Attacking through focus, it's gone, right? Options

[irinoxx]

So, I read the rules carefully, and it appears to me that launching from astral space an area of effect combat spell through an active focus in order to blast people in the physical world is no longer canon. Right?

[Zak]

yes, and it wasn't in SR3 either

[fistandantilus4....]

It was called Grounding. I miss it.

[Smed]

It last showed its face in SR2. I mis it too. It made using Foci a much more risky proposition.

[Shrike30]

It also made giving otherwise-mundane opposition any kind of magical support was nearly always fatal, if you had a telecommuting mage helping out with astral security. I'm glad it took a walk, from a GM's perspective.

[Fortune]

[Charon]

I kinda liked it, as long as the GM was being reasonable about it.

Grounding required an area spell, who had very substantial drain in SR2, and the drain was physical since you were in teh astral.

A mage seriously risked wounding himself through grounding. That kept PC mage from grounding willy-Nilly. And should keep NPC mage from doing it too except of course they didn't have to worry about the next encounter and that's where an unreasonable GM could make grounding very annoying indeed.

If you GMed SR2 and your players opted not to use foci at all, you probably were one of those unreasonable GM.

PS : I started GMing SR at 15 and wasn't all that reasonable in my very first campaign. ;) Turned out very foci light on the part of the PCs very fast! I calmed down for my second SR2 campaign and they made a come back.

[deek]

A little OT, but I think I started GMing SR1 around 15 or 16 as well...none of us really understood the magic rules, so we just opted to leave it out altogether focusing on implants, rigging and the matrix...

Seeing that SR4 is my first time back to the genre since then, I like being able to understand magic again, as that is one of the fun factors of the game...

Back to topic...based on what I am reading about grounding, I am glad it hasn't appeared in SR4...seems like it would ruin a lot of balance and could be way too easily abused.

[fistandantilus4....]

[Jaid]

couldn't you also do something similar in reverse by targetting an astrally projecting mage or something like that?

[Zak]

[fistandantilus4....]

Then the mage can go astral and fight them. They can't attack the foci if it isn't acitve.

[Zak]

Well, the idea was to surprise attack an unaware target (read: not astrally percieving in any way) and then get the jump on an active focus nuking the whole room. If the focus isn't active, this whole grounding in no problem anyway. And of course if the mage notices the attacker he can (should) fight him before he gets grounded.
This still screws over those people who take a nap while their focus is active.

[fistandantilus4....]

[Zak]

True.
This thread made me think about implementing it into our game again. Got to talk with the players first tho - or well, maybe not :rotfl:

And for the record: All GMs are sadistic. Especially in non flower-power games like SR. I have yet to be proven wrong on this.

[kerbarian]

[fistandantilus4....]

Not with Masking. You can spoof it again, thanks to Street Magic.

[kerbarian]

[fistandantilus4....]

they also put in the more advanced "Extended Masknig" that covers spells and foci

[Kesslan]

Still, it would have some basic use, since to have extended masking, you first have to have masking. So at the very least the person going in would be a class two initiate at the very least.

[fistandantilus4....]

Spoofing the ward only requires the Masking metamagic. The Extended masking just let's you conceal the aura of foci and active spells (which is nice to have back too).

[Kesslan]

Well yes, but your 'average' mage apparently isnt initated.

There was some sort of fluff somewhere that states that obviously every awakened person generally works towards it, and generally by the time they retire have initated once or twice.

But even then, most types I would think, dont take masking since well. It's really one of those stealth based metamagics. If your totally legit (and there are plenty of legit awakened) you'd likely go for something that actually provides a boost to what ever it is you actually do for a living. (Of course some security and military mages would no doubt go for masking first thing I'd think. Not being noticed is a key to survival afterall in such settings)

So even basic wards would serve some purpose perhaps? Though then again if it's specifically setup to stop runners it might not actually do much I guess. But then alot of security measures dont 'do much' and still mange to occasionally foil would be thieves.

[fistandantilus4....]

I think a lot of the basic wards are to stop little things like astral peeping toms and spirit assassins. :D 'Course the spirit ould jsut bust through the ward, but that's kind of like kicking the door in and blasting away at the guards.

My tendency is usually to take masking first, and then second guess my self. It's very handy for runners, but you're right it really depends on what you're going for.

Grounding was great because ti kept folks from getting foci happy. Well that and foci addiction. I miss those little cruxs for mages. IMO they have to few checks in place against them now, although spoting spellcasting did get a lot easier (assuming the mage ins't invisible in the first place). Now it's like if you're going to have quickening, you'd better get masking first. As long as you've got that, things will get a lot easier.

[Kesslan]

Well isnt there some sort of foci addiction flaw or something now?

I know at least, oddly having a geas is considered a flaw. I suppose in a way it is. But most Geas arnt really that hard to meet. The flipside is it does nothing to actually take into account how easy/hard it is to fullfil not to mention how restrictive it is.

Afterall it could be it only 'works at night'. Well then your hosed if it's daylight. Where as if you say, make it 30 minutes of prayer or some such a day that geas is fufilled rather easily.

[fistandantilus4....]

they way foci addiction used to work was that if you went over your magic rating in foci ( Ithink double the rating amount in active foci copmared to your magic attribute) you would begin to suffer focus addiction. Basically your magic would be weaker and weaker without the foci, so they became a psychological crutch. So if you used to much, you started having to use them. I personally hate the 'new' foci addiction, but I guess they figured it was just too much to keep track of.