New Spell Ideas, Ways you manipulate mana. Options

[Joker9125]

Anyoen got new spell ideas

Heres a few spell ideas I came up with

Mass Control Thoughs - Same as mob mind except it is has the touch range modifier. People are affected in an area around the mage equal to his magic attribute in meters. Drain is +1(S)

Flame Sword - Creates a flaming sword with the Iron and Fire elemental effects. The attack of the Sword is STR + Froce +1 M (also gives +1 reach). Sustained spell +1 power, Physical spell +1 Power, Major enviormental change means base drain of S, Iron elemental effect +1 Drain Level, Fire elemental effect +1 drain level giving it a total drain of +2(D+1). With the self only Modifier -3 Drain levels it brings the drain to +2(M)

Ill be posting more once I finish this 4 page paper that I am taking a much needed break from (What I wouldnt give for a Slay English Teacher spell) :S

EDIT: The purpose of this thread is not to determine if something is cheesey because that is entirely opinion. The only thing that matters is if it is in cannon.

[Kakkaraun]

I have a 5 and an 8 page paper, FIVE take-home tests, two weeks of critiques for a poetry workshop course, and about 9 poems to revise for the same class...and I haven't even started...so don't feel bad ;).

What /I/ wouldn't give for a "Slay Psychology Staff" spell.

EDIT: Oh yes, the point...the way I interpret the rules and fluff in the Spell Design chunk of MitS, a lot of the "normal" spells someone might have could be "custom"-designed by them. And it'd be just as easy for you to create a "custom" spell as a book-published spell. The only requirement I'd give is...say...having a Spell Design knowledge skill at at least 1/3 the rating of the highest spell you designed.

[BitBasher]

On Mass Control Thoughts I believe that you cannot by definition have Area effect and Touch Range. They are contradictory. The Area effect is negated by the fact they the mage has to be physically touching them for the spell to work.

On Flame Sword the damage you have there is in absolutely hell no category. Flame aura, which is essentially what the sword has, adds 2 to the power of a melee attack. That's it. The damage would then be off the top of my head Str+2(m).

Your drain there is off too. Assume we start with your base S:
Physical spell +1 power. = +1(S)
Sustained Spell +1 Power = +2(S)
Elemental Effect +1 Drain Level = +2(D)
Elemental Effect +1 Drain Level = +2(D+1)

I would not allow Caster only because this spell has no target, it is creating something. Does the sword only affect the caster? is everyone else immune to it? Caster only is by definition a combination of Very Limited Target, Touch Only, and Voluntary Target. Since this spell physically creates somehting, and it doesnt directly affect any other objects, Very Limited Target and Voluntary Target do not apply. I would allow Touch Range which would mean the object created would appear touching the caster upon creation, which is essentially what you want anyway. That is a -1 to the drain level.

That would leave you with a final drain code of +2(D)

Opinions vary though.

{EDIT}
The poster above me made a point, in order to start with a custom spell of this nature I'd make the player have a spell design knowldge skill equal to the force of the spell, and an appropriately rated lodge or hermetic library.

[Herald of Verjig...]

For minor in character things, yes.

Some such examples:
other elemental effects: water, metal, sand, etc. As aura spells, some are a bit harder to consider.
other targetting categories of health/combat/illusion/detection spell
the self-heal is a favorite for mages who hate their teammates, and "invisibility to trolls" fits with certain characters

I have yet to see a character seriously consider Drekball, the massively elemental area manipulation. I can't find my notes, but I think it was +1(+7 levels) or something so that a 1L had drain near 7D

[Backgammon]

That's actually a really good question. MitS states that in order to create a spell, a character must first have the inspiration. That sorta means you have to get in during game time, because it's something that's roleplayed.

[A Clockwork Lime]

Because, as we all know, characters don't exist "Before Creation." History? Backgrounds? Those must just be fluff terms, 'cause there's no way a character could have a past, let alone a past in which they found inspiration for a spell. No sir.

[BitBasher]

Lime have you ever thought of rsponding to a post and giving the same information you just did, but without acting in a derogatory condesceding manner, effectingly insulting the poster by implying he's too stupid to come up with your answer?

You have good information a lot of the time and present it in the worst most inflammatory insulting way I have seen for a long time, and you are fairly consistent at doing so.

[Kakkaraun]

I just looked it up, and the maximum force of a spell you create is your Design skill...so...yeah.

[Joker9125]

[Dashifen]

I usually let characters all have one designed item if they want it. I get final approval, but it lets them get a little creative at char. generation. Whether it be a spell, drone, cyberdeck, gun etc. I'll review their design and if I like it, I'll let it in.

[moosegod]

I tend to avoid "designed" equipment with starting characters. This is mostly due to the fact that new characters I get are new to SR. Fewer problems=good.

I voted "no", for the simple reason that I don't really understand the rules well enough.

And I have to agree with BitBasher on the Clockwork Lime subject.

[A Clockwork Lime]

Eh, if you don't like what I have to say, you're more than welcome to pass right over any posts I write.

That aside, I have no problem letting characters start with custom equipment as long as its vital to their concept. If they're just doing it because they have some resources (be they nuyen, spell points, or anything else), then I tend to frown on it. If a concept is outside the standard rules, I'll usually have a player describe what they want it to do and then come up with some rules for it myself.

[RangerJoe]

Wow.... drek bolt and drek ball. I feel as though a whole new plane of hermetic existence has been opened. My games are never going to be the same again....

[RangerJoe]

Oh, on-thread-- I have played several hermetic and shamanic magical scholar/student type characters. Magic theory/spell design are par for the course. Specialized/unique spells seldom come into play as game-breakers. Rather, they reflect a character's unqiue view on what magic should be used for and how magical goals can be accomplished.

(still fixated) I wonder if the idea of drekiness transcends to the astral....

[Joker9125]

[Eyeless Blond]

[Joker9125]

[A Clockwork Lime]

Just create it as Flamethrower with the Touch and Elemental Effect: Metal modifiers. They cancel each other out, so the Drain Code is the same as all other non-area effect Elemental Manipulations. The stipulation is that your Sorcery Skill is being used as a Melee Skill instead of a Ranged Combat Skill, and in exchange you also gain the benefits of Elemental Metal.

As a personal modification, I'd say that each point of Reach you wanted this weapon to have should increase the Drain Level by +1 (ala Extended Range). But that's just my opinion.

[Joker9125]

ahh prehaps I should better explain the spell in detail to get rid of all of these silly misunderstandings.

Flame Sword
Target 6
Drain +2(D+1)
Drain with Self Only +2(M)
Type Sustained
Damage Force +2 (M)

Description: THe Flame Sword spell creates a metal sword that has a blade that is surrounded by flame that the target of the spell is immune to. As with all other swords the edged weapon skill or stregnth is used to attack. The sword created grants +1 reach and uses the force of the spell to determine the power of the attack and the flame adds +2 to the attack as well. Every two net sucesses will raise the power of the attack by one to a maximum of twice the spells force.

Example: Joe mage casts a force 6 Flame sword with the self only mod. He has a 6 willpower, str 2, sorcery 6 and 6 spell pool. Using 10 die he gets 2 successes so his sword will have a power of +7(force+1)+2(flame effect) totaling 9(M). He resists 5(M) drain with 8 die and generates 3 succeses. Joe takes a light stun wound.

EDIT: after discussing with my GM and determining the absolute ability to cheese this spell i have decided remove the Stregnth modifiers from this spell

[A Clockwork Lime]

Eh, seems a little odd. I still kinda like the idea I came up with. Gives magicians a bit more flexibility, especially those that need or want some means to defend themselves if forced into a melee situation.

Flaming Sword
Type: P · Target: 4 · Duration: S · Drain: +2(Level+2)

This spell conjures forth a flaming blade from the caster's hand imbued with elemental fire and metal. The caster uses Sorcery as their Melee Attack Skill and treat the sword as having a Reach of 1. The primary and secondary effects for both elemental fire and elemental metal are in full effect. Damage is based on the Force and Damage Level of the spell instead of Strength, and it is resisted as an Elemental Manipulation spell. Flaming Sword is otherwise treated as a traditional sword used in melee combat.

Design Notes: Flamethrower with Sustained Spell (+1 Power), Elemental Effect: Metal (+1 Drain Level), Extended Range: Reach 1 (+1 Drain Level), Touch Range (-1 Drain Level).

I can easily see someone scoring a Sustaining Focus in the form of a swordsman's glove, too. Star Wars junkies might want to change it to Elemental Light instead, dropping the Drain Code to +1(Level+1) and using only the Elemental Light effects. Naturally, a bastardized flashlight "hilt" would be the sustaining focus or maybe combo sustaining/specific spell focus. It'd then be renamed Light Sabre, of course.

Hmm. I've been wanting to design a Templar magician for a while now... this spell kind of has me thinking about doing that very thing. Thanks for the inspiration, Joker.

This post has been edited by A Clockwork Lime: Apr 26 2004, 05:04 AM

[Joker9125]

Actually since that spell is both sustained and physical it would be +2(DL+2)

EDIT: NP the whole flame sword thing isnt really that usefull in combat but its still a pretty neat idea though

[Backgammon]

[A Clockwork Lime]

[RedmondLarry]

I let characters start off with custom spells, no problem. I assume that at some point in the past their character had access to a spell formula for that spell, and they learned it. Just like every other spell in their spell list. Of course, I only allow spells that fit my understanding of the Shadowrun world.

An example spell might be "Treat 3, ELF only, Line of Sight".

I treat the Spells in the books as representative samples of the awesome variety of spells available in the Shadowrun World, and don't limit new characters to just those spells.

[snowRaven]