New Spell: combat telekinesis, Jedi-Style Options

[Machiavelli]

Hi Folks,

after watching "Scott Pilgrim" for app. 15 times, i cannot stop myself anymore from planning a combat-ready version of the levitate spell. Everybody who watched the movie knows about this feature, but i know that it will heavily create doubts (expecially from my GM) about possible abuses. Therefore i would need a proper planning before i present the spell. The effect that the spell should create is simple: damage. If it comes through the "chokehold of force" or a simple "smash his body on the wall" doesn´t matter, but both ways should be possible. I also thought about a simple wind-effect combat spell, but i don´t want to simulate a similar effect, i want real telekinesis. So combat spells are not an option. Manipulation would be the way to go, but what about damage over time? Sustained or immediate? Drain?

Please help...the in-game-style needs you.^^

[Yerameyahu]

You mean like Clout? :/ If your spell is for damage, it *is* a combat spell.

[Machiavelli]

Ah, like "elemental aura" for example which is for what exactly?^^

Combat spells are always instant in duration. How will you manage the Darth-Vader trick with an instant spell? Problem.
Besides: the "intention" of the spell is damage, not necessarily the spell-category.^^

[Yerameyahu]

I was talking about the 'smash his body into the wall' aspect, not the 'slow choke'; but the choke is instant to me anyway. It seems odd for the same spell to do both, in SR.

Elemental Aura needs to die in a fire. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) But that's a *buff* in either case.

Slow choke sounds like Anti-Oxygenate, but you also need the paralysis, I guess. :/ Hm.

[Neraph]

With regular Levitate you could cast it on someone and throw them like the Fling spell. As with a "choke" styled spell, I'd imagine it would be a Health Spell:

Physical +1
Touch Range -2
Sustained Duration +0
Negative Health Spell +2

So it looks like (f/2)+1 for a spell called Choke which would cause the target to immediately start taking damage like Holding Your Breath, page 137 of SR4A, only being resisted by Body + Willpower instead of Swimming + Willpower. The "paralysis" effect is simply because a lot of people don't like the idea of not breathing, although you could always Multicast Choke with Bind.

[thorya]

Can't you get either of these effects from magic fingers? You can lift someone by the throat, simultaneously choking them. Or throw someone by simply lifting someone and running them into a wall. You'll have to get a lot of hits on the test, but since most people are rolling 12+ on spellcasting checks you can expect 4 hits which is enough to lift 120 lbs + 30lbs*hits on the magic fingers lifting check. So it would be hard to pull off, especially for lift choking a troll, but possible.

[Machiavelli]

The problem is, that levitate / magic fingers don´t cause a specific damage. It is up to the GM and you don´t always have a canyon or the top of a building you can drop the victim down off. Basis levitate is simply not fast enough to cause real damage, so i would prefer a spell with a damage rule comparable to a combat or manipulation spell and a specified effect. The problem is, to get 2 different effects in one spell..^^

[Ears]

Well, Magic Fingers lets you attack. So you can just use Unarmed Combat (Subdual Attack) with it. With Spellcasting hits serving as Agility and Strength and a -2 on actions (on top of sustaining) that doesn't sound too good, though.

How about a "Magic Fists" version? No -2 penalty but can't do anything but Unarmed Combat with it. Up Drain Code, Agility and Strength by 1 or 2 and it's Ok, IMO.

It chokes and hits and if you want to throw stuff / people you still can get Levitate for that.

[CanRay]

Why am I reminded of my Star Wars D6 Jedi trying to develop the "Force Telekinetic Sexual Organs Crush"?

[Machiavelli]

I think i will go for 2 different spells. For the "instant effect" i will create an advanced version of the corresponding combat spells that let me choose the direction from which the impulse will come from. So i have maybe more of a tactical option while using this spell. The other one will be an upgrade to levitation, that causes damage over time for the suffocation-effect, if you manage to grab the victim with the levitation-rules....^^

Thanks for the input.

[Makki]

remember, you can always cast two spells at once. assuming you handle the drain.

[Machiavelli]

Style is important, but not so important. ^^