Staple spells, What spells do you always take? |
Staple spells, What spells do you always take? |
Feb 17 2005, 12:15 AM
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#1
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Target Group: Members Posts: 2 Joined: 17-February 03 Member No.: 4,104 |
So I've been working on building a mage character for the first time in a while, and got to thinking about how few 25 force points really is. This in turn got me thinking: what are your "staple" spells, the ones you always take? Which ones do you like to squeeze in when you can? And what are the really neat ones that you somehow never manage to fit in? Also feel free to share your tips and tricks for making those force points go as far as possible.
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Feb 17 2005, 12:26 AM
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#2
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,133 Joined: 3-October 04 Member No.: 6,722 |
First line spells:
Fashion. Get it at 5 and you can affect most armour clothing you'll be wearing. Makeover. Don't need this one high. Those two can completely change your look - invaluable for shaking pursuit or just fitting in to wherever you find yourself. Manabolt/Stunbolt. As the pistol is to the samurai, so these are to the mage. Don't get greedy on the damage code and you can cast them all day. Heal or Treat: the precise one is a matter of personal taste (Treat can only be used in the first hour after wounding but the TN is lower). A D&D/EQ style healerbot you ain't, but the ability to get the wounded at least back on their feet and mobile cannot be overlooked; and in between times, you can shred downtime to near zilch. Second-line spells: Levitate. Apart from the obvious opitons, a good force on this gives you at least a chance when you're plummeting to the ground after getting thrown out the window from a skyraker. It'll probably still hurt, but you might avoid terminal trauma :) Detox: Between dope-loaded rounds and drinking dodgy alcohol, it's a solid spell to have. Lightning Bolt: Physical combat possibilities aside - and it's not my first choice for fighting due to drain - this is a good one for screwing with the enemy's electronic gear. Top line stuff will be shielded, but for the average goon it should ruin his day. |
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Feb 17 2005, 12:28 AM
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#3
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,754 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Modesto, CA Member No.: 6,465 |
Improved Invis (Stealth, Mask)
Influence Stunbolt (some damaging manip type) Heal Puts them all about Rating=5. |
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Feb 17 2005, 12:30 AM
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#4
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
At a minimum, I almost always squeeze in Makeover, Healthy Glow, Oxygenate, and Increase Reflexes 3 ... all at Force 1.
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Feb 17 2005, 12:32 AM
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#5
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
Improved Invisibility
Treat Manabolt ManaBall Physical Mask Physical Barrier |
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Feb 17 2005, 12:33 AM
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#6
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,754 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Modesto, CA Member No.: 6,465 |
Nothing to blow things up eh? |
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Feb 17 2005, 01:09 AM
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#7
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Improved Invis, Levitate, Treat, Stealth.
~J |
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Feb 17 2005, 01:21 AM
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#8
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Decker on the Threshold Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,922 Joined: 14-March 04 Member No.: 6,156 |
I'm surprised noone's mentioned Magic Fingers yet.
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Feb 17 2005, 01:26 AM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 865 Joined: 31-December 03 From: Shadows of Britain Member No.: 5,944 |
hmm so many...
Inc Reflexes almost always finds its way in there Deflect is another favorite Stunbolt and / or Manabolt and i try to squeeze in an areas effect of one or the other. Physical Barrier |
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Feb 17 2005, 01:30 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 210 Joined: 8-October 04 Member No.: 6,736 |
Everyone has been naming some good ones...I'd like to add in a low-force shapechange so you can do recon as a mouse (or rat), bird, cockroach, or similar innocuous seeming animal. You just have to be prepared to stunbolt the hell out of any sort of cat you see.
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Feb 17 2005, 02:26 AM
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#11
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,129 Joined: 11-June 03 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 4,712 |
The spells my players normally take:
Improved Invisibility Manabolt/ball Levitate Heal |
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Feb 17 2005, 02:42 AM
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#12
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Uncle Fisty Group: Admin Posts: 13,891 Joined: 3-January 05 From: Next To Her Member No.: 6,928 |
Sterilize. Don't leave any of those pesky ritual materials around when you get shot.
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Feb 17 2005, 03:57 AM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 556 Joined: 28-May 04 From: Moorhead, MN, USA Member No.: 6,367 |
I like shape water at force 1. Not only is it a great way to cruise around on or in the water, but you can do cool things like cut open a water main and walk up the pipe. Just watch your oxygen time.
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Feb 17 2005, 04:07 AM
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#14
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,028 Joined: 9-November 02 From: The Republic of Vermont Member No.: 3,581 |
I don't have any spells that I always take. To the best of my recollection, my first two mage characters had zero overlap in their initial spell selection. Phil was a combat monster, heavy on the combat spells and buffs for nonmagical combat, plus Heal and a few telekinetic-type utility manipulations. Jack had no actual combat spells at all, nor combat-oriented buffs, but had a broad selection of elemental manipulations that she adapted to the purpose (no telekinetic manipulations, though), an assortment of illusions (though not Physical Mask, which Phil did have), and some wack stuff like Analyze Device and Catalog.
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Feb 17 2005, 06:26 AM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 614 Joined: 17-June 03 From: A safehouse about to be compromised by ninjas Member No.: 4,754 |
The only spell that is truely indespensible across all mage types is stunbolt/manabolt. Eventually youll have to whack something, and both of these can hit targets on the physical and astral planes. Every magician/sorcerer has one of those.
While the rest of the mix tends to be either combat related (armor, invis, treat, etc), stealth related (invis, trid phantasm, blindness, etc) or mind related (mind probe, alter memory etc) sort of depending on the role Im planning to fill and the character. Really, spell types that bring new capability to your team are probably best. Mind probe, levitate, trid phantasm are all great spells that provide unique advantages when used to gather intel, outmanuver goons, or move unseen past some guards. |
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Feb 17 2005, 09:00 AM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 192 Joined: 19-July 04 From: N 42° 43.799'. W 84° 27.901' Member No.: 6,496 |
For my part, I tend to make combat oriented hermetics. That being said...
Staples: Manabolt 6: Good for zapping just about anything. (Stunbolt's also nice, but I don't like doing Stun when everyone else in the group's working on the Physical Bar) Heal 4-6: Use a decent heal after applying a Savior Advanced Medkit and all sorts of owies go away. It takes so long to heal unaided, it's worth picking this up. (Treat is nice too, but sometimes my group splits up, and I hate saying, sorry guy, 1 hour limit's up--no heal for you) Levitate 2-4: Useful for circumventing all sorts of obstacles, carrying a KO'd comrade, so on. I mean, it's basically flying. Increased Refexes +3 1: shove it in a sustaining focus, get masking, you've a mostly hidden version of wired reflexes. Armor 6: Use it to save your own hide or help your friends. Improved invisibility 5 or 6: Too useful for supplementing sneaking. Also, in combat, it'll give people a +8 (+4 with ultrasound) to hit you most times. Looks like I don't take much that others don't.... some other favorites though... Fireball, Barrier (Wrapping one around a grenade can be fun), Shapechange, Control Thoughts / Influence, Mind Probe, Detect Enemies, Spell Shield |
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Feb 17 2005, 10:25 AM
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#17
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,133 Joined: 3-October 04 Member No.: 6,722 |
A fun one is Shape Earth... technically it works on brickwork, metals and ceramics as well.
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Feb 17 2005, 10:29 AM
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#18
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
For attack I like a force 9 elemental manipulation mettle.
Heavy pistol or shotgun. I am surprised increase refs hasn’t goten much mention yet. You probably want some attack spell probably mana based to work when projecting. Magic fingers is great especially with grenades. ( .01 second fuse hold trigger with spell until car drives over it, you loos sight of the grenade and the car just has time to get over it before it blows) If you want stealth improved invis and stealth spells are sweet, between them almost nothing can detect you. Armour is very useful. And heal (or treat) is a must have and taking levitate makes athletics far les necessary I also like to have some of detox, fashion, make over, nutrition, fast, catalogue, trid phantasm, mind link at low force, often with an exclusive limitation. Edward |
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Feb 17 2005, 11:51 AM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 527 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,118 |
Treat/Heal and Levitate are the most useful spells, in my opinion. Physical and Astral Barrier are good for high-combat campaigns, Magic Fingers is good for ones with lots of problem solving. Improved Invisibility and Physical Mask are useful for espionage. Enhance Aim is useful at higher power levels, when you can cast at high Force with lots of good karma rerolls and employ quickening(or mask high-Force sustaining foci).
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Feb 17 2005, 02:22 PM
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#20
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Target Group: Members Posts: 37 Joined: 26-February 02 From: England Member No.: 1,927 |
The only spell I always take is stunbolt, the others are generally tailored to the character.
As cool as the increased reflexes spell is, I can't see a moon shaman casting it since they don't tend to be combat monsters. For a combat orientated hermetic though, that spell's pretty handy. Actually, thinking about it, I used to have a character that didn't even have stunbolt. He owned a rare books shop and so had a stack of spells used to repair and translate the books. About the only combat possible spell he had was control fire, learnt at a high force because he didn't trust the fire brigade to arrive early enough to save his precious books :) |
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Feb 17 2005, 02:49 PM
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#21
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Other than Fix and Translate (and possibly Catalog), what spells would be in that 'stack'?
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Feb 17 2005, 03:30 PM
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#22
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Chicago Survivor Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 5,079 Joined: 28-January 04 From: Canton, GA Member No.: 6,033 |
I have always been fond of animate.
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Feb 17 2005, 04:03 PM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 619 Joined: 27-May 03 From: Detroit Member No.: 4,642 |
Dr. Jest has been looking at my carecters! That's pretty much it with the addition of mind probe.
To get specific, I like powerbolt for hitting mages and other stuff I want to kill. I usually forgo manaball for stunball. I'm much more likely to want to knock out a large group of people than kill them. If I want them dead I can do it after the fight, and if I don't win it doesn't matter. |
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Feb 17 2005, 04:16 PM
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#24
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The Sewer Jockey Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 857 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Kent, United Kingdom Member No.: 1,197 |
Just made a mage for use in the Welcome to the shadows section, and his only combat spell is Stunball - just in case.
Other than that, it's all utility spells, and they are almost ALL Exclusive - apart from the ubiquitous "Increase Reflexes 3" which is fetish (since you can't cast an exclusive spell into a sustaining focus). And he doesn't even have a sustaining focus! |
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Feb 17 2005, 05:24 PM
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#25
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Free Spirit Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,944 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Bloomington, IN UCAS Member No.: 1,920 |
How do you figure? It specifies it does not work on processed mineral materials such as glass, metal or concrete. |
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