Alternate forms of casting Options

[Prime Mover]

Putting together a far reaching plot that will involve Shiawase,FBI,The Black Lodge,Bounty Hunters, powerful Free Spirit and a Technomancer/free Sprite combo.

After rereading the Black Lodge entry in Threats 1 it got me thinking.

1.What mechanics to use for casting from a Grimore?

2.An even more abstract thought is it possible to learn to cast from a "spell matrix" to avoid background count penalties? Again what mechanics?

These are obviously hypothetical questions and curious how folks would stat/use them in SR 4th ed?

I've long since lost my ED books to time and moves and don't recall clearly the mechanics as they stood. Anyone elaborate on them so could more clearly conceive there use would be helpful.

Edit:: Was suggested to me to handle it as rare metamagic?

[Ravor]

If I remember correctly, Street Magic has an advanced Metamagic that might as well be a proto-spell matrix.

And personally I would treat a spellbook as a prop for Ritual Spellcasting, and nothing special, but I don't remember the Black Lodge as using them in Threats I, so I could be mistaken.

*Edit*

The metamagic is Filtering, Street Magic, page 61.

[Ancient History]

Spell Matrix
Prerequisite: Filtering
The magician can attach a spell matrix to their aura, an astral construct similar to that created by the Filtering metamagic, which contains the essence of a spell and safely filters magical energy to it while protecting the magician. Each spell matrix has a Force rating equal to the magician's Magic attribute, which is used for all tests; a spell matrix that is destroyed "loses" the spell it was currently holding (the magician does not forget the spell) and reforms twenty-four hours later. Each spell matrix is associated with a particular category of spells, chosen when this metamagic is taken, and can only hold spells of the chosen category.

Each spell matrix can hold one spell placed within it by the magician; this spell can be swapped out with either a 10-minute ritual or a successful Magic + Spellcasting test and a Complex Action. The magician may cast this spell at any Force up to the Force of the spell matrix, but would need to make Force/2 (round down) successful Spellcasting Tests first to "complete" the spell - yes this would essentially let you cast a Force 1 spell in the matrix for free - on the upside, you would suffer no Drain from casting the spell in this fashion. A magician may cast a spell from a spell matrix normally (i.e. instantaneously but with Drain) if they choose. Spell matrices may not be used for ritual spellcasting.

A magician may take the Spell Matrix metamagic multiple times, each time attaching another spell matrix to their aura. The maximum number of spell matrices they can have attached (not counting blood matrices or item matrices, but counting enhanced matrices and armoured matrices) is equal to the character's Essence attribute, rounded down.

[Prime Mover]

If I remember correctly, Street Magic has an advanced Metamagic that might as well be a proto-spell matrix.

And personally I would treat a spellbook as a prop for Ritual Spellcasting, and nothing special, but I don't remember the Black Lodge as using them in Threats I, so I could be mistaken.

*Edit*

The metamagic is Filtering, Street Magic, page 61.

Mention of using grimore in threats 1.
The Penultimate Master practices magic at a level unknown to the rest of the awakened world. Along the lines of extraordinarily high initiate level or the result of ancient rituals. He must cast and summon from ancient texts. This "Pure" magic can create bizarre side effects and is no longer limited by ordinary constraints of magic. (I'm paraphrasing here the entry is alot larger.) This ability is limited to "boss mob" of the lodge and won't come into play during my adventure but the entry got me thinking.

And thanks AH for the matrix metamagic, pretty much what I was looking for as a mysterious ability to make an apperance.

[Ol' Scratch]

I allow individual geasa in place of fetishes (altered to a Talisman Geas) when learning a new spell, each granting +1 Drain dice to a mx of +3 Drain dice. Allows for a lot more style and flair in my experience. Grimoires are treated as Talismans with the assumption that you're looking over or (if you take a verbal geas) reading aloud the spell's formula.

[Heath Robinson]

Mention of using grimore in threats 1.
The Penultimate Master practices magic at a level unknown to the rest of the awakened world. Along the lines of extraordinarily high initiate level or the result of ancient rituals. He must cast and summon from ancient texts. This "Pure" magic can create bizarre side effects and is no longer limited by ordinary constraints of magic. (I'm paraphrasing here the entry is alot larger.) This ability is limited to "boss mob" of the lodge and won't come into play during my adventure but the entry got me thinking.

And thanks AH for the matrix metamagic, pretty much what I was looking for as a mysterious ability to make an apperance.

One way of representing it would be that the grimoires are spell matrices embodied in an artifact with a single spell permanently locked into them. When he has them on his person he gains access to the spell matrix as if he had the appropriate metamagic. The special aspects are represented by the grimoires containing unique, unreplicable spells designed by the GM.

[venenum]

Does the matrix sustain the spell?

[Prime Mover]

(not counting blood matrices or item matrices, but counting enhanced matrices and armoured matrices)

Obviously you already had this and other matrices written up somewere hehe. How bout the others?

[venenum]

I agree. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

[Cain]

As for using a grimoire, wouldn't that just be part of the trappings of Ritual Sorcery? Perhaps even using the Great Ritual metamagic?

[Ancient History]

Actually, I bashed that out cold. I thought the other matrices would be overdoing it a bit.

[darthmord]

AH, that wouldn't be overdoing it.

[Blog]

The spell matrix probabaly should be disrupted for a period of time if they try the 'fast swap' and dont generate enough successes. Crit Glitches should probabaly disrupt it for that 24 hour period as though it was destroyed. The 10-min ritual swap should not cause any penalty if not enough successes generated.