From:	Gary Carroll <gary@****.COM>
Subject:	Re: Foci
Date:	Fri, 2 Jun 1995 15:15:06 -0700

>>Justin Pinnow asked about the cummulative nature of foci
>>and thier concealability when inactive.
>Duke writes:
>IMHO foci are not additive. The description of foci says
>that their value is added to the mages (appropriate) rating.
>So if you have a power foci 2 and a power foci 3. You go
>to caluculate your magic rating, say a base of 5. You
>add 2 to your base of 5 to get a 7 from the PF2, then you
>add 3 to your base (because the power foci only work with
>your base rating not your effective rating) and you get an 8.
>This may sound a bit chicken but we all know it would be
>relatively easy and cheap to collect 8 power foci 1s, and I'm
>sure no one wants a mage running around with a power foci
>8 (effective) that he didn't have to really earn (I wouldn't want
>one in my game period).
MEEEEPPPPP -
sorry but all foci are cumulative. The 2 & 3 = 5 the problems
with this is that it's easier to destroy a smaller foci and.....
you can only have bonded as many items as you have
natural (non spell augmented) Intelligence. The idea is
if you pay to bond them you get the benefits.
i.e. int 6 = 2 power foci + 4 spell locks or some combination
there of ... *(The rules actually states that you can have as
many *FOCI* as you have Intelligence)* as far as initiation
you can mask only as many foci/locks as you have
initiation. so if you are only an initiate level 1 you can only
mask 1 of the two foci... (another minus to having lots of small
foci)
that doesn't mean you have to run it this way though...

>The answer to your second question is yes the inactive foci
>are visible astrally, but as you correctly stated they cannot
>be used to ground spells through.
YEP... - visible like everything else.

>The third part is a bit more interesting. I would have to say that
>yes they would be visible otherwise by extrapolation you could
>say that I could mask my own aura by completely covering
>myself with clothing and say a motorcycle helmet with a
>reflective lens. Let's just say that the aura radiates around
>the individual and the foci at a range that would be impossible
>to cover with conventional clothing.

Masking your own aura does not mask any foci you have on you
and covering an active foci would not help, although I would
rule that covering an inactive foci would be possible (but not
to a detect magic spell) - I would make the person looking
do a astral perception to look making the conceal something
like a 10 - foci level. *sorry just thought it up so I added it*

>After a little bit of thought that is how I would rule in my game
>and should in no way indicate that someone who chose
>differently would be wrong.

*hey your the GM - just make sure you characters know before-hand
*so they don't spend 10 points to bond a foci then loose those
points when they bond the level 3 foci...

Thanks Gary
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