From:	Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject:	Re: Area Spells
Date:	Fri, 25 Jul 1997 15:37:54 GMT

Steve Kenson writes
>
> 1) Area-effect spells DO NOT have to be centered on a person. The caster
> centers the spell wherever is desired. All valid targets within the radius of
> the spell's effect are affected. The key word here is VALID targets. Which
> brings us to:
That would be a change though it would make sense as otherwise
targeting loopholes get found, especially for power spells, finding
something to centre a fireball on, even an old drinks can isn't
difficult.

[snippety snip]
> I think the whole "synchronize auras" stuff is bogus, or at least badly
> explained.
I think badly explained. It makes sense as 'how it works' given the
system base but what you have described here is far superior for
explaining how to implement it in rule for player usage.

> Example: Talon tosses a manaball at a security mage, two corp guards and an
> elemental the mage has hanging around in astral space. Talon can see the mage
> and one guard. The other guard is up against the wall on the other side of
> the open doorway.
I agree with the result of this completely. It might be worth making
it clear who you calculate all the TN's for the spell though like
this as that based on comments to the list also causes problems.

> This is how all area-effect combat spells (and other area-type spells like
> Chaos) work. The only exception is Damaging Manipulations, which create a
> real, physical medium the caster directs at the targets. The blast radius of
> a damaging manipulation affects all physical targets in the area of effect,
> whether the caster can see them or not.
>
The one we could use here is LOS and damaging manipulations. Is the
TN to hit the security guard behind the door in your example [i
snipped] with a flamebomb (he being immune to anything but a DM)
landed in the middle of the doorway betwwen Mr mage and guard 1 a 4
'because you have a clear LOS on the doorway' or a 12 'becasue the
target is invisible +8 for blind fire' ?

And clear up what the descriptions implay but the rules don't state
that the elemental is immune to the flamebomb even if the mage
casting it is astrally percepting because the spell is dual but
explodes on the physical plane only 'because the magical flame must
have a physical component'. Similarly that you cannot cast DM's while
astrally projecting (as astral magicians have no armour thay are FAR
too lethal were this to be allowed). It might also be worth making
the 'no projecting and sustaining spells' rule clearer. And while we
are at it clear up the effect of initiate shielding and damaging
manipulations, does it as i belive rasie the effective body but not
the 'fixed' TN4 which is the same as spell defence, or does it plain
rasie TN's in which case initiates with some shielding left are
utterly immune to magic (unless the rule stating you need net
successes to hurt peple with magic is revoked, which is a house rule
i use).

Mark