Nasty spells to put in a sustaining focus., The love Mage? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[hyzmarca]

Sustaining foci are don't have to be in contact with the magician that has bonded them, they just have to be in contact with the target of the spell that they are sustaining. This can lead to some very very nasty situations where a magician gives a sustaining sustaining focus to an unsuspecting person then casts a malicious spell into it.
It can also be used by less scrupolous magicians to make a quick profit.

Lets say a rich corp exec is infatuated by someone who doesn't return his or her affection. There two classic solutions, bullying and persona-fix BTLs are messy and dangerous. A sustained love spell, on the other hand, is much more subtle and doesn't change other aspects of the target's personality. All this exec would have to do is drop a ring that's really a sustaining focus. The object of his desires picks up the ring and the mage casts the spell. Then, the exec simply insists that his new true love keep the ring and imediatly gives her another piece of jewelry, which really a sustaining focus for control thoughts (Never take off these two pieces of jewelry), thus ensuring eternal love without the personality damage that comes with more traditional forms of brainwashing.

Of course, the mage would be a sitting duck for if anyone capible of Astral Tracking or Ritial Sorcery gets one of his foci and using magic to brainwash is certainly highly illegal in most areas.
The tequnique can be useful in Shadowruns, as well. When covertness is required, having a lover on the inside is a great way to gain intelligence. Of course, if the orginization has any astral security, this won't work.
It can also be used by Johnsons who want to eliminate all links to himself. He just pays the runners with certified credsticks that is also a sustaining focus for the nasty spell of his choice. Pertify really works well. The Johnson can just track down his foci runners one-by-one and smash the petrified runners to into itty-bitty bits with a sledgehammer.
Confusion is less evil but just has fun.