have Electronic Mag.

As for Invisibility and cybereyes, the spell works by affecting your mind, not
your eyes. It doesn't matter what you see them with if it is in line-of-sight,
because the spell tells you he's not there. As for Improved Invisibility, you
don't see him because no light reflects off him.

>>I disagree. Optical magnification has a lot of benefits over electronic mag.
>>For one, they are cheaper and easier to find. For another, your buddy with
>>the electronic mag might not be able to read that sign out there, or make out
>>what type of helicopter that is, but you can see the sign says "warning
>>explosives" and that the helicopter is a fully decked gunship heading this
>>way.

You may assume that Optical Mag is better than Electronic mag, but it is not in
the rules. Besides by 2054, I'd dare say the Electronic mag is good enough to
allow you to see as well and as far as Optical Mag.

>>This time I get to play the role of your critic. =)

As always, a worthy opponent. Perhaps you will win next time :)

See Ya in Shadows,
Jason J Carter
The Nightstalker