Symbolic Weapon foci Options

[Pendaric]

As I have been playing with these ideas on these boards, here are the rules I came up with for symbolic weapon foci. By this I mean a weapon focus that is different in the physical than the astral.

(I would pre fix that I am also entertaining the idea of standardizing astral damage from weapon foci in astral combat.)

For example the 12 inch from tip to end, miniture sword letter knife; is actually enchanted to be a full long sword in the astral.

Or the 14 inch baton is enchanted so that its astral self is a full staff.

It is possible/probible that the physical item may be possible of damamging an oppontent but will have a reach of zero or less and will be much reduced from the astral weapon true physical counter part. This is due to the physical object having to symbolically be a weapon in form.

Against a dual natured foe the foci owner can choose to use the higher astral or lower physical damage code of the active focus.
Against a physical foe well, they brought a knife instead of a sword.

Game states
Symbolic weapon focus Enchanting TN base:7
Normal weapon fucus Enchanting TN base:6

Symbolic weapon focus availability: 10/6 days
Normal weapon focus: 8/72hrs

Symbolic WF Cost: (Astral reach+1 x 110,000) = Force x 100,000 Street indext 2
Normal WF: (Reach +1 x 100,000)+ Force x 90,000 Street indext 2

Symbolic WF Bonding cost (astral reach+2) x Force
Normal Wf Bonding cost (reach + 3) x force


I have made symbolic foci rarer but easier to bond due to the reduced practicallity on the physical. Hopefully I have offset the easy to hide bonus versus the reduced effectiveness.
In game play this favours the astral projecting full magicain and consequently the rarer and more expensive symbolic foci is something of a status symbol amounst the Awakened.

Do you find this balanced?

[Maelstrome]

someone else posted something like this. i like the concepts of symbolic weapon foci and have done similar things in my games. of course you will get the anger of the purists that say it shouldnt exist and that its unfair/unbalanced. but i personally have had no balance issues even with my groups consisting of shapeshifters, ghouls, vampires, and the occasional baroque.

more power to you for actually making mechanics behind it.