Foci, Astral Forms, and Materialization, Magician with Astral Form & Materialization: Foci Y/N? Options

[Ramaloke]

Okay, given that you have somehow acquired the astral form and materialization powers as a magician, and have no physical body to speak of any longer.

What sort of restrictions would the givens place on your use of foci, if any? For now I am simply going with the "You cannot use Foci".

[BishopMcQ]

It sounds very similar to the situation of a Free Spirit, so I would use those rules from Runners Companion. In that case, Free Spirits cannot bond Foci.

[pbangarth]

Okay, given that you have somehow acquired the astral form and materialization powers as a magician, and have no physical body to speak of any longer.

What sort of restrictions would the givens place on your use of foci, if any? For now I am simply going with the "You cannot use Foci".

Assuming those powers could be acquired, they still would not apply to equipment, even foci. The astral form of a focus is different and separate from the astral form of the magician, and as such A), it would not be made astral by the Astral form power, which is different from the Astral Projection that magicians have, and which does carry bonded foci with the magician; and B) even if A) were not true, it would not be materialized by the Materialization power of the magician himself, which power only affects the being that has the power, not other things.

[Neraph]

You don't need the Astral Form power, and you can get Materialization through Endowment.

Theoretically speaking, if this is simply a materializing magician somewhere who has these foci, then they appear somehow integrated into his Materialized form (maybe as bright lights or obvious mana lines or somesuch). If it is a magician who projected then his body died, then he doesn't get foci, as those foci he had in corporeal life are probably re-sold (if so then they definitely aren't still in contact with him, which is required for activation) and possibly re-bound.

[Tanegar]

I'm quite curious to know how the magician in question acquired the powers of Astral Form and Materialization, and what fool of a Took GM allowed it.

[SpellBinder]

Any magician can astrally project, leaving their physical bodies behind and effectively becoming an astral form.

Endowment is a spirit power (Street Magic, page 99), available to at least great form guardian and great form task spirits, so you need the Invoking metamagic and a bound guardian or task spirit (and hope you get at least five hits on the invoking test). Also, I think it's possible for an ally spirit to have Endowment as long as the magician is capable of summoning guardian and/or task spirits (and said ally spirit actually has Materialization, in this case), though this might depend on how a GM interprets the available powers part. In that, for a time, a great form guardian spirit or a great form task spirit can allow an astrally projecting magician to materialize on the material.

[Neraph]

Any magician can astrally project, leaving their physical bodies behind and effectively becoming an astral form.

Yes, but that's not the same as the Astral Form critter power, SR4A, page 293.

Also, I think it's possible for an ally spirit to have Endowment as long as the magician is capable of summoning guardian and/or task spirits (and said ally spirit actually has Materialization, in this case), though this might depend on how a GM interprets the available powers part.

No. Ally spirits cannot have access to the special powers available from Invoking.

From the FAQ:

Ally spirit powers can be chosen from any powers available to spirits the initiate’s tradition may conjure. If the initiate knows Invoking metamagic, are the powers available to great form spirits available as ally spirit powers?

No. The powers must come from those available to the initiate’s tradition; Invoking is not inherent to a tradition.

[SpellBinder]

The only differences I'm aware of between a projecting magician and a critter with the Astral Form power is that the magician still has his/her body on the material, and has a time limit of Magic hours of being in the astral. Why I said "effectively" and not that it was identical or in any way 100% exactly the same thing as the Astral Form power.

And I'll say it again, considering the nature of the FAQs in general, I take it as GM's discretion.

[Neraph]

The only differences I'm aware of between a projecting magician and a critter with the Astral Form power is that the magician still has his/her body on the material, and has a time limit of Magic hours of being in the astral. Why I said "effectively" and not that it was identical or in any way 100% exactly the same thing as the Astral Form power.

Right, but I'm not being technical with you. The OP stated that the magician acquired the Astral Form power and I was telling him that that was unnecessary.

[SpellBinder]

Ah, okay.