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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Making quickening useful.

Posted by: emo samurai Apr 9 2006, 04:17 AM

In the Aztlan sourcebook, when talking about various means of mind control available to the blood mages, Nigel writes,

QUOTE (Nigel D. Findley)
If used correctly and quickened to become part of the subject’s aura, these spells can be hard to detect and even harder to counteract.

As they are, if you go up against ANY magical security, watchers, projecting mages, etc., you will either be found out right away because of the gigantic beacon saying "I'm preparing for a fight kill me please" or you'll lose your karma investment to a ward. Is there any way to do this spell-hiding?

Posted by: Cold-Dragon Apr 9 2006, 05:32 AM

I don't know of any, though the 3rd ed books technically had rules or finding things - you cloaked them.

I don't see a harm in permitting any sort of masking to also hid quickened spells on you - quite frankly, I'd prefer the cost of quickened not be so harsh. nyahnyah.gif With them at chancy and all...But hey, they are powerful in their own way too. You may simply have to learn to be on the defensive in case of dispellers.

Posted by: emo samurai Apr 9 2006, 05:41 AM

Help us, Ancient History!!! The world needs you! Fight ignorance for great justice!!

Posted by: Edward Apr 9 2006, 11:47 AM

Azetlan book was SR3 (of not earlier). as I understood SR3 quickening and masking you could not do that. Active spells have easily recognised (at least noticed) auras. This includes quickened spells, masking hides spells but you can only do it on yourself.

The line “become part of the subject’s aura” is not possible under any rule I have ever seen

Edward

Posted by: fistandantilus3.0 Apr 9 2006, 12:21 PM

I think Aztlan was second edition, so the masking rules may have chagned a bit from 2nd-3rd. I don't have grimoires or awakenings any more , so I can't be sure on that . Heck, in 4th edition, no where in masking does it say that it hides spells in effect or foci like it did in 3rd edition (a change I'm really not a fan of, but that's just me).

You can always hand-waive it and say that they had a better/unknown metamagic that did that I suppose. But in the text it doesn't say anything (at least in the quote) about passing an astral scan. He could have just been talking about what a regular observer would see. Can't really say for sure without the full context.

Posted by: fool Apr 9 2006, 07:09 PM

quickening is already extremely powerful, I think taht it's goood that the spells cna be blown out pretty easily.

Posted by: emo samurai Apr 9 2006, 07:39 PM

But there's, like, no reason to choose quickening over having your spirit sustain the spell themselves under my houserules and the general consensus on bound spirits sustaining spells.

Posted by: Dissonance Apr 9 2006, 11:21 PM

In SR3, tattooing metamagic resulted in a quickened spell that dispells at 2x the force.

Posted by: emo samurai Apr 9 2006, 11:42 PM

You can do that now, though. Or was there a large karmic reduction?

Posted by: Dissonance Apr 9 2006, 11:50 PM

There's no karmic reduction. In fact, learning the technique would cost more. And if Quickening gives that bonus _now_? I'd bump it up to 4x, then.

Posted by: emo samurai Apr 10 2006, 12:17 AM

Quickening allows you to add karma to the spell to allow it to have a dispelling resistance of up to 2x its force.

Posted by: Kremlin KOA Apr 10 2006, 02:09 AM

Tattooing allowed 4x force
which made Tat adepts and Tat sammies a nasty concept, esp if cash for karma was in use

Posted by: Edward Apr 10 2006, 12:43 PM

I always wanted to have a force 12 spell tattooed my body spending 24 karma and dispelling as force 48.

Want to bring by foci into warded building, not a problem, I poke the ward with my tattooed spell.

Its not subtle but it will bring down any ward created buy less than a great dragon, blood gestalt or a immortal elf. (and in those cases they would need to be unusually paranoid)

The question is what spell.

Edward

Posted by: Nikoli Apr 10 2006, 12:56 PM

Levitate

Posted by: Azralon Apr 10 2006, 02:26 PM

QUOTE (Nikoli @ Apr 10 2006, 08:56 AM)
Levitate

A great choice. Here's my shopping list for perma-spells:

* Analyze Device
* Combat Sense
* Detect Enemies
* Detect Life
* Resist Pain
* Physical Mask
* Trid Phantasm
* Armor
* Mob Control
* Mob Mood
* Mob Mind
* (The aforementioned) Levitate
* Magic Fingers
* Shapechange

Can I have my 336 karma on credit?

Posted by: UndeadPoet Apr 10 2006, 03:21 PM

QUOTE
Resist Pain

...is permanent. No need for quickening.

QUOTE
Armor

I know a player who did that. His character almost died from starvation, until he banished his own spell and lost 18(!) Karma he invested for this spell.

QUOTE
Physical Mask

No need for that. Trid Phantasm centered on yourself also lets you control what you look like.

QUOTE
Mob Control/Mood/Mind

Since it is centered on you, you also get the sudden impulse to follow your own commands, unless you resist the spell.

QUOTE
Shapechange

For some freaky shaman who wants to live the rest of his life as his totem animal, yeah.

Posted by: fool Apr 10 2006, 09:05 PM

One big reason not to have a bound spirit sustain your spells for you is they hate it. And pissing opff your spirits is a good way to get teh spirit bane flaw without any bonus build points.
I haven't actually had to apply this flaw to anyone yet because generally they've been pretty decent to their spirits.
all good choices on spells, though for the aforementioned use of bringing down a ward, I'd go with magic fingers.

Posted by: Azralon Apr 10 2006, 09:13 PM

Resist Pain: Permanent indeed.

Armor: That reminds me that I miss the "Nutrition" spell (I think it was called that).

Physical Mask: Hrm, alright. There might be a GM contention on that, but I see the point.

Mob stuff: I suppose it depends if I'm considered to have LOS to myself. My initial assumption would be yes.

Shapechange: Well, yeah. I'll happily run around as a sentient spellcasting tiger. Remind me to minimize my physical stats at chargen.

Posted by: James McMurray Apr 10 2006, 09:32 PM

If you don't have LOS to yourself, several problems arise with magic as written, os I think it's safe to assume you do.

Posted by: fool Apr 10 2006, 09:36 PM

that brings up an argument I had with a player of mine, he said that he never had line of sight on himself for area effect spells (specifically stun balls he wanted to cast on people right in front of him.) I pointed out that he always saw the inside of his cornea as well as the jelly like fluid filling the inside of his eyeballs. Pissed him off something feirce, but it did make sense to me.
wouldn't physical mask permanently mask you in one face only... i.e. you couldn't continually change your face like you can by recasting the spell. Sure it's useful if you want to take over someones life, but not good for blending into a crowd (quickened that is)
fast and nutrition combined would be good nutrition alone and you'd always be hungry and probably eating so getting fat.

Posted by: tisoz Apr 30 2006, 11:20 AM

QUOTE (fool)
One big reason not to have a bound spirit sustain your spells for you is they hate it.

proof.gif

Any more or less than other services?

Posted by: fistandantilus3.0 Apr 30 2006, 11:31 AM

QUOTE (UndeadPoet)
QUOTE
Mob Control/Mood/Mind

Since it is centered on you, you also get the sudden impulse to follow your own commands, unless you resist the spell.


"Aww.. Fuck me! Wow! Hey! How do you turn this thing off! Whoah!"

Posted by: fistandantilus3.0 Apr 30 2006, 11:31 AM

QUOTE (tisoz)
QUOTE (fool @ Apr 10 2006, 03:05 PM)
One big reason not to have a bound spirit sustain your spells for you is they hate it.

proof.gif

Any more or less than other services?

Doesn't it drain their force? Or was that a different edition? I always forget.

Posted by: tisoz Apr 30 2006, 12:46 PM

Right. I was reading a bunch more threads about the spirit of man sustaining the summoners assigned spell it had cast as a remote service. Confusing it with the service that lasts just a few combat turns and is about worthless.

Sorry.

Posted by: jklst14 May 3 2006, 03:04 PM

QUOTE (fool)
that brings up an argument I had with a player of mine, he said that he never had line of sight on himself for area effect spells (specifically stun balls he wanted to cast on people right in front of him.) 

I had this same question before but I actually found a rule quote that backs up your position regarding line of site (page 173 in the main rule book)

QUOTE

The base radius for all area spells is the Force in meters. Area spells affect all valid targets within the radius of effect, friend and foe alike (including the caster).

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