From:	"Jason Carter, Nightstalker" <CARTER@***.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Ritual Usage
Date:	Wed, 11 Aug 1993 10:59:46 -0700

>>What about mini-rituals? Like the classic incantations, or the
>>single individual casting his spell for several minutes, building
>>the power up until he releases it into the world. In SR these
>>issues are not really resolved. Magic does not involve this massive
>>build up in power, it is just done much quicker. Theatrics you may
>>think. But could Ritual Sorcery (or a form there of) be used to
>>produce spells which are beyond the normal power level? Or could
>>it be used to lower the drain or target numbers of magicians casting
>>deadly spells? An example may be the classic Merlin standing on a
>>hill over looking a battle. He starts to prepare a spell which he knows
>>will take some moments. He gradually builds the power and then flings
>>the spell at the opposing army. Instead of just a single fireball,
>>the magician sends a trio of very powerful fireballs at the army.
>>And because he elected to spend that time gradually building power the
>>drain he suffers is only a fraction of what it could have been.

Well, the Shadowrun explanation for spells not taking a longtime or massive
amount of power is quite simple. Those things were needed during the Low Mana
Fifth World, but with the increase in Mana of the Sixth World these spells can
be achieved with minimal effort and time. In other words there are two ways
to get your hose to spray water a long distance. Put your hand over the end
to build up pressure or just turn up the water. The water has bee turned up.

Of course this brings up the question of what would happen if you used the old
techniques in the Sixth World. I would probably burn out the mage due to the
huge amounts of power he was using, but what if he was an initiate of high
enough level...

It might be a good basis for a new Metamagic Power, but I wouldn't use it unless
you were using some rules that made the gaining of Metamagic Powers slower and
then made it a Level 2 Higher Mystry (i.e., get the other six and then we'll
talk about this one).

See Ya in Shadows,
Jason J Carter
The Nightstalker