I don't see how giving the dice penalty of operating in heavy smoke with a medium level spirit is useless. -4 should cut a trained guard's pool in half, and, when you consider that it stacks with every other negative modifier, and Infiltration, Concealment is one of the most reasonable and good powers out there.

Just because it's not as broken as every other aspect of magic doesn't make it bad.

Mage buys a chameleon suit (they can do that too,) takes a couple levels of infiltration (also this,) and summons a force 4 spirit to Conceal him. Now, he's moving at -10 to spot and -4 to hear or hit with radar. On top of that, they'd have to get multiple hits to beat his Infiltration roll.

It's better than anyone else can do without it..

I'm not saying it's worthless, I'm just saying it's not *ninja vanish* "Hey where did fred go!" A lot of it is GM fiat but my rule of thumb has always been concealment makes perception tests very difficult but it doesn't force a perception test for what would otherwise not be.

The example for Perception tests in the rules includes noticing a neon sign.

Hey when you walk down the street you don't notice everything, or at least I don't. But if I am looking around, the neon sign is in plain sight, and it is not trying to use infiltration, then I will probably notice it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/twirl.gif)

Sneaky neon signs are stalking you, Badmoodguy88, and you're not perceptive enough to notice them! Boooooo!

Sneaky neonsigns ruined our last run, so BEWARE!!!^^

That's not funny, my megacorp died that way!

Interesting. I've always seen it more like casting an Imp. Invis or Trid Phantasm spell. The use of the spell -- or in this case spirit power -- necessitates a perception test due to the fact that it changes what the characters' senses are sensing.

Imp. Invis is weird because it effectively warps light around you but it is still an all or nothing thing. You completely see them or completely do not see them. Concealment is a lot like a smoke grenade or Ruthenium Polymer because both subtract from the opposing person's dice pool. That said I do think a smoke grenade could let some one *ninja vanish* along with Ruthenium Polymer, shadow cloak, and Concealment.

Good point.

Interesting.

I find P. 292 SR4A "Note that in order for a creature to use a power against a target,
they must share the same “state:” astral or physical. Astral forms cannot
affect physical targets, and vice versa (see The Astral World, p. 191).
Astral critters that materialize can affect physical targets, however, just
as dual natured critters can interact with both the physical and astral
planes equally effectively."

Then p. 293 "Type: Powers may be either mana (M) or physical (P), just like
spells (see p. 203). Mana powers do not affect nonliving targets, whereas
physical powers cannot be used in astral space or affect astral forms."

And then
"This power refers to a critter’s ability to mystically hide itself or
others, or alternatively to hide something that people are looking
for. Concealment subtracts a number of dice equal to the critter’s
Magic from any Perception Tests to locate the concealed subject.
Concealment can be used on a number of targets simultaneously equal
to the critter’s Magic; concealed subjects can see each other if the critter
allows it. Concealment also allows dual natured critters to conceal
themselves and others from astral detection."

I assume you are referring to the "Critters" sentence ?

It is a little obvious, but I like to use the movement power for get aways. The gm would add a penalty to our wheelman's driving test, but that is fine when you can hit 300mph.

Or using movement on the party's troll so he could get into melee very quickly.

Yeah, a recent run literally got off the ground when we used this power to speed an overloaded plane enough to take off.

I'm always tempted to make use of the influence power on my team mates at the end of the run.

"So that's 10,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) for me and a pie for you, just like we agreed."
"Wow, I didn't think you meant a whole pie!"

You might be thinking of Alter Memory. Influence just makes them perform an action. You could Influence them to agree but not to keep their word indefinitely or you could Influence them to spend it on your behalf but to make them want to give it to you takes an altered memory or compulsion/control thoughts/mob mind.

The thing stopping that urge is no doubt your sense of self preservation. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Actually influence doesn't make anyone do anything (that would be Compulsion), it just makes them think something. For example, you can make two people think the building's on fire and one might run for the exit whilst the other starts looking for an extinguisher. This gives it a lot of overlap with Alter Memory, as you can make someone think something about the past that is at variance to what they thought before.

Yep.
<sigh>
Isn't it always?

..Oh, wow. I'm doing that to someone, sometime. If not influence, then MC or SOMETHING....

-Tir

This just popped into my head, and I had to record it somewhere:)


...And so it came to pass, that Thogmaster, Slicer, Concrete and the Bloody Rook decided to geek their mage companion Hoppy Pothead because 10k is a lot of money.
And a pie was a pie.
But at the appointed time, they looked at each other sheepishly over weapons most dire, shrugged and walked away from the fast-asleep Hoppy.



For although a team member had fragged them over...it was still an awesome pie.

You should try combining it with a levitation spell and an auto-rickshaw. It has the side effect of giving the GM giggle fits, apparently.