From:	Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject:	Re: Fetishes
Date:	Thu, 16 Feb 1995 14:13:39 +0930

>
> In our PBEM campaign, the question came up as to the exact effect of a
> fetish. I (the GM) say that the fetish only adds 1 or 2 dice to the number
> the magician rolls, and that the target resists the spell at the original
> force -- that means if you cast a force 4 spell with an expendable fetish,
> you roll 6 dice, but resists force 4 Drain, and your target also rolls
> against a TN 4 to resist the spell.
>
> One of my players, however, holds the following opinion:
>
> >I asked my old GM about this, and he says that it's only Force 1 for the
> >purposes of resisting Drain. In all other respects, including people's
> >resisting it, it's Force 3. Rule book under Force Modifiers, Exclusive,
> >Resusable, and Expendable fetishes I believe... He adds:
> >____
> >Magically, the spell starts at 1 with your energy drawn from the Astral
> >plane, but then additional magic energies derived from the fetish/exclusive
> >concentration boost the output of the spell to Force 3. Sort of like an
> >op-amp.
>
> Anyone have any clarifications? I feel you could explain the rules in the
> book both ways...
>

Fetishes add Force, for the purposes of resisting the effects, but you
resist Drain against the lower Force, so it's the second opinion that's
right. Although it doesn't explicitly state it in the rules for fetishes,
it does in the rules for Exclusive Spell, just above, and I think you're
meant to carry it on. The penalty here is that you NEED the fetish to cast
the spell. You also have to decide, at the time of learning, what the
fetish is going to be. You can't use any old fetish, only a specific thing
(for reusable fetishes), or a tight category of items (for reusable) ("What
do you mean this place doesn't sell Sagely's Lemon Fresh Car De-oderisers,
in the 3-month size pack???")

Fetish Foci just add dice... Maybe that's what you were thinking of.

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.