[X] My Assistant

[Stahlseele]

ah, okay, seems i misunderstood that sentence.

[Zoot]

Interesting thread. Our group had a similar discussion about tattoos as foci. My thoughts on the matter were the telesma into which the enchanter puts the magic needs to be a discreet and relatively durable inanimate object. There are several reasons why a tattoo is not suitable: The process takes time, often involves exotic and poisonous substances or bunsen burners/ritual flames. A tattoo is not (to my mind) a discrete object, it is as much a part of a person as their hair or a birthmark. The enchanter can't really bathe it in boiling acid overnight/expose it to the glare of 3 basilisks/bury it in dragon dung for 1 lunar month (varies with tradition etc). Also the final enchantment is done in a magical lodge - a magician is usually unwilling to open his lodge to other magicians unless they are very friendly.

I saw mention of a thread covering tattoos as foci but I couldn't find it.

[Stahlseele]

Tattoo Foci are officially legit.
They were a metamagic enchantment or something like that.

[suoq]

Personally, I have no problem using Ritual Scarification as a method of creating a permanent foci as part of the body. If you know any old punks ask them if they have a copy of Modern Primitives by Re/Search. (Amazon has a couple used for $8 after shipping). Plenty of good ideas, lots of photos, and it's really clear just what people are willing to expose their bodies to. If that exposure resulted in greater power, I could see even more people flocking to do it and becoming members of an organization that practices it (or claims to practice it, one can always join a tradition that's complete b.s.)

I still believe it would be up to the DM to decide if this was allowed and what levels might be allowed and at what cost (above and beyond nuyen and karma).

Warning: Ritual scarification is a "sushi area" where you're likely to encounter things that make some people want to run out of the room and vomit while other people's eyes light up and they start really enjoying themselves. If this is your thing, cool. That being said, you're likely to run into a lot of posers who pretend it's their thing and other people who think it's disgusting. As such, you may just want to steer around it.

[Dumori]

Ah body modification. I've seen some pretty incredible stuff in both more daily life and anthropology museums. I'm all for most of it. It has strong mysticism especially the more elaborate scarification pattens there can be. From your tattoos to sub-dermal implants. They've all been used in spiritual body art. Piercings only half count as scarification as that's only the making the hole. But aside from "blanence" issues body modification being seen to have magical nature is certainly there on the world today and with SR's way that magic works there is no reason why you can't.

[jimbo]

Warning: Ritual scarification is a "sushi area" where you're likely to encounter things that make some people want to run out of the room and vomit while other people's eyes light up and they start really enjoying themselves. If this is your thing, cool. That being said, you're likely to run into a lot of posers who pretend it's their thing and other people who think it's disgusting. As such, you may just want to steer around it.

I always loved the scene in X-Files: Mulder is watching a "mind-over-body" master tap a nail into his nasal activity. An apprentice explains that the master can also completely pull his testicles up into his abdomen, to which Mulder replies, "Yea, mine are doing that right now..."

[Critias]

Tattoo Foci are officially legit.
They were a metamagic enchantment or something like that.

They're generally associated with the Quickening metamagic, not actual Foci, as far as I remember.

[jakephillips]

I like the idea of scarification or tattooing for a focus. A note on the size of focuses though. Not sure I would want someone with a force 6 powerfocus of doom in a belly button ring... Bigger rating = bigger size or more ostentatious presentation neckless made of oracalucum and blood diamonds with feathered serpent scales as linkage.

[Neraph]

Bigger rating = bigger size or more ostentatious presentation...

Not neccessarily so, especially not when it comes to magic. A plain flint dagger can be a F6 Weapon Focus, while a tricked-out, heavily modified claymore may only be F1.

A crazy looking staff can be a F1 Power Focus, while a simple silver band can be a F6.

[Yerameyahu]

I think jakephillips was presenting his opinion. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Makes sense; magic shouldn't be able to hide. At least it'll show up on the astral. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Dahrken]

My guess would be that it is possible to have a very small, very powerful focus, but it is *harder* to make. All those exotic alchemical producs and units of orichalcum you use to lower the difficulty have to go somewhere.