From:	Dave Sherohman <esper@*****.IMA.UMN.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Fetishes, Astrally active??
Date:	Sun, 6 Mar 1994 11:11:30 -0600

>> True, except that to make a fetish you done need to enchant, you just
>> need talismongering. You dont even have to be a mage. Check the contacts
>> section of SR for the talismonger.
>> A'Deus.
>Hmm. In the Grimoire 2nd ed. under fetishes, it specifically says that an
>Enchantment Test must be done (albeit with a T.N of 4, I think).

It should read a Talismongering Test instead of Enchantment. (In this case,
Talismongering is the appropriate Concentration under the Enchanting skill.)
Does this include actual magical activity? Nope. "A character need not be
magically active in order to engage in talismongering... Talismongering
requires knowledge of plant lore, a little mineralogy, and the centuries-
old formulas used to make charms, powders, incense, lucky pieces, and similar
junk." [Grim2, p. 20]

>Therefore, since enchantment is used, there establishes a permanent link which
>CAN be used for grounding.
>Can anyone who says that fetishes are NOT astrally present please give me the
>reasoning behind their argument.

That's an easy one, even without using the above line of reasoning that you
don't use magic to make 'em. Every reference to grounding through foci says
that you have to ground through an _active_ focus. When is a focus active?
When you're making use of it's power(s). Fetishes are used while in the
process of casting spells and would be effective at no other time, therefore
fetishes are only active for a moment and only at this time could they be
grounded through (assuming, for the moment, that they would otherwise be
valid targets). However, before the spellcasting begins, you can't start
casting a spell at the fetish, as it's not a valid target, but if you wait
for it to become a valid target, you've let the fetish's owner start casting
his spell before you started yours and the fetish will no longer be a valid
target when your spell goes off. (And this is even assuming that the fetish
would remain active for the full duration of spellcasting and not simply for
an instant as the spell takes effect.) In ritual sorcery, the fetish would
be active long enough to have spells thrown at it, but in this case, the
mage using it would also be astrally present, so you may as well just target
him directly. How's that?

esper@***.umn.edu