BANG! BANG! BANG! "Well, he did have a spell on him - he must've been dangerous!", Sustained spells for non-criminals. Options

[eidolon]

A clothing store may ward the dressing rooms.

And install a camera system, and set up a matrix feed, and charge by the minute.

[Writer]

And install a camera system, and set up a matrix feed, and charge by the minute.

But that would be illegal in most jurisdictions, Mr. Eidolon, and ... oh, I didn't realize it was that cheap. How much to access the archives?

[HappyDaze]

How many of you have curtains so people can't peep into your home from the street?

A normal wall is opaque to astral. It will keep an astral form from looking into your home from the street.

How many of your wealthy/famous NPCs are concerned about astral intruders/voyeurs?

Most if not all. However, see the next point.

Why wouldn't most locations that the upper class frequents be warded?

Quite simply - because the upper class might be hampered by these same wards. With any security, you have to consider if the intereference in your own life is worth the added security. While many people are not magical, there are enough that putting up "walls without doors" is problematic.

In my game, wards are standard security for high lifestyles and corresponding offices, clubs and shops.

Clubs and shops have "walls without doors"? That would be pretty contrary to allowing public access. Alarm wards would be fine - like a bell that rings when you open the door, but the standard ward is counterproductive in many cases. Remember that if your SR incorporates pieces of a world that requires handicap access to public buildings, it's not too hard to imagine that wards preventing entry to dual natured individuals is going to be a no-no on such places too.

Alarm wards seem terribly underused when they should easily be the most common type of ward.

And where there are no wards, odds are, no one really cares about spells anyway because no one important lives there.

Or they have enough Awakened presence to know that too many "walls without doors" is problematic.

[nezumi]

"Walls without doors" make perfect sense if a) you can grant permanent, easy access to people with little hassle (such as if I hire a company to ward my home), and b) the people it blocks out really can't do much there anyway (what's the point of allowing in astrally projecting mages to my bar if they can't drink and can't pay? Should I seriously be concerned that this will also keep out people with 'increase charisma', 'trid phantasm - tip' and vicious shapeshifters out as well?)

The number of businesses which benefit from allowing CUSTOMERS to walk in while sustaining spells or astrally projecting is fairly low. The number who will suffer by excluding those people is only ever so slightly higher. And certainly, the benefits to any business which transacts private business vocally, or which physically keeps secrets which it might suffer by sharing, are significant. I would imagine many social gathering places would have a ward or guardian spirit, and basically all banks, data storage areas and other moderate or high sensitivity locations.

I'd also like to point out that wards are far from the only tool available here. An elemental bound to an area can be quite effective, and more discerning. It allows security to pick and choose who enters, without requiring the original caster on site. But this goes back to the question of, what does security do when a suspicious looking guy sustaining spells on himself enters the room.

[Inane Imp]

I'd also like to point out that wards are far from the only tool available here. An elemental bound to an area can be quite effective, and more discerning. It allows security to pick and choose who enters, without requiring the original caster on site. But this goes back to the question of, what does security do when a suspicious looking guy sustaining spells on himself enters the room.

Absolutely true to the first part, but for the second the answer has already been provided. See posts #61 (Me) and #70 (Writer).

But to give it another take: to answer the question 'what does security do when a suspicious looking guy sustaining spells on himself enters the room?' you need to know so much more.
Other questions need to be answered, like:
What is the room?
How appropriate is magic to the circumstances?
In what way is the character looking suspicious (if its just another sex offender with an enlarged wang, well then that's just a little more added to the price, and the guard saying 'Could you come this way, sir, your private booth is ready.')?
What form of security is it (a bouncer, a rental cop or an ex-Sami Corporate bodyguard)?
How does the security view magic?

As ever, Context is King. Different reactions to sustained spells are appropriate for different circumstances in exactly the same way different reactions to knives, guns, dead fish, massive bodymodification etc etc etc are appropriate in different circumstances. Attempting to definitively answer the question is, as a result, impossible* because of all the possible permutations. Its up to GMs and players to decide this for themselves while they play the game.

*This time its appropriate, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) .

Imp

[Fuchs]

Imagine you're a rich (and therefore good looking) citizen in the 6th world. Imagine all the urban legends going around - people waking up next to a male troll they thought was a female elf the night before. People getting mind controlled, and "donating" all their money - or worse. Etc. etc.

I know that I'd rather frequent a bar where people can't walk in with spells active, and dual-natured beings can't walk in. I'd prefer a bar where there's active magical security, so no one can mind trick me for all sorts of purposes, but at least wards will make sure that any spell on me will be wiped when I leave, and mundane security can stop a number of the things a mage could try with me the bar.

I really do not see how "our place is warded" is supposed to be a negative advertising for most shops and clubs catering to rich people.