From:	korishinzo@*****.com (Ice Heart)
Subject:	Lightning Ball vs Vehicle. Uber Spell or How Does It Work?
Date:	Fri, 29 Jul 2005 09:00:07 -0700 (PDT)

> >--not too many rigger driving around in Farraday cages :>

> Except that they are...

Nope. Vehicles are not, as a rule, effective Faraday cages. Too
many imperfectively conductive materials that penetrate the 'shell'
of the vehicle. Those will function as resistors to the current,
especially with a ball of lightning versus a bolt, where the entire
shell of the vehicle could easily be simultaneously exposed to the
lightning. A lot of heat, components melting/burning, etc.
Electricity is famous for trying to -create- the shortest path to the
ground, unless you have very carefully made sure it already has one.

I would rule that the primary effect of the Ball Lightning, that of
causing a bunch of damage, corruscates off the vehicle in spectacular
fashion without appreciably damaging it, leaving its occupants
unscathed (maybe in need of a change of underpants). However, I
would call for a resolution of secondary effects that could damage
the car. Sure, the overall vehicle too no damage. The petrochem
tank didn't detonate. But, all four tires have melted/exploded. And
a couple of low points on the vehicle frame are badly warped.
Functioning as the focal point for an arch welder is not what the
average vehicle frame was designed for. Electronics in the vehicle
(especially sensors, which stick out through the shell all over) are
probably damaged. How badly depends on how much ECM hardening your
vehicle has.

On a somewhat tangental note, why is Ball Lightning force halved?
Who says that a 12 meter diameter ball of electricity is implicitly
~not~ anti-vehicular? Not that it matters. Armor 12 vs. Force 8.
The armor still wins. But, my point remains... Having seen first
hand what electricity can do to vehicles (saw the remains of a car
that took out a power pole and ended up with live lines laying across
it), I rather think that the spell should be considered
anti-vehicular for purposes of resolving damage.

======Korishinzo
--What's the drain on that spell? +3(Damage Level)? Don't cast it
at Deadly... :>



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