| From: | Ashlocke <woneal@*******.NET> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Magic Questions |
| Date: | Sun, 14 Dec 1997 13:15:49 -0005 |
> In a message dated 97-12-14 11:38:32 EST, woneal@*******.NET writes:
>
> > > Or alternatively, make a Hypersenses spell, that gives me Astral
> > > perception?
> > >
> > I think this is probably beyond what spells can do. At least in my
> > own
> > game I would rule it so. Purely on grounds of game balance.
> >
> I have to get into this....sorry...."Purely on grounds of game
> balance."???????
Get into what? I was just a personal opinion, no need to get bent. And
yes, on grounds of game balance. Astral Perception is restricted to very
few individuals throughout the game, and it's become a basic "fact" of the
SR "universe". If you allow a spell to grant Astral Perception, that
spell can be cast on anyone. Suddenly anyone can have Astral Perception
and a basic "fact" of the game "universe" has been changed. Suddenly
all
those corp guards are going to have astral sight, and the whole face of
magical security will change. And that's just one possible effect. And
that's why I said I wouldn't allow it on "grounds of game balance" It
would change my campaign too much. In your campaign, do what the frag you
want.
>
> How about, "making someone forever live with their handicap/restriction
> and therefore not allowing them to grow beyond it. Just for the record,
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about?
> and though most people will say that module-sourced spells are not canon,
> it would strike me as Odd that FASA would put such a thing into the game
> with their printed logo on it and their ability to copyright such....but
I allow stuff from canned adventures on a case by case basis, simply
because the writing isn't consistent. One author may have ideas that fit
perfectly with my own campaign, while another may do something that would
wreck my campaign... doesn't mean the author is a bad writer, just that
they have ideas that don't work for me.
> I digress...there is a spell called "Sight" in a module, I believe it's
> in either Super Tuesday (I'm probably wrong, I can't place the module)
> which allows for the caster (who is blind) to have the abilities of
> "Normal Sight"...completely unaugmented. It was created by a Ghoul
> magician to overcome his restriction.
There are a couple of such spells. There's a variant of the clairvoyance
spell in Elven Fire that grants sight to a blind woman IIRC. However,
granting normal sight is quite different from granting astral perception
for a number of reasons.
>
> Why couldn't a Sorceror Adept come up with an "Astral Sight" spell. the
> "Sight" spell mentioned above has a "Light" drain btw, IIRC.
"Astral
> Sight" would be far more complex, and could readily be done with a "+3
> Drain Category" (for Extreme Complexity) and all it would do is grant
> "unaugmented Astral Sight".
For starters, as I said above, because it frags with game balance.
Second, even if you ignore that issue, there's more to it. How exactly
does the spell work? What side effects does it have? Do you have a +2 TN
for sustaining the spell while using it? Does it open you to astral
attack while using it? Does the spell allow you to see directly, or does
it simply provide you with specific information remotely (i.e. Detect
<object>, Detect Magic, etc.)? I might allow a spell that gave you astral
info, there's a basis for that (Detect Magic, Magic Sense, Detect Foci,
etc.). But not a spell that allowed you to side step a basic limit of the
character you chose at creation. If you want a character with astral
perception, play one that has it. Trying to get around such a basic
limitation of a character could be considered munchkin by some.
>
> You could do LOTS beyond that.
Oh I'm sure you could, *if* the GM allowed it. We all could, and that's
why it part of a GM's job to decide what to allow.
>
> Put it on an anchoring effect (say a pair of glasses or a monocle), then
> you could do spells like "Nightvision" (Low Light) "Thermal
Sight"
> (Thermographic) "Starsight" (Ultraviolet) "Acuity" (Optic
> Magnification...level it to work just like the cyber implant so that a +1
> is Moderate, +2 is Serious, +3 is Deadly (which is a bit much IMHO),
> "X-Ray" (which is mentioned in the book).
Those are all fine... none of them allow astral perception, which was the
original point. In fact, that list of ideas are all things I'd allow, all
good ideas and a few of which I've seen done.
>
> Come on, time to let an obstacle be a challenge, not a chain.
Obstacles are one thing... limitations on ability are another.
--
Ashlocke
"... for this man can say it happened, cause this child has been
condemned. And I'm the only witness to the nature of my crime.
Don't damn me." -- G'N'R
