From:	Steve Kenson <TalonMail@***.COM>
Subject:	Re: Full of Life
Date:	Wed, 30 Jul 1997 11:16:23 -0400

<I'm going to reply to this thread in general rather than specific posts>

Generally speaking, the main reason I like removing the special status of
living things on the astral is it's simple and clear-cut. Something is either
present in astral space as a solid (and affectable) object or it is not. The
current system creates too many special-case rules and too much metaphysical
hair-splitting, IMHO.

As for the suggestion of adding the True Elements (ala Earthdawn) to
Shadowrun, probably not. I'd tend to say the mana gradient isn't high enough
to sustain such manifestations at this time. It is also my opinion that SR
orichalcum isn't quite the same as ED orichalcum. The ED stuff is a composite
of the True Elements while the SR stuff is a magical alloy of Gold, Silver,
Copper and Mercury (symbolic of the four elements). Orichalcum is "magical"
but it is not automatically astrally active. As I mentioned, I could see
Enchanting rituals to create astrally active materials for use in building
astral defenses.

On astral security: Having astrally active security is also more consistent,
IMHO. If you have dual-natured ivy protecting your building, the GM can treat
it just like a Ward: assign it a Rating and away you go. Unlike the dormant,
immovable ivy of SR2, this barrier can be killed in astral combat, but it
will fight back like any other barrier.

On grounding: As for being able to ground through enchanted marbles or
similar drek, you can do that now, if you really want to, but keep the
following things in mind:

1) Enchanted items generally have to be in contact with their user to be
astrally active.

2) Enchanting takes time and karma

3) Under the revised Spell Targeting system I propose you need two qualities
to target a spell: line of sight and astral symmetry. So your chummer tosses
your enchanted marble into a room full of mundanes and toss a powerball at
it. You're astral projecting. The marble is astrally active and you can see
it, so it's a valid target. The powerball slams into it. You can also see
(assense) the people in the room, but they are NOT valid targets, so you
cannot target them. Net effect: a marble flys into the room, hits the floor
and goes "PIFT!" turning into dust and everybody wonders what the point of it
was.

Ah, but what about a damaging manipulation spell you say? Since DMs ground
out at the location of the caster's physical body and are then projected
towards the target, they can't be cast while astral projecting. You have to
be in your physical body to channel the effects of the spell. Still no
effect.

So, in short, mundanes are effectively immune to grounding under this system,
which makes ground far LESS effective than it is now. About the worst you
could do is cast something like Ignite on a flammable focus and set it
aflame, hoping it would affect the mundane. If the focus is something like a
coat or a hat, you might get somewhere. But do you really want to take
Serious to Deadly Physical Drain for it? Not a bargain most magicians are
going to go for, IMHO.

Steve