| From: | Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Area of Effect Spells and Astral Targeting |
| Date: | Sat, 12 Jul 1997 23:42:20 -0700 |
> "... Magicians cannot directly affect what they cannot see..."
Does assensing provide visual information? Yes. Does an assensing
mage, then, see his target? Yes. Can he target an assensed-only
target? Yes, QED. (For quotes, see the Grimoire section on Astral, p.
86ff. Nearly all of it is described in terms of 'visual.')
Incidental: A mage cannot *directly* affect what he can see. An
area-effect spell indirectly targets a 'hidden' character and therefore,
seemingly, is legitimate.
> "A magician cannot, however, cast spells directly at invisible beings or beings
> in astral space by using enhanced vision or astral perception."
Quote correctly. "A mage cannot cast spells ... except by using
enhanced vision or astral perception..." From the sentence, the
conclusion can be drawn that one can indeed target an assensed creature.
> You must see the target, and astral-only sight does not count. It is clear,
> and simple. Sight and an unobstructed astral path (i.e. no barriers or
> intercepting magicians) are both required for a spell to be cast on someone.
> This is all spelled out in more detail on pp. 149-150, if you care to trake a
> look, it's fairly specific and clear, imo.
P. 149 yields this quote: "The magician, because of the working of the
astral forces that power the spell, is able to *see* the aura of the
target. This allows him to align or synchronize his aura with that of
the target, permitting the astral energy shaped by the caster to leap
between them, through astral space..." (emphasis mine).
Further down: "What happens next is that the spell grounds out into the
target through the target's aura. This is because of the previously
stated rule that things in astral space cannot directly directly affect
non-magical things in the real world, unless there is a bridge. The
bridge, in this case, is momentarily created by the spellcaster when the
auras are involved are synchronized."
At no time in this exchange is physically seeing the owner of the aura
made a necessity. The aura-synching is all that's required to target
and cast the spell.
Now, a mage may not always be checking around astrally (Invisibility
affects normal vision, so unless an invisible creature tips off the
mage, it's not likely to be noticed) and a someone hidden from view
cannot be targeted, as the interposed objects block astral perception.
There's no rules-imbalance created by this, nor does it clash with
existing SR rules.
> So, what is the dispute?
Do you realize I've been asking the same question?
