Force - IC or OOC Options

[stevebugge]

I'd be inclined to say it can be both, mostly because Scientists love to name things and classify things and so much the better when they get to invent a measurement scale. For more flavor you could have it be a Force 5 manabolt using the UCLA Thaumaturgics^TM Scale or something along those lines, especially if using it as part of a news release or something.

[nylanfs]

Fine just poke holes in my nice idea. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Aberrant]

Makes sense as an IC term to me. Maybe not force for everyone, but something comparable. I presume that it is likely a measure of the amount of mana manipulated by a spell, or, for spirits and items, the amount of mana that composes the spirit or inhabits the item.

Drain is not equal because a - it is magic, not science, and b, just because you are manipulating X amounts of Mana for a Stunbolt and a Healthy glow spell at force X, the way you manipulate it is different.

[Nifft]

"Twelve gauge autoloader"

"That's Italian. You can go Pump or Auto."

"The .45 Longslide with Smartgun system"

"These are brand new; we just got these in. That's a good gun: you just touch the trigger and a dot shows up on your HUD, and you just put the red dot where you want the bullet to go. Anything else?"

"Phased-astral power focus in the 40-kilothaum range"

"*chuckles* Hey, just what you see, pal."

... yeah, it's IC.

[Mr. Mage]

I'd say it's probably an OOC term but depending on your group could be used as an IC term. It's kind of like in DnD, how do you say: "Hello shopkeep, I would like to buy a +5 shocking longsword."
"+5" is a game mechanic the system uses to guage the general power of an enchantment, but I doubt you would really say that to a real shopkeep, it would just sound stupid. But if you DON'T say "+5" sword, he might give you a "+3" sword because you said "I would like to buy a powerful, magical sword" which is a bit to vague.

I direct your attention to this OOTS strip: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0297.html
second half of the comic.

Might be an OOC term, but who really cares if you use it as IC?

[Mordinvan]

"Twelve gauge autoloader"

"That's Italian. You can go Pump or Auto."

"The .45 Longslide with Smartgun system"

"These are brand new; we just got these in. That's a good gun: you just touch the trigger and a dot shows up on your HUD, and you just put the red dot where you want the bullet to go. Anything else?"

"Phased-astral power focus in the 40-kilothaum range"

"*chuckles* Hey, just what you see, pal."

... yeah, it's IC.

Terminator much?

[Dakka Dakka]

Terminator much?

This reminds me of an old Terminator parody. I hope it is funny even if you don't understand German.

[Nifft]

Terminator much?

How dare you! It's an excerpt from an original work of mine in which a cyborg travels back in time to become governor of California.


But on a more serious note, could the Terminator even use a Power Focus?

Can you use cyber implants to control an Awakened critter (or even a metahuman mage) sufficiently that you can cast spells via rigging?

[Draco18s]

But on a more serious note, could the Terminator even use a Power Focus?

Under 3e rules, yes, assuming he was previously awakened.

Can you use cyber implants to control an Awakened critter (or even a metahuman mage) sufficiently that you can cast spells via rigging?

No.

[Jaid]

Can you use cyber implants to control an Awakened critter (or even a metahuman mage) sufficiently that you can cast spells via rigging?

no.

you could probably train a paranimal to use a power on command, and send that command through a cybernetic implant. you could probably also do that with a magician in theory, but the magician is quite likely to not appreciate the experience much, and you probably don't want to have an angry combat mage hanging around anything you care enough about to protect.

[Yerameyahu]

Sounds like a job for CAST interface, right? Make the critter/mage *want* to cast the spell on the apparent target. It's even *called* 'CAST'! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Seriously though, biodrone tech is so weird. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[Mordinvan]

Can you use cyber implants to control an Awakened critter (or even a metahuman mage) sufficiently that you can cast spells via rigging?

Yes. IF you have the equpment installed during the developmental stages of brain grown, so it becomes accustom and even dependent on the interactions. A brain is a machine like any other, and with proper control and input and modification of internal processes, it should be possible. It would require extensive and invasive control of the inputs the brain is recieveing, as well as access to the lymphatic (emotional), memory, and motor systems, but should be doable.

[Yerameyahu]

It still would not, I think, be a push-button 'cast Stunbolt 4' kind of process. But that's maybe just fluff. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Jaid]

It still would not, I think, be a push-button 'cast Stunbolt 4' kind of process. But that's maybe just fluff. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

well, like i said, you could certainly train a hellhound (for example) to breathe fire on command. you could have the source of that command be a CAST system, as someone pointed out earlier. but ultimately, the hell hound could still (theoretically) choose not to breathe fire.

of course, if you're using a CAST system, there would need to be some *really* strong reasons for the hound to choose not to, but it could theoretically happen.

[Yerameyahu]

Yeah, that was me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I agree. (With myself. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )