Absorption Metamagic Options

[Fortune]

Where in the hells is this detailed?

Just so the topic isn't a total loss ... what does everyone think of this Metamagic? :talker:

[edit] Nevermind the location. I found it in SotA '63. :) [/edit]

[toturi]

If you can arrange for the enemy spellcaster to target you or anyone who you are Absorption-protecting without getting the whole group of enemy shooting at you, that might actually be a good metamagic.

[Ol' Scratch]

Absorption is, perhaps, one of the lamest metamagic techniques out there because of that +2 modifier you suffer while using it. All those extra dice mean exactly jack if you're simply using them to try to possibly counteract the penalty it's giving you in the first place... and worse, that penalty applies across the board; any future use of Spell Defense, Absorption, Spellcasting, Summoning, Dispelling, shooting your gun, sneaking around, and etc.

If that "balancing factor" was removed, it might actually give Shielding a run for its money as an actual improvement to Spell Defense. As it stands, its actually worse 'cause it greatly lessens your performance while using it.

[toturi]

Doc, maintaining that pool is what causes the +2 mod, so the moment you use up that absorption pool you do not get a +2 mod.

[Ol' Scratch]

...but it does apply to anything you cast with it and for any test you have to make while sustaining it (which can be a while in many situations), including any other spell defense/absorption tests.

[Edward]

I believe there is a spell combo involving 2 mages one of witch has Absorption.

Caster a has absorption & trauma dampener
Caster b is ally to caster a
Caster a sets for absorbtion
Caster b casts force 1 stun bolt at caster a
Caster a casts spell at target with far to many dice.

Edward

[Ol' Scratch]

...but, again, with a +2 modifier.

Look at it this way: Which would you rather cast? A spell with a TN of 4 and 6 dice (~3 successes), or that exact same spell with a TN of 6 and 12 dice (~2 successes) assuming you were lucky and managed to absorb six dice in the first place in addition to suffering the +2 penalty for everything you did before you cast the latter spell?

[Crusher Bob]

Can you center the penalties back down? If so, it sounds like super duper dual mage combo attack. Since shielding is persistent, it might be a better way to defeat a shielded opponent since you can't center away the shielding.

[Ol' Scratch]

Sure, but you could have centered to lower other penalties (such as Shielding penalties which you most certainly can center away), improve your successes, or lower Drain instead. You're also better off placing Shielding on yourself... thereby degrading your opponent's performance, not your own.

[Crusher Bob]

I thought shielding raised the target number, not gave penalties, or was that a previous implementation of it?

[Ol' Scratch]

Uhm, an increase to the target number is a penalty. If it raised the base target number, that would be another story entirely.

[Crusher Bob]

I though it was supposed to like range TNs, ie and actual increase in the target number, vs a penalty...

Probably just a selective memory edit, alot of my thinking is a holdover from second edition.

[Kanada Ten]

I sort of agree with Doctor Funkenstien, however, it is a cool ability. Personally, I think Focus Concentration (which I'd allow to reduce the pentalty to +1) or an Absorbsion Focus (which should grant dice without penalty) would make it work.

[Ol' Scratch]

I completely agree... it is a cool ability. If it was changed so that it required an Exclusive Free Action to use the Asorption Pool instead of the +2 for maintaining it, it would not only become a useful metamagic technique but self-balancing itself. ("How is it self-balancing?" Because by doing so, you couldn't use Centering [which also requires a Free Action] on the spell you're augmenting with it, nor could you perform any Exclusive actions while sustaining or using it.)

I don't quite get your idea with the Absorption Focus, Kanada. Or are you saying that it's basically a modified Sustaining Focus designed to only hold captured Absorption Pool dice for you instead of you having to sustain it yourself? I imagine it would extend the amount of time you could hold the dice, too.

[toturi]

Strictly speaking any TN after you used the Absorption pool is back down to the normal(without the +2) TN.

[Moon-Hawk]

Couldn't you charge yourself by casting a spell at yourself and then choosing to resist it? You don't need a second mage at all, except for speed. Just resist your own spells, and say kamehameha to center against the penalties while you're charging up.

[Ol' Scratch]

[Moon-Hawk]

Perhaps the intention of the rules was to say that you take a +2TN penalty to all actions due to the distraction of holding the extra energy, but this penalty does not apply to discharging the energy, since you're no longer struggling to hold it in. I think that would be far more balanced, certainly, whether they meant that or not.

[tisoz]

[Kanada Ten]

[toturi]

Ahhh, an Absorpted Mana battery.

[Edward]

[toturi]

If you allow the use of a focus then perhaps you'd consider the use of your friendly neighbourhood Living Focus?

[Edward]

If you can actually find one.

I cant see many players taking that ability. Few are wiling to give up so much personal power for the convenience of another PC. Using themselves as a sustaining focus for spells cast on themselves would be a notable exception.

If I could have a D&D style cohort I would play a mage with an adept specialised in being my b1tch… correction resevwar of arcane power. The social interactions between the characters would very between interesting and utterly disturbing based on what was appropriate where we are playing. Of cause I would never expect somebody to play the submissive as there character.

Edward

[Kanada Ten]

There's no reason for the adept to play the submissive character even excluding Empower Animal. Witness the Sul'dam and her control of the damane, which with some of the new adept powers and a variant of Attunement is duplicatable. But otherwise, the relashionship could be mutual (such as the spell sustained being cast on the adept) or similar to that of an ally spirit.