From:	Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject:	Re: Grounding through mages (was: Re: Spelllocks....)
Date:	Wed, 11 Dec 1996 13:35:06 GMT

Sascha Pabst writes

> On 10 Dec 96 at 16:22, Mark Steedman wrote:
> [snip - does the magician need to be killed to be grounded through?]
> > My opinion is that the spell has to affect the mage.
> Since only combat, health, illusion, and detection can be used as grounding
> spells (SRII, p. 139, "Due to the nature of how this effect works,
> manipulation spells cannot be used in this manner") you will have to use the
> the attribute used as TN for the spell, ie. will for mana-based combat spells,
> or bod for physical combat spells.
>
True, which means grounding through initiates is very hard work
generally.

> > If he take no damage it doesn't ground, if he gets hurt it does. It
> > need not kill him to ground out, however unless he's percepting or
> > dead close to his body folks nearby are probably safe as by aura
> > synching the caster still has to be able to see folks near the mages
> > body to hurt them. Projecting mages therefore arn't too likely to
> > kill you by blowing up, foci though give the bad guy the chance to
> > 'co,e sit on top of the mage and ground something' which gets a whole
> > lot more fun, especially if that was a fireball and theres ammo lying
> > about near ground zero BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!
> Not that I understood all you said... but...
ok so it was complex and typed at speed, lack of time strikes again!

> As long as the caster of the spell-to-ground gets more successes then the
> magician-to-be-victim, the spell grounds out.
>
Thats my interpretation. Actually thats more like it. I had said he
takes damage. (i rule you have to stage splls all the way down so
shielding is not immunity to force 6 magic) so by the book these are
the same thing actually.

> With foci, this would mean their link to astral space would be broken (again
> SRII, p. 139), this _might_ be a bit... brutal to do to magicians permanently,
> but in any case, the spell would ground out even if the magician is not
> killed.
Yes as breaking the magician link to the astral for having a spell
grounded through him would make astral perception a never use ability!
Thats far too nasty.

> This means you CAN cast a "Decrease Charisma -4" through a astrally
> perceiving magician, even if it doesn't kill the victim, as long as you
> achieve more successes as your victim.
Yes. however you cannot sustian it wihile astrally projecting which
makes it a mute point!

>
> Was this what you meant?
>
pretty much.

> Sascha
>
Mark