Shape [Material] Fun Options

[Socinus]

I was thinking about this spell and I started wondering what you could use it on that would be effective and awesome.

Shape [Bone], I'm not sure how you'd calculate the effects of this because you could, with very little effort, kill someone almost instantly.

Shape [Skin], again, awesome but it seems like you could very easily kill someone with it (it'd be...messy).

[HunterHerne]

Shape [Bone] would have real issues, especially since you'd have to carry bones with you everywhere, or break someone's bone hard enough to force it to the surface (you can still only affect what you can see).

With either spell, it's a tough call, though technically legal. The GM may require a specific material, however (skin is several materials, including oils, generic cells, follicular cells, and other nutrients to support the processes that occur), or the GM may rule that the spell can only affect "unliving" material (in this case, "unliving" may count as any part of a multicellular creature which is still attached to a living main body)

[Christian Lafay]

Though now thinking about it Shape Bone might be a good spell for your local Street Doc.

[HunterHerne]

Though now thinking about it Shape Bone might be a good spell for your local Street Doc.

Fair enough.

[Falconer]

I don't see an issue. The spells permanent which means it needs to be sustained for a few rounds until it is permanent.

And really at the end of the day, it's no worse than turn to goo... if you can kill someone with one... you can kill them with another. As others point out... to a magical healer it has other usefull properties (assuming the 'heal' spell doesn't already deal with broken bones and the like...).

[Udoshi]

I looked into this earlier for an urban mage concept.

Shape Electricty and Shape Metal (given that shadowrun apparently uses Ferrocrete to make buildings. I wish I could find that thread on here ages ago that listed a bunch of common shadowrunverse building materials). Shape plastic may also be good.

[Kirk]

Since

Most electronics in 2070 are optical-based, (SM 174, Pulse)

I thought Shape Glass - or whatever material the optics use - would be amusing.

[Makki]

the only limitation is Line of Sight. You have to see, what you want to shape. I learned Shape Concrete during Ghost Cartels and had lots of fun and good uses. Making a tunnel, a ramp, a barricade, etc...

[Christian Lafay]

the only limitation is Line of Sight. You have to see, what you want to shape. I learned Shape Concrete during Ghost Cartels and had lots of fun and good uses. Making a tunnel, a ramp, a barricade, etc...

New Day-Job, construction worker. Used to do the same thing in Exalted, hehe.

[Dez384]

the only limitation is Line of Sight. You have to see, what you want to shape. I learned Shape Concrete during Ghost Cartels and had lots of fun and good uses. Making a tunnel, a ramp, a barricade, etc...

LOS is the problem with Shape [Bone]. You normally can't bones, unless you want to pull teeth. I guess you could rip out ork/troll horns...

[Christian Lafay]

LOS is the problem with Shape [Bone]. You normally can't bones, unless you want to pull teeth. I guess you could rip out ork/troll horns...

For trolls I would say shape them to act as a blindfold.

[Modular Man]

the only limitation is Line of Sight. You have to see, what you want to shape. I learned Shape Concrete during Ghost Cartels and had lots of fun and good uses. Making a tunnel, a ramp, a barricade, etc...

Oh yes, it's definitely on my list of spells-to-learn.

Shape [Bone], I'm not sure how you'd calculate the effects of this because you could, with very little effort, kill someone almost instantly.

Shape [Skin], again, awesome but it seems like you could very easily kill someone with it (it'd be...messy).

Did you ever play "Vampire: The Masquerade"? (The P&P, not the PC game, of course) I've heard that there is something similar there...

Personally, I'm using "Shape Fire" as long as my GM allows me to go all Pyro (see "X-Men 2 & 3"-movies or the comics) on my enemies.
GMs are advised to view any applications of the spell closely, though. Just imagine what "Shape Air" could do, e.g. an instant vacuum or something...

[Christian Lafay]

Did you ever play "Vampire: The Masquerade"? (The P&P, not the PC game, of course) I've heard that there is something similar there...

In VtM you actually have to use your hands to do it.

[Dez384]

GMs are advised to view any applications of the spell closely, though. Just imagine what "Shape Air" could do, e.g. an instant vacuum or something...

My resident chemist wants to use Shape [water] to create a vacuum inside a body of water, and then collapse it to create a small scale nuclear fission reaction...

[Stalag]

Personally, I'm using "Shape Fire" as long as my GM allows me to go all Pyro (see "X-Men 2 & 3"-movies or the comics) on my enemies.

Well.. strictly speaking, Fire isn't a "Material"... it's a chemical process resulting in the release of energy... just sayin (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


Generally speaking, "Shape Fire" seems perfectly reasonable... though I'd probably call it "Manipulate Fire"

[HunterHerne]

Well.. strictly speaking, Fire isn't a "Material"... it's a chemical process resulting in the release of energy... just sayin (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


Generally speaking, "Shape Fire" seems perfectly reasonable... though I'd probably call it "Manipulate Fire"

It may be a chemical process, but it is one of the shape choices directly listed (and used for an example)

[Stalag]

It may be a chemical process, but it is one of the shape choices directly listed (and used for an example)

So is that more embarrassing for me for not noticing that or the SR writers for actually including it?

[HunterHerne]

So is that more embarrassing for me for not noticing that or the SR writers for actually including it?

Both... maybe?

[Christian Lafay]

If we can shape energy I think it's time to take the radiation in Glow City for a walk...

[Modular Man]

Well.. strictly speaking, Fire isn't a "Material"... it's a chemical process resulting in the release of energy... just sayin (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


Generally speaking, "Shape Fire" seems perfectly reasonable... though I'd probably call it "Manipulate Fire"

From a physical point of view, you are right. Yet, "Street Magic" varies from strict physics; it's magic, after all. P. 174 explicitly gives the example of "Fire". After all, the need to give the spell a concisive name may have blurred the exact physical look of the whole thing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Oh, well, looks like it took me way too long to formulate an answer.

Again, look at the spell from a simple rules-mechanical point of view: It's a simple manipulation spell with a moderate to slightly high drain factor. If it comes to shatter the earth with its weight, something's off.

[Ascalaphus]

If we can shape energy I think it's time to take the radiation in Glow City for a walk...

Well, that's got a problem of its own; mana and radioactivity are known to interact weirdly, often toxically...

[Ol' Scratch]

Why would it matter? Spells still have limited ranges and areas of effect, nor would it intensify any existing effects. That wouldn't be any more potent a spell than Shape Air, Shape Earth, or any other Shape [Abundant Element In the Area] spell. Probably less so, really, since the OR would be extraordinarily high on top of any of the background count that's most likely in the area.

[Christian Lafay]

IF it is possible the question is also conversation of energy. It has to go somewhere if it can be moved. Unless we can squeeze it all into a very bad lead box.

[Mercer]

I don't know how useful shape concrete would be, since most important things made of concrete (floors, load-bearing walls and so on) have a lot of rebar in them. You could make firing ports through them, but you'd still have to cut (or shape) the steel to get through it.

[Christian Lafay]

Well the concrete is poured around the rebar so you could just place and then shape it. Or you could use a different shape spell to use better material that is usually too much a pain in the ass to use. Time to hit the junk yards and recycle like mad fiend.


Now I'm worried about the dangerous applications. Shape holes in planes for explosive decompression or shape holes in boats for a quiet sinking.