[X] My Assistant

[CanRay]

How raped would the PCs be if they were stuck in an astral void, while that Bad Guy isn't affected by it?

You mean an Aspected Background Count, or Domain?

Yeah, my group really hated it when I they had to extract someone from a Catholic Orphanage that had one of those...

Jesus was literally watching them, and boy was he pissed off when they tried to snatch the kid!

[Xahn Borealis]

No no. A negative background count which affects everyone BUT the Bad Guy. Tremble before my evil handwavium!

[longbowrocks]

Ah Ok. Still at +/-11 an overcast Force 12 spell would become a "scary" Force 1 and still 6P+Modifiers drain.

Yeah, the point is though that he could, and distance is no object. There would be no way whatsoever to hide completely from magic under the -12 minimum rules.
If you have a couple fortifications on the mage, and another mage constantly healing him with low force spells, then a 7 magic mage could nuke anyone anywhere (literally) by chipping away at his target's health.

[Stahlseele]

Read up on how the magical healing works. it's not quite that easy i think.
Furthermore, read up on ritual magic. It's a bit harder than:"i wave my hand and on the moon something goes poof"

[Yerameyahu]

Yeah, I don't understand your scenario, longbowrocks. What does -12 have to do with anything? Why are they in space, to hide?

[Dakka Dakka]

No no. A negative background count which affects everyone BUT the Bad Guy. Tremble before my evil handwavium!

Not posible. Negative Background Count cannot be aspected. So it affects evceryone. Domains (which are aspected) only range from +1 to +6.

Yeah, the point is though that he could, and distance is no object. There would be no way whatsoever to hide completely from magic under the -12 minimum rules.

LOS still is an issue, and even optical aids have a limited resolution. Don't forget cover.

If you have a couple fortifications on the mage, and another mage constantly healing him with low force spells, then a 7 magic mage could nuke anyone anywhere (literally) by chipping away at his target's health.

I'm not sure what fortifications you are talking about, but I know of no item that increases the MAG Attribute. Power Foci only give bonus dice. So apart from being reduced in BC as well a mage who is made mundane by BC remains that way no matter how powerful a focus he binds.
Healing spells are touch range spells and you may not change that in a newly designed spell.

[Xahn Borealis]

Not posible. Negative Background Count cannot be aspected. So it affects evceryone. Domains (which are aspected) only range from +1 to +6.

Absolutely. But imagine if a GM handwaved some metamagic or enchantment that lets NPCs (and only, natch) 'carry' additional mana with them, so they use that mana when their encounter negative background count. Or a portable domain, maybe? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

[Dakka Dakka]

Absolutely. But imagine if a GM handwaved some metamagic or enchantment that lets NPCs (and only, natch) 'carry' additional mana with them, so they use that mana when their encounter negative background count. Or a portable domain, maybe? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

If the GM does not play by the rules it is even easier to achieve TPK. I doubt this in the interest of either the GM or the players.

[longbowrocks]

Absolutely. But imagine if a GM handwaved some metamagic or enchantment that lets NPCs (and only, natch) 'carry' additional mana with them, so they use that mana when their encounter negative background count. Or a portable domain, maybe? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

You can do that, albeit at a penalty. It's called astral hazing. Makes your average situation much worse, but the extreme ones can be better.

[longbowrocks]

Yeah, I don't understand your scenario, longbowrocks. What does -12 have to do with anything? Why are they in space, to hide?

The target is in space to get away from any sort of aggression towards him. We're arguing two things (kind of):
1. Whether the depths of space is a -infinity BC, or just -12.
2. Whether the depths of space with one inhabitant (the runaway) is less than -12 BC, or just -12.

[longbowrocks]

Read up on how the magical healing works. it's not quite that easy i think.

I admit I haven't looked up magical healing yet. I'll check that out.

Furthermore, read up on ritual magic. It's a bit harder than:"i wave my hand and on the moon something goes poof"

The mage could avoid rituals by using an optical scope if there are no planets in the way.
As for the complexity of rituals, it takes a few hours and a material/sympathetic/symbolic link, right?

[Xahn Borealis]

You can only use sympathetic and symbolic links if you have the Sympathetic Linking metamagic.

[longbowrocks]

You can only use sympathetic and symbolic links if you have the Sympathetic Linking metamagic.

Yeah, but the mage would need to initiate once to cast into BC -12 anyway.

[Yerameyahu]

It'd have to be ritual, because you literally could not get LOS. Even a simply sheet of material would block it. How is someone going to survive in 'the depths of space' anyway? I still don't understand the scenario. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I guess it's a purely theoretical question.

[longbowrocks]

Yeah, it's theoretical. Basically give up your life in order to be free of any retribution by intelligent life. After some time you'd go insane, starve, or die of old age if you brought enough materials, but no one should be able to hurt you from outside.

[Yerameyahu]

Except with missiles and lasers. You might as well posit that suicide is an effective protection against anyone else killing you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Xahn Borealis]

Sounds like your average CEO's long time business plan.

1. Live forever.
2. ????
3. PROFIT.
4. Repeat Step 4.

[Yerameyahu]

Hehe. Still, in a thread about 'fixing mages', I just don't think hiding 'in the depths of space' is feasible, for anyone.

[Nath]

Mages are as good as mundanes at everything? Tell me how do you use magic as effectively as mundane means to:
- Control the Matrix?
- Control Drones?
- Take out Drones?
- Socially interact with people?
- Do several of the above without massive Karma expenditure?

Step 1) get a line of view on someone who can do it
Step 2) cast Control Thoughts on him
Step 3) resist drain

[Dakka Dakka]

Yup Aside from not being able to do much magic, what about the temperature, the vacuum and the radiation?

[Yerameyahu]

Hehe. Still, in a thread about 'fixing mages', I just don't think hiding 'in the depths of space' is feasible, for anyone.

… EXCEPT an AI! They just need a little spaceship with solar panels (dunno if that constitutes 'depths of space'). The communications delay would *suck*, but they'd be 'alive'. Whatever that means for an AI, and not that they were vulnernable to magic in the first place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Dakka Dakka]

Step 1) get a line of view on someone who can do it
Step 2) cast Control Thoughts on him
Step 3) resist drain

Control thoughts does nothing to the matrix or drones. Control thoughts can manipulate people, which have to be present, which is an obvious drawback to doing the stuff directly. Moreover the mage can only issue an order in the Action phase after he cast the spell. This should give the informed victim ample time to call for backup. Lastly a failed attempt at mind rape is much entails much more dire consequences as failing to negotiate/con.

[Yerameyahu]

That's not quite true: it works on the *person* using the matrix or drones. Saying that magic doesn't control the drone is like saying the rigger doesn't control the drone, just his commlink.

I assumed it was a joke anyway, because you can easily make Awakened characters who are excellent hackers, riggers, etc.

[longbowrocks]

Except with missiles and lasers. You might as well posit that suicide is an effective protection against anyone else killing you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Don't missiles and lasers have max range? Also they need to be able to target something from launch. I don't think you can just point one into space and say: "There's a guy somewhere out there. Find him and kill him."

[Stahlseele]

Well, in Space, there is no real maximum range, as long as you have fuel . . get up to speed, stop using fuel, only burn short time for course correction.
Lasers are a bit harder, but theoretically much easier with the whole point and kill.
Also, if you do not care about collateral damage, simple sensor package and software. scan, find something that looks like it may be something that harbors life.
Aim, kill.