House-rule: Nega-mage Options

[Aaron]

This character type seems rather specialized. I can imagine complaints being raised that are similar to those raised about technomancers.

[SprainOgre]

I think there are a few uppity spell slingers in my group that could certainly, ah, "benefit" from an encounter with one of these gentlepeople... how about a metamagic that let's them strip an adept of some powers temporarily?

[darthmord]

Sprain, if the person is a walking background count, they automatically strip adept powers if the adept is within the range of the nega-mage's background count.

[SprainOgre]

Excellent point, I'd forgotten about that.

[Tarantula]

What I wanna know, is what happens when a nega mage gets hit with a mana static?

What if he walks into background count, do they add?

What if he also picks up geomancy, and aspects a background count towards his nega-ness.

[Muspellsheimr]

Mana Static creates a positive background count. Although not exactly covered by the rules, it would make sense it would negate a negative count on a one-for-one basis. Or you could just use the rules for it overlapping an aspected count, which I do remember there being somewhere.

Overlapping with a natural background count should add the values together - making a negative count worse an canceling out a positive count.

Geomancy would work the same it currently does, and would not help the null mage at all, but would aspect it to a tradition no other mage follows.

[nathanross]

I dont know about the rest of you, but a character with walking background count is not a good (as in good/evil) thing. All I can think of that corrupts astral background is Cyberzombies, and by fluff, that is treated as inhuman, disgusting, vile, and evil. I also do not like the idea of a walking mana sink (area with less magic) as that is rare and outside human ability to create (as far as I know). I seriously think that this type of thing should be treated just as any other awakened character, but with range of ability.

[DocTaotsu]

Well the vile corruption of cybermancy creates background count from holding mana until it cries. This character is doesn't so much twist mana as negate it by sucking it out of the ambient enviro-

Okay nevermind I bet he's the pawn of some Horror who is currently getting fat on his walking mana siphon.

[Muspellsheimr]

After some thought:

Null Awakening: This character is a Null Mage - 15 point quality (minimum), can only be taken at character generation.

Null mage's have a negative magic rating, starting at -1, that can be "increased" as any other attribute can. A null mage projects a mana ebb with a rating equal to his magic at all times. The rating is reduced by 1 for every meter away from the mage. (A null with magic of -4 projects a rating -4 ebb out to 1 meter, -3 to 2 meters, and so on).

Can decrease the range with a free action, uses the null's free action each round the decreased range is sustained.
Can increase the range with a complex action. Suffers drain to do so. Can be sustained with a -2 dice pool penalty for a maximum of (magic x 2) combat turns.

Some form of initiation available. Unsure about available metamagics.

Details still need to be worked out, but I think it will work better overall than your original layout. Should probably not be available as a PC quality (higher BP cost may make it available however - needs testing)
I also significantly prefer the name "Null" over "Nega"

[Larme]

I think the tragedy of the nega-mage is that they are, on the grand scheme of things, shitty at resisting magic. This is because a mystic adept with the appropriate powers has access to a higher dice pool at less investment. The mystic adept can add spell resistance, cloak, and piercing senses for some very cheap and efficient and large boosts to dice. The nega mage can only raise his "nega magic." Honestly, if I wanted to make an aspected dispeller, I wouldn't even consider being a nega mage as you've written it. It's just not as good as being a mage or mystic adept focused on counterspelling. The metamagics are cool, but every spellcaster can carry around a much bigger, nastier background count in his pocket, called mana static. And with the advanced version of cleansing, he can slap out a rating 10 mana static and then make himself immune to it, which is just about as good as your metamagics for the nega mage, except the background count level is not limited by init grade.

[Larme]

I think the tragedy of the nega-mage is that they are, on the grand scheme of things, shitty at resisting magic. This is because a mystic adept with the appropriate powers has access to a higher dice pool at less investment. The mystic adept can add spell resistance, cloak, and piercing senses for some very cheap and efficient and large boosts to dice. The nega mage can only raise his "nega magic." Honestly, if I wanted to make an aspected dispeller, I wouldn't even consider being a nega mage as the OP wrote it. It's just not as good as being a mage or mystic adept focused on counterspelling. The metamagics are cool, but every spellcaster can carry around a much bigger, nastier background count in his pocket, called mana static. And with the advanced version of cleansing, he can slap out a rating 10 mana static and then make himself immune to it, which is just about as good as your metamagics for the nega mage, except the background count level is not limited by init grade.

[Larme]

I think the tragedy of the nega-mage is that they are, on the grand scheme of things, shitty at resisting magic. This is because a mystic adept with the appropriate powers has access to a higher dice pool at less investment. The mystic adept can add spell resistance, cloak, and piercing senses for some very cheap and efficient and large boosts to dice. The nega mage can only raise his "nega magic." Honestly, if I wanted to make an aspected dispeller, I wouldn't even consider being a nega mage as the OP wrote it. It's just not as good as being a mage or mystic adept focused on counterspelling. The metamagics are cool, but every spellcaster can carry around a much bigger, nastier background count in his pocket, called mana static. And with the advanced version of cleansing, he can slap out a rating 10 mana static and then make himself immune to it, which is just about as good as your metamagics for the nega mage, except the background count level is not limited by init grade.

[Lionhearted]

Back where I come from I heard rumours of these dreaded "null magicians" neither magicians, nor mundanes.. but something else entirely, are they perhaps a remnant of a past age.. clinging to the realities of the 5th world (or previous editions xD)
btw, all this walking mana voids talk reminds me of someone..
"He is a wound in the Force, more presence than flesh, and in his wake, life dies... sacrificing itself to his hunger."

[masterofm]

The Immunity I would have a problem with. It just means that if he has a high magic level he just wins the astral, and I don't like the "you just win" part of anything, and I don't want to cheese all of my NPC mages to be stronger then the nega-mage. As an NPC concept... interesting, as a PC concept waaaay to many things to take into account. Is this nega-mage allowed to summon spirits? Do they aid him and basically walk around with mana-static around them at all times? Is he allowed to cast spirit types? Would he have nega-spirit types? What can he turn on and off at will? Does he take drain? Is he allowed to cast other normal spells or just the ones specific to him? Does the immunity only extend to himself and not the rest of the party? How did this form of mage come to be?

It would also be nice to write some fluff that might describe the creation of these beings, as well as some form of balance. I mean you can already make an counter-spelling mage with absorb, armor, and all sorts of other goodies to create the teams support mage, but making one that is just a total counter to magic in most forms I have a bit of a problem with. This to me really walks the line of weather I would want a PC to play something like this, because when you give a player this kind of option you should expect them to hard cheese the hell out of this.

The one thing that I find interesting if this dude is a walking background count is that he will totally screw up your mages and adepts in your party probably more then he will against the opposition. <-- This I am also not a big fan of either.

[Lionhearted]

However it could make a rather intresting villain.. the more tormented the better

[masterofm]

Yes an interesting NPC concept, but as a player concept it just makes me wince, duck and cover, and expect the worst. Also nice KOTOR II reference btw.

[Larme]

Damn it >.< The thing was taking like 10 minutes to upload the post, so I tried it again, and again... and again (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleepy.gif)

Anyway, I think nega-mages would be great threat mages. They just need to be amped up so that they're powerful and scary. And they should have some effect on mundanes as well to make them actually dangerous. Maybe they attract null spirits to their persons, and those spirits materialize and try to mess with the mundanes?

[mrslamm0]

I made a mystic adept build around this for last weekends game..though I came in late to the campaign and spent the other half of it knocked out from gas so I don't know how effective he really is lol.


-Slamm-0!