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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Anchoring ponderings

Posted by: Lilt Jan 25 2004, 04:10 PM

What uses have people made of Anchoring Metamagic in the past? What can you think of?

One I can think of is binding several anchors with the same command word and some sort of combat spell, then releasing magical death en-masse (or pretty-much ensure one enemy's death) by uttering the command word. The drain would be handled by a trauma dampener and a high willpower (8+ by prefference).

On a general note: Is Sorcery and Spell pool available to characters resisting the drain from an anchored spell if it is available? (IE not used-up or set-aside for spell defense)

Posted by: hobgoblin Jan 25 2004, 05:02 PM

rember that you have to be in physical contact with a anchor foci for the word to work...

Posted by: Hasaku Jan 25 2004, 05:47 PM

A player in a game I'm starting wants a sword anchoring focus with Force 1 Increase Reflexes +3 and Force 1 Silence. The focus is activated by drawing it from the sheathe and deactivated by sheathing it. He wants this at chargen, BTW, and I can't remember if Anchoring is available to the noninitiated. At any rate, he'd have to trade spell points for karma to bond it, so I'll probably allow it.

Posted by: OurTeam Jan 25 2004, 07:45 PM

QUOTE (Lilt @ Jan 25 2004, 08:10 AM)

binding several anchors with the same command word and some sort of combat spell

Beware of Focus Addiction.

Without a detection spell, the target of the spell can be only the focus itself or the holder of the focus. With a linked detection spell, the target can be any valid target it detects (MitS p. 71). The book doesn't indicate what method is used to pick from multiple detected targets, so I guess its up to the GM. You'd hate the target to resist the Detect Life, and the owner being the only life the focus detects.

But if you put in a linked detection spell, the focus will go off the first time the detection works after the focus is activated.

QUOTE (Lilt)

Is Sorcery and Spell pool available to characters resisting the drain from an anchored spell

Yes, Willpower and Spell Pool are available to resist the drain. (Sorcery is not involved.)

QUOTE (Hasaku)

A player wants a sword anchoring focus with Force 1 Increase Reflexes +3 and Force 1 Silence. The focus is activated by drawing it from the sheathe and deactivated by sheathing it. I can't remember if Anchoring is available to the noninitiated.

Anchoring is only available to someone who has Initiated, selected that Metamagic technique, and succeeded in learning it. After each use, the Sword would be "empty" and would require recasting and relinking of the spells, by the Initiate who has bonded the focus, before it can be used again. Only one spell may be linked to an anchoring focus, so you may want the sheath and the sword to both be foci. The sheath can activate when any sword is pulled from it, the sword can activate when it is pulled from any sheath. You'll get to put full Sorcery dice into each focus this way, instead of trying to split them between multiple spells in the same focus.

Posted by: Zimbabwean Aardvark Jan 26 2004, 02:20 PM

QUOTE (Hasaku)

The benefits of this are rather minimal. The character would still have to resist drain for both spells when they are activated. Much better would be to learn quikening to get this effect. You'd want to go for a higher force spell though, to prevent dispelling. The anchoring metamagic is required for much more sublte things.

Posted by: John Campbell Jan 27 2004, 05:58 AM

I've been thinking about using Anchoring to make a home security system, whenever my plan to get a home worth securing goes through. The idea would be to have an anchoring focus emplaced near the center of the grounds with a Detect Enemy (or maybe a custom Detect Intruder) spell linked to a Foreboding spell. If anyone intent on mischief crosses into the radius of the detection spell, it'll trip the Foreboding, which will not only encourage intruders to leave on their own, but will alert me of the intrusion, wherever I may be.