symbolic linking, Coconut bomb part 2 Options

[Seven-7]

[Fortune]

The Preserve spell might be useful in prolonging that duration. ;)

[Ol' Scratch]

[Seven-7]

[Tarantula]

Its only actually DNA if you're using it as a material link. Doc Funk was talking about symbolic and sympathetic links. Which don't give a hoot about DNA, especially when you consider you can use someones lucky pen to blow their head up.

[Eryk the Red]

Also, i wouldn't say that the text for genewipe indicates that material links are all about genetics. The sample is no longer valid for ritual samples because it has broken down; it is destroyed. The fact that genetic breakdown is enough to make it an invalid link does not necessarily mean that genetics is the only characteristic that matters.

[Tarantula]

Indeed, I agree its more of the wholistic approach to mana working than it is DNA. Same reason you can take a brick from a building and ritually powerbolt the building with it. Also, if you were to first smash that brick into powder, you wouldn't be able to ritually target the building with it, as its no longer a viable link.

[Simon May]

Perhaps it even depends on the tradition: a hermetic mage may believe wholeheartedly it's the DNA. At the same time, a voodoo mage may believe it has to do with whether the Lwa want to bless the specimen.

[Tarantula]

Magic all works the same, traditions are just how they choose to describe it. However, since we aren't a part of the 6th world, we can view outside the life of someone and see the actual mechanics of how it works, which is all the same.

[Simon May]

For game rules, it functions the same, but I see nowhere that it says it always works the same for the characters. As far as I'm concerned, character perception is reality, and therefore there will be factions of mages arguing that their view of magic is the one true view, especially considering how personal magic tradition is.

[Tarantula]

Sure, characters in the game can argue how it works all they want. It works because the game designers said it works this way. Not because of how fictional people think it does or not.

[Eryk the Red]

The fiction is the reason for all the rules. If you discard the fiction and its logic and points of view, what's the point?

It's even simpler than all this really. It works this way because we choose to play it this way. But all of that is irrelevant in a discussion of the fiction and its workings. Where the rules are unclear, we fall back on the fiction to understand it.

(edited to add that last sentence for clarity)

[Tarantula]

The rules are what govern the working of the fiction. How you explain their working in the fiction is up to you, but the fact remains the rules exist outside of the fiction, and thats whats for discussion here. How the rules work regarding ritual spellcasting, not how characters think ritual spellcastings works based on their beliefs.

[Simon May]

I have to admit, I've never read the fiction, nor do I care to. If I wanted to read stories, I'd be reading and not playing.

The rules alone should be enough to give us a way to play and what the fiction says should be irrelevant.

[Eryk the Red]

For clarity, I should mention that when I say "fiction", in this context I mean anything that isn't hard game rules. All of the stuff that isn't dice and numbers. The descriptions of things and ideas. I find it hard to imagine that playing shadowrun is possible only knowing the hard rules and none of the background. (Which would include descriptions of what trolls are and how tall they are, the idea that magic is the manipulation of mana, and so forth.)

[Eryk the Red]

Summary: I don't read shadowrun novels either, but that's not what I'm talking about.

[Simon May]

Ah, gotcha. So you mean the "fluff" rather than the fiction. I absolutely agree on that call.

[Magus]

[Nkari]

Why would you want to assiasinate someone important with magic.. magic is tracable.. A bullet loaded by someone else into the clip/gun of your choice is much much harder to trace back to the shooter.. and you can shoot from far far far away.. Heck you dont even need to shoot it yourself, have a smart gun platform or a drone do it for ya.. And any sane politican would have wards around their office etc.. I know I would.. =)

[Tarantula]

Magic isn't that traceable, it takes force in combat turns (half force with astral chameleon) in order to erase the signature completely.

[Tarantula]

The novels are not RAW. They are canon. The novels can't be RAW for RAW stands for (emphasis mine) Rules As Written. Last I checked, novels had no rules in them.

[Magus]

[DTFarstar]

I haven't read his novels in awhile, but why does the Talon character nauseate you so?

Chris