From:	Luke Kendall <luke@********.CANON.OZ.AU>
Subject:	Re: The magical arms race
Date:	Mon, 7 Nov 1994 02:28:01 +1100

BRYAN KENNEDY REED wrote:

> Well, the spells don't fix the primary weekness of mages. They're really,
> really slow. [...] Of course there are the increase reaction spells, but
> they have serious drawbacks. (ie the +2 modifier for sustained and the
> vunerabilities of spell locks.)

I can't see why a mage wouldn't use the maximum Increase Reaction spell,
in a spell lock, and only activate it when she needs it.

luke> Think about it - who would a group choose to penetrate some Corp
luke> headquarters - the stealth physical adept with electronics skills,
luke> or the mage who has Invisibility and can make himself gaseous?

> I'd pick the adept. Invisibility doesn't work as well as advertised (just
> ask a mage I used to run with) and if your gaseous, you can't carry
> anyting with you.

We're considering spells designed by players. So they can cover
pretty much anything they like. And you only go gaseous (or Levitate)
as necessary.

Adam Getchell writes:

> I find a very simple thing to keep magicians from becoming the
> super-stealth sneaky types.
> A ward.
> A spell-lock and a ward will fight it out, as well as a foci,
> dual-natured or magician trying to cross it.

The mage sees the ward; turns off spell locks etc, and walks through.
If he can't take one step silently ...

> Now, design some intelligent magical defenses. A ward is the
> first layer. Put an anchored spell with an activation link to the ward,
> a "Detect Intruders" spell, and a "Detect Weapons" spell. The
anchored
> spell complex casts a simple "IR light" spell at the teams *guns* (just
> overcome object resistance, no need for spell defense) and a "Heat" or
> "Ignite" type spell on the Intruders.

Can your spells fight their way through your own ward? <Hey - I'm at
home! Let me check the Grimoire...> Nope. There's no mention of
any exceptions to the ward's astral spell barrier.

Detect Intruders and Detect Weapons sound like spells that sound
like they require a fair bit of intelligence in and of themselves.
Are they better at finding concealed weapons than a trained human
being?

I also would have thought that if an object was enclosed by the
aura of a person (the gun is in their hand or holster), then it's
not just the object's resistance.

But anyway, this sounds exactly like you're really escalating this
magical arms race.

Which is precisely what I'm saying would happen. The more I think
about it, the more I think that spell design is too easy for the
characters in SR. Sure, it should be easy for the players.

But I think FASA have underestimated the exponential proliferation
of spells that would result, if it was as easy as they say.

[Many nasty, evil ideas omitted]

> <evil grin>

Well, I can't argue with that! :-)

luke