Healing Tests? Options

[trollface666]

Hello! Old school SR2 gamer back in the fold. Have my first game in many many years on Friday. So I am trying to crunch info on my character in a few days.

I am trying to understand magic, and I am simply dumbfounded.

1) What is the damage value of a heal spell? I can't wrap my head around it.

2) The value to pass tests in 4th edition is always a 5 and 6? Are there any ways to modify this at all, or is it always 5 and 6? Meaning, to heal someone, my target number is 5+ for successes right?

And, I mine as well go there.... Anyone have advice for making a good healer character? I had the idea of doing a troll mage who is a pacifist. He follows the Bear. The only time he will ever harm someone is if he goes berserk as per the Bear. Now, anyone who has used the Bear, does this berserk happen alot, or is it easy to over come?

Also, the expansions, Augmentation and Arsenal. Either of them beneficial for Mages?

Thanks!

[ArkonC]

1) What is the damage value of a heal spell? I can't wrap my head around it.

I believe they mean the damage you're trying to heal, so if Tanky the Troll went down hard, with 11 damage, you'd take 3 drain...
At least that how we think it works...

2) The value to pass tests in 4th edition is always a 5 and 6? Are there any ways to modify this at all, or is it always 5 and 6? Meaning, to heal someone, my target number is 5+ for successes right?

Always 5+, TNs don't change in SR4...

[Chibu]

I don't believe either of the mentioned books have much (read: anything) about Magic. Street Magic, on the other had, is the book made for 4th edition magic users. So, check that out if you need more info. I still play 2nd edition though, so I can't help much with your questions.


I don't know the Bear berserking rules, but i seem to recall most shamanics needing will+charisma check with 3 successes to not do whatever their bad thing is. at TN of 5, that's 1/3 of the dice you roll, so if your will+charisma is 9 or higher you should very rarely ever have to do whatever it is, going berserk in this case. Of course, i don't know the rules in this particular instance, but it's always been that any character well suited (attribute wise) to be a magic user never had any problems overcoming the negative side effect.

Actually that always bugged me. I would often fudge my rolls so that i WOULD succumb to the negative side effect for the sake of the story and being in character.

[trollface666]

With your example, Heal tells me -2 to damage for the drain test. Wouldn't the damage be 9 since it is 11 - 2?

How did you get 3 for the drain test?

[ArkonC]

With your example, Heal tells me -2 to damage for the drain test. Wouldn't the damage be 9 since it is 11 - 2?

How did you get 3 for the drain test?

Yes, you are correct, usually it's force/2, so I erroneously applied the same here...

[trollface666]

Thank you all for your help!

I thought I was going crazy for not understanding the rules... Guess things never change with shadowrun, mainly, the confusing main rule book.

- edit -

Ok, lets see if I am doing this right...

My buddy gets hurt for 5 boxes of damage.

I add to my pool to heal, Magic(6) + SpellCasting(8 for specializing in Heal) + 2 from Bear. Thats 16 dice.

I roll 16 dice against 5+. Lets say I make 5 of them.

The drain value would be 5(from the hurt buddy) - 2 = 3.

I then roll against the drain value to resist stun damage.

It will take me 6 combat turns to fully finish this spell, according to making a spell permanent.

If this is right, what is the point of healing? I have to sit over my friends body for 6 turns while getting shot up and killed in the middle of the street? I know you can burn hits to reduce the time taken to finish the spell, but still....

I am under the assumption that healing isn't meant to be done during combat?

[DTFarstar]

No contact is necessary except when the spell is cast, the spell needs to be sustained for 6 combat turns. So, either stuff it into a sustaining focus, or take the -2 sustaining penalty for 6 rounds either way you still get all your normal actions.

Chris

[trollface666]

Alrighty!

Speaking about focus....

The rules say I can buy a focus at the start of the game. But I use starting gear money...

How is the cost calculated? I can't find this on page 190 at all.

How would I get a spell focus for healing, or a power focus at character creation? I am using a premade PDF. to make my character, and it is telling me a power focus at force level 6 costs 150000 and has an availability of 30. Is this right? And if it is, how do I find this out? I can't find anything in the index pointing me to a focus 'buy' chart besides the Karma one on page 191.

[DTFarstar]

The costs are under Foci on pg. 340 so is the availability, and that is the correct amount. A power focus is incredibly powerful, Force 2 is the most you can get at standard character generation, and that is 50,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) and an availability of 10. Also, 3 BP to bind it. So, a huge investment, but it can add it's force to every test involving your magic, so it is like a spellcasting, summoning, binding, and banishing focus for all types of spells. So, massive.

Chris

[WeaverMount]

For a magician Street Magic is the book you need. Arsenal has a few drugs and compounds mages could use and make. Augmentation has a some 'ware that is really sweet for spell casters, mostly things to help with drain.

Also if you really want to be a top notch healer, take first and specialize in combat wounds. This gives you 2 stacking tests to treat injuries. If you have time you can use Fist aid first and take less drain to heal them to full. Also If you take a logic tradition (I know this doesn't fit with your genital giant troll), you can crack your logic for drain and first aid. The other thing to consider is that you can basically max out your healing ability at char-gen. The defense monkey on at my table is a dwarf (race mods allow for non-gimpy physicals, and will helps with drain)who practices chaos magic and has a heavy medical/chemistry background. But where his karma is going is into all the counterspelling meta-magics. He uses spirits for support (movement and conceal) and can heal and counter spell, and cast mana-static. That is some very powerful D by SR4 standards. He also cooks crazy drugs.

... so I got off topic, but my point is that in SR4 all you need to be an healer is the heal spell and 2 skills, and gear to go with them. That leaves a lot of room for other things on your sheet. Rolling with the pacifism I would suggest heavy counter magic focus as that is a roll that non awakeneds really just can't even attempt. You other option is going utility spells. Also viable, and very powerful, but usually there is SOME mundane way to accomplish that those spells do.

[trollface666]

Wow, i had my book open to page 342 when I finally gave up. I must have skimmed right over that page! Thank you for helping a noob player, and having the patients with my noobiness.

[WeaverMount]

Power Foci are an amazing buy at char gen. If it works for you concept and table you should find those points. Also I really really though that it cost 1BP per rating to get any Foci bonded at char gen, but I could find the cost anywhere

[Fortune]

Foci
When buying gear, Awakened characters can purchase foci, magically enchanted objects that can increase a magician’s power (see Foci, p. 190). To use a focus effectively, the magician or adept must bond the focus to him. This requires time and effort.

A starting Awakened character can begin the game with one or more foci already bonded. First, the character must purchase the focus with Gear nuyen. To bond a focus to the character, the player must then spend a number of BP equal to the focus’s Force. The total Force of all bonded foci is limited to five times the character’s Magic attribute.

[Shiloh]

Note also that Force now limits your successes, and that sustaining Foci can only sustain spells with a Force not greater than their Force, so to get the 5 hits in your example, you'd need to've cast it at Force 5 or 6 (and therefore had the magic to do so, or have been willing to take Physical Drain), and would need a high Force sustaining Focus to sustain the spell to completion. Force 3 is the maximum level of sustaining focus available at chargen under standard rules.

So you'll probably be taking a -2 on dice pools til your chummer is properly fixed.

Power Focus 2 is pretty much a "gimme" though.