Resonance Foci, How would you do it? Options

[Teryn180]

I realize that there's almost no RAW precedent for Resonance/Technomancer foci (except Widgets). But the game I have my Technomancer in the GM is playing Magic and Resonance more closely related. And the couple times something like this has come up, he hasn't just rejected it.

So I'm looking for ideas for when I really purpose the concept to him.

As best I can tell my character would need a special Arcana and Enchanting, but that's where I stall out on real solid ideas.

[Nixda]

Technomancers are quite good at what they're doing already.
I think you should really start by talking to your GM and ask him if he is ok with the idea of you getting higher dice pools from foci - it might be a nice idea fluff-wise, but its probably not very good for game balance.

[Teryn180]

I can actually blame the whole idea on my GM:
"It's too bad there wasn't a way to create or harness Resonance wells... you could give her a portable Resonance well. But such things don't exist."
I'm not even paraphrasing there, he said it in a play by email segment of the game. But yeah, I have fired an email off to him about weather he'd be ok with me having more dice on things.

[fistandantilus4....]

Between Threading, Widgets, and the assistance of sprites, I don't think they really need more boosts. The only thing that keeps them in "check' is the karma requirements. If you dump karma into a catch all that replaces the need for complex forms , t hey're going to become unbalanced really quickly.

[Caadium]

The idea of a TM with something akin to sustaining or summoning foci is truly frightening.

[Aerospider]

As TMs are already high-powered but big karma sinks, how about making the electro-foci crutches that cut karma costs. For example, learning a CF with a rating equal to or less than the item costs only half the karma, but the TM must be in 'contact' with the item and cannot thread it. Alternatively they could be fading-dampers, like fetishes.

The items themselves should be nodes in their own right, methinks, with the appropriate resonance code stored within. The TM then needs to be subscribed to in order to use the foci.

That's the best suggestion I can think of (besides just not bothering!).

[Jaid]

if i was to suggest anything, it would simply be the ability to render widgets semi-permanent (that is, they last until destroyed), but require that they be stored on a specially prepared piece of hardware (possibly, much like with magic, it would require hardware that is exceptionally attuned to the resonance... possibly you would have to either find your own, or buy from other technomancers who have found it, much like enchanting).

[Tachi]

First, the TM must find an old intact Cray. Then he must "draw" a ritual circle with old aluminum wiring from trailer houses. Then he has to dance the "Robot" around it while wearing a full body tinfoil suit and a set of analog TV rabit ears on his head. This will give heim a +1 to all tests for 1.7 milliseconds. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[WulfSage]

In short I don't think TM's need anything, and if you where to give them something what would you give a mundane hacker to balance it out?

I really like the concept of TM's but I do think mundane hackers have been put in the shadow by them.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I really like the concept of TM's but I do think mundane hackers have been put in the shadow by them.

When you have high Karma Expenditures, I would agree with you about that... but initially, Hackers can routinely beat the technomancers, at least in my experience...

Keep the Faith

[Geminon]

If you were to add these types of focuses to the game would it really stop there? What about a matrix weapon focus? Or a threading focus? Or a hacking complex form focus?

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

If you were to add these types of focuses to the game would it really stop there? What about a matrix weapon focus? Or a threading focus? Or a hacking complex form focus?

Yeah, It could get crazy indeed couldn't it?

Keep the Faith

[Synner]

For the record, during the development of Unwired we discussed the introduction of the technomancer analog to foci. We also discussed a TM-parallel to an Ally. Like several other things Resonance and TM-related we decided it was too early following the emergence of technomancers (also sprites and new-gen AIs) for such concepts to be developed and widespread in 2072 (which isn't to say they wouldn't be introduced at some later point.)

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

For the record, during the development of Unwired we discussed the introduction of the technomancer analog to foci. We also discussed a TM-parallel to an Ally. Like several other things Resonance and TM-related we decided it was too early following the emergence of technomancers (also sprites and new-gen AIs) for such concepts to be developed and widespread in 2072 (which isn't to say they wouldn't be introduced at some later point.)

Sounds Interesting... hopefully, if and when they are introduced, they will be somewhat balanced...

Keep the Faith

[Banaticus]

If you were to add these types of focuses to the game would it really stop there? What about a matrix weapon focus? Or a threading focus? Or a hacking complex form focus?

Or a summoning focus or a binding focus or a weapon focus or a power focus or a counterspelling focus, or, or, or...

[The Tarasque]

Or a summoning focus or a binding focus or a weapon focus or a power focus or a counterspelling focus, or, or, or...

I believe that was his or her point.