Theoretical Astral Hiding, inspired by the overwatch thread Options

[Luke Hardison]

Could you hide on the astral by covering your body completely with clothing? Nothing at all showing? Long sleeves, gloves, ski mask and "veil", mirrored sunglasses, anything else that would complete the full cover of your body. Would it be enough to hamper line of sight and keep you safe from astral perception/projection?

I seem to remember that your aura extends a certain distance from your body, but I can't find that referenced anywhere.

What keep clothes from blocking line of sight? For example, you're diving around a corner, only your lower half visible to the mage or caster, all he can really see is your pants, boots, and maybe the tail of your long coat. It could easily be argued that he can't technically see you. Maybe I'm just missing the obvious. Is this one of those things that's just not covered well at all in the rules?

[Backgammon]

You can't hide your aura like that. Otherwise, people in full mil-spec armour would be magic proof, which is a pretty scary thought. There was a debate on this a while ago, and that was the conclusion of it.

[Hasaku]

The aura extends a certain distance past your body precisely so you can't do that kind of thing. Otherwise how would you manabolt someone in full sec armor?

edit: Damn yous!

[Lilt]

Clothing dosen't work. Sitting in a vehicle does, however, conceal your aura. All you need is something transportable with a 1-way mirror and a collapseable section at the back for easy transportation, like the top of a convertable. You thus have 1-way glass on the front, and a canvas covering to cover your body & gear.

[Fresno Bob]

Like those camo-blinds that hunters use.

[Zazen]

I bet you could wear one of those box-things that lepers wore to keep from infecting people.

[Kagetenshi]

Wasn't there a suggestion in a sourcebook somewhere that military-grade and similarly sized armor did in fact conceal your aura?

~J

[Ancient History]

Y'know, yould theoretically use your STealth skill on the astral.

[Spookymonster]

Theoretically? I always assumed it was canon...

[Fortune]

As far as I know, it is canon. :)

[Ancient History]

I know. I just like to picture someone sneaking around on the astral.

"You see a troll's aura trying to hide behind a tree's aura."

[Teulisch]

There are a number of things in the magic book that could work.

you could get an innitiate to put up a ward.
your camo 'box' could be made of biofiber (but wouldnt last too long before it died).
Strain-II FAB could work, if theres not much wind, or you have enough of it.

Mist/smoke does effect astral perception. just give your guy thermal or ultrasound.
and lets not forget background count. you could manufacture one if you really need.

best and easiest way does seem to be either hiding in plain sight (in a crowd), or else using an existing 'wall'.

troll behind a tree could work- if theres a lot of foilage to hide behind, it counts as a dense biomass with a modifier to astral sense.

[Jason Farlander]

[hobgoblin]

a ruterium tent would work wonders, even more so if it allso had something like fab inside its walls.

remember that there are more then the freefloating variation of FAB out there, one works mutch the same as biofiber. and talkig about biofiber, as long as it gets the right level of nutrients it will survive for a very long time, this allso apply for FAB btw...

[Adarael]

[Kagetenshi]

All FAB is free-floating IIRC, it's just not all aggressive and magic-eating. Some of it, y'know, just fluoresces in the presence of astral forms.

~J

[hobgoblin]

not so, strain 1 is the free floating one that go all glowing, strain 2 works mutch like biofiber, you inject it into a hollow space in a wall and it sits there for as long as it have access to nutrients. strain 3 is the nasty one that feeds on active magic, be that dual natured beings, astraly active magicans or spirits...

only problem i see is that FAB-2 would make the tent glow :( (its dualnatured) in facts its bad that the only stuff that can stop a astral magican is the dual natured stuff now...

hmm, some ruterium fiber suspended a small distance away from any person would hide theyre aura yes?

[Lilt]

I think they can put FAB into canisters with light sensors and have it detect manna activity without it showing-up on the astral. Can someone find the quote I'm referring to? I'm sure it was a shadowtalk article of some sort but I can't find it. It went something like "they won't know it's there until they stick their astral head in it and it's glowing already".

[Kagetenshi]

I believe you're thinking of Glowmoss, from YotC.

~J