Metamagic: cast a touch spell through an object, Death touch with a sword Options

[2bit]

I'm considering introducing this metamagic idea into my game as written, so please punch holes in it:

Item Channeling
The initiate may cast touch range spells without physical contact by touching a held inanimate object to the subject. The maximum range of a spell cast in this manner is half the magician's initiate grade in meters (round down).

The threshold for the spell success test is increased by the object's resistance (pg. 174 SR4). If the object being used is the fetish for the spell being cast, reduce the threshold by 1. An object containing orichalcum also reduces the threshold by 1, though these two bonuses cannot be combined.

An object used in this manner may be used as a material link to its owner for a number of hours equal to the force of the spell cast through it.

[Moon-Hawk]

Seems a bit powerful. Especially when using the floor or the ground as your item.
I'd like to know more about how you intend it to be used. If you really just want it so someone can cast spells through a weapon, I'd suggest:
Maybe restrict the power to bonded foci, and restrict the force of the spell to the force of the focus it is being channeled through or the initiate's grade, whichever is lower.

If you want the person to use any sort of object but only one attack spell, it might be better handled with a custom spell.

If you want any spell to be cast through any item, I definitely like the object resistance threshold, but it still seems a bit overpowered to me. Then again, the range is pretty darn close.
The material link bit is interesting, and would definitely help to keep it in check.
I don't know, I'd really like to hear more about how you intend it to be used.

[Ancient History]

Anchoring

[2bit]

I wrote this to get a battle mage who doesn't have to use unarmed combat to cast his touch spells. As written, he gets reach bonus in addition to touch attack bonus, and uses his melee skill. For that he trades adding a point or so of threshold unless using a Natural weapon that is also a fetish for the spell he casts through it (like an oak branch staff or something).

Using the ground isn't the intention since it's not a held object, but that's something I didn't think of and I may allow it. If not, I'll just have to word it better.

I want to give this to an NPC who then can teach it to the team's shaman if they befriend him enough. The team's shaman is a pretty physical guy, not real great magical stats, and likes touch spells for the drain break.

Anchoring is not the option I'm looking for :)

[Cabral]

But it's similar. Why not have anchoring as a prerequisite?

[Eleazar]

So in other words it works a lot like the Duskblade's arcane channel ability in DnD. I am also guessing the character can attack and cast the spell as 1 complex action?

[Slithery D]

Anchoring already does this, albeit at the cost of two metamagics and a lot of karma for the required focus. It's not the option you want because you want something more powerful at 1/10 of the cost. Why not just use 1000 BPs and make an Ally spirit with Possession?

[Bira]

I don't think this is too powerful. It seems you can't both attack in melee and cast the spell in the same action, so this ends up being just a way to get reach bonuses for a touch spell at the cost of increasing its difficulty.

I wouldn't let someone use the ground, mainly because it seems to violate the spirit of the power, but it isn't "crazy breakage" either: unless your characters hang around the wilderness a lot, most ground in Shadowrun is likely to be made of some highly processed advanced materials, which means your mage is better off casting a LOS spell.

[2bit]

[lorechaser]

Anchoring Foci are in the old or the new testament? (Aka Core or Street Magic)?

[Toshiaki]

Street Magic, pg 59

It's not quite the same thing, since you have to prepare it ahead of time. You probably won't want to reconstruct the anchor during combat, so after the first boom you would switch to normal modes of spell targetting. It also takes a lot of karma (whether you go the anchoring focus route or not).

[Cabral]

I was thinking about this again and I just realized another reason this would be a no-no. Touch spells have lower drain codes than ranged spells. If you did allow this as a metamagic technique, I'd reccomend having an additional cost such as +4 DV and possible requiring edge to use.

[Toshiaki]

[laughingowl]

Hmm<

I would have no problem with a 'Foci' style item that allowed 'touch' spells of short range increments ('melee').

Figure 'mechincally' it really doesnt change much, the 'to hit' roll would still be the same (unless focus gave 'reach') niether would do damage, it is mostly 'flavor' (and some possible 'gm judgement such as trapped in 'cell' and getting that little 'extra reach').

To offset the advantage of 'reach' would be the cost of buying the 'foci' (for each catagory of spells).

No meta-magic, nor edge really needed, just a new 'foci' to be added to the magic equipment table.

Probably I would do cost strictly on the 'reach' it provided, but if I was being a jerk (or wanted stricter control) would also limit the force of the spell by the rating of the foci.


I would have no real problem with weapons being 'made into foci'; HOWEVER. Just like an unamred 'touch attack' 'spell casting contact' does NOT do damage. So no casting death touch through your mono whip and doing doulbe damage. It is either an 'attack' (doing mono-whip damage) or a 'contact' meeting the requirements to deliver the spell... NOT both

[ShadowDragon8685]

Well, I'm not big on magic, so most of this is knee-jerk...

But if you were willing to take some limitations.... I could see allowing you to attack and cast at the same time. Specifically:

The maximum Force you can cast the spell at is limited by your skill with the weapon in question, and the maximum skill you can make the attack at is limited by your Force and Conjuring skills. As well, you take a -4 dice penalty on both conjuring and attack roll.



I prefer the object as range-adder only. Yes, this would allow you to deliver a Touch spell through the ground, but you'd still have to have LOS, and personally I would say you take either a -1 dice penalty for every meter (every two meters?) or a dice penalty equal to the object resistance, or both. This would of course mean that the easiest thing to smack people with would be a one-meter staff made of wood. :)

[laughingowl]

IMO:

no need to give dice penalties....

Buying a 'Foci' to allow you to do 'touch' at range is effectively the same as buying a spell casting foci.


A) Give you a bonus to 'hit' on the touch attack (from reach)
B) Gives you a bonus to the 'spell' itself.

Both do slightly differnt things, but functionally are the same just base your transference foci off casting foci and be done.

[2bit]

thanks for input all, im going with an anchoring focus made of durable materials mounted on the business end of a customized club skill weapon. That way it's actually expandable to multiple foci along the striking surface if the character wants to pour more :nuyen: and karma into it later.

[Cabral]

No need to make it an attachment to a club, I believe Street Magic has a nice section on stacking foci :)