From:	"Bruce H. Nagel" <NAGELBH@******.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU>
Subject:	Re: [SR3] Magical Magic
Date:	Mon, 7 Jul 1997 09:54:25 -0500

You wrote:
> OK, I'm getting some good feedback. Here's Survey Question #3...

> One comment I've heard a lot of is "magic in Shadowrun should have more of a
> mystical/magical feel to it than it does now." I'm curious about the idea,
> since I don't quite understand it. Since SR magic is currently (IMHO) based
> on about 80% real-world magic theory
Whoah, hold on here a second, partner. Real-world magic theory. Could you try
to go over that a little again? I might have missed something. ;)

and 20% fantasy magic (fireballs and
> such) it feels pretty "mystical" to me. I'd like some feedback on the
issue.
> Is SR magic "magical" enough? If not, how could it be better?
I think they mean the fact that magic gets reduced to stats and combat abilites
rather than being somthing mysterious and special. The problems being that
a) the players all know and understand the basics of magic in the SR world, and
b) the cyberpunk feel of the original world means that magic could be taken as
'just another way to do biz'. I don't think SR needs more of a mystical feel
overall, personally, I just think that playing a spellcaster could be
roleplayed a bit better, if people want *magicians* to seem more mystical.
But I can see the Burned-out Mage archetype talking about how magic is just 'A
slick, a come-on... a lie.' ('course, he got dropped from the 2nd ed rulebook:).
Magic is there, but much like Elves, everyone has to realize that they're not
the happy singing elves of myth, magic isn't some strange imponderable. Magic
has been assimilated into the world of 2050, and things just kept moving on.

> The one caveat I will have to put in is please, please don't tell me "the
> magic system should be more like Ars Magica, or Mage, or Earthdawn..." or any
> other role-playing game. The basic concepts of SR magic aren't going to
> change, but we might be able to fix some of the "feel" of it.
Nah, SR's magic system was the first 'organic' magic system I'd seen, and it
has its own consistent feel. It's comfy now. Don't you dare turn it into ED's
magic system or anything else.

thanks,
losthalo