Starting Magician Spells, What spells do/would YOU start out with? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Standard Switch to: Linear+

[Bugfoxmaster]

Assume for a moment you were starting a new game and playing a magician. What spells would you deem essential to pick up at CharGen?
If you've never made/used a magician, that's perfectly fine - just say what you'd choose if you DID happen to play one.
It's not necessary, but if you are willing, please explain why - and remember, this is for posterity - so please, be honest.
All right, I've made my geeky quote for the day.

[Wacky]

For starting spells I'd go with five particular spells:

Stunbolt Good for knocking out an opponent and lower drain then a regular Manabolt. You might want to go with Stunball to hit more individuals but this also risks hitting fellow runners.

Manabolt As a direct combat spell its great for taking down corp goons who have low WIL and no magical talent. There armor offers no protection. NOTE: This spell being mana, will not phase physical objects. But is still good to have since it'll harm spirits and magicians totally on the astral.

Powerball As a direct area effect combat spell, it'll harm characters you cannot see--like hiding around a corner. Also works on a door or something non-magical. Might want to pick up fireball or ball lightning instead so you can get an elemental effect. Otherwise enemies get to use full armor to resist damage against you.

Heal You'll get shoot up...eventually. Or maybe your buddy. Nice not to die. Just saying is all.

Levitate Mines are no problem nor are trip wires or even laser sites if you lay flat and fly close to the ceiling (GMs never trap the ceiling!). This spell is great for getting out of an unseen jam.

One Detection Spell Pick something out that suits your characters intrest. Detect Magic helps you find other magicians; Detect Enemies lets you know where the baddies are; Analyze Device will give you a +2 dice to using an object even if you're defaulting and untrained (NOTE: if you make a sustaining spell foci built into a weapon you effectively get a weapon foci for a whole lot less karma then normal.).

Hope this helps!

Sign--

Wacky

[KCKitsune]

Improved Invisibility -- great for when you really don't want to be seen by the corps... or their cameras

Mana Barrier -- for those times when you really don't want that spirit coming over and eating you. It's also great for taking out motorcycle riders. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Cure Disease -- if you fight anything that can cause disease... this is your friend.

[toturi]

Powerball As a direct area effect combat spell, it'll harm characters you cannot see--like hiding around a corner. Also works on a door or something non-magical. Might want to pick up fireball or ball lightning instead so you can get an elemental effect. Otherwise enemies get to use full armor to resist damage against you.

Sign--

Wacky

Indirect Combat spells may affect targets that the caster cannot see if they are caught within the spell's area of effect.

[Wiggles Von Beer...]

Increased Reflexes is always good, especially if you buy a F3 sustaining focus. If you're a combat mage, that's two more IP, and if you're a support mage, you can sustain it a teammate who doesn't have any (or poor) initiative enhancements.

Improved Invisibility is also good, because if you can't be seen by regular vision or cameras, then you can get the job done that much easier.

I also like to take at least one indirect combat spell. It's like always having a grenade ready for action. Feel free to vary up the effects - I replaced one of the ones from the book with "Steam," which just generated a cloud of scalding hot water vapor.

Although it's not in the book, a mage I played had a spell called "Gravity." It did the exact opposite of Levitate, with each net hit adding 25 kilograms of weight to the target. It worked really well when I increased the mass of a spinning tire on a van, or a Lone-Star officer's helmet. It worked... less well when I added 75 kg to a person's arm and then he punched me with it.

[Bugfoxmaster]

I see.
Is there no love for the mental manipulations? Or is mind rapery just that taboo?
Oh, yeah, what do people in general have to say about the alternate elemental types in Street Magic? And anyone have names for the varied combinations of elements that can result from the 'Firewater' spell (Acid an Lightning? Fire and Lightning? Water and Lightning (Zap...)?)
People also seem to like Improved Invisibility. Any nice tactics or little stories you can tell about its use?
Actually, expand that to all spells. Any interesting stories you chaps have? This applies ot spells being USED on you too...

[underaneonhalo]

I just had a thought.

The team is outgunned and cornered on the roof of a multi story building. The friendly neighborhood spell slinger thinks about using levitate and finding a new team but instead decides that he's going to cast physical barrier on the exterior wall of the building so as to create a platform the party can use to jump down and break through a window to the floor below. So my friends, do they plummet to their deaths?

I myself would allow it.

On a side note, mana barrier doesn't restrict living beings or physical objects. Now if the motorcycle rider has armor cast on them...

[KCKitsune]

On a side note, mana barrier doesn't restrict living beings or physical objects. Now if the motorcycle rider has armor cast on them...

Actually, you are wrong.

Mana barrier stops living creatures and does nothing against drones. That motorcycle rider is going to hit a mana barrier and it will be like he hit a brick wall. The bike on the other hand is going to keep on going.

[McAllister]

Mana barrier (environmental, Area)
Type: M • Range: LOS (A) • Duration: S • DV: (F ÷ 2) + 1
Mana Barrier creates an invisible barrier of magical energy with a Force
equal to the net hits scored. This barrier does not restrict living beings
or physical objects, but it does impede spirits, foci, dual beings, and
spells. If cast on the astral plane, it also impedes astral forms and re-
stricts visibility. Any target of a spell that is on the other side of the
Mana Barrier receives a bonus to its spell resistance dice pool equal to
the barrier’s Force. If the target had no resistance dice pool, but instead
has an Object Resistance threshold, increase the threshold by 1 for
every increment of 3 Force in the Mana Barrier (round up). See p. 194
for more information on mana barriers.

Emphasis mine. Dunno what spell you were thinking of.

[Bugfoxmaster]

He was probably thinking of the way manabolt affects living things, but not drones, and how it's a mana spell.
Then he thought of powerbolt, and it's 'physical' designation, and how it affects drones and living things, though not spirits or wards.
That's my guess, anyways,

[rathmun]

Alter Memory: Almost as good for intimidation as it is for covering your tracks. Replace the targets last ten seconds with an hour of torture.

Yes, the character that uses this is an absolute monster.

[tsuyoshikentsu]

Orgy!

[Ol' Scratch]

With the exclusion of Increased Reflexes (since its pretty much a metagame requirement) and possibly Heal, there aren't any standard spells I take. Nor should you. It's pretty God damned boring if every mage the world round was exactly the same.

Bones, my last Hougan of Ghede, took Increased Reflexes, Heal, Intoxication, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Orgy and Fashion.
Filthy Rich, my last Rat Street Shaman, took Increased Reflexes, Stink, Control Pack (restricted to rats for lower drain), Eyes of the Pack (same), Gecko Crawl, Improved Invisibility and Stealth.
Valentine, my last Former SFX Artist, took Increased Reflexes, Trid Phantasm, Trid Entertainment, Vehicle Mask, Control Emotions and Physical Mask.

etc. Be flavorable and interesting, and make up for your weak spots with mundane gear. Valentine, for instance, had a pretty impressive Pistols skill to make up for the lack of any directly offensive magic while Filthy Rich was a secondary hacker to make use of all the information he garnered from his. The were all just as effective as any other team member, too, but they were all vastly different characters from one another with vastly different skillsets. As they should be.

[McCummhail]

Trid Phantasm- a beautifully open ended spell with near infinite uses.
Physical Mask- cheaper version for one person. Mask that cyberware!
Deflection- Make that squirrelly sam/adept even harder to hit
Turn to goo- It's just awesome!

On a side note, mental manipulations are awesome,
but they are largely illegal and highly feared.
Using mental manipulations will earn you a rep,
and not necessarily the kind of notoriety you want.

[rathmun]

On a side note, mental manipulations are awesome,
but they are largely illegal and highly feared.
Using mental manipulations will earn you a rep,
and not necessarily the kind of notoriety you want.

The character who uses Alter Memory for intimidation goes by the handle Nietszche. (shame on anyone who doesn't get the reference) He got his start shadowrunning going up against Aztechnology. And yes, he has become a monster himself.

[Bugfoxmaster]

Hehe... the moster who fights monsters. is there any fluff reason for the mental manipulations leading to this sort of notoriety, or is it just a general thing that people know or follow that people who screww with others' heads are assnuts who need to be dealt with?

[Neraph]

Increased Reflexes is always good, especially if you buy a F3 sustaining focus. If you're a combat mage, that's two more IP, and if you're a support mage, you can sustain it a teammate who doesn't have any (or poor) initiative enhancements.

Force 4 focus; you need at least 4 hits on the spellcasting test to get 3 IP, hence, the spell needs to be Force 4. Unless you Edge it, of course.

EDIT: My list:

Levitate - For all your 3-D tactical needs! Combine with the spirit power of Movement and never need a vehicle again!

Stunbolt - Low drain, deals stun damage, based off of Willpower. If you don't want to kill the guy, drop him. If you want to kill him, keep casting when he's down.

Blast (Blast element LOS) - Add Force to damage dealt for knockdown. At force 6, even if they soak all the damage, chances are you knock them down.

Sonic Boom (Sonic AoE) - Very good AoE that most people only get their Willpower to resist.

Increased Reflexes - 4 IP? Thank you!

Increased Attribute (Willpower) - Helps with drain and resisting other spells. Put it in a Sustaining Focus or other method of having it sustained (Ally Spirit, Quickening...)

Heal - You know, I've only ever used heal like twice.... And both times it was on my first real mage. Since then, I don't really get hit any more. It was useful though; I went from Overflow to fully healed in 2 days, my DocWagon included.

Control Thoughts - So much better than Control Actions, and useful too. I once used it on 3 mages in a research facility that were studying things we needed, and then made them all need to go to the bathroom at the same time. We stole the items and were out before they got back. The best part: no one had to die for that.

Mob Mind Control (Or whatever its called) - Awsome Crowd Control spell.

Combat Sense - Trumps Deflection 9/10 times simply because it works for CQC and Ranged.

Physical Barrier - Useful for forcing Crash Tests on vehicles chasing you.

Shapechange - When your natural physical attributes simply aren't enough! A must for all Free Spirit PCs!

Shadow - Perception penalties apply to ranged combat as well, remember that.

Mist - See above.

Physical Chameleon - See Shadow.

Mana Static - Dropping enemy spellcasters has never been so fun!

Crank - Nice utility spell.

Nutrition - A must for the Infected. Which I play. A lot.

I've been wanting to get a Electricity/Fire spell made, but the thing holding me back is that Fire Protection and Nonconductivity are the two most common armor modifications, and I don't want to make a spell that'll drain the crap out of me and not do a thing to the enemy. It would look awsome though.

One idea is using a Blast/Sonic shot. I don't know exactly, but I think it would be resisted with Willpower (and Dampers, if any) only, deal Physical damage, and add the Force onto the damage for kockdown. Really freaking good.

[Warlordtheft]

Control Thoughts-Yeah but can they prove it in a court of law? And who is going to blab that they are a weak willed individual? Agreed if you start using on contacts, random people, and so forth you'll get a bad rap. But to defend yourself against a bunch of gangers, corp sec goons, or help infiltrate an installation not an issue.

A Detect (something useful) spell.

Trid Phantasm-wonderful spell, make that hole in the wall disappear and 1001 other uses.

Heal-Um-you will probably need this at some point.

Sterilize and astral static-good for cleaning up the crime scene.

Finally stunball-low drain, and provides you with talkative "guests" should you need the company.

[McCummhail]

...is there any fluff reason for the mental manipulations leading to this sort of notoriety...

Street Magic p.8-19 describes the relationship Awakened people have with Society.
Pages 8-9 discuss the fear the laymen have, and pages 13-14 discuss law / magic.

Then there is the simple bit that mind alteration is scary and vicious stuff.
It isn't called 'mind fuck' and 'mind rape' for no reason.

[X-Kalibur]

Force 4 focus; you need at least 4 hits on the spellcasting test to get 3 IP, hence, the spell needs to be Force 4. Unless you Edge it, of course.

You may want to re-read that post and the spell. 4 hits will get you 3 additional IPs, not 3 total, and you only need 3 hits to get 2 additional IPs, as was stated. Better luck next time.

As for me, I always find myself drawn to manipulation spells, usually for flavor. You can find tons of both combat and non-combat uses for Physical Barrier, Ignite, and Magic Fingers (not to mention Shadow). And has been stated multiple times already, you can't go wrong with Physical Mask and Trid Phantasm.

[Neraph]

You may want to re-read that post and the spell. 4 hits will get you 3 additional IPs, not 3 total, and you only need 3 hits to get 2 additional IPs, as was stated.

Ahh, I missed that part of the text. When I see Increased Reflexes, I automatically expect the maximum effect. If you can, there's no reason to go lower.

Better luck next time.

That was unnecessary.

[Zen Shooter01]

Manabolt, Levitate, Heal are the three I'd start with. One of the following three is also very handy - Mind Probe, Analyze Truth, Compel Truth.

And Phantasm is hugely useful. I had a team of NPCs ambush my PCs with it. The enemy magician created a Phantasm of an armored police SUV with a turret, and pulled it up next to the PCs parked vehicle. Then the NPCs attacked, and the PCs were very reluctant to do much fighting back, because of the police vehicle.

[Wiggles Von Beer...]

Ahh, I missed that part of the text. When I see Increased Reflexes, I automatically expect the maximum effect. If you can, there's no reason to go lower.

I usually only buy a F3 sustaining focus because bumping it up to a F4 makes it 16R, and requires the Restricted Gear quality.

[WyldKnight]

How has no one mentioned the demolish spell? Want to give your team the advantage? Demolish gun. Want to take some heat off your rigger? Demolish drone, car, etc. Demolish gun was always my most useful spell because it made everyone but adepts and a few drones with missle launchers near useless. Favorite story with it. Our team was caught in a fire fight, I overcasted it to get the extra AoE. Everyone including my teams guns were destroyed because we were all to close to each other to avoid it. My gm laughed a bit cuz the enemy still had blades, hammers, and a mage but he forgot two things. A blade adept and a heavy weapons adept who still had his missles. That was straight overkill. I didn't even have to do anything. They were kinda ticked bout the destroyed guns but its better then being dead.

[Bugfoxmaster]

Yeah, if you're going restricted gear, then get a Power Focus 4. Much more useful and versatile.
Do you use first aid before heal, or after? I know that one of them can only work before the other's used (if you want it to work properly), but I'm not entirely sure which...
A Blast-Sonic spell WOULD be awesome, but I kind of forgot that those double-element spells have insane drain. I still think it's took much, but what to do.
Wouldn't Mana Static screw YOU up as well? I can see it as being an immensely powerful spell in certain situations, but wouldn't it generally be something you'd want to avoid?
And does anyone actually USE turn to goo, or is it just one of those things you have to say you have it? Same question with Orgasm...